Periwinkles

Love this place of lunch in the summer. Wonderful view of the marsh off both the deck and dining room. Favorite is the spinach salad with haddock. Generous portion, but ask for the dressing on the side. Sometimes the kitchen is a bit heavy handed. Also the Thai Noodles are teriffic!

Stopped in for dinner Saturday. Sat at the bar Ken was very attentive… We shared an appetizer of fried clams that were great. My wife had a Lobster Roll and I has a special Fish Stew … If I could rate the food a 10 I would it was just fabulous. we live in Southern Maine and always enjoy coming to Essex for a ride stoping here for a meal is a must

wife & I had dinner last night. food was excellent — nice mixture of some interesting plates and old standbys. almost went for the fishermans platter, which looked good the next table over. Instead, i had Mediterranean scallops, the wife had baked haddock on a bed of spinach and goat cheese. both were absolutely delicious. as an appetizer we had the dates stuffed with feta, wrapped in bacon. those were terrific too.
Its up the road a bit from the other restraunts, so a little less hectic, which i liked.
only downside would be the view. basically looking out at the boatyard. not terrible, but not overly scenic.

We ate here last night… it was excellent. .clam chowder was the best i have had lobster roll was packed. .service was excellent. .a most do while on cape ann

Went for lunch yesterday. What a fantastic meal. My daughter had fish and chips, «haddock». She could not say enough of how good it was. My husband and I both had the New England Ruben.
DELICIOUS, I had the sweet potato fries, also the best I have ever had. Certainly will go back.

Went in 2013 and it was not very good, food just not very good. Quiet, no one there — felt dead. Too bad since it’s a great location in Essex on the river. Would not go back.

A waste of money!!! The clam chowder was the only thing wrth ordering on the menu… Ordered fried scallops and only received 5 scallops for 28.00 Never again!!!

Service was quick. Had an excellent Lobster and Lobster Tacos. Apple crisp was wonderful! Will come back again next time in the area.

Bought a Groupon and took my mother here for her birthday. She loved it and the food was delicious. The view was so pretty, even for it being mid March there was a lovely scene. I can only imagine how busy it is during the summer. The portions were very generous too! You can never go wrong with fries clams !!

If it wasn’t for the fact that I had already paid for the Groupon, I would have asked my husband if we could leave after walking in. The whole place had a very strong old/​mildew type odor. The hostess was rather dour, but we were seated quickly. The waitress was also a little brusque, bu that got a little better as she went along, and at least she was efficient.
The food was lackluster. My husband liked his clam chowder. It was too thick for me, but that’s a matter of personal preference. I had baked haddock. It was a large portion, but it didn’t have much flavor. It hadn’t gone off, but it didn’t taste very fresh either. The «fat» from the fish had congealed underneath, something I manage to avoid when plating at home, so that was an unpleasant surprise a few times. The accompanying rice pilaf was very bland, and a lot of the bread crumbs that were supposed to be on the fish were mixed into it before it got to the table. The vegetables were well prepared, but the kitchen left the cap on the large piece of carrot, and they didn’t snap off the ends of some of the beans. My husband said his fish was mediocre as well, and he isn’t usually one to complain.
I think this place needs a major overhaul. I wouldn’t go back. I remember eating here seven or eight years ago, and it was much better then.

Plain dining room with a view of the water. It is a shame that the meal can be spoiled by pesty flies. The server thought nothing of them do it must be a common occurrence. I had the lobster but wish I’d had known it was going to be soft shell. I would not have ordered it as there us less meat on them and they hold a lot if water which makes them messier yo eat. Their bread was nice and warm and comes with the meals. Hubby had Mediterranean scallops that were good but not terrific. A friend had a lobster roll that looked small compared to the whole lobster for the same price. I must say that the clam chowder was superb.

Two stars for the wonderful view.
None for the food which is awful and quite overpriced. My haddock, and my husband’s scampi, each came in what I can only describe as «hot water sauce.» Kids’ meals were blah. Salads were blah. Everything just unbelievably underseasoned and undersalted. CK Pearl is a much better option right down the road… or even the Windward Grille if you’re looking for classic seafood (at a fraction of the cost, too).

