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Legal Harborside - Floor 1
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Seafood, Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
270 Northern Ave(between Boston Fish Pier & Trilling Way)
Boston, MA 02210
Neighbourhoods: Waterfront, South Boston
(617) 477-2900
- Nearest Transit:
-
Seaport Blvd @ Seaport Hotel (171, 4, 448, 449, 459)
Silver Line Way Before Manulife Building (SL1, SL2, Silver Line)
Silver Line Way After Manulife Building (SL1, SL2, Silver Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot, Valet
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
143 reviews for Legal Harborside - Floor 1
Review Highlights
-
"Now for the food - I had a FANTASTIC lobster roll." In 14 reviews -
"Next we tried the fried clams and the oven roasted clams." In 7 reviews -
"Btw they have 14 kinds of oysters." In 23 reviews
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143 reviews in English
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Review from Caroline W.
Needham Heights, MA
5/10/2012
This legals is a lot like the others but has a fabulous location. This location has three floors of bars and seating, including a roof top patio and deck area that has a retractable roof for the warm summer nights.
The raw oysters we ordered were amazing and they had about 10 varieties available (many from Ma). The lunch portions we got were on the small side but fresh and flavorful. Between $12- $17 for a lunch entree. Our table had a view of the ocean and we could see the boats/planes going by. Very nice except for the loud kitchen area that is rather open because it is exposed to the customers.
During the summer season (busy season) this place is bumpin and there is usually always a line for the rooftop patio and tables. The second floor of this legals offers a separate menu from the others and it is much pricier.
Private parties: We asked to try and reserve tables for a cocktail hour later in the summer and they told us it was all first some first serve. Otherwise, to reserve a room for some our friends to mingle together and order appetizers they require a minimum $5000. Yeah right!
Overall, a great spot. But assume you will have to wait for a table if you go at peak hours. -
Review from Oz L.
Cambridge, MA
5/21/2012
So went to Legals new flagship restaurant and we were dissapointed.... We had the fried clam entree and the Atlantic Salmon along with a bottle of Chenin Blanc. The Salmon was wonderful but the fried clams was extremely disappointing. The clams had almost no bellies. For a "brand" that has made it's name in seafood, we were pretty surprise about the poor quality of the fried clams. We expected much more...
Fried clams is one of my favorites and this is the second time I tried them here and both times I was disappointed!
The restaurant is beatiful, the roof deck bar was vibrant.... too bad the food could not match the ambiance.... -
Review from Silvia V.
Belmont, MA
5/19/2012
I ended up at Legal Harborside last Sunday (Mother's Day) with two friends for lunch. It was a lovely sunny day and eating by the water only made sense. We didn't have reservations and even though the restaurant was full, we ended up being seated at the bar overlooking the ocean as we walked in.
We ordered a sample of 12 local oysters to share. They were fresh, juicy and very delicious.
I had the grilled swordfish for lunch which came with barely any veggies even though the menu said it came with cucumber, tomato, chickpeas, fennel, basil, lemon olive oil dressing. The swordfish was good, but I was still hungry after lunch. My friend doesn't eat onions, so before ordering Yellowfin Tuna with orzo salad and sweet & sour Japanese eggplant she asked whether the side dishes contain any onions, the waitress said no. When our entrees very delivered both her side dishes were full of onions. We complained and got some ice cream free of charge. The ice cream was good even though it was plain old vanilla.
Being there on a busy day we were surprised by how many times one of the waiters kept bringing food that other people ordered to us. It was a bit odd.
Anyway, when you go to any of the waterfront restaurants you know that you are paying for the location and not necessarily for the quality or quantity of food.
Go to Legal Harborside for oysters if not for anything else. -
Review from Kerry C.
Boston, MA
5/22/2012
I took my mother here for mother's day and we had a great experience. Hostess who sat us I think the manager was super friendly and attentive to my mother. The server was pleasant and the food was excellent. Loved the local oysters. I got the special (steelhead trout) it was great! Server was very knowledgeable too about the fish. We had a great view of the harbor.
Good for special events as long as you plan in advance. -
Review from Ben D.
ROSLINDALE, MA
5/23/2012
Gorgeous location. I'd definitely go back solely for the harborside view. The food portions were smaller than I was expecting based on price, but quite tasty. Great drink menu as well. I liked that there was a bar on the third floor where we were able to wait before our table was ready. Nice relaxing atmosphere
-
Review from Nathan S.
