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    James Hook & Co

    4.2 (2k reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order James Hook & Co Takeout or Delivery

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    JAMES HOOK & CO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - James Hook & Co

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    Heather W.

    Delicious to pick up food and sit nearby; stuffy interior. Really helpful cashier; food ok (lobster salad w butter, which first arrived the other way; crab salad; potato salad). Not blown away by any means, but totally ok experience. Disappointing actually, but was still good?

    Lobster roll with butter
    Vanessa T.

    James Hook has a solid lobster roll. There's tons of outdoor searing in and out of the shade. Fresh, stuffed with soft buttery bread! I got the buttery roll with chips. It's expensive but it's worth it.

    Alexis B.

    When my husband and I arrived in Boston last weekend, James Hook & Co. was our first stop. We wanted to start our Boston weekend with a lobster roll outside under an umbrella, and James Hook is the spot for that. James Hook opened in 1925 as a lobster catch business (selling to Boston's restaurants). A hundred years later, James Hook is still a family-owned business, run by four siblings of the third generation. James Hook is a seafood market (you can swing by to get things - and lobster - to take and cook at home), but it's also a restaurant. We had a regular lobster roll with butter, a regular crab roll, a bag of chips, and a some cold sparkling waters. They weren't the best rolls I've ever had, but it was a fun meal - a great way to start a weekend in Boston. The atmosphere and being outside while eating the meal makes it a special experience.

    Chris T.

    I'd say 3.5star but bumpin to the 4 because of its location, outdoor seating, seating outdoor inside a cover, and being a nice seafood spot to help our tourism and offerings near many of the city hotels, work spaces for lunch and virtual 10 min walk from downtown. We ordered lump crab - very good btw would definitely come back for lump crab, and probably their double stuffed scallop / clam items. Nice flavor good hits of crab meat and other seafood pieces. Flavor was nice. I could probably eat 5 of these myself. The clam chowda, not my personal style, it just felt like some of the other restuarants that just have chowder on the menu to have it. Very watery chowder with zero seasoning, didn't even taste creamy to me personally but could be an off batch. Salt, pepper, nothing helped. I'm sure there's folks that prefer the more watery style chowder, i like a textured creamy chowder that's a bit thicker with seasoning where salt and pepper isn't needed. The lobster roll, about $36 for a smaller (regular) sized piece roll (hot dog bun) you can choose cold with mayo or hot with butter. Now I do appreciate the chunks of lobster meat, I've had places that charged 45-55 and you got the mini claw sliver of meat and no chunks. So i do appreciate that. Probably better to get "for here" then to go as it's probably be better buttered up by the chefs and served hot. (Oh yes we got butter prefer that over a the cold style). Butter comes on the side if you do to go.

    Michi L.

    It was my first time in Boston so of course, lobster rolls and clam chowder were on my list to try. But out of all the lobster rolls, we tried I have to say that James Hook was my number 1. We got the hot buttered lobster roll and the lobster was so sweet! They have two areas that you can order from inside and they also have a food truck set up outside that you can order from. They also have AC sheds that you can eat inside. The service was good. Some of us ordered inside and some of us ordered outside and all of us got our food very quickly. If I'm ever back in Boston, I'm definitely coming back!

    Crab cake
    Patricia C.

    We arrived on a Saturday close to closing time. They were clear in writing and verbally that at 4:45, they were closing the patio. As we stood awkwardly in line in a narrow space, the team squeezed around customers to vacuum the office, wipe down the door windows, further reinforcing that they were ready to close up LOL. Service was neutral and transactional in nature. I ordered a crab cake and while not mind-blowing, it was pretty good; I've had better. I wish I had ordered a lobster roll while I was at it. I took my order to a nearby bench along the water and enjoyed it. Despite not the warmest hospitality, I was glad that I could stop by. The patio did look nice too for when it's open to guests.

    Carmen D.

    Visiting Boston for the first time, I made a beeline for James Hook & Co. for the lobster roll I'd been craving. The place came highly recommended by both online videos and locals, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The roll was warm, juicy, and generously packed with sweet lobster--easily the best lobster roll we've ever had. We enjoyed it on our first day in the city and liked it so much that we returned on our last day. I'll definitely be back!

    Kayla F.

    I ordered the warm lobster roll with butter, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The roll was overflowing with fresh lobster meat, and every bite was rich, buttery, and packed with flavor. They definitely don't skimp on the lobster, which made it well worth it. Sometimes simple is best, and letting the quality of the lobster shine was exactly the right choice. This was easily one of the best lobster rolls I've had, and it's a spot I'd recommend to anyone visiting Boston. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town.

    Large Lobster Roll with Butter*
    Matthew V.

    Food was really good! I had the warm large lobster roll with bread and a cup of clam chowder. Everything came out fresh and hot, and the portions were generous. There's plenty of seating spread throughout different areas, and the service was fast and efficient. This was my first time here, and I really enjoyed the overall experience. I'll definitely be back!

    Lobster tanks
    Emily B.

    When visiting Boston James Hook is on my must stop places. We come from NC for a sports tournament so we go on a week day right when they open and never stand in line. They have live tanks, to go items, merch and of course a variety of fresh catch. Lobster roll with warm butter is chefs kiss. Great outdoor patio. They added a food truck and covered outdoor dining areas since I've been there. Recommend the chowder too. Can't go wrong here.

    Salt water taffy
    Lizzie Y.

    I've driven & walked by James Hook & Co SOOO many times over the years but have never thought to go try their seafood. Unlike our typical outings that are spontaneous + unplanned, we actually planned to go visit here for lunch the night before, after seeing some videos online LOL. We decided to park in the Downtown area & walked over to get some steps in. I love their outdoor seating! They have lots of tables & they even have an enclosed outdoor seating area that I adored. Now, the inside is pretty small. There was a queue to order & I'd say it took ~15 min to get to the front of the line and order. We ordered: - regular lobster roll w/ butter ($35.99) - jumbo lump crab cakes ($11.99) - 12 oz clam chowder ($10.99) We decided to get a lobster roll w/ butter (regular size) to share, along with the crab cakes + clam chowder. Normally, we'd each get a lobster roll but to be honest, we've been pretty disappointed with lobster rolls these past few summers so we didn't want to order two, just in case we wouldn't like it. The regular size is in your standard hot dog bun. Not big at all but we did appreciate that they did pack it with some lobster. Many places skimp on the lobster! I don't think the amount of lobster in the regular size was generous by any means, just glad there was something. We asked for our order "to go", so our salted butter came in a small plastic container. Overall, lobster roll was quite bland & I don't think I'd come back again for it. Now, onto the clam chowder! We LOVE clam chowder & we're always looking for the next best place for chowder. This one is a runnier clam chowder & was also quite bland. Salt + pepper didn't really do it justice and we found it hard to finish, even though we got it in the smallest size. Lastly, the crab cakes were our favorite that we tried out of the three that we ordered. It was flavorful & the lemon it came with complimented it well. We'd come back for this. Overall, I thought James Hook & Co was just okay. It wasn't a memorable meal. I grew up eating lobster, in general, at least once a week (at one point I started to despise eating it LOL) & have definitely had my fair share of lobster rolls over the years. I have yet to find a good (& not overly expensive) lobster roll in Boston unfortunately.

    Sunny C.

    Good food, ample seating, service was just okay. We were in search of lobster rolls on National Lobster Day and James Hook & Co stood out as it has been a family-owned business for 100+ years and was one of the names that came up that we hadn't tried out yet. There was a food truck outside with a limited menu and the option to order indoors with a full menu. Signage was unclear for which side was for ordering and which side was for waiting to pick up the food. The indoor ordering area had shirts, hoodies, oysters, mugs, taffy, chips, and other gifts for sale. There's a counter with fish, stuffed clams, stuffed scallops, and more for the indoor ordering line. When we got to the front of the line, the person taking our orders was not welcoming at all. I got the warm butter lobster roll, clam chowder (comes in 3 sizes), and a double stuffed scallops. The clam chowder was a nice thickness and not too salty, which I appreciated. I wish it was a bit warmer. The lobster roll was good. The lobster was fresh and the bread was toasted. Butter was served on the side. The double stuffed scallops is definitely something I'd pass on next time. There were a few seats inside of the area where Indoor ordering is and we discovered there's an indoor dining area near the food truck as well. Majority of the outdoor seats did not have an umbrella. The overall experience was okay, but there's definitely room for improvement.

