On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Sunday Make Your Own Sundaes & Balloons for kids…
Hynes Convention Center (Green)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
Well, I must disclose that I can only rate this place based upon only eating TWO menu items; Mac & cheese and oysters. But I can see how eating at one of the tables with waiter service could give only 3 stars.
I only sit at the bar as it has the best ambiance. Very nice selection of fresh oysters which can vary from week to week depending upon what they receive. I have my fave's and always hope they have them in supply.
I enjoy this place as a late lunch or early dinner. Light eating yet filling where you don't feel hungry later, but have energy to hit the town.
When ever I visit Boston, I always come here. Cold beer, people watching and a half dozen or more oysters, YUM!
Maybe this is not allowed, but I am going to review not his food, service but their marketing/promotions.
I live just across the street, here near Alewife T Station, and have never been there because they have this promotion: Cheap date, $40 p/person 4 courses.
That is cheap?
I am $$$$o not going!
I liked the lobster roll here, though you'd have to try really hard to produce something with lobster that I *don't* like.
The cornbread was fresh, which was apparently a birthday gift to me given other reviewers commenting that it's stale or has pretty blonde hair sprouting from within.
I wish I could remember his name... the bartender was really funny and helpful, and though it took a while for him to get around to settling the bill, all was forgiven as his high spirit rubbed off a bit on a smug, chilly day.
It's a bit touristy, but it all made sense once I realized it's right next to the convention center and associated hotels. Lots of dorks wheeling in with their nametags and ribbons proudly displayed around their necks. Love it.
Came here with my wife, baby, parents, brother, and sister-in-law who were in town from Los Angeles and Rexburg, ID.
Not being a lobster aficionado, I was very pleased with my food. The halibut was also delicious. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food however I didn't pay for the food so I am unable to weigh the food vs the price. I was, however, disappointed in the quality of the bread that they give you before your food arrives. Cold, hard and forgettable.
The help was nice enough, but neither was it outstanding. They were willing to put the large stroller behind the front desk while we ate, which was nice. The bathrooms are very small but there was a changing table in the handicapped bathroom.
We've always been fans of the Summer Shack...our last experience, however, was not the best. We arrived at the hostess desk and gave our names to the woman who stated she was the manager. We expected great service from her, but found her to be rude when she rolled her eyes at us when we requested a booth for my elderly mother. I am not sure we will return again even though we love the food and atmosphere. We've always had great service in the past we expected more from the management team!
The Good
Wide ranging menu of seafood with something for everyone including those that are watching their diet (flagged on menu). Just a short walk from the Copley place hotels it is very convenient and is reasonably priced.
The seafood is fresh with glass door fridges for display of the seafood at the oyster shucking stations and the main storage area. I like that it is the regular fridges with glass doors and walls that allow us to see the products but not a dolled up display case only. It lets me see the food I will actually get to eat not the prettiest piece that will only get looked at.
I had the swordfish special with olive tapenade with fried local tomatoes. Delicious and well balanced and paired. The fish was flaky and moist but with a nice crust. I liked that the skin was still on allowing the fish to keep some extra moister when cooked. The olive tapenade was well made with a nice mixture of olives with crisp and briney capers.
The clam chowder was okay, nothing to write home about. It was standard fair for the most part, but a bit thin. I prefer a thicker soup base with more cream. The nice part was that the clams were a bit fresher and "crisp" tasting then most chowders. I suspect that the clams are fresher then most places.
The oysters were well chosen and shucked expertly. There was still a large pool of oyster juice in each half shell, something that most places don't do well. The oysters were firm, salty, and meaty. The sauces were well made, however, I am a fan of just a little lemon with my oyster.
Service staff was very prompt, helpful, and cheerful.
Lobster meat in the lobster roll was firm and creamy with a good texture without becoming rubbery. However, I did just steal this off my friend's plate and did not actually have the dish. The mayo was light and not overly done.
Interestingly the specials board listed hand made pies, but I was too full after dinner to partake.
The Bad
Nothing to complain about except that it is a bit noisy and may not be the best place for a quiet dinner.
Meh.
