Came here on a Saturday afternoon with my mom to revisit my favorite lobster place in Boston. I've been here before when I was in college so was really excited to come back. I'm happy to see that their service and, most importantly, food are still on par! My mom and I got their famous Jasper's Pan Fried Lobster as well as their CT Style Lobster Roll. I loved both dishes so much. The seasoning for the pan fried lobster (think it was lemon butter) was absolutely delicious! That sauce was seriously the highlight of the entire dish and made the lobster taste so so delicious. Also not to mention, their lobsters are very fresh, which affects the texture and taste in a really good way. The CT Style Lobster Roll was also really good. I liked how the lobster filling wasn't too heavy as there was already a lot of butter due to the fact that they used a toasted brioche bun. Thus, the roll itself was quite flavorful, soft, and delicious! Would definitely recommend having this! Overall, this is one of my go-tos for lobster dishes in Boston. Would highly recommend coming here! read more

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Food is good and no disrespect to that but it took 45 minutes for our food to come out. The food runners either don't know what they're doing or something in our order got fucked up because every table around us got there after and still got their food before us. No knock on the food (probably a 4.1/5) it was very good but that is unacceptable. read more

Don't be fooled by the name- Summer Shack is open year round. My friends and I stopped by here after a day's worth of shopping in Back Bay and I'm glad we ended up here. We were all greeted and seated immediately, the waiter was charming and personable, and food was great. We ordered oysters as our appetizer (not sure which exactly), but they were good- I squeezed some lemon on top for a citrusy tang while chowing down the oyster meat. I ordered the CT-style lobster roll because they butter up the lobster, and I love both butter and lobster so I figured it would be the right choice for me. The lobster roll had a nice, toasted and buttered bun with flavorful lobster stuffed inside. Also came with a side of chips. My one friend ordered salmon (forget the specific name) but she liked it. Overall a good place and would definitely go back! read more

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I just started coming to Summer Shack and it is some of the freshest most delicious seafood. I went for brunch and got the Lobster Hash and it was delicious! I also got oysters which they have a great variety to choose from! The Tower of Power also offers a diversity of seafood options to enjoy. read more

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Came because of the high reviews. Service was horrible . Yaritza was of minimal help. Hi , order, check, take my money, bye. 0 personality and or energy. Warm lobster roll was good but had too much butter. Ambiance was not what was expected from pictures and reviews. Definitely felt like another tourist trap. read more

I'm vaccinated and back to traveling, and happy to have remembered my password to Yelp... I was about to give this 2 stars, but bumped it up given my experience may be because the place has lowered quality standards due to covid impact, but I left disappointed with value and food quality. According to google, it was rated well, but see on Yelp they are only on 3rd star, which is closer to my experience. Food: I ordered the lobster roll; it came out immediately -and tasted like it was made a day or so ago. Felt like food truck food, and for $20, I expected more. Chips were not fresh either. Atmosphere: not bad, a bit of a chain-restaurant feel, but nice enough. Service: was there at 9pm, Tuesday, and it was slow (pandemic impact maybe due to MA/Boston pandemic restrictions, but server walked by my barely touched meal and never asked why I hardly ate it. I'd guess she knew it was disappointing... I left hungry, feeling sorry for the place in a pandemic, so consider that, but I won't be back tomorrow, that's for sure. read more

Been to this location for dinner twice, but the first time I was not able to eat much. This time around was a fun night out with great service and fresh fare. We were first seated in a section that was a bit too warm for me so I asked the host if we could move, they accommodated us right away with a much better table. The waitress was friendly and helpful, and the seared tuna steak was huge and delicious, as well as the swordfish skewers wish were cooked perfectly. Star off mostly because the food isn't the most inventive and flavorful I have had, but definitely a solid choice. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Went back since travel has started again. Calm Chowder was disappointing this time and that's why I went back. It was too watery and not creamy at all. HoweverI the crab legs were delicious! Also got the Coconut Creme Pie-delicious too! Waitress was very nice too. read more

When you are visiting Boston you have a food checklist: Clam Chowda Lobstah Roll Well this little cool spot checked them both off! YUM! can't wait to go back and the menu is ENDLESS! read more

