Boston is known for Lobster, not Crab, so that is a one star for the BC. They do the crab well, I only eat the crab when I go here, it's expensive, but the quality is good. I always sit outside, why would you not? If the weather isn't nice go someplace else. I have not had a bad meal in the 15 summers I have been frequenting this place. * Family Style Crab bowls are the way to go, pricey but most of the product is imported. The King Crab Clusters, and Jonah (when available) are favorites. * Sun + Beer + Crab = success * New menu is slightly more up scale, I recently tried the crab cakes and they came with a nice aioli and a watercress and jicama garnish, very tasty. * I almost forgot, they give you decent sized rocks to break the shellfish. Hitting your food with rocks, how kewl is that? * Rumor is they are opening a store in Newport this summer. read more

This was the highlight of my anniversary trip. I can't event recall what hubby ate because my meal was DEVINE!!!! I had a 2.5lbs stuffed lobster. It was stuffed with a seafood medley of scallops, crab and shrimp. My lobster was so fresh & so succelent that I drool now as I think of how remarkable it was. I inquired about their 10lbs lobster. Before I knew it, our host brought a live one out! It was so awesome. I want to move to Boston JUST TO EAT HERE! read more

Barking Crab - Amazing! Stuffed lobster. So good! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The lobster roll was melt in your mouth yummy! I ate so slowly because I didn't want the sandwich experience to end! I was happy with the amount of lobster meat for the price. We also got the shrimp cocktail which was just ok. read more

Went to the Barking Crab after a work function with about 10 thirsty coworkers...We should have kept walking. First the good, Considering how busy it was the wait for drinks wasn't too long. The bartenders were accommodating...finding a substitute for Malibu that my gf loved. The Bad... Awful communication between members of the door staff. We realized we were a large group and were willing to wait to get in. long story short some of our team were refused admission when other members of the door staff told them they were allowed in. Cut short what could have been a great evening. read more

Boston hates on this totally fun joint. It is what it is - you're sitting at plastic table cloth covered picnic tables. Relax. Take a deep breath. Relax a little more. There's no where else in Boston that has a consistent supply of multiple varieties of crab legs. If you want crab to choose from, eat here. If you want monster lobsters, eat here. This is not a fine dining establishment. It is loud, it is on the water, they have tons of beer choices. You are going to pay to have lots of crabs and to smell like fish and have crab juice running down your face. But that's why you came here. Again, sit back, relax and eat some crab. read more

A classic tourist trap. 3 stars because this is an ok place to go to if you are in the area and everything else on the waterfront has a bigger line than this place. Been there a couple of times with visiting family and friends since they had heard quite a bit about the joint. A 3rd request was nicely declined because I had bigger fish to fry. The food is just ok. Anyone who is into sea food will enjoy the all American flavors that you can expect from an average seafood place. But no dish is exceptional really. Nothing like Legal Seafood. Good selection of beers on the tap as well but don't expect a line up of micro brews or local or craft beers. Good outdoor seating during summer but always packed. weekends are super super busy. Expect a good wait if you are going with a party of 5+. Not a place to go to for a date. Absolutely not. Mostly for groups of 6 plus. read more

You're going to find the reviews all over the map for this place, because it's a strange sort of place, and because expectations can be everything. My review only covers the outside seating, so if you're looking to sit indoors, hit up some of the other reviews. I love this place because it offers me EXACTLY what I want, which is tons of local and fresh shellfish in a fun setting right on the water. They have everything from lobster, oysters, clams, crawfish and more are available. The food is always prepared just how I like it, oysters shucked properly and lobster still steaming. There is nothing like sitting by the water with lobster, oysters, steamers and beer. I always skip just about everything else, because none of it is good to me. My wife and I do like the crab cakes, but aside from that I find the non-shellfish options to be mediocre to middle range. Don't come here expecting great service or ambience. I asked for a shell cracker and the waitress tossed a dirty boulder on the table. She served us warm beers and didn't check in for a while. It's always crowded, takes forever to get a seat, and sometimes you have to sit next to a picnic table of screaming kids and tourists. This place is perfectly Boston. It's crowded and dirty and rude, but there's just something special about it. If you like shellfish, and you are adventurous, give it a try. read more

