The Clam Box/Dresser Hill Ice Cream Stand (mosimage}

290 Dresser Hill Road, Charlton
508-248-7870

By Kendra Lapin

Seasonal: April-October

Amenities: Outdoor patio seating, picnic tables

Add’l Entertainment: Small arcade, gorgeous view

Located a few miles south from the center of Charlton, down the beautiful ride that Route 31 offers, you’ll come to an old dairy farm that has been converted to a roadside stand and small arcade. It’s busy, even on cold rainy days, which says a lot for patron loyalty, because it’s not very close to anything. However, even in the drizzle, the farmland and horizon view from the covered picnic tables is just beautiful.

Renee and I split an order of clam cakes (clam fritters), which were soft and silky, but could have done with a few more minced clams. Renee also adored her mint swirl ice-cream, which perfectly imitated a Girl Scouts Thin Mint cookie. I mixed cake batter with the Strawberry Cheesecake sundae mix-in. It was good, but the cake batter flavor was overpowered by the mix-ins. Stef loved her Crabby Patty sandwich served with fries and spicy mayonnaise.

The portions were generous on all counts. I couldn’t finish my sundae, and the six massive clam cakes were plenty to split. While the food wasn’t the best I’ve had, it was solidly good. The prices were definitely affordable, especially for the amount of food. If you are looking for a nice country drive with a good eating destination, take a trip to the Charlton Clam Shack/Dresser Hill Ice Cream Stand. o