Awesome seafood! Fresh and delicious. Atmosphere friendly Staff very friendly Great experience Can't wait to come back
(5)
Mary Jo F.
Two stars because the crab cakes and fried clams were delicious but the service was appalling. We used to go to this location regularly but hadn't been back on years after a bad experience. 1. Had made a reservation for two in the afternoon through OpenTable for 8:15. Arrived on time and were handed a buzzer with no estimate of wait time. After 15 minutes we went back to the station to ask how long. We were assured our table was almost ready then led to a two-top in the bar. 2. No wine list, no water, and it took a while for our server to arrive. With the bar seating, the big screen TVs, and the slow service I had downgraded my expectations from a winey three-course meal to a cocktail and an entree. 3. Waitress arrives and we order. Drinks are delivered and they're good. Runner drops the entrees on us and we get a fishermans platter instead of the fried clams. (The only reason we came to legal's was my husband's hankering for clams.) Takes a while to flag waitress. By the time the clams arrive, crab cakes are gone. If anyone received a cold fisherman's platter at around 915 last night I assure you we didn't touch it!
(2)
Michelle W.
To precede this entire review with the past 4 experiences I've had at Legal. Crap. Stopped in with boyfriend for drinks and oysters, which we have eaten all over the city and he is an oyster enthusiast, finally had our first bad oyster, he sucked it down quickly, so it was only afterwards that he turned to me and said "I think I had a funky oyster." I then took my tun to eat one and it was so foul I had to spit it out. We told the waiter and asked him to smell the last offending oyster, he declined, but supplied us with six fresh oysters, when the GM came around he said "I heard you were disappointed with your oysters," to which I replied "No, they were bad." They did not Overall, the quality of Legal has been declining over the years. Each meal I've had there has been progressively worse. There are much better places to go in Boston for good seafood. Legals's motto for fresh seafood has become a joke.
(1)
Adam F.
I think on a good night the food here is 4-star worthy, but the service is always questionable. Four of us went on Friday for dinner before going to the movies. Reservation through Open Table. Simple enough. My girlfriend arrived a few minutes before the rest of us. She said there were 2 hostesses up front talking to 2 of their friends and they ignored her. Like I get it - it's not a high paying job - but all you have to do is greet somebody and walk them to a table. Our server came over relatively quickly and brought us 4 waters. 2 of the waters were literally half-full. How do you screw up pouring water in a glass? My friend ordered a margarita and said no salt. Of course it came salted. To make an unsalted margarita, all you have to do is make a margarita and pour it in an unsalted glass. You actually have to do an extra step to screw that one up. The rest of the meal was pretty good. My friend requested gluten-free dinner rolls and they were actually pretty good despite the lack of gluten. His meal was also brought out by the manager who ensured it was cooked separately from the rest of us gluten eaters. I had the filet mignon with polenta and kale. The steak was cooked perfectly and the sides were great. The kale was served topped with Greek yogurt which was a nice touch. Overall I'm sure I'll be back as I've been going to this location since I was a child. With drinks we came to $70/pp including tax and tip which isn't outrageous, but the service could have certainly been better.
(3)
Grace M.
Being a huge fan of Legal as a whole, I was quite disappointed with this particular location. I went here last Sunday night and the service was lacking. Basic things like getting drinks and refills in a timely manner were off and two major errors came with our actual meal. For one, I asked for my salmon "well done" and was served a medium-rare piece. I didn't have time to send it back because we were trying to catch a movie, so I just ate it, but that was pretty disappointing. I prefer my salmon either completely raw or completely cooked- not a fan of the in-between.. (don't get me started on torched fish!) Less minor but still annoying is that we had to remind our server that one of the sides had not come out with the meal. It really does bug me when sides don't come out together, and of course it wasn't that everything was being sent out fresh to order as it's made, it was just a side of rice, which was clearly just forgotten. Hmph. We still enjoyed our food and I can't say anything bad about the quality- after all, it's still Legal, so while I do recommend this place as a whole (and even this location b/c it's a good pre-movie dinner option!), I can't help but give them a meager 2 stars this time.
(2)
Summer L.
I ordered a shrimp and crab casserole to get a taste of both seafood favorites and was not disappointed. Also ordered a strawberry sangria and was very refreshing and exactly what I anticipated for a light drink with my meal.
(4)
Jim U.
Decent and dependable. $28 Lobster roll was a shocker.
(3)
Dan S.
Good fried clams with the bellies. Delicious onion strings. Small portions. Expensive. I prefer captain mardens although the atmosphere is much nicer in legal. I go here with my family when i am in town.
(3)
Jan S.
I don't like to write negative reviews. A place can just having a bad night. However, sometimes you've got to warn the unsuspecting. This branch of Legal Seafoods, probably here for 20-30 years, seems unable to cope with its own Saturday night rush. OK, the food was good enough. Overpriced for the quality, but good enough. However, the service was dismal. No reservations on a Saturday night, so not unreasonable to be told the wait would be 45 minutes for a party of 3. I was told I would get a text on my mobile when the table was ready. No text came. After 60 minutes, we checked and learned that our table was given to somebody else with the same name. They hustled to seat us. Then 10 minutes to get water, 20 minutes to get rolls with no butter. The entrees arrived while we were still eating our salads. I ordered a glass of Alsatian Gewurztraminer. I was served an amber liquid that was clearly oxidized from being overheated. I sent it back and was served another glass of amber liquid, and was told it came from a fresh bottle. I was hungry and tired and just settled for it. It had a sherry-like quality (more evidence of overheating), so not nasty. However, in a restaurant with that wine list, is there no sommelier, or even a barkeep who KNOWS what white wine is supposed to look like? In an enterprise of this kind, this is evidence of ignorance in the staff or contempt for the customer. If you're going to spend north of $150, as we did, go elsewhere where you can get food prepared with care and attentive service.
(1)
Bobby L.
I generally have good experiences at Legal but for some reason this location seems to be slacking. Went in for lunch and was seated quickly but waited about 25 to 30 min for a waiter to come over. During the time we waited, we watched as 2 employees of the restaurant walked outside with food, sit down and eat. The restaurant wasn't too busy at this time but to have guests waiting to have their order taken while employees sit down next to them and eat is pretty shitty business. The food was mediocre at best and I was charged extra money for a substitution that I didn't discover till I received my bill. The waiter never mentioned it when I ordered. I think the staff/management need to wake up and realize that they can't rely on the name of their business to stay afloat. The service is almost just as important as the food.
(1)
Doug B.
You know what you're getting at Legal Sea Food. I think the first time I went there (the Boston location) it was so many years ago that a good seafood restaurant was a rarity. Nowadays, even though Legal makes a fine meal, I'd say that everything they do is so safe that it's a dull choice. It's the seafood equivalent of spaghetti and meatballs. Nothing at all wrong with it, but nothing at all surprising or exciting. I'll give once exception: the side dish of mushrooms and onions. That was surprisingly awesome. Everything else was merely A-Ok. Tasty and good. Nothing at all wrong with the meal, the service or the experience. But no reason to choose this restaurant over the many others in the area.
(3)
Greg P.
Yes it's a chain... But it's a very good one! Legal Sea Foods excels at their mission to provide excellent seafood to a very discerning New England palate. Located in Chestnut Hill, this spot has been a fixture of the local dining scene for decades. The staff are courteous and prompt. The restaurant is busy but at the same time lively and fun. We have dined here several times but I thought I would review the restaurant based on our most recent visit. We started with local oysters on the half shell. Large and fresh, we had Naked Cowboy, Wianno, Merry, and Wellfleet oysters. All were excellent served with terrific cocktail sauce and mignonette. We also had some shrimp cocktail which included larger shrimp that were juicy and fresh. For my meal, I had the caesar salad with maine lump crab on top. The crab serving was very large and made the salad very satisfying. Their caesar dressing is mild allowing you to taste the sweet crab. My wife got the Arctic char with asparagus and baked potato. It was fresh, perfectly cooked and delicious. Overall, Legal Sea Food is consistently going to give you a great meal. That's the reason we keep going back!
(4)
Phil C.
Normally, all the Legal locations are 3-star caliber. They're just too expensive and touristy these days. I generally limit my visits for out-of-town guests or business lunches. However, this location was the one I grew up going to (special treat when my parents took me here) and I've never had bad service here...so it's a little better than all the rest. Lately, I came in for lunch during Restaurant Week (couldn't do Capital Grille). I went for the mainstays: the clam chowder, fish & chips, and berry cheesecake. The chowder is still one of my favorites as it's creamy, without it being cloy or heavy. There's a lot of briny clam flavor inside as well. The fish & chips was plentiful, though I could've done without a mound of cole slaw that was just too much. I don't really like cole slaw anyway, though this one wasn't too bad. The fries were decent but I didn't eat a lot of them. You get a good amount of fish with a lunch order. Plus the fish is decently fried and flavorful. The berry cheesecake...normally $7, was okay, but definitely not close to being $7 worth. Service was fine, and I've never had a bad experience here with service, unlike other Legal locations.
(4)
Lois R.
This was a disappointing experience. The food was mediocre and fairly typical of a chain restaurant. Our server forgot to deliver drinks and had little knowledge of the menu. 4/5 of our meals were delivered but a mistake was made with the 5th. As our food cooled we waited for the 5th meal to be delivered. At least the manager was smart enough to pick up the entire check although it didn't make up for the mediocre experience. I definitely would not rush back here. I have had way better meals!
(2)
Melissa K.
Here now with the parents. The place has go down hill. Everything is very spicy and the scallops are flavorless. The waitress never offered rolls maybe because we got appetizers? Most likely never coming back.
(2)
Max G.
We always do special family events here. Food is pricy but good. I always get lobsters bake stuffed, steamers and my gf likes the crab cakes.
(5)
Katherine Y.
Took friends here from Cali to show them the local seafood in Boston and was disappointed. All the seafood was over cooked and rubbery. We ordered mussels as an appetizer and it never arrived. We got the New England clam chowder and the lobster bisque soup which both were very good. The only other thing that was good was our waiter. He was apologetic about the order. He gave us complementary dessert to make up for the mess up. But knowing that the seafood was all not good, we were glad we never got the mussels. The strip mall is beautiful esp all the new reno. But we will probably not be returning back here.
(2)
Lyndsey C.
Ok, so I love the area where this one is located, and our server was very nice, however the hostess was very rude, the place is a zoo of children and families, and it felt like a chain. (I know it is a chain, but some of them feel much nicer and this one did not). I wasn't a fan and would rather frequent the many other establishments in that area.
(2)
Ash T.
So we went there yesterday for a catchup meal with out friends and it did not disappoint. We had the crab cakes and the chowder and it was good. The server was good and efficient - although she did forget the salad dressing and threw the wine menu (by mistake!) All in all a Boston must - yes its a chain but its a very good chain.
(4)
Ivy Z.
My family and I came here solely because it's near our hotel. I liked their decor but when we started ordering, we noticed that our portions were very small. We ordered a dish that allowed us to sample shrimp, raw oysters, and clams. However, I was really disappointed that there were only 8 pieces of shrimp when their are like two trays that came with it. Also, they gave us complimentary bread that only had four small rolls. That's pretty frugal I would say.
(3)
Haley S.
I grew up eating Legal's seafood, so it is painful for me not to give them 5 stars. I have such fond memories of being a little girl and walking with my father in here to purchase tuna and swordfish in the market. The first bowl of clam chowder I ever had was here. I always buy shrimp and lobster here when I'm on the east coast. Sometimes, I dine in at the restaurant, but I used to eat here all the time. The service just isn't good anymore. The food isn't as good as it used to be. I even shudder at one memory I have of putrid swordfish I once purchased here at the market and the horrible service I got when I called to inform them of the problem. Since they stuck to their "if it isn't fresh it isn't Legal" schtick, I drove back and had them smell it. They changed their tune and replaced my order with another kind of fish. The mussels in garlic and white wine sauce used to be SO divine, and now it seems that they rarely get it right. The Rhode Island style calamari is still pretty good every time I come here. But I'm not going to keep coming if that's the only reliable dish on the menu! This area, as if it wasn't already high-end enough, is going through a sort of gentrification. All sorts of new high-end restaurants and shops are being put into this area of chestnut hill, so if Legals doesn't step up their game, I think they will slowly but surely lose their clientele and have to close their doors. It makes me sad to think that this place used to be so awesome and now I won't even bring out of town guests here when they ask where to get the best clam chowder. Legals please get better servers and keep your dishes consistent and actually make them good again.
(3)
Lee O.
Worst restaurant experience of the year. I just couldn't reccommend this place to anyone. Service was simply shameful. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and while I was parking the car my two guests were seated by the entrance, about 30' from any other diner and also the bar. It's not like the restaurant was empty, it was actually more than half full, but for some reason they seated us miles away from anyone else. We waited.....ready for this........'cos I counted, 18 mins before anyone came to us, and at that time no-one even came, we signaled the bartender over. When he arrived his attitude was just shitty. He said he'd send someone over and took some drink orders to tide us over. No-one arrived, even though we waited another 10 mins. The drinks came by the 15th minute, we'd been there over 30 mins now and still hadn't gotten a server. The drinks were also pretty badly made, and again served with a bad attitude. We eventually got a girl over who took orders for appetizers while seating a couple next to us. 15 mins passed, the couple next to us got their appetizers, we just sat there in disbelief, again. Appetizers arrive, server walks away. Older man, not so tall, manager like, appears and ask's if everything is ok, we ask for silverware with which to eat the food. You'd think right?........ He comes over with one set of silverware for all 3 of us and walks away. We get up and walk over to him and gently point toward the table, with THREE customers there and only one able to eat their food. Frankly it just got worse and worse. I could go on and on but it was just depressing. And here's the reason why I wrote this, OUR BILL CAME TO CLOSE TO $150 FOR THREE PEOPLE. Where else do you go to shell out $150 and get shit service and average drinks / food and walk away not caring? Yeah, I thought not. Whoever runs or own this branch of Legal Sea Foods aught to be ashamed of their staff. I was compelled to call Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue and come in and give these idiots a talking to. Embarrassing. Never again.
(1)
Susan X.
I would give 3.5. New England clam chowder-above average. Honestly it doesn't taste much different from the clam chowder I have had in LA, but the quality of the clam is a little bit better but it still contains some sand. Lobster bisque-average. There is a weird aftertaste. Oysters legal-a little bit salty. Can't really tell the oysters from the spinach and other ingredients. Seafood casserole with mashed potato and garlic sauce-very good. Fresh seafood including shrimp, scallops, whitefish and lobster. Mix the potato with the casserole, a tiny bit salty but overall tasty. Boston cream pie-delicious! Succulent custard sandwiched between chocolate ganache and sponge cake with chocolate and caramel toppings, mildly surprising texture and flavor.
(3)
Kylie S.
Legal seafoods is a great place for kids and family.It is not fancy and if you like seafood you should come here also if you are allergic to seafood don't come here because it only serves seafood.That is why I like Legal Seafoods .
(4)
Daniel P.
Food is very good. Recommend the bar special of dollar oysters when available. Also the calamari (rhode island style) is fantastic. Staff is also very kind and helpful, overall a great place (especially for a date).
(4)
Annie S.
I was prepared to give this place a 3 star review. The food is good, but overpriced. However, our server was terrible. He barely checked in with us, spilled water while refilling our glasses and didn't apologize, and took 10 minutes to even come by and process our check. So, why the 1-star? FOOD POISONING. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I will never eat crab cakes again in my life, and definitely never go to Legal Sea Foods for anything.
(1)
Ann A.
I went to Legal last night. Our server, Greg, was fabulous, very attentive and helpful with the menu. It was Restaurant Week and he told me how the salmon was prepared. I ordered that and was very happy with it. The salmon was prepared in a unique way with an almond crust and served on a bed of spinach and ravioli. The sauce was divine ! Also, it was a big portion and I just had the remaining salmon on a salad at home. Delicous! I will be smiling all day. Legal: always reliable for fresh seafood and a good value during R W.
(5)
Rachel S.
Main problem here was service. Our server was a scary looking gaunt lady who took 15 minutes to even stop over and ask if we wanted waters. We asked for separate checks, 2 of us on one and 3 on the other. We all got individual checks. Items were on the wrong bills. Server never came by to check how our food was (we needed things and had cold fries). Asked for a baked potato and got onion rings. Food not bad, chowder was better than usual. But the server was *so* bad. Wasn't sure what planet she was on, but it wasn't earth.
(2)
Lori B.
This place is amazing. To start their is an amazing wine list with knowledgeable staff. And if they don't know what a Lorie Valley wine is, they will definitely ask their very knowledgeable bartenders. All their wine is amazing. And I definitely recommend the dry white wines with the raw shellfish they offer at an amazing price. $1.75 a clam and $2.75 an oyster. Then is their appetizers. I like smoked salmon with a mascal margarita. Choose your entree wisely. There are expensive items that are well worth it. So you need to know what you want. Then the best part! Dessert. Our server, let us know about the beauty of port and chocolate and my life was changed. I couldn't choose. Their were so many. Because it was my first time there they bought me a sugar free mouse. SO HAPPY!
(5)
Jonathan R.
Positives first: The market! You can buy some great fresh stuff. The guys working the counter actually know what they are talking about. I bought some oysters (unshucked) there and they steered me in the perfect direction based on my preferences. Really awesome oysters, priced better than several other places I have been. Provided cocktail sauce and lemons. Very nice people. Negatives: When I order off the menu, always overcooked. And our waitress didn't know how to pronounce the name of the wine that should pair with the fish I was eating. Day 1 stuff. Bush league mistakes. I can and regularly do make better fish myself. So... you know, I can't complain so long as I don't actually sit down to eat it.
(3)
Eric F.
The reviews that give this place 3 stars are quite accurate and so I thought it would be appropriate for me to also give 3 stars. We went for lunch today and had a decent experience. The service was okay and the food was mediocre. I think the one major con about this place is the price--especially for lunch. I paid about 70$ for lunch for 2. We both ordered the crab cake sandwich and enjoyed some beverages. The crab cake is yummy; I would recommend it. I would not recommend the brown rice or polenta side. Both the brown rice and polenta are flavorless and boring. All in all a very average experience. There are certainly better places to get seafood and pay a more reasonable price. Hope this helps any future patrons.
(3)
Alicia N.
A favorite stop for my mom and I, to sit at the bar - its huge with a large TV screen at the top of the bar! We enjoy almost all the menu, the bar staff are so friendly and always remember us, and great wine options! I love that the food is always consistent, and easy to get healthy options like steamed vegetables!
(4)
Rob J.
The fish is good and fresh, I prefer it grilled plain with minimal sauces (where 'fresh' matters), this is a great place if that's how you like it. I also like the chowder and the lobster bisque. Last the crab cakes have minimal breading and mayo, just crab - I love it that way!
(4)
Natalia O.
Legal Sea Foods is, hands down, my favorite restaurant chain. This is one of their nicest locations! Food came quickly (Monday evening), and it was just heavenly!! Service was very attentive and thorough. Will return soon!!
(5)
Parson H.
Horrible. Worst Legal's around. Went here on a major holiday with him. So many things wrong. Food not fully cooked-clam chowder hadn't even come together, items missing. Disgusting-my broccoli was gritty like it had not been washed. A sports bar feel. We'd booked I believe with Urban Spoon so they ask you a review afterward which I gave. The manager emailed me a few times about the service. Even spoke to me. Insisted on sending me a gift card which I said I did not want or need. Finally after they persisted I gave them my address for them to send it to me. Never got this gift card. Didn't want it because I wouldn't go back there, but man is that a huge oversight of not following through. I'll go back to the one at Pru and near the Waterfront. Not this one.
(1)
Zachary T.
Attn. Mr. Berkowitz: Regrettably Yelp! doesn't really have a great way to clarify overall ratings from locations-specific ratings. This 2-star is for THIS PARTICULAR location..., and only because I feel compelled--as an avid supporter of Legal Sea Foods--to point out that this location really stands out as NOT being good, cf. the others. To be clear, we are unapologetic supporters of Legal, we don't consider it a "chain" we consider it a restaurant with multiple locations. But if Prudential & Kendall are an A+, Aquarium and Harvard Sq are A, the Chestnut Hill location is a C- at best. We've given it 3 tries now. First (about a year ago) salad looked like it had been wilted for over a day, 2nd time fried fish was heavy as if the frying oil hadn't been changed in a while. Last week, surprisingly bushleague staff: as we went in, one waitress taking a cigarette break outside the front door, then a waiter cashing out his tips from the bartender right next to us, both of them gossiping out loud about the waiter's last client "Jeez I thought they'd really leave me a $50". It's a shame this location doesn't shine like the rest. I continue to lament the closure of the branch at DCA; you should have instead closed Chestnut Hill. This location needs one of your top GM's sent in as a "fixer". Legal, overall, gets a 4 or 5 star rating from me...but Chestnut Hill is a standout blemish on an otherwise solid (and deservedly so) brand.
(2)
Didi D.
I like Legal Seafood, but not this branch. I went to this branch tonight with the wife and kids. We ordered the kids meal first as we knew they are hungry and grumpy. We told the waiter as much. The waiter took his time with our order, but we hoped we will get the kids stuff soon. It took 45 minute to take our orders and over an hour to see the kids food, even the bread basket took forever. He forgot to clear our table, forgot to take our desert order and gave us the bill without asking. If it wasn't for some nice waitress from the other side of the line, we would still be there waiting for food. This was the worst service we ever got at a good place. Not going back there again!
