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    Bootleg Special

    4.0 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    BOOTLEG SPECIAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
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    Recommended Reviews - Bootleg Special

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    Inside
    Rovingaile P.

    Got a reservation with a friend for 11AM on a Saturday. It just opens at that time, so our food was served pretty quickly! Our favorite was the bootleg benedict. The hollandaise sauce had great flavor of umami, and the bits of crab were tender! The poached eggs were cooked well. The salad just had a bit too much of vinegar/acidity to its sauce though. The soufflé pancake was pretty good in terms of flavor. Not too sweet and we liked the creamy sauce especially with its hint of strawberry. The texture wasn't what I expected though. A bit more cakey and less soft than I would've liked. Overall liked the ambiance and we'll likely comeback to try their seafood boil!

    Bootleg Special 11/2025
    Vivian C.

    Restaurant Week Dine Out Boston Those I've heard of, but 2025 was my first time participating in Asian Restaurant Week, and Bootleg Special was offering a 3 course menu. I enjoyed the Bok Choy Caesar Salad, although it is admittedly crunchier than the normal romaine lettuce leaves. As a spice wimp, I didn't enjoy the Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, but they had me at the crab, so I asked if they could serve a toned down version of the Chili Crab Pasta. The crab was a good portion - although I did have to work hard to get it all out, and the fried bao bread accompanying the plate was wonderful, but I definitely preferred the pasta that came with the Beef Short Rib Garlic Pasta over my own selected entree, and not just because of the spice. It was just more tasty of the two in my opinion. *** Bootleg Special has 3 types of Po'Boys for $19. I tried the Catfish and the Shrimp. The catfish was a flakey white fish. Three pieces. The shrimp (count of five large pieces) were a meatier bite. I enjoyed both, but probably lean toward the shrimp for the textural contrast.

    Bootleg Special Seafood Boil
    Kelly C.

    Girls' Night! Time for food and yapping! We chose a seafood boil theme and checked this place out, we got: CEVICHE OYSTERS Such a bright and refreshing start. The jalapeño, shallot, cilantro and lime brought so much zippy flavor and the oysters were chilled perfectly. A light, but super flavorful bite to begin the meal. GARLIC NOODLES A must order here every single time. Buttery, garlicky, slightly sweet and so addicting. The texture was perfect with springy noodles coated evenly in sauce. We finished this in minutes. GRILLED OYSTERS Loved these. Warm, garlicky and cooked just enough so they stayed tender. The char and buttery roasted flavor made them comforting and rich. THE BOOTLEG SPECIAL SIGNATURE BOIL Epic is the best word for it. The mix of lobster, shrimp, crawfish, mussels and clams absorbed the signature Bootleg sauce beautifully. The sauce had garlic, butter, spice and so much Cajun depth. The potatoes, corn and sausage made it filling and fun to share. Easily the highlight of the night, minus the fact it was a teeny bit salty for us. Such a fun girls dinner with delicious food, great flavors and the perfect mix of seafood and comfort.

    Tiffany W.

    Stopped in solo for a drink and grilled oysters. Tito, my server, was great, knowledgeable, and had excellent suggestions. There was a large table next to me and their food smelled great, I can't wait to go back when I'm in town to try other items. Cute holiday decor as well!

    Rosy L.

    Everything we got was delicious - garlic noodles were amazing, Brussels sprouts were amazing, steak tataki amazing. Loved their take on birria, in bao form instead of tacos! A little messy with the consomé soup but very good. The overall vibe of the restaurant gives off fun, but I'm not sure if it just the time of day we went or what (weekday dinner), but it felt very barren. This is not a complaint whatsoever, but I would love to see this place bustling and to its fullest potential!

    Munah H.

