Woodman's of Essex

This North Shore icon dates back to 1914 when “Chubby” and Bessie Woodman opened their roadside clam shack on the causeway in Essex. A couple years later, Chubby debuted what the restaurant claims are the first-ever fried clams. Coated with cornmeal and deep-fried in a kettle, legend has it these crispy bivavles made a splash during that year's Fourth of July parade. More than 100 years later and family-run for five generations, Woodman’s is still making excellent New England seafood that attracts visitors from all over.