Barking Crab

We saw the barking crab on man vs food and even though most of the city search reviews were bad we still went. We had Lobster po'boys and they were awesome! Also, the clam chowder was great except for the clam shell my husband bit into (it happens, and the manager apologized and took it off our bill) Our server was efficient but, seemed annoyed the whole time. A tip for savings: Sign up for their emails and within minutes they email a coupon for 20% off. more

I visited this restaurant today with a lot of expectations for a fresh lobster and crab. I ordered a chilled xxx platter as a starter and a fire grilled lobster as a main dish. The meat from both plates had no taste at all, and no sweetness or saltiness to even comment on. It was the worst sea food experience of my life. I wouldn't recommend this place to anybody. more

There is something very enjoyable about being outside in the summer while enjoying a cold beverage and some seafood. The nice thing about the Barking Crab is that it is located in the city and can extend a 'summer experience' for visitors. The food is not of the highest quality but it is good and offers many different types of seafood prepared in many ways. If you like it fried, broiled, grilled or skewered, it is on the menu. They also offer mai tai's and other beverages. It can get quite busy and so be prepared to wait most nights. I have eaten here on several occasions and the service has been fair to good. One time, the waitress let me order the guppy bowl drink for 2 without notifying me of the huge size or the &18 cost (I guess she thought I could handle it). They have since fixed the menu to include these details. I have enjoyed the cedar plank grilled salmon and the lobster roll. If you are very hungry and cost is not a concern, order the 10 lb lobster and crab plate! This is a fun place to bring friends. If you are boating on the harbor, one can dock nearby for a mid-day meal. more

After waiting over and hour, we still had 13 parties ahead of us. Hearing other parties talk, found out that special treatment was given to certain locals. Watched several parties arrive after, get a pager, and wait just a few minutes to get seated. Was able to hear locals talk about not having a reservation. When we approached the hosted, she was rude. We left and will never go back. Pros: Nice Lobster Pagers Cons: Unable to get a table more

I recently went to the barking crab.. It was probably the worst meal I have eaten ever. Let me start by how horrible the service was. My waitress had a mouth like a drunken sailor and the food runner smelled as if he hadn't showered in weeks. From what I have read about this place it is probably because the staff can't afford it since the profits do not seem to find its way to the employees or the restaurant. Now the food, hmm how to I start, I believe if I went to Wendy's I could probably get fresher fish. The peeled shrimp was nasty and chewy. The stuffed lobster was the nastiest thing I have ever eaten. What the hell do they use for the seafood gravy..grossss.. I honestly don't think that they have anyone back in the kitchen that has any culinary experience. The management should be ashamed especially for overcharging for crap on a plate. Please if you read this.. Go anywhere, but here. T Pros: good if you need to vomit Cons: horrible food more

I WOULD NEVER EAT HERE.. WARNING TOURIST TRAP ALERT... First, I would like to say that the Barking Crab is absolutely awful. The food lacks depth, flavor, and creativity. Do not eat any of the items that are sauteed since the fra diavlo sauce is a watery mess, the beurre blanc isn't a beurre blanc rather rotten cream sauce and almost 90 percent of the food is pre-made or frozen. The clams and calamari are usually a few days old oh and by the way this place is infested with rats. So it is easy to say that the sanitary conditions aren't up to code. The waitstaff is inexperienced, along with the Management especially Kris Kratsas, which is probably the downfall of the Barking Crab Boston. I have first hand knowledge that the Barking Crab "releases," employees before their 90 days so they do not have to pay for insurance or give a reason for the termination." They have gone through multiple upon multiple turn-overs through out the front and back of the house and even the management isn't safe from the entity known as Kris. The only people that are unscathed from the 90 day turn-over is the illegal immigrants that are working in the back for 8-9 bucks an hour. This place does not care about its food so why would they care about its patrons and employees. This place is a cesspool and should be ashamed of itself for overcharging for garbage. I could receive better food in a 3rd world country. The only thing that is usually fresh is the lobster, which is extremely over priced. The one thing that this place is Great for is making money and staying under budget, how? your guess is as good as mine. Great Job Barking Crab! Pros: Nothing Cons: The Food is terrible more

Having the restaurant name "Crab" one would think the crab cakes would be delicious.. WRONG, THEY WERE AWEFUL!!! the long island oysters were nothing to write home about.. If your in the area go to Legal Seafood instead.. it'll be worth it.. Pros: location Cons: bad crab cakes,, more

I took out-of-town guests for dinner on Saturday night. We didn't have a reservation, but were quoted a 40-minute wait so we decided to hang around. After 45 minutes were were told it would be 20 minutes more. After the second wait expired, the hostess told us she had no idea when we'd get a table but it might be another 15 or 20 minutes. Other parties who had come in after us were seated before us. There was one other group complaining of the same wait problems. The restaurant takes a phone number to call when your table is ready; our common thread was that we'd both provided an out-of-town phone number. A manager finally seated us. After we were seated, there we several open tables and no additional parties waiting at the door -- this was a little suspect considering the number of groups who'd checked in while we were waiting. The oysters were fresh and tasted great. The lobster roll was a bit overcooked. The other dishes our table ordered were fried and hard to screw up. Our server was friendly, as were the bartenders, but the overall experience was disappointing. If you're going to go with out-of-towners, check in with a local number. Better yet, skip this restaurant and take your guests somewhere they'll feel welcome. Pros: Quintessential waterfront dive, hard to see another plus. Cons: Rude hostess, waited twice as long as we were quoted more

We eat here at least twice a month. This is one of the coolest restaurants in Boston! They have really turned the place around from years past---great food and an amazing microbrew list. It's informal and fun here---summer all year long. You can't go wrong here! Pros: Good food and cold beer Cons: needs more parking more

Over the summer, my fiance and I took a week-long vacation to the east coast. We decided to stop by the Crab for our last night before we went home since we had heard about the place from many of the locals who mentioned that it was a must-see before we went back to Chicago. My fiance and I are a regular fun couple who do not require anything fancy and enjoy a fun night of good beers and good food. Upon entering the Crab, I got the whole easy-going vibe with the open tent atmosphere and picknic tables and thought this could be alot of fun. We couldn't have been more wrong! There are just too many things that went wrong to go into but I will try to touch on the highlights. We waited over an hour and a half to sit at a crowded picknic table with a bunch of roudy kids. Our waiter didn't come over to us for twenty minutes after we had been seated. When he finally came around, we ordered a lobster and a bucket of crab legs to share. We never saw the waiter again for the night except to give us our bill. Someone else served the lobster and legs in plastic buckets to us and when we asked for utensils and plates, mentioned that the waiter will be able to help us. We ended up walking around the restaurant looking to see if we could borrow a paper plate from someone else. When I finally got to the lobster, I had to break it open with my hand since the kids were playing drums with the supplied table rock. The lobster exploded into juice and shells, turning my borrowed paper plate into a nice paste and leaving me with a fishy cologne to wear for the rest of the night. We went out to eat every night on our trip to some really great places, but we ended up paying significantly more at the Crab than anywhere else. Long story short, I felt like I was robbed. I left the place broke, covered in fish guts, and still hungry. The only thing I got out of this experience is the "Worst meal of my life" story. DO NOT GO HERE!!!!! Pros: Nothing that I could see Cons: Service, Food, Prices more

The rustic atmosphere -- paper plates!-- leads one to expect rustic prices. Not the case! The "New England clambake," which is priced "seasonally", can cost up to $75, which is ludicrous, given the ordinary quality-- the overboiled lobster, doapy corn on the cob, etc.! Parking is also a problem. The staff is super-nice, the service is efficient. On the whole, OK, just OK. Legal is a better value, and the Dolphin, in Cambridge, is superb. Pros: You're near the water... sort of... Cons: Overpriced more

The Barking Crab may be pricey, but compared to other seafood restaurants, it's worth it! The atmosphere is really casual and you'll always find the after work crowd here (the financial district IS right across the bridge). My family and I went and shared the crab bowl (I think that's what it's called?), and for around $80 we got a crapload of King crab legs, snow crab legs, and dungeoness legs. SO good!! We also got the garlic bread and corn as sides, and the corn was sweet and ripe (garlic bread was run of the mill). Pros: Great seafood, accessibility Cons: Parking more

My boyfriend and I ended up here on Sunday for a late lunch. It was busy when we arrived, but we were immediately seated at a great table near the channel. We had a perfect view of Boston (and unfortunately the burnt remains of James Hook & Co). I have been on a tasting tour of sangria lately and the Barking Crab's sangria rates at the top (not too pricey at $7/glass). I had the crabby patty (delicious with a little Barking Crab hot sauce) and my boyfriend had the prosciutto and tuna (the tuna was a superb sushi-grade). We were both extremely happy with the food. It's also a great place to socialize, since you share a large picnic table with others if you are a small group. I'm not sure where the other reviewers have been eating, but this Boston landmark is still top-rated in my book. Pros: View, food, drinks Cons: wait can be long more

Overpriced food....way overpriced and not very good. Ordered king crab legs and they looked as if they came from an anexoric crab. Fine for a few beers but not worth the $$ for the food - far better places in that part of Boston on the water that are of better value. Oh and the service was on subpar. The waitress actually said that LegalSeafood has better food...thats not a good sign. Save your money and go elsewhere. more

went there for drinks & bar food. portions of both categories came below expectation. i don't know how much they actually charged me for those cocktails that i downed--the size of a CLEAR PLASTIC CUP! haven't had their seafood there, so i can't say. i do agree service is a bit slow, probably because the place is too big for the wait staff to go around. it's a nice place to chill in the summer, though; open area w/roof top. could be a wait if you go around meal time. i think there's a paid parking lot right around there (or one across the court house). :) Pros: anything w/open-air; place to have a good time Cons: could be a wait; bathroom super tiny more

