The first time I ate here the service was awful and I vowed never to return. I went again with another group who wanted to try it. We were a large party and had the best service I've had in a long time! Our server, Lorina, was prompt, attentive, knowledgeable and very nice! The food is delicious, we tried a lot of the small plates. Do yourself a favor and order the wings, they are delicious! They also have a variety of cocktails for non drinkers. I had a tasty spicy pineapple something! lol It was very good! The next time I'm in Boston I will definitely go back! read more

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GREAT brunch place!!! MUST-HAVE soufflé pancake. It takes a while so order it first with your drinks/apps. Check out their mocktails, too. Friendly service. A bit of a Nawlins vibe with the decor. Our party of 6 enjoyed all of the food. read more

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Had such a fun night here for a friends bday dinner! We just so happened to go on "industry night" so they had a bunch of DJs playing & it was vibey! The food was also delicious! The only thing was that service was a bit slow, but we were chatting a lot and enjoying ourselves so it was fine. We mostly ordered apps. My faves were the birria bao, chicken wings, garlic noodles, & cajun fried rice :) I'm not a big seafood person but they had plenty of stuff that wasn't seafood. My friends also really enjoyed their mussels, squid ink fried rice, and beef short rib pasta. I loved the aesthetic of the place and all the art. read more

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Really loved our drinks and the late night oyster special! The inside is super beautiful too. Would definitely come back for drinks, and want to try their food too since the menu looks great. Service was good too. read more

Was really looking forward to coming here. They just changed their menu this week so they don't have the same items as what is posted in photos (no biggie). We got their snow crab and shrimp boil with a "dine in Boston" meal - etouffee with a Bok Choy Caesar salad and beignets. Our first meal in Boston and we expected much better quality for our crab. It was big chain grocery store quality at best. You get 2 clusters and unfortunately none of ours had meat in the actual body and the legs were tiny. Maybe .75 lbs (server said 2 clusters and it would be around 1 lb but they don't weigh). Flavor was good but for the price, quality wasn't there. Etouffee was not good at all, my kids liked the seafood since it wasn't in the sauce but sauce tasted gritty and dirty (honestly don't know how else to explain the flavor). We left all the sauce and used the bootleg sauce from our boil. My lychee martini was more lychee than martini and the best part of the meal was our oysters ($1 Thursday special) and the beignets. Our server was sweet so 2 stars since it's no fault of his. read more

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PHENOMENAL! Let me type that one more time... PHENOMENAL! First off the service was SO GREAT. Like above and beyond. I'm almost positive our server's name was Denise (I apologize if I got that incorrect). Her customer service was the highlight of our day. The ambiance is dope. Lighting was chill. Music was chill. Just wish the AC was a little bit more chill, but that was not a problem. Cool artwork on the walls. Now the food. OMG sooooo Dee-LISH. I had the bootleg Benedict eggs. I can't put into words how good it was. I shared soufflé pancakes with my wife and that was amazing too. I highly HIGHLY recommend this spot! TWO THUMBS ALL THE WAY UP!!! read more

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Service: extremely slow. We got in and had to wait 12 min just to be greeted by the waitress. We quickly ordered after she arrived the mama sus big bag of crab. This came out at 8:02 Garlic noodles ; this was okay I have definitely had better. These were more saucy.. this came out at 7:57. We ordered at 7:18.. So if you plan to sit for long this is a good place. Overall the seafood I would give it a 3/5 Music and atmosphere was good. Got beignet and chocolate cake: both I would pass on. Low sweetness. read more

Bootleg Special - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went here to celebrate my Partner and her twins birthday on the 23rd and our server was amazing. We've come here the past few years to celebrate their birthday and while we were all disappointed to see the make your own boils discontinued, our server and management that night were still able to make that night special. The highlight of the meal was the king crab, the delicious garlic noodles, and the squid inc fried rice We also had The lychee martini and these were so good and worth every penny. A little on the sweeter side. read more

