The best fried clams in Massachusetts are definitely plentiful. We have tons of options to choose from to get our fix of those crispy, juicy, nuggets of deliciousness.
The History Of Fried Clams In Massachusetts
According to Wikipedia, the modern deep-fried, breaded version of fried clams is generally credited to Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman from Essex, Mass. It’s said that he created the first batch on July 3, 1916 at his small restaurant by the road that’s now Woodman’s of Essex. At the time, one of his specialties was potato chips, so he had that big vats to deep fry. For the fried clams, he collected the clams himself from the mud flats of the Essex River, which was close to where he lived.
What Makes Fried Clams Great
This may be controversial, but if your fried clams don’t have bellies, you’re eating fried rubber bands. Argue with the wall. This is a pro-bellies post. “Clam strips” will not be part of this discussion. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk actual delicious fried clams.
This may be my opinion, but I think we can all agree that the best fried clams are crispy without being overdone. They’re delicious but let the clam flavor shine through. And the #1 reason why you need bellies, they have to be juicy. For me, the bigger the belly, the better. If they don’t have all three, they’re not on the list.
How We Picked The Best Fried Clams In Massachusetts
What better way to find the best fried clams in Massachusetts than to ask for recommendations. So we polled our Facebook friends to find out where their go-to spot is for their summer fix. Safe to say, people are very serious about their fried clams, and came out strong in defense of their favorites. The following list is a small representation of the responses we received. Each of these selections got multiple votes. Here are our picks for the best fried clams in Massachusetts.