Clam Castle / Taco Pacifico

We grabbed dinner here and had a very good experience. You enter through a door at the front of the building. There’s menus by the cash register. You place your order and pay. If you’re staying to eat they give you a little buzzer device and you grab a seat. There’s tables inside the restaurant as well as several picnic tables outside. When your food is ready someone will bring it to your table. It couldn’t be easier. They offer quite a good selection of food as well as soft drinks (soda,water,etc). We both really enjoyed our meals. I had the whole belly clams with french fries and it was delicious. The parking, restaurant and outdoor dining areas are all wheelchair friendly. The Clam Castle is really easy to get to as it’s located on the Boston Post Road in Madison. It’s close to Hammonasset State Park so if you follow signs to the state park you’ll find the restaurant. There’s parking on the side of the building. Definitely recommend it your in the area and want some really good food and a casual atmosphere.

New England summer food at its best. We’ve been there 3 times and it’s always very good. We’ve tried the fish sandwich (quite large & fresh filet), scallop roll, fief whole belly clams, lobster bisque and soft shell clam. All were delicious- they come out hot and fresh!

Very disappointed. Just came here for a late lunch and had the clam strips and whole belly clams with Caesar salad. The clams were a big disappointment, especially after reading all the positive reviews. Although the clams were tasty, and the whole belly clams were small, which I prefer, they were very chewy and not fried crispy. Also, the coleslaw was inedible. Watery, and too finely chopped, so that there was absolutely no crunch left to the cabbage. We will not be back.

After a day at the beach I usually stop here for a lobster roll. Parking is tricky as it gets very busy. I love that the staff will bring you your food when it's ready, even though you have a buzzer, they will still beat you to the counter! Prices are pretty typical & menu is basic, but that's all I need after a long day of having fun in the sun. You can eat either inside or outside here, I prefer outside.

Seriously, don't go here! The food is horrible. A lobster roll is hard to make great and also VERY hard to ruin...Well they ruined it. This lobster meat is as hard and old as a street vendor in China. No butter on it at all😫Donahues owned it a few years back and it was great, now back to a garbage spot from 20 years ago.

The Clam Castle, located near Hammonasset Beach in Madison, Connecticut, is a beloved local gem with a rich history dating back to the 1950s. Over the years, it has become a favorite stop for beachgoers seeking delicious seafood. After a sunny day at the beach, there's nothing better than stopping by The Clam Castle for a hot, fresh buttered lobster roll. The lobster rolls are perfectly prepared, with succulent lobster meat drenched in buttery goodness, all served on a soft, toasted bun. It's the quintessential New England seafood experience. In addition to their famous lobster rolls, The Clam Castle offers a variety of other seafood delights, ensuring there's something for everyone. With its charming, nostalgic atmosphere and consistently great food, it's easy to see why The Clam Castle remains a favorite destination for both locals and visitors alike.

Just picked up Mother’s Day lunch at this establishment I’ve frequented for over a decade. Always had exceptional seafood here and today was a really off day. The whole belly clams were great but I’m unsure if there was a mix up in the order because it was printed on the bag 1/2 an order but I asked for and paid for a large order at market price. In total there was 5 whole belly clams in the box. Also purchased the 6 oz lobster roll and found a lot of shell and plastic bits inside, something I’ve honestly never experienced here before. The fish and chips were always a favorite of my family and this time was maybe pulled too soon from the fryer. This experience was unexpected.

Good food, but very over priced. There wasn’t any indoor seating last time I went, but you go up to the window and give them your order and you sit out back at a pretty area with picnic tables. The fish tacos were pretty good, nicely cooked fish that was crispy but also soft. The fries were super crispy and tasty too! The whole belly clams were also very tasty. The food also came out very fast.

