Freeman’s Fish Market is a Maplewood institution.
The store has graced Maplewood Avenue for 27 years, is a food vendor at the town’s premiere event — Maplewoodstock — and has the concession at the Maplewood Community Pool.
Owners Reggie Delphin and Shawn McClure have been at the helm at Freeman’s for just two years, but don’t let that fool you. They are Maplewood born and bred. Delphin reports that he has been working at Freeman’s for 20 years — “since my freshman year in high school.” And, yes, that means Columbia High School.
Owners Reggie Delphin and Shawn McClure of Freeman’s Fish.
Now in the second year of a two-year contract for the pool, things seem to be going swimmingly. Though the young staffers sometimes provide charmingly haphazard service, it’s always with a smile.
And the food is terrific. Healthy eats like tilapia fingers and salads float nicely alongside pool staples like chicken fingers and cheese fries.
This local’s favorite is the lobster roll. A delicious light dressing coating morsels of lobster atop a toasted bun — with a side of chips and pickle — made for a perfect summer evening of eating, reading and listening to music the other night as the kids frolicked in the pool. It’s $10 for a piece of paradise.
Freeman’s world-famous lobster roll.
Meanwhile back at the store, Freeman’s offers fresh fish (Delphin buys at Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx every morning) and prepared dishes like crab cakes, lobster salad and mango salsa.
Delphin and McClure will be bringing Freeman’s to Maplewoodstock this year, providing a raw bar (oysters and clams), plus steamed shrimp and those irresistible lobster rolls. (For a full list of Maplewoodstock’s food vendors, visit here.)
Freeman’s Fish Company, 155 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, NJ. 973-763-9363. Wholesale/retail/free delivery 7 days a week. www.freemansfish.com
See photos of the pool concession and menu below:
Menu items at Freeman’s at the Pool.
Menu items at Freeman’s at the Pool.
Menu items at Freeman’s at the Pool.
Menu items at Freeman’s at the Pool.
