I took my wife and her friend to Fish Bones in Chelmsford for her birthday tonight 8/27. We were seated next to four women who were having a real great time laughing and howling at each other's jokes. They were obviously excited to be together. The problem came when they became very loud with intermittent outbursts so loud as to be startling. Literal loud screams of delight and one louder than the other as they related stories. My group was not enjoying their inconsiderate behavior. I suggested I would ask them to tone it down. My wife suggested we let the restaurant make the request. I asked our waitress and a manager , Amy , showed up. I explained our issue and said I was willing to ask them. Amy was very much against that. Did not want ME to spoil another guest enjoyment. I asked if she would speak to them and she said she would. She did not. She claimed she lurked near them and she said they weren't that loud. This Implied we were lying or didn't know what rude and inconsiderate behavior in a public setting was. I asked again if Amy was going to speak to them she now said no. I let Amy know that she represented my worst experience with a restaurant manager ever. No interest at all in helping a customer endure the rude behavior of another inconsiderate customer. She told me we could leave, suggested we leave through the rear door and we did. Fish Bones is a successful restaurant and the management has become so arrogant they don't care if you say or not, after all they have people waiting. We won't be back, certainly not as long as the likes of Amy are there. read more

Fish Bones is an amazing restaurant. The positives are: Great food, great service, prices are comparable to other restaurants. Negatives: The place is really kind of small. You almost have to sit on the persons lap next to you. Sometimes the customers get loud and obnoxious. Especially when they have had one too many. Overall rating is an 8 out of 10. read more

The food is always incredibly mouth watering! I absolutely LOVE their Lazyman Lobster, which is baked in a casserole dish with bread crumbs. It's Fabulous!!! Yes, it's a little pricey, but I LOVE IT, so it's definitely worth it!!! It's always very busy there so you may have to wait to be seated, but thats like any great restaurant, right? My one complaint is the tables are very close to one another so your conversation's are not very private... =( read more

inner at Fish Bones in Chelmsford last night. I ordered a "baked stuffed lobster". The lobster was baked and stuffed - BUT, the meat was still in the tail, usually the meat is lifted but still attached at fan end. The lobster was served hot as it should be, but then i was supposed to, and did have to break off the tail and split it, it was so messy. It was a terrible position to be in, I just wanted to send it back. I mean it's messy enough to do this with a boiled lobster, try it with butter and breadcrumbs. Even when mentioned to the bartender she said that is how it is served. Hello, fire the chef! read more

My wife and I live in Carlisle and started coming to Fishbones right after it opened. We loved the food. We went to Fishbones about a month or two ago and again last night (May 12, 2015). I ordered the Mediterranean dish both times. Not only has the price gone up two or three dollars, but the dish itself has dropped way off in terms of presentation and quality of content. I used to get a lot of lobster in the dish. Last night I had two or three small pieces of claw meat, totally different from a year ago. As an example of how much this particular dish has deteriorated, I used to bring home almost half of my dinner because I could not finish it. Last night I ate all of the good stuff and had some pasta and liquid left in the bowl. The next to last time we went to Fishbones we got a bowl of carrots as the vegetable. Who wants to eat carrots with seafood. What happened to asparagus? I am no longer suggesting that we go to Fishbones again, even though it is more convenient than Legal (which has maintained its high quality and kept its prices in check over many, many years). Bill Claybrook Carlisle, MA 978.793.1357 read more

Nothing exceptional here. The haddock was fresh and cooked just right. The seating has an open noisy cafeteria vibe to it which was a turn off. read more

Zero Rating for Zero Lobster in $30.00 Lobster Risotto... Will not Waste my hard earned$ on such a rip off restaurant, manager casual wanted to give a dessert in return ,inconsistent dishes , woman at table next to me ordered the same with huge chunks of Lobster and not the soupy dribble I was served with Zero Lobster !!! I work to hard to eat mediocre seafood with a mediocre cooks , management and at least try to make riscotto correctly!! What a joke, don't waste your time at this rip off joint!! P S. You shouldn't piss off hungry foodies who know there way around a real kitchen! read more

Omg! Love this place. We went last Saturday and the place was crowded. We were told that it would be a 30 minute wait but we didn't mind it at all. We sat down and the ambience was great! I ordered a glass of wine and my husband ordered a martini! The fish dish I ordered was awesome and the appetizers were amazing! Great service and food! Kudos! read more

First time here for lunch. LOVED it! Sat at the bar with a friend, had excellent service. Had the ahi tuna sandwich with seaweed salad- just AMAZING. Also absolutely loved the pumpkin espresso martini! Great interior and a bright happy place to go. I will definitely be back! read more

