Booking a vacation rental in Falmouth puts you in an outstanding location full of great activities. The town features eight villages – Woods Hole, Falmouth Village, Teaticket, East Falmouth, West Falmouth, North Falmouth, Waquoit, and Hatchville – each of which has unique characteristics that will shape your holiday.
Falmouth’s dining scene is also top-notch, as you’ll find tasty meals and various cuisine types to sample based on what you feel like trying on a particular day.
Like other towns on the Cape, Falmouth has some great seafood options, and its selection of clams shacks might be second to none.
Here’s a look at the top five clam shacks in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
1) Falmouth Fish Market
Teaticket is home to the Falmouth Fish Market, a retail seafood market with takeaway seafood platters and rolls that are a favorite with locals and visitors alike. The market is small, and you might struggle to find it if you don’t know where you’re going. It’s worth the effort, though, as the food is legendary.
One look at the Falmouth Fish Market menu, and you’ll immediately know you’ve come to the right place. There are fried options like shrimp, fish and chips, clam strips, and haddock, and fried chicken for anyone not feeling the seafood.
You’ll also find one of Cape Cod’s best lobster salad rolls, a clam roll, a scallop roll, and a fish sandwich on the menu. Sides include clam chowder, fries, scallops, shrimp, clams, coleslaw, and onion rings, and there’s a family meal that provides excellent value for large groups.
The Falmouth Fish Market is located at 157 Teaticket Highway, a short distance from Teaticket Park.
2) Seafood Sam’s
Seafood Sam’s has two Cape Cod locations, with the Falmouth restaurant sitting in the downtown Falmouth Village area on Palmer Avenue. The clam shack opened its doors nearly half a century ago and remains popular because of its fresh seafood offerings at affordable prices.
The clam chowder and lobster bisque at Seafood Sam’s are popular, as are the lobster salad, grilled salmon, and grilled shrimp. Various seafood pasta dishes and sandwiches also highlight the menu, and there are baked seafood platters, as well.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a clam shack on the Cape without fried fish, and this establishment offers deep-fried clam belly, scallops, calamari, chicken, oyster, and lobster.
If it comes from the sea, you’ll find it at Seafood Sam’s in Falmouth Village.
3) Jim’s Clam Shack
Another seafood spot you might struggle to locate is Jim’s Clam Shack, which is hidden away on Clinton Avenue near the mouth of Falmouth Harbor. It sits in a residential neighborhood and shares a parking lot with Patriot Party Boats, best known as the summertime home of the Liberté schooner.
If you take the time to find Jim’s Clam Shack, you’ll be treated to a surprising menu featuring lobster, clam, and shrimp rolls, fried seafood platters, stuffed quahogs, and native sea scallops.
Non-seafood items like hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and chicken tenders are also available, as are sides like coleslaw, fries, onion rings, mac and cheese, and fried pickles.
There’s something for everyone at Jim’s Clam Shack, and you can’t beat the views over Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound from its outdoor dining area, either.
4) The Barking Claw
The Barking Claw is slightly different from the other venues on this list because it’s a food cart rather than a permanent physical location. This vendor sets up at various markets and events in the Falmouth area and opens Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM at 29 Locust Street, outside of Grumpy’s Pub.
The Barking Claw’s menu is simple, as they specialize in lobster rolls and have hot dogs, sausages, and stuffed quahogs. Mini, regular, and jumbo lobster rolls are available, and they also do a spicy version of the famous sandwich with jalapeno, chipotle aioli, and Cajun seasoning.
5) Shuckers
Water Street in downtown Woods Hole features a seafood shack called Shuckers, which offers a diverse dining experience with a raw bar. The venue is open seven days per week in the summer and specializes in fried seafood dishes like cod, shrimp, scallops, and clams.
You can grab a lobster roll from Shuckers, and they have fish and chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers, fish tacos, stuffed quahog, chicken tenders, mussels, ahi tuna, and clam rolls, too. The outdoor dining area on Eel Pond is also a hit in the summer, as is the locally brewed beer they have on tap.
Your Vacation on the Cape
Booking a vacation rental in Falmouth puts you close to everything this vibrant town has to offer. Other parts of the Cape are also accessible from this area, and it’s mere minutes from the Bourne Bridge.
Of course, spending time in Falmouth ensures you’re always close to the community’s beaches, parks, trails, and restaurants, which will surely leave you satisfied with your vacation.
Don’t miss out on experiencing at least some of the great seafood shacks this part of Cape Cod has to offer during your vacation.
