Two years later since my last visit and this place still is amazing! I got a lobster grilled…read morecheese(market price) and it was delicious, good amount of lobster meat which tasted great! Cheese and bread were good! I asked if they add a tomato soup or something to go alongside it and they said they didn't however they threw in a free side of lobster bisque to dip the grilled cheese in! That lobster bisque was very creamy and paired really well with the sandwich. Afterwards they even threw in a free chocolate ice cream when we finished! That was the S tier customer service and easily gets me to be a repeat customer! Definitely worth checking this spot out. Food(50%): 9.2 Staff/service(25%): 10.0 Value(25%): 8.0 Overall: 9.1/10

Oh how we missed Skippers in Old Saybrook, CT!! We even placed it better than Johnny Ad's, a viable…read morecompetitor. So, since the Old Saybrook location closed, we set our sights on visiting the Niantic location, looking forward to what we missed so much. Sadly, this was one of the worst experiences we have had! Our order consisted of a kid's hot dog platter, an adult hot dog, side of onion rings, 2 small coleslaws and a side of clam strips. Let's begin with the hot dogs...Both the kids and adult hot dogs were the same size in different buns. The adult in a foot long bun and the kids in a regular bun. Again, same size hot dog inside. Moving on to the onion rings...for $7.00, I counted 19 shoestring onion rings. Not a nice pile, but flatly 19 and shoestring ones are incredibly deliciously thin. The kids platter arrived with just the hot dog on it. No fries. When I went back, I was told it did not come with fries. I disagreed and after some time, curly fries were placed next to the hot dog. I asked about regular fries and I was told that they did not carry regular ones. The nice boy behind this all stated that they did and it was corrected. Hot dog was now ice cold. My side of clam strips for $14 consisted of maybe a cup of clams. Sad portion! We ate what we could shaking our heads in disappointment. So sad our expectations were dashed! When we left, it was decided that a short walk (and I mean short because my mother can't balance for long) might be nice in order to forget the fiasco at the restaurant. As soon as we stepped away from the car, we were chased by their parking guard who said that we could no longer park there if we left the car. I explained that we had just spent almost $70 in their establishment and would be taking a short walk. She continued to chase us. We kept walking. Our walk took approximately 7 minutes. Upon our return, the man parked next to us entered his car with 2 bags and coffees from Sift Bakery. Obviously NOT a Skippers customer, yet he was not chased! So, sadly, we will NEVER again be visiting Skippers in Niantic. Johnny Ad's is meh, but this was way worse. I hope that they can fix things so that others can still enjoy eating there.

This was an amazing lobster roll experience. We split a cold roll and a hot roll, which was the…read moreright amount of food for two people. Both were amazing, and we debated over which was better. Some of the best lobster rolls you can find, for sure. We waited ~45 minutes for our food, between the 30 minute line and the 15 minutes after ordering. Worth it, definitely recommended!

Captain Scott's lobster rolls are the best part about New London. I've tried both hot and cold…read morelobster rolls here and I personally think the cold ones are better. The cold lobster rolls have a sweet and tangy mayo flavor and are less fishy compared to the hot buttered rolls. The restaurant is packed in the summertime and service can be quite slow, however, the location is amazing. It's nestled near a boat dock and you get to enjoy beautiful water views as you're chowing down on your lobster roll. Overall, I think Captain Scott's is good and not great because nothing really compares to the lobster rolls in Maine. For Connecticut, it's pretty good for what you get though. The clam strips and onion rings are a nice touch but they're nothing to write home about. However, the ice cream here is pretty good if you have room for dessert!

