Gosman’s Clam Bar

I love this place and have been coming here since I was really young. Yesterday I had the lobster roll and it was yummy! Very generous portions of lobster that wasn’t overly dressed in mayo with celery on a potato roll. It doesn’t come with fries but I just stole some of my families that got the specialty plates like fried clams and calamari which both come with fries. My one complaint was their unwillingness to make a plate of grilled shrimp for my nephew. They make fried shrimp plates and grilled mixed plate which came with grilled shrimp but refused to make just grilled shrimp with fries. I could understand if it wasn’t on the menu but as explained above it seemed very feasible. They also sell beer on tap, but if you prefer a wide selection of wines and cocktails there is a walk up bar for another one of their restaurants right behind it.

Absolutely the worst Lobster Roll I’ve ever had so disappointed I will never eat there again for that kinda $$$ what a waste. I should’ve just got a cheeseburger. The seasoning was horrible, it was to mushy & it wasn’t on the good Lobster Roll signature bun. Don’t waste your money on this. If you starving just go for a cheeseburger or something along those lines and don’t spend all the money. My kids got a cheeseburger, hotdog and my mom also got the lobster bisque which she said wasn’t very good either and she also didn’t like the Lobster Roll. $ 77 down the drain…

It was honestly really bad and overpriced. I had the grilled fish platter. They did not have crab or steamers (seriously?!) and while what I really wanted was the lobster salad, I was informed it was made with a lot of mayo. The fish was small, overcooked and extremely dry. There were only two pieces of shrimp. My friend had the lobster roll and there was definitely more mayo than lobster. That’s not my idea of a proper lobster roll so I am glad I did not get the lobster salad either.
Views are spectacular– that’s where I add the one star but there are way better fish places in Montauk.

Decent waterfront food, on par with what i had expected. I got a lobster roll and corn, and my girlfriend got a grilled chicken platter.
The lobster roll was good but a little pricey. The chicken was good as well. We would go back if we wanted a quick bite near the bay.
Nothing spectacular, but good overall for quick food.

Ive been coming here every summer for a while now. Nice place to sit outside and watch the boats coming in while you eat. The food is usually pretty good. Its a little expensive but its a summer only place on the water so thats to be be expected. The only bad thing is the seagulls have no fear of coming right up to you and snatching your food depending on where you choose to sit.

One of the best lobster dinner deals in Montauk. For $ 25 you get a 1 ½ lb lobster, mussels, potatoes, and a cup of lobster bisque. On a beautiful summer day, you can’t go wrong with that.

I just got back from an East End lobster roll crawl.
Here is my personal favorites:
1. Lunch/​Lobster Roll ($ 20.85)
2. Gosman’s ($ 19.50)
3. Clam Bar ($ 30)
4. Sloppy Tuna ($ 27.16)
5. Stuart’s Seafood ($ 25)
The lobster roll was $ 19.50. So, cheapest of the bunch.
I like the idea of Gosman’s, even though they did not have my favorite lobster roll.
When I arrived, I was struck by how beautiful the grounds are. They must spend a fortune on landscaping and grounds maintenance. And I absolutely love outdoor dining, and this is such a beautiful place for it.
There is a restaurant, a beautiful Topside outdoor deck for drinks and food, and a casual Clam Bar with umbrellas and tables. I was amazed by how much parking and how many diners can be accomodated here! Maybe it gets crowded on the weekends, because I came for lunch on a Wednesday in high season and it was all but empty (only two other families dining at the Clam Bar, noone at the other two places).
I was disappointed in the service. The counter ladies were not friendly or helpful at all. I had to wait on line for about 15 minutes– there were 2 families and 2 registers open, so why it took 15 minutes is beyond me. A register became available and the lady didn’t acknowledge my existence for several minutes. I asked where I could sit, and she laughed at me (honestly!), and waved her arm to the very empty tables. I clarified again, and she said «anywhere with an umbrella». So I chose a wood table closest to the water with an umbrella; as I was enjoying my roll, a waiter came over and asked me to move since I was in the wrong area for the Clam Bar. I explained to him that the counter lady said I could sit anywhere with an umbrella, and the table I was at clearly had an umbrella. Considering there was absolutely noone in the wood table area, and only 2 other families in the plastic table area… this was so petty.
The roll comes on the traditional hot dog bun. This disappointed me, because I read on the menu that it came on a toasted brioche. I was so excited to try a lobster roll on something other than a bland bun. Oh well. Maybe the restaurant serves it that way, and not the Clam Bar. And the roll does not come with anything, unlike most of the other places.
It was a perfectly respectable lobster roll, with a tasty lobster salad. The meat was very fresh and particularly sweet. I enjoyed it, and enjoyed eating it al fresco, watching the boats come into harbor to drop off their finds of the day.
Despite my personal service issues, I would highly recommend Gosman’s, and eager to come back to try the Topside and Restaurant.