To begin with, the name of this place is trying too hard to evoke something that clearly it's not. We have plenty of genuine seafood "shacks" in New England and this isn't one of them. Places that truly are "shacks" are dubbed so by the patrons and are the kind of unstudied, unaffected one of a kind local "joints" with generally great food. I tend to think of them as shorts and flip-flops restaurants that haven't aspired to be anything but no pretense places serving good seafood. This place with it's very detailed decor and now with 4 locations under their belt, including one at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, has become a chain. It feels touristy to me right down to the little store up front where neatly folded logo tee shirts and other Summer Shack items are being sold. That said, I came here for lunch the other day. I was at a conference at the hotel next door and thought I'd give this place a whirl. I've been to the Summer Shack in Hingham a couple of times to sit at the bar for a drink and a couple of dearly priced oysters but that's it. I ordered the fish tacos. They were $12 which was pricey for what ended up on my plate. The pieces of fish were few and small. This came with a side of "homemade" potato chips which had a nice flavor but were unevenly cooked. The fish tacos were very tasty although I would have like the "taco" shell to have had some char to it. As it was, it was just a bland wrap in which to convey the fish to my mouth. While the sauce on the tacos was flavorful and bright there weren't enough other condiments on the dish. I would have liked more lettuce and perhaps some more tomatoes or salsa. Overall, it was just satisfactory. I sat at the bar and noted they had a nice selection of draft beers and I know from my Hingham location visits, a good cocktail list. Of note is the loudness factor. The music was blaring too loud for my taste particularly for noon on a workday. My server, Dee, was attentive and very pleasant. As for the decor, it's quasi-nautical in theme and there is exposed duct work on the ceiling although painted an odd shade of purple. What was unpleasant to note was that there was a very thick and visible layer of grime and dust on top of all that duct work. One glance upward and I did a double take. Someone needs to get up on a ladder and do some cleaning. You could imagine with a bit of a breeze that dust might come swirling down onto you, your food or your drink. The bathroom was clean enough not to dissuade me from using it, but honestly it too could have been better. Based on one lunch at this Dalton Street location and my two previous cocktails and oyster visits at the Hingham location, this chain is just okay. Word to Jasper White: get your cleaning crew to work! read more

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This seafood restaurant is in downtown Boston Back Bay area across the street from the Prudential Center, Hilton, Sheraton, and the Convention Center. It offers a nice selection of raw Oysters on the half shell, Lobsters, Crab, and other seafoods. We wandered in on a cool rainy October evening and checked in using Yelp. Pro Tip - Checking in with Yelp gets you a nice $6 bowl of clam chowder! Extensive menu of fresh fish and shellfish. Our server said the most popular item was the Lobster special for around $50. We opted instead for something a little lighter. My dining companion got the pan sautéed Flounder and Broccolini which was swimming in oil but nicely cooked. Nothing worse than over cooked seafood and her flounder was perfectly done and moist. The dish however was swimming in oil/butter and each piece of Flounder and Broccolini had to be taken off of the plate and dried off before eating. I went with our waiter's second recommendation and got the crab cakes and cole slaw. The cakes were full of crab and just enough filler to keep them bound together. The cole slaw was a decent cabbage and vinegary dressing style and was OK at best. Our server was from Columbia and was quite helpful with our myriad of questions like what's the most popular dish, and is the fish fresh. He even offered up the honest confession that he did not really like seafood at all. The best dish was probably the free Yelp check in clam chowder, full of clam flavor and pieces of clam, a savory sautéed butter taste, big chunks of potato (maybe too many) and a full but not overly rich creamy broth.iho read more

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Great Food, Awesome Atmosphere! My Girlfriend and I in Boston for the 126 Boston Marathon. And ate dinner back to back nights at Summer Shack. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Dinner! 1lb steamed lobster, corn on the cob, Samuel Adam's Boston Lager - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Wonderful hole int hee all location next to the highway. We ordered the mussels, clam chowder and lobster roll. The mussels and lobster roll were absolutely amazing. Service was OK (had to ask server to refill water) and clam chowder was not memorable (plus the croutons felt soggy and not crunchy). The lobster roll portion could have been bigger, but the roll was buttery and delicious. The roll and mussels were the star of the show and were served with two small pieces of bread. Would recommend 5 stars, but it was pricy for the portion sizes provided. Great for groups and fun atmosphere! read more

