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First time at pier 4.What a great restaurant!
Dover Sole was the best I ever had my girlfriend had lobster Savanah was great.
The best wine list in town I had a 1982 chateau la Dominique for 195.00 $.
We will be back to this great restaurant.
Following an afternoon of fanny pack tourism with one of my many ladies, we decided to stroll into Anthony's Pier 4 for an early dinner. There was about an hour long wait in the restaurant, no surprise since thousands of people had flocked to the waterfront for the Tall Ships event, so we kept ourselves busy by browsing the endless amount of celebrity photos/autographs littering the walls.
Eventually we were seated outside on the deck which had a gorgeous view of the water, city, and boats passing by. The space itself is rather dated - I felt like I was "Baby" at the country club in "Dirty Dancing." From the tacky waiter tuxedos to the wood panelling and 1970's "sun room" style furniture, this place was in desperate need of an upgrade.
The food prices were steep, so I sampled a couple small items off the menu. Clam Chowder, a side salad, and onion rings. Oh, and a rum and diet coke. Hoi. The Clam Chowder was average, the side salad was hotel buffet-ish, and the onion rings were greasy and crumbly. Eventually I was just eating hot onion slices as the fried essence would simply crumble back onto the plate - almost easier to eat with a spoon?
Overall the food was somewhat of a disaster - although I will say enjoyed the complimentary bread...woo.friggin.hoo. Judging by the bill at the end of the meal, it is safe to assume we were paying for the view and not so much the meal. It is also safe to assume that I would never go back.
I don't understand all these haters! I don't know about you, but I don't pick which restaurants to eat at based on what the waitstaff wears. The clothes they wear and paneling in the restaurant and all that stuff, that's atmosphere. It's supposed to "dated" if you want to use that word; it's supposed to take you back to days an earlier Boston. It's always impeccably clean in there, as it should be, but I didn't see anyone mention that.
Anyway, atmosphere aside, this is a family tradition for me. Once a year (sometimes twice if it's a really big occasion) we dress up, look great, go out and splurge on dinner on the waterfront. The waitstaff treats you like royalty, which is far more important than their apparel, the food is great and I've never had a problem with the kitchen. The views are amazing. You're walking into living history. If you don't like that style of restaurant then don't bother going.
The popovers are great, but the house salad might be my favorite part. It's a seafood place, but I always order steak and it's always amazing and tender. But again, if you're going there just to critique the decor, go to McDonald's instead. You'll have just as much fun finding problems with the uniforms and color scheme and it won't cost you as much.
Value for the money is fair. The lobster dinner is my fav. A bit pricey but worth the trip.
Ate here some time ago, but it was such exemplary Sea Food and service, I remember it as if it were yesterday - Only was about 30 years.
But it was Sooooo GOOD!
With all the restaurants to chose from on the waterfront, I've found this one lackluster. The reality is - it needs an update. While the point of the atmosphere is meant to transport you into a bygone era - it misses its mark and simply comes across as looking old, worn, and tired. This isn't to say that it isn't a clean space, it is. It's just so...tired. That's the only way to describe it.
The food is WAY overpriced and the presentation is mediocre at best. The service is, however, is very professional and while the food isn't screaming "look at me" it does taste very good. Sadly, the expense overrides that fact and makes it very hard to justify going back.
I have eaten here at least twice over the past few years and the first time left me with solid memories of a great dinner. Anthony's walls are covered with bygone celebrities and assorted historical black and white images. However time has not been kind while it still has the historic waterfront charm it really lacks execution our waiter was unengaged and the food was fine but nothing special. The 60's interior is looking a little worn out to say the least.
Food wise I will say that the popover was excellent! I could have eaten 5 of them. The crab cakes had excellent taste but were a little undercooked. The wine by a glass selection was extremely limited for a restaurant that has in the past held wine spectator highest ratings.The best part of my dinner was meeting with my friend SS so in the end the dinner was a success.
A tourist trap with a great wine list and views. By tourist trap, I mean it has great views, can seat a lot of people but the food is mediocre and overpriced. The service is excellent, which is unusual for most tourist traps. Pluses are the wine list, altho pricey and the aforementioned service - seriously, they get an extra star for those. Bonus - free parking!!
There is a lot to like about Anthony's... the old world ambiance & decor, the great view on the water, the warm brioche served table side , the professional servers... etc.
When you sit down, you immediately have expectations of a fine meal... and this is where things fall short. The food isn't bad... it's just not anything great. If anything, the food is mediocre including the chowder that supposedly has been often requested by several of our US Presidents. Considering this place is one of the few restaurants left standing on the Pier, you'd expect the seafood to be pretty good, if not exceptional.
