We've been coming here for years, and it is one of the most consistently great places we have found. The previous night we had Seafood Rockefeller and the Fried Combination platter. We've had both before, and they were still excellent. I find it amazing that this place cooks every seafood perfectly - every time. Last night I decided to go with something lighter and ordered the seafood salad. I didn't really know what to expect, and it was a surprise to realize how good it was! A cold orzo salad with shrimp, crab, calamari, and scallops over a very small bed of lettuce and tomatoes. I mention how small the bed of lettuce was because I expected it to be much more lettuce and less seafood. Let's just say I was not at all disappointed! Every bite had seafood - and the light vinaigrette was perfect. I just added a few extra squeezes of lemon since I love lemony vinaigrette. The portion was generous and I had leftovers for lunch. We also had a dozen steamers. My partner had the fried oyster platter - cooked perfectly. I wish we had room for dessert, but maybe next time! read more

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Always a pleasure to dine by the bay at Smitty's! Service, always with a smile! Great seafood dishes prepared to please! Many specials to sample. But you'd better hurry... they close mid September. And won't return til Mid May! read more

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Yearly trip & awesome as always. Clams on point as usual. Great food, great value, & very nice service. read more

Clearly this is a little shack on the bay, so what u see is what you get. If you want some clams, clam strips, or chowder, belly up to the bar for a quick bite, but I wouldn't recommend ordering a fish or seafood meal. I just didn't find value in the meals here. I think the locals love it and people love coming back year over year but I'm not sure I understand the hype. For the same price, you can have air conditioning without bugs flying around your face in any little diner in these parts. But if you like that kind of thing, go before they close-two weeks after Labor Day. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - The front - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

My favorite spot at the shore for seafood. It's worth the long wait and cash only. Also go on a Thursday for the seafood potato skins they are no joke. read more

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It's our traditional 1st visit of the season! It's the casual, laid back, vibe with good fresh seafood that does it for us! Love seeing the latest artistic drawings of the menus by the local children who come to eat at the restaurant. We loved our usuals, served very hot & fresh every time. All the servers are friendly & quick to get the food out. We'll be seeing ya soon! (BYOB) read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Fried Seafood combination - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

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5 stars! We went to eat on a Tuesday in August at 5:30. The wait was short. The menu was extensive. The food was amazing. All the seafood was delicious. The place has a shot and beer bar feel to it. Nothing fancy at all. BYOB. Cash only. We'll be back for sure! read more

Worth the stop! Checked this place out for a late lunch. The New England clam chowder was piping hot and filled with clams! We also tried the fried clam strip app and a fried shrimp po boy (a special). Fish was fresh, lightly breaded, and plentiful. Prices were very reasonable too for the quality and quantity! Service was quick and it appeared that everyone helped everyone with service. Cash only. The only thing that's missing is outdoor seating in the back, overlooking the marina! read more

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You're not getting anything there for 5 bucks. Just saying It's your typical shore clam bar. I give it 3.5 read more

Smittys clam bar has been a family favorite of ours for years. The atmosphere is super casual and so is the food. The menu is rather large. What is most impressive is how quickly this food comes out. They are very good at what they do. Service has always been five star. The staff always works together as a team and you can see why this place has the success it has over the years. My favorites have always been the specials on the board. Each night features different specials and soups. I absolutely love the salmon with dill and any fish, but my favorite the scallops, with the wasabi soy and ginger sauce. On any given night, you may have to wait for a table, but it's part of the experience to bring your own and tailgate in their parking lot. They give chalk for the kids to draw and there's always someone walking around with cups and opener, ice, etc. You will not be disappointed. read more

A no-frills spot by the sea for A+ fried seafood! Smitty's is our end of summer routine, grabbing a big old mash of fried fish, clams, and oysters to go, eating it on the car at the dog beach near by. They're always busy and popping but the wait isn't as long as they say and is well worth it! read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

Went there over a decade ago and still as good as I remember it being. The food is fresh and not expensive at all read more

This is a family fav that is talked about 3 years after moving away. Grab your crayons, check out the specials and don't forget your appetite. From the amazing soup to the traditional seafood everyone is a fan of the clams! When headed to Ocean City don't cross that bridge without a stop at the Clam Bar! read more