    My birthday dinner at Bootleg Special was PHENOMONAL!! I started off with a glass of champagne and ordered the grilled oysters for my appetizer. They are the only restaurant that serves them NOLA style so whenever I go there, I have to order them. They are always cooked and seasoned perfectly. My server was such a pleasure to have! She was kind, attentive and very knowledgeable of the menu. I wanted everything on Bootleg Special's menu and trying to decide was driving me up a wall. I decided to go with their popular garlic noodles and I added shrimp. I am so glad I went with garlic noodles because it was SO delicious! I should've ordered another plate to go! What I really appreciate about Bootleg Special on top of the great food and customer service, I love how any staff walking by will ask if you need anything. I remember my assigned server was busy assisting a large group and it was taking longer than planned. I didn't mind because I was enjoying the music but another server came up to me and asked if I was ready to order. I was a bit hesitant because I didn't want to seem like I was on stepping on toes but they assured me that they are all a team and they can assist me. That is such a lost art! Bootleg Special takes care of their customers! I spent the rest of the night jamming to the music and enjoying my meal. The dinner ended tremendously with beignets with candles from Bootleg Special. That was the icing on the cake! I was able to have a mini photoshoot as I was waiting on my Uber. NOW my birthday dinner was complete. This birthday dinner exceeded my expectations! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BOOTLEG SPECIAL for going above and beyond!!!

    Brooke C.

    Bootleg special had a very fun and whimsical ambiance! My drink was good and I appreciated the low drink prices - $14 craft cocktail is hard to find these days. The $10 food specials M-W are also pretty amazing. The plates were large and the food quality was good. I'm overall very impressed by the value and experience here.

    Amazingly fresh, cheap oysters during HH! some of the best oysters we had while visiting!

    Shrimp po'boy
    M T.

    Loved it! Came in with friends for po' boys, which hit the spot. Had the brussel sprouts, Cajun fries, and dessert platter with beignets -- amazing! Service was friendly and cool, generally good vibes all around. The drinks were amazing! Highly recommend their signature rum cocktail. Ordered it 'skinny' and it was SO GOOD. The 'hot sticky sweet' and mezcal cocktail were also fantastic. And they nailed the New Orlean's vibe to a t! Just a good time! Will be back.

    Garlic Noodles
    Cindy C.

    The inside does not match the outside at all. Perfect spot to take your date to impress them, because WOW the decor in here is unmatched. MUST ORDER the signature garlic noodles with shrimp. That was the most amazing thing! The drinks are also so good here. Although it was a bit of a heavy meal, every bite of it was delicious. It was a nice surprise because I didn't expect much going in. Such a lively spot and good find!

    Chili crab pasta
    Alyanna T.

    My partner and I ordered the guava mojito, bok choy Caesar salad, chicken & sausage gumbo, chili crab pasta, beef shortrib garlic pasta, traditional beignets, and bananas foster beignets - TASTE: 5/5 - everything was great. Highlights included the super refreshing mojito, comforting gumbo, spicy chili crab pasta plus its fried bao bread, and sinful bananas foster sauce TEXTURE: 4/5 - crisp bok choy, thick gumbo w rice to soak it up, al dente bucatini pasta, and perfectly fried beignets. Wish the bananas foster sauce included actual slices of banana PRICE: 4/5 - total came to $124 for dinner off their Boston Asian Restaurant Week menu SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - left satisfied and w leftovers SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 5:30pm on a Sunday and only a few tables were taken. Our waiter was friendly ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - what a unique space! Dark and moody, given the lack of windows, and appreciate the Cajun comforts menu. Glad we finally visited Bootleg Special PARKING: 4/5 - got a free street spot on Shawmut Ave

    Pamela M.

    I was very surprised by the esthetic of this restaurant on the inside as the outside does not look fancy. We had a reservation but the place was not packed when we arrived, which I personally liked. We were able to engage in conversation and hear each other. When I tell you we enjoyed every single bite of everything we ate, it's an understatement. We ordered: -Signature garlic noodles -Cajun Fried Rice -Thai Basil Garlic Fries -Cajun Fries Oysters -Hurricane (drinks) -Traditional Beignets with Strawberry Cream -Fraiche and Vanilla Ice Cream I don't really like spicy food but all the cajun things we had were tolerable and delicious. The noodles were the perfect texture and garlic, the fries were crispy. Our drinks weee the right balance of strong and sweet. Our servers were friendly and attentive. There is street parking available at a cost within the prescribed hours.