I think the biggest disappointment is that we really wanted this place to be special, and it just didn't happen.
Having said all that, I would still suggest you give it a chance, maybe you'll find it to be a better experience than we did.
Me and 4 coworkers went here for lunch when the Boss wanted to take us somewhere nice.
I ordered drink and it came in a chipped glass, but tasted good.
The fried calamari appetizer was decent, but it's pretty hard to mess that up.
The fried oyster appetizer was not so good. The oysters were the size of a fist and not very appealing. They tasted OK, but the consistency was a turn off...they were kind of like fried balls of mud.
I had the Lobster Newberg, which came with some lame rice pilaf. The Lobster and the newberg sauce were both tasty but for the price it was pretty skimpy. Maybe I got an 1/8th of a lb of lobster meat.
One coworker got the other 1/8th lb of lobster meat in his skimpy lobster roll. Another got Salmon which looked pretty decent. Others got fried clams and broiled haddock(I believe) which were both decent but not spectacular like you would expect at the prices.
The best part of the meal was the bread.
I will give them an extra half star for the free parking and location!
I will not be back anytime soon.
I was going to the ICA on Thursday during free night (highly recommended) and this was closest restaurant and I love seafood so my boyfriend and I figured that this place would be good to go before we go to the ICA.
NEVER AGAIN. Everything was awful. The tacky waiters. The small portions, the sub par quality, it was close to disgusting. It was way overpriced by far. We got the restaurant week specials and I was so disappointed. What a terrible first impression. I like my ice cream cake and the lobster bisque tasted okay except there was one miniscule piece of lobster in it.
I would rather go to McDonalds. Too bad the ICA isn't located in an area that has better food.
What a great dinner! I had the baked stuffed lobster, lobster stuffed with lobster ( not crab, shrimp or any other seafood). The service was perfect and I was pleased with the wine selection. Not only was it exstensive but it was also priced well below what I've spent in other restuarants. I was also able to fully enjoy the view because of an atmosphere that was both quiet and cozy. I'll spend my money here any day!
So I know most of you look down upon restaurant week reviews, but I don't care about your opinion, its my turn. There is no reason for bad service/food as this is like an advertisement and the point is not to push people away, but to offer cheaper menu's so you come back.
Anyway, we went to Anthony's Peeah fowuh and I was impressed, especially after reading all the horrible reviews. Now, I probably wouldn't come here regularly but I would come again.
Yeah the waitstaff uniforms are umm..old school, but I felt like I was on a cruise ship and I had really good service, it was also very fast. The maid outfits were a little interesting haha, but so what, it was easy to distinguish between the waitstaff and guests. We had a group of about 7. Our waters were never empty and the food just kept rolling out.
Drinks came out fast, then dinner rolls and bread sticks and 2 plates of delicious marinated mushrooms. They were really good. Then the lovely maid woman brought around HOT popovers which were very eggy, but i found them to be awesome.
I started with a roasted beet with goat cheese salad and some kind of vinegarette. The dressing could have used a little more flavor (aka, less oil), but other than that it was was good.
Next I got their seafood bilbao which was like a casserole in a creamy tomato sauce. It was really good, the crab and scallops were sweet and it was served in a crab shaped plate, so cute! The rice was served on the side...the rice was well...just ok. It kinda tasted like airline food from the 80s. It wasnt horrible, just tasted like a past memory.
Dessert I got the chocolate espresso cake. Holy crap this thing was really creamy, rich and delicious. the baked Alaska was also really good and huge. The apple pie was just ok, I wouldn't get it as I am a chocolate person.
The space was so cute. It did look old school, like only old people go but it was very comfortable and they seem to try to seat people close to the windows which have such good views. Overall, i just felt like I was on cruise ship and I would go again.
There is nothing better than to take your loved one out for a fine dinner on Mothers day, unless of course you are going to Anthony's Pier 4 in Boston.
Growing up I use to hear about how the food was above and beyond anything in town and how all the stars would flock there.
Today the only thing above and beyond at this place is the Harbor view; beyond that you are paying too much money for food you can buy in a bag at stop n shop.
This place was built in the 60's and it looks to me like nothing has changed since then including the wait staff. From the Captain Stubbing coats the wait staff wear, to the drop in ceiling used in most high school cafeterias, the colorless and otherwise boring décor and last but not least the open style seating found at most all you can eat buffets.
We started off with the Steamed Clams and a cup of the Clam Chowder. I will admit the Clams were very good and the clam chowder was also good, not very good but good.
