The Place

The food was absolutely amazing. Clam
Special was delicious and the lobster was unlike anything I’ve had before. We eat got two cobs of corn. It was so good.
The vibe is great and the people who come here are awesome. Staff are sweet. The only reason I give only 4 stars is that our food took a very long time. It took 45 minutes for lobster on a Saturday night. I would suggest bringing lots of sides, drinks and your own dessert. Some people even brought tablecloths and candles. Great place for a group of about 5 or 6. Any bigger would be tough.

I want to really like this place but it’s hard to enjoy your experience when the service is non existent. The atmosphere and food is on point, great place for outdoor seating. Also the fact that it’s byob doesn’t hurt. Not only can you bring your own booze but also any sides/​starters you’d like. Me and my friend came with our own wine and some cheese and crackers to snack on. Its a good thing we brought these because it took about 15 minutes for our waitress to even come and say hi. We ordered a few things to share and when our steak came out, it was way over cooked. We told our waitress and within minutes we had a new one… which was basically just as over cooked. We we’re starving so we dealt with it. Took about another 15 minutes for us to get the check after asking for it. This place would easily get 5 stars if the service was as good as the food and the atmosphere. The veggiebob is delicious and the balsamic sauce it was cooked in was great to hide the dry tasteless steak.

Fantastic outdoor, casual spot! Its byob +byos (bring your own sides). The clams were very good! A great place to bring family and friends. They were crowded for a Monday night. If youre looking for a fun, casual place with a great outdoorsy atmosphere, this is the place for you!

This is the Place where dreams come true. We Deb and the dog (Falcon my service dog) were treated like old friends. The food was the best I’ve had. The taste of wood fire just adds a complexity of flavors. This was my first time for grilled lobster and clams. Even the shrimp Jumbo were amazing. Falcon ordered the steak… Being the carnivore he is. Mommy had some I died and went to heaven. Ribeye my favorite cut. Perfect marbling. The lobster is boiled and then put on the grill perfection sweet not over done. I had Blue fish the owner apologized that he had not caught it himself … What did I hear. They catch it and then cook it for you !! Wow. I was assured it was locally caught and fresh off the line… boat that day.
This was a three hour drive !! Raining in NYC not when we got there.
Some tips bring a sweater and bug spray. Even in June. It was chilly. You can stand by the fire. I was severely warned the lines and crowds can be intense.
Falcon would have been welcomed even if he wasn’t a service dog. Yeah
There are Cheeper hotels near by I checked out air B and B. Ouch.
Do as recommended by the owner (2 brothers) do check. Out the town nice at night too.
Yes that Bbq cooking show was dead on with this being the best.

Fantastic Steaks, Corn on the Cob, and clams! Don’t miss this one of a kind experience and don’t forget to BYOB! Awesome!

Second time here. Just as good as the last time. Lovely day on the Memorial Weekend. Perfect for outdoor lunch. We brought our own cooler this time, stocked with some beer, sodas, and a few sides to munch on. The corn was even better than I remember, just perfect. The clams were larger than last time, maybe they are in season, but nice and flavorful. We also love the fish. It’s not grilled, but steamed in foil with a little lemon, pepper and maybe a dab of butter. The catfish is very good. Didn’t order lobster this time, but they sure looked good. Service was great as all the cooks work as a team to deliver food. We sat under the tent this time. It’s all low-​key, with stumps for most of the chairs, and round wooden tables painted bright red. A great family outing, and that they let you bring in your own drinks and side dishes is awesome.

It’s low key and chill come enjoy the fire and eat clams, lobster, and corn mmmmmmm fire grill.

Great food! BYOB, salad… Great prices!
Terrific place to get together with family or friends!

I’ve been coming here for probably more than 30 years. Back when they literally dragged a tarp over a wire line to cover you when it rained. They didn’t have veggie bobs or even steak then if i recall.
I’ve always thought it was a great place so was surprised to read some of the negative reviews and thought I may comment on them.
Service:
First of all, don’t come here if you are looking for white table cloth service and spotless accommodations. The staff are mostly high school kids and college kids home for the summer. Tips are shared among all of them. Service can be spotty at times as these are not NYC career waiters. I think it’s great and I would be disappointed to see it staffed by a bunch of middle aged people. If you find your self waiting too long or seem like you were forgotten, flag someone down and remember what you were like when you were in high school.
Food:
Lots of people complain about the steak. This is an outdoor seafood restaurant, New England seafood to be straight. Steak is on there, my guess, only for people that don’t eat seafood. I’m sure they wouldn’t even serve it if there wasn’t demand for it. If you are a steak connoisseur, then I would recommend a steakhouse. Also Salmon are not local to these waters… neither are shrimp.
Here’s what to order: Roast Clam Special, Roasted Lobster, and Roasted corn — well done. Then when you are done, order more clams. Steamers are good too. The clams are what they are known for and that was once the only menu item and those are the things that are cooked open flame, not in foil (except steamers obviously).
The only complaint is the lack of real butter. I think it has to do with the burning butter issue. If you are hell bent on the real stuff, maybe byo butter and a sterno!
Unless you are from coastal New England you probably have never eaten bluefish before. It’s an oily, if not slightly «fishy» tasting meat. Some love it, some don’t.
BYOB! This is awesome. Esp if you love fine IPAs like myself and like to bring a variety and not have to pay $ 8 for a bottle. Same goes for wine. There are very few byo places left.
Atmosphere:
Amazing. Sitting on tree cross sections in the outdoors with friends and a nice roaring fire in between, don’t bother to dress nice you will be a mess by the time you leave. It’s rustic and there is no better way to spend a summer evening. Sure, you can do it in your backyard, but then you have to make a huge wood fire and then buy food, cook it and clean up.
Some folks get crazy and bring table cloths seat cushions, fancy salads and bread and what not. Choice is up to you. I like to bring a cooler and a hooded sweatshirt in case it gets cool. Maybe some bug spray.
In summary:
This is truly a unique place that would have zero chance of ever being recreated anywhere in the state due to strict codes for new food establishments. It’s FUN. That’s all. If you order the right stuff, have the right frame of mind, not in a rush and looking to kick back with some friends over a few clams and laughs then this is The Place for you.

