Food was excellent. However, if you are a party of two, you will be seated in a row of two tops that are crammed together. No privacy for conversations. if you ask for a more private table, you will be refused. Best to come here in warm weather when you can sit outside and not be crammed in. This is a quirk of the management at this place that I've not run across at other restaurants. Felt to me to be not very customer oriented. read more

I really liked the decor, it was fresh and pretty minimalistic. Everything appeared to be pretty clean and the wait staff was overall friendly. We ordered a calamari appetizer, which was very good. Out of five of us, we all ordered some thing different. My husband thought the hamburger was OK, but nothing spectacular... And the rest of us really enjoyed our meals. Obviously, their strong suit is seafood. However, our waiter was a little bit odd. I'm not sure if he was new or if he had had a rough night the night before... But he just didn't seem to have good etiquette. We were still eating our calamari when he reached over my mother-in-law and took the remaining appetizer, she had to stop him and explain she was still eating it. She also asked for a margarita and when he brought it back there was no salt on the rim, so he had to take it back. My husband asked if they had Pepsi products and he replied yes, but then returned later with a Coke and said they did not have Pepsi products afterall. I ordered some ahi tuna and when he asked how I wanted it cooked, he suddenly replied "we'll just do it rare!" And walked away. It felt like he was in a hurry but also didn't really know what he was doing. But! We were there for the food, and that was good. read more

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Went to Fishbones last week and had an average meal at best. A bit pricey for what you get. The beer options were pretty good but the overall experience was just average. read more

I am a new Fishbones fanatic! I went for drinks and apps one day and had the most delicious blueberry martini along with the Buffalo shrimp and spinach dip! Both delicious apps and a nice surprise was the truffle chips that came with the dip! I loved it so much I went back and got the same apps! This time along with dinner which was a lobster roll. What a good value for the roll, hotdog size bun, stuff to the brim with two sides, and my favorite... a pickle. I got a blood orange martini curtesy of a recommendation from our sweet waitress and it was unbelievable! She said it was a fan favorite and she was right! Overall, delicious food and drink with kind staff! There will be a wait so try to call ahead. read more

Fishbones - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

I love fishbones and it's one of my go to's but past few times dealing with flies is not what I want to do.......If I am spending 95+ on dinner and drinks I do not want to deal with flies. We had to scoot them off several times and the table next to us they were on the plates and then going to the windows. Our waitress was so nice and said she would let the manager know, but never heard from the manager. It would have been nice if they tried to do something about it....the entire dinner swatting the flies away. read more

This place was packed on a Saturday night. I'm so glad I made a reservation beforehand (it's technically classified as a "call-ahead" so they only guarantee that they'll seat you within a 30 minute window of your time). Parking is a bit confusing but once you find it you'll be all set. My friend and I both got the 1.25 lb steamed lobster, which we thought was a good deal at $29. Lobster was fresh but a little too chewy for my liking. Was also missing that touch of sweetness that I experienced from lobsters in Maine. But I appreciated that the restaurant made the dish more easy to eat as they already cracked a few sections of the claws. The lobsters came with spring mix and the greens were enjoyable and extremely fresh. Out of the sides we tried, the sweet potato fries were the best. Coleslaw and green beans were alright. The mashed potatoes were terribly underseasoned and somehow smooth in a bad way (didn't have any creamy flavor). Instant mashed potatoes would taste better... Other than the misstep with the mashed potatoes we enjoyed our experience. It seems like this place is a hit with the locals too. read more

Fishbones - Steamed lobster with green beans & sweet potato fries - Seafood Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

I came here during a work trip and, while it wasn't a bad experience per se, it was certainly not on par with the pricing and prestige they currently have. Things got off to a rocky start with their parking situation. It's only accessible going in one direction on the street, and it's easy to miss the turn into their relatively small lot. For some reason they didn't have a marked entrance either, so newcomers will have to figure that one out for themselves as well. We had excellent service throughout the visit, no complaints there at all. They made frequent callbacks and the pacing of the meal was quite good. The ambiance was excellent as well, with an attractive interior and a lively (but not noisy) clientele. The meal itself was good but not outstanding in terms of quality or taste. The lobster portions on the "lazy" menu item were quite small, and I think the bean counters there are guessing you won't notice how most of what you are eating is actually breadcrumbs. They have a strong selection of alcoholic drinks, and it's easy to see why their bar was nearly full. I would recommend this place strongly if your primary goal is getting drinks with friends or on a date. I can only give a qualified recommendation for dinner due to the portion sizes and quality of the entrees. The lobster inflation is real! Overall: 3.0 stars ---- Pros: - Great service with regular callbacks. - Excellent drink selection. - Terrific ambiance, great for dates, business meals, or family meals. Cons: - Food is okay, not nearly so good as advertised. - Portion sizes are small for what you're paying, so value suffers there. - Parking here is a pain, so I hope someone else is driving here and not you! read more

