Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company

I recently had the rehearsal dinner for 30 at the Chowder Company’s private room upstairs (which is sort of part of Loft). Everything went fantastic, from the planning and preparation to the execution. The room is quite private with views of the water and town, and the guests all remarked on the big bay windows. It’s also just next to the game room, where we met up with friends after since we’re young newlyweds. They arranged for us to put credit at the bar for our friends who came later, which made everyone feel welcome. And the food was awesome! Four courses and plenty of options for everyone. Only complaint is they were maybe understaffed, since we had to ask several times for more wine during the meal. But others probably didn’t notice. The manager was very attentive about timing and making sure we had what we needed. It is a great spot for a rehearsal dinner!

Truly a 3.5 but the clam chowder was SOOOO good (and GLUTEN FREE!!!) as were the littlenecks that I rounded up to 4 stars. Our server was great, the aforementioned were spectacular (spear point oysters were also GREAT), and no true complaint about anything else: the rest of the food just tended towards the pricey and underwhelming. Overall, good, with some stand out Martha’s Vineyard classics.

Best lobster roll and clam chowder in the island!!! Always come here! Love love love!!! Highly recommended!

It was my husbands first visit to The Vineyard and I haven’t been in about 15 years. This place was recommended by a local and Unilocal.We ordered the lobster roll, clam chowder and beet salad. The lobster roll was overpriced and didn’t have no flavor. In addition, it was scrap pieces of lobster. The clam chowder was just ok but the beet salad was good. What a waste of $ 90.00.

Really great lunch food! Their clam chowder is a MUST! Otherwise everyone enjoyed their food. People really liked their chicken fingers, lobster roll and specials.

Delish! We were seated with a big party, a little cramped but we chose from an abbreviated menu and the steak was awesome along with the chowda. They were on top of making sure our drinks were full, and we enjoyed the fire heat lamps outside because October at night on the Vineyard can be chilly.

I recently ordered a lobster roll from here based off prior reviews and pictures. I have to say i was extremely disappointed for several reasons.
1. They advertise a half pound of lobster, I would bet money the one i received was not 8oz.
2. The lobster meat was mostly bits and pieces of lobster legs, not big chunks.
3. The bun was drenched in so much butter that when you picked up the roll the bottom of the bun just dropped out.
4. The taste was very very bland and lacked any flavor at all.
5. The PRICE! On the menu they advertise «market price» and I typically trust a restaurant not to overcharge, but when i got the bill i was shocked. $ 29!!! The most i have ever paid for a lobster roll was $ 25 and that was the best i’ve ever had. Save your money and go to the local fish market and buy some live lobsters for $ 5.99lb
Service was fine and ambiance was also fine. Id say a great place to grab a beer and that is about it. I could be wrong since it was very early in the season, but a restaurant should never sacrifice quality at any point.

This was a solid 4 star restaurant experience. The ambiance was nice, the service good, and meal was tasty.
I ordered a small filet with jumbo shrimp, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. All tasted good. I also ordered a cup of clam chowder. They claimed it was the best around, and I believe them. This was the best clam chowder I have had. The chowder was chunky and tasted fresh.
They also had several craft beers that I have never tried, mostly from the Massachusetts area.
The cost was a little above $$. I would say more like a $$+, as dinner for 2 with tip was $ 130.

Our table split risotto balls, ribs, beet salad, and scallops. Nothing here was disappointing. This place is not like Apple Bees at all. The tastes and textures were incredibly pleasing. We decided it was safe to order their General Tsao chicken.
Our server was attentive to us. We are happy we came to this place

Martha’s Vineyard chowder company is awesome!
The space is done up in what i’d call a modern nautical theme (not «ye olde fish shoppe») with nautical appointments, large format sepia nautical photos fireplace and mellow music and it doesn’t hurt an incredibly handsome staff. Our waiter was friendly and helpful but not obtrusive.
I had the chowda and a lobster roll (of course!)
The chowder was thin (i do like thick chowder generally) but very flavorful with lotsa’ fresh clams and right amount of potato. I’d say it’s a 3.75 out of 5, very good, but not as good as the Black Pearl in Newport RI (best thin chowder in New England) or Spany’s in Hyannis (best thick)
But then the lobster roll came out. And i started weeping with joy.
It had tons of fresh warm lobster (at least a pound), lightly dressed with bacon and (whoa!!) preserved lemon on a bitterly griddled split-​top bun.
Best lobster roll I’ve ever had. No question. 5 out of 5.
The fries were excellent also.
At $ 29 a pop, it’s not a cheap lobster roll, but it’s honestly worth it. It was amazing.

You will find the BEST lobster roll here! It is well worth every penny. The roll is filled with a pound of thick juicy lobster with their signature sauce and a side of fries. I can’t wait to come back here for vacation so I can enjoy the best lobster roll around!

Lots of delicious cocktails and great selection of beers. Oysters abundant too. They say they are known for their chowder and I agree it was fabulous, lots of clams in it. I especially enjoyed the consistency of the soup base as it wasn’t super thick and gluey but rather light but still creamy. I could this being a a great happy hour into the late evening spot too.