Food was pretty good, but the seating policy was horrible! I called ahead midafternoon on Monday to put my name down for 6:30 for a party of 3. I arrived at 6:20, checked in, and was told to come back when the rest of my party had arrived (meeting friends for dinner). I waited, watching various other parties arriving and being seated (inside). My last friend arrived around 6:35 and we asked to be seated, only to be told it was a 40 minute wait unless we wanted to sit outside! When I told her I had called ahead, she said "but your party wasn't all here". We chose to sit outside and I now have 50 mosquito bites on my legs. Unacceptable. read more

I wanted to take some time in composing my review. This is a very nice place - the design and look of the place is great, bright, open, fun. It's very clean too. I've dined here on many occasions and have come to notice a few items which are less that "nice". First the food, it's of high quality - no doubt about that. This is important and without it the place would fail horribly. However, where things are lacking are in various aspects of service. Again, this service issue has been a pattern I'm seeing in my visits. On this last occasion, a wednesday evening, the place was fairly full, and we had to wait a bit for a table. No problem here, I enjoy a bit of a wait to have a cocktail and discuss the meal ahead. The bar had two open seats, we moved towards them and the bartender, near the end saw us approach but continued cleaning glasses. After a few minutes I was able to get his attention from glass cleaning to ask if these were taken, he said they were and then went back to glass cleaning. After trying to get his attention to order some drinks my wife went to the other side of the bar, where one seat appeared. She sat down and I joined her. At this point a female bartender appeared and was filling a drink order...in a seemingly complex fashion she spent almost 10 minute preparing it, and had to make several journeys around the bar to get the thing complete. At this point, about 20 minutes since entry had passed and voila, the electronic diode disk of summonings began it's dance and we got to go to a table. Finally a drink was ordered. We perused the menu and decided - the waitress asked us, not once, but 3 times if we would like an appetizer, to which we replied no...3 times. After waiting about 10 minutes longer than we should have had to, the waitress came to us to tell us, the swordfish plate I had ordered came out but was unpresentable so she told them to make another. One point for the waitress...however the other dish, we were told, had been completed and was sitting there waiting. She asked if we would like that one to wait or be brought...we told her to bring it. Minus one for the waitress. In addition items on this plate that was on hold were...you guessed it. Cold. Fail. This was sent back and eventually both dishes arrived. The food quality was great, as was presentation. After we completed our meal, we were asked about dessert and said no thanks...just the check please. Our waitress, who had been bustling about, now disappeared for about 15 minutes. Upon return, we paid with plastic so again had to suffer another 10-15 minute wait to depart. While sitting there I felt that the food, while good, is pricey and this coupled with the fail bar service, bizarre plating and long waits - not to mention the clear "upsell" pressure made this a very unsatisfactory experience. Upon initially making our choice to dine, we considered going to Nashua for Surf and afterwards, I wanted to write a comment on the check - "I wish I had gone to Surf". For the money required here, this kind of dropping the ball is unacceptable. Its likely I won't return and will instead go to Nashua. read more

Delicious!!! Best seafood outside of the city. Great service, easy parking, and simply perfect dishes. They had the best steamers I've ever had (not a single grain of sand in the bucket!), and the entrees were exactly what we were looking for. We will be regulars, for sure! read more

Customer service here is horrendous. The hostesses all have an attitude problem and treat their customers like dirt. This will be the downfall of this establishment. read more

We went here for a casual Saturday night dinner after a long day of painting our dining room. Wow is all I can say! I had the lobster risotto (bc I'm kind of a freak for both) and omg, it was one of the best things I've had. My husband had something else (can't remember now) and his was also amazing! The thing I don't love about this place is how small it is. Cramped little tables too close to the person next to you - although, I guess I have personal space issues. We also had the bacon wrapped scallops and some chowder - I still dream about that meal...and the stain on my shirt is a pleasant reminder of how freakin awesome it was. Must go back soon! read more

My First time dining at Fishbones was on fathers day. My wife and kids treated me to a fantastic dinner. The food and the waitress were 5 stars. The 3 star rating is because the first employee i spoke with wasn't accommodating and quite rude. The resident bartender(George) was not very welcoming. read more

Great Service, Nice Atmosphere, Outdoor Seating & Killer Seafood !!! Shrimp Scampi Was Out of This World w/ Home-Made Pasta !! #Winner read more