(1)
Kelly O.
I've been eating at the Legal chain since I was a child, and I tend to agree with the recent trend of Legal reviews from various locations that the quality has gone a bit downhill in recent history. Last night I got the Wood Grilled Shrimp plate with chosen sides of broccoli & cheese and a baked potato (choice of 2 included), with a side of lemon chive butter. I've had their wood grilled entrees before (the chef's choice is a great mix), and they tend to be fresh and flavorful. While my shrimp's flavor last night lived up to my previous experiences, my main complaint is that some of them had various amounts of peel left on (above and beyond the left-on tails, which is common anyways), and one shrimp hadn't even been fully cleaned which was kind of gross. For $21 I expect pristinely prepared shrimp; even my $7.50 pad thai from the hole-in-the-wall down the street serves me properly peeled/cleaned shrimp every time, and you'd think a so-called 'seafood expert' like Legal would also be able to do it right. I'm also sad that of your side dish options, there are now barely any veggies to help balance out the butter-drenched entrees... my choices for nutrition were limited to seaweed salad and broccoli drenched in cheese sauce, and the other 8 or so choices were all starches (potatoes, polenta, rice). What happened to my usual go-to snap peas in oyster sauce? Why aren't there other healthy(ish) side choices (steamed veggies, side salad, etc)? Also, I wish they still offered fried clams as an app instead of just a full entree (they're excellent). I didn't care for the cheese sauce on my broccoli (semi-bland and not necessary IMO), and heard complaints that the RI calamari wasn't as flavorful as it could have been. On the plus side, the app crab dip was tasty as usual, their "Three Bon Bon" dessert is a nice end to the meal, and I didn't have the clam chowder this time but it remains one of my favorite versions, period. Service this evening was standard (nothing to either rave or complain about). Overall, I don't think Legal is bad, by any means, and they do have some real go-to dishes (chowder, for one). However, I do think at this price point and claimed seafood expertise, customers should expect (and deserve) top quality, yet it seems Legal's beginning to miss that mark... I used to be so impressed with a Legal meal from start to finish, but I'm starting to see the cracks in the foundation.
(3)
A F.
The manager was able to seat us quickly before a movie which was much appreciated. Menu had old standbys but also some new things- cauliflower bang baby tasted like general chows chicken( without the meat of course) and was delicious. Mixed grill was dependable. The other patrons were quite old. Seemed that it might be visiting day at assisted living. And this was 7pm on a Saturday. Food- great. Ambience- poor.
(3)
Jennifer B.
Great. Great. Great! Everything! Loved the little shopping center, loved the vibe of the restaurant. We sat at the bar due to the very long wait, but it ended up being the best choice. The staff at the bar was friendly and fun and took great care of us. I had the Lobster bisque and a crab cake. DE-LISH!
(5)
Lila C.
I am a seafood snob, and usually Legal Sea Foods is up to my standards; especially the one on the Waterfront in Back Bay. I went to the this location in Chestnut Hill for the first time last night and this negative review was mostly over the service. The restaurant was mostly full but the wait staff didn't seem to particularly stressed and as I saw many of them standing around; something that wouldn't bother me except that our drinks took about 15 minutes to get to us. My boyfriend had the bisque- delicious as usual. I got the Tuna Steak Special and my boyfriend got the Fish and Chips. It took a while for the food to come out. And when the runner finally came, the fries were distinctly dry- like they had been under a warmer for a while; but the fried fish was cooked well, though If I was picky I would say it should have been served the day before... anyhow. My tuna steak was more than a bit cold. When I told the server the poor girl seemed horrified and she took it back right away. After 15 minutes without my plate, my steak was finally returned, the center was still cold (i wouldn't be surprised if they just popped it in the microwave), but it was warm all the same. that being said, it was not well seasoned and surprisingly bland. Toward the end of dinner, I took a sip from my drink (and Apple Sangria Martini, served in a wine glass which I had barely touched) and set it down on the table, the steam shattered, pouring alcohol all over me and the table. The server came over and said it was not the first time this had happened. She helped me clean up and offered me another drink. After coming back 5 minutes later to inform me they were out of the Apple Sangria, I chose a Pomegranate Lemon Drop (excellent btw). Later the server came over and informed us that she had spoken to her manager and due to the "confusing evening", they were willing to offer us a free dessert. We took up the offer (great Banana Foster). When we got the bill, I discovered that we had been charged the Apple Sangria ($11) AND the Pomegranate Lemon Drop ($10). I told the server that I had thought the second drink was a free replacement, since I had only a few sips and, more importantly, the breaking was clearly not my fault. The manager came over and said "I cannot buy you free alcohol, that is against the law" a statement I take offense to since I am sure she would not have said the same to the elderly fur-hat clad couple sitting behind us. But she took the bisque off the bill to make us shut up. So the whole point of this review is to say to skip this location and go to the Waterfront Legal Sea Foods.
(2)
Judy H.
Went in around 11:45 for lunch. Hostess must have been new because she seemed flustered. We were seated near the bar and greeted by our server. He was very nice. We ordered the Spinach dip that was good but incredibly greasy. Like oozing with oil. It was served with triangles of stale pita bread. We were not finished with that when out came my seafood chowder. By time I was ready for it it was stone cold so sent it back to be nuked. My husband and I shared that and then we waited about 20-25 minutes for his fish sandwich and my salad. Salad had very bland dressing. The food was a solid C but the wait time was an F.
(3)
Scott B.
I don't need to say much here except I'm glad legal has been around for so long. It's a great family and even date or mid day easy going place. The service is always great and the food is for the most part great with few issues. Even if you have to send something back, the staff is very helpful and want to make you feel attended to. I'm sure I will have many more meals there.
(5)
Rose W.
I'm a generally a huge fan of Legals and have had many wonderful experiences here, apparently I was due for my not so great one. Favorite things about Legals: accommodating for food allergies (I am allergic to dairy and peanuts) and the tuna steak. Tonights experience: I was with a party of 7, only three types of dishes were ordered (fried fisherman's platter, blue fish, and wood grilled assortment) I ordered the wood grilled assortment after hearing from the server as an answer to my brother next to me that it was salmon, tuna, and swordfish - my favorites. I ordered it with everything spice and no butter. Issues with the meal. It was coated in triple the amount of the everything spice than I would ever need, so much so that I couldn't distinguish fish underneath. The fish did not end up being what the server had said, when I asked they told me since I hadn't specified what fish I had wanted, which is what the other 2 at my table had done, the chef had decided to switch it up (I ended up with no tuna which is the reason I eat a Legals) and the fish was well done, I generally go with chef's choice to be honest but I was expecting a medium rare tuna. What I learned from my experience: confirm or specify your fish for the wood grilled assortment or you may end up with an unexpected fish or not the fish you want, ask how much sauce or spices is going to be put on your fish so you don't end up with a spice dominating your multi-fish experience, and specify how you want your fish cooked. Most important, remember to say all of the above even when your server forgets to ask you. My sides and my drink were fabulous. The rest of the table had lovely meals and a good experience was had over all.
(3)
Michael L.
Good food and good service make this place a great place to eat seafood and relax at the same time.
(4)
Michelle S.
Mr. Berkowitz, your chain is beginning to suffer from Roman Empire Syndrome. Your territory is getting so big, it is becoming difficult to maintain. I think this last visit I had was illustrative of this fact. The restaurant itself is getting a bit worn out, and needs a bit of TLC maintenence. It doesn't remain consistent with some of the newer locations. The service was pretty on point. I can always count on the waitstaff at the Legal restaurants to be very professional. However, we did have to wait awhile to pay at the end of our meal. I ordered a half dozen oysters to start. As expected, they were delicious. Then again, if your oysters aren't good, you have a problem on your hands, and will probably spend the next several hours very close to a bucket. For my entree, I ordered the woodgrilled sampler: three different types of fish, served with two sides (I got the seaweed salad and polenta). It was blah. The server didn't know what three fish varieties were currently on the menu, but I didn't really care, just requested that if one of them was tuna, that it be cooked medium rare. It was cooked well done. Gross! What a waste of a beautiful piece of fish. The salmon was also overcooked to the point of whiteness and I don't even know what the third fish was. I didn't finish my meal, and gave it to my brother to finish for me. Boston is known for its seafood, but I think I am going to find some new, less commercialized hot spots to try from now on, and distribute the wealth to some little guys.
(2)
Cynthia N.
I've visited this Legal a few times and last night I was so disappointed that I have to downgrade them based on my most recent experience. I sat at the bar for the first time, and service at the bar is not comparable to service at a table, even as a solo diner. There were a couple of guys working the bar, but maybe they needed three or four. My meal arrived and it looked unappetizing. And it tasted just as bad as it looked. I ordered the steak tips, a small side salad and the mashed potatoes. I'd ordered the steak tips medium, and they arrived well done with sauce over them. I don't eat steak with sauce, and I have ordered these before and they arrived cooked properly and without sauce. The sauce tasted like ketchup, but it was darker so I'm assuming it was a standard steak sauce, like A-1. The side salad is small, fit in the palm of your hand small, and they put too much dressing on it. For a salad that small, I didn't think I had to say "dressing on the side" because it would only take a teaspoon of dressing to cover it. And the mashed potatoes....I couldn't believe it. I love the mashed potatoes at Legal. But these were not hot and creamy like the servings I've had before. These were lukewarm and lumpy. Saying I was disappointed is not enough, but Yelp has TOS rules. Even the person sitting next to me - a stranger, said he would send the plate back. Unfortunately, food has to be disgusting for me to send it back, and this was just a disappointment, so I ate a third of it and left the rest. (The bartender noticed this and asked me about it, and I was honest and said the meal wasn't that great. He looked uncomfortable, shrugged, and turned away.) I was not the only patron with meal issues at the bar. A couple to my right did not have their food before I received mine, which I found out after my food arrived and they got the attention of the bartender. A couple to my left also did not receive their food and they also ordered before me. The bar staff was not having a good night last night. If I'd had this experience my first time at Legal, I would not have gone back. So my advice is to stick to table service and only sit at the bar to have drinks.
(2)
Peter W.
Yes, its a great place to bring out of town guests. Food quality is reliable and service is always good. I recommend the lobster bake which includes the clam chowder. Drinks are well made and the decor is nice. We went early so there were lots of kids; no problem, we brought one also from out of town.
(4)
L. S.
I've been here since 4:45. It's now 6:10 and I'm still waiting for my food. At this point, I'm not even hungry anymore, because I've eaten 4 dinner rolls to stay alive.
(1)
Ash C.
Great lobsters and oysters. Servers are very friendly even at crazy nights. Highly recommended
(5)
Lauren F.
This restaurant is pretty good, the food is delicious and super fresh. However there prices were a little high for the overall atmosphere and experience. I have been here a few times and the food is always good and delivers, but the service has been mediocre.
(3)
Allan E.
Very disappointing. Shortly after arrival we had to leave because of a fire alarm. We did not know if this were serious or not and whether or not we should wait for the all-clear and go elsewhere. We waited about 1/2 hour with no information and they finally told us we had the all-clear from the fire dept but they could not reopen until inspected by the health department. The entire time there were only young inexperienced staff around who had no information and were certainly not prepared to handle the situation outside. I can not blame them for what happened but I do fault the company for unpreparedness after the fact. The measure of any organization is not whether things go wrong but how they respond to problems. An organization as large as this needs something beyond "everyone out", perhaps vouchers ready for another day. When this happened to me at a movie theatre we all got vouchers on the way out or immediately outside. Shame!
(1)
Adam S.
Let me start by saying that I almost always love the food. Used to love the Chestnut Hill location as it was close to where I grew up and I've dined there a gazillion times. Over the last couple years the service is most notably different (or indifferent I should say). Occasional misses on food but it's the service and consequently the customer service that really sucks. On many levels they destroyed my last visit to this location. It was downhill from the very second I said hello to the hostess. I could write a book on the experience but it's really the customer service that is getting me to write this review. After the "experience" I contacted corporate through the website. Weeks went by with no response other than the initial confirmation for submitting the form. I then complain on the Legals Facebook page about all that. I get a call the next day. Have a nice apologetic conversation with the location manager who without my asking offers to send some gift cards. standard response. The funny part is they have yet to arrive after several more weeks. Now I'm not in it for the freebies but they should stand by their word. So I go back to the facebook page to comment and get a very nicely worded response that basically says F*** Off. this place is going down the tubes. They just don't give a crap about the customer anymore. It's great when it's good but if it goes bad you might as well just walk out and kiss them goodbye.
(1)
App T.
This was my first time to Legal Sea Food. The Sole was overdone, so much that parts of it were dissolving in the ample lemon sauce it was served in. Closed my eyes and the taste took me to T.G.I.F, opened my eyes and the check was three times as much.
(2)
Esmeralda R.
This Legal is nice. It has a good size bar and the service is great. My husband ordered the Rainbow Trout and I ordered the Cioppino and both entrees were cooked perfectly, well seasoned and delicious! We'll definitely be back!
(5)
Jack F.
Like all the restaurants in the chain, the Chestnut Hill Legal Sea Food has a reliable seafood menu and kitchen staff that know just how to cook the items on it. I've never had anything on the menu that made me want to go to war over getting the recipe, nor have I ever had a cocktail I'd call perfect, but I HAVE always had a good-sized, decent meal and I've never had any complaints about it. The selection is decent as long as you're okay with seafood (but hey, the name probably clued you in). This one is pretty big and it does get a little noisy at times, and the parking lot is kind of a crowded mess. The waitstaff are very kind and accommodating, but they also did seem a little young and overwhelmed (we did, in all fairness, have an enormous party of 14). If you're looking for reliable seafood and you're hoping not to empty your wallet, Legal Sea Food is definitely worth it, although I think I prefer some of the locations.
(3)
Edwin A.
Got a table immediately and found the food to be good fast food, catering to seniors . The food seasoning is bland and lacked the zest of other fine fish restaurants in Boston and Cambridge.
(2)
Customer G.
My parents were in town for my graduation and they love the lobster bisque at Legal Seafoods. My best friend, her parents, my parents, and I decided to go out to dinner at Legals. Since I live in Newton, we decided to go to the one in Chestnut Hill. For the sake of my Yelp readers, I'm going to make a long story short. I ordered the marinated chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli (I'm not a seafood fan). When they put the plate in front of me, I noticed the broccoli had huge brown chunks on the stems....I figured it was just some kind of seasoning or grill marks and proceeded to eat it. Imagine my surprise when I took one gritty, earthy tasting bite. I looked through the rest of the broccoli and there were HUGE CHUNKS of brown muddy dirt on the stems. HUGE CHUNKS. Like, completely-visible-to-the-naked-eye-sitting-on-Âthe-other-side-of-the-restaurant huge chunks. I told our waitress, who gasped and said "omg that's so disgusting I am so sorry I will tell a manager now". The manager came over, apologized and offered me a dessert "on the house" and another meal. I had already finished most of my chicken and potatoes, so I declined the "extra meal" but gladly took a piece of Boston Cream Pie. My friend's dad jokingly suggested all of us get a free dessert, and the manager stated, "I can't do that. But SHE definitely gets one", patting me on the back. Weird. Dessert came, it was good. Then, the bill came. THEY STILL CHARGED US FOR MY MEAL. Yes, the $21.99 meal that was covered in dirt was on our check. Thanks for the free $7.95 dessert, but really?? You're still charging me for that meal?? I was shocked and disappointed by the way the whole situation was handled. I don't know of any restaurant that would make someone pay for a meal that was unsatisfactory, especially a place like Legals. Needless to say, I will NOT be returning.
(1)
Roberta D.
I'd have to agree with others about Legal. It's definitely a chain restauraunt (hence why I deducted it to a 3 star). I've been to this specific location about 3-4 times over the past year or so. I've received excellent service (almost) every time. As expected,this place gets PACKED on the weekends especially around dinner time so much that you have to wait in a line for almost 10-15 minutes just to put your name on a list. I also noticed that they make you wait even if you have made a reservation. I find that to be extremely inconvenient and tedious that I have to wait in a line to check in for the reservation and then wait again for 10 minutes to be seated after I have checked in (total wait time being around 25 minutes even with a reservation!). Overall, the service is very good despite this, the servers are always extremely friendly and helpful. The food and items are extremely overpriced but I guess thats what you expect from going to Legal!
(3)
Jessica B.
Chestnut Hill is the mothership Legal Sea Food restaurant for me. Before we moved to the Boston area, we often visited family and this is where we used to take my mother-in-law out to eat. Watching a frail, 80+-year-old lady rip apart and devour a baked, stuffed lobster was a lot of fun. Before I knew what a big chain Legals is, this seemed like an upscale restaurant for an older crowd. Now that I'm a resident, the bloom is slightly off the rose but I still really enjoy this Legals location. My favorite thing to order is the Chopped Greek salad with diced olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, chick peas and feta and added Grilled Shrimp & Calamari. Delicious! There can be a wait at busy times, I prefer to go off peak. The service is usually quite good. Last time we went, we bought some ahi tuna on the way out to use for homemade tuna burgers. The price was criminal but the end product was incredibly delicious. Pro tip: If you are interested in calorie watching, download the menu from the Philadelphia Legals. It has all the calorie information: legalseafoods.com/restau… Lots of free parking in the mall parking lot.
(4)
Silvia V.
I've been to this Legal Sea Foods' many times. I know it's a chain and the food is "chain"-y, but it used to be much better. I used to really like their wood grilled tuna a lot. I ordered it last night and it was very blah. The fish must have not been fresh and they overcooked it. I had it with seaweed salad that I usually associate with sushi, so it's strange to have it with grilled fish, and I had a baked potato. The choices for side dishes are pretty lame. No veggies? Or salad as a side dish? The only vegetable option was broccoli with cheese (fish and cheese? no thank you) and potatoes in many shapes and sizes. We had the Seafood Antipasto salad (gross, no taste, no flavor) and mussels (okay) for appetizers. It's sad to say that the best thing I ate at Legal Sea Foods was the baked potato. The service was good. The place was packed for a Wednesday night.
(2)
Joshua p.
I am customer of legal seafood for the last 25 years. Last night I orderd Mahi Mahi fish with side orderd of baked potato and squash. The price was $24.95 for the meal. The size of the fish that was serve was very small 8 once only . The side order was bigger than the fish. I called the manger to let him know about my disaponitment. He said "tihis is corporate policy instead arising the price to reduce the portion of the meal " I returned the meal and left very upset . I hope that someone in the corporate will give a second thought about this policy and changes. I will never go back to Legal Seafood
(1)
Nancy G.
I have been going to Legals for decades. A party of ten and hundreds of dollars later, it was terrible. Appetizers were late and then they were taken away before finishing. Food was cold, quality was just ok and the service was terrible. We quietly complained which went to the manager who didn't even have the courtesy to come over. The restaurant was not even busy. How the mighty has fallen - Legal use to be one of the best - way overpriced for the quality of the food and service. Never going back for business or social.
(1)
Phacops T.
2012 Ciopini is too die for. After many trips to different Legal Sea Food restaurants - this is what I get almost every time now. Very good!
(5)
Khan A.
I went to Legal Seafood with my friend this weekend. It was my first time and i was expecting that it would be great because there was a lot of good reviews about this place plus i got a gift card so i decided why not! My idea was to have some good fresh seafood dinner but result was disappointing... My friend and i got 2 plates which was coming with 2 sides each and we got only 3 and no sauce for our fish! We both got salmon which was cooked different ways but taste the same, rice was terribly overcooked. I love seaweed salad but what i got from them was really old bad taste salad :( The only thing that we love was shrimps. That was really good. One more plus the waitress was really nice and friendly. But honestly i was expecting more. The place is really nice from outside and look very rich but they could design better inside and tables for 2 is very small. Really! The prices is high but it's not worth it. The good thing i had gift card for $50 so i pay just 10. But it's not about money i don't mind paying more if i'm getting good food. I don't think i'm gonna go there again. Sorry guys. But maybe this place is not for me or there was a bad day on kitchen :)
(3)
Robin R.
There were 7 of us celebrating a graduation in the mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Our wait staff was very attentive. 2 of the grandparents arrived before the rest of the party, and they seated them, and gave them some of the rolls to tide them over. . All the food was good. With the exception of the salad that has pita chips, apple and goat cheese. It said avocado was in the salad, but not much appeared. Lobster roll was very good, as were the fried clams.
(4)
Lawrence C.
Starting with a dozen Kumamoto oysters! But to continue on I was very disappointed with the actual meal. I normally LOVE Legal Seafood but this particular night not so much. I had the Lobster Boil which comes with belly clams, mussels, potatoes and corn and everything in the seafood category was very tough. Overcooked or something. But for those that haven't been to a Legal Seafood I would still recommend them. Their soups and chowders are outstanding and the oysters are always top notch.
(3)
Gary K.
This place is way overrated. The food is average at best. The service leaves much to be desired as well.
(1)
Robert G.
We went as a group to celebrate my wife's birthday and both my pineapple-coconut sour and one of the party's cucumber drink were so watered down that we both utterly disgusted how these could possibly be served and for the prices we were charged. I realize that much of your profits come from selling alcoholic drinks but you can at least give your customers a decent drink for their hard earned money.
(1)
Katy F.
