Turner's Seafood at Lyceum Hall -Salem — Restaurant in Salem

Came here tonight with my eldest and younger daughter for my Birthday dinner... My eldest daughter brought me and her younger sister. I'm no stranger to Salem MA, I lived there for 5 years before moving to Gloucester... I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT...!!!! Appetizers we ordered : The Fish Chowder, Absolutely the best I've ever tasted...and for those who know, The Causeway, in Gloucester has some great Fish Chowder..but.... Turners, you give them a run from the money! I personally think yours is better! The chicken fingers (plain) Unfortunately I only got to see them because my 13 year old snatched them and ate them all!!! She said they were delicious... The fried Shrimp appetizer, I tried one even though I'm not a huge shrimp lover...they were fantastic ! Fresh ..Fresh ..Fresh !!! Not oily or greasy and a "sweet" mild flavor, The fresh baked bread loaf with butter...warm, toasty, Delicious...and last but not least, the Mac & Cheese appetizer...I make a mean Mac & cheese myself, But this blew mine Out of the water ..!!! It was so Delicious that we ate the left over cheese sauce...(Yes it was that good ) It had a really, really good cheese flavor ...I mean, a very "aged" cheddar flavor... Unbelievable! For our Entrees all three of us decided on the Fried Haddock plate, one with Jasmine rice and spinach with garlic, the other with mashed potato and asparagus and mine with mashed potato and spinach with garlic.... Fantastic....!!!! 10 stars all around, everything we ate was delicious... Dessert was a Strawberry Shortcake with a birthday candle .. Thank you!!! The other a Creme Brulee....Both absolutely delicious...!!! Our server, A wonderful woman what took care of us like royalty! and the other servers ( 3 young men )who were equally wonderful and charming...A huge Thank you to all four of you ! I would also like to thank the chefs and cooks and kitchen staff for their knowledge and preparation of our food tonight.... I tasted the love in every bite...! Also I thank the entire kitchen crew, The managers and Owner for having a Well runned Establishment... It's an Honor to dine with you !! I will be back again !! Thank you all at Turners, Salem for giving this old gal a very Happy Birthday night !!! I'm so sorry I didnt take pictures .. I wish that I had !! I was too happy enjoying myself!!! For those of you reading , Please give Turners a try...! You will not be...

Great place for seafood...Probably the best in the area. We went in and the fire place was lit and just a little smokey, we love that smell. It cleared quickly but the homey fireplace smell remained. The table at which we were seated was rather dark...I used my flashlight to read the menu. (I think there was a light above the table, but not working or not on). Wife got the clam chowder and I got lobster bisque with extra lobster. Both soups were good, very thick. I suspect cream soup base, but very thick, which doesn't mean better. Clams casino were good. Lots of bacon, cheesier than I am used to, and not gritty. However, the clam itself should have been detached from the shell prior to the casino filling going on. This makes it impossible to eat without it falling apart as you wrestle the clam out. 95% of the places I go detach the clam. Wife had fried scallops. Very tasty, medium scallops, and generous portion. We both had the fresh spinach with garlic...they were generous with both! I had the fried clams. This was not clam strips, this was the real thing...whole clams, breaded and fried. They were very nicely done. ADDED: [ I forgot to mention the onion rings served with the clams. They were thin and delicious Delicious. Not greasy, crisp, and great onion flavor. ] My wife told me I must make them for her when we get home! (Thanks Turner's) Finally dessert. The creme brulee was ok. It was on the lighter side with no evidence of vanilla beans. The chocolate torte was good but the presence of coconut in the bottom crust was an unexpected surprise. Not a plus either as I am not a big fan of coconut. I ate it, it was fine, would rather have known ahead of time. There is a parking lot half a block down the street (automated). I was told by restaurant that it is free after 6pm. Check before you regret! ADDED[ the owner responded to my review asking how they could improve to get 5 stars. This is always a big plus with me. It shows that the owners care enough to read the reviews and reach out. This, in my experience, is not the norm (unfortunately) but indicates a high level of commitment to the customers and their business. I will respond to them...

We stopped on 8/24/24 and 8/25/24. Our server on 8/24/24, we believe, was Natalia. She had darker hair and a thicker, possibly Spanish accent. She was absolutely wonderful. We came to Salem for my birthday and the 24th was my birthday dinner. Natalia made the experience amazing. We were able to try oysters for the first time. She walked us through the best way to try them. She even sang me happy birthday. The food was astounding. I am from a culinary background but only cook for home nowadays. The food was so good it brought tears to my eyes, this was a first time moment for me. I had the 1.5 lobster with mashed potatoes and spinach w/garlic. My husband had the black sea bass daily special. We also had the strawberry shortcake for dessert. This meal completely blew me away. We just had to return on our last night. The food again was spectacular! I was hesitant to try a lobster roll again after a mediocre first experience from a different local restaurant on our first night. I am so glad I trusted Turners based on our love of the food from the 1st night. We ordered the lobster rolls, both ways. For sides we tried the lobster risotto cake, mashed potatoes, baked beans and coleslaw. The lobster rolls tasted like HEAVEN. I am a big fan of the Connecticut style personally. Both nights i ordered the ultimate bloody mary. I am ashamed to be from Wisconsin after trying their house bloody mix. I rarely drink alcohol because the taste is too intense. Turners bloody mix is so good i wish they sold it to take home! For apps we tried the crab cakes 100/10, mac and cheese 100/10 and the lobster bisque. Oh the lobster bisque. That bisque is truly what ended up making me shed a tear. There are countless unspeakable things that I would do to get my hands on that recipe. Thank you Turners. You do food the right way. We will be back in 2031 for our 10 year anniversary and you will be our very first meal. Thank you again to Natalia for making my birthday...