My friend and I had dinner at the bar here Tuesday night. The menu was reasonably priced for its waterfront location. My friend had the fried flounder (3 large filets!) and she let me try it. It was superb! I tried the Mediterranean Scallops, also yummy! The bartender/​server was pleasant and attentive but not overly so. Next time I come I want to sit in the dining room as the bar quarters were a little bit of a tight fit.
Oh, yes, one more thing: the fancy drink on the specials board was «Purple Margarita». It was served true blue. Hmmm… Maybe they should call it a «Blue Margarita»? :)

When you drive by the place, keep going!
Ate there on a quiet rainy evening. The chowder was good and then it went downhill. The fried clams were not good. The breading on all of the clams was falling off and the plate was covered in the juice from the coleslaw. The Mediterranean Scallops were a mess! Most of the scallops had no sear. They were boiled or stewed. The ravioli tasted old and the plate looked like the ingredients were just tossed on the plate. There are many excellent seafood restaurants within a short drive so bother with this place.

Stiff. Stopped by on way from Crane’s back to Boston. Unwelcoming entrance. Walked out.

We had our wedding here! We’d recommend you do the same. Just plan the event around high-​tide.
The cozy restaurant is sitting on the Essex river and the view is just New England at its very best!
Tom — the owner, is just a no red-​tape nonsense, easy going, trustworthy, friendly and very competent host. We kept asking him to put a contract together and he couldn’t be asked. The man works on a handshake. Everything worked out so well.
Tom is also the main chef. Food was absolutely amazing (the haddock in particular). Our guests couldn’t stop raving about how great the food was months after the big day.
The staff. Oh the staff! They were just outstanding! So patient, accommodating, friendly and truly participated in our wedding celebration!
Give this place a try. You won’t be disappointed!
–R & S

5.5÷10.
Just went to Periwinkles (March 2014). My overall thought is: it was ok. We went on a Monday night, so I tried to take into account that my perception might be skewed by the lack of energy in the place. Apparently it just re-​opened after the long winter, so there weren’t a ton of people there.
I started with a house salad. It was one of the better salads I’ve had at a restaurant lately. The lettuce was fresh (I think it was red lettuce) and tasty, and the portion was pretty great for $ 5 (I got the «half»). I’d definitely recommend getting that.
For dinner I got the cajun salmon which came with veggies and rice. The salmon wasn’t that great. Sure, it was cooked very well, but it didn’t taste like anything. There was definitely so sign of cajun on there. It would not have hurt to put some salt or other spices on it to bring it to life. The veggies were meh — I think they are cooked or coated in butter, which I personally don’t like. The rice was decent. It was one of those yellowish blends with spinach in it. Pretty standard.
The restaurant itself is a cool little joint overlooking some water. I imagine this place booms in the summer. With that in mind, I’d definitely give this place another shot during a busier time of the year. I’d definitely try a different entrée if I went back.
Overall, I’m giving Periwinkles a 5.5÷10. There’s nothing that I can say that was «bad» about the place, but also not much I can say that was «great» about the place. So 5.5 it is. I went with my family and they thought it was good, but not great. I’d go again, but I’m not rushing to do so.

My family and I have been eating here for 15+ years. I had my wedding rehearsal dinner here back in 2006, and my sister had hers here in 2009. If there is something on the menu you don’t see, or something on a dish you are allergic to, or dislike, chances are they can change it.
The bar menu is an inexpensive alternative to sitting in the restaurant (which is also very reasonably priced, and has a seasonal menu), and I recommend the crispy fish sandwich.

Tidy, comfy restaurant right on the water. 3.5 stars actually. A group of us went on a perfect, almost drizzly autumn afternoon, and were seated at the window overlooking the small boat dock and river.
AMBIENCE: Definitely quiet and pleasant. The volume and energy of the restaurant reflected its elderly patrons, mostly in their 50s, 60s and 70s really. Very clean, single restrooms for men and women.
FOOD: Apparently Periwinkles is home to the 14 or so time winner of best clam chowder in the area. It’s pretty good and greatly warm on a chilly day. My companions all ordered the daily special lobster roll ($ 25), and I had the ½ soup ½ sandwich meal with a cornflake crusted haddock sammich ($ 14). What a big portion all of these sandwiches were! You really could have shared, if you wanted. It got quite filling about halfway through, and we all struggled to eat the same, but tasty bite to the end.
SERVICE: Very patient, attentive, and accommodating. If we wanted an extra bowl or small plate, our server was prompt and kind to bring us what we needed.

Cute. On the water. A small bar. Excellent gibbons! Large and with a sheen of ice floating atop. Delicious special draft beer.
Fried clam entrée is excellent. Crispy coating but not to heavy or thick. Full bellies. Not too much grease. Fresh coleslaw.
Hard fried French fries. Excellent sweet cole slaw with pepper flecks.
Quick service and nice.