Visited Boston from NY & stumbled across this restaurant. I shared the menu with my friend and we decided to have her birthday brunch there on a Sunday. From the outside- the brick wall building doesn't seem like much but upon entering you will be teleported to a place of good vibes, good food & attentive service We were a group of 4 & decided to family style share 3 appetizers. The strawberry creme soufflé pancakes were delicious, the Brunch noodles topped with a runny egg & hangover fried rice were flavorful and shareable For entrees we got the lobster roll that came with a generous portion of fries , the shrimp n grits , a crawfish boil , snow crab leg with mussel boil + added veggies in their spicy house sauce ( I'm used to paying for seafood combos by the pound that comes with sides so was a bit shocked that the veggies were sold separately ) Overall everything was delicious & service was amazing . The portion size for the build ur own boil is shareable for 2-3 people 10/10 recommend read more

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I found this place by watching some YT videos for the must try restaurants when visiting Boston.....so, off we went. At first glance at the front entrance, we thought that G-Maps had messed up again as there was no way this little entrance could fit that big open space as seen in the pictures on Yelp. Ok, but the name of the restaurant was correct, and there was a menu posted beside the door, so we must have come to the right place......as we soon found out, yes, this was the right place. Upon entering, WoW! They fit this huge open space in that little entrance? That was our first surprise. Second, the place looked so cool on the inside, and what I would best describe as a converted warehouse with an eclectic decor theme, and with that club music booming, this place could definitely pass as a hip and cool night club. But no, it's a cool, fun, and interestingly decorated restaurant with plenty of tables and a very long bar. Unfortunately, this being our first time here, and having shown up just after opening hours at 4pm, we expected the place to have ample seating available at this hour. But no, the hostess informed us that they were fully booked, even though there was only one table occupied.....hmmm, ok. This hostess didn't seem very nice or friendly at all and just told us that if we wanted to have dinner here, we could sit at the bar......seeing we didn't have much of a choice after having walked all the way here, we agreed. Judging by the hostess's demenour, we started to get a bit nervous that perhaps we would be treated similarly by the other staff. However, our fears were quickly turned around as the bar tenders Nisa and Dave were so much nicer, very helpful in explaining the menu to us, and gave us great friendly service throughout our whole dinner experience. So, being seafood lovers....particualrly shellfish, and preferring a more simple preparation since we like to actually taste the freshness of the seafood, we went ahead and ordered Mama Sue's "Big Bowl of Crabs" and added an order of Jumbo Gulf Shrimp to it for an additional $25. With this came some drawn butter, but just out of curiosity, we asked if we could try a small sample of their spicy signature Bootleg sauce which Nisa gladly agreed to arrange. The BIG bowl of crabs and shrimp arrived in no time and was pretty darn impressive.....and thank goodness rubber gloves were provided as it would have been very tough keeping clean without them! Our only small disappointment was that the first batch of jumbo shrimp served was clearly overcooked and hard to peel. We called Nisa over and explained this situation to her, showed her the shrimp, and she agreed that they were overcooked and told us not to worry and that she wiould have the kitchen prepare up another fresh and properly cooked batch, which came out absolutely perfect the second time around.....plump, firm, juicy, peeled so easily.....and tasted so awesome with some drawn butter. The crabs were very good too.....tasted fresh, juicy, and plump. As for the sample of signature Bootleg sauce.....yup, it tasted really yummy, and went so great with the noodles! Unfortunately, I am not sure when we will be visiting Boston again, but for any locals or anyone visiting, this place is a definite must try......love the place's decor, ambiance, friendliness of the bartenders, and the quality of the seafood dishes. A definite fun dining experience overall. read more

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Went here on a Friday night. Nice atmosphere. We enjoyed the r&b dj. Our waitress was very kind and helpful with suggestions. Unfortunately, our food wasn't great. The best thing was the garlic noodles. The rice has some good flavors but was crunchy. The birria bao was visually appealing, but small and lacking flavor. The gumbo had good flavor put there were some hard bits of okra I had to pull out. The dessert tower had no good aspects unfortunately. The beignets were rubbery and inedible, so we sent them back to have them done over (thinking they just weren't fresh), and they came back warmer but still not good. The manager was kind and checked on us after the beignets were done over, so that's a A+ for service. The cheesecake wasn't anything to write home about and the chocolate cake was too rich for anyone to finish, even with three of us eating. All in all, we paid a good amount of money for the food and it wasn't worth it. If you just wanted to enjoy the mood of the restaurant with a DJ with drinks rather than ordering what we had, this place would probably be great. read more

