Dropped into the Clam Tavern to see what all the scuttlebutt was about. I was in search of the best fried shrimp in town; may have found them. They are huge and great here. 6 shrimp were so big I actually couldn’t finish. They are a steal at $13.95. They came with a side of fresh horse radish, as did the clams on the half shell on my first trip; my server said this was the standard here! This allowed me to adjust my cocktail sauce to suit my taste. I thought it was an awesome idea, but on the second and third trips, much to my surprise, they didn’t do it; in fact, I did not get lemon or cocktail forks. One time you get one thing, the next time you don’t, but the inconsistency mostly ends with the presentation and the seafood is always stellar and fairly priced.

The first two trips, the middle neck clams on the half shell were the absolute best in Delaware County, bar none. They couldn’t be beat anywhere else unless you pulled them out of the sea yourself; magnificent, and that comes from the old raw bar chef himself. However, the third trip, they served little necks, no horseradish, and I was surely disappointed.
The Clam Casinos were moist, very moist, like stuffed clams with quite a bit of breading. They were not served with lemon, butter, or any sauce on either occasion that I tried them. My wife loved them; I thought they were pretty good, but would have preferred them browned off on the top to add texture and flavor instead of just heated. Melted butter could make them fantastic, but they are not served with anything but kale, sometimes not even a cocktail fork.
My wife and I sampled pan-seared salmon one occasion, blackened Mahi-Mahi on the second, and both were as fresh as a daisy, cooked by real pros. Very, very nice for $15.95 each. Mine came with Pasta Aglio that was not drained properly and the sauce was like dishwater with no flavor whatsoever. Do not order Pasta Aglio.

Crab balls were four ping pong sized, bread filled pieces, tasty and well seasoned, but to my surprise, on our next trip, I ordered the Crab Imperial dinner and it was a large ball of what appeared to be the same dry crab ball mix lumped on one side of a scallop dish with raw Japanese Panko bread crumbs sprinkled on top. (Very odd, like an after thought) Just get the crab balls and save ten bucks. We were told on our third trip, soup or salad can be had for 50 cents extra with dinner. I wish I had known the first two times, but no one told us. The salads are very fresh and excellent for a little extra.
We tried the seafood bisque and it rivals the awesome taste and quality of those served in the best French restaurants, except for the tiny balls of uncooked flour, like tapioca throughout the whole soup. Still, it was exceptional and most non-chefs would assume they were bits of seafood. It’s a home run!
On later trips, we sampled a special filet with jumbo lump crab meat which came in a Madera wine sauce that tasted nice but had not been reduced to proper consistency. The sauce was thin and watery. If corrected, it’s a 5-star dish.

Then we tried blackened tuna that was served, believe it or not, without the vegetables. The tuna was great, the vegetables were missing. So…

Expect this at the Clam Tavern:
To be conflicted like when your teenage child, whom you love dearly, fails to do their chores correctly, or at all. I thought long and hard on how to express my feelings after four trips there because I received such mixed messages at the table. As an ex-seafood chef myself, I want to love The Clam Tavern; it has the freshest, best seafood since Bobby’s Seafood Restaurant closed years ago. The owner, Tony, purchases first class product. There should be a line around the block to get in, but there isn’t. The first time we went, mostly everything was fantastic; the other three times, some things were off.

You fall in love with the food, but next time it’s different. Expect pot luck and inconsistency, but first class, excellent, fresh seafood, all prepared to perfection most of the time for very reasonable prices. Stay with basic seafood offerings and avoid sophisticated sauces and dishes and you will be thrilled. Ask for what you need; the friendly service will get anything you desire. Go there for clams on the half shell (if they have midnecks), jumbo fried shrimp, fried calamari, homemade fried mozzarella (which is to die for), awesome fin fish, and superb seafood bisque, but prepare to be surprised.

The Original Clam Tavern is open 7 days for dinner. Directions and reservations can be made at 610-623-9537.