Dad’s Restaurant of Niantic

I had read a number of reviews left by others this year, and back a few. Not all reviews were favorable, and I paid attention. I also made a point to read well, the positive reviews. Today, Tuesday, was my first experience of going to this restaurant. I went with other seniors. We ate lunch between noon and 1 PM. I don’t know about the others, except at the time of departure from Niantic, all were happy with their meals, including me. I know that another lady made the same choice as I for lunch. We ate Clams, Fries, Onion rings (which weren’t very cooked), and Cole slaw — plus I had a Coke. The servings were plentiful — enough to bring home for another meal. Now, for the bad part. Remember I said there are in existence some negative reviews? Also, the onion rings weren’t cooked! Well, at 6:30, this evening I began to experience gut sounds. Hmmm. Next thing I knew, it progressed to Diarrhea. Perhaps it’s all due to the onions, I don’t know, except onions are notorious for growing bacteria if not handled correctly. Sigh!

After the Wife and I were done visiting relatives in Mystic, we had a craving for seafood and decided to stop in. This place looks like your typical classic roadside grill — outdoor seating, picnic tables inside, big painted menu board with everything from hot dogs and burgers to seafood and pizza, even an «Order Here» and «Pick up» window. I wanted to try their hotdog and a burger too but, thought that I’d get sleepy after eating so much, so we just ordered their Cold Lobster Roll and Whole Belly Clams instead. Our order was served with a bag of chips but we had ordered French fries too. My lobster roll was perfect — a bunch of lobster meat on lettuce in a toasted hot dog roll. The meat was very tasty with just the right amount of mayo. I added a little salt as I always do and it was just perfect. My fries were also very good. The Wife’s Deep Fried Clams were great! The clams used were very sweet and they weren’t over-​fried! She loved them. When we were done eating we said to each other that it’s a good thing that we don’t live in the area because we’d go broke eating there a lot.

Cute, casual and delicious food! My first visit and staff was accommodating when I asked for a substitution. kitchen seemed to have a communication issue but front Staff were quick to make things right.

Cute place, nice staff but less than an hour later we both felt sick. I raced for the bathroom to throw up. I had the shrimp roll. I forget what he had. It may have been a one-​time thing but I don’t think I will be back.

The food is excellent, the service is always with a smile and it’s right on the Long Island Sound! Dads is a great way to enjoy your weekend

I’m not a food snob or anything but the food here is awful. We got a lobster roll which was horrible. For $ 17 it should have been of good quality but it was pathetic. I got a chicken parm sandwhich which was served on a mushy wonder bread style hot dog roll. We ate about 40% of our food and chucked the rest. The best part was leaving.

Not horrible. Not good. Not going back.
I had the lobster roll, and I swear it wasn’t even served on a bun. It was like they wrapped a piece of toast around the meat. The lobster was good, but I do wish it was already tossed in butter. The rest of my crew had various fish plates, and it was all just meh. Pretty bland, no real flavor, nothing positive to remember that makes me want to eat there again or recommend it to others.

I know Dad’s from way back and always enjoyed their food but haven’t been there for a while. Had a lobster roll today — THE BEST LOBSTER ROLL EVER! Filled with leg meat (!) which added a sweetness I’ve never tasted in a commercial product. The huge chunks of meat, claws and arms, were tender and sweet. Skip Skippers and go to Dad’s. You won’t regret it. Yum!

A great place to get New England seafood for a decent price. You can sit inside or outside to enjoy the great food. For how little the place is they have a huge menu with lots to choose from. Any type of seafood you are looking for they more than likely have it here. If you aren’t a seafood lover there are other options to choose from like, chicken, salads, steaks. It was hard to just pick one thing so we ordered a little of everything so we could try it. The lobster roll was so tasty and the such large pieces of lobster meat. If after you get your fill from dinner they have dessert as well. From ice cream sandwiches (for $ 1!), sundaes and candy mixed in ice cream. All the food we had was delicious and you didn’t have to wait long to eat. You go up and order at the window and within 5 to 10 minutes your food was hot and ready to eat. The give balloons to the young children and the garbage cans have large animal heads that you throw the trash into their mouths. Everyone was very friendly and the food is excellent.

We just got clam strips and popcorn shrimp and they were average. Next time would love to try the lobster roll it looked great!
Service was helpful when I had questions.

When my wife and I were visiting her old home state she took me to the shore. She has been telling me about a place that her father used to bring her family to called Dad’s. We found it and indeed they have the «Best whole belly clams» you will ever have. Growing up in the Florida keys I am used to fresh fish but we do not do whole belly clams. I ordered the sea food platter and an extra order of clans for 4 of us to share. There was plenty. This is a great place and I will look forward to another trip to the shore to find this place.

