Went to this place as a recommendation from a friend, very disappointed. Walking into the restaurant is a small room where I would have assumed the hostess would be since there was a hostess table, but nobody was there when we arrived, maybe because it was a bit slow? So we walked in and sat ourselves at the table. A waitress came over about 5 minutes later to greet us and take our drink order. When she returned with our drinks she gave us our menus and gave us a few minutes to review and decide. We got a bowl of Seafood Chowder and a bowl of New England. The New England was scorching and tasted like they bought a bargain brand chowder at the super market and heated it up in a pan when I ordered it. Same story for the chowder which was borderline cold and very lumpy. I can honestly say I have had better bargain brand soup at home for a fraction of the price. We ordered two appetizers for our meal, the fried calamari which wasn't actually too bad but nothing to rave about, and fried clams which again seemed like it was purchased at a supermarket and heated in a microwave before being served to us. While I admit the waitress was incredibly friendly, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. It's possible some of their main courses may have given some different results, but I won't be going back to find out. If you have the time, go to Bigelows. read more

Chowder Bar - Seafood Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

Quite good little seafood restaurant/ bar in Bay Shore down by the ferry dock that serves unpretentious, reasonably priced seafood. Started with crab cakes which were tasty and had nice lumps of crab meat. Ordered the stuffed shrimp which came with string beans and fries. The shrimp was fresh and the stuffing was good as well. Portions were ample as well for the price. Service was attentive and, as mentioned, it's cheaper than most places. Just note it's beer and wine only so no cocktails and the dining room next to the bar is a tad stuffy on a hot day. Try sitting by the bar where the AC seemed to be working. Will be back and recommended. read more

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Easily overlooked, but this place is awesome!! The Long Island Chowder is amazing!! Great service, nice and friendly!!!

Yesterday my friend Pat and her service dog went to have dinner at the Chowder Bar in Bayshore, NY and were treated horribly. There was slso a other Veteran who was blind with a seeing eye dog, They wanted to see the paperwork from both of them. She immediately showed them the paperwork. In my opinion someone who is blind should not have to prove it. The owner was extremely nasty and rude. As she was eating she was told they have to pack up her food and leave. How dare they treat a customer like that. Both my friend Pat and the other man left very upset. I am posting this with the hopes that anyone who sees this will not support this establishment. There are much cleaner and nicer restaurants in the area. read more

Used to be my Bayshore go to! But the fact that they are price gouging during a national emergency is sickening! $9 for a pint of soup $16 for a quart? Sorry but this is the end of the line for me at chowder bar. You support your community when they are down, not take advantage. #getoutofbayshore read more

I arrived at this place because my friend was craving crab cakes. She got her crabcake burger and loved it. I myself ordered the fishwich which was a grilled cheese with fish between and was very good. The crunchiness was amazing and the gooey cheese hit the spot. However the seafood bisque was delicious! My friend and I shared a bowl since it was our first time trying it, but we both wished we got our own. I'm usually not a chowder bisque fan but this had both the creaminess and the chunky meat pieces. I would go back just for a bowl of the bisque! Also the staff was super sweet and friendly. Both the girl that seated us and our waitress were invested in us having a great meal and were so nice. read more

Chowder Bar - Perfect texture and delicious! Full of flavor! - Seafood Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

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Such a quaint little place to eat at before catching the ferry! The food was delicious. Started with the clam chowder and then stuffed shrimp. FYI, the Long Island clam chowder is the manhattan and New England mixed together. Will definitely be returning back. read more

Chowder Bar - Stuffed shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

Having missed a Tuesday 5:30pm ferry to Fair Harbor on Sept. 1st, I popped into the Chowder Bar for some chowder before a 7:20pm ferry. It was not crowded because Suffolk County public schools just started and it was a few days before Labor Day weekend. The chowders here are delicious! I tried a cup of Long Island Chowder (which is a 50/50 blend of New England and Manhattan Chowder). It was a yummy appetizer. The mahi-mahi special, however, was bland in comparison to the chowder. However, I'll probably try their fried fish and chips next time. Overall, this cozy, informal spot is worth visiting if you're traveling alone or in a small group and have at least 60-90 minutes to spare before the next ferry. read more

Placed my order and it's was ready by the time I got there. Food was fresh and had good flavor. I will be back..