What a great environment! Bartender Justin made a mean martini and it perfectly matched the Parmesan Crusted Flounder I had with it! All staff was friendly and so welcoming! Good serving sizes for what you pay for! Definitely coming back! read more

Blood orange martini was awesome! Servers were attentive. A bit noisy, but to be expected on a Saturday night. Baked stuffed shrimp were large with very nice sides. Great experience! read more

Good food and service. Local restaurant with relaxing atmosphere. Scratch kitchen. Will return again

Good food.. but wish service was better and that the bartender who was counting the cash and handling money, washed his hands before he opened my beer can!! And food can out cold because they bartenders too busy eating candy behind bar and putting lights around their necks!! read more

Excellent excellent food! Quaint restaurant Menu has lots of options Parking is not the best Service ehhh, it was busy though. They offer same day, call ahead seating which is great because if there is a wait, there is nowhere to stand. Drinks were expensive but strong and delicious Dessert - nothing to brag about We will def go back Not a great place to bring kids on weekend night. Way to loud and busy. read more

Always good drinks, food, service and atmosphere. The Fishbones Bloody Mary is one of the best I've ever had.

We made call ahead seating for four adults last Saturday for around 6:00 p.m. We had two back out and when we arrived, I informed the hostess. She said they would get a table ready for us as soon as they could, most likely a 30 minute wait. I do not understand why they do not make reservations, but will take call ahead seating, and not have seats available. I have never gone there without waiting 30 - 45 minutes for a table. If you have been there, there is no room to wait and you feel like you are hovering over people. Within a few minutes, we were able to sit at the bar. The bartender was amazing, we chatted about different spirits, etc. She made us feel welcome. So we decided to stay and eat at the bar instead of waiting for a table. The food was very good as were the drinks, although a little steep, but what isn't now-a-days? read more

12/26 @ 1pm Food was okay. Place was starting to get half to full for tables, bar was full around the whole u-shape. They were out of calamari, crab cakes and few other items. Which makes sense as its the next day after Christmas, so food was okay. However, we experienced an issue at the area where we were sitting at. A bug or roach crawled out, not sure from the walls crevices or from the fireplace onto the wall trims. We didn't panic or want to make a seen, so that we don't interrupt folks lunch time. The wait staff were talking amongst themselves about the issue, but that was it. We let our staff know and easily apologized and just unsurprised swept it up with a paper towel. We politely declined for anything else to order and he gave us the full bill. read more

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We walked out. If you do not mind sitting right on top of the table next to you then give it a shot. This place is VERY small. We were seated in the middle of two tables that was about 10 inches (if that) apart from us on both sides making it VERY uncomfortable. We sat for about a minute at the table having the guy to my left staring at me and the lady to my right all upset because she had to move all her shopping bags so my wife could sit. Also parking for this restaurant is difficult. We will not be back. Hey, give it a shot if ya want but Good Luck!!! read more

We had an amazing anniversary meal here last night!! Excellent service, outdoor seating which worked great with their 'call ahead' feature. The lobster tacos were delicious and filled with tender sweet meat. The addition of the onion and corn elevated this dish. Would be interesting to try it with a warm (cooked) taco or flour taco. My husband had the Steamed Lobster which came disassembled- claws and tail removed with the tail split. This was nice so he didn't get soaked when breaking it apart. There was still the satisfaction of breaking the claws! Great cole slaw too. For dessert we enjoyed a fairly traditional raisin bread pudding but the ice cream tasted a bit freezer burnt. Too bad because the pudding itself was creamy and flavorful. Overall an excellent meal in a cute location with awesome service! We will be back!! read more

Amazing food, delicious martinis. Good service. It's a fancier restaurant, we will be back read more

Fishbones - Sesame Tuna Steak - Seafood Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Ok let me start off by saying it's tough to find the main entrance to this place.... Me and the GF went for dinner last night and once we found the main entrance we got to the hostess the same time as an older women who was let in the side door... she asked for a table for two but her husband was "parking the car" ... my girlfriend and I where already there and ready to be seated but unfortunately the hostess had a questionable look on her face ... I again asked to be seated because my party was there .... And still a blank stairs.. I had to ask for a manager and which point the old women's husband came in.. manager came over and asked what party was there first and the hostess said "well the lady was here first but him and his girlfriend where ready to be seated.... So manager decided to sit us.... The tough part about this and I am mentioning is the girlfriend and I are minorities and the older couple were white and it did feel like a little of a discrimination thing going on .... But have to say the food was good and we just ended up sitting at the bar and bartender was cool... Just won't be going back to a place which makes a person feel not welcomed .... read more

