Excellent food excellent service. Would definitely come back but I didn't appreciate the two women at the end of the service counter, not the girls taking orders, talking politics real loud and really saying some nasty things. I'm not sure who owns this place - maybe one of them do. But it's not a good business practice. read more

Lena's?...yeah....it's alright. We needed to bust out of the CV19 quarantine and took the scenic route to Salisbury for roadside New England clam shack food. Lena's has the perfect squat building and outdated decor that you would expect but the food was...ok. Not bad, not good. The clam chowder was fine, homestyle watery with too much butter. Skip that unless you want to worry about where the next public bathroom is. Fries were good, but how hard is it to make good fries? Onion rings were good, but needed salt and were wet with oil from the deep fryer. Lobster roll was good, but tiny. Too much paprika and not enough lobster for the price. Clams were very good, fresh taste, cooked perfectly, crumb not batter as God intended. Staff was super friendly and managed the pace of CV19 limitations very well. As of today there were ZERO provisions for outside dining, so be prepared to take your food and go, or sit in the overgrown grassy areas. Fried food doesn't travel well so you're chewing in the car for the best taste. In a nutshell, bite the bullet and pay clam shack prices for perfect clams. Everything else and you're getting further and further away from good. Would I make another road trip just to eat at Lena's? Nah, but if I were in the area and wanted local clams cooked perfectly I would grab a box, but that's probably it. read more

Lena's is another landmark I often visited with my family while growing up. The tradition lives on as I still visit Lena's on occasion with my parents for old times sake. The building is a very no frills, casual, seafood shack, but do not let this deter you from dining here. Lena's is also missing a scenic view as it is not located close to the water, but instead is conveniently situated inland close to Route 95 and away from the beach crowds. The restaurant is cozy with a somewhat tacky, yet charming nautical theme. My favorite part of the decor are the whale shaped paper towel holders on the tables. Casual dining at its best. You must order the onion rings! They are coated in a thick, but not too thick golden batter and fried to perfect crispness. A little bit greasy, but in a good way. Not diet friendly, but everything is okay in moderation right? You may opt for the famous onion rings in place of fries as a side, but most of the seafood plates come with a few rings in addition to fries. I had the haddock plate on my visit last weekend with a side of chowder. I love the batter they use on their fried food as it is very light and tastes somewhat unique in comparison to most. The fish chowder was good, but I wish it had more fish and less potatoes. Orders are placed at the counter upon entering. The women behind the counter are friendly and have been the same faces greeting us for many years (family owned). Once your order is placed, the menu pad paper is clipped by clothespin to a rope and pulley contraption and your seafood request is whisked off to the kitchen. Next you find a seat and wait for your number to be called. There are several booths located in both the front and rear dining rooms and also out on the enclosed porch. If you prefer to dine outside there are picnic tables located on the side of the building. They even have a drive thru if you need your fried clams to go! read more

Lena's Seafood - Paper towel rolls on the table - casual but cute. - Seafood Near Me - Salisbury, Massachusetts

Stopped by after reading all the yelp reviews with a party of 9. We ordered the clam chowder, scallop, shrimp sandwich, fish and clam plates, lobster roll, and grill cheese for the kids. The food overall was very fresh. I enjoyed the clam chowder - it is more liquid than the thick consistency, could always use more clam even though there were pieces of actual clams in it. The clam plate was great. Others enjoyed their food - their one concern was that everything was fried and they did not know that even for the sandwiches. The shrimp sandwich consisted of fried shrimps on a roll. They did forget 1 of our items but was able to bring it to us. It is a no frill place that was packed on a sunday morning (mother's day). The service was good, not overpriced. There were kid friendly items (grill cheese for the other kids in our group). Plenty of parking and near major highway. read more

Really wasn't that great the portions are rather small but it was also very expensive for those portions would not go again as there's so many other better places read more

