The reviews of this place must be padded by friends. First thing the guy who seated my wife and I asked was "So, did the reviews of Yelp get you here...?"
The restaurant is located in a strip mall - I care about food not the location but I don't think the prices were in line with the location.
I had six steamed little necks which were a joke for the $6.95 price - they were not tasty and redefined small - they should have been called puny-necks. Honestly, I stabbed all six with one fork and swallowed the small bite.
The Clam Chowder was good but Red Lobster's is better. My wife's salad was just ok.
How was the bread? There was none - not even a basket of crackers.
We both had Halibut - broiled for me and blackened for my wife. Both were $18 and came with a choice of soup or salad and a starch OR vegetable.
Both were ok - don't know where the rave reviews are coming  from - everything was just OK and considering the prices and strip mall pizza parlor decor - I think better options are available.
I'm not trying to diss this place - three stars is average and, in my opinion, that's a pretty good review for our experience.
Don't pass up this seafood place. I got there just before six and was able to get their early special 11.99. Â Includes a cup of soup or salad, entree and a side. Â The broiled haddock was great. Â Fresh and well prepared. The chowder was good, not the best I have had, but good. Â Small location, but I was told they are moving a few doors down and tripling their size. Based on other plates I saw, the other dishes were well prepared also. Â A lot of family working there and treated customers like friends. Give it a try.
Review Source:A great locally owned restaurant. Â We had haddock and it was excellent. The place is really small and intimate. Â We sat at the bar and felt like we were having dinner with the Thomas (owners) family. Â Great service and reasonable prices for the quality. Â Will go back to try some other items on the menu.
Review Source:Been down at our FL home for past 10 days. Â Went to Clam Bake twice and did carry out twice. Â Lobster bisque is very good and the lobster roll is #1. Â Seafood gumbo hits the spot especially if you add some tabasco...it is chunkful of seafood and is more like a stew than a gumbo. Â Fresh grouper the one night was outstanding. Â This is not your typical FL fish house but more of a New England feel based upon the fish selection. Â They hare moving from the current 50 seat space to 150 seat store just a couple doors down in the strip mall. Â Take reservations and hi season on the weekends take advantage of it!!! Â Owners are great and make you feel welcome and happy to see you. Â Servers are A++. Â Will go back to Clam Bake on our next return trip in a few months.
Review Source:Pleasant, down home and reliable choice for a piece of New England. Service is quite attentive and the prices are quite fair, especially the early bird specials. I could have done without hearing "you guys" and "guys" as the preferred staff form of addressing customers. I sat at the counter, which is fine for single customers and a great place to watch the cooks. The chowder that came with my meal was a disappointment. It's called clam chowder and it's a poor imitation. My cup had a few tiny pieces of potato and a few even tinier bits of clam, Â At least, I think it was clam. I could not taste it. Broiled scallops were much better and the cole slaw was perfect. A side of lima beans for $1.50 was a good choice. The white wine by the glass was a bargain, too!
Review Source:The Clam Bake is one of those types of restaurants you could easily ignore. Â It's buried in the middle of a quiet strip mall, just on the side of a busy highway. Â There are no neon signs, statues of liberties dancing, or same form-built building that looks just all the other chains.
It's worth finding, though because if you're looking for some amazing seafood and a nice bowl of clam chowdah, this is the place for you.
No, I didn't spell chowdah wrong. Â That's how it is said here, and that's how it must be typed for full understanding. Â It even comes complete with the Boston accent and Red Sox memorabilia on the wall. Â It's some fine chowdah too.
Want some fresh lobster? Â They'll make you fresh lobster. Â They'll even put it in a salad or a roll. Â And no matter how you want your lobster, it turns out pretty darn good. Â
The service is fantastic. Â The atmosphere is great. Â There's a sticker on the door that even says "People on Yelp love us!" Â And I definitely do. Â All in all, an outstanding find in this city. Â Just look for the place that doesn't have someone dancing in front of it.
What a great meal. We went for the early bird Special and all if us had scallops. They were delicious and perfectly done. The portions were small but the waitresses were upfront about thAt before we ordered. The coleslaw was also great. Will definitely go back to try other things on the menu.
