Frates Drive-In

Over priced for greasy low quality food — I had high hopes for this place but left disappointed both times we ate here. We won’t be back

The lobster rolls are great but on the pricey side considering they don’t come with fries. The chilli cheese fries were great! We were driving by and wanted to try something new and this got the job done! Might comeback again!

Got the lobster roll, lime Rickey, and ice cream… The roll and ice cream good and the lime Rickey was watered down and definitely over priced. Cute atmosphere but a lot of flies. Customer service was mediocre… I felt like I was interrupting them and rushed although no one was behind me. Can’t say I’ll be rushing to come back. Too bad since I live so close. I like to support small business.

Food is ok. A little too expensive for what they offer. Fun to check it out once or twice but wouldn’t be a regular

The soft serve is flavorless, the hot dogs were white (not sure why, but I didn’t chance it and tossed mine), the chicken fingers were low quality, and the owner argued with me about wanting extra sauce. Very disappointing. I called to ask if the seafood was fresh and the girl said «yes, its frozen», really?! Wayyyy overpriced. I won’t be back here again.

Very very expensive new owners food is top notch. But prices are way out of control. A lobster roll is tiny and over $ 20,00

I do like this place. I’d have to say it is super convenient and adorably decorated on the outside. I’ve had their whole clam plate which was really good; fried golden brown, not greasy, fresh and flavorable! Their burgers are okay, didn’t care for their burnt, greasy, flavorless fries though. My son and I always get their soft serve ice cream, they are definitely not lacking in variety! Truly something for everyone. My only complaint is that they are pricey, but I guess you’re paying for the atmosphere as well. For me, I live 1 minute away so I’m paying for conveinence as well. All in all, pretty good!

I’ve lived in the SouthCoast Mass region my whole life and somehow I’ve never been to Frates until this spring. Frates Drive-​In is an adorable roadside food stand that offers loads of food options for such a small venue. Frates has delicious burgers, sandwiches and seafood options along with a ton of ice cream to finish off with. I had a Philly cheesesteak with a cake batter ice cream to finish and it was the perfect late lunch on a hot spring day.
Parking is ample and the venue itself is very retro cute. Prices are a little steep for the area but the food is good enough quality to justify it. Just wish they gave complimentary fries/​sides with their sandwiches like most burger joints do. Will definitely come back next time I’m hungry on 138.

Friendly service and the food is good. I mostly get ice cream. Prices seem high but the place is ultra convenient.

Great old fashion drive in style ice cream spot. 50s-​60s vibe. Great choice of flavors. Menu is large food wise Good seafood platters and clam cakes so on. Picnic tables outside so you can sit an enjoy the good weather.

This place is overrated and overpriced, I wouldn’t come back. Less than mediocre food that is all hyped up.

Today was my first visit to this place. I got the regular sized lobster roll (4oz. of lobster meat They also have a jumbo with 8 oz. of meat.) Since I was craving fried clams I opted for the 4 oz and a clam strip roll. They asked if I wanted melted butter or mayo on the side for the lobster. One thing I could never understand is that 99% of people that eat boiled lobster eat it with melted butter but 99% of lobster rolls out there are made with mayo???
Of course I got the melted butter! Finally a place that makes a lobster roll locally with BUTTER! I know the 99 restaurant does it with butter too but it’s all claw meat there (my least favorite part of the lobster!) This has tail, knuckle and a large claw on top and all was very good.
Note: The lobster meat is COLD not warm but still AWESOME!
I will be back many many times! And I’ll be getting the JUMBO!
The strip clam roll was perfect also.
NOTE: This is a drive-​in.
There are a few picnic tables outside so plan on take out or eating in the car.
We where there early so the picnic tables where empty so we lucked out :)
GO THERE!

The food was perfectly acceptable. The wait time to order & receive food was fine. The pricing was a bit much, but I guess that’s what you get with a mom & pop type place. It’s convenient to be able to look at their Facebook page for current menu & pricing.
The décor/​music/​ambience was about as expected. When we read that this was a ‘drive-​in,’ I dunno, I guess we expected something a bit more like Sonic? Like, food brought to your car or at least a drive-​thru? Guess not.
It was OK but in too remote of a location to frequent.

