Bud’s Fish Market

Mixed
Have had some very good luck here but also some perfectly dreadful stuff. Got $ 20 + worth of scallops yesterday — they smelled so bad when we took them out of the fridge 3 hours later that we just threw them out. I’d say ask to smell the fish to be sure it is fresh. Some of their stuff is perfectly fine– indeed most. It is the bad stuff that is, of course, memorable. They are a tad on the pricey side and also tend to give you more than you ask for.

I read great reviews about Bud’s on Unilocal so while in the area we decided to give them a try. Gotta say– reviews were right! I ordered 7 1 ½ pound lobsters and steamers with broth. The food was fabulous. Lobsters so sweet, no butter required. Steamers clean and delicious. Food ready right on time. Service excellent, took the order efficiently and helped me carry out to the car.
I asked on the phone how many steamers for 7 people. He said 9 — 10 pounds so I said fine. Turns out ½ that would have been fine. At $ 9/​pound, that was a waste of a lot of money. And while lobsters would have cost less at the grocery I don’t think they would have been as high quality. So is Bud’s expensive? Yes! Are you getting fine quality for your money? Again, yes!

I ordered raw bar & shrimp for a graduation party this past weekend. Everything was fantastic! The staff was very knowledgeable & super helpful. I had a plan re: how I’d display them at the party but the guys at Buds packaged them so nicely, on ice, that I actually put their trays on table. They included cocktail sauce & fancy sauces for the oysters. I have 20 years experience in the restaurant business & believe me, everything was fresh & delicious. I disagree that they’re expensive, I served 20 people, plenty of shrimp, crab, oysters & clams for $ 200. I will definitely go back & try some of the gorgeous fish in the display case!

I love buds fish market. They have a wonderful selection of fresh choices. My kids love picking out a new fish each time we go and the knowledgable staff has helped me with more than one recipe. I love that my kids are excited to try new foods that are always fresh and healthy. So many possibilities!

Great selection of fish and lots of good accoutrements for cooking as well. Friendly staff.

There is nowhere else — NO WHERE ELSE –on the shoreline from where you should be buying your seafood.
More importantly Bud’s has consistently been the best place to buy seafood for at least — truly, AT LEAST — 15 years.
I have never been disappointed with anything I have picked up here.
Is the seafood more expensive than what you ca pick up at Stop & Shop or some other grocery store? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
You will not be disappointed with anything you pick up here. It’s most like you. Can’t mess it up. Bud’s has consistently for so very long provided the best seafood in the area. I have been going here for at least a decade and I cannot come up with anything to complained about.

My wife and I have become obsessed with oysters. We decided that wanted to try doing them ourselves. So we asked around and Buds was the place countless people recommended. Well they were right. The owner himself (super awesome guy) explained and showed me how to use the oyster knife and then his opinion on what condiments work best to bring out or enhance them. There house made cocktail sauce… incredible. The mulligan sauce… WOW. Then the champaign tarragon sauce… perfect. It’s great to go to a old fashion mom and pop shop. Perfection GREAT JOB GUYS!

Excellent quality. Scallops and oysters are fantastic. In particular, they carry lobster from Nova Scotia, the best there is. It’s not cheap but you can be sure you’re getting something fresh. The service is also very friendly.

Why does everybody keep saying this is not a restaurant? What part of words «Fish» and «Market» is confusing?
Bud’s Fish Market has been a shoreline mainstay for as long as I can remember. I used to see Bud’s billboards signs along the side of the road when I was a teenager while driving to high school. It’s nice to see them and their signs are still around today. Plus it’s nice to see the world’s oceans haven’t been entirely depleted of fish. Yet.
Yes, prices are high. That’s because it’s a fresh fish market and not Stop and Shop. But actually the prices vary depending on the fish type. I find the salmon and cod prices to be somewhat high and the scrod and swordfish prices to be more down to earth. I like the scrod.
Its location is its only downside. Although I bet the residents of Indian Neck and Pine Orchards don’t see it that way.

It is really nice to have a true fish market in Branford. The prices can be a little bit scary but the quality is excellent. Hal knows his fish and is always willing to offer advice to those novices out there. Love the Maine Diver Scallops when available and the salmon is beautiful. Forget going to Big Y or Stop n’ Shop for your seafood… go see Hal and Nancy at Bud’s Fish Market. You won’t regret it.