Review Source:While on my first ever vacation in Fort Myers, I made it a point to find some of the best and freshest seafood I could find. I found Clam Bake via Yelp and could not be more pleased. If you're looking for an upscale place to eat, this is not the place. If you are looking for VERY good food and friendly service that is nothing short of fantastic, make your way to Clam Bake. I had a bowl of chowder to start. It tasted great. My only complaint would be that it was very, very hot. I also tried the fried gulf shiimp and they were awesome! For my main course I enjoyed the daily special grouper. I had it broiled with red potatos. The fish was perfectly cooked and tasted devine. The potatos were very good as well and complimented the fish nicely.
I will be sure to stop back the next time I'm in Florida. Make sure you mark it
"can't miss".
Loved this place! It's located in a strip mall and almost has a bar feel to it. Â Everyone was really friendly and gave us tips on what to order. Â We started with the lobster bisque per yelp recs and it was delicious as promised. Â The lobster roll was amazing! Even the kids grilled cheese was done really well!
Review Source:I don't get it. Four and half stars? Captain D's must be Five star. We had the steamers to start - shells were broke, smelled old, tasted old. Wife had the fried clams, not much better. I had crab cakes - dry, overcooked. My kids had burgers - dry, overcooked. Yelpers, you let me down this time.
Review Source:Lobster rolls and stella on tap. Â You really can't beat the homey vibe, even if you aren't from Boston (owners are from New England area). Â The food is outstanding. Â I must try the Clam Bake. Â It sounds amazing. Â Everything is hot and fresh. Â
I would definitely recommend this Estero, Florida Gem.
This was one of the first places we tried while visiting the in-laws after they moved to Florida. Â The place is completely charming! Â Kind of out of the way, in a strange location, but totally worth seeking out. Â The staff couldn't be nicer, and the food is great. Â Lobster bisque is rich and delicious, and don't miss the fried clams and shrimp. Â But the reason to go is the whole experience- the people are so kind and you feel like you're having lunch at a friend's house. Â Clam Bake is now a "must go" place for us whenever we're in Florida.
Review Source:Found this place through Yelp. Ate here last night with family. We really felt like we were up North including the accents, lol! Â It's in a strip mall and closes early, 8pm, so get there early.
I ordered the Ipswich clams for the first time with the garlic fried potatoes. Also other entrees were grilled scallops, the broiled trio & their chowder. The Ipswich clams (whole clams with bellies) were good except for some tasted like poop, so I got what I ordered...poop belly clams! New England chowder was okay, had minuscule amount of clams with small diced potatoes & came slightly pick color. Broiled entrees are not their specialty! They were overdone with little seasoning.
If you are from up North & homesick, you will love this place. I would just order the fried entrees which were good. All in all, it was good for a strip mall restaurant. I would go back when I crave a taste for a northern clam shack!
I must say...it was so great having a little bit of New England in Florida. Â Florida boasts great seafood, but New England has it's classics that will knock you out. Â And the service is top-notch. Â Sure you have to step over oxygen tanks and wheelchairs to grab a seat, but that's Florida. Â My lobster roll was great, but my clam chowder....thankfully I was sitting down. Â I haven't had chowder that good in a long time, and I was just in Maine! Â Definitely a great spot for some traditional New England fare.
Review Source:Our group tried just about everything on the menu.  Must try's include clam chowda and  lobsta bisk to start.  Also had NE steamas, wicked yummy!! Got the lobsta, scallops, shrimp, and whole belly clams.  Shrimp have been consistent and larger than other places in town, tails removed so no work.  Owners are wicked nice and I highly recommend you try Crab Shack! NE  Seafood is the best!
Review Source:My parents (retired to Ft. Myers Beach from Boston area 20 yrs ago) were SO happy when this restaurant opened 10 yrs ago.....I heard about it for years! Â Finally someplace for Dad to get REAL fried clams with bellies, lol. Â My wonderful Dad is gone now, but my brother continues to bring my Mom at least once a week for the best fried Haddock and homemade cole slaw around, and they are all so sweet to her because she has dementia. Â Oh Mom absolutely LOVES their Key Lime Pie too, which I had a small bite of (forced on me) and I was surprised how thick and creamy and incredibly limey it was. Â We went in the mid afternoon so it was a quiet time and got excellent service, which my brother says he always gets with them too.
