1689 Post Road
Ann & Hope Plaza
Warwick, RI 02888
(401) 263-8183
May 26, 2014
“Come with your family.
Come with your friends.
That’s the Rocky Point tradition,
‘Cause it’s summertime again!”
I waited all year to see that commercial on TV. Summer had begun and it was time for my
family to pile into the van and take the short (but what seemed like hours to a
child) drive to Rocky Point Amusement Park.
Once we arrived, my sister and I would slap on wristbands for a full day
of riding the rides. She was younger so
she stuck to the kid section with Mom, but I liked the rollercoasters and had
to ride with Dad most of the time. I
thought I was a total big shot – even though I cried the first time I went on the Corkscrew.
Rocky Point closed in 1996, leaving me forever
heartbroken and locked in a world where a young me is still enjoying the Music
Express, the Free Fall and the House of Horrors. I also missed the food. Those tiny little clam cakes in the white
bag, sitting at the long tables at the Shore Dinner Hall and then passing out
in the backseat of the van after a long day of food and fun.
That’s why Mom and I were beyond excited when we heard
about the opening of the Rocky Point Clam Shack. According to various posts on Facebook, a
food truck was going to be set up in the Ann & Hope Plaza on Post Road in
Warwick and there you could get all of your old time favorites like clam cakes,
chowder, lobster rolls, fried clams and the old fashioned Shore Dinner.
On Memorial Day, Mom and I finally decided to go back to “Rocky
Point.” When we pulled into the Ann
& Hope parking lot, we didn’t see it right away. What we did notice was a crowd. A HUGE crowd.
A HUGE crowd with a line that almost reached the Post Road
sidewalk!
Mom and I were overjoyed because the food truck – which is
really more of a trailer – is made to look just like the entrance to the old
Rocky Point Amusement Park. There was
music playing on the loud speakers, picnic tables shaded by colorful umbrellas,
a Del’s Lemonade stand, pictures of all the old rides and various memorabilia
for sale. This was as close to Rocky
Point as I was ever going to get again.
The smell of the food was intoxicating, so Mom found us a
picnic table and I stood in the long line and waited about 20 or more minutes
before I could get to the window. I
normally hate waiting, but I was so excited to be there that I ended up talking
to the woman standing in front of me about my favorite memories of the
park. After we shared our love for the
Flume and how we both had forgotten about the train ride that took passengers
all around the park, it was time for us to order. For a place that was insanely busy, the staff
was pretty organized.
I ordered a regular box of Rocky Point “Famous” Clam
Cakes ($4.50), a plain Angus hamburger ($5.50) and a combo of chowder, clam
cakes and watermelon ($6.99). I had my
choice of New England white, Rhode Island clear and Rocky Point original red
chowder, but my favorite has always been white.
(Although I may be tempted to try the original red someday.) I took a seat on one of the long benches to
wait for my food, but not before getting an orange soda for Mom from the nearby
vending machine and ordering myself a cup of watermelon slush from the Del’s
truck. Excluding the drinks, my total came to $18.35.
I waited longer in line than I did for my food, because
it seemed to come out in no time at all.
I picked it up at the window where it had been stacked neatly in
cardboard takeaway containers. I found
Mom and we dug in.
I want to say that Mom and I were there mostly for the
experience, and we were hoping that the food would at least be somewhat
decent. We were really amazed at the
quality of what we ordered. Mom’s
hamburger was excellent. It was cooked
perfectly and had that meaty Angus taste.
Even the bun was soft and fresh.
She was thrilled.
My clam cake and chowder combo – accompanied by two
pieces of juicy watermelon – was delicious.
The chowder was exactly how I like it – thick, creamy, white and full of
tasty potatoes and clams. As for the
clam cakes, they were as tiny as we remembered and full of flavor. As small as they were, they weren’t at all
greasy. In fact, they were so light and
fluffy that you could pop a bunch of them before realizing that you’d eaten
half the box already.
The menu at Rocky Point Clam Shack is pretty vast,
offering something for everyone. Smelts,
calamari, shrimp, scallops, clams and lobster are served – some with
recognizable names like “The Flume” lobster roll and the “Kiddie Land” hot dogs
and chicken fingers. (Click here to
view.)
Mom and I can’t wait to go back, and we highly recommend Rocky
Point Clam Shack to everyone that loved the food and the atmosphere of the old
park. It’s a great place to remember the
good times while having a delicious seafood meal. I wish I was there right now!