For our entrée's, my fiancé had the Crab Cakes and I decided to go with the Lobster Newburg.
I am not exaggerating when I say the crab cakes look like they were purchased at BJ's wholesale and the sauce it came with did not complement the otherwise tasteless crab cakes.
My entrée arrived with a plate of cold bland rice and a bowl of what looked like milky tomato sauce and some lobster mixed in for good measure.
The food was bland, the presentation was either tossed over board or never boarded the ship, and the atmosphere reminded me of a bad cross between a mob movie meets the yacht club.
To say the least I will not be returning to the ONCE famous Anthony's Pier 4 restaurant.
Visited Anthony's back in March during restaurant week but found I never did the review. I really want to like this place as it has a great location but we've been twice and the food was disappointing both times.
The food is "ok" but definitely not great and definitely not worth the prices. There are much better seafood restaurants in Boston.
I am a big fan of this place and am surprised by some of the reviews given. I have found this place to be a great place to enjoy the plethora of seafood New England has to offer. I have been to dinner here maybe a dozen times and have never had a bad experience of meal.
The restaurant is large, very clean and decorated in a maritime theme. The service has been great and the menu is just as good. They offer a wide range of seafood fare and everything I have ever had has been great. I recommend their swordfish and the clam chowder, one of the best in the city.
The location is great, right on the water in South Boston. You can look out and see all the boats going by and the planes at Logan Airport which is very nice. The place has a big parking lot so finding a spot is not really a trouble. This place makes for a nice date night during the warm months because you can go here, have a bite and then stroll into downtown or up to the North End for some desert. There are also a couple of good bar options near by. As far as seafood restaurants in Boston goes, I would rate this one near the top. The food is great and the selection is the same.
I have to say that this is a review of my one & only visit , it was in 1975, when I was 13 .
I had never tried duck before , so I ordered it & it was delicious !
I've been a duck fan ever since .
My family still tells the story of the time that I went to this place , famous for their seafood , & didn't eat seafood .
I'm sorry to hear that this joint went to shit , everyone in our party , at that time , was extremely pleased with their food .
All but two , my Dad & I , are dead now , & it sounds like this historically wonderful restaurant , is also .
Sad .
So I am here in Boston for a family wedding and most of the party is staying at the Seaport. Anthony's Pier 4 happened to be one the restaurants close to this, so we decided to go.
Well, upon walking in and see the thousands of pictures of celebrities and Presidents at the restaurant / with the owner, I had high hopes. The dining room was so packed (like 300+ people) in one large open room (great view of the harbor though), that I knew that this was going to be the bad start to a later disappointing dinner.
Our server seemed as if he was annoyed with us when we did not choose to start with any cocktails. Not having a cocktail menu in front of any of us, I politely informed him that we were going to be ordering wine, once I found a bottle (that was in our price range and that everyone agreed on, but believe you me, I was impressed by their wine list, I just don't have the money).
We ordered a bottle and when the "sommilier" (I use that word very loosely). He presented the bottle to me by "plopping" it on the table in front of me. After acknowledging that it was the bottle we ordered, he proceeded to start opening it, by turning his waiter's screw, placing in between his legs and essentially ripping the cork out. His pours were disproportional and sloppy, letting the wine drip in front of nearly everyone at the table. I mean come on, get a linen or something to wipe the neck of the bottle...
We ordered salads and main courses and that was the last time we saw the server until the main course was delivered 40 minutes later. We were pretty much taken care of by the server assistant/bus boy. Now, being in the industry myself, I like to, maybe say, visit with my tables, show a little personality (work for the tip), but our party had 6 people in it, so the auto-grat was on and this server seemed to care less.
The main courses came out and honestly, they were not visually appealing. The food was mediocre, at best. I had the grilled swordfish in an olive-tomato buerre blanc (agreed to be the best dish of what we ordered), my mom & brother had the crab cakes (bland and the spicy aoili didn't taste good), my aunt had the broiled scallops (kinda "rubbery"), my dad had the yellowfin tuna cajun style (overly seasoned) and my sister-in-law had the shrimp cocktail (can't really screw that up)
Overall, the food was missing something and the service was just missing. Not that I will have another chance to go here, but if I did, I would seek out another restaurant...
I was fortunate to go to Anthony's for the first time with someone who explained they have kept everything the same since the 70s. I find that appealing since there are plenty of "new" places and IMHO Anthony's had some character it wouldn't have had if decor were updated. I thought the food was yummy but I did stick to basic Boston seafood - lobster & clams. The drinks were surprisingly good - wasn't expecting that! Service was a little flakey but overall it was a good dinner. I thought the prices were reasonable and when you consider that parking's free it ends up costing less than a night at Oceanaire or one of the Back Bay seafood options.