Normally I would give them 5 stars, but after last nights experience my family and I are extremely disappointed. And might I add, I hardly ever use Yelp or write reviews... We ordered over the phone a larger order, my family is in town. 5 plates and two lobster rolls. Probably no surprise the order came out to $170. I had the woman read it back to me over the phone. We get to Lenas early knowing they will be busy and knowing we wanted to double check our order since the last time they forgot a couple things. No big deal, wouldn't happen again, I'm sure?... We get there and there's probably 12 cars ahead of us, and since we didn't pay over the phone we had to wait in line at the drive through. No problem. We waited maybe 20 minutes and finally got to the window, got our order, and before taking off I told the woman I wanted to check everything because the last time we ordered they did forget a couple of things. She insisted to me it was all there, and proceeded to get her receipt and started reading it back to me. I figured she was positive, and maybe the one who packed it, and was just super busy and wanted us to hurry along. So we took about 2-3 minutes going over the order as she read it back to me and I checked it off our list (not going through each bag). We thank her and leave, drive 15 minutes home fast because who wants cold fried seafood? Get home, the family starts opening the bags and come to find out both lobster rolls were missing, the most expensive part of the meal!!? This isn't just a McDonald drive through, people are willing to pay a pretty penny for good seafood, but come on?!? They should be triple checking their orders!!!! Not sure if we'll be back again, and if we do, sorry but were holding up the line to check each and every bag. Everyone else should too! read more

Best fried scallops on the planet. Awesome crispy french fries. Refillable soft drinks. A/C and inside seating. SUPER fun and friendly staff. Lightning-fast service. Fair prices. And, really, I could have stopped at "best fried scallops on the planet." My only wish is for a larger serving of cole slaw. The cole slaw is amazing, but I run out of slaw before I run out of scallops and fries, and that messes with my "equal portions" OCD. :-) read more

They use Grubhub and should not, three orders, each delayed almost two hours from original estimate, the first two orders, I waited two hours only to have order cancelled by Lena's. And when the driver gets there apparently THEN THEY PUT THE ORDER IN! So a delivery order waits for a driver that is two hours late getting there and then they put in the order behind anyone else who came in before the two hours! Horrible delivery service!!! This is mostly Grubhub's fault but Lena is not managing deliveries right either. Never going to Lena's again until they get different delivery service and improve their process. What a Joke! read more

Omg amazing!!! We went for lunch here bc we heard of how amazing the onion rings were. We ordered. Fried clams, scallops, lobster rolls and onion rings. THE BEST onion rings I have ever had. I'm not sure how they make their batter but they were out of this world. The lobster roll was packed full of claw meat. Fried clams had a sweet texture with a light batter. Highly recommend read more

Decided to treat myself today for lunch. I got the Fried Clams Half Plate with Onion Rings. You also get a small cup of Cole Slaw with it. Plus a small drink. Total came to $18.40 It was delicious. read more

Lena's Seafood - Fried Clam Half Plate with Onion Rings - Seafood Near Me - Salisbury, Massachusetts

This is a town landmark. Literally the best onion rings you will ever have. Seafood is good too.

Delicious, fast, casual, and on the way home from the beach! Our family spot for sure! Don't come here with ANY pretense. Serve your self and enjoy! read more

Lena's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salisbury, Massachusetts

this is a seafood place open in the winter. their sprats are worth trying once, or better, have someone else let you try them. Not many places have them on the menu. "Learn why!" they have prices on their lobster and don't go with MP on everything, which I admire. Or, they update their prices with chalk. I hope to go back. not a great view, but good, interesting, good value food. read more

Tasty fried seafood dishes served in this comfy nautical themed establishment. Fish chowder was milky without being fatty! Fried fish, clams, and scallops coated with a light batter and properly fried. Eat in, take out, or drive through to enjoy Lena's fare! Order your meal, pour your drink, then choose an inside or outside table. Enjoy your beverage while waiting for your order number to be called! Dining areas AND bathroom neat and clean. Don't let the humble exterior deter you from a yummy seafood dinner!! read more

Lena's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salisbury, Massachusetts

