Very yummy seafood! Friendly and cozy atmosphere. Nothing stuck-up like some other seafood restaurants in NY. I'm looking forward to going back. read more

Cozy little place that serves great seafood. We had raw oysters that were fresh, and the seafood combo platter. Haven't tried their clam chowder yet but we'll be back for more soon! read more

Love the local feel and the prices are great! Always a stop when its a Fire Island day in the summer....

I went to this little spot for a first date and it was just perfect. It is a small place where at first glance you would think it's not much. The good however was excellent. I had crab cakes and the stuffed shrimp. Staff was nice, though they took a little long to take my date and I order. There is also a little bay close by so I imagine it's a hot spot during the summer. I would go back there. read more

First time going there. Just wanted take out soup! The waitress let me try them before I picked and they were all yummy. Seafood bisque was amazing! Will be returning often! read more

I really love this place. I came here with my boyfriend for the first time and he's been coming here since he was a kid. I love the laid-back vibe especially after I get off the ferry from Fire Island. I love the Shrimp Sandwich, but I wish the portions were a little bigger. Can't complain about the prices at all. Get the baked clams and the bisque.. some of the best I've ever had. read more

My wife and I will sometimes drive the half hour it takes to get here just to have the seafood chowder and the spinach salad with the warm bacon dressing. We've been coming here for over ten years and we almost always get exactly the same thing and it has been consistently EXCELLENT! We LOVE the combination. If we get a seafood chowder anywhere else, it always gets compared to this one and we have yet to find one that even comes close. It is chock-full of seafood and DELICIOUS! The staff is always friendly too. Chowder Bar is closed the entire month of February. read more

Good fresh simple seafood. Had the fried clam roll. Lots of fresh sweet clams in a nicely herbed breading. Friendly staff.

Coconut shrimp were very good. Service was also good-server was very attentive. Open flounder sandwich was just ok- no flavor.

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place sooner. I've been going there for years and it's always on point! The seafood couldn't be better or more fresh. Place is cozy and casual . Staff is always attentive and friendly. You get a feeling like you're a guest in someone's home rather than just another customer, at just another restaurant. Chowder bar is always clean, welcoming and unpretentious, with exceptional fare. Consistently My favorite Bay Shore haunt. It's True, once you bite, you'll be hooked. read more

Right across the street from the old Steak and Brew, where I used to go with 20 friends/family, back in the day is the Chowder Bar. After a family party, my wife wanted clams before our 2 hour drive back to NJ, so yelped this little place, never heard of it, even tho its been around since 1975...and was blown away. Went in not expecting much and came out stuffed and quite happy, with 2 quarts of take home chowda!! A little surprise by the negative comments here, but most seem to be during the summer and maybe the kitchen gets overwhelmed, but we loved EVERYTHING we ordered!! A dozen raw little necks and half D of oysters, fresh and tasty. Didn't need them but ordered clams casino, half dozen and they were done perfectly, not over breaded, seasoned just right, topped with a bacon slice. We shared the fish taco....two in a serving, each one was a meal, fish (flounder?) sauteed, not fried, done simply and all the veggie, cheese fixing for a taco. Dessert.....we dont usually do dessert, but they advertise all home made including the ice cream, so splurged with Autumn Berry pie Sweet Potato (for the record, sweet p is not a berry, im just saying) Apple, pear, pecan and raisins, topped with whipped cream...and a scoop of vanilla. Perfect way to end our meal. Only complaint is wine selection....$5.50 a glass of anonymous wines, so didnt try and the Blue Point Toasted.....$7.00 a pint seemed a bit steep when compared to the rest of the prices. So, came to have some clams and left thinking this the perfect place to take our big family, next time we're back in town!! We will be back. read more

Love the Chowder Bar, it's my go to place when I have to take the ferry and even when I don't. I prefer it to the other clam bars in the area in food quality taste and price. It only loses a star because it's not on the water but this place is still great and not to be missed if your passing by. read more

I have never been treated the way I was treated at this restaurant. The owner obviously doesn't like dogs and is a miserable person. I walked in with my service dog and she asked me to leave. I told her she was a service dog. She said "no she isn't". Very rude and argumentative. I only wanted to order something to go. She wouldn't even let me stand in the closed entrance way to place my order. I see there are other complaints about service animals on Yelp. The restaurant should be begging people to come in. The only reason they are still in business is because they are close to the ferries. I had to order from the parking lot. The only reason I ordered was because I had my niece with me and she was hungry. She got a fried shrimp sandwich, nothing to write home about. Terrible service and nasty owner. Go across the street to Whalers, you will be treated much nicer and better food. read more

I've only stopped here a few times for a quick bite . Lately I've been satisfying my random fried ice cream craves at the chowder bar c: .This place isn't big , probably best to go in couples or alone . read more

