As we move past Memorial Day and look to the summer months, a recent Yankee Magazine "Best Of" list caught our eye. They selected 12 great lobster shacks in New England. In Rhode Island, Aunt Carrie's made the list. We're not really sure what a "lobster shack" is. Okay, we’re being facetious. But we know and love clam shacks. These summer spots are sure-fire family pleasers. As you leave the beach or lake you can feed a hungry, thirsty, sandy brood for a reasonable amount of money in a hurry. It’s always been that way, really – they were built to serve fishermen and their families originally. The humble clam shack has been a Rhode Island tradition since the 1920's. It is an offshoot of originals found in Essex, Mass., Where Lawrence Woodman in 1916 first included clams in batter that he deep-fried for family and friends at his roadside stand. Later, Thomas Soffron of Ipswich, Mass., sold clam strips – or the foot of the clam – exclusively to Howard Johnsons. Rhode Islanders of a certain age remember that chain’s infamous clam rolls. HoJo’s is long gone, so we frequent these favorites all summer long.
Related Slideshow: The Best Clam Shacks in RI—2014
One thing we've learned from compiling this list of clam shacks, in particular, is that this category is more personal than others. Aunt Carrie's is a favorite not just because their chowder is always creamy and chock-fill of tender clams, or because their clam cakes are always perfectly golden (not too brown) and never have that funky, old-oil flavor you can get when the frying oil has been overused. They are a Rhode Island icon that seemingly everyone has a memory from. Tucked into a corner at the end of the stretch of beach that is Scarborough, they consume the intersection with weathered picnic tables and a take-out line that always spills into the parking lot. The vibe here could not get any more beachy -- patrons covered in sand and wrapped in towels pick up their boxes full of clam cakes and lobster rolls (yum!) and fries and chowder while the t-shirt-clad sunburned teens behind the counter happily take orders and call numbers. You want the full-on Rhode Island beach clam shack experience? It's gotta be Aunt Carrie's! 1240 Ocean Rd, 783-7930.
Oh yes! You read that correctly. If you haven't heard, the famed Rocky Point Chowder House has made something of a comeback. In the parking lot of Ann and Hope on Post Road in Warwick (it’s like the ghosts of two former local icons reuniting), a pop-up location has opened serving all of the classic Shore Dinner Hall favorites you remember. As you wait in line, the old Midway announcements from Rocky Point are played over a PA system. If you can forget the location, it's pretty cool. The food is what you remember it as: good, fresh and a lot for your money. It's like tasty, delicious, nostalgia. The Restivo family has conjured up a fun trip down memory lane! 1689 Post Rd. 263-8183.
This selection is the favorite of GoLocal's own Josh Fenton. Our fearless leader kept telling us to try it and when we finally did, we were thrilled. The Island Park location provided the perfect backdrop for some clam shack love. The chowder and clam cakes set the stage for the terrific fried scallops and fish and chips that followed. The seafood was all, as you would expect, very fresh and well prepared. The scallops were sweet and just crispy enough. The fish and chips was worth every penny as the nice portion of fish was light and crispy and the fries were crisp also. We prefer "real" fries as opposed to frozen but the volume most clam shacks do prevents them from doing this. You have to figure if this location has been rebuilt or refurbished four times after hurricanes it has to be good. Park Ave, 847-8141.
This is a childhood love for us. Ever since Grandpa Cervini began taking us for doughboys, we have loved Cap'n Jack's. Many a beach day ended with a quick shower and a trip to East Matunuck for fish and chips and chowder and clam cakes. Jack's is quite an operation. During the summer it features two full dining rooms, two full kitchens and a take-out area. They'll all be humming on most days during the summer. We also love the homemade desserts, a holdover of the owner's dad who was a wizard at pastry. The Turnovers are enough to share--with the whole car! 706 Succotash Rd. 789-4556.
Situated right on Bristol Harbor, Quito's is the perfect place to spend a summer afternoon. We know that they have a dining room, but we always go for the take out. We love to sit on the benches along the seawall and enjoy some chowder and clam cakes with out our puppies in tow. Quito's does just about everything reliably well. Check out the New England clam chowder and the clam cakes when you visit. The cakes are the perfect texture to dunk in the rich chowder. Sure, oyster crackers are good too, but why not dunk the cakes? They're excellent. The lobster roll and stuffies are also good choices here. 411 Thames St. 253-4500.
