Sea Swirl

Every year, we wait for the first day of the Sea Swirl. It's like the official sign that beach season has begun!! The fried clam strips, hot dogs & soft serve ice cream are just so good.

We saw this on Tiktok and had to try it. It surpassed the expectations of myself and my husband. We loved the lobster Mac and Cheese Swirl. This place is definitely a go to when in Mystic

Family owned walk up counter that serves amazing New England style fried seafood, burgers and fries. Plenty of parking . All out side seating with water views. The staff is amazing and food is always tasty and fresh. Bring the kids because there is plenty of ice cream and milkshakes of all varieties for all !

Was told about their clam fritters and got them. Was not impressed, mostly stuffing and barely any clam. Also was told about the fresh fish. Wife got the fish sandwich and I got the fish and chips. Fish sandwich was fresh but small. Fish and chips was well worth it and VERY fresh. Overall, it was ok but expensive for a non sit down restaurant

Had a nice visit with my daughter. The location is close to downtown, but parking can be an issue here during weekends. If you wanted to walk from downtown to eat at Sea Swirl, it's an easy walk. They offer many options of soft serve ice cream, and they offer a kids menu, which is a plus.

My family’s been going here forever! Always a great meal. Only watch out is that this place is not shellfish-allergy friendly (unless you want ice cream!) My family got the clam chowder (chock full of clams), the fish and chips and fried shrimp (both beautifully breaded). Only outdoor seating, but wonderful for a fresh seafood meal on a nice day!

I have probably never left a 1 star review for a business before, but my encounters at this place were seriously messed up. My boyfriend has tons of great childhood memories at Sea Swirl, and kept raving about how exciting he was to bring us there. On Friday afternoon we arrive, and there are 2 groups in line in front of us. Not too busy. We order 2 cheeseburgers, and 1 fry. Nothing crazy. 20 minutes go by, we are the only guests left waiting for food. We kindly ask the counter girls, no apology, just "it's coming." 10 more minutes go by, we get our food. An apology for the wait or acknowledgement would have been sufficient enough. It was clear they forgot our order or our ticket got lost in the kitchen- as there were no other customers. Again, it would have been ok- mistakes happen! What was so insulting was the attitude and lack of apologies. We take a bite of our food- ice cold. Kindly, we bring our fries to the counter and ask for fresh fries. They said ok, again no apology of course. 10 minutes go by. The fries just never came out so we just left. We were actually insulted to receive such poor service and get such an attitude, for cold food. Later that night, my boyfriend still upset and so disappointed about what happened was wishing he could have gotten his swirl cone that he loved when he was a kid. I convinced him maybe they were having a bad shift, let's go get your swirl ice cream cone and brush it off! We arrive, it is the same girls working. There is one gentleman in line in front of me. He receives his ice cream and it is not what he ordered. He kindly tells the girls this is not what I wanted. Her response was "That is what we rang you in for." They refused to fix his order. The man walked away with his tiny ice cream cone that he didn't even want, disappointed and confused as to why no one would fix his cone to what he had ordered. This was a major red flag for us to get the heck out. We left. Clearly, no one is running the show. It is ran by snobby teenagers who don't give a crap about their jobs or the customers. Such a shame for a classic Mystic joint. However, there is a happy ending to the story- we found Twisters down the road, greeted with smiles and excellent ice cream. At least we have a new spot!

The service was very fast and friendly. Girlfriend and I stopped here for a quick bite. We got two platters popcorn shrimp platter and the other was the fish and chip platter with two drinks. The food was good, and it came out fast and hot. The only thing I would have to say is the price was little on the high side, I think. Spent close to $50 for the meals.

We were traveling through the Mystic area and I was definitely in the mood for something with clams and my husband wanted some fish and chips. I'll start with the good... The fish with the fish and chips was a huge piece and was flavorful. I have no idea what kind of fish it was because they didn't tell us. There were so many fries though that we could hardly finish them. The price was a little much and I feel like if they could leave off some of the fries, they could probably take off a few dollars. It was flavorful And filling. Now, the not so great. I ordered the clam fritters. I had had clam fritters in Rhode Island and loved them. These fritters came out almost burnt and they were pretty small. I think out of six fritters there was maybe one bit of clam in each one. The majority of the fritter was just dough. When they were served to me, they didn't offer tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. I had to ask for that ... Not that that's a huge deal but this being a seafood shack I would think that would just be in the offering. The girl taking my order seemed to get a little bit frustrated and impatient when I was asking some questions about if they had Coke zero or Diet Coke. They have Diet Coke, and I like Coke zero so I asked if they had tea. She said we have sweet tea and unsweet tea. So I asked if they had Splenda or any kind of no calorie sweetener. No, they only have sugar packets. I thought that was odd. I'm a diabetic and the reason I get unsweet tea is because I can't drink it with all that sugar, so I would need sweetener. But, whatever... She couldn't understand why I had to have some kind of sweetener and not sugar. So I got water. Anyway, while you're in the area if you want a good piece of fish and a mountain of french fries and not much else, then this is the place to go. I did feel like their prices were a little steep since it's generally a shack on the side of a busy road.

Whenever we go to a shore town we look for the restaurant with the best whole belly clams. Well my friends if you like whole belly fried clams this is your place!!! Delicious and tender. It's literally a clam shack with picnic tables but oh so good!!! You have to try this place. Oh and they have ice cream. Soft serve and hard scooped. The service is window service but goes really fast. My mouth is watering and I want to go back.

Let's talk clam strip...those juicy strips of clam lightly breaded, fried to crisp so that when you bite into them, they explode with flavor. They are so hard to find but this area is known for them you can get em in strips or whole w the belly of your game and they are cooked to perfection. We tried a few places in Mystic River and this was the best. They are cooked to perfection, hot and dining oitside on the picnic table w the mystic sea breeze is summer decadence at its finest. We also tried the chowder which was so so. Too many potatoes and not enough clams.

We were going to only get an ice cream here, but a restaurant we looked for was closed, so we ended up having a meal here also. It seems like a nice place. We ordered clam fritters, which we thought were rubbery and inedible, though I am sure others like them just fine. Not our thing. The fish sandwich was fine, and the French fries weren't hand cut it seemed, but they cooked them to perfection, so that is what counts. My soft serve ice cream, in what they call a wafer (we call cones) was an odd shape, but it tasted fine and seemed larger than the small I ordered. My wife said she didn't taste much of the flavor in hers and wished she got a German chocolate that might have been livelier. But it was refreshing on a warm day. We may never return to mystic as it was a one-errand we ran there, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from going here for food or ice cream.

This is a short update to my review from 4 years ago just to say that Sea Swirl is still awesome! Earlier this year they changed ownership/management, and we were a little concerned that the quality, menu and experience might be impacted. But I am really happy to say everything is still great! During our most recent trip, we again visited twice, had all the usuals - fried clams with bellies, fried clam strips, onion rings, ice cream, shakes, fries, fried shrimp, chowder, etc - and were mainly just totally relieved to know they are still solid, with fresh quality sea food, an expanded menu, and friendly and helpful staff. They will likely be open a little longer as the season winds down - check them out!

I usually don't leave bad reviews but here I come...soft serves were so small, so expensive and taste average. There are lots of tasty ice cream places in the area. They are not cheap either but are worth visiting. All of my family said we will never come back to this place. Service was ok.

Glad we stopped here after a fun morning at Mystic Aquarium with our granddaughter. No hotdog on the kiddie menu necessitated us ordering the foot long which we then shared with her. The clam strips were well prepared and the portion was large enough to split.

First time here & the Sea Swirl didn't disappoint!!! We ordered Clam Drip meal with French fries (both were good) also Mac and cheese bites were out of bounds!! Creamy inside crunchy outside not greasy at all. The service was great!

Very disappointed to pay MKP for a roll full of mayo. Would not recommend the cold lobster roll.

Kicking down from 5 to 4 stars only because they did not have and or no longer sell pomegranate hard ice cream. Everything else was top notch in my book. Best clam strips in town and tried the fish tacos which blew my mind away. Will be back one more time this summer for more but will have to figure out the ice cream situation.

Been coming for years,used to be the best clam bellies and Fries. Now under new ownership the meal was very greasy, tasted like old fryer oil was used, skimpy portion for a platter bellies hardly detected just tasted like it was from the day before..had to use numerous napkins to roll out all the grease from the clams and the fries, cole slaw cheap commercial couldn't eat...$38+ with tip, NO drinks or sides!! Looking for a new place..save your money!

