Legal Seafood

New Jersey, December 2016 – One of the best places to savor fresh seafood at reasonable prices is Legal Seafood. On my last trip to New York City, I ventured across state line to New Jersey to find the closest Legal Seafood for lunch. The 90 minutes car ride (both ways) was well worth it.

I have been dining at Legal Seafood restaurants in the New England area since the 1980s. Although Legal Seafood has expanded into numerous restaurants nationwide, the quality of their seafood hasn’t changed. I am still impressed by their consistency over the past 3 decades.

Legal Seafood is a great place to bring kids also, and my son really enjoyed his experience here. As soon as we were seated, the waitress brought my son a coloring set (inside a fishnet bag). The kids menu is extensive with about 8-10 choices, plus desserts.

Here are some of my favorite dishes:

Steamers with drawn butter – these steamed clams are super sweet and tasty even without the butter

Cherrystone Clams – these are my favorite raw shellfish of all time. Nothing beats light pink and succulent cherrystones from New England waters.

New England Clam Chowder – this is a Legal Seafood signature dish. Their chowder is rich with lots of clams and potatoes. Legal also offers a “lite” clam chowder, where the broth is clear (no cream).

New England Fried Clams – an all-time hit with adults and kids. I especially like Legal’s fried clams, because they are sizeable – “whole-bellied” so one can actually taste the clam. There is hardly anything inside fried clams (except batter) at other seafood restaurants.

Lobster Roll – Legal actually puts in fresh lobster meat to make this Lobster Roll. What’s more, the brioche roll is perfectly toasted and warm. I can taste lobster in every bite.