Pricy but properly seasoned fried seafood joint. A good fallback. Was here for a beach day and wanted to get some seafood by the shore. There were obvious options, but I opted for the lesser known place right next door. The place is very much a clam shack. Small dining area with a little smoke, small booths and rapid fire orders coming out of the kitchen. This location prides itself in being a Mexican/seafood fusion place, do we get a smattering of their dishes and give them a full try. We get the chips and salsa first. And the first impression is lackluster. 3 bucks for a small bag of chips and 3 bucks for a single small container of salsa? That's a little much. 3 bucks for both is okay, 6 is high, The chips are good, but needed the salsa. Salsa was weak, barely tomato water. The rest of the food came out, we got tacos, scallops, lobster, the works. The lobster was a very well executed hot lobster roll. Butter had that coyingly butter extract flavor to it, but the lobster was perfect and the bun grilled properly. The fries were pretty good too but picked up the seafood flavor from the fryer. The scallops were very blackened, which to me is great. I want promised flavors to be there, and these scallops delivered. They were cooked to perfection and the best bite. The tacos were lackluster. The meat was seasoned but tough, a big bite but dry. The tacos were not so great. The Mexican inspired fare was ho-hum, but the seafood was delectable. Price was high for all of it, but the seafood justified the price while the Mexican side did not. It's not bad especially given its location. It's a good seafood shack, with cooks who can pull that type of menu off. The Mexican side of things is okay, but pricy for the portion and just not good enough to justify it. If the other famous seafood place is jam packed, then this is a solid fallback. Stick to the seafood, and you should be good

Excellent food. Fast, friendly service. Great place to stop after a day hanging out near the water. From their beach decor to the friendly and inviting picnic tables, it's the no nonsense seafood that makes this place a must try. Favorites include the lobster roll, clam strips platter, chicken nuggets in a bag (kids love this, grown kids too) and the castle dog. Seafood not your thing? No problem, they have tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salad, salsa from Taco Pacifico too.

Summer by the shoreline means fresh seafood and fish, and The Clam Castle does not disappoint. It's your classic no-frills seafood place, but they execute it so well! Portions are in line with what you'd expect (or more -- look at my photo of the fried fish!) and the prices are typical for the Connecticut shoreline. I can't say I've tried the tacos, because nothing beats fried seafood, but I saw a plate of tacos a few tables over and they look quite good.

The Seafood is very good. I always order a lobster roll at this restaurant. They have Lots of outdoor seating. Food is made super fast and out before you know it , even when they are packed with customers. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely a good pick when in this area. Always good vibes here.

The fried fish we received was rotten! The putrid decay smell was noticeable after cutting into the fillet. After sending it back the kitchen said that cod just smells a little. Excuse me, but this isn't my first rodeo nor my first fried cod. There are serious health concerns with dining here. Eat at your own risk and check all food for spoilage. Also the food is too salty, but not enough to cover up the decay.

This is a true "clam shack" located on Route 1 in Madison, CT. Nothing fancy, just great fried clams. The girls working here were exceptionally nice. This is our grandson in Columbus. OH, favorite restaurant in this area (his mother grew up here and he and his parents visit Madison. We ordered take out so we could drive out on Hammonasset and sit along the shoreline while we had our clams.

I had heard really good things about this place and it has been on my list for so long. I decided to go one day after the beach! Fried clams are one of my favorite summer foods. I'm going to be honest I was a little disappointed. The clams were a little soggy and cold. I ordered tacos too and those were okay. A lot of people I know love it here so I am going to give them another try next year. The staff was very nice too.

Saturday morning stop, right after beach day. A little bit after 11AM. Maybe the first customers that day not sure but we haven't stopped in a while and we were craving fried clam strips. The best choice! The clam strips were fresh and served with lemon wedges. I got a small order with a house lemonade and my husband went for the large order with a side of coleslaw and some Mexican soda. We sat ourselves outside in the shade after we ordered indoor and the tray was brought and our name called very soon after. Happy and satisfied with my small order but I wouldn't recommend the house lemonade ( tasted like it was made with the lemon juice from the bottle and not fresh squeezed lemons). The atmosphere is very casual and the service was very nice.

Old school seafood shack that did not disappoint. It looks like it has been there forever with coastline charm. You order inside and meet the server at the door to go outside once your buzzer goes off. Great substance with the clam strip roll, not too heavily coated in batter. Crispy fries that went well with malt vinegar.

This is the quintessential shoreline stop for fried seafood or burgers. Great service, good food, summertime vibes.

First time coming here. Food came out pretty quickly. Fried cod was crispy on the outside but quickly fell apart, like the inside was too juicy. Fries were fresh and crispy. Fried shrimp was probably the best as they were crunchy but not soggy at all. Fried calamari was the second best. The fried scallops got soggy very fast. The New England clam chowder was thicker than any other clam chowder I've had. Kind of threw me off when I tried it. You can sit inside or outside of the restaurant and they will bring your food out to you. You'll get a little beeper when your food is ready.