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Food is amazing,ambiance is lovely and welcoming. Service I'll give it a 7 out of 10

This was our third time eating here and concluded that Saturday is not a good time to go. Service was not very good. Food was mediocre. Atmosphere was fine; however, noise level of music was so loud we could not talk. We will have to really think about returning. read more

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

Bootleg Special - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Wow, my coworkers and I really enjoyed this spot. We were only in town for a little while and found a great review on yelp. We were all in the mood for seafood and the pictures lured us in. The music was on point. The service was amazing and the food was to die for. The place is very unassuming from outside, but once you walk in, it's a beautiful ambience with a great vibe. They truly give you tons of seafood and it's worth the cost. We went on Thursday and thoroughly enjoyed their dollar raw oysters. I only wish I lived in Boston so I could frequent this place often. read more

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Living in the South End all my life, I've been blessed with so many unique restaurants nearby. We even have a seafood boil restaurant! Bootleg Special's seafood boil is amazing and the garlic noodle is a must! The drinks are super fun and the vibe, NOLA speakeasy. Love it. Yesterday was the first time I stopped by for brunch and it has to be Boston's best brunch spot! It is great for dates, girls outing, friends and family gatherings. Let's just say it can accommodate any occasion because it's such a fun and unique experience. I really enjoyed their brunch menu which include soufflé pancakes, bootleg Benedict, and brunch garlic noodles. They also have MANY gluten free options. I've also tried their newly launched menu item, the ConeNado and my favorite was the lobster clam chowder! Super fun and delicious! This is a must visit! read more

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Dinner took 3 hours because they ran out of beef and decided to give it to another table and not tell us for 40 minutes. Had to reorder something else. When the food came, it was really tasty. Our server did her best to accommodate, but it then took another 25-30 minutes to get the dessert that we had put the order in for when ordering the mains. We watched tables getting their meals and food much more promptly. Again, when it came out, it was good, but 3 hours for a meal we ordered all at once is wild. read more

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

It's the type of place where you want to dress up but you know they'll put a plastic bib on you to eat dinner. It's a conundrum for sure. It may not be a first date kind of place for that reason but the seafood boils are delicious. read more

You might pass by this restaurant and think its an old, abandoned, and empty building but there is a little sign in front the door that indicates you are in the right place! Once you get inside you will be amazed at how big this place is. They got super high ceilings, a nice dark and relaxing vibe, and beautiful fun lights and wall decor all around. It is very dark inside but they do have table lights for you that makes the food look super aesthetic. Perfect lighting for photos haha Their small plate items are super unique and seem to be cajun,asian, and mexican fusion. - Fried Clam Wraps : 8/10 Super big pieces and it is nicely soft fried. Great seasoning but could use less mayo and the wraps were soooo teeny tiny they were barely wraps. I enjoyed this but I couldn't eat more than 1 piece bc there was so much mayo and no wrap - Easy Street Corn : 10/10 By far the best street corn I ever had. The mayo was nicely seasoned and it was so addicting! The ratio of mayo to corn was perfect as well. - Cajun Fried Rice - 10/10 The burst of flavor in this fried rice actually took me by surprise. I was shocked at how seasoned this was! Nice balance of salt and savoury. - The Bootleg Special seafood boil with Bootleg sauce - 8/10 Huge huge huge lobster that was fresh and super meaty. The lobster had so much meat in the head and tail. The shrimp, clams, and lobster were all perfectly cooked and easy to peel. I definitely think there could have been something more. Aside from the huge lobster everything else was very basic. The sauce was a little spicy and a little watery. I do approve of the massive amounts of minced garlic though. Our server was super friendly and very nice. She checked up on us frequently and provided great service. I also really enjoyed the big booth they reserved for us, made the whole experience very vibey and fun. Overall I had an amazing time with my friends here, the ambiance of this place really brings everything together. This place has one of the best ambiances where you get to have personal space all while being able to soak in and observe the positive energy of everyone else in here. read more

