Shanks is great and has wonderful fried seafood, but here's the best part: they now have a gluten free dedicated fryer!!! (Established 2024). You can even see that the gluten free food has a slightly different fry to it (if your food is lighter in color it's GF). They keep safety in mind by putting all fries through the GF fryer as well! The fried seafood is crispy and salty without being over bearing and they have tons of varieties waiting for you to try! read more

Not good start to the season. Our party of three ordered at 7pm and left at 8:40 hungry b/c our food never came. Watched two tables get food and finish their meals and they arrived a while after us. Also, watched 3 groups get up and walk out. Unacceptable. At least the management replied to my comment on their FB page. Though I never returned. MANAGEMENT REPLY: Alice, I would first like to thank you for coming on opening night. It was a rough start for us!! This was my first shift as new manager with my new crew. There are a few bugs that will be addressed immediately. I am disappointed in your experience. If you would allow me too, I would like to invite your group again. Please contact me if you would be willing to do that. Thank you. read more

For the past two weeks, my wife and I have been exploring the east coast from Maine to Virginia in search of the best seafood possible. We saved up enough to pursue this passion so we would not have to skimp on our gastronomic pursuits. We arrived in Clinton early this afternoon for two days of exploration and feasting, After asking around, the consensus seemed to be Shanks, so that's where we headed. Shanks is located right on the Clinton Marina. It is the most unusual of places. This is a place where you order at the window, get a number (on a buoy) that you take to your table and then you seat yourself at one of three places. Inside, outdoors under a tent or on the deck. There was a significant line, but it only took 20 minutes until it was our turn to order. We each ordered a wedge salad. My wife ordered fish and chips and I ordered ahi nachos and fried calamari. This restaurant does not serve alcohol, but one is more than welcome to bring it in for personal consumption (of course you must be at least 21) and then the server at the table charges $2.00 fee for each drinker. We chose the patio overlooking the marina for our dining experience. All our food came out within 15 minutes. Everything looked beautiful, but ... my nachos were cold and there were literally ten tiny pieces of avocado in the nachos, plus the ahi was overdone and our "wedge" salads were little more than a few leaves of Romaine. It did have a generous amount of bleu cheese, cherry tomatoes and bacon, but certainly not a wedge salad. That was disappointing. The calamari was the best part of our dinner. Our server seemed to be absent and I had to get up and walk into the restaurant on two occasions for lemons, for salt and pepper and for to go boxes. It was busy, but not an unmanageable busy. Keep in mind that a three star review is not a bad review. It's just average. We were on the lookout for some of the best of the best that the northeast had to offer but if fell short here. read more

My food was delivered in a small plastic basket on top of a small tray that had smeared grease and mustard (?) and other food on it from a previous customer. Definitely pretty dirty and unwashed. I asked the runner to remove it immediately. Very disappointed in the lobster roll today. $30 for 4 ounce Lobster roll. My lobster roll only had very small claw meat pieces, which had no flavor. No tail meat and it definitely did not look look or feel like 4oz. It was awful. On the way out, I mentioned this to the manager. He looked me in the eye and said I'm sorry, no offer for a replacement or any comment, just sorry. I would avoid this restaurant. I was a frequent customer, but this is the 2nd time the lobster roll sucked and at $30, I'm done. read more

