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Hours
Sun
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Mon
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Tue
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Wed
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Thu
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Fri
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Sat
11:30 AM - 8:30 AM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
$5.00 – $23.00
CUISINES
American
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
meals, features
Menu
Garden Fresh Salads
Dressing: Bleu Cheese, Buttermilk Ranch, Greek, Parmesan Peppercorn, Honey Mustard, Balsamic Tarragon Vinaigrette, Lite Italian, Raspberry White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Caesar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Red Wine Vinegar, Sweet Onion Poppy Seed, or Kick 'n' Bayou Sauce
Arnold's Garden Salad
Crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and red, orange & yellow bell peppers
Traditional Caesar Salad
Crisp Romaine lettuce, garlic croutons, grated Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing
Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad
Crisp iceberg lettuce with cherry grape tomatoes and sliced red onions. Sprinkled with bacon and crumbled bleu cheese
Greek Salad
Crisp Romaine lettuce, tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers topped with feta cheese and Kalamata olives
Arnold's Summer Salad
Mixed field greens, sliced pears, grapes, strawberries, dried cranberries, glazed pecans and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Nantucket Strawberry Spinach Salad
A bed of baby spinach served with fresh strawberries, blueberries, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, Mandarin oranges and a tangy balsamic apple cider vinaigrette
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
Details
About
"Best fried clams in the world"-Food & Wine Magazine. Arnold's seafood is so fresh, any fisherman would approve. Native lobster, local raw bar, cocktails, fried and baked seafood, lobster rolls, salads, an extensive children's menu, gourmet ice cream, and mini golf. Arnold's owner is Nathan "Nick" Nickerson, a true Cape Cod native and Mayflower descendant. Nick grew up surrounded by the sea and worked on farms and with family in Cape Cod restaurants. Almost 40 ago he founded what has become the world-famous Arnold's Lobster & Clam Bar. From the start, crowds were drawn to the fresh, native seafood, generous portions, friendly service and fun Cape Cod atmosphere found at Arnold's. Pets are allowed in our outdoor area in the back.
PRICE RANGE
$5.00 – $23.00
CUISINES
American
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Cash Only, Dog Friendly, Gift Cards Available
Contribute
4.5
1,542 reviews
Excellent
874
Very good
407
Average
174
Poor
58
Terrible
29
MWK51
Hudson1151 contributions
Sep 2020 • none
Located along the side of the main road to Ptown, this well established spot offers fresh, delicious food. It is very clean, offers a variety of seating options, from inside, under a tent or outdoors under umbrellas. Covid protocols were followed and all customers were masked, social distanced and continued so until seated and eating. Fresh seafood is rarely inexpensive and a popular spot on the Cape is not a place for a bargain. That said, our food was wonderful and I will return. We had clam strip baskets...crisp, meaty, never oily. The hand cut fries were a bit under cooked. My husband added steamers to his order and devoured them quickly. Our companion had the lobster bisque with huge and plentiful chunks of lobster meat. The onion rings are among the best ever. Our total order was about $70.
Written September 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PrinceMacK
286 contributions
Oct 2020 • couples
We ordered the mussels app and crab cakes dinner. Both were unbelievable. Huge mussels. You get two very large crab cakes for the dinner platter and they are filled with fresh crab. We ordered take out in advance to save time. Tip: The line is very long to place an order in person. Trying calling and ordering in advance. This place is cash only. There is an ATM in the restaurant.
Written October 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie M
Walpole10 contributions
Jul 2020 • none
We go to Arnold's a dozen times each summer and love the food. There's no question the quality, taste and menu variety are excellent. The customer service is also wonderful, as is the atmosphere. The only criticism and reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is the constant upward trajectory of the prices, especially compared to other well-respected clam shacks on the Cape. Although we completely understand the added expenses for PPP, hand sanitizer, etc. this year, isn't the market price of lobster only about $6/lb. now? If so, why the huge markup on the lobster rolls, with the small having only about 1/2 lb.? That is disappointing. Also, the hard ice cream prices went up significantly this year, but the cones got significantly smaller. I shouldn't be able to finish the ice cream on my cone in four bites. We have never had this issue in the past, so if any change comes out of this review, I would love for management to train the ice cream servers to please restore the generous portions of ice cream that you used to be known for. Thank you.
Written July 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NathanN588
Hello Stephanie
I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible. Just to clarify Ice cream prices have not changed a penny from last year although the cost to me has.
Lobster prices at fish markets are closer to $9:00-$10.00/lb for live lobsters. Lobster meat is closer to $40.00/lb. we raised our lobster roll prices $1.00 which will never ever cover the increase cost of the lobster meat I buy.
Prices are going up mostly because of the yearly increase in the minimum wage. We have 45 people working for us and when minimum wage goes up I must raise the employees wage of those who make over the min wage or those employees will feel they are going backwards. It cost me approximately $40,000.00 every time they raise the minimum wage. Labor prices have gone up due to the lack of employees. We are all bidding for the same few employees available now that we can’t bring over foreign workers.
We had to close two days a week this year first time in 43 years because the government has given out so much money via unemployment. I have experienced cooks who make more than $20.00 / hr! Who rather collect unemployment than work unless I agreed to pay them “under the table” which I won’t do. Have you noticed the increase cost you pay when you go to the market? We have to pay that increase as well.
It cost almost $10,000.00 to make the changes necessary to comply with Covid regulations.
Finally please tell me where you can buy items on my menu cheaper than mine I doubt they exist.
If you are really concerned about price increase of just about everything you buy today then contact your Representative’s both state and federal and ask them to stop passing laws that keep costing small businesses more money.
Thank you for taking the time to read this response.
Written July 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Catie R
Pittsburgh3 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
Coming from an avid seafood lover here..
My boyfriend and I went here after hearing all the wonderful things about the restaurant. I don’t know if all these people with such praise have never eaten ACTUAL good food before or what? Our food was not only extremely overpriced for what we got, but the quality wasn’t great either. My boyfriend is a 6’2” man and ordered chicken tender basket (I did say this is seafood joint so I can cut some slack here), but they gave him 3 stale, measly chicken tenders that were no better than ones you’d find at a little league concession stand. I on the other hand got fried clams, which were cold and just didn’t taste fresh. And the fries just were greasy and floppy. Our clam chowder was extremely watery and didn’t have that creamy texture a good chowder should have. We left feeling extremely disappointed in the money spent for what we got, and our stomachs hurting, both from the food we did consume and from remaining pangs of hunger due to the small portions received.
Again, just really misunderstanding where all this hype came from. Maybe it’s from Covid, but we really just couldn’t believe what we got for our money, so much that we debated whether or not the positive reviews on here were people that were paid to do so. Don’t get the hype.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NathanN588
Curious if you got your food to go? We do not like sending food to go because by the time you get home it’s cold and yuk. Cold fried food is the worst. We encourage people to eat it at the restaurant that way if you feel it’s too cold we can quickly replace it with a hot product you ordered. Chicken finger basket comes with 6 fingers just to be clear. If our chowder was any creamier you could put a pencil in the middle of a cup and it would not move.
We win awards every year without fail for our food. I do take offense to your suggesting we pay for positive critiques. I think by this response you can tell we don’t hire a company to respond. The same could be said about your review only the reverse. You may be happy to know that this is quite possibly the worst review we have ever received I thank God none of it is true or we would never have made it 43 successful years in a row
I am sorry we did not exceed your expectations
Written August 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dr M
95 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
The food was super greasy, expensive and flavorless. Terribly disappointing. Apparently this place is riding out a reputation that was decent years ago. Now, it’s a highway tourist trap. There are so many better places to get fried seafood, lobster rolls or a steamed lobster on Cape Cod. Here, they wipe down the tables with a dirty rag, after you’ve filled yourself with flavorless greased breading, Arnold’s calls seafood.
Go elsewhere.