11 26 09 Update: Upgraded from 4 to 5 stars. Anthony's served an amazing Thanksgiving meal - my parents were so impressed! It seemed a little pricey at first ($50-$70 each) but it included amazing pumpkin soup, salad, lots of traditional side dishes and dessert. And we took doggie bags so we're getting another meal out of it. Perfect!
run away
run away
run away
I didn't mind the campy costume-like attire of the staff, the outdated decor, or the gigantic, open, window-lined dining room that felt like a cruise ship at Anthony's Pier 4, I dismissed it all as "fun" and "New England-y'.
I did mind the lack of great quality food, especially considering the price points. I was shocked that the mushroom antipasto tasted canned and that the house salad was so wimpy and eccentric. My bouillebaise missed the mark with plenty of unidentifiable vegetable muck and a few errant pieces of shellfish. Admittedly the lobster was very good. Crab cakes were very underwhelming especially since my uneducated expectations were high. Presentation was lacking and it wasn't abundantly clear that sides were served a la carte.
I must say that dessert was the figurative dollop of crap on top of our melted runny sundae. Amongst our table we tasted a dry, bland bread pudding, a texturely confused mint chocolate pie and my cappuccino was forgotten all together. If you end up trapped or tricked into dining at Anthony's, the Kahlua brownie or Baked Alaska will breathe a bit of sweet optimism into your beaten, weary belly.
I think my biggest qualm with this place is that they really seem to set expectations high and then fail to deliver. Ambiance, warm popovers, and speedy, friendly service are all redeeming qualities that make a disappointing meal satisfactory.
I came here with some friends for a quick drink and apps in the late afternoon on a long layover at Logan, and before heading to the Volvo Ocean Race area. We were in the bar/lounge area (drinks and apps only), so we didn't experience the full restaurant. I also came in wear a tee, shorts and sandals, and felt fine about it.
I had fun here and there was a great view out on the deck. I ordered some chowder, which was pretty good... more on the creamier side but not too creamy. No herbs, just basic salt and pepper for seasoning. I would order it again.
Also shared some fried calamari... tender, crisp, done well.
My friends ordered a dozen bluepoint oysters, and they seemed to enjoy them.
Drinkwise, the mojito was kinda weak but still drinkable
A little pricey, but I would come here again.
Since there's so much written about this landmark establishment, I'll be brief with my observations:
- Lovely decor, ambiance- HUGE dining room, and fun foyer with tons of celebrities' photos.
- As afore mentioned- very good popovers. You just have to catch one of the waitresses' eyes to get some over to your table.
- Poorly crafted lobster bisque- it looked right, but didn't quite taste much like lobster.
- Overall, they have a great selection for dinner- both seafood and non-seafood. The portions are also fairly reasonable, no one had enough left on their plates to doggy-bag.
- The wait staff would be my token "room for improvement" item of the evening. Their patience seemed to be short- my group's orders soon turned into military-like commands, "Yes, that will be one Boston sashimi, sir with an entrée to share, sir!" I also wasn't too psyched to see two wait staff members argue with each other in front of customers. Anyway, I digress... I don't go out to eat just to observe the service, but it is a key component nonetheless and did affect the restaurant's overall score.
- Great dessert selection from the light to the indulgent crème brulée.
Overall, decent place to eat out, fun location- right on the water, good menu selection, but be on your A-game with the wait staff or they'll scold you like a school teacher.
As my fiancé delicately put it in his review, the food is literally Stop N Shop fare at Capital Grille prices. Where is the fine dining? What indeed are the waiters wearing? And WHY do all the dress code/attire suggestions on fellow dining sites like Open Table say "Business Casual" and "Dressy"?
Casual described our musty waiter with few remaining teeth. Dressy explained what they tried to do to hide the quality of the food. Business - we wanted to know how it was still keeping in business. Many of the patrons at dinner were dressed in sneakers, T-shirts and jeans. We looked over dressed in comparison.
I had always heard that Anthony's Pier 4 was a culinary delight and somewhere to dine for fine seafood. We both had STRONG instinctual reactions to RUN from our tables but instead of trusting our gut instinct, we ignored our foodie sense and gave Anthony's the benefit of the doubt.
Steamed Clams were done right ... they were steamed. Points to someone at the stove in the kitchen who knows how to steam a clam.
Lobster Newburg did not look appetizing and confirmed by my fiancé's expression at first look ... then bite. In this case, looks were not deceiving. This book was just as bad as the cover. I believe the "Lobster" in the name of the dish was quite misleading.