This place was good and close to my hotel. Happy hour menu was average but prices a little high for happy hour. The bartender was awesome. I had to wait a while for somebody to take my food order read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Our meal was really not great. We ordered the lobster with an herb butter and all it came with was a corn cob. The lobster looked very flavorful but once I tried it, realized it was not. Not to mention, my husband was trying to open the claws with his hands because the waiter forgot to bring the tool until we were almost done with the lobster. The clam chowder was watered down and although it had more flavor was definitely not the best I've had in Boston. My son had the children's grilled shrimp and he said it was good and my daughter ordered the baked haddock and also said it was good. So I'd have to say that 3 stars is the most I can give this review. I would not return. read more

Great bar and seafood right across the street from the Back Bay Sheraton. I indulged my need for lobster on my first visit to Massachusetts in 16 years. I complimented my lobster with a couple glasses of Plum Island White, a nice Belgian style white (heavy malt profile but great flavor). The place was mostly empty when I arrived a little before 5:00 and sat at the bar. Manny was very helpful figuring out the best way to fulfill my lobster craving along with the all important info about the available beers It's 6:00 and I'm wrapping up. The place has turned into a neighborhood joint. I'm glad I avoided the touristy places and found the Summer Snack Shack. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Lobster! Yum! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Shack has excellent soup and lobster Potato chips around lobster roll is not good enough(but its not the main part of the dish) Service is nice read more

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What a fun eatery! This location had reservations available within 30 minutes, and seated is as soon as we walked in the door. Wait staff and hostess were very friendly. As a table we had the corn fritters which were much lighter than I expected. Totally good. They also had fried oysters which I passed on, but there was a unified sigh of happiness from the table about those. For my main I had snow crab with garlic sherry sauce and they were divine! Different then how I usually like my crab which is thyme, paprika, garlic, butter, and cayenne like at boiling crab. And different in a good way. definitely worth a stop for lunch or dinner! read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Snow crab w garlic sherry sauce - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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First visited the summer shack several years ago on a trip to Boston when the hotel recommended. This was our second time coming to Summer Shack. I got the clam chowder and a hot lobster roll. My son got the pan cornbread and lobster Mac. Everything was delicious. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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So disappointed. Place was moderately busy when we were seated. Waitress didn't acknowledge us for a good 15 minutes after being seated. The good- our appetizer and my meal. The bad- my wife's meal was bland and tasteless, think the chef forgot to season it. Waitress continued to be lax in checking on us, water glasses not refilled, etc. My wife commented " I have no desire to ever eat here again" as we were leaving. Expected more in the way of service and especially in the preparation of both entrees. read more

Went in today with my sister and experienced a really terrible meal. We both ordered the crab legs and to our utter dismay halfway through the meal we realized that some of the legs smelled like ammonia. The cluster on the top of both of our plates was perfectly fine but once we got further into the pile of legs we noticed the smell. Called the waitress over and asked her to smell them she refused but went and got her manager. The manager then smelled them but acted as if it togas never happened before. I don't want all the games I'd just like you to acknowledge that you smell the ammonia. I went to culinary school. I laid my servsafe card on the table in plain sight. We won't be coming back to this establishment. $45 was too much to spend on rotting crab. 1 of the meals was comped. ***UPDATE*** It has now been 15 days since I left a review and 11 days since I've received any sort of reply from the company. I figured I would give you a chance to remedy the situation but clearly that doesn't seem to be a priority read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Things I liked and didn't like about this popular seafood house. We were in a crowd (dozen people), so kudos they the waiter who managed us fairly well, more later. The food was somewhat pricey. I thought, for what you get. I had a local style (not CT style) lobster roll. It was good but I had better earlier in the day at another walk in restaurant, for considerably less $$. The maple butter and grilled cornbread was excellent. What I didn't like: I don't mind a busy place, but the tables here are very close and it just felt a bit overwhelming. The waiter told one of our guests, when he brought out the wrong menu item, that, that was as what she ordered. Now a bunch of us heard her order and it was clear that she did not get what she asked for. He offered no remedy. Again a bit pricey for what it is. The end. Not sure if I would go back. read more

Such a great find for true Bostonian food. Atmosphere: Open, friendly, great for large groups and very accommodating (we had a group of 14 and made a reservation 30 minutes before Price: average for quality of food in the area Customer Service: Very friendly and our waiter gave great menu advice Food: The food was fresh and delicious! Everyone was pleased with their dishes and were stuffed by the end of it all. Memorable flavors and would definitely visit again! read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Love us some food - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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2 stars is because my first visit there was great! Excellent salad and Buffalo shrimp appetizer. 32 ounce beer helped too. I liked the place so much that came back two days later. They were open but the place was empty. I saw two cooks in the back but they looked at me and looked on. After waiting five minutes or more, I opted to leave. The two people behind me stayed. I went back to see they had been seated. The staff came towards me but ignored me. Never going back. Will not beg someone to take my money. read more

Good food, great service. Fish and chips was tasty! Nice atmosphere, lucky we had a table out of the way.