By far the best oysters around. The food is almost always great here. The atmosphere is limp, though. The service is always rushed and a bit sloppy. We had some steamers the other night and they actually tasted like they were on the verge of going bad, which is unusual for this place. Parking is a bitch at this location, too.
(3)
Sarah F.
Went as part of a group of 7 friends. The waiter was excellent: friendly, helpful, and available when we needed him. I had the seasonal fried soft shell crab. It was just okay. They were having a special on some Chilean wines. We tried both a bottle of the pinot and the malbec. The pinot was not like any pinot I've ever tasted: no one liked it. The malbec was better -- my guess is it was about a $10-12 bottle retail, so not a fine wine, but drinkable. I'm giving them 3 stars only because of our waiter.
(3)
Andrew K.
smaller portions then I last remember, but with higher prices. The staff could not have been any less thrilled to be there, poor attitudes all around at the Chestnut Hill location. Our waitress even recommended that we go somewhere else if we wanted an affordable lobster roll. I will definitely be taking that advice. Sorry Legal, but you are totally overrated.
(2)
Deb c.
OUCH. The bill for two Lobster Rolls from the takeout area was a whopping $61.95. This is not a typo! Yes, $61.95. A major gouging. Will go to James Hook from now on for superior rolls at less than half the price of Legal's.
(2)
Georgina C.
I have had consistenly great experiences here despite the fact that I do not eat seafood. Love their club salad, wonderful selection of top shelf scotch and the service is always top notch. I will continute to come here as I have been for at least 15 years.
(4)
Clare M.
I'm surprised the average review on Legals is so low. To my mind, this is a safe place to get excellent seafood. Plus, I appreciate that many of the dishes aren't overly exotic or out there. Just plainly prepared, fresh, tasty food. We usually go for the oysters, but the crab cakes are incredible too. Also love the salad with grilled mix of seafood on top. Why not 5 stars? Our server the last time was a little checked out. Not sure whether he had too many tables, or whether it was just his personality. Just a little low-energy, low-communication skills. At some point in the meal he delivered straws to the table when we were drinking wine. Turns out it was meant for another table. Never asked if we wanted dessert or coffee. Just felt like he was wanting us to leave.
(4)
David S.
I had the joy recently of going to legals and had the best waitress ever Marika!! she was so awesome an attentive. We had a great time cause of it... The food was good but the service was great.
(5)
jamie l.
Poor LSF - you've become a regional PF Chang's (or Cheesecake Factory) with a focus on fish. I'm serious - it's sad. With the addition of ground beef lettuce wraps to the menu - you really did become just another big chain restaurant (with a focus on fish). Four varieties of FRIED calamari - and not a single option for grilled. Great - thanks - another place where I can get heavily-breaded, deep-fried calamari. LSF used to be a reliable, special, upscale, seafood place where you could dine with other seafood lovers on good, fresh fish. LSF has sadly (and very clearly) taken the direction of appealing to the lowest common denominator. As its grown (and grown and grown) it's clearly now just another mass-appeal chain with no character whatsoever. If you are visiting Boston you would do SO MUCH better visiting any of the local seafood restaurants in the North End or anywhere in Boston for that matter. Just avoid any of the many LSF locations - it's over-priced and no longer special at all.
(2)
Janet C.
Went here with 2 other adults and toddler. We ordered Fried fisherman's Platter, Baked Haddock and child's hot dog and 2 clam chowder's and steamer's. The service was very poor...we always had to ask for our drinks to be refilled and it was never our waiter who gave us our food. Two things that got me upset - the child's hot dog came AFTER the adult's meals. Who knew that it takes that long to cook a hot dog. Then our waiter gave us glasses of water when we asked for the check. The clam chowder and the steamers were great. I think we'll go to Shake Shack next time.
(2)
Robert G.
Had a nice late afternoon lunch at the famous horseshoe bar to celebrate restaurant week. Service, food and drinks were excellent. This restaurant has a lot of pleasant memories for us. One time we sat next to Kieth Lockhart during lunch at this bar.
(4)
Marina B.
I've been going here with my family for years. Of all the Legal Sea Foods out there, I think this one has the best quality fish (although they're all excellent). More traditional in it's atmosphere and clientele, Legal's is never noisy or too boisterous. Sometimes the service is a little hit or miss. Always a good place to bring the family for a quality meal that's healthy too.
(5)
Glen M.
Legal seafood....more like illegal seafood. Not worth it and very over rated. We have gone to this location many time over the years and it has gotten progressively worse every single time. The first thing i noticed is that they were selling farm raised salmon for more than wild caught at Whole Food. Legal Sea Food you say?????? All things considering it is not worth it.
(2)
Sara M.
My husband and I just had the most pleasant dinner here last night on a whim. I am generally a fan of this chain as it consistently serves us well and am always confused when I see bad reviews. Sometimes I want a more casual dining experience with excellent food; I don't always feel like dining at Oceanaire. So, I was craving oysters/seafood and convinced Hubby that we had to get some (very little effort was needed to succeed). This location is close to our current place so we drove over quickly. The hostess seated us immediately and we had a really great server, Michael P. He wasn't quirky, trying to talk to us all the time, be overly friendly, annoying nor was he pretentious, snobby, bored, etc. Instead, he saw that we wanted to enjoy our conversation with each other and was unobtrusive yet supremely efficient while being nice. I do not believe I had to ever wait or want for anything. MANAGEMENT - PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF HIM! Anyway, the only glitch was they didn't have the Muscadet so I ended up with a Chardonnay to go with my excellent Cape Cod oysters. Ohhh, so heavenly and silky sliding down my throat. The clam chowder is always excellent with a nice balance of potatoes and clams. An old co-worker randomly was exiting from a meal with his family so we stopped to chat. My food came as we were talking and they left the foil on my lobster bake to keep it warm for me! It's the little things. The steamers were a bit sandy but everything else was steamed to perfection. Hubby got the fish special with goat cheese (he cannot resist it), sundried tomatoes, and schrod; he enjoyed it immensely and it was some of the best goat cheese we have had to date. Dessert was Boston Cream Pie and Key Lime Pie, latte (which ended up as a cappuccino) for him and port for me. Both were excellent, with the KLP becoming a bit too tart towards the end. However, there was nothing left on the plate. The stars must have been aligned in our favor that night because the whole flow was incredibly smooth - we were both in good moods, enjoying each other's company, great server, delicious food, lovely ambiance. Thank you Legal Sea Foods for that experience.
(5)
Deborah M.
My first memories of Legal were with my grandparents when they first opened in Chestnut Hill and we paid before we ate....all these years and now it seems to be in decline. Went with my family for my sisters birthday...we waited 10 or 15 minutes until we finally asked for someone to take our drink requests....when we ordered they told us they did actually make one of the sandwiches that is on the lunch menu...for dinner. Well...not really. They were soggy...and on white bread. The fries we specifically asked to be crispy and hot...came lukewarm. They did bring us more that were hot and crispy...why didn't they do that the first time? And dessert...no more profiteroles? no grapenut pudding. Whats the point? So more new restaurants around there now....no need to go back..
(2)
Kai P.
over the years I have watched as Legal seafood has gone from the best seafood in Boston to another over franchised, over priced, joint. The place globally has had the portions shrink and prices rise. Depending on which one you go too you will either have decent food and nice treatment or the later. Fortunately this is one of the good legal's. Like I said before the prices are way over the top most times but the food here is pretty great. last time I was here with my dad we ate at the bar to take in a game and I tried the special of the day which was red fish with a corn meal crust. Amazingly good. It was a local style dish, cheap and tasted great. the place is almost always loud with seniors who can't hear and people with kids who scream. All in all I would return to this particular Legal Sea Foods.
(3)
Norah L.
The best seafood restaurant. Period. I have been coming here for many years and every meal is perfectly cooked and their style is pure and healthy. The fish is so fresh, best integrity of all fish restaurants in terms of fish / quality. This is the real deal. The service is incredible and sitting at the bar is a good time.
(5)
paul b.
We had a very poor experience tonight at Legal. We've been to the restaurant many, many times. We usually sit at the bar and get dinner and drinks, and usually the food and service are excellent. Tonight, we had a problem with the mussels and a BUG! The mussels were old and didn't taste right. The person behind us send hers back (we should have done the same with our mussels). And then, a BUG crawled out from under the plate!! it looked like a young cockroach. We killed it and then waited a lot time for the manager to get there. He took the mussels off the bill but didn't seem that concerned (didn't he see my freaked out girlfriend right next to me). We left with a really feeling and ruined romantic dinner. Thanks Legal's. Legal's missed a real opportunity for a service recovery here (don't they teach this anymore). We certainly won't be ordering food again from that restaurant and you can be sure we'll tell the 10+ people that frustrated customers commonly do. former Legal customers...
(1)
Gordon C.
I don't go to Legal very often, but when I do, it's hard for me to resist the Cioppino. It's got a little bit of everything in a tasty tomato broth. We also felt inclined to get the New England Clam Chowder, never disappoints! Our waiter was very friendly (and french) - we indirectly tried to get him to say "shao-derrrr" with his accent but he pronounced it properly and even made fun of the locals for their "chowdah" rendition.
(4)
laurie g.
Indeed a very nice Legal Seafood in a mall location. Very good food but overpriced-just don't get the allure of what chain restaurants will offer, when you live in an area that is saturated with some of the best seafood restaurants in the eastern united states. Maybe it is convenience. I was just visiting on vacation, and didn't know any better. But if I lived here and wanted to spend the same money, I would make the drive to Gloucester or Essex.
(3)
Kathy A.
Just your typical Legal Sea Food. The restaurant is really nice and spacious and obviously with the suburban mall location parking is not a problem. They have some decent cocktail options and the Salmon is pretty good. I really liked the crab cakes, but I would avoid the Tuna entree. It was pretty bland.
(3)
Jennine T.
I was excited to eat at Legal Sea Foods. I have moved away from the Boston area, so eating at Legals was a stop on my checklist of places to eat while I'm back home. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. I remember Legal Sea Foods being more delicious and higher quality overall than I experienced tonight. If I could, I would give this 2.5 stars. I agree with the reviews that the prices are very high compared to the portion and quality. We started with the calamari and lump crab dip appetizers. These were very good. The calamari was tasty, and the dip was delicious, but with the calamari, there was a teeny tiny little bowl of sauce, and we ran out of dip long before we ran out of chips, which never usually happens with a chips and dip type appetizer. My friends shared the Surf and Turf and the restaurant was nice enough to portion it out equally for them. They liked that, and the baked shrimp and polenta were really delicious. I had the clam chowder, which was soooo good. I'm so glad I ordered a whole bowl. I also got the appetizer of a crab cake, but it was dry and again had very little sauce. The greens on the plate were the tastiest part. I also ordered a house salad and it was AWFUL. I almost told the waiter he should advise people not order that. The dressing was terrible, and there was nothing interesting about it at all. Honestly, when it was put in front of me, it looked so unappetizing because the lettuce looked kind of brown. Very disappointing. The service was also mediocre. We had to ask for bread. Our waters were not refilled. When I ordered the calamari and the house salad, the waiter acted surprised, like he wasn't sure what I was talking about. I thought that was weird because they were such common requests. And finally, when it was time to pay the check, he handed me someone else's little folder where they had all their cash and everything in there. I thought that was so unprofessional. Usually a waiter checks that they are giving you the right bill. I might go back to Legal Sea Food, but not to this location.
(2)
Mike C.
Every Legal's location around Boston is pretty similar, and it's for the better. Calamari is always a great choice, and their chowder is phenomenal. I had a special of the day (Arctic Char) that was very good, but I've eaten here a lot. It's tough to go wrong at legals, just be warned that occasionally fried things come out greasier than expected, but that has to due with it not being a pre-made assembly line a la Mickey D's. They pride themselves in having very fresh seafood, and also have an area where you can buy fresh raw seafood to cook at home.
(4)
Amanda F.
I've gotten a better meal for less money. I paid twenty dollars for the vegetarian box meal and the flavor was terrible, overly salty, and just gross. The awesome rolls made up for it though.
(2)
JP C.
It was a relatively quiet night at the Chestnut Hill Legal Seafoods. The hostess wanted to seat us at a table in the middle of the restaurant at the crossroads of the exit from the kitchen and the main walkway to the back of the restaurant. When I requested something a little less central, she led us to a table at the side, slapped down the menus and snapped, "You're welcome." She didn't leave us a wine list, so the waitress had to make an extra trip for that. The food was ok. A lobster is a lobster. As we left, the same hostess thanked us for coming and sighed a world-weary "Have a wonderful evening." We're going to Kendall Square next time. At least the staff there seems to be pleased to have customers.
(3)
Vivian C.
Love the clam chowder - creamy, chunky... mmmmm.... But the food sure takes a while at this location. And it isn't just a one time occurrence either, so it makes me think that they need more help in the kitchen. A new thing - they have those little machines that will take your credit card at your table... yup, your plastic never has to leave your hands! 8/09 Additions - * They didn't bring the little credit card machine this time, but they did have little machines for taking our orders. * I heard that you can order off the lunch menu at dinner time - it's true! Unfortunately though the soft shell crab sandwich is no longer in season. :( 6/2010 Additions - * No credit card machine nor order taking machine this time. * Children's menu doesn't have the assorted fried seafood entree anymore, and the grapes have been replaced with watermelon (seasonal?). 6/2012 Additions - * Once again there was a hand held order taking gadget. * As I had grazed throughout the afternoon, I ordered the crabmeat roll $15.95 off of the luncheon menu as my dinner, with sides of the seaweed salad and the garlic green beans. The toasted buttered roll added to the enjoyment of the generous mound of shredded cool crabmeat. The beans were not overly tender, and the seaweed cool and refreshing as always. * Oh yeah, and they now provide the entire menu to you (lunch and dinner), so you don't have to specially request the other. * At $6.95 for a bowl of chowder, it is actually a pretty good deal... especially when I recently spotted a smaller portion of a similar concoction at non-seafood focused establishment for $9. * I really love the rolls here with their crisp outer crust and soft insides; perfect with the softened butter, or even the creamy clam chowder. * This meal's waitress was great, and the food didn't take too long. * Another experience or two like this and I might up have to up my rating average to 4 stars... 11/2012 Additions - * They had Baja Fish Tacos guacamole, corn relish, pico de gallo 15.95 listed as a lunch entree available till 4pm, but I was able to order it for dinner, and it was yummy! Three well stuffed corn tortillas (could have done without the corn tortilla as I prefer flour, both for taste and for hold-togetherness) were served alongside a rather large portion of fried onion strings. 11/2013 Additions - * Chowder prices have gone up to $5.25 for a cup and $7.50 for a bowl. * In addition to the old "House Sides" (ie. fries, onion strings, seaweed salad, broccoli and cheese, etc, $3.95 a la carte), they now offer a short list of "Premium Sides" (kale, mushrooms, swiss chard, roasted root vegetables, $4.95 a la carte) for a $1.50 surcharge * The lunch time fish tacos is now a Crispy Fish Tacos, avocado, pickled cabbage, chipotle mayo, black beans and rice $13.95 * Looks like they allocate the smaller scallops to the luncheon portion of the smaller Fisherman's Trio $17.95 (shrimp, scallops, and clams) vs the dinner time Fisherman's Platter $27.50 (shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams and white fish). * Service was a bit lacking this time, with the server walking over to the far end of the table to speak with me (twice), his needing to go ask to find out what the fish selection was for the Wood Grilled Assortment $27.95, and he neglected to offer us ketchup on the get-go, so we had to wait till we could catch his attention. 6/2014 - * The bad - We waited till 15 min after our reservation because they had marked our pager with the wrong number; at least they had thought to go old school and call out for our party. We had to ask for 2 additional sets of silverware 3x. We were charged for their seaweed salad twice ($4.50!) when it was supposed to be a fee-less swap of sides. * The good - Water was refilled often enough. When a hair was located in my lemon ricotta pea cakes with toasted pine nuts and crispy shallots, it was replaced and I was told that it would not be charged. * Great presentation in the lemon ricotta pea cakes, but they were a bit bland and mushy. * The lunch special Fried Soft Shell Crab Sandwich $14.95, caper tartar sauce, french fries, cole slaw was nice, but a bit too much bread. * Rainbow Trout skin was not descaled - just FYI. 2/2015 - They offered their heat & serve clam chowder at the fish counter 2 quarts for $12 with a whole lot of oyster crackers, and rolls with butter upon request, as a Super Bowl special (regularly $21.95).
(3)
David V.
Legal Sea Foods walks that fine line between guilty pleasure and just plain pleasure. After all, I love seafood of all types - from the traditional (fried clams, chowder) to the more adventurous offerings - Legal's is a frequent stop when dining with my parents because everyone can find something they like. Went to this location for lunch, and got the usual friendly service and mouth-watering French bread dinner rolls (lunch rolls?) right away. I opted for a cup of clam chowder, a couple of oysters and the tuna sashimi appetizer. The wasabi sauce drizzled along the edges of the plate turned out to be surprisingly good with french fries (there were a few left over on my parents' plates). To any aspiring restauranteurs out there - wasabi sauce and fries are a good match. Though I try not to criticize restaurants for their clientele, we seemed to have come at geriatric hour, where the rest of the patrons were over 85, with the exception of the gaggle of mafia wives that strolled in. While this location had a decidedly more suburban feel, the food and the service left me with no complaints.
(4)
Julie S.
Wow, has Legal gone downhill. Highlights (lowlights?) of my most recent dinner there: 1. Absolutely dried out piece of bluefish, completely tasteless. No lemon or any garnish. 2. The sides with my meal: a side salad, which was about 1/4 cup of lettuce broccoli, which was close to ice cold jalapeno Cheddar polenta, which was 2 tasty and fluffy wedges (best part of the meal by far) 3. the wine: an OK glass of Italian pino grigio, but a very long wait to get it 4. tepid service I haven't been to Skipjack's for a long time, but I guess I'll give them another try the next time I go out for fish. Oh well.
(1)
Mary Ellen P.
Went to Legal's in Chestnut Hill tonight for restaurant week. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Service by waiter named Joyous was spot on, very efficient and helpful, helped adjust the ingredients of one of the entrees because there were a couple of things in it my husband can't eat. Overall fabulous meal, with topnotch service.
(5)
Jef S.
I used to work here too. It's marginally better than the Framingham location in that there are less college kids working there who are all blasted on drugs. The servers here are better on the whole. The general manager, Jeff Dixon, is the most scrupulous, honest, and nicest guy I've ever met in the Boston hospitality industry; he's managed to stay alive in the dog-eat-dog Legal's corp. without losing any integrity. But other than that, this location and the Framingham location are exactly the same: same fish, same prices, same dark wood, same cranky old entitled Newton/Brookline customers. They have a fish market at this location with tasty, but vastly overpriced selections. For more info about Legal service and the overall "experience", see my review for the Framingham Legal's.
(3)
Harry K.
Every time I come to this restaurant I'm impressed..but this time I had the crab cakes and mashed potatoes and was blown away! Seasoning is the key to a successful dish and apparently the chef has figured this out because I left that evening very satisfied.
(5)
Arleen A.
It's with great disappointment that I finally write this negative review of Legal's in Chestnut Hill.....my go-to restaurant for over 20 years! At one point we went there as a family 3-4 times a month! Something changed about two years ago - the menu got very expensive and the portions, including the salads, shrunk out of proportion. My parents used to take me to the Legal's in Inman Square in the 70s - this is how much I loved the restaurant - a loyal lifetime fan....Last night did it for me. The Caesar's salad was tiny with the 5 croutons nearly covering the whole top and the Romaine was wilted and not all "hearts". The fisherman's platter was a disgrace - about 8 pieces of fried shrimp, clams and a very tiny piece of white fish - no scallops, no oysters...no mounds of fish in fact. The top was smothered with fries and onion rings - in fact, after eating the few pieces of fish, we left the mound of fries and onions and it looked like a full plate. I had to send my dish back for undercooked rice and the second time, I just kept it, still undercooked. I figured I could finish cooking it in the microwave at home. The delicious broccoli and shrimp with melted jack cheese dish which I used to love, came with 6 shrimp only. It used to be filled in an oval circle around the dish. The waitress was fine and attentive and the manager apologized for the meal, taking one of them off the bill. That was generous of him, but it doesn't change a fundamental issue Legal has created with their downgraded food and portions to price ratio. What has happened to Legals? They took a great food formula and destroyed it. Not the same and I'm not sure if I'll go back soon. I did get a gift card for Christmas so I'll use that one day and that's it! Time to find a new Chestnut Hill/Newton home-away-from home food place that Legal's used to be!
(1)
Sarah M.
Terrible service on a slow Sunday afternoon. Asked for clam chowder in a bread bowl and was brought in a regular bowl. That was fine if it wasn't an option and I expressed my disappointment nicely. I wish he had told me when I ordered as I would have picked something else. The waiter talked to the manager right in front of us explaining that we were unhappy. It was unprofessional and embarrassing for us. This restaurant does not even compare to the other locations.
(1)
Tsada K.