I'm on vacation and brought her today, and although sadly I don't like seafood, I had a great Bacon Cheeseburger and wicked awesome homemade french fries. Â It was kind of funny and disconcerting to be in a Boston Sports Bar decorated place in Florida, but so much fun! Â Also, it sounds like they're hoping to move into an expanded place in the same mall, establishing them as a bigger player in the local restaurant scene. Â GO CLAM BAKE! YOU ROCK! :)
This place is freakin' awesome! Â
I felt like I was at a seafood shack in New England enjoying all the tasty goodness. Â Hubby had the piss clams and loved them! Â I had the haddock & chips and clam chowder. Â Delicious!
Service was very attentive. Â We arrived during the dinner specials before 6 pm so the place was packed. Â They still took our order and brought it out wicked fast.
Will definitely come back when I am in the area.
This was actually our second visit to this little storefront in a once very busy strip mall. I was actually wondering who would survive the absence of Publix and Walgreens but we don' t have to worry about the life expectancy of The Clam Bake. It has that home town feel that most of south Florida lacks because of the invasion of the chain restaurants & the transient nature of the patrons here. If you want something besides "grouper" when you head out to eat this is a great place to visit. The first visit  was a yummy one with the treat of lightly battered Haddock sandwiches and cold beers. This time around we were more adventurous with the "Lazy Man's Lobster" special for me and the combo of fried shrimp and haddock for my hubby.  The only reason I didn't give that fifth star was because, I would have liked to see something besides potatoes in the clam chowda...the broth flavor & texture was great but I was hard pressed to find my fair share of clams. I was, however, rewarded by my yummy, no work involved lobster dish that I begrudgingly shared with my hubby for a few bites of his delicious Haddock & Fried Shrimp. I also enjoyed my side of Grilled Garlic potatoes because they left the skins on and they were perfectly cooked. Our server, Cathy, was spot on and sealed the deal on a return visit from yours truly the next time I want a touch of the Northeast on my tongue.
Review Source:Great seafood and beer. Usually crowded, but that is because it is good. We had broiled seafood plate and clam bake on two occasions. Clam bake requires prior ordering since it takes time to prepare. Having had delicious clam bakes inNE and LI, this was disappointing but OK. If you like good beer, try their Clam Bake ale!
Review Source:As a person who doesn't even really like lobster *gasp* i know! The lobster bisque served here is incredible! I could seriously eat it every day for the rest of my life! I ate here a few times while I was visiting Ft. Myers and it was never anything less than incredible! I also had a Sol Sandwich and the fried clams. Definitely eat here if you get the chance
Review Source:Yelpers! Thanks for your reviews this place rocked! Â It's family owned and everyone is super nice! Â
Food: Â Be sure to order the clams( fried of course) the stuffed clam, halibut(stuffed), Â and the baked seafood platter! Â I also had the poor mans lobster. Â
Definitely a must in Ft. Meyers!
We decided to check this place out with all the great reviews. We were warmly greeted and seated. It's a small little place in a strip mall, so there aren't a huge amount of tables. There were a lot of Boston-related decor on the walls, but it turns out that the owner is from RI instead.
I ordered an iced tea, but received something akin to slightly amber tinted water. Our server apologized and took the tea off the bill. I went with the New England clam chowder, while my husband went with the lobster bisque. He loved his bisque, while I was very happy with my chowder. Then we received our dinners. I got the broiled sea scallops and Boston baked beans. My husband ordered the crab cakes and grilled garlic potatoes. I have to say that the scallops were PHENOMENAL. Absolutely delicious. The baked beans were just OK. My husband raved about his crab cakes and his potatoes.
Service was OK. It wasn't as slow as some complained, but we weren't seated during a huge crowd. It was after the dinner rush, around 7:30 pm or so. Later I checked the website and realized that they have daily specials for a lower price between the hours of 11:30 am and 6 pm, so that's probably why they are so busy before 6pm. If you want to experience the restaurant without the mad rush, come after 6pm but you will be paying the full menu price. We requested that our bill be split so that my husband could reimburse his portion for work expenses, but somehow our server charged his credit card twice instead of charging mine. Hopefully, the credit card company doesn't deny the second charge because we happened to end up with the exact same tab.
A small, family-run operation which serves up some excellent seafood. Â Fresh, top-quality ingredients. Â There's no one thing I would recommend, everything is good here. Â On my first visit here, I had the lobster roll...outstanding! Â Fresh, huge chunks of lobster smothered in a creamy sauce served in a soft roll...highly recommended! Â There's different types of fresh fish varying on a daily basis on their specials menu. Â Nice bar, a couple of TV's to watch the game on. Â It's abundantly clear from the decor that the owners have ties to the New England area...lots of Red Sox and Patriots gear hanging on the walls. Â Service is friendly and professional. Â It's kind of hidden away in a strip mall, so when you pull into the parking lot, keep an eye out for it, or you might pass it by.