Fat Tuna was such a great find. It sits right on the water, so the view is gorgeous. The parking…read morelot is big but fills up fast because the place is busy. The staff was super friendly and on top of everything. I came in determined to try the clam fritters after seeing a photo--and wow, totally worth it. They're a special, not on the regular menu, so grab them if you can. A friend and I split the Captain's Salad and the Fisherman's Platter and still had leftovers. Big portions, fresh food, great vibe. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

We've been coming here often since they first opened and have generally always been happy, but…read moresomething has recently changed food wise and the costs have gotten out of control. The service is always great, so kind and quick, no complaints ever. Even with summer hires they are great! The setting is beautiful, nice outside patio, great raw bar seating, and even in the winter the indoors is comfortable and warm. A few months ago our meal was off and seemed poorly made with lesser quality ingredients, but we let it go as we thought maybe it was just a bad night. We came back again this weekend and it was more of not worse of the same. Our staple go to here has always been the crab cakes with Kimchi. I love it so much that I sometimes order 2 of it as my meal, with extra kimchi on the side! We have also tried many other options though, both kinds of lobster rolls, scallops, ravioli, always 2-3 things from the raw bar, and generally get an entree and drink special too. I'm not sure if staffing/decision making in the kitchen changed or they are cutting costs but something is definitely off. The crab cakes are no longer what they were, they have no signs of the large lump crab, and honestly tasted like a frozen version made with imitation crab. Add to that that they raised the price and I am baffled they thought it was ok to serve. The kimchi is no longer actual kimchi but plain raw cabbage chopped and lightly dusted with what could only be the leftover spices from a poor attempt at kimchi mix. The entire thing was so bad we had to send it back. When I asked about what had changed I was met with a firm denial that it was any different than it had ever been. We have eaten them around 15-20 different times and I honestly couldn't believe they were trying to convince me it was the same. The lobster roll was awful, tasted almost day old. If we had done what we wanted we would have sent our entire meals back and just left. On top of all of this, the prices have been consistently raised and yet the food quality has gone way down. I think if it were not for tourists and the location this place would suffer greatly from the changes and cutbacks they have made. Sadly, we will not be returning.

Great food, beautiful views, awesome ambiance. The best of New London if you're there…read more Only negative: requested a window or out door table on our reservation, made 4 days in advance, and did not get it. Angelina was an awesome waitress.

I stopped into this place because it's right next-door to my marina. I absolutely love it. It's…read morereally relaxing, even when it's packed. The fish and chips has become part of my weekly routine. 5/5 would highly recommend

We recently hosted an event here and couldn't be happier with the experience. From the initial…read moreplanning stages to the day of the event, the staff was absolutely fantastic to work with. They were incredibly accommodating, professional, and went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly while staying strictly within our budget. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere provided the perfect backdrop for our gathering. If you are looking for a venue that offers great service, delicious food, and a seamless planning process, I highly recommend them for any event. We will definitely be back!

Came back two years later and I was also able to swing by during their happy hour where they had $1…read moreoysters. It was unfortunately very slow to get the order in. The waitress took about 20 mins to get to our table right before happy hour ended, even though it was not busy at all. The oysters were big and tasted really good! The main dish came out in another 25 mins and it was good, but not as good as I last remembered. Overall the happy hour oysters are a great deal. The mains dishes were a little more overpriced for what you get. Staff and service was unfortunately very slow. Not disappointed with the experience, but expected a little bit more from this place. Food(50%): 7.7 Staff/service(25%): 4.0 Value(25%): 5.0 Overall: 6.1/10

A clean bright dining room serving excellent seafood with a bay view…read more The fried platter was delicious and fresh. The whitefish was the freshest I have ever had. The french fries were very good and plentyful. The cole slaw was excellent. I bought some to take home. They should sell the slaw in larger containers. The only negative was that the clams were not whole belly. They should point that out at the order desk. Whole belly clams are a side order. Please add onion rings to the platter.

Went to Dads for Father's Day...perfection. Second time in a week for the best fish sandwiches…read moreever. I ask for mine without cheese and put their yummy coleslaw on top. Makes for a messy sandwich but well worth the mess! You may need extra tartar sauce if you eat your slaw on the side. Think we may go back again this week!

My wife and I had a great meal at 374 when we spent a day in Niantic. We started with the buffalo…read morewings, which were excellent. Crispy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. My wife ordered the tomato soup, which she also said was very flavorful. I had the hot and cold lobster roll combo and loved the option to try both styles. The lobster was fresh, generously portioned, and delicious! The cocktails were also outstanding and complemented the meal perfectly. The restaurant has a very cute, welcoming vibe and we stopped by between lunch and dinner times, so it was not busy. It was perfect. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Niantic!