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nathan N
Well dr you certainly have wasted no time and effort maligning me. For those reading this me thinks there’s another reason for this terrible review which makes no sense . If we were close to this bad we would not have been here for 44 yrs. we have changed nothing, we have not shrunk the portions snd we are still the lowest priced Clamshack around here
We wipe our tables with sanitizer and we use tons of towels and we have two giant commercial washers and stacks of towels in the dining rooms to prove it. My manager, my chef and I have all been to the Serve safe food safety course. We know about sanitation.
Written August 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lsk2010
New Haven54 contributions
Sep 2020 • none
We go here every year when we go to the Cape and this year was no different despite Covid. First off everything felt very clean and you can see protocols being followed. Second, to everyone complaining about prices, if they did raise prices we did not notice it was that negligible. Good, fresh food costs money. If you want cheap hit the Wendys down the
road. Clam chowder is always to die for, (whoever wrote the review about it being watery, that had to be a fake review, no way you would describe their clam chowder as watery). Clam strips were crispy, scallops huge and tender cooked perfectly. Don’t even get me started on onion rings, Those things will haunt your dreams in a good way. Always a safe bet and delicious meal!
Written September 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lori Z
Boston145 contributions
Jun 2020 • none
We have been eating at Arnold's for over 20 years and it wouldn't be Summer without a visit to this landmark restaurant. We always get the fried seafood basket and a glass of beer and you get to keep the pilsner as a souvenir! They have the best and freshest seafood around with hearty portions. Their rawbar is excellent and not to be missed and they have the best coleslaw I've ever had. Service is fast and friendly and the place is always clean. Plenty of parking and right off the bike trail which we bike to every summer. Tons of seating and we've always found a place to sit either inside or outside under their cool tents and large picnic tables. Don't miss eating here for summer memories of the Cape. We highly recommend Arnold's to our vacation renters and always hear rave reviews from them.
Written June 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
berlie3
Hyde Park57 contributions
Jul 2020 • couples
I’ve been going to Arnold’s for years for seafood and ice cream and they have always been the best on the cape. Now, during these times it’s most important to know that businesses are following proper protocol while still delivering ....and Arnold’s definitely surpasses all similar restaurants
Written July 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NathanN588
Thank you very much for noticing. We take our responsibility to keep both customers and crew safe seriously
Written July 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thomas O
7 contributions
Jul 2021 • none
We have been coming to Arnold's for over 20 years now. It simply is a must stop on our yearly week's vacation! I cannot ever remember not having anything but a great meal here! From the Lobster rolls, Crabcakes, onion rings and yes the fried seafood platter which trust me you cannot finish it offers so much food! It has always never accepted credit cards but has not one but two ATM's on site. Yes, the lines are long, but the well oiled staff keeps it moving as fast as they can with many smiles! My son and I come at least twice during our vacation and frankly look forward to coming as it would not be a Cape vacation without such visits! It sells Seafood and prices are subject to market price, check the other places and I agree they charge a fair price. I can assure you we will be coming back in 2022 the last weekend in July into the 1st week of August!, And yes the mini-golf is a must also and the price there is one of the lowest for mini golf on the Cape! Totally worth the visits!
Written February 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nathan N
Thank uou so much for your kind words. Rest assured we will continue to deliver the very best product as we have for the ladt 45 yrs.
Written February 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PDM
Needham33 contributions
Sep 2019 • family
Just so you know, this is a traditional clam shack with paper plates and picnic table seating. I’ve been going here for years and they definitely have the best lobster roll on the cape but the rest of the menu is just as awesome. My favorite is the the scallop roll. Freshest scallops and fried just right. It’s very popular in mid summer so expect to wait in line at dinner time. It’s also very popular with families so be prepared for a certain level of activity. It’s a summer tradition for my family and once you try it you’ll be back.
Written June 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt D
1 contribution
Jun 2021 • family
Food is good as we’ve ate here every time we’ve vacationed down the Cape. Most importantly, this most recent trip saw us get rear ended hard as we were trying to turn into the parking lot. Fortunately everyone was ok. Someone came out to ensure my wife and 3 year old daughter were ok. They even brought out drinks and crackers for them while emergency services were on scene dealing with the mess. When we finally got into the long line (again, good food so they are always busy!) and it was our turn to order, they told us that our dinner was on the house. It was truly appreciated after what we had gone through. We can’t thank you enough.