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I got dinner here recently with my husband. The decor is great and was a nice nod to New Orleans without being over the top. The waiter greeted us quickly and was friendly. Drinks were good, I opted for a Lychee Martini on my second round (not pictured) that was very good. I liked the sazerac more than the mojito. The grilled oysters were good, but not as good as the ones in New Orleans. Bao buns were good though the meat felt a little fatty. The garlic noodles were my favorite bite of the night. So tasty and not overpowering at all. We split the bootleg special and both enjoyed it, as well as split the bananas foster beignets and both enjoyed those. As far as why it's a 4 star and not a 5 ... drinks took a while to get to our table. Our server forgot we ordered another round, but also we couldn't get his attention to remind him until he had come to drop the check. It was slow for a Friday night, though seemed to be picking up as we were leaving. But for it being so slow, it felt like attention to detail could have been a little better. The bathroom needs some TLC as well. Overall a good bite, but would have loved just a little more. read more

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Amazing food and great service. The garlic noodles sang to my soul' Parking is a bit challenging, but the food is worth it. read more

We came here for the $1 oysters happy hour. And that's really all we had! It's pretty good and decently sized for $1 oysters. The ambiance is pretty nice too. There was some live music when we were there. Make sure to get a reservation! read more

Bootleg Special - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Service- wonderful, attentive and friendly! Food- Unique Asian and southern food fusion! Loved the soft shell crab pasta and the beef pasta. The grilled oysters were yummy too. Great presentation! Ambience- lovely, dive-bar type, purple tones inside. From the outside, you would never expect to see what you see when you walk in! And that's one of the things that makes this restaurant special and a treat! read more

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Decent brunch spot! The soufflé pancakes are very tasty (I ordered the matcha pandan coconut one). They are light, fluffy and fragrant from the pandan. I love the crispy coconut bits on top, plays with the texture. The beignets were very dense inside. Maybe it would taste better if they were cut into quarters. One beignet was so hard to eat because it was like solid dough. I wouldn't order this again. Peach and cream crepes had a weird taste, I think it was from the amaretto. Really through the whole dish off for me. Bootleg Benedict was very tasty. Chunks of lobster and crab was a nice change from the regular Benedict. Service was good so that bumped it up a star. read more

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The restaurant is very spacious and have a vibrant atmosphere. I really enjoyed their colorful and unique art and decor. The staff was so friendly and very accommodating and quick to clear up empty plates. Had the opportunity to try their Thanksgiving set meals. First of all the seafood was so fresh and every dish was so flavorful. Their unlimited sides were also so delicious, especially the garlic noodle, Brussel sprout. If you do not have time to make a Thanksgiving meal and not craving the usual holiday dishes, you should definitely stop by on Thanksgiving day. They open at 4pm and still have their regular menu as well. read more

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We got there and they were gracious enough to accommodate us on a night when the was an event. The service was excellent and the proprietor came by the table to check in with us. The "Southern Low Country Boil" was great. The atmosphere is laid-back with a good mix of music. read more

As a speakeasy fanatic, my first impression of this Bootleg Special standing on the outside of the restaurant was exciting. I saw the "Bootleg Special" sign, but I couldn't be sure I was opening the right door. When I did, I was wowed by the ambiance in front of me -- it was dark, yet lively. Food: Signature Garlic Noodles w/shrimp - 10/10. Packed with flavor (!!!) and a great carb to accompany one of the proteins that are smaller. Service: My friend and I were given the option of sitting at the bar, since we did not have a reservation. The bartenders were super friendly/personable and the food came out at a reasonable time after we put in our order. The bartender also gave me an honest recommendation about an item on the menu -- LOVED that! Ambiance: Spoke to it a bit earlier but this spot is a total vibe. *Really* great for a date night or an outing with a friend/group. There's def a distinct feeling of late night fun when you step into Bootleg Special at night. Idk if I can imagine it feeling the same during the daytime (I'll have to try that some other time). read more

Bootleg Special - Garlic Noodles - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Such a fun atmosphere and the food is yummy! The service is always friendly and welcoming.