Ordered fish and chips to go for two tonight and we didn't receive the chips. I called expecting to get a discount, but no that wasn't happening. Driving back would have left our dinners cold and traffic a mess. They refused a discount and/or a free appetizer next time. When I brought up a free appetizer to make up for it, she took a total attitude with me. Won't be returning. read more

Went here to celebrate a friends birthday. Party of nine, we had the nook at the very back of the restaurant, which was nice, because we can definitely be loud-talkers! Our waitress Amanda was superb, hope you get her when you dine. Started with bacon wrapped scallops, bacon wrapped shrimp, and a dozen oysters. Everything was delicious. Everyone enjoyed their mains, and drinks. Desserts were ok. The chef came out to help drop off our entrees, which was a nice gesture. read more

I've been to Fishbones twice and the first experience was good. The first waitress was consistent and kind and the food was good. The second time back the service was slow, which wasn't even the worst part. Our female server took 15 minutes to just grab us water and when she first arrived to our table we were ready to order our drinks + entrees. Before my boyfriend could even finish speaking she immediately walks away to help another table. We had only put in our drink order at this point and when she walked past us we said we're ready to put in our entrees and she said okay but left anyways. Never in my life had I had a server say "okay" to taking an order, walk away, take someone else's order, walk away again, and only came back to take our order when our drinks arrived. I found it astonishingly rude since she knew we were waiting a while. I ordered the lazy man's lobster and there was hardly any meat. I've gotten more lobster meat from market basket. The food this time wasn't good and they didn't give me any drawn butter with my dish. Overall this visit was very disappointing and the service was awful. We were sitting outside and it got dark. There were no outside lights so everyone was sitting in the dark eating and bugs were everywhere. read more

Sadly went back due to a co-worker having a gift card. Slow service. Cold food not served at the same time and it was only 2 meals. To top it off the fish was over cooked and dry. Never again. read more

This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. Whenever I go I am always greeted by someone at the front desk. Everyone there is so friendly. I usually get the seafood sauté but opted for the spicy lobster sauté this time around. I am so glad I decided try it - amazing! Fresh oysters, amazing food and great drinks. I love that it's local too! read more

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So good went there 2 days in a row. Fantastic seafood menu. First day, seafood casserole, simple but delicious. Clam chowder too. Very well done. Cassie was superior as a server. Second day strawberry fields salad, with blacked swordfish. Salad was very good in its own. Swordfish is best I have ever had... they know how to blacken right. Hope to make it back! read more

Fishbones - Strawberry Fields Salad with swordfish - Seafood Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

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We stopped in just to grab a few appetizers and drinks and boy am I glad we decided to do so. We did not have reservations so we sat at the bar which was fine by us. Eat, drink and watch the Sox in the middle of a playoff run-what is better than that??? I will answer-the food was absolutely delicious and made it even better. For starters we had a half dozen oysters which were delicious, a great starter. I wanted a cup of Chowder but they were out (we got there late) so I went with the Shrimp cocktail. The shrimp were colossal and served with a spicy cocktail sauce! Awesome!!! To finish it off we had some grilled scallops with rice and asparagus and this just topped it all off. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the asparagus was cooked perfectly as well. Overall, we loved our meal and would definitely come back again! read more

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Shocked the reviews aren't higher! Fishbones has been one of our favorite spots since it opened. Date nights, family nights, dinner with friends, Fishbones never disappoints. Fresh seafood and raw bar, creative dishes and standard seafood faves. You're missing out if you don't visit Fishbones. Keep up the great work, we had a fabulous dinner last night of our favorites dishes: shrimp cocktail, Myers Swordfish (always perfect) and King Crab legs. Thanks you for many years of wonderful meals. read more

i had read some impressive reviews about Fishbones in Chelmsford, i went there today, for the first time , with 3 friends for my birthday, quite disappointing, i ordered the seafood platter which had fish / shrimp / clams and scallops. The shrimp & scallops were good the clams NO! they looked like little nuggets with NO flavor at all, the fried haddock was tasteless also. i had better clams / fish at a pizza take out to be truthful. The plate was $37.00 i also had the clam chowder MEH! it lacked that pungent clam flavor... the service i would rate 7 she forgot to get my water refill. Both of us that had the seafood platter agreed about the quality of the clams and fish, the waitress reported our comments and we were offered free dessert for our disappointing meal. The restaurant has a great atmosphere very clean and comfortable. read more