We ordered four items. The chicken nuggets in a bag were basically inedible -- in our opinion, the batter may have been spoiled. We took the item back to the store. The chef was very polite, but did not acknowledge the issue. However, he did offer to remake half of the order. The other items we received were average.

It pains me to write this, but Clam Castle has absolutely changed for the worse. The prices have gone up significantly, and the food portions and quality have gone down. The value is just not there anymore. - Clam strips: A large order is $24, and only comes with slaw. TWENTY-FOUR DOLLARS for a handful of clam strips - really???? Two years ago a clam strip platter was $19 and came with fries. To make matters worse, I feel like they gave less clams, and the quality was not the same at all. They weren't as crispy (maybe undercooked?), and were much chewier than usual. - New England clam chowder: Served luke warm which was not appetizing, and not as flavorful as it used to be. Didn't finish it. - Fries: Great texture and flavor, but slightly over-seasoned with salt. However, the crappy ketchup packets they provide detracts from them. - Staff: Very friendly. Clam Castle is a 45 min drive for us and it used to be worth the effort to make it here 5-6 times per season - not anymore. We're so disappointed by how it's changed :(

Great all season seafood shack/restaurant!! Indoor and outdoors!!! I'm very picky with seafood and I would come here over and over again! The portions are huge and the clam chowder and lobster bisque is to die for!!! The clam strips are simply amazing!! Worth a shot if you're in the area!! Looks are definitely deceiving so don't pass this one up!!

Definitely gone downhill as others have stated Overpriced for what you get confusing when ordering told French fries included but cost extra no i for bathroom facilities , just outhouses the place needs a remodel to modern times check other comments on other sites including trip advisor and local sites not very good ratings the 4-5 star ratings are from 2-3 years ago before it changed hands now not so good a rating

I will never ever go back to this place "The Clam Castle"! Every time it gets new ownership, the prices go higher, but this took the cake when I ordered this multi-seafood dish. It was $45 for a takeout and when I got it, it was absolute garbage so I paid $45 for junk! I know this is Madison and all but the stuff that they were trying to pass as food was such a disappointment! ... expensive crap at that!! Never again! That's why I don't go to Donahue's because their stuff is overpriced garbage as well! By the way, it was only a couple of miles down the street where I opened up the bag of crap just a couple of minutes from the "Crap Castle" so it wasn't like I opened it the next day, just minutes later. Plus they give you a crap load of fries to take up space in the tray to make it seem like they gave you something when they gave you nothing! The breading on the fish made it look big, but when you took the breading off it uncovered a small piece, that's not even what I ordered! Neil Young said it the best in this situation... "You paid for this but they gave you that!"

Delicious! We ordered some seafood, hot dogs, salads, a burrito, fries and coleslaw! All Delicious!! I love that they have Mexican!! The veggie burrito was amazing!! The pico and guacamole amazing!! The coleslaw was also amazing!! So glad they are on DD now!! We enjoyed EVERYTHING and will DEFINITELY be ordering again!! Plus they got every aspect of the order correct!!

Probably the worst food I've ever eaten. The soup was terrible and the clam fritters were absolutely awful when you can't eat the food. It's really bad.

Clam Castle is a wonderful stop before or after a day at at the beach. Although they have picnic tables outside, we opted to sit inside because we wanted the air conditioning. The menu has a variety of hot and cold items including fried clams and also clam tacos. There are non-seafood items too like burgers or chicken or veggie tacos. The food was fresh and delicious. You order at the counter and the friendly staff bring you your order when it is ready. You clear your own tray when you finish.

Amazing fresh food. The service was amazing. You can sit indoor or outdoor. It was really clean and fresh and served with a smile! So glad we found this little gem! They have a great menu not just seafood but also tacos and fresh corn chips ect! Def worth the stop!

We noticed the ClamCastle was open for the 2023 season and decided to stop by for lunch before it became so busy for the year. There is now new owners and the menu has been expanded. It's a casual, order at the counter and pick up food when ready,side of the road place that families have flocked to through out the years. There is all your typical, fried seafood, lobster rolls,hot do hamburgers and sides and now some texmex choices. You can choose to eat inside on dreary days or at the large selection of outdoor tables. Service is quick and the new owner came by to check on our table. Food was great, exactly as you expect from a seasonal, shoreline drive in. We will definitely try to get back. Everything was cooked well and was fresh and hot. We tried some fried fish sandwiches, hot dog ,onion rings and slaw.

