Sturbridge Seafood

This place was a shocker. In a good way! We never really gave it a second look, as its bland exterior — essentially an old house in the parking lot of a Burger King and New England’s largest liquor store — suggested a clam shack at best. Boy, were we wrong.
The interior is quite nice and tastefully done, with funky industrial design tables and quirky touches like a wooden beach walkway on the ceiling. A large chalkboard suggested the day’s specials and oyster selection, and simultaneously added the funky/​classy New England shore vibe.
I will be back to sample more menu items; the day we visited the head chef happened to be out of town competing in a top chefs event, so they told us there was a limited menu. It didn’t seem limited to me! The fish tacos were great (although a grilled version would have been preferable to fried), with light, flaky, perfectly cooked grouper filets instead of the usual Chinese tilapia so commonly used. They side of brown rice was a bit dry, but not a bad accompaniment.
We also had the New England clam chowder, which was a good as the others have raved. Super thick, a hefty-​sized bowl. We took most of it home. My wife’s Ceaser salad with grilled fish was ample and the dressing was just right.
Many other exciting looking menu options, and a decent selection of draft beers. The staff was pleasant and attentive. Now that we know what’s inside, we won’t be ignoring this gem next time. And to think… it’s in Sturbridge!

Had dinner here tonite for the first time. Everything was excellent. Favorite appetizer was the Oysters Rockefeller which was one of the best we have ever had. Three of us each had salads — Caesar, roasted beet, and fried goat cheese with spinach. All the salads were excellent but very large portions. Would recommend sharing a salad so as not to fill up. Our fish entrees grouper, striped bass, salmon and scallops were also delicious, the fish was very fresh and well prepared with interesting sides. We will all be back. A real find if you like seafood!

This place is amazing. The atmosphere is really cool and different than any other place in Sturbridge. The food is delicious and tons of different drinks to try. Def make a stop here!

I really liked this place!
From the moment I walked in I was impressed by the warm and welcoming feel of the restaurant, as well as modern yet rustic theme.
I ordered the New England Clam Chowder and it was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was perfectly creamy, with rich flavor and texture.
The servers were also very friendly, and I don’t have any complaints! Overall, a really lovely restaurant, with some high quality seafood!

I found a new luncheon stop for our annual dining and shopping trip to Maine. Thought this place was awesome. Had the smoked chilli mussels and the calimari. Both outstanding. Presentation excellent, friendly prompt service, fresh seafood and reasonable prices. A Ten!

It is difficult for me to give a proper review, as I never actually got to eat here. Let me explain.
I made reservations for my work Christmas party here for a Saturday night 2 weeks in advance. It was meant for 10 people, and when I called (knowing that night may not be available being the holiday season). The girl I spoke to, put me on hold to double check with a manger, got back on the phone and said they could accommodate us. She quickly mentioned there was a dinner party of 20 just before us, but that it would’t be a problem.
7:30 sharp, all 10 of us where there are ready to eat! Except that party of 20 was just getting dessert, and appeared to be in no hurry to be on their way out. The hostess assured me that it wouldn’t be too long, but the party looked like they would be there at least another 30 minutes. We as a group decided this wasn’t except able, and choose another local restaurant to take our business (and now growling stomachs).
I certainly want to give them a second chance, (the only reason for a 3 star review) as the menu looks amazing. But reader beware of any reservations to wish to make, as I have heard of the same thing happening here before.

Great, amazing looking and tasting food! Went for the first time last night and was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere and quality of food. Everything tasted great! The staff was extremely friendly as well! This is our new repeat restaurant :)

We hope they’ll consider dimming the lights during dinner, very bright! Went recently with 4 friends and the fish tacos were great, though I’d prefer non-​fried option. We shared the Power Tower and ran out of cocktail sauce & horseradish quickly. Overall, great spot. Still the best lobster roll I’ve had in ages.

Unilocal came through once again with this gem of a seafood restaurant in the heart of Sturbridge. The food was delicious, creatively presented, and oh so fresh. The fish tacos were scrumptious and the mussels tasty. We happened to be here on the first Wed that they were offering a Prix fixed meal. Four courses for $ 25. A great deal and plenty of food including desert.
Friendly staff added to the warm atmosphere of the place.

The food was amazing but something really funny happened to me the room on the right had 3 couples eating dinner and when I walked in they sat me on the room on the left I felt alienated. It didn’t bug me until I left the restaurant and noticed the girls sat the new group on the right. If you see my pictures you’ll notice the room was empty.

We stopped in for lunch on our way home to VA. Ordered the roasted shrimp and lobster rolls. The shrimp was so great that we asked for the recipe and they gave it to us! The lobster roll was also delicious. Lots of meat, a tiny bit of mayo on a leaf of lettuce inside a toasted roll perfect! Served with hand cut fries!

Driving thru Sturbridge, decided to check it out. Fabulous mussels and perhaps the best lobster roll of my life. Will try to plan future trips to include a stop here!
Delightful ambience, excellent wait staff, and superb food. Don’t let the staid outside deter you — once you get inside it’s a whole other world. Yum!