Not bad for a off the strip spot service wasn't all that but the food definitely is. This is my second time to the chowder bar and each time i enjoyed my meal 1st time i had just some fried calamari and today i had the cajun catfish i recommend that you try both. The food is not pricey at all especially for seafood. Will be returning to try some more menu items read more

Chowder Bar - Cajun catfish with fries and vegetables - Seafood Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

Last night I drove out to Long Island to visit with my cousin Linda. It was both a stressful day because of the city driving and a blessed day to catch up with my cousin and her family. The day was capped with a wonderful meal at the Chowder Bar. The place is small and funky - nothing fancy at all. Before we got there, Linda described it as nothing more than a hole in the wall kind of place that the locals all love. We got there rather late on a Sunday evening and the place was still full to near capacity. We got our table for 6 and added our loud conversations to the humm of the ambiance, and we felt right at home. Had to have the Chowder, right? I figured they had a lot to compete with, since we just spent a month in New England, including 2 weeks on the Maine Coast. Well, they stepped up and delivered. The New England Clam Chowder (only one of about a half dozen seafood oriented soups on the menu) was full of fresh clams and potatoes. The big difference between what we had here and in Maine is that the broth was not as thick as most places served in Maine. However, this in no way takes away from this wonderfully flavored fresh New England Clam Chowder - the place lives up to its name! I stuck with the clam theme for the evening and had the Fried Clam Boat. Coleslaw was good - not memorable, but good and I enjoyed it with my meal. The Boat came with fries and I asked for mine to be extra crispy. Many times when I do, their served way overdone. These thick cut fries were served to perfection. Then there were the clams themselves- I have never had WHOLE CLAMS served to me, as fried clams, before. These things were HUGE! So big, I had to cut each one at least twice before I could eat one. This meal is officially in my book as THE BEST FRIED CLAMS EVER. Everyone else's meals were good too and other than Linda's Linguini with White Clam Sauce, we all finished everything- the Linguini was just a massive serving that probably would still of had leftovers, had 2 shared the dish. All I know, is I wish I had some of that in my fridge this morning (this was my 2nd choice on the menu where everything looked great). Service was above average and the place is clean. During "the season" parking may be an issue (paid and overcrowded I am told) but I parked right outside the front door If you find yourself on the South Shore of Long Island and want to eat Great Seafood like a local...then this is your place. THANKS LINDA AND WADE read more

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Dropped by randomly for a seafood craving and it was such a great find! The food was delicious and reasonably priced. It's right around the corner from the ferries so it is very convenient. We tried the Manhattan clam chowder, the England clam chowder , and crab cakes for appetizers. The crab cake dish came with 3 little cakes and they were ok but the chowders were delicious !! We had The fish and chips and the combination boat. The combo boat was so good and it was a pretty decent portion of food. The fish and chips were good too. There is only one small bathroom so if it gets packed , I'm sure you'll be waiting awhile. The setting is casual and the paintings on the dining room wall are cool with the marine animals and mermaids :) The staff can be a little more friendly, and at least give a smile. The young lady who was picking up our plates looked as if she hated her life and our waitress seemed a bit annoyed with some of our questions about the menu. The food 5 The service 3 Definitely a place to check out :) especially after a day out on fire island ! read more

Excellent find great Chowder and really good Sandwiches . Stumble on to this place a cold winter night just before they closed for the Month and we were two of 6 people there and the people were friendly and service was great! Really great all around ! read more