I have to say I was a bit disappointed here. Very crowded, loud- which was no problem. It was rainy, hard to find parking ( for an out of towner) but surely the hot spot for the locals. I was at the end of a long week wanting true "Boston" food ( chowder, fish, lobster, crab,....) and was recommended by some with my group who had been 3 nights in a row!!! I guess they had deeper pockets. Although my gut was to order the crab cakes and lobster rolll ( my bad) I asked the waiter. They had a Grouper special and I asked should I get it or the lobster roll- he said the grouper. Described as a haddock, lightly battered with a special peach aoli/ ..... something sauce for $25 vs the $17 lobster roll and he said the fish was out of this world.!! So I got it, and a cup of chowder. First, the chowder was full of clams but very runny... I like it a bit thicker.. But it taste good.. So on to the fish. It was a HUGE plate of fish and chips. Greasy, huge piece of haddock, no flavor, just huge, and some large sweet potato fries. Where was the presentation? The peach aoli stuff? It was nothing more to me than a bowl of peach yogurt... I even tried it on the fish- it was awful!!! Nasty even.... not the right mix of flavors. So I got me some malt vinegar and ate me a $25 plate of fish and chips and went home. I looked at the menu- king crab- 1lb- $45? More than Ruth's Chris? Lobster? $35 a lb? Scallops? They even had these fresh in the cooler to buy to take home to cook for $26 a lb. Oysters, $32 a dozen??? I know oysters are not a boston thing unless you have gold bards, but here in SO GA, I'll brag about our gulf oysters for $8 a dozen and move on. Sad end to a very hard week of training.. Will be back only if taken with someone from the company, and suggests the right thing as it has to be better than what I had but not for the $$$$$. read more

Fish Bones is a great local restaurant to go to because the fish is fresh and they WILL cook it the way you ask them to. I have never been disappointed with the food service. Upsides: the restaurant is a nice decor, bright, uplifting, friendly waiters; on my birthday, the waiter gave me dessert on the house. That my friends is what keeps customers coming back, good old fashioned hospitality..its never we cant and we wont..but of course we can do that....(and they hit you with a little extra). Downsides: the receptionists are unprofessional and they are not geared toward customer service. They have attitudes, you'll see. Bartenders - hit or miss. I dont like bartenders who have dirty black clothes on...makes me nervous when they reach for raw items like limes, lemons, olives and pickles, touch them, garnish your drink with it after squeezing its juice in, and shortly before all this, he is wiping is sweaty face and handling money. Get with this part of it, guys - you work in a highly regulated industry. Good beverage: the amazing "Fish Bones Bloody Mary" but I warn you - this drink will fill you up like an appetizer - it comes with two large green olives, one HUGE COLOSSAL cocktail shrimp and a large sandwich pickle....tasty AND yummy drink. If you are looking for the "sides" that the menu references, stop looking! They are not on the menu - the waiter will you tell what they are. GO and think of me.... Nunes read more

This is a place I want to love but can only like. We have been here a dozen times and really enjoy the oysters and other seafood choices. The problem is that you'll have either really solid service or terrible service. There doesn't seem to be effective management or brand experience being prioritized here- a common flaw of millions of restaurants. Swordfish kabob with pomegranate reduction is amazing. 7 of 10 oysters will be delicious and properly shucked. Wine selection is fine. Prices are good and well matched to quality. If only the staff had better training and attention... read more

Had 7pm reservations. It's now 8 and still no table! Explanation, apologies, or acknowledgement. Very loud. Food ok I'll never be back. read more

Can I give this place no stars?? Had a bad experience at the restaurant. The server was nice however didn't know they didn't have any specials available. The general manger could not get a hold of her she was out sick for from what her staff told me was weeks!! I send out a letter no response. Called and talked to every one else but not her. Finally get a hold of her she is nice but told me she hates Yelp we as Yelpers can't be trusted for a honest review read more

Just ordered dinner to go for 6. Two of us got the lazyman lobster. The description was 1 1/4 pound of lobster in herbed breadcrumbs. No way was it 1 1/4 pounds, there were no bread crumbs and it was like chewing rubber. For the second most expensive item on the menu, it was absolutely terrible. It's always been hit or miss with Fish Bones. Put a fork in me, I'm done! read more

I'm changing my rating after the way I was treated tonight. They need a more courteous staff and a better seating system. Waited over an hour for a table and someone waltzed in and got one with no wait. Not ever coming back again. read more

