Some places make you choose sides the second your plate lands: are you team lemon or team tartar sauce. Across America, these seafood spots serve crispy, briny, buttery goodness that demands a decisive dip.
You will taste coastal traditions, dockside freshness, and secret family recipes passed down like treasure. Grab a napkin and pick your condiment champion, because every bite here is a showdown worth savoring.
Red’s Eats – Wiscasset, Maine
The line at Red’s Eats winds over the bridge, and it is worth every minute. You get a lobster roll so loaded it spills, with sweet claw meat piled high on a buttered bun.
A squeeze of lemon brightens each bite, but tartar tempts with creamy tang.
Fried clams crackle, dripping just enough oil to sparkle in the sun. Ask for extra napkins, then claim a rail spot and watch the Sheepscot River drift by.
You will debate condiments, then probably go with both.
Locals swear by simple seasoning and perfect freshness. The menu is short, the flavors historic.
Summer in Maine tastes exactly like this first bite.
Bob’s Clam Hut – Kittery, Maine
Bob’s Clam Hut has been a Route 1 ritual since before your first vacation bumper sticker. Order whole-belly clams, golden and briny, then decide whether lemon zing or tartar comfort wins.
The crisp batter shatters softly, revealing sweet ocean inside.
Picnic tables invite a no-frills, shoes-sandy kind of meal. You hear orders called, gulls crying, and someone arguing ketchup versus malt vinegar on fries.
The rhythm feels easy, like Maine should.
Split a basket, then surrender and order your own. Add chowder for dunking, because you know you want more sea in every bite.
Bob’s proves freshness plus restraint makes the strongest case.
Eventide Oyster Co. – Portland, Maine
Eventide is where oysters wear their terroir proudly, briny whispers from icy coves. Order a dozen and toggle between lemon, house mignonette, and tartar for the fried bites.
Then there is the brown butter lobster roll, a warm, toasty miracle.
Counter seats grant you a front row to shucking ballet. The menu riffs on tradition without losing its soul, delivering clean textures and gentle contrasts.
Each slurp tastes like cold ocean and granite.
Portland crowds know the wait is part of the ritual. Sip something crisp, then chase it with delicate, crunchy clams.
You will leave plotting your next visit before you hit the sidewalk.
The Clam Shack – Kennebunk, Maine
At The Clam Shack, the lobster roll debate is butter versus mayo, but lemon versus tartar rules the fried side. Whole-belly clams arrive crisp and packed with tidepool sweetness.
Each bite begs for a bright squeeze or a creamy dunk.
Stand by the bridge, paper bag warming your hands. Boats nudge the dock, gulls argue, and the salt air doubles as seasoning.
Kennebunk feels like a postcard, and you get to eat it.
Share a lemonade, then hoard the last clam. The lines move fast, and the staff keep spirits light.
You will remember that crunch long after summer fades.
Pike Place Chowder – Pike Place Market – Seattle, Washington
Pike Place Chowder sets a high bar for comfort in a bowl. The classic New England style is silky, brimming with tender clams and potatoes that keep their bite.
Add a lemon spritz to cut richness, or save tartar for the fish sampler.
Lines snake past fresh flower stalls and fishmongers throwing salmon. You move slowly, soaking in market theater until your tray arrives.
The bread bowl is steamy, crust crackling under the ladle.
Seattle drizzle makes every spoonful taste cozier. Grab a bench, people watch, and trade bites with your crew.
When the bowl is gone, scrape the edges for the last buttery whisper.
Ivar’s Acres of Clams – Seattle, Washington
Ivar’s is Seattle seafood folklore, a pier-side stage with crispy fish and chips stealing the show. The batter is airy and golden, hugging flaky halibut or cod perfectly.
Lemon gives sparkle, while tartar brings dill-kissed comfort with every dunk.
Watch ferries glide past and gulls float like kites. The chowder is peppery and warming, ideal for breezy afternoons.
Everything tastes better beside the bay, wrapped in nostalgia.
Grab extra packets, because you will want both sauces on rotation. The fries hold up, staying crisp to the last bite.
