Seven Essex Massachusetts seafood restaurants: an embarrassment of riches, Part 1

If you know anything about the North Shore of Boston, you know fresh seafood is plentiful. If you know Essex, you know that many seafood restaurants line Route 133.

We’ll start out on Rt. 133 east of town, with four well-established eateries. So here goes!

Woodman’s – $$

Woodman’s is the granddaddy of Essex restaurants. The ‘inventor of the fried clam’ is now over a hundred years old and as popular as ever. This in-the-rough institution attracts crowds all summer long. The waiting line can stretch outside on a weekend. The counter service is quick and efficient, however, and it’s obvious that a lot of people find it worth the wait!

Part of the enduring charm of Woodman’s is that it has stuck with what works for the restaurant and its patrons: good food served in a no-nonsense setting. To better serve their customers, Woodman’s added a walk-up bar a while back, and there’s the Top Deck Raw Bar out back, which includes a full bar and frozen drinks. But the main reason people return again and again is to savor Woodman’s award-winning classic clam chowder, fried seafood and fresh boiled lobsters, cooked out in the open and piled high on a table in front of the restaurant.

A fun fact about Woodman’s: The movies The Crucible, The Proposal, Love Letters, Grown Ups, The Devil You Know and Manchester by the Sea all have scenes filmed at Woodman’s.

J. T. Farnhams – $

Want to start an argument? Ask a local whether Woodman’s or J. T. Farnhams has better fried food. Located just down the highway from each other, these two Essex institutions maintain a friendly rivalry. Both in-the-rough casual spots boast beautiful marsh views, both offer counter-ordering and both feature hot and tasty seafood standards.

The cash-only establishment has a few counter stools, a dozen tables and picnic tables outside. We like pretty much all their fried seafood offerings here: clams, scallops, shrimp, oyster, and haddock in boats, on plates of in boxes. Their seafood chowder has won “Best” awards from Phantom Gourmet and Yankee Magazine and J. T. Farnhams was featured on the TV show Diners and Dives. Just as impressive is the view from the back of the restaurant overlooking the marsh.

A fun fact about J.T. Farnhams: Just behind the restaurant is what might be the most-painted scene in Essex, “House on the Marsh”.

Blue Marlin Grille – $$$

The Blue Marlin Grille, with a 20 years history of pleasing North Shore diners, is a popular destination located in the South Village Center mall near Farnhams. It’s located in a casual, multi-level space, with a spacious bar. Service is friendly and unpretentious.

The restaurant gets high marks for clam chowder, winning the coveted Essex Chowder Fest competition, and its creative approaches to old standbys. Portuguese Bouillabaisse, Blue Marlin Haddock, fried offerings and the Lobster Clam Bake are menu standouts.

The Blue Marlin Grille is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. A head’s up: reservations are available only for groups of 7 or more, but call-ahead seating is recommended for smaller groups.

A fun fact about the Blue Marlin Grille: Its owner, Corey Matthews, described the Blue Marlin as “the Cheers of Essex”.

Essex Seafood – $

Continue east on Route 133 and you’ll come across Essex Seafood on your right. Don’t let this modest establishment fool you: this is seriously good seafood. The owners maintain an in-the-rough vibe and it includes a small retail fish market. The staff is helpful and friendly and prices are reasonable.

You really can’t go far wrong here. The menu leans heavily towards fried seafood, which is always served with a light touch and never over-fried. High marks go to the clams, haddock and onion rings. Fans of classic clam chowder will be pleased with Essex Seafood’s light and tasty chowder, too.

You didn’t hear it here, but a nice plus is that you can bring in a small cooler with some personal beverages if you don’t flaunt it.

A fun fact about Essex Seafood: It burned down in 2020, but you can’t keep a good restaurant down: it happily reopened its nicely renovated dining room in 2022.

A quick note: Since August, 2023, Essex has lost three fine seafood restaurants: The Windward Grille, Ripple on the Water and the Village Restaurant. Reasons for their closings vary, but all are remembered fondly by the locals who loved them.