I really can’t understand the appeal of this place other than the fact that it’s an outdoor place where you sit on uncomfortable tree stumps after hauling in everything else you’d need to make your meal enjoyable (including seat cushions). We last went there a few years ago and it was an ordeal. If you don’t carry in all your extras, even finding things like salt and pepper could be tricky. The food is another thing. If they served burgers and hotdogs, I’d maybe, go again, but a «grilled clam» (a tough quahog) thrown onto the grill (For «spicy» they add a few drops of Tabasco) was a major letdown. Then we got some «grilled“fish that came wrapped in foil (?) and there was nothing grilled about it. It was watery and tasteless. The only thing that appealed on the menu was too pricey an item to let some high school chef ruin. There’s a certain type of person that comes here; those that don’t mind toting in everything from table cloths to drinks to side dishes, and think its fun, (and when you look around, you can actually pick out the first timers. They’re the ones with the looks of confusion and/​or discomfort on their faces while the regulars look on in amusement like they know something that you don’t.)
but if you’re looking for a place to step into for a meal without having to pack in neccesities, then this is not the «Place» for you.

Some tips to keep in mind when coming here:
–cash only, they have ATMs near by.
— it is BYOB
— ladies, wear pants as you will be sitting on wooden stumps
— all seating is outdoors
— be prepared to eat delicious no bs grilled food and have fun
— make sure to get the roasted corn, best ever.
What a fun way to have a roast BBQ. Friendly, fun, unique. Must stop here again on our way up the New England coast. Outdoor stump seating and a simple giant wooden menu to order from. We came here on a Thursday night and had great service and food. The smells of the clams, fish, chicken, lobster, corn all roasting away is absolutely heaven.
Another tip is that if you are prone to getting bit by mosquitos then spray yourself before because it is nestled in a treed lot with all outdoor seating.

I’m a big fan of Unilocal and an even bigger fan of The Place, my favorite restaurant in Connecticut, maybe the world. It bugs me that The Place’s review average has dropped to 3.5 stars, seemingly on the back of a single one star rating from a night when they were short-​staffed. I know that’s the nature of the restaurant business: you’re only as good as your last service.
The Place deserves more respect, putting out delicious and unduplicable offerings from a huge backyard firepit since the early seventies! I returned this summer with my aunt for dinner. The clams were briny and spicy, hot off that blazing fire pit. I burned my tongue on a hot clam because I seriously JUST COULD NOT WAIT. The bluefish was one of the best pieces of fish I have ever had: it was unbelievably fresh and cooked to perfection in its hobo pack.
The owner (man with beard) was everywhere, making sure all details from the kitchen and in the stump-​filled dining room were on point. That’s the recipe for success! It was the best dinner of my summer so far. This the one Place I tell my restaurant industry colleagues in Chicago HAVE to visit when they find themselves on the Connecticut shore.
The cooks were super nice (over the top enthusiastic, actually!) to answer a couple questions at the end of dinner about their old school firing board. Basically they’re marking long domino-​like tiles with pencil to group tables’ orders into pick-​ups. Refreshingly old school, unique and with a «if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,» mentality, just like The Place!

