THE BIGGEST MOB HIT IN YEARS

Popovic, wife of Peter Popovic.
It’s funny how times change. Open
from May to September, these
days The Clam Bar can boast a
wait almost every night of the
week with people lining up to get
their dinners, the same ones they
used to have to give away.
Although people now line up to
get a table at The Clam Bar, and
the restaurant has expanded to
include space once occupied by
a bait shop and a motor repair shop (in the marina),
not much else has changed. In fact, The Clam Bar
can be considered a throwback to a simpler, no frills
time. A cash only establishment, the BYOB restaurant
doesn’t have a web page, a Facebook page, or even air
conditioning. And they don’t accept reservations, hence
the notorious wait. They got popular the old fashioned
way—word out mouth—and it’s what keeps people coming
back.
“Date night: tandem ride to Smitty’s counter for flounder
sandwiches and fries! And of course clam chowder too!”
said customer and local resident Patti Bowdler. Customer
Christine Perro agrees, saying, “My husband and I used
to go every year for our anniversary...baseball gets in the
way now. We miss it...great memories.”
It’s not just the customers that keep coming back.
Patrice Popovic started out as a waitress at The Clam
Bar. Now married to Peter Popovic—they’ve been
married 36 years—she continues to work the front of
house while Peter cooks. Angelo DeRosa began working
as a dishwasher. He is now one of the cooks, and along
with the Popovics and their nephew, fellow cook, Todd
Simpson, is a partner in the restaurant.
Illustration by Paul Lovett
© Atlantic City Nostalgic Art
some mother-daughter teams,”
explained Patrice Popovic.
Peter Popovic and Dennis
Deniston (who passed away
nine years ago), could never
have foreseen how a little clam
shack would turn into one of our
county’s hidden gems when they
opened four decades ago. Yet
that’s exactly what happened.
With customers who eagerly
anticipate May to come back
to their favorite restaurant,
The Clam Bar has stood the test of time, changing
demographics, and an economic recession all without a
web presence or much in the way of advertising.
It’s not fancy. It’s not polished. It’s just good food at a
great price. As customer Becky Benson jokes, “It’s great
seafood, for not a lot of clams!”
From the clam strips, to the crab imperial to the ‘half and
half’ chowder—a combo of Manhattan and New England
Clam Chowders mixed together—everyone has a favorite.
Patrice Popovic recommends the scallops dijon, any of
their homemade specialty soups made fresh each day,
the tuna wasabi and the seafood salad. And if you’re
coming in on a Thursday, the potato skins stuffed with
lobster, shrimp and crab must be tried!
The Clam Bar is open for lunch on weekends starting
Memorial Day weekend, and open daily for lunch in mid-
June when local schools get out. Dinners are served
nightly until 9:30, and until 10:00 on weekends. The
official opening night is on Friday, May 10th, but rumor
has it that The Clam Bar might just be open for business
on Thursday, May 9th. It’s worth driving over to find out.
“We have a great staff, and so many have been with us
for so long. Some who started at 14 and are now in their
early 40s...now their kids are working here too. We have
The Boardwalk Journal | May 2013 | 29