We have not been here in years and I remember it being very good. This, though, was a very different experience. Two stars because the people here were very friendly and the onion rings were good. That is all for the good, unfortunately. I should have taken pictures because the food was very sad. I had two maybe 3 inch squares of haddock and some very mushy fries. No coleslaw which i think is supposed to come with a dinner. The onion rings were good but we couldn't eat the bottom layer as it was way to greasy. My husband said his chicken was ok but had no flavor and my son said the steak sandwich was very bland. Basically a waste of money which is sad because we used to really enjoy the food here. I cant recommend this one. read more

We never come to the area without a stop at Tamarack. We've tried many places and these are the best lobster rolls in the area. Fried seafood dishes (fish and chips, clam strips, fried shrimp$ were also really good. Be prepared for a bit of a wait, and for lackluster indoor dining; it's definitely at its best on a nice day when you can sit outside at the picnic tables. read more

Visited yesterday on our way to Weirs Beach. This used to be a great spot for lunch but that has changed. Firstly, they "didn't have enough oil in the fryers to make fried food" at noontime. So we ordered 2 hot buttered lobster rolls. This totaled almost $65. The tiny rolls were barely filled with cold dry lobster meat. The melted butter was on the side for you to pour over your sad dry lobster roll. This was the most disappointing lobster roll I've had in years. I ate half of it and tossed the rest to the seagulls. What a waste of money read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Our Famous Lobster Roll Solo - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

I wonder if the kitchen looks anything like the outside tables and the trash containers? Sometimes the food is great and sometimes it's sketchy. read more

The food was very good, typical New England fried seafood. The service was good, from a window. Seating was in a building in the back or outside tables. read more

Went in today 7/8/23 for lunch, parking lot empty! We ordered both had combo plate of whole belly clams and scallops! Well we each had four scallops and a handful of some of the smallest whole belly clams ever. And the fries were not even fully cooked! We threw most of it away! And about 2 hours later I have the worst stomach ache.... Pepto time !!! read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - 2 Way Combo Dinner - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

We really like this place but our last vacation in the area we tried to get clam strips 3 times. First time they were completely out of all clams. The second time they had closed early because of the heat. The third time they were out of the batter to cook the clam strips in. We waited an hour for the ingredients to be picked up from a supermarket and finally our daughter got her clam strips. The girl working the window was very apologetic about the problem. Otherwise, we have been mostly happy with the seafood we have gotten there. The fish & chips are very good. Will go back with our fingers crossed. read more

Get the clam strips dinner and pint of clam strips, plenty for husband and me to split. Never disappointed. Service is fast and great

I don't know where to begin. I spend a lot of time in the Lake Winnipesaukee area and frequent many different restaurants. This is by far the worst dinning experience I have ever had. My wife and I ordered the fried clams. They were burnt and looked like the oil hadn't been changed since last summer. Food quality was terrible and well over priced. The bathroom in the back building was covered in human you know what... making you want to vomit. You can tell it hadn't been cleaned in a while. I question the sanitary of the entire operation. Never again!! read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

See all

The service was very good, but it's a walk up window setup, so interaction was limited. I ordered a hotdog, onion rings and a coffee frappe. The onion rings were dark and overcooked but flavorful. The hotdog was fine and the frappe with really nice. Unfortunately, within 2 hours I was stuck on the toilet for the remainder of the night. It was awful and uncomfortable. And stupidly, this is the second time... the first was on opening weekend. I am NOT going back. read more

The chili cheese dog basket was so good and the French fries were perfect. The whole staff was very friendly and welcoming the owner included! I will definitely be going back !! read more

Solid 4 plus. The lobster and fried clams are the best I have had in the area. The chicken tenders got Decent reviews by the kids but they devoured the grilled cheese. You HAVE to go by here when in the area! read more

It's ok. Calamari could use a more flavorful breading, fries fried to golden perfection, yummy coleslaw and bad commercial tartar sauce. Cool place to stop by but was expecting a bigger portion. read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Calamari dinner $14 with tax - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

Has this place changed hands? FILTHY RESTROOM...should have been my first. clue, but we live couple of towns over and don't get to frequent as much, haven't been there in 2 years. fries were cold, clams and onion rings were over cooked ordered two dinner plates and coleslaw was not in our plates. No manager on duty and the staff was goofing off during service. Stay away. read more