Been here few times. Service is ok. Quality of food is really good for this town. One time I called to make a reservation although they don't take reservation, they still put my name down. As we arrived, we still waited for more than 45 min while no one was ahead of us. I am giving 2 stars because the way they seat their guests and the unfriendly attitude they showed while we were waiting. Hope I am still having appetite for food. read more

Have been several times and always enjoyed the food. However, something seems to be changing. One of our fun appetizers (and was recommended by others) has been the huge plate of onion ring for only $5. Well surprise, surprise, last night we were informed that the rings are no longer on the menu. That's a disappointment as they were special and loved by all. We were told that decisions like that are made by the chef and the owner. The waiter said he gets asked several times a day about the onion rings. So we looked at other appetizers and they were priced like entrees.... what's happening? Had two specials on the menu that looked good, however one was $32... a bit pricey...maybe I misunderstand the meaning of a special. My wife's lobster roll was very good, however the home made chips had a strange flavor as if they had been cooked in oil that had been used for preparing something else? My swordfish was grilled perfectly and was excellent, but the accompanying broccoli was cold and the coleslaw was finely cut such that it had a mushy consistency..... maybe I'm just used to a more shredded slaw. The atmosphere was as nice as on previous visits and the help were very attentive and responsive. My sense is that something is changing at the place.... almost like they are trying to position themselves as a higher end restaurant and not just the great local place that it has been up to now. We'll probably try it again, but not with the same enthusiasm as .before. When you eliminate an appetizer that is popular and that everyone raves about..... and with the prices are edging up quickly, well, something is changing. read more

Was here with friends for lunch. Service was very good, as was the food, all fresh and well-prepared. Lots of menu choices. We shared the potato chip appetizer, wonderful. The fish and chips was fresh and cooked perfectly. The coleslaw's flavor was good but the pieces were big, making eating awkward. Getting to the parking lot was a bit tricky as the entrance wasn't easy to find, and there is a Do Not Enter sign right there. Great place, will go again. read more

plan your trip accordingly bc they are located at that crappy rotary and i can only imagine what thats like around rush hour really good food....v good service, place is bright and clean party of seven handled us all nicely and even helped my mom torture us with family photos...the waiter kindly obliged her delicious...had the fishermans fried platter...two others had the lazy-mans lobster...everyone shared everything...all very good serve sodas with a glass and the "real" plastic soda bottle..like you would get at the store, i prefer it...so often the stuff that comes out of a soda fountain tastes terrible great lunch read more

Great food and service. Extensive beer menu in bottles/cans. Seafood Mediterranean was outstanding

Consistent, ahead of its game. New room added with cozy fireplace. read more

We came here for my boyfriends birthday in September. The food was good, but the service was terrible. The host was rude from the beginning. We called in advance to "make a reservation" only to be told when we arrived that there was no guarantee to a table (what's the point of putting a name down for a reservation). After half an hour of waiting the host seated us in a dark, secluded area outside, where no one else was. This was very strange to us because there was a tent just on the other side of the host stand, where there was outdoor lighting and other people dining. I asked for us to be seated underneath their tent where there was actual lighting so we could see our food when we're eating. She said all tables were occupied, and I said we'll wait, as I saw a table getting ready to leave. Sure enough, a table opened up 2 minutes later. Not sure why she couldn't read that, and chose to seat us in a closed off section in the dark. Her tone of voice, snobbyness, and zero effort to accommodate us really made us feel uncomfortable. read more

This is an excellent seafood restaurant. The lobster risotto is to die for - it's very heavy duty though. I just had the grilled rainbow trout. Delicious. The clam and seafood chowder are great, lobster rolls are a favorite in my family and Fishbones never fails. Great selection of beer and wine, limited dessert, always has daily specials. Food is fresh and tasty. Beware the outdoor seating on buggy summer nights. read more

Food here is 4 star - the service is one star ...challenging. Call ahead seating and being told you will wait one hour makes on think, why am I calling ahead???? Hostess and greeter can be brash - don't they want the business ??? read more

Shrimp over cooked Mine was mixed grill shrimp. salmon and swordfish swordfish and salmon were good but I was given a very small piece on salmon and two large pieces of swordfish. My wife's was seafood casserole again shrimp overcooked and was over salted and too much butter and breadcrumbs and for the there has to be better fish than Haddock. Coffee was weak. I will not be back. read more

Great place to eat! But...If you're not a party of two, do d another place to eat. Two and a half hour waiting for a party if three and it looks like I'll be seated once everyone leaves. read more

