Ken's Place - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Frozen onion rings and fries really! If you cant do fresh why do it at all.

Get there early cuz they're busy but everything was fantastic. Thank you

A great place for sea food. A-1

I don't understand the hype around this place—there's always a crowd, but it's really nothing special. The food is overly breaded and fried, drowning out any actual seafood flavor. The lobster roll was incredibly ordinary and definitely not worth the price. This place doesn't deserve the amount of traffic it gets.

Always a treat! And lovely fall day to sit outdoors and enjoy the sunshine and mild temps.

Classic seafood canteen. It lacked healthier cooking options, it would have been great to have grilled or poached alternatives.

Everything was fresh. I loved the haddock and ice cream 🍦 😋

Very friendly staff and the food was amazing. Very clean inside and outside.

Ken’s was simply a wonderful place to go for fresh seafood, and chill atmosphere. My only gripe with Ken’s is the prices are relatively high. For $30, I thought I would’ve gotten more clams with my dinner. I could be ignorant on this and I’m not fully sure if this is a fair critique. I’m not from the area and I’ve not tried other establishments that sell similar dishes. Other than that, the food was phenomenal and I would return again just because the food was so good! (Just a note on the photo, I had already eaten a 2 or 3 clams on my plate when this was taken).

Go elsewhere if you want “seasoned” food and good customer service. Not being ignored because you’re don’t look like them this is 2024 not the 50’s. Miya was the worst one. This restaurant was highly recommended by a someone. I don’t see why 😔. I’m new here 😫. Please spend your money where you will be treated as a “customer” not a nuisance.

Loved the lobster bake. Near to Pine Point beach

Food was fresh, hot, and as good as one would expect.

Best seafood ever reasonably priced great place

Good food and prices for a drive up hot dog stand but dont order a bar drink

Great food and great service, friendly staff and very clean dining area

Lobster roll served with fries and salad. The price with beverage about 35$

Seafood platter clams with batter could be used as bracelets, no taste! Shrimp the t smallest I ever seem!! Aug 15 2024 42$ a ripoff

Don’t get the hype around this place. The only thing good were the drinks and raw bar. Their cooked food is nothing special and is tasteless, especially the chowder. Also the lobster rolls are ridiculous small for about $25, what a scam!

I have been going to Ken’s for a long time…. The price of the clam cakes keep going up and the size gets smaller! I hope the new owner fixes this.

Awesome food, prices a little high, but in the end it's well worth it.

Always great food, good staff, short wait time. I bring all my friends and family here when they visit!

The best batter fried clams!! Picnic like atmosphere. Great for large groups and families. Oyster bar, cocktails. Plenty of parking.

Absolutely LOVE the food. Especially the fried clams in Batter. I love how you have the choice of either crumbs or batter. And the seafood is always fresh and prepared perfectly!

I ordered a fisherman platter for 43 bucks for two of us. It's so big portions, look like enough for 4 people. Took a leftover home. It took us 2 days to finish it. It's a delicious mixture of fried seafood for sure. Also, I love their glass window from wall to wall where we will be able to enjoy the beautiful views while enjoying our meal 😊

This place was recommended as a great place to get fried seafood and that seems to be what it does well! No complaints! For seeming to do a good amount of business, the ordering/pick up process was easy peasy. Ample parking and seating. Staff was kind and friendly.

My family and I have been going to Ken's longer than I can remember. I'm pretty sure that my father was going there well before I was born. It's a family tradition of great food and ambience. Old school seafood shack. Can't wait to be back there in 2 weeks on our way to Old Orchard Beach to show the next generation of our family how freak it is.

We stopped in after a beach day, I got the seafood platter that has a mixture of scallops, clams, shrimp, fish. It was the most bland no flavor at all food. The shrimp were very tiny and dry as could be. I was very disappointed to have spent $41 dollars on it. The ice tea tasted like strait up chlorine. The children with me wanted the lobster shaped lollipops, they tasted like plastic they were so bad no child would eat them, they left them in the car. Needles to say we have checked this place off from our list to ever stop again...

Cool diner style with delicious food and self service.

I don’t get it. The food is expensive and bland. They need 2 bartenders on a Friday night. The people get so backed up and wrapped around your table you can’t eat you food. I would definitely stay clear and pick another sea food place

The food is pretty good, like seriously! The baked haddock was delicious 🐟, the coleslaw was also pretty good, a lot of French Fries 🍟 to fulfill that belly 😁 ... I had never had the Chow, and I got the fish chaw, I'll be getting it again next time, it was pretty yummy as well. Atmosphere-wise is where I would be lacking something... I can't explain it but the place looks a bit messy but it could've totally been because we came while in "late" and they were about to start the closing activities. 🔐

Great food, nice location Update: 7/24/24 Been coming here for our annual Maine trip for years. Reliable, always busy, decent food at good prices. Can get loud inside but they have plenty of outdoor seating. And just a note: The line to order can get backed up, but you won't be waiting too long.

We had the Fisherman's Platter which was absolutely delicious! The fish was tender the breading was perfectly cooked and the tartar sauce was the best I've ever had. Also the onion rings were cooked to perfection!

Food was meh...fried whole belly clams were ok, not great, fried shrimp were the tiny ones, not what we expected. Scallops were slightly overcooked, leaving them dry. And I was expecting hand cut onion rings, but those and the fries were frozen from a bag. My wife and I had never eaten there, and I can't see reason to again. I'm not a tourist, living a couple hours from coastal Maine. I know of several others I would recommend over Ken's. I will say the service was friendly.

First time ever that I have left a restaurant with to go box with fried clams in it. I couldn't finish them, there were so many.

A seafood shack in scarsborough off the Maine (lol) strip. Ken's had lines for drinks and lines for seafood and lines for nothing lol. I got into a line for food and it was a line for nothing! So when you go in the line is in the back of the restaurant and they give you a number and a pick up window line. Crazy. The staff was super nice. I had clam dinner with onion rings and it was cold and in a heavy heavy batter. The steamers were good, baked haddock (not pictured) was very good, and the fried scallops were very good. Nothing fried was particularly hot. The cole slaw was really good. Tarter sauce was homemade and not to be missed if you're into tarter (which I am).

Quick service for how busy it was and the food was amazing!!!

The seafood was perfection at this casual eatery, but the burger was mid and the chicken nuggets were nothing special. Service was cafe style and was fine. Atmosphere left a lot to be desired as there seemed to be a lot of drunk people speaking nasty at a family establishment, and there was no real scenery. This would be best as a takeout spot on your trip!

Great local seafood! Have been a patron since childhood. We always look forward to them opening for the season! Would recommend the fisherman's platter for the best variety and size for the price.

Grate food No air conditioning no fans working. It's like eating in an oven.

Had fried clams in crumbs not batter; they were excellent. We also had a fried haddock sandwich. It was good but a soggy bottom hamburg roll & on the small side. Compared to the gigantic haddock sandwich from the Porthole in the Old Port this ken’s sandwich was minuscule. Definitely think the porthole was far better.

I haven't been here in 20+ years and the food and portions were just as I remembered. Good portions and very reasonable prices. My 9 year old son got the chicken tenders and fries and he said the tenders were "the best in the world!" The fisherman's platter was very filling, fresh and flavorful and very reasonably priced..$42 for a seafood platter is very hard to beat! We will definitely be back again!

Things seem to have changed at Ken's since they changed hands. The food is still great, but the help has changed some. I never used to get snide comments from the cashiers about wearing a Trump hat under the previous ownership, and unless I'm mistaken they no longer advertise on the Howie Carr Show. Sad. I've been going there for a good fifty years. Maybe I'll go back after the tourists leave this year and give them another chance, but the last two visits have been disappointing.

Fisherman's Platter to die for! We split it for 2, still leftovers. Been coming here for over 30 years. Sit at the bar with Jennifer and have shrimp cocktail great prices.

Tiny lobster roll, Cole slaw so so. Don't recommend.

Food was great, Fishermans Platter and fresh lobster. Quite noisy though.

FANTASTIC WHOLE BELLIES AND CHOWDER. WENT 2X WHILE ON VACATION.

Great good and large servings. We had the chawder, shrimp, and lobster roll. Everything was great and they had a kids menu. The line seemed long but they were very efficient. The employees were all friendly and helpful.

We’ve had fresh fish all over the world and this is the worst we’ve ever tried to eat. The fried clams were greasy and the breading was soft, the shrimp were tiny and tasted frozen and the clam chowder had no flavor. Extremely disappointing and expensive.

We’ve had fresh fish all over the world and this is the worst we’ve ever tried to eat. The fried clams were greasy and the breading was soft, the shrimp were tiny and tasted frozen and the clam chowder had no flavor. Extremely disappointing and expensive.

Great food. As always, just look at the crowd and it says volumes about their food and service! Always excellent 👍

Great quality seafood plates. They also have burgers, and chicken sandwiches and nuggets for land lubbers.

Such a great place, batter dipped fresh fried classic and scallops were superb!

Great food and fair prices for what you get. Plenty of options and usually pretty fast even when it’s busy. Worth the stop.

Decent place to eat lobster in the Old Orchard area. Canteen style, we name on the microphone when your order is ready. The plate of two lobsters comes with coleslaw, pickles, fries and sauces.

Place that was recommended to us and in turn I recommend stopping there. Unpretentious canteen-style seafood cuisine. Good and affordable.

Great food + very quick on orders

Pretty good. Not the best. Seafood is expensive everywhere, but this place does it just fine for the price. They seem organized and the food came out relatively quickly for the amount of people that visit this place. Their fried options were better than the baked. This place was busy when we visited, so if the parking lot is full, it is just an indicator of how long the line will be. Still, the food came out within 15 minutes after ordering it. 👍

I think the place is way too expensive I mean come on $9 for kids hamburger what a joke

When my mom needed gluten free options the server was able to give her fish with no crumbs and a delicious side salad. I got outstanding scallops

Traditional fried seafood. Always busy for good reason. In no way fancy, you order from a window and wait for your number. There are lots of seats inside and outside. They serve alcohol at a bar, but you can't take it outside the building garden area, which can get quite busy.

Overall, this place was not as good as the reviews mentioned. Too much soggy fries in each of the meals we bought for the kids. Baked haddock lacked flavor. Very little value for what you pay for at this place. Will not be going there again.

Really fun classic seaside ambiance and the salad plate was amazing! The crab salad was absolutely delicious and the salad plate concept was enjoyable- nice when you’re not in the mood for fried food.

This place is an icon. Everything was so good, however the actual lobsters....maybe they are pressure cooked? Whatever is done in the process makes anything extra that was in the tails, explode in them. Making it very hard to remove and create an odd taste. Otherwise no complaints, just get there early and you won't have to stand in line or scout out your own table.

After reading numerous reviews, we ordered the fisherman's plater. Everything was kind of blah tasting except the haddock. The haddock was very good. The clams and scallops had a little flavor but not much. Not worth $45 tax included.

Ken's Place in Scarborough, Maine, is the seafood restaurant where your eyes might pop out before the fried clams do. Let's start with the portions: they're huge. Titanic huge. The kind of portions that make you wonder if you're paying for the meal or a new chapter in your life. And yes, the price tag matches the portion size—think of it as an investment in your happiness (and probably a nap afterward). The food is good—like, "I could eat this every day if my wallet and waistline allowed" good. Speaking of which, the fried clams are a must-try. They're crispy, flavorful, and addictive. You'll start eating them and suddenly find yourself in a trance, unable to stop until you've polished off the last morsel. Here's the deal: no reservations are needed. It's a casual affair, so you stroll in, stake your claim on a table, and then send someone from your party on a mission to place your order. It's like a culinary version of "Survivor," but with more butter and less drama. Ken's Place is the kind of spot where locals and tourists blend seamlessly, all united by their love for seafood and massive plates. So, come hungry, come with friends, and leave with a full belly and a lighter wallet. It's worth every penny and every calorie.

Only way it can get better is to put kens on the water !!

I've been a long time patron of this place. I usually order a 2 item combo with haddock and whole belly clams or scallops and clams. I don't know if it's Bidenomics, greed or a combination of the two, but when I received my order everything fit on an 8 inch paper plate, with the exception of the dinner roll and slaw. They did the trick of putting a bunch of fries on the bottom with maybe a half cup of clams on top. The chunk of haddock was roughly three inches square and didn't seem fresh. The batter fell right off like frozen fish usually does. I don't know what happened, this place has always been my go to seafood restaurant that all others in the area were judged by. I'm going to try someplace else next time. The value for what I paid has gone dramatically downhill. I was going to try the Clambake around the corner instead of here, but I always liked this place. Next time I will give it a try. Maybe Baileys will get another chance. They're not open on Sundays though. Sadly disappointed.

Ken's is a casual seafood place with the freshest seafood around. I have always loved their seafood platter which I shared with my husband but recently tried the baked haddock which was the best I've ever had! It has window service with the sweetest young people who are cheerful and very patient to explain anything you have questions about. It also seems to attract great patrons, kind of like a Big family picnic. There is a bar in the corner with the same kind of excellent service. They handle large crowds of customers with tremendous finesse. They've been around for years and all of the above reasons explain why. Relax, enjoy the crowd, and mostly savor your fresh seafood! 🦞🦀🐟

The fried haddock is easily the best I've had in Maine. The service was fast and friendly with plenty of seating inside and out. I'll be back at least a few more times this season.

If you like fried clams, you'll love Ken's. Pricey but tasty. I'd suggest you get them fried in batter & ask for the house tarter sauce. You won't be disappointed.

Ken’s is solid seafood! We came because I saw the chowder was nice and thick from some photos, but unfortunately when I came it was very thin like soup. Flavor was good though. Also got baked scallop dinner which was perfect! Check it out when you want some good seafood.

Good, classic fish spot. I got a fish sandwich, onion rings, a.d a lemonade. Everything was good.

Great old timey seafood place with flavor to match. Which is no flavor at all. Bland fried food with questionable ingredients, some seemed fresh, others were definitely frozen. We had the fishermans platter and clam chowder. The fried scallops were the highlight and they were wet and flavorless. The clam chowder was very full of flour and bland, no clams to be found. If you're looking for some fun east coast fried seafood joint with very basic food, this is the place. If you're looking for a nice meal with fresh seafood and great flavor, this is not it. All this food can be made at home, and better, for 30% the price. We left disappointed and do not recommend.

Never a disappointment! Been coming here for 69+ years.

They cannot change the thing.It's all beautiful where gonna love seafood.They haven't all it's served.Old man, you have to go if you don't.You missed out on some good seafood.That's the best place around

Ken’s was the suggested go to place in the area from locals whe we asked about lobsters. The food was perfect, and the ordering was easy as well. Only two small issues. The seating is a bit tight and you might be forced to heat far too much than you care to from anyone sitting next to you! The other issues is that if you need something you forgot with your order, seasoning for example, you tend to wait a while to go through the line again. Otherwise excellent!

I've been here many times over the years. This was my second visit this year and both times were really good. They are able to spread people out both in doors and out. This year has been better because there aren't as many tourists but im sure it has hurt their bottom line, being a seasonal business they rely on tourists (unlike me)

Quintessential Maine seafood at its finest! My wife and I look forward to their opening every year & it is without a doubt our go-to place to get an AMAZING seafood dinner at a fair price in Southern Maine, and here's why; This place gets absolutely insane in the summer and even with a line out the door, you never wait more than 10-15 minutes for your food. Secondly, the service is top-notch! Even though you have to grab your own food when they call your number, they always have a smile on their faces, are super friendly & put anything and everything you could need/want on the tray. Finally, it's hands down simply the best fried seafood I've ever had. They have 2 different options for fried seafood, batter & crumb, both equally delicious. And dont worry, even when they are absolutely slammed on a hot summer day, the food quality never goes down and I think that alone says ALOT about the very efficient systems they have in place here. Highly highly recommend Ken's

No one within 20 miles of this local must does seafood better. Save room, too, for one very tasty spicy bloody.

The spicy Bloody Mary and fresh jumbo shrimp cocktail at the raw bar/drink bar were good but everything was served in plastic, which seems a little too casual for an indoor bar. Ken's recently opened for the season, and the price of fried clams has skyrocketed. You'd think Scarborough was in Arizona instead of right near the Atlantic Ocean.

I had the fried clam dinner. It was loaded with so many clams, I couldn't eat them all. I couldn't decide between the puffy batter or the crumb batter, so they did it 1/2 and 1/2. I was grateful now I know I prefer their crumb battered clams. The woman taking my order was helpful and friendly. I'll definitely recommend them and will be going back.

Mmmm. Fried clams in batter. Have not found a place that does it better. All of their food is not only delicious but most importantly, consistent. Very well managed.

Came here with my husbands grandparents and immediately fell in love. It’s my first time visiting the east coast and it reminded me so much of a place we used to go to on the Oregon coast when I was a kid. Loved it! Also had my first lobster that was absolutely amazing! Tried some of my husbands clam strips as well and the weather coast clam strips don’t even compare! Would totally come back if I’m ever in the area again!

Scallops were way overdone. Clamcake were overcooked also. I have always love Ken's Place so I will try it again.

Are you kidding me??? $55 for 2 tiny lobster rolls and 1 small diet soda! OMG, we were shocked by the ridiculous size of the lobster rolls, so tiny a toddler would still be hungry.. And they don't even include a single serving size bag of chips! Wish I had read the reviews before we came here. Never again. .....we sure won't be back. Yes, there were several cars in the parking lot so we figured we were in for a treat. But alas, no....not a treat by a colossal rip-off. This place is beyond expensive for what you get. A few customers near us were complaining about the onion rings & fries being the frozen kind. ugh

Great food, never been disappointed and I’ve been going since I was a kid.

Fisherman's platter was on point will be back for sure.

Great place to eat if you like Seafood. Although it is more of a tourist place than a regular place to it. The atmosphere and location still make it a great place to go with family. The only downside is it is usually quite busy and parking is a bit hard to find sometimes.

Best clam shoulders ever A bit pricy Camping shack atmosphere

Stopped by this place for a quick lunch stop during a roadtrip. The food was excellent, and the service was swift. Overall a really nice place to eat wether inside or out!

Good food but be ready to pay a premium for it.

Excellent seafood.. had 2 items steamers n fried clams..delicious both fair price. Excellent drink from bar..always busy..but plenty of seats They truly need a bigger bar tho..no seats were available.. its small for size of the place only reason 4 stars

Bland food and bland atmosphere.

Have loved Ken’s since I was a kid. Always good !!!

Best seafood we have ever had, great value!

Best fried clams around, period. Great prices and friendly staff. Went 4 times in as many days and would go back over and over.

Best seafood in Maine great place

Good sized portions. Good service. Very busy so they are definitely doing a good job

Best seafood! Fast service & very friendly employees

Basic fried food..fries not crisp..coleslaw excellent