HEADLINE: Excellent service and quality for an out-​of-​town traveler this Thanksgiving holiday in search of the perfect oyster for his turkey stuffing.
Traveling back home from California to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family in Branford, I committed to Mom that I’d help her with preparing the Thanksgiving feast … it’s a ton of work for her at this stage of her life and I love to cook.
One of the treat I wanted to bring to the table was a great oyster stuffing recipe I had latched onto from the
site.
Trouble was, I was in California, and the fresh oysters were in Connecticut … growing up in the area, I knew Bud’s down in Indian Neck was a great place to buy all things fresh and seafood, as well as a couple of gems over at the Guilford docks.
Just for convenience’s sake, I went on-​line to Bud’s website the week before traveling and, sure enough, they sold oysters and had a request submission section to ask about stuff.
I put in my request with email and phone number and waited for a reply.
Less than 24 hours later I received a voicemail on my cell from a gentleman named Hal who informed me they were expecting to have over a dozen varieties of oysters available and that I should place my order with them before Friday before the holiday to ensure I’d get my share.
Calling back, I spoke directly with Hal, who was the nicest person I’ve spoken with in a while. When I told him what I was looking for he immediately countered with … «well, it sounds like you need about a quart of oysters for your recipe … we’ll have them shucked for you the morning of pick-​up to keep them fresh, and we’ll make sure they are excellent Blue Points».
Great … take that one off the laundry list of things to prepare for.
I show up to the store at 11:00 AM on Wednesday morning and am instantly re-​acquainted with the place where I spent much of my early adult life shopping for great fresh /​raw seafood.
You know you’re in a fresh, fresh seafood store when you CANNOT smell a thing. God, fish counters out there in Cali literally reek with a pungent ammonia smell … I simply stay away lest I enjoy 48 hours in bad shellfish hell!
The cold counter here was stacked with a great assortment of fresh fish of all varieties, shellfish & crabcakes and, of course, the lobster tank was alive with crustacean delights.
My order was brought out to me swiftly and I paid a little over $ 30 for the quart of freshly-​shucked delights in their own liquor.
In preparing the dressing, i opened up the plastic container to witness some of the LARGEST, JUICIEST, MOST FLAVORFUL Blue Points I’ve ever enjoyed. Shamelessly slurping down 2 or 3 to ensure their quality was an orgasmic experience. Absolutely fabulous!
The fact that I didn’t have to shuck these bad boys myself easily saved me a massive amount of prep time. Shucking Little Necks, Cherrystones or Quahogs is one thing … I never got the knack of shucking oysters … I happily avoided this.
Needless to say, my dressing came out superbly, along with a pork sausage stuffing and two perfectly brined turkeys.
Thanks epicurious for the recipes, but a huge thanks also goes to Hal and the crew at Bud’s for helping out a West Coaster with his New England shellfish needs.
While a little expensive, quality service and quality product are things to be admired … Branford and the adjoining towns are unbelievably lucky to have this purveyor in their midst … I only wish I had the same back in Silicon Valley.

As someone mentioned, this is NOT a resturant. It is a fish market.
Expensive. A little above average food quality. The selection of fish could be a lot better, there really isn’t as much variety of different seafood as you’d might expect from a seafood resturant located literally feet from the ocean.

This is not a restaurant. It’s a fish market of highest quality. They’ll mail lobsters and the like to you, although they don’t personally deliver it. It’s closed Mondays.

Good quality. OK selection. Can be on the expensive side, but it beats the pants off of getting seafood in a supermarket.
If you are expecting to be wow-​ed, change your tune before you open the doors. The cheerful teenager sure to greet you doesn’t know much about what’s fresh or what’s good this week. The shop has about twenty square feet of space for customers to walk the cases, walls lined with pantry goods, and a freakishly low ceiling, which all make for a claustrophobic nightmare.
BUT — the lobsters are damn good despite a 1.50 a pound or so premium.
If it looked like this and was way less famous and way less expensive, it’d be a true diamond in the rough. But the name and the reputation left me thinking it was overrated.

KW is right on target — they have the absolutely best seafood along the shoreline! And while you are right there, stop at the Indian Neck Pizza place almost next door for their delicious HOME MADE stuffed breads! Their Broccoli with Sausage is my personal favorite!

When you have seven guests pulling up to your driveway from a 3 hour drive (with a baby on board), where’s the best place to eat? Your own home. Relaxing and spacious.
When you want to serve fresh lobsters, to keep the meal simple, where do you shop? Bud’s.
Bud’s got great lobsters– a little pricey but worth almost all of the penny you spend. In all honesty, I was turned off to Bud’s the very first time I shopped here, due to their hefty prices. I was also surprised by the size of the store, since the huge sign leading to the place was almost as big as the store itself.
However, I am now a newly convert to Bud’s Loving Customer’s Organization (just since this morning), attesting to Bud’s superb quality and service.
Their staff is very helpful and willing to answer questions about cooking what you purchase. I made my very first New England clam chowder with the help of Bud. And I think it came out quite fine, if I say so myself.
Besides, their oysters and clams were pretty fresh: it was full of juice. And to top it all, their lobsters were the very best I’ve purchased (partially due to my luck; Their lobster shipment came in today).
In sum. This is the breakdown for Bud’s. 3 stars for being expensive, 4.5 stars for qualtiy seafood, 3.5 stars for their selection. 4.5 stars for helpful staff. Definitely an above average place for shoppin’ fish.