I happen to come across this place while trying to escape the tourism trap down the street in downtown Mystic. I was pleasantly surprised by this establishment they offer both actual meals and ice cream. The prices were comparable to competitors and the portions to give were very generous. The Staff a really pleasant and prompt. I'm really glad I stopped in and I hope I get to visit this establishment again in the future.

Best ice cream in Mystic! Service was prompt and the staff were friendly and welcoming to tourists

I have heard good things about Sea Swirl but have never been in the area when they were open.....until today! I have been looking forward to having the whole belly clams for quite some time. Unfortunately reality did not even come close to my expectations. These were among the worst whole belly clams I have ever had. They were extremely greasy and soggy with virtually no taste. A very small portion for a fairly large price. When I asked to speak to the manager to express my concerns, they honestly did not seem to care....and certainly did not offer an apology or any compensation for my terrible dining experience. With so many seafood restaurants in the area, I would strongly suggest steering clear of Sea Swirl and going elsewhere!

Love this place. Stay away from the hot dog and order seafood. Fried shrimp and their clams are amazing! Great fries as well. Never enough room left for their ice cream though. Ate lunch and dinner here yesterday and getting ready to head back for dinner today! Yes, we fly here each summer just to eat here and we are so glad the new owners kept up the menu and great food.

Such a nice accidental find as we were just driving by. You cannot look at this nice little place and not HAVE to stop here. The ice cream served inside more than lives up to the expectations anticipated by the location. The root beer float and strawberry malt were perfectly done with the soft serve vanilla ice cream...smooth, moderately sweet, nicely chilled, proportion well, both in the malt and in the float. Service was pleasant and very helpful.

Bought the clam fitters, hard and inedible. Will not be back. Waited in line for this too, ugh.

Just had the fish tacos with broiled fish and I was surprised at how good it was. I did have to ask for fish to be broiled as it usually is fried. Will return for these again.

Very disappointed. I've been eating here forever, 30+ years. Ate here yesterday with 4 family members. All the fries had a seasoning on them that wasn't needed. Fried clams: portion was small for the price ($29.99), too much breading and the breading was greasy, some of the clams were really chewy, greasy fries; Fish and chips: big portion of fish, fish was tasty, but too much greasy breading, greasy fries; BLT: toast wasn't toasted, it was grilled and greasy; Jumbo shrimp: good-sized portion, but the shells were still on the tail ends under the greasy breading, so there was that. Also, greasy fries; Chicken tenders: no complaints. I've always raved about Sea Swirl, I've always recommended that people go there if I hear they're going to the Mystic area. Some memorable meals came from there. Not any more. I know there are new owners, but when you buy a place known for great seafood, you don't mess with it. I'll give it one more try the next time I'm in Mystic. I gave 3 stars out of nostalgia.

Super fresh! The scallops were pricy but so good. Not too heavily battered with the perfect amount of saltiness and flavor. The batter on the fish was crispy and light, very well balanced. If my stomach was bigger I wish I had the chance to try the ice cream. Everyone else seemed to go there for that and it looked really yummy.

Quick update- went again and still was delicious! This time we got the clam strips. Fresh

We enjoyed our fried food lunch sitting outside on the iconic red picnic tables overlooking the Mystic River. A staple in Mystic doe a quick casual meal and or an ice cream stop. Can't go wrong! Quick and efficient service! Fish and chips review: large piece of fish with thick batter. Needs to be drained or blotted with paper napkin of grease. You need to season with salt and pepper yourself. Not to many fries but right amount. Shared with my daughter and we were glad because heavy meal. Burgers and chicken tenders are decent. It's a typical frozen burger and chicken tender. The Mac and cheese bites were cheesy inside and tasty. Again, you must season to your own taste. Condiments are available! Bon appetit!

Cute take out window spot. Friendly staff. Got our order quick even tho there was a crowd. Lots of outdoor seating with a nice view and sunset.

Traditional fried whole clams are becoming harder and harder to find. Sea Swirl delivers the best fried clams my husband and I ever had. Bonus: Fried shrimp are big, tasty and plentiful. Delicious hot dog with homemade chili. Loved the bun. Pro tip order well done. A must stop for us anytime passing though Mystic.

Two hamburgers and two onion rings no drinks: $40.75. With tip $47.58. I should tell you this is a place with picnic tables out front to eat at.

