Spanky’s Clam Shack & Seaside Saloon

Had a great dinner tonight at Spanky’s! Service was prompt and efficient and food was great! Our meal started with a small complementary «seafood dip» and saltines, nothing exceptional but a nice touch. The crab cake appetizer was excellent! I had the lazy mans lobster which looked a little over cooked, brown around the edges but it was excellent! I would definitely order it again. My husband ordered the frutta di mare which was a heaping bowl of pasta topped with mussels, large pieces of lobster meat, scallops, clams and shrimp. The wine and beer selection was limited but good enough. The atmosphere casual, with blue and white checked table cloths inside and an option to sit outside. If you are looking for a casual place to eat on the water I would totally recommend it. One note, they will close the end of October for the season, as many restaurants in this area do.

Excellent lobster salad. So big that I actually ate it for dinner too. Not too much mayo. Only little complaint was that I like my lobster in larger chunks vs chopped. My bf ordered the fried shrimp meal. 20 fried shrimp with crispy fries and Cole slaw.
We each washed it down with an adult beverage. An ultimate margarita and a cape code cosmo. Both were very good.
Overall, the most expensive price tags for our food, but we still gave 5 stars because the portions were supersized.
Great service from Betsy.

I expected something better than OK. Places like Stanky’s are a dime/​dozen around New England. The Clam Chowdah was pretty good but I’ve had better.
Waitress outside was too busy to introduce herself. The hostess and the bus girl were the most attentive of everyone else in the place due to the fact that I lost a valuable item while dining there. I tried claiming it the next morning but the girl who put it away could not find it… how odd. It was as if they already knew that I was not going to get it back. Dinner and lost item: over $ 700…experience: not worth it.

Excellent, excellent New England style clam chowder served the way it should be with oysters crackers! The Wellfleet oysters were small but excellent, fresh & buttery along with the best sea food chowder I’ve ever tasted. The broth was thin but perfectly seasoned! The service was excellent. The outside patio was clean & there was a perfect mix of passing sun & clouds. Beautiful!

The lobster roll was colossal !
I liked that is was not covered with
Mayo! It was pure decadence.
The seafood stew was so thick with fish, lobster !

Skip’s Wicked Seafood Stew is absolutely amazing! I had to have more than one bowl to be happy. The lobster roll was also, wicked. I almost couldn’t find the roll under all that lobster. By the time we got through the (pretty average — not enough clams) clam chowder, seafood stew, clam pasta, and lobster roll, we couldn’t finish the delicious deeps fried clams, shrimps and scallops. Definitely worth the visit if your looking for seafood with a nice ocean breeze.

Best LobSTAH Roll on the cape… so far.
My goal is to taste every notable lobster roll on the cape, and so far, this one is the best.
Based on sheer volume of lobster, this one wins. The taste is simple (as is should be) and the roll is grilled. The ratio of mayo to (heavenly)lobster was the perfect balance.
The ambiance is casual and family friendly. Really a no-​fuss kind of place.

My husband and I were quickly seated outside, however, out waitress did not arrive for several minutes and failed to introduce herself before taking our order.
The clam chowder is great and definitely worth getting a bowl and we enjoyed the seafood. The downside is the pricing which I suppose is expected for the area but still a little high for those just visiting.

We REALLY liked Spanky’s. The service was good, despite being busy, and the food was fresh. It was my husband’s favorite lobster roll in the area, and I liked the calamari. It wasn’t overly chewy, like so many places. The beer was cold and the service efficient. What more could you ask for? It’s not a pretentious type of place, and that’s what we like. They’re there to serve you food and get your bellies full.

We’ve been to Spanky’s a few times, most recently this week with a party of 6, including 2 kids under 10. Service was very patient and friendly by our server, even though she was very busy. The younger girls running the hostess station were a little easily flustered, but not problematic, just could have been smoother.
Prices are a bit high, but in line with everywhere Cape Cod has to offer in the summer by the water. The location is great, with nice views of Hyannis harbor. Suffed quohogs got especially good marks. The raw seafood sampler was delicious, but not really something to share, just two each of shrimp, clam, and oysters. Fresh and tasty though. Their chowder is above average here as well. My brother in law always gets the fish sandwich.
Spanky’s is a good choice for their fried seafood, and they have lots to offer. That’s really their focus. There wasn’t much besides a couple of specials that you can get any other way.