I'm writing this review in the hopes that the owner sees this and takes action before Shanks inevitably closes down. I want to preface this by saying that I've come to Shanks for years and have encouraged friends and family to do the same when they are looking for good seafood with amazing views. Up until this year, that is. The decline in food quality/consistency and service this year is a shame. My first time coming this summer after hearing it was under new ownership was "fine" - the fries were no longer handcut, the fish taco salsa was weird, the lemonade was a downgrade but it was "fine". I even came back THREE more times this summer, each time worse than the last. I've come when it's busy and dead (only table on a Thursday night is a red flag in itself) and regardless the food, specifically the French fries are ice cold. I my fries back once and was handed a "new" basket of fries that tasted like they were 3 days old that had been sitting under a heating lamp. Fresh French fries out of a fryer should be hot the touch and glistening with oil, I'm convinced they cook the fries in advance and put them under a heating lamp. The kicker is that no one came by to see how the new French fries were, probably because they could tell they looked disgusting. This past week was the last straw for me. After sending my food back two different times, I left hungry because I couldn't even eat my dinner, it was THAT bad. The people behind us commented "ours was just as bad" and the couple in front of us threw out their food and headed to lobster landing. The manager was no where to be found to "make things right" and the poor teenage girls were running up and down the stairs trying to fix a very broken business system. After I left I sat at the picnic tables by the exit to enjoy the weather and saw 20+ people (not an exaggeration) come and go because the line was moving so slow. Again - where was the manager to help his team? There were 3 confused teenagers trying to manage the madness, in previous years Ang was always front and center getting shit done and keeping the line moving. My intention is not to bash a local business because I want nothing more than this place to improve but if something major doesn't change this place is a sinking ship. I'm done with shanks for this season but I'll give it a try next season if they are open. read more

We came here because it was close by to where we were staying and it's also by the water so lunch with a view? Awesome! Well the view was pretty awesome but the food was the complete opposite. We ordered the 8 oz lobster roll, a clam roll and a cheeseburger for my daughter plus 3 drinks and the total came out to be close to $100 before tips. HELLO INFLATION!!! Ok, fine I don't mind paying for good food so it's going to be amazing, am I right?! NOPE. The lobster meat was not sweet or juicy. In fact, it tasted like it's day old lobster. The bun was so soggy from all the buttered it fell apart in my hands while I tried to take a bite. The clam roll was mostly batter and the onion rings was just a pile of grease. Honestly couldn't tell which was clam or onions to begin with. The cheeseburger was not good. Very dry and oily with way too much cheese. How do you get dry meat but it's super greasy? I'm baffled. Overall, other than the view there's nothing going on here. Maybe just grab a drink and enjoy the view but if you want some good food, this is not the place. read more

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Waited 30 minutes for the food, even though the place was not crowded at all. By the time the food came it was ice cold. Eating cold fries is just not fun. The fish was cold as well. We had no serving utensils. Drove an hour out there will not be returning. Spent $80 on a long ride for cold food. read more

Overpriced, small portions nothing to write about I find it insulting that when you order they asked for the tip upfront 8 ounce lobster roll $72 eating on a picnic table. The only nice thing about it with the staff was fairly pleasant. read more

We visited this restaurant for a late lunch during the week. Mostly outdoor eating but they do have an inside area. Not sure who would want to sit inside as the view from the top deck or even the bottom deck is right on the water. Very pretty views. Service was quick and pleasant. BYOB if you want to drink alcohol. Our seafood was fresh and delicious. Coleslaw yummy. Nothing to complain about. Definitely will be back! read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Seafood platter! - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

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If I could give more than 5 stars I would! Wife and I split a shanks combo. Everything on it was fresh, crisp, and tastes great. More than enough food for Two people. Staff is great! Very polite and knowledgeable. We ate on upper deck with a great view. Tables and area are kept clean and there is somebody in attendance if you should want or need anything else. I would highly recommend Shanks to anybody I know! Try them out, you won't be disappointed. read more

The prices are outrageous- $54 for a lobster roll plus additional money for fries!!! Roll was soggy so I could not pick that up and was eating with fork and fries were served cold. Told them about cold fries. They just " acknowledged ".. didn't replace them or refunded anything for. Left them with soggy bread on a plate... Awful experience for lots of money. read more

We waited in line for 45 minutes to order and another hour and a half for our food. Everyone was served after us. Told them we are still waiting and reassured we were next but not the case. The food comes out cold. We ask asked for fries and no one got fries. The lobster rolls were cold and bread soggy. You couldn't even eat them without a fork. The fries were cold and soft! The lobster tacos had no flavor just mayo. Will NEVER go back again. A waste of money and time!! Too bad. We had high hopes! 3 hour fiasco! read more

We were so disappointed with our food today. We had to wait 1 hour in line to order then 1 hour to get our food. Everything was wrong with the food. While in line we heard the kitchen mention there were running out of lots of thing in the menu. Let me tell you when we saw our food we were shocked of the amount of food we received plus the clam strip platter was overcooked so hard to eat plus the fries were not good- very hard also. We spent $90 including 2 hot lobster rolls and had to throw my food away. Going back to Captain Scott for seafood next time read more

It was a bad night!! We ordered whole belly and got whatever!! The onion rings were terrible. Ironically we were the only ones here!!