I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid. Now, whenever my fiancé and I come out with friends we always bring them to Gosman’s for the amazing view and good food. Sometimes you have to deal with the wind and seagulls (don’t feed them!), but that’s all apart of the experience!

I visit Montauk pretty often and I worked in the town for a summer and Gosman’s Clam Bar was close to where I worked. I didn’t always love the idea of eating the food where I worked (another review for another time…) so I loved that this place was such a quick walk from work so I could grab some really great food.
After the summer of working nearby I have tried almost everything on the menu and I haven’t found anything that wasn’t high quality and tasted amazing. I won’t spend a lot of time writing up every food item, you really are safe just assuming that if it’s on the menu, it’s going to taste really good.
The reason I gave it 3 stars was the price and the staff.
I grew up in a family of fishermen and I know that seafood is expensive. But even taking into account the high market price for seafood, this place is way too overpriced.
The staff is friendly enough. However, they are not very knowledgeable about the menu. The way the place orders (the counter people yell it to the people in the kitchen) leaves you with a pretty good chance that something in your order is going to be mixed up. They are always more than happy to correct any mistakes, but it adds on time to what is already a wait that is a little too much longer than it should be.

When my family and I come up from CT we make sure to stop at Gozman’s for lunch at least once or twice. You order your food, pick it up at the counter, sit down at the dock and enjoy the water and weather. The lobster salad roll is delicious and fresh. I’m not a fan of fried fish, but I tried my mom’s fish and chips and it was so good, I ordered it the next time I went.

I have been coming here for 30 years. Every time we stay or visit Montauk, we have a no frills lunch at Gosman’s Clam Bar. The rest of time hubby cooks fish and seafood from their fish market.
I usually order raw clams, clam chowder and a beer (I’m on vacation). The view is great, but you do have to watch the seagulls.
I have ordered some of their grilled items but I thought they were overcooked.
I ordered the calamari and thought they used too much batter. However, the squid is fresh.
This place is a sentimental favorite.

I love that this is a non-​waiter seafood restaurant for when you want fish but don’t want to pay the high prices of Montauk. Their fish and chips are the only ones I’ll eat out here except for the those at Lunch (on 27), which is the best. A little oily, but easy to dab. The lobster roll has too much celery and doesn’t compare to the wonderful rolls at the new Red Hook Lobster Pound. Still, the Clam Bar is a nice place to go with a family and to watch the boats come in and out of the harbor. The combo platter is my fav.

$ 22 lobster salad was just meh. way too much onion !
also i witnessed a couple pickup their tray of fish and chips at the counter only to be literally divebomb bombarded by seagulls before they reached their seats. their lunch was instantly on the ground, and a man with a broom came to sweep it up immediately, but they were told, «sorry we’re not responsible. you’ll have to buy another meal !!!»
Shame on you Gosman’s!!!
ps — the lobster salad at gosmans fish market is way fresher and less oniony… avoid this cruel clam shack on the dock unless you like paying $ 40+ to eat one picnic style plate– because the first one was super expensive bird food!