We started out the evening at 50% when my wife received the wrong drink. Ok, no biggie, it was sweet and she liked it. Brownie points then to the waitress Kim, who gave my wife a new drink free of charge after my wife spilled it after one sip. And that’s about as good as it got…
We ordered our soups after receiving our drinks, and about 5 minutes later we ordered our entrees. About 10 – 15 minutes later we received our entrees, I got a boullibase, and my wife the grilled swordfish special, which was topped with lobster meat and «bernaise» sauce. The reason the sauce is in quotes is it clearly was the powdered version, and not the velvety buttery sauce it should have been.
But wait! Where was our soup? And I understand this is a clam shack, but were we really expected to eat with our fingers?
We only had to wait a couple of minutes before our waitress came to check on us. We requested our soup and some silverware which was speedily brought to us. We then also requested that our meals be remade, and not stuck under the heat lamp, and were assured that request would be granted as well. If you’ve ever had overcooked shellfish you’ll understand why.
Immediatly after eating our cups of soup, talking about 5 minutes to do so, the kitchen magically had our entrees remade and brought to us. But something seemed fishy…
«Well, perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove» (anyone seen my cousin vinnie?)
Nope.
They were the same exact plates brought to us as before!
The crostinis, while barely touching the broth, were soaked almost all the way through. The supposedly freshly cooked clams were dry on top when they should have been soaked in broth.
But the final test was my wife’s «bernaise.» After sticking my finger in it, my finger came out clean, and it made an impression on top of the swordfish that could have been used to recreate my fingerprint to bypass a security scan.
We asked for our bill for the drinks and soup and left.
The drinks were good, the service was decent, but if you’re going to spend $ 30 a plate, head across the street to the black cat tavern. The drinks are slightly cheaper and the food is excellent.

Made a pit stop twice in one day here — once to pick up takeout before boarding the Hyline Cruise and again after. Yes we love fried seafood THAT much!
Take-​out experience: 5 stars. I came in like a bolt of lightning at the takeout entrance and almost missed getting on our fishing boat. The girl at the takeout counter was a sweetheart and got me in and out in under 3 minutes. All orders were accounted for, condiments, including hot sauce supplied as requested and food was still nice and piping hot.
Items ordered and where they ranked:
#1 — Side of fried clams — YUM! Order these if you love fried clams. You will not be disappointed.
#2 — Lobster roll — Nice and light with generous serving of lobster. I did ask for light mayo so I’m not sure what the regular dosage would be but in mine, this is what made it perfecto.
#3 — Chicken fingers appetizer & kid’s grilled cheese — Our girls enjoyed both citing that it was pretty darn good.
#4 — Cheeseburger with French fries — This is probably the only menu item that could probably have been better according to my friend. Good to know though right?
Dine in experience: After fishing, we were beat and awarded ourselves with guess what, more seafood. This go around, we had:
#1 — Fried seafood combo platter — What can I say? What diet? The calories were definitely worth it though. Every morsel was heavenly. We devoured the entire platter!
#2 — Raw oysters — We enjoyed a dozen of these. Tasted great but they were a bit flimsy and small looking.
#2 — Kid’s pasta with butter — The girls gave it a classic A-​ok.
We loved their margaritas too. Nice drink to have on a scorching humid day. All in all, a great place to stop by if you happen to be around the pier. Until next year’s fishing trip. We shall be back!

Spanky’s was the first stop as we started our vacation and we were happy we did. While many of the options are fried (no judgment there, I love me some fried seafood.), we ordered grilled, marinated swordfish over salad (his Caesar, mine garden) which was a special and cups of clam chowder and seafood stew. My seafood stew (recommended by the friendly, attentive server) was incredible. I was amazed at how much seafood they fit in my cup and the broth was outstanding. While the clam chowder was also delicious — the seafood stew was wayyyyy better. Our salads were huge and the swordfish was juicy, flavorful and REALLY well cooked. My garden salad had lots of fresh, crisp veggies and the caesar was huge.
Add to our fantastic lunch, a few beers and a sunny, warm patio and you get a couple of happy customers. You also get a pretty fat bill… While everyone knows the Cape can be pricey, this was steep, and the reason for deducting a star. But we were on vacation and enjoyed it regardless.

