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Mon-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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I second Doug R.'s opinion. I just ate lunch here today. Started with some chowdah (only $2.25, a bargain.) Very good. Simple and delicious. Had just the right viscosity and balance of flavors. Clams were very fresh, as was the good bit of grit (didn't bother me because the clams were so fresh tasting.) I only added a little pepper for my taste. Yum--repeat selection.
I'm picking on another reviewer, just in fun--the onion rings? "C'mon, man!!!" Average at best. Not great, not bad, quite average--will definitely have the slaw side next time.
Now for the Lobstah Roll. . . .At first, you get this "impish" looking wax paper wrapped roll that looks about the size of your clenched fist (yikes, $18.99 before tax,) but then you open it up. . . .Impressive. Lobster everywhere. Distinctive hunks of claw and tail meat, well defined and barely tossed in a smidge of mayo. Smiling all by myself, I ask myself, "can anyone see me right now?"
I dive in to the marvelous hunks of meat, appropriately toasted roll, with correct amount of lettuce on the bottom to catch the lobster mayo drippings. I don't know if I filled up on the chowdah and rings, but something seemed to be missing. The visual was great, the texture was perfect, but that sweet--just cracked open from the sea lobster flavor seemed to be missing. I tried lemon and salt (both helped a bit) but couldn't get into that lobster nirvana space. I still think it was very good, and generous. If the lobster is the star, it must come through with it's perceived flavor star-power.
I liked this shack/restaurant, and will try other yelper's menu item suggestions. The nice, older gentleman sitting next to me, had the baked lobster (another generous portion) with light breading crumbles that looked quite good--and he enjoyed it thoroughly.
I don't know if the lobster loses it's flavor from being cracked too early before it reaches the mayo toss and onto the bun--but I'm suspicious that this could be the minor reason for the flaw.
Good place. FYI, you're not there for the service. After all, it's walk-up, walk-out pretty much, besides the 8-10 stools. (I, personally, like that kind of set-up.)
I'll be back.
--TheBC
Our last meal in Boston before we headed back to NY and this place was on the top of my list to try. Getting there sans car wasn't too bad -- a 15 min subway ride and then about 15-20 min walk to the shop. Getting off the subway it was mostly residential and marsh, leading up to a beautiful bay and there was Belle Isle right on the border of Winthrop.
We entered and thankfully on that Sunday evening there wasn't a huge crowd. There were always people walking in and out, ordering food, picking up food, but not many people stayed to eat like we did. I'm guessing because most other people live in the area and would better enjoy the food cozy and comfortable in their dining rooms. We on the other hand had no choice, but eating at the "bar seating" wasn't too bad -- there was a beautiful view and it kept us from suffering in the unforgiving winds outside, blowing over signs and bending the foliage.
The moment we walked in it felt like a neighborhood joint. The lady at the counter was so friendly and so helpful that for once in a very long time it reminded me that there are some people lucky enough to love their jobs. She really seemed like this was the dream job, and heck if I had enough balls I just might do something similar.
Unfortunately they were all out of haddock for the day but we ordered a baked scallop dinner plate, a fried oyster dinner plate, a side order of crabcakes, and a pint of clam chowder. I don't think I'd order the crabcakes again. You could taste the crab, it was real, but it was obviously not lump crab meat. It was also perfectly shaped, so perfectly shaped that it made you wonder whether they were freshly made or if they purchased it elsewhere.
The clam chowder was yummy and I loved finding random bits of larger, sweet onions, and chunks of clam that evaded the knife. It was obviously home made and the flavor of the soup showed its authenticity. The fried oysters came with cole slaw, onion rings, and french fries. Both the onion rings and french fries were okay, just added calories, a starch. The cole slaw was pretty good, refreshing. The oysters were smaller than I thought they were going to be but they were quite a lot of them -- I would've counted about 15-20 of the little buggers. Unfortunately they were of the smaller variety so I only really tasted its flavor when I found the 2 or 3 oysters that were large enough to have some real meat. Next time I'll probably get them baked or grilled.