We were at Freeport last night w loud music & lots of crowd so tonight, we Came to dine at a small local much modest spot near the fire island ferries w less crowd on a Mon. night. place is quaint. The dozen raw clams app were fresh & so flavorful, didn't really need any condiments to cover the taste of the sea! Cold beer went down smoothly! Off to a great start. Coconut shrimp was ok. Soups were ok. The 2 older waitresses here are very friendly! We had the restaurant to ourselves and even viewed the strawberry moon tonight. Then the entrees came to the table, broiled seafood combo. looked more steamed as I nibbled on a couple of the overcooked baby scallops, I wasn't impressed... Then, I found a long piece of dark long hair in my fish. Yes, Cooked in between the stuffed filet, tried to pull to make sure it was an actual hair & yes, confirmed hair that looked like the length of one of the young waitress. Ughhhhh, so disappointed. When I advised the kind waitress she was very apologetic & took it off my check. I ate the baked potato for dinner. So sad bc I'm desperate to find a go to seafood spot but so far with no luck! Sorry to say but I will be heading to the lake house which is situated right next door. I really wanted to love this place and to support the small business! read more

Chowder Bar - Raw clams were Fresh and flavorful! I might just come back for this!! - Seafood Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

OMG! We just devoured the seafood chowder, LI chowder, fresh flounder and shrimp scampi. Just we we didn't know we needed today! You guys ROCK! read more

Great under-the-radar place. Cold beer ... great seafood ... good prices ... great service. You cant ask for more!

I'm giving this place 4 stars cause I really want to like it. Probably more of a 3.25 star to be truthful, but we're rounding (way) up just based on character and location. Place is conveniently located just across the street from the parking lots for the Fire Island ferry. Small seafood shack, which I'm a total sucker for. Lots of dark wood with tons of character and a few local characters who seemed like regulars. No HH specials which was kind of a bummer, but ordered myself a $5 Narragansett to make up for it. They're known for their soup so went for a Seafood bisque and my dining companion had the Manhattan Clam Chowder. Both were solid, although 1) not sure they lived up to the reputation and 2) while my soup had creamy goodness it was lacking in the seafood portion of the 'seafood' bisque. Still, not a bad value for $4.95 a bowl. Also ordered the stuffed clams and steamers from the specials board. Stuffed clams had a ton of breading and not much clam. Disappointing. The steamers were fine. At $15, felt like they were a couple of bucks too much. Somehow this stood out even more given how cheap the rest of the menu was. Would I go out of my way to come back here? No. Are there way better seafood shacks in Cape Cod and throughout New England. Absolutely. Is it fine to satisfy that seafood itch after coming off the ferry from Fire Island. Yes. Yes it is. read more

I recently had dinner with my wife at the Chowder Bar I ordered the special (jambalaya) had to be the worst I have ever had. My wife had the scallop boat which we have had before. The scallops tasted like old oil and I guess they were frozen. Save yourself from a bad food experience and go somewhere else read more

Stopped here before hitting the ferry . Prices were ok the oysters and clams (raw) were super fresh and clean . The calamari was just ok and their coconut shrimp was ok too but the sauce that came with it was super good . Nothing super special but everything was ok . Would come back . read more

The Chowder Bar is an eatery at the end of Maple Avenue in Bay Shore. I've been going there for around 40 years, well before the current owners took over. It's a place that I used to like and a place I used to frequent. A few years ago, after returning my under cooked order 3 times, I stopped going there. This January, I thought that since so much time had passed since that terrible meal, I wanted to forget about the old incident and give the place another try. Unfortunately, things didn't go well this time either. During this visit, I ordered a crab cake sandwich. Instead of receiving that, I was served someone else's grilled cheese sandwich. Five minutes later, the waitress reappeared and took the grilled cheese back and a few moments later, came back with another parties fried fish sandwich, put it in front of me and then hurried away without listening to what I was trying say. When she eventually came back I was finally able to let her know that this sandwich was not what I ordered either, so she took it back to the kitchen and, on her 3rd attempt managed to return with the proper crab cake sandwich. It was a good sandwich too - 3 half dollar sized crab cakes, served on a bun with lettuce, tomato and some excellent thick cut fries. I was pleased with the meal. When we were finished, the waitress came with the check and then disappeared. As the minutes ticked away, so did my patience and we became progressively more annoyed waiting for our bonehead server to return so eventually we got up, put on our coats, walked over to her in the other room and finally gained her full attention by blocking her path until she took our credit card and processed our transaction. I guess 33 years in business is still not enough time for the present owners to learn how to properly staff their restaurant. Oh yes, one other thing; the place was freezing. read more