Came a few weeks ago and it was excellent. Solid medium lobster roll- $44 and came with fries. Excellent amount of meat with good flavor. Ordered the same lobster roll today. It was cold. It had half the meat and no longer had fries. And the lobster meat was strange. It was not recognizable. It looked more like tuna fish? You get half a bag of dusty looking potato chips from a big bin. Not even house made anymore. They are cutting corners and people aren't going to stand for it. This is a LONG drive for us- we've been coming here for years and every year the prices go up and the quality changes. It is more expensive than most other lobster places. The service by the young people who work here is always solid and it's good to see young people working. But I can't justify the trips here for the small amount of lobster meat and ever changing sides. They were kind when I explained this to them. They made it right. And I tipped the full amount because I know it is not the young people's fault. I just think restaurants need to consider their patrons a bit more. There are 100 other lobster places in CT. Shanks needs to work on their consistency or they will lose the regular, loyal customers who will not return. read more

The outside dining area just had a bunch of bird poop on every table so it was alittle gross. My friend ordered a gluten free bun and was not given one in her order and she ate the bun unknowingly and had a allergic reaction. They gave the money back which is cool, but wont return to the restaurant. Lobster roll was fine. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Small lobster roll - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Been there 2 times this year already. Food taste like microwaved leftovers now since they changed management and I feel like I'm not getting my moneys worth anymore. Couple of kids working there arguing telling each other to shut up. Lack of service could just be do to lack of experience. Hope it gets better because I use to love it there. Won't be going back for quite a while read more

Yum!!! Lobster roll was one of the best I've had. I love that they put the butter in the side. Yummy crispy sweet potato waffle fries. Coleslaw was delicious. Super friendly staff. Very busy area and can be difficult to find a place to park. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - 6oz lobster roll - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Ok no idea how this place has so few stars. Showed up kinda late and they were closing but said they could fry some stuff up if we wanted . Clams were crispy delicious, scallops rocked! And the lobster grilled cheese was awesome. Stand out was the staff and the atmosphere. Our experience was five star for sure! read more

The ice cream sandwiches are TO DIE FOR. The cookies are freshly made in house throughout the day. There are multiple flavors of ice cream you can choose from and all sound great. I chose the cookies and cream ice cream. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Ice cream sandwich - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

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I gave this place two stars only because the coconut shrimp was very good. However the "loaded" lobster bowls were not. They were $54.00 and advertised as having 8 oz of lobster on them. If they had 4 oz I would be surprised. The bread filled the inside, so they had very little bisque and it was tepid (even after asking them to warm it) and fishy tasting. Certainly NOT worth the price read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Was craving some ice cream for National Ice cream day and saw this gem when I visited lobster landing and wow! I can go on and on about the cookie itself but the combo with the Oreo ice cream *chef's kiss* will definitely be returning for food everything that was being served looked amazing! read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Ice cream sandwich with Oreo ice cream. - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Never been before, but glad we tried it. Questioned myself when the line at Lobster Landing was 3x as long, but the food was fabulous. Got the fish and chips, switched out the onion rings for the fries. Best onion rings I've had in years. And the fish was light and tasty. Also got lobster bisque, definitely had better. Overall great meal, will definitely be back. read more

It was a very happy National Ice Cream Day! We got lucky and arrived shortly after a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies got out of the oven. I got the mint chocolate chip ice cream and my friends both got the Oreo ice cream. None of us were disappointed. This ice cream sandwich is so big...we probably should have just shared one ! BUT....no regrets. read more