Very nice little place by the water to bring a date or to catch up with a couple friends. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Had the Blackened Cajun Catfish and it was delicious and very spicy. Finished things off with some homemade carrot cake before calling it a night. Definitely a place to checkout if you are in the area. read more

Cozy Place, great service and yummy food. My husband, niece and i had a such a nice time at this place . Soup - fantastic ! cocunut shrimp- loved them ! crab cakes - YUM .. Great prices and a pleasure to have such a nice staff. Loved it ! We will be back ..... read more

This was a fun place to go. Even on a cold drizzly day, it's like to see the water, get some warm food, good choices of beer, in a friendly atmosphere. read more

Cool, casual place to grab a cup of chowder and seafood/bar food. Can get crowded if you go during peak times as it is a smallish place. Tried the half/half chowder which was very good, but next time I will try the New England. read more

If you like seafood in a quaint setting, this is the place to go. They were busy when we went at 8:00 PM, but one table was free. The sous here are terrific, all home made. The bottom of the pot fish chowder was full of flovor, although there were one or two 'dumplings'--lumps of flour that hadn't dissolved, but so thoroughly cooked that they were fine. The New England chowder is out of this world. Grilled salmon with horseradish Dijon sauce was as you would expect, perfectly cooked, juicy and generous. The mako topped with their homemade black bean and corn salsa, redolent with lime and cilantro, was another winner. Prices run from $15 to $20 for entrees, including salad, potato or rice and a vegetable...we had green beans in garlic butter, again perfectly cooked and really good. The desserts are also super. They make their own deep-fried ice cream, which my daughter pronounced very good. The apple crisp, while good, was more of a crumble. read more

This place sucks. I ordered the Blackened fish Tacos and I paid $15 dollars for 2 tacos that I couldn't even eat because they were so spicy. I will never come back to this shit hole. read more

We went there for lunch. The atmosphere was nautical which was appropriate for the area. The Manhattan and New England clam chowder were both excellent. We ordered a fried combination platter which contained bay scallops, whole clams, flounder, crispy fries and coleslaw. It was excellent and more than ample to split. Can't wait to go back and try some of the daily specials. read more

If I could give this place zero stars honestly I would . The staff are frazzled , and on top of being that , they were rude. The food is commonplace yet the pricing is astronomical. A terrible experience not be to repeated. Also, they had a sign in their lot advertising overnight parking and when we asked to leave our vehicle for the night they said they had no time to take money for parking and to just park elsewhere. Just an incredibly odd experience especially in the age of client service. Oh well... read more

Decided to give an Old favorite & regular spot another chance after not visiting for years. Unfortunately- This will be our last.. The NEClam Chowder tasted floury. The Seafood Bisque was thicker than mash potatos, with not a hint of sweet lobster or crabmeat. The fried shrimp were the worst I've ever eaten- soft, small, chewy and loaded with dark greasy crust. The daily special of Beer Battered Cod and Chips were obviously of the frozen cooky cutter variety found in your local supermarket...Only 2 good points; soda re-fills and the Server was nice. Nothing like the good ole days here. Wish I'd spent my $70 at the fish market and stayed home instead. read more

Fake crab meat in the seafood chowder is an egregious culinary transgression. Especially for a place who's menu states "we take pride in the preparation of all our homemade soups." Weak play, chowder bar. read more

Our friend wanted chowder so we figured this was the place. Everything, including the chowder, was very good, from seafood to sandwiches to the Key Lime pie. The wait staff were wonderful too. read more

This place was terrible! We had the new england clam chowder and the linguine with clam sauce. The chowder was so over seasoned, it tastes terrible! The clam sauce tasted exactly the same! Over seasoned and awful! Wait staff was pleasant, but hard to track down. That's crazy considering we sat in the bar area (main dining area). read more

My husband loves this place! We have eaten in the restaurant and gotten take out. The food is consistently good.

the blackened catfish tasted like weed. im not joking, what did they put in that thing? lobster roll was more like a lobster cole slaw. chowder was good at least read more

This place is about as solid a 3 as you can get. Went tonight with the wife and girls (10 and 14). The chowders and bisques were very good. We tried the clam bisque (very good, if not a bit on the thin side), seafood bisque (one of the best I've ever tasted), Long Island Clam Chowder (basically a half-and-half of Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder, and excellent) and the Seafood Chowder, which is more a meal than a soup and was very good, but not great. Fried calamari was very good, but the baked clams were bready and chewy. The crab cakes were tasty, but a bit small. Clams on the half shell (littlenecks for us) were outstanding, and while the Oysters were delicious, I think they could have removed the baby crabs (alive) from them before they served them. All in all, some very good, and some not so good. May go back for the Seafood Bisque, but little else would make me want to drive that far when I live in Bellmore and passed several places that I would prefer to eat at before Chowder House (I'm pointing at you, B&B Fish and Clam!). read more

