Causeway Restaurant

One of the best seafood places on the North Shore! Family owned and run! Fantastic steamed lobsters 🦞 and steamers! Great service! Enormous portions! No liquor license but only $1 corkage for BYOB! No reservations! Line often out the door! Ate today at 3pm and still very crowded. Totally worth the wait! Parking sometimes an issue.

We had finished rehearsal for my daughter's wedding and come to find out the restaurant she scheduled reserved for us for the wrong day. We called The Causeway, and 30 minutes before close, they agreed to make it in a party of 30 people, and we are so glad they did! We are from Ohio, and I do not like sea food. I guess I'd never had real seafood, though, because this was all delicious! I had fried clams- they were tender and hot, and the breading was perfect. The fish chowder was excellent, and the clam chowder was to die for! Two days later, I returned by myself, mainly to thank the owner and to praise the staff to him. But I also tried a lobster roll and it was delicious!. The service was outstanding. No cup was ever empty, and the staff was so friendly to us. If you are in the area, it is a must stop!

We ordered the seafood platter which came with scallops, cod, squid, calamari and shrimp. The batter was not too heavy - it was light and crispy with a good amount of tartar sauce and fries on the side. The service was great. Definitely worth a revisit and curious to try their other items on the menu!

Excellent food! The place is simple, no frills. We have eaten here several times in the past and have always enjoyed the food, especially the seafood. fair price Highly recommended.

Hands down, some of the best clam chowder I’ve ever had. Thick, flavorful and clams in every bite! Seafood marinara is to die for as well. Everything was cooked to perfection and covered in house made sauce. The portions are huge, attentive yet casual service, food served quickly, come as you are atmosphere. To top it off, I was thrilled to bring a bottle of my favorite fall beer along to usher in the harvest moon. 🍻

Drove from Worcester area just to eat here as we like to stop here at least once a year just for the food. This time we had a lobster roll and it wasn't disappointing. Service was good. The place is just like an old diner but that is why people love this place. We arrived just before noon and when we left there wasn't a seat left !!! And it was a Monday out of season. They serve all seafood fresh or fried your choice. Not cheap for the rolls but was 😋😋😋. If you have never been you have to try it, you'll like it 🤣🤣

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Incredible seafood! The portions were massive, and every bite was packed with flavor. The freshness and quality were outstanding, making it one of the best seafood experiences I’ve had. If you’re looking for a place that serves generous portions and mouthwatering seafood, this is the spot!"

The Causeway Restaurant at 78 Essex Ave in Gloucester, MA has been a favorite of my parents for many years. They particularly love the fish chowder, so I always get them some to go and it’s wonderful! 👍. The hubs & I hadn’t been in ages, and were happy, as always, to see things haven’t changed and it’s still a really good place to go and get a bite. I love that they automatically bring you bread when you sit down. Not many restaurants do that anymore. When you’re starving from a day of sea glass hunting, it’s awesome to sit and be able to nibble straight away. Yay! I got the Baked Stuffed Lobster 🦞 and it was very good. The lobster was a small soft shell, but the meat was cooked well and sweet. What I loved most was that the body and tail were chockablock full of delicious and tender, melt in your mouth shrimp and scallops. I didn’t even need to chew the scallops LOL, I could just mush them with my tongue. Mmmm. It had a light amount of crumb stuffing that had nice flavor. The slaw was mayonnaisey but good enough and the asparagus was plentiful and steamed well. As a special of the day at $42, I think this is a GREAT buy! My hubs really liked his steak tips and dug right in. He loves mayo so was really stoked by the slaw. And the potato was yum too. The Causeway is easy to get to, outside the rush of town. Has decent parking (see below), the prices are pretty good, the servings are substantial, the servers are attentive and the food is tasty. The fried scallop plate and chic parm that were delivered to the table next to us looked amazing and the portions were HUGE! I’d say you gotta give it a try! My only critique, and I know this is purely my problem to over sensitivity to odors and likely won’t affect others, is that the cleaning solution used in the restaurant is very strong smelling and made my nose burn a little. I know it means that the restaurant is clean, and I appreciate that so much, but it was a very powerful smell (to me) and I was having a little trouble. Thankfully the window was open and the breeze was helping. It won’t stop me from going back and it shouldn’t stop you either.

Awesome address. Family friendly, all you expect from a North shore seafood restaurant. Service was great, BYO! but there's a liquor store across the street. Highly recommended for a no frill lunch for North Shore specialties.

Here you'll get really fast service and some really solid seafood. We got Pete's platter which can easily feed three or four people, with some of the tastiest clams I've had. I'd certainly recommend this place. It has exactly what you'd look for in this town! Fresh seafood and a happy, convenient meal.