    Wendi K.

    This is a cool spot on the waterfront with classic, no frills, lobster rolls and sides. I had the regular lobster roll with butter ($35.99). It's a hot dog bun with a good portion of lobster. Was the lobster fresh & good quality? Yes Was it the best lobster roll I've had? Probably not. Would I pay that money for the same item again? Probably not. There was a line when we went right around lunchtime. There is plenty of tables to sit at outdoor.

    Large Lobster Roll with Butter*

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    So cool! Over 100 years old it's a Boston institution. Totally resilient after surviving a bad fire. Now has cool shwag too!

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    James Hook & Co Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - James Hook & Co

    Are pups allowed in the outdoor patio?

    Yes!!

    Hi! Do you sell fresh lobster meat by the pound for pickup, or is it only available as part of the rolls?

    Hi! Yes we sell fresh lobster by the lb. Right now it is $65-70 per lb depending on what type of lobster meat you choose. We also have a full retail case of fresh fish, clams, mussels etc and all sizes of live lobsters!

    Is there parking?

    Yes we have a small lot behind our building along the wooden fence!

    Is there seating for a group of 10, including 8 teenagers?

    We have a good sized patio! We just added more tables so it should be okay!

    Do they have gluten free rolls or gluten free options?

    Hi Lisa, We do not have gluten free bread, but we do have gluten free options. We have a lobster… 

    Do you steam the retail lobsters by the lb?

    Hi, Yes we boil the lobsters if you give us a call. Preferably a day ahead would be great. It would… 

    Do you serve Quahog mussels?

    We have stuffed quahogs along with little necks and cherrystones. For the mussels, we have prince edward island.

    Do they sell sushi grade salmon?

    Do they have heaters for the patio in the winter?

    Yes

    View All 15 Questions

    Yankee Lobster - Crobster sandwich

    Yankee Lobster

    4.1(2.5k reviews)
    0.9 miWaterfront, South Boston
    $$$

    It has that casual, no-frills New England seafood shack feel, and the food really delivered…read more We tried the beer-battered fish & chips, clam chowder, and lobster roll. The fish was excellent--large pieces of fish with a golden, crispy batter on the outside while staying thick, flaky and moist inside. The fries and coleslaw made it a solid meal. The clam chowder was thick, creamy and loaded with potatoes and clam, exactly what I was hoping to find while visiting Boston. The large bowl is definitely enough to share if you're ordering other food. The lobster roll also had a generous amount of lobster meat and didn't need a bunch of extras to make it good. Prices aren't cheap, especially for lobster, but you're getting fresh seafood in Boston's Seaport from a family-owned seafood business that's been around since 1950. The service is great and food brought directly to table. If you're visiting Boston and want a casual place for traditional New England seafood, Yankee Lobster is absolutely worth a stop. I'd come back.

    I knew I had to stop by and get some lobster rolls before leaving Boston and this place seemed to…read morehave pretty good reviews! You order first at the cashier, and then they give you a number and you can go find your seat. It's a pretty busy and lively place and was packed even when we went on a weekday for lunch. To start, I had a half dozen of oysters, which were fresh with a good amount of brine. They didn't blow me away or anything but were good! The part I was most excited for was the lobster roll. We got the hot buttered lobster roll, and to be completely honest it didn't blow me away. The seasoning was lacking to me and there wasn't much depth. I also wish the brioche roll was more buttered and toasty, but ours was mostly soft. The only reason why I didn't knock this down more stars was because they were so generous with their lobster portions, especially for the price! I would give this a 3.5 stars if I could. You could tell it was high quality and those lobsters were well fed! I'd probably come back to try their classic lobster roll just to see if that one is seasoned any better.

    Photos
    Yankee Lobster - Dining Area at Yankee Lobster

    Dining Area at Yankee Lobster

    Yankee Lobster - Hot Buttered Lobster Roll

    Hot Buttered Lobster Roll

    Yankee Lobster - Storefront for Yankee Lobster

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    Storefront for Yankee Lobster

    James Hook & Co - seafood - Updated September 2026

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