I went here with some work buddies for a bite to eat after quittin' time and when I got there...I just couldn't justify the cost of the seafood. I ended up having the grilled cheese and tomato sandwich which I could have made at home. It was ok...but it tasted like they used Kraft Singles and the tomato still had green in it. Yuck. No one wants an over-ripe tomato.
On the other hand, the lemonade was good...
I leave this one to the tourists.
I don't really have a whole lot to say about this place. I only went there once and i don't plan on going back.
The food wasn't horrible, but it wasn't very good and certainly didn't warrant the price tag. I had a scallop entree that is a regular menu item, served with fried polenta, bacon, mushrooms and creamed corn. It was okay for a few bites but everything was under-seasoned and it was overwhelmingly rich. It was basically fat on top of fat on top of fat with no acid or flavor. This was $23. Portion size was fine but it just wasn't very good. My date had the fish and chips, which honestly would have been disappointing at $12 but instead cost $20. Edible, yeah, but soggy and boring. Fish and chips isn't supposed to be a fancy meal, but if you are charging $20 for it there had better be a reason. I couldn't find one.
They have a pretty big menu, and maybe other stuff here is good. The seafood seemed fresh at least, but as i said was poorly seasoned. For the same price there are a lot of better seafood options in Boston. If the prices were lower i might bump it up a star at most, but when you set your prices that high you set expectations higher too; for me this place failed.
We ducked into Summer Shack after checking into the Sheraton hotel across the street. The atmosphere wasn't notable. The service wasn't as attentive as I like, but it wasn't bad either.
I had the Lobster bake, which consisted of a full Maine lobster, clams, mussels, sausage. It was very good and the amount of meat in the lobster made it worth the price. I honestly thought being in New England, the lobster price would be cheaper than what I get out in CA, but apparently it was the end of lobster season so pricers were higher.
My Fiance's lobster roll was pretty standard and of expected quality, which made the price a little steep.
I'd go again next time I'm in Boston, but I still need to try the other shellfish places like Neptune Oyster, which I hear is the bee's knees.
Summer Shack prides itself on fresh seafood. Our waiter boasted of their daily morning runs to the markets to pick out the dishes for the day. It is posited right around the corner from the Prudential Center, making it a contender for pre-Sox game food. But much like that smart kid we all knew in college who smoked entirely too much pot that went back to live with his parents after college; so, too, does Summer Shack fall on its face when faced with the real world.
We arrived at 4:30, which we hoped would be in time for an early dinner. No dice; we were told that the menus switch at 5, leaving us with only 4 mains to choose from. I had the spicy fish and crab chowder, which was definitely NOT fresh, and the grilled bluefish, which was great. The fish came with a side salad that was completely unseasoned. They also bring over a basket of corn bread for each table, which probably tasted fine at one point, but was stale when we received it. One of the folks at our table picked up a piece and just before he took a bite of it, I knocked it out of his hand and picked a long blonde hair out of it.
When it comes to seafood, fresh is the name of the game. But you can't have a fresh piece of fish, but let everything else go to hell and expect people to be happy about it. I'll head elsewhere for my seafood fix.
People thought this was:
I went alone and sat at the bar (boo hoo, what a loser) and ordered a peach sangria and the lobster club sandwich. Fucking amazing. Who knew lobster, bacon and avocado w/ lettuce and tomato on buttery brioche could be so good. (Come on, you totally knew).
I was in and out in 45 minutes, for a total of $30 + tax and tip, sated and satified. Then I rolled my ass back to the Hilton to watch Big Brother.
All in all, a good night.
People thought this was:
Scallops are a fickle creature. In the span of 3 seconds they can go from underdone and somewhat gooey to grossly overcooked pieces of rubber. Needless to say, I thought better than to expect the perfectly done, sweet, delicious gem of the sea that falls between these two disasterous scenarios when I ordered the Cape Cod scallops at Summer Shack the other night. WOW was I surprised. Not only were the scallops done to perfection, but the polenta upon which they rested was a perfect blend of crispy and gooey and the corn and bacon topping was incredible.
Others enjoyed the fresh oysters, which I am told were superb, as well as lobster and crab legs, done to perfection.
The loud, lobster-shack atmosphere was perfect for our party of 8 (including 3 children 6 and under - they have a great kids menu!). We ordered a birthday cake in advance which somehow got forgetten, but the chef whipped us up a batch of delicious fudgy cupcakes while we enjoyed our dinner that were warm and wonderful just in time for dessert.
People thought this was:
I went to the Summer Shack for the first time yesterday. Fried. Haddock. Sandwich. OMNOMNOM. It was good. My hubby got some fried chicken with cole slaw, and he loved it. He doesn't even like cole slaw usually. I got some really good crispy french fries and a big pickle slice too. So good, and everyone I shared with liked them too!
I didn't try any alcoholic drinks, but the iced tea was delicious. Oh, and they give you a basket with fresh rolls and corn bread while you wait for your meal.
Overall this is a great place to go with a group. The staff here is very friendly, and the atmosphere is fun. I liked the big open kitchen, too. I look forward to coming here again when I get a craving for seafood.
Wow.
Completely overpriced.. I mean seriously!!! $7 beers, $42 1 1/2 lobsters (market basket price $3.99 per lb currently).
Why would you go here when you have other choices of even (ughh!) The Mount Vernon in Somerville that has a twin lobster special for under $30 or Deangelo's which has more lobster in a small sandwich.
Truly a tourist trap, but not in a good way that makes you proud like Legal Seafoods.
I signed up for Yelp today because I specifically feel compelled to rebut the comments I saw in some of the Yelper reviews about Summer Shack (seriously, did it hurt when you all collectively fell off the monkey bars and hit your heads?)
My husb and I have tried every possible place where oysters are served and Summer Shack has the hands-down, absolute BEST OYSTERS in Boston. Biggest, baddest, freshest selection of Oysters available, PERIOD.
Also, I'm a big believer in cooking my own lobster at home because I'm almost always disappointed when I order them when eating out. Whenever I've ordered our crustaceous friends at other restaurants (ahem, rhymes with 'Regal Beefood") I've found them to be bland, over-cooked and grossly overpriced. Summer Shack is the only restaurant where I actually order the lobster because Jasper White's pan-roasted lobster, is out of the succulent stratosphere, but not too rich that you need a nap 5 minutes later.
Favorite Summer Shack starters/apps:
~ The clams (oy those grilled clams!)
~ the ginger chile wings & coleslaw are also great.
~If my husband could get their clam chowder intravenously administered - he would.
~ The last time we were at Summer Shack, we tried the calamari for the 1st and it was fantastic.
Entrées/Sandwiches:
~See comment above regarding the Pan-Roasted-Lobster-Which-Should-Be-Illegal-Becaus e-It's-That-Good
~ The lobster roll does in fact, "rock"
~I've never had a grilled or jerked fish there that wasn't delicious. My spouse doesn't normally care for Bluefish, but when he tried a bite of mine with their Jerked seasoning, we actually had a mini-spat because he kept on helping himself to mine (which left with me no choice but to make the obvious Jerk/Jerked joke).
My best gal friend doesn't eat seafood (I know, wtf ?!?!) but she LOVES the Summer Shack's steak sandwich and burger.
-OH!! I almost forgot, if you're at Summer Shack and they have the fried fish fingers special (I forget if they are haddock or catfish, but it doesn't matter) with their own homemade remoulade sauce - DO. NOT. MISS. THIS. SPECIAL. Actually, don't miss anything with that remoulade sauce.
Libations;
They have a really, really good wine list that's quite varied and unintimidating and is actually very, very nicely priced, which is unheard of in this fair city of ours.
Staff:
My other half and I usually sit at the bar to eat and the bartender(s) are always cheerful, professional and knowledgable about everything from Oysters to South African Chenin Blancs. There's one cute bartender in particular who seems to have a cult-like following of regulars and my husband & I can see why.
The only "con" I would have to mention is that it definitely gets crowded if there's a Red Sox game that night. However the Summer Shack staff seems to handle the pre & post game throngs of fans efficiently and still effectively tend to the needs of those of us who aren't wearing an "Ortiz" jersey or yelling out Big Pappiiii!!! Not that we don't want to.....
