Lena’s Seafood

Waited 30 minutes in uncrowded restaurant paid $ 15.00 Inc tax for small box fried clams at Lena’s…worst ever…6 large cohogs. greasy no batter. I had to spit out the unchewable necks… mouthfuls of gooshy stomach. So disappointed as this used to be favorite for last 40 years or so.

Lena’s is the perfect fried seafood shack you are looking for. The fried lobster is amazing! The seafood platter with shrimp, haddock, scallops and clams is also a must try, it is a huge heaping and well balanced serving of each item. The lobster roll is also delicious, but nothing special and after sampling the seafood platter and fried lobster a «good» lobster roll was just «good.»

Lena’s is one of my favorite places to get fried Seafood. The staff here is very pleasant and they do a good job at keeping the place clean. The fried food always tastes great! They definitely change the frying oil on a regular basis. On my last visit here I got the fried lobster plate (available only on weekends) and it was so good! There were about 8 fried lobster tail halves and it left me very satisfied! I could do without their fries… just plain old frozen fries. I wish more places put attention into hand cut fresh fries but… the onion rings are really good! They’re not the flaky stringy ones that you usually see at sea food places. They’re more of a thick battered onion ring. Keep up the great work Lena’s!

Lena’s is another landmark I often visited with my family while growing up. The tradition lives on as I still visit Lena’s on occasion with my parents for old times sake. The building is a very no frills, casual, seafood shack, but do not let this deter you from dining here. Lena’s is also missing a scenic view as it is not located close to the water, but instead is conveniently situated inland close to Route 95 and away from the beach crowds. The restaurant is cozy with a somewhat tacky, yet charming nautical theme. My favorite part of the décor are the whale shaped paper towel holders on the tables. Casual dining at its best.
You must order the onion rings! They are coated in a thick, but not too thick golden batter and fried to perfect crispness. A little bit greasy, but in a good way. Not diet friendly, but everything is okay in moderation right? You may opt for the famous onion rings in place of fries as a side, but most of the seafood plates come with a few rings in addition to fries. I had the haddock plate on my visit last weekend with a side of chowder. I love the batter they use on their fried food as it is very light and tastes somewhat unique in comparison to most. The fish chowder was good, but I wish it had more fish and less potatoes.
Orders are placed at the counter upon entering. The women behind the counter are friendly and have been the same faces greeting us for many years (family owned). Once your order is placed, the menu pad paper is clipped by clothespin to a rope and pulley contraption and your seafood request is whisked off to the kitchen. Next you find a seat and wait for your number to be called. There are several booths located in both the front and rear dining rooms and also out on the enclosed porch. If you prefer to dine outside there are picnic tables located on the side of the building. They even have a drive thru if you need your fried clams to go!

The food is not bad i wish they would be closer on their wait times, 20 minutes is not 45, also, the last several years they have raised their prices yearly, it’s become expensive for what you get.

First time trying Lena’s last night. We got the fish and chips to go. Absolutely excellent. Will definitely go back again and try other things.

Tasty fried seafood dishes served in this comfy nautical themed establishment. Fish chowder was milky without being fatty! Fried fish, clams, and scallops coated with a light batter and properly fried.
Eat in, take out, or drive through to enjoy Lena’s fare! Order your meal, pour your drink, then choose an inside or outside table. Enjoy your beverage while waiting for your order number to be called!
Dining areas AND bathroom neat and clean. Don’t let the humble exterior deter you from a yummy seafood dinner!

We had a penchant for some fried food recently and this being on a Sunday, we did not want to venture into the weekend beach traffic near Markey’s and Brown’s. We chose Lena’s and were able to order quickly and find a seat. We ordered a fisherman’s platter and a flounder/​clam plate. One with fries and one with onion rings. It did take awhile for our number to be called as they had someone call in sick but that is not their fault. The food was excellent and everything was cooked perfectly. We even took some home and it still tasted great many hours later (try that with any chain’s fried food). Friendly service, clean and right by the highway. Can’t beat it and I would say better than the vaunted Markey’s and Brown’s.

Great place. I wish it was open more days a week and more months of the year. Ice cream at hodgie’s too across the street is good too. Mini golf within walking distance to batting cages, here and ice cream. Pretty sure I paid with a credit card the last time I went here, they used to be cash only. Air conditioned inside or sit outside. They have a cool drive up window to pick up orders called in. Lots of parking.

HUGE fried clams and cooked perfectly

It’s such a waste to fry seafood. But this place you’ve gotta give it a try. It’s greasy GOOD. It’s sooo bad for you GOOD!

Could I give negative stars? Always enjoyed this place until recently went and experienced food poisoning. When finally recovered enough to make a phone call I called to alert them to what had happened. I also inquired about a refund seeing due to the food poisoning effects of the meal. The owner, Regina was very rude, did not believe me and basically refused to acknowledge this happened. I was taken aback by this as I have been a long standing customer and wished them no ill will; I would have thought they would want to be aware of the situation and make it right-​I was wrong. I will tell family and friends of this experience and urge them to cautiously consider the after effects of my experience before dining there. In short I do not recommend eating at this establishment.

Not a single piece of clam in my overpriced clam chowder. Thanks for nothing. Won’t be coming back

Lena’s is a good solid experience. The food is good and the portions are generous. The one thing that strikes me about Lena’s is how well cared for and clean the restaurant is. The result of that is that the 1950s/​1960s like décor looks well maintained instead of tired and out-​dated. They keep the restaurant immaculate. The fried clams are good but aren’t quite on par with some of the fried clam places that you might find in Ipswich & Essex, but they’re still good. The fried lobster is delicious and their fried shrimp is excellent! I like Lena’s!

Have stopped in here a few times & always forget truly how great it is…
A few miles away from the beach & all the traffic of the beach… They have a Drive-​Thru…
The service is great, the girls are all super nice… The wait is a little long but you have to just wait as everything is being cooked for you super fresh and when you order…
Prices aren’t crazy & the portions are pretty decent…
Will def continue to come back… (Was there last week the day before they closed & read they will be back in March)!

I have been traveling to Ipswich [Clam Box] for many years and always find them to be consistent. Not having the need to travel to Ipswich any more I stumbled upon Lena’s and found them to be as consistent as the Clam Box. Fried clams are cooked to perfection, service is excellent, portions large, cleanliness outstanding and prices more reasonable than any other seafood restaurant on the North Shore, including the Clam Box. Take it from someone who has driven miles and miles in search of perfection of fried clams, Lena’s is a great stop and will not disappoint seafood lovers.

I had long been curious about Lena’s, which is just off route 286 on the way to the beaches.
Circling back now to read the reviews after my visit, I’m a little surprised by how glowing they are.
I don’t see Lena’s as being in the same caliber as many of the other seafood shacks in the area.
Anyways, here’s some of my notes I wrote up shortly after visiting Lena’s…
Lena’s Seafood has lot’s of pluses, and one big minus.
Pluses:
1) Friendly service.
2) Large portions — The portions at Lena’s are noticeably larger than most of the seafood shacks I’ve been too. My order of Scallops and Clam strips came heaping out of the containers. (but read on regarding them…).
3) Free refills on drinks.
4) Clean — There were no signs of dirty tables, drink and condiment area were well organized and spotless.
5) Ice Cream — If you’re still hungry after dinner, they have a small selection of ice cream that seemed reasonably priced. No need to cross the road, where I’m sure it would cost more.
6) Old school — Orders go into the kitchen via a wire line that hangs above the register. The kids loved watching that.
Minuses:
1) Too much breading, not enough seafood — While my serving contained lots of scallops, there was very little taste to them. The scallops were small (consistent with the size of a bay scallop), and the breading was thick. It was almost to the point that I could not identify what I was eating, there was very little flavor from the scallop itself. The same could said of the clam strips. Heavy on breading, low on flavor. If you were to get these items at other local seafood shacks they are certain to be larger and more flavorful.
Would recommend passing on Lena’s and heading to anyone of a number of other places in the area like Brown’s, Ceal’s, Little Jack’s, Markey’s, or if you’re up for the drive — the holy grail — The Beach Plum in Portsmouth.

I went in close to closing time tonight and got excellent service from a girl named Debbie Souther. My box of fried clams was excellent ! My only regret is that I live in San Diego and no one out there sells fried clams. :-(

Moving up to this area (Amesbury, MA) from CT I was hoping they would have some great seafood/​burger/​hot dog places like I was used to back home (Glenwood in Hamden, CT or Nicks Char Pit, CT in North Haven). Lenas is pretty close, and darn good. Their fried seafood is all very good, Ive had the scallops, clam strips, shrimp, burgers and lobster roll all were delicious. My only gripe is as usual with all hot dogs here in Mass, the hot dogs they serve up here are no where near as good as getting a nice Hummel dog back home with a side of fried scallops, so I avoid the hot dogs there. but for great fried seafood i would recommend Lena’s.

Smelts are small fish. They’re bigger than anchovies but not by much. They’re cooked and presented to you with the tails on. Edible tails. How many fish have edible tails?
Order a half-​plate of fried smelts. You get a free side of fries or onion rings. They’re both good and not too greasy/​bready.
After you watch the hostess (usually a girl, occasionally a guy) write down your order, watch as she pins it to a clothing line and careens it down the counter and through a hole in the wall to the kitchen on the other side. Fun to watch it move down the line. Wheeee!
P. S. Forget the frappé that someone else suggested. Across the street is Hodgie’s which is a wonderful ice cream stand. Just order the half-​kiddie size over there, trust me.