I had eaten at The Daily Catch's Brookline location years ago (it no longer exists), and I always remember it as a great meal. So when I was visiting Boston with my husband two weeks ago, I thought this Waterfront location would be a great spot for dinner on our first night in Boston. The family behind The Daily Catch opened their first business in Boston (in the North End) in 1973 - a small storefront selling calamari. Since then, it's become a bit of an institution in Boston, with several locations and now a full-service, large-menued Sicilian-style seafood and pasta restaurant. I waited an hour outside their Brookline location when I ate there years ago, and the wait was worth it. People who have eaten at their North End location may remember waiting for a bit, too. But this Waterfront location? THEY TAKE RESERVATIONS. Hallelujah. We had a reservation for around 8pm on Friday night and were seated at our table right away upon arriving. The restaurant is beautiful but understated - not flashy or too modern - with indoor and outdoor patio seating. The service was top notch. Our server was PJ, and he was incredible - helpful, friendly, always checking in with us. But even other people stopped by to make sure we didn't need anything. The menu is pretty large, and I wanted A LOT OF IT. Unfortunately, we were only two people and had to order responsibly. We shared the stuffed calamari (calamari stuffed with herbed bread crumbs, pine nuts, and raisins, and served in their red sauce); a Caesar salad (classic, and we added anchovies on top); their black pasta aglio olio (ground calamari, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, romano cheese, and parsley); and their monkfish marsala (pan-seared monkfish medallions with mushrooms in a marsala wine butter sauce). What I loved? That stuffed calamari. I had it almost ten years ago when I ate at their Brookline location. I remembered it, and we had it again. It's an incredible dish. There's a reason their black pasta aglio olio is so popular. It's a classic and very delicious. The ground calamari is such a nice touch, and the dish is fresh and super garlicky and delicious. (They serve their pastas in the pan - it's something they are known for - a charming touch!) I also think their drink menu is great. I had a great glass (or two?) of wine white from Sicily (Pietradolce Etna Bianco - a 100% Carricante grape wine from the Northern slopes of Mount Etna), while my husband had a cocktail (or two?). The only thing that kept this from being an absolutely perfect dinner was the monkfish marsala. The monkfish was cooked beautifully cooked, but I found the sauce very off. It was bizarre - it tasted like maple syrup to me. I think the marsala was too sweet or not cooked out enough or - is it possible?! - something was added for additional sweetness and the balance was off. Way too sweet for me with the fish. We ate the fish but tried to get as much off the sauce off as possible. The only miss in a meal that was otherwise wonderful in service, ambiance, food, and drink! The Daily Catch is a classic for a reason. If you've always wanted to try it, this Waterfront location is great - since they do take reservations here! Great Sicilian food in the heart of Boston. read more

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The daily catch, as you would expect from the name, specializes in fresh seafood, oysters, etc... the environment is casual and a good good place for happy hour or work dinner. Our sever was friendly and took us through all the specials... which ended up being more than half the menu. Food arrived quickly, so overall pretty good service. I ordered the grilled octopus appetizer. It was smokey and tender. Served with white beans, grilled onion and celery. It made for a good entree if you aren't too hungry read more

The Daily Catch - Grilled octopus - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The ambiance and location are great. The patio was beautiful. The food was mostly good, although my linguine and vongole (clams) was extremely salty, almost inedible salty. The rest of the food was great. I will say the service was subpar, the server was mostly absent, and when she did stop by she was curt and snarky. I also did not appreciate that the iced tea does not have complimentary refills. They serve it in the tiniest thinnest glass, barely got 4 sips out of it, and they do not provide refills, on iced tea, never heard of such a thing. With so many amazing seafood and Italian places around the waterfront and north end, this place needs to do better! read more

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Not worth the price. We came here for our anniversary as a splurge and were left feeling disappointed by the food quality. For over $100, you would expect the lobster fra diavolo to be fresh, but it was a huge let down. Severely overcooked and tough, but worst of all, not fresh! It stank of sulfur and tasted bitter which raises concerns about food safety. The other components of the dish were equally underwhelming--overcooked shrimp, tiny mussels and clams, and way-too-thin sauce. The calamari was the best part of the dish. The side of bread didn't taste fresh baked, and the Caesar salad was basic. I am giving stars based solely on location, service, and concept. The plating was beautiful and the vibe was romantic, but sadly the food fell majorly flat. read more

