Nothing says summer in Boston quite like dinner on the waterfront. While our city certainly has more than its fair share of seafood haunts, there is only one place, albeit touristy, that literally sits out on the water.
If you haven’t yet been introduced to The Barking Crab, consider this your personal invitation.
Located in the Fort Point Channel area, the seafood shack has been a staple in Boston for nearly 20 years. What was once a seasonal (think summer) only restaurant has now become a year-round favorite of both locals and tourists alike. This isn’t the type of place where you come for a fancy night out on the town. Instead, it is here where you will grab a seat at a picnic table and prepare to roll up your sleeves and dig into a bucket full of steamers or crack apart a 10-pound lobster (yes, we did say 10 pounds!)
Take the City Water Taxi from the Hyatt Boston Harbor over the dock right in front of The Barking Crab for a fun view of the city. The menu here focuses, obviously, on fresh seafood cooked in its various forms from steamed and boiled to fried and grilled. We got started with a bucket of soft shell steamers and delicious quahog “stuffies” filled with chorizo, red and green peppers, Portuguese sweet bread and clams (kick up the heat with a few drops of Tabasco sauce on top).
Moving right along, we dove right into a flavorful two-pound fire grilled lobster served with a side of corn on the cob. The grilled salmon was just as good topped with a light cucumber dill sauce served with a side of Jasmine rice and fresh broccoli. The seafood menu here is seemingly endless offering everything from lobster rolls and baked scrod to cardboard boxes of fried scallops and a half-pound “Barking” burger. Coming in with a group? Order up a pitcher of beer and dig into the massive King platter, which comes with a 10-pound lobster and a four-pound mixed crab bowl. Finish it all off with a slice of creamy Key lime pie.
There is also a second location in Newport, Rhode Island. The Barking Crab is located at 88 Sleeper Street in Boston. For more information, call (617) 426-CRAB or visit www.barkingcrab.com.
