Where to Eat Lobster in Boston (2024)

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Eventide Fenway

This casual counter-style eatery is one of the best places in the city for lobster rolls—specifically, the Eventide Brown Butter Lobster Roll, which you can choose to get on a gluten-free bun. Pair your lobster with fresh oysters from the raw bar and a beer or carafe of rosé. They also offer Maine Lobster Stew, made with coconut, maitake, sweet potato, and saltines. And if you find yourself in Portland, Maine, check out their original sit-down restaurant for even more options.

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Legal Sea Foods

If you’re visiting Boston for the first time, don’t be surprised when everyone you talk to recommends Legal Sea Foods for lobster. There’s a reason it’s on our lists for both Boston's best seafood and top overall restaurants in the city. There are now many different locations, from Legal Harborside in the Seaport to the Legal Sea Foods in Copley Place.

You can count on lobster offerings at all of their locations, but of course the menus will vary as each one has a different take on seafood. Looking for lobster rolls with drinks and a view? Legal Harborside is your spot. Or go the more traditional route with a lobster bake or baked stuffed lobster at the Copley Place location. And the Legal Test Kitchen has a rotating menu where you’ll find tried-and-true lobster staples, along with more innovative dishes like lobster Shanghai noodles.

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Row 34

With locations in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Row 34 says, “If we could eat oysters and drink beer for every meal period, we probably would.” And while this is definitely somewhere you want to go for both of those things, they also have a few lobster dishes worth trying out, like the warm buttered lobster or Ethel’s creamy lobster rolls. During lunch, you can get their spicy lobster tacos with mango salsa and avocado, or the brown butter lobster knuckles with grits and jalapeño.

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Saltie Girl Seafood Bar

Since it opened in 2015, Saltie Girl Seafood Bar has been offering innovative twists on classic seafood dishes. You can order their classic Gloucester lobster roll, either warm or cold, or opt for the full Gloucester lobster meal with drawn butter. But if you want to try something more unique, go for the fried lobster and waffles with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup.

You can also find Saltie Girl at Time Out Market Boston in the city’s Fenway neighborhood.

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Neptune Oyster

In a neighborhood dominated by Italian food, the North End's Neptune Oyster is well-known for their fresh seafood. Their popular Maine lobster roll is available both hot and cold, but you can also get lobster cooked in a number of other ways here.

For starters, there’s the Maine lobster and sea greens salad. Next up, order lobster with the North End cioppino, a spicy fish stew, or go for the N.O.B. clambake with a two-pound Maine lobster, clams, chorizo, and sweet corn. And depending on when you visit Neptune Oyster, you may even catch one of their lobster specials like the lobster spaghettini or lobster tacos.

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The Barking Crab

This Boston staple has a waterfront location at the edge of the growing Seaport neighborhood. They have everything from lobster empanadas to an entire entrée section of the menu dedicated to lobster meals.

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James Hook & Co.

Just over the bridge from the Barking Crab, this no-frills eatery has been around since 1925, when James Hook and his three sons sold their daily lobster haul to local restaurants. This is still a family business, and today serves up everything from live lobsters and lobster meat to lobster rolls and dinners.

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Island Creek Oyster Bar

Located in the Fenway-Kenmore Square neighborhood, Island Creek Oyster Bar might have the word "oyster" in their name, but they offer plenty of other delicious seafoods to try. When you're craving lobster, head here for lobster bisque, Ethel’s lobster roll, or lobster roe noodles, with grilled lobster, braised short rib, oyster mushrooms, and pecorino.

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Summer Shack

Summer Shack on Dalton Street (and in Cambridge) is a casual seafood restaurant open year-round, despite the mention of summer in the name. Its Back Bay location is walking distance from attractions like Fenway Park, Symphony Hall, and the Boston Marathon finish line. Their go-to lobster menu items include the Summer Shack clambake lobster, Jasper’s famous pan-roasted lobster, Boston’s best lobster roll, and lobster pot stickers. Summer Shack is also a popular catering option, so if you’re hosting a gathering, keep them in mind.

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Atlantic Fish Co.

For a more upscale meal, Atlantic Fish Co. in the Back Bay has lots of lobster dishes to choose from. Menu items include bisque, ravioli, and risotto—each one laden with lobster.