The Village Restaurant in Essex, MA has some of the best seafood around. Their baked stuffed haddock is seasoned with their special recipe breadcrumbs and is my favorite entree there. It's impossible not to begin the meal with a plate of their lightly breaded onion rings. I highly recommend the Village Restaurant and encourage you to visit before they close at the end of the summer!
I've eaten at The Village several times and each time the food was delicious. This time I had the lobster roll. It was classic. No "stuff" in the lobster salad. Just lobster and enough mayo to hold it together. It was served in a hot dog roll with a little lettuce in the bottom of it. I am persnickety about my lobster rolls and this one joins the list of great ones.
Absolutely Amazing Dinner Tonight! Everything was 5 � Star! We started by ordering the Tuesday night Special $14.95 Fried Clam Plate for an appetizer. Always Sweet & Tender. Baked Stuffed Lobster was the best we've ever had. A True Classic! Delmonico Steak w/ Balsamic Glaze & Parmesan Butter was awesome. Cajun Salmon was excellent. Desserts were over the top as well. Best Coconut Cream Pie anywhere! We also recommend the molten lava cake...We left very full & very happy. Thank you Village Restaurant Essex �
It was our first trip to the restaurant, but we will return when we come back to the Gloucester area. The meal was wonderfully prepared and was served promptly by our waiter, Luke. He was attentive, courteous and professional. I definitely recommend the Village Restaurant.
This is our "special place" and it has never disappointed. Especially good for seafood, of course, but everything, from appetizers, to drinks, to desserts- if you have room, we frequently take them with us-- is wonderful Very traditional. Decor is also traditional. Comfortable & classy at the same time.
Went at 700 pm on Saturday was seated in five minutes server was awesome (Erin) and food and service excellent, ordered lobster pie with fried clams I was one happy camper!!!!!!! Gail ordered same replaced clams with shrimp another satisfied customer.
Food was superb. Oysters, scallops, lobster, shrimp... all to die for. Clam Chowder was delicious. And the staff and service was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
A treat to eat...batter and chowders...always cooked well and digested well!!
I have gone to The Village since the 60’s. Always delicious. My Dad loved oysters and we would always go when they were available and he would order oyster stew.
Another fantastic meal at the Village Restaurant!! It’s been a few years since we’ve been here I was so pleased to see they still had my favorite, Haddock Luanne so fresh and delicious! Our server was knowledgeable, friendly and very attentive. We sat outside on the patio which was very pleasant and clean. I hope we can make it back there again soon!!!
The best seafood ever! I'm from California and boy do I look forward to eating at the Village every time I hit the East Coast! The lobster is off the chain good the bread always hot Caesar salad cornbread oh my gosh I'm in heaven not to mention the clam chowder the best!
By far the best go to restaurant! I have been going there since i was a wee todler. The clam chowder is incredible and the fried clams are always done to perfection-sweet and beyond yummy! Do yourself a favor and GO!
Friendly staff great food couldn’t have a better experience for Valentine’s Day!
The Village never disappoints. The best fried clams. Period. Small and sweet and perfectly cooked every time. We usually like to get a side of clams, scallops, onion rings and dig in. Cherrystones and oysters are always good. Their non-fried menu is really good too - haddock any way they make it is always good. Service is friendly and attentive. If I want good seafood, I go to the village.
Clams are the best !! Tatar sauce is awesome and service is always great �
Food is great and the staff are wonderful. Never have had an issue with food being not prepared right
Just had an outstanding time at the Village in Essex! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was top-notch. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! I will definitely be returning soon!
Great service, nice fried seafood /coastal restaurant atmosphere, comparable market prices, one menu for lunch and dinner with the same prices. The menu is not as broad as that of the original ownership, but the fried clams, oysters, etc are THE best, and the portions are generous. The specials can vary in quality based on one's tastes. The fish, especially the salmon, is always excellent! I have been going here since the 50s and it will always be my go to seafood restaurant, particularly for the cornbread! Yum!
BEST FRIED CLAMS ANYWHERE! (along with everything else)
Having dined at many of the local restaurants on the north shore (of Boston) this one stands alone with excellent food, drinks, and service. Family run, food is made to order which is fresh and delicious. And if you are looking for fried clams, look no further - full bellies and perfectly crispy (not to excess which you find at many establishments). Moderately priced. Highly recommend!
From beginning to end a great dining experience.
Staff is amazing! Restaurant is clean and spaced out just right.
We ate in the igloo and our waitress Valerie was the Best!