This was our first time trying this cute little seafood shack. We were lucky to get the last two barstools for outside seating. Came here with no expectations and without reading reviews. I tried the steamers and the fried shrimp Parmesan platter with fries and coleslaw. I enjoyed it all. I thought the platter came with a lot of shrimp. The fries were thin and crispy. I definitely want to go back to try the clam chowder. Everyone was ordering it. They have both red and white. Just a few things - it's cash only and no alcohol. We saw some people with beer so they must allow byob. read more

Under $40 for 3 drinks and 3 yummy meals. Win in our book! Definitely worth the hop off the highway on the drive to/from our yearly beach trip! read more

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What a great little place, it's not that fancy but I think that's why it's so good. It's BYOB, had the combination and clam chowder, so good. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Fried combination - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

Seasonal restaurant next to the water. Great place to go with friends and sit in benches where you can enjoy BBYO to wait for table. Food consistently great and very reasonable prices. Love the soups, crab bites and fish specials. Cash only BBYO. Never disappoints except when they close in mid September. read more

Deelish! Soups are fabulous and specials are terrific! Usually a wait but worth it. Service was right on point.

I've been coming to ocean city for years and this trip was my first time trying Smittys, it definitely won't be the last! We came around 5 pm on a Friday and the place was packed. I missed the memo about it being BYO and saw lots of other guests with coolers of beer to enjoy while they waited. Our party of 4 had about a 30 min wait before we got seated inside. The menu is pretty simple, you pick your type of fish, grilled or fried, and then how you want it prepared. We got a number of apps to try which were all really good, and then ordered the tuna dish with ginger/wasabi and the seafood combo with puttanesca sauce. Both came out pretty quickly and we're really delicious. I wish they had some other sides to choose from, but the fries and coleslaw were fine. Overall I'd definitely come back here and be prepared with my cooler next time for the wait! read more

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All good things must come to an end I guess. The amazing fried combo platter at The Clam Bar is now just overpriced and under portioned. Embarrassed by what I was served. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - The $30 fried combo platter in 2024 - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

I'm really thankful that the nearby sit down crab restaurant had a 90 minute wait. Because it made us say, "Well we can try out this clam bar place instead." I think that in the end when it comes to seafood, I prefer this atmosphere much better. It feels more authentic to me. We had a group of 8 people. Everyone loved their meals, even the kids. For the wife and I, my baked scallops were simply phenomenal in the butter sauce. Her crab cake was quite good as well. I mean it won't be mistaken for a Maryland style one anytime soon but it's really good in its own right. This will definitely be a regular stop on the way home for the family on our shore excursions. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Crab cake - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

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Service is too rushed. Entree brought to table before finishing appetizer. Some of the Steamers were dry and chewy. Seafood baked potato has deteriorated in quality. Smaller in size and was bland and very dry on top as if it had been under a food warmer for too long. Given the speed it came out from the kitchen definitely not freshly prepared. As a local having enjoyed these dishes in the past, I was very disappointed. Please get back on track with quality of favorites. read more

I don't get the hype. The service was super fast - almost as if we'd were being pushed. Food was just okay. Obviously frozen. Steamed clams were dry and overcooked. Clam chowder was runny and lacked any real flavor. In my opinion this isn't worth waiting in line for. read more

I pulled up with the boys at clam bar and it failed to disappoint. I got the pizza burger and it was to die for. I also always have to purchase a big bowl of applesauce and I don't know how they make it so unbelievably delicious. Even though the restaurant was packed for Juneteenth the service was amazing rushing to clean and seat customers! I've been going to Clam Bar all my life and it keeps getting better. It's unexplainable the excellence of this facility ! read more

We absolutely love smitty's. Even on the days when there's a crazy wait for a table, the wait for takeout is only 15-20 minutes which is so nice when you're really craving some seafood. The clam chowder is a classic, both manhattan and new england are good. The clam strips are our absolute favorite. First time trying the calamari today and it was excellent, extremely tender squid and light breading with a standard marinara sauce. The staff is always nice and food comes out at a timely pace. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - New England Clam Chowder and Fried Calamari Rings - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

Man is everything just better when you're a kid? Used to come here with my family growing up and absolutely loved it. I unfortunately can't say the same now. It was fine but nothing blew my socks off. Got the fried clam strips, little neck clams, cup of clam chowder and calamari. Like I said it's fine. The vibe is good we sat at the bar outside. read more

Unusual food that's unusually good, at a very reasonable price. Probably the reason people are waiting in line so long.