Had been here a loooong time ago (pre-Yelp), but was in the area (less than 3 miles from Clinton Outlets), and was feeling like good seafood. So.. . So many choices, so little time. Finally opted for 2 fish tacos and 1 shrimp taco, all three broiled. Currently, not allowed indoors, but plenty of outdoor seating (covered and naked, ie, uncovered). Couple of port-a-potties. The tacos really hit the spot. Very excellent. Also, the house made coleslaw was a huge hit. Everything very fresh. And they serve Foxon soda, both bottles and fountain. Finally, they advertise BYOB (I might bring some Ronas for those lonely lime wedges they provide). Will def return and sample some of the other items. Busy for a reason. Worth the trip. And thanks to fellow Yelper, Elisa, for her on the money review which clinched it for me.

The service was friendly, but the food and cleanliness of the restaurant was not the best. We live near the "Clam Triangle" in Ipswich/Essex Massachusetts and the clams at Clam Castle are nowhere near as good. I agree with other reviewers that the not very crispy clams are quite expensive to not come with fries. I got takeout, but while I was waiting for the food, I noticed dust and dead flies in the window sills. Not the most appetizing thing to see in a restaurant. I can see why they weren't that busy in the middle of the summertime at dinner time.

Trying new food so as not to repeat any other dishes was my challenge eating in CT on this trip. Had a lobster roll already and can get fried food at home so I went with a "Lobster grilled cheese." It was stuffed with cheese AND ample chunks of lobster. My only disappointment was the sliced tomato since it added moisture but not much else. Tried SOs blackened seafood and found it to be cooked correctly and tasty. Staff were very fast to cook and deliver food. Also a shout out to staff who brought a bowl of nice cold water for my dog. Nice! Good food, nice people, good parking. Next time we're visiting CT, it should be on our list of re-visits.

I remember going to Clam Castle as a kid, teenager and young adult. It was always a dive, but food was good and inexpensive. Took my family there last week when back in Madison. It's still a dive and food is OK, but prices are crazy. For three of us to sit on dirty picnic tables outside, eat fried food and have to bus our own tables it was well over $60 without any drinks! The food was good, not great and included a lot of delicious fries. Generic ketchup in tiny packets was a true pain. Cole slaw and tarter sauce were nothing special. The young woman behind the counter was friendly and helpful when ordering. She even brought our food out to our table in the parking lot when our buzzer went off. Overall, things change and expectations need to be held in check. For the money, I think there are better options.

went there couple weeks ago the food was good, the service was ok, nice atmosphere . i recommend

While both the seafood items were fresh and hot, we found the iced tea was rancid and the coleslaw was very old, nearly to the point of being spoiled. You place an order at the counter, then find a seat. The tables were in need of a little attention, as well as the porta potty (the only restroom facility at this location) It was long past needing emptied, with no hand washing facilities. With so many other good seafood choices in the area, in the same price range, we likely won't return.

Wow.... Not the old Clam Castle. Had the fish tacos and not good.... dripping something out and very little fish. 2 tacos and fries were $25. The Saybrook diner had better for $10... Went on a Friday night and not that busy, before you couldn't find a parking spot. Please don't ruin my favorite restaurant. I can see you went from 5 stars to 3 stars in just a couple months

I decided to take a ride by myself to the Clam Castle in Madison yesterday as it recently opened under new management. The staff was incredibly nice and they were all trying their very best. I ordered 3 items: 1/2 order of whole belly clams: $16 very nice - small and tender. You dont get a lot for the price. 1/2 order of calamari $9.50 The ones on top were good - but the larger rings on the bottom tasted undercooked. I dont understand why - as the batter was nicely cooked on all the rings , 1 Quesadilla $9.50 ( $18.50!) I got the shrimp version and I didn't realize I would be paying an EXTRA $9 more for a few shrimp. So I ended up paying $18.50. The overall bill after tax was $47.23. I found it to be VERY SMALL portions for TOP DOLLAR. I have no intentions to return.

