Summer Shack

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149 Alewife Brook Pkwy
Cambridge, MA 02140

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(617) 520-9500
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Reviews
( 17 )
( 6 )
( 2 )
( 8 )
( 10 )

Best

I've only been twice, but each time was a really good time. The first time I went was when I was just starting really explore seafood. I had a swordfish special that was served wi...

Worst

i WASN'T AS IMPRESSED AS IT WAS MADE OUT TO BE. THE FOOD WAS GOOD BUT A LITTLE PRICEY FOR THE PORTION SIZE. AND THERE WERE TOO MANY INUSUAL THINGS ON THE MENU. IF YOU GO WITH ANY...

This is a good place. The specials are 6/6/2012

This is a good place. The specials are good, the fruit tart is delicious with ice cream if you like. The lobstah roll is good and you can have it with drawn butter like a Red's. Pretty good. more
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I love it here. The beer on tap tasted 5/31/2012

I love it here. The beer on tap tasted fresh, the atmosphere was very nice and quite a shift in the right direction from the norm. The food I've had has been delicious every time. Waitstaff always did a great job every visit, and it's very convenient to points west with easy parking. Can't find anything wrong with this establishment. This is the next best thing to having a real clambake on the beach! more
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Watermelon margy 5/23/2012

If it is in the Summer try their fresh watermelon margaritas. The pulverized fruit really makes the drink refreshing. My mom loves their fried oysters. They have a grilled sardine appetizer in the Summer that my dad just goes ga ga over. Something for everyone. Their specials have always been good picks. The cornbread that comes with the meal is also good. My son had a soft-serve ice cream cone at the end of the meal that was larger than his face. His eyes grew really big when it came to the table. more
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Lobsta 5/14/2012

Knowing what to get is the thing here. For me and my guy itz 2 3lb lobsters with a bucket of steamers to start, a few beers and we're outta there $120 lighter but a whole lot happier. more
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Swordfish skewer 5/3/2012

I had the Swordfish skewer with sweet & sour soy sauce. Rice seaweed salad. Tasty. Swordfish by itself doesn't have an overwhelming flavor, so the sweet & sour was a great addition. more
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worst take out thanksgiving dinner ever 11/26/2011

I was ordering a Thankgiving Dinner from a recomendation. Thought it would be a good idea. The dinner party started to increase to the amount of people originally, so I decided to cook some extra food, so as to have enough. The food that I got was so terrible, I wouldn't serve it to my guests, I dumped everything. The turkey was like rubber, the potatoes wern't mashed, and the stuffing was the most worst of all, something grainy in it, I couldn't tell what, I tried to fix it, but it was impossible. The portions were so small, they wouldn't even feed four, never mind 6 to 10 people. The cranberry sauce was just enough for my 10 yr old grandson. Thank God I had the sense to make a spiral ham, turkey breast and some veggies and some gravy or we would have starved. The turkey looked like it was cooked a week ago. Very disappointed, $107 down the drain. Next time I'll cook my own meal. more
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Baked stuffed lobster with no lobster! 12/21/2010

After reading a lot about Jasper White's Summer Shack and getting e-mails I felt that it was time for us to... more
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Baked stuffed lobster with no lobster! 12/21/2010

EJ2011 Provided by Partner
After reading a lot about Jasper White's Summer Shack and getting e-mails I felt that it was time for us to take a drive to Cambridge. We entered ... more
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Like a bad joke... 7/10/2008

After seeing Summer Shack on the Top 10 list for the best clam chowder in boston, I decided to check it out. Bad idea. Not only was the environment cheap and touristy, but everything on the menu was incredibly overpriced. I guess I should have known that it would be entirely unauthentic, since 2 of their 4 locations are at Logan Airport and Mohegan Sun, but I was still shocked by the tacky nature of the entire restaurant. It felt like they were playing a bad joke on customers while mocking New England tradition. And the chowder sucked. Pros: decent crab club Cons: price, service, ambience, chowder more
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Expensive for poor quality seafood 6/5/2008

Last night, we visited the Summer Shack. A friend and I decided to split the lobster roll. It was $20, and it was on an untoasted hotdog bun (which immediately fell apart), and had the meat of about 1 lobster tail. I ordered two drinks at 8.50 a pop that were ridiculously weak. And their hot fudge sundae dessert left much to be desired. Their seafood (fish even) plates are super expensive ($28 or higher). Even their crab legs are $36. The deal is, the lobster roll wasn't even that good. The lobster was poor quality, again, the bun fell apart, and it was pretty much lobster smothered in mayo. Gross. Pros: cheap for non-seafood dishes Cons: expensive for poor quality seafood more
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Not worth the price 7/28/2007

I am originally from the Cape, and this place is nothing like a ""Cape Cod seafood shack."" If you are going to go with the ""seafood shack"" thing, then go with it, but don't charge high-end restaurant prices. Unfortunately, we ended up paying $85 for two people (not including drinks) for boring seafood and a downmarket atmosphere. I understand that the whole vibe of the place is fun and casual, but the food really doesn't deliver. I had the striped bass special, and while the quality of the fish was pretty good, the dish was like something I could have cooked myself at home, but with less seasoning. My husband ordered the ginger/scallion lobster, which at $45 was overcooked and drowning in sticky sauce. For appetizers, the Wellfleet oysters were very good, but the shrimp were definitely not as fresh as they could have been. All in all, we were pretty disappointed with this place, and my overall feeling is that it's all hype and no substance. It felt a bit like a theme park restaurant. Pros: Good oysters Cons: Way overpriced, not a great ambiance more
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Great seafood! 4/27/2007

