clam chowder
While visiting the area in May we stopped by for lunch. Your clam chowder is now the standard for which all others will be judged.    [02 Jul 2002 08:20:05]

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Recommended Dishes: clam chowder

     ­john rhyan, columbus, ohio   jrhyan4803 at aol dot com

Great Seafood
A wonderful restaurant on a waterway in scenic Essex.The food has always been excellent and the service very good.The drinks are ample. Try it!    [18 Sep 2002 14:32:19]

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Recommended Dishes: lobster

     ­David   govpsy at aol dot com

Simply the best
Great seafood straight off the boat and into the pot. Fried clams are to die for!    [13 Feb 2003 08:56:11]

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Recommended Dishes: Anything - everything!

     ­Billy boy, Boston Mass.   

Valentine's Day Dinner
We chose Tom Shea's due to the atmosphere and great experience that we had there previously. We made reservations 2 weeks in advance and asked for a window seat. We arrived at 7:15pm and the table was ready. We sat at the far end of the restaurant, right beside the bar. The table was loud. We sat for less than 5 minutes and the waitress asked us if we would like a "before dinner drink". She then proceeded to wait "hand and foot" on the other 2 tables beside us, for her 3-table section, and forgot our drinks at the bar. Finally when I was looking at her she returned to the table to forget the drinks at the bar. We have now been at the restaurant for about 15 minutes. We did receive a basket of bread and she now asked us what we would like for dinner. The other tables around us are already eating their main courses. Our appetizer of fried clams came over the table, which ended up being a much smaller sized fried clam and portion than we had ever had before. The salad came and then about 20 minutes later the dinner came after we watched one of our 2 entrees sit on top of the bar while she cleared another table. Not once were asked how our dinners were and about 3/4 of the way through dinner we were asked if we would like another drink, which was also order and sat at the bar. Final to wrap up dinner our slip was left on the table without any type of book for the card or comments. When leaving I asked for the General Manager's name and I was told that there was not a General Manager, but our waitress was the manager. This was a complete let down and ruined Valentine's Day!    [15 Feb 2003 06:16:06]

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     ­Anonymous   lori dot botelho at bmc dot org

Disappointed
We have never been disappointed with lunch at Tom Shea's, until yesterday. The clam chowder was, as usual, delicious; the service was ok (the waitress had an attitude: she was curt & doesn't seem to like her job very much). The pasta primavera was overly spicy and only had 2 shrimp and 2 scallops. In the past, my favorite dish always had an abundance of seafood; after all, that's what Tom Shea's is all about, isn't it?    [26 Sep 2003 05:37:15]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: clam chowder

     ­Joanne