Review Source:Too many 5 star fans. This is not 5 star. The food is solid/ good, but....The lobster roll is far from the best I have had on Cape Cod, good but not great. The New England clam chowder is more bisque like and not as generous with the clams and potatoes, again good not great. My wife did the broiled seafood platter... good not great. What was great was the staff, friendly, warm, like you were family. Skip One less than a 1/4 mile away has better seafood.
Review Source:PRETTY GOOD - 3 1/2 STARS
Based on the stellar reviews, I've been eager to try this place. I was having my car fixed across the street, so I popped in here for lunch on a Monday. They say never order seafood on a Monday, but of course I did.
I absolutely love lobster rolls, so I had one. It was fairly good, but far from the best. Perhaps it is the best available in Florida.
In my opinion, in a good lobster roll the meat should be in largish chunks and firm. In the one I had here, the meat was in quite small pieces and soft, not mushy or mealy, but heading in that direction.
The ambiance is that of a friendly, upscale diner and the servers are very pleasant & nice. Faux News was on the TV.
So there you are...
Stopped by on Friday afternoon. Not expecting much from the outside of the building, but we were pleasantly surprised that we stopped in! we had the chowder and a fried seafood platter. Just like on Cape Cod! The owners are from Rhode Island and treat everyone that comes in like family. Great New England seafood at a great price. We'll definitely stop again!
Review Source:We found this little gem on Yelp after getting a hankering for seafood tonight. Â It was just what we were looking for: a local mom-and-pop joint with good seafood. Â No froufrou stuff here. Â Just great New England style seafood. Â We were warmly greeted by the owners and seated ourselves in this comfortable, kitschy dining room dotted by New England paraphernalia. Â Despite the fact that there is a large-screen TV and we got the last of about 20 or so tables (a booth, actually), the place wasn't noisy at all.
We started with drinks, my wife with the obligatory diet soda and me with a boutique brew from the tap - Magic Hat #9....very nice. Â For an appetizer, we ordered a pound of New England Steamers, which of course came with bowls of clam nectar and melted butter. Â They came on a plate along with a plastic food service bucket for the shells and a roll of paper towels. Â I haven't had these since I was in New England a couple of years ago, and they were wonderful! Â Just a word for the uninitiated...you have to peel the skin off the foot and wash it in the nectar to get the grit off. Â My wife, who never had these before in here life absolutely loved them too.
For our dinner platters, my wife ordered the New England Clam Chowder and I had the salad with Italian dressing. Â The salad was what you would expect, but the "chowduh"....well all I can say is WOW!! Â I have never tasted New England Clam Chowder that was this rich and tasty in my life. Â It's not the milk-thickened-with-corn-starch stuff you see in most other places. Â If you go here, you MUST try the chowder.
For the main course, I had the broiled seafood platter with baked beans on the side, while my wife had the fried seafood platter with her choice of shrimp, scallops, and haddock with corn-on-the cob for a side dish. Â The side dishes were OK. Â I think the baked beans may have been the commercial type and the corn-on-the-cob tasted soft and juicy (translated to probably frozen - not a criticism, but if you ask for this out of season, you get frozen). Â But that's not why you come here. Â It was the main courses that stole the show.
The broiled seafood dinner is not what you expect with pieces of seafood lopped on a plate and put under a broiler. Â This little masterpiece was some haddock, shrimps, scallops, and crab meat stuffing arranged in one of those round aluminum baking dishes with butter and some other ingredients and broiled into one deliciously melded dish. Â I have to say I personally have never been a fan of fried seafood. Â My opinion was that frying perfectly good seafood was blasphemy. Â Until yesterday, that is! Â My wife's fried seafood platter was divine. Â The batter coating was very light and the pieces did not have that greasy, overdone oily flavor prevalent in fried seafood everywhere. Â The pieces were cooked moist to perfection, and weren't rubbery or chewy. Â When my wife asked the owner how they did it, we were told the key is in the batter and the fact that they change the frying oil every day. Â Ah-ha!
