The Great Machipongo Clam Shack
| Address: | 6468 Lankford Hwy, Nassawadox, VA 23413, USA |
| Phone: | +1 757-442-3800 |
| Site: | thegreatmachipongoclamshack.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM 9AM–8PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
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Jer W
Dont let the restaurant being in an old McDonalds building fool you! We ate here 3 times while on vacation in the area. Bathrooms were clean, decor/atmosphere of restaurant was great as well, could barely tell it used to be a McDonalds. They offer a variety of alcohol, mostly local microbrews from MD, DE, and VA areas, as well as local wines. They also have a little shop inside the store where you can buy these wines, as well as seafood, hemp products, koozies, shirts, etc. They also have live music occasionally, unfortunately we got there a little to early and the guy was still setting up when we left. Staff/waiters were all very friendly and attentive, not too overbearing, the first server we had, Dexter, was one of the best servers Ive ever had anywhere. Servers kept on top of drink levels. Im not a huge fan of seafood, but they have great seafood, as well as pork bbq. While I was there I had broiled as well as fried scallops, they were real (not skate) and delicious. Baby back ribs and pork bbq had a delicious sweet and smokey sauce on them. Hush puppies were in ball, not pill shape and were great. I tried the Eastern Shore clam chowder which is in a broth instead of a cream/bisque like NE, or tomato base like Manhattan, and it was delicious, a little on the salty side but still good. The clams were fresh, not canned, very salty. Other family members had fried shrimp and crabcakes which were also good. Mac and cheese was homemade and delicious, tasted like my grandmothers recipe. Coleslaw was a little lacking for my tastes. Cheeseburger wasnt anything special. Sweet potatoe fries with cinamon and sugar on them and the organic (white) sweet potato were tasty. Prices werent bad for the the quality of the food.
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Deb Segers
We happened upon this jewel traveling Route 13 from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel on our way to Delaware. So glad we stopped. First, we were in a big class A motorhome, so were happy to see parking for big rigs. The menu had numerous selections of seafood and non-seafood. The fried oysters, seafood platter options (baked or fried), and chowders were great. Loved the scallops. They prepare it fresh so you WILL wait for your order (this is not fast food, but it IS tasty food). In addition to the restaurant, they sell fresh or frozen seafood, local wines, have small sections for gourmet sauces, hemp and CBD oil products, and gifts (tshirts, etc.). Lisa, our server, was helpful in meal selection and with other items we purchased. This was a really great stop! AND, they ship items as well.
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A Private User
Stopped on my way north from Florida to PA over Labor Day weekend. Simply the BEST seafood Ive had in a long time. Service was very hospitable and the meal was served quickly. I had crabcakes and my 8-yr old had butterflied shrimp and flounder. Both were as fresh and delicate as could be. Ive eaten many a crabcake and this was certainly in my top 5. The breading was done with a very light hand in the traditional eastern shore method. The perfect hushpuppies and fresh brewed ice tea were two more jewels in the crown. This is a clam SHACK with the usual silly decor -- so dont expect fine linens and silverware, but its very clean, even the restrooms. Even though this is a four hour drive from my house, Im making a trip back sometime soon just to make sure I wasnt hallucinating!
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Jonesy Connelly
Great cocktails to start the dinner off and the meal was downhill from there. Amazing that in an area surrounded by water the fish & chips is made with a frozen, South African fish. We decided against ordering it, despite the craving for it. Our seafood cakes were full of seafood but they were barely cooked with no beautiful golden color you expect from a fish or crab cake, and almost devoid of seasoning to the point of being very bland. Hush puppies were beautifully fried but the side of fries we requested were straight out of a bag and again, barely cooked. The tuna was nicely done and was rare as requested. Desserts were good. Service was very good. Probably wont be back as the food and atmosphere were nothing special.
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All Aces
Perhaps the best seafood shack on the Eastern Shore. Great selection of seafood, prepared correctly and fairly priced. We had the grilled salmon, a generous portion, grilled perfectly, not overly seasoned like many other seafood places. Great locally sourced baked sweet potato and hush puppies done right. We also had the soft shell crab plate. Four fat soft shell crabs, perfectly cooked, nothing extra, just the crabs. Cole slaw on the side was real southern cole slaw, not that tasteless stuff served at other places. The beer was cold and the wine at the correct temperature. Weve eaten in seafood shacks from Maine to Florida and Machipongo is probably the best. Also, great service.
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Barbara P.L.
Thr atmosphere and staff are great! I love the nights when they have music. They make the best She Crab soup on the Eastern Shore, but you pay a high price for a small amount. When we first moved here 10 years ago, it was our favorite place to eat, the prices were a bit high, but the quality of the food and portions were incredible. They switched chefs a couple years ago and the quality of the food is not as great. Especially their stuffed flounder, which was my favorite. It is small, not cooked well and not worth the price anymore. It is still a fun and nice place to eat, just dont hold your hopes up for the stuffed flounder.
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A Private User
It was a cute place, with the whole band thing going on. My first time was on a Sunday night, and it was pretty packed. I didnt expect my food to come out in a flash. But I ordered a cheeseburger, which took over an hour to get to me. My family got their meals in about an hour, but the cook forgot about my meal. When I finally received my burger, it was burnt. The lettuce was old and soggy, and I just couldnt trust the tomato. The waitress took our cups for a refill, but never came back. My family and I got sick from the clams, and we were just not happy with the place.
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Bryan Kottke
I had the crab cake for my main meal and it was very good. Big size, no filler, and very tasty. The hush puppies and coleslaw that came with were good too. For dessert, I had their homemade lemon meringue pie and it was excellent, glad I got it. The decor was pretty cool, they had lots of witty sayings type things which I found entertaining. I also liked that they had bulk fresh/frozen seafood that you could buy to take home. I really liked stopping here and would recommend it for someone looking for a quick and good meal thats reasonably priced.
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Jeoffry Ross
Was a good bite to eat after a day of sight seeing. I saw the place heading north to my destination and made a mental note that, that was where I was going to stop on my way back south. I was tempted by some other places a bit further north, but Im glad I stopped in. The clams, shrimp and fish was perfectly cooked and tasted excellent. The staff was very friendly and attentive to me. I tried my first soft shell crab, and it was very good. If i am in the area again, Ill be stopping by again. especially for a basket of clams or shrimp.