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You know trying to do this social distancing the correct way.... I find myself now tending to find anywhere with outdoor eating availability.. and of course I'm a sucker for anything by the water! This is a must go to if in the area, def a little on the heavy side but so darn delicious! We gave this place a try after searching and reading other reviews.. let me tell you I was NOT disappointed! We were lucky enough to snag seating on the top patio area and the view was gorgeous! Service was great all in all, a little slow but understandably so.... We tried the coconut shrimp, tuna tacos, brussels and the most scrumptious BBQ sweet potato fries! (Very interesting and so worth getting!) Everything was yummy! Somethings telling me this will be one of my go to places after my beach days... DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT GETTING DESERT! To die for!! read more

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Fish sandwich was pretty decent. The queso corn was smoky and pretty nice. There's a lot of outdoor benches to sit. You order at the boat stand and they bring your food over when ready. read more

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It was an absolutely gorgeous Saturday afternoon when we decided to try Shank's for lunch. We arrived slightly before noon and it wasn't that crowded. We ordered at the boat and then decided to choose a table on the upper deck. The views are amazing!! It was incredible sitting on the deck, enjoying the sun and breeze while sipping on some cold beers that we brought. The restaurant is BYOB which is awesome! We were having such a nice time enjoying ourselves that our food was delivered too quickly!!! However we were delighted when the friendly server placed our plates in front of us. We ordered the Lobster Tacos and the Fried Scallop Platter. The Lobster Tacos were huge and overstuffed with lobster. They were absolutely delicious!!! Way better than we had anticipated. The Fried Scallop Platter was also outstanding. The scallops were perfectly cooked and so sweet. Perhaps some of the best and freshest scallops that we've had in some time. Overall the food exceeded our expectations!!! There is no question that we will be coming back here!! Highly recommend!!! read more

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We were out in the area. I searched Yelp like I usually do for new places to eat. The pictures looked great & reviews were good. So we stopped by to check it out. My husband & I are so glad we did. We both got the fresh fried fish sandwich, which they offer not fried as well. We got and order of the Brussel sprouts and lobster nachos. All of it was so delicious. We met a mother & son he was visiting from Georgia chatted with them while we waited for our food. He said anytime he's up visiting he stops here. Loved sitting along the water while we ate.. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Great customer service and super friendly people! I would definitely go back! Seafood taste awesome!

Coming here makes me really happy! I ways appreciate the fantastic view and warm feeling I get from coming here. I only took a star off due to the prices of the food, which I suppose isn't too far to say, considering businesses are having a hard time these days with shortages. Just want people to be aware of the price increases. Food is always great though. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Lobster roll - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Great view. Friendly service. Terribly overpriced below average food. So many better places to eat outside with better food and much less money. I wouldn't mind spending the money if the food was actually good or even hot. Cold food at a made to order place is just unacceptable. 1 star food 3 star service 4 star view read more

Shanks on the water at Clinton Marina, overlooking boats and Cedar Island. Nice view on a nice day on the upper deck and lower tent area. Food is OK (soft drinks available) and it is BYOB. HOWEVER, now they charge you $2.00 per person for bringing your own drinks???!!!!%#$@. When you pay they do not give you a detailed receipt so you will not see the extra charges. They do not give any glasses or setups, just penalize you for bringing your own booze. Is this a scam to sidestep liquor laws and still make money? I will not go here anymore for this reason and for the PRINCIPLE of this bullsh.. charge. Some restaurants have charges for BYOB (opening charges) but at least give you glasses and for wine a chilled container. read more

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The food at Shanks is average, however the $3 pp charge for consuming alcohol is unacceptable. The justification for the charge was for uncorking bottles, supplying an ice bucket with ice, and glasses. Unfortunatley, anyone drinking from a can or bottle of beer is also charged without any of the services noted above. This policy is no more than a surcharge and as such is unfair. Shanks needs to change this alcohol policy if they want to ensure repeat customers. read more

