Fresh Topneck Clams

Topneck Clams: More Meat in Every Shell

Move one size up from a littleneck and you get the topneck: the same sweet, lightly briny clam with noticeably more to eat. That extra substance changes what you can do with it. A topneck holds its shape in a simmering pot, stands up to direct heat on a grate, and gives a raw bar guest something worth working for.

From Steamer Pot to Stockpot

Steaming is still the fastest route: scrubbed and rinsed clams go into a covered pot over half a cup of boiling water and come out as the shells open, with melted butter and lemon juice waiting. But this is also the clam to chop into a chowder or a casino-style topping, jobs where a littleneck would simply vanish. Grilled over hot coals, topnecks open on their own and arrive at the table already sauced in their own liquor.

The Clam Bake Regulars Swear By

These carry a perfect five-star average from our customers, and the stories behind the number say more than the stars do. One family has shipped them across the country three years running for an annual birthday clam bake on the West Coast, the kind of repeat order that only happens when the clams keep showing up fresh and tightly closed. Another regular says ordering from our house feels like having seafood prepared just for them.

Building Out the Raw Bar

If your crowd leans toward steamed-and-slurped rather than chopped-and-simmered, the smaller, more tender littleneck clams make the natural companion order. You'll find more shellfish know-how in our crab and seafood archive. Like all our live shellfish, topnecks travel cold in an insulated cooler and belong in the pot soon after arrival.