As you would expect from an area bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Maine has some great seafood restaurants. The Clambake is not one of those.

Yet for me our annual family Maine vacation is not complete without an excursion to indulge in The Clambake’s platter of deep fried haddock, shrimp, clams (two types) and scallops. Deep fried food may not be healthy, but it is so tasty. However this is in no way fine dining.

The Clambake is huge, seating about 800 people. There is no wait staff. You order when you come in, then wait for your number to be called so you can go pick up your meal. The food is served on paper plates, but at least the flatware is real. With that many people the restaurant is certainly not quiet – especially as every minute or so another prepared order is being called over the public address system. The booths are worn from years of diners’ behinds – the padding is long gone. For comfort you are probably better sitting at a table with a hard wooden chair.

Given that there are places that serve much tastier (and more creatively prepared) seafood, why do I like to go every year?

Partly because the food, while not gourmet cooking, is tasty – and the portions are huge. The Captain’s Plate for example (haddock, shrimp, scallops, two types of clams and French fries) is a full meal for four people. All deep fried of course. There are some menu items that aren’t, but most of what is on offer is deep fried. Probably not the healthiest choice – but once a year isn’t going to hurt me. I hope.

When my children were younger we used to go to The Clambake because they got to feed the seagulls. The restaurant is located on the Scarborough Marsh and has attracted a very aggressive group of seagulls who expect leftovers from any children in attendance. They stay away from the front of the restaurant, but flock to the rear entrance off of the dining room. For kids, feeding this ravenous flock is a highlight of the meal, perhaps the highlight. For the seagulls it is an easy life, though I wonder at times if by the end of the summer they become too fat to fly.

The Clambake has been a fixture for more than 50 years. That longevity means people who went there as children now bring their grandchildren. It’s a great place to go if you have a large group – they have the room to handle you. Over time little has changed at The Clambake, the rustic décor largely unchanged (though there has been some capacity increase over the years). The prices have gone up, of course, but the price of everything has gone up. I seem to remember that Captain’s Plate costing $15.95; this year it was $33.95. Mind you, it fed three of us that evening and the leftovers fed two of us the next evening. It was just as tasty. High class dining The Clambake is not, but for vacation it fits the bill nicely.