Her helper Abby was so kind making sure everything was down on the table before the food came outside but inside the igloo. The bartender made the perfect bloody Mary that was an appetizer to me!
My baked haddock was perfect along with our other dish we ordered shrimp dinner.
Large shrimp with the tails off, just perfect🍤 The onion rings a must try also perfect!
An all around 10! Can't wait for our return visit 😍
We pulled off looking for a place to eat as we drove through Essex, looked up from our phones and saw this gem sitting in front of us. Straight in, ordered quick, food came fast. We had a large bowl of clam chowder which we shared. Plenty of meat and potatoes along with good flavor. Then we each had the Haddock Sandwich with fries. Very good and fresh! Will return!
Spectacular- been here at least two dozen times - just the best. You kinda like onion rings? Just get them as an appetizer - just do it - a small order is generous - it’ll knock your socks off.
Food is consistently perfect over the years. How do you guys do it? Same head/manager chef over the years?
Consistently spectacular.
Hat tip to this establishment.
Jessie our server was terrific. With her suggestions of food to try and places to go. All of the staff was extremely attentive and helpful. The food is phenomenal. It’s a travesty that they’re closing this place after 75 years. I pray they don’t shut this restaurant down to ruin this special area with a Starbucks or some other corporate greed machine.
9/2/23 Just had a delicious salad and fried clam plate. My husband had a small fish stew and fried clam plate. Everything was very good. I had not been here in over 2 years.
I have been coming here since I was very young. My parents go to restaurant.
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This was my first time at the Village and it certainly won't be my last. We made reservations because it was a Friday night and we didn't want to have to wait.
We were immediately seated and the waitress knew her stuff. We had a list of food we wanted to try and she guided us and told us things like get the small onion ring the large is enormous etc etc. I appreciate stuff like that. I had the french onion soup and my cousin had the clam chowder. We both thought they were the best we've ever had. The onion rings were amazing and not greasy at all. I still have no idea how you can fry something and they didn't have the least bit of grease on them.
For our main course he had a combo of fried clams and scallops and I had the fried lobster. Both were amazing! I am not even a fried clam person and I loved his clams. They live up to the hype! For dessert we both had the avalanche. Made right on the premises with Richardson's ice cream on the top. Yum! I belong to North shore Eats so as a result of me posting on there that day for suggestions on food etc the owner knew I was coming and who I was. The blue hair usually tips people off real quick ha! He pulled out all the stops. I had amazing service throughout our meal and he came out met us and chit chatted for a bit. His brother also brought our tray out for us and met us as well. I have never had such great service before at a restaurant. You can tell they are proud of the food they serve and their reputation is everything to them. As a long time fan of that other seafood place up the street you know the one that the tourists go to I think I have been converted. Thanks Village as Arnold says in the Terminator "I'll be back!"
Took my family here for Mother's Day. I ordered the Grilled Salmon and we shared the Onion Rings, Clam Chowder and Corn Bread.
Food and service were great.
This restaurant is known as an 'old peoples place', and it has not been updated in ages, but I've never eaten here when the food hasn't been excellent. Outstanding fried seafood including clams. Excellent onion rings. Delicious baked fish and seafood casserole with signature crumb topping. My favorite is surf and surf...fried clams with baked haddock. Good dessert menu. Plenty of parking. It may not be hip but its good!
Nice place, food was good. Top knotch Sea food, my girlfriend got fried scallops, they were outstanding, huge plate, well over a dozen of them. Me don't like seafood, so I got chicken parm, no choice of Pasta . Seemed kind of microwave d, I get it, it's a seafood restaurant. Next time I will try the Tips. Waitress was very nice, on the ball, very attentive. The Wedge salad was huge, PLENTY of bacon pieces (delicious), sliced cherry tomatoes, and red onion with blue cheese dressing,not like other places I've tried, very good. The boneles chicken tenders were ample as well. Good deal.
Frederik Ahlefeld-Engel
+5
Very cozy restaurant on the corner in Essex, MA.
We ordered the fried mixed fish platter, lobster rolls, steamed clams and fries + beers and icetea for all 4 and got away with around 80 dollars, so all in all a great deal.
Also beautiful location.
Really enjoyed my lobster. Roll. Outdoor seating area is extremely comfortable. The service was outstanding.
Excellent food and service! One of the best wedge salads I have ever had. Steamers and lobster were perfect and the Mediterranean haddock was delicious.
Packed restaurant with a really good manu. Loved the atmosphere and seating arrangements. It was pouring rain on a Sunday but it was packed to the brim. Gotta have patience to have your meal served.
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