Wow, what's the attraction? I was referred to this restaurant by the concierge at a local hotel. I had my 14 year old son with me and told them I wanted a big lobster dinner but I would trade ambience for price. They told me hit the Barking Crab. We went, waited 30 minutes for a table. We wound up seated across from each other at a picnic table in the middle with a couple on either side of us. I ordered a 2 pound lobster ($50) that showed up in a plastic bucket with a paper plate & plastic silverware. No side dishes, to add 2 sides was $6 more but I didn't want them. The lobster was good. The waitress was friendly. However, managing a two pound lobster on a paperplate with plastic silverware is a bit messy. The next night I went to Legal Seafood and ordered the 2 pound lobster ($52) which included nice table service, real silverware, etc. Bottom line, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for what you get. You can go to a real set down restaurant and get a better meal for the same money. read more

This place is usually fine (touristy, cover-bandy, but fine), but I had a really BAD experience this past Friday. My group of five had been eating and drinking at a table for a bit when the server came up to us and told us it was a 2.5-hour wait, and we had to go. WHAT? Then the waitress hovered over us while we were trying to quickly to divide the check, and out of frustration one of my friends just ended up putting the whole thing on his card so we could get out of that uncomfortable situation. NOT OKAY to pressure us to leave, really rude to stand there hurrying us as we split a five-way check. We were comped a pitcher of beer, but ended up drinking it standing up - I spoke to the manager, but nothing came of it. Look, it's just NOT OKAY to tell a table to leave, even if they aren't ordering anything (again, we were ordering, and had planned to stay longer, not that it matters). If other people don't want to wait 2.5 hours to sit, that's for them to manage, not the other patrons. And not that it matters, but by the time we'd finished our free pitcher, there WAS space to sit - so it didn't appear that that was even the real reason we were booted. We were so irked we went and spent our money at a different bar. read more

I've heard lots about the barking crab and since my friends were in town, we decided to give it a go. First, we tried to make reservations. They were already booked for the night. So we decided to take our chances with walk ins. We waited for 2 hours, in the cold rain. We were tired and hungry and cold and wet. They didn't want a bunch of people waiting inside. Lame. So we finally get a table and our friends ordered the stuffed lobster while the bf and i got the lobster roll and fried clams and a bowl of clam chowder. The fried clams were eh, the lobster roll was blah, and the only saving grace was the chowder. It was not creamy like I'm used to, but it has a great flavor to it. The prices were ridiculous! Yes, I know I'm eating seafood, but it doesn't have to be that expensive, especially for the quality I'm getting. I am NEVER going back again. If you want a good seafood experience in Boston, please go somewhere else. This is standard seafood fare that is served casual, is overpriced, and over hyped. If you want some good seafood, I recommend Atlantic Fish Company in Back Bay. The prices are similar, but the ambiance is better and the quality of food is also better. read more

This is a tourist destination, plain and simple. The Barking Crab is a big, loud place that goes above and beyond in their "dive-y" approach. The lobster was priced fairly high considering the mass production of lobster in the dish. There was no soul in the food. Pros: The waiter was awesome. Super polite and not pushy. He forgot to bring me my clam chowder. That is not a knock, seriously. There is no way I could have fit any chowder into my belly after the lobster. It's like he was on my same wavelength; almost like he anticipated it. Cons: The wait was TERRIBLE. Peeve: The bathrooms are disgusting. Also you have to walk past the kitchen and the floor mats were soaked in grease and butter. It made for a slippery walk back. Tip: There are two sides to this place, the patio and the dining room. If you put your name in on the patio, you won't be seated in the dining and vice-versus. On a busy night when you want first available, have one person in your party put your name on the dining room list and a different put your name on the patio list. That way you'll get whichever comes first. read more

