Shad Row

Loved this place! Felt like I was sitting on the shoreline, even though my view was of the CT River! I read the other reviews and have to disagree– the staff was super friendly and attentive and we were there on a busy, sunny weekend. I could tell there were a lot of regulars, which means repeats! I’m a huge fan of Spicy Green Bean in Glastonbury, so it was of no surprise to me that the food here was awesome. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I thought the prices were a bit high. They sure pack those lobster rolls full of meat, but $ 24 for a lobster roll is still a bit too much for summer in New England. Definitely a great place to stop and try! Bring your dog! And some beer!

Our fifth time here this season…6 razor clams, 3 scallops, 4 shrimp, 12 fried clams, 4 small chunks of tuna on skewers with cucumber and pineapple. 82 bucks plus tip. Sorry Jenna. Can’t do it anymore.

Update: okay, I finally encountered the rude staff that others have mentioned. Not «shot us the bird» rude or anything. But the male waiter was definitely miffed that we didn’t order more stuff (it was 11:00am and the tables were all empty, so we weren’t taking up space for other customers), and he wasn’t subtle about it.
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This place is in a darling location. I love the river views; we take our son fishing here. The food is good– fried fish and burgers, very casual and delicious. The waitstaff is good (I haven’t encountered any of the rudeness described by others!) and the owner is always on-​site, bussing tables and generally running things. It can be a little chaotic, which means you will definitely have to say «Can I have a glass of tea?» more than once before it arrives.

Thank goodness it’s almost summer and Jenna and the team at Shad Row have returned to the banks of the sunny CT river! We missed your classic shoreline fare with an upscale twist and the freshest of fresh ingredients. Served up with love of food and a passion for her customers, Jenna has once again created the atmosphere you can’t find ANYWHERE else. Grab a blanket, chill with your own cocktail, open your tailgate and prepare for a one of a kind delightful evening!

They definitely put the lobster in lobster salad! What a super experience. Had a wonderful lunch there. So nice to order lobster salad and be rewarded with a great fresh salad topped with equally fresh big pieces of lobster

I loved this place! What a great little escape from the «real world» — conveniently located in Rocky Hill with the beautiful atmosphere of the CT River. I went here a few times over the summer and had a great meal every time — the quality of the food was great, the atmosphere is amazing, the service is good (not great) and it is BYOB! Probably won’t make it again this season, but looking forward to returning next year.

I loved it! A little gem! Nothing fancy but perfect for the occasion! Welcoming –especially with our dogs (Sylvester and Stallone) !!
We enjoyed the fresh catch po boy sandwich and it taste very fresh! Thank you for a great afternoon!

When MULTIPLE reviewers comment on the extremely rude and disrespectful employees of this establishment, you know it’s legit.
We dine out very often, and I have never, ever encountered such an unprofessional, RUDE for lack of a better word, waitress. My assumption is that she must know the owner (idk, maybe a relative that the owner feels bad for & can’t get a job elsewhere?) Because there’s no way that this girl would still be working at a restaurant if the owner knew how she was treating customers.
I read a previous review that a waitress was sticking up both her middle fingers to the customer as they were driving away. I laugh, because I can almost guarantee that was the waitress that we encountered during our visit! It would have been unbelievable, if I hadn’t experienced the rudeness myself.
We will never return & make sure we tell all of our friends and family how Shad Row treats their paying customers. The food is not worth being disrespected by waitstaff.

Beautiful spot in central ct. I didn’t know how nice the ct. river view could be! Best whole belly clams I’ve had in years, everything else was top notch –staff was awesome. Take some time and enjoy great food & a great summer experience in rocky hill

When they first opened. It was great food and service… This summer I don’t know what happend… it. took over 45 minutes for a grilled cheese and a wrap for two people and a app. People who sat down way after us a part of 5 got all of there food before us… our app. With was a fried ball of some sort was hot on the outside but ice cold on the inside the food quality went way down since they first opened and the staff prefers Tongans out than work… I suppose if your getting off a boat and a bit tipsy you epistle notice… but I sure won’t be back

My wife and I had read a good review recently and decided to go on Saturday night. We had very good service and they had saved a table for us since we called ahead of time. We both decided to splurge and get the lobster rolls — described as warm with scampi butter. After a reasonable wait we received our meals, which is when things went down hill. I tried to pick up my lobster roll and could not believe that it was so saturated with dripping butter, that I couldn’t even pick it up — my wife’s was the same — she didn’t want to complain and ate hers and had a «lump» in her stomach all night. I requested a new roll, which was given, but not toasted. I transferred the lobster meat, which was lukewarm and not what I consider fresh lobster meat. Having had lobster rolls in Maine and on the CT shore, and at these prices ($ 24 ea) I expected fresh lobster meat right out of the shell — this was dry, shredded, not very good. I pointed out the dripping butter on my soggy roll to the owner and asked if this was normal — she said no, it was not normal, made an excuse, asked if I got a fresh roll, then left with no further comment or apology. Our waitress knew we were not happy and offered a free dessert, but by that time we just wanted to get out of there. I might give them another try, but I would not get seafood again. I will stick to Maine or the CT shore for good seafood, or just go down the street to Saybrook Fish house where we have had excellent seafood.
By the way, the small cup of coleslaw was limp and not tasty and my fries were good, but my wife’s onion rings were very greasy — not crisp. My Black Cherry soda was the highlight of the meal…

Throughout this summer I have dined at Shad Row at least 7 times and each experience is lovelier than the last. The food is excellent: the regular menu is everything you would want from this small kitchen on the river and yet they are able to create a weekend specials menu that is sure to satisfy anyone’s adventurous palate. I always order a special — (lobster Tostones, pork and peach tacos, swordfish Milanese, buffalo smelts) and have yet to be disappointed. But you can’t go wrong with a lobster roll– full of meat and flavor.
The restaurant is BYOB, and make sure you do since there are some evenings you may have to wait a while for a table and food (be prepared for that!) The wait is worth it, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house! Every table has breathtaking and peaceful view of the CT River. My only complaint is that they aren’t open all year :)

Ordered the fish sandwich, crabcake burger, and the lobster roll (which was a generous amount of lobster!) All the food was super tasty and with outdoor seating views of the CT river. Cash only. Dog friendly as well!

Ok place. The food was good but overpriced. I got a hot lobster roll which was $ 24. For that price I thought it would be stuffed with lobster meat. Um not quite, the lobster was not overflowing. My husband got the whole belly clam roll, nothing spectacular. Again for $ 19 you’d think it would be stuffed. The one nice surprise was the buffalo smelt as an appetizer. That was awesome. Sad to say we probably won’t be back because for the amount of $$ we spent, $ 64 for an appetizer, lobster roll, clam roll, and strawberry shortcake we could have gone to The Mill on the River and had a better meal.

The specials last night deserve a special mention:
1. Buffalo Smelts. So addictive I almost ate the entire gigantic order myself.
2. BBQ Pacu Ribs. That’s right folks, fish ribs. Incredibly tender with a mild flavor and a killer sauce.
3. Lobster Potato Skins. Nuff said.
Shad Row continues to reign supreme!!!

Just had our anniversary dinner at Shad Row. sublime! Food is always incredible. Crab burgers. prosciutto wrapped figs. and world class strawberry shortcake. Jenna and her staff are always top shelf. best in show for customer service. Shad Row is in a class by itself. hands down favorite!

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we were in the mood for lunch outside. I looked for a variety of Hartford area places with a nice view and this one won, big time.
Shad Row is like an awesome little secret and psssst, you’ve gotta check it out.
We arrived at the Rocky Hill Ferry location and there it was, all shacky with several decks filled with smiling patrons. We were greeted immediately by an employee who said we could wait a few minutes for a table on the deck or choose from the 6 or so picnic tables right on the CT river. We opted for the river view and someone came right out to give us menus and offer us drinks. Everything on the menu sounded great but the Krabby Grilled Cheese was the one I had to go with. My wife ordered the fish po-​boy. You get two sides with each dish so we opted for fries, potato salad, onion rings and coleslaw. Our sandwiches were so delicious (I tried both, of course!). The bread on which my grilled cheese was made was so crispy, thick and flavorful. The grilled cheese would’ve been awesome without the crab inside but the crab just pushed it over the edge of greatness. The po-​boy was so simple and so good. The roll that it was served on was a pillow of bready goodness. I wasn’t enamored with any of the sides (the cole slaw and potato salad were nothing special, rather bland, possibly from the Stop and Shop deli). My wife liked the fries quite a bit. Next time we will probably split 1 side. 4 is too much.
Extra items worthy of mention:
the waitstaff was super friendly
you can BYOB (we didn’t but probably will next time)
they were playing some great tunes (The Cure, New Order, The Smiths)
they have Italian Ice in three flavors including almond
Their Unilocal site, their website and their Facebook pages don’t reference their hours. You might have to call to find out if they’re open. I’m guessing that they’re open if the weather is nice since the whole place is outside.

Everything was delicious! I had the whole belly clams and my wife had the soft shell crab sandwich. It was a great lunch… We took the ferry over and back with our 2yo son. The atmosphere is super casual — great for hanging out with the family, enjoying great food and great atmosphere!

Really fun and beautiful place to rest
We were on our way to boston from New York and it’s a beautiful place to rest and sightsee
There is a dinosaur state park next door for the kids!
Waitress Kristen was real sweet and food was excellent fresh and hot!
And yes big portions!
You’ll see

Great little fish joint on the banks of the CT River in Rocky Hill. We really enjoyed this place. Cooked to order fish under a beautiful sunny sky. Friendly and kind wait staff who were patient with other diners with food allergies.
My only complaint was the bees flying around. They’re working on it, but it’ll take some time.
I do hope they’re able to expand a bit after being given trouble by the town and their neighbors; they seem as though they want to be good citizens of Rocky Hill.
I’m a fan… good joint. Hope they’re successful and return next summer!