Stumbled upon Chowder Bar after returning to Bayshore from Fire Island. I was with 2 of my friends and we each got a different clam chowder; 1 New England, 1 Manhattan, and 1 Long Island. We all loved our chowder, which was evidenced by how quickly we devoured them. We then split a bowl of jambalaya, which was perfect. You can order it mild, medium or hot, and we opted for medium. I tend to like my food extra spicy, and asked for hot sauce on the side. The jambalaya was so perfectly seasoned that I didn't have to add any hot sauce (which is high praise coming from someone who puts hot sauce on everything). It also came with hot, crusty bread to dip in the sauce. Honestly, I could have just drank the sauce like soup, it was that good. We finished the meal with a slice of Key Lime Pie. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of key lime pie, but even that was delicious and very lime-y. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but from beginning to end the food was perfect. Our waitress Denise was so friendly and accommodating. I wish it was closer, because I'd definitely be back regularly. read more

Ordered the clam chowder online hoping for a real clam experience. Was I disappointed! Compared to Legal seafood clam chowder it doesn't come close. It's very soupy which means light on the clams and potatoes. The flavor is good...for a clam soup...but lacking as far as a chowder goes. Having lived on the Jersey shore, I'm used to thick, hearty chowder full of clams. This ain't it...sorry. read more

This place is absolutely incredible every single time I go! The people are amazing and the food is just to die for. The specials are always worth it but the chowder is truly held up to the name of "best on Long Island." I've had anything from the parmesan crusted fish to the "fishwich" and the fries ice cream. If you save room for dessert you MUST try the fried ice cream. Lynda is one of the owners and always makes my family and I feel warm and welcome. Great spot to eat any time of year! Right across from the ferry's to fire island so it's nice to come here for dinner on the way home each time :) read more

Ugh worst place ever. The food was slop on a plate. I wouldn't even feed this to the rats. The shrimp was old rubber the tails were burnt. Do not get the combo the scallops are frozen baby scallops. A frozen baked potato. Some zucchini tossed with butter that tasted like I can't believe it's not butter. No seasoning horrible horrible horrible. Overpriced GARBAGE. I want to cry it was so bad. Please don't go. Everything was drenched in water. I want to cry. Expensive SHIT. McDonald's filet of fish looks like a 5 star restaurant compared to this DIRTY DUMP. read more

Went here on a Saturday night just looking for a light meal with my husband. We snagged a great spot in front. Inside was quiet empty. Walked in and was told to seat myself. Was given menus. Ordered calamari, seafood bisque, shrimp cocktail and my husband got a tuna sandwich. We figured we can share it all. First up, seafood bisque. Taste was ok, soup was way to thick. Needed more flavor, next up calamari, the batter was too thick and very chewy. Needed salt and pepper. We didn't finish. Shrimp cocktail was tasty but the cocktail sauce was watery. My husband liked his tuna sandwich although the wheat bread was super toasted. Would we be back? Probably not but it looks like they have regulars and will do just fine. read more

The Chowder House is like seafood with jazz hands. YUM! I have heard it is impolite to say "yum' while you are eating, but "yum". We are seafood lovers through and through, and this year we ordered our Thanksgiving meal from The Chowder Bar. We ordered the Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp, stuffed with bountiful seafood stuffing. The shrimp were baked to perfection with a buttery sauce. The rice was light and fluffed with seasonings. The green bean salad was another nice compliment to the dish. We also ordered the Seafood Chowder. The seafood chowder is out-of-this-world delicious. The Seafood Chowder is a pinkish mix of half-New England white and half-Manhattan red... chowder blasphemy? No, it is Long Island Clam Chowder. How is it? Drumroll please ...it's delicious. The seafood chowder is sorcerer's brew of New England and Manhattan chowders mixed to form an oceanic cream of tomato. Can you imagine carrots and potatoes joining chopped clams, bay scallops and other chunks of hearty seafood caught fresh from the Great South Bay reuniting after separation in bowl? The flavors in seafood chowder are delicious. Everyone went back for seconds, and the buzz around the Thanksgiving table this year were 'sounds of munching'. The Chowder Bar has us 'hooked'. We will make our Thanksgiving dinner a tradition with The Chowder Bar - it is that good. This is no happenstance, The Chowder Bar serves love in a bowl and on a plate. The food here is made with love. read more