Crab cakes were made with imitation crab meat marinating in a roasted red pepper puree that looked horribly wrong pooled in a puddle on the plate ... disturbing ... like a crime scene.
At the end of the meal that neither of us actually enjoyed, we cringed at the check and drank all the water we could coerce them to give us and fled to Finale downtown!
I went here with a few friends last weekend for Restaurant Week. Maybe it was a mistake to order filet mignon at a seafood restaurant but I love steak infinitely more than fish. I think the meat was good but it was busy being drowned in a brown-ish yellow sauce that at first I didn't like, then it grew on me, but not enough to ever say I liked it. I like a good sauce or glaze on my steak, but I eat it for the meat, not the sauce. At Antony's I couldn't tell whether or not the the meat was Ruth Chris quality or Applebee's.
I would still recommend Anthony's to anyone who wants to eat at a high-end Boston landmark (and I'm sure that's a lot of people). It's got a great view of downtown and the service is good. Presidents and Oscar-winning actors have dined here and looking though all the photos makes you feel important to be dining here.
But if you want good steak go to a steakhouse in Back Bay like Ruth Chris or Capitol Grill.
Obviously, this is where YELP plays a great role. We should have checked the reviews first. We were looking for a place to eat on the water a few evenings ago on a particularly lovely evening.
As others have stated, we SHOULD have gotten the clues with the lovely host (in a green suit from the early 60's with matching comb-over, the coin pond/lobster pond *not kidding, coins in with their "prized three pound lobsters"*, the framed photos of celebs dating at least 25 years ago) BUT then again, we have been to many places that are "out dated" and had amazing food!
NO.
Our sever requested what we were having for our app, our entree', and our dessert at the same time. Yes, at once.
My lobster bisque was oddly tomato based (my other half hates lobster and enjoyed the flavor of the soup *hint hint*) The watermelon and arugula salad was honestly awful, the watermelon was questionably soft...
And onto the entree', the fillet. Mine was delicious, a little too much fat, but great. On the other hand, my partners was burnt, actually charred. Not appealing. The potatoes were so over done they were actually slimy.
On a positive note desserts were the highlight. WONDERFUL. I loved my blueberry cobbler, and the limoncello gelato was delish.
Our meal was so unsatisfactory that we spoke to our server. He sent over a "manager" (same gentleman sporting the lovely olive suit.) He very nicely smiled and listened to our concerns, apologized that our food was bad and our evening wasn't enjoyable....and walked away.
The experience was mutual for those around us, the couple next to us complained as well. The same response of "Sorry it was bad. Have a good evening."
On the good side- we enjoyed laughs after our bills were paid with the wonderful duo next to us. They too shared the awful experience....
One highlight of the evening was when we spoke with our waiter about our experience. He shared "I bet you are used to hip / young places." I politely responded "We're just used to places with good food."
STAY AWAY. I kid you not, this was an awful experience and no one should have to endure this.
I think we had a unique experience here in terms of service and quality because we were having dinner with a VIP of sorts who rolled with extremely deep pockets. So when we ordered three bottles of very expensive wine, a 4lb lobster, 20 oysters/clams, three fish entrees, prime rib, almost every appetizer...they pretty much started eating out of our hands.
Still though, I can see why the service is to say the least, sub-par. If I had come here without the good graces of someone else, I would have probably been ignored.
Service aside, I didn't think the food was too bad. I like the piping hot bread that is served plentiful, the appetizers (typical calamari, bruschetta, and chowda) were all presented well and tasted pretty good (better than your typical quincy market fare), and the 4lb lobster was HUGE. Because the group I was with was from abroad and didn't get to enjoy lobster as much, they ate that amongst themselves, and I ordered the prime rib. It was served without much fare, some veggies and some potatoes looking like bystanders around a huge plate of prime rib. Besides having a little bit too much fat left on it, the prime rib was pretty good, tender and juicy, just a tad below something you might find at Ruth Chris.
The prices are pretty insane though, for five of us we came out to about $500 after tip, which is CRAZY, considering I felt like I hadn't really eaten something worth $100 a person.
Needless to say, if you want to experience good seafood and not a mortgage on your house, eat at Quincy Market or Atlantic Fish Co, if you want to impress clients and go somewhere bling bling, you can come here, but I for one won't be back.
