The Origin Story Of New England's Beloved Fried Clams

You can disagree if you like, however, the greatest fried food in the whole world, is the fried clam. To think that they were born right here in New England makes me puff out my chest a bit in pride.

I don't care what time of year it is, you can get fried clams here in New England all year 'round. Sure, some places close for the season, but not at this place, where they invented those deep fried babies, where a joke (literally!) made them a world-wide hit.

Fried Clams Birth Started With a Joke From a Friend

Over 100 years ago, the owner of a roadside stand, Lawrence, "Chubby" Woodman took the joke that one of his friends made, seriously, according to their website. A local fisherman came by the stand and joked to Chubby;

"Why don’t you fry up some of your clams? If they’re as tasty as those potato chips of yours, you’ll never have to worry about having enough customers.”

At first, this suggestion seemed ridiculous. Clams had shells and they couldn't wrap their mind around it, but business was slow, so he thought he would have nothing to lose. Chubby's wife, Bessie, tossed some lard into the fryer that normally made potato chips, shucked some clams, battered 'em up a little and threw them in.

The customers that came in after that thought the fried clams were absolutely delicious! Chubby and Bessie knew they were on to something big. That was an understatement.

Restaurant Chain Howard Johnson's Went to Woodman's to Learn How to Make Fried Clams

Remember going to Howard Johnson's and getting fried clams? Woodman's is where they learned how to make them! My family and I went into the one just off Exit 7E (?) in Nashua. I had to ease into the clam by getting the "no belly" kind, but my Mother loved the bellies and after a few tries, I did too.

Remember, although Woodman's is open year 'round, during the Winter, they do reduce their hours a little bit. With the tourist season, they work about a million billion hours dishing out fried clams and tartar sauce, so - they need to slow it down sometimes.