Lobster
hippos
and
nukes
Dad’s has been around forever, or at least it seems that way. It was actually started in 1963 and has hasn’t change all that much over the decades. The decks have expanded and they’ve cleaned up the interior a bit but it still has that pleasant seafood shack appearance.
Dad’s has burgers and dogs but people primarily come here for the seafood. Whole belly clams with the guts oozing out, lobster rolls, scallops, kraken and the huge seafood platters. The lobster rolls are always good and fresh but they could be a bit larger. The portions of all the items have shrunk over the years but that’s true for every seafood place.
The atmosphere is very casual and you can eat at one of the picnic tables inside or better yet take your food outside and get the sea breezes and watch the trains go by right across the street. And for something a bit different while you’re eating, there are views of the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant only a short distance away.
Dad’s has been around for a long time and many people in the area grew up eating at Dad’s. It might be a bit cleaner and neater now but it still has the same feel to it. In fact they still have the cool hippo and elephant trash cans inside and kids still seem just as fascinated by them as they were decades ago. Nice to see that some things don’t change.

Ever year during our annual 4^th of July week visit to Niantic we make sure to visit Dads. Kids friendly ambiance, nice double patio area with plenty of room & above all a very generous sized hot Lobster Roll.

I was craving a lobster roll, so we stopped in here. I cannot begin to tell how disappointed I was.
I asked the woman working the counter how big the lobster roll was, since they noticed they also had a «giant» lobster roll. She told me that it was a quarter pound of meat on a six-​inch sub roll.
Dear Dad’s: a six inch sub roll and a four inch hotdog bun are not the same thing.
An untoasted, unbuttered, no-​lettuce hotdog bun, no less.
Credit where credit is due, the lobster was okay — big, plentiful pieces, and probably approaching a quarter pound (certainly closer than the bun approached a roll.) Unseasoned in any way, though, and with that unpleasant fishy smell of the cheap frozen stuff.
I was not impressed, and I would not return.

Best lobster rolls! Had the hot lobster roll and it was chock full of delicious lump lobster meat — just meat. They give you a container of butter but you don’t need more than a drizzle. Don’t be put off by the run-​down exterior — it just adds to the charm — this place is great!

Well, I’m not sure where to start. Let’s just say every time I drive by this place, I always think of my dead beat dad because this is where he would take me when he was trying to pick up chicks when my mom was at work. I’ve never liked the food too much, and I’m not fond of the prices either. My terrible dad once took me and my brother there, he sat us down at the table and went to the bathroom. He was gone for almost and hour, when he finally appeared, he smelled like vomit, shit cocktail and rushed us out of the restaurant saying «Buzzy from IGA was lookin for him, and was packing». If I have to recommend anything from there I guess It would have to be the hot dog with a shot of whiskey. Good price and can be filling. Thanks «Dad» for the good memories over the years.

Great food and a great location. I’m not s fish water but their chicken and grilled cheese are very yummy! It’s always nice to eat outside and overlook the ocean and train tracks!

Dad’s has the BEST lobster roll! The lobster tastes so fresh and you get a generous portion of meat in your roll. I grew up in Niantic eating at Dad’s and even though I live an hour away now, I always come down over the summer to go to the beach and eat here.

First time in Niantic and made it to Dad’s. What can I say… Classic comfort seafood in an ideal waterfront location. I was there with my wife, 2 teenage children and my parents. We ordered a smörgåsbord of lobster rolls, calamari, cod and fries, Mac n cheese, bacon cheese fries and chicken strips. As a Brit, I found the cod and fries (chips!) excellent. The cod was perfectly moist (no where near overcooked — which is often the case) and tasty. This was probably the best dish! Service all around was great. I should add that we went on Mother’s Day (not by design!); but still had a delightful experience. My parents were staying in Niantic for a few days break and I’m told went back a few times! They raved about the In-​House Ice Cream. I would definitely go back when in Niantic.

It’s not often you’re seafood restaurant experience comes with stunning direct water views of a nuclear power plant, but that’s included in the Dad’s Experience.
Don’t hate, it’s keeping the lights in and powering the stoves that cool the food lol
I passed on the bay scallops they were serving because I prefer the larger sea scallops. Instead had chilli dog and the Cod Sandwich.
The chilli dog was served with the proper amount if chilli and tasted about as good as it gets. I had to use a bit of restraint to not order the chilli cheese fries.
Potato chips and a homemade coleslaw were paired with the cod sandwich, which was fried in a light batter. I thought it quite tasty. Bun could have been toasted more because it became soggy half way thru eating it.
This is a nice family style seafood restaurant, and the prices are about equal to all the other seafood shacks that dot the Connecticut shore. Dad’s has an extensive ice-​cream selection too do save room for dessert.