Legal Seafood

Everyone always recommends it and Boston locals seem to like it. I%26#39;ve avoided it because a chain and I figured it was just over hyped.

So is it a must try? Are there individual seafood restaurants that are better?

Legal Seafood

There%26#39;s nothing wrong with trying Legal. Some people say it%26#39;s delicious while others say it%26#39;s average. I haven%26#39;t heard many people say it was flat out horrible because it%26#39;s not. It definitely serves up fresh seafood and that%26#39;s all that matters. No Gorton%26#39;s Fisherman stuff at Legal. There%26#39;s really good seafood all over the city. Excellent seafood can be found in the steakhouses to the italian places to chinatown and places in between. I will put in a vote for my favorite place to dine on seafood in Boston and that is Atlantic Fish Company on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. Other fantastic seafood offerings can be found at B%26amp;G Oyster and the Daily Catch.

Legal Seafood

We just had a great seafood meal at Skipjacks, on Copley Square, near the Trinity Church.

Service was easy and always attentive, atmosphere: families and groups of friends at dark wood tables and lots of glass. They really understood the first time that my husband likes lots of tartar sauce. I enjoyed a great lobster salad: dressing delicious, just right amount of good quality tomato, cuke, romaine and an entire lobster%26#39;s worth of meat. [$23]. It went great with the champagne! Our son had lobster ravioli with a smooth tomato cream sauce.

There were no leftovers.

My wife and I are not big seafood eaters but there is certainly nothing wrong with Legal Seafoods - it%26#39;s very high quality stuff (to my mind, although honestly it%26#39;s been years since I%26#39;ve been to one).

It%26#39;s not like Legal Seafoods is a chain like Red Lobster (which we don%26#39;t have here and I%26#39;ve never been to).

Jasper White%26#39;s Summershack(s) are also very high quality but I think very expensive for the experience - there is something strange about spending a lot of money to reproduce a rustic meal like we would have after going to Crane%26#39;s Beach in the 50s, but it%26#39;s undeniably high-quality food.

As Will said, there%26#39;s nothing wrong with Legals in terms of the quality, but count me as one of those who%26#39;s not banging the drum for them. Just a personal preference. It is a chain but it did get its start in Cambridge, so I guess that counts for something.

But, I will bang the drum for Skipjack%26#39;s. They try to keep the menu original and fun; one of the best times I had eating there was during their Maryland Blue Crab Fest - the tables were covered in butcher paper and each person was handed a wooden mallet and told to go for it.

The bar is usually quiet into the late afternoon which makes catching a quick drink a relaxing stop.

I guess I have a soft spot in my heart for Legal. As a kid, my Dad had a part time job in Inman Square back in the days when Legal was a fishmarket with a take-out window. All you could get at the takeout window back then was fried fish and chips (French fries) or fried chicken and chips, along with soda. I would sometimes go to work with my Dad on the weekends and we would get takeout from Legal. Later, when they opened their first restaurant it was in that same Inman Square location. Now, I have a Legal near where I live and go from time to time. When the server asks us if we%26#39;ve ever been to Legal before, well...Have I got a story for you!

I think Legal has good quality seafood. Only once did I get a bad piece of fish. It was fresh tuna but for some reason the piece was mostly inedible. The manager made a point to right the situation.

From reading this forum, posters say that some of the Legal restaurants in the Boston area are better than others. If you want to try it, I%26#39;m sure posters will point you to the best ones to try.

Thank you all for your feedback. Lots of good suggestions and a sweet story.

Technically, it might be a chain, but I don%26#39;t think it has the trappings of a typical chain restaurant. Legals built their reputation on quality and freshness. It%26#39;s always been both a special destination (when clients are in from out of town, it%26#39;s a safe choice to treat them) and a reliable source for takeout--the chowder is so good, they run a takeout business; when I worked in Park Square, the office workers would get clam chowder for lunch from Legals all the time. Does Roger Berkowitz still own Legals? I dont%26#39; know...don%26#39;t follow it, but they ran ads for years about how they keep an eye on quality, etc. I don%26#39;t go all the time (it%26#39;s not cheap) but people I work with recently took business associates and were very pleased. I%26#39;ve yet to hear anyone complain. There are, of course, other places to go--and I still love the 15- plate of fish you can get at most Irish pubs just as much as something fancy from Legal%26#39;s, but...If I were looking to treat someone for a graduation or host out of town relatives, Legals would be on my list of possibilities.

I Would definitely recommend it. We really enjoyed it and went back twice. When we were there they came out with the lobster catch of the day - 10lb in weight. Amazing!

The oysters and shrimp are always a great choice at Legal%26#39;s. I would not call their chowder one of the best places to have it in Boston. This is a good place to go. I like sitting at the bar at most locations. The bartenders are very good and seem to have a good rapport with the kitchen.

Hi,

I’ve had good and just so so experiences at Legal… My experiences at Legal… first experience was at the one in Kendall Sq years ago, my place to go for fried clams. This place burnt down years ago. Next, the one in Park Square…dis-appointed with the portion of food and prices. At the airport…absolute worst clam roll I’ve ever had. Would never eat their again. Harvard Square…excellent! Nice place, good food, great service sitting at bar