Turner Fisheries
Categories: Seafood, American (Traditional), Party & Event Planning [Edit]
Neighborhood: Back BayWestin Hotel
10 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02118 (617) 424-7425
- Nearest Transit:
Copley (Green)
Back Bay (Orange)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
24 Reviews for Turner Fisheries
I'm a Southern girl. My idea of seafood is deep fried fish, hush puppies, and cheese grits. When I heard this was where we were going, I wasn't really looking forward to it.
However, I ended up being a fan when the night was over. I ate the pan seared trout, and it was very tasty. The fish was really fresh, and the portions were very large. I enjoyed the side dish of peppers and mango slaw. The colors were bright, and it was very yummy. The waiters were very friendly, and my water glass was constantly refilled.
I hear their brunch is really good, so maybe I will come back for that.
Have you ever noticed that the fancier the restaurant the older and... male-er, the waitstaff tend to be? Why is that?...
We went here this weekend in an impromptu "let's eat at a really expensive place we always say we'd like to eat at" moment. I suspect they sat us in a back corner because of our impromptu-ly casual attire, but we got a whole c-shaped booth to ourselves so I didn't mind. Our server had a "Lurch" quality about him, and we didn't actually see him again until dessert and the bill... Our busguy (too old for 'busboy') was very attentive though, and when I asked him for the oil & vinegar that Lurch didn't seem to think I had been serious about wanting, he also brought a ton more yummy sourdough rolls. Service wasn't too slow, just odd.
I've been disappointed lately at the taste quality of these more expensive places, but our meals did not disappoint. I got the limoncello swordfish and he got the halibut special and we were both sopping up whatever was left on the plates by the end. The 'coffee three ways' dessert was also excellent, though a little small for my taste.
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This place impresed me with its restaurant week winter '08 menu. Everything on it was cooked and seasoned well. I started off with a fresh and crispy plate of mixed greens. I was dissappointed that the chowder they are known for wasn't on the prix fixe, but I was happy with my starter anyway. I don't remember the name of the main course, but I do remember it had a wonderfully crisp outer crust and tender meat cooked to perfection. The dessert was inspired by a kitkat bar I think. It had a chocolate shell with peanut butter in it. Does peanut butter belong in high end cooking? I say yes.
I had lunch here during Restaurant Week. I love clam chowder and I have to say, theirs is as good as ever and probably the best in Boston. Sure Legal's might be more famous, but I prefer Turner's. That's because Turner's has more bacon in it. And we all know bacon makes everything taste better, even chocolate cake. Their chowder is creamy, but not too creamy. It's also not as thick and gummy as those flour-loaded concoctions offered by lesser places. After that, I didn't even care about my entree. What was it? Oh yeah, the yellow snapper. It was a large and very fresh piece of skin-on fish that was pan seared in butter. The fish was excellent, but did I tell you about the chowder?
For the price that you pay here, the service was horrid and the food was just average. I wouldn't call this place a top seafood restaurant by far. First, the restaurant was practically empty on a Thursday night. We were seated and our waiter came. Not only did he seemed disinterested in being our waiter, but just seem disinterested in life in general. He read us the specials without even looking at us and just walks away before we can even order drinks or ask any questions. We ordered the seafood plate that was suppose to come with oysters, little necks, mussels, clams, lobster and just other varieties and as well, as great dipping sauces. Half the stuff was missing and no sauce. We had to track the waiter down for it and then he just plopped it on our table. Honestly, the portions are measly, the seafood isn't that great and the service sucks. I only think this place is just pretentious and if you're not over 50, they think you're business isn't worth the hassle. Go to Legals in Copley next to Barney's. You'll have better service, better price and you actually feel like you are wanted there.
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Their menus states that they're known for their chowder, so I had that for a meal (it was lunch) and must say I wasn't overly impressed. It was good, but a little bland and definitely not up to the hype. Rather than giving you cheap-ass little oyster crackers, they serve the chowder with house-made crackers instead and that was nice as they were quite tasty. The breads that come before the meal were good and Turner Fisheries stocks Hendrick's Gin so I enjoyed a gin and tonic with my chowder. The service was alright but I'd really rather not hear the bartender discussing how she's picking her mother up from prison this weekend, let's keep that discussion in the back and away from customers, okay?
I went to Turner Fisheries for brunch. It was a unique version of your traditional brunch. Approximately $50 per person (yes pricey but wait...). You have a team of 4 servers, which is great, slow service but they want you to enjoy the experience not be rush, c'mon! It's a Sunday!
