Littleneck
“The lobster roll was the real surprise as its a newer version of theirs and its chock full and topped with a full claw.”
“Again, thanks to Littleneck, they made me start to like steamer clams (most places overcook this!).”
“They do have different ones every week and always both east and west coast, fresh and delicious, my favorite has been the Chef's Creek and Shigoku.”
Littleneck
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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The wait for a table was relatively short on a Friday night and the benches outside provided pretty good people watching.
Ordered an app (littleneck clams), 2 drinks, lobster roll, and crab roll. The staff was very friendly and helped recommend a good wine and also got the kitchen to cut our 2 rolls in half for sharing. Everything was going well and I thought "Nice pick, Hilary!" to myself. I foolishly had not checked the Yelp app prior to see if this place was cash only, so I was very horrified to get the check and see the handwritten "Cash Only!" note on the check. (I had planned to throw down my card at the end of the date in an act of both magnanimity and reciprocity for a prior triple-digit meal bill.) Embarrassment ensued.
They deliver to me via Caviar, but I'm more likely to stroll over for brunch in the future with a small wad of cash in my hand.
If you're looking for a real Ipswich fried clam roll which is what it says on the menu, let it be known this is not it. It was an awful pile of fried bits with no bellies. They were actually small dry littlenecks and was no more than salty fried breading. New Englanders know their clams and this place charged $17 for a salty hot mess. The remoulade was piled on so much that when you finally realized there was really no belly clams underneath you have eaten way too much of the sauce and start to feel queasy. Several New York seafood restaurants try to fry the steamers and pass them off as Ipswich clam bellies and this is one of them. Should have heeded the Grade Pending rating on the window as spent the better part of the day feeling sick. The charred squid hash was better and had good flavor and that earned the 2 stars. Nice server though.
Super cute seafood place in Gowanus.
Went here for a late brunch. Started with Bloody Marys, which are pretty much the perfect drink when you're having seafood. We split a half dozen oysters (west coast), the Ipswich clam roll, a poutine with clam gravy, and the New Englander breakfast (salt cod fritter, baked beans, eggs, scallions). Yeah, apparently we must have been starving or something.
The oysters were fresh and tasty. The clam roll was small, but bursting with fried clams and tons of tartar sauce. It was so good, although a little messy to eat. The poutine with clam gravy was not as unique as it sounded, and the cheese was melted rather than curds, but we gobbled it up anyway. The New Englander breakfast was great, and while I enjoyed the salt cod fritter, for some reason the baked beans were the star of the dish for me.
As before, it's not a cheap place and you will be putting down a good amount of cash, especially if you do it piggie-style like we did. But the food is great and the servers are friendly, and I do love seafood, sooo….
Okay, so living only 2 blocks away we have no excuse for not coming here sooner. Regardless, we just couldn't bring ourselves to do so. Maybe it was being burned 10 too many times by new places (not that Littleneck is that new, but for us it was) and maybe it was just too easy to go to Petite Crevette where the seafood was guaranteed to be fresh (not one bad experience in over a decade) and all importantly it is BYOB or maybe it was the Yoyo yelp reviews which seem to hover at the questionable 3 level. Anyway last night proved to be the perfect storm where after a boozy brunch at Blueprint followed by happy hour at Fonda and a really relaxing time at Lavender Lake (before the weekend douchebag quotient got too high) we suddenly realized we needed lobster rolls. Now lobster rolls are not something we take lightly as my wife is from the coast of Maine and her father literally lives on an island that is known for the best lobsters of all of Maine (and where Red Hook Lobster Pound gets theirs). We were there over Labor Day and nothing compares in NYC. Nonetheless we decided it was time to try them at Littleneck.
I have to admit I went in expecting to be disappointed and hate the place. Well the minute we walked in there was a fantastic table in the back waiting for us (no wait at 9pm on a Saturday) and the entire staff was incredible nice and welcoming.
While I was tempted by several things all 3 of us decided to go for broke and get the lobster rolls. I also ordered the clam chowder after seeing the yelp reviews raving about it (even though lately I prefer Manhattan chowder as is less heavy than the cream most people use for NE chowder).
Well the clam chowder came out and instead of heavy cream it had this really nice consistency with great bacon undertones.
Then came the Lobster rolls. At $18 I had low expectations…not that that is cheap but relative to most places in NYC it is…so I figured there wouldn't be much meat. Instead it came out heaping with meat. The bun is slightly smaller than most places but the amount of meat is definitely much greater (including Red Hook and Luke's).
Overall it was just a great experience. Best of all was that the vibe was so relaxed and there was absolutely no pressure to order more.
Only sour point is the ridiculous cash only policy. It is 2014 and not 1998 and just plain unacceptable. I am sure after their inevitable audit they will wise up (look at Frankies).
Anyway, despite the cash only will definitely be back.
Love this place. Hate that it's cash only. Great for a night out with friends or a date night. I've never had anything here that wasn't delicious.
Food:
– I've gotten the oysters multiple times and they're always great
– clam chowder: nice and creamy but it has bacon in it which I'm not a huge fan of
– grilled romaine: amazing dressing, romaine is perfectly wilted
– mussels in Thai basil curry: I ate a loaf of bread to soak up all the sauce. It's unbelievable
– broccolini: zesty and refreshing, cooked but crunchy still
– fries: really crispy
– doughnuts! So freaking good especially with all those alcohol infused dipping sauces
Came for gowanus immersion. Totally feels brooklynesque. Food ridiculous! The New England clam chowder is to die for. The crab roll was finger licking good! Wow! Who would have known this place existed here in gowanus! Will absolutely be coming back! This is a must.
I came in on a snowy Sunday at 3:10pm with a friend for brunch. At 3pm they stop serving most of their menu until 5pm (they still serve oysters, fries, and chowda). There were two other tables occupied during that time, and we would have gladly bought more food but even at just 10 minutes past they told us they couldn't serve us the brunch menu. We had really been craving oysters anyway, so we ordered that with some fries.
The oysters were delicious. It was my first time having the Umami oysters and I really enjoyed them. We also have some Blue Points, Kumamotos, and a few others I can't remember. Fries were also good, service friendly.
The place itself is quaint, quiet, and sort of feels like it's been picked up and dropped here from a small town in New England. It was a really nice way to spend a snowy Sunday. I'd love to come back and try more of their menu.
I do wish they weren't cash only, as others have said it doesn't really make sense when a check for two can easily go past $100. They do have an ATM in the back at least.
Littleneck is a casual spot known for good lobster & belly clam rolls. The Lobster Roll was perfectly cooked. The meat was tender & lightly dressed with mayo. The Whole Belly Clam Roll was also tender & crispy & topped with tarter sauce. Both rolls were served on a savory warm buttered bun & a side of homemade sliced pickles.
Raw oysters are also available from the East & West Coast ranging from $2 to $3. Both were good so if you want to save a few bucks, stick to the less expensive ones.
I am not a fan of tequila but I wanted to try one of their signature cocktails – Carmelita Cocktail. What drew me in were the interesting ingredients it contained: Cherry tomatoes, tarragon, lemon, & hot sauce mixed with tequila agave. It was refreshing & had a nice blend of herbs, sweetness, & spice.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of Littleneck. The servers were friendly & the New-England themed shack was cozy but I wouldn't suggest it for big groups to attend since the place is sort of small & the groups that had 4 or more looked cramped. And even though the rolls were delicious, they were a tad overpriced based on the size of the rolls.