So Mom has wanted to come here for the longest time so we happened to be in the area and I wanted something else but I said Hey, lets give it a shot, but I was trying my hardest to talk her out of it. We get there and its super confusing at first with parking, where to not park & what is actually ok, we drove around to the back and let me state it was raining this day & the parking lot was messy & just wet everywhere so we were hesitant and I was like Great, this is a sign we shouldnt go here (side note, Mom is handicapped and walking through the rocky wet parking lot would have been hard for her - we arent just lazy, LOL) We pull back around front, spot opens PERFECT (sorry I just took too long to explain parking, LOL) We get in and its a small place & Instantly feel like this place is "Everyone knows each other vibe" and that we were going to feel out of place, BUT WE DIDNT! All the staff was welcoming & friendly, then I look at the menu, and WTF MOM?! They dont serve alcohol, and No, Im not an alcoholic, but it had been a shitty day & I was looking forward to a drink - you can bring your own but I didnt know! We ordered chowders, I got mussels she got a Crab sandwich... EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS CHOWDER IS TRUE... It was Phenomenal, Literally the best chowder Ive ever had, the Mussels were great too and they gave me this giant side of garlic broth that I literally wanted to bathe in, OMG all the food was great. Next time Ill bring a bottle! Now I want some chowder - it's like worth the drive good, I promise!

Hands-down, the best seafood with the largest portions in New England. The Causeway never disappoints and is always a restaurant we come back to , there is just no comparison anywhere from the friendly attentive service to the enormous portions. You won't be disappointed.

Restaurant was busy today at 3:30PM, but we were seated immediately, 3 adults and a 21 month old toddler. Drinks and bread came to the table quickly by a very efficient and friendly waiter. Appetizers and main courses were served efficiently and appropriately paced. Clam chowder was some of the best we ever had as were our seafood dishes and one of our party's order of chicken, broccoli and ziti were outstanding as was the service. Restaurant was clean and had a typical seafood shack vibe. We will definitely be back.

We headed to Rockport Mass for a beautiful fall weekend day. After strolling around for the afternoon we were pretty hungry. The Causeway was the answer. The place was packed. The friendly owner seated us within 20 minutes and all I could do is look at the food coming out of the kitchen. Everything was piled high and steaming. Sherry has red clam sauce and I was torn between lobster/steamers and a fried combo of fish, clams and shrimp. I got the combo as living in Kentucky, you just can't get this level of food. It was all delicious! The clam sauce was tangy and filled with clams. My combo was awesome, the o-rings needed a few more seconds in the fryer, but otherwise tremendous. Prices were consistent with the area but portions were so much larger. I can't wait until we are back on the east coast. So good!!

I have been to Causeway many times. I went with my daughter who has always loved the place and insisted we go while we were in the area. I got baked haddock. I was assuming that since the restaurant is right on the water that the fish would be fresher than fresh. My dinner came and the piece of haddock was huge but very thin. As I was eating it, I noticed quite a bit of brown spots in the fish that tasted off. I ended up eating a small portion but left the rest. I prefer fish that is thick and flaky. My daughter got chicken, broccoli and ziti in white wine sauce. Her dish came and it tasted like coated chicken, broccoli and ziti in chicken broth. It had no consistency to the sauce and was tasteless. Yopu can see in the photo nothing sticking to the ziti. She asked that the server take it back and give her ziti, chicken and broccoli with alfredo sauce which she did and it was much better for her. All in all, not an inspiring meal.

a restaurant that will rekindle your faith in humanity. great food, great prices, and great portions. And the service is great too! a no-frills byob establishment that checks all of the boxes. Don't miss it! Need i say more?

This was a very busy little restaurant that seems to do an amazing takeout business as well. It looks like a local favorite and the wait staff was really hustling. Unfortunately our selections weren't great. My steak was tough and my husbands prime rib was grisly. I did see the table behind us appeared to have some nice looking seafood entrees, so perhaps we just made bad selections. Decent parking in back.

Finally had a chance to visit this place after hearing my dad talk very highly of the food. And he was right! This place has some great seafood, perfect for our post beach day. I would eat scallops everyday if I lived closer to this place haha. Also loved how creamy the clam chowder was. The service was very good. Waitstaff was quick and attentive. I was also impressed with the people bussing the tables and how many dishes they could carry! It's not easy for sure. Definitely a smaller place on the inside so be prepared to have other customers all around you. It's quite alright but just so you know :) it's also BYOB.