The food here is very average- salad toppings from a can like olives and artichoke; lobster came in a curved dish with curved butter dish that instantly spilled over the entire lobster and nutcracker when I placed on the table. Basic lobster-enjoying tools were absent- no seafood forks, bad nutcrackers, no handi-wipes. No salt and pepper on the table. Frozen fries and industrial coke slaw. Frozen fried calamari with all the tentacles fried into a clump. The saddest piece of overwrought corn on the cob- possibly from the day before? This would all be tolerated at a seafood shack or sub shop but not at Chelmsford's 'top' 'fancy' restaurant. Assembly line food in fine-dining trappings. read more

Food was excellent. Service was great. Ambiance was great. Fried New England Fishermans PlatterFish And Chips read more

Take out order: 2 lobster rolls, with sweet potato fries and corn. lobster roll is smaller than what we've had before from here. not $30 worth of lobster meat. only 1 ketchup for 2 orders? pickles are half the size they used to be. Caesar salad: hardly any parmesan cheese. why so stingy? tuna tatare: only chips were given along with the wasabi cream, soy sauce and other toppings. no tuna at all. $20 for this... i don't know what the hell is going on. absolutely disappointing meal, miserable portions. only thing portioned appropriately were the sweet potato fries. $91 for this. who is checking orders? where's the quality control? this place iust keeps getting worse. they don't care anymore. not spending my money here anymore. read more

They are cutting corners on the quality of their ingredients. There is something lacking in terms of care, love, and soul with this place. Service was good, but the food is fraudulent. They are going through the motions and it is clear that oversight and attention to detail is poor in the kitchen. Some customers don't know any better so it might pass. But it does not pass for me, especially at this price point." read more

Love this restaurant! Friendly staff, even the chef stopped by to say hello! The food was great. We had chowder, scallops, fish and chips, and a lobster rollthat must have had an entire lobster in it! Great ambience, comfortable seating, nice lighting. What could be better?! This was the first time there for most of us. We will be back. read more

The seafood is great and cooked to your tastebuds desire. The drinks are excellent as the bartenders know what they're doing and the dining area is simple and not over the top they let the service and food speak for the overall feel. A great place especially on a spring afternoon out on the lanai. One of my favorites. read more

Service is friendly and food is good. Drinks are good, but the craft cocktails are watered down and not made per the menu ingredients. You spend $15 for a drink and get a pos; ask the bartender about it and you get attitude. Stick with the wines or anything you can see them pour. Watch out for the soda gun! read more

Came in for lunch with a couple friends. Amazing atmosphere, friendly staff and a great Halibut! We had Peter who was knowledgeable and very friendly. A true national treasure. read more

Fishbones - Seafood Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Bad food Bad management. Drinks tasted like rubbing alcohol. Fish Tacos were dripping wet, fish tasted old. Prices were very high, food wasnt worth the prices charged. read more

A little surprise of a restaurant! Small and cozy, but lively. Had to wait a bit for a table, but enjoyed oysters and beverages at the bar. Attentive service, delicious food. I had tuna that was fantastic. The best crème brûlée I have had outside of Boston. read more

Had a great lunch here! Food portion was very generous. Crab cake was really good as well as the halibut with risotto. Truffle fries were perfectly flavored and had the right crisp. Also got sangrias and they were just mediocre. Happy with our meals th read more

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One of the most appealing and coziest looking spot in the area to grab drinks and dine in for some fresh seafood has to be Fishbones in Chelmsford. They are located off of a tricky roundabout so if you miss the private parking lot, you'll probably have to drive around the traffic circle again to get back around. But once you've made it, there's a nice spacious bar in front, a lovely dining room area or just head over to the seats in front of the open kitchen if it's available, place your jacket behind the chair, order some wine, lean back and enjoy the show. Truffle Chips- I'm not sure if they left the chips in too long or were thrown in reused old oil on a busy Sat evening but we ordered 2 of these and both tasted pretty burnt. The sauce on the side was good though. Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops- Beautifully grilled scallop wrapped in bacon with maple syrup drizzles on top, making this the perfect savory and sweet combo for an appetizer. Fried New England Fisherman's Platter- Delicious goldenly fried jumbo shrimp, scallops, clams, haddock when we ordered this around lunch time. They are served on top of fries, onion rings with some cole slaw. Don't order anything else if you're going for this, it's a massive plate. Overall Service: Super friendly people here. During lunch time when it was quiet, everyone was cordial. When I came back here on a busy night, I noticed all the staff, from the hostesses to the servers, looked like they were on top of their game. I love a stress-free atmosphere. read more

Fishbones - Seafood Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts