Freddy's Lobster & Clam Restaurant By Chef Jeff Heineman
Freddy's is on a roll with seafood
This landlocked town is a long way from crashing waves and salty ocean breezes. But don't tell that to Jeff Heineman.
The chef and owner of newcomer Freddy's Lobster & Clams has strewn a cavernous Bethesda space with fishing nets and life preservers, creating the Beltway's best shot at a seafood shack.
The menu includes fresh options for seafood purists, including grilled fish dinners ($16) and lobster rolls ($15) spooned into griddled buns, either warm with a glaze of butter or chilled with lemony mayonnaise for eating on the wood-planked patio.
New England's greasier seafood traditions shine brightest after a turn in Freddy's deep fryer. A clam roll ($14) arrives stuffed with Chesapeake- and Ipswich-sourced whole belly clams that remain plump and briny under their crisp coating. Fry platters include a tangle of long, juicy clam strips ($9) and slightly sweet fried Maine shrimp ($11).
For those who appreciate the landlocked life, Freddy's also obliges. One night each week, chef Gillian Clark, who plans to open The Kitchen on K Street this year, invades to fry three-piece orders of her steaming, golden, buttermilk-coated chicken ($14).
It's the only time Freddy's goes fowl.
Freddy's Lobster & Clams, 4867 Cordell Ave., Bethesda; 301-743-4257 or freddyslobster.com