I was able to eat some of the mixed fried plate.
The French fries tasted like fish.
The Fish was good but what they did to it with the oily batter was not.
Clam strips were terrible. It took me a minute to figure out what they were, after I did, I let them be.
The calamari was equivalent to the bait we were using on the fishing boat.
Baked clams looked scary, I didn’t get to taste them, zero on presentation though.
the fresh clams did not taste fresh
If there is a chef that runs this place he should be shamed, if the owner has a manager/​workers running the kitchen he deserves to lose money in his investment.

Between the two Gosmans indoor restaurants, and out in the open on a large deck, is Gosman’s Clam bar. Order, wait for your order and self serve.
Lots of fish sandwiches, salmon, crabcake, tuna, swordfish, various whole lobster options, chowder, wraps, and fried clams and fish and chips. I love fried clams, they are just bad~ and a weakness… back closet to the village, someone has ipswich which really is way too good… either will do and are totally fried. lol.
Basic cooking. Tip: Anything grilled here usually has too much oily char on it to find edible. So lobster in the rough is good, (not grilled) — swordfish could be too grilled/​charred etc.
When you don’t have time for a sit down long dragged out dining experience, and want something seafood like and quick. by the water… here is the spot… weather permiting. Or take it out… that too.

Been coming here (and battling sea gulls) since I was a kid. Every time I’m here I have to go. For a relaxed (flip flops and a t-​shirt) outdoor dockside experience — nothing compares. Granted we’re talking fast, fried, fresh seafood (never order anything else). If you’re looking for something else there are plenty of other higher end restaurants… but this is a clam bar!
Get the combo basket and you wont be disappointed — the price or the portion. They use a different batter for each seafood they fry and the cole slaw is made fresh. IMO no one on Long Island beats their fried fish.
Oh and don’t try and come if the weather’s bad.

I was looking for a Lobster roll to go and boy did I find it. This place is the McDonald’s of Lobster rolls. I had the Lobster roll in my hand with 2 minutes of ordering it. The Lobster salad looked as though it was scooped out of a plastic container recently removed from the freezer. It was mostly ground Lobster and celery with a couple of claw chunks. At $ 17 for a small Lobster roll I would expect better. However, it was fast and I was eating it on the go. Again, the McDonald’s of Lobster rolls.

All of Gosman’s Dock is a nice place, and it looks like it has been here for awhile and will be around for a long time, and I only say that because as you drive up you see half a dozen restaurants with empty parking lots and employees out front doing landscaping when they should be cooking for someone, but there’s nobody there.
Gosman’s Dock on the other hand is a complex of restaurants, shops, markets, all full of people shopping and enjoying themselves.
The Clam Bar is kind of hard to explain because it’s the first time I’ve ever had to fight off seagulls the whole time I was eating. I’m sure the food was OK, but it’s kinda hard to tell when you’re just scarfing it down before the seagulls do. (failed to mention that this is outdoor seating right on the bay) I had the softshell crab sandwich. It’s the first time in my long life that I had fried softshell crab, and if asked what it tastes like? Tastes like onions. They did not skimp on the onions. I could have taken them off, but I like onions. So much so that I paid nine bucks for an onion sandwich with little crab feet sticking out. My wife had the crab cakes, and I had a couple bites and they were OK, OK? The fries probably came out of a bag and were frozen at one time.
Overall, I would pass on this place. The food is so-​so. Heard someone at another table raving about the steamers, order them. Aside from an owl statue on the roof, there was NO apparent attempt to keep seagulls away from the diners. They come right up onto your table. Those dirty, sticky tables that I saw no one wash the whole time we were there.
This place is a great reason why we rent condos with kitchens every time we go to Montauk. We go there twice a year, and normally do our own cooking because of all the hit and miss dining in the area. I thought I’d break the mold for once and go out for a nice lunch, but of course got pushed right back into the kitchen.

Nice lobster roll.