Of course, in writing this I've just determined my dinner plans for Friday. Gotta call the husband and ask if him to find out the Red Sox schedule.
~S~
People thought this was:
Nice, casual atmosphere. Great service at the bar. Lots of good beer to choose from. The oysters were local and incredible. fresh, briny. they were shucked quickly and cleanly. The mignonette and cocktail sauce seemed house made. The type of app that makes you want to cancel the rest of your order and order more of these things. Wish I had because the rest of the meal was disappointing. The chowder was ok but nothing special.... The crab cakes weren't very good. I was expecting jumbo lump. they had this pureed crab consistency with nothing identifiable as crab inside. They had little to no crab flavor. The cole slaw was not good either. Will be back on monday nights when they have 2 for 1 oysters.
Fun atmosphere but everything else was ok.
Went Sunday night for a friends b-day. Our server was very nice, attentive and efficient. He also helped us with tools for the sushi cake that we brought for birthday boy.
The food always seems to be a mixed bag (opinion based on about a dozen visits to the Boston and Cambridge location). The oysters were fresh and tasty. Most of our group had the clam bake, which they said was okay.
My wild striped bass was a bit dry and burned on two sides. The bigger burn was on the plate. The smaller burn on top was expertly covered by a tasty remoulade. In between it seemed okay, but it is hard to judge seafood freshness when it is embedded in charcoaled fish skin. The dish came with flavored rice that tasted really good. It seemed trenched in bacon grease. Although tasty, it is not quite what you expect when you go out for seafood.
If you add value considerations, the place is too expensive for casual dining and too flaky for quality dinner. Why don't we have a Joe's Crab Shack in Boston?
Yummy!!
I kicked off restaurant week here today for some seafood and girl talk and could not have been happier with the meal.
I started off with the crab cakes. I liked that the menu emphasized there is a lot of crab meat in them, and I wasn't disappointed. The remoulade mayonnaise with it was perfectly seasoned and the cake itself was very light. It really did have a lot of crab meat. It was also served with a a nice coleslaw, not too much mayo and a little bit of zip to it.
For my entree I got the fried whole belly clam roll. I love clams, and these were cooked very well. A very nice, light batter and very good sized bellies as well. I actually picked them out of the roll itself, I was glad that the tartar and mayo was on the side, I just ate the clams plain. As far as fries go, they were give or take, nothing extraordinary, but still good.
Dessert came and I was already so full! But I couldn't resist and had the ice cream and blueberries. It was like blueberry pie filling with vanilla ice cream and a nice dollop of whipped cream on top! Delicious!
What a nice meal overall. I can't give it a five stars because the waitress was a little slow. Granted she was also tending bar because it was an odd time (3pm), but I felt that the food should have been sent out more quickly, especially given the fact that we all ordered off of a fixed menu. Still, delicious and I will definitely go back.
"Alaskan King Crab Legs are the most amazing thing ever! Dipped in some clarified butter...mmmmm."
Imagine hearing this over and over for weeks multiple times during the day. Wouldn't you feel compelled to stuff your face with crab and enjoy every single minute of it? The foodie within had a Pavlovian response and my tummy would grumble at the word "crab". (Maybe even a little drool when no one was looking.) The picky eater within was hesitant since there must be a reason why I've never tried Alaskan King Crab Legs... Oh right, that's because I don't eat seafood.
A group of coworkers and I participated in the Chase Corporate Challenge in Boston a few weeks ago and had planned to go out for food and drinks afterward. A few days before the race, we decided on Summer Shack. Everyone else, being seafood eaters, was excited. I got swept up in the excitement until I looked at the menu online and realized I was going to have very limited choices. I knew that I was going to be trying Alaskan King Crab Legs since word was around the office (for weeks!) that they were the best thing since sliced bread. But whatever. There were enough items on the "sides" menu that I would be able to finagle a full meal if needed.