Ivar’s proves classics endure because they are simply done right.
Tony’s Seafood Restaurant – Marshall, California
Tony’s hugs Tomales Bay, where oysters taste like fog and sunshine together. Order them raw, grilled, or bathed in garlicky butter that begs for bread.
Lemon snaps each briny sip into focus, while tartar complements the fried selections.
Wooden picnic tables encourage long, lazy lunches. Kayaks slide across the water, and the breeze carries eucalyptus and salt.
It is casual, charming, and decidedly Northern California.
Crab sandwiches and clam chowder round out the feast. Bring friends, because sharing is half the joy and lets you taste more.
You will leave with sleeves rolled and appetite satisfied, planning another drive up the coast.
Mo’s Seafood & Chowder – Newport, Oregon
Mo’s is an Oregon rite of passage, where chowder perfumes the air with smoky bacon and sea sweetness. Sourdough bowls cradle creamy comfort that pairs beautifully with a bright lemon hit.
Save tartar for the crisp, flaky fish and chips.
Windows frame gray waves and gulls surfing the wind. The vibe is family friendly, quick, and reliably comforting on stormy days.
You settle in, thawing out with every spoonful.
Order extra crackers and a side of prawns if hunger lingers. The kitchen moves fast, yet plates arrive hot and generous.
Mo’s keeps things simple, letting the coastline do the talking.
Local Ocean Seafoods – Newport, Oregon
Local Ocean champions boat-to-table freshness, with fishermen docking just steps away. The menu shifts with the catch, so grilled halibut, crab cakes, or sablefish might star.
Lemon underscores the clean flavors, while tartar supports anything fried.
Order the fishwives stew or a crab po boy and watch the harbor scene. The open kitchen crackles, pans flashing as plates glide to tables.
Everything feels precise yet relaxed.
Service guides you to the best of the day with a smile. Pair a coastal ale and linger, because sunsets here linger too.
When you taste the difference, you will understand the loyal following.
Bowpicker Fish and Chips – Astoria, Oregon
Bowpicker is a boat turned fry shack, and the line proves the legend. They use albacore tuna, meaty and moist beneath a crunchy golden shell.
Lemon wakes up the richness, while tartar adds cool balance between bites.
You eat standing, river breeze flicking napkins and carrying salt through town. Trays are simple, portions generous, and everything tastes straight-from-the-dock fresh.
Astoria’s hills rise behind the scene, cinematic and charming.
Cash only keeps things old school. Arrive early or wait happily, because the payoff is undeniable.
When the last fry disappears, you will start planning the return visit.
Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish – St. Petersburg, Florida
Ted Peters smells like wood smoke and Florida sunshine. Platters of smoked mullet, salmon, or mahi arrive glistening, deeply savory, and perfectly flaky.
Lemon sharpens the smoke, while tartar brings creamy relief to the salt-kissed richness.
Order the German potato salad and a cold beer, then settle into a red booth. The smokehouse out back has been working since the 1950s, and you taste the history.
It is simple food with serious craft.
Save room for key lime pie after the feast. Service is brisk, friendly, and proud of the legacy.
You leave perfumed by smoke and very, very happy.
Walt’s Fish Market Restaurant – Sarasota, Florida
Walt’s blends market freshness with laid back Sarasota vibes. Start with smoked fish spread and move to grouper sandwiches or a towering fried shrimp plate.
Lemon brightens the Gulf sweetness, while tartar soothes the crunchy edges.
Grab a tiki table under string lights and let the live music set the pace. The cases gleam with the day’s catch, a promise on ice.
You can taste how short the distance is from boat to plate.
Service feels neighborly, like you have been coming for years. Order stone crab when in season and do not look back.
It is coastal Florida in one delicious sitting.
The Whale’s Rib – Deerfield Beach, Florida
The Whale’s Rib delivers no-nonsense beach eats with serious crunch. The dolphin sandwich is local legend, flaky and juicy on warm bread.
Lemon sparkles, tartar comforts, and you will keep switching between both happily.