You start off with a buffet station of several versions of cold seafood salads, several types of oysters, pounds of shrimp that would make Homer Simpson drool, breakfast pastries and ready to make waffles. They also serve various smoothies, your concoction!
After feasting on that, it's not over! You choose from 4 breakfast entrees, I chose the seafood style eggs benedict, with a side.
My sister had the lobster omelet, a bit dry but my eggs benedict was great! The hollandaise was not too runny.
What my favorite thing was I ate 12 oysters, 6 cocktail shrimp, a bowl of mussel salad, pancakes, a strawberry banana smoothie shot and my main entree with crisp home fries all for 50 bones..yeah it's expensive but it won't be after having the feast I had!
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My meal here was flawless and worth every cent. We started with the raw bar for 2...it was so good and was a fun way to start the night. The shrimp (not my favorite kind of seafood) were as huge and the oysters were so fresh. I had the bamboo steamer and my boyfriend got the seafood mac and cheese, both were spot on.
I walked away having 10 different kinds of seafood and every ounce was as fresh as the others.
Even my bellini martini was delish! Will definitely be jonesin' for this place for a long time!
Slow service . . . s-l-o-w. Decent seafood, but not the best.
I did like their clam chowder, but I can pass on the lobster tail salad and mussels.
Try the chocolate decadent for dessert. Comes with a strawberry smoothie shot. Whoo hoo!
The atmosphere is rocking - and the service is great. We went on a Friday night - and found the place virtually empty - my only guess is that the hotel guests were out exploring the city - and the locals avoid it - as they assume the guests eat there....hmm...
If you're up for it - split a giant lobster for ~$80. The Oyster selection is what won me over. The lobster may be better prepared at Atlantic Fish company in my opinion.
After a meal here - consider walking to the Lenox hotel - for some martinis at Azure or City Bar- 2 blocks away.
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Amazing. We went on a Friday night, had reservations and were seated in a curved booth that allowed us to sit close and chat over drinks. Service was great, they were knowledgeable and friendly. Drinks were served, appetizer came and although we ordered everything at once, they did us the favor of waiting to put in our entree orders until we were 3/4 of the way through the appetizer so we didn't get everything all at once.
The food was amazing. The oysters we ordered as an app were incredible. We could have made a whole meal of those alone. The seafood risotto was creamy and delicious and full of tender lobster and other seafood. The on-special striped sea bass was perfection.
Dessert was also a treat..the trio of summer desserts were tasty and little..just enough after the big meal. It was pricey, but it was SO worth it. For our special night out, I don't feel we could have done any better then Turner. I definitely want to try their brunch now!!
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My mother tried this last Restaurant week and crazzzed on about it. So this... Tues or Wed I think, while we were deciding on where to go (between this and The Palm) I was in the mood for seafood so here we went.
SO. SO. SOOOOO FREAKING GOOD!!!
I got this champagne/cranberry juice drink (YUMMM!!!) and we skipped the appetizers cuz their bread bowl was to DIE for. I LOVED their raisin/walnut bread...
I got the Bamboo Steamer dishhh, it had a variety of steamed fishies in few-bites portions. Salmon, Swordfish, Tuna (I didn't like it, but only cuz I think Tuna is only good raw... I'm a sashimi addict), 1/2 a lobster tail, 1 lobster claw, a large scallop, two shrimps, two mussels, this DELICIOUS asian slaw....... they came with these yummie sauces... and CHOPSTICKS.. hahaha
My mom got this haddock. SO SO GOOD.. it had this nice slaw on top and.. I forget what the bottom was.. some sort of beany potatoy like cake... the fish was so tender and juicy I ate SO much of hers as well.. HAHA...
We split an asparagus side dish (it was HUUUGE and had green AND white asparagus!!!)
AND for dessert. We had the Napoleon (which had cream, yummie almondy flakey crust and apricots.. DROOL) and that wasn't enough so we tried the Summer Trio... Espresso Creme Brulee (I ate ALL OF IT!), this mango ice cream on cake covered in chocolate... and this yummie thin cinnamon pastry filled with raspberry sorbet.
Topped it off with tea and coffee..
I WAS ONE HAPPY GIRL!!!! :D
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If you're seafood crazy, brunch at Turner Fisheries is a must. They have the most amazing raw bar with HUGE shrimp cocktail and oysters. There's no need to be shy as people tend to pile up the food with no shame; myself included. The brunch tends to be more simple, with very few main courses unless you order from the menu. However, everything is prepared to perfection, and the seafood is always fresh. They also have a huge variety of dessert, ranging from jello shots (yes, I said jello shots) to rich chocolate cake.