Very nice view, but food wasn't very good. Was told it'd be 20 minutes to get the food, ended up taking 45 minutes. Both burgers we got were burnt and well done, even though they were ordered medium rare. Over priced for mediocre beef. Fries were good, definitely a plus. Calamari was overpriced for what it was, mainly crumbled breading and some whole raw squids. Staff didn't really check in with us, didn't seem that friendly. Not a great experience overall. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - Calamari - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

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It was a warm Friday evening, the sun was almost done setting, we had a table by the water with great fresh seafood and superb and friendly service. Everything was perfect!! 5 Stars and 2 thumbs up for Shanks and their friendly, youthful staff! We shared a lobster bisque ($9) so they offered to split it into 2 bowls for us - nice! Each "1/2" had a large, full, fresh claw (and other smaller lobster chunks) and the bisque itself was thick, creamy and flavorful. It was outstanding ! We shared a clam strip platter and the clams were good in a unique light batter - very good and very plentiful. Good size portion to share for sure - especially after the bisque. The fries were large wedge style, served hot and crispy . Even the close slaw, though tiny portion; was fresh and very good. Add free soda refills and I was in heaven at this gem tucked away on the water in Clinton. The service was amazing. Super friendly and checked in often - better than most fine dining restaurants. PS - it's 5 minutes from the Outlets! read more

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Takes forever to get your food, which is mediocre. The wait staff are nowhere to be found, kids working the food stand don't know the prices for anything and they're just extremely apathetic. The service is so slow, it was painful to be there and interact with them. The food gave me and my partner upset stomachs the next day. Tuna seemed low quality, fries were soggy and cold, onion rings were cold. We waited 40 minutes for the food and they clearly didn't time the sides with the rest of it. The tacos were pretty decent, but nothing to write home about to be honest. read more

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Onion Rings were very good. The lobster in both the BLT and lobster roll was dry and overcooked. Definitely not fresh picked meat. All claw and leg meat. Not a morsel of tail meat. Possibly the worst lobster roll I've ever had. My wife and I were wondering why the was a long line at Lobster Landing next door but Shanks was practically empty. read more

We came here after having lobster rolls across the street. Shanks has a great space. Huge outdoor deck and lower level outside seating. Fortunately they also have a small inside area, which was needed when we visited because it was was windy as all hell. Anyways. So how it works is you go to the boat at the entrance, order your food and take your numbered bouy to your your table. The staff will bring your food up to you. Shanks is BYOB which is great!!! We decieded to split the fried seafood platter (shrimp, scallops, cod, clam strips and fries ). It was a ton of food and the seafood was fresh, but the oil it was fried in tasted burnt and like it was in need of a change. read more

Shanks Waterfront Dining - New American Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

They were very busy, so I enjoyed the beautiful water view with my family on Father's Day . The food was delicious and cooked to perfection . The staff are very welcoming , warm and friendly, just a perfect spot to spend a Father's Day's with your family . Thank you . Charlie L read more

I really want to give this place ZERO stars, but you have to give something. We got there on a Saturday, 11:30 am....we placed our order and sit upstairs on the outside deck. I ordered ahi tuna sandwich and onion rings. Hubby ordered ahi tacos with coleslaw, fried shrimp appetizers, and a cup of clay chowder. Food arrived...I instinctively always grab an onion ring and pop it in my mouth... cold, truly, not even warm. My husband's coam chowder, cold... barely warm. We tell the waitress, she apologized and takes it back...not her fault. Returns a few minutes later...the onion rings ate hot now, yet they are what appears to be the bottom of the bag remnant pieces and taste like pure oil, no flavor. I ate one... truly horrible. The ahi sandwich no better...just one piece of lettuce and and a few slivers of onion...no flavor. I took the tuna off the bread and ate it plain....hubby's soup came back as I said, he took a spoonful....I sh$t you not...it again was barely warm. I told him to stir it..he did... truly, barely warm. He didn't eat it. His ahi tuna tacos were okay, but way too much aoli mayo dressing. Had high hopes for a great brunch, but never again going to come back here. Also, very overpriced. read more

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