If you’re looking for some FRIED seafood, Spanky’s is the spot. I fulfilled my whole-​clam-​belly sandwich craving here twice and was not disappointed. The clams were crispy and succulent and there were so many they overflowed on the plate. The bun was a bit small and the dish came with your standard tarter sauce. Same cocktail sauce would have been nice or something more creative. The portion is large and a good deal for $ 18.99. You can also substitute the fries for vegetables (sautéed zucchini) or baked potato. I also sampled the fried oyster roll and some calamari which were also very appetizing.
However, the non-​fried food were lackluster. I had a couple bites of the lobster roll and i was not impressed. There were no big lumps of meat, mostly shredded meat mixed with mayo. The mayo mixture overpowered the taste of lobster. Also the steamed mussels were cooked in broth that was less white wine and more butter. I would pass on both these dishes.
As far as service, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. The servers were not very attentive. During the two times I dined here, both waitresses disappeared for long stretches of time. The waitresses who worked outside failed to bring the items we requested (extra cup, extra fork, another drink order), which was frustrating.
Overall, if I was in the area again i would come back again for the clam bellies but nothing else.

Spanky’s is an energetic seafood restaurant located right on the harbor in Hyannis. As you enter, you see the smiling faces of adults and children who have just eaten a ton of delicious lobster and crab.
Maybe it was our lucky day, but I’ve never been to an über busy restaurant with a child at every table and not one of them crying. It’s THAT great of an atmosphere.
The food is savory and delicious for the most part, I had the swordfish homard special with rice pilaf. It was fantastic except the lobster was over cooked. Other than that, my family and I raved about the bacon wrapped scallops, clams casino, steak, and lobster roll.
Our waitress was wonderful. Good times all around. I’ll definitely be back!

8 of us ordered to go and ate on the lawn waiting for july 4^th fireworks. Lobster Roll was filled with lots of lobster but wish it was in chunks rather than shredded. coleslaw was bland and fries were stale. fried clam belly breading was light and not over fried. clam chowder was creamy and flavorful. the wait was long and orders not all correct at first but shout out to the high schoolers working super hard during a crazy holiday shift. Not a bad touristy joint.
side note: their gift shop has super cute cape cod stuffed animal lobsters for $ 10!

Profoundly disappointed with this place.
The Good: if you’re looking to quench your fried seafood fix, you can probably accomplish that here.
The Bad: EVERYTHING else!
Don’t expect an ounce of personality with your service. This place is simply a factory and they want you in and out quickly. We ordered a couple apps and entrees, and naturally, ALL items came out at the exact same time. I always love that — why even have an appetizer list?
My wife also received a margarita that was literally undrinkable. She politely asked our waitress to switch it out (which is hard for her — she’s from Jersey), to which the waitress replied… «okay, but I have to charge you for both because I already brought it out»
WHAT?!
I swear, I thought my wife’s head was literally going to just explode at the table. By the end of the meal we were just laughing at how shitty the experience was. Probably our fault for walking into an obvious tourist trap, but COME ON. This place clearly does a ton of business, but there is not even a shred of service to be found anywhere. Set your expectations accordingly…

Great restaurant right on the harbor. For food, we ordered the Lobster roll and the Fried Oyster roll. Both were so filling, flavorful, fresh and absolutely delicious. Lobster Roll was $ 21 and the Fried Oyster roll was $ 19. Plus we were not waiting that long from ordering to actually getting our food!
The cocktails were also strong and made very well. Bloody Mary was made spicy and with shrimp and peppers, and the Call Me Spanky was extra strong!
We sat on the deck which was well-​shaded but also gave for a great view of the harbor. This place is excellent and should be on everyone’s Hyannis bucket list!

I stopped by here after a trip to the Cape Cod Chips Factory and Cape Cod Brewery (both of which are really close by). There is very little parking for this reataurant, forcing us to pay for parking at the next door parking lot drop off deck. It located very close to the waters so there is a cute outdoor seating area. However, the rain and cold today did not permit us to eat outside. The inside is quaint and reminds me of a cozy picnic theme crossed with an antique grandma’s home. There are two private bathrooms for women and men; pretty clean too.
We ordered the fried quahog appetizer and the lobster roll.
It was my first time eating quahog and I was pleasantly surprised by its taste. The consistency resembles thanksgiving stuffing, something I’m quite fond of. They also added pepper for a needed extra spice. All of this, on top of the light seafood taste, perfectly harmonized into a tasty appetizer. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ overall.
The lobster roll was pretty standard. It was served with a toasted roll with fries, coleslaw, lettuce, and pickles on the side. It didn’t taste too buttery or too mayo-​y. It was just right. The fries were also average. ⁸⁄₁₀

We tried the New England chowda, lobsta roll and lobsta salad. All were tasty. Chowda was def worthy of coming back. Lobsta salad had some celery in it which is a little diff. Tried that over ceasar salad which was tasty. Lobsta roll was nice. Came with fries and was on a buttered roll.
Views are nice. Lots of boats coming in & out. On a nice day, great to sit outside or look out form the inside seating.
Enjoy!