The concept of this place is excellent! Rustic outdoors, laid back attitude, bring whatever you want to; create your own picnic style experience and order some seafood too.
The execution of the food fell really short.
The three stars are for the atmosphere not the food.
The clams special which is featured in 50 or so Unilocal pictures was basic and chewy. The «special sauce» was a watery cocktail sauce mixed with «butter.» Not a very good start.
The steamers, which I am a self professed expert on, were underdone and did not seem very fresh. Also, for 17 $ I was really hoping for more than the 15 or so clams we got. Add to that that four of them never opened (do not eat them if they don’t open after being cooked) and the one that was crushed and the reason for our visit now has become the least enjoyed meal. The «butter» for dunking the clams tasted more like used cooking oil rather than traditional drawn butter. Not sure what they do with it or what kind it is but it really was awful and we ate the majority of our underdone steamers without butter which was basically torture.
We drove a considerable distance with high hopes and we were pretty disappointed all around.
The roasted corn on the cob was overcooked and mushy. Not sure what the slick, greasy shiny finish they put on the corn was, I suspect it was that motor oil they try to pass off as butter. Whatever it was this was the final straw. We usually order too much and never finish it so we had decided to order a few things then a few more if it was good. Obviously we did not order a round two.
So annoyed that this place didn’t have what we wanted. There also seemed to be a bunch of miscommunication in the kitchen which literally is a huge fire pit that is surrounded by all the tables (another awesome part of this place) as I could hear a few arguments between the waiters and the kitchen staff.

This place is unusual to say the least. I can see why some people just don’t get it. When you are encouraged to BYOB and also bring your own side dishes you know this isn’t what you’d really call a «restaurant».
Having said that, this is an outdoor fire pit where they grill really fresh seafood for you while you sit outside on stumps. If that doesn’t sound good to you, this isn’t for you but apparently there are plenty of people like me who don’t mind the inconveniences. If you want great seafood cooked more traditionally and served more traditionally keep going until you hit one of Lenny and Joe’s fine establishments.
My wife and I stopped by after a day at the beach, having gotten a recommendation from her boss so we knew what to expect. Pulling in around 6 on a Saturday the parking was already full so I dropped my wife off and went across the street to Big Y to get side salads and beer (they have a pretty lame selection of cold beer but good salads). I parked by the road and walked to The Place when I was finished shopping (having spent some money there I did’t feel too bad about it and I didn’t get towed). Even though it was busy by the time I finished shopping we were seated.
For the food, you need to get the clam special, very simple clams on the half shell with a bbq/​cocktail sauce, brought to your table on cooking grates. Next we had shrimp, cooked in foil and served with regular cocktail sauce. Grilled corn and a large grilled lobster was the «main course». The lobster was cracked for us for easy eating and had a slightly smokey flavor from the wood fire. Finishing with a surprisingly good peanut butter bomb desert was a perfect end. Steak and chicken were also on the menu but ordering anything but seafood never entered my mind! Everything was so fresh tasting and simple, it was awesome!
A unique experience and a must visit for lovers of fresh, simple seafood.

The Place is the coolest laid-​back dining concept I’ve ever experienced, and the food is great!
The setting for this place is in the great outdoors. You sit on tree stumps up to a round wooden table and can watch as your meal is being cooked on the huge open wood-​fed grill. Below you on the ground are hundreds of clam shells giving the ground a beach-​like feel. Each table has fresh flowers in an empty wine bottle vase. There is a tarp that covers the patrons and the cooking area during rain showers.
The Place lets you bring your own bread and wine to enhance your dining experience. The menu is listed on wooden planks that form a large wooden tablet for all to view.
We ordered roasted clams and roasted sweet corn for an appetizer. This was an awesome choice. Honestly, I could have made a meal out of just my own order of clams and couple ears of roasted sweet corn. But, I also had the bluefish for an entrée. I haven’t had bluefish in about 21 years — so this was a great treat! It was very good.
The only complaint — it was difficult to get refills on beverages.

Came here with the family for an early dinner. This place is awesome! Had the grilled lobster, grilled clams, barbecued clams, and mussels. Also had the grilled corn on the cob. All dishes were fantastic and a good portion to share! Would return if I was ever in the area again.

How much fun is The Place?
For those that don’t know, you bring the sides, the wine, the flowers and tablecloth, and they supply the mains like grilled clams on the half shell, chicken, and whatnot.
So much fun under the stars or the tent. Sitting on wood stumps :)
Always busy. Always fun. And I love seeing how people jazz up their experience.

Awesome spot. Different from other seafood places. Family friendly. BYOB and bring your own sides are optional too! Will come back definitely for their scrumptious steamers and clams! Yum!
I decided to exclude 1 star due to the type of seats they have. Some tables have tree stumps as seats which aren’t too comfy. But other than that everything was yummy and had a good experience.
Oh and it’s cash only!

We really enjoy meals at the place. It’s a fun, low-​key place where you sit outdoors on tree stumps and the barbecue aroma wafts around.
The kids like the chicken — BBQ and plain. We have had clams, a couple of varieties of fish; and not least, the corn on the cob! Delicious.

Great concept. I mean really really cool. Plus its BYOB. Thats why you get 1 star. But the food? I could have experienced the same quality at a novice backyard barbecue. I opted for steak, because I’ve always felt it is a fairly safe choice when I dont know the quality of food. But this steak was chock full of grizzle, wayyy too chewy, and just overall shitty quality. The chicken was nothing special, the sauce tasted bottled and though the corn was good… its corn. You would have to TRY very hard to fuck that up. To add to this, our waitress forgot to put our order in so we got to wait forever. To add insult to injury the bill was over 100 bucks for 3 people. This may fool the snobbery that seems to populate most of the tables, but it aint fooling me!
wont be returning.