Visited Boston at the beginning of the month with my mom who went to school there years ago. We had 3 goals, Lobster, steamers & oysters. Summer Shack is the pinnacle! We actually ended up going 2 days in a row after trying another, very well known seafood restaurant down by the water. The lobster was so fresh, oysters were amazing and were accompanied by a perfect dip - along with your usual cocktail/horseradish. We found the service to be great and friendly. This will be go-to next time we're back in Beantown. Thank you! P.S. can you please sell t-shirts like what's on the wall? "Take me back to the shack!" that dancing lobster is the best! read more

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Good experience. Service was prompt and suggestions were appreciated. Oysters were outstanding and the lobster roll was good. I would ask for an untoasted bun next time. read more

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Food is good, but not exceptional. Very over-priced. We spent $100 per person and very little of that was on alcohol.

We like this place. We've been there a few times. You can get some fresh lobster in 1.5 or 2 pounds or more. I recommend the Jasper style which basically means lots of butter. They have some good craft beer which pairs with a lot of the food as well. This place can get busy so get a reservation or try sitting at the bar. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What I ate: Dine Out Boston menu ($25 lunch) Raw Bar sampler, Clam chowder, Baked Haddock, Banana Foster Pros: - The plates are quite large and filling, a lot of food for the price. However, I think their entrees aren't what this restaurant is best at, the lobsters are. - Ask for the Yelp check in special, you get a free clam chowder. It's not as good as Legals but still great since it was free - The oysters are quite fresh. - Staff are quite friendly, the dessert from the restaurant week menu wasn't available and let me substitute Cons: - I never had banana foster before and just a warning if you're not used to eating sweet food- it was very sweet, especially with the vanilla ice cream! read more

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Lobster came out overcooked and soggy at the same time. Other dishes were ok but not great. This place suffices for a quick seafood fix but there are other joints with better tasting foods around town. Service was good and parking is easy at the structure right next door. read more

Came here for a 2pm drag brunch. The show was a lot of fun and I would recommend that part. The food was honestly pretty bad. Ordered a Benedict and asked to have it without meat. I know what you're thinking, it's always the vegetarians that are picky and high maintenance. I am not the person that makes a big deal about getting food wrong. It happens, it's loud in there, and it's busy. Fortunately I am also not a super stickler because they clearly took it back, took the meat off, and brought it back out. Pretty obvious because there were still remnants on the plate. I'm pretty sure I developed tennis elbow trying to cut the English muffin. None of the 4 of us ate the potatoes because frankly they were just not good. My Bloody Mary was good. Friends had the margarita flight and said it was just mashed fruit with tequila. Perhaps the earlier show has fresher food. I can understand running a brunch service such as this can have its challenges but there is a ton of room for improvement. read more

Really good spot for seafood dishes! Service was great and food was good. Shrimp scampi just needed a little more garlic flavor and seasonings other than that everything else was delicious. Ceviche is a must! read more

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Based on the menu and other reviews, I had high hopes for this place. While there were some hits, the misses eclipsed most of the positives. Hits: Clams on the half shell. Sweet, briny, delicious. Perfect with a frosty beer. Steamers with drawn butter and clam broth. These are the kind that you have to peel off the membrane. Delicious. Misses: Super slow service at the bar. You have to be persistent. In their defense, there are 2 bartenders: one has to make drinks for the entire restaurant, and the other has to cover the bar and nearby tables. They need one more BT. The $18 steamers are supposed to be a pound, but come with about twice as much celery as clams. No idea what that's about. Felt like a rip off. They put a beer from the guy next to me on my check. Accidents happen, but come on. Lobster roll was LOADED with cucumber. Detracted from what makes a great lobster roll. At $28 I expected mostly lobster, but I feel like it was filler. What lobster was there was good. I don't think I would return. Too many other places that I can drop $100 and get better service. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Clams on the half shell. - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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TLDR: great fish and chips and fun tiki drinks Came here for restaurant week and was not disappointed. My entree was the fish and chips which was beautifully battered and fries. The outside was crisp but light and the fish delectably cooked. Combined with some lemon and tartar sauce it was magnificent. Fries were par for course. I also got their raw bar sampler which was solid including a clam ceviche. I also got one of their tiki drinks the lobster rim which came in a lobster cup for the inner kid inside of me. Great stuff overall. read more