    Ashley C.

    I went here on my last night in Boston this past Sunday after seeing a real on Instagram that looked really yummy. From the outside of this restaurant, you would not realize what a cool restaurant is standing right there. However, upon walking in the vibe is definitely there. It's a moody restaurant with great light decor,, good music, and even music videos that play on the wall. Do not ask me why the music videos on the wall do not match the music playing out loud. The ceiling is very cute with very large booth. My party of four was able to sit very comfortably at ours. The menu is amazing but pretty pricey I got the Thai basil fries, which were just OK. They were thicker than I usually like my fries and did not have any perceived Thai flavor that I found however, there was a good amount of garlic. I also got the chili crab pasta. I went there for and it was amazing. My friends really liked their beef short rib pasta and Thai Caesar salad, as well, and my husband enjoyed his shrimp Poboy. An addition to all of this, my husband did order the poutine and both of us very much so disliked it. It was very savory and an unexpected way, reminding me of beef stew. Our server was kind. My only drawback was at the end of the meal, telling him that the restaurant doesn't usually do separate checks. I found this odd, especially for just three checks we needed (not a lot). If this is true, i feel this should be stated on the menu, the website, and at the beginning of interacting with a table that is a group. Anyway, he did do it for us,, and all was fine. At the end of the meal, I believe it was the manager who came by and asked how the meal was and was even inquisitive as to why we didn't like the poutine. He was kind and asked us about our trip, keeping us company as we waited for our lift in the small lobby area. If I lived in the area, I would definitely go back to this restaurant as I saw the have late night specials, weekend specials, and many more menu options I would've loved to try!

    Coconut lychee mimosa

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    2 months ago

    Amazing service and delicious food. Relaxed atmosphere and I plan on going back on my next trip to Boston!

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    Page 1 of 32

    Bootleg Special Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bootleg Special

    Any stairs involved in visiting the restroom?

    There are no stairs to the restrooms.

    Hi! Do we need a reservation for weekends, or is walk-in seating usually available? Also, do you have any non-seafood options on the menu?

    No need for reservations but highly recommended.

    Live. Music Friday?

    Do they online customers? If so, can I make an order answer?

    What time does lunch end?

    I'm not aware that they have lunch hours. Their website only mentions dinner and brunch menus and the hours are: Monday- Wednesday 4pm -10pm… Read more

    Do you currently make soufflé pancake?

    I was there on Saturday (4/17/21) and they had the souffle pancakes available

    What time does the kitchen close?

    1am on weekends

    Anyone know about the latest happy hour menu?

    Yea... The apps are $4 (ribs on coke, fried oyster, garlic noodles, corn, and the wings)

    Is happy hour $1 oysters only mon-thurs?

    I think it's only on Thursdays

    What time does brunch menu ends?

    Its from 10am to 3pm

    Is soufflé pancakes only available on the weekends?

    Yes. Actually, soufflé pancakes are only available at brunch on the weekends.

    Does anyone know if they have fried or barbaque alligator my friend visited florida and has been raving about how good it was?

    They don't but assembly row has alligator tacos!

    Someone mentioned the after dark special, what time and day is that?

    Thursday-Saturday 9:30pm-11:20pm on the bar.

    How is the pricing?

    Happy hour has $1 oysters and $4 lil plates of stuff and is probably the best deal. They have some yummy sounding po boys for under $20, but all the seafood buckets will be around $25-$40. The good thing is that you can split between two/three… Read more

    Are there gluten free options on the menu?

    If you have any type of dietary restrictions, do talk to the chef and they will customize your dish for you!

