Chowder House

Very good food! Fresh and very tasty. The service was outstanding. Definitely a good place for sea food. I’ll recommend it!

I decided to give this place a shot and overall I was not overwhelmed but will give it another try. Atmosphere was a nice warm cozy feel, it was so hot I had to crack a window open, but it was clean and inviting. The table shared an appetizer which was Spinach and Artichoke Dip. The table agreed it was very good. I had the New England Clam Chowder which was tasty and a nice texture. Disappointed in the lack of clams and excess amount of potatoes. For my entrée I had ahi tuna which was chargrilled over a bed of baby spinach and marinated artichoke hearts. It was supposed to be «drizzled» with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette. The problem is that it was drenched and flooded the dish. I could not taste the tuna since the vinaigrette was overpowering. Next time I will ask for it to be drizzled not inundated. I had their chocolate peanut butter pie which was made in house and it was very good. For a beer I chose Magic Hat #9 on draft which was a quality brew. Disappointed in their draft beer selection since they had no local beers on tap. All in all it was an enjoyable evening but there is room for improvement.

I came on fish Friday… it was so busy! But still the service was excellent and the food came quickly. I was amazed at the chowder and my entrée. The best seafood place I’ve ever been to

Very fresh and well prepared seafood that is moderately priced. Had the Cajun Haddock, Oreganato Haddock, and the clams in white sauce over multiple visits. All were delicious.

Had Blue Point oysters, the skin calamari, and a bowl of chowder for lunch. Everything was fabulous, the waitress was great, and I am definitely coming back here. Prices are very cheap for seafood, especially in this area.

Great little seafood place. The chowder is amazing. I also tried the fish and chips and that was very good too. The owner came out and talked with us for a bit too. Great place.

Great atmosphere, prices, food, service and beer selection in a small homey place. Owner Jim Cox and chef John Luciano were very friendly and accommodating. A hidden gem!

Yum yum yum. Four of us went– my aunt paid so I don’t the exact prices but I would say moderate with excellent service– down home and friendly. This is the kind of place that includes the salad and vegetables with the meal. I had delightful capellini with clams and red sauce. It was great! The fried scallops were good– clean tasting. My aunt had a huge seafood platter and it looked really good. They had a full bar. I will definitely go back.

We visited the Chowder House for the first time earlier this week and while we certainly had a pleasant experience, I must say I left slightly disappointed with the quality of the food.
Let me start off by saying the atmosphere and help was excellent. As others have said, the Chowder House has a very homey and comfortable feel to it, walking in you feel like you’re entering a fisherman’s house turned restaurant, with tons of maritime decorations and ornaments delightfully strewn about. Immediately upon entering we bumped into the owner and his dog, both of whom we’re friendly and welcomed us inside.
From there, our waitress was punctual, polite and patient as our 3 year old did his best ordering for himself. We were dining within an hour of closing and though the dining area quickly emptied we were left feeling more than welcome until the end of our meal.
I ordered the Seafood-​Cioppino which features Shrimp, Scallops, Haddock, Mussels topped in red sauce and served over rice and veggies. My wife and mother both ordered the grilled salmon sandwich and my son had the shrimp dinner off the «Guppy Menu», very cute!
While waiting, we munched on some very delicious bread and I was served a house salad with ranch dressing. Upon being handed my salad I thought it was quite light on the lettuce and heavy on the veggies but that turned out to be a total plus. My salad was delicious and the highlight of the meal for me.
Upon receiving our entrees I was immediately a bit disappointed in the presentation of my plate. With a $ 20 plate containing some of the prettiest seafood delights on the planet this was an opportunity missed to impress as what I was served looked like a plate of mush with 4 small mussels scattered about the outside. I even looked at the picture on their online menu to make sure I wasn’t crazy and what I was served looked nothing like the photo. In fact, I almost thought to ask if they ran out of scallops as I did not see a single one on my dish, especially not the beautiful round pieces shown in the photo.
Even still, I thought there was no way something with these ingredients would not be delicious so I moved forward. Unfortunately, however, the taste matched pretty closely with the presentation. I certainly won’t call it bad, but for $ 20 a plate this definitely missed the mark. The rice was VERY mushy, almost certainly out of the microwave, the scallops were non-​existent and the haddock was very soggy. The jumbo shrimp was the only highlight of the dish, however those were few and far between. Would not be an issue if the remaining ingredients were delicious or at least present, but when they’re the only thing that tastes good I was wishing there were more.
The salmon sandwiches in contrast were very well presented on delicious homemade bread that was toasted perfectly. They came topped with lettuce, tomatoes and a truly awesome dill flavored mayonnaise. The only let down with the sandwiches was the salmon filet itself. While moist and still tasty, it was light on flavor, lacking the typical fishy-​pop of properly cooked salmon. Both fillets were VERY white and while I’m certainly no expert chef, I would guess they were slightly overcooked. The fries served with the sandwiches were also a highlight, brown and extra crispy with an excellent combination of seasoning, we found ourselves all picking at each others fries by the end of the night.
Funny enough, our 3 year old son had the best choice, his plate of fried shrimp was awesome. Sometimes, it seems, simple is the way to go, as these guys have definitely figured out a good batter and hand dipping process for their shrimp. As soon as my son got up to check out the many cool things decorating the Chowder House, we dug into his leftovers and picked them clean.
We plan to visit the Chowder House again, as seafood fanatics we really want to fall in love with this place. I think next time we’ll try a few more of the fried items, as it seems to be their strength. As of right now I would still recommend the Chowder House if nothing more than the atmosphere and help, hopefully soon I’ll discover some excellent menu items to suggest as well!

Great seafood! Yummy bread. Best fried fish in a long time according to my mom who is very hard to please. Cajun calamari a must try. A little pricey but totally worth it!

This place has excellent servings of fresh fish, beer-​battered haddock, fresh deep fried clams, mussels and, of course excellent chowder. Generous portions, they don’t skimp and they’re consistent. Jim the owner is always there and he helps to provide this place with a friendly and lively atmosphere. My wife and I have been here many times and we haven’t yet been disappointed. Try the peanut butter pie; it’s amazing; deep fried clams and shrimp are fresh and always top shelf specimens of seafood.

My new favorite is the buttermilk battered clams, and or shrimp. Hand– dipped, light, cooked perfectly! We love this place! It has a homey feel and a fantastic staff. I also highly recommend the peanutbutter pie… there is no better ANYWHERE! Truly a Utica dining gem!