Went here last weekend and the food was so good! Our waiter was super nice and the food came out very fast. There's alot to choose from in the menu. Prices are fair...a tad high but seafood always costs a little mroe. Very casual atmosphere (think summer camping). I'll be back for sure! Pros: great food, great service more
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Fantastic Food! 2/28/2006

I went to the Summer Shack with some friends with intentions of getting some apps and drinks after work. However, we ended up staying for dinner because we were so impressed with our starters! The Shack margarita was perfect and the Rhode Island style calamari was just the right amount of spicy. Our server was very helpful in answering our questions about the menu. She seemed pretty busy (there was a wait after we sat down) but very considerate. The baked stuff lobster was delightful and, while pricey, worth every penny. My only complaint was the noise level-every sound seemed to travel across the restaurant. Pros: Portions, Helpful Servers Cons: Noise more
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Expensive...Overrated 12/19/2005

Service was SLOW. I waited 20 minutes for a waitress to come ask me if I had even been waited on, then she took my order. While I waited for my appetizers she came back with my Sprite (tasted like a combination of iced tea and Coke), stale corn bread accompanied by cold rolls with semi-frozen butter. The appetizer fried belly clams were sand filled and the corn fritters were covered by burnt batter. By the time I wanted to cancel my entree order, my waitress arrieved with it. The RI calamari was overcooked, chewy with freezer-burn. The intense pungent aroma of pickled hot peppers and its sour juices soggied up my french fries. My friend had four tiny pieces of fried chicken for just $11. Leaving with $49.35 less in my pocket-we had it all, sandy clams, burnt fritters, soggy fries, chewy calamari and a fried chicken kids meal. Cons: Expensive, Little Portions more
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expensive 9/26/2005

Summer Shack is remarkably expensive for what you get. The Lobster roll for instance is a joke. Hardly any Lobster and as expensive as a much larger, more meat filled roll. The way they sell their food, the smaller aps are a bit more than everyone else and the entrees are more as well so you wind up with a bill about 20% higher than you would otherwise think. The atmosphere is cool, however, and there's plenty of parking. I rate this place 6/10. Pros: atmosphere, aesthetically nice Cons: expensive more
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Yummy! 7/4/2005

I was in search for a great seafood restaurant around, and after going to Summer Shack, I found one! I am so thrilled I didn't check the reviews before going. The meal started with tasty cornbread and my lobster roll was above par. Service was prompt and attentive. There was a long wait, but it's worth it! Pros: Free parking lot, T accessible, Great seafood more
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User review by kwinter74 5/31/2005

It's long tables make it a great place for large groups, and the atmosphere makes it a great place for gorups of kids! Interesting decor gives it that waterfront feel. Great food too. more
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Not worth the money 4/21/2005

Tonight we thought we'd give the Summer Shack another try. We won't go again. The clam chowder ($4 for a cup and $8 for a bowl) was so watery that it was difficult to eat with a soup spoon. The fish and chips was a rubbery, cold, greasy dish. The calamari was so overcooked, it was difficult to actually chew. We stayed with cheaper eats this time (still expensive) because the last time, the lobster at I believe $30 was so overcooked that it was stuck to the shell. Tonight at least the bartender was attentive. Usually, we get ignored by the waitstaff. But it doesn't make up for the horrible, expensive food. Don't waste your time on this place. There are so many other places you can go to get good, quality seafood at at least half the price and I'm sure the service will be 100% better. Pros: free parking Cons: horrible food, bad service, loud more
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Pleasant Surprise 10/5/2004

After reading all the reviews here before dining at Summer Shack, had friends not pushed us to join them there, we would have declined due to the reviews. Well, what a pleasant surprise when we arrived and were greeted warmly by the staff, immediately seated, had an attentive and friendly waiter, and the seafood turned out to be totally outstanding. The scallops were juicy and excellent, tuna perfectly cooked, calamari appetizer was spicy and tender, and everyone at my table thoroughly enjoyed their various seafood dishes. OK, it's a little pricey, especially with the bar bill thrown in. Early evening dining is probably the key to having an enjoyable experience here, since the bar will filling up fast as we were leaving, the noise level had risen considerably from the time we arrived, and there was a line of people waiting to be seated at 8:30 p.m. on a weeknight. Pros: Great seafood more
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tasty and fun 10/21/2003

Japser's name obviously carries weight in the local seafood industry. The food is incredibly high quality, local fish and lobsters fresh off the boat. The menu changes all the time to reflect local seasons. It was busy and we had to wait, because the place is filled devoted fans, parents who are comfortable bringing their kids and groups of parties who always seem to be having such a good time. Our server was friendly, attentive, fun and knowledgeable about the menu. The casual atmosphere made it entertaining as we ate each delicious dish!! I would go back again and again! Pros: great parking, excellent seafood, casual and fun Cons: good food costs money, lots of kids, can get loud more
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Menu for Summer Shack


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    From the 40-foot fisherman statue that guards the front door to the 1,500-gallon tanks housing hundreds of stomach-bound lobsters, celebrity Chef Jasper White's labor of love...

  • 12/16/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday - Thursday: 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM Friday: 11:30 AM - 11:30 PM Saturday: 12:00 PM - 11:00 PM Sunday: 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Payments: American Express, Diner's Club, Discover, Master Card, Visa
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