Came here looking to try their clam chowder because I heard good things about it. There is a waiting time as it is a small place. So go early to write your name on a list. Ordered their mixed chowder which is fish and clam mixed together. It did not disappoint and the wait was worth it. It was really creamy and tasty. We also ordered for the table a platter of fried calamari, fried shrimp, fried fish and fried scallops. Food was great and good portions. Service was good despite being crowded. Just keep in mind that there is a waiting period. If I'm in the area again I would definitely come back and adding this to one of the good places for clam chowder.

Went to the Causeway Restaurant yesterday. Very 'local' place. The food was great 3 out of 4 meals. I had the baked Haddock, spouse had the linguine scampi with little neck clams. Friend #1 had the eggplant parmesan. Friend #2 had the crab sandwich. All were very happy with their meals except for the crab sandwich. It was described as bland. The cup of haddock chowder was tasty but we must have gotten the bottom of the pot, because the fish was broken down (as opposed to big chunks). Everything else was great including the basket of bread for the table).

Wow, so i wasnt going to post anything at first because our server was pleasant and helped resolve our situation at the restaurant quickly and smoothly. Also, i dont typically want to ruin someone's business unless something really egregious happens, but after finding more STEEL WOOL in my takeout food (see pics), i feel the need to speak up. My family and I came to check this place out because of the good reviews, and we ended up ordering three things: calamari app, seafood pasta, and Chicken parm. The calamari was really good and we thought we were in for a treat. However, the seafood pasta was meh and the chicken parm was possibly the worst version we've ever had. Food taste alone isnt why this was a terrible experience though. My 7 year old nearly ate a piece of steel wool from the seafood pasta, and we quickly brought it to the waitress's attention. Like i said. she was very helpful and quick to get it taken off our order, but we had no interest in bagging it up to take home. we did however bag up the chicken parm because if im going to pay $30 for an entree, im going to eat it all even if it sucked (unless there was something crazy in it...idk, like steel wool, or something!!! [foreshadowing]) Fast forward to me eating leftovers today and low and behold, i munch down on something metallic...yep, you guessed it, another piece of steel wool. That makes two separate entrees, which i can only assume they cooked separately in order to get out to us at the same time, which both had steel wool in them. There's only 2 possibilities here: 1) something nefarious towards our family from the staff OR 2) gross ineptitude on the part of the staff to the point of needing to call the health inspector Neither is good, and this just really really sucks that it happened. I leave this message here in the hopes that it beings more accountability to the restuarant, and that no one else has to go through what we did... 2)

A woman at the school I worked with recommended this place. So glad I came. Parking was a premium but the building only holds so many! I got clam chowder and mussels with garlic and white wine. Everything was delicious! Service was fast and they turned tables quickly. I mentioned to one server that it never slowed down (I was there at 2 pm on a Wednesday at it was a steady stream! He said nope. And this is off season!! I'm definitely glad I stopped here.

Excellent as always! Fish chowder is perfect...creamy. Not too thick and loads of flaky fish! Fried clams not greasy. Steak tips and swordfish tips are delicious! Large portions, very fair pricing. Service is friendly and efficient..

Huge portions, excellent and friendly service. We highly recommend this place. It is a rare gem!!!

The seafood pasta was a hefty price but we ordered to go and it came in two very big to go containers. We were so surprised by the portion! It can definitely feed 2-3 people. The baked haddock was good but was even better with their tartar sauce.

Generous portions and good service. My husband had salmon and loved it. I had shrimp scampi with linguine enjoyed this as well.

While visiting Gloucester The Causeway was highly recommended and it did not disappoint! We ordered mussels and the peters platter. Both were so delicious! The place was very busy and we waited about 25 minutes. Staff was friendly and food came out quickly! Can't wait to go back!

This restaurant was recommended by everyone in the area and it did not disappoint. We ordered the clam chowder and Peter's Platter and could have probably fed our whole table. The service was very accommodating and friendly. The food was incredible. As someone from the Jersey Shore I'm used to good quality seafood and this was probably the best scallops and shrimp I have ever had.

Portions are huge. Food is good. Place gets very noisy so depending on what time it is we may go to Essex seafood restaurant if we want to to eat at normal meal time. Food is good , fresh, and plentiful.

Great place with great seafood. Everything is always fresh and delicious. Can't wait to go when I'm back in town.