Fresh fabulous food at a great price. Treat yourself! Seafood bisque, shrimp salad, tilapia and more... You can't go wrong. One you nibble, you'll be hooked, with a smile on your face. read more

Allow me to preface by saying I did not spend much time here. As a matter of fact, it was a stop-gap for me, from the outside it doesn't seem like much. A shack, even. I was looking for a place with my girlfriend to eat on the order and google took us here which was not on the water so we had no intention of staying. Nature was calling my lady and so we decided to walk in, order something light and head to a place on the water. It was the chowder bar so I opted to try a cup of chowder and let the server know we'd get the check right after. First of all, the server was extremely friendly, second of all, the menu had many inexpensive options, and lastly and most importantly, the New England clam chowder was the best I've ever had. Though we didn't stay for a full meal because we were looking for a spot on the water, the quality of that chowder alone made the entry well worth it. If you have a need for NECC, look no further. read more

Let me start by saying - this isn't based on service or the decor or anything. Straight up- the food sucks. The New England clam chowder was thin and had no clam (??) and the fried seafood boat (mixed) looked and tasted burnt. The crab cakes had a decent flavor but the $16.95 lobster roll was disastrous, mostly mayonnaise with small bits of what seems like the fake lobster in California rolls at truck stops. I have NO IDEA why everyone gave it so many stars. My mind is boggled. Honestly, if you've ever had great seafood or even delicious cape cod seafood - this place will leave you seriously disappointed. Side note - decor is cheap looking. And the place needs a whole re-do. Bottom line - not worth the $ on gas to get here or the time wasted. Not cool. read more

Place has character, and some great food!! Came in off a boat and got Long Island chowder and a fishwich both were soo good!! Came off the boat the next day and couldn't pass it up! Got chowder, calamari, club all were great! Definitely will recommend and will come back if I'm in town!! read more

Overpriced and certainly not very good. Starting with the soups - a very average New England clam chowder, and a flat out bad seafood bisque (remember when you couldn't go wrong with a seafood or clam soup out on LI?). Fake crab meat permeated the 'seafood bisque', which really just tasted like flour with some salty water and imitation crab meat in it. The clam chowder could've come straight out of a Chunky can. The appetizer might've been the best part of the meal, but that isn't saying much. Coconut shrimp, which also could've been straight out of the packet at Costco and into the deep fryer. For entrees, if you're going to do one thing - it's skip the broiled seafood entree. Rubbery bay shrimp, a piece of barely cooked flounder (which was clearly frozen, not fresh) on top of a stuffing that came right out of a box of Stove Top. In fact, it's possible that everything is made on premises, in as much as they can find boxes of Stove Top and soup mix to 'make on premises'. The rest of the crew got entrees that weren't much better. The best was the linguini with white clam sauce. Not great, but not bad. Same went for the shrimp scampi, not enough shrimp and certainly not enough garlic for scampi. There were two burgers ordered, and I'd say it's a safe bet for anyone who has to eat here. They were cooked per instruction and very tasty. Desert? By that point we had had enough, but we went with one warm brownie sundae (the brownie? you guessed it, Betty Crocker to the rescue). Topped with two scoops of ice cream and some hershey's syrup. The brownie was actually a detriment, simple ice cream and syrup would've been better (evident in the fact that the brownie was left behind). The peanut butter pie? I can't place the mix, but that's probably because I've never bought it, and I'm lucky to say so. I love PB, but this was bad. The bill ran in at around $140 with a good tip, and this meal was nowhere worth it. I'll assume the reviews on this place are either by visitors with less than discriminating palates, or are somehow related to the owner. One thing I noticed in hindsight is that a lot of reviewers ate the sandwiches, so maybe it was our fault for going with entrees instead. How anyone had anything good to say about the soups is beyond me though. read more

