New Hampshire Seacoast seafood: lobster rolls and clam shacks guide

New Hampshire has one of the shortest coastlines of any state, about 18 miles, and a large share of it is lined by Route 1A, a road of beaches, harbors, small towns and seafood shacks. The Seacoast stretches from Seabrook in the south through Hampton, Rye and New Castle to Portsmouth in the north. Order a lobster roll, a cup of chowder and fried clams, and eat at a picnic table with the water in view.

What should you order on the Seacoast?

Four dishes define the coast. A lobster roll is lobster meat in a grilled, buttered split-top bun, served cold with a little mayonnaise or warm with butter. Fried clams are the whole-belly clam, battered and fried, which has a richer, brinier taste than the strips. Clam chowder in New England is creamy, with potatoes and salt pork. A seafood plate or a fish sandwich covers haddock, scallops, shrimp and fried fish with fries and coleslaw. Boiled whole lobster, with drawn butter and corn, is the traditional dinner at a lobster pound.

If you are unsure, order a lobster roll and a cup of chowder to share, then add fried clams if the table is hungry.

What kinds of seafood places should you look for?

Four kinds of place line the coast:

• Rye and North Hampton: seasonal shacks on Route 1A for fried clams and lobster rolls, harbor takeout counters that sell a lobster roll and chips to eat on the dock, and a beach restaurant by Jenness Beach for dinner by the water.
• New Castle: harbor restaurants with a view of the boats.
• Seabrook: lobster pounds that serve classic New England seafood, with picnic tables and waterfront decks.
• Portsmouth: fish markets that sell takeout lobster rolls to eat in Prescott Park, and a riverfront with several seafood restaurants.

Ask at the counter what came in that day, and order that.

How do the shacks work?

Most shacks are counter service: you order at a window, get a number, pay, and carry your food to a picnic table. Seating is outdoors, often with covered tables, and many take cards but a few prefer cash. Lobster pounds weigh your lobster, cook it and bring it out on a tray, and you eat with a bib and a cracker. Lines move fast but can be long at peak summer times. Bring a jacket, since coastal weather turns cool in the evening.

When do the shacks close for the season?

Many shacks open in spring and close by the end of October, though a few stay open longer. Hours shorten in fall, with some places open only on weekends. By late October most are on reduced schedules. If you are visiting in winter, plan on Portsmouth and the year-round restaurants, and always check hours first.

What does it cost?

A lobster roll is among the more expensive items, and prices follow the price of lobster, which moves from season to season. A fried clam plate, a fish sandwich or chowder costs much less. Prices are on menus and boards. New Hampshire has no general sales tax, but it charges a meals and rooms tax of 8.5 percent on restaurant meals, and it is added to your check. Tip on the pre-tax total: 18 to 20 percent for table service, and a dollar or two or more at a counter.

Can you eat here with allergies or other needs?

Shellfish allergy is a serious risk in a seafood shack, because fryers are shared. Fried clams, fish and fries often use the same oil. If you have a shellfish or fish allergy, tell the staff clearly, and consider a different restaurant. Gluten-free options are limited at shacks, since most fried items are battered, though grilled fish and boiled lobster are available at many. Vegetarian choices are few: salads, corn and fries.

How do you reach the Seacoast and get around?

The Seacoast is about an hour north of Boston by car. Route 1A runs along the coast and is slow in summer, with beach traffic and limited parking. Hampton Beach and Rye Harbor have lots, but they fill by midday on summer weekends. Portsmouth is walkable. Bikes are popular along 1A on quiet days.

What else should you do on the coast?

Combine a meal with a walk. Prescott Park in Portsmouth, Odiorne Point State Park in Rye and the harbors at New Castle and Rye all have views. A lobster roll eaten on a bench by the water is hard to beat. If you want a longer day, add a harbor cruise or a visit to a lighthouse.

Plan your visit around the weather and the tide of tourists. A weekday lunch is the easiest way to avoid the longest lines, and a cloudy day is often the best time to eat outdoors without the sun. Check hours before you drive, because seasonal places can change their days at short notice, and bring a jacket for the wind off the water. Ask whether a lobster is priced by the pound and how it is weighed, and ask about the day's catch. If you have a shellfish allergy, tell the staff first, because fryers and prep areas are often shared.

How do you settle which Seacoast lobster roll is best?

Everyone on the Seacoast has an opinion, and an opinion is better with a record behind it. In the Mosey app, rate the lobster roll, the fried clams and the chowder by the dish, so a roll at one shack is compared with a roll at another and not with the whole menu. Add a tag such as Fresh Seafood or Must-Try, and build your own Top 3 of Seacoast lobster rolls. Share the list with the friend who disagrees, and follow friends who spend every August on Route 1A.

Rate your next lobster roll in the Mosey app and put the winner at the top of your list.

More guides to read next:

• New Hampshire Lakes Region and White Mountains: where and when to eat
• New Hampshire farmers markets: summer and winter guide
• Where to eat on Lake Winnipesaukee: Wolfeboro, Meredith and Weirs Beach

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