15 Tasty Seafood Dives in the U.S.

Plan a trip to one of these affordable, no-frills seafood restaurants by the shore

people eating crabs at Cantler's Riverside Inn in Maryland

Cantler’s Riverside Inn serves steamed hard-shell crabs by the water in Annapolis, Maryland.

Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

Steve Millburg and Tim Chester

Updated October 06, 2025

AARP

Published February 09, 2024

/ Updated October 06, 2025

There’s a recipe for a great seafood dive. To start, the location. It should be on the water or close enough to see/smell/hear the waves. Two, the decor (or lack thereof) embraces coastal kitsch and gives the right amount of pause. (Mismatched chairs are a plus.) Three, the vibe is laid-back but not boring. You want to have fun with your fried shrimp.

Which brings us to the not-so-secret final ingredient: fresh seafood. Delicious baskets and platters and sandwiches and chowders that you think about for months until you can travel back to that place again.

Here are 15 seafood dives for great food and fun by the water. Depending on where you live, many are just a short plane ride away, making them the perfect place for a weekend getaway. Eleven percent of travelers 50-plus planned to take a weekend trip in 2025, according to the latest AARP Travel Trends survey.

a fishing boat outside of The Bowpicker Fish & Chips Restaurant

The Bowpicker Fish & Chips restaurant in Astoria, Oregon, is a converted fishing boat.

Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce

1. Bowpicker Fish & Chips, Astoria, Oregon

This “restaurant” (bowpicker.com) is a converted fishing boat parked on a trailer two blocks from the Columbia River. The carryout-only menu consists entirely of fish and chips — fresh and perfectly deep-fried albacore tuna and steak fries. Orders are served with malt vinegar and tartar sauce, but the fish is so good you won’t need it.

Good to know: It’s cash only, and you’ll have to climb up and down a few steps. Bowpicker closes during bad weather, especially high winds.

diners at Mill Creek at Cantler's Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Maryland.

Diners overlook Mill Creek at Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Maryland.

Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

2. Cantler’s Riverside Inn, Annapolis, Maryland

You know you’re in the right place when you see the line of locals waiting for a table at Cantler’s Riverside Inn (cantlers.com). Maryland is known for crab, and perhaps there’s no better place to enjoy the tasty crustacean than in this revered crab house located on Mill Creek. The menu features fresh steamed hard-shell crabs, cream of crab soup and a secret recipe crab dip, among other options.

Good to know: Cantler’s is open year-round. Hungry crab-loving customers arriving by boat can dock for free on a first-come, first-served basis.

3. The Clam Bar at Napeague, Amagansett, New York

Cheery yellow umbrellas mark this Long Island summer favorite (clambarhamptons.com). Relax in the salty air (all seating is outdoors) with a lobster roll, whole-belly fried clams and clam chowder. Is that a celebrity at the next table? Maybe. After all, this is the Hamptons.

Good to know: It’s open from April to October but may close on rainy days; check Instagram. Once famously cash only, it now accepts credit cards. Parking is limited.

Seafood lovers enjoy outdoor seating at the Crab Shack on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Crab Shack

4. The Crab Shack, Tybee Island, Georgia

The Crab Shack’s (thecrabshack.com) slogan, “Where the Elite Eat in Their Bare Feet,” sums up this rambling, rustic collection of open decks and covered seating overlooking the salt marshes on Tybee Island, located about a half hour from Savannah. Bring all your friends: The Captains Sampler Platter, with snow crab, mussels, crawfish and more, and Low Country Boil, with shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage, are meant to be shared.

Good to know: Kids love feeding the (safely penned) alligators.

5. Jolly Roger’s Seafood House, Port Clinton, Ohio

A short move a couple of years ago to a larger, nicer location right on Lake Erie hasn’t changed much about Jolly Roger’s (facebook.com/Jollyrogerseafoodhouse). Locals still line up for fresh, juicy fried perch and walleye. And they still love to watch the breading machine in action as they wait for their orders.

Good to know: Enjoy your seafood on a picnic bench with views of the Port Clinton Lighthouse at Waterworks Park, about a mile west of the restaurant.

6. Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market and Patio Cafe, Malibu, California

This popular spot started out as a small seafood market but quickly grew in popularity and became a full-fledged restaurant (malibuseafood.com). The catch of the day is always fresh, and the grilled ahi tuna burger (chopped tuna mixed with onions and spices) is amazing. Really, it’s all great.

Come with a group, order a couple of grilled seafood plates and share. It’s an essential stop on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Enjoy Pacific Ocean views from the multilevel patio or cross the highway and picnic on the beach.

Good to know: All seating is outdoors. Even on a sunny day, bring a sweater.

7. Pa'ia Fishmarket Restaurant, Pā'ia (Maui), Hawaii

This is the original location (paiafishmarket.com) for what’s now a four-restaurant Hawaiian chain. Expanded and better decorated, it remains in spirit a breezy, no-frills surfer hangout with great, simply prepared fresh fish. The Cajun spice blend adds a nice kick. Communal tables foster Hawai‘i’s heartwarming aloha spirit.

Good to know: Windsurfers swoop spectacularly through the waves nearby at world-renowned Ho‘okipa Beach.

diners outside of Provision Company in North Carolina

Provision Company serves fresh seafood in downtown Southport, North Carolina.

Ken Blevins/The Star-News via AP

8. Provision Company, Southport, North Carolina

A cold beer provides the perfect complement to perfectly seasoned, steamed shrimp at the Provision Company (provisioncompany.com). The sea breeze plays with your hair. Boats glide past. A spectacular sunset paints the sky red and gold. And you still have key lime pie to look forward to. Life is good.

Good to know: Opens for the season in mid-March. The unusual ordering and seating process may confuse first-timers; asking for help is expected.

9. Star Fish Company, Cortez, Florida

The view is classic old Florida: blue-green water, mangrove islands, pelicans and, across Sarasota Bay, the sandy barrier island known as Bradenton Beach. The kitchen sticks to simple preparation of fresh local seafood (starfishcompany.com). Try the blackened grouper and hush puppies to see how profound such a simple formula can be.

Good to know: The market offers takeout seafood from local waters, including snapper, mullet and stone crab claws.

10. Sea-N-Suds Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Sea-N-Suds (sea-n-suds.com) stands on stilts in the middle of a white sand beach, with high-rise condos on one side and turquoise water on the other. You can’t go wrong with the spicy gumbo (a family recipe passed down for more than 200 years), oysters on the half shell and fried or steamed shrimp.

Good to know: It’s a long hike from the free parking across the street. The restaurant lets you drop off passengers first before parking.

three plates of food on a table at Wanna Wanna Inn Beach Bar & Grill on South Padre Island

Hungry patrons have a view of the water at the Wanna Wanna Inn Beach Bar & Grill on South Padre Island, Texas.

Visit South Padre Island

11. Wanna Wanna Inn Beach Bar & Grill, South Padre Island, Texas

Wanna Wanna (wannawanna.com) has added extra seating over the years (some shaded, all open air), but at heart it’s still a thatched beach hut tucked behind the Wanna Wanna Inn motel. Ease into island time as you eat fresh Gulf shrimp (fried or boiled), enjoy a beer or cocktail and watch the waves and the people. Live music on weekends enhances the experience.

Good to know: In case you have too many turbo piña coladas: The motel rooms are basic, comfortable and clean.

12. The Clam Shack, Kennebunk, Maine

The Clam Shack (theclamshack.net) has been a fixture of Kennebunk’s dining scene for over 50 years — and its fresh seafood is consistently voted among the best in the state. The shack sits by the Kennebunk River on the way into town. Find a wooden bench, order a freshly squeezed lemonade, and then tuck into a succulent lobster roll, clams, scallops or shrimp sold by the quart, pint or half-pint.

Good to know: The Clam Shack offers a lobster roll kit on a food delivery site in case you’d like to try it for yourself but can’t make the journey. The package, which is shipped nationwide, includes lobster meat, mayonnaise, butter, lemons and its signature rolls, plus instructions on how to make the rolls at home.

igns around an order counter at a seafood restaurant

Abbott’s, perched on the banks of the Mystic River, specializes in lobster and also offers clams, mussels, steamed shrimp and more.

Abbott’s

13. Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, Noank, Connecticut

Abbott’s (abbottslobster.com) specializes in lobster — in rolls, in a bisque, in deviled eggs or steamed by the pound – but also offers clams, mussels, steamed shrimp and more. It “sets the standard for seafood shacks along Connecticut’s colorful shoreline,” says Mike Urban, author of Lobster Shacks and Unique Eats and Eateries of Connecticut. Perched on the banks of the Mystic River, it’s a lovely spot to watch sailboats drift by.

Good to know: Abbott’s is open from May to October each year. A countdown clock on the website lets readers know the time remaining until it opens (or closes) each year.

a bowl of clam chowder next to lobster meat and other food

Be sure to try the award-winning chowder at Newport Chowder Company.

Newport Chowder Company

14. Newport Chowder Company, Newport, Rhode Island

This Newport institution (newportchowdercompany.com) has been serving award-winning chowder since the 1980s, and the secretly spiced recipe is popular among locals and visitors to this day. It’s a favorite of Jack Griffin, a tour guide with Rhode Island Red Food Tours. “Just add a Rhode Island Stuffie [stuffed clam] and it says ‘classic Newport’ all day,” he says. “It’s a cute little nook … on busy Thames Street in the heart of Newport. [It’s] one of the best people-watching spots too.”

Good to know: You can order their signature spice mix to go or on the website. The packets can be used for homemade chowder, marinades or a Bloody Mary.

15. Bowens Island Restaurant, Folly Beach, South Carolina

“Steamed and raw oysters start at 4 p.m.” reads a sign at Bowens (bowensisland.com), and locals come in hungry when the Lowcountry sun starts to dip. The rustic surroundings here belie the fact that this is James Beard Award–winning cuisine. And it’s not just bivalves; the menu also offers a fried fish platter, hush puppies and the Frogmore Stew, where sausage, corn and shrimp share a plate.

Good to know: Sunsets here are spectacular, and you can work up an appetite on a rented kayak in the dolphin-filled waters.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published Feb. 9, 2024. It has been updated to reflect new information.

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Freelance writer Steve Millburg, a former senior editor for Coastal Living magazine, travels out of Birmingham, Alabama.

Tim Chester is a freelance travel writer for Afar magazine, the Los Angeles Times and others. He was previously a senior editor at Afar and produced the annual Where to Go list.

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