Where to snack on the world’s best whole-bellies (and strips, if you must).
Crispy, crunchy, salty fried clams—whole-bellies, of course—are synonymous with New England summer, and there are no better clams than those from the Great Marsh, as we learned while working on our A-to-Z seafood guide for our August 2025 issue. Find the tastiest specimens on the North Shore of Massachusetts, home to these five beloved clam shacks.
1Woodman’s of Essex
In business since 1914, this Essex River institution claims it was the first to deep-fry a clam in 1916. What’s provable is how popular Woodman’s remains today—and how long you’ll wait…