I was hesitant to try this place because the menu felt so off to me. But I'm so glad I did. I got clam strip platter but subbed onion rings for fries. Clam strips were fresh and fried perfectly. Onion rings were freshly made and salty and crispy! Husband got soft shell crab dinner and he said they were prepared excellently! I really enjoyed the tarter as well. It was slightly thicker than most snd had excellent flavor w just enough pickle crunch. We sat outside on picnic tables covered by a pavilion. Inside has some seating snd us setup for fast casual dining. Service was friendly and fast! And I ended up w churros for dessert even though I originally thought the menu was so funny! We will definitely be back

Service was fast, friendly and eager to please. But it's a Bad value. At least if you order scallops. We ordered the large scallops. $27. You get about a dozen bay scallops (maybe) of various sizes. Mostly pretty small, even for bays. The larger ones were good but the small ones were way overcooked. Maybe two or three had that nice sweet scallop flavor. The dish comes with a small cup of tasty Cole slaw. So, you leave hungry. How hard would it be to put a few french fries on the platter. Cost next to nothing and you get more of a sense that you've had a meal, rather than a snack. Place was clean ... to a fault. I like to think of eating as a sensory experience - texture, taste and smell. In the middle of the dinner hour, the man went around and cleaned all of the empty chairs and tables with horrible smelling cleaning fluid. Lots of it and highly concentrated. I don't know why restaurants do this. Do they really want you to eat their food with the scent of Lysol or other noxious smell? Aren't there cleaners that don't smell so bad, or smell at all?? Overall it spoiled what had been a pretty average experience.

Called in an order for pick up, at pick up the bottom of my bag fell out and all the containers fell to the floor. One opened and they picked up the rest and put in a new bag. I told them that's a health code violation I don't want it. They argued that the food didn't touch the floor. Then amoung whispering, side eyes and tension the order was remade. When leaving, the girl at the register says "Bye B**ch".

I understand the economy and rising costs but if $35 dollars for a handful of whole belly clams and no fries is where we are at, I'll be eating the $9 seapack frozen clams from the freezer section. No idea why they are more expensive when they require less processing either. Friendly staff though!

In the midst of all the other "well known" seafood restaurants on the shoreline is Clam Castle. We were on the way to a brewery nearby when we wanted to pick up clam strips and seafood on the way. Friends of ours joining us had just went to Lenny & Joes the week before, so we knew we wanted to go somewhere new. Up pops Clam Castle highly rated on Yelp...and right across the way from the Lenny and Joe's in Madison, CT. From the outside, this place doesn't look like much. We called in our order (which was pretty large) and pulled up into the designated curbside pickup spots. The inside is still not open due to COVID but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of seating outside. You could tell a lot of their business as of late has been takeout due to all the designated parking spots. We ordered everything from the clam strips, sweet potato tots, NE clam chowder, cheeseburger, fish tacos, and lobster bisque. Everything was incredible and every one in our group agreed! This was the perfect food to take to a brewery and it was the perfect amount to share with friends. I thought the NE clam chowder was phenomenal. The amount of bug pieces of lobster in the bisque was impressive. The clam strips were crispy and not too greasy. I always rate my clam strips by the tarter sauce (I hope it was homemade) and it paired perfectly. All in all, great meal. And great prices too. For 6 people our bill was under $100 - impressive! We will absolutely be back!!!

The clams are still good and I like the Mexican food, odd as it is in a New England clam shack. It's America!

I would rate this a 1/2 star if I could. Absolutely disgusting! The food is terrible. The workers are less than enthusiastic. Such a disappointment. The clam chowder and lobster bisque were inedible. So thick and weird flavors. I would love to know what they even put in them. Fried seafood was awful. The best thing we ordered was a hot dog and cheese quesadilla. They should really just become a Mexican restaurant. The Mexican/clam castle combo is gross and not working. There was no place to wash hands and no sanitizer in the restaurant.

The clam castle did not disappoint. The lobster roll was tender and full of tasty butter. The loaded fries were delicious and the New England clam chowder was filled with clams, potatoes and veggies. The shrimp platter had a huge amount of shrimp and the fries were crispy and very tasty. The staff was very helpful and the choice of outside or inside seating was great.

Ordered scallops grilled 5 tiny scallops soaked in a pool of butter....came to our table! They turned out to be Bay not Sea scallops. Paid $15 dollars for 5 tiny scallops!!! They were tasteless. Ordered lemonade it was so diluted couldn't even taste lemon. My husband ordered fried shrimp and clam chowder. Said shrimp was good. Clam chowder was good, lots of clams. Other people seemed happy. Don't think we would ever return. because of the prices and size of the orders!! Would like to have seen an order of fried clams, just to see what you got for the price they charge!Probably should have ordered hotdogs!!!