Rochester, NY
5/9/2012
Was at the Boston Convention Center for a long weekend and the Legal Harborside was worth a repeated visit (3 Legal visits in two days). About me: live in western NY (I used to live in Boston), so being at the coast I wanted to consume as much seafood as possible. (Also strange, while living in Boston for 6 years, I never ate at a Legal, I suppose it was always available and therefore was never a significant priority for dining out).
The seafood and views are very good with lots of great seats including bar/window seats that are perfect if dining by oneself. I'd have no complaints, but I also ate at the Legal Seafood in Chestnut Hill. The Chestnut Hill location had 1) cheaper prices for oysters and little-necks; 2) a more extensive menu; and 3) a much larger lobster roll. Which makes me think maybe the restaurants are franchised? Regardless, I had a great overall experience, friendly and helpful staff, and surprisingly, I didn't feel the least bit ill after consuming lots of fish and raw seafood.
Legal's lobster roll is one of the best you'll find anywhere. The clam chowder was good, but didn't blow my expectations out of the water. And of course, the oysters and little-necks were great, but my ability to compare quality is limited. -
Review from Craig Z.
4/26/2012
Food was great, and I found the prices reasonable, especially given generous serving sizes. The place is well done. Our server was a little weird, but also accomodated every request without hesitation. Overall, 4 star...
I'm deducting one because they had some dated parking info on their website that was very costly to us and through a damper on the whole evening. It appears up to date now, though. -
Review from Ryan O.
4/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I really enjoy every visit to Legal Harborside. Actually, I have only been twice and usually my last meal before heading back to Europe. Both times we ate on the first floor near the large open doors...nice and relaxing views on a nice afternoon.
The staff has always been really great - with lots of suggestions for both drinks and food. I must say that they never recommended anything that we didn't like. There are some very creative cocktails (the cucumber and coconut drinks are worth trying) and food options, as well as the traditional Legal Seafood necessary items - clam chowder, fried clams and lobster rolls. Try the tuna bruschetta...awesome.
All three floors seem busy with different menus...the outdoor patio on the third floor was very active and is likely a great place for after work drinks. Really need to get back soon...
There is a convenient parking lot across the street, plus valet parking right in front of the restaurant. -
Review from Cassandra S.
Boston, MA
5/16/2012
I wish I had a better review to give. I love this place and the food HOWEVER I made a reservation for 7:30. My party of 4 arrived at 7:05 we understood it may not be possible to be seated early but we checked in and headed to the bar. At 7:35 we asked if we could be sat as our reservation time had passed; the hostess told us that all reservations were sat within 15 mins of the actual time (odd I thought I was making a reservation to eat at the time I wanted) at 8 pm we were paged A WHOLE HALF HOUR after our reservation. The waiter was very nice and we did receive a free appetizer for our trouble but then our meal took OVER AN HOUR to get to our table. Absolutely ridiculous!
It's really too bad because I love that the restaurant is on the water, and the food is great! -
Review from Sharon B.
Watertown, MA
5/14/2012
We went there for Mother's Day and ordered off the price fix menu, and had one of the worst meals ever. This restaurant is one of the most over priced and over hyped restaurant in the Boston area.
We ordered tuna, which had a "refridgerator taste", salmon, which was overcooked and dried out, halibut, undercooked, some sort of lobster conconcoction, which was badly spiced, a children's meal, hamburger, burnt, chicken fingers, at best frozen food dried out and burnt. The shaved asparagus appertizer was a pickled mess and again badly flavored. Dessert wasn't much better, lemon semifreddo overly lemony and overly jello like, some sort of tart that was at best a knock off of a Sara Lee dessert. And the cocktails truly overpriced at $20 for a glass of Sangria minus alcohol.
The only saving grace was the view out the windows to the Boston Harbor.
I would not go back to any Legal Seafoods Restaurant anywhere ever again!! We should have gone to DelFrisco's next door, where we have never had a bad meal, or Davio's in Park Square, another fantastic place not ever to be disappointed restaurant, or Lucca's in the North End, anywhere but Legal Seafoods, ugh. -
Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
3/19/2012
This is actually a review for floor 2 of the Legal Harborside complex, but Yelp doesn't seem to have a listing for that.
