If you didn’t know any better, the only reason to stop at Quito’s Restaurant would be to look past it. The view of boats bobbing under cawing gulls in Bristol Harbor must charm the nautical set. But to all appearances, the place itself looks like an unassuming New England clam shack: fish market up front, outdoor tables under canopies out back, and shellfish posters and a small bar inside.

Don’t tell anybody, but Quito’s is a very good seafood restaurant. We don’t want the lines to get too long, so don’t spread the word that dishes done only adequately at some fancier places were excellent here on our recent visit.

This restaurant has never had to wave and shout to attract attention. Local quahoggers have always known this as a good place for a hearty lunch after a cold, foggy morning of digging clams. And enough summer tourists come across Quito’s to keep the place hopping after Memorial Day.

We arrived with an expatriate couple that misses Rhode Island seafood, since a fish and a chip are frequently confused with each other down New Jersey way. We wanted to start out with stuffed quahogs, that signature Lil’ Rhody treat, but the kitchen was all out. Apparently, Monday isn’t a good day to visit Quito’s, since they also lacked half their usual desserts, as well as bread. Monday is their bakery’s day off, our waitress said.

So we began instead with steamers ($10.95) and seafood stew ($4.25/$5.75), and weren’t disappointed. The one and a half pounds of Maine clams were unusually fat, accompanied by a cup of broth to wash them in and melted butter for the requisite cholesterol dunk. As for the stew, it’s a must-have at Quito’s, even if you’re a fan of the alternates, white chowder and Manhattan-style. The herbed and spicy tomato broth is thickened with — take a note, expensive waterfront restaurants — seafood. There’s an idea. Instead of thinning this with broth and then thickening it with flour, pack it with pieces of cod, fat sea scallops, small shrimp and big chunks of lobster. It’s the bargain of the menu.

In the past, we’d enjoyed the peel-and-eat shrimp ($8.95 for six), but this time we eyed another temptation at the next table: a dozen steamed red crab claws for $8.95. If you like to start with salad, only Caesar is on the menu, with chicken, shrimp, lobster, and even sirloin, priced $10.95 to $16.95. Half portions are available until 4 p.m., as with several other items.

Over wine and beer, we got down to the business of choosing our main courses. (There are only a few wines available, but they include both a dry and a buttery Chardonnay by the glass.) There are numerous pasta offerings, with a choice of seafood under one of three sauces: marinara, scampi, or a red sauce with calamata olives and hot pepper rings. That’s in addition to red or white clam sauce, and red or white "seafood medley."

No one ended up getting a pasta dish. Instead of that last appealing item, I went for a seafood casserole ($18.95). Under a tasty crumb topping were cod, scallops, medium shrimp, and lobster, in a butter and white wine sauce light on the former, unlike some cloying versions. Even more impressive was how my fork kept going back to my lightly garlicked broccoli, not a vegetable I’m especially fond of — as well as to the skin-on chunky smashed potatoes. I went halvsies with a tablemate — both of us ordered the other’s alternate choice — and also enjoyed the tuna ($16.95), which was smoky from wood grilling and spicy from a light Thai peanut sauce.

The other two dishes on the table included fish & chips ($7.95) with the most greaseless coating possible, just a light flour dusting. The lobster roll ($15.95)) was also well-appreciated, since it was not diluted with more than a binding touch of mayo and included a refreshing touch of dill. Johnnie said there was almost more lobster than she could finish. The coleslaw with both these plates was juicy and a little sweet, just the way I like it.

All our dishes were so good that only one of us made a doggie-bag request, so dessert was an unlikely prospect. Still, we asked and found that triple-chocolate truffle cake — our waitress’s favorite — and Key lime pie and Key lime cheesecake were available. The price was right (each is only $2.95) but no one had room. Desserts aren’t made in-house, but judging from the standards of this kitchen, I bet they wouldn’t disappoint.

Bill Rodriguez can be reached at billrod@reporters.net.