Ordered takeout here and it was very quick (about 15 minutes on a Friday night--Score!) I ordered the lobster roll and it was fine. Nothing over the top about it- fit in a regular size hotdog bun. I tried the scallops which were tasty and the clam strips were a little over cooked. The best part about our meals were the onion rings. Delicious and perfectly cooked! I would give it another try if I was in the area! read more

Cute clean place with very nice polite staff. Plenty of shaded area to eat. Prices good for the portions. Clams and scallops average taste. Scallops are small and had some grit taste like sand. Batter no flavor. Definitely not a fresh seafood taste. Will not be back to try other menu options. read more

Let me start off by telling all the previous reviewers how sorry I am for them. To grow up in life believing this is "real seafood" or a "real treat" one reviewr states " best scallops on the planet". This truly the saddest thing I can think of since I was told Santa wasn't real. Now, to the food. We ordered 1 combo fried haddock/sea scallop plate, 1 baby shrimp plate, 1 clam strip plate, and a chicken tender plate. The sea scallops were all halved, over breaded and over cooked. The haddock seemed a lot more like cod to me. The pieces were small, not whole filets and again, over cooked. You have to work pretty hard to dry out scallops and fish, but they succeded. The clam strips were tiny and rubbery . The shrimps were ok. The chicken tenders were ok but the breading they use lacks any trace of flavor. Their tartar sauce SUCKED! How do you screw up tartar sauce? The fries were standard fries. Not to greasy but underwhelming. I guess the highlite was the onion rings, however not the same batter used for the seafood as claimed by various reviewers. Also the seafood is breaded, not a batter as stated by various reviewers. Price point was ok considering its close to the beach, but the quality was terrible. Even if i lived within walking distance and the meal was free I wouldn't return. Id rather drive an hour to SS Lobster in Fitchburg where seafood is done right whole scallops lightly breaded with juices flowing when you cut into them. Whole haddock filets, tender, moist and succulent. In closing I will say I feel sorry for the locals. We frequent the area and the food is always a disappointment wherever we go. Must be tge tourist trap syndrome. Head out to central Ma. Where seafood is good, breakfast is spot on, and burgers are thick n juicy. read more

Whenever I meet an out of towner looking for good fried clams, I recommend Lena's. Lena's is a perfect example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, lol. It looks a bit shabby and dated from the outside - and maybe even a little from the inside - but the food is always fresh and consistently good. Also, the prices are competitive without being outrageous. What's good: - The clam chowder. It's thick and has real clams in it. It's not a bowl of milk and potatoes like you'll get at some places lol. And they serve it with Westminster oyster crackers, which are (imo) the only acceptable chowder cracker :) - The fried clams. Firstly, do yourself a favor and order whole clams. There's a reason why clam strips are cheaper - they're missing half the clam! If you're at Lena's, you'll be getting nice, small bellied local clams freshly fried without too much batter. - What's less than stellar: I'm a French fry addict. I love them, especially when they're freshly cut and freshly fried. Lena's fries are just OK. I'm pretty sure they're frozen and, even though they're served fresh from the fryer, they're nothing to write home about. What you might find disappointing: - The onion rings. Personally, I like freshly battered, "stringy" onion rings. Lena's serves big thick beer-battered style rings. They're huge and every dinner plate is served with 2 of them. Yes, two. You should know about this in advance so you're not disappointed when your food arrives. Please don't take it out on the cashier! They didn't make up the 2-ring rule. If you're a fan of thick onion rings, order a side of them. What else: - Lena's offers all kinds of seafood and not just fried. They have non seafood options also, as well as fun stuff like fried dough and soft serve ice cream. - Lena's is ultra casual. It's an "order at the counter and wait for your number to be called" kind of place. If you want table service, you'll want to go somewhere else. - It's conveniently located right off route 95 and has plenty of parking. read more