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Busy and a bit noisy inside. Ask for outside if you can. Our server Bianca was 5+ stars. Attentive, friendly, had my BF taste a couple of red wines to make sure he liked it. Had the Santa Tresa Rose $12 and for 5 oz pour $15 4.0 stars Grilled Octopus appetizer 4.5 stars Monkfish Marsala, upgraded to have black pasta for extra $6 4.5 stars Vogongle Neapolitan with black pasta for extra $6. It's cool that they serve it in a frying pan. House made black pasta was delicious with a nice chewy texture. I would definitely come back. read more

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This has been on my list for 4 years. I always run past it and catch the scent of the food, and the outdoor patio is so cute. So after 4 years, I finally got to eat here. Getting a reservation wasn't difficult, just make sure you get it a few days in advance. Everything here was amazing. Patio, food, drinks, service- no notes. We got the calamari meatballs as our appetizer. I don't like meatballs but I made an exception here...the ricotta is SO light and tastes so fresh. It went so well with the meatballs. The sauce was pretty complex flavor wise and was a delight to have. The meatballs were also delicious and we loved how everything went so well together. After we finished our appetizer, we were brought bread which we used to sop up the rest of the sauce. It was delicious. For our entrees, we got the swordfish and the aglio olio with scallops. Wow. This was my first time trying swordfish, but it was delicious and however they cooked broccoli rabe made me actually like it! It was so good. The aglio olio...tastes even better than it looks. SO good and such a massive portion. I got to ball out on leftovers the next day. The scallops were perfectly seared and went so welll with the pasta. It was so fun have calamari and garlic bits in the pasta...the calamari in it was truly unique. Thinking about this dinner is making my mouth water and making me hungry. Our waiter was great and attentive to us, everyone was having a good time and it was a really nice vibe on the patio. I'll definitely be back! read more

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I have been to the Hanover St. location several times before but it was my first time here. We came here with Hana (our chihuahua mix baby) and were allowed to eat inside. This was a pleasant surprise. Although Hana barked at the server every time she talked to us, the server and staff were very nice to us. Much more spacious here than the North End location. For the food, my aglio olio squid ink pasta served in a frying pan was bunched up and I had to fluff it up to eat. Also it was lacking flavor. My wife's porcini risotto was kind of watery and not creamy. I did not taste porcini either. The best item was the clam chowder. Next time I will try the North End location instead. read more

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A Must-Try Boston Gem! The Squid Ink Pasta is Legendary If you're looking for authentic, flavor-packed seafood in Boston, The Daily Catch is the real deal. This place nails the Sicilian vibe, serving up some of the freshest catch around. The absolute star of the show for me is the Squid Ink Pasta (Aglio Olio). It's decadent, garlicky, and perfectly briny ... truly one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. A total game-changer. The best part about dining here is that the food literally arrives at your table sizzling hot in the pan it was cooked in. It's a fun, rustic touch that adds to the whole experience and keeps your meal warm down to the last bite. The atmosphere in the North End location is cozy and buzzing with energy. Be prepared for a potential wait and know your meal will be delicious, the seafood is incredibly fresh, and the flavors are absolutely perfect. read more

The Daily Catch - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is my favorite North End restaurant by far!! The pasta dishes are always a hit and this location has so much more seating than the other one, plus plenty of cute outdoor tables in the summer. Truly every dish here is a standout; you literally can't go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. The calamari is a must order - perfectly crispy and pairs amazingly with the sauce. The squid ink pasta and shrimp scampi are also so delicious. Make sure to add lots of cheese! Staff here is super accommodating and always provides great service. read more

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Cool spot. Attentive, kept the Fleet game on, cool atmosphere. We got oysters and octopus, a great combo. And two mocktails! The bartender was very kind and split it for us into two glasses. All in all it was excellent. Just the right amount of food, quick and easy. I look forward to dining there again! read more