I went to there to have a lobster roll, but when my server told about the specials i did change my mind, and chose the grill tuna with saute praws over gnoccchi and lemon grass sauce...That's was great, the flavor made my mouth explode, and ask for more. the service was slow, but the food was great. My friends got the roasted salmon, they say this is goood...and the drinks was good too. I'll be back here very soon. Pros: Food and Drinks Cons: Service slow, more

I guess this place is considered a landmark restaurant in Boston. That must be why they get away with being such a rediculous establishment. The food and drinks are way overpriced for the quality, especially if you know anything about seafood. You will pay less for the lobster in some of Boston's most renowned and formal restaurants, and beer prices....forget about it. To top all of this there is a terrible rodent problem. When I was there one of the servers actually jumped up on the table to avoid one of these mammoth creatures. The location is great, especially if you come by boat, but that is about all this place has going for it. I would like to warn all fellow gentlemen, DO NOT USE THIS PLACE FOR A DATE, especially a first! Pros: the chowda and the view. Cons: everything else from rodents to service more

I debated whether to even write this because I hate to put these guys in a bad light, but if the situation were reversed, I would want to know what I saw... After ordering several appetizers that NEVER came (our dinner just came out with no explanation or apology), we told the waiter to cancel the appetizers. He said he'd give us a free desert. We ate the food, which honestly, was good. After we ate, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I SWEAR TO GOD IT WAS THE BIGGEST starts with an R ends with an AT (for some reason this cite will not let me post that word) I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! IN the restaurant, RUNNING BEHIND THE BAR. It was beyond huge, and I think I had a mild heart attack. I grabbed the closest waitress I could find, and her response was (completely nonchalant) "Oh, yeah...I mean we're on the water...It happens ALL the time, you get used to it. But don't worry the kitchen is spotless." She didn't offer to comp our meal or anything, and she acted like it was completely normal. As if I could not be more horrified, THE starts with an R ends with an AT RAN ACCROSS THE FLOOR AGAIN BEHIND THE BAR. And you know where it went? Right into those big tanks bordering the bar with all the crabs in them, the crabs we had just eaten. I thought I was going to get sick on the table, and thinking about it still makes me nauseated. Maybe this is normal for Boston near the water (I recently moved here), but I can tell you, if starts with an r ends with an ats in the Barking Crab are so "normal" there is no way in HELL the kitchen is spotless. I found it only fair to pass this information along. I think it stinks because I actually liked the restaurant, but after seeing the GIANT DISGUSTING starts with an R ends with an AT RUNNING AROUND THE RESTARAUNT, I would have to be beat and drugged to go back. These creatures carry really dangerous diseases, I would recommend finding a new place to enjoy your seafood. Pros: NOTHING Cons: the R A T S more

Great location... outside on the water.. hard to park , but pleasant once in for that "clam shack " experience. That is where it ends. The food is expensive and poorly made. The oyster po boy has just a few oysters and the roll is so hard and stale that the oysters go shooting out the back with the first bite. The fries are probably the worst in Boston. Preseasoned , cold , potato logs that should be thrown to the fish , but they probably would not touch them . The lobster and crab prices are very high . There are stones on each table which I think are to smash open the crabs, but they are better used to beat yourself over the head with , once you realize how bad the food is ..... It is unlikely things will ever change as there is always a line...why tinker with success, esp when you can get by serving horrific food. I can only imagine how good this place could be if the food were better....Essex this is not ...too bad Pros: Close enough to the water so you can jump in after eating this swill Cons: you realize you ate the swill more

Went with my wife, her mother, and wife's 9 year-old niece. 3 of the dishes came 30 minutes after ordering (burger, fish sandwich - nothing that takes more than 10 minutes). Last meal (for the 9 year old) came 10 minutes later. Pregnant wife wanted a medium burger. Received it blood-red rare. Health risk for child! Getting the 3 adult meals before the child's, we were left with 2 bad options - (1) eat the food now and teach the child bad manners. (2) don't eat the food, teach good manners, but choke it down cold when 4th meal finally arrives. Pregnant wife and wife's mother voiced their hunger every 5 minutes, sending my BP through the roof in anger at the staff. No apologies from waitress, no discounts on bill. Owner's son was very apologetic once concerns were raised. Only redeeming aspect of the experience. Avoid Barking Crab for 6 months (today = Sept, 2007) while they focus on basics of customer service. more