Over the years, Smitty's has grown from a tiny little clam shack to a slightly LARGER clam shack. But don't let that fool you, the food is great, and reasonably priced. The ambience is exactly what you would expect from a clam shack. No nonsense, airy, breezy, friendly. It's a nice little joint, just off the causeway on the mainland. read more

Cute little clam bar with speedy, helpful service. Had the clam strips and the oyster poboy sandwich. Huge portions. Wish they served clam bellies but clam strips were nice (little bready but not overwhelmingly so). The oyster poboy was unreal, definitely get that if on the specials menu. Fries are great, skip the Cole slaw and ask for extra tartar sauce! read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Oyster po boy - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

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Great food and friendly staff. We love eating there! Kids always have fun on the dock also and sitting outside. Great atmosphere!

Smitty's is an iconic kind of place. It has a unique setting by the bay that allows for a casual dining experience. I had the opportunity to dine at the outdoor counter surrounded by individual stools. The waitress working the counter was very attentive and concerned about the needs of the customer. She allowed us to preorder our main meal while we enjoyed our appetizers.(We were just a little early for the dinner specials) The New England Clam Chowder was piping hot and delicious. Our dinner specials (Seafood Rockefeller) were tasty with plenty of shrimp, scallops, and crab. The ratio of of spinach mixed with the seafood took away from what should have been the hero of the meal(the seafood). Overall, very satisfied and we will return. Loved sitting outside at the counter to dine. read more

Best fried i have EVER had!!!! The wasabi tuna was really good but the fries were unbeatable. Also, the service was super friendly and attentive. The seating area is surprisingly big! Very relaxed and casual. read more

Usually love the food This time they still had things on board that they were out of and I was looking forward to after waiting an hour What my husband and I got we were disappointed with Service is always great Love the wait outside meeting people read more

Some classics just don't change - well, maybe a little. As a nod to economics and nature lovers, paper straws are only provided upon request. Seafood classics are served quickly on no frills melamine plates and drinks are in paper cups. But the food is solid, delicious and fairly inexpensive. Nice to know that their fans still come prepared to enjoy the wait by bringing their coolers of wine and beer as they sit on the outside benches. Ambience is convivial as they sip their drinks and chat as seagulls swoop overhead and kids draw on the sidewalk with chalk. read more

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Wonderful local seafood bar that serves no frills, honest, and delicious food! Shared the little neck steamer clams, clam chowder, and fried flounder burger. The clams were nice and fresh, chowder had lots of clams and seasoned well, and the flounder burger was nice and crispy. Not overly expensive, nice low-key vibe. Sat out at the bar, which is first come first serve, but provided an authentic beach vibe. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Little neck steamer clams and clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

I almost hate to review this place, it is that good. The quintessential hole-in-the-wall with great food! Check out the seafood casserole, that is the goto. Enjoy it by the water of the bay, as I prefer the outdoor counter seating. Be sure not to miss the fresh handmade cole slaw. read more

Been coming here for years - old time seaside goodness. The staff is great - food is great - try the New England chowder - its one of the best! Enjoy! read more

Came here for the first time, probably close to 20 years ago and came back to visit last weekend. It's always been a local favorite but had to come from AC to get some. Everything was tasty, fresh and just how i remembered it. Here's what our group had. I had the steamed clams to start...amazing! So fresh and so flavorful, must have been soaking them all day. MUST GET! I ordered the baked combo dish (tilefish, shrimp & scallops). I must say it was probably the best dish I've ever tried there. The sauce was amazing! I think it's wasabi in truffle oil? SOOOO Good! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. The other dish our group had was the Seafood Tetrazini. I tried it and sooo good. It's in pasta creme sauce. A few others had the clams, which no doubt is the winner for obvious reasons. One other had the fried oysters platter which i didn't try but they raved about how good it was. FYI - BYOB and Cash Only. read more

Smitty's Clam Bar - Seafood Near Me - Somers Point, New Jersey

This place is absolutely the shore. Clam chowder is fantastic. There can be a bit of a wait so if you can go for early dinner, do. It's not fancy and seating is hit or miss, but you can't beat the food. read more

We tried this place due to hearing about it. It is a VERY casual dining area. Also note it is ONLY cash so forget credit cards. There are some predictable dishes as well as some custom ones. The casserole in cheese sauce was excellent. The New England clam chowder soup also excellent. The only down side was the fried combination platter. The fish and scallops were awesome BUT the fried clam strips were so so. The REALLY disappointment was the crab cake. It was almost tasteless and dry. It was like buying a pre made cake in the supermarket. Overall not a bad choice for casual outing. read more