Great concept for a take out place but fish and chips were horrible. Went last year for the first time after hearing good reviews. Fish tasted like fried clams and was greasy. Posted a comment about the bad experience on their facebook page which was deleted. Ice cream is nothing special.

Excellent food (seriously, the fish & chips are REALLY good and the chowder is spectacular), prices are low, lovely staff, and also… it’s really clean. Like seriously, when you look in the window even the walls are clean. I love this place.

June 21, 2014
After a fun day of celebrating my sister’s new home with our family, Mom and I decided to stop by Frates Drive-​In for dinner. We love visiting Frates because the service is always fast and friendly, the place itself is a lot of fun and the food is excellent.
Mom was lucky enough to score a picnic table by the side of the takeout window while I placed our orders. I went with a cup of clam chowder ($ 4.99) and a clam strip roll ($ 7.99) while Mom went with a classic hamburger ($ 3.99) and small fries ($ 2.69). We both chose root beer floats ($ 4.49 each) for our drink/​dessert. My total came to $ 29.68. Perhaps they’re not the cheapest in town, but the quality is always there so you really don’t mind splurging a little. The cashier gave me a receipt with a number on the bottom and told me that the food would be out in a few minutes.
She was right! I had only been waiting a few minutes before my number was called (I think they may have also called my name). Everything was packaged nicely in cardboard trays which made for easy transport back to Mom. The food was steaming and looked fresh and delicious. With fun music from the 1950’s playing overhead and cute cows all around, we dug in. Mom’s hamburger (she always orders it plain) was meaty and full of flavor and her fries were crisp and hot — just like she likes them.
My clam chowder was great! It was full of potatoes and clams and had a very creamy texture. I could have easily ordered a bucket of this. As for the clam strips, they came in a buttered hot dog roll which was lightly crisp and tasted great. The clam strips were perfectly cooked and tender. A fabulous meal!
Mom had ordered the root beer float at Frates on another occasion, but I had never had one. It was HUGE. Definitely worth the $ 4.49. We ended up asking for covers so that we could leave with them since there was no way that we could finish them with dinner. There was plenty of vanilla ice cream and tasty root beer to keep us busy for quite a while.
Frates Drive-​In is the perfect summertime destination. It’s close by, the food is made on the spot and served lightning fast, there are many flavors of ice cream and desserts to choose from (click here to view the menu) and the service — which can sometimes be a hit or miss at busy «clam shack» type places — is always A+. We can’t wait to return.
Visit
for more tasty reviews from Southern New England!

First time going and will continue. The food was great I had fried clams and my son had their fish n chips. The owner was outside talking to everyone and watering the plant. The atmosphere was so nice great 50’s music, place for dogs, water bowl from dogs also. Very clean.

There’s nowhere in all of Massachusetts that compares to the lobster rolls here. Love them.

I was looking forward to getting a free lobster roll because I have never tried one but I know I’m not one of the first ten reviews.
I’m still going to write a review because I have had many (too many) flavors of ice cream which are fabulous! My personal favorite soft serve is the skittles… yum! But the peanut butter cookie dough is amazing!

This is the perfect place to stop for a bite when you’re out for a spring or summertime drive.
The atmosphere inside is utilitarian; order your food at the window and leave. Service is very friendly and quick enough. The menu boards can be a little overwhelming, but, well, there’s a lot to choose from!
The real charm is outside. On one side of the building, there are picnic tables under a covering or with umbrellas that provide a nice area to sit and relax. On the other side, I believe there is a small grassy area for kids to run around with more picnic tables (not as much shade). There are also cow, um statues that people can «pet» and take pics with. Pets are welcome on the property and they provide bags behind the building to pick up pet messes. Nice touch.
As nice as the property is, the real magic is in the food. I’ve had the lobster roll, fried clam roll, hot dogs, fries, and ice cream, both regular and soft serve. Everything has been yummy and fresh. All the hot dog bun sandwiches have been on buttered toasted buns. Ice cream is served in generous portions and there are SO MANY FLAVORS! I really believe that this place has something for everyone. Chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, platters of seafood, milkshakes… great variety!
I really recommend getting off the highway or heading up/​down on 138 and trying this place out. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.