Woodman’s has the best fresh seafood! I was prepared to stand in line outside yesterday for as long as necessary to get my combo basket, but fate must have smiled upon us because there was no line!! We went straight in to order! They have some of the best scallops and onion rings that I have ever tasted. Woodman’s is always on my New England vacation bucket list!
Winter sprimg Summer or fall Woodman's is the place to go if you want to enjoy a huge mouth-watering portion of seafood. The seafood is delicious and the scallops (my favorite) are flaky and melt-in-your-mouth. I would recommend Woodman's.
Can't wait for my next visit!
Kimberly Horton Meitner
+5
A trip to Boston from Wisconsin would NOT be complete without a trip to Woodman’s! We get our Lobsta bibs on.. because nothing gets out a butta stain! We eat our lobster, clams, & onion rings there. We get our lobster rolls to go! Don’t forget the ice cream! Coffee is my favorite flavor! Always friendly, always fresh, & always fantabulous!!
Family owned and operated since as far as I can remember. Wonderful
history to explore in beautiful Essex. Excellent food, fresh seafood and always consistent. A staple in our community.
Locals pop by all year, as they have great specials. Try their hamburgers! Omg...Fish sandwich a ten! Delicious! In the summer the crowds prove their quality. Fast, friendly service. Fresh lobsters, clams, fish,scallops, etc... Eat in our outside by the water. Great for big families or groups. Order and pick up at counter. They have beer and wine...
Marianne Linnemann Bradley
+5
Been coming here for close to 30 years. It never changes and never disappoints. The best fried clam strips in New England!
The best food always great .meal comes fast luv it there
gluten freedom! not only is the food excellent, but they care about food sensitivities.
It was a completely random choice for our family to stop here, and we’re all SO GLAD we did!! Delicious, fast food, great atmosphere, and the ice cream out back was just as good as the rest of the food!
Oh my goodness the food is so delicious my husband and I went last Sunday and the food was so fresh!! I would highly recommend eating there any time of year 5 stars 😀
This is a big seafood restaurant that can accommodate a lot of people. They do not take reservations, but rather there is a register to place your order, then your food order number gets called for you to pick up at the window. There are lots of tables and booths to seat yourself. There is also a tent outside in the back with a lot of tables set up outside too. We all ordered steamed lobsters, but also had clams, corn, and a clam chowder. Everything was very good. This seems like a great seafood restaurant that you can swing by without a reservation and get your food pretty quickly.
Best New England fried seafood. We always take guests here. Of course, it’s an experience service wise and finding a seat. Fried clams are the best but often go with the sampler to mix things up.
Stopped in for lunch with my family yesterday. I ordered the fried clams and a bowl of clam chowder. The staff was friendly and patient with us because we couldn't decide what to order (everything looked so good)! The portions are huge, and easily sharable! The food was delicious!
Stopped by Woodman's of Essex for lunch after strawberry picking at Russell Orchards because it was nearby (less than 10 minutes, so this could be a fun summer itinerary for you, too!). It was quite crowded, but there is seating inside and outside. After you place your order, there is a side window to pick up your food once they call your number. We decided to sit on the benches outside, which was chilly even in the summer because it was by the water.
The lobster roll wasn't the best that I've ever had. There wasn't a lot of sauce, and it was small for the price. We also got fries, fried clam strips, fried scallops, and fried calamari. I liked the fried clam strips and scallops the most. The rest was average.
Food was good.$42 for Seafood platter , I've had equal to better at small places at home South Shore Ma so just not worth the long ride for me The piece of fish wasn't a nice big fried piece but little chunks that were hard to discern from the scallops until tasted What's up with that??Whole belly clams were very small, if your in the area food was fresh and fried perfectly. Onion rings were also good, A lot of fries made the dinner seem huge . I had visited before and was so excited to go back and just was not the same. I did not try the Lobster roll pictured, my friend said it was ok.