Utterly disappointing and expensive. I got a scallop plate for 16 clams and change and I'm near positive these were skate wing cuttings...they were just too damn small to believably pose as scallops. The slaw was ok, as was the tarter sauce. To pay at least one compliment it is obvious they know how to treat a fryolator. The onion rings sucked and the fries were so so but that oil was fresh and everything was cooked right. My dining companion had a clam chowder that looked like broth with a thin bit o' cream and some clam strips floating about. Pathetic. The cheeseburgers looked greasy and wonderful but this is a clam fry shack in New England for Pete's sake...show a little self respect. read more

Lena's is a typical North Shore clam shack. It's a place to go if you are interested in battered and fried seafood. Be aware that there is no table service, you order at a counter and pick up your tray when they call your number. There's a roll of paper towels on the table, and you assemble your own plastic tableware and placemats and pump your own condiments. The prices are a little better than some other nearby places in Ipswitch etc...The drinks are self-service with unlimited refills. There's unsweetened tea and the chocolate frappe is excellent. We had the smelts (battered and fried) which were a nice change of pace, they tasted very fresh. The onion rings are also battered and fried, they are a little greasy but I appreciate the batter is not too thick so you can taste the onion. The fries are excellent, just the right thickness, not overdone, not greasy. The salad is a small bowl of iceburg with tasteless tomatoes (in August the tomatoes should be fantastic!) and onions, Ken's dressing in a packet on the side. The clams are battered and fried too of course! I like fried clams, happily these taste like all the other clams on the North Shore (I can never tell the difference) while also being a little less expensive. There is no boiled lobster on the menu. They serve a lobster roll, which is very ho-hum, in a soup of mayo and covered with something that appears to be beautiful red paprika but lacks any paprika flavor whatsoever. Maybe they need a fresh jar of paprika, or a different brand? They also serve an unfortunate plate of lobster meat in chunks battered and fried. DH felt this dish was a crime against the lobster. I believe this cooking method is one of the few ways of really screwing up lobster; it blurs and obscures the rich taste. The counter service is very friendly and the atmosphere is homey almost to the point of being anti-atmosphere! I would return if I were in the area and hankering for fried seafood but would not go out of my way for it. read more

To Rebecca O..., the 'First to Review' what a small world! FUNNY, Amesbury is my hometown and i just moved back to New England from OCALA! (See my review of Lena's Ocala)! funny world, huh? I used to meet a lot of OLD (and i mean OLD) retired Amesbury/NBPT/SALIS folks down at the Ocala location.....anyway, just thought it was funny u were from Ocala, living the opposite of me! LOL I'm just glad I have occasion to go back to Amesbury on occasion, so i can hit Lena's again, I'm gonna miss the girls in FL! ~~~~~~~~ To everyone else, this is a wonderful place, has been opened since the grandmother of the current family started it back in 1958 (Rest Lena's' soul!) The same family owns both locations (grandson owns Salisbury, the 3 granddaughters own the FL location)....The food is consistently yummy and delicious at both! I've been coming to the Amesbury location since I was a kid, with my grandparents (rest their souls!). When i wias living in New England exile in FL, i cannot tell you HOW excited I was to find out Lena's had a location down there (see my review), but again, I am so glad I am now only a couple hours away from Lena's Salisbury...I WILL make the trek a couple of times this year for sure! ENJOY! and Tell Herman, Missy said hi! :o) *** ps. the FL location JUST started accepting credit cards in April 08. You may want to check with Salisbury before you try them there...They may still be cash only! *** read more