I like ordering lobster when my family is paying, because it is one of the few occasions a lady can order the succulent treat on someone else's dime without feeling the obligation to put out later that evening. Because, let's face it, no lady feels like doing THAT when she's full of drawn butter and smells like...well, you know. A few months ago I sucked down a three-pounder here. It was insanely good. YES, I am talking about lobster. In addition to their huge, delicious lobsters, Legal, surprisingly enough, has very good COCKtails--always a plus when dining with family. My cousin drank multiple passionfruit martinis which were extremely fresh-tasting and generously poured. I had a great mojito served with a huge slice of sugarcane. This place is touristy and kind of pricey, but they do lobster right and their prices are consistently fair when it comes to the tasty giant COCKroach. Since the rest of the menu is overpriced and overrated, I'd give most locations three stars, but our waiter here was excellent, so I'll bump them up to four. Also, please don't message me with offers to take me out for lobster. I am still full. And I have a "headache".
(4)
Rich F.
The food here is great. This time around I got the Seafood Casserole and the GF got the Wood Grilled Assortment. They were both very good. The casseole comes in either garlic or creamy. I had the garlic (because I like to make the GF's eyes water when I talk directly to her) It was good, but not very garlicy. All of the Wood Grilled Assortment looked very good and she said that it was excellent. The location was nice andrelaxing. The prices are a bit high, but that is to be expected for a good seafood place. I have also been to the Prudential Center location and it was just as good. My only complaint is that our specific server this time around looked a little distracted and did not provide great service. It was ok, but not great. Now that I think about it, the other thin that I don't really like is the way they bring the little machine out to your table and have you type in all the payment info. I know that it is good for privacy and everything, but it is a little weird to me.
(4)
Jonathan B.
Legal? Really? I have grown up alongside this "legal" spot. A up and down ride into hell. I have had awesome meals and crap meals hand in hand. It really is not that hard to fry some calamari, grill a steak and boil some lobster. However it is hard to make sure that the scallops, oysters, tuna, shrimp and clams are all fresh. Freshness is Legals claim to fame and honestly it has never been at 100% or even close to it. Not too far back I did have a great meal. Oysters, stuffed shrimp, calamari, steak and so on. However the return visits have not been so hot. Legal is suffering from chain syndrome and they are teetering toward the likes of Cheesecake Factory or a high end TGIF. Legal used to be incredible growing up. Clam chowder at Legal was once The Chowder. Now it's losing steam. I miss the old Legal. I miss the friendly staff and classic decor. Now it's all just one big franchise. Another classy joint lost in the mix of expansion.
(3)
Lauren E.
A nice Legal's location. They have a take-out section right at the front, where you can either order off of the entire menu, or choose from their pre-made sandwiches and fish items. When you're in a rush, it's a great way to grab something on the run, but still good quality. I was happy that they let me go back and use the bathroom, too, even though I was just getting take out. Very clean facility. Nice restaurant overall, good atmosphere and slightly fancy decoration. I'd recommend it.
(4)
Sue R.
I have enjoyed many fine visits to Legal starting with the original store way back when. We planned a birthday celebration for tonight for my son-in-law at this restaurant because it is his favorite place to eat. But we had a very disappointing experience. Fro the very beginning our waitress had to be reminded that we wanted lemon for our waters and we asked at least 7 times for the waters to be refilled. The bottle of win we wanted was not available. My daughters mussels were not cooked entirely - they were cold and unopened. The manager said he would take it off our bill but that didn't happen. There was an extreme odor of trash, which ceased after we pointed it out to a different manager. Our clothes reek of seafood. The bathroom was a mess - toilet paper all over the floors, unclean toilets. I spent over $220.00 tonight and expect a higher quality of food and service from legal. Needless to say we are all disappointed.
(1)
Nysa L.
I must preface with the disclaimer that i am not a seafood person. however, i know food in general...and theirs wasn't good. we ordered a salmon dish, tuna melt, and fish and chips. everything had to be doused in salt and pepper. salmon was cooked well but lacked flavor, the only thing tasty about the fish and chips was the seasoned chips, and the tuna melt, well a little more than edible (yes i tasted every dish) the only thing good about the restaurant (well depending how you feel about kids) is it was well decorated inside (pretty big blue lampshades and dark wood interior) and there were babies everywhere- a real family destination. Our little 1 year old niece was flirting with a little Russian boy toddler at the table nearby and two little red head darlings interrupted us mid meal to play hide and seek under our table. it was crowded when we arrived for brunch and cleared out soon after. we had a better experience at the tester restaurant downtown, but not at this one. check it out at Ur own risk 2*er- cuz its pretty hard to not get a tuna melt right.
(2)
Nicole L.
i always am so excited to go to legal seafoods because everything there tastes amazing but being a recent college grad, it is a bit of out of my typical budget for dining out. however, if you're willing to open your pocket or if you go with family/birthdays, legal is perfect! there are really no non-seafood options besides a burger and some salads so make sure you're a true seafood lover before you decide to eat there! some of my favorites: crab stuffed shrimp, grilled shrimp with mashed potatoes, mussels, their crab cakes...any appetizer! the cheesecake is also pretty tasty. it tends to get very loud though because it is usually packed with people, which is a good sign in a way. also, play it safe and make a reservation! they also sell fish, wine, and some foods in the front of the store which is always tempting.
(4)
Michaela L.
First time at this place. Luckily, we were just trying something new, but had no high expectations. Food was flavorless and boring. We had the nutty salmon and a fish casserole, not impressed. Service was friendly, but slow. Restaurant looked old and in need of renovations. Can name many restaurants in the Boston area that serve more exciting fish dishes and are less expensive and have much more ambience. Apropos "expensive": for the quality of food this was way overpriced. We will not return here or at any other Legal Sea Foods place, not worth the try.
(2)
Maddie b.
Pretty good food. A little on the pricey side then I would prefer. I kind of got a small portion for a 30 dollar meal (not including desert and appetizer). I got the king salmon which was good but like I said, a little small. Overall it was ok but it has good healthy choices!
(3)
Adi R.
Well, it's yet another Legal but they do a great job. The fish is fresh, the chowder's first class, service is pleasant and the sides are tasty (if not particularly innovative) and all this at a price that doesn't seem unreasonable. Would definitely recommend reservations on the weekend and the AMC theater is adjacent which makes it a fine dinner and movie spot.
(4)
Isabelle T.
Awesome place, have been coming here for years, great service, delicious food, friendly staff, wonderful ambiance!
(5)
Alexa D.
Wow...I'm usually pretty good at picking restaurants so I feel like a failure when I chose this one for my boyfriend and I. I've been on a seafood kick this summer and after a great experience at Skipjack's I though I'd try Legal Sea Foods and see why it's always crowded. I honestly don't know why it's crowded. Maybe for the same reasons McDonald's is still in business. The menu is deceiving in that it's really simple. Simple usually means fresh. Let's relive the misery... 1. Hostess sat us right in front of the waiters "hangout" so it's always nice to hear the staff bitch about their customers...makes me feel warm 2. Ordered for appetizer fried calamari which was bathed in oil and then left there coming to our table a glistening mess of heart clogging nastiness 3. I ordered the sole which was okay...side dishes where brown rice which could have been made by a three year old and spinach that was half wilted, half raw which kudos to them because that's a first I've seen at a restaurant 4. Dessert was a Profiterole. The pastry was a stale dinner roll which is strange because they don't serve any dinner rolls... So sad...we have weekly romantic dinners and I'm sad that we wasted a date on this.
(1)
Claudia M.
I really feel like you either love this place or you hate it. I, love it! And this is why - granted it is kind of lame bcse I do not venture out and explore from the rest of the menu but if I could live off of anything on the menu it would be the NE chowder; PEI oysters, and the seaweed salad. LOVE LOVE LOVE! So in love that my husband and I have decided to always - forever - have Xmas eve dinner here - NOW THAT IS A HUGE COMMITTMENT!
(5)
Katie W.
Dinner and a movie for a low-key Monday night birthday celebration for the fiance. I have never been to Legal and the fiance was craving oysters so we headed over to Chestnut Hill. It appears that Monday nights must have a senior citizen discount or something. 95% of the restaurant was over 65 and most were eating fried seafood (what is it with old people and fried seafood? and going to Legal for it seems a bit silly). A very nice bottle of Chardonnay. 12 oyster sampler plate for only $12. Apparently Monday is also oyster special day! The fiance was in heaven. I started with a cup of gazpacho- not bad, not exceptional. Fiance: baked stuffed lobster: went all out for the birthday, was delicious, but a bit of an overload of butter and ritz crackers by the end. Me: Vegetarian Box: actually quite impressed. Nice spice, lots of veggies, unique presentation. Service was exceptional, attentive and very knowledgeable. Overall atmosphere felt a lot like a chain restaurant in the suburbs (old people's fault, i suppose), but the server's ability to accurately describe choices on the wine list and discern the difference in flavors of the oysters from different regions made it feel extremely upscale.
(5)
S B.
YUM-O!!! Legal Seafoods never fails to deliver the quality goods, in my mind. As I mentioned in the review for the Harvard Square location - this is THE place for delicious seafood!! My personal faves are the grilled swordfish (try it with the cajun spicing - what a kick!), the crab cakes (PERFECT consistency and mixture of spices), the seaweed salad, the fried calamari, and of course - the clam chowder!! I have tried many of the other dishes, and I'm confident in their DELICIOUSNESS! So good. The only reason this particular location gets 4 stars instead of 5 is that I'm not a huge fan of the environment here. There's a lot of neon lights and "modern" decor happening which can be distracting and annoying. BUT the food itself is, of course, fresh from the sea and out of this world!
(4)
Joanne R.
There's no denying, Legal does have the freshest fish. This location is somewhat darker, noisier and not as bright and airy as some of its other locations but its product is the same...outstanding....While pricey, you can be assured that everything on their menu is fresh and served hot! Their wine selection is outstanding and offers varied price ranges to suite everyone's taste and wallet. The dessert selection is pricey and the serving size is small
(4)
KittyCat G.
Legal has a great lunch, and does an amazing job with food allergies. We always felt safe bringing our son here while he was allergic to several things. It is such a relief to talk to staff who know what ingredients are in what dish! But onto the food - several faves: tuna burger, crabmeat roll, lobster roll, gumbo, and the cheeseburger. Really, Legal does an amazing angus cheeseburger that is perfectly cooked. The other great thing about Legal is their reasonable pricing for bottles of wine.
(5)
Laura P.
Yay! It is soft shell crab season again! My hubby and I are ga-ga for the soft shell so we weathered the crowd at this popular Chestnut Hill restaurant for awesome, awesome soft shell crabs. Legal Sea Foods does soft shell every year- the first year I had it at LSF, the preparation was a hazelnut panko crust with pesto sauce. Yum! The previous years were okay. They've outdone themselves this year a chicken fried preparation (double battered) with a lime aioli drizzle and chili dusted corn on the cob. You can get 2 or 3 crabs (we went for 3). The corn was not good- they should wait until it is in season as the kernels were small, small, small. The soft shell entree alone earns them 5 stars. Lobster is classic at LSF, so that gets a nod. My husband had a dozen oysters and one of them was off. He told the waiter but didn't push for a replacement oyster (we had the soft shells to look forward to. Poor lobster, I really did love it but it was the ssc that makes me drool). This is the first time in years that he's had a bad oyster in a restaurant. The waiter didn't offer anything in particular to redress the spoiled oyster. Our sides were the snap peas and braised lentils- highly recommended with the perfect amount of spice. We managed to find room for dessert - Boston Creme Pie. Classic but not as great as in the past. I can't quite put my finger on why. Possibly because they switched the chocolate ganache to a different type of chocolate layer. This location is large but ridiculously cramped. We had a horrible time navigating the crowd and there was some dumb woman who had the gall to take our table seconds before the hostess seated us. She beat it, but not before spilling her martini all over the place. Avoid coming here during peak times. Finally, they have an awesome fish market just inside the doors. We also come here just to buy fresh fish, crab, etc.
(3)
Bob S.
I decided to stop at Legal Sea Foods for dinner on a Tuesday night so it wasn't as crowded as some of the other reviewers have noted. They seem to pride themselves on having the freshest seafood and from what I can tell, they succeed in that category. I started with a cup of New England Clam Chowder and it was excellent - probably the best part of the meal. It was nice and thick with good chunks of clam that were of the perfect consistency. My main course was almond-crusted salmon with sides of spinach and mushroom ravioli. The almond crust was a little bit too crispy (read: "burnt") and the salmon wasn't very flavorful. I did enjoy the ravioli and the cream sauce that was drizzled over everything. In fact, a little more of the sauce would have really helped the flavor of the fish. Overall, I was happy with the meal, but it was way overpriced. The entree alone was $24 and for that price, I'd expect much better. One mitigating factor is that the portions were big enough that you could probably have enough left over for lunch the next day.
(3)
Chuck D.
Okay...this place I always need to visit while im home from California. You wont find a better quality seafood restaurant than Legal. I am evaluating the Chestnut Hill location but some legals can be better and this has always been my favorite. I tend to always go with a cup of clam or fish chowder, a fried clam plate and the boston cream pie for dessert. Yes I can eat and this is a must for any seafood lovers. Prices are a bit high, but its the quality you are paying for. The entrees offer two sides...thats rare today. I give Legal a 93/100
(4)
Shan L.
I've had lunch here a few times, before and after movies. Ambience is nice, and waitstaff are very pleasant and very accommodating. Have gotten the same thing both times, which is the tuna melt wrap - so good. I've also had the chowder & calamari (but at the Prudential location) which were also good. There are two desserts here I absolutely LOVE - the Banana Foster (managed to replicate this at home, after searching for the recipe online - fairly easy to make) and the Molten chocolate bread pudding (for all you chocoholics, to *die* for!). Not sure if these are seasonal items. If you're in the area, drop in!
(4)
Greg M.
It is just as promised -- solid yet unexciting. I was very limited this trip -- just a dozen clams. They were excellent. My son's "double stuffed shrimp" were tasty, but very retro. Wife's wild salmon did not look tempting enough for me to mooch. Was disappointed that there was no Guinness on tap.
(3)
bob c.
Not Much Good Anymore So this is about the tenth time in the last several years we met to get dinner at Legal Seafoods in Chestnut hill. It wasn't very crowded for a Saturday night, and we were greeted and seated promptly. The starter was chowder. Rich, butter filled, and syrupy. Then the Mahi special, which was tough and tasted like freezer burn. The other guests had swordfish, which they thought was completely undercooked and not very fresh at all. Once upon a time, this was a good place to get seafood. We were underwhelmed. Three people, $100 plus tip with one drink each, and blah. Skipjack's in Newton is a lot better.
(2)
Princess P.
The past 3 or 4 times I have been here have been disappointing. It used to be the best, but the quality of the food has gone downhill....salads aren't really fresh, crab cakes were a disappointment, the fish was over cooked! I am very sad, as this used to be one of my favorite restaurants.
(2)
Kya F.
I love Legal Sea Foods clam chowder. I could eat a gallon of it. This branch has been around a long time, but it's been renovated to look and feel like all the others. Large bar with bench seating, lots of booths and tables. Legal is SO kid friendly, they've got crayons and a kids menu for the littles to color. The menu has a wide selection, with a broad price range, meaning you can go cheap or expensive depending on your mood, or the thickness of your wallet. Besides the chowder I also often get the lobster roll. One star off because it gets really loud, and sometimes it smells funny. Not fishy, something else.
(4)
Busy L.
Very disappointed. Uninspired food. Didn't even taste that good... Ordered the clam chowder, fried seafood and sole florentine. Seafood was OK but nothing memorable. Chowder was good. Sole was watery and rice pilaf that came with it tasted like it was cooked at lunch and served at dinner.
(2)
Carl B.
I think this Legal Sea Foods was great...great service, especially to my daughter who is 5 years old...courteous, fast and fairly evenly priced considering the location. The fried clams were awesome and the clam chowder is superb. However, I'm only giving it 4 stars because the lobster ravioli with the, I think, vodka sauce, was not that good, or, at least not what I expected. anyway, there ya go yelpers!
(4)
melissa c.
We go here when we're craving seafood and it's a good place. .The seafood is yummy and there are good choices and variety which is always nice. The seafood is fresh and the service is nice too. I like that the food tastes great and depending on what you select, can still be very healthy. sometimes we get takeout or pick up some fresh seafood from the market. Some can think it's pricey, but it's just the same as whole foods so it works out. I will say the one downside is that it's a crap shoot on whether you can even get a reservation or will have to wait long. Ive never had luck getting a good reservation time (it's always 5pm or 9pm available). i guess that's a good thing for them because business is good, but i've made the decision to go elsewhere if i can get a reservation as i'm not into waiting 40 minutes for a table. i wish they were bigger or could take more reservations; then id give it a 4 star!
(3)
Claire W.
The food is great here, and the decor is great since it was redone several years ago. The challenge is the wait - particularly on our favorite family night out - Sunday. We try to come early and call ahead for a reservation - or don't come. They will seat you within 15 minutes of the reservation time. Service is friendly, but can be slow on busy nights. There is a kids menu (and rolls with butter if you have a very picky kid). For the adults they tend to have special themes every month or so, and do seem to add to the menu. We're sorry that asparugus is no longer a veggie choice, but they do offer broccoli - and seaweed salad and polenta for variety.
(4)
Chris R.
This is a shameless plug for our favorite waiter in the whole chain, Joe. We have eaten at Legal's all over the east coast, and this location has always provided the best experience. The food is great, and the specials especially tempting, and with the the professional guidance of Joe, we never feel rushed or overcharged. Reservations are absolutely the way to go, even if you eat early like us.
(5)
Naomi P.
I frequent Legal Sea Foods whenever I visit Boston. The history of the restaurant starts in 1959 when the family first opened a seafood market named Legal Sea Foods because customers could use Legal Stamps (the predecessor to S&H Green Stamps) to buy food. In 1968 the market was so successful, the owners smartly decided to open a restaurant. Good idea. There are now over 30 restaurants spread along the East coast as far south as Florida. In Chestnut Hill, I went to Legal Sea Foods for a private event. It was quite chaotic, partially because of our crowd and partially because of the service. For the first course, the staff didn't really seem to know what we had ordered. They brought soup and hollered out "chowder?" at each table, which was confusing because people had ordered seafood chowder, clam chowder and lobster bisque. Not everyone got their soup. A few people just settled for salad. It was also hard getting wine service. I had to ask up to 3 times to get a glass of wine. But, enough complaining. Let's get down to the food! The Lobster Roll was piled high with large chunks of lobster. In my roll alone, I had four whole lobster claws, which is my favorite part, along with big pieces of the tail. It was lightly tossed lightly in mayo (I am not positive that it was mayo, but some sort of binding agent) and some celery was mixed in for crunch. It was served on a toasted hot dog bun. This dish showcased the Lobster which dwarfed the bun. It was so much easier than a full lobster and the shellfish was a great quality. I think it still amounted to 1 1/2 pounds of lobster. Sensational. My dining partners also devoured the Scampi, Salmon and Filet Mignon. All plates were finished, and I'll bet that if it wasn't a formal event, folks would lick there plates. After complaining about the service, on other occasions when I have gone to the main dining room, the staff is on it. They are friendly and very accommodating with kids, offering a coloring menu and crayons. A few other food recommendations... I used to enjoy the butterfish, which has been replaced by the black cod. The black cod is tender, but the sauce isn't quite right. Hopefully they will fix that. Ordering a lobster with butter is a sure bet, and you can pick the size of the lobster. The chipino is quite good. It comes in a tasty tomato based broth. You need to have some energy to get the meat out of the mussels and clams. The serving is a healthy portion. It comes with prawns and calamari as well. In MHO, skip the salt beer and the fish pate. There are much better choices on the menu.
(3)
kathleen m.
I have to say, the food was very good. But this is my fourth visit to this Legal Seafood and every time the service gets worse. We had a reservation but after waiting half an hour past our reservation time had to ask about our table when they finally seated us. Then we were seated in the bar area which was noisy and dark rather than the nicer restaurant area which is what I would expect when I went to the trouble to reserve a table. The waitress was scarce but friendly enough. She got 1 of the orders wrong and we had to wait for it to be redone. When the bill came, there was a charge for an extra entree. When questioned, the waitress became very condescending and rather than take a look at the bill she responded as though we were too dumb to understand it and said she would get a manager. The manager never did come to talk to us (which I feel like he should have given the mistake, he should at least take the initiative to apologize.) We then asked to speak with him and he was apologetic and said he wanted to "send us something." I've heard that before from Legal....we'll see. But we'll be going to a different location from now on.
(2)
David L.
I remember Legal Seafood was so much better and fresher when I was little. Ten years ago when I was still in college, I visited Boston on a weekend to see my old hometown where I lived as a boy. My best friend and I went to the Legal's in Copley Square and I remember having a blue cheese salad and swordfish. I can't remember their names now. But, I had something similar this weekend during my visit at the Chestnut Hill mall and I was really disappointed. The clam chowder I had was rich and creamy but it wasn't as chunky as I remembered it. I had the Alaskan Butterfish as a main course. It had seaweed on top of the fish, which had a strong Asian flavor to it. The jalapeno polenta was mediocre at best. The texture was similar to that of a cheesecake and the jalapeno flavor wasn't complimentary to the main course. I have had much better polenta in Kansas City, MO at the Blue Bird Cafe. The texture of the fish was smooth and buttery. But, the flavor of the fish, while not bad, made the entire main course seem mediocre and average. The blue cheese salad was probably something I could have made myself at home; there was too much dressing and the endive seemed like it was prepared in a rush. I would only come back here for a quick business lunch (even though I don't live in Boston) or a quick meal before a movie. Another thing to note is that the Customer Service was also mediocre. Our first waitress made an attempt to be jovial and friendly. Then, poof, she was gone halfway through our meal. We had 3 different waitresses that waited on us.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Tammie F.
Awesome seafood! Fresh and delicious. Atmosphere friendly Staff very friendly Great experience Can't wait to come back
(5)Mary Jo F.
Two stars because the crab cakes and fried clams were delicious but the service was appalling. We used to go to this location regularly but hadn't been back on years after a bad experience. 1. Had made a reservation for two in the afternoon through OpenTable for 8:15. Arrived on time and were handed a buzzer with no estimate of wait time. After 15 minutes we went back to the station to ask how long. We were assured our table was almost ready then led to a two-top in the bar. 2. No wine list, no water, and it took a while for our server to arrive. With the bar seating, the big screen TVs, and the slow service I had downgraded my expectations from a winey three-course meal to a cocktail and an entree. 3. Waitress arrives and we order. Drinks are delivered and they're good. Runner drops the entrees on us and we get a fishermans platter instead of the fried clams. (The only reason we came to legal's was my husband's hankering for clams.) Takes a while to flag waitress. By the time the clams arrive, crab cakes are gone. If anyone received a cold fisherman's platter at around 915 last night I assure you we didn't touch it!
(2)Michelle W.
To precede this entire review with the past 4 experiences I've had at Legal. Crap. Stopped in with boyfriend for drinks and oysters, which we have eaten all over the city and he is an oyster enthusiast, finally had our first bad oyster, he sucked it down quickly, so it was only afterwards that he turned to me and said "I think I had a funky oyster." I then took my tun to eat one and it was so foul I had to spit it out. We told the waiter and asked him to smell the last offending oyster, he declined, but supplied us with six fresh oysters, when the GM came around he said "I heard you were disappointed with your oysters," to which I replied "No, they were bad." They did not Overall, the quality of Legal has been declining over the years. Each meal I've had there has been progressively worse. There are much better places to go in Boston for good seafood. Legals's motto for fresh seafood has become a joke.
(1)Adam F.
I think on a good night the food here is 4-star worthy, but the service is always questionable. Four of us went on Friday for dinner before going to the movies. Reservation through Open Table. Simple enough. My girlfriend arrived a few minutes before the rest of us. She said there were 2 hostesses up front talking to 2 of their friends and they ignored her. Like I get it - it's not a high paying job - but all you have to do is greet somebody and walk them to a table. Our server came over relatively quickly and brought us 4 waters. 2 of the waters were literally half-full. How do you screw up pouring water in a glass? My friend ordered a margarita and said no salt. Of course it came salted. To make an unsalted margarita, all you have to do is make a margarita and pour it in an unsalted glass. You actually have to do an extra step to screw that one up. The rest of the meal was pretty good. My friend requested gluten-free dinner rolls and they were actually pretty good despite the lack of gluten. His meal was also brought out by the manager who ensured it was cooked separately from the rest of us gluten eaters. I had the filet mignon with polenta and kale. The steak was cooked perfectly and the sides were great. The kale was served topped with Greek yogurt which was a nice touch. Overall I'm sure I'll be back as I've been going to this location since I was a child. With drinks we came to $70/pp including tax and tip which isn't outrageous, but the service could have certainly been better.
(3)Grace M.
Being a huge fan of Legal as a whole, I was quite disappointed with this particular location. I went here last Sunday night and the service was lacking. Basic things like getting drinks and refills in a timely manner were off and two major errors came with our actual meal. For one, I asked for my salmon "well done" and was served a medium-rare piece. I didn't have time to send it back because we were trying to catch a movie, so I just ate it, but that was pretty disappointing. I prefer my salmon either completely raw or completely cooked- not a fan of the in-between.. (don't get me started on torched fish!) Less minor but still annoying is that we had to remind our server that one of the sides had not come out with the meal. It really does bug me when sides don't come out together, and of course it wasn't that everything was being sent out fresh to order as it's made, it was just a side of rice, which was clearly just forgotten. Hmph. We still enjoyed our food and I can't say anything bad about the quality- after all, it's still Legal, so while I do recommend this place as a whole (and even this location b/c it's a good pre-movie dinner option!), I can't help but give them a meager 2 stars this time.
(2)Summer L.
I ordered a shrimp and crab casserole to get a taste of both seafood favorites and was not disappointed. Also ordered a strawberry sangria and was very refreshing and exactly what I anticipated for a light drink with my meal.
(4)Jim U.
Decent and dependable. $28 Lobster roll was a shocker.
(3)Dan S.
Good fried clams with the bellies. Delicious onion strings. Small portions. Expensive. I prefer captain mardens although the atmosphere is much nicer in legal. I go here with my family when i am in town.
(3)Jan S.
I don't like to write negative reviews. A place can just having a bad night. However, sometimes you've got to warn the unsuspecting. This branch of Legal Seafoods, probably here for 20-30 years, seems unable to cope with its own Saturday night rush. OK, the food was good enough. Overpriced for the quality, but good enough. However, the service was dismal. No reservations on a Saturday night, so not unreasonable to be told the wait would be 45 minutes for a party of 3. I was told I would get a text on my mobile when the table was ready. No text came. After 60 minutes, we checked and learned that our table was given to somebody else with the same name. They hustled to seat us. Then 10 minutes to get water, 20 minutes to get rolls with no butter. The entrees arrived while we were still eating our salads. I ordered a glass of Alsatian Gewurztraminer. I was served an amber liquid that was clearly oxidized from being overheated. I sent it back and was served another glass of amber liquid, and was told it came from a fresh bottle. I was hungry and tired and just settled for it. It had a sherry-like quality (more evidence of overheating), so not nasty. However, in a restaurant with that wine list, is there no sommelier, or even a barkeep who KNOWS what white wine is supposed to look like? In an enterprise of this kind, this is evidence of ignorance in the staff or contempt for the customer. If you're going to spend north of $150, as we did, go elsewhere where you can get food prepared with care and attentive service.
(1)Bobby L.
I generally have good experiences at Legal but for some reason this location seems to be slacking. Went in for lunch and was seated quickly but waited about 25 to 30 min for a waiter to come over. During the time we waited, we watched as 2 employees of the restaurant walked outside with food, sit down and eat. The restaurant wasn't too busy at this time but to have guests waiting to have their order taken while employees sit down next to them and eat is pretty shitty business. The food was mediocre at best and I was charged extra money for a substitution that I didn't discover till I received my bill. The waiter never mentioned it when I ordered. I think the staff/management need to wake up and realize that they can't rely on the name of their business to stay afloat. The service is almost just as important as the food.
(1)Doug B.
You know what you're getting at Legal Sea Food. I think the first time I went there (the Boston location) it was so many years ago that a good seafood restaurant was a rarity. Nowadays, even though Legal makes a fine meal, I'd say that everything they do is so safe that it's a dull choice. It's the seafood equivalent of spaghetti and meatballs. Nothing at all wrong with it, but nothing at all surprising or exciting. I'll give once exception: the side dish of mushrooms and onions. That was surprisingly awesome. Everything else was merely A-Ok. Tasty and good. Nothing at all wrong with the meal, the service or the experience. But no reason to choose this restaurant over the many others in the area.
(3)Greg P.
Yes it's a chain... But it's a very good one! Legal Sea Foods excels at their mission to provide excellent seafood to a very discerning New England palate. Located in Chestnut Hill, this spot has been a fixture of the local dining scene for decades. The staff are courteous and prompt. The restaurant is busy but at the same time lively and fun. We have dined here several times but I thought I would review the restaurant based on our most recent visit. We started with local oysters on the half shell. Large and fresh, we had Naked Cowboy, Wianno, Merry, and Wellfleet oysters. All were excellent served with terrific cocktail sauce and mignonette. We also had some shrimp cocktail which included larger shrimp that were juicy and fresh. For my meal, I had the caesar salad with maine lump crab on top. The crab serving was very large and made the salad very satisfying. Their caesar dressing is mild allowing you to taste the sweet crab. My wife got the Arctic char with asparagus and baked potato. It was fresh, perfectly cooked and delicious. Overall, Legal Sea Food is consistently going to give you a great meal. That's the reason we keep going back!
(4)Phil C.
Normally, all the Legal locations are 3-star caliber. They're just too expensive and touristy these days. I generally limit my visits for out-of-town guests or business lunches. However, this location was the one I grew up going to (special treat when my parents took me here) and I've never had bad service here...so it's a little better than all the rest. Lately, I came in for lunch during Restaurant Week (couldn't do Capital Grille). I went for the mainstays: the clam chowder, fish & chips, and berry cheesecake. The chowder is still one of my favorites as it's creamy, without it being cloy or heavy. There's a lot of briny clam flavor inside as well. The fish & chips was plentiful, though I could've done without a mound of cole slaw that was just too much. I don't really like cole slaw anyway, though this one wasn't too bad. The fries were decent but I didn't eat a lot of them. You get a good amount of fish with a lunch order. Plus the fish is decently fried and flavorful. The berry cheesecake...normally $7, was okay, but definitely not close to being $7 worth. Service was fine, and I've never had a bad experience here with service, unlike other Legal locations.
(4)Lois R.
This was a disappointing experience. The food was mediocre and fairly typical of a chain restaurant. Our server forgot to deliver drinks and had little knowledge of the menu. 4/5 of our meals were delivered but a mistake was made with the 5th. As our food cooled we waited for the 5th meal to be delivered. At least the manager was smart enough to pick up the entire check although it didn't make up for the mediocre experience. I definitely would not rush back here. I have had way better meals!
(2)Melissa K.
Here now with the parents. The place has go down hill. Everything is very spicy and the scallops are flavorless. The waitress never offered rolls maybe because we got appetizers? Most likely never coming back.
(2)Max G.
We always do special family events here. Food is pricy but good. I always get lobsters bake stuffed, steamers and my gf likes the crab cakes.
(5)Katherine Y.
Took friends here from Cali to show them the local seafood in Boston and was disappointed. All the seafood was over cooked and rubbery. We ordered mussels as an appetizer and it never arrived. We got the New England clam chowder and the lobster bisque soup which both were very good. The only other thing that was good was our waiter. He was apologetic about the order. He gave us complementary dessert to make up for the mess up. But knowing that the seafood was all not good, we were glad we never got the mussels. The strip mall is beautiful esp all the new reno. But we will probably not be returning back here.
(2)Lyndsey C.
Ok, so I love the area where this one is located, and our server was very nice, however the hostess was very rude, the place is a zoo of children and families, and it felt like a chain. (I know it is a chain, but some of them feel much nicer and this one did not). I wasn't a fan and would rather frequent the many other establishments in that area.
(2)Ash T.
So we went there yesterday for a catchup meal with out friends and it did not disappoint. We had the crab cakes and the chowder and it was good. The server was good and efficient - although she did forget the salad dressing and threw the wine menu (by mistake!) All in all a Boston must - yes its a chain but its a very good chain.
(4)Ivy Z.
My family and I came here solely because it's near our hotel. I liked their decor but when we started ordering, we noticed that our portions were very small. We ordered a dish that allowed us to sample shrimp, raw oysters, and clams. However, I was really disappointed that there were only 8 pieces of shrimp when their are like two trays that came with it. Also, they gave us complimentary bread that only had four small rolls. That's pretty frugal I would say.
(3)Haley S.
I grew up eating Legal's seafood, so it is painful for me not to give them 5 stars. I have such fond memories of being a little girl and walking with my father in here to purchase tuna and swordfish in the market. The first bowl of clam chowder I ever had was here. I always buy shrimp and lobster here when I'm on the east coast. Sometimes, I dine in at the restaurant, but I used to eat here all the time. The service just isn't good anymore. The food isn't as good as it used to be. I even shudder at one memory I have of putrid swordfish I once purchased here at the market and the horrible service I got when I called to inform them of the problem. Since they stuck to their "if it isn't fresh it isn't Legal" schtick, I drove back and had them smell it. They changed their tune and replaced my order with another kind of fish. The mussels in garlic and white wine sauce used to be SO divine, and now it seems that they rarely get it right. The Rhode Island style calamari is still pretty good every time I come here. But I'm not going to keep coming if that's the only reliable dish on the menu! This area, as if it wasn't already high-end enough, is going through a sort of gentrification. All sorts of new high-end restaurants and shops are being put into this area of chestnut hill, so if Legals doesn't step up their game, I think they will slowly but surely lose their clientele and have to close their doors. It makes me sad to think that this place used to be so awesome and now I won't even bring out of town guests here when they ask where to get the best clam chowder. Legals please get better servers and keep your dishes consistent and actually make them good again.
(3)Lee O.
Worst restaurant experience of the year. I just couldn't reccommend this place to anyone. Service was simply shameful. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and while I was parking the car my two guests were seated by the entrance, about 30' from any other diner and also the bar. It's not like the restaurant was empty, it was actually more than half full, but for some reason they seated us miles away from anyone else. We waited.....ready for this........'cos I counted, 18 mins before anyone came to us, and at that time no-one even came, we signaled the bartender over. When he arrived his attitude was just shitty. He said he'd send someone over and took some drink orders to tide us over. No-one arrived, even though we waited another 10 mins. The drinks came by the 15th minute, we'd been there over 30 mins now and still hadn't gotten a server. The drinks were also pretty badly made, and again served with a bad attitude. We eventually got a girl over who took orders for appetizers while seating a couple next to us. 15 mins passed, the couple next to us got their appetizers, we just sat there in disbelief, again. Appetizers arrive, server walks away. Older man, not so tall, manager like, appears and ask's if everything is ok, we ask for silverware with which to eat the food. You'd think right?........ He comes over with one set of silverware for all 3 of us and walks away. We get up and walk over to him and gently point toward the table, with THREE customers there and only one able to eat their food. Frankly it just got worse and worse. I could go on and on but it was just depressing. And here's the reason why I wrote this, OUR BILL CAME TO CLOSE TO $150 FOR THREE PEOPLE. Where else do you go to shell out $150 and get shit service and average drinks / food and walk away not caring? Yeah, I thought not. Whoever runs or own this branch of Legal Sea Foods aught to be ashamed of their staff. I was compelled to call Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue and come in and give these idiots a talking to. Embarrassing. Never again.
(1)Susan X.
I would give 3.5. New England clam chowder-above average. Honestly it doesn't taste much different from the clam chowder I have had in LA, but the quality of the clam is a little bit better but it still contains some sand. Lobster bisque-average. There is a weird aftertaste. Oysters legal-a little bit salty. Can't really tell the oysters from the spinach and other ingredients. Seafood casserole with mashed potato and garlic sauce-very good. Fresh seafood including shrimp, scallops, whitefish and lobster. Mix the potato with the casserole, a tiny bit salty but overall tasty. Boston cream pie-delicious! Succulent custard sandwiched between chocolate ganache and sponge cake with chocolate and caramel toppings, mildly surprising texture and flavor.
(3)Kylie S.
Legal seafoods is a great place for kids and family.It is not fancy and if you like seafood you should come here also if you are allergic to seafood don't come here because it only serves seafood.That is why I like Legal Seafoods .
(4)Daniel P.
Food is very good. Recommend the bar special of dollar oysters when available. Also the calamari (rhode island style) is fantastic. Staff is also very kind and helpful, overall a great place (especially for a date).
(4)Annie S.
I was prepared to give this place a 3 star review. The food is good, but overpriced. However, our server was terrible. He barely checked in with us, spilled water while refilling our glasses and didn't apologize, and took 10 minutes to even come by and process our check. So, why the 1-star? FOOD POISONING. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I will never eat crab cakes again in my life, and definitely never go to Legal Sea Foods for anything.
(1)Ann A.
I went to Legal last night. Our server, Greg, was fabulous, very attentive and helpful with the menu. It was Restaurant Week and he told me how the salmon was prepared. I ordered that and was very happy with it. The salmon was prepared in a unique way with an almond crust and served on a bed of spinach and ravioli. The sauce was divine ! Also, it was a big portion and I just had the remaining salmon on a salad at home. Delicous! I will be smiling all day. Legal: always reliable for fresh seafood and a good value during R W.
(5)Rachel S.
Main problem here was service. Our server was a scary looking gaunt lady who took 15 minutes to even stop over and ask if we wanted waters. We asked for separate checks, 2 of us on one and 3 on the other. We all got individual checks. Items were on the wrong bills. Server never came by to check how our food was (we needed things and had cold fries). Asked for a baked potato and got onion rings. Food not bad, chowder was better than usual. But the server was *so* bad. Wasn't sure what planet she was on, but it wasn't earth.
(2)Lori B.
This place is amazing. To start their is an amazing wine list with knowledgeable staff. And if they don't know what a Lorie Valley wine is, they will definitely ask their very knowledgeable bartenders. All their wine is amazing. And I definitely recommend the dry white wines with the raw shellfish they offer at an amazing price. $1.75 a clam and $2.75 an oyster. Then is their appetizers. I like smoked salmon with a mascal margarita. Choose your entree wisely. There are expensive items that are well worth it. So you need to know what you want. Then the best part! Dessert. Our server, let us know about the beauty of port and chocolate and my life was changed. I couldn't choose. Their were so many. Because it was my first time there they bought me a sugar free mouse. SO HAPPY!
(5)Jonathan R.
Positives first: The market! You can buy some great fresh stuff. The guys working the counter actually know what they are talking about. I bought some oysters (unshucked) there and they steered me in the perfect direction based on my preferences. Really awesome oysters, priced better than several other places I have been. Provided cocktail sauce and lemons. Very nice people. Negatives: When I order off the menu, always overcooked. And our waitress didn't know how to pronounce the name of the wine that should pair with the fish I was eating. Day 1 stuff. Bush league mistakes. I can and regularly do make better fish myself. So... you know, I can't complain so long as I don't actually sit down to eat it.
(3)Eric F.
The reviews that give this place 3 stars are quite accurate and so I thought it would be appropriate for me to also give 3 stars. We went for lunch today and had a decent experience. The service was okay and the food was mediocre. I think the one major con about this place is the price--especially for lunch. I paid about 70$ for lunch for 2. We both ordered the crab cake sandwich and enjoyed some beverages. The crab cake is yummy; I would recommend it. I would not recommend the brown rice or polenta side. Both the brown rice and polenta are flavorless and boring. All in all a very average experience. There are certainly better places to get seafood and pay a more reasonable price. Hope this helps any future patrons.
(3)Alicia N.
A favorite stop for my mom and I, to sit at the bar - its huge with a large TV screen at the top of the bar! We enjoy almost all the menu, the bar staff are so friendly and always remember us, and great wine options! I love that the food is always consistent, and easy to get healthy options like steamed vegetables!
(4)Rob J.
The fish is good and fresh, I prefer it grilled plain with minimal sauces (where 'fresh' matters), this is a great place if that's how you like it. I also like the chowder and the lobster bisque. Last the crab cakes have minimal breading and mayo, just crab - I love it that way!
(4)Natalia O.
Legal Sea Foods is, hands down, my favorite restaurant chain. This is one of their nicest locations! Food came quickly (Monday evening), and it was just heavenly!! Service was very attentive and thorough. Will return soon!!
(5)Parson H.
Horrible. Worst Legal's around. Went here on a major holiday with him. So many things wrong. Food not fully cooked-clam chowder hadn't even come together, items missing. Disgusting-my broccoli was gritty like it had not been washed. A sports bar feel. We'd booked I believe with Urban Spoon so they ask you a review afterward which I gave. The manager emailed me a few times about the service. Even spoke to me. Insisted on sending me a gift card which I said I did not want or need. Finally after they persisted I gave them my address for them to send it to me. Never got this gift card. Didn't want it because I wouldn't go back there, but man is that a huge oversight of not following through. I'll go back to the one at Pru and near the Waterfront. Not this one.
(1)Zachary T.
Attn. Mr. Berkowitz: Regrettably Yelp! doesn't really have a great way to clarify overall ratings from locations-specific ratings. This 2-star is for THIS PARTICULAR location..., and only because I feel compelled--as an avid supporter of Legal Sea Foods--to point out that this location really stands out as NOT being good, cf. the others. To be clear, we are unapologetic supporters of Legal, we don't consider it a "chain" we consider it a restaurant with multiple locations. But if Prudential & Kendall are an A+, Aquarium and Harvard Sq are A, the Chestnut Hill location is a C- at best. We've given it 3 tries now. First (about a year ago) salad looked like it had been wilted for over a day, 2nd time fried fish was heavy as if the frying oil hadn't been changed in a while. Last week, surprisingly bushleague staff: as we went in, one waitress taking a cigarette break outside the front door, then a waiter cashing out his tips from the bartender right next to us, both of them gossiping out loud about the waiter's last client "Jeez I thought they'd really leave me a $50". It's a shame this location doesn't shine like the rest. I continue to lament the closure of the branch at DCA; you should have instead closed Chestnut Hill. This location needs one of your top GM's sent in as a "fixer". Legal, overall, gets a 4 or 5 star rating from me...but Chestnut Hill is a standout blemish on an otherwise solid (and deservedly so) brand.
(2)Didi D.
I like Legal Seafood, but not this branch. I went to this branch tonight with the wife and kids. We ordered the kids meal first as we knew they are hungry and grumpy. We told the waiter as much. The waiter took his time with our order, but we hoped we will get the kids stuff soon. It took 45 minute to take our orders and over an hour to see the kids food, even the bread basket took forever. He forgot to clear our table, forgot to take our desert order and gave us the bill without asking. If it wasn't for some nice waitress from the other side of the line, we would still be there waiting for food. This was the worst service we ever got at a good place. Not going back there again!
(1)Kelly O.
I've been eating at the Legal chain since I was a child, and I tend to agree with the recent trend of Legal reviews from various locations that the quality has gone a bit downhill in recent history. Last night I got the Wood Grilled Shrimp plate with chosen sides of broccoli & cheese and a baked potato (choice of 2 included), with a side of lemon chive butter. I've had their wood grilled entrees before (the chef's choice is a great mix), and they tend to be fresh and flavorful. While my shrimp's flavor last night lived up to my previous experiences, my main complaint is that some of them had various amounts of peel left on (above and beyond the left-on tails, which is common anyways), and one shrimp hadn't even been fully cleaned which was kind of gross. For $21 I expect pristinely prepared shrimp; even my $7.50 pad thai from the hole-in-the-wall down the street serves me properly peeled/cleaned shrimp every time, and you'd think a so-called 'seafood expert' like Legal would also be able to do it right. I'm also sad that of your side dish options, there are now barely any veggies to help balance out the butter-drenched entrees... my choices for nutrition were limited to seaweed salad and broccoli drenched in cheese sauce, and the other 8 or so choices were all starches (potatoes, polenta, rice). What happened to my usual go-to snap peas in oyster sauce? Why aren't there other healthy(ish) side choices (steamed veggies, side salad, etc)? Also, I wish they still offered fried clams as an app instead of just a full entree (they're excellent). I didn't care for the cheese sauce on my broccoli (semi-bland and not necessary IMO), and heard complaints that the RI calamari wasn't as flavorful as it could have been. On the plus side, the app crab dip was tasty as usual, their "Three Bon Bon" dessert is a nice end to the meal, and I didn't have the clam chowder this time but it remains one of my favorite versions, period. Service this evening was standard (nothing to either rave or complain about). Overall, I don't think Legal is bad, by any means, and they do have some real go-to dishes (chowder, for one). However, I do think at this price point and claimed seafood expertise, customers should expect (and deserve) top quality, yet it seems Legal's beginning to miss that mark... I used to be so impressed with a Legal meal from start to finish, but I'm starting to see the cracks in the foundation.
(3)A F.
The manager was able to seat us quickly before a movie which was much appreciated. Menu had old standbys but also some new things- cauliflower bang baby tasted like general chows chicken( without the meat of course) and was delicious. Mixed grill was dependable. The other patrons were quite old. Seemed that it might be visiting day at assisted living. And this was 7pm on a Saturday. Food- great. Ambience- poor.
(3)Jennifer B.
Great. Great. Great! Everything! Loved the little shopping center, loved the vibe of the restaurant. We sat at the bar due to the very long wait, but it ended up being the best choice. The staff at the bar was friendly and fun and took great care of us. I had the Lobster bisque and a crab cake. DE-LISH!
(5)Lila C.
I am a seafood snob, and usually Legal Sea Foods is up to my standards; especially the one on the Waterfront in Back Bay. I went to the this location in Chestnut Hill for the first time last night and this negative review was mostly over the service. The restaurant was mostly full but the wait staff didn't seem to particularly stressed and as I saw many of them standing around; something that wouldn't bother me except that our drinks took about 15 minutes to get to us. My boyfriend had the bisque- delicious as usual. I got the Tuna Steak Special and my boyfriend got the Fish and Chips. It took a while for the food to come out. And when the runner finally came, the fries were distinctly dry- like they had been under a warmer for a while; but the fried fish was cooked well, though If I was picky I would say it should have been served the day before... anyhow. My tuna steak was more than a bit cold. When I told the server the poor girl seemed horrified and she took it back right away. After 15 minutes without my plate, my steak was finally returned, the center was still cold (i wouldn't be surprised if they just popped it in the microwave), but it was warm all the same. that being said, it was not well seasoned and surprisingly bland. Toward the end of dinner, I took a sip from my drink (and Apple Sangria Martini, served in a wine glass which I had barely touched) and set it down on the table, the steam shattered, pouring alcohol all over me and the table. The server came over and said it was not the first time this had happened. She helped me clean up and offered me another drink. After coming back 5 minutes later to inform me they were out of the Apple Sangria, I chose a Pomegranate Lemon Drop (excellent btw). Later the server came over and informed us that she had spoken to her manager and due to the "confusing evening", they were willing to offer us a free dessert. We took up the offer (great Banana Foster). When we got the bill, I discovered that we had been charged the Apple Sangria ($11) AND the Pomegranate Lemon Drop ($10). I told the server that I had thought the second drink was a free replacement, since I had only a few sips and, more importantly, the breaking was clearly not my fault. The manager came over and said "I cannot buy you free alcohol, that is against the law" a statement I take offense to since I am sure she would not have said the same to the elderly fur-hat clad couple sitting behind us. But she took the bisque off the bill to make us shut up. So the whole point of this review is to say to skip this location and go to the Waterfront Legal Sea Foods.
(2)Judy H.
Went in around 11:45 for lunch. Hostess must have been new because she seemed flustered. We were seated near the bar and greeted by our server. He was very nice. We ordered the Spinach dip that was good but incredibly greasy. Like oozing with oil. It was served with triangles of stale pita bread. We were not finished with that when out came my seafood chowder. By time I was ready for it it was stone cold so sent it back to be nuked. My husband and I shared that and then we waited about 20-25 minutes for his fish sandwich and my salad. Salad had very bland dressing. The food was a solid C but the wait time was an F.
(3)Scott B.
I don't need to say much here except I'm glad legal has been around for so long. It's a great family and even date or mid day easy going place. The service is always great and the food is for the most part great with few issues. Even if you have to send something back, the staff is very helpful and want to make you feel attended to. I'm sure I will have many more meals there.
(5)Rose W.
I'm a generally a huge fan of Legals and have had many wonderful experiences here, apparently I was due for my not so great one. Favorite things about Legals: accommodating for food allergies (I am allergic to dairy and peanuts) and the tuna steak. Tonights experience: I was with a party of 7, only three types of dishes were ordered (fried fisherman's platter, blue fish, and wood grilled assortment) I ordered the wood grilled assortment after hearing from the server as an answer to my brother next to me that it was salmon, tuna, and swordfish - my favorites. I ordered it with everything spice and no butter. Issues with the meal. It was coated in triple the amount of the everything spice than I would ever need, so much so that I couldn't distinguish fish underneath. The fish did not end up being what the server had said, when I asked they told me since I hadn't specified what fish I had wanted, which is what the other 2 at my table had done, the chef had decided to switch it up (I ended up with no tuna which is the reason I eat a Legals) and the fish was well done, I generally go with chef's choice to be honest but I was expecting a medium rare tuna. What I learned from my experience: confirm or specify your fish for the wood grilled assortment or you may end up with an unexpected fish or not the fish you want, ask how much sauce or spices is going to be put on your fish so you don't end up with a spice dominating your multi-fish experience, and specify how you want your fish cooked. Most important, remember to say all of the above even when your server forgets to ask you. My sides and my drink were fabulous. The rest of the table had lovely meals and a good experience was had over all.
(3)Michael L.
Good food and good service make this place a great place to eat seafood and relax at the same time.
(4)Michelle S.
Mr. Berkowitz, your chain is beginning to suffer from Roman Empire Syndrome. Your territory is getting so big, it is becoming difficult to maintain. I think this last visit I had was illustrative of this fact. The restaurant itself is getting a bit worn out, and needs a bit of TLC maintenence. It doesn't remain consistent with some of the newer locations. The service was pretty on point. I can always count on the waitstaff at the Legal restaurants to be very professional. However, we did have to wait awhile to pay at the end of our meal. I ordered a half dozen oysters to start. As expected, they were delicious. Then again, if your oysters aren't good, you have a problem on your hands, and will probably spend the next several hours very close to a bucket. For my entree, I ordered the woodgrilled sampler: three different types of fish, served with two sides (I got the seaweed salad and polenta). It was blah. The server didn't know what three fish varieties were currently on the menu, but I didn't really care, just requested that if one of them was tuna, that it be cooked medium rare. It was cooked well done. Gross! What a waste of a beautiful piece of fish. The salmon was also overcooked to the point of whiteness and I don't even know what the third fish was. I didn't finish my meal, and gave it to my brother to finish for me. Boston is known for its seafood, but I think I am going to find some new, less commercialized hot spots to try from now on, and distribute the wealth to some little guys.
(2)Cynthia N.
I've visited this Legal a few times and last night I was so disappointed that I have to downgrade them based on my most recent experience. I sat at the bar for the first time, and service at the bar is not comparable to service at a table, even as a solo diner. There were a couple of guys working the bar, but maybe they needed three or four. My meal arrived and it looked unappetizing. And it tasted just as bad as it looked. I ordered the steak tips, a small side salad and the mashed potatoes. I'd ordered the steak tips medium, and they arrived well done with sauce over them. I don't eat steak with sauce, and I have ordered these before and they arrived cooked properly and without sauce. The sauce tasted like ketchup, but it was darker so I'm assuming it was a standard steak sauce, like A-1. The side salad is small, fit in the palm of your hand small, and they put too much dressing on it. For a salad that small, I didn't think I had to say "dressing on the side" because it would only take a teaspoon of dressing to cover it. And the mashed potatoes....I couldn't believe it. I love the mashed potatoes at Legal. But these were not hot and creamy like the servings I've had before. These were lukewarm and lumpy. Saying I was disappointed is not enough, but Yelp has TOS rules. Even the person sitting next to me - a stranger, said he would send the plate back. Unfortunately, food has to be disgusting for me to send it back, and this was just a disappointment, so I ate a third of it and left the rest. (The bartender noticed this and asked me about it, and I was honest and said the meal wasn't that great. He looked uncomfortable, shrugged, and turned away.) I was not the only patron with meal issues at the bar. A couple to my right did not have their food before I received mine, which I found out after my food arrived and they got the attention of the bartender. A couple to my left also did not receive their food and they also ordered before me. The bar staff was not having a good night last night. If I'd had this experience my first time at Legal, I would not have gone back. So my advice is to stick to table service and only sit at the bar to have drinks.
(2)Peter W.
Yes, its a great place to bring out of town guests. Food quality is reliable and service is always good. I recommend the lobster bake which includes the clam chowder. Drinks are well made and the decor is nice. We went early so there were lots of kids; no problem, we brought one also from out of town.
(4)L. S.
I've been here since 4:45. It's now 6:10 and I'm still waiting for my food. At this point, I'm not even hungry anymore, because I've eaten 4 dinner rolls to stay alive.
(1)Ash C.
Great lobsters and oysters. Servers are very friendly even at crazy nights. Highly recommended
(5)Lauren F.
This restaurant is pretty good, the food is delicious and super fresh. However there prices were a little high for the overall atmosphere and experience. I have been here a few times and the food is always good and delivers, but the service has been mediocre.
(3)Allan E.
Very disappointing. Shortly after arrival we had to leave because of a fire alarm. We did not know if this were serious or not and whether or not we should wait for the all-clear and go elsewhere. We waited about 1/2 hour with no information and they finally told us we had the all-clear from the fire dept but they could not reopen until inspected by the health department. The entire time there were only young inexperienced staff around who had no information and were certainly not prepared to handle the situation outside. I can not blame them for what happened but I do fault the company for unpreparedness after the fact. The measure of any organization is not whether things go wrong but how they respond to problems. An organization as large as this needs something beyond "everyone out", perhaps vouchers ready for another day. When this happened to me at a movie theatre we all got vouchers on the way out or immediately outside. Shame!
(1)Adam S.
Let me start by saying that I almost always love the food. Used to love the Chestnut Hill location as it was close to where I grew up and I've dined there a gazillion times. Over the last couple years the service is most notably different (or indifferent I should say). Occasional misses on food but it's the service and consequently the customer service that really sucks. On many levels they destroyed my last visit to this location. It was downhill from the very second I said hello to the hostess. I could write a book on the experience but it's really the customer service that is getting me to write this review. After the "experience" I contacted corporate through the website. Weeks went by with no response other than the initial confirmation for submitting the form. I then complain on the Legals Facebook page about all that. I get a call the next day. Have a nice apologetic conversation with the location manager who without my asking offers to send some gift cards. standard response. The funny part is they have yet to arrive after several more weeks. Now I'm not in it for the freebies but they should stand by their word. So I go back to the facebook page to comment and get a very nicely worded response that basically says F*** Off. this place is going down the tubes. They just don't give a crap about the customer anymore. It's great when it's good but if it goes bad you might as well just walk out and kiss them goodbye.
(1)App T.
This was my first time to Legal Sea Food. The Sole was overdone, so much that parts of it were dissolving in the ample lemon sauce it was served in. Closed my eyes and the taste took me to T.G.I.F, opened my eyes and the check was three times as much.
(2)Esmeralda R.
This Legal is nice. It has a good size bar and the service is great. My husband ordered the Rainbow Trout and I ordered the Cioppino and both entrees were cooked perfectly, well seasoned and delicious! We'll definitely be back!
(5)Jack F.
Like all the restaurants in the chain, the Chestnut Hill Legal Sea Food has a reliable seafood menu and kitchen staff that know just how to cook the items on it. I've never had anything on the menu that made me want to go to war over getting the recipe, nor have I ever had a cocktail I'd call perfect, but I HAVE always had a good-sized, decent meal and I've never had any complaints about it. The selection is decent as long as you're okay with seafood (but hey, the name probably clued you in). This one is pretty big and it does get a little noisy at times, and the parking lot is kind of a crowded mess. The waitstaff are very kind and accommodating, but they also did seem a little young and overwhelmed (we did, in all fairness, have an enormous party of 14). If you're looking for reliable seafood and you're hoping not to empty your wallet, Legal Sea Food is definitely worth it, although I think I prefer some of the locations.
(3)Edwin A.
Got a table immediately and found the food to be good fast food, catering to seniors . The food seasoning is bland and lacked the zest of other fine fish restaurants in Boston and Cambridge.
(2)Customer G.
My parents were in town for my graduation and they love the lobster bisque at Legal Seafoods. My best friend, her parents, my parents, and I decided to go out to dinner at Legals. Since I live in Newton, we decided to go to the one in Chestnut Hill. For the sake of my Yelp readers, I'm going to make a long story short. I ordered the marinated chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli (I'm not a seafood fan). When they put the plate in front of me, I noticed the broccoli had huge brown chunks on the stems....I figured it was just some kind of seasoning or grill marks and proceeded to eat it. Imagine my surprise when I took one gritty, earthy tasting bite. I looked through the rest of the broccoli and there were HUGE CHUNKS of brown muddy dirt on the stems. HUGE CHUNKS. Like, completely-visible-to-the-naked-eye-sitting-on-Âthe-other-side-of-the-restaurant huge chunks. I told our waitress, who gasped and said "omg that's so disgusting I am so sorry I will tell a manager now". The manager came over, apologized and offered me a dessert "on the house" and another meal. I had already finished most of my chicken and potatoes, so I declined the "extra meal" but gladly took a piece of Boston Cream Pie. My friend's dad jokingly suggested all of us get a free dessert, and the manager stated, "I can't do that. But SHE definitely gets one", patting me on the back. Weird. Dessert came, it was good. Then, the bill came. THEY STILL CHARGED US FOR MY MEAL. Yes, the $21.99 meal that was covered in dirt was on our check. Thanks for the free $7.95 dessert, but really?? You're still charging me for that meal?? I was shocked and disappointed by the way the whole situation was handled. I don't know of any restaurant that would make someone pay for a meal that was unsatisfactory, especially a place like Legals. Needless to say, I will NOT be returning.
(1)Roberta D.
I'd have to agree with others about Legal. It's definitely a chain restauraunt (hence why I deducted it to a 3 star). I've been to this specific location about 3-4 times over the past year or so. I've received excellent service (almost) every time. As expected,this place gets PACKED on the weekends especially around dinner time so much that you have to wait in a line for almost 10-15 minutes just to put your name on a list. I also noticed that they make you wait even if you have made a reservation. I find that to be extremely inconvenient and tedious that I have to wait in a line to check in for the reservation and then wait again for 10 minutes to be seated after I have checked in (total wait time being around 25 minutes even with a reservation!). Overall, the service is very good despite this, the servers are always extremely friendly and helpful. The food and items are extremely overpriced but I guess thats what you expect from going to Legal!
(3)Jessica B.
Chestnut Hill is the mothership Legal Sea Food restaurant for me. Before we moved to the Boston area, we often visited family and this is where we used to take my mother-in-law out to eat. Watching a frail, 80+-year-old lady rip apart and devour a baked, stuffed lobster was a lot of fun. Before I knew what a big chain Legals is, this seemed like an upscale restaurant for an older crowd. Now that I'm a resident, the bloom is slightly off the rose but I still really enjoy this Legals location. My favorite thing to order is the Chopped Greek salad with diced olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, chick peas and feta and added Grilled Shrimp & Calamari. Delicious! There can be a wait at busy times, I prefer to go off peak. The service is usually quite good. Last time we went, we bought some ahi tuna on the way out to use for homemade tuna burgers. The price was criminal but the end product was incredibly delicious. Pro tip: If you are interested in calorie watching, download the menu from the Philadelphia Legals. It has all the calorie information: legalseafoods.com/restau… Lots of free parking in the mall parking lot.
(4)Silvia V.
I've been to this Legal Sea Foods' many times. I know it's a chain and the food is "chain"-y, but it used to be much better. I used to really like their wood grilled tuna a lot. I ordered it last night and it was very blah. The fish must have not been fresh and they overcooked it. I had it with seaweed salad that I usually associate with sushi, so it's strange to have it with grilled fish, and I had a baked potato. The choices for side dishes are pretty lame. No veggies? Or salad as a side dish? The only vegetable option was broccoli with cheese (fish and cheese? no thank you) and potatoes in many shapes and sizes. We had the Seafood Antipasto salad (gross, no taste, no flavor) and mussels (okay) for appetizers. It's sad to say that the best thing I ate at Legal Sea Foods was the baked potato. The service was good. The place was packed for a Wednesday night.
(2)Joshua p.
I am customer of legal seafood for the last 25 years. Last night I orderd Mahi Mahi fish with side orderd of baked potato and squash. The price was $24.95 for the meal. The size of the fish that was serve was very small 8 once only . The side order was bigger than the fish. I called the manger to let him know about my disaponitment. He said "tihis is corporate policy instead arising the price to reduce the portion of the meal " I returned the meal and left very upset . I hope that someone in the corporate will give a second thought about this policy and changes. I will never go back to Legal Seafood
(1)Nancy G.
I have been going to Legals for decades. A party of ten and hundreds of dollars later, it was terrible. Appetizers were late and then they were taken away before finishing. Food was cold, quality was just ok and the service was terrible. We quietly complained which went to the manager who didn't even have the courtesy to come over. The restaurant was not even busy. How the mighty has fallen - Legal use to be one of the best - way overpriced for the quality of the food and service. Never going back for business or social.
(1)Phacops T.
2012 Ciopini is too die for. After many trips to different Legal Sea Food restaurants - this is what I get almost every time now. Very good!
(5)Khan A.
I went to Legal Seafood with my friend this weekend. It was my first time and i was expecting that it would be great because there was a lot of good reviews about this place plus i got a gift card so i decided why not! My idea was to have some good fresh seafood dinner but result was disappointing... My friend and i got 2 plates which was coming with 2 sides each and we got only 3 and no sauce for our fish! We both got salmon which was cooked different ways but taste the same, rice was terribly overcooked. I love seaweed salad but what i got from them was really old bad taste salad :( The only thing that we love was shrimps. That was really good. One more plus the waitress was really nice and friendly. But honestly i was expecting more. The place is really nice from outside and look very rich but they could design better inside and tables for 2 is very small. Really! The prices is high but it's not worth it. The good thing i had gift card for $50 so i pay just 10. But it's not about money i don't mind paying more if i'm getting good food. I don't think i'm gonna go there again. Sorry guys. But maybe this place is not for me or there was a bad day on kitchen :)
(3)Robin R.
There were 7 of us celebrating a graduation in the mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Our wait staff was very attentive. 2 of the grandparents arrived before the rest of the party, and they seated them, and gave them some of the rolls to tide them over. . All the food was good. With the exception of the salad that has pita chips, apple and goat cheese. It said avocado was in the salad, but not much appeared. Lobster roll was very good, as were the fried clams.
(4)Lawrence C.
Starting with a dozen Kumamoto oysters! But to continue on I was very disappointed with the actual meal. I normally LOVE Legal Seafood but this particular night not so much. I had the Lobster Boil which comes with belly clams, mussels, potatoes and corn and everything in the seafood category was very tough. Overcooked or something. But for those that haven't been to a Legal Seafood I would still recommend them. Their soups and chowders are outstanding and the oysters are always top notch.
(3)Gary K.
This place is way overrated. The food is average at best. The service leaves much to be desired as well.
(1)Robert G.
We went as a group to celebrate my wife's birthday and both my pineapple-coconut sour and one of the party's cucumber drink were so watered down that we both utterly disgusted how these could possibly be served and for the prices we were charged. I realize that much of your profits come from selling alcoholic drinks but you can at least give your customers a decent drink for their hard earned money.
(1)Katy F.