The waitstaff were very friendly. Great crabcakes and baked clams. The New England calm chowder was a little bland. I would go there again. read more

The employees are mean, but the food is amazing. I went there recently, and 3 specific employees bullied me. I went to get some food, because I have not been to this place, and I was walking a bit slow. An employee was talking to another employee and said "Look this disabled slow motherf**ker." And said it loudly not even trying to hide it, and the other employee replied with laughter. I didn't care much, until I went to go order something and the employee said "I don't serve people who are slow" and the second employee said "Get our slow ass!" And I was pretty angry. That's when a nice employee, came over and apologized for their behavior. The nice employee gave me a free meal, because the nice employee was embarrassed by the 2 other employees bahavior. That's when the third employee came over, and asked me "Do you want ranch" and I replied with "No thank you." Then the employee walked off, and comes back with ranch, opens it and pours it everywhere. Now I can no longer eat my meal, because I have an allergy to ranch. I can see the 2 mean employees laughing in the background. That's when I got up and left. This is not okay, because now they ruined my meal, and made me angry. read more

I've been going to the Chowder Bar since 1983 and always loved it, of course it changed ownership early on. I was always satisfied with my food, but after not going there for 2 years, today was a disappointment. The restaurant needs a makeover and I don't mean the physical restaurant, although it wouldn't hurt. I had ordered a seafood bisque that was lukewarm and tasteless. What I could taste was the thickening agent and I sent it back, first time ever! The waitress offered to put it in the microwave! Not even a microwave would make it taste better & suggesting a microwave is insulting! The salad was good, but served in tiny old fashioned wooden bowls from the 80's, causing the salad to spill out. I remembered from a few years ago that the fried fish boats were over fried. Although I didn't order that, my dinner partners did and it hasn't changed. I ordered the broiled seafood platter and although it was better than the fried, it was not properly seasoned and the shrimp was slightly overdone. For dessert we shared a fried ice cream which was tasty. The Chowder Bar brings back fond memories, but the menu needs a serious makeover before I return. It's an institution that I hope will survive, but as with every business, you need to make changes in order to breath new life into it to ensure its success. I hope the owners are willing to do that! read more

When running or waiting for the boat to Kismet or Saltaire, Chowder Bar is the perfect (and only) place to grab a soup or sandwich. Can't go wrong with the fries, cajun chicken sandwich, Manhattan chowder and fried ice cream. read more

Looking for a seafood place that represents the type of place you once found all over Long Island? There are few left. Just went to Chowder bar yesterday after a trip into Bay Shore ,for a quick bit after reading yelp, including the negative comments. Our Manhattan chowder was one of the best we've had. My husband had chicken pot pie which had a nice crust and full of chicken. I had coconut shrimp which was okay. Key lime pie had a tang just like in Key West. I don't know what folks expect for the prices charged, which is very reasonable. When can you even say prices are reasonable and seafood in the same sentence. Unlike other bars, shacks and rests, here your food in not served on paper plates or styrofoam. Thank you to our waitress for making us feel like family. Next time we'll come hungry and order dinners. read more

Favorite place for locals for fresh seafood and chowder. Absolutely the best clams oreganata anywhere. Delicious fried ice cream and pies. Near the town docks and the ferries, it is an authentic bay side "shack" with friendly service extended even to the "city folks" coming and going from Fire Island. Reasonable prices, and discount coupons available online for birthdays, anniversaries,etc., when you're registered with them. In the summer it can be crowded but worth the wait, and takeout is also available. You will love this place! read more

Can't comment much just wanted everyone to know they are closed for the month of February. I intend on coming back when they open back up :)

We had a quick bite here last night. We each had a Manhattan clam chowder which was very good. The Lobster roll and fish burger were also good. We will be back. read more

Hole in the wall doesn't begin to describe it. The ilfreah catch is really off the boat. Cozy, especially pre and post season. Great place to wait for the ferry or meet up with folks on the mainland after. read more

Great manhattan clam chowder. Good food and service. Reasonable prices

If you just missed the ferry and Nicky's is too far, sure you could go here. But you have been warned. Our experience was bad. Let me take you point by point: 1) The server was a real (you know what goes here) to my friend who brought her very small, unassuming and calm service dog. Demanding to read the letter and then, with such a salty attitude, demanding that the dog be confined the corner and "if she acts up, I'll kick you out of here." So nice to be here. 2) The wine selection is plastic airline-style bottles of Woodbridge. If that doesn't get your date staring deeply into your eyes, you're probably with the wrong one. Don't settle for those high maintenance types. 3) Oysters - warm, too big, terrible "cocktail sauce." We left half of them on the plate. 4) They're called Chowder Bar - my friend ordered the New England and it "wasn't worth the calories." Also left half of it on the table. 5) The lobster rolls and cole slaw were solid, but they are a special, so good luck with that. read more