Under the sea Under the sea Nobody beat us Fry us and eat us In fricassee I'm so glad homey don't play that in Boston. We hit the jackpot on this one! It was like disney world, only without the crying kids, and rides and.. well you get the picture. We sat down at the picnic tables outside and listened to the awesome live music they had. Lobster and shooters were on the list of must-haves, after all they're known for these two things. We decided to upgrade the meal & added mussels, clam chowder, corn on the cob, cole slaw and a potato to the lobsters. We only ordered one of those and shared it (thank god). The shooters were huge, and delicious, as was the lobster. My little guy had a ton of meat on him. It was fun to wear a bib and get a little messy. They gave us crackers, but it was more fun to use the massive rock on the table, especially to crack the claws. The other ladies at our table ordered the fried fish platter which had everything from calamari, to clams, to flounder. We ended the meal with cannolis, which hit the spot. I still don't know where we found the room to fit them in our bellies. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't cheap, but I am one happy girl! I will go back every time I'm in Boston, for the ambiance, the music, the service and the quality of seafood! read more

So overrated. I came here with a group of 11 people on a Sunday night. Even though we had a reservation we still waited over an hour. So we hung at the bar area having drinks. A manager, I think, came around and asked if we needed anything, we said we were still waiting for our table. Then he said he would go check on it and never returned with an update. Eventually our server called us over to our picnic table. We ordered another round of drinks. My rum and coke tasted like it absolutely had no rum in it. I was almost going to send it back but our server wasn't around much. We all placed our food orders. I split fried clams, a Caesar salad, and crab cakes. The clams were mediocre. They were not really crispy, but still in an underdone batter, so the whole portion stuck together all sticky. Crab cakes were OK. There were 3 small ones on the plate. They had some lump meat but could of used more aioli. The salad was weak. It tasted like the greens were still wet when it was dressed cause you could taste the watered down wet dressing. Needed more croutons. I tried a few spoonfuls of someones clam chowder. It could of been creamier and seemed OK. What really disgusted me was when I went to use the ladies room. It was the grossest bathroom I've ever seen. Like 3x5 feet with 2 tiny stalls and a sink. If you are a larger person you will not fit in it. One stall had saloon style doors that left a couple inch gap in between them and you could see the poor person doing their business. Ridiculous! I would not go back here. The location is nice, right on the water but I can think of other waterfront places I would go over this place. The picnic tables were low to the ground and uncomfortable for your knees. I thought some items were over priced. Also everything is paper plate, plastic fork, plastic cup. etc. Our large table must of had a huge trash bag from all our plastic everything. If other outdoor places can give you a real plate and silverware this place should too. For the magnitude it place puts out daily, not supporting the environment is a big turnoff. read more

Barking Crab- I don't know how this place is popular but it is. It is one of those establishments that everyone in Boston knows about or at least have heard of. I've had office summer functions here and always feel sticky and dirty afterwards. The benches outside are wobbly and a sudden jolt of movement feels like the bench is going to break from under you. The food here is umm, not very appetizing. Service here is ok, they are pretty good about getting you refills and such and catching you if you try to leave without paying your tab! Hah! One table near us did order a huge ass lobster and it was a moment for the cameras, it was massive. Perhaps it was one of those 10 lb. lobbies you can get for about $130. But this place is fun with a group of friends. You get order a few pitchers, listen to live music and have a blast. It is right on the water and its covered, so you don't have to worry about the rain, I totally recommend eating somewhere else though. read more

It's a frat party on the water. Look at the boats! The beer! The vodka with pineapple juice! Awesome crabs, calamari, fries, clam roll sandwich, everything, woohoo! Oh, and then I'm broke. Capital Grille prices for a frat party on the water, with a paper towel roll at each table to use as napkins. I liked the service as well. You can tell they're having fun. I had a blast, and loved everything I ate, and all the drinks. But this can't be a regular thing for me - I just don't have the cash. On someone else's dime, bottoms (and shells) up! read more

So there I was......a Texan in Boston for 2 days, and wanted to experience either some local Italian fare, or seafood. I tried in vain to hit Giacomo's for Italian in the North End - but parking was a bitch = IM.POSS.IBLE. Another observation as a Ranger fan in the land of the Red Sox; driving in Boston sucks, and local knowledge is everything....but I digress.... After driving around the North End for an hour, I decided my fall back plan was to go to the Barking Crab on the Waterfront for some eats. With my stress level up and my stomach running in empty, this place was just what I needed! It was a smaller venue than it looked from the outside...and with the small crowd, it felt cozy, almost with a homey-like quality. There was a guy playing accoustic guitar that night that lended to the ambiance, but in the summer months, I could see how this place could easily be 'off the chain' with larger crowds. I can imagine that locals are thinking "Uh, ambiance, cozy, homey...those are not NOT adjectives used when describing the Baaking Craaab on the Warrterfront." I think the winter time on a week night might be the right time for this place. SIT. CHILL. DRINK. LISTEN to the LOCALS. So I took a seat at the baaaa, and ordered a Widmer Hefeweizen and a bowl of NE Clam Chowder to start. Do you know why Crabs Bark? If you ask the barmaid, she will point to a picture (of 1 crab humping another) on the back of her tee shirt and tell you it's the sound that crabs make when they procreate....or so she was told. Well, I did NOT KNOW THAT!?! The soup showed up quickly, was piping hot, and included the requesite oyster crackers. While the soup went quickly, I was still able to appreciate its creamy texture and it was spiced-just right - with the chunks clams and potatoes providing some other textures. I enjoyed sitting at the bar, taking in the colors, wooden accents, the 3 large tiered lobster tanks behind the bar, and studying the faux crab traps stuffed with x-mas lights that served as light fixtures. I love the coast, so this combination seemed authentic and just felt right. Next up on the menu was a Lobster Roll, which is a New England standard. Being a noob, I had to ask about it and found out that lobster roll is a kind of sandwich filled with cooked lobster meat which is tossed with mayonnaise, diced celery and scallions. All of this is mixed and served on grilled hot dog bun or similar roll. I thought 'Hey, what a better way to try the Lobster for only $19!' When it came out, I was immediately impressed with the size of the chunks of lobster and the 1/2 lb. of meat was not 'lost' among the other incredients. Overall, it was terriffic, and came with lots of french fries (which were cooked to perfection) and a side of cole slaw (didn't get to it). So if you are on the Waterfont, need a quick/affordable bite, try the Barking Crab. Just graaab a seat at the baaa, and enjoy! read more

You Might Enjoy The Barking Crab If . . . -- You come from a land-locked state / country where dining near a large body of water is a once-in-lifetime opportunity. -- You just spent all day riding a Duck Boat / swan boat / Godzilla the whale-watching speedboat. -- You have,or would like to contract, a case of barking crabs (ooohhh! too easy!) I should note -- I did not consume any food at the Barking Crab, so I could very well have missed out of the best Plate of Fried Sea-bits the city has to offer. But I'd betcha my entire vintage collection of New Kids on the Block trading cards that I didn't. The Barking Crab caters to people who do not regularly consume seafood and / or salt air -- but are willing to pay a preimum to experience both. The bar tries to evoke that "crusty locals and real-live Boston fishermen belly up here after a hard day at sea" . . . but look around. Notice how everyone is sporting that "We Went Back to the Hotel to Change into Our Vacation Evening Casuals" (polo and vaguely nautical skirt / shorts number )-- or is rockin' the "We Spent All Day Stmoping the Freedom Trail and a Guy Dressed As Paul Revere Selling Postcards in Faneuil Hall Told Us To Come Here For Dinner" vibe. Locals, turn your saltly asses right around -- and head out to Revere, where a plate of Kelly's fried clams and a Sam Summer cleverly hidden in a paper bag will work just fine. read more