I had long been curious about Lena's, which is just off route 286 on the way to the beaches. Circling back now to read the reviews after my visit, I'm a little surprised by how glowing they are. I don't see Lena's as being in the same caliber as many of the other seafood shacks in the area. Anyways, here's some of my notes I wrote up shortly after visiting Lena's... Lena's Seafood has lot's of pluses, and one big minus. Pluses: 1) Friendly service. 2) Large portions - The portions at Lena's are noticeably larger than most of the seafood shacks I've been too. My order of Scallops and Clam strips came heaping out of the containers. (but read on regarding them...). 3) Free refills on drinks. 4) Clean - There were no signs of dirty tables, drink and condiment area were well organized and spotless. 5) Ice Cream - If you're still hungry after dinner, they have a small selection of ice cream that seemed reasonably priced. No need to cross the road, where I'm sure it would cost more. 6) Old school - Orders go into the kitchen via a wire line that hangs above the register. The kids loved watching that. Minuses: 1) Too much breading, not enough seafood - While my serving contained lots of scallops, there was very little taste to them. The scallops were small (consistent with the size of a bay scallop), and the breading was thick. It was almost to the point that I could not identify what I was eating, there was very little flavor from the scallop itself. The same could said of the clam strips. Heavy on breading, low on flavor. If you were to get these items at other local seafood shacks they are certain to be larger and more flavorful. Would recommend passing on Lena's and heading to anyone of a number of other places in the area like Brown's, Ceal's, Little Jack's, Markey's, or if you're up for the drive - the holy grail - The Beach Plum in Portsmouth. read more

Not a single piece of clam in my overpriced clam chowder. Thanks for nothing. Won't be coming back read more

Lena's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salisbury, Massachusetts

Three stars for the food. One star for having that slightly worn, vacationy ambiance. What else can you say about this place other than you're getting big heaps of fried sea creatures? Clams, both whole-bellied and strips, are good, as was the haddock. Pretty average fries, decent cole slaw. I've heard the chowder is really good, though I despise soups and stews and can't possibly comment. read more

I went here with my fiancee and future in-laws this past weekend. This is a favorite of my fiancee's family and I knew what to expect. As always, it did not disappoint. The focus here is (obviously) seafood, but there are options for those like myself who don't like it. The chicken tenders are not what you would typically expect. I'm not sure if they're hand-breaded, but they seem to be of a higher quality than frozen tenders. My only point of contention would be that the breading could be a little crispier and more flavorful. This is a seafood place though, so it's fair to expect that seafood is their priority Outside of their seafood and chicken, their sides are delicious. Their onion rings and fries are crispy, if not a bit undersalted. Their coleslaw is some of the best I've had. Highly recommended! read more

Smelts are small fish. They're bigger than anchovies but not by much. They're cooked and presented to you with the tails on. Edible tails. How many fish have edible tails? Order a half-plate of fried smelts. You get a free side of fries or onion rings. They're both good and not too greasy/bready. After you watch the hostess (usually a girl, occasionally a guy) write down your order, watch as she pins it to a clothing line and careens it down the counter and through a hole in the wall to the kitchen on the other side. Fun to watch it move down the line. Wheeee! P.S. Forget the frappe that someone else suggested. Across the street is Hodgie's which is a wonderful ice cream stand. Just order the half-kiddie size over there, trust me. read more

My 200th review... Lena's is a class act. With a sister shop in Ocala, FL (my original hometown), this place is sharing NE seafood up and down the East Coast...literally! I've only had the fried items here (surprise, huh?) clams, haddock, onion rings and fries and they were all of great quality. The prices are better than other places near the shore as well. read more

Lena's is one of my favorite places to get fried Seafood. The staff here is very pleasant and they do a good job at keeping the place clean. The fried food always tastes great! They definitely change the frying oil on a regular basis. On my last visit here I got the fried lobster plate (available only on weekends) and it was so good! There were about 8 fried lobster tail halves and it left me very satisfied! I could do without their fries...just plain old frozen fries. I wish more places put attention into hand cut fresh fries but...the onion rings are really good! They're not the flaky stringy ones that you usually see at sea food places. They're more of a thick battered onion ring. Keep up the great work Lena's! read more

Lena's Seafood - 1/2 size plate of Fried Lobster and small box of Fried Clams. - Seafood Near Me - Salisbury, Massachusetts