Nautical decor and a lively crowd set the tone for casual feasting. Order the whale fries and watch plates fly from the kitchen.
Everything is big flavored and bigger portioned.
Service is fast, friendly, and funny when the line swells. Sit back, sip something cold, and let the beach energy soak in.
You will leave sun-kissed and thoroughly satisfied.
Safe Harbor Seafood Restaurant – Atlantic Beach, Florida
Safe Harbor sits steps from the boats, which means the shrimp snap with freshness. Mayport beauties take a quick bath in the fryer or arrive blackened and juicy.
Lemon highlights the sweetness, while tartar delivers creamy backup.
Grab a picnic table and watch the marsh shift colors at sunset. Orders arrive on trays, generous and unfussy.
The smell of diesel, salt, and spice belongs to working docks.
Check the specials board for whatever just came in. Poke bowls, fish tacos, and hushpuppies round out the feast.
You will linger, licking fingers and plotting tomorrow’s lunch.
Star Fish Company – Cortez, Florida
Star Fish Company is the definition of Old Florida: wood docks, pelicans, and seafood fresh off the boats. Paper baskets overflow with grouper, shrimp, and hushpuppies that crunch softly.
Lemon snaps the flavors into focus, while tartar smooths the edges.
Expect picnic tables, beer coolers, and a breeze tugging your napkin. The village of Cortez still feels like a working fish town, not a stage set.
You taste that authenticity in every bite.
Arrive early for sunset and watch boats idle in. The menu is short, honest, and deeply satisfying.
You will daydream about this dockside simplicity long afterward.
Dockside Dave’s – Madeira Beach, Florida
Dockside Dave’s is famous for a grouper sandwich that barely fits the bun. The fish is thick, juicy, and crisp at the edges, begging for lemon.
Tartar sauce adds cool richness, making each bite a perfect beach combo.
It is the kind of place where sunscreen scent meets fryer perfume. TVs hum, laughter rises, and baskets keep landing at your table.
Portions are generous, because appetite builds with sunshine.
Try blackened, grilled, or fried and compare textures. Add onion rings and hushpuppies for a full spread.
You will stroll back to the sand satisfied and a little blissed out.
The Fish House – Pensacola, Florida
The Fish House blends Gulf bounty with a touch of polish. Order Grits a Ya Ya for velvety smoked gouda grits crowned with garlicky shrimp.
Fried platters invite the lemon versus tartar debate with every crunchy bite.
The marina setting sparkles at night, lights rippling across the water. You can go date night or casual hangout here easily.
Service keeps things smooth, even when the dining room buzzes.
Start with oysters, then leave room for key lime pie. Cocktails lean bright and citrusy, pairing perfectly with seafood.
You will walk the dock afterward feeling wonderfully content.
Peg Leg Pete’s – Pensacola Beach, Florida
Peg Leg Pete’s brings playful pirate vibes with serious seafood. Buckets of steamed shrimp and crab keep hands busy, while fried oysters crunch beautifully.
Lemon brightens the brine, and tartar gives creamy contrast when the heat kicks in.
Live music and beach breezes set a vacation rhythm. Families spread out on the deck, swapping bites and stories.
The bar turns out frozen drinks that taste like sunshine.
Order gumbo for a richer swing and extra hushpuppies for the table. Service is quick despite the crowds, a practiced dance.
You will leave sandy and smiling, pockets full of napkins.
Hyman’s Seafood – Charleston, South Carolina
Hyman’s sits in the heart of Charleston, serving Lowcountry favorites with generous hospitality. Shrimp and grits comfort deeply, while fried seafood baskets bring the lemon versus tartar face off.
The tartar is dill forward, and lemon slices gleam on every plate.
Signed photos and old-school charm line the walls. Servers offer samples and suggestions like you are family.
The energy feels bustling, upbeat, and unmistakably Southern.
Try she-crab soup before diving into the crunch. Sweet tea flows, and the hushpuppies arrive hot and tender.
You will wander cobblestone streets afterward, thoroughly satisfied.