The food is very good but they do not accept credit cards. It's cash only. In addition, I arrived after sunset. Even with GPS, there WAS NO SIGN that I saw that indicated I had arrived even though my GPS said I had Where was the place???? There is no sign, no that would be too easy. No Westfair Fish & Chips sign was visible from the road, so I ended up making 3 u-turns before I found the place, AND CALLING restaurant to ask where they actually had their business. It is tucked in the BACK of the mall strip people. In the back. Not VISIBLE from the road!!!! FUN!!!!!
Since I rarely use cash anymore except for tips, unfortunately, I had ZERO cash on me!!!! So in order to PAY FOR MY CLAMS, after struggling to find the restaurant, I had to leave to find cash now. It took me another 40 minutes to get cash - not because I did not have money in the bank. You have to pull your hair out along with me listening to this first world stressor.
So after realizing I HAD NO CASH ON Me, I rushed across the road (driving to the Stop'n'Shop across the street where a Westfair FIsh & Chips person told me there was an ATM). I parked, went inside the supermarket, finally locating the ATM, but my bank card WOULD NOT work. I thought there was a problem with the ATM because I knew I had plenty of cash in checking, well beyond a $30 meal. So after the ATM declined me, I assumed the ATM was broken, so I asked a cashier there if I could get cash back if I bought something. So I used the same debit card I had just used on what I assumed was a broken ATM (my card said it expires in 2027, btw), and bought some cereal, but, once again, my bank card was declined/did not go through. The cashier was looking at me as if I was a drug addict, when all I wanted was a CLAM DINNER!!! But I had the desperate of a deprived whole bellied clam lover ! I rushed out and drove down the highway to the Cumberland next door to the Stop'n'Shop mall parking. I knew Cumberland's have ATM's. Inside indeed, they had an ATM. Once again, my card was declined! WTF - so I called my bank waiting through various press 1, press 2s, etc all of that irritating gobbledy gook. I would have called my bank in Stop'n'Shop but stupid ME, had left my cell phone in the car when it happend in Stop'n'SHop. SOMEHOW, I can't remember my phone when I need it. So, in Cumberland, I dial my bank to find out WTF is going on. Finally I get through to an ACTUAL HUMAN (as my clams are sitting getting cold and the restaurant is closing in a few minutes) who said I was sent a newer card, which negated the card I was TRYING to use, and even though it says it expires in 2027, that it was not active and I had to find and use the active one. So, while I am on the phone with the bank, I pour all my disorganized mess of cards from my wallet onto the Cumberland floor, frantically searching for the newer bank debit card- finally BY SOME MIRACLE, I find it, and while on with the bank, I used that newer card, and finally, that card went through and I got the necessary money out to pay for my ONCE A YEAR WHOLE BELLIED CLAMS!!!!! I frantically gather all the cards from where I had tossed them on the floor back into my bag, rush back out to my car. Drive back to the Westfair Fish & Chips. By then, 40 minutes had elapsed as I untangled the mess of ATM snafus and traffic u-turns getting to Stop'n'Shop, then Cumberland, then back to the fish & chips place. By now, the clam place was closing within minutes, and I was close to a heart attack, OVER CLAMS. I paid, IN CASH, for the godddamned clams. The place closes at 8 pm and I finally sat down with my clams at 7:40 pm. I barely finished as the place was closing up. I basically had to inhale the clams to finish before they closed. Am I good for another year? Not quite. I paid a high stress price for those clams, as good as they were. I'll think twice about whether it is worth it to drive across a state border into New England next time I get the urge. I know one thing, no one could foresee it is one of the few places that doesn't accept credit cards, and because I ALWAYS use credit and rarely use cash anymore, except for tips, I didn't have any cash on me, nor did I have my newest debit card handy BECAUSE I AM NOT USING CASH. Even TIPS these days are mostly paid by credit. Fair warning, expect the unexpected. Great clams. read more