Pretty tasty little counter service seafood stand! Definitely recommended if you are in the area. Food = A Standouts include the fries--they are melt-in-your-mouth good! The fried whole belly clams are also on target! I definitely had some food envy looking at the fried fish! Next time I'm up this way, that will be my jam! Finally, as for the lobster rolls, they are packed with lobster but are not very flavorful. Adding onions and hot sauce helped. Service = A+ Everyone at Swirl is super friendly!!! Atmosphere = A Sure, they only have outdoor seating at picnic tables, but it is just what the doctor ordered for a place like this. A point gets knocked off here b/c they do not have a bathroom. If you have to go bad enough, buy a drink next door at Subway or Duncan Donuts! That is what we did.

Fried shrimp and clams that you dream about when you get back home. Good onion rings too.

The other food may be better but the lobster roll was lacking and not very fresh with bits of shell inside. There are better places in town for a lobster roll.

This use to be our go to seafood place when we would vacation in CT every summer. This visit was so expensive for what you get. They now charge a good sum each for lettuce, tomatoes, cheese etc and it's not cheap to add these onto your order. The chowder had very little in it... was mostly broth. Will not go again as they are charging way to much for what you get.

Clam strips were AMAZING. They're definitely the best I had. Corn fritters were yummy. The lobster roll was disappointing however. The lobster wasn't very warm and not enough butter. Not worth the $27 it cost. But I'd come back for the clam strips for sure. Plenty of picnic tables to eat at.

Came here after spending the day in Mystic and was very happy! The place is very small and quaint right outside of town so it's super nice. We ordered clam strips and a bowl of clam chowder for a quick snack. The clam strips were fabulous, none of us had ever had them and we fell in love with them after this. The portions were good sized seeing as we spilt them between four of us. This place had lots of options on their menu including seafood but also other things as well. This was a great place and hopefully we can make it back sometime!

The food was very good (fish tacos, fish and chips, and hot dog) but there wasn't quite enough of it--the portions are *small*. However, it wa tasty and served quickly.

Typical clam type shack with much better than typical food. I try and go a couple of times a year. Located right after the turn on Route 1 (right) coming from the seaport. Not inexpensive but well worth it fried clams whole belly also great Stonington scallops. I tend to order the rolls over the dinner so I can sample something else like there great onion rings. Right on the river well worth a visit.

My family and I used to love coming to this place for fried seafood after the boat. We were very excited to visit for the first time this summer but after this last experience we will not be coming back. Scallops were soggy, breading was falling off, greasy and unsatisfying. Fries were also terrible, soggy, and unappetizing. The seafood is also extremely overpriced for the poor quality. Tasted like things were breaded with sweet cereal?! Avoid if you can!

The place is always crowded - at least it has been the last two days I was in town. So that suggested some really good food. Well...the ice cream is great! But the fish tacos were the worst I have ever had. The fish was served in overcooked lumps, with a nasty semi-spicy red sauce amid some rough cut purple cabbage. Absolutely unabashedly awful. And expensive. Nice staff though.

I don't even know where to begin with on this review....as this is a poor excuse for a clam roll if I do say so myself!!! It was a rainy gloomy slow Sunday afternoon and the amount of time it took to throw this thing together was unacceptable. Not to mention it was a clam strip roll I ordered. No fries with a 14$ roll...??? I mean come on. I get that this a tourist attraction.... but its still spring and the only customers early in the season as well is later in the season are going to be locals!! No off peak/season /local pricing??? This roll pictured as well as a tiny tiny cup of soft ice cream robbed me of a 20$ bill As a result I will drive the mile up the road to the next seafood shack and receive better quality and portion for a more reasonable price. I honestly believe this deserves a two star review but I'm being nice and thinking maybe this will be a bit of an eye opener review for the owners??!!!!!

My wife is from Connecticut and has fond memories of eating whole belly clams from her childhood. One of her goals during our vacation through New England was to try some. She picked Sea Swirl and was pleased with what she got. She said (for this review) that she had high expectations, and they were met. I had a slice of cake from Nanas Bakery next door, which was also good. Colleen recommends.

Couldn't get any better! This little shack-like walk-up counter is never a disappointment! The nicest people, accommodating, and the best food! I always get the fried fish/cod sandwich and it is just delicious! Fresh, crisp, not over-battered, not greasy, just perfect!!! This time, I discovered what they call "corn fritters" and I call sheer heaven! OMG, are these addictive! Way to go Sea Swirl, hitting it out of the park every time!!!