My only gripe is while the entrees are excellent, the portions could be a little bigger. I ordered the swordfish for dinner once, and I probably could have eaten it in one bite. Not wanting to scare my dinner guest, I took my time. One time the dessert was also very odd. It was Restaurant Week, and we were served Mint Milkshakes. Frankly it tasted like I was downing Robitussin. I hated that shit when I was kid, so you can imagine how I felt trying to drink it.
Other than the weird Mint Shitshake, Turner Fisheries is a must for any seafood lover. It's a little fancy, but the food is fresh, the presentation excellent, and the service very friendly. Plus it's more creative than your average Legal Sea Foods.
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I ate here after a day of walking in the rain. We were done getting soaked, so we decided to stop by Turner Fisheries to have a bowl of chowdah. We sat in the bar and was welcomed by the bartender/cocktailer/server - she wore many hats that day.
We ordered the chowdah, and tuna 2 ways. It was accompanied by a bloody mary and my friend had the black cherry martini (tasted like cough syrup). The chowdah was good (not the best I've had), I didn't have the tuna (wasn't feeling the raw fish), and the bloody mary could've been spicier (I like mine with A LOT of Tabasco.)
I was kinda let down by the food. I had heard so many good things about the chowdah, that it was a let down when I had it. The saving grace of this place is the service. She was great. Very attentive, knowledgable, friendly.
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The service was good but that was do to the place being pretty empty during the miday. The food was horrible. I order the lobster roll and chowder lunch special. I think McDonalds had a better quality version at one time. My friend ordered some fish and it was luke warm. To be blunt, the food just sucked. I'm not picky either. This place is way overrated. The atmosphere was nice, but the main reason anyone would go to restaraunt (the food) seemed like a last priorty. Overated.
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Seafood lovers can love Turner Fisheries. Located in the Westin Hotel, Turner provides a romantic environment in stylish Copley Square. The wait staff were courteous and attentive and the dishes were great. We started off with the well-deserved Best of Boston 2004 & 2005-awarded New England Chowder. The chowda was superb and delish: a perfect balance between creaminess and clam/meat. I had the bamboo steamer entree which had Asian Slaw (tomatoes and daikon) and a delightful array of ginger steamed shrimp, mussels, lobster tail & claw, salmon, swordfish, and yellow fin tuna. Although a tad over-steamed the seafood was tasty and fantastic. The wasabi mayonnaise and mango dipping sauces had my taste buds dancing. For my side, I had the buttery broccolini. Yum! My wife had the mouth-watering Alaskan King Crab legs with basmati rice and baby vegetables. Lots of delicious meat! We were both delighted with our desserts: coffee three ways (mocha ice cream in chocolate cup, mocha profiterole, molten chocolate mocha cake) and ice cream trio with berries (but the trio turned out to be technically a duo). Dishes were well-presented and portioned fairly. Overall, our dining experience was fantastic and would consider returning. One thing to consider is that it is a bit pricey. Diners should make reservations at OpenTable.com
We went to Turner for a celebratory dinner (work bonus), based on word of mouth from co-workers and friends.
The food itself was pretty good, I wouldn't say it was anything spectacular, aside from the oysters, which were incredible. I had some kind of seafood dish, unmemorable.
The boy had the "surf and turf", the description under this item said "filet with lobster, served over a bed of mashed potatoes and spinach". Well, the food was delivered, and the filet was there, yes. With 1/2 a lobter tail as the "turf". The boy looks at me, and says "where the F is my lobster??". Evidently we weren't up on our restaurant lingo. We're not ones to make a scene or anything, so we ate up, enjoyed, and were out.
Overall, the service was flawless. The waitress didn't hover, or ignore us. But I doubt I'd pay those prices for that food again, not with so many other options in the area. I may have to stop in for brunch, after reading other Yelpers comments on it, just to see.
I came here for a romantic dinner with my husband and had high expectations. It went far above and beyond what i wad expected. The place is beautiful, the atmosphere is great and open for large groups or cozy for a romantic date.
The food was sensational.
Service was perfect. friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, prompt and just all around some of the best I have ever had.
I am a seafood snob, and this place beats almost anywhere I have ever been. It's on the pricey side, but s totally worth it! try the fig ice cream desert to complete your tremendous meal!
Wow. That's all I have to say. On second thought, I have a lot more to add to that. I had brunch here over the weekend based on Jenny N.'s glowing review and suffice to say that I was not disappointed.