As a Boston native who remembers this place as the standard of excellence during the Mad Men era, I find nothing whatsoever to recommend it on any criterion of quality. As others have stated - the food is Shaw's take-out at Capital Grille prices, the management and wait-staff are officious and inhospitable, and the food is so outdated and ill-prepared that one is left to wonder why anyone other than an ill-informed tourist would choose to eat (not dine) here. I was the guest of an out-of-town group who had reserved a table for 8. We were not allowed the pleasure of being seated until the entire party was present. We ordered two bottles of red and one of white wine, all in the $75 range. The red arrived cold. When I questioned this, I was told 'red should always be served cold.' Hmm - so apparently their sommelier disagrees with every other sommelier in every other restaurant on the planet. Also, no one ever returned to refill our wine glasses or inquire if another bottle would be required. We were left to serve ourselves. Food presentation had zero visual appeal, was served as if we were prisoners getting our daily ration of grub, and leftovers whisked away without questioning whether anyone cared to take them home. Two at our table order Monkfish Orloff, which looked like a Big Mac without the bun. Fish buried under layers of mushrooms duxelle and something else resembling mashed potatoes. The dessert menu? When was the last time anyone saw Baked Alaska or Rice Pudding on a menu? What, no jello? Some of my party were from the Midwest, so this was their intro to Boston seafood. I will have to explain that we were in a time warp and that when they visit again, we'll make sure to dine in the 21st century.
After reading some of the reviews below I just had to put in my two cents. I had a wonderful time at this restaurant over the weekend.
Not only were the waitstaff friendly, but there were many women servers. Ours happened to be one of them. Not only did she point out the celebrities in the room, but she kep tus abreast of the Red Sox/Yankees game (she being from Brooklyn). I thought the food was fantastic. I could have made an entire meal out of the lobster bisque. We weren't huge fans of the warm popovers, but it might be that we're just not used to that kind of bread.
This place is an institution full of history. I felt honored to be able to dine here. Shame on the rest of you for being so rude!
I was thrilled to find Anthony's Pier 4 on the restaurant week menu, so the girlfriend and I decided to give it a try. We're both fans of seafood, and like other Bostonians, we're a fan of LSF, but we wanted to try something different. The location is amazing and hey -- the price was right.
But I was extremely underwhelmed by our food. The host and waitstaff were attentive to our needs, but the food was lacking. I don't know if my portion was smaller because it was restaurant week (I've had other "full size" portions at restaurants during this time) but my scallop dinner included only *FOUR* scallops, none of which were that incredible.
The popover, as people have said, was great. But my chowder was lukewarm at best (and didn't compare to Legal) and the scallops were small and bland. The best part of the meal? The chocolate espresso cake was sinfully delightful, and it was incredibly rich -- and amazing. I wouldn't go back for the seafood but maybe for dessert some night if I'm in the neighborhood? Sure.
I know this place is a Boston legend. But for such a great wide space it could use a little modernization (particularly the waitstaff uniforms).
Lobster Bisque Review: REJECT IT. One bite of this soup and I nearly spit it out. Trust me on this. If you choose to eat here, avoid the bisque. If you want bisque that badly, go buy a can. Seriously. Even cold out of a can is better than the over-salted bowl of lard I sampled (actually, gross as it is, I've eaten lobster bisque cold out of a can. It isn't very good). Blech.
I had always hear my parents talk about this place so, when they were coming into town for dinner, I made reservations. Parking is not worth the less than mediocre experience.
Everything is blah at best. We were seated at a window table, which was nice, and left to peruse the menu. Three of us ordered glasses of wine, and all three had cork floating in them. It was all the same kind of wine, but it was white, so the waiter should have noticed. They replaced them with apology.
I had the shrimp cocktail to start. The shrimp were big, but seemed over cooked. Next I had the ceasar salad (which came with dinner). It was tasty and we were served some warm popovers. Mid-salad, with plenty left on the plate, mine was whisked away! The waiter was there and gone before I could protest. So while the few of my dining companions continued enjoying their salads, I just looked on, saladless.
With dinner, two of us ordered a second glass of wine. This again came with cork. Now that's ridiculous! I had the grilled salmon. Overcooked and really just okay. As a side I had a baked potato which was fine. But it's a baked potato - so not too much to go wrong there.
Several of the people got desserts and seemed to enjoy them. I had some coffee, but was never offered a refill or second cup.
All in all this place looks better on the SNL sketches. With so many other options in the Seaport District, it's better to park at one of the garages and enjoy a better dinner with better service.
The view, the free parking.
It's where the good points begin and end.
The food is probably delicious to the clientele that loves this place: the elderly. Their lack of taste buds explain why this place gets huge props in old school media, but barely gets 3 stars on Yelp.
The waitstaff takes forever. The food is bland. And the menu is horrendously overpriced. I'm sure their rent isn't cheap and they have to pass long the cost to the customer, but this place really doesn't deserve the attention it gets.