The space is undoubtedly gorgeous and perfect for a night of fine dining. Unfortunately, the food just doesn't meet expectations. I had the Halibut with lobster and the portions were absolutely tiny. A small hunk of fish, a few fried cauliflowers and two tiny pieces of lobster. It was good but I was finished within 5 minutes and still hungry. And all this for $38? For that matter, almost every entree on the menu is in the $30s and yet the portion size is consistently small.
I also had a cosmo and while it was tasty, it was also incredibly watered-down and sugary and tasted nothing like a traditional cosmo. Within our party, we had 3 orders of cosmos and no two drinks ever turned out the same. I would have expected better from the bar. The Maple Leaf was quite good, though.
I will give props for the service. Our party had a lot of trouble getting together on time (out-of-towners stuck in traffic) and the staff let us keep our reservation even though we were an hour late when we were finally seated. Our waiter(s) were pretty attentive throughout the meal and were quite friendly. So kudos to them. -
Review from Paula A.
Medford, MA
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
The space is great. The view is spectacular. Our server was top notch. The hostess was nice & we were seated w/in minutes of our scheduled reservation time.
However ---- I didn't love my meal, I got the halibut, cheese & veggies in tin foil - it was meh. BF got the seared yellow fin tuna - which he liked. The crowd was a bit on the cheesy side, the bar was a total mob scene. if i walked by some night & it wasn't a complete cluster f%ck, i'd probably try it again. -
Review from Will P.
Portsmouth, NH
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
What can you say, it is Legals with a water view.
-
Review from Josie G.
Boston, MA
4/22/2012
A friend and I came here during the week on a Tuesday for lunch. A perfect day to be sitting in the sun on the deck - HEAVEN. We started with margaritas from hell, a coconut water drink (delicious) and then settled down with cucumber drinks - (the best). Everything we ordered was great- oysters, crab salad, lobster roll. It really was just a great lunch. Service was outstanding- his name was Mike!
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Review from Rhea K.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012
Came here while waiting for a flight out of Boston.. had about 2 hours to kill, so we decided to get some last minute seafood before leaving the city.
Oysters are really good, and very fresh. Clam chowder was also good, but I'm not really a good judge of chowder.
Ended up getting the lobster roll here which was pretty good! It was served on a buttery, thick brioche slice, and tasted great. Fries were slightly sweet(?) and really crispy. Also got the bucatini pasta... it was okay. I guess you don't go to a seafood restaurant to get vegetarian bucatini, but it was only just ok.
Our server, Julie D, was extremely nice and didn't rush us at all. I felt a little bad sitting there for so long, but there wasn't really a wait and she didn't make us feel weird. -
Review from Kyrah C.
Richardson, TX
5/7/2012
Food was outstanding...server was a little over zealous..but if that's my only complaint...guess it is pretty fantastic...location has great view of harbor also!
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Review from John P.
Charlotte, NC
4/20/2012
Of the restaurants in the area, this is one of the more reasonably priced joints. Went for a quick lunch, but place was packed so all hopes for a quick lunch went out the door. Not a bad thing as the staff was attentitive. Ordered the chowder, as it is required for all tourists, and was satisified with the taste and consistency. Not too thick, yet not too soupy. Also went with their salad, which was well dressed and the chicken was freshly grilled. Would go back again... and probably will as my work per diem won't afford the other restaurants in the area (ie. Del Frisco's!).
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Review from Ellen H.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came on New Years Eve and could only get a 4:30pm reservation, but they did seat us at 4:30 despite only having 2 of 4 from our party there.
**NOTE: This menu is NOT the same as other Legal Seafoods restaurants.**
The menu itself is pretty small: a one-sheeter with extensive seafood options (duh) and almost NO "turf" options -- a skirt steak salad and one other steak option were the only meat options to be had. It is a seafood restaurant on the water, but I did expect a bit more variety.
I had the clam chowder - delish! SUPER hot but scrumptious nonetheless. I ordered the buffalo shrimp as my meal; I expected a shrimp cocktail with some kind of buffalo rub, but what I got was deep-fried shrimp SWIMMING in buffalo sauce. Just ok, not great. The shrimp were huge which was really the only plus.
We had to ask for bread about 5 times -- she would only bring one roll per person at the table and only when prompted. That was a little annoying in terms of service.
The drinks were good, especially the mojito.
Prices were lower than other Legal's, and lower than I'd expect, especially in Boston.