I stopped here because Jack's has closed and I need to move on. I stopped here and at first I was a little daunted when I got my plate because I felt like the serving was perhaps a little smaller than I was used to. However let me tell you the flavor is amazing!! I got a clam strip plate with chicken tenders and a side of onion rings. Please note you get three onion rings on top of your plate I just wanted more. The chicken fingers were melt in your mouth craziness actual tenders that were freshly breaded! Crazy right?! The fries were crisp and. The clam strips were wonderful as well! There was really nothing bad about this place save for the fact that they don't have beer. The onion rings were crisp and the batter flavor was amazing! I think it's the oil they use but it's good. The Coca-Cola was on the carmely sweet side and while I wouldn't say the coleslaw is my number one I would definitely say it's in my top five. This place is definitely not to be missed! It was a really great experience that I'm looking forward to repeating and bring you some friends! read more

Not worth the money or the time. Chowder is like water! Fried seafood is soggy. Don't waste your time.

Delicious I got the clam half plate and the seafood chowder both were great. It's a small little restaurant not far off the highway which is convenient if passing through they also have a drive thru. They are also next to a mini golf place would be a nice spot to hang for the afternoon. I hope to be back. read more

Great seafood chowder and the best fried haddock I have eaten. I would highly recommend.

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible! Stopped in for dinner on way home from beach with the family. Clam chowder was basically grey clam flavored water with rubbery pieces of clam. Clam strips were like flat pieces of rubber with absolutely no flavor! Very small portions and expensive for what you get. We sat at picnic tables in littered lawn with trash barrels all overflowing. Needless to say, we won't be back! For all of you who left a raving review...you obviously have never had great seafood! Try driving another 35 minutes to Woodman's in Essex! We've never had a bad meal and seafood is right off the boat! read more

If you are looking for fresh, well prepared seafood this is the place to go. It is very casual; order at counter and wait for number to be called and bus your own table. The dinners come with French fries (frozen but acceptable), wonderful beer battered onion rings (only 3 so order just rings if you like them), and a tiny coleslaw. The fried haddock and fried scallops are so delicious that I have never ordered anything else. My dinner companions have ordered clams, chicken fingers, and lobster rolls and have been very satisfied. I would consistently recommend their seafood over Markey's and Brown's. The prices are market standard without the bump up for being closer to the beach. The restaurant is clean but far from fancy. The bathrooms are well maintained even on the busiest days. You will never be disappointed with Lena's unless you are looking for ambience. read more

We went back yesterday and had the best fried shrimp. I cannot believe how good they were. My wife and I split a medium box and it was very tasty. read more

The onion rings really are great. Good portion sizes and friendly, fast service. The chowder was just ok. Wish they had lemons and cocktail sauce out with the other condiments. read more

I keep hearing about this place I finally got to eat here and it was awesome the batter was just right. The portions were generous. I'll definitely be back. read more

My husband's favorite seafood restaurant. Food is always fresh. Box of clams, onion rings, box of shrimps and 2 root beer and we're on heaven for the rest of the day. Ha! read more

Very disappointing visit to Lena's. It's our first since it re-opened for the season and my mother couldn't wait to have her beer battered clams. First off, the woman at the counter had to be new because she had no idea what items we were ordering and messed up our order. We wanted a bowl of the clish, beer battered clams, a side of fries and an order of the fried lobster. We ended up with the first time a cup of clish, beer battered clams and fried lobster. The fried lobster was gross. It was so rubbery that we couldn't chew it. We had to take it back and get our money back and let them know they forgot the fries. They then brought us a piping hot dish of fries that were so hot we had to wait quite awhile to eat them. My mother was convinced they messed up her beer battered clams because all they tasted like was the dough. Cutting them open you could see tiny clams and some didn't even have clams. The clish was good but the wrong size. Seriously, we felt ripped off. Everything was over priced for what we were served and the only good item was the wrong size. Not sure we'll stop in again this season. read more

Fantastic place with very fair prices. Clam and scallop platter is my favorite and don't forget to ask for your onion rings done in Corn meal, they are the skinny ones with light batter. This place has been around for years here in Salisbury and they also have one in Ocala Florida. Just a great place when your looking for the best in fried seafood. read more