Yes this place is pretty good! Very tasty food. Beer is good as well. The garlic buttered noodle shud be called CRACK NOODLES ITS THAT GOOD! Oysters are tasty as well. Orders the wings they are huge as well! Check this place out you might like it!! Ambiance was very clubbish/lounge very cool! read more

Bootleg Special - Garlic butter noodle that's all u guys get! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It's always less busy here than I expect. This is a great spot for a casual but fun group dinner or brunch. Seafood is a large portion of the menu but they have other options as well. Dark, New Orleans inspired decor is the theme. Not exactly like New Orleans but a fun vibe for sure. Plenty of drink options but I was surprised they had no spicy drinks (got a spicy marg off menu). Staff was very attentive, friendly, and service was fast. read more

Bootleg Special - Smashed Cucumber Salad - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Bootleg Special has a very cool vibe and some pretty delish eats! I've sat inside and outside- the inside has cool New Orleans speakeasy vibe with a long bar and big open dining room. They are famous for the seafood boil which I haven't ordered myself but tried a bite of someone else's and the flavor was great. I've really enjoyed their garlic noodles, Mac n'cheese with flavorful grilled shrimp, and some other tasty bites as well. Cocktails have been very good, staff nice though occasionally complacent as I have been there when it's slow. They have happy hour and late night food and oyster deals, and Thursday Jazz- seem to be running a lot of specials... It's a good date spot or group of friends brunch/dinner spot- plenty of photo ops. A place where you could dress decked out or casual, but it has been pretty slow the times I visited in the off hours. I say give it a try! read more

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I love the decor, the seating space, service was on point for my boyfriend's birthday (very important because he flew in from Michigan) and it's his first birthday with me! He truly enjoyed the food and we had so much of it! 10 out of 10 for sure! read more

Bootleg Special - Lobster and grilled veggies - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The food was good and the drinks were delicious. The waiter was very attentive, the service was excellent.

Very cute restaurant and bar. Food - 4/5 Double steak and bone marrow social plate 4/5 - The presentation was stunning. I love the look of the plate and it's definitely enough food for 2-3 people. Our steak was cooked a little more well that I would've liked and there wasn't much marrow in the bone. However, the overall dish was good and a great social plate. Beignets 3.5/5 - ordered the beignets ($9) with banana foster add-on (+$6) and chocolate and strawberry sauces on the side ($3/each). We had a side of ice cream too but not sure if that was part of the original order of just beignets. The beignets were not as fluffy and light as we hoped but the flavors of all the sauces were great. The total for this dessert set came out quite pricey with all those additions. Stick to the original if you don't need all the enhancements as they quickly add up. Drink - 5/5 We both ordered the Rosalita. Recommend for someone looking for a sweet, fruity tequila drink. One thing to note is that what they charged my credit card was about a dollar more than my total with tip... I know a dollar is not a huge difference but that's very concerning in case it were a larger difference. No other comment since I don't know the reason. read more

Bootleg Special - Social Platter - double steak and bone marrow - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The food was good! We were super happy about the boiler and how it tasted and I personally liked the squid ink a lot. The beignets weren't quite what we were expecting but we also haven't had enough beignets to know right from wrong. Our waitress was nice and friendly so great service. The ambiance was a little dark so if you have trouble reading menus in dark places, maybe take that into account but the vibe itself was really cool! read more

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Bootleg special got it all: food, service and ambiance. Got here on a Thursday night and this place was packed. There was live band performing today. Lots of cocktail options. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

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This is my second visit to Bootleg Special, a year apart, and once again the elevator was not working. Although a ramp was provided, it was NOT suitable. As a result, the restaurant remained inaccessible for people who rely on elevators or other mobility accommodations. Given that accessibility features are expected to be maintained in working order under the ADA, it is concerning that I encountered the same issue on two separate visits a year apart. I hope management addresses this recurring problem to ensure all guests can access the facility safely and equally. read more

The food and the service are top notch. It's very elegant inside the lighting is perfect and it's very intimate. Thanks to the staff for taking care of us. read more

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Got a chance to finally try food & drinks at Bootleg. We sat the bar and bartender greeted us right away. I tried 5 types of drinks and two were surprises I asked the bartender make (Death by Coconut was refreshing). The restaurant is spacious with high ceiling. We didn't do seafood boil, we ordered different small dishes to try. Garlic noodles with shrimps was delish. read more

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