Waitstaff was very friendly and efficient. Our food was fantastic! Especially the lobster pie

Crave local seafood served in a family run restaurant? Make your way to The Causeway in Gloucester. Freshest delectable seafood to delight every palate with a welcoming atmosphere. Attentive staff and skilled chefs quickly prepare & serve the best lobsters, scallops, and fish that will satisfy anyone craving seafood or in need of some scrumptious comfort food. Perfect twin lobsters, grilled octopus & baked scallops! Amazing mashed potatoes & fresh steamed asparagus! Limoncello cake! Stop in for a satisfying meal & leave with a feeling of family. Note: BYOB to compliment your meal.

Iconic on Gloucester, everything here is good and servings are more than generous. Favorite for Sunday takeout

I love this gem so much! I'm not from the area originally, so I love bringing my out-of-town visitors here. I've only ever ordered the prime rib or the clam chowder, but that's all I ever really want when I'm here. They're both SO DELICIOUS. The food here is also very reasonably priced, and the portions are quite generous. Also, the clientele is diverse, so that's how I knew it was a good place when I first dined here. Every guest who I've brought here has loved it. From the seafood to the Italian dishes, you can't go wrong here. This place is always busy, too. In the hour that we dined in, the amount of people who came in for take-out orders was insane. The dine-in tables have a quick turnover rate, too. Just as one table of diners got up to leave, a new party walked in to be seated. It's a hustling and bustling place, and it's well worth the visit!

What a wonderful experience! Met some friends who had come in from Ohio to grab a quick bite. The food was delicious.. huge portions and perfectly seasoned. The service was spot on. Our server Francesca was quick witted and pleasant. I like to joke around and she did too. The decor was simple and not overstated. Just a small mom and pop type place that was packed with locals. Definitely a must if you're in the area

The person who called this a "hidden gem" in their review should probably check the definition of "hidden." We went here on a Sunday evening in late July--peak tourist season. It was a genuine madhouse. The inside was crazy crowded and everybody behind the counter seemed to be doing multiple jobs at once. I was impressed with the niceness and professionalism of the staff under these circumstances. We ordered to go and ate out at the picnic tables. While this wasn't optimal, the mussels were great (huge portions) the entrees were very good and the chowders were fantastic. The crowd is there for a reason. While everything we had was great, the chowders--both clam and fish won the day!

Wow! This place was such a great find! On a day trip to the Gloucester area, we stopped here for dinner. Reading reviews, we knew portions were going to be big but was still so surprised! We started with the calamari appetizer-- fresh fried, not greasy at all, with a light marinara sauce for dipping. For entrees, we both had baked haddock, just mine was coconut rum. See pictures for scale-- when we asked our server about it, he told us that each piece is a stack of fillets and the portions can weigh between 1-2lbs! On a weekend they can go thru 1000lbs! Not only was the portions big but the fish was flavorful and you got two sides! If you wanted take out, that part of their business was jamming, bags flying out the door. Would def return and recommend this place to anyone!

Hope you are hungry! Epic portions of good fried seafood. The clam chowder as noted is excellent as is the lessor know fish chowder! I got the "Seafood Florentine - 22 Baked Shrimp, Scallops, and Haddock with a spinach and cheese topping." It looked pretty good when it came out but there was little spinach and the sauce was watery. The scallops and shrimp were kinda rubbery. I was a bit disappointed but still ate it. I would have ordered something else, most likely something fried as everyone else's food looked amazing, and I did get to try some of theirs. Bottom line, I was told by a local to go there for the FISH CHOWDER and CLAM CHOWDER! So when in doubt listen to them! I was also told to not judge a book by its cover. It is an unassuming very small restaurant, basic if you will, but the food, for the most part, is really good, just don't get the seafood florentine!

Very good seafood , excellent service, typical seafood place near the ocean for ambience, recommend this place for seafood!

This is the place that if you asked the locals where to go the majority would say the Causeway. No frills restaurant that is consistent as they come. Huge portions of the freshest seafood on the island at a reasonable price, we usually do takeout knowing the line is always out the door. Is seafood isn't your jam there's Italian staples,great steak tips and burgers and salads. Doesn't disappoint us "locals"

Best seafood in Massachusetts. There, I've said it. It's tiny, it's crowded, it feels like the dining area may not have been updated in 50 years, but if you want good seafood, there literally isn't a better place to get it. We just order ahead for takeout to avoid the crowd and have a bit more ambiance. The seafood marinara is a particular favorite of ours (and can feed at least 3 people), but literally everything on their menu is spectacular.

A local favorite and absolutely the BEST scallops I've ever had. It was lunch so I opted for fried rather than baked...and could not believe the quality. Light, crispy batter, and buttery scallops. Others got the baked and they looked just as amazing. Everything coming out of the kitchen looked pretty epic, so need to go back to try it all! Doesn't look like much from the road, but you won't be disappointed. The staff was friendly and efficient. They're busy all day, but you won't wait long for a table.