The baked scallops on the other hand were fantastic. It came with rice pilaf, a dinner roll, and cole slaw. The rice pilaf was fluffy, the dinner roll was slightly sweet, just how I like it. The baked scallops though were the best -- breadcrumbs loosely baked on the scallops, the flesh was just super tender, succulent, and sweet. I would definitely, definitely recommend the scallops. There were about 10 of them in the dinner plate.
I'll be coming back next time I make a trip to Boston, hopefully with a car!
Brought some friends from out of town here when they were expressing their desire for seafood! We had spent the entire day on the beach (a few weeks ago when it was still summer... bye summer!), so weren't looking to venture out of Winthrop, so we called in our orders (baked haddock, clam cake dinner, large chowder, and baked scallops), and drove in to grab our dinner.
It was a Friday evening, so the place was PACKED. Seriously, slammed. We waited about 20 minutes for our order, and headed back to my house to eat on the deck. And oh... my... god. SO GOOD! I had forgotten how good (and fresh!) everything tastes there. My haddock was perfectly seasoned, and I was a huge fan of the bread crumb/ stuffing like business they baked on top of my haddock. And with everything they load you up with on the dinners (rice pilaf, cole slaw, dinner roll), I had plenty leftover for lunch the next day!
Now whenever I drive by I'm always tempted to just stop and grab dinner. I'd go broke if I did that every day, but oh, so worth it!
Great little seafood shanty with really fresh and reasonable priced seafood. Its basically a seafood market which has some seats inside. It was pretty busy but the service was fast and friendly. You order at the counter and wait for your food. Its a cute fish shack so please don't expect anything fancy.
I had the baked haddock dinner: Great portion size, very fresh fish crusted with lemon bread crumbs, tasty rice pilaf, fantastic homemade tarter and the best cole slaw I have had in the New England! --Delicious!
The bf had the fried whole belly clam sandwich with fries and he loved it. Super fresh, perfectly fried and very tasty!
Belle Isle definitely gives you the best bang for your buck for fresh seafood. Our bill was a little over $20--- Amazing value!
Its well worth the trip over to East Boston for the best deal on fresh seafood in around! We will be back.
PS. Check out the Madonna Queen National Shrine if your in the area. It's a really cool site with a beautiful view of the city!
The biggest lobster roll in Boston at a no frills family owned seafood joint! I could not manage to eat it by holding it, so used a fork to eat all the extra chunks. I had half of it and was full. Normally I can eat a whole one at any other place. For $18 it comes in a warm grilled bun with fries/onion rings. The onion rings are very good.
They dress the lobster meat lightly which I don't mind. It's got very minimal mayo so allows for the lobster taste to shine through. If you like very mayo-y salads you won't like this kind. On the weekends around meal times, its packed. They do all kinds of seafood dinners, all large and reasonably priced. Call in your order ahead of time. Not much space to eat inside, but take it down to the Belle Isle Marsh and enjoy it on the benches there.
If you have room left for the onion rings, you are doing it wrong.
Seriously, this lobster roll is epic, with a full half pound of big chunks of glorious lobster meat, in fact, by far the best tasting lobster meat I've ever had. A little mayo but not much, and a little lettuce at the base of the roll, but it is clear that the star of this sandwich is the lobster, which is as it should be and makes it worth the $18 price tag.
Three of my friends and I all got said roll, as we were participating in a day long "Lobster Roll Crawl," and the unanimous consensus was the Belle Isle's was the winner (over other impressive contenders such as James Hook and Yankee Fish Market). What might have scored even a few points higher though were the fried scallops our one non-lobster-consuming friend ordered. I know this review makes me sound prone to hyperbole, but please believe me when I say it is with no exaggeration that all of us thought that the best fried scallop we'd ever tasted. Perfect crust of crispy fried-ness coating a perfectly juicy scallop--I have been craving those in the days since, and absolutely need to plan a return trip for more soon.
I'll eat one, maybe two, lobster rolls each summer. I'm not fanatical about lobster. But I'd like the summer adventure to be a memorable experience. We found Belle Isle on Yelp and the reviews looked mostly promising.
Finding your way to Belle Isle is part of the experience. Route 1A is poorly marked and the GPS referenced a number of streets without signposts. So you have to drive carefully if you're not familiar with that part of the city.
We arrived at about 1 on a Sunday afternoon. Belle Isle is basically a small seafood market that also sells some popular sandwiches and prepared dishes. There are only about 8 stools at a short, L-shaped counter in the shop. People seemed to move pretty quickly off the counter and there wasn't a problem finding a place for 3 of us to sit. There's no outdoor seating and we noticed other customers happy with their impromptu tailgate picnics on busy Saratoga Street. The seafood was priced reasonably and the counter staff was very helpful.
The lobster roll seems to be the main attraction. On the day we were there a lobster roll was about $18. It features a generous half-pound of lobster meat. Contrary to other reviews, Belle Isle makes the lobster roll to-order; mayo, a little mayo, or no mayo. There was plenty of tail meat and some claw meat. Overall, it was pretty satisfying. One could probably split a lobster roll and be full.
My only complaint is the lobster was a little weak on flavor. I expect lobster to have a more distinct flavor. The lobster tasted... I can't quite put my finger on it... a little thin. I knew I was eating lobster, but it was subtle.
That said, the trip to Belle Isle was fun, the lobster roll was filling, and the prices on the seafood looked reasonable. The staff were helpful and the other customers were friendly. We plan to go back to pick up some swordfish or scallops to cook at home. If that goes well, I may increase my rating a bit.
Real Boston experience. Lobster Roll, Fried Oysters, & Clam Chowda. Nice last meal before we hit the road home, glad we stopped here.
I've been driving past Belle Isle for pretty much my entire life and I finally decided to try it out today. I'm a huge seafood fan, so I'm not really sure what took me so long. Anyway, as others have mentioned, the restaurant is mainly take-out, is located along 145 on the side of the bridge into Winthrop (right past Wyatt's gas), and only accepts cash. There's no parking, so be prepared to park at Wyatt's or on the road.
I got a lobster roll and fries. After reading the other reviews, I wish I'd tried the onion rings, but there's always next time. The fries weren't my favorite, but the lobster roll was pretty epic. Tons of nice, chunky tail and claw meat on a thin bed of lettuce; I couldn't even find the hot dog roll, and there wasn't a ton of mayo. It was a pretty expensive dinner--the online menu says $17, but market value for lobster must be up right now because I paid $20.
Also, I do agree with David C. about the counter help--they were efficient, but a bit rude and snippy.
Despite the cost and the employees, though, I would definitely go back. I'm excited to try some of their other dinners, and I hope to fit a lot of Belle Isle meals in before I move out of Winthrop at the end of the summer! (Expect an update after I've eaten here more than once.)
Finally after 2 years of driving by everyday I tried this place! And it was pretty good!
The menu is pretty large and pretty inexpensive for a seafood shack. The counter help was fine, she was very friendly and it was easy and fast to order. The location is also pretty sweet, its on a bridge between eastie and throp and while you wait you can go out on the bridge and watch the planes OR just call in your order. They also close at 7pm and start cooking I believe at 11am.
They have fried dinners, baked, baked stuffed, cajun, grilled and sandwiches and sides.
I am a big coleslaw fan and they passed, it was good and I like that they used dill relish in the tartar sauce and not sweet (ew).
So I got baked scallops which came with rice, a roll and coleslaw. At first glance, the dinner looked a little small, but really it wasn't. I am pretty big so I tend to eat a lot, and the dinner was perfect.
We also got a crab cake dinner ($6.99) which was really inexpensive. 3 Large crab cakes, fries, coleslaw and onions rings....all of it tasted really good and fresh.
There is a small bar to eat inside, but I recommend just taking your food to go and finding a nice spot on the beach or something a little down the road. Also they do NOT accept credit cards. Cash only!
Now that my Bell Isle cherry has been popped, I will be begging for more!
Best lobster roll anywhere. Simple and plentiful.Belle Isle is a small fish market that doubles as a restaurant. Broiled and fried fish dinners served with fries and, or onion rings and cole slaw. It doesn't get better. Nothing fancy. Friendly server(s). A great family business.
It's not near beaches or any kind of attraction so you have to go for the food. Well worth the trip. A few seat inside.
Belle Isle has about as good a lobster roll as you are gonna find anywhere, and has the added bonus of giving huge portions of lobster meat.
The ambience is definitely very local, I think the last time I went there, there were a bunch of older retired women in their 60's from East Boston who were eating there.
Another good thing is that Belle Isle is close to Logan airport, so generally if I am flying into town I will skip the airline food because I know that I can get the best lobster roll in the universe once I land!
This place is really good. Even on a Monday night there was a 15 minute wait to order and a 30 minute wait before our food was ready. Not much room to eat your food there and most people take it to go. Knowing that, I never order andthing fried because its quality doesn't survive the short trip home. Last night I ordered the cajun blackened swordfish. It come with uncle bens rice pilaf, home made cole slaw and a roll. My roommate is a regular there and he always gets the baked stuffed jumbo shrimp(with rice and slaw), they looked really good. along with that we shared an order of stuffed clams. Our total, only $32. Meals were priced $7-15 and Lobster meals were about $20
Mmm... delicious fried seafood. And for the health-conscious (I probably should be now, after all that fried seafood), they have a baked option, too.
As a group of 3, we went for lunch on a Sunday, and the place was nearly empty--shorter wait, better for us. We got the seafood combo (around $15), which includes shrimp, scallops, haddock, clams, french fries, onion rings, and cole slaw. There was so much food piled onto a single plate that it was a freakin' Jenga puzzle to eat.
We also got the "side order" of fried calamari. It was only $5, and had a good amount of delicious goodness. Another great deal.
Finally, we got the lobster roll. Ironically, this is initially why I wanted to go here, and this is also the item that we all agreed was a bit of a letdown. As someone else said, the flavor of the lobster is just OK; it did seem a bit thin. Be sure to ask for the low mayo option if you want it, as we did, since they don't always ask you when you order.
Overall, this place offers delicious, fresh, fried seafood in fairly generous portions and at decent prices. We'll be coming back, I'm sure. But, in my humble opinion, the lobster roll is not worth the nearly $20.
Hands down, the BEST seafood in/around Boston!
I never ate much seafood before I moved to Boston and after 14 years here I now rarely eat it anywhere else. With that in mind, the fried clam plate here would no doubt be considered remarkably good if this place was located anywhere west of Framingham. That said, around here, you can go to just about any restaurant, bar with a half-decent kitchen, or roast-beef stand, and get a great fried clam plate. I think it's required in order to get a license. I mean, I'm sure there are places around with crummy chowder and warm beer, but they don't last.
The clam plate here was no exception, but it's also no exception in the sense of being remarkably better, or worth the hype and half-hour wait I ran into on a Sunday evening. I've never done their lobster roll or anything else, so maybe those justify it, but the clams don't.
Belle Isle is a terrific seafood market in its own right (I've purchased their fresh salmon several times, and it has always been of the highest quality), but it's their take out business that really stands out. They have really good seafood dinners, including blackened salmon, blackened swordfish, fried scallops, and unbelievably good fried whole clams. The dinners come with fries or pilaf and excellent onion rings.
Belle Isle is a small shack on the side of the road on the road going into Winthrop, and right under the Logan flight path. The food is great for take out, but you can eat in as well; but if you do, be sure to enjoy the sight of huge airplanes taking off or landing just hundreds of feet overhead.
I love this place! If you're anywhere northeast of the Sumner Tunnel, it's well worth a visit!
What can I say.... if the Cops, Firemen, and Ambulance crews like it, they must be doing something right. It has been a long time practice of mine to look where the public servants eat. They work the area's day in and day out and of course they are going to have local favorites.
This "is" the only place to go for a seafood dinner in this area. This however is more set up as a take out type establishment with a minimum of seating. However to those that have tried this restaurant, know the caliber of the fish the serve. The freshness and quality will be hard pressed to beat in the surrounding area.
Give it a try and you will not.....not be disappointed. If you are, then you do not enjoy day catch fish and should stick to meat.
*note, all fish is not day catch, but it's the closet you will get*
I did not give this establishment 5 stars for the simple fact that, in Key West Florida, I have had fish that has been caugh 2 hours ago and is cooked dock side, this is not at that level.
A nice little place where you can get both fresh and cooked fish and shellfish. I found the staff friendly and quick around 5:30 when we went.
There is no parking, so you have to find a spot on the side of the street. If it is a busy night, you might not be able to find a seat on the inside since there are only a few seats. However, if you like watching planes come in for landing, this is the place to go and sit. We must have seen a plane every minute or so.
CASH ONLY!
Best lobster rolls around
Three stars instead of four, because although the food is GREAT, the counter help is aloof and sometimes downright rude. The woman who was working there on Saturday March 1, 2008 was extremely unpleasant. It was like she was doing us a HUGE favor taking our order.
FRIENDLY SERVICE IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PART OF ANY FOOD ESTABLISHMENT. They need to learn that at Belle Isle.
Belle Isle rocks pretty much whatever they do. Called our order in advance (THE GAME WAS ON..and Brady was hurt- so we had to get back!)...got the melange of seafood- and it made for great game eating. Fried Oysters, Clams, Scallops. The best onion rings money can buy and a lobster roll that is packed with delicious meat....not mayonaisey! My favorite boy got chicken fingers (to which we all made fun of him...IT IS Belle Isle SEAFOOD!!!)...but he stood by his decision- and I have to say...he was on to something! Inexpensive and good to the last french fry!
It being lunch time, here's another "thinking of my father" review. He was a great one for having a fried clam plate waiting for me when I visited (and a lobster pie for my mother).
In lieu of a melanzane with red peppers pizza from the now tragically long gone Italian Joes down the point, that is. (My father never forgot that free coupon for a 2 litre coke in the Transcript, hehe.).
Everyone always raves about the lobster roll and that's one of the few things I've yet to have!
What I HAVE had though I have been very pleased with. It's a tiny little place and it's consistantly packed, which is always a good reflection on the food. I adore their broiled haddock and scallops and I've had some decent stuffed calimari from there. It wasn't my favorite, but they definately get a thumbs up on it.
I would definately recommend this place for take out. They have a good sized menu and everything is always fresh.
Great fresh seafood!
If you want fresh fried food, this is the place to go.
you can choose the sides for dinner menu.
I tried crab sandwich and it had a lot of meat in it!
I also had their fried fish plate ( i forgot what i had but it was the special for that day) and fish was so fresh and came with few big pieces.
you can see people fishing by the bridge.
i'm a huge lobster roll fan. tried many places from cape cod to maine. based on many positive reviews, we decided out here a couple days ago. VERY disappointed... some of the most flavourless lobster meat i've ever had. one lobster roll is $19. they do give tons of lobster meat, about the same amt as kelly's. but i felt the tail meats were very chewy and utterly lacked any flavor. it also contained claw meats that had textures like egg whites; this was disgusting. they also use a little too much mayo to my liking. and they put quite a lot of lettuce btwn the lobster and the bun, which didn't go very well. both my wife and i tossed it away without finishing the whole thing. never would've thought i'd throw away an unfinished lobster roll.
kelly's continues to be the best lobster roll in eastern mass, in my opinion. although i haven't yet tried neptune oyster.
"Where's my hot dog roll?" That's how much lobster you can expect when you order a lobster roll here. I ate most of the lobster with a fork until I could manage it better. I never really considered myself a huge lobster fan, but Belle Isle does it right with not too much mayo and an insane amount of claw and tail meat. I would like to try their fish dinners as well.
LOBSTER ROLL, LOBSTER ROLL,LOBSTER ROLL........My kingdom for a lobster roll. A full half pound of tails and claws served with crisp onion rings. The best lobster roll around for sure. This small take-out restaurant next to the Belle Isle Bridge going into Winthrop is a true hidden jewel. I would advise against going there on a Friday night for the first time. The rush hour traffic people that live in Winthrop all stop there on their way home from work. It is a madhouse. I refuse to eat fried food anywhere but my friends insist that the fried seafood dinners here are the best. When you see lines out the door at a take-out that usually tells the story.
Get your seafood baked, fried, stuffed, blackened, teriyakied, grilled, buttered, and slapped silly until it lays full of freshness in your take-out box with sides of rice pilaf and cole slaw, lemon wedge, tartar and cocktail sauces. The lobster roll was overflowing with fresh tail and claw meats, but not the thing that would make a girl return. Simply because it was underseasoned. Though I did like that they were very light on the mayo and the fact that the lobster came from their premises instead of a plastic container (Kelly's makes their lobster roll this way) deserves respect. However, the baked seafood combo topped with buttery crumbs was surprisingly de-lish! Didn't like the onion rings or the french fries though, most likely attributable to the slightly burnt oil.
They don't accept credit cards, so bring cash. Inconvenient for a family of 4 whose bill may amount to $60. Who carries money in their wallet any more? But there is a Bank of America ATM just over the bridge. So, place your order. Drive over the bridge, get some cash. While you're there you can fill up your gas tank, drop off or pick up your dry cleaning, then head back. Trust me, you'll have time for multi-tasking.
Belle Isle is a seafood market, but it also has the best, fresh fish I have had in the greater Boston area. If you think Kelly's in Revere is good, you have not seen a thing till you've tried Belle Isle. They have tons of different types of dinners, rolls, plates, and not just seafood either. It's really a take out place, except for a few stools, but you should definitely call ahead and get a menu to put your order in ahead of time. They can bake it, fry it, blacken it, stuff it, you name it. 5 Star!!
This is an endearing little seafood shack with a nice small-town feeling. I just love going here - it's a special treat. We used to live in Winthrop, and we'd stop by and pick up some fish dinner. Now we live in Malden. We still make the drive for the food on occasion - it's that good!
When you go to Belle Isle, you should call in your order in advance and plan to stop somewhere nearby to eat the fish. The smells that waft temptingly off the food make it hard to drive too far before tearing into the paper bags. I suggest one of the nearby beaches or parks to eat it picnic style because Belle Isle does not have any seating. I really like their fish dinners because the rice is really good, and only once has the fish ever been the slightest bit dry - it is almost always flavorful and perfectly cooked. Also, their fish cake is really good. I don't know how they make it so good, but I get cravings for them, and I don't like fried stuff as a general rule. You must try the fishcakes at least once in this life.
Yes, this deserves 5 stars. I got the oyster roll. I've had these before, mostly in New Orleans. This was the first oyster roll that had a crunchy outside and melt in you mouth inside. I couldn't believe that Belle Isle achieved the impossible. Normally oyster rolls I've had in the past have been a bit rubbery, but these absolutely were so so soft. I got the cole slaw on the side, which was good as well as it had just the right amount of dressing and wasn't all mayonnaise-y. I have to go back and buy the fresh seafood sometime. It was very busy around lunchtime and I still got my roll in 5-6 minutes.
$4 Well Drinks
Neighborhood: Waterfront
Bargain Specials
Boston, MA
Neighborhood: East Boston
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Waterfront
Category: Seafood Markets
Neighborhood: Waterfront
Category: Seafood
Boston, MA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: East Cambridge
Category: Seafood Markets
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