Ned's New England Deck

We found beer and wine alongside the seafood, North Shore beef, salads, wraps, and children’s meals. The menu gave Susan and me different reasons to plan a return visit.

Here's another thing I really appreciate about Ned's. They haven't built a menu that only appeals to people who want fried seafood and French fries. Now, don't get me wrong. You already know how I feel about their French fries! But not everyone wants to eat the way I do. Take Susan, for example. She's my healthy eater! While I'm already planning my next visit for another roast beef sandwich and a big serving of those incredible fries, Susan is looking forward to going back and trying one of their salads or some steamed seafood.

And that's another reason this restaurant works so well. They have a nice selection of salads, including a traditional BLT Wedge, a Spicy Crab & Avocado Wedge, and a Curry Chicken Salad Wedge. They also offer several wraps, including a Sesame Tuna Wrap, Curry Chicken Salad Wrap, and other options for people looking for something different. And if you enjoy seafood but don't want it fried, you can have seafood prepared steamed. That's important! Too many seafood restaurants build their entire menu around fried food.

Ned's gives you options. Whether you're looking for a lobster roll, a roast beef sandwich, fried shrimp, a fresh salad, a wrap, or steamed seafood, there's something here for just about everyone. And that's exactly what makes it such a great place to bring the family or a group of friends. Everybody can order something they actually want.

Availability of steamed seafood and the scope of those options were described during our visit; confirm current selections with the restaurant. The Kraft macaroni-and-cheese detail is also from our visit account and has not been independently verified.

Best of the Best roast beef sandwich

Let me tell you something about myself. I LOVE roast beef! I consider myself a roast beef connoisseur. I've traveled all over the country, eaten roast beef sandwiches in countless restaurants, and experienced just about every preparation imaginable. So when I tell you that Ned's served me the best roast beef sandwich I've ever had, that's saying something! This sandwich was absolutely phenomenal. They prepare their North Shore roast beef in the traditional Massachusetts style, with thinly sliced, slow-roasted rare roast beef piled high on a soft, grilled bun.

Then comes the sauce. That wonderful, slightly sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, combined with the cheese and mayonnaise in the classic three-way preparation, creates a flavor combination that is simply outstanding. The roast beef was fantastic, the bread was perfect, and the way everything came together made this one of those sandwiches you remember long after dinner. And here's the funny part. Ned's is a seafood restaurant! You walk in expecting lobster rolls, fried clams, shrimp, and chowder. Yet according to the owners, their roast beef sandwich is currently their number-one seller!

After tasting it, I understand why. This sandwich officially earns our Culinary Duo Best of the Best Roast Beef Sandwich Award! And I already know what I'm ordering when I go back!

Best of the Best boardwalk French fries

Now, this next award is personal. Susan and I both lived in Maryland, and that's where we met. If you've ever visited Ocean City, Maryland, or spent time along the East Coast boardwalks, you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say boardwalk fries. There is something special about those fries. The potatoes, the preparation, the texture, that wonderful crispy exterior with the soft potato inside. Well, folks, Ned's has recreated that experience! Their hand-cut French fries are absolutely phenomenal. One bite and Susan and I were immediately reminded of those wonderful Maryland boardwalk fries.

And believe me, that's a serious compliment! These aren't your typical frozen restaurant fries. They're hand-cut and prepared in-house, and the difference really comes through. Ned's officially receives our Culinary Duo Best of the Best French Fries Award! If you love traditional boardwalk fries, you need to try these.

Best of the Best lobster roll

Now let's talk about what you would expect to be the star of a New England seafood restaurant. The lobster roll! I've had lobster rolls all over the country, and quite frankly, most of them have been disappointing. I've had lobster rolls that were so underwhelming I didn't even want to finish them. One thing I haven't done yet is travel to Boston or coastal New England specifically to experience a traditional lobster roll where the dish originated. I've always heard those are the best.

Well, until I make that trip, Ned's has officially set the standard for me! What makes their lobster roll so special? It starts with the lobster. During our visit, the kitchen team explained that they receive fresh lobster, not frozen lobster meat. They steam the lobsters right there, crack them, remove the meat, and prepare the rolls themselves. Think about the work involved in that! It would be so much easier to purchase frozen, precooked lobster meat and simply assemble the sandwich. But that's not what they're doing.

They're putting in the effort to prepare the lobster in-house, and you can appreciate that commitment when you see the finished product. Our lobster roll was generously filled with beautiful pieces of lobster on a traditional New England-style bun. The menu offers two preparations: a chilled Down East Lobster Roll with Ned's lobster dressing, celery, lettuce, and chives, and a warm Connecticut-style roll featuring brown-butter-poached lobster. The lobster roll we enjoyed was fantastic! This is officially the best lobster roll I've had anywhere in the country!

Now, I have to give fair warning to the folks at Ned's. One of these days, I'm going to Boston and New England to try the originals. So there's always the possibility that someone up north might challenge your title! But as of today, Ned's earns our Culinary Duo Best of the Best Lobster Roll Award!

Best of the Best Rhode Island style fried shrimp

Here's where the chef really impressed me. Almost every seafood restaurant serves some version of fried shrimp. And let's face it, many restaurants take the easy route. They purchase frozen, breaded shrimp, drop them into a fryer, and serve something that tastes pretty much like fried shrimp everywhere else. Ned's decided to do something different. They created their own Rhode Island-style fried shrimp preparation, and I absolutely loved the creativity behind it. The chef explained that they combine shrimp with cherry peppers, similar to the peppers you often find served with fried calamari.

They coat the shrimp and peppers in a cornmeal breading seasoned with Old Bay and other spices. And no, they didn't give me all their secret ingredients! The shrimp and peppers are fried together until crispy, then finished with a hot honey glaze and fresh chopped basil. The result? Absolutely phenomenal! What I particularly enjoyed was that this wasn't another heavy, sauce-covered bang bang shrimp. The breading was relatively light, allowing the shrimp and peppers to come through, while the hot honey added just the right combination of sweetness and heat.

The peppers gave the dish another dimension of flavor that made it stand out. I love calamari prepared with fried peppers, and I thought it was ingenious to take that concept and create something different with shrimp. This is the kind of creativity I love seeing in a restaurant. The chef didn't simply copy another fried shrimp recipe. He created something distinctive. Ned's earns our Culinary Duo Best of the Best Fried Shrimp Award! And at $20 for the platter, served with hand-cut fries and house-made horseradish coleslaw, it's a dish worth checking out.

Now, I have to tell you about another dish we tried. Ned's has something on the menu called Fluffy Chowder. It's their New England clam chowder with sherry and poached lobster, and it is absolutely wonderful. The kitchen explained that they make their chowder completely in-house using fresh clams. Then they add the lobster, butter, and a touch of sherry to create this rich, satisfying seafood chowder. There were plenty of ingredients in the bowl, including generous pieces of lobster. I had a bite or two.

Susan tried it. And that was pretty much the end of my opportunity to enjoy the chowder! She loved it so much that she claimed the rest of the bowl. I couldn't blame her. It was fabulous! If you enjoy New England clam chowder, particularly with lobster, this is definitely something you should try.

One of the things that stood out during our visit was how much actual food preparation takes place in their kitchen. And it's not a gigantic kitchen! While we were there, I looked over the counter and saw the chef literally dicing onions. We learned that they make their own tartar sauce, coleslaw, and onion sauce. They prepare their lobster in-house. They hand-cut their fries. They make their own onion strings. And they prepare their chowder from scratch. They also use the lobster shells in preparing their lobster bisque, getting additional flavor and value from the fresh lobster they bring into the kitchen.

That's the kind of attention to detail I appreciate. In an industry where so many restaurants rely on frozen, prepackaged, and ready-to-serve products, it's refreshing to find a restaurant putting this much effort into its food. And you can see the results on the plate.

I almost forgot one more thing! Along with the roast beef sandwich, we had their crispy onion strings. I love thinly sliced, battered onions, and these were excellent. They're prepared fresh in-house, and they're exactly the kind of side dish I enjoy. Between the roast beef, the onion strings, and those incredible French fries, I could happily return just for that combination. In fact, that's probably exactly what I'm going to do!

There's something else you should know before visiting. Ned's is a counter-service restaurant. You walk up, place your order, and then find your table. Now, that might seem a little unusual when you're looking at the quality of food they're serving. But here's what surprised us. The service was wonderful! The staff was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely interested in making sure we were enjoying ourselves. Throughout our meal, people were stopping by the table asking if we needed anything, whether everything was good, and if they could get us something else.

So even though this isn't a traditional full-service restaurant, you still get that personal attention that makes dining out enjoyable. The atmosphere is casual, relaxed, and comfortable. They also serve beer and wine, and between the indoor seating, outdoor patio, and children's play area, they've created an environment where families, couples, and friends can all feel welcome.

For me, the appeal was the quality of the food and the amount of preparation taking place in-house. The Rhode Island-style fried shrimp platter was listed at $20 with fries and coleslaw, and the children’s meals were $9. Those menu details, together with the dishes we enjoyed, help explain our original value score of 10/10.