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An amazing experience. The food is as expected. Nothing to really die for but no disappointment..good fresh seafood and worth standing in line for. They staff is very fast and efficient. They clearly have a good system that works for the crowd. In and out without waiting and getting annoyed
This picnic style setting outdoor is great . Enough seating indoors and outdoors. Plenty of parking in back . Average raw bar upstairs. Sufficient workers all over .
This is right next to the pier so it's a nice strolling area.
If I'm in the area I'd go again and again . It's perfect for any occasion. Average price too ..the ice cream is really good.. I had the toasted coconut and husband had mint chocolate.. rich flavors. I drove an hour to go as it was recommended. Didn't disappoint but not sure if I'd drive out again( it's good but nothing really grabbed me, although plenty more on the menu to try). But I'll surely remember this spot and always recommend it .
It's not just good seafood, it's the whole big seafood shak picnic experience. I admired them frying fresh lobsters out front by the big brick area ...so neat
Every time I go there is a small wait. But the service system is very efficient and fast. Fresh food made right before you eat! The breading and oil is a bit overwhelming compared to the sea food. The food is good for seafood, it’s about what you would expect from fried seafood. The clam chowder was really good. The food is very filling. Don’t expect the atmosphere to feel like the ocean or fishermen, it’s pretty plain. The seats are quite low to the ground. But overall it is a nice experience.
Best seafood in Massachusetts!
We had the clam chowder and lobster roll (good value when it’s on offer on Tuesdays). Great craft beer and lovely staff, so welcome after a long drive to Essex. This place is so authentic and fun. Self service but easy to find a seat and the accept card payments.
It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been back to Woodman’s and I won’t wait that long again. The perfect fried clams are just the start, onion rings that rival any in the nation, and a lobster roll that both looks & tastes so good my son didn’t wait for me to get a photo. But the best part are the friendly staff and the generations of the Woodman family that run it— they are truly beautiful people inside & out! Thank you Woodman’s!
Good, but not worth going out of your way for. Very expensive for the food quality. Great vibes and experience, but in regards to the food itself- there’s better. Got the seafood platter which felt a little too heavy on the batter. Clam chowder was really good. Also nice that there’s ice cream on the grounds, which was really good (recommend the caramel truffle).
Fisherman's platter was cooked to perfection.
Love the nice light batter!! Bellys of Clams were so creamy and full of flavor. ♥️ Steamed Lobsters I enjoy as they are. No butter, so SWEET and FULL OF meat. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. ENJOY🦪🧈🌽
All the rave reviews are true. Woodman's is absolutely sensational. The fried clams are perfection, but people may not realize how insanely good some of their other menu items are too. I've had clam chowder at a ton of restaurants, and Woodman's is the best. The fried lobster tails are delicious. The steamers, etc. - it's all fantastic.
The atmosphere is fun and casual, and the employees are friendly.
Woodman's is the just the greatest. I wish them many more decades of success.
Classic New England fry shacks can do no wrong. Highly recommend the fish, the scallops, and the lobster roll. The fish and scallops were perfectly fried. The lobster roll was pretty incredible, especially the brioche bun.
Tried out Woodman's after visiting a nearby brewery. The atmosphere is very cozy, with tons of classic seafood options available. The fried shrimp and crab roll were excellent. I would have liked the clam chowder to be thicker, but the clams were delicious themselves. Would come back.
As seen on YouTube, it did not disappoint. Reasonably priced for the quantity and quality of the seafood. Worth driving off the beatend path.
Famous seafood restaurant in Essex. Delicious fried seafood, hard to beat. Seafood has great quality, and very fresh.
Down River Combo was great for two people, and come with clams, scallops, shrimps, white fish, fries and onion rings.
Scallop was perfectly cooked, not stringy and dry.
Must visit in Essex.
I would recommend the visit. Majority is fried food so be ready for some calories! . It is still good.
Great seafood here! I had the salmon burger and fries. There should be more gluten free foods at this restaurant. I am allergic to malt. I also need to watch dairy too. Famous place to visit with lots of fried food.
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