Best seafood in Boston area

If you want something very rustic try The Barking Crab

My favorite Italian style seafood is The Daily Catch in the North end but I think there is now one near the court house.

Is there a particular area in Boston you plan to go?

No Names in Southie is also good...

Just a place to eat. Actually going to Foxboro for game Sunday.

Boston is 30 miles from Foxborough. Will you be staying in Boston?

Would a place closer to Foxborough be more appropriate?

Do you actually want to go into Boston to eat since you will be on Foxboro?

No names is also a go to type place as was suggested above again like the barking crab no frills sort of place. Both are close to one another near the Seaport area .., I know the poster above said southie but it is more in the renamed seaport area of Boston.

Both offer basic variety of seafood.

Foxboro itself at Gillette has a variety of restaurants too ... I believe Skipjacks is there which they also have this restaurant in Boston and a nicer seafood restaurant.

but Southie sounds more bad-ass!

everything on this side of the Fort Point Channel is Southie as far as i'm concerned...

Yeah it is - but now it is all done up nice -- not bad-ass like Southie is supposed to be.

Do you remember the Channel in Southie! Loved that place - my friend used to work there so I got in free and drank for free. That is when this area was awesome and a dump at the same time. They had the "fish lots" where you could park for $5 and then walk over the bridge to downtown to work.

Now it is all Shake Shack, Legal Seafood Kitchen, nice hotels, etc. Even No Names has a name on it now. It used to be called No Names because there was No Name and they didn't have any liquor so you had to bring your own beer or wine.

I miss those days.

Yeah let us know where you are staying, the type of place you want -- dive/rustic, casual fine dining or fine dining and I am sure we could come with some. It you are staying at Gillette itself (I know there are two hotels right there) - then I would suggest just going to SkipJacks - it is a good seafood restaurant - more along the lines of casual fine dining. I have eaten at both the Boston location (used to work in the same building that is attached to this restaurant in Boston years and years ago) and the one in Gillette.

Here is there website so you could look at the menu
https://www.skipjacks.com/

If you want something more casual in that area let us all know I am sure we can find some. I just don't remember any off the top of my head.

Very casual in Boston - Barking Crab and No Names are your best bet - No Names will have just slightly better seating, but either one will have great food. At No Names get the seafood chowder it is well known for this.

so do i...

on a whim, i went to No Names a few weeks ago.

hadn't been there in years... the food hasn't changed a bit.

but it was mighty confusing trying to navigate all the new streets and buildings.

many sidewalks were closed due to construction.

long gone are the two massive parking lots i used to use as a shortcut...

We went in December of last year - had some younger family members visiting during their college break. We took them to No Names.

I work in Southie (the actual Southie) near Broadway station - I used to work at the World Trade Center before all the construction was finished - left about the time Remy's and those restaurants were built but before the huge influx of everything else. When I first worked there - there was so few things in the area - and now it is like a city to itself.

Well, in Ct tonight and going to Foxboro Fri. Figured we would probably spend Sat in Boston so dinner there abouts was the idea. If there is better between Boston and Foxboro I am all ears.

Southie place is sounding good. Let me look up online.

The good thing about No Name is you can get really fresh seafood either fried or more healthy broiled. It won't be fancy but it will be fresh and the price will be reasonable bonus parking is free.

Went to No Names and was completely underwhelmed.

The Seafood chowder was watery and bland. I did like the big chunks of seafood in it but not a lot "chowdery" about. Like Wendy's chili it seemed to just have all the left overs from the previous day mixed with water and some Old Bay.

I ordered steamed lobster which comes with fried scallops and shrimp, my wife ordered a special of the day lobster mac and cheese.

Sat in the back by the windows so I could watch the water...

We got the Chowder and some toast. Then I was watching the really bug sea gulls when our waiter brought out the scallops and shrimp in a puddle of pickle juice? Home made tartar sauce? Some pickle mix. The scallops and shrimp were completely indistinguishable. I had to order some cocktail sauce so I could at least taste something.

Then we got a couple large portions of what I believe was Cole Slaw? Cabbage salad in a bland sauce. Everything was bland... Even the water tasted watered down.

My wife then received her lobster mac and cheese, but they did not think to actually heat it up before bringing it out.

Then came an order of fries. Didn't recall ordering them, but ok.

Finally I got a lobster. Was hot to the touch and looked ok. Then brought out the heated up mac and cheese.

Busting into the lobster, took off a big ol claw and my "steamed" lobster had a whole lotta water in it. Busted into it with the nutcracker and found a piece of lobster meat. Was ok.

The Mac and cheese was good.

But, and this is interesting, the best part of dinner were the people that surrounded us. To our right was a single guy who was eating clams when we sat down. He had an entire platter of fried clams, fries and a bowl of chowder. He then asked for an additional bowl of chowder. After that, he then ordered a full fried seafood platter an additional giant cole slaw and a can of diet coke. We couldn't help to overhear his conversation with the waiter. He used to come there a lot back in the 70's but he moved to England and was living on the aisle of Man and only gets back every 3-5 years.
After the seafood platter he ordered a brownie with ice cream adn then... ordered another one... The man could eat.

To our left was an older couple, probably in their 70's. He also commented on the way food was brought in in waves. "It's a 5 course meal!" Then... he ordered a hamburger...

Overall, the day in Boston was good. No complaints but I wish dinner was better.

As far as chowder goes it is a very subjective type thong... some people prefer it more creamy some less like the no name type. What makes theirs so popular is the amount of seafood in it.

For the lobster ... was it soft shelled? Lobsters shells will either be more hard shelled or soft depending when they molt. If it is softer shelled they will have more water because there is more space between their meat and shell. Both hard and soft shell will have water but soft will have more... this has nothing to do with how they are prepared. Just they live in the water so there is always water that seeps within their shell.

In a place like no name or more rustic basic places always stick to the basic menu items. It is a no frills fresh seafood place. Like you ordering lobster ... a basic item. Otherwise you ho to like a skipjacks that’s I suggested.

Funny I almost made a comment about the sea gulls around there but honestly what would you expect on fish pier?

I think that is why I asked what sort of seafood place you are looking for? Sounds like you would have preferred a more casual fine dining than basic rustic.

You're telling me! I still don't understand the Manhattan version of it, which, seems to be more like a bad tomato soup. If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was the result of some fool chef who was drunk on Manhattans.

saw on FB this morning -- after 102 years, No Names is closing ...

They are so building up that area of Seaport - the real estate is prime and they are probably getting an offer they cannot refuse.

Reminds me of southie - they are tearing down all the mom and pop places and building these expensive condos. Is there really that many people with that much money? All of a sudden southie property is prime. Every time I walk by one of these places and seeing a sign with the closing it makes me said -- then in months some very tall building is there with a condo for sale sign on it.

Pretty soon the southie of Good Will Hunting will be gone.