Description
Mouthwatering Fried Clams with bellies at Cove Surf and Turf
If you’ve ever dined with us at Cove Surf and Turf, you know that our fried clams dish is one of our best sellers. If you haven’t dined with us yet, then you’re in for a treat. Tender and flavorful on the inside with a crunchy fried coating on the outside, many of our guests can attest to the fact that we have the best fried clams in New England.
Dining With Us
Cove Surf and Turf is currently open for indoor dining, heated outdoor dining by the water, contact-free curbside pickup, and delivery service. Our curbside pickup and delivery services have been more popular than ever while many people aren’t comfortable going out restaurants to dine. We pack all of our fried seafood in biodegradable and compostable sugarcane containers. These help to release moisture while retaining heat and crispiness. That ensures your food arrives as fresh as possible in top-notch condition. And it creates a minimal impact on our precious environment. Read more about our safety guidelines here.
About the Dish
We take our seafood seriously at Cove Surf and Turf, so we only use the best quality clams for our dishes. This is New England, after all! In our Fried Clams dish, we use only premium Maine clams from Ipswich Shellfish. Each clam is dug up by hand in the flats of Maine, then shipped in crates to Ipswich Shellfish. From there, the clams are each hand shucked, packed in gallon containers, and shipped directly to us several times each week.
Unlike typically cheaper, large-bellied fried clams that can be gritty and tough to chew, our clams are considered the best in the world and have small, sweet, tender bellies. We take great pride in our clams and set aside time to thoroughly clean each one, ensuring a delicious and sand-free tasting experience for our guests.
Because we sell such high quantities of this dish we are able to price our clams competitively, despite the high cost of acquisition. After making our Fried Clams in the restaurant so many times, we have made this dish one of our greatest and most beloved specialties.
Our signature Fried Clams Plate is made with a full pint of whole belly fried clams and comes with seasoned French fries, homemade coleslaw, and a side of fresh tartar sauce. We also offer a Pint or Quart of Fried Clams option as an appetizer, for those who want to skip the sides and get straight to the good stuff. Our fried clams with bellies are available for in-house dining, curbside pickup, or delivery to the New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven areas.
History of Fried Clams
Here in New England, we’re famous for our seafood. So, it seems only fitting that the first clam to ever be fried happened to have been fried in this very region. On July 3rd, 1916 in Essex Massachusetts, Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman fried the first clam. Funnily enough, he actually did so as a joke!
A local fisherman had stopped by Woodman’s concession stand and was munching on some of his homemade potato chips. The two were discussing how slow business had been and the fisherman jokingly commented that Woodman should try frying up some of his clams to see if they were anywhere near as tasty as his potato chips. At the time, this was unheard of, so the joke was met with blank and confused stares from other customers.
After the workday was done, the fisherman’s joke was still stuck in Woodman’s mind. That night, he and his wife, Bessie, decided to try it out and see what happened. They shucked their fresh clams, experimented with various homemade batters, and let some of the locals be their official taste-testers. The overall consensus was overwhelmingly positive, so the two went on to serve their fried clams at the local 4th of July Parade and the world of seafood was forever changed.
Since the first clam was tossed into a fryer hundred or so years ago, clam shacks have popped up all over the New England region and fried clams have been featured on menus around the world. To think, such an iconic dish was created right here in our very own backyard!
Conclusion
Born in New England, fried clams have been popular in our region for over a hundred years. As one of our bestselling dishes, it is safe to say that the people of New England won’t be allowing the dish to diminish in popularity any time soon. Our tender, small-bellied clams are packed with flavor and fried to crispy perfection.
You can choose to order our Fried Clams Plate if you want crispy seasoned French fries, homemade coleslaw, and tartar sauce in addition to your fried clams. If you’re just looking for fried clams and don’t need any sides, you can order our Fried Clams App.
Whether you dine with us or at home, your taste buds are guaranteed to be satisfied with this mouthwatering fried clams dish. Pro tip: Buy in bulk for the backyard barbecue of your dreams!
“The whole fried clams were the best I have ever eaten in New England.”
“I knew as soon as I walked in and the aroma of the seafood spoke to my soul, I was in for a treat.”
—Customer Testimonials, Yelp
What do others have to say about our Fried Clams?
Fried Clam Plate – a platter of whole, sweet-belly Ipswich special clams cooked golden in crispy batter.
Order yours…
Posted by Cove Surf and Turf on Sunday, April 5, 2020
Patty (verified owner) –
That fried clam plate was awesome. I have ordered several from cove and have never been disappointed
PeggySue Carvalho –
I’ve had fried clams at many places. I’ve yet to have any better than here at Cove Surf & Turf! Not too big, not too small and fried just right. I have lived near this location for 40 years and in recent years, many names have come and gone. There are always cars here..even with the pandemic. Find out why..you won’t be disappointed!
rladino1 –
Excellent fried clams. As a over of them I have had them many places and the only ones to top the Cove would be The Clam Box in Maine. They are always fried to perfection and so sweet.
krv227 –
perfect every time! clean, no sand or shells. they aren’t too big and aren’t too small, just right! they are fried perfectly. crispy and sweet. highly recommend!
cookie92057 (verified owner) –
Cove’s Fried Clames are the best I ever tasted!
cookie92057 (verified owner) –
Cove’s Clam Cakes are out of this world AWESOME!!
rosemaryannemarie7 –
Great portion always fresh and absolute favorite
vanessarosex0 (verified owner) –
Perfect with sweet potato fries
cookie92057 (verified owner) –
Clam plate is awesome! Love it!
debwatts703 (verified owner) –
These were the sweetest best tasting fried clams I’ve had in a very long time. Can’t wait to have them again!
lindasoares922 –
My go to! Fried clams can sometimes not be the greatest but Cove always gets them right!