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Barking Crab Boston Reviews List
Barking Crab Boston
Barking Crab is a landmark Boston seafood restaurant celebrating our fifteenth season. Located on the Fort Point Channel in Boston's Seaport District, The Barking Crab features fresh crabs, lobsters, and day-boat fish brought in each morning. We feature traditional New England fare served in a funky urban clam-shack setting. We have a full bar including over 15 regional micro brews, cocktails, and an approachable value-priced wine list. We are family friendly and a short 2 minute walk from the Boston Children's Museum. Other area attractions include the Institute of Contemporary Art, Harpoon Brewery, the Harbor-walk, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, and Boston's Financial District.
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45 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Rating Breakdown 45 reviews
5 stars
(10)
4 stars
(26)
3 stars
(7)
2 stars
(2)
1 star
(0)
Food
(Outstanding)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.7
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- good for groups(20)
- great for outdoor dining(16)
- scenic view(15)
- neighborhood gem(13)
- fit for foodies(12)
- kid-friendly(11)
Barking Crab Boston Reviews List
Review 1 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
First Visit to Barking Crab
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"My husband and I learned of the Barking Crab while on a trolley tour. The tour guide mentioned the restaurant as we were passing over a nearby bridge in Boston. The guide said that the Barking Crab was a favorite spot for locals; we were immediately interested and I was able to get us a reservation for later that evening. SInce it was our last night in Boston I wanted it to be special; we used to live in Virginia Beach and had fond memories of a restaurant there called 'The Duck Inn" I was hoping that the Barking Crab would be similar and I was not disappointed!!! The waitress was very attentive and made good recommendations regarding our food and drink choices, both of which were excellent. I would / will go back when I am next in Boston."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, scenic view, neighborhood gem
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Review 2 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Not the greatest Lobster
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"At least the one I got, a 2 lb one but it actually had a small tail and enormous claws. Meat was a bit squishy, but they do come out of the ocean and you can't really tell before cooking it, so yours may vary. Daughter had the steamers and they were excellent. Also the Lobster Bisque was quite good."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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Review 3 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Very good food, but also very expensive. I went for my 18th birthday the other day. Definitely worth going just once. Great atmosphere too, with live music"
Dined on 5/02/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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Review 4 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Great food, service & drinks..but
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Didn't care for the seating arrangements and tables. If you are a smaller than a group of 8 you will share a giant picnic table with other people. It can get loud, which is fine but hard to hear what somone on the other side of the table is saying. Also, my paper plate for the $15 appetizer ripped apart when I used my knife to cut the delicious scallop wrapped in bacon,I think the lemon juice did not help the durability. I like the overall atmosphere which fun and casual but for spending $150 for 3 people for dinner, I'd like to not eat off a cheap paper plate and have my own table.....just saying. I would go again but only with a large group."
Dined on 4/30/2013
Special Features: good for groups
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Review 5 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Georgians in Boston!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"LOVED the fried oyster appetizer!!! Wish there had been an entre just for those since they were so delicious! My friend had a great time with the lobster . . . loved it!"
Dined on 4/29/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, scenic view, neighborhood gem, hot spot, great for lunch
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Review 6 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Depends on what you're looking for
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The high bill after our meal did not reflect an upscale dining experience. There are picnic tables, plastic utensils, and a roll of brown paper towels. Wet naps are appreciated after eating any type of seafood. The steamers were small, the wood fired lobster was dry in the tail section. The claws were good. I enjoyed the sides of mashed potatoes and coleslaw. My son liked his salmon and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her lobster roll. Good food, but way too pricey for quality and ambiance."
Dined on 04/25/2013
2013
Special Features: kid-friendly
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Review 7 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Great food in a plain setting
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Although the ambiance was very "plain" the food more than made up for it. I've had lobster roll at other restaurants with all the ambiance you'd want to impress friends, neighbors, colleagues, loved ones (current and potential) and so forth however when the food actually arrived...NO ONE was impressed. This is not the case with the Barking Crab. My lobster roll had chunks of lobster the size of my thumb. Not tiny flecks ground up in some chicken salad kind of thing. This was huge chucks of lobster that dwarfed the split top bun it was in."
Dined on 04/21/2013
2011
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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Review 8 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Summer came Early!!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
"My experience at the Barking Crab Boston was great!! Having encountered such a tradegy 5 days before the atmosphere had a real laid back summertime feel. Summer style music playing. The hostess staff was pleasant and helpful(I would have been towed had the hostess not told me about parking) my server was friendly,polite, efficent and when other servers past by the asked how we were doing and if they could get us anything. Our meal(NE Lobster boil?) it was amazing!! It was worth the time and money to come in and celebrate our city at such a great restaurant! I can't say enough good things about our experience!
Summer came early Saturday thanks to the Barking CraB"
Summer came early Saturday thanks to the Barking CraB"
Dined on 04/20/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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Review 9 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noisy, energetic crowd. Friendly
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Noisy, energetic crowd. Friendly wait staff. Tasty shrimp and crab. Fun picnic atmosphere with paper plates, plastic forks, rolls of brown paper towels."
Dined on 04/21/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view
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Review 10 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Nice place, very noisy by
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Nice place, very noisy by friendly. Fresh seafood, wine very expensive in plastic glasses.... All is expensive but we liked it"
Dined on 04/20/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, hot spot
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Review 11 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Being from Maryland, I can
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Being from Maryland, I can say that the crab legs (Dungeness) were ok. Not bad, not great. The lobster (fire grilled 1.25 lb) was alright. Both could use a little spice of some sort. It was an overall good experience. We sat next to a cute family and enjoyed our beers."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2010
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, special occasion, scenic view
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Review 12 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
A real star!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Amazing seafood in a fun, lively setting. Fantastic!"
Dined on 03/30/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, late-night find, neighborhood gem, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 13 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
FUN CASUAL DINING
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"New England cuisine, great service and wonderful Casual setting. Add a very fun and caring staff and you have a great place!"
Dined on 03/23/2013
2007
Special Features: scenic view
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Review 14 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
The food was truly terrible.
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The food was truly terrible. The service was okay and the food came pretty quickly, but our drinks didn't. And we also asked for some butter for the lobster, and they never came. The mashed potatoes weren't hot. And though I ordered the vegetable risotto (a vegetarian should never go to a seafood place, I understand that), I was served a plate of white rice with vegetables. We won't ever go back again."
Dined on 03/10/2013
2007
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Review 15 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
A bit noisy. Food prices were
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"A bit noisy. Food prices were high, but good quantity."
Dined on 02/18/2013
2009
Special Features: good for groups, hot spot
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Review 16 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
We stopped here on our way
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We stopped here on our way to a concert at the Garden. I was pretty shocked at the prices of the seafood. The market price for the lobster was absurd ($24 for a 1lb lobster? No thanks). The cheapest thing on the menu was about $15 for a sandwich. I enjoy seafood, and I'll dish out more than enough for some good food, but the quality of the lobster we got and the tuna was not on the same level as what we were charged for."
Dined on 02/05/2013
2011
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Review 17 for Barking Crab Boston
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Koji
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"I had lunch with my family including 2 kids. Staff is very kids friendly. We had clam pasta and lobster roll. Both are very tasty. 5 year daughter likes the pasta very much. Variation of beer is also good. I ordered IPA. Nice experience."
Dined on 01/19/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, kid-friendly
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Barking Crab Boston
Based on the average of (28) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
4
/
5
2 out of 2 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.8
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic