The Barking Crab — Restaurant in Boston

I have always been a huge fan of New England seafood. Prior to moving here, I would visit a few times a year for medical check-ups AND the seafood!

There is nothing better than New England seafood! I love lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, and so much more! However, everyone knows getting seafood in the CITY of Boston is very expensive.

I’ll be honest, the cheapest and freshest catch is up in Gloucester. However, you can’t always make the trip and you have to have a solid seafood spot in or around downtown.

It was my birthday and I had a craving for a major seafood feast. I like a bit of everything and The Barking Crab didn’t disappoint. The location is essentially a shack with an awesome enclosed, outdoor patio and bar along the water in Seaport.

The outside patio is incredible, you feel the breeze come off the water. Great views. Very casual, no need to get all dressed up. It’s also got music going and it’s a very lively atmosphere.

They have a great selection of fresh seafood. They have a solid raw bar with oysters, clams, and shrimp. If you really want to go big, they do have a raw-bar Shellfish Tower!

If you aren’t a fan of the raw bar, no worries! They have plenty of delicious appetizers, lobster rolls, crab rolls, soups/salads, sandwiches, lobster, crab, local-catch, entrées, crab platters, and a solid selection of sides to accompany your meal! If you really want to go big, you can even order a 10LB Lobster!

We decided to start off my birthday dinner with oysters on the half shell. We each got half a dozen and while they weren’t huge, they were delicious! The cocktail sauce with fresh horseradish is a must, along with a dash or two of Tabasco and a squeeze of lemon!

Next, we decided to go with appetizers. we ordered the Steamers and the Mussels. The steamers were a good size and are served in a white wine broth with a side of drawn butter. The Mussels were also incredible. They’re served in a white-wine and herb broth with crostini for dipping!

Lastly, we decided to order the Warm Peel and Eat Shrimp and the Crab cakes. The Peel and Eat Shrimp is served hot or cold with old bay seasoning and beer-butter! The portion size is very generous and perfect to share!

The crab cakes were the only disappointing item that we ordered. You get three, small crab cakes with house-made remoulade. They just were not worth ordering. We ate them, I just wouldn’t recommend them or order them again. I found the breading mixture to be very greasy and they tasted burnt as well.

This will be one of our go-to seafood spots in Seaport. The quality and freshness is top notch. The menu is huge, so I cannot wait to come back and try all the other delectable seafood offerings! The prices are reasonable considering you’re in the city/seaport.

Just be aware there usually is a wait for the enclosed, outdoor patio. The line moves quickly and there is a time limit per table. If I recall, it was 75-minutes.

For those with friends/family who aren’t big on seafood: they have a LIMITED selection of non-seafood options, like their Cheeseburger or Chicken Sandwich.

I look forward to coming back again very soon! I absolutely love the seafood, patio, and the...

My friend & I came to eat here with her new born & my 2 year old toddler. We were sat pretty fast, our water & appetizer order was taken. My friend ordered the Oysters,I have the steamers & they were great just over priced , After receiving our appetizers our waiter disappeared for 45 mins then finally came back to take our order we then waited another 30 mins for our food. We were sitting in the back of the facility near the kitchen & saw the cook come out to signal to the food runner/serves to get the food & even he had an issue getting their attention. We ordered the Sirloin, It was grey & flavorless. I then called the Manager over, a young blonde Russian lady with horribly over drawn lips, I informed her that the service given was absolutely "Horrendous service & that he dissappear for 45 mins" & she was extremely unempathetic & nonchalant you could see she was visibly frustrated with my compailnt & not with her servers service. Then she went over to the Kiosk & you could see her & her coworkers seemingly "Bad mouthing" 2 mother's with babies. The male sever came back with our bill & was extremely hostile & confrontational. Which was very threatening, Never in my 15 years of dining out have I had a serve come back to yell at me about their poor service but 99% of the time I dont have to complain about service. The whole operation is disgusting. I am blown away that the manager allowed (Yes allowed she walked passed as he was yelling at us) a male to come over to yell at WOMEN WITH BABIES. If I could give this place Negative stars I would. The owners should be ashamed with themselves for employing such ill mannered people. The serves name on the bill was something along the lines of A Ten a ment.

I would never return here & would STRONGLY suggest other dinners to choose...

Warm Saturday afternoon. Wait was about 45 min to an hour long. Very nice next to the water and food was good.

However, it wasn’t really a great experience. To me, food can be absolutely and amazingly delicious but if the customer experience is bad, then the food goes down with it. BEWARE: if your entire party is not with you, they absolutely WILL NOT seat you. My party waited 45 minutes in line while I parked my car and he told the host it was a party of six. Because I wasn’t there (looking for parking which is nearly impossible to do) we had two options, seat 4 and leave me and my wife out or wait in line when I arrived for another 45 minutes when I arrived. Absolutely PREPOSTEROUS!!! My party took a table of 4. When my wife and I arrived, there were two tables open right next to my party. I asked could I sit in one of the bar table and their reply was , “You have to wait in line again!” I said, “but my party is here already!?” They absolutely REFUSED! Then I went to the bar to order a drink and told me I couldn’t order, I had to see my waiter. My wife and I stood with our party, STANDING MIND YOU, and no one even offered to accommodate us. Literally left us standing!

Disgusted and upset, we decided to leave and go spent our money elsewhere. Would I go back, with that experience? That would be an EMPHATIC NO! The Customer Service Experience was an absolute dismal FAILURE!

As a former Mystery Shopper, I would have graded the CSE an F. Food an A. Location A. Wait time B- (in all fairness, it was very busy), Cleanliness an A, Atmosphere an...