The Daily Catch - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Underwhelming... got the Caesar and the lobster fra diavolo. Caesar fell flat, the only thing that delivered were the anchovies add-ons. The lobster was overcooked, and most importantly not fresh!?! Noodles were fine, as good as any boxed noodles and cooked to a true al denté, but the sauce was so thin it slipped right off so all that was left was a starchy chore. High marks though on pretty plating and pretty setting. read more

The Daily Catch - Caesar salad - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Wonderful service. The manager was excellent & very attentive to his customers. Gave us great recommendations as to what to order... as did the the other wait staff, & the recommendations were amazing. PJ, our server, was excellent as well. Funny, attentive & just on top of it. I can't say enough about the wonderful food & service. I wish more establishments followed this model. EXCELLENCE. read more

INTRO: Came here with a full group of colleagues from out of state, one of those company dinners where everything is covered and you just get to enjoy the experience. Safe to say, I was more than happy to be included in this one. SERVICE: For a busy Thursday night with a party of around 15, the staff handled things impressively well. Food came out in a timely manner, no confusion, no chaos. They were friendly, attentive, and actually knew the menu, offering solid recommendations without overcomplicating it. Managing a group that size is not easy, and they made it look smooth. AMBIANCE: This place leans more Boston bar energy than traditional fine dining, and that is part of the charm. It was packed, a little tight at times, but it felt alive. You are not coming here for quiet elegance, you are coming for the buzz, the movement, and that shared experience of a packed room enjoying great food together. FOOD: We went all in and ordered family-style, almost tapas style, sharing everything across the table. Squid ink pasta, black pasta, fried calamari, grilled octopus, dish after dish hitting the table. Everything was delicious, but what really stood out was the sauce. The broths, the richness, the depth of flavor, that is what stayed with me. I found myself talking about it mid-meal, and I was not the only one. At one point, people were practically trying to drink the sauce straight from the plate. That is when you know it is hitting on another level. You know you're doing a good job when you put much thought down to how you make your sauces and broths. I was impressed from both a top down and bottom up level of culinary experience. IMPRESSIONS: I need to come back here to on more sauces and broths. read more

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Probably my favorite meal in Boston during our 4th of July trip. The Daily Catch has a location in North End as well but this one definitely less chaotic and away from the masses. There was a small wait even with a reservation, but we happily had a drink at the lively bar during this time. The service was really great. We loved our waiter who was not only attentive, but had a great sense of humor. I don't know why they have to have pepper grinders that are 4 feet long but that led to a bunch of innuendo jokes with our waiter, if you know what I mean... haha. He was a good sport about it. I would highly recommend any of the seafood pastas here! Can't wait to come back in the future. read more

The Daily Catch - Cheers! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Loved the lobster fra Diavlo and the scallop linguine here. We came here for lunch and luckily didn't have to wait too much. The seafood is fresh and elections. The oysters were amazing too. Absolutely amazing service ! We sat outdoors because it was a nice day out. read more

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My mom had called in advance to seemingly reserve a table but we missed the 15 minute cutoff. Luckily they still had tables outside on the heated patio so we braved the windy & cold weather because we were all so hungry!! The menu's pretty straightforward but I'm ngl I had a hard time deciding. I ended up choosing the monkfish marsala because I KNOW mushroom/wine/cream combo eats every time. The bread came slightly cold, not even room temperature but it didn't taste bad at all. In fact despite looking like my least favorite kind of bread service I eventually had several pieces. Our food came together so it was a long wait between ordering and getting to chow down. The portions were not intimidating at all! There should have been a lot more pasta in the signature lobster dish, but better a little taste than nothing. The squid ink cacio e pepe was *chefs kiss* but very greasy. The sauteed garlic lost their pungence so were very chewy. My dish was pleasant but had a flavor I wasn't expecting. Overall, seems like a lovely place for both locals and visitors alike but leans touristy. Reminds me of a restaurant we ate at on Pier 39 in SF. read more

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One of my favorite restaurants in Boston, The Daily Catch has the BEST squid ink pasta and other great options that keep me coming back for more. To start, the service was phenomenal. Our waitress was super friendly and checked in regularly without being overbearing and gave great recommendations. There were two other waiters who were also available and happy to help when needed. The dim lighting makes for great ambiance! I sat out in the patio tonight and was pleasantly surprised by the subtle but effective ceiling heaters that kept my table warm through the low 50s weather. Food: -Squid Ink Aglio Olio: 10/10! Always my go-to and must-have dish here. There are generous amounts of chopped calamari to balance the perfectly chewy noodles. -Fried Calamari: 9/10! More on the soft side than crispy side, but not in an unpleasant way. Sauce comes out HOT, which is a nice touch. We asked our waitress for more sauce midway and she gladly brought out another cup. -Fruitti di Mare: 9/10! Had a good number of clams, mussels, and scallops. Noodles were nice and thin. Dessert: -Tiramisu: 10/10! The shaved chocolate on the top made all the difference. The texture was the perfect blend of gritty chocolate bits and soft, slightly cakey cream. Not too sweet. -Chocolate Mousse: 9/10! Was on the heavier, thicker side but in a pleasant way. Rich chocolate flavor. Fruit could have been sweeter. -Crème Brûlée: 9/10! Not sure how to describe the consistency, but this was one of the breadiest(?) crème brûlées I've ever had, and I enjoyed it. Was a nice change from the typical silky smooth crème brûlées I've had. Fruit could have been sweeter. read more

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the lobster pasta is very delicious！highly recommend. It's a beautiful place for traveler to have a dinner. But the lemonade has a weird taste. I don't like it. They just served the food normally; there was no real service to speak of, as my experience, I didn't think it warranted a tip. 龙虾意面确实很好吃！微辣番茄汁底，意面裹着酱汁一切刚刚好，海鲜Q弹新鲜，非常推荐。 但是饮料的话，柠檬水有一股异味水的味道，真的不推荐这个和草莓柠檬水。 并且他们没有服务，就是正常上菜，没有人care你需要帮助，所以我认为不值得那么多的小费。 read more

The Daily Catch - The lobster pasta - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love Daily Catch! It's a must go when I'm in Boston and a great place to take visitors who want to eat a quintessential Italian seafood pasta. The Waterfront location is great as they take reservations and accept credit cards, making it easy to plan ahead. The star of the show here is the Lobster Fra Diavolo and for 4 people we ordered the 2 person person which ended up being perfect for sharing along with the Aglio Olio Black Pasta and half a dozen oysters. The lobster pasta is super flavorful with large pieces of shrimp, calamari, mussels, clams and of course a large lobster. The seafood is cooked to perfection and the sauce nice and rich with a spicy kick. The housemade squid ink pasta is great too but on the heavier side. Love the chopped squid that they mix in and overall with the combination of the red sauce lobster pasta and olive oil black pasta, it's a great way to try the best that the Daily Catch has to offer. read more

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Yup, gotta pull up here as well! Great ambiance right on the water and stellar service as always, Boston never disappoints and this is literally caught fresher than fresh. Great family operation & some of the best eats in the city hands down. Stamp it! read more

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We made reservations using Google a few hours before for weeknight dinner. We got the squid ink pasta, which we found to be too salty, and the lobster set for two, which was delicious. It's a great location, and the food was good, but not mind blowing. read more

This is our second time visiting the Daily Catch. Their dirty martini is one of the best I've ever had. I also love their broiled haddock and their clam chowder. We've always sat at the bar when dining and have had a great time! read more

The Daily Catch - Dirty Martini - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Decided to come to The Daily Catch as it was another one of Boston's lobster spots. Also came with a personal recommendation as it was our friend's favorite restaurant when she lived in Boston. Since all I cared about was lobster, my decision was very easy. Ordered a 2 person Lobster Fra Diavolo. This was great! Loaded with seafood and one whole lobster, plus a ton of linguine with a tasty tomato sauce. Absolutely hit the spot. Service was fine here, no complaints. Worth the visit for sure, would come back. read more