This is the place to go if you're looking for a quick, relatively cheap, meal that has the word barge in its name. Its also the place to go if, like me, you want a quiet meal in a cozy, unpretentious restaurant that sort of looks like it could be your grandma's basement (in a good way) if it weren't for the kitchen behind the bar. Service was also awesome - we had a genuinely nice waitress who seemed to know several people by name. I love this place and will absolutely be coming back here again and again. read more

We go here on a regular basis. We love all of the chowders, Manhattan, New England and the Lobster Bisque. Always try one of the specials, as these are always fresh and usually a good choice. If you are in the mode for fried, try the fishwich. read more

Overall solid fresh / seafood joint. Hits the spot every time - ra ra ra consistency! This place gets very crowded from late March to Mid-October...especially when the hungry and/or "disoriented" people get of the ferry. And for a good reason! - this place is awesome. I've come here at least 10 times and the food is good (not 5 star people), the place is divey/old but homey, and the people are almost always local or chill. The waiters seemed to be severely understaffed so be prepared to be patient and to make your order full the first time. Try the oysters on the half shell ($8.50 for 6), pint of clam chowder ($6.50), or burger... Homey seaside food. You won't leave hungry either - make sure you grab a soup-to-go...the chili is most banging. read more

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Amazing New England Clam Chowder on Long Island? Skeptics take heed: it happens. It happens every day at Chowder Bar. Chowder Bar is unpretentious, unassuming, and unbelievably good at living up to their namesake. read more

After hours of back and fourth discussion with two of my best girl friends about where to eat dinner with our bfs we finally decided on Chowder Bar. I was really in the mood for seafood and was excited to try some place knew. I tried the French Onion Soup and the New England Clam Chowder. The French Onion was definitely good but that New England Clam Chowder was the best soup I've ever had and I don't normal like NEC. I was even more excited with they served swordfish which I feel is hard to find in many local restaurants and it was delicious! I have been dreaming about going back to this place since we left. Tonight I will be taking my roommate from college there to celebrate her new engagement! Let's hope it is just as wonderful as I remember it! An updated review to come... read more

The best place for fried clams. Had a fried clam sandwich, they were so amazing, juicy and tasty. Whole belly of the clam. Mussels were clean, fresh, delish, no sand either. And, the NewEngland clam chowder was spot on. We have eaten there before, but I never left a review, we will always be back! read more

The soups were uniformly delicious. We had the Manhattan clam chowder, long island chowder (a combination of Manhattan and New England clam chowder) and clam bisque. There were large pieces of clans in the soup. The chowder bar really know how to fry fish. The fish-wich and crab cakes were very tasty, but the Mahi Mahi reuben was by far more decadent. The sandwiches were heavy with cheese and sauce. We had a good time and the food and servicer were great read more

This restaurant is located in a small town, close to fire island. We actually planned to visit another famous restaurant on fire island, which requires us to take a ferry, we were so lost on the island that we finally gave up but gave this one a try, and it turned out to be such a pleasant experience. Fresh seafood here is the highlight, most of us like the fried seafood, I saw a lot of ppl ordered the 'seafood boat' - a platter of combination of seafood. Other than that, the salmon, spaghetti, honey flavor crusted almond pan seared fillet was great, the crispy chicken tender strip was tasty too, we also tried the home made deep fried ice cream, crispy crusty outside, surprisingly wonderful flavor. In general, the restaurant made us feel relaxed, thou there was no beach in front of us, however, the breeze, the beam of sunlight through the window from the top light us up and made the day! It's a lot of food in plate, service was great and fast, it's a 3-minute ice cream:) the owner is so friendly, and helpful too. Love this cozy restaurant, wanna go back! read more

Excellent and delicious seafood! Love Linda and all the personnel at Chowder Bar! We go there at least twice a month! Can't beat the baked clams, Mahatten chowder, the shrimp and the bay scallops! Highly recommended! read more