Food is always great here. The only complaint is the noise level.. It's a small restaurant with no rugs or absorbers so it gets very loud. There's always a wait so definitely take advantage of the call ahead seating. The bar is also very small (and slow for a drink) in the dining area so waiting isn't very comfortable eithe. The homemade pumpkin cheesecake their selling right now is hands down the best I've ever had.. And I've tried many. The mixed grill and blackened swordfish were hits at our table last night! read more

Food is usually pretty good and this place is always busy. I'm taking off 2 stars for the service we had gotten the last time we were there. It had been months since we went back due to the horrible service we had gotten. It was back in summer when we were there and although the host offered to seat us indoor, we opted to be seated outside in the patio. The weather was perfect not to be seated outside. After given the menu, we waited for someone to take out order. At least 2 wait staff walked around the patio and attended to other tables; none acknowledge us. After about 10-15 minutes of patiently, we flagged down a staff (can't remember if it was the host of another wait staff) and told her that we were waiting for our wait staff...... no apologies were offered and no orders were taken..... another 10-15 minutes and another 1-2 wait staff in the patio attending to other tables later........still no one came to acknowledge us and take our orders. We were sitting in the patio for a good 20-25 minutes without even water being offered. The tables in the patio weren't even fully booked, so we were very disappointed that all the wait staff and even the host ignored us. It's a shame as we really enjoyed the food there in the past... but this horrible service we got the last time had steered us away since. read more

Enjoyed during business trip, I would go again. Ordered the Fish and Chips, but confusing during the order taking was the only reason for the 4 stars rather than 5. Overall recommend for sure. read more

My boyfriend and I both work in the restaurant industry, and coincidentally we are always looking for new and interesting places to dine out. Our standards are pretty high, which unfortunately means that we can often leave a restaurant after a meal feeling somewhat disappointed. That being said, I can honestly say that this place left us both a little awestruck - It was OUTSTANDING!!! From the moment we walked through the door we were greeted by warm, friendly and attentive staff. We had called earlier in the afternoon and put our names on the "call ahead" seating list (they do not take reservations)...and thank goodness we did because this cozy little spot fills up fast on a Saturday night. (We overheard the hostess telling a guest who had just walked in that it would be an hour and a half wait.) We were encouraged to visit the bar and get a drink while we waited for a table to be ready. Even though the place was bustling and busy, and the bar was full, we were promptly greeted by the bartender and had drinks in our hands within a few minutes - Delicious Cosmo Martinis! We probably waited no more than 20 minutes before the hostess came over and told us that our table was ready. She even took our coats and hung them up for us, making us feel very welcome and at ease. The physical space is small but in a way that creates a feeling of comfort and intimacy. There is no wasted space and the layout has a natural fluid feel to it. In the center of the restaurant, a full-length glass case display of fresh seafood and live lobsters is echoed on the other side of the wall by the long stretch of a fully stocked bar, creating a nice central focus. And OH MY GOD...THE FOOD...........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Appetizer: We got Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops: Yum! The scallops were so tender...and did I mention that they were wrapped in Bacon?? How can you go wrong? They were baked to perfection. What pushed this dish over the top was the playful balsamic and fig reduction that was generously drizzled all over the plate - Wow, what a great combination. Dinners: I got the Seafood Mediterranean...this dish is loaded with lots of fresh, tender lobster, sea scallops that melted in your mouth and juicy, crisp shrimp - EVERYTHING tasted so fresh! It was all tossed over penne pasta in a light, smooth garlic butter sauce with roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. SO Delicious! My boyfriend got the Pineapple Blackened Swordfish Steak...I liked this dish even more than my own! The swordfish was cooked to perfection; it was moist and tender on the inside to the point of just falling apart in your mouth, while the outside was crisply blackened with Cajun spices and Meyers rum, giving the swordfish an intriguing kick. The fresh pineapple salsa completed this dish and made it absolutely delightful. Dessert: We got the warm Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie...drizzled in chocolate and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I don't know how we managed to finish it after everything else, but it was too good to put down the spoons. Our waiter was wonderful. The restaurant was full and he was busy with a several other table tables in addition to ours, but he managed with finesse. He was attentive to our needs and we were well taken care of. We will most definitely be back again. This was by far one of the most enjoyable dining experiences we have had to date. read more

Frankly, we've stopped going to Fishbones. The food is fabulous, that can't be denied....but the seating is too "tight", and the noise level is HORRENDOUS. All you can hear is glasses clinking at the bar, and raised voices with everyone trying to talk to the people they're with. read more

Delicious, large portion lunch, good price for the quality of food. Comfortable homey atmosphere. Great service. Parking is tricky, not fun. read more