We stopped in quickly around 9pm to reserve a table for our group of 9, rushed back to a coworkers apartment on Boylston to change out of our sweat soaked clothes, and returned to the restaurant around 9:45. Looks like we made it just in time as they close at 10. Apparently a) we may have rushed a bit too much as many of us were sweating again as we sat down at our table and b) Summer Shack doesn't believe in using AC? I was slightly agitated since my jeans were starting to stick to my legs and I couldn't focus on what to order. Good thing I had studied the menu very thoroughly online! First thing that popped in mind was "greek salad" so that's what I blurted out when it was my turn to order.
The salad looked delish, although looked slightly out of place on a table filled with lobster and crab legs and fish. And it didn't have as much 'fun factor' as everyone else's meals. For a seafood place, they did pretty well - B+. But who goes to a seafood restaurant for their salads?! My coworker and fellow foodie ordered the crab legs and gave me some to try. I felt slightly guilty taking away some of what seems to be her favorite food, and it was absolute heaven. I now understand crab legs. I now understand the clarified butter. I now totally understand the mmmmm.
Fun, casual atmosphere. Nice staff. Not sure if I'd say they were all that attentive, but we got what we wanted when we wanted it, so that must count for something. The food came out pretty quickly and still blazing hot.
Next trip (and yes, I do plan on having a next trip), I'll skip the salad and go straight to the crab legs. Or who knows, I may even get a bit daring and actually order a seafood dish...
Am a frequent guest of the Cambridge location, and was excited to share a local Boston seafood experience with some visiting friends from out-of-town, but was embarassed & disappointed with the service.
Between the 8 of us, we spent $900 on dinner with bottles of wine, etc., so it was clear we weren't the cheap tourists that won't leave a tip.
The majority of us has good meals, as expected. Two in our group ordered the "all you can eat" crab, which was a total scam. Started out well when they brought the first plate that had a decent sampling of snow crab, Alaskan King crab, and Dungeness crab...all full legs.
When they ordered their second plate, it took 20 minutes to come out, and they gave them 4 HALF Alaskan legs, which equated to about one whole leg. When the waitress set the plate down, we all looked at it and said, "You probably should go ahead & put in the next reorder because this is going to take 30 seconds to eat."
Her reply was that their policy is they can't put in the next order until you eat everything on your plate. So they did just that, but it took her 15 minutes to come back around to take the order, and another 20 minutes for the third plate of measly half legs to come out.
It wasn't worth it at that point, so we paid our bill for a dinner that took over 2 hours, and we had people walk away hungry. Now I realize that people take advantage of all you can eat offers, but that wasn't us, and they should have advertised it as "you'll eat only as much as we will ration to you."
People thought this was:
My boyfriend and I stopped here for a few beers and a light bite to eat before heading over to Fenway. We ended up with a pitcher of Harpoon UFO, 14 oysters (buy one get one free, noon til 5pm!) and a clam bake. Hey, we were visiting from Chicago. It only made sense to take advantage of all of the fresh seafood, right?
The beer was perfectly refreshing and the oysters were good, but the star of the afternoon was definitely the clam bake. 1 1/4 lb lobster, mussels, clams, corn, potato, chorizo and a hard boiled egg. We weren't quite sure how to get the maximum amount of meat out of our lobster but our server helped us with that. He was great--attentive, friendly and helpful.
They offer a free sundae on game day when you show them your Sox ticket, but at this point we were too stuffed to even think about ice cream.
Summer Shack was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Boston. Some people might find the decor and the atmosphere a little cheesy, but I am a fan.
People thought this was:
The $20 lobster roll was worth every penny. I could eat the shrimp and pork shumai each morning for breakfast. The cole slaw and onion rings were just what I wanted.
You win, Jasper White. You win.
People thought this was:
I only had the oysters and wine so my review is limited but what I had was great. The oysters were exceptionally fresh and expertly shucked, hardly a shell shard in them. The wine list was surprising for the location, there were a lot of excellent white seafood friendly wines to choose from. My oyster experience was better than Legal and almost as good as B&G.
People thought this was:
Their food was absolutely wonderful. I have to deduct a star however for two reasons. One is because my friend got a tomato and mozzerella sandwich where the tomato was a little funny, and the other reason is because of the fact that they automatically add a tip to your bill. I really dislike it when they do that so meh.