I was always a bit of a skeptic about this place given that it is situated within the Westin in an area that the visitors to our fair city have clearly staked out as their own.
My positive impression began as we walked down the stairs into the restaurant. Although the restaurant had only been open a few minutes, the staff immediately snapped to attention and had menus in hand before we were even 10 feet away. The excellent service continued throughout the meal, coming to its apex when one of the servers asked if we would like our marmalade wrapped to take home since we were clearly enjoying it.
The brunch offerings were fixed price, heavily weighted with seafood and a tremendous value for the price. I had a delicate crab-cake that was not overly fried as crab-cakes often are, and my entree was a bamboo steamer with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops and three kinds of fish.
I'd say Brasserie Jo makes a better bloody mary, but the coffee was excellent and was filled constantly. Hats off to Turner Fisheries for introducing me to the idea of eating dessert before noon.
If you head here, try to get a seat in the atrium area facing Dartmouth Street. The brunch menu can be viewed online at:
http://www.turnersbost...
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Went here twice for important business meetings to impress out of state guests. What a mistake! Terribly overpriced and most dishes very ordinary. Paid $85 for a 2 and 1/2 lb lobster and it was overcooked.
Better to stick with old reliable Legal Sea Foods. Turner Fisheries has definately been over-rated and the entrees so undramatic as not to be worth the average $30+.
I've not been a big fish guy since coming to Boston, but I liked this place, and I liked it better than Legal Seafood. Only been there once, but good service, quiet place, convenient location. Nice variety of food on the menu.
Only complaint, i asked for a cappuccino at the end of the meal, and they looked at me like i was crazy.
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This is the best clam chowder I've ever had. And the crab cake was superb. I was highly impressed by the service, the decor, and the food presentation. I will definitely have to come back here on my next visit to Boston.
My uncle was in town for business and took me and my cousin out to dinner here. I've passed this place many a times thanks to my frequenting Copley shopping area, and had always only seen that top entry way with the big stairs and drapes. The decor downstairs was classy but comfortable and just a random side note, I love the square lights that hang on the ceiling. Between 3 people, a bottle of wine, two appetizers and 3 entrees, my uncle definately left with significantly lighter pockets, but all of us were extremely impressed with the food. The mussels and calamari for appetizers were the best I've had in a long time, if not ever. I don't like a rare tuna, but my cousin does and he said it was the best he ever had. My uncle thoroughly enjoyed the large sea scallops. While I don't think you can go wrong, I'm going to rightfully plug my entree because it was so unique and most importantly delicious. BAMBOO STEAMER BASKET. So you get mussles, shrimp, tuna, swordfish, salmon, scallops and a lobster claw and a lobster tail. I was certain this would be a less than filling sampler entree and boy was I surprised. There were overly generous helpings of each choice and best off all it was served with 3 asian influenced dipping sauces. Oh yeh, and they are steamed in Bamboo baskets, as the name suggests, and come stacked high on your plate and disassembled at your table. Maybe it's just me, but I always seem to prefer a meal that draws some attention from the other patrons in the area.
All in all I was very happy upon leaving and while my pockets aren't deep enough so as to allow me to take myself to Turner's very often, I will be certain that any of my future out of town guests who have a craving for seafood take me here.
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I had the best brunch of my life here on Easter Sunday with the boyfriend's parents. The food is *SO* delicious, and they specialize in seafood. Brunch was served buffet style (small bites & dessert), and you order an entree while you are eating your small bites. I'm a seafood lover, so I went straight for the oysters, mussels and GIANT cocktail shrimp at the buffet raw bar (everything was extremely fresh). All of the buffet items (and there were many!) were very creative and tasty, using many seasonal ingredients (lamb, asparagus). Honestly, I really could've gotten full from the buffet alone, and it would have been completely satisfying, but I think you're required to order an entree as well (which is additional $ on top of the buffet itself). My swordfish entree was very good though, and everyone else at the table also enjoyed their selections (prime rib, cod). Dessert was decadent with many choices including "fruit shots," creme brulee, cream puff creations, and rich chocolate cake. Since this was a special holiday brunch, I think it was much more elaborate than their usual Sunday brunch offering. But after viewing the regular brunch menu online, it appears there are still many choices offered (although it's not served buffet style). As for the atmosphere, the restaurant itself is beautiful (sky lights, lovely booths, great design overall), situated primely in Copley at the Westin Hotel. The service is great and food presentation is impressive as well. While Legal's is great for a traditional New England seafood meal, I think Turner's is much more creative and seasonal with their menu.
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