Overall good, just pricey for what it is in my opinion. Small roll overall, would recommend though if you're fiending a lobster roll. read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Really great lobster roll, tasted amazing. Will say though, I was charged 25 dollars for this tiny roll - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

Some places are better as a memory. Haven't been here in 10 years. Came up for Labor Day weekend and made the Tamarack our lunch stop. What a mistake. Place has not been taken care of over the years. Food was edible at best. What a shame. So disappointing. read more

We visited this restaurant on 10/07/23. I ordered the whole belly clam dinner for $27. We picked it up at the window and took it down to the beach to eat. When I opened it up I cannot say how disappointed I was in what I saw. The portion was very small and when I ate it, there was only one whole belly clam in the whole order. The rest were clam strips. When one orders a a whole belly clam dinner, that's what you should expect. Not likely to return to this place again. read more

The seafood here is superb. I had a scallop roll and a shrimp roll, both were amazing. The flavors are fresh and the seafood was fried perfectly. Delicious tartar sauce and speedy service. read more

Our family came here for dinner after a day on the lake. The parking lot was full and people waiting for their food. We waited at the order window for a few minutes amd someone finally came to the window and said they were closed. They close at 6. I said "What, you close at 6 on a Friday night at dinner time?" The lady had a bit of an attitude and said they only had 2 cooks. I understand being understaffed as noone wants to work BUT their hours were NOT posted anywhere. We ended up at Sawyers in Gilford and the food was amazing. Super friendly staff and prices for the same thing were 6 dollars cheaper. Try Sawyers in Gilford amd.forget those who don't really want.your money. read more

Not really a fan of seafood, but I was following my dad's lead. We came to the drive in after the arcade. I ordered the Fish and Chips. The fish was cooked well, but the thing that bothered me was the about of batter is was in. It was quite thick, so I ended taking some off and eating that as chips. Fries are fries, so I can't say too much. They have outdoor seating, but there's also indoor seating. They have a jukebox inside, but it seemed to be unplugged or not working since there was no power. I wouldn't mind coming back, I would go for the ice cream or their famous lobster rolls. read more

we used to love their food and went at least a few times a summer. So we. it was my husband's birthday we didn't hesitate to order our favorite while belly clams and shrimp and haddock. Well.... it was no where as good as previous times. I am not sure if they changed the batter but it was a very heavy batter and everything was overcooked. We were so disappointed! This is the last time we will have a celebratory meal there. read more

Great quick bite during our trip to Weirs Beach. I had a regular lobster roll with a small order of sweet potato fries. Food was yummy and fresh! read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Regular lobster roll and small order of sweet potato fries - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

See all

The lobster rolls aren't bad, but I wouldn't call them the best in NH or even in the nearby area. Still worth a visit if you want good and reasonably priced food read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Jumbo lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

Saw this place from the road looks totally different decided to stop. The food is typical late night food it is definitely not fresh, the food is frozen and nothing is homemade but the prices are high read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - Beef patty was frozen not fresh - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

See all

Slow as sin. For years we always passed this place while vacationing in the area and never stopped. Summer 2021 we made the decision to give it a shot as we were famished and wanted something quick. 3 burgers, one order of fries took over 30 minutes to be ready. Burgers were fine. Would not return. read more

My family and I loved coming here about 13 years ago and made the trip back today. The food was very good, but a lot more expensive than I recall. I still give them five stars because the lobster in our roll was very well cooked and not rubbery as other reviewers have encountered. I was surprised to not see the place mobbed on a holiday weekend. My guess is that their food is inconsistent. For our trip, it was great. I hope they can get themselves consistent and have a great summer! read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - We'd already eaten the mound of lobster on the roll. - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

Memorial Day Weekend: Instead of cooking, let's all go out to the Tamarack for fried seafood!! Our friend Paul suggested we go here as he is from the area. The lobster roll was so good. Big hunks of fresh lobster in a buttered hot dog roll with shredded lettuce. I had the mayo dress, which was very light. The clam chowder passed Ian W's spoon test, was creamy yet had a sour taste. Dennis ordered fish & Chips, yet got chicken fingers and chips. Other positives include the "funion" which is fries and onion rings combo as well as the fried clams were so fresh and good. Holy cow the prices here are gignormous. We ate outside at the picnic table which was nice, however they do have an inside area which is detached from the main building. read more

