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    The Salt Line - Ballston

    3.9 (249 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

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    THE SALT LINE - BALLSTON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Sehar M.

    This place is super close to me but I don't come here often for some reason, which may change. We were seated at the bar for happy hour on Monday and they had a special on oysters. My friend and I shared a dozen oysters, the poboy and a fried item. We don't like the fried item a lot. We did like the poboy, fries and oysters though. The ambiance is great. We shared our food outdoors and we were very comfortable. The service was great, noting that they are slightly understaffed. Overall, I would definitely come here again and try more food!

    Happy Hour Oysters
    Taylor L.

    Came here last Friday night with a friend who wanted to try oysters. It's been in my to-do list and they have a decent Happy Hour special. $30 for a dozen oysters or $18 for half. With each oyster $3.50 per oyster. A bit high when compared to Lyon Hall's oyster happy hour which is $1 an oyster during happy hour. But still not terrible. I enjoyed the oysters! They were fresh and delicious. Though I wish there was more variety as all the oysters picked for the happy hour were on the sweeter side. Would've been nice if one had more saltiness. I wanted to try the salty oysters so I ordered a half a dozen at $3.50 per oyster and those rocked too. I used lemon and hot sauce for my oysters and their homemade hot sauce rocks! The interior of the restaurant looks very nautical and fits with the seafood heavy menu. Also heard the burger and lobster rolls are good will have to try during another visit. Would come again. Maybe not for oysters but def to try other stuff on the menu!

    Bonnie T.

    A very nice restaurant for seafood. We were there for brunch. They have a brunch menu with a $30 seafood plate , oyster specials and drink specials. We had a half dozen oyster special and another half dozen with the more expensive oysters. All were very good. The ones that are in the special were milder. We also ordered 2 raw clams, they were fishy, not recommended. We also ordered a salmon Benedict, tuna tostada, crab cakes, Scrambled eggs and grits. The menu doesn't indicate the grits are cheesy grits. It was a bit salty. Service is very good. Parking is street parking, for Sunday it was free.

    Service was fine. We ordered see receipt image. The quality of the food was not enjoyable. The descriptions did not match with the food delivered. We had to ask if the plates were prepared correctly according to their standards and the answer was yes, so they didn't make errors in execution but in setting expectations. So we were disappointed and will not return.

    Brussels sprouts. Could have used more seasoning specially salt. Not the best Brussels sprouts I have had and not the worst.

    The service at Salt Line is always great. I only give it 4 stars because I am not a fan of the food which is entirely on me for going to a seafood place as a vegetarian. I mostly just get the drinks there and the server has been kind enough to modify the drinks to my liking or whip up new ones based on my preferences. I also love the taffy that they have by the entrance. This last time the taffy was clearly from new stock and had many new flavors. I really should be giving the place 5 stars but am holding out in the hope that they will add some decent vegetarian friendly options.

    Lily H.

    Went for brunch/lunch on a Sunday and what an utter disappointment. We were only one of a few tables in the restaurant yet our server was hard to track down and never proactively refilled our waters. The food was all subpar at best. The calamari came in the smallest quantity ever seen - this isn't fine dining. The entire canister was filled with lettuce with very little squid. Dozen oysters were delivered without oyster forks or even mini spoons in the sauces. Also no explanation on which oysters we were getting. Clam chowder was not chowder consistency - super watery and the crackers are involuntarily already in the soup. The fish sandwich had an interesting bun but the piece of fish was so thin it was easily over fried. Disappointing.

    Pimento Crab Dip
    Britney B.

    Good variety for both seafood and non-seafood lovers. It's a nice spot for a social hour with friends, though you shouldn't expect dishes or drinks that will "wow" you. The atmosphere: Great location in the Ballston area with plenty of outdoor seating and a bar. The indoor space is spacious as well, with decor that fits the nautical theme nicely. The food: Our table shared the Baked Pimento Crab Dip. This was my second time trying it (the first at the Navy Yard location). While I still love the Old Bay crab chips, the dip itself was just okay and, unfortunately, didn't arrive hot. We also ordered oysters from the raw bar--this was the highlight for me, as they were incredibly fresh. For my entrée, I went with the Waterman's Platter because I'm a sucker for fried seafood. It's a generous portion. I wish there had been more fish, but I really enjoyed the scallops and shrimp. As for drinks, my friends tried the Pomme Spritz and Espresso Martinis, which were underwhelming. The service: Overall, service was good. Our server was patient with us and offered solid drink recommendations.

    Alex P.

    Came back for another time to try it out. My friend and I each had two drinks. We shared the crab dip, calamari, and waterman's platter. The crab dip tastes good, but there was only a few pieces of crab. The calamari was also good, but for ~10 pieces of calamari for $14 I felt it was very overpriced for the portion. The waterman's platter was good, I especially thought the scallops had a lot of flavor and texture was good. Service was also good. I love that they have outdoor seating which is covered during the winter. What keeps me from coming back is the price tag. It is really expensive for small portions and the drinks are just okay for $14-16 a cocktail.

    Jimmy L.

    Came to the Salt Line for lunch in national Burger Day, so I had to get the cheeseburger. It was really really good, and I'm so glad I ordered this. I opted for the salad and friend got the fries. We sat outside because the weather was nice. Everything was great!

    Menu
    Alicia L.

    We came for lunch. They have a pretty good lunch menu. The food was great. I had a lobster roll and soup along with a salad. The salad was extremely salty but everything else tasted fine. The staff recommended the Parker rolls. They were nice and light. I def recommend.

    Crispy Fish Sandwich
    Katie S.

    My boyfriend and I have been living in the apartments across the street from The Salt Line for a few months now and this place is always poppin', so we'd been dying to try it! When we walked in, we were greeted by super friendly hosts. Our server was also fantastic. The patio seating was so quaint and welcoming, and we were surrounded by seemingly happy customers! We were blown away by the delicious cocktails and food, beginning with the warm, fluffy parker house rolls, which arrived in an adorable skillet. Each fresh, buttery bite of lobster roll took me further into a food coma, while my boyfriend marveled over how perfectly crisp the French fries were. Needless to say we will be returning!!

    Waterman's Platter

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    5-Star! Excellent food, exellent service, nifty facility, central to other attractions in Ballston.

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    The Salt Line - Ballston - seafood - Updated June 2026

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