Best steamers in southern Maine Perfect for sunset on an ebb tide Friendly staff Billy's rum punch Coastal simplicity read more

Very nice casual seafood restaurant and bar that is by the water. Super friendly and attentive waitstaff, and the food came out fairly quickly. We ordered the full lobster dinner which came with chowder (can choose between clam and fish), steamers (cleanest steamers I've eaten anywhere), baked potato, and string beans (perfectly cooked al dente, not overcooked). The baked potato came with salted skin which was great as I didn't need to add any additional salt to it. My friend got the mixed broiled seafood platter which came with scallops, shrimp and haddock. Also came with string beans and a side (selection between baked potato, rice pilaf, etc). It was all fairly tasty and we'd return. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Lobster platter and broiled seafood platter - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

We visit Maine at least twice a year, staying in Ogunquit and our first dinner on this trip was our first visit to Billy's Chowder House and the food was amazing! Tuesday was a shrimp cocktail special and I doubled down! Wow, that was good! The green beans are usually a favorite, anywhere I can get them, and they were the best, ever! All the food was superior but my wife's Lobster Roll was the most impressive and best value, in our experience. The food was all exceptional but the wait staff are the crown jewel, for this restaurant, so nice! Thank you, we'll be back!! read more

This was the first time I've been to this location on Mile Road. The many years have been up here. I've never taken a trip down the road and wow did I miss this place! Very good and friendly service. Very casual atmosphere. The food was excellent. I can see this becoming very touristy. When you drive by there doesn't look like there's much parking but on the east side of the building, there's plenty. Definitely on my repeat list. Anecdote: a little girl across from us mentioned... "I wish we went to McDonald's." Can't please everybody with quality. Definitely was not my wish. read more

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We have been here before but it's been a few years. Ordered what we ordered last time and loved, the Half & Half platter. We chose whole belly clams and sea scallops with fries and cole slaw. My husband had a cup of clam chowder which was delicious. Not so much for the clams and shrimp. Looked like what was left in the fry basket. The clams were more like clam strips than the big and briny ones we were looking forward to and the sea scallops were pretty small. Love the atmosphere and the bartender and the service were great. Just terribly disappointed in the clams and scallops. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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Haddock chowder was all potato, fish and chips were bland (with the fries being obviously food service grade/previously frozen), tacos were bland and oddly preportioned, drinks were uninspired and weak. Much better seafood spots in the area - trust me, save yourself the funds. This is a drinking hole for retirees pretending to be a seafood destination. read more

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We were in the area and remembered how much we enjoyed our dinner here last year so we had to return. My daughter started with the New England clam chowder which we both love. It is different from other chowders, not creamy but my daughter loved it. I agreed, it was delicious! I had the shrimp scampi, with linguini and it has a side, so I chose the green beans. Everything tasted great! My daughter got the lobster Mac and Cheese, with Cole Slaw as a side. She enjoyed them both. The restaurant is clean, beautiful view of the water with some boats. It was later in the day and foggy out but still enjoyed the view. The waitress was very nice and attentive. It's a bit pricy but worth it. The parking is small so beware coming. All in all, another great experience. We will be back when visiting here in Wells. read more

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Nestled along the scenic Webhannet River, and minutes away from Wells Beach, Billy's offers a charming, classic Maine dining experience with rustic interiors and picturesque water views. Whether you're drawn to the cozy buzz of the bar area or prefer a quieter meal in the peaceful dining room--as we did--you'll find a warm, inviting atmosphere. The menu features a well-rounded mix of fresh seafood and land-based dishes, making it a great spot for any palate. When dining at Billy's, starting with their signature clam chowder is a must. Unlike the thick, creamy versions many are used to, this chowder has a thin, buttery broth--my personal favorite. It's light, flavorful, and perfect as a starter. I could've easily had a full bowl. For my main course, I went with the Lobster Mac n' Cheese. Served fresh from the oven, it was a generous portion with a good amount of lobster throughout--definitely a great value. It came with a choice of side, and I went with the coleslaw, which was tasty. A small tip: they offer warm rolls for the table, but you'll need to ask for them. Billy's also runs daily specials, including $1 cocktail shrimp on Tuesdays--a great deal that seemed to draw quite a crowd. The place was filled with locals, which is always a good sign and speaks to its popularity in town. If you're looking for a laid-back, satisfying meal in a quintessential Maine setting, Billy's is worth the visit. read more

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Taken to a table with a great view as soon as we walked in the door. We stopped there because they had ample parking. Waitress was efficient. Clam chowder had large chunks of clams and potato cubes. Also had a kale salad. They give you just one little container of dressing...could have used two. I liked that they had onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc stacked on side so you could decide how much you wanted mixed in. Menu said bread came with soup & salad but none was brought to table. Also ordered chicken wings with fries. Fries were crispy and seasoned well. Wings were average. read more

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After reading mixed reviews we pulled the trigger. Glad we did. Had about a 20 minute wait which is reasonable for a Saturday pm in August. The lobster stew was wonderful. My daughter said it was her favorite food of the trip. The shrimp scampi is fantastic. Loaded with garlic which I love. The spinach was a nice touch. Absolutely huge! My daughter was not a fan of her clam strips but the tartar was good. Thankfully she helped me eat the shrimp scampi. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Lobster stew and me smiling eating it. It was excellent. Big lobster claws. - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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Portions way Small. Never had a fisherman platter so small. Left hungry ? First time a fisherman plate and left hungry. read more

Billy's Chowder House - See picture unbelievable tiny. Still hungry $36.99 Next time Petey's for sure... - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

Scallops and clams were the best I have had in years/ The haddock tacos were very good. We ordered stuffed mushrooms and ate until we were stuffed! My sister had a Bloody Mary and said it was very tasty, Dawson waited on us and was very pleasant and attentive even when the dining room filled up. read more

I'm still in a state of disbelief after our nightmare of a Birthday dinner last night. As you all know I always post about how delicious their chowder is and every time we are here in Maine we have to stop! Well, it was Jesse's Birthday last night and we of course decided to go there... long story short, my baked stuffed shrimp came out CHARRED and it tasted so burnt and the shrimp were so dry and uneatable. I had no choice but to inform the waiter and he offered to make another so I accepted. In the mean time Jesse got to eat his birthday meal alone as I watched because my new plate didn't arrive til he was done. On my first attempt to cut into the shrimp on the second plate, the damn casserole dish shattered and it couldn't be eaten!!! First off the charred meal SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT THE KITCHEN! After all that, they comped my draft hard cider that I drank half of and a draft beer and of course removed the meal I never got to eat. In my opinion they should have comped the entire bill for all of the stress that brought us. Instead I paid them fifty some odd dollars for my husband's meal and 2 cups of chowder! Won't be going back! read more

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Being from RI, Billy's is ALWAYS our go-to restaurant. The food is excellent. The batter is thin and light in color (they do not have thick batter that is dark and greasy) which is why we appreciate and love Billy's. The clam chowder is OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS! read more

Fish sandwich was delicious but the service at the bar was horrible. Barely said a word, were too busy with friends, never checked on how the meal was, and then short changed me... crunched up my bill and just handed me a receipt showing less cash. I caught it and she knew right away. Too bad.. great food tho. read more

Billy's Chowder House did not disappoint! Be sure to ask to be seated where you can look out over the water, the view is lovely. The chowder was delicious, though less creamy than what I'm used to. Fish and chips portion was huge! Staff were very friendly and attentive. Prices were a little high but it's a tourist area. read more

The thing I like best about this place is the fact that they could be just another touristy place which mails in the effort-they don't do that here! We (3 of us) stopped in for lunch yesterday on our way home from a resort on Casco Bay. I will say that as a life long resident of Boston and Central Mass I've had amazing chowders and seafood pretty much my entire life. Billy's is not top of the mark but it is excellent, honest fare at reasonable prices. (Except for $12 onion rings). My fiancé had clam chowder which she raved about. Not a flour paste like so many others, this was also not watery thin. She loved it. I tried the haddock chowder and while it could've used more fish it was one of the best fish chowders I've had in a few years. Good flavor, great consistency....would have to have this every time I go there. Her son had eaten so all he wanted was a cup of chowder and dessert. He raved about the chowder as well. For my meal I had the combo with scallops and whole belly clams. I opted for double coleslaw in lieu of fries. The clams were plentiful, well fried in a light crispy batter and sweet. The scallops were prettty much perfect! Sweet, seasoned and enough to feed me and another! The c ole slaw was sweet and a bit too wet but had good flavor. My fiancé had a lobster roll, she felt that it could have used a bit more mayo or been poached better as it was dry. The brownie sundae her son had was devoured by him, you know it's good when he basically didn't speak for the ten minutes it took for him to eat it. We had No alcohol but the bar was the kind of place that an ice cold beer would be great with a slat marsh/ river view that is phenomenal!!!!! Would happily eat here again and would reccomend that the owners of Hout's come here to see how casual seafood should be done! read more

Great! We had ribs, haddock sandwich, lobster roll, lobster salad (8 oz is def more than we needed - I'd go with the 4oz next time). Our waitress was fabulous. She could see that the baby needed his food ASAP - and he received his fish and mac-n-cheese quickly! Really great beach type food. read more