Groups of international staff members regularly visit our Boston office, and when they do, we always dine at Summer Shack. The restaurant space is large, so it's great for bigger parties, and the staff has always been organized and accommodating of our needs. We've organized a prix fixe menu that includes an unlimited wine and beer beverage package, fried calamari and raw oysters on each table, salad or clam chowder, choice of one of about 8 entrees, and apple crisp for dessert. From vegetarians to picky eaters, there's something to satisfy everyone. And it definitely satisfies the curious foreigner who wants the "Boston experience," as he can slurp down his first raw oyster, savor some creamy New England clam chowder, and crack open an entire lobster. The pictures and stories our staff have of their experiences alone make the trip to the Shack a winning decision. All the food I've tasted has been good. Some entrees like the grilled shrimp and the salmon are rather standard, but the seafood at least tastes fresh. The lobster is flavorful and enjoyable, so I opt for this if I have the energy to crack away at my dinner. The apple crisp is warm, crunchy, and served a la mode. The ideal end to our introduction-to-Boston dinner. The foreigners love it! And we love the variety and ease of putting it together. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - lobstah - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Dropped by Summer Shack for lunch. The interior is decorated like a beach-y shack, which stands in pretty sharp contrast to the snowy, windy gloom and doom outside. Not sure if it quite worked, or if the contrast was just very jarring. The food was.... alright. I got a burger and it came as a pretty greasy, dry mess. Picking it up and compressing it so I could bite it resulted in quite a bit of fluid gushing out the other end - probably not a good sign. The burger came with chips instead of fries, and they were unusually hard and flavorless. The other foods ordered at the table were equally subpar - the fish (scrod?) was lazily breaded and looked like it had merely been dipped in the deep fryer as opposed to actually cooked through. The service was a bit of a mess and no one seemed to quite know what was going on. Subpar food at reasonable prices. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Cheeseburger - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I'd read about Jasper White's Summer Shack in one of my guidebooks, and their famous lobster roll. Right down the street from my hotel, I came for lunch to get away from the conference center and heavy science talk. The lobster roll cost $24, and came with the most awesome house potato chips on the side. Just a squeeze of lemon to my liking and crunchy pickle were great complements to the sandwich, grilled buttery bread and plenty of lobster. Yelp check-in said I could get a free dessert but the waiter must have forgotten to ask his manager or been unfamiliar with how to handle Yelp deals. By the time the bill did come, I had to get going back to my meeting so I didn't want to waste more time asking/waiting for a free dessert. Heck, if I didn't have to get back to the meeting I would have had a beer too! I know, who am I to give up a free dessert? It's okay, I had plenty of other calories while in Boston to make up for it. My one regret is not coming back and trying their oysters and Boston creme pie. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Lobster Roll! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great service (the waiter was very cute). The food was alright. I wasn't expecting anything crazy but I could tell that the quality of my fried clams was a bit lower than all the other places I've ordered from. BUT..I got a huge plateful and that made me quite happy. The coleslaw needs help..it was pretty blah. The fries were good! My bf ordered the surf and turf which came with two king crab legs and a steak kabob. The crab was good but there wasn't much of it inside the legs. The steak was very average. It was 25 for my dish and 24 for my bf's dish. Overall the prices were ok (wouldn't order the surf and turf again) but the issue was the restaurant itself. When we walked in it was dark and dingy. This place definitely needs to be renovated. The table/chairs/the paper tablecloth? It was all TOO casual. I would rather spend more in a nicer atmosphere. read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Surf and turf - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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We stopped in during our first trip to Boston. We sat and ate at the bar. The service was great, the bartender was very talkative and the food was excellent. We checked in on Yelp and received a free order of chowder fries. On our next trip, we will be sure to stop in again. Thanks Summer Shack! read more

Summer Shack - Boston - Dinner at Summer Shack after another great day in Boston. - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts