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All 1,957 Boston Restaurants »

Legal Sea Foods Harborside

270 Northern Ave, Liberty Wharf, Boston, MA 02210-2022
617-477-2900
Ranked #104 of 1,957 restaurants in Boston
4.0 of 5 stars 101 Reviews
Price range: 30 AUD - 32 AUD
Cuisines: Seafood
More restaurant details
Restaurant details
Good for: Entertaining clients
Dining options: Reservations, After-hours
Dining style: Casual Dining
Transit: Silver Line Way (Silver Line)
Description: The first floor hull of Legal Harborside is a nod to Legal Sea Foods’ heritage, a fish market opened in 1950 in Inman Square, Cambridge that expanded in 1968 into a no-frills restaurant where guests sat on picnic tables. Here you'll enjoy a casual menu of seafood favorites with a twist as well as shareable plates, pastas and pizzas made to order in an open kitchen. Choose to eat at one of the picnic tables for an authentic throwback experience or grab a seat at the oyster bar and watch the shuckers at work (up to 14 varieties of oysters are offered daily). Opt instead for the large elliptical bar where both wine and local beers are on tap or request patio seating, along Boston's HarborWalk. Other highlights include a "catch and release" trout pond and a retail market, with a fish monger on site, that offers fresh seafood, takeout and grab and go.
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101 reviews from our community

74% Recommend
    41
    34
    15
    10
    1
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Atlanta, Georgia
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2012 NEW

My son and I were in Boston...and figured, "why not Legal Sea Foods?" He's a big seafood fan. He ordered the lobster bake, which was HUGE. He said it was ok. Being a vegetarian, I had a side of green beans and mashed potatoes. The green beans were just...overly buttered. And possibly overcooked. The wine list was decent, but not... More

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New York City, New York
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 May 2012 NEW

If you want the best and most fresh fish in Boston, Legal's Harborside, 2nd floor! The key is the second floor...as the first is their typical Legals, which is very good, but very commercial food. Unique and well thought out, Kudos! More

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 May 2012

I dined here recently with business colleagues and it was quite good, though extremely loud (not the place for romantic dinnertime conversation). Wait staff was attentive and after we ordered we were given delicious bread and a small shot of cold melon soup with goat cheese. Different than anything I've eaten before, but delicious. For my appetizer, I had the... More

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See 4 more reviews by Reenie429 for Boston
Boston
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2012

We have eaten at Legal Seafood many times with and a very positive experience but not here. We arrived early on a Friday night and without a reservation ended up eating at a counter. Great seat overlooking the water. It was better than sitting at a table. The noise was what you expect on a beautiful Friday night in mid... More

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Sydney, Australia
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012

Brilliant. Great location, great decor, great service, great food. Decor really appropriate to waterfront and wharf location - sort of industrial, loved it. And the food was imaginative and very good. In Boston for 10 days I ate here 3 times. More

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See 2 more reviews by SydneyTommy for Boston
Chicago, Illinois
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2012

It's definitely on the high end but does not disappoint with seafood and sushi. My favorite was the lobster roll. Oysters arent my thing but my co-worker said they were very good. The third floor bar/lounge is gorgeous and has a beautiful view. More

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Boston
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 May 2012

I love Legal Seafood, period. Best fish around. The new Harborside Legal is in a spectacular building in a spectacular location. One thing that is wonderful about Legal is they keep messing with their own success to make great greater. Here they are trying a different experience and different menu, and it works. Among the 4 of us at lunch... More

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See 4 more reviews by dryFlyfisher for Boston
Malden, Massachusetts
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 May 2012

We are Legal Seafoods and Legal Test Kitchen fans, but we were disappointed with Legal Seafoods Harborside in the Seaport District of Boston. We each had the "Fish in Foil" which was haddock and vegetables steamed in foil. There fish and vegetables were perfectly cooked, but there was not much seasoning or flavour. The chocolate mocha cake was OK. They... More

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Boston, Massachusetts
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 May 2012

We ate at Legal Sea Foods Harborside - upstairs in the more formal restaurant 3 weeks ago. Overall the experience left a bit to be desired. From a menu perspective, it really tries to be an upscale experience with prices to match. But it just misses the mark for a restaurant at the same price point. We had the tasting... More

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See 2 more reviews by brysal for Boston
Boston, Massachusetts
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 May 2012

Delicious and affordable meal on the first floor overlooking the harbor. Great selection of oysters from all over New England. We'll definitely be going back. More

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See 5 more reviews by maxclancy72 for Boston

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