More Lobstah Please: New England Summer Seafood Guide

The Best Summer Seafood in Boston

This is the time of year when New England summer seafood is in its glory. Oysters and lobsters and clams, oh my! We’ve put together a list of some of the best spots to get New England summer seafood in Boston with options ranging from casual park bench eating to more sophisticated dining. We’ve got it all covered from fresh oysters to lobster rolls to fried calamari and clam strips. We’re currently thriving off of a diet from the sea and we’re holding on to warm summer nights with fresh seafood on our plates for as long as we can!

Row 34 

Photo Credit: Row 34

This Boston staple is owned by award-winning Chef and Boston seafood authority, Jeremy Sewall. Their extensive oyster menu makes them the perfect place to sit down and enjoy some shucks. They offer some of New England’s best oysters not to mention an impressive menu full of seafood to follow but sometimes we don’t even get to the rest because we’ve got a one track mind for oysters.

Address: 383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 617-553-5900

Island Creek Oyster Bar

Photo Credit: Island Creek Oyster Bar

This stand out spot in Kenmore Square is also under the helm of Chef/Owner Jeremy Sewall. Island Creek Oyster Bar celebrates local seafood by strengthening the bond between farmer, chef, and diner. While the obvious choice here may be the oysters, you should definitely branch out a little and try some of their more unique menu items such as the lobster roe pasta. We kid you not, it’s one of the best things we have ever tasted!

Address: 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-532-5300

Yankee Lobster Co.

Photo Credit: @wongweezy via Instagram

This is the kind of place you usually have to drive out of the city to experience — a tiny counter service spot right on the water with fresh seafood served on paper plates. Yankee Lobster offers this experience right in the Seaport! They have one of the best lobster rolls hands down. A buttery toasted bun overflowing with fresh lobster meat, say no more. They’ve got all the classic seafood shack fare to keep you smiling all summer. If you want to branch out a little, give their lobster mac and cheese a try. It was featured on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” after all.

Address: 300 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 617-345-9799

James Hook & Co.

Photo Credit: @food_coma88 via Instagram

For another stellar lobster roll head to James Hook where the lobster roll was named the Best of Boston. Now that’s not a title to take lightly. This is a casual place to eat off a picnic table and soak up some rays. They have every kind of seafood combination you could ever want so go prepared to EAT!

Address: 440 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: 617-423-5501

Sullivan’s Castle Island

Photo Credit: @scott_slimmer via Instagram

This unassuming seafood stand on Castle Island is chock-full of history…and you know we loooove history. It has been open since 1951 when Dan Sullivan opened it up to serve serve quality seafood at reasonable prices. Four generations later and the philosophy is still at the center of the business. Not only do we love them for the history they hold, but we also love them because their food is delicious. Fried clam strips by the water is a must every summer, so make it happen at Sullivan’s this summer. We’ll sure be there!

Address: 2080 William J Day Blvd, South Boston, MA 02127
Phone: 617-268-5685

The Daily Catch

Photo Credit: @gourmetpigs via Instagram

The Daily Catch first opened in the North End by Paul Freddura, the son of Italian immigrants, and has expanded to three locations with the help of family (his wife and seven sons to be exact). Two of the locations are hole-in-the-wall types and the third is more spacious. We like the more rustic, intimate locations in Brookline and the North End because that’s what gives this place its appeal, along with the incredibly flavorful food of course. We love their calamari meatballs, stuffed calamari, and fresh squid ink pasta that comes to the table in a well-used frying pan. Could you excuse us, we’ve got to go have some lunch there RIGHT NOW.

Brookline
Address: 441 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446
Phone: 617-734-2700

North End
Address: 323 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113
Phone: 617-523-8567

Seaport
Address: 2 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 617-772-4400

Eventide

Photo Credit: Eventide Fenway

Eventide has a reputation for being one of Portland, Maine’s favorite seafood spots and the Fenway neighborhood in Boston has been graced with its counter-service sister. We’re very happy about this. Everything is amazing here — the lobster roll, the oysters, the clam chowder, the crudo. Need we go on? The main part of the menu is divided into two sections, cold and hot, and the flavor combinations are electric. This is the place to go for summer seafood classics with a twist.

Address: 1321 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-545-1060

Bootleg Special

Photo Credit: Bootleg Special

We’re so excited that Bootleg Special recently opened its doors in the South End! While they are not known for the classic New England summer seafood we’ve been raving about here, they offer fresh New England seafood prepared Louisiana-style. This good old southern crawfish joint, as they refer to themselves, is just what Boston needed. They offer classic Cajun seafood boils and some more adventurous menu items such as crawfish mac and cheese, which we’re obsessed with. Pay them a visit and welcome them to the neighborhood this summer and have some seafood with a different spin to it then you’re used to. We promise you won’t be disappointed!

Address: 400 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-451-1800