Clam Castle

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1324 Boston Post Rd
Madison, CT 06443

Phone: (203) 245-4911

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Neighborhood: Madison

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  3.6 stars - Based on 27 votes

#2 out of 63 restaurants in Madison

#1 of 6 Seafood in Madison

5 star				7 votes	26%
4 star				12 votes	44%
3 star				2 votes	7%
2 star				3 votes	11%
1 star				3 votes	11%

Top Reviews of Clam Castle

06/14/2023 - GR
This place has been a great go to place for decades. Not anymore.
We t there a couple weeks ago and the service and food were just not good, and prices have soared. Tacos 8 bucks EACH. Seafood platter $49. Forty minute wait to get cold food. Small portions. Onion rings literally dripping in oil. New owners have killed this place. That 4.3 out of 5 rating is based on reviews from years past. Look at reviews from this year. People are not happy with this place. Not surprising considering the owner opened up a taco joint in Wallingford that closed in just a few months. The Clam Castle has been a great place to go for decades...until this year.

06/06/2023 - Wayne Johnson
I have been going to Donahue's Clam Castle for years now. It isn't owned by the same man anymore though. The new food is just HORRIBLE! The three of us ordered the very popular and excellent Golden Fried Seafood Combo. The name of that item has been changed. We thought well, okay, as long as it was the same.

It was not.

Then, we noticed the price has jumped by $19.00!!! Originally, the meal was $25.00 and that price jumped to $30.00 during the pandemic. We all understood and willingly paid it because the food was so good. So, we reluctantly paid the new price of $49.00 (almost DOUBLE from what we paid 3 years ago) and waited for our food to be brought out to the car. The new, young owner came to the car and apologized for any confusion.

We usually bring the food to the nearby beach and eat it while looking out over Long Island Sound.

We all opened our containers and just stared at the food, hoping it was at least as good as it was before. IT WAS NOT!

The onions rings were overly oily and terribly greasy and were placed on the French fries that not only smaller than they used to be but, there weren't very many of them and what there was were oily and greasy.

Everything that made the original meal so good was gone. The scallops were tiny. The used to be huge and excellent.

The original French fries were coated with the best coating in Connecticut ---- hands down! The same excellent coating was used on the clams, scallops, and shrimp. The fries used to be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The way fries are supposed to be. THEY WERE EXCELLENT!

The clams used to be big, expertly coated and cooked, and were delicious. The new ones are small and terribly greasy. The new coating is horrible. The only part of the meal that seemed to be the same is the piece of cod fish but, even that has changed. When we cut into it, we all noticed that the meat was strangely falling apart into dicey pieces that were hard to eat.

I think that the new owner who bought the place thought he could just cheapen the menu, raise the prices and, no one would notice or care ---- thinking that he would become rich overnight.

Well, I've got news for him. Most of Donahue's clientele are return customers. Most ate there because the food was the best and was reasonably priced. In the Summer, sometimes people waited two hours for their food because the food was worth it. No one complained.

All of that will change. I predict that unless the original menu is returned and the prices lowered, the restaurant will go out of business within 5 years.

What a shame. One of the best shoreline seafood restaurants went from being number one to being in last place for quality and pricing.

Not only will we not be returning but, my company won't be returning and won't be going there next month to celebrate a family member's birthday as had been planned.

The new owner managed to lose three loyal customers and 4 potential new customers after being in business for just two days. Good job!

04/25/2023 - MenuPix User
Went there 3 days ago and the great food and fast service was not in evidence at all! New owner. 40 minutes to wait for cold food. Waayy overpriced. The Clam Castle I've been going to for decades is apparently dead. Looks like they are leaning toward a Mexican add on theme but the tacos cost 8 bucks a piece for dry unseasoned chicken, and some lettuce and tomato. Sauce, sour cream and other add ons were extra. EXTRA on an already overpriced taco. Servers had no idea who the food belonged to. No one wiped down the outdoor tables between customers. When I was told I would have to wait another 30 minutes so my food would be hot that was it for me. I threw out 60 bucks worth of food for two (had trouble getting it into the trash bins as no one was bothering to empty those either.)
At least the seagulls were eating good. Won't be back. Good luck.

12/26/2014 - Karen
I went to Clam castle because I had a bad experience at Lenny&Joe's last summer. This was 10 times worse. I ordered the broiled combo platter which was over $18 with tax. It should have been called the large french fry platter. The scallops were so fishy tasting, the shrimp were shrimps and the cod was disgusting and wet. I only wish that I had the nerve to tell them what I thought when I was there,but I was the only one in the restaurant at the time. That should send up a red flag right there. Sorry but I WON'T be back.

07/20/2014 - Sal
We read an article about clam castle re opening we were excited,what a let down.After ordering we were told it would be a 20min wait,90min later we get or Grub.My son had fried shrimp,six medium size shrimp that were raw inside,my wife ordered a cheeseburger wit fries,Mc D's has a better burger,I chose the fish and chips comes with fries I wanted onion rings they call them onion strings and charge you two dollar extra.They were a small greasy shredded onion pile yuk.the fish (cod). Would have been okay except for it being uncooked in the middle. Hope they get it together,I personally will not be back!! Good luck

07/19/2014 - Lorena Parr
First of all, we looked for a bathroom to wash up in after our long ride and discovered it to be outside and around the entire building. It was so small and hot in there and there were no paper towels. When we ordered our food, we discovered it was cafeteria style but the girls still looked for tips even though they just bring the food to your table (if you're lucky). The fried seafood platters were mainly 12 pieces of seafood and a ton of French fries! You definitely get more for your money at Lenny & Joes. A bottle of soda is $2.25 and we had to ASK for a cup, ice and straw. The bill for 2 was $37. Do yourself a favor. Go to the Lobster Shack at the end of Grove Street in Clinton. For $37, 2 people can have the BEST lobster roll in CT, a bag of chips, soda or lemonade and a great view of LI Sound. And the ambiance and friendly crew can't be beat!