Oh boy - terrible trip to the B.C. today. Took my son, as he loves crab legs. We were told a 45 minute wait when we arrived, which was expected. But the 2 (yes, 2) hosts at the front looked as if they couldn't have been bothered. They were having a tough time working, it seemed. We walked around and came back 45 minutes later and they were like, "What??? A table???" Honestly, it was straight out of a comedy. So they finally say, "Oh, here's a table by the bar. The bartender will wait on you." We wait about 10 minutes and finally I ask again if there is someone who will wait on us. The male host gets the bartender, who comes over and I ask if we can have some menus. He then leaves the table to berate the very lazy 2 hosts, who couldn't even be bothered to give us menus. My son asks if we can have a regular, rather than a bar table, as there were some available. So we sat down again - this time with menus - and waited almost another 10 minutes (we were on the verge of leaving and going to The Daily Catch across the street), when our waitress finally came over. She was in no mood to be dealing with customers, so I just tried to smile her to death so that she wouldn't spit in our food. :) Not knowing if/when she'd come back, my son asked to put in his full order then and there, and I ordered a taste of a beer, which she did bring back quickly, with his drink. Not to my liking, so I ordered a glass of white wine, which, when delivered (delay, delay...) was room temperature - eww... When the food finally came (an appetizer and crab legs), it was, well, meh. The crab dip itself was okay, but the chips were mighty stale - I stopped eating them when I realized I might break a tooth. The crab legs were fine, but nothing special, especially for $50. Whatever. In any case, I've been to the B.C. before and had okay experiences, but this had to be the worst dining experience of the year. The hosts (one male/one female) were the epitome of early adult slackers. When the food came and we had no napkins or utensils, I asked the hostess to get us some and she deferred the task to a waitress - above her pay grade, I suppose. Whatever. In any case, we'll not be going back anytime soon. I'll spend my restaurant dollars elsewhere. read more

This place has a great atmosphere nice place to go on a summer afternoon which is when I came here, I'm not from Boston but I gather its a touristy spot because it gave me the look of an authentic lobster spot but I'm sorry to say its a front. My lobster roll wasn't bad don't get me wrong it was good but not what I expected as an outsider and of course being a Yelper I looked at the pics and I always like choosing the most popular item on menu from a place and lobster roll was the obvious choice, it was average at best but it was still a nice experience because of the setting, I would go back and give it another shot if I was in the area again. read more

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Some of the worst seafood I've had since Dolphin. Seriously crappy calamari, mediocre crab cakes (are they freakin' FROZEN or something?). One really cute bartender girl, totally didn't make up for the fact that we waited for our takeout for almost 40 minutes, just to find out it was the same stuff that came out ten minutes after we arrived, and had just been sitting there the rest of our wait. They re-made it for us (on my request-- no pro-active thinking here) and it STILL sucked. The order was also packed incorrectly. I was CHARGED correctly, but was so frustrated I left. The bar manager bought us a round when we came back, after calling, but seriously, don't go here. Unless you like poor-quality seafood and a pathetic meet-market atmosphere-- in which case, this might be your new Friday's... read more

The dishes I recommend: 1. Fried RI Calamari for appetizer (I know they serve fried calamari almost everywhere but their's is really good) 2. Drunken shrimp (be aware it's served COLD) 3. Stuffed Lobster! It's delicious and if you get an appetizer too you can share this with someone it's very filling! (They ask you what size lobster you want pick the middle one to share for two) The only thing I don't recommend is their bloody mary's their absolutely horrible!! - thats the only time I've been disappointed here! read more

Barking Crab - Baked Stuffed Lobster (this is the medium sized one) - YUMMY! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I highly recommend not coming here. Not only was there an hour and some minutes wait for a table, the food was BAD. I got an oyster po boy and it sucked. There was some sort of spicy mayo sauce on it but not enough and I had to ask for extra lemons to try to bring some flavor to the sandwich. I couldn't eat the last few bites. I don't think anyone at our table liked their food. This place is a total tourist trap- there was even a shitty cover band playing (mostly) shitty songs throughout the meal so we couldn't even hold conversations with each other. The only reason why I'm going for 2 stars instead of 1 is that our waitress was a complete sweetheart and didnt give my friend crap for sending her meal back. Overall, skip this joint... there are so many other good seafood places in this city there's no point in wasting your time here. read more