TL;DR What to order: - Golden Fried Combo Platter ($26) What to watch out for: - long lines/wait time - make sure you call ahead to order - if you like generous amounts of tartar sauce, make sure to ask for extra! ===== Went here in the early evening after spending some time sitting around on Hammonasset Beach (the beach and park are beautiful - highly recommend! It did take a bit of skulking around in the sand to find a somewhat empty patch to sit in, though.) We called ahead to place our order and were told to pick it up in 45 minutes. We ordered the Golden Fried Combo Platter ($26), Lobster roll ($21), and Clam strips ($15). Between three fairly gluttonous people, we finished the combo platter, lobster roll, and a small bit of the clam strips. The combo platter was really good, and I especially enjoyed the large, juicy scallops, but the shrimp, clam strips, cod, and fries were also good. The cod comes in two large fillets, so if you don't like large pieces of fried fish I would go for something else. The portion was reasonably generous and could feed two people heartily on its own. The lobster roll was also good and not over mayo-y, brimming with large chunks of fresh lobster. As is generally the case with lobster rolls, it was quite small (and expensive). The extra clam strips we ordered were fine and the portion was about half the size of the platter, but they tasted more smoky than the clam strips in the combo platter. Not sure if it was on purpose, but I don't think it improved the flavor. This is no health restaurant, but I really enjoyed our fried-seafood-by-the-beach dinner from Clam Castle! Would love to come again, and if I did, I would probably order the Golden Fried Combo Platter again, or maybe try the slightly more healthful-sounding Broiled Combo Platter ($24). And I would ask for more tartar sauce, because the three small plastic rounds of it that they gave us were not enough for my saucy soul.

9.10.21 Here's another favorite of mine for seafood. I've been here too many times to count. I have been coming here literally for dozens of years. This is a childhood memory from when I started eating and trying different seafood. The Clam Cassle is more of a fast casual place to eat. There are plenty of picnic tables to sit at. Some are further away from the building in the parking lot. It's nice. The staff are always a delight. They have been very kind most recently with pick up orders. Although they were a little unorganized when I did a pick up order recently but still not a bother for me. The quality of the food has been consistent for years upon years. There are a lot of fried foods here so the faint of heart need to be cautious. Lobster rolls are good. The whole belly clams are awesome. They're decent size and they squish, gush & burst in your mouth after, of course that you dipped it into tartar sauce. The clam explodes in your mouth with flavors that are hard to put into words. But there's some umami foodgasm going on in your mouth. It's a pretty unforgettable amazing experience to say the least. They're not for everyone though. Many people only opt for the clam strips. The strips are a hard pass for me. There's another favorite which i can't forget. The clam fritters are to die for. Yes they are. They're deep fried light pillowy round balls of dough with chopped up clams and clam juice mixed throughout the dough. There's a nice light crisp slight crunch to the fritters. Then the inside is extremely light, soft and pilliwy dough & clams. Even though they're fried they're not heavy and greasy. Just the opposite. They are nice and light and not greasy or oily at all. Don't forget to squeeze some lemon on the fritters before dipping them into the tartar or cocktail sauce. See attached pic. To die for fritters. OMG. The Clam Cassle is a return trip year after year throughout the summer. You won't be disappointed. Be careful and take your time when you first receive your order of fritters. They are very hot. Don't burn your mouth. Can you say Yummers ;-))

Small seafood shack with a few tables inside and a bunch of picnic tables surrounding it outside. I came with my GF (who used to work here back in college) and we both got clam chowders and split an order of clam strips. Both were phenomenal and were prepared very quickly. We were given a buzzer to notify us of when our food was ready, and it rang within 5 minutes of us placing our order. The inside is nothing special, but the food is 8.5

After a long day at the beach in Madison. My wife & I decided to have some seafood for dinner. We found this place just 5 minutes from Hammonasset State Beach. Their menu offers a lots of options from hamburgers to lobster rolls. We ordered take out. It does offer outdoor & indoor seating. My wife ordered the Jumbo lobster roll. It was soft, delicious and fresh, and had lots of lobster meat. We ordered wild caught cod platter. Each platter comes with French fries and coleslaw. The portions of the fish were good, crunchy and tasty. Fries were also crunchy and delicious. The last meal was the fried calamari. It was delicious, good portions of calamari. We found a good local seafood restaurant in Madison!

