Union Oyster House — Restaurant in Boston

Wanted to come by for a love of oysters and history and it was pretty easy to snag a spot on a random Sunday afternoon. There were definitely positives to the experience but the negatives really outweighed the positives in the experience.

Pros: -Janet our waitress was extremely kind. She forgot a portion of our order and even though we didn't mind it at all she stilled comped us a Boston Creme Pie! -Mussels Basque Style: Delicious and the best part of the meal. Garlicky with a salty but light broth. Loved the bread it came with too. -Raw Clams: Pleasant bounce, light sweet brininess, and so fresh. -Raw oysters and fries were also both solid and enjoyable. Nice seasoning and battering on the fries. -Historical objects/signage upstairs they invite you to look at -Free cornbread (I personally found it a bit dry but the crispy edge is tasty)

Cons: -Lobster Roll: The worst lobster roll I've had in my life. We ordered it hot cause it was a cold day but the lobster was so chewy (like spent a minute chewing and it wouldn't break down kind of chewy). Worst part is, it cost about $45 (it was listed as market price and we should have checked but I wouldn't have cared about the price if I enjoyed it at all) The fries were good at least.

-Random server: You can go upstairs for a little history tour. I saw an empty back room with nothing but a slice of half eaten pizza on a paper plate that I thought a tourist ate and left while up there. I had an unopened soy sauce packet from earlier in my pocket and I couldn't find a trash can so I placed it next to the plate thinking that when someone came to clear the area they could throw away the packet. It was an honest mistake. Two employees came back and I realized from one of their faces that he was confused where the packet came from. So I turned around and apologized and he grabbed it like it was the dirtiest piece of garbage ever with a look of utter disgust on his face. Not even moving his arm to hand it to me as I awkwardly reached to grab it. I apologized but he continued to glare at me to a point where I didn't even feel comfortable reading the rest of the signs (like my partner even felt uncomfortable and said we should go) and just left the room. The entire interaction was just so offputting and dampened the entire experience. Like I cannot explain how nasty of a face he looked at me with.

Overall, I'd say this place was a 3/5 star experience overall. Maybe a 3.5/5 if you're focusing more on the raw seafood. But between the lobster roll and the second server, I cannot say this is a place I ever want to come...

After hearing the history behind this restaurant during our tour bus around Boston, we knew we had to make a stop by. Arriving around mid-day, we were a little shocked to see a nearly empty restaurant especially on a Friday. Nevertheless, we were excited to try this restaurant.

Starting off with their Cold Seafood Platter, this came with two oysters, two cherrystone clams and three shrimp. All three components of this starter tasted fresh. The only thing I wasn't able to find information on are the type of oysters that the restaurant offered including on the ones on the platter.

The next thing we had to try since we had a hard time finding in Boston oddly enough, are Boston baked beans. We were delighted to see they offered them on their menu at $9 for this starter. Upon trying, I truthfully think they tasted like any other baked beans I've had from the can. I couldn't distinguish what made them "Boston" baked beans.

Onto mains, I ordered myself their hot lobster roll which came with fries and coleslaw. I found the lobster to be tender, succulent and paired nicely with melted butter. The bun itself was toasted nicely, and the fries weren't ordinary fries, they were thicker cut, crispy and hot. As for the coleslaw, I found this to be very tasty and not overly saturated with mayo or seasoning.

The fish tacos were also ordered which we were informed was with cod. We were given the choice between grilled or fried, and fried we opted in for. There was a very generous portion of cod per taco, and they were fried perfectly. Crispy on the outside and very flakey on the inside. This was a very delicate fish that oozed freshness. Paired perfectly with the same coleslaw from my lobster roll, with a sweet and spicy sauce that paired really well with the overall dish.

For dessert, we knew we had to try a Boston cream pie, and what better place to get that than here. Having never tried a Boston cream pie and being a huge dessert fan, I couldn't say this was for me. The pie itself tasted bland as if it's been left in the fridge for too long. The cake was dense and oddly I enjoyed the whipped cream more than the pie.

We both agree the service was spot on and her hospitality and professionalism elevated our experience. The atmosphere itself was one of a kind and memorable.

Overall, a great experience but wouldn't be the first place I would go for oysters as there's no list to choose from as other restaurants would provide along with their descriptions. As for their seafood entrees, I would gladly return for those and look forward to...

I’m sorry to leave a 1- star review, but my aunt had a terrible experience here this week. Personally, I’ve never encountered service like this before, but I wanted to share their story for reference. After all these, my aunt left no tip to express the disappointment.

It was their first time visiting Boston, and they were absolutely shocked by the rude service—and possibly even discrimination.

Here’s what happened: They were seated at a small table, but when the dishes arrived, they realized there wasn’t enough space. requested a larger table, but the waiter seemed unhappy and reluctant to accommodate, saying that the larger tables weren’t in his section. After they were moved, the waiter’s attitude worsened. He refused to help transfer the dishes to the new table. examples of conversation by verbatim: Aunt: How big is the medium lobster compared to the large? Waiter: It’s on the menu. Aunt: We’d like the lobster hot, cut in half, and broiled. Waiter: Boiled is also hot. You put it in hot water, so it’s hot. Aunt: Can you put cheese on top and grill it? Waiter: No, we don’t do that. When the lobster was served whole, they asked for it to be cut in half. Waiter: It’s already cut. Our restaurant policy doesn’t allow us to cut it for customers. The wrong cake was served, likely due to miscommunication. While I don’t blame the waiter entirely, they did offer to comp it. THE WORST PART My aunt hadn’t even finished eating when the waiter brought over the payment machine and went, “Whenever you’re ready, just press the button and follow the instructions.” This came across as EXTREMELY RUDE

On top of all this, there was sand in the mussels, so the food quality wasn’t great either.

My aunt, though not a native speaker, has worked in an all-English environment for three decades. However, the staff acted as if her English was difficult to understand, frowning even when she simply asked...