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanne S
Weehawken3 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
We stop at Arnold's every year after a grueling six hour trip and it is always (or used to be) an oasis for us. The food is very, very good and fresh, but the prices have gone through the roof. Also, I just can't support a business that continues to use plastic for everything. It's 2021, there are sharks in the water here, the Ponds are polluted and nobody seems to want to take the first step towards actually doing something. Arnold's - at least recycle. You don't even do that. If businesses don't start waking up here, we simply can't support them. It makes me sad but they could at least try some reusable plates or wine glasses. Anything! And bring down your prices. It was real sticker shock - over $80.00 for a lobster roll, 12 oysters and some clam bellies. Doesn't that sound a bit much?
Written August 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nathan N
Hi Joanna
I agree with everything you said. Regarding recycling you will be happy to know we recycle more material than just about any business I know. If you do not believe me just speak to the refuse/recycling center in Eastham. They will confirm what I just said. We recycle plastic, cardboard, cans, bottled, vegetable matter as we shave, chop and slice. We use every available GREEN plates and utensils that are available. With COVID the supply chain for ALL PRODUCTS is interrupted more than occasionally.
If you are really concerned come back to Arnolds and ask for Nick. I will show you our recycling program and the products I can buy that are GREEN.
The wholesale prices are ridiculously high which we have no control over. All I can do is pass the cost on to our customers and I hate it. With gas and diesel prices soaring it all filters down to most other products. Please check other Clamshacks for prices and you will find we have among the lowest prices around.
If anyone is reading this before you accuse someone of doing something you are against do you think it might be a little less damaging if you get the facts before you write something negative about a business. We work so hard to provide our customers with the best quality at best price we can.
What can I tell you!
Written August 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephanie M
Walpole10 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
We had another excellent meal at Arnold's this week. We've been coming here for years for delicious, quality seafood, salads and ice cream. This is one of the BEST Cape Cod seafood restaurants for atmosphere, cleanliness and customer service. Highly recommend! We very much appreciate that the owner takes the time to read and respond thoughtfully to the constructive feedback. I give the fried clams a 10 - perfectly breaded and incredible flavor! LOVE the Milky Way ice cream.
Keep up the great work! Was very sad to see that due to worker shortage Arnold's will be closing on Labor Day. Will miss you in September and look forward to next season!
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lolli S
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • family
Like many insanely popular places it didn't quite live up to the hype or the high prices. The service was reasonably fast given the crowd, and the staff was friendly and competent. I should put "service" in quotes though because it is basically self serve, another reason the prices don't deserve to be so high. You wait in line, give your order to a teenager and pay (cash only) at a counter not unlike any fast food restaurant, they give you a cup to serve yourself from a soft drink machine, Then you wait for your name to be announced and pick up a tray with your order, seat yourself and bus your trash...again, it's a fast food model with better food. Since you aren't paying for any service they could afford to keep the prices a little more reasonable. The clam bellies were very good but not better than most places on The Cape, the clam chowder needed more clams, the fries were nothing special. I saw mountains of onion rings go by, obviously a favorite, but they looked very skinny and that type is usually more breading than onion, but I didn't taste any so this is an IMO comment..
Written July 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nathan Nickerson III
We offer free refills on soda, lemonade and fruit punch etc.
We have not raised our prices (except bake foods even lowered some of our lobster prices even though we are paying more for product, labor and energy to name a few.
We have 10 weeks to make enough money to get us through the winter which never happens. We have to take out a line of credit to get through the winter.
Have you compared prices to comparable clam shacks? I bet you have not.
People have no idea what it cost to run a seasonal restaurant. Walk in my shoes for a while before you accuse me of goiging people.
Respectfully
Written July 16, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lee
152 contributions
Aug 2020 • none
had the best lobster meal at a really good price here. we asked for a female lobster with roe and were very pleased to get one with lots of the orange-red goodness. the fried scallops were fresh and juicy. washed down the meal with frozen margaritas! the seating area was comfortable and well-spaced out. the staff were diligent in cleaning the tables/chairs after each use.
Written August 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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