Heinousness.
Service = lackadaisical 15-year olds who just smoked a J. No one was remotely stirred by the large bug in my salad. Apology was perfunctory and brief, and noticeably non-monetary. Dishes were never fully cleared - the bus boys had some weird aversion to clearing hour-old glasses, despite the fact we piled them on the corner of our table and begged them desperately to take them away - we had no room! Then they tried to grab food plates before we were finished with them. Waitress disappeared for half-hours at a time. Were they trained at church pancake breakfast or something?
Food = Captain D's (except that lobster is better, but how can you f' up broiled lobster?).
Cocktails = Cocktail, wha? One part vodka, three parts water, and four parts ice - and you have a martini at Anthony's Pier. Huh?
Ambience = resembles cafeterias frequented by my octogenarian grandparents.
This place may once have been all that, but unless you want to pay dearly for the musty memories and sad presence, I suggest you steer clear.
The parking lot is huge and I mean huge. The restaurant, at the end of this huge lot, is huge. Let's face it, everything about Anthony's is huge!
Most everyone mentioned the huge gallery of celebrities photos adorning the walls, what they did not mention is those celebrities dined at Anthony's Pier 4! I have dined there many times and saw many celebrities. I once remember Peter Falk ( Columbo ) coming in and the owner instructed the waiters to bring him all kinds of food and he turned it down, wanting to order his own, perhaps? But, it is obviously a big deal to them and therefore the pics on the walls.
No one mentioned the huge lobster tank as you walk in. If you order one, they ask what approximate size you want, then they bring it to the table and ask how you would like it prepared and then it goes to the kitchen.
You might frown at the prices a bit, but they are not so huge when you take into account the setting and beautiful harbor views. The bar is set up very nicely, it is up one step and surrounded by floor length windows, as is the restaurant ( or should I say, the main restaurant, because there are many more rooms upstairs). Back to the bar, where not only can you feel very comfortable waiting for your table, but they have a raw bar set up, as well!
I love their food! I do, I do. Yes, the popovers are huge and hot and you open one up, put a pat of butter in it, close it up and gently shake it and walla.. HEAVEN is in your hand!
The Newburg is one of the best you can find..excuse me, can you even find a good Newburg these days?
I highly recommend the lobster bisque, the clam chowder ( it is not the best I have ever had, but darn close ), the baked clams, escargots, oysters Rockefeller are outstanding, They are known for their Bouillabaisse and the creamy fish chowder, which has local cod and sole with potatoes, onions, celery and fish broth.
The lobster Savannah is fabulous, as are the lobster Newburg and the stuffed lobster. They also have a clam bake with lobster, shrimp, clams and mussels. The Finnan & Haddie is smoked and so very delicious and where on earth can you get it but here, where?
A lot of the food is prepared or finished off table side, like the Dover Sole which is so moist and flaky. They de-bone it and filet it for you right in front of your eyes.
It's not all about the seafood, they have six different salads, steak frites, veal chops, rack of lamb, filet mignon and three sizes and types of a NY strip. The sides are fairly typical of what you would find in a good steak house like asparagus with hollandaise, but the ratatouille provencale has me in love.
Let's talk about the service. I have noticed two things, they have two teams, one is a front server and one is a back server. How can you be lacking service when they are reinforcing it? I have never had poor service here or wanted for anything.
When in Boston, go to Anthony's Pier 4, you won't regret it! As for me, I am a huge fan!!
My husband and I ate here after visiting the ICA. Immediately when we entered, I could tell the place was not my style, what with the white linen tablecloths and old-fashioned leather chairs, but the service was good and the view of the waterfront was lovely.
The food, unfortunately, was not very good. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't what I was expecting. We got the prix fixe menu, which was a good deal, but WAY too much food. Way too much. I took my entire entree home as leftovers, that's how much food it was.
The really unfortunate part was the dessert. Deep dish blueberry pie and ice cream pie sounded so good on paper, but they were bland and subpar.
I won't be eating here again of my own volition. If I HAD to eat here again with a bunch of octogenarians or something, I wouldn't mind, but I'd stick to ordering something simple (and SMALL).
my friends and i (16 of us) were there for restaurant week. well, the lobster bisque tasted like it came out of a can because it was SO salty! there wasn't a lobster taste to it at all!
the part that made this restaurant beyond horrible was the service. this was the worst service my friends and i have ever gotten at any restaurant! we don't know if they treated us a certain way because we were a very large group or because we were a group of "younger looking" professionals (we are all in our mid to late twenties). the waiters (we had 2 waiters) seemed very flustered and annoyed to take our orders and they didn't come back to see how our food was.. when one of the waiters did come back to take an empty plate from our table, he broke a glass on my friends two dishes. he DID NOT apologize! the busboy ended up apologizing for him! then they just picked up the broken glass, but shards of the glass were still on the table, which my friend picked up, and she ended up cutting herself! they did not apologize for not picking up the shards of glass either!
so we ended up with a so-so dinner, spent a ton of money for bad food, got rude service, had my friend get cut by broken shards of glass, and heard smug comments from the waitstaff under their breaths (including the host!) while we walked out the door.