    View All 18 Questions

    Moon Bar - Tuna escabeche

    Moon Bar

    (40 reviews)

    Back Bay

    I am over the MOON with Moon Bar!…read more If I could live here I would! :) Another excellent experience here and it just happened to be restaurant week. We also spent an hour at the King Tut exhibit across the street! This restaurant/bar always seems packed. And, with reservations for 645pm (highly recommend) the bar was quite busy. The buzz from this high-end cocktail bar is exactly what you want on a Friday evening; From girlfriends sipping their wine to couples laughing and swirling their cocktails, Moon Bar is for the classy and sexy. Abby our server is excellent! A mixologist who knows all the cocktails and can recommend based on your preference. I tried one of their new cocktails with bourbon and did not care for it. Abby made me my mezcal drink that I have ordered before...its the 305 cowboy, an extremely popular drink. A must try for sure! Note: Some bartenders make you feel guilty for saying something about a drink you ordered and did not like. But, here at Moon Bar, Abby was so gracious to make me something that I will enjoy. Hats off to her:) Food: Since it was restaurant week we just shared everything. For starters we ordered the Tuna Tartare that was excellent. Then, we had Piri-Piri Chicken Thighs that were also good but quite spicy. For dessert, we shared the Caribbean Tiramisu, which was great. It was a tough choice between this and the Guava Cheesecake. We were so full that we ended up bringing home leftovers. Oh, I also forgot to mention we always order their Curry Fries - a must try when coming here Trust Me. My husband doesn't love curry but he loves these fries and you will too. #friesaretodiefor Moon Bar, thanks for being amazing in every way. Thanks for your splendid service, crafty cocktails, delicious wine (try the Pinot Noir from Germany), and your amazing food ---Love those Curry Fries! "Alexa, make reservations for 2 at Moon Bar for tonight." Cheers~

    Had some incredible post dinner drinks at Moon Bar! The ambiance of the space is great and the…read moreservice was impeccable. The ladies shared a bottle of wine and we had a few cocktails. The cocktails were refreshing, creative and fun. Since we had just eaten we didn't have any food but will be back to try something soon.

    The Street Bar - The Street Bar | The Newbury Boston

    The Street Bar

    (70 reviews)

    Back Bay

    Excellent views and ambience. Friendly professional staff, and very nice menu. Great drinks…read more Conversations with other patrons is very knowledgeable and enjoyable. Everything is done "top notch ". Whether you are a traveler or a local, it can be either a special night out, or a regular place to frequent. Extra munchies are an added plus. Everything is slightly higher priced, but sometimes, you get what you pay for. I have been coming here for decades...since the old Ritz Carlton days, and still appreciate the revolution of this lovely spot.

    We visited on January 11th, a few weeks prior to my wedding. This was a day I had planned for…read moremonths with my daughter and future stepdaughter, an important and meaningful occasion, and the experience fell significantly below expectations. In advance, I stopped into the hotel to confirm that a gluten-free guest could be accommodated and was assured this would be handled. In reality, the accommodation was inadequate and, at times, unacceptable. While the rest of us were served scones, my stepdaughter was given cut fruit in their place, and told that was all they had to accommodate.The dessert course consisted of what appeared to be basic gluten-free cookies, misrepresented as something more gourmet - egg nog cookies??? This lack of preparation was both disappointing, upsetting and avoidable. The broader experience was equally concerning. We were subjected to an unsolicited and uncomfortable "lesson" on tea service, which detracted from what should have been a relaxed and celebratory occasion. While trying to enjoy the time with the girls, being a lifelong tea drinker and someone who has been to many times at your establishment and its various incarnations, this is something I have never experienced. The food quality was poor (scones were clearly reheated and stuck to the cloth napkin they were wrapped in), and there were notable service lapses, including being served water in a visibly shattered glass. Additionally, when hot water was added to refresh the tea, my stepdaughter's pot curdled and had to be replaced. It was especially disappointing, as I mentioned that I had stopped in and spoken with the concierge, and was assured, as they had called the kitchen while I stood there that they readily accommodated gluten-free. There are numerous places in the city that could have done this, and if you had just told me that you could not do so, I would have booked us elsewhere. I chose not to raise the multiple issues in the moment so as not to disrupt what was meant to be a special day for the girls and me. However, the total cost exceeded $500, and the experience did not come close to justifying that price point! Do not recommend.

    Bootleg Special - cajun - Updated May 2026

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