By far the best oysters around. The food is almost always great here. The atmosphere is limp, though. The service is always rushed and a bit sloppy. We had some steamers the other night and they actually tasted like they were on the verge of going bad, which is unusual for this place. Parking is a bitch at this location, too.
(3)Sarah F.
Went as part of a group of 7 friends. The waiter was excellent: friendly, helpful, and available when we needed him. I had the seasonal fried soft shell crab. It was just okay. They were having a special on some Chilean wines. We tried both a bottle of the pinot and the malbec. The pinot was not like any pinot I've ever tasted: no one liked it. The malbec was better -- my guess is it was about a $10-12 bottle retail, so not a fine wine, but drinkable. I'm giving them 3 stars only because of our waiter.
(3)Andrew K.
smaller portions then I last remember, but with higher prices. The staff could not have been any less thrilled to be there, poor attitudes all around at the Chestnut Hill location. Our waitress even recommended that we go somewhere else if we wanted an affordable lobster roll. I will definitely be taking that advice. Sorry Legal, but you are totally overrated.
(2)Deb c.
OUCH. The bill for two Lobster Rolls from the takeout area was a whopping $61.95. This is not a typo! Yes, $61.95. A major gouging. Will go to James Hook from now on for superior rolls at less than half the price of Legal's.
(2)Georgina C.
I have had consistenly great experiences here despite the fact that I do not eat seafood. Love their club salad, wonderful selection of top shelf scotch and the service is always top notch. I will continute to come here as I have been for at least 15 years.
(4)Clare M.
I'm surprised the average review on Legals is so low. To my mind, this is a safe place to get excellent seafood. Plus, I appreciate that many of the dishes aren't overly exotic or out there. Just plainly prepared, fresh, tasty food. We usually go for the oysters, but the crab cakes are incredible too. Also love the salad with grilled mix of seafood on top. Why not 5 stars? Our server the last time was a little checked out. Not sure whether he had too many tables, or whether it was just his personality. Just a little low-energy, low-communication skills. At some point in the meal he delivered straws to the table when we were drinking wine. Turns out it was meant for another table. Never asked if we wanted dessert or coffee. Just felt like he was wanting us to leave.
(4)David S.
I had the joy recently of going to legals and had the best waitress ever Marika!! she was so awesome an attentive. We had a great time cause of it... The food was good but the service was great.
(5)jamie l.
Poor LSF - you've become a regional PF Chang's (or Cheesecake Factory) with a focus on fish. I'm serious - it's sad. With the addition of ground beef lettuce wraps to the menu - you really did become just another big chain restaurant (with a focus on fish). Four varieties of FRIED calamari - and not a single option for grilled. Great - thanks - another place where I can get heavily-breaded, deep-fried calamari. LSF used to be a reliable, special, upscale, seafood place where you could dine with other seafood lovers on good, fresh fish. LSF has sadly (and very clearly) taken the direction of appealing to the lowest common denominator. As its grown (and grown and grown) it's clearly now just another mass-appeal chain with no character whatsoever. If you are visiting Boston you would do SO MUCH better visiting any of the local seafood restaurants in the North End or anywhere in Boston for that matter. Just avoid any of the many LSF locations - it's over-priced and no longer special at all.
(2)Janet C.
Went here with 2 other adults and toddler. We ordered Fried fisherman's Platter, Baked Haddock and child's hot dog and 2 clam chowder's and steamer's. The service was very poor...we always had to ask for our drinks to be refilled and it was never our waiter who gave us our food. Two things that got me upset - the child's hot dog came AFTER the adult's meals. Who knew that it takes that long to cook a hot dog. Then our waiter gave us glasses of water when we asked for the check. The clam chowder and the steamers were great. I think we'll go to Shake Shack next time.
(2)Robert G.
Had a nice late afternoon lunch at the famous horseshoe bar to celebrate restaurant week. Service, food and drinks were excellent. This restaurant has a lot of pleasant memories for us. One time we sat next to Kieth Lockhart during lunch at this bar.
(4)Marina B.
I've been going here with my family for years. Of all the Legal Sea Foods out there, I think this one has the best quality fish (although they're all excellent). More traditional in it's atmosphere and clientele, Legal's is never noisy or too boisterous. Sometimes the service is a little hit or miss. Always a good place to bring the family for a quality meal that's healthy too.
(5)Glen M.
Legal seafood....more like illegal seafood. Not worth it and very over rated. We have gone to this location many time over the years and it has gotten progressively worse every single time. The first thing i noticed is that they were selling farm raised salmon for more than wild caught at Whole Food. Legal Sea Food you say?????? All things considering it is not worth it.
(2)Sara M.
My husband and I just had the most pleasant dinner here last night on a whim. I am generally a fan of this chain as it consistently serves us well and am always confused when I see bad reviews. Sometimes I want a more casual dining experience with excellent food; I don't always feel like dining at Oceanaire. So, I was craving oysters/seafood and convinced Hubby that we had to get some (very little effort was needed to succeed). This location is close to our current place so we drove over quickly. The hostess seated us immediately and we had a really great server, Michael P. He wasn't quirky, trying to talk to us all the time, be overly friendly, annoying nor was he pretentious, snobby, bored, etc. Instead, he saw that we wanted to enjoy our conversation with each other and was unobtrusive yet supremely efficient while being nice. I do not believe I had to ever wait or want for anything. MANAGEMENT - PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF HIM! Anyway, the only glitch was they didn't have the Muscadet so I ended up with a Chardonnay to go with my excellent Cape Cod oysters. Ohhh, so heavenly and silky sliding down my throat. The clam chowder is always excellent with a nice balance of potatoes and clams. An old co-worker randomly was exiting from a meal with his family so we stopped to chat. My food came as we were talking and they left the foil on my lobster bake to keep it warm for me! It's the little things. The steamers were a bit sandy but everything else was steamed to perfection. Hubby got the fish special with goat cheese (he cannot resist it), sundried tomatoes, and schrod; he enjoyed it immensely and it was some of the best goat cheese we have had to date. Dessert was Boston Cream Pie and Key Lime Pie, latte (which ended up as a cappuccino) for him and port for me. Both were excellent, with the KLP becoming a bit too tart towards the end. However, there was nothing left on the plate. The stars must have been aligned in our favor that night because the whole flow was incredibly smooth - we were both in good moods, enjoying each other's company, great server, delicious food, lovely ambiance. Thank you Legal Sea Foods for that experience.
(5)Deborah M.
My first memories of Legal were with my grandparents when they first opened in Chestnut Hill and we paid before we ate....all these years and now it seems to be in decline. Went with my family for my sisters birthday...we waited 10 or 15 minutes until we finally asked for someone to take our drink requests....when we ordered they told us they did actually make one of the sandwiches that is on the lunch menu...for dinner. Well...not really. They were soggy...and on white bread. The fries we specifically asked to be crispy and hot...came lukewarm. They did bring us more that were hot and crispy...why didn't they do that the first time? And dessert...no more profiteroles? no grapenut pudding. Whats the point? So more new restaurants around there now....no need to go back..
(2)Kai P.
over the years I have watched as Legal seafood has gone from the best seafood in Boston to another over franchised, over priced, joint. The place globally has had the portions shrink and prices rise. Depending on which one you go too you will either have decent food and nice treatment or the later. Fortunately this is one of the good legal's. Like I said before the prices are way over the top most times but the food here is pretty great. last time I was here with my dad we ate at the bar to take in a game and I tried the special of the day which was red fish with a corn meal crust. Amazingly good. It was a local style dish, cheap and tasted great. the place is almost always loud with seniors who can't hear and people with kids who scream. All in all I would return to this particular Legal Sea Foods.
(3)Norah L.
The best seafood restaurant. Period. I have been coming here for many years and every meal is perfectly cooked and their style is pure and healthy. The fish is so fresh, best integrity of all fish restaurants in terms of fish / quality. This is the real deal. The service is incredible and sitting at the bar is a good time.
(5)paul b.
We had a very poor experience tonight at Legal. We've been to the restaurant many, many times. We usually sit at the bar and get dinner and drinks, and usually the food and service are excellent. Tonight, we had a problem with the mussels and a BUG! The mussels were old and didn't taste right. The person behind us send hers back (we should have done the same with our mussels). And then, a BUG crawled out from under the plate!! it looked like a young cockroach. We killed it and then waited a lot time for the manager to get there. He took the mussels off the bill but didn't seem that concerned (didn't he see my freaked out girlfriend right next to me). We left with a really feeling and ruined romantic dinner. Thanks Legal's. Legal's missed a real opportunity for a service recovery here (don't they teach this anymore). We certainly won't be ordering food again from that restaurant and you can be sure we'll tell the 10+ people that frustrated customers commonly do. former Legal customers...
(1)Gordon C.
I don't go to Legal very often, but when I do, it's hard for me to resist the Cioppino. It's got a little bit of everything in a tasty tomato broth. We also felt inclined to get the New England Clam Chowder, never disappoints! Our waiter was very friendly (and french) - we indirectly tried to get him to say "shao-derrrr" with his accent but he pronounced it properly and even made fun of the locals for their "chowdah" rendition.
(4)laurie g.
Indeed a very nice Legal Seafood in a mall location. Very good food but overpriced-just don't get the allure of what chain restaurants will offer, when you live in an area that is saturated with some of the best seafood restaurants in the eastern united states. Maybe it is convenience. I was just visiting on vacation, and didn't know any better. But if I lived here and wanted to spend the same money, I would make the drive to Gloucester or Essex.
(3)Kathy A.
Just your typical Legal Sea Food. The restaurant is really nice and spacious and obviously with the suburban mall location parking is not a problem. They have some decent cocktail options and the Salmon is pretty good. I really liked the crab cakes, but I would avoid the Tuna entree. It was pretty bland.
(3)Jennine T.
I was excited to eat at Legal Sea Foods. I have moved away from the Boston area, so eating at Legals was a stop on my checklist of places to eat while I'm back home. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. I remember Legal Sea Foods being more delicious and higher quality overall than I experienced tonight. If I could, I would give this 2.5 stars. I agree with the reviews that the prices are very high compared to the portion and quality. We started with the calamari and lump crab dip appetizers. These were very good. The calamari was tasty, and the dip was delicious, but with the calamari, there was a teeny tiny little bowl of sauce, and we ran out of dip long before we ran out of chips, which never usually happens with a chips and dip type appetizer. My friends shared the Surf and Turf and the restaurant was nice enough to portion it out equally for them. They liked that, and the baked shrimp and polenta were really delicious. I had the clam chowder, which was soooo good. I'm so glad I ordered a whole bowl. I also got the appetizer of a crab cake, but it was dry and again had very little sauce. The greens on the plate were the tastiest part. I also ordered a house salad and it was AWFUL. I almost told the waiter he should advise people not order that. The dressing was terrible, and there was nothing interesting about it at all. Honestly, when it was put in front of me, it looked so unappetizing because the lettuce looked kind of brown. Very disappointing. The service was also mediocre. We had to ask for bread. Our waters were not refilled. When I ordered the calamari and the house salad, the waiter acted surprised, like he wasn't sure what I was talking about. I thought that was weird because they were such common requests. And finally, when it was time to pay the check, he handed me someone else's little folder where they had all their cash and everything in there. I thought that was so unprofessional. Usually a waiter checks that they are giving you the right bill. I might go back to Legal Sea Food, but not to this location.
(2)Mike C.
Every Legal's location around Boston is pretty similar, and it's for the better. Calamari is always a great choice, and their chowder is phenomenal. I had a special of the day (Arctic Char) that was very good, but I've eaten here a lot. It's tough to go wrong at legals, just be warned that occasionally fried things come out greasier than expected, but that has to due with it not being a pre-made assembly line a la Mickey D's. They pride themselves in having very fresh seafood, and also have an area where you can buy fresh raw seafood to cook at home.
(4)Amanda F.
I've gotten a better meal for less money. I paid twenty dollars for the vegetarian box meal and the flavor was terrible, overly salty, and just gross. The awesome rolls made up for it though.
(2)JP C.
It was a relatively quiet night at the Chestnut Hill Legal Seafoods. The hostess wanted to seat us at a table in the middle of the restaurant at the crossroads of the exit from the kitchen and the main walkway to the back of the restaurant. When I requested something a little less central, she led us to a table at the side, slapped down the menus and snapped, "You're welcome." She didn't leave us a wine list, so the waitress had to make an extra trip for that. The food was ok. A lobster is a lobster. As we left, the same hostess thanked us for coming and sighed a world-weary "Have a wonderful evening." We're going to Kendall Square next time. At least the staff there seems to be pleased to have customers.
(3)Vivian C.
Love the clam chowder - creamy, chunky... mmmmm.... But the food sure takes a while at this location. And it isn't just a one time occurrence either, so it makes me think that they need more help in the kitchen. A new thing - they have those little machines that will take your credit card at your table... yup, your plastic never has to leave your hands! 8/09 Additions - * They didn't bring the little credit card machine this time, but they did have little machines for taking our orders. * I heard that you can order off the lunch menu at dinner time - it's true! Unfortunately though the soft shell crab sandwich is no longer in season. :( 6/2010 Additions - * No credit card machine nor order taking machine this time. * Children's menu doesn't have the assorted fried seafood entree anymore, and the grapes have been replaced with watermelon (seasonal?). 6/2012 Additions - * Once again there was a hand held order taking gadget. * As I had grazed throughout the afternoon, I ordered the crabmeat roll $15.95 off of the luncheon menu as my dinner, with sides of the seaweed salad and the garlic green beans. The toasted buttered roll added to the enjoyment of the generous mound of shredded cool crabmeat. The beans were not overly tender, and the seaweed cool and refreshing as always. * Oh yeah, and they now provide the entire menu to you (lunch and dinner), so you don't have to specially request the other. * At $6.95 for a bowl of chowder, it is actually a pretty good deal... especially when I recently spotted a smaller portion of a similar concoction at non-seafood focused establishment for $9. * I really love the rolls here with their crisp outer crust and soft insides; perfect with the softened butter, or even the creamy clam chowder. * This meal's waitress was great, and the food didn't take too long. * Another experience or two like this and I might up have to up my rating average to 4 stars... 11/2012 Additions - * They had Baja Fish Tacos guacamole, corn relish, pico de gallo 15.95 listed as a lunch entree available till 4pm, but I was able to order it for dinner, and it was yummy! Three well stuffed corn tortillas (could have done without the corn tortilla as I prefer flour, both for taste and for hold-togetherness) were served alongside a rather large portion of fried onion strings. 11/2013 Additions - * Chowder prices have gone up to $5.25 for a cup and $7.50 for a bowl. * In addition to the old "House Sides" (ie. fries, onion strings, seaweed salad, broccoli and cheese, etc, $3.95 a la carte), they now offer a short list of "Premium Sides" (kale, mushrooms, swiss chard, roasted root vegetables, $4.95 a la carte) for a $1.50 surcharge * The lunch time fish tacos is now a Crispy Fish Tacos, avocado, pickled cabbage, chipotle mayo, black beans and rice $13.95 * Looks like they allocate the smaller scallops to the luncheon portion of the smaller Fisherman's Trio $17.95 (shrimp, scallops, and clams) vs the dinner time Fisherman's Platter $27.50 (shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams and white fish). * Service was a bit lacking this time, with the server walking over to the far end of the table to speak with me (twice), his needing to go ask to find out what the fish selection was for the Wood Grilled Assortment $27.95, and he neglected to offer us ketchup on the get-go, so we had to wait till we could catch his attention. 6/2014 - * The bad - We waited till 15 min after our reservation because they had marked our pager with the wrong number; at least they had thought to go old school and call out for our party. We had to ask for 2 additional sets of silverware 3x. We were charged for their seaweed salad twice ($4.50!) when it was supposed to be a fee-less swap of sides. * The good - Water was refilled often enough. When a hair was located in my lemon ricotta pea cakes with toasted pine nuts and crispy shallots, it was replaced and I was told that it would not be charged. * Great presentation in the lemon ricotta pea cakes, but they were a bit bland and mushy. * The lunch special Fried Soft Shell Crab Sandwich $14.95, caper tartar sauce, french fries, cole slaw was nice, but a bit too much bread. * Rainbow Trout skin was not descaled - just FYI. 2/2015 - They offered their heat & serve clam chowder at the fish counter 2 quarts for $12 with a whole lot of oyster crackers, and rolls with butter upon request, as a Super Bowl special (regularly $21.95).
(3)David V.
Legal Sea Foods walks that fine line between guilty pleasure and just plain pleasure. After all, I love seafood of all types - from the traditional (fried clams, chowder) to the more adventurous offerings - Legal's is a frequent stop when dining with my parents because everyone can find something they like. Went to this location for lunch, and got the usual friendly service and mouth-watering French bread dinner rolls (lunch rolls?) right away. I opted for a cup of clam chowder, a couple of oysters and the tuna sashimi appetizer. The wasabi sauce drizzled along the edges of the plate turned out to be surprisingly good with french fries (there were a few left over on my parents' plates). To any aspiring restauranteurs out there - wasabi sauce and fries are a good match. Though I try not to criticize restaurants for their clientele, we seemed to have come at geriatric hour, where the rest of the patrons were over 85, with the exception of the gaggle of mafia wives that strolled in. While this location had a decidedly more suburban feel, the food and the service left me with no complaints.
(4)Julie S.
Wow, has Legal gone downhill. Highlights (lowlights?) of my most recent dinner there: 1. Absolutely dried out piece of bluefish, completely tasteless. No lemon or any garnish. 2. The sides with my meal: a side salad, which was about 1/4 cup of lettuce broccoli, which was close to ice cold jalapeno Cheddar polenta, which was 2 tasty and fluffy wedges (best part of the meal by far) 3. the wine: an OK glass of Italian pino grigio, but a very long wait to get it 4. tepid service I haven't been to Skipjack's for a long time, but I guess I'll give them another try the next time I go out for fish. Oh well.
(1)Mary Ellen P.
Went to Legal's in Chestnut Hill tonight for restaurant week. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Service by waiter named Joyous was spot on, very efficient and helpful, helped adjust the ingredients of one of the entrees because there were a couple of things in it my husband can't eat. Overall fabulous meal, with topnotch service.
(5)Jef S.
I used to work here too. It's marginally better than the Framingham location in that there are less college kids working there who are all blasted on drugs. The servers here are better on the whole. The general manager, Jeff Dixon, is the most scrupulous, honest, and nicest guy I've ever met in the Boston hospitality industry; he's managed to stay alive in the dog-eat-dog Legal's corp. without losing any integrity. But other than that, this location and the Framingham location are exactly the same: same fish, same prices, same dark wood, same cranky old entitled Newton/Brookline customers. They have a fish market at this location with tasty, but vastly overpriced selections. For more info about Legal service and the overall "experience", see my review for the Framingham Legal's.
(3)Harry K.
Every time I come to this restaurant I'm impressed..but this time I had the crab cakes and mashed potatoes and was blown away! Seasoning is the key to a successful dish and apparently the chef has figured this out because I left that evening very satisfied.
(5)Arleen A.
It's with great disappointment that I finally write this negative review of Legal's in Chestnut Hill.....my go-to restaurant for over 20 years! At one point we went there as a family 3-4 times a month! Something changed about two years ago - the menu got very expensive and the portions, including the salads, shrunk out of proportion. My parents used to take me to the Legal's in Inman Square in the 70s - this is how much I loved the restaurant - a loyal lifetime fan....Last night did it for me. The Caesar's salad was tiny with the 5 croutons nearly covering the whole top and the Romaine was wilted and not all "hearts". The fisherman's platter was a disgrace - about 8 pieces of fried shrimp, clams and a very tiny piece of white fish - no scallops, no oysters...no mounds of fish in fact. The top was smothered with fries and onion rings - in fact, after eating the few pieces of fish, we left the mound of fries and onions and it looked like a full plate. I had to send my dish back for undercooked rice and the second time, I just kept it, still undercooked. I figured I could finish cooking it in the microwave at home. The delicious broccoli and shrimp with melted jack cheese dish which I used to love, came with 6 shrimp only. It used to be filled in an oval circle around the dish. The waitress was fine and attentive and the manager apologized for the meal, taking one of them off the bill. That was generous of him, but it doesn't change a fundamental issue Legal has created with their downgraded food and portions to price ratio. What has happened to Legals? They took a great food formula and destroyed it. Not the same and I'm not sure if I'll go back soon. I did get a gift card for Christmas so I'll use that one day and that's it! Time to find a new Chestnut Hill/Newton home-away-from home food place that Legal's used to be!
(1)Sarah M.
Terrible service on a slow Sunday afternoon. Asked for clam chowder in a bread bowl and was brought in a regular bowl. That was fine if it wasn't an option and I expressed my disappointment nicely. I wish he had told me when I ordered as I would have picked something else. The waiter talked to the manager right in front of us explaining that we were unhappy. It was unprofessional and embarrassing for us. This restaurant does not even compare to the other locations.
(1)Tsada K.
I like ordering lobster when my family is paying, because it is one of the few occasions a lady can order the succulent treat on someone else's dime without feeling the obligation to put out later that evening. Because, let's face it, no lady feels like doing THAT when she's full of drawn butter and smells like...well, you know. A few months ago I sucked down a three-pounder here. It was insanely good. YES, I am talking about lobster. In addition to their huge, delicious lobsters, Legal, surprisingly enough, has very good COCKtails--always a plus when dining with family. My cousin drank multiple passionfruit martinis which were extremely fresh-tasting and generously poured. I had a great mojito served with a huge slice of sugarcane. This place is touristy and kind of pricey, but they do lobster right and their prices are consistently fair when it comes to the tasty giant COCKroach. Since the rest of the menu is overpriced and overrated, I'd give most locations three stars, but our waiter here was excellent, so I'll bump them up to four. Also, please don't message me with offers to take me out for lobster. I am still full. And I have a "headache".
(4)Rich F.
The food here is great. This time around I got the Seafood Casserole and the GF got the Wood Grilled Assortment. They were both very good. The casseole comes in either garlic or creamy. I had the garlic (because I like to make the GF's eyes water when I talk directly to her) It was good, but not very garlicy. All of the Wood Grilled Assortment looked very good and she said that it was excellent. The location was nice andrelaxing. The prices are a bit high, but that is to be expected for a good seafood place. I have also been to the Prudential Center location and it was just as good. My only complaint is that our specific server this time around looked a little distracted and did not provide great service. It was ok, but not great. Now that I think about it, the other thin that I don't really like is the way they bring the little machine out to your table and have you type in all the payment info. I know that it is good for privacy and everything, but it is a little weird to me.
(4)Jonathan B.
Legal? Really? I have grown up alongside this "legal" spot. A up and down ride into hell. I have had awesome meals and crap meals hand in hand. It really is not that hard to fry some calamari, grill a steak and boil some lobster. However it is hard to make sure that the scallops, oysters, tuna, shrimp and clams are all fresh. Freshness is Legals claim to fame and honestly it has never been at 100% or even close to it. Not too far back I did have a great meal. Oysters, stuffed shrimp, calamari, steak and so on. However the return visits have not been so hot. Legal is suffering from chain syndrome and they are teetering toward the likes of Cheesecake Factory or a high end TGIF. Legal used to be incredible growing up. Clam chowder at Legal was once The Chowder. Now it's losing steam. I miss the old Legal. I miss the friendly staff and classic decor. Now it's all just one big franchise. Another classy joint lost in the mix of expansion.
(3)Lauren E.
A nice Legal's location. They have a take-out section right at the front, where you can either order off of the entire menu, or choose from their pre-made sandwiches and fish items. When you're in a rush, it's a great way to grab something on the run, but still good quality. I was happy that they let me go back and use the bathroom, too, even though I was just getting take out. Very clean facility. Nice restaurant overall, good atmosphere and slightly fancy decoration. I'd recommend it.
(4)Sue R.
I have enjoyed many fine visits to Legal starting with the original store way back when. We planned a birthday celebration for tonight for my son-in-law at this restaurant because it is his favorite place to eat. But we had a very disappointing experience. Fro the very beginning our waitress had to be reminded that we wanted lemon for our waters and we asked at least 7 times for the waters to be refilled. The bottle of win we wanted was not available. My daughters mussels were not cooked entirely - they were cold and unopened. The manager said he would take it off our bill but that didn't happen. There was an extreme odor of trash, which ceased after we pointed it out to a different manager. Our clothes reek of seafood. The bathroom was a mess - toilet paper all over the floors, unclean toilets. I spent over $220.00 tonight and expect a higher quality of food and service from legal. Needless to say we are all disappointed.
(1)Nysa L.
I must preface with the disclaimer that i am not a seafood person. however, i know food in general...and theirs wasn't good. we ordered a salmon dish, tuna melt, and fish and chips. everything had to be doused in salt and pepper. salmon was cooked well but lacked flavor, the only thing tasty about the fish and chips was the seasoned chips, and the tuna melt, well a little more than edible (yes i tasted every dish) the only thing good about the restaurant (well depending how you feel about kids) is it was well decorated inside (pretty big blue lampshades and dark wood interior) and there were babies everywhere- a real family destination. Our little 1 year old niece was flirting with a little Russian boy toddler at the table nearby and two little red head darlings interrupted us mid meal to play hide and seek under our table. it was crowded when we arrived for brunch and cleared out soon after. we had a better experience at the tester restaurant downtown, but not at this one. check it out at Ur own risk 2*er- cuz its pretty hard to not get a tuna melt right.
(2)Nicole L.
i always am so excited to go to legal seafoods because everything there tastes amazing but being a recent college grad, it is a bit of out of my typical budget for dining out. however, if you're willing to open your pocket or if you go with family/birthdays, legal is perfect! there are really no non-seafood options besides a burger and some salads so make sure you're a true seafood lover before you decide to eat there! some of my favorites: crab stuffed shrimp, grilled shrimp with mashed potatoes, mussels, their crab cakes...any appetizer! the cheesecake is also pretty tasty. it tends to get very loud though because it is usually packed with people, which is a good sign in a way. also, play it safe and make a reservation! they also sell fish, wine, and some foods in the front of the store which is always tempting.
(4)Michaela L.
First time at this place. Luckily, we were just trying something new, but had no high expectations. Food was flavorless and boring. We had the nutty salmon and a fish casserole, not impressed. Service was friendly, but slow. Restaurant looked old and in need of renovations. Can name many restaurants in the Boston area that serve more exciting fish dishes and are less expensive and have much more ambience. Apropos "expensive": for the quality of food this was way overpriced. We will not return here or at any other Legal Sea Foods place, not worth the try.
(2)Maddie b.
Pretty good food. A little on the pricey side then I would prefer. I kind of got a small portion for a 30 dollar meal (not including desert and appetizer). I got the king salmon which was good but like I said, a little small. Overall it was ok but it has good healthy choices!
(3)Adi R.
Well, it's yet another Legal but they do a great job. The fish is fresh, the chowder's first class, service is pleasant and the sides are tasty (if not particularly innovative) and all this at a price that doesn't seem unreasonable. Would definitely recommend reservations on the weekend and the AMC theater is adjacent which makes it a fine dinner and movie spot.
(4)Isabelle T.
Awesome place, have been coming here for years, great service, delicious food, friendly staff, wonderful ambiance!
(5)Alexa D.
Wow...I'm usually pretty good at picking restaurants so I feel like a failure when I chose this one for my boyfriend and I. I've been on a seafood kick this summer and after a great experience at Skipjack's I though I'd try Legal Sea Foods and see why it's always crowded. I honestly don't know why it's crowded. Maybe for the same reasons McDonald's is still in business. The menu is deceiving in that it's really simple. Simple usually means fresh. Let's relive the misery... 1. Hostess sat us right in front of the waiters "hangout" so it's always nice to hear the staff bitch about their customers...makes me feel warm 2. Ordered for appetizer fried calamari which was bathed in oil and then left there coming to our table a glistening mess of heart clogging nastiness 3. I ordered the sole which was okay...side dishes where brown rice which could have been made by a three year old and spinach that was half wilted, half raw which kudos to them because that's a first I've seen at a restaurant 4. Dessert was a Profiterole. The pastry was a stale dinner roll which is strange because they don't serve any dinner rolls... So sad...we have weekly romantic dinners and I'm sad that we wasted a date on this.
(1)Claudia M.
I really feel like you either love this place or you hate it. I, love it! And this is why - granted it is kind of lame bcse I do not venture out and explore from the rest of the menu but if I could live off of anything on the menu it would be the NE chowder; PEI oysters, and the seaweed salad. LOVE LOVE LOVE! So in love that my husband and I have decided to always - forever - have Xmas eve dinner here - NOW THAT IS A HUGE COMMITTMENT!
(5)Katie W.
Dinner and a movie for a low-key Monday night birthday celebration for the fiance. I have never been to Legal and the fiance was craving oysters so we headed over to Chestnut Hill. It appears that Monday nights must have a senior citizen discount or something. 95% of the restaurant was over 65 and most were eating fried seafood (what is it with old people and fried seafood? and going to Legal for it seems a bit silly). A very nice bottle of Chardonnay. 12 oyster sampler plate for only $12. Apparently Monday is also oyster special day! The fiance was in heaven. I started with a cup of gazpacho- not bad, not exceptional. Fiance: baked stuffed lobster: went all out for the birthday, was delicious, but a bit of an overload of butter and ritz crackers by the end. Me: Vegetarian Box: actually quite impressed. Nice spice, lots of veggies, unique presentation. Service was exceptional, attentive and very knowledgeable. Overall atmosphere felt a lot like a chain restaurant in the suburbs (old people's fault, i suppose), but the server's ability to accurately describe choices on the wine list and discern the difference in flavors of the oysters from different regions made it feel extremely upscale.
(5)S B.
YUM-O!!! Legal Seafoods never fails to deliver the quality goods, in my mind. As I mentioned in the review for the Harvard Square location - this is THE place for delicious seafood!! My personal faves are the grilled swordfish (try it with the cajun spicing - what a kick!), the crab cakes (PERFECT consistency and mixture of spices), the seaweed salad, the fried calamari, and of course - the clam chowder!! I have tried many of the other dishes, and I'm confident in their DELICIOUSNESS! So good. The only reason this particular location gets 4 stars instead of 5 is that I'm not a huge fan of the environment here. There's a lot of neon lights and "modern" decor happening which can be distracting and annoying. BUT the food itself is, of course, fresh from the sea and out of this world!
(4)Joanne R.
There's no denying, Legal does have the freshest fish. This location is somewhat darker, noisier and not as bright and airy as some of its other locations but its product is the same...outstanding....While pricey, you can be assured that everything on their menu is fresh and served hot! Their wine selection is outstanding and offers varied price ranges to suite everyone's taste and wallet. The dessert selection is pricey and the serving size is small
(4)KittyCat G.
Legal has a great lunch, and does an amazing job with food allergies. We always felt safe bringing our son here while he was allergic to several things. It is such a relief to talk to staff who know what ingredients are in what dish! But onto the food - several faves: tuna burger, crabmeat roll, lobster roll, gumbo, and the cheeseburger. Really, Legal does an amazing angus cheeseburger that is perfectly cooked. The other great thing about Legal is their reasonable pricing for bottles of wine.
(5)Laura P.
Yay! It is soft shell crab season again! My hubby and I are ga-ga for the soft shell so we weathered the crowd at this popular Chestnut Hill restaurant for awesome, awesome soft shell crabs. Legal Sea Foods does soft shell every year- the first year I had it at LSF, the preparation was a hazelnut panko crust with pesto sauce. Yum! The previous years were okay. They've outdone themselves this year a chicken fried preparation (double battered) with a lime aioli drizzle and chili dusted corn on the cob. You can get 2 or 3 crabs (we went for 3). The corn was not good- they should wait until it is in season as the kernels were small, small, small. The soft shell entree alone earns them 5 stars. Lobster is classic at LSF, so that gets a nod. My husband had a dozen oysters and one of them was off. He told the waiter but didn't push for a replacement oyster (we had the soft shells to look forward to. Poor lobster, I really did love it but it was the ssc that makes me drool). This is the first time in years that he's had a bad oyster in a restaurant. The waiter didn't offer anything in particular to redress the spoiled oyster. Our sides were the snap peas and braised lentils- highly recommended with the perfect amount of spice. We managed to find room for dessert - Boston Creme Pie. Classic but not as great as in the past. I can't quite put my finger on why. Possibly because they switched the chocolate ganache to a different type of chocolate layer. This location is large but ridiculously cramped. We had a horrible time navigating the crowd and there was some dumb woman who had the gall to take our table seconds before the hostess seated us. She beat it, but not before spilling her martini all over the place. Avoid coming here during peak times. Finally, they have an awesome fish market just inside the doors. We also come here just to buy fresh fish, crab, etc.
(3)Bob S.
I decided to stop at Legal Sea Foods for dinner on a Tuesday night so it wasn't as crowded as some of the other reviewers have noted. They seem to pride themselves on having the freshest seafood and from what I can tell, they succeed in that category. I started with a cup of New England Clam Chowder and it was excellent - probably the best part of the meal. It was nice and thick with good chunks of clam that were of the perfect consistency. My main course was almond-crusted salmon with sides of spinach and mushroom ravioli. The almond crust was a little bit too crispy (read: "burnt") and the salmon wasn't very flavorful. I did enjoy the ravioli and the cream sauce that was drizzled over everything. In fact, a little more of the sauce would have really helped the flavor of the fish. Overall, I was happy with the meal, but it was way overpriced. The entree alone was $24 and for that price, I'd expect much better. One mitigating factor is that the portions were big enough that you could probably have enough left over for lunch the next day.
(3)Chuck D.
Okay...this place I always need to visit while im home from California. You wont find a better quality seafood restaurant than Legal. I am evaluating the Chestnut Hill location but some legals can be better and this has always been my favorite. I tend to always go with a cup of clam or fish chowder, a fried clam plate and the boston cream pie for dessert. Yes I can eat and this is a must for any seafood lovers. Prices are a bit high, but its the quality you are paying for. The entrees offer two sides...thats rare today. I give Legal a 93/100
(4)Shan L.
I've had lunch here a few times, before and after movies. Ambience is nice, and waitstaff are very pleasant and very accommodating. Have gotten the same thing both times, which is the tuna melt wrap - so good. I've also had the chowder & calamari (but at the Prudential location) which were also good. There are two desserts here I absolutely LOVE - the Banana Foster (managed to replicate this at home, after searching for the recipe online - fairly easy to make) and the Molten chocolate bread pudding (for all you chocoholics, to *die* for!). Not sure if these are seasonal items. If you're in the area, drop in!
(4)Greg M.
It is just as promised -- solid yet unexciting. I was very limited this trip -- just a dozen clams. They were excellent. My son's "double stuffed shrimp" were tasty, but very retro. Wife's wild salmon did not look tempting enough for me to mooch. Was disappointed that there was no Guinness on tap.
(3)bob c.
Not Much Good Anymore So this is about the tenth time in the last several years we met to get dinner at Legal Seafoods in Chestnut hill. It wasn't very crowded for a Saturday night, and we were greeted and seated promptly. The starter was chowder. Rich, butter filled, and syrupy. Then the Mahi special, which was tough and tasted like freezer burn. The other guests had swordfish, which they thought was completely undercooked and not very fresh at all. Once upon a time, this was a good place to get seafood. We were underwhelmed. Three people, $100 plus tip with one drink each, and blah. Skipjack's in Newton is a lot better.
(2)Princess P.
The past 3 or 4 times I have been here have been disappointing. It used to be the best, but the quality of the food has gone downhill....salads aren't really fresh, crab cakes were a disappointment, the fish was over cooked! I am very sad, as this used to be one of my favorite restaurants.
(2)Kya F.
I love Legal Sea Foods clam chowder. I could eat a gallon of it. This branch has been around a long time, but it's been renovated to look and feel like all the others. Large bar with bench seating, lots of booths and tables. Legal is SO kid friendly, they've got crayons and a kids menu for the littles to color. The menu has a wide selection, with a broad price range, meaning you can go cheap or expensive depending on your mood, or the thickness of your wallet. Besides the chowder I also often get the lobster roll. One star off because it gets really loud, and sometimes it smells funny. Not fishy, something else.
(4)Busy L.
Very disappointed. Uninspired food. Didn't even taste that good... Ordered the clam chowder, fried seafood and sole florentine. Seafood was OK but nothing memorable. Chowder was good. Sole was watery and rice pilaf that came with it tasted like it was cooked at lunch and served at dinner.
(2)Carl B.
I think this Legal Sea Foods was great...great service, especially to my daughter who is 5 years old...courteous, fast and fairly evenly priced considering the location. The fried clams were awesome and the clam chowder is superb. However, I'm only giving it 4 stars because the lobster ravioli with the, I think, vodka sauce, was not that good, or, at least not what I expected. anyway, there ya go yelpers!
(4)melissa c.
We go here when we're craving seafood and it's a good place. .The seafood is yummy and there are good choices and variety which is always nice. The seafood is fresh and the service is nice too. I like that the food tastes great and depending on what you select, can still be very healthy. sometimes we get takeout or pick up some fresh seafood from the market. Some can think it's pricey, but it's just the same as whole foods so it works out. I will say the one downside is that it's a crap shoot on whether you can even get a reservation or will have to wait long. Ive never had luck getting a good reservation time (it's always 5pm or 9pm available). i guess that's a good thing for them because business is good, but i've made the decision to go elsewhere if i can get a reservation as i'm not into waiting 40 minutes for a table. i wish they were bigger or could take more reservations; then id give it a 4 star!
(3)Claire W.
The food is great here, and the decor is great since it was redone several years ago. The challenge is the wait - particularly on our favorite family night out - Sunday. We try to come early and call ahead for a reservation - or don't come. They will seat you within 15 minutes of the reservation time. Service is friendly, but can be slow on busy nights. There is a kids menu (and rolls with butter if you have a very picky kid). For the adults they tend to have special themes every month or so, and do seem to add to the menu. We're sorry that asparugus is no longer a veggie choice, but they do offer broccoli - and seaweed salad and polenta for variety.
(4)Chris R.
This is a shameless plug for our favorite waiter in the whole chain, Joe. We have eaten at Legal's all over the east coast, and this location has always provided the best experience. The food is great, and the specials especially tempting, and with the the professional guidance of Joe, we never feel rushed or overcharged. Reservations are absolutely the way to go, even if you eat early like us.
(5)Naomi P.
I frequent Legal Sea Foods whenever I visit Boston. The history of the restaurant starts in 1959 when the family first opened a seafood market named Legal Sea Foods because customers could use Legal Stamps (the predecessor to S&H Green Stamps) to buy food. In 1968 the market was so successful, the owners smartly decided to open a restaurant. Good idea. There are now over 30 restaurants spread along the East coast as far south as Florida. In Chestnut Hill, I went to Legal Sea Foods for a private event. It was quite chaotic, partially because of our crowd and partially because of the service. For the first course, the staff didn't really seem to know what we had ordered. They brought soup and hollered out "chowder?" at each table, which was confusing because people had ordered seafood chowder, clam chowder and lobster bisque. Not everyone got their soup. A few people just settled for salad. It was also hard getting wine service. I had to ask up to 3 times to get a glass of wine. But, enough complaining. Let's get down to the food! The Lobster Roll was piled high with large chunks of lobster. In my roll alone, I had four whole lobster claws, which is my favorite part, along with big pieces of the tail. It was lightly tossed lightly in mayo (I am not positive that it was mayo, but some sort of binding agent) and some celery was mixed in for crunch. It was served on a toasted hot dog bun. This dish showcased the Lobster which dwarfed the bun. It was so much easier than a full lobster and the shellfish was a great quality. I think it still amounted to 1 1/2 pounds of lobster. Sensational. My dining partners also devoured the Scampi, Salmon and Filet Mignon. All plates were finished, and I'll bet that if it wasn't a formal event, folks would lick there plates. After complaining about the service, on other occasions when I have gone to the main dining room, the staff is on it. They are friendly and very accommodating with kids, offering a coloring menu and crayons. A few other food recommendations... I used to enjoy the butterfish, which has been replaced by the black cod. The black cod is tender, but the sauce isn't quite right. Hopefully they will fix that. Ordering a lobster with butter is a sure bet, and you can pick the size of the lobster. The chipino is quite good. It comes in a tasty tomato based broth. You need to have some energy to get the meat out of the mussels and clams. The serving is a healthy portion. It comes with prawns and calamari as well. In MHO, skip the salt beer and the fish pate. There are much better choices on the menu.
(3)kathleen m.
I have to say, the food was very good. But this is my fourth visit to this Legal Seafood and every time the service gets worse. We had a reservation but after waiting half an hour past our reservation time had to ask about our table when they finally seated us. Then we were seated in the bar area which was noisy and dark rather than the nicer restaurant area which is what I would expect when I went to the trouble to reserve a table. The waitress was scarce but friendly enough. She got 1 of the orders wrong and we had to wait for it to be redone. When the bill came, there was a charge for an extra entree. When questioned, the waitress became very condescending and rather than take a look at the bill she responded as though we were too dumb to understand it and said she would get a manager. The manager never did come to talk to us (which I feel like he should have given the mistake, he should at least take the initiative to apologize.) We then asked to speak with him and he was apologetic and said he wanted to "send us something." I've heard that before from Legal....we'll see. But we'll be going to a different location from now on.
(2)David L.
I remember Legal Seafood was so much better and fresher when I was little. Ten years ago when I was still in college, I visited Boston on a weekend to see my old hometown where I lived as a boy. My best friend and I went to the Legal's in Copley Square and I remember having a blue cheese salad and swordfish. I can't remember their names now. But, I had something similar this weekend during my visit at the Chestnut Hill mall and I was really disappointed. The clam chowder I had was rich and creamy but it wasn't as chunky as I remembered it. I had the Alaskan Butterfish as a main course. It had seaweed on top of the fish, which had a strong Asian flavor to it. The jalapeno polenta was mediocre at best. The texture was similar to that of a cheesecake and the jalapeno flavor wasn't complimentary to the main course. I have had much better polenta in Kansas City, MO at the Blue Bird Cafe. The texture of the fish was smooth and buttery. But, the flavor of the fish, while not bad, made the entire main course seem mediocre and average. The blue cheese salad was probably something I could have made myself at home; there was too much dressing and the endive seemed like it was prepared in a rush. I would only come back here for a quick business lunch (even though I don't live in Boston) or a quick meal before a movie. Another thing to note is that the Customer Service was also mediocre. Our first waitress made an attempt to be jovial and friendly. Then, poof, she was gone halfway through our meal. We had 3 different waitresses that waited on us.
(2)