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We came here for drinks before getting some mid day food across the street from the waterfront. I had read a lot about it and seen people post about this spot on social. We decided to grab a seat at the bar which was pretty busy and small in terms of the amount of seats the bar had. We kept seeing peoples food coming and everything smelled so good but we were waiting for a table somewhere else. We each enjoyed a drink and had a great time. I would love to come back for dinner on our next trip out. read more

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The food was bright and fresh. We especially loved the mussel dish and soaked up the sauce with the bread that they give us. The gnocchi was ok, less like pasta and more like soft potatoes. Our servers were attentive and friendly, offering recommendations on what is most popular. We were seated outside with enough space and heaters around since it was cold outside. read more

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Great Italian seafood. This location takes reservations and is right on the edge of the North End. Great spaghetti alle vongole a nice Italian wines. They'll even give you a nice birthday song if you're celebrating! read more

The Daily Catch - Spaghetti alle Vongole - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food was great. The shrimps were big and juicy. Loved their red sauce personally. Not too far from the water and our server was super sweet. Love this place. read more

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Disappointing. No flavor. Bland. For the price we paid ($140), we could've gotten better at the festival 10 mins walking time away from here. However, The ambience is nice and the staff is very attentive and kind. read more

I first came here years ago and have been dreaming about coming back ever since. Did not disappoint! For starters - make a reservation otherwise prepare to wait for about an hour. We got lucky and only had to wait 30 minutes. No brainer, we got the squid ink pasta. Served in the frying pan which made the meal that much more fun and probably taste that much better. I got the garlic and calamari and it was way more calamari than I expected which was a really nice surprise. We kept it simple, stuck to just the pasta and all of it was delicious. If/when we get the chance to come back again, i'll for sure try a bunch of other things. The food was delicious, i wish the portions were just slightly bigger but i'd still come back. Everyone was very friendly, clean, and patient. The food did take a big long to come out but the views were gorgeous and I knew I'd be in for such a treat when the food finally arrived. read more

Celebrated a grad dinner here with family and had a lovely time. It was my first time at this location but I also love the North End location. I have a shellfish allergy and they were very accommodating. They communicated well about what was safe for me and easily made the pasta without clam juice. The broiled sword fish and broiled haddock were so delicious. I highly recommend the lemon risotto as well. It is so cheesy and summery. My family enjoyed the lobster pasta dish as well. read more

The Daily Catch - Broiled sword fish, broiled haddock, broccoli rab, lemon risotto, white sauce pasta - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We had such a great lunch at The Daily Catch Waterfront. The linguine with clams and calamari in white sauce was so good fresh seafood and the pasta had so much flavor. The baked haddock was perfectly cooked, flaky and not heavy at all, and the asparagus was simple but really well done. Both meals were huge portions! Also the Arnold Palmers were perfect. On top of all that, our server was so friendly and made the experience even better. He mentioned that he was fairly new to working there but I would've never known because he seemed like a pro!! The outdoor area is great on a beautiful day. read more

The Daily Catch - Linguine with Clams & Calamari in white sauce - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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After having The Daily Catch on my radar for about a year and a half, I finally made it in for a weekend midday visit. I was genuinely excited--especially because I was seated immediately and even got the exact spot I wanted. A strong start, right? The menu offered plenty of tempting choices, and I landed on the shrimp scampi. I paired it with a strawberry-flavored mocktail (can't remember the name, but it was refreshing) and finished the meal with an espresso that was bold enough to practically stand on its own. Definitely required cream and sugar to soften the intensity. I enjoyed the bread service--the DIY mix of oil, paprika, and cheese was a nice touch--even if the bread itself wasn't particularly memorable. Flavor-wise, it didn't bring much to the table, though the concept was fun. The shrimp scampi, though, is where things fell short for me. The flavor was just okay, but what really stood out was how surprisingly dry it was. I expected a silky, garlicky, buttery sauce that clings to the shrimp and pasta, but instead it lacked that moisture and richness that make a scampi feel indulgent. It wasn't drippy, glossy, or saucy enough to deliver that classic scampi experience, and the dish ended up feeling a bit flat overall. I knew going in that the menu was on the pricier side, so the cost didn't shock me--but the taste compared to the price didn't quite meet my expectations. After anticipating this place for so long, I'm glad I finally got to try it... but I also didn't walk out feeling like I'd missed out all this time. I probably wouldn't return, though I know plenty of people love this spot. read more