Seriously 17.99 for scallop and clam plate that I asked if it would feed two and the girl said yes and this plate won't even fill up my 10 year old. I asked for cole slaw and she said it came with it but I didn't get any :( French fry's r gross even tho I asked and paid for onion rings read more

Tamarack Restaurant Drive In - This is my 17.99 scallop and clam plate very disappointed - Seafood Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I grew up in the 80s, and the Tamarack was a family favorite -- we would get something from them every week or two. I've visited a few times years down the line and they were always decent -- until Memorial Day weekend 2022. I was excited to share with my own family, for the first time, many classic experiences around which many of my favorite memories are (well... WERE, now, in this case!) centered. And I'd even gone there in summer 2020, and they had done a surprisingly good job then, considering everything going on in the world at the time. First of all, they've ditched their classic "finger rings" (they were basically salty, very small onion rings) for some regular-sized onion rings. They still do have a good flavor, salty, crunchy, and not really greasy, but they are much bigger and thus a little too onion-y for me. Sadly, this was the GOOD news. The wood on some of the picnic tables was rotting out and the whole place just seems kind of run down -- like they hardly even bothered to do a paint job after 30+ years. I should have known then that a place that cannot bother at all with presentation would barely even be trying. They only seemed capable of producing exactly 2 orders almost exactly every 7 minutes (regardless of how much was in them) -- I timed it while waiting; we were maybe about 10th when we ordered (based on the numbers they called), and ended up waiting nearly an hour for our food. Look, back in the day, you knew there was going to be a wait, but (1) it was maybe a half-hour and (2) they had SO many more customers there back in its heydey, it was impressive they were so fast. But now? The current level of efficiency is downright pathetic. Maybe they're short-staffed, maybe a fryer's down, I don't know, but waiting OVER an hour for some fried food and a hot dog -- with a hungry, tired little kid in tow -- is absurd. I guess it explains why a web search says they now close at 5 PM -- this place couldn't handle even handle its lunch "rush" around 2:30 PM. I'm actually confused how they make ANY money at this pace, although chicken fingers, onion rings, and a soda ran just over $20, so I guess that's how? The final nail in the coffin was that, after that ridiculous wait, my fried chicken fingers came out tasting like they were frozen and had not even been cooked all the way through!! Inexcusable. I'd have complained, but I didn't have another hour to wait for another meal that probably would also have been prepared incorrectly anyway. Anyway, in summary, they get a 2nd "pity star" for the still-pretty-good onion rings, and that kiddo liked the hot dog. But in the future I'll probably be passing them over, which makes me a bit sad, as this used to be a happy memory for me, but of all the places we went over the weekend... this was probably the worst-run and the worst overall experience. Do better, Tamarack. You used to be so much more than you are now. read more

This little roadside joint is excellent. Great location with great seafood. Outdoor seating during bike week is a huge plus. Highly recommend if your a seafood person. Relatively cheap too! read more

I think I'm done here. Visited recently and got a jumbo lobster roll basket, which is essentially French fries with the lobster roll. $28 oh and a shake $6.85 SIX EIGHTH FIVE for fucks sakes, is this pulp fiction? Anyway, the lobster roll was cold but the butter was warm, I guess some people are into that, that's not the problem, the lobsters was rather bland, I expect more, much more for the price. 17 years up north at my vacation home and his place is the most consistent inconsistent place by far. read more

Very disappointed. Been going there for over 40 years. The Lobster role was the worst I've ever had anywhere . Bath rooms were old, dirty, no TT, or paper towels. Never again, not worth the trip. Sad-sad day. read more

This has got to be one of the most disgusting places I have ever eaten at. It was so disappointing, because we saw a line of folks eager to get their hands on this place to eat... To start, we got two lobster rolls, for $44! It was the regular size, and the meat was cold yet the butter was warm. There was absolutely no flavor at all, and I was utterly disappointed. The "dining hall" is basically a cretin's paradise... It reeks of feces, the tables are not cleaned, and it feels as if you are stuck in a Saw film. I am honestly very close to calling the board of health, in hopes that this place shuts down. DO NOT eat here, save your $ and cook your own lobster or go to Town Docks in Meredith read more

Long wait. Below average food. We won't be back. They served me the worst lobster roll I've ever had. I will take part of the blame for not asking how it's served. As we are in New England, I assumed it would be hot and buttered. It was cold with mayonnaise. It was also tasteless and mushy. The lobster did not taste fresh. This is the first time I can remember not finishing a lobster roll. read more