We ate here on a Thursday night. Parking was rough as it is very limited and close to the road. Once inside, even though the parking lot was packed (we got the last remaining space) we were seated without a wait. I ordered fish and chips with coleslaw and my so ordered shrimp platter. The meals were all fried food which we don't eat often but it was not heavy, greasy, or tasting of bad oil. I loved the fish and chips, the shrimp was good but no special seasoning to set it apart. We both really liked the coleslaw. The waiter (Either Ethan or Ian - we both heard something different from the other) was really fantastic. Attentive but not bothersome, cheerful and engaging, and after our meal took a few minutes to chat with us and make local recommendations for our week ahead. I will eat here again next time I visit the area. I recommend. read more

Omg the chowder is soooo good! We had a very nice dinner at Billy's starting with buck a shuck oysters and their famous clam chowder filled with tender clams and chunks of potatoes. I then had the haddock casserole special with a delicious seasoning. Also had the land lover chicken sandwich grilled with a nice sauce. Billy's is old school nautical decor not too big or small with a good size bar and separate dining room. It sits on a cove or creek near the beach with a small parking area. Our server Kristie was very nice and quick with a friendly smile! We recommend Billy's for a good deal on a nice dinner, we had appetizers an entree and a sandwich no alcohol for around $60. read more

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Lobster stew is awesome. Get the bowl, don't mess with the cup size. Basically it's full pieces of the lobster in butter and cream. It's not a bisque. Grilled swordfish was just about perfect. A little bit of a crisp to it and the rest was moist and tender. Even the cole slaw was on the better side and they probably made it themselves. Good parking as well which makes it easier. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Grilled swordfish done right. - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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An icon in the area. You must go at least once if you're around. The lobster stew especially is out of this world. You won't be disappointed. read more

We were on a trip from Boston to Wells for my wife's marathon and since my in-laws love seafood, we stopped at this really famous place to enjoy some seafood. Here is a review of my experience here: The place was brimming with people and luckily there was only 1 parking space left. 1) Ambiance 3.5/5: The place looks like an old shack and looks like a hole-in-the-wall place from the outside. The place maybe was going for an old wooden deck-like look. I was not a fan of the decor but the place was packed with both tourists and locals 2) Service 3.5/5: There was a 20-minute wait when we reached there. The service was good but slow and I have seafood allergy and the server wasn't able to help me with my questions. Some of the questions confused him about the options available and he had to frequently go back to the chef to clarify. I understand that this is a seafood restaurant but if there is a person with a seafood allergy, they might have a difficult time here especially if they are vegetarian. 3) We had a few things and here is the summary of our experience: a) Clam chowder: My in-laws liked it but my wife was not a fan. It is bland b) Lobster roll: The lobster roll was good but costly c) Shrimp cocktail: The shrimp cocktail tasted alright but the sauce with it was spicy. d) My inlaws ordered a Gin that had Lavendar and raspberry I believe but it was so bad that they left it untouched after a sip e) Baked Haddock: I had a haddock with green beans and mashed potatoes. This is the blandest fish dish I have ever had. I felt like it was just boiled and served 4) Value for Money 3/5: This place is not cheap which I understand for seafood places but we were in Maine where lobsters should be cheap and specially with the decor, aesthetic and taste, I felt the place was pricey. Overall, I probably would skip this unless you really want to eat seafood and don't have any other option The good: 1) The view 2) Come here for lobster rolls and clam chowder if you are a fan The bad: 1) Very costly for the taste and vibe 2) Overrated in my opinion 3) Limited options in case you are allergic to seafood and almost none if you are vegetarian or vegan read more

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Changed drastically since the last time we stopped in. $9 beer, baked potatoEd (4) were not fully baked and the chicken fingers were way overcooked. The lazy lobster was overcookEd and somewhat dry too. The extent of table cleaning was to use a paper napkin to brush the crumbs on the floor. Restaurants generally use a liquid and a cloth to clean the surface. Probably won't be back. $180 bill felt like I was robbed. read more

Location has best views. Try at sunset. Buck a shrimp days and special buck a shuck bring the locals in. We stayed in Ogunquit timeshare and visited Billy's twice! read more

Billy's Chowder House - You have to get up early to catch a sunrise at Wells Beach Maine once in your life! - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

I was disappointed in the Clam Chowder which is very surprising since it is claimed to be the restaurant's signature dish. The chowder was very thin and milky rather than thick and creamy. It also had lots of potatoes and relatively few very small clam pieces. I don't see how the restaurant can promote this as such a great clam chowder! read more

We found ourselves at Billy's because we were staying nearby, friends had recommended it and not a lot of places are still open in early November. The atmosphere was great, service (by Sierra) was wonderful and attentive and the food was quiet tasty. I had the lobster stew and it was filled with big chunks of lobster. It was very rich so a cup was plenty. The fries we both had could have stayed in the fryer just a bit longer, in my opinion, but that's sort of trivial in the scheme of things. If we find ourselves back in the area, we'll surely visit again. read more

We encountered lovely helpful staff and delicious hot dogs and a delicious lobster roll.