STAY away from this place... what a rip-off. if you like the food here, obviously, you haven't eaten much elsewhere around boston. NOT recommended.
Anthony's seems to be hit or miss. I just went for what I think is my third time and some stuff was spectacular and some was just ok. I know it used to be one of the most spectacular Boston seafood restaurants but it seems to have slipped, or I just ordered the wrong food.
Positives:
The view - it's still on the harbor and has a great view of the water and city.
The mushrooms - comes with the table - still tasty and zingy!
Clam chowder - at least they didn't mess this up. Hearty, chunky and tasty
Bouillabaisse - I don't even love seafood and this was really good. A little spice gives it a nice kick.
Halibut - it was cooked in a very natural seeming way (Ok, I'm not much of a cook, so I don't know what the term is, but it seemed unadulterated and very fresh and yummy!). Super tender, not too fishy and flaky and enjoyable.
Fresh jumbo asparagus - so good, fresh, cooked just right. The hollandaise was overkill and looked like a gloop of mayonaisse meets mustard in a boxing ring. Danger, beware. Keep the asparagus safe and keep them separate.
Baked Alaska - it wasn't what I thought it was going to be but I really enjoyed it because it was like a nice ice cream pie that was nice and enjoyable with a fork - ie: it wasn't melting sloppily all over the place!
The not so good:
The service: our waiter hovered and seemed to always be giving us a scowl. Not too friendly, kind of mean.
The Grover salad: blah, wilted Caesar salad wannnabe.
The soft-shell crab: It was tasty, I'll give it that, but it was a little soggy, even when it came out. The serving size was huge for dinner - 3 soft shell crabs! Too much for me when eating soggy deep fried soft shell crabs. And the shells weren't too soft - I thought it was in season but I felt like I was eating Sebastians outer shell at some points!
Overall - I'd totally go back, but I think I'd be open to trying out some of the other harbor restaurants to see if they managed to maintain their status as great restaurants of Boston. I wish Anthony's would step up the act or let me know what I should have ordered (the lobsters looked amazing - super red and juicy - maybe that's what they're known for now. If so, they should take the other sub-par stuff off the menu!)
First of all: what is UP with the waitstaff's uniforms? I ditto everything that's been mentioned about uncomfortable kids at a prom and/or unsexy french maids.
A group of us went here last night for Restaurant Week, because a few people were gung-ho on the idea of seafood and the old school Boston vibe. I have to admit, I was charmed by the weather-beaten exterior and the shrine to the Kennedys inside, and I felt that the menu and it's offerings went along with that. Nothing too fancy, nothing too daring, but all good, solid food. And TONS of it. Dear god, I think they want to kill you by carb overload at this place; between the warm rolls, the crispy little bread sticks, and the popovers, I was about to pass out in my main course.
Of the offerings for this round of Restaurant Week, I tried some of the filet mignon, and ordered the ragout of wild striped bass with creamy polenta. The filet was really good, and I could have been happy eating just that, but I felt obligated to try the fish dish at the seafood place. The bass was cooked perfectly, very moist and flaky, and the polenta was really good as well. Again, nothing daring or inventive, but good nonetheless.
The atmosphere was a bit wonky; I don't know if it was because of the more diverse crowd Restaurant Week brings to any given table, but there was a big older crowd, plus those of us who normally wouldn't come in without grandparents or parents if it wasn't $33 for the meal. I only mention the atmosphere because we saw someone ask his girlfriend to marry him there, and I was just like .... "huh, interesting choice", before we all went back to our lobster bisque.
I can't say I'd go here again, but I do see the appeal for certain crowds, and wish them luck trying to eat all of that food.
Pictures of the owner and Liz or Liza every president that has served since the Kennedy administration do not make up for the fact that the service is god awful. The rolls are great and the view amazing but other than that I was not impressed at all! The space is very old school and huge. I just din't care for the service and it wasn't busy, they were the most inattentive waiters and bus staff i have ever seen.
Is this the service that President's get? I certainly hope not!
Tsk Tsk Anthony's!
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