The Daily Catch - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I usually don't enjoy seafood restaurants this much, but this place wowed me!! We came here with a last minute reservation and were seated very easily. The restaurant was bustling during lunchtime and the bar was full as well. Our server was quick to take orders and food came in a timely manner. First off, the clam chowder was very possibly the best one I've had in Boston! I really enjoyed how fresh and light it tasted, along with the two puffs it came with. The calamari was also delicious, nothing too special, just very well fried! The two pastas we tried were amazing and each delicious in their own way. My favorite one would have to the the squid ink one, it was creamy, salty, basically just the right amount of everything. Overall, we loved our lunch here and will be craving their clam chowder all the time! I highly recommend you drop in if you're hanging out by the waterfront! read more

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I was traveling to Boston for a week and this restaurant came highly recommended. I decided to make a reservation for a Sunday night at 8pm. I had an amazing dinner with my dinner. We had the Alfredo linguine and their black squid ink pasta. I had a pumpkin spice espresso martini and it was delicious. They were a full house but service was still pretty attentive. They did upcharge us for changing the squid ink pasta to linguine, when you would think that would minus from the bill, but whatever, it was still a delicious dinner. We had such a great dinner we booked it again for another dinner for a couple nights into our vacation week in Boston. This time we came on a weekday and the restaurant was not busy. We sat our table for 20 minutes before being greeted by our server. He took our order and we did not see him again until the end of the night when we got the bill. The food was still good but a huge turn off when the service is that slow and inattentive. read more

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They have a beautiful patio. Try to get a reservation for it if you can. Good service. Decent food. A bit noisy inside, but ok if you're fine with that kind of thing. The menu isn't extensive and I'd say the price range is mid to high. read more

This was a restaurant that we ended up eating at because there was a 45 minute wait at our restaurant of choice that didn't take reservations. Unfortunately we had a time restriction so we just went with it. We were seated promptly and the restaurant was packed. Overall the service was really good. The big problem however, was that the food prep could have been better. For starters, we had the fried calamari. The quantity was good but it lacked crispiness. The color was good so I'm not sure if it had to do with the batter/coating. I had the fish and chips and it was the same. It was seasoned well but the coating wasn't great. The black pasta aglio oliio was way overly garlicky. I'm not sure how many cloves were used but it was a lot. Also, it could have used a bit more cooking. It was almost raw garlic and had that "spicy" taste to it. The pasta itself was perfectly aldente. Stepping back a bit we also had the octopus appetizer. It was probably the best thing on the table although it needed a bit more char. read more

As much as I love the daily catch, I rarely go to the waterfront location. I went there with Friends tonight and I was somewhat taken back at the portion size. We were charged 23.50 for a plate of calamari that was so small I was actually appalled. I don't know if it's because of sale Boston and they're just trying to make as much money as they can, but it was clearly not proportionate for the cost. read more

Horrible hospitality!!! Perhaps The hostess was new or maybe she just didn't care. Tell us the wait is 30 minutes we get placed on the list, we receive our welcome text. 35 minutes later we ask how much longer, she replies oh I thought you guys left, wait time is 1 hour now. Needless to say we left, talk about HORRIBLE SERVICE this was it!!!! read more

Stopped here on the way from ME, on our way to RI. Sat on the patio since it was such a beautiful night. From the front host stand, to our waiter Nick, to the staff delivering our food and clearing it away, every single person was friendly and professional. Nick stood out as an amazing waiter, knowledgeable, great suggestions, with perfect timing, not too often, not too little. Cocktails were outstanding! My Summer for a Spritz was light and refreshing, perfect for a summer evening. Husband had the Sicilian Sunset made with spicy tequila which was also delicious. Weren't terribly hungry, split an order of Oysters Rockefeller and the Monkfish Marsala over black squid ink pasta. Both were perfection! read more

Best meal we had in Boston. The staff and service are phenomenal and the food was even better. Definitely recommend!