This place is awesome. . Beer. Waterfront views. Excellent seafood between all of the lobster and crab that was consumed when I went with five of my friends. It is crammed in the summer but you make the most of it. I come here at least once a summer. I just wish people would realize that just because it's by the Children's Museum doesn't make it kid friendly by default. The stroller brigade needs to realize that people do drink and get rowdy. If you and your well mannered children are offended, then maybe coming out during the summer during baseball season isn't the right time. read more

Crab cakes ($15/3) and clam chowder ($8/bowl) were *delicious* and the ambience and live music by the waterfront were enjoyable! Wait time and service were a bit slow, but overall would recommend for someone looking to experience Boston fresh seafood eats. read more

Barking Crab - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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If you don't have alot to spend and you actually want to eat good seafood, I suggest you look elsewhere. This is definitely not your fine-dining seafood experience matey. Most of the seafood is fried, the lobster rolls are decent but placed on bread that within minutes becomes soggy, and the steamed shrimp are so small, I could have used tweezers to pull out the shells. I came here with a big group of 15 people and made reservations in advance because I know how their "wait" is generally. Even with making reservations, there was still about a 30-40 minute wait. On top of that, I noticed on Yelp that there was a "special" listed here that if you show them the Yelp thing, you get $3 PBRs or $4 well drinks. I showed the waitress and instead of being a good waitress and saying, let me find out from my manager, she flat out said, No, we don't have specials. I had to ask her to find out from her manager, only to find out that this "special" is 5 years old and they don't even serve PBR. Someone needs to educate them on the Yelp "specials." Other than that...I probably won't come back. I can find cheaper divier seafood joints than this place. read more

Sheesh, you people are a tough crowd to please. If you think sitting on a deck over the Boston Harbor, eating seafood, drinking booze and looking at the skyline of one of the coolest cities sucks, you'll never be happy. And regarding the "dirty" complaints, you're eating at freakin' picnic tables, it's not the Four Seasons. Ever been to a lobster pound in Maine? Well here you have it right in your backyard. My one complaint (or maybe it's two?) is the portions are small and prices are a bit steep, but I guess you're paying for that Boston Harbor real estate. The lobster roll, while very tasty, could have been fuller. The appetizer crab cakes were so small you needed tweezers to pick them up, and the bucket of peel and eat shrimp wasn't anywhere near full. I will say the mixed crab bowl was pretty amazing. Back in the day though, they were much more generous with the portions. read more

The Barking Crab is a dive restaurant at the edge of the South Seaport area that overlooks the place where the Boston Tea Party Ships used to be docked. To call this place a restaurant is a bit of a stretch. It is more of a pub/dive. The fried fare is good. So good that we tried this place on two nights during our recent week long trip and got a miss with their non-fried fare. On the first visit, my husband and I had the fried fish/shellfish baskets that came with the usual accompaniment of fries. The service was sluggish but we chalked that up to it being busy on our first visit. The beers on tap are excellent, so that kind of helped make up for the poor service. Our second visit, really let us see more flaws in the Barking Crab's exterior. We stopped in on a lobster craving on another evening, and go there just as the place transitioned from lunch to dinner. The service was pathetic. I ordered the fire grilled lobster and my husband ordered another fried fish basket. The clown waiting on us, dumped our waters on the floor, never brought us new ones, served our food like an hour after it was ordered, and then hovered like a UFO for the remainder of our meal. It was a suck-fest type of experience, that lead me to the negative review. If you have a couple of bucks to rub together, head to the Union Oyster House to get your seafood fix. Skip the Barking Crab if you can. read more

I used to love, love, LOVE this place. Now, it is nothing but a nasty tourist trap. Overpriced food, big posted list of "rules" and kinda nasty staff. Perhaps they are going for a "Durgin Park" kinda vibe? What happened to you, dear Barking Crab? I'll never go again - too many other places that actually treat guests well. read more

Came here for dinner one night and it was terrible!! Outside seating only on wooden benches. A very casual place maybe nice during the summer for beers and stuff, but I'm not a fan. Started with the fried clams that were tasteless. Came with a thick tartar sauce. The clams didn't taste fresh and had so much batter...I was hungry and unfortunately had to put salt and pepper to make it a little more edible. Then ordered a pound of crab legs. They came out with a tiny container of butter. The crab legs were cold, tasteless, and rubbery. It was anything but fresh. AND it was expensive. I stopped eating at a point just cuz it was so terrible. Pricey rubbery cold "seafood". The service incorporated just throwing a plastic bucket on the table with some napkins. Terrible food that makes the waterfront look bad. I will never be back. read more

Yikes!!! TOURIST TRAP CENTRAL!!!! Out-of-towner: "Aw, honey, look at quintessential Boston restaurant right on the water with Christmas lights wrapped around lobster traps. It must be good." Never had a good meal here and I can always remember the stories about this place being shut down for health code violations throughout its rocky history. The fish and chips are gross. They're sopping wet in oil that hasn't been changed since Lucille Ball's been on TV. Burgers aren't anything to write home about either. On top of that, the place just seems downright dirty. FYI - when you see several rat traps all around the perimeter of a restaurant, you should be a little concerned. Add that to the fact I saw a kitchen staff member take a wiz in the bathroom and not wash his hands. Yuck! read more

The food's good, but it's so expensive and the service is so shoddy that when someone asks me about a good place to get seafood in the city this is not the first place that comes to mind. Or the second. Or the third... ...it's nice because it's on the water. If you want seafood on the water that you have to pay stupidly steep prices for and eat with plastic utensils, go buy a lobster roll in Faneuil Hall and eat it near the Aquarium. read more

I actually really like this place although as others have said, it tends to be a bit over-rated. It's a big tourist spot in the summer, so might be avoided at certain peak times. Good seafood, especially the clams. And oddly, I had one of the best burgers ever here! read more

Delicious! Great service and a must do when in Boston! The seafood was just ssooooooooooo fresh! I loved the cold beer and the perfect calamari can be found here! I recommend just do appys & main course here but leave dessert for another spot to try! read more

Recommended we come here for the seafood, atmosphere, and the tourist experience. As others have mentioned, it is a destination most popular with visitors and not locals. As a tourist, I shall comment that it was not popular with us either. I suppose in our minds, we had imagined a restaurant more like Summer Shack http://www.yelp.com/biz/summer-shack-boston-3 however Barking Crab was a dingy, bayside shanty with outdoor seating. People were packed in like sardines, and the queue to be seated was 20-deep and going out the front door. Is it good? Or is it just a popular tourist attraction? The wait was much too long for our appetites, so we went elsewhere. read more

Sooo disappointing. Everyone we talked to and every article online raved this spot was a must try in Boston. The place looks cool, the weather was beautiful so it was prefect for the outdoor, open seating. We were quoted an hour wait, we were sat in about 45 minutes. We had a great table, the host was very friendly. Once we were sat, one came over for about 15-20 minutes. The server was nice, but didn't seem interested at all. We ordered the New England clam bake and the old bay shrimp. The shrimp were cold and had no flavor. You could see a little seasoning sprinkled on top. We found a waiter and asked for more, which helped a little. The clam bake was ok. Lobster was good, the clams were terrible, had a weird black thing hanging out of them and full of sand. I thought maybe it was just one or two, but, I realized it wasn't getting any better. Half the mussels were empty shells. When I mentioned it to the server, she just kinda blew it off. It was a very disappointing experience overall for such a highly recommended staple in the area. read more

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Its a lot of hype. Average price, and average food. I expect a whole lot more since its Boston! We ordered a ton of food, and nothing stood out. Had oysters, crab, fish tacos, and even dessert. Nothing...nothing to die for. Its a tight squeeze kind of atmosphere, fun filled decor, but that's about it. read more

Went here today with a friend from Arizona and a friend from Wisconsin. We sat in the inside bar while we waited for a table to be seated outside. The bar drinks were light on alcohol but the fresh oysters, clams, shrimp, and crab were excellent. After a bit of confusion we were seated outside. The sun was warm and the Pinot Grigio was far better than the mixed drinks. My friends ordered crab legs and I ordered the 10 lb. lobster. The food was excellent! Loved the green beans and the sweet potato fries too. The sweet potato fries tasted even better dipped in the melted butter!!! I wanted to give the Barking Crab five stars for the harbor view and the food but the bland drinks, the bored and mildly attentive waitstaff, and the absolutely filthy restrooms precluded that. Hint: the lightweight drinks can be forgiven but after paying $210 for a lobster, as one-third of the total food bilI, I expect a clean and well stocked restroom!!! read more

When you sit down for a crustacean rich feast and there is a note on the table that describes the proper procedure for eating said meal, and said procedure promises that you will be given a rock to smash your crustacean with, it is reasonable to expect that you will be given a rock. Not here. Ignore the publicity. Ignore the fact that they have been on television (Man V Food, etc) with happy customers smashing things with rocks. They brought us some cold and unseasoned lobster and crab that had already been cracked back in the kitchen to save us the trouble of enjoying our meal. That's like bringing somebody a creme brulee that has already been cracked. Another note - you would think that a "crab shack" located about a block away from the Boston Children's Museum would be okay with a well behaved 2 year old, but you would be wrong - the waitress seemed to want to set us on fire the whole time we were there. She was in such a rush to scoot us out the door after we finished our lackluster and obscenely priced meal (for the record, skip the "sides" - a pathetic and shriveled ear of boiled corn will set you back several dollars) that she not only cleaned the table before we left but wiped a mess of lobster guts and soap directly into my husband's lap. Never again, and neither should you. read more

I'm really surprised no one has mention this already, but the Barking Crab has a serious rat problem. I don't mean the occasional mouse-spotting outside; I mean full on rats that scamper around the restaurant once the crowds have died down. Kind of gives special meaning to those other reviewers who talk about getting sick from the food. Here's my story: I last visited the Barking Crab for drinks in early Fall when it was still warm out. We were there late at night on a Saturday and it was mostly empty. After living in crappy Allston apartments for many years, I'm used to seeing mice in the city, but never expected to see one out of the corner of my eye in a popular restaurant. I tried to ignore what I saw at first, but then a few seconds later I see a rat emerge from under a picnic table and run across the restaurant. Then we saw another. And another. I promise I'm not crazy--other people saw this too. We were all pulling our feet up. We left shortly after ratapalooza began. Outside the restaurant we saw three or four more rats crawling over the little anchor display near the door. I don't really have a problem with the Barking Crab's food: it's overpriced and fried, but that's what you get for going someone where touristy. The live music and beer selections are also nice. That said, when I see a dining room overrun by rats and a waitstaff that just looks on like it's a normal day, I'm eager to never go back. I know the restaurant is right on the water and maybe they can't do much about the infestation, but it's a health concern. If you chose to go there, I hope you enjoy having rats run over your feet as you eat. read more

I had been to the barking crab before and although the hostesses are rude, the food has always been good and wait staff very good. That was until 7/3...I had the coconut shrimp appetizer and a side of fries. Unfortunately, I got food poisoning and was extremely sick. While things happen, I'm more upset about the lack of communication on their end. I emailed them on 7/5 to let them know what happened and I never received a single response. I'm not expecting or asking for anything but acknowledgement that you know this occurred would be appreciated. I will not be going back and advise you to steer clear. read more