DJ's Clam Shack St. Augustine — Restaurant in Saint Augustine

We went to DJ’s Clam Shack for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I found it unusual that a “shack” (note…it is not really a shack, it is in a small old house) would be the highest rated St Aug restaurant on google reviews. However, the place is really good!

It is located right in the heart of St Aug, about a half block off of St George street. You enter through a cute courtyard which also serves as the majority of their seating. You order at a counter just inside the main doors and they give you a buzzer once your food is ready. There is also a smallish indoor seating area upstairs.

My wife and I each got the warm lobster rolls and my brother ordered the clam chowder and garlic bread. We also ordered a clam strip basket for the table. It does not have a bar though you can get beer, wine and seltzers at the counter.

We sat outside at one of their many picnic tables since we had our dog with us, yes dog friendly. Despite it being warm outside, they had a nice amount of shade and had powerful fans all over the place.

Our food was prepared quickly. I am not sure our pictures do it justice. The lobster rolls were loaded and were simply succulent. Everyone noted that the clam strips were amongst the best anyone has had….very meaty. The place could be the top casual restaurant in St Aug. Despite it being super casual, it is not cheap…lobster is not cheap folks! However, if you are looking for a low key place with delicious food, DJ’s is the place for you. The staff was super nice and someone even came to our table to ask if everything was good. It was not too crowded and I assume they turn over their tables quickly since you don’t have your own server nor is it a place to have multiple adult beverages.

Overall, I can’t think of a better weekend lunch spot. If they figured out how to put a bar in, I might...

DJ's Clam Shack was featured on television at some point and this is their secondary location. We've been to the one in Key West and can say that the lobster roll is consistent in flavor and quality at both locations.

Every time we visit St. Augustine, we have a habit of stopping here. Some times the line is long but it's worth the wait and the orders are made pretty quickly.

The restaurant is a old house transformed into restaurant with a smaller dine-in seating upstairs and a large outdoor seating area in what would have been the backyard. The restaurant has live music on some days located in the outdoor seating area. While the upstairs is a little warm (doesn't seem to have AC but is expected in an older home), it is very nautically decorated.

I'm not a fan of mayonnaise so we always order the "warm" lobster roll. The roll is a nice thick cut (brioche, maybe? I'm not quite sure) bun that's been buttered and lightly toasted and has a light sweetness to it. You can see the that a healthy amount of lobster stuffed into it is in big chunks. And if it isn't buttery enough for you, it comes with a side of melted butter and coleslaw.

Sometimes, when I'm super hungry, we also get the clam strip basket which is quite a lot and comes with fries. I always ask for extra crispy fries because some times they come out a little limp. I'm pretty sure their sauces are made in house and the tartar sauce is pretty good.

Overall, this is one of my favorite places to stop at in St. Augustine and I highly recommend...

Listen Up!!!!! Put DJ's Clam Shack on your must go to list. Immediately!!!! This place is the real deal. Being a retired restaurant owner and chef, I am quite picky where I eat. I loved this place..everything from the décor and atmosphere (felt like I was in Maine again), the super friendly staff and the smiling chefs. I have traveled the world eating and I can say DJ's does it right!!! The lobster roll was a piece of perfection. Most places drown theirs's in mayo...not this one. It was a perfect balance of lobster meat, spices and mayo. Yummy. And if you are going for it you might as well go for the over stuffed one. The coconut shrimp were perfectly breaded and fried. I can tell they change their frying oil on a daily basis...no dark brown greasy food here. The conch fritters were the absolutely best I've ever eaten..and that even includes the islands. These fritters were light and fluffy and the homemade dipping sauce was a perfect accompaniment. And I can't leave out the whole belly clams...first off they are so hard to find anywhere out of the northeast. These were juicy and plump and again fried perfectly. Everything here is hand dipped and breaded on premise. I got to meet the chefs and watch them perform their magic. The restaurant business can be a tough one...part of the magic here is you can tell that the employees are "Happy." You can taste the "Love" in the food."...