Finally made it back here and it was worth it. This time around I ordered the shrimp scampi pasta as I usually would order the fried seafood. Trust me, it was a great choice. The sauce was delicious and the shrimp was fresh. We also ordered the fried calamari as well as the clam chowder, all delicious. There is usually a long wait but it's totally worth it.

The clam chowder was yummy and the lobster bake was delicious! It is quite small in here but the wait wasn't long. The portions were big and the seafood was fresh. Theres an ice cream shop next door too.

Awesome restaurant. The portions are big & the food is great! We got the hamburger & haddock sandwich.

Truly a "hidden gem" in Gloucester. Went here after whale watching with the family and was greeted by an excellent host and restaurant manager. Seems to always be extremely busy but they know how to estimate wait times properly, care for the diners and their experience and just do service right. Now that's not even the best part. Their food is simply outstanding! Not a super elaborate menu but seem to always have specials. The stuffed baked lobsters, garlic butter mussels, chowder, calamari, and even fish and chips are some of the best I've ever had. If you're nearby, highly recommend!

What a great restaurant great people great service, Awesome food definitely putting this on my list every time I go here

It is small so the pack as many tables as possible, not sure how they pass code it is so tight. I was told how great it was so when I was very disappointed the first time I returned just in case iI had gotten it on a bad day. Nope, it was just as bad the second time around. I question whether the fish I got was really haddock. I got it baked and it had some sort of topping that was oddly sickly sweet. The mashed potato was entirely tasteless and runny. I loaded it up with Parmesan from the table shaker, but it didn't help. I ate about 1/3 of the meal then decided I was just beating myself up at that point. Never again.

Perfectly cooked and generous portions every time. I take all of my jig of town guests here to get their seafood fix and they all leave saying I can't wait to go back.

This used to be our favorite restaurant when we came up to Rockport. But the portions have shrunk dramatically and the prices have gone up astronomically. There used to be a line out the door to get into the place and now it is half empty. We never minded the lack of atmosphere because the food was so good and there was so much of it. Lots of our favorites have been removed from the menu. For the price we will not come back. Too bad, we really loved this place before they jacked up the prices.

If you're looking for an affordable place to have AMAZING seafood, you HAVE to stop here. My party and I were seated on Sunday around 11:15 am - if you have a larger party or don't want to wait for a table make sure you come EARLY. They allow for you to BYOB and don't charge corkage unless you need cups/glasses ($1 each). We had Fried clams, Grilled octopus, Peter's Platter, Fried Calamari, Fried Clam strips, Mussels, and Clam Chowder. The star of the show was the clam chowder - it is so creamy and filled with large pieces of seafood. The grilled octopus was a nice dish but I don't think I would get that again. The fried seafood was perfectly breaded and didn't taste greasy at all. If you don't have a large group and want to try a bunch of items make sure you get the Peter's Platter! The service was pretty good - nothing terrible but also not too notable. There is plenty of parking behind the restaurant but make sure to check the signs since some of the spots are ONLY for the ice cream shop next door.

I have not had the chance to eat here since covid struck. I ended up getting takeout when visiting family recently. I was not dissapointed in anyway with the quality or quantity of food. I got the burbon baked Haddock, my daughter got the three combo of clams, scallops and haddock. The prices are the most reasonable iv seen anywhere. Particularly considering I got 3 meals out of mine. My daughter shared hers with her daughter and the rest for lunch the next day. Just a bit of advise, go before your really hungry, there will be a wait. They are always busy. Given the quality, quantity and service it is well worth it.

Food is always good but they have increased their prices to be similar to restaurants that have a much nicer atmosphere.

This doesn't need any recommendations from me . It is what it is: GOOD FOOD, CHEAP. THE place in Gloucester for seafood, but all the food is good. Always busy but worth the wait.

This is a local favorite:m! We have been coming here for over 20 years: the food is always fresh, flavorful, and fairly priced. You can expect the best seafood Gloucester has to offer in a casual environment. Causeway is the best. When given a choice between more expensive, formal seafood dining and Causeway, we ALWAYS end up here because the food is just so good!

Affordable and huge portions! Some of the freshest seafood I've had on the north shore. Be sure to arrive early because it's always packed.

AMAZING seafood. we ordered petes platter and the fried fish platter and it was more than enough for a table of 4. the best i've had in massachusetts. make sure you stop by here when visiting gloucester

Good food, large portions, mussels are tremendous, small restaurant, great service, prime rib on Fridays.