I love their lobster rolls and everything else that they offer. But it's called Clam Castle so I had to get some fried clam strips and they never disappoint!

Good food, but very over priced. There wasn't any indoor seating last time I went, but you go up to the window and give them your order and you sit out back at a pretty area with picnic tables. The fish tacos were pretty good, nicely cooked fish that was crispy but also soft. The fries were super crispy and tasty too! The whole belly clams were also very tasty. The food also came out very fast.

The Clam Castle is simply the best there is for delicious and fresh seafood. 1st time customers and we are planning our next visit already. It's all homemade and made to order so don't expect to be in & out. Their clam chowder was so delicious we didn't even have a chance to take a photo of it, we just devoured it! Yes there are other fried seafood places in the area and many are good but nothing compares to The Clam Castle. Just give them a try and you'll be hooked. Also for your non-seafood loving friends & family members they have numerous options sure to please them as well!

The Clam Castle was a local favorite. A seasonal treasure that had fresh seafood no-frills service, and a real local vibe. The Taco Pacifico food truck was another favorite. My fear when Clam Castle changed hands and the TP owner took over, was two good spots would be lost. My first visit was disappointing. The blackened fish taco was tasty, but a huge pool of liquid emerged with the first bite. The quesadilla was okay but the use of liquid cheese did not work. Our nachos were simply bad. Liquid cheese, cold black beans, and bland salsa didn't work. Counter help was very helpful and friendly. My high hopes are dashed. Not sure I'll be back.

I have been going to Donahue's Clam Castle for years now. It isn't owned by the same man anymore though. The new food is just HORRIBLE! The three of us ordered the very popular and excellent Golden Fried Seafood Combo. The name of that item has been changed. We thought well, okay, as long as it was the same. It was not. Then, we noticed the price has jumped by $19.00!!! Originally, the meal was $25.00 and that price jumped to $30.00 during the pandemic. We all understood and willingly paid it because the food was so good. So, we reluctantly paid the new price of $49.00 (almost DOUBLE from what we paid 3 years ago) and waited for our food to be brought out to the car. The new, young owner came to the car and apologized for any confusion. We usually bring the food to the nearby beach and eat it while looking out over Long Island Sound. We all opened our containers and just stared at the food, hoping it was at least as good as it was before. IT WAS NOT! The onions rings were overly oily and terribly greasy and were placed on the French fries that not only smaller than they used to be but, there weren't very many of them and what there was were oily and greasy. Everything that made the original meal so good was gone. The scallops were tiny. The used to be huge and excellent. The original French fries were coated with the best coating in Connecticut ---- hands down! The same excellent coating was used on the clams, scallops, and shrimp. The fries used to be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The way fries are supposed to be. THEY WERE EXCELLENT! The clams used to be big, expertly coated and cooked, and were delicious. The new ones are small and terribly greasy. The new coating is horrible. The only part of the meal that seemed to be the same is the piece of cod fish but, even that has changed. When we cut into it, we all noticed that the meat was strangely falling apart into dicey pieces that were hard to eat. I think that the new owner who bought the place thought he could just cheapen the menu, raise the prices and, no one would notice or care ---- thinking that he would become rich overnight. Well, I've got news for him. Most of Donahue's clientele are return customers. Most ate there because the food was the best and was reasonably priced. In the Summer, sometimes people waited two hours for their food because the food was worth it. No one complained. All of that will change. I predict that unless the original menu is returned and the prices lowered, the restaurant will go out of business within 5 years. What a shame. One of the best shoreline seafood restaurants went from being number one to being in last place for quality and pricing. Not only will we not be returning but, my company won't be returning and won't be going there next month to celebrate a family member's birthday as had been planned. The new owner managed to lose three loyal customers and 4 potential new customers after being in business for just two days. Good job!

$27 lobster roll 4oz with coleslaw, $20 soft shell crab platter with fries, coleslaw & tartar sauce

I've heard good things about the Clam Castle and finally made a visit. We ate at the picnic tables outside (inside is closed) and enjoyed blackened fish tacos, lobster grilled cheese, and sides of onion rings and fries. The food was yummy and service was fast. It was a convenient stop after shopping at the Clinton outlets. The serve clam strips, chowder, fried shrimp, and many other seafood shack specialties. I would definitely return!