For desert we shared a piece of Boston Cream pie, and we were both stuffed. Â Next time, we are going to order the Clam Bake. Â Basically a traditional clam bake style dinner in a large pot with lobster, clams, potatoes, sausage, corn, etc.... Â The owner suggested ordering it an hour ahead of time so it comes out about when we arrive. Â He also suggested to make it a dinner-for-two to just add an extra lobster, and the rest will be plenty for two. Â I can't wait!!
In summary, this is a restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere, very friendly and helpful staff, good beer, excellent food, and a nice place to have come on a Friday night after a really long week. Â They are open for lunch with different platter specials and weeknights until 8:00 (8:30 in Friday and Saturday nights), so get there early enough! Â 5 Stars!!
This place serves the best lobster bisque that I've ever had. It is almost unfair to call it lobster bisque, as it puts it within a category containing many inferior nonsolid foodstuffs. Here's my theory - Clam Bake only uses a rare breed of lobster for the bisque - This lobster only exists in Ft. Myers and it only eats butter. It is the only lobster breed known to utilize human currency to purchase butter in the supermarket. Where it gets the human currency and how it learned this skill is still being studied.
The lobster roll is very good. There's a lot of focus on the freshness of the lobster. It is simple and delicious.
Honorable mentions:
fried Ipswich clams - pretty damn good. They are fried really well and manage to maintain a good tenderness without being mushy.
The stuffed quahog - A clam, cut up, cooked with peppers, bread crumbs, and some other greatness, then put back in its own shell for consumption. It is great.
The Boston baked beans were OK.
I freaking loved this place. I stuffed myself silly and the bank was far from broken.
The staff is super friendly.
On the action-movie-parallel-satisfaction-scale, this place is Shoot 'Em Up but every character is a lobster and instead of shooting bullets they shoot smaller lobsters that fight each other.
Without question, the BEST New England seafood restaurant in Ft. Myers. Â The steamers were excellent, the quahog was unbelievable and my stuffed haddock (blackened) was as good as I have ever had. Â Most importantly, the owners were as friendly as could be. Â It's small and out of the way, but who cares! Â Try it, I guarantee you will rave about it!
Review Source:A friend who visited recently convinced me that a fish reuben he had at The Clam Bake was worth the short drive from Cape Coral to the strip center in Ft. Myers. Â The thought of fish and kraut didn't sound like a winner, but I'm adventurous and we went after a shopping jaunt at Miramar.
I wasn't expecting much but decided to share a Haddock Reuben and a Lobster Roll. Â It was like the moaning scene in "When Harry Met Sally" when I took the first bite of the Lobster Roll. Â I have traveled through New England and eaten lobster rolls up and down the coast but I don't remember having anything that rivaled the lobster roll we had that day.
OK, I gave my friend credit on the lobster roll...he knew how to pick a winner but would his high marks for the fish reuben give him totally credibility? Â I was bowled over! Â It is hard to describe the flavor sensation of perfectly cooked haddock with kraut and all the other ingredients on a traditional reuben? Â
I was so won over that I have since taken my two sisters back for a visit since I was actually craving the reuben. Â They were speechless as I after bites of the lobster roll and the reuben. Â We also tried the shrimp, clam chowder and lobster bisque. Â These folks know seafood!
This place is a jewel.
Just went back to the Clam bake for the 4th time... I know I keep forgetting to check in..LOL
I love the fried Ipswich Clams. Â If you go there before 6pm they have the $9.95 early bird specials that are well worth the trip. Â Lots of food and the flavor is excellent. Â We took my Sister in Law there for her birthday dinner. Â Lazy Mans Lobster. Â It was excellent. Â The cost is $21.95 but is was fresh lobster meat..
They now have Majic Hat #9 on Tap... and me a Majic Hat go way back.
I love New England Hot dog  buns.  These are the buns that open on top and you can toast on both sides.  Nobody in the south sells these so when I have friends coming down I always ask them to bring me a package.  Well to my suprise, the Clam Bake not only has them for thier sandwiches but they sell them there as well.
Wicked awesome seafood, totally up to New England standards. I had the lobster roll and the whole belly clams....a religious experience. I almost cried. Came back 2 nights later and had the scallops...sweet and perfect. Really good chowder, too.
If you are relying on GPS to find the place, look out. Mine took me across the road and south a block. The Clam Box is in a strip mall but once you're inside it doesn't matter. Order up those magic clams and you'd swear you were on the Cape.
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