We ordered the risotto balls, asparagus, and tuna. All were tops, delicious. Risotto was crispy and salty, just like I like ‘em. Asparagus came with tomatoes, feta, flatbread, salty and delicious. The tuna was fresh and flavorful.
The guys at the bar were super friendly and personable.
Again, pricey, but you know that going in. If you’re looking for food quality and taste, look no further.

Very nice place close to the ferry port. You can eat outside in a high bar style or cool down inside in a dimmed area. I had the lobster roll. Very good not salty or overly buttered. French fries that came with it were fresh— but they made the mistake of topping it with too much salt. The clam chowder was awesome and had generous amount of clams. The drinks were good.

Chowder was definitely excellent! I would return for the chowder alone. Service was great. We sat outside and enjoyed watching people go by, admiring some of the amazing cars that cruise this street and the sunshine. I also had the warm lobster roll, which is a hot lobster sandwich, not a lobster roll (lobster rolls are cold with mayo on a buttered toasted roll). I know opinions differ on that topic but a lobster roll is cold with mayo. A «lobster salad roll» must come from New York where they also think clam chowder has tomatoes in it. Warm lobster is awesome and butter only makes it better but if you put it on any type of bread it’s a hot lobster sandwich. That’s that!
Anyway, about the hot lobster sandwich at MV Choco, it’s very good. Plenty of lobster which tastes fairly fresh, good amount of butter, excellent bun. If you like your lobster served this way then MV Choco is a great stop. I’ll be back.

GREAT FOOD & ambiance but disappointing, SHODDY SERVICE. If I was rating on food alone, it’d be four stars for sure. If rating on service alone, it’d be two.
Food — excellent. Lobster roll (although expensive at $ 26) was very good. Hot, buttery, delicious. Bread was well buttered and toasted. Had a unique flavor — believe they added some lemongrass. Came with fries — pretty good as well. Clam chowder was also good — hearty. My friend’s fried shrimp was fantastic — succulent and perfectly battered and came with an amazing spicy mayo of some sort.
Drinks — my friends enjoyed their cocktails. they had a pretty good beer selection (lots of IPAs) and offered flights x5. Their flight paddle was only made for 4 glasses however so they brought the fifth glass precariously balanced on the handle. Thought this was odd and not particularly smart. And my thoughts were validated when we were leaving and the waitress or bus girl dropped the extra glass on the table and it broke.
Ambiance — nice place with a classy looking bar.
Service — their downfall. We came in and were seated promptly. It was not busy at all. A few minutes passed and no one came by. We saw another group sit down a table away from us and they were immediately approached by a waitress. Still, no one came to us. We looked around, very obviously. We made eye contact with the hostess. Still no one came. An unacceptable amount of time went by before someone actually came to take our order. The waitress was really friendly and I asked her a few questions about the flight and then placed my order. She immediately began to walk away, not asking the two other people at my table what they wanted to drink. WTF? I called her back obviously. We only ordered 3 drinks, one lobster roll, one order of shrimp and one clam chowder. She forgot the clam chowder so that didn’t come out til the end. She was nice so I feel kind of bad saying it but it wasn’t good service.

I can see why they won the chowder award! Yes, it’s New England style but it’s much lighter than others. It’s nice and thick with clams, veggies and just the right spices! Try it! Let me back up! Before the chowder you’ll have toasty warm rolls! Nice touch. The baby arugula salad was fresh, just the right amount of goat cheese and the cranberries were nice and plump! Not your usual craisin.
The lighting is a bit too dark for my taste. Yes, your eyes will adjust but come on! The walls are filled with the appropriate boat art. Service was very accommodating.

We came for the chowder, but discovered their fish and chips to be excellent. I don’t like overly breaded or battered fish and theirs was perfect. Their tartar sauce was really great too. The chowder was pretty good and had lots of clam and potatoes in it. We’ll definitely be back the next time we’re on the island. :)

It was late afternoon, the dining area was very dimly lit with a fire going (even though it was warm outside). We were grabbing a bite before catching our ferry. Our waitress was friendly and informative; service was very good.
My husband loves clam chowder and ordered it almost every meal. MV Chowder House’s version was the Best of the five chowders he had tasted this week. No roux was used so it was thin (unlike the others) but it had the highest ratio of clams to potatoes and the best depth of flavor. The other four chowders were sampled at Quicks Hole Tavern, Seafood Sam’s, The Lobster Pot and Larsen’s Fish Market. Their Sweet Chili Wings were good but a little pricey at $ 12.

This place has the BEST clam chowder I have ever eaten before. It is not as creamy as others, and the soup and chowder ratio is perfect! The fish and chips are even good, perfectly fried, and not too oily in my opinion. Their spicy shrimp skewers also had a lot of spices and flavor in them. Everything we ate was great and I would definitely come again for their chowder!
I would suggest their cocktail called impossible dreams, if you are more into fruity drinks. It was very good and the vodka was masked in the sweetness.
Great service and it seems to have a dark and romantic setting, making a classy restaurant. It is in the perfect location, right next to the Oak Bluff ferry, so it would perfect catching the ferry to get off the island.
Overall, great service, great food, great ambiance, and I would gladly come back again!