Just had a wonderful romantic dinner with my favorite boy here. The restaurant itself is so modern and cute. It feels very high end and classy. We both had appetizers and entrees within the course of about an hour. He had the sweet and spicy calamari which was huge, we couldn’t even come close to finishing it together. I had the goat cheese salad which was amazing. I normally don’t like spinach but there was something fresh about that, and the tomatoes and goat cheese that was perfect. He had the fish and chips which was fresh and tasty, I had the lobster roll which was also very fresh and yummy. The homemade fries were great, service was awesome. Everyone had a smile on their face! We’ll definitely come back for more. :)

Fish and Chips with homemade tartar sauce was delicious! Clam chowder was very fresh and yummy, but I wasn’t a big fan of the smoky flavor. Service was friendly, but a little on the slow side. Cute atmosphere and right across the street from the Old Sturbridge Village.

Stopped in for dinner on a recent roadtrip. We went there on a weeknight and the place was packed. The host asked if we had a reservation. The hubs and I are dumb-​founded. It’s Tuesday, right? We agreed to wait for a table. Back home while you are waiting for a table, you sit at the bar. The bar was full and the tables were for diners only. We ended up standing around… which was awkward.
For dinner we started with the oysters Rockefeller, it was delicious. Very tasty and nice presentation. Next we had clam chowder, also delicious! It was a large bowl of hearty soup with a bit of bacon. We both ate our entire bowl of soup and then wanted a nap. For dinner we had lobster rolls, again delicious. I honestly had no idea how we were going to eat another bit of food after that soup. We each ate like two bits and then got to-​go boxes. We decided to skip dessert.
The service was great. Our server was friendly and attentive.
We will be back on our next trip! Expand your waiting area.

I really can’t say enough about this place. We have been coming here since they opened and it just gets better every time. The chef here is so talented and the menu changes so all the fish is fresh and in season. The service is awesome everyone is great and on point. Our favorite is Ashley ask for her she is great. Looking for fresh Oysters this is the place and where else can you find fresh oysters in the area. Seriously check this place out you won’t be disappointed!

OMG — great food and if we could have licked the plates we would have! We found this gem on a drive home and were amazed at the quality of the food!
We started with cried calamari in a sweet/​spicy glaze — it was a huge portion which was very surprising. I had the paella which came out in a hot pan and it was definitely enough for a couple of meals — clams, mussels, chicken, chorizo and jumbo shrimp. Rob had the scallops and he said they were the best he had ever had and he often orders scallops. Highly recommend the restaurant and the wait staff were very attentive.

Looking for a quality seafood restaurant in Springfield forced me to drive 40 minutes away to Sturbridge. The parking lot is very small, and so is the interior, until I noticed a second dining area while leaving. The beer list is very good. I started off with a Wormtown IPA and then a Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA. I looked at the menu beforehand, and knew generally what I was going to get. Two clam chowders for our appetizers. We were excited to try a real good chowder, but that immediately turned to disappointment as our waitress told us they were out. Out of chowder! Nooo! On a Saturday! Wtf! Oh well, I ordered the calamari instead. Service was slow as far as the kitchen was concerned, with long waits between dishes. Our waitress was friendly.
We were given some hand cut potato chips while we waited. I ordered the fish tacos, and my wife the lobster roll. Mine came with a side of rice, which was dry and hard, and she had hand cut fries. Fish tacos were cooked perfectly. The lobster roll’s lobster was slightly dry, but still a decent portion. Overall, the calamari was the highlight of the night, with big tender pieces tossed in a sweet somewhat spicy sauce, that honestly I could of done without. I did notice a general blandness to everything, and I’m just not being overly critical. I wanted more spice, more salt, more pepper, but It just wasn’t there. I’d still go back if ever in the area, maybe for a second try at the chowder.

I’m originally from Worcester and now live in NJ and have passed this place a hundred times when exiting Yankees Spirits and have never given a thought about eating here as it is unassuming from the outside, so when a local friend gave a very positive review a month or so ago, I made a mental note to stop in during my next «booze» trip and boy am I glad I did!!!
Had the clam cowdah to start which was delicious. Not your classic NE Clam Cowdah, even better! Nice bits of whole belly clams with plenty of bacon and red potatoes but the best part is the nice smokey flavor.
For my main entrée I had the steamed Little Necks which as you can were not little in their quantity. They too were flavorful and cooked perfectly.
I will be back!!!
PS: They give you a salt water taffy with your bill. Just when you thought it couldn’t get better.

Sturbridge is the perfect halfway location to meet my family or friends from Eastern Ma. We are slowly trying out new eateries. This was our latest. We started with the Clam chowder. I found it rich and creamy and delicious, but lacking in clams. Lots of potatoes. Not enough clams though. Shouldn’t clam chowder have lots of clams? But it was good, good flavor. Next up– Shrimp caprese salad. Now this was interesting. First of all, it was beautiful. Second of all, tasty. The flavors blended surprisingly well and the balsamic drizzled over all brought them all together.
Finally, as I have stated in other reviews– service. Can make or break the experience. The young woman who was our server had a big welcoming smile and was truly on her game. And if she was busy, another server was promptly at our table to help. That alone balances out the lack of clams. We will give it a second chance for sure.