I'd come back if I had a major hankering for seafood -- or clam chowder -- but it's not top on my list (maybe in summer -- great views!) -
Review from Halorin T.
Brookline, MA
1/28/2012
Really great seafood, especially for the price. I ordered the crabcake combo platter and loved everything on in. The scallops were amazing. I also ordered a dozen local oysters. They were the biggest oysters I've ever seen and they were very flavorful.
I would definitely rely on this chain in the future to serve me high quality seafood at a reasonable price. I think it is a good place to take out-of-towners because you know you can count on the quality. -
Review from Gail S.
Boston, MA
5/2/2012
We really enjoy Legal Harborside -- the food is consistently good and the service is always fast, professional and friendly. First, the restaurant is beautiful -- all three floors have a stunning view of Boston Harbor. You can find nice healthy and vegetarian options -- their Big Salad is fabulous (fresh greens, tomatoes, asparagus, chick peas, olives in a balsamic dressing) as is their swordfish salad. Of course, they serve Legal staples like an incredible lobster roll, fish & chips, baked schrod, fresh lobster, homemade chowder, crabmeat salad, etc. There are plenty of options for seafood haters too -- in fact, their burger is pretty terrific. Lastly, they sell fresh fish, lobster and other goodies at their market on the first floor. The third floor --with its expansive outdoor deck and gorgeous view -- attracts a hopping crowd at night and on the weekends when the weather is nice.
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Review from Food G.
Williamstown, VT
1/30/2012
Disclaimer: this review is based on the top floor, lounge menu not the regular menu.
Recently attended a company event up on the 4th floor of Legal Harborside where the "lounge menu" was served buffet style. I was excited to try it out as I have had good meals at the Legals near the aquarium...boy was I dissapointed. The waitstaff was good and attentive, but they were only dealing with drinks, so they get a little bit of a pass. The food on the other hand, was way, way below expectations.
I started with the Clam Chowder which was ok, but really lacked seasoning. I dont find it a good sign when a seafood place cant do a good chowder. The trooper I am, I moved on to the Lobster Risotto. Sadly this was almost completely tasteless (again, where's seasoning?) and cold... not cool, cold. Strike two. Maybe the Chicken Satay skewers will be better I thought? Wrong. I could tell with the first bite I tried that it was barely on the side of properly cooked. Strike three.
A normal person would stop after three strikes, but I then noticed the shrimp. I love shrimp and surely that must be good, I thought to myself. Wrong again! Its not hard to tell frozen shrimp from fresh and these were definitely previously frozen. Add to that the fact they are drowning in some "cocktail type" sauce by default and you have a recipe for sub-par. I'm an adult, give me fresh shrimp with sauce on the side and let me decide how I want to sauce them. This shouldn't be too much to ask of a famous seafood restaurant. -
Review from Susan J.
Boston, MA
1/30/2012
I've been a few times to this legals and have tried the sushi and some of the other dishes on all different floors. My boyfriend and I went over the weekend and he was in the mood for fish and I was in the mood for sushi so we thought it was the perfect spot! But they really could not accomidate us because they only serve certain things on certain floors. If we wanted to get the actual dishes we wanted, my boyfriend and I would have had to sit on different floors!!!
It's really like 3 different restaurants. We ended up sitting on the 2nd floor where i was able to get a rare tuna appetizer as my dinner, but left pretty hungry.
Dissapointed that they cannot find a way to offer similar things throghout the restaurant. -
Review from Matthew B.
Boston, MA
11/6/2011
Are you an ostentatious git? If so, you may enjoy Legal Harborside. This restaurant, though billed as the crown jewel of the Legal franchise, is by far the worst.
As a family, we have been patronizing Legal Sea Foods for decades; however our meal here tonight has made us reconsider our devotion to this local chain.
Let's talk food. The selection is very limited as the entire menu takes up just one page. Upon first glance, you'll notice that most starters are over $15 and most entries over $40. Before placing our order, our waiter notified us that we were entitled to a "complimentary" bottle of water (sparkling or flat). Wow. Complimentary water. After placing our order, our waiter returned to the table to inform us that the kitchen had just run out of salmon. Really? Legal running our of salmon? Strike One.