This place looks like not much but the food is soooo good my friends. They appear to be seasonalz There is outdoor seating and a place in the back with indoor tables and restrooms (nothing to write home about unless you want to bitch anout the moldy restrooms) but this review about the food since the food prep and order building is separate and stand alone. I ordered Jumbo Lobster Roll and jumbo unforgettable it was. It was ti die for people I kid you not. I was so skeptical anout stopping there but we were going to Fun Place (arcade till you drop place) and everyone was hungry so it was so perfectly close, we had to. Hubby ordered fried clams and they were spectacular, I know because I tried and I am a seafood lover, tuna roll was also very yummy (as reported, i didn't try), fries for littles were all scarfed and rated "better than BK" (if you are a parent of BK lovers you will know it's a complement) and last but not least was a hod dog for my picky eater teen and even that was cooked beautifully to perfection with hotdog being slightly precut, perfectly brown but not too browned (he wouldn't eat it otherwise) Literally first time we walked away with everyone being happy with their meal. (all 6 of us) Seriously how can I relocate this restaurant to NNY please. Sadly no pictures, we were in a rush and oids were hangry I left my phone in the van. read more

Very good lobster roll. Big chunks of claw and other without much mayo. Nicely toasted roll. I opted for the jumbo (8oz) version which was too much. Should have left well enough alone with the 4oz version. Liked the onion rings too. Thin and crispy. The drive-in experience was good. Will do it again next time. read more

we got the scallop dinner and 4 clam strip dinners and got only 5 scallops and each clam strip dinner had a hand full of clam strips don't waste your money not good read more

Only 4 stars because of the price. It was super expensive, even for just a hamburger and fries. Are we still in NH or did we end up in NYC? Geez! Anyway, the service was pleasant and quick. The outdoor tables and drive-in theme were super cool. read more

What. The. FUDGE, Tamarack!? What the hell happened!? My family would always, always go to the "Tamarack Shack" when I was younger, and I visited on my own until 2006. We had moved to a different part of the lake so another stand was closer. Growing up, everything was as you see it: the picnic tables, the room out back, the rope walkway to order your food. Something happened in the 8 years or so since I last visited. Maybe they got a new owner. I know they opened up "Tuscany's," a restaurant I never ended up visiting or pronouncing correctly. I visited the Tamarack 2 times this summer and got the same thing. The first time was a lobster roll and onion rings. Their onion rings are still my favorite to this day. The lobster roll was good; not the greatest, but good. The price was around the same for lobster rolls in the area but you could probably find a better one. The second time I went with my family. My mother and I split the lobster roll and onion rings and my father got a fish sandwich. The issue? That place was dirty as hell. First of all, I have no idea what's up with the staff. Usually it's young kids from the area but I had the same 2 ladies help me both times and while they weren't mean, they weren't very friendly either. It sounds like I'm being nit-picky but something definitely seemed off with them. Second, everything was dirty. VERY, VERY dirty. The back room I was talking about hadn't been mopped in what seem like the whole summer (brown and black coating leading everywhere, including into the bathrooms). Outlets didn't have caps on them. The tables were sticky. Lights were out. If that's where we were expected to eat, how was the food prep area? The bathrooms were gross, and the swinging door had dirt and hand prints all over them. I'm not exaggerating about this place being dirty- it was really, really horrendous. Tuscany's entire prep area, including pizza boxes and oven, was still there. So, as much as I like the food, I cannot in good faith recommend people to the Tamarack because of the deplorable dining areas. A place that 10 years ago had so much pride, now has a lackluster staff and an owner that doesn't do anything about the restaurant's actual condition. What a waste. read more

Stopped here to get takeout for the drive-in. $37.00 for a clam basket, chicken fingers and an order of funions (onion rings and french fries.) Was told they didn't have honey mustard sauce for the chicken fingers, so I asked for ranch dressing. Opened the styrofoam containers at the drive-in and found out that my chicken had tartar sauce and my husband received no sauce at all with his clam basket. My husband said his clams were ok. My chicken fingers were overcooked and the onion rings and french fries were premade/frozen. For that much money I would have hoped for homemade fries and onion rings. If they are serving frozen french fries, I can't imagine what they are doing to the seafood. We have eaten here previously during Bike Week chalked up our bad experiences to the chaos of serving so many people but not this time. We will not be eating here again. read more