Barking Crab, Boston

This place is something of a Boston tradition, in a pretty unlikely neighborhood (although it is close to the water!). The emphasis is on the food here: the decor is rough and ready, the tables are plain, and you should be prepared to be friendly with your neighbors. We enjoyed our first visit, and it's one of those places that would be perfect to take friends or family from out of town, keen to try some New England seafood. (Of course everyone else feels this way too, so you should definitely come prepared to wait for a table!)

Favorite Dish: All the usual suspects are here: steamers and fried clams, lobster and crab. The lobster and crab aren't cheap, but the quality is excellent, and you certainly get plenty of food if you order, for example, the huge lobster claws!

Not what I expected to find moreorless in the middle of downtown Boston! Nothing more than a clam shack (wooden lean-to or palapa), open to the elements on three sides (plastic sheeting is used during wet or cold days), sited in a car park overlooking Fort Point Channel, the rusting Northern Avenue Bridge and on to the Boston Downtown skyline!
Nothing fancy or pretentious about this place. Big wooden 'park' tables and benches, food served on paper plates, frenetic pace as the serving staff scuttle between the tables with huge trays of food piled high to hungry families, be-suited business people, blue collar workers and more. There's also a small bar area where you can watch all this activity without necessarily eating.

Favorite Dish: The menu extends to burgers and fries but its the seafood that is the purpose of this place - the scallops.......

The Barking Crab is one of my favorite summertime venues for seafood. Located on the water (literally) in Boston Harbor, the Barking Crab is an open-air restaurant specializing in, well, crabs! They also have a good selection of other seafood –lobster, grilled or fried fish etc… The dining is at family style picnic tables, which is a great way of meeting other diners. The bar area is always packed and attracts a lively after-work crowd.

Favorite Dish: Crabs of course!

The Barking Crab serves up a variety of seafood. An excellent selection of draft beers make it even better.

The location right on the river overlooking downtown is nice but the view is a little rundown given all teh work going on in Boston.

Parking was difficult around 1:00 on a Monday and we ended up making a couple of go arounds until a spot was available. Still it was worth the wait.

Favorite Dish: The Clam Chowder was outstanding. Nice and Creamy with plenty of Clam and Potatoes. Some have complained of too many onions but I didn't notice it (and I don't dig on onions)

Also try the Fried Scallops or a bucket of steamers.

Draft Harpoon makes a great side dish.

Funky, casual and a place for locals. I really enjoyed our experience here. Diver-x had recommended this spot, and when I talked with my Cambridge cousin, he wholeheartedly endorsed dinner there.

There was a band playing R&B, a fire roaring in the pot-belly stove and plenty of paper napkins and plastic utensils at each table. A bottle of pinot grigiot, some great seafood and marvelous family company... what a wonderful night!

Favorite Dish: Why, LOBSTER, of course! I mean, I'm sure their crab is just dandy. But I live in the capital for dungeoness crab, and that season started two days ago, so forget crab in Boston. I want lobster! So, so, so tasty. The clam chowder was fine, but nothing out of this world. Still -- on a very empty tummy and a cold night, it hit the spot.

Good seafood located right on the waterfront. There's no better place to take people from out of town for a traditional lobster dinner. Very casual. In the summer, one half of the restaurant is open-air under a tent.

The Barking Crab on Sleeper St. Great clam chowder! You sit on long picnic tables under a big tent and they give you nice size rocks for cracking crestations!
Unique, yeah this place was unigue! That is why I loved it.

I ate at the Barking Crab during my first-ever visit to Boston. Great seafood in a casual atmosphere, where everyone is seated at oversized picnic tables.