I have struggled with whether to write this review because this has become one of our favorite…read morelocal restaurants over the last year. In fact, one of the reasons we kept coming back was because this was one of the very few local restaurants that I believed truly understood celiac disease and took gluten-free dining seriously. However, as someone with celiac disease, I feel a responsibility to share my experience because what I have encountered goes far beyond a one-time mistake. Several months ago, we ordered takeout and I tested three separate items that were represented as gluten-free: tacos, a wedge salad, and a pop tart dessert. Most was already naturally gluten free. All three tested positive for gluten. These tests are not cheap, costing approximately $12 each, so this was not something I did lightly. I contacted the restaurant and spoke directly with the head chef. She was professional, understanding, and seemed genuinely concerned. She thanked me for bringing it to her attention and even mentioned that she planned to order a test herself because she could not understand how those items would contain gluten. Because of that conversation, I chose not to leave a review. I genuinely believed the issue would be investigated and corrected, and I wanted to give the restaurant the opportunity to make things right. Unfortunately, a later visit resulted in a positive gluten test on the smoked fish appetizer. Most recently, I returned again and tested several items. The calamari tested negative, but my gluten-free tacos once again tested positive for gluten. At this point, I have simply been glutened one too many times by a restaurant that I genuinely wanted to trust. What makes this especially difficult is that this restaurant presents itself as understanding celiac disease. I was told that members of the restaurant's family, including a daughter, have celiac disease. Hearing that gave me confidence that gluten-free orders would be taken seriously and that proper precautions would be in place. That is what makes these repeated positive gluten tests so confusing and disappointing. When a restaurant claims to understand celiac disease, I expect more than simply offering gluten-free menu items. I expect systems that actually prevent gluten contamination. After multiple positive gluten tests across multiple visits and after bringing my concerns directly to management months ago, it is difficult for me to reconcile those claims with my actual experiences. During my most recent visit, the waitress was kind and helpful, and I appreciate the way she handled the situation. However, I was told that a manager would come speak with me, and no manager ever did. My tacos were removed because they tested positive for gluten, yet I was still charged for them after deciding to take them home (for my non celiac hubby) rather than have them thrown away. In the end, I received a discount, but only after spending nearly $50 on gluten tests during that visit alone. As I write this, I am sitting here sad, frustrated, and in pain, knowing exactly what the next couple of weeks are likely going to look like for me. People often do not see what happens after someone with celiac disease is exposed to gluten. We do not go into anaphylaxis in the restaurant. We go home and suffer through the consequences alone. The symptoms may not be immediately visible to others, but the physical toll is very real. Every restaurant can make a mistake. My concern is not a single mistake. My concern is a repeated pattern over multiple visits, over several months, after the issue was brought directly to the restaurant's attention. I truly wanted to continue supporting this restaurant. I truly wanted to be able to recommend it to others in the celiac community. Unfortunately, after repeated positive gluten tests, repeated gluten exposures, and no evidence that the underlying problem has been corrected, I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant to anyone with celiac disease or anyone who requires a truly gluten-free meal for medical reasons.

A little hidden gem in Essex but worth the drive. Staff is very welcoming and the wine list is…read moredelightful. Started with the Tuna Nachos which were to die for and for the entree I tried the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich with an order of truffle fries. Everything is amazing and I can't wait to come back again. Unfortunatelyx it's a rainy day but I can absolutely envision a glass of wine on the deck. This place should be on any foodies list.

Fabulous Food, Service, Happy Hour and view of the Marina…read moreLove everything about this restaurant. The menu varies by season! But the staples are the lobster roll and smash burger and fish and chips which are all great! Try the Bong Water Drink with Mezcal or the Campfire bourbon smash! The restaurant is open year round, it is located in the Dauntless shipyard and Marina. Make a reservation in the summer for the deck that looks over the Dauntless and Essex Island Marinas. You'll feel like you are on vacation! The staff and owners and kitchen staff really care! If you have an allergy or other dining request they are great at guiding you!! Their shrimp and grits is Gluten Free! Great place to go when you're going on the Essex Steam Train for Polar express or Thomas the train or leaf peeping or just browsing the shops in Essex! Great for couples, families or groups of friends. Deck is dog friendly!