We ate here last night. Started with the Clam Chowder it had no taste, not a thick chowder. Steamer were very big clams not sweet, 10 steamer for 19. Lobster bite were all breading no lobster in them. Very disappointing for our meal. Wouldn't come back here. read more

Food was really good. Service was also excellent. Went there in the off season, looked like a locals hangout. Very comfy and casual. I will definitely go back! read more

Food was ok but most dishes came out warm, not hot including clam chowder, a bucket of steamers and a whole lobster.

Only had a short 10 minutes wait before we were seated. Make sure you bring a sweater if you sit in the front room. The food was delicious but you needed to eat it quickly because of the air conditioner blowing very cold air on your table. Waitress was very friendly. Took home 4 cute souvenir glasses! Would definitely return hence with a sweatshirt. read more

Billy's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

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I can't say enough wonderful things about this place! Food was amazing! Staff super attentive and friendly l! Sat near the window and had the inlets for our view. We will be back read more

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The food was ok, my family didn't like the clam chowdah, it's in their name? What gives! The location is great to go during day time and catch a glimpse of the wells river estuary. Our server was good too , nothing to come back to. read more

Prices are high, servings are small. My husband and I ordered a fried Oyster plate to share since we are not big eaters. The dinner came on a salad size plate very skimpy. I was shocked! We used to come here and the serving size was decent along with the price. One skimpy dinner was $30. read more

The good, drinks are very good. Scallops were very nice. Service was special. The bad, stuffed lobster was under cooked. Tempura level. Prices were expensive for wat we received. read more

Consistently Fabulous Food, Great Staff, Beautiful View! We've been driving up to Billy's Chowder House for years and the food, service and atmosphere is consistently wonderful! I see my last review was in 2015 and I can add that this lunch was as delish as all the meals before and we've tried almost all of the items on the menu. Our server Margaret was super efficient and friendly. How did she know I like cocktail sauce with my fried shrimp?! I didn't even have to ask her! She was attentive and didn't rush us at all. Hats off to the chef, that shrimp was perfectly fried in a light batter while keeping the shrimp soft and not overdone. And I liked the small touch of putting the spoonful of horseradish sauce on the side of the ketchup so you can add to your taste. We started with the onion rings, which we think are the best we've had anywhere. I didn't get to snap a pic of the pile as we ate them so fast! Between both our meals with fries, cole slaw, fried, scallops and clams we also love their string beans. Again cooked to the perfect degree with a light butter...everything is so tasty! It was an unexpected nice surprise to have a heater in the bathroom on a cold day! So many nice touches to make you comfortable and have a pleasant dining experience. I was happy to meet Chris Varano on the way out (who also greeted us) great job to you Chris and your team! We'll be back again soon! read more

Billy's Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - Wells, Maine

Staff and service are amazing, food came out quickly. Onion rings were probably the best l've ever had, and lobster roll was filled with meat and it was delicious. Unfortunately the clam chowder was mostly potatoes and not very creamy. We did inform our server, and she said we are not the first customers to say this. I would have given them a 5 star rating, but as a 'chowder house' it's reasonable to expect top-notch chowder. We have been coming here for many years, and I'm sure we'll be back but we may not have the chowder again. read more

Had my first lobster roll here, didn't know it was a cold sandwich. I did enjoy it. Im a real tough sell on clam chowder, theirs was thin (I'm a thick n creamy fan), However the chowder was superbly seasoned, the potatoes cooked to perfection, lots of clams. Im a fan! Service was very good. read more

Well our 2nd visit and really looked forward to One Dollar Shucked Oyster Wednesdays. We were seated at 11:30 overlooking the marshlands. A huge disappointment on many levels and when you receive oysters with mostly broken shells a rookie would make that mistake. A table next to us had flawless perfect platter of at least 24, I had ordered 8. The disparaging presentation, lack of of customer service from our waitress another disappointment. When the dinner rolls, which I needed to ask for after receiving my Cobb Salad (Mediocre at best) and they were microwaved, yes microwaved too long , too rubbery to chew. 2 stars and I never go that low on my reviews but honest scoring. Our first evening same issue with their horrible dinner rolls. Not worth the $1 oysters and everything else. read more