Here’s What It Means to Order Your Clams ‘Lilian Style’ at Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine

Bob's Clam Hut has been a cherished institution on the Seacoast for over 65 years! They have had some celebrity visitors over the decades, including Martha Stewart, Antoni from Queer Eye, and Guy Fieri, just to name a few.

No one can resist their fresh seafood and heaping baskets of deep-fried goodness, delicious lobster, and my personal favorite: the creamy clam chowder and crispy fries. Great, now I'm drooling.

One of the many reasons people love Bob's is because it was a family-run business for so many years, and they treated their staff like family.

Lilian was a loyal employee, and the most beloved cashier to ever work there.

According to the Bob's Clam Hut Facebook Page, Lil started in November 1986 and quickly became a crowd favorite. Bob's has four cash registers, but "Lillian's Window" would often have 10 people waiting while the others had no one!

People wanted the full Bob's experience, and that included a conversation with Lilian. She liked her clams cooked a certain way, and wasn't afraid to tell you why her way was far superior.

She has since passed, but her memory lives on every time someone steps up to the takeout window and orders fried clams "Lilian's way".

So what exactly is the difference? According to local clam expert Katie Breslin, Bob's clams are fried in a mixture of corn and wheat flour. Lillian-style clams are first dipped into an egg wash, and then the flour mix. It gives the clams a lighter texture with a little more breading attached.

Though Bob's went under new ownership last year, you can still order Lilian or Bob's way on the menu. Which do you prefer?

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