Before our appetizers were served, we each received (another) "complimentary" bowl of squash soup. But to call it a bowl would really be too kind; it was more like a thimbleful. Our appetizers arrived and were quite good. Then, after they were cleared and the table was crumbed, we eagerly awaited our entrees. And we waited... Strike Two.
When the food arrived, we were all generally pleased with the quality. However, we've enjoyed most of our dishes at the various Legals we've patronized over the years; while the food here good, it was by no means a step above the others. One member of our party ordered a chicken entree. For roughly $30, he received 1/4 of a chicken. Sorry, but no matter what you do to it, no 1/4 chicken is worth $30. Strike Three.
So to review, this place is all about ambiance (dark wood paneling and harbor views) and ostentation. In that regard, it fits in very well with the whole milieu of the Seaport District. As long-time Legal fans, we all gave this place a resounding thumbs down!
p.s. To add insult to injury, the third floor was reserved for a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch get together. Sorry, but didn't you guys just get bailed out by us (the taxpayer)? How bout you drag your sorry bloated asses to the 99 next time? -
Review from Albert B.
Boston, MA
1/3/2012
The food was fantastic, as were the views of the water. Staff was attentive and friendly. My friends 7 month year old baby was dining with us, and at least 6 members of the staff came to our table to say "hi" to her- it was a nice touch.
Definitely recommend. Rainbow trout is phenomenal. -
Review from Erin C.
11/21/2011
On Saturday night around 6:30 my date and I headed down to try to grab a table for dinner on the 2nd floor. There was about a 30-40 minute wait so we just hopped up to the 3rd floor for some drinks. We split some oysters and a small pitcher of the White Sangria. Both were good, but nothing outstanding. I was a little disappointed that the bartender seemed to forget who we were and what we ordered every time he tried to give us someone else's order. He was nice though so that kind of made upf or it.
Our experience on the 2nd floor was expensive but tasty. We split the mussels which was enough for both of us to have about 2 bites each. For my entree I had the sable and my date had the salmon. Both were cooked perfectly and super tasty. Our dessert of white chocolate cheesecake with cranberry sauce was sweet and tangy plus the perfect size for two people.
The only thing that drove me nuts was our server. He was a bit of a pain and didn't seem pleased that we weren't ordering multiple appetizers. After we ordered he actually didn't stop by once to ask us how our meal was, fill up water or anything.
I'd definitely be back to try the first floor and check out the 3rd floor when the place is opened up. -
Review from Brad E.
Mukilteo, WA
12/18/2011
We started out with a terrific wine Cakebread chardonnay. Always a plus. We asked our waiter to recommend some oysters for an appetizer. He selected 4 different oyseters: Wianno XL, Glidden Pt, Kumamoto, and the wellfleet all of which were fantastic. We both liked the Wianno XL's best.
For entrees, I had the grilled swordfish and my wife had the ahi. Both were cooked perfectly. The fish was the star of the show without sauces or other items to cover the taste of the fish. We had some interesting sides: soba noodles and orzo salad. Both dishes were interesting and went well with the fresh fish.
For dessert, we had the boston creme pie, coffee tres leche, and chocolate mocha cake.
The boston creme pie was not great. It was fine but wasn't something I'd have again. The coffee tres leche was light and simply melted in my mouth. Absolutely delicious. My wife's favorite was the chocolate mocha cake. The flavor was good and the texture was smooth and creamy.
I am a fan. -
Review from V B.
Arlington, TX
4/25/2012
Before arriving in Boston we were told that this place is a must. The chowder would be something that we'd be wanting second helpings of. We went for dinner on a Friday night, and I'm sure they are always busy on the weekends, but add the fact that the Boston Marathon was taking place that Monday and their expo was just down the street didn't help. Because of the 2 1/2 hour wait we opted to dine at the bar. We missed out on the view that we were hoping for but it was still a great experience. Our server was great. Very attentive and made sure we were good with everything we ordered...she knew it was our first time there. We started with the clam chowder and it definitely did not disappoint. One of the top 2 that we had while in Boston. For my meal I had the crab meat roll with a side of fries and mashed potatoes. The fries were pretty normal, but the mashed potatoes were heavenly. The crab meat roll came out like a sandwich which I wasn't entirely suspecting. I didn't eat the bread, scared It would take up too much room and leave me too full to eat all the crab meat. The crab meat was delicious and so fresh.
