No-Name Restaurant

My sister was in town and suggested we go to the NO Name restaurant as she hadn't been there since she moved out of Boston and bragged about how awesome the food and service was. Since I've never been I was looking forward to a nice meal and couldn't wait to check it out. Upon arrival we were told "go upstairs the downstairs area is closed". Okay...... on our way upstairs there was a very fowl odor that turned my stomach and I knew this was a bad idea. Why did we not go to Anthonys ??? We were greeted by the staff having lunch and was told to sit anywhere we wanted. Extremely UNWELCOMING and RUDE. Eventually a waiter came over and handed us our menus. My menu had grease stains on it and when I brought it to his attention he just looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. The floor was filthy with napkins everywhere. After receiving cold and stale bread we ordered our meal praying it would be fine. My salmon was awful. Very slimmy and fatty. I had to argue to get a piece of corn with it as it ONLY COMES WITH THE LOBSTER!!! We had enough and paid our bill. Of course, as most people do, we went to the restroom before departing and it was just as dark and gloomy as the restaurant. The icing on the cake was that only one sink had water. This place should be on punked!!! DO NOT DINE AT THE NO NAME RESTAURANT!!! YOU'LL BE SORRY.......... more

We were there from New York at yesterday, I was thinking about Boston lobster is best than New York,but that make me feel bad , after I order the lobster at No Name.That was a "water lobster",that mean when you open that lobster , a lot of water will be come out from the lobster,that was a really bad feeling to me from No Name. That seafood plate was bad too , don't feel that taste good. Never think you will get the Good seafood at No Name. The last thing,The order of steak is good for me,that still have one think that make me feel good ! more

I have taken the family there many times. We always get the fried fish and chowder. The fish is just ok but the chowder is better. I would like to see it more clean. more

I haven't been to 'No Name' in Boston since the mid '80s when I worked for Digital Equipment. Today my wife and I were watching 'The Best Places I've Eaten' on Travel Channel. My wife asked me of the best place I had eaten and "No Name" was the first and ONLY place I thought of. A bunch of us guys from DEC school would load up and drive in from the housing complex Digital rented for us engineers. I went there at least once every year when the company would send me to the Boston area for trainning. more

In a city with so many great restaurants, how has this place hung on for so long? Let's cut to the chase... Pros : Fish chowder, French fries, Friendly Waitstaff, Availability Cons : Bland fried food, dry broiled fish, Found hair in coleslaw Tourists beware...so many to chose from, you might want to take this one off the list. more

I enjoy taking my mother to the restaurant. I always had good food. I will be coming next month. See you soon. more

I was looking forward to eating at this well-known place. The fish chowder was delicious. I would have preferrred some oyster crackers with it instead of the loaf of garlic bread I was given. I was extremely disappointed with the fried seafood platter. I thought the breading used was very strange-too heavy and tasteless. The scallops and shrimp were very small, dry and tasteless. The oysters were good, despite the breading, because they had some juice and at least still tasted like oysters. The fish was okay, a bit dry, but tastier than the scallops and shrimp (usuall,y it's the other way around in a seafood platter). I also found the tartar sauce very strange as it was heavy on mustard and sweet pickles and more suited to a hot dog than to seafood and fish. The cole slaw could have used more chopping and shredding so as to fit better on a fork. Finally, I didn't consider the prices were any bargains compared with other simple places on the Mass. and NH waterfronts offering similar menus but far more taste. more

Stay away from this terrible tourist trap at all costs. We were a party of 6 and only 1 of us was able to finish their meal (we were starving when we arrived)...for a restaurant situated on the water and on an actual dock where they pull in fresh seafood every day, this is the worst fish I've tasted in years. We couldn't even identify the swordfish as it was such grey, fishy slop. The staff seemed completely detached and couldn't care less about any questions or requests. I've never had such a terrible experience at a restuarant in Boston. We left No Name feeling sad for wasting a beautiful Sunday evening in a crummy food factory, angry at the exorbitant cost of such disgusting food, and physically uncomfortable from the little food we did eat. You couldn't pay me to eat here again. more

Tried this restaurant for the first time and loved their seafood chowder. Had to go back a second time for more of this wonderful chowder. I wish I could get it sent to me and some of their other fish entrees. Sometimes simple is "best." Hope I can get back to Boston to visit this restaurant again. more

Remember going there years ago and it was quite good but I think they have stopped trying. Tables are dirty, waitstaff are kind of rude and took FOREVER. We went there after a show and were there pretty early. Drinks took forever and came after the food. Dirty menus. 2 in our party had broiled fish, no taste at all. Fried food was soggy, french fries were dull (how hard is it to make them). Chowder wasn't impressive with fish skin in it. Waiter was pissed when we didn't order dessert. No frills is one thing but this is just not trying. more

Wow . . . Haven't been to the no name since 1972. At that time, it was really "The No Name." Had to count wharfs, piers and doors to get there. The fish chowder was a must. Big bowl of light cream bassed broth piled high over the brim with fresh fish, clams, oysers and whatever else the fishermen were catching. Next it was the fried combo plate, back when fried was a great option. Another plate (paper) stacked with fried clams, scallops and shrimp topped with good FF's. Yes, it was drafty, a bit smelly, the waiters were loud, but the prices and food were fantastic. Always had enough left to bring home for later. If you can't enjoy this place for what it is, try the House of Scrod (is it still there?). Or maybe New England Oyster House. The No Name was one of a kind and simply to live for! more

