Summer Shack
| Address: | 50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115, USA |
| Phone: | +1 617-867-9955 |
| Site: | summershackrestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
SU
Sutirtha Bagchi
I was staying at the Hilton in Back Bay for a conference and I did not want to travel far to get dinner. Summer Shack turned out to be the closest place which is how I found myself here on a Wednesday evening in November of 2015. For the appetizer I went with fried clams and for my main course, I ordered the moqueca. The fried clams were not particularly to my liking but frankly I would attribute some of that to me not being a huge fan of clams rather than laying it all on the restaurant. However, I do like moqueca, have had it before, and would have certainly appreciated a good dish. This dish too turned out to be disappointing -- e.g. it had excessive salt. Moreover, the broth lacked any distinctive flavors whereas on an earlier occasion when I have had m., I have enjoyed the flavor of saffron. Another problem - while there was a decent portion of lobster, it turns out that the lobster had been overcooked. That made it a bit fibrous and lacking in the tenderness characteristic of lobster meat that is properly cooked. Ultimately what leads me to my poor rating is the fact that I was charged $4 extra for another bowl of rice to go with the moqueca. Places where entrees cost half as much would not think of charging extra for a small bowl of rice and I was simply shocked by the fact these folks charged me 4 extra bucks for an extra bowl of rice for a dish that was priced at $30. Besides, I found the service to be very lackluster and my glass of water was not refilled. Overall, I really regret having gone to the Summer Shack for my dinner. Never again will I step into this restaurant.
CR
Cristina Ruiz
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 its great for bigger parties, and the staff has always been organized and accommodating of our needs. Weve 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, theres 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 Ive 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.
LA
Laura Schmidt
Walked in on a whim heard Aretha Franklin playing and said, "This is the place!" We didnt have a reservation so we sat at the bar. The place is DARK, it was daytime but it was really dark! It was jumping because it was Friday and the Sox were playing. People taking pictures of their food and I admit the presentation did look pretty. We wanted to start with appetizers so we got fries and a cup of Bermuda chowder. The bartender set down plates and utensils, thats when I noticed some food stuck on the plate. I asked for another and he was super nice and quickly replaced it. The second plate was also dirty with a greasy layer on it that smudged when I picked it up. Our food came out super fast so I didnt have a chance to cancel. It was also super skimpy about 16 fries $5.00 please and the soup was okay but nothing to write home about. I figured it was fried and boiled so hopefully that killed the germs from the dirty plates. I opened up the utensils, guess what? More greasy slime. At that point I was skeeved so we paid our tab and skiddaddled. I can imagine if you ordered raw food what you might bring home.
MI
Mike Korby
A few of us flew into Boston for the weekend with the intention of indulging in some seafood. Based on our location, and the existing reviews for Summer Shack, we opted to give it a try for dinner. Our initial wait time was significantly inflated - we were quoted an hour and a half over the phone, yet were seated almost immediately upon walking in moments later. Several of us ordered lobster rolls, which were average at best. One patron in our group ordered the Caesar salad, which was reported as having a rancid taste. Finally, an additional member of our group, with a sensitivity to shellfish, was insufficiently assisted. In that, her request for something cooked away from shellfish was met with disdain. The only bright spot came in the form of the complimentary cornbread, which was edible.
DR
Drew Starr
Perfectly serviceable seafood with a fairly mediocre bar. Youre not going to get anything here that will surprise you, and the food very much feels like the food youd expect at a decent sea-side seafood restaurant, but theres nothing wrong with that. They make a damn good (yankee) cornbread and Jasper Whites pan-roasted lobster should be on every persons must-have dish list for Boston -- the chowder is not. Always a decent and rationally priced oyster list, as well. Service is affable but often times less than professional -- forgotten water and confused orders will happen with most large tables. I send tourists and less-adventurous out of towners looking for seafood here (but never to Legal). For people who want the best seafood around this area, I send them to Island Creek Oyster Bar.
TE
Terri Lee
We just visited Summer Shack with my cousins visiting from LA. They wanted something they cant get in LA and we thought this place would be good authentic Boston grub. It is good seafood-- they had a good lobster roll and a bouillabaisse, but the clams were disappointing-- lots of sand and broth was on the side, so they clams were cold when we got them.... The fried belly clams were good and the clam chowder had great flavor, but not as much clams as I expected. The oyster crackers seemed different-- harder than other so they were tasty and kept their crunch. All in all, a decent meal but not spectacular.
AR
Ariel Gustavo Scafuri
Local tipico bom para comer. Fui jantar junto com colegas e fomos recebidos por garçom brasileiro. Comimos Soft Shell Crab que é fantastico, a famosa Lagosta Pan. Para quem curte comidas DEEP FRIED é maravilhoso e SEAFOOD. Se vc é vegetariano, sugiro outro local.
DA
Daniel Cleveland
Overall the food was good and the wait was minimal. There is a parking garage right next door to the restaurant so no worries with parking. Its quite touristy but the overall presentation was good and waitstaff attention was well. The Boston cream pie was good as well since were not from the area we thought into give it a try. The lobster roll was served cold but I would have preferred hot. The remolade sauce was decent and not too spicy. Overall well done from a Louisiana tourist.
TI
Tina B
Came here on the suggestion of a local and was not disappointed! At the suggestion of our server (who was fantastic and friendly), we started off with the clam chowder (b/c when in Boston, why would you do anything else) and the griddle cornbread with molasses butter. Then split the lobster roll, which was amazing. Then finished with Jaspers famous pan roasted lobster (3 lbs.); it was fantastic, especially the garlic butter sauce. All in all, great experience and cuisine!