The cornbread was perfect. The rolls were perfect, the steamers, my fish, the corndog the onion rings and the crab cakes were all perfect and pretty fairly priced.
I'd rather go to Red Lobster or Long John Silver's. I know why I ended up here, it was purely convenience. I needed a little sustenance before having drinks with friends at King's.
1. Clam chowder, nasty. Snow's is better. It was like eating a bowl of rubber bands.
2. Corn bread was tough and dry.
3. Fried clams were nasty. Like eating fried rubber bands, see chowder above.
Should I go back and try something else in hopes that they might redeem themselves? Man, I don't know, that's a tough call. It was a very bad experience, kind of like the first time I drank too much tequila. It was a few years before I could touch the stuff again.
People thought this was:
This place was such a find! The oysters were unbelievably good, and worth the prices. They also have a huge selection of seafood. (And people, if you come here, get some seafood!!) The atmosphere is very kitschy and casual (think SpongeBob), but when I'm slurping shooters and beer, I don't want to be refined - I want to be a hot mess! And it's family friendly, which I think is great. I love seeing little kids hack into lobsters. Honestly, check it out. This place is a gem. Highly recommended.
People thought this was:
We went here for lunch during restaurant week. I was happy that they let 1 person do restaurant week and the other person was able to order off the regular menu.
Let's start with the clam chowder. It was pretty disappointing. There wasn't enough clams and there was an abundance of potatoes. It wasn't very balanced. Also, I like my clam chowder creamy and there wasn't enough cream. On a good note, my boyfriend had the oysters and they were really good and they also had a special with I think buy 1 get 1 free.
On to the main course. I got the fish and chips which was decent. It wasn't anything to write home about but it was satisfying. The lobster role was very disappointing. For $20 you are expecting a large lobster roll. This was very small. There was room in the hot dog roll for more lobster.
Overall the meal was just ok. The service was good but the food was disappointing.
Legal Seafoods was absolutely delicious!!!
Wait wait- Legal Seafoods? Isn't this for Summer Shack??
Well kiddies come around and I'll tell you a story.
My boyfriend and I always to go Legal. It is a solid seafood place where they have amazing service and fresh food.
We decided to switch it up. Afterall if I have to see the pan roasted lobster one more time on Phantom Gourmet and not try it I would go nuts. So we cancelled our Legal reservation and went to the Summer Shack.
We arrived on time and were seated right away. They sat us near the raw bar and I asked to be moved inward. (Maybe this is where it went all wrong?)
We received menus and bread immidately. Twenty minutes have gone by now and still no drink order. Finally we order a bass (BF) and a Sam summer (me). Then she disappears. Finally after another ten minutes I ask some guy if we can order. He takes our order of a dozen oysters and then literally he runs away. Without taking an other part of our meal. Still I had high hopes. Finally a THIRD waitress comes over and says she is sorry and she can take our order. My boyfriend orders the pan roasted lobster and I get the crab legs and a few sides. We were ready to drop a good $200 bucks on this meal.
While this is all going on our original waitress is just literally walking right past us -we counted 9 times. Didn't look at us or anything!
45 minutes later all we have is beer and bread. WTF?
I had it. We were done. I asked someone for a manager because I want to cancel our order and leave. The first waitress comes over and apologizes and is for some reason shocked that we want to run away as fast as we can. I told her I don't appreciate her attitude. And we really just want to leave and go to Legal. After another few minutes of her trying to convince us to stay I stated I want to pay for my beers and just leave.
She said we could go and the beers were on them.
So end of story I got 2 free kinda whatever beers.
My first and last trip the shack. I really just will never be able to go back with a positive attitude. The whole thing really sucked and put a bad taste in our mouths.
I'm so sorry Legal. I'll never stray again.
I am also writing Mr. White a nasty letter letting him know maybe it's time to re-train his staff.
People thought this was:
I'm telling the truth when I say I wish I wasn't giving 2 stars but alas...
For an appetizer I tried the shumai which seemed totally random and out of place on this menu. Absolutely average.
