Summer Shack Review

Awesome in every way, great Boston seafood restaurant, I could eat there every night. Also walk ins welcome.

Good food and a fun atmosphere; much nicer than it looked from outside

We're regulars. The food is always great and the menu is constantly changing. But the mussels appetizer cooked in wine and garlic is our favorite.

Good food and nice people but they had insufficient staffing. We waited over an hour for our orders.

Very large, high-ceilinged, popular but very noisy restaurant, specializing in variety of seafood. Hard-of-hearing nay find hearing conversations here difficult. Dieters will find healthy "Be Good to Yourself" choices. Aleays- fresh seafood, with an emphasis on special sauces and side dishes rather than any simple plain broiled or fried simplicity. My family and guests, always seem to like this place more than I do! I'd prefer an oceanside shack in coastal Maine! Oh well: that's a long drive.

I had been here several times in the past, but I will not be going back. Their prices have been going higher and the quality lower.
Seriously, if your specialty is seafood, how can you not make a decent fish and chips. The fish was greasy, way over breaded and under cooked. (The chips were thick, soggy, and bland. The Cole slaw seemed like it was at least day-old.) Sent it back and tried the fish tacos. (I had had them before and the had been good. Figured that they may be able to handle a smaller piece of fish.) These were just as bad.
It's likely that the fryer was not hot enough, but come on!!! Other dishes our group had were equally poor quality, but I'm getting mad about having paid that much for terrible food, so I'm going to stop writing.

Excellent food. Get the lobster tail especially is someone else is paying.

Nestled perfectly off Alewife Parkway, the original Summer Shack doesn't disappoint with generously-portioned lobstah rolls, hahty chowdah, and quick service. Being that I live in the apartment next door, it's a dangerously close walk from my room to the service counter here. I'm going to have to find a new level of self-control to keep from becoming a well-known regular at this wonderful seafood location. If you're looking for quality seafood in a downtempo location, this is one of best places to find it!

If this review was helpful, please consider a thumbs up. It would be greatly-appreciated!

One of my preferred spots for quality seafood. Good place to hang and eat some good food. The staff was very kind and attentive. It has a cool interior.

We fondly remembered Jasper's lobster from at least 10 years ago. Everything we ordered was excellent. We did takeout because we are over 65.

Awesome seafood but honestly the fried chicken is absolutely amazing!

Amazing seafood and friendly staff. Elizabeth was great and recommend the buffalo shrimp, which I would also recommend (you can order it as an app or full meal)

Great place to sit at and relax, and they have my favorite food, crab! And it's delicious also!

Food was delicious and freshly prepared. Love the atmosphere and decor. The live lobster tanks are so exciting for the kids to see. Our waiter Kennedy was very efficient and polite. Great dining experience all round.

ONLY GO FOR THE FRIED OYSTERS AND SIGNATURE LOBSTER SPECIAL WHICH IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. OTHERWISE, IT'S A LOT TO PAY FOR STEAMERS AND LOBSTER, AND A WASTE OF JASPER'S TALENT.

The service is excellent and the restaurant has a classy feel. I especially recommend going here during restaurant week.

A little pricey. Portions on the smaller side. On the plus side, they have really good French fries.

This place is frankly quite awesome the lobster roll is to die for very very fresh and very very delicious simple straightforward and the food speaks for itself I would go here in an instant

Great place for a long and laidback lunch. They have a a bar with many available beers, good athmosphere and generous food options (either you want seafood or alternatives such as fish).

This spacious bar is great for a quick bite or a meetup with friends.

Not great. I've always driven by and wondered what this place was all about. I mean, it's been in the Cambridge alewife location for YEARS, so it seams to have a decent reputation. Service was fantastic, but the food fell short. The crab stew and clam chowder were bland and flavorless with weird consistency. The steamers were decent size and the fish sandwich was mediocre at best. Seemed like a fun atmosphere to go on a Friday night, but based on the food experience, I'm not sure I'll be going for anything more than drinks!

EDIT: [Weird that Google won't allow replies to the owner's response]
Thank you Summer Shack for your speedy response. I will say that when I went, it was for lunch on New Year's Eve (which also happens to be my mom's birthday) and anyway - I've recently found that the week between Christmas and New Years is really tough because so many people (including restaurant professionals) take time off. I'm guessing it was just a fluke! Will have to give it a try again sometime!

Seafood was great, Kevin delivered an excellent service, we will definitely return for more lobster!!

Ambience is great, food was delicious, staff was courteous. Price was a bit high but it's seafood so, what can I expect?

Don t waste your time or money, for a seafood place in Boston, I cannot believe people go here.

Ok but not for me. I went with my boyfriend and we always wanted to know how it was. We based it on the looks of outside and it looks fun and inviting. When we walked it the atmosphere inside did not match the outside. It was a bit to fancy for us. We were looking for a simple place to get something to eat.

When we got inside the staff was very nice and inviting but the other guest there looked at us as if we didn't belong.

Everything on the menu was pretty pricey and you would know that by how the exterior looks.

