Sip, Shuck, Repeat: The Clam Bar Rolls Out a Vintage Seafood Truck for the Summer

The famous Clam Bar will be serving up local seafood and beverages all summer long, not only at the popular Napeague Stretch eatery, but now with a new Shuck Truck.

“It’s bringing the physical representation of The Clam Bar to your home,” owner Kelly Piccinnini explained of the Shuck Truck.

Whether it’s a beachfront party or a private gathering at home, The Clam Bar can now provide a premium raw bar and handcrafted local cocktails on the go.

The Clam Bar opened for the season on April 11; this will be Piccinnini’s fourth season running the famous Napeague Stretch food joint — when the yellow and white umbrellas go up at The Clam Bar, you know summer is right around the corner.

Driving down the Napeague Stretch toward Montauk, the Clam Bar is bustling with outdoor diners on any given day. Some of its most popular menu items include the New England clam chowder, tuna poke nachos, steamed local clams, oysters on the half shell with mignonette and cocktail sauce, and the all-time classic lobster roll, served on a signature checkered white and red napkin.

“It’s old school,” Piccinnini said of the refurbished 66 Citroën van that serves as the Shuck Truck. “The idea of a brand new truck didn’t feel like the appropriate match. When I was doing research, I fell in love with the vintage Citroën.”

“My stepfather Richard started in 1981, and I don’t think he thought it would turn into what it is today,” Piccinnini said of the Clam Bar. When he passed away his wife and Piccinnini’s mother, Betsy Flinn, took over the business. Four years ago, Piccinnini and her husband, John, bought the seaside snack bar.

The truck isn’t outfitted for food preparation, Piccinnini explained, but with her “sip and shuck” parties, guests can enjoy clambakes, cocktails, shuckers, and more.

“I’m excited about adding a tow bar so I don’t have to teach Kelly how to drive stick,” John Piccinnini joked about the truck, which can also be towed just in case.

“It’s fun and cute and I have a bunch booked so far which is awesome,” he said. “We come to your house with our truck and set up the raw bar with shrimp cocktail, oysters, and clams with a live shucker, which is a part of the experience.”

Packages include local alcohol, too, such as Wölffer rose and its famous Summer in a Bottle, as well as other local options like Montauk Summer Ale and Wavechaser IPA, to name a few.

Piccinnini grew up on the North Fork and worked at The Clam Bar during summers with her family. When she met John Piccinnini in New York City, she told him that if he wanted to date her, he’d have to go out East on weekends to help in the restaurant.

The couple decided to leave their jobs in the city and move to East Hampton full time. Their two children go to John Marshall Elementary School and the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center.

“John was so jealous of me doing this full-time that he left his law practice,” Piccinnini laughed, adding that her husband is running the restaurant full-time now. She is more focused on their catering business as the Shuck Truck will serve as an extension of that. In peak season, The Clam Bar serves over 1,000 people per day.

“They’re so eager to greet you and bring menus over,” Piccinnini said of her sons. “We’re a true family-owned business and I love the idea of our kids wanting to continue in our footsteps. We have a solid 30 years to go, so we’ll see what happens.

“We now have a piece of The Clam Bar to bring to people’s homes and we’re so excited,” she added.