For dinner I had the Be Good To Yourself Special which came with blue fish that day. The rice was plain, totally bland, and disappointing. The side was a heap of sad looking greens, no garnish no dressing, ugh. The fish was only good because of the honey mustard glaze, the texture was limp and the flavor wasn't as fresh as I had expected. Yucky skin/scales underneath too - yeah I noticed it, you can't hide them under there!
While I'm glad I finally went here, I would prefer a local fish joint over Jasper White's any day. Hell, I agree with the other poster who said she'd take Legal over Jasper's any day.
People thought this was:
I had a great time when I came here with my friends last weekend. The atmosphere was casual and fun and the food was great. Being as I'm a college student and continuously low on cash I only had appetizers, however they were awesome. I tried 3 kinds of oysters (can't remember exactly which right now) all were fresh, briny, and delicious. For my other dish I decided to try something new and go with the fish taco appetizer special. WOW these were excellent, after eating these I can't believe I've gone for so long without ever having one. The fish was deep fried crispy perfection, the chipotle dressing was spicy and delicious, the salsa was sweet and juicy, and the slaw was wonderfully crunchy. That was one combo of flavors I definitely want to try again. Only complaint was that there was so much juice to the salsa that the tortillas were a little on the soggy side but delicious nonetheless.
We were not expecting much here, but the Summer Shack still managed to disappoint us. We were first greeted by a very nice hostess, unfortunately our server was not as friendly. We were then served a basket of rolls (which probably came out of a plastic bag from a grocery store) and corn bread, which was warm...but still crappy.
For our appetizer we had the crab cakes, which were delicious, but very small and they cost $13. The crab cakes also came with some decent coleslaw, but the appetizer was still not worth $13. However, the crab meat was fresh, and the cakes were great. If not for the crab cakes, this place would have received 2 stars.
Entrees: I had the $20 fish & chips, which also came with coleslaw. The fish was very good and very fresh, but I only got 2 pieces and a bunch of crappy fries. My wife had the swordfish, which was served with a crab guacamole and red bean chili. The fish and crab guac. were very good, but the red bean chili tasted like it was made with watered-down, canned tomato sauce, and it ruined the $24 dish.
Overall, the atmosphere is very laid back, festive, and nice. It looks like...a "summer shack" or a beach bar, which is nice. The problem is that this "bar" has fancy restaurant prices for average food. I will admit that the fish was fresh and everything was cooked to order, but this place is OVER-PRICED. Jasper White, you own enough restaurants, you can lower these prices.
We have no plans to ever return to this restaurant.
People thought this was:
This place is nothing but FUN , FUN , AND MORE SUPER FUN !!!!
i went here with my sister and her son and my friends last week. we had so much fun! i was really happy about it! even thou it was very cold because of the air-conditioner . it was a little chilly. But i love the place. it's a great family place! and a Friday night hang out place!
this place is awesome!
Right by the Prudential Center, this place reminds me of a Red Lobster but just a little bit better. We ordered the clam bake which included mussels, clams, corn, potato (notice singular), and the lobster. The lobster was a very good size and it was cooked very well. I wish there was a little bit more clams and mussels, but I guess you can't really complain.
I'm not sure why people say that it's not worth the price, but if you're going to get the same thing at a fancier seafood restaurant, I would say that's when it's not worth the price. If you expect Red Lobster, you won't be disappointed. If you expect some super fancy restaurant, you might as well go somewhere else.
People thought this was:
Pros: We were seated very quickly on a Friday evening which was nice. We started with the calamari which was not overly battered or fried, really light and fresh, good way to start out the meal. I have never had a lobster roll, and was encouraged to try one here, and let me say I was not disappointed. The fresh lobster was spilling out of the roll, not heavily dressed with mayonnaise which I thanked god for, good texture and perfect dinner portion. The meal left me completely satisfied. My friend's mahi mahi was ridiculously fresh and came with a unique beet salad which was equally delicious. Another friend got clams and I am a fairly hard critique of shellfish but this place completely passed my test. Perfectly cooked, not chew or rubbery and had a nice broth to dip. Overall it seemed like they had a good raw bar selection as well. The fish and chips (another dish I am rarely pleased with) had huge pieces of cod, almost too big, and was a huge portion, not the best, but for the price definitely bearable.
Cons: The French fries were subpar, definitely needed ketchup or tartar sauce to dip. The cheeseburger was exactly what I expected at a fish place, oversized, overcooked patty, huge pieces of cheese lettuce and bacon to mask the mediocrity of the dish. But I did like the bread. The bread basket was below average, cold stale bread reminiscent of corn bread, but we really had no idea.
Even with these cons I came looking for fresh seafood and that's what I got.
Get the lobster roll, it's really one of their best deals.
People thought this was:
Summer Shack is full of above-average Cantabrigians and their above-average 2.5 children. It's very open and a bit noisy, but if you have kids, it's the kind of place where they can get silly and no one will care. I ate here years ago and was underwhelmed by slow service and indifferent food. What a pleasant surprise to come back and find it very yummy! The fried rock shrimp completely erased the traumatically meh shrimp I had at Barking Crab a few weeks back. Huge portions, perfectly cooked, with a pile of fries and some cole slaw and remoulade. My daughter had a kid's portion of the same shrimp, which she devoured. Hell, even the corn on the cob was great -- how often does a restaurant get that right? One of my companions ordered swordfish that was just ok, but that was the only dark cloud hovering over an otherwise fun, casual meal. One of the staff pulled a 3-pound lobster from the tank to show the kids. What a monster!
The tab for a party of 3 kids and 5 adults came to about $240, including two beers and four desserts.
2 stars for the food, 4 stars for the homemade fruit-infused vodka!
A bit overpriced for the quality. Our group ordered the crabcakes, calamari, mussles, and fried chx (dont know why, but my friend was craving fried chicken at a seafood restaurant). The best was the crab cakes. Calamari was a small portion-- i'd rather go to sonsie and for about the same price, they give you double the portion! Mussels were good-- the sauce was good for bread dipping. I didn't try the fried chx, but my friend was satisfied enough. I think the place caters more towards family dining, but I would definitely choose legal over this for food.
So we had a couple round of drinks before my friends decided to try the pineapple infused vodka-- straight over rocks. YUMMY-- didnt even need a mixer, and i"m very sensitive to vodka. I'd go back just to sit at the bar and drink the many fruit-infused vodkas!
Easy-going, fun, and good. The food is delicious. Their lobster roll is the best in the city, and they give you a good amount of lobster.
I like the fact that it is family-friendly and you don't have to dress up to feel welcome. I'm going to come here for years and years.......
This is definitely my favorite restaurant! There are a 100 reasons why. The food is amazing. atmosphere is fun and upbeat. Both Cambridge and Boston locations are wheelchair accessible, which i like very much. The food is just so delicious and tasty. The desserts are amazing, Especially their homemade snow cone with fresh berry syrup.A must try. homemade ice cream so good with a slice of pie. great selection of oysters. There is just too much to list! staff is super friendly, something of a rarity these days, sadly. A must visit. If you want true good New England cuisine... this is the place.
Don't let the word 'shack' deter you from the Summer Shack--the only thing shack-like here is the beach bar-inspired décor! Wear your flip-flops, kids. Sandwashed madras walls, picnic tables and fishing nets make for full-on kitschy but totally apropos.
5 star lobster roll. I mean it. Perfectly toasted buttery bread with overflowing chunks of fresh lobster. Nothing fishy here, just the taste of sweet lobster meat accentuated with a little mayo.
Service is fantastic. We sat at the bar, ordered our food and a minute later, were sipping on a refreshing Hefeweizen in a frosty mug. Yes.... this is what lazy summer days are made of.
It's not cheap considering the casual feel of the restaurant, but $23 for the most amazing lobster roll minus the formalities of fine dining is exactly what I wanted.
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: East Cambridge
Category: Seafood Markets
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Waterfront
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Seafood
Boston, MA
Category: Seafood
It's been years since I've been up to beantown,…
Raw rules! Ratings are based on the breadth of…
Here's where I went during my 5 day trip to…
...on lobster claws, that is! Shudder, bad pun,…
Why not take that sucky friend here? I guarantee…