I used to frequent this restaurant while growing up in Mass. We used to look forward to the fun atmosphere and fresh fish. We got there last night before a concert and no one greeted us. The owner was eating and just said to go sit anywhere. We didn't have a waitress for a while and finally one of them threw a dirty menu at us. My fish was so fishy tasting (so not fresh) and so overcooked. The french fries were like the ones you buy at a grocery store and throw in the oven. I hope people read this and stop going there. It wasn't cheap and I am so mad we wasted our money. I don't want anyone else to waste theirs. Pros: Nice View of the harbor Cons: Owner eating while telling you where to sit, horrible food more

Crappy food and way too expensive more

Scallops and Scrod were off the wall fresh. It's like going back in time to an old man of the sea fishing village. Anyone who gives No Name a bad review is just an elitist that would give their Mom's cooking a bad review. Seriously, it's casual you can wear shorts and flip flops which I'm sure turns off the snob crowd but that's part of the charm. I come here once a year whenever I visit Boston. As a native New Englander I love fresh seafood and this is the freshest seafood I've ever had. Pros: Seafood right off the boat. Casual, friendly atmosphere Cons: Snobs and elitists are not welcome more

food was very fresh, very good. plain, broiled foods, no funky spices etc..... healthier. yeah the decor was older but would you rather get really good fresh food or pretty looks but food you get sick on. i had the boiled seafood combo and calimari (fried). its just like home cooked real fresh food. anyone who gives this place a bad review probably is a snob and expects seafood to be loaded up with spices etc.... price was reasonable considering the location. ample parking amazingly. a good deal considering the quality of food. menu is rather small, maybe 20 items. expect to pay $15/person. i would go back if im ever in the area wanting seafood. waiters were friendly, kinda reminds me of the deli guys behind supermarket counters. they weren't on the ball as much as i would have liked. if you're trying to impress a date im sure there are much more ritzier places and pay 3x as much. they prepare the food as your grandmother would have, plain and simple. if you want spicy hot or BBQ flavored fish this isnt your place. its right on a fishing pier so yes it will smell like seafood because the food is FRESH. people are so used to frozen seafood/foods. if you are a tourist, this is what FRESH, unmolested, new england seafood tastes like. the tartar sauce is home made so its not from a bottle. its greenish because it has dill pickles in it (thats how real tartar sauce is made) if its really that bad, how does it stay in business almost 100 years? in my grandfathers age, it was just a shack on the pier. it reminds me of durgin park a little, a bit of a walk away. Pros: very fresh food Cons: slower service more

I went in with an open mind. Place didn't smell too good going up the stairs but I figured, "it's a seafood place". Was able to choose my own place to sit. Waiter was great. Menus were stained, ripped, and needing replacement. Seafood chowder was good (light broth type of chowder). But everything, beside the chowder, was BLAND -- the dessert items we ordered were not much better. I went with the seafood platter (fried) and was disappointed in the quality. Family had different broiled entrees (they are the "eat healthy" types) and it is questionable who had the higher-calorie meal among us. The broiled items were bathed in oil -- defeating the purpose. We paid over a hundred bucks (not including the tip -- we did 20% since the waiter was the best part of the experience) for a meal that was surprisingly substandard. My first -- and last visit. Pros: Free Parking Cons: Bland more

Noname restaurant charges exorbitant prices for bland tasteless and utterly greasy and disgusting food. My Rutgers dining hall has better cooked fish and chowder. DO NOT under any circumstances come to this restaurant. Bad atmosphere...the place looks as though it's falling apart (black putrid ceiling tiles which were once white as still seen around places covered with light fixtures which are falling off) and is dominated by waiters shouting at each other and the owner/manager. Pros: None/waiter jokes? Cons: Food/Atmosphere/Prices more

The No Name restaurant is still stuck in the 1917 era and amazingly getting by today on these same old standards: bare bones no frills eating. It probably worked very well back in the 1900’s and the rating would have been 4 or 5 stars back then. Today, it’s 2009 and Boston tourist deserve better. The place: For the prices it charges, the restaurant needs to upgrade the facilities (or move) and get a little bit of class. Average food, plastic cups, unclean tables, a strange pitcher of water already on the table with no ice, terrible view of the harbor and just plain uneasy feeling of the place. This is something I would expect outside on a picnic table getting ready for a lobster hoe-down near the shore. The food: The clam chowder was runny with unknown fish in it and pieces of shrimp. The fried scallops were good, the cole slaw can go and French fries nothing to write about. Serving size was above average. Menu is all fish and very limited on alcohol including wines (no glasses). Summary: Skip the No Name and find something better, do your research--- I can only recommend this place for a quick take-out if you’re in a hurry for fast seafood. Pros: Ample portions, good for fast food takeout, no frills eating Cons: Facilites need upgrade, average food, limited menu. more

This place was recommended by a local, and I can't figure out why. What has changed since it used to be 'amazing'? It is now dull, bland, overpriced food. The 'fried scrod' was gross- VERY fishy, and just plain generic. The coleslaw was bland and boring. The tarter sauce was a very strange green color, and not appealing at all. We left hungry, and not feeling well. Money poorly spent, that is for sure. The waiter, while attentive in the beginning totally forgot us and never checked back. He was sitting while we were eating, as were about 5-7 other wait staff. We didn't know his name, and couldn't get his attention so we started calling every male name we could think of to get his attention. After a while another waitress picked up on what we were doing and announced his name. He then brought us a very overpiced bill, and we left. Unappealing, bland, not very fresh food. Not worth the drive, or the money. We could have done better at a fast food fish restaurant. Pros: Interesting atmosphere Cons: Everything else more

I have always loved the chowder, salmon and scallops at this place. I special order everything from wine to the combination plates. I hope the owner is still their and Emerald Lagasee is a big fan as he was there when I last visited. Perhaps the waitstaff needs a swift kick and the owner needs to read some of the prior reviews more