Like I said, this place was beyond busy. I'm not sure if it's normally that busy on a Friday night or if it was the Boston Marathon that made it a madhouse. I'd love to go back and try to dine during a slower time so we can have the view we were hoping for. -
Review from Jon R.
Lone Tree, CO
3/13/2012
I went on a Monday expecting a subtle crowd. I was wrongly informed. This playrd was pretty crowded but yet enjoyable. I sat by the raw bar and the service was good. I had clam chowder and a crab roll. They were both satisfying and tasty.
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Review from Raphael D.
Brooklyn, NY
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ocean scallops are fussy creatures on the grill or in the pan. Five seconds too early and you have an undercooked scallop. Ten seconds too long and you have a rubbery nugget that could have been a decadent morsel as soft as butter. Here they're somewhere in between. Gonna stick with the lobster or the filets next time.
Other than that they have a great beer selection, clams and oysters were super fresh and delicious, amazing view if your table is near the water and the service was pretty spot-on. -
Review from David T.
10/19/2011
I came here for lunch and enjoyed the food and the ambience for the most part.
I had some mussels to start off with, and I'm not a mussels expert so I didn't really factor them into my opinion of this place, but I had a number of different kinds of mussel and I have to say they all were kind of the same taste-wise.... salty.
Anyways, for my entree I had salmon with potatos and spinach and it was great. The spinach was cooked very well so that it wasn't too tender and had still had texture. The mashed potatoes were very good. The only complaint I had about the two sides was that I wanted more when I was done!
The salmon was good, but they never asked me how I wanted it cooked. It was a little crisp on the outside and raw-ish in the middle. I'm sure it was fine, but personally I like my fish a little more on the cooked side. If I wanted sashimi, I would have gone to a Japanese place.
All in all though, it tasted great, so perhaps I'm just being a bit difficult. I'd definitely go there again. Not too bad in terms of price for being a sit-down seafood place, at least for lunch. -
Review from Brittany H.
New York, NY
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
i hate chain restaurants... i''ll repeat.... HATE them....
BUT i suppose the only reason why i've been dragged here is to check out the amazing view of the waterfront and to hang out with my amazing friend. otherwise... i've been conned.
flipside...we had a table for two outside. the view was breathtakingly beautiful on a saturday afternoon. the downside... food was mediocre and downright terrible. calamari would have been better if the batter wasn't so soggy. i had the tuna burger... and sadly, wish i would have ordered the lobster roll instead. also, the only oysters worth ordering were OUT that day!!!! :(
flipside... our waitress was extremely patient and funny with us. i was a pain in the ass and frowned at everything... however, she graced us with her humor. had their sangrias...not as good as it used to be, but still enjoyable on a hot, dry day.
let's face it... i paid for the experience...not the food. gladly come back to sit outside on the patio for drinks and apps only. -
Review from Justin S.
Milton, MA
1/14/2012
Legal Seafoods is one of those restaurants where you can go into any of the locations and know exactly what to expect after a few visits. They all serve the same menu of seafood dishes, and some meat dishes as well for those who are not into fish. The only exception to that was the Legal Test Kitchen....until now.
I went to the Legal by the harbor for the first time today with my dad after having a blast at the New England Auto Show. When you walk in, the first thing you'll notice is an elevator. But HALT! That elevator is for the second floor. It was explained to us that floor was reserved for "fine dining". The 1% can enjoy their lobsters without being nauseated by us commoners, or so I thought. When we were leaving though, I witnessed some casually dressed older people boarding the elevator to make their journey to fancy town. Nobody was forcing them back with a broom handle, so I assume it's not "Black tie" or anything like that.
The atmosphere of the restaurant certainly isn't Long John Silver's-y. Meaning if you didn't know this was a venture by Legal, there would be little to give it away besides the menu and the raw bar near the front of the restaurant. There is seating with traditional chairs, and there is also bench seating by the windows. Oh, the windows. What a lovely view of the harbor you have from this restaurant. That's why they don't need to decorate as a seafood restaurant might with buoys on the wall, and plastic squeaky lobsters tangled within them. Lobster traps aloft with nets draped over them? That is SO 1970's. You'll certainly find nothing like that here. But that view is the thing of travel pamphlet photos that a vacationer might snap up at the rest stop, and forget about in the pocket on the back of the driver's seat of their Toyota Sienna. It really would make a rookie Legal diner comfortable, and reassure them that they were getting the freshest food possible. Looking out on the harbor from this vantage point definitely has a relaxing effect.
They do not have the regular Legal menu here. But there are still plenty of great dishes to choose from. I ordered the fried sea scallops with french fries and cole slaw. My dad ordered the same thing. But he substituted the fries with Japanese marinated eggplant. We talked a little bit, and before we knew it BOOM! The food was in front of us. It was really that quick. I've experienced slower service at KFC. I think the man who delivered the food had a lightning bolt on the front of his shirt. But I may be imagining it.
The scallops were definitely fresh and delicious. The french fries were crunchy and delicious as well. My dad wanted me to sample the eggplant. I told him to go first, falling on the side of caution because it was "Japanese" style, and wary that it might include some wasabi. Which is something I do not care for. Then I said "Well, how is it?". He said "Hot, try it." There was no wasabi, so I took some on my fork, still thinking he meant "hot" as in "spicy". But NO. It was indeed hot in temperature when it hit the tongue. Yet not so hot that it burnt the taste buds. But it was definitely not cold. There was some vinegary taste to it. I enjoyed the flavor. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this Legal location is the cole slaw. You might be asking yourself "Why is that?". Well, I'll tell you reader. Usually at Legal locations the cole slaw is something I do not care for. It's dry and tasteless at every other normal Legal location. But this Legal is anything but the norm for the brand. The cole slaw wasn't dry at all. It had flavor, and for the first time ever I actually finished my cole slaw at a Legal Seafoods restaurant. Either this place is exceptional for the brand, or they finally got their cole slaw recipe correct. Magnificent.
The prices are noticeably reasonable compared to the other locations (not including the Legal Test Kitchen across the street). If you love seafood, you can eat here with confidence. But do not neglect the Legal Test Kitchen across the street merely because this place beams with awesomeness. The Test Kitchen has a lot of great things going for it too.
Four stars for an excellent restaurant....plus one for getting the cole slaw right....FINALLY. -
Review from Tom H.
Cambridge, MA
3/10/2012
Way to noisy. Went to dine saturday evening -1st & 3rd floor
constant booming disco music- too loud for conversation
what is the reason for that? I left with a head ache -
Review from Kallie F.
Boston, MA
12/1/2011
We took my mom here during the Thanksgiving weekend. We were greeted promptly by a host who explained the three different floors. She had us seated right away in front of the window (great view and seats). The food was good, nothing to blow us away, but is was the first floor more casual setting. The service was just OK. She was neither great, or bad. Just did her job.
I would recommend the Boston cream pie to finish. We plan to go back and try out the third floor sushi area soon. For what its worth the location is great (scenic) nice layout for the space. I can't wait to visit in the warmer months when they have the glass doors open onto the water. -
Review from Morgan D.
9/15/2011
Went here for some birthday celebration cocktails and it was beauuuutiful!! As a visitor, I was blown away by the gorgeous view. I live near a waterfront city and man, I have never seen a place like this in Baltimore.
This is one of those spots where you feel that 'grown and sexy' cliche. AND I ENJOYED IT. It's nice to be around peers that are dressed up for the night out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the OMG I need to be decked out for tonight types...but it definitely is nice to go out all glammed up with the girls. And rarely do I want to feel like an 'adult', but it was a nice change.
Met some great people, had a great time. Boston, I love you! -
Review from Mitchell P.
Waltham, MA
2/17/2012
Went here yesterday for lunch, the building/view is awesome looking, unfortunately i cannot say the same for the food. I started with an appetizer the stuffed squid, it was disgusting, the sausage and squid and red sauce combo just didnt work, i could see this at the TEST kitchen, but not on someones real menu, oh and the best part it came with a 2 inch piece of plastic in the stuffed squid, must of been part of the special sauce or something. Any who main course Yellowfin tuna, it was decent, comes with some plain ole white rice like you would get at your local chinese food take out place, or from Shaw's lol.....just nothing really to wow about, a decent piece of tuna, but def not the best...I think they should go back to the normal legal seafoods menu, but even that is just ok
-
Review from BF K.
Chicago, IL
11/11/2011
If I could give negative stars on how our party was treated on the third floor, I'd fly those non existent stars on a non existent banner high in the sky for all to see.
We brought a group of forty people to the harbor side roof on a really nice, totally out of season night- it was beautiful out, and the crowd otherwise was really small, so the business we were bringing in (buying bottles, purple Jesus' for the group etc) was relevant. Sure we'd come from a party, and we may have had one or two people that probably needed to be cut off. Normally, if you see an issue with a patron, you A. Cut them off B. tell their friends you cut them off so they can deal with it C. Ask the patron to leave D. Tell the patron to leave E. kick the patron out the door. One or all of these.
So I ask you.. Since when do you tell an entire party of FORTY that they're cut off because two people need to stop for the evening? When the entire other THIRTY EIGHT people are fine and having a great night? Yea- this place does. And when you politely talk to the manager and security team about asking if they can let you know who the issue is so you can put them in a cab and keep on having a good time and they won't tell you? And refuse to reason? Well that's when I say you just lost a shiz load of business.
Thanks Legal Harborside, for exceeding my expectations on just how much more douchey your franchise has become. See you never. -
Review from Monica B.
Somerville, MA
11/8/2011
My girl friends and I, planned a girls night out starting out at this place, on a Saturday night. We went to the Third Floor, actually. First, it took the "hostess" close to 5 minutes to check our four IDs, they have to run them at this ID verification scanner and he didn't know how to use it...
We weren't seated, we had to find a table and when we finally did, it was dirty and it wasn't until we asked them is when they cleaned it. The employee poured some liquid on the table and I thought it was going to spill all over me because it was so much....
The waitress was really pleasant to talk to and friendly but, it took them forever to take our drinks order, maybe 20 minutes. We had a purple Jesus and a Senor Coconut, they were both fantastic.
It took them 30 minutes more, to take our order for food and another 30 minutes to serve the food. We all order sushi! I've been to sushi places before and they have never taken this long, even when we ordered a sushi boat!
The sushi tasted good and everything tasted very fresh - I'll give them that - but, the rolls were falling apart! We ALL are sushi lovers and we know how to use chop sticks but, in some cases my friends even had to grab the pieces with their hands because it was ridiculous.
We also ordered the only dessert available, chocolate cake. It was dry and just plain bad.
I've been to other Legal Sea Foods and it's been so much better than this place. The atmosphere was weird too, it seem as though the manager isn't sure what market he is aiming at and you have a combination of young professionals feeling awkward, singles in their late 40's and 50's looking to "catch" young women in their 20's (such as myself and friends) and families who want to enjoy family dinner.
The only two things I liked about this place in particular is obviously the gorgeous view and the drinks. Nothing else was good. -
Review from sonia d.
Boston, MA
10/13/2011
I was there a few days ago and had oyster and bubbly at the bar downstairs and then headed upstairs for drinks on the roofdeck. It was all around a great experience and I would love to have an event on the roof deck someday. The area upstairs is beautiful and the drinks are great as well.
I will definitely be back for dinner and will be able to rate better on the food.
Keep up the good work Legal's!! -
Review from Michael C.
Boston, MA
8/14/2011
Holy smokes is this place a zoo on a beautiful Friday night in August. Do not even think about arriving without a reservation or be prepared to wait, and wait and wait some more.
Floor 1: As with the entire restaurant, it has killer views with a great decor but God All Mighty is this place crowded.
Floor 3: 25 years ago I would have loved this floor. Again, absolutely killer views of the harbor and Logan. The area has wonderful outdoor seating, a great bar and is I suspect a gold mine.....the drinks were flowing and the cash was rolling in. Back to the 25 years ago; the average age was well south of mine and my wife's and the noise level well north of what I regard as normal. Beating a hasty retreat we head to floor 2.
Ahhhh...now this is my kind of place. The bar again has to die for views with wonderfully comfortable chairs and beyond competent bartenders. Passing on my usual Martini, I ordered a Manhattan. So good I ordered a second....after a cold stare from my wife I reluctantly passed on the third one.
We had diner with friends sitting outside. On an a perfect 80 degree no humidity night, it does not get much better than this. The menu is surprisingly light on fish offerings however what they have is excellent. Portions are a bit small, I think they need to be a bit more generous.
What they do serve is fresh and wonderfully presented. The staff are as well trained as I have ever experience anywhere. I am not sure how they do it but all staff are polite and obviously well trained.
Valet park your car; it is only 12 bucks. That makes up a bit for the expense. Granted we had 2 bottles of wine and desert however dinner for 4 was $345.00 before tip so bring the wallet.
