If there’s one thing the East End does better than New York City, it’s seafood. And how could that not be true? The ocean is literally in our backyard, and we have dedicated fishermen harvesting its bounty day in and day out. And today is the perfect day to brag about that sort of thing, because March 31 is a fun little holiday known as Clam on the Half Shell Day.

For those who don’t know, “on the half shell” refers to serving the meat of a bivalve, such as an oyster or clam, without scooping it out of the shell. By leaving the meat in one half of its shell, it retains the natural juice know as oyster/clam liquor that extenuates the taste of the shellfish. Mussels and scallops can also be served on the half shell, but they technically contain no juices to speak of. When ordering shellfish, if its served on the half shell its almost guaranteed that it was freshly caught and not recently defrosted.

There’s no wrong way to order it though. Some people prefer their shellfish cooked, while others prefer it raw. Either way, trust Dan’s Best of the Best to provide the ultimate guide to the East End’s greatest offerings. Go forth and savor the goodness of Dan’s 2017 Best Clam Bakes and Raw Bars in the Hamptons and on the North Fork.

Find more of the East End’s Best of the Best businesses and personalities at DansBOTB.com and check out the photo gallery for last year’s Dan’s ClambakeMTK.

Clam Bake

Platinum
Stuart’s Seafood
41 Oak Lane, Amagansett
631-267-6700, stuartsseafood.com

Buoy One
1175 West Main Street, Riverhead
631-208-9737, buoyone.com

Gold
Dockers Waterside
94 Dune Road, East Quogue
631-653-0653, dockerswaterside.com

Southold Fish Market
61850 Main Road, Southold
631-765-3200, facebook.com/southoldfishmarket

Silver
Clamman Seafood Market
235A North Sea Road, Southampton
631-283-6669, clamman.com

Hampton Clambake
39 Gann Road, East Hampton
631-324-8620, hamptonclambake.com

Cooperage Inn
2218 Sound Avenue, Calverton
631-727-8994, cooperageinn.com

Bronze
Cor-J Seafood
36 Lighthouse Road, Hampton Bays
631-728-5186, corjseafood.com

Bostwick’s Chowder House
277 Pantigo Road, East Hampton
631-324-1111, bostwickschowderhouse.com

Raw Bars

Platinum
Westlake Fish House
352 Westlake Drive, Montauk
631-668-3474, westlakefishhouse.com

Little Creek Oyster Farm
37 Front Street, Greenport
631-477-6992, littlecreekoysters.com

Gold
Dockers Waterside
94 Dune Road, East Quogue
631-653-0653, dockerswaterside.com

Lulu Kitchen & Bar
126 Main Street, Sag Harbor
631-725-0900, lulusagharbor.com

Orient by the Sea Marina & Restaurant
40200 Main Road, Orient
631-323-2424, orientbythesea.com

Silver
South Edison
17 South Edison Street, Montauk
631-668-4200, southedison.com

Shuckers Lobster & Clam Bar
58 Foster Avenue, Hampton Bays
631-905-8292, shuckerslobsterbar.com

Frisky Oyster
27 Front Street, Greenport
631-477-4265, thefriskyoyster.com

Bronze
Clamman Seafood Market
235A North Sea Road, Southampton
631-283-6669, clamman.com

Claudio’s Clam Bar
111A Main Street, Greenport
631-477-1889, claudios.com