Delicious food and great waitstaff. Had a wonderful experience. Tables looking out over the water were nice

Went in here with really high expectations based on the recommendation of a very nice woman working at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Maybe that colored my impression, because if I went in cold I probably would not have been disappointed. There wasn't anything wrong, per se, I just left feeling underwhelmed. Too bad Yelp doesn't offer half-star ratings because this place is the epitome of 3.5 to me. The ambiance certainly isn't anything to write home about, but when you're ordering seafood from a converted ice cream stand, you're not here for haute dining. It's all about the food. The few picnic tables by the table were filled with customers either waiting for their order number to be called or already chowing down. There were plenty of tables across the parking lot under a large canopy to provide some protection from the sun, just watch yourself getting there. The parking lot is an absolute demolition derby, and trying to get in and back out onto Route 1 can be a test of your driving skill and mettle depending on the time of day. Both boys ordered a hot dog of the kids menu, and they were pretty good dogs. Sliced open prior to cooking, they were cooked nicely on the flattop. A generous serving of fries completed the basket. Neither of them could finish, or at least they opted not to in fear of running out of room for dessert. I had the whole belly clams roll, and it was by far the most disappointing dish, particularly after being told they were the specialty of the house. Mine were somehow both over-breaded yet to soggy in the middle, and almost devoid of that delicious clam taste I love. They were just chewy balls of moist nothingness. Given the price tag, I was severely let down. My wife had the clam strip dinner, and it was the highlight of the order. Clams were substantial and breaded in the right proportion. The basket with overflowing with a generously sized portion and was lacking the fried "end nub" filler you often get in a clam strip basket. Again, the basket was completed with a tremendous portion of french fries, plenty for my wife and I to share. For desert, it was soft serve all around, and it was exactly what you'd expect from a place operating out of a converted Carvel: creamy and delicious. All in all, this place is perfectly fine for what it is, but certainly not worth the hype. If the line's not too long and you've got a hankering for fried shellfish, you could do a lot worse.

I gobbled it down before I could take a picture. At $20, a lobster roll may not be worth it for most people. ( Fine, then go have subway next-door ) But There's a heaping pile of warm buttery lobster on a sweet bun roll. And I mean sweet! Like a glazed candied bun. There's not much to the small lobster roll, but I was pretty happy.

Stopped in for a small sundae. I could not believe how small it was for $6.75. Apparently new owners have instructed the staff on sizing. I am not going back. Pricing needs to lower or sizing commensurate with the order. It's soft serve after all

I got the fritters and clam strip dinner, definitely worth the price. Food came out quick hot and crispy. Plenty of dipping sauces. The tartar sauce is the sweet relish type, my wife prefers the dill relish type, but still good.

For me, their popular dish of belly clams is over-rated. Way too bready with no clam taste. I wished these seafood stands would do more grilled, baked and not just all fried. Not to mention, much healthier.

An institution in the area, we try and make there once a year. For something different, I had the fish tacos which were tasty. My other half had a bacon cheese burger and he said it was good as always. The onion rings and fries were good, but there could have been more of them. Top it off with some soft serve and we were happy!

We worked up an appetite after walking around the seaport and opted to get something on the way back to our hotel instead of eating downtown. We heard that their clams are good so we got an order of the fried whole belly clams. They were fine, but maybe a bit too greasy. I needed more tarter sauce to finish them. We felt very heavy afterwards, but I guess that's expected when eating anything deep fried!

Been coming to this place for 20+ years. Love it, its my first stop (and sometimes last) when I come to Mystic. If you are looking for fancy dining, this aint it. But if you want decent food for a good price; with a great view served by lovely people - this is it!

I have been searching the local areas in Rhode Island and surrounding states for a great clam cake. Found this place today and ordered an order of clam fritters and an order of mac and cheese bites. By far this place exceeded my expectations. Light, flavorful, large chunks of clams, perfect ratio of cheese in the mac and cheese bites, the staff were pleasant, quick and helpful. Will definitely be back when we are in the area

Every year I look forward to stopping by and having either clam strips or whole belly clams, with a side of fries. Picnic tables are perfect for catching sunset with dinner outside. Best summer meal there is! I hope the Sea Swirl is around for many more years as it is such a New England classic!