The food was ok. And our waiter was friendly.

All in all we would return but probably not for a few months. The food did give my boyfriend and I upset stomachs and we ended up walking it off before returning home.

Better experience than I expected at private dining room event; hard to find if you don't know the roads in this area. Use Google Maps or equivalent on first visit!

Went here for dinner and the food/service were just OK. Nice selection of oysters which were... gigantic, for better or worse. For New England standards, the clam chowder was meh, and the entrees were meh. It seems like a very family and Lobster-oriented joint, so maybe that suits your needs. But while the memory is fresh, and for the weight of the bill, there's much better options.

Good food- thought it was a little pricey. More of a family restaurant verses a date night.

I went for Dine Out Boston and had their $25 lunch menu. I started with the fried calamari. The calamari was cooked well, but the dish was greasy. It was also just about the same amount if peppers as calamari. I followed up with the Fish and Chips. It arrived two minutes after the calamari. The fish was cooked perfectly and the batter was light and crispy. The fries was fantastic. Serving the fish on top of the fries is simply idiotic on so many levels. A very good Pecan pie finished the meal. I sat at a table in the bar and the service was good. I'll be back for that excellent fish and chips.

Fantastic lobster specialty with butter, shallots and chives. So delicious but a million calories.

Just tried the steam lobster there. Sweet and juicy. Recommend.

Great seafood experience with the live lobster and the big center pots. Great for tourists but not touristy!

Pretty good place to eat a must have the lobster roll. Prices are fair the restaurant ist focused in seafood.

Everything was delicious and staff was great... will go again!

Went to the event rom for an after work meeting. Really great selection appetizers and beers with friendly service

This place was great had great food and can accommodate large groups a must go if you like seafood

I didn't know Summer Shack had a brunch menu until I was searching online for a seafood place that served brunch and they showed up on the list. We were there this past Sunday celebrating my husband's 50th birthday. The location they put our 12 person group didn't quite work for us, but they were happy to put 2 of the picnic tables together so we could all sit comfortably. It worked out so much better! Thank you! The service was great and the food was as well (as always!) . Everyone in our group had a great time and enjoyed their meals. We always love coming to Summer Shack! I've never had a bad meal or bad experience there. Thank you!

We love coming to the Summer Shack. The atmosphere is wonderful. Everyone is super chill which is what I really like. Nice and spacious which is not stuffy or uptight at all. The food is awesome!!

Ok place for happy hour with colleagues or looking for decent fish and chips and lobster role. I don't specifically pick Summer Shack if I'm looking for good seafood restaurant

Expensive but good. Great atmosphere and not what you expect from outside.

I had the striped bass with risotto. Both were very good.

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE 7/2/15 9:00pm. Old/not fresh food, atrocious and argumentative management and terrible service. Sent back the $32 crab legs because they were so tough and old you could not get the meat out of the shell. Tried to talk to manager but he was incredibly aggressive and argumentative and refused to listen to us about it. Charged excessively and told us it was reasonable for the crab to taste not fresh because it was frozen and old so we should not have expected it to be better, despite us having the same dish MANY times before. Terrible experience, I will never be returning and am telling everyone to avoid Summer Shack. Fire that manager, he is ruining what was once a great restaurant.

Today I went to the Summer Shack for the first time and my experience was horrible. First, my first friends ordered drinks, 2 put of the 3 came out. My friend had to remind the waitress about her drink order. Second, we had no silverware, had to track our waitress down for it. Third, when our apps came out only half of the order, had to remind the waitress again regarding our order. Fourth, the food was not good. I swordfish, it was dry, it came with plantain chips, but again had to ask to waitress about them, since it did not come out with my meal. Fifth, my friend order fish and chips, terrible, at a seafood restaurant??? Coleslaw was warm and sour, french fries were cold and soggy. Lastly, our waitress was horrible. Never followed up with us regarding our meals, everytime something was needed, had to get another waitress to get her. Will never go back!!!!

Great food rented atmosphere. Lobster roll sliders were very good. Oysters were perfect.

The chowder wasn't that hot, and the fish was a little much on the grease side.

Great for date night. The seafood boil was tasty and filling. I can't wait to go back.

Vast space with very good seafood menu. Very informal setting.

Of course it has all the standards-- oysters, lobster, a variety of baked/broiled/fried fish, etc. But unlike most seafood restaurants, it's run by a real chef (Jasper White) and the dishes that go beyond the basics can be worthwhile. Still, you won't find elaborate cooking here.

Big parking lot.

The lobster dishes that are available in a variety of styles here are excellent!

Customer service was great. I wish I can give more star but dishes we ordered were tasteless and flavorless.

It's great here, plenty of seating awesome service and most importantly the food is fresh and delicious. Plenty of parking and easy to get too.

They offer a great variety of fresh food. I liked dining here. Employees are always super friendly, rates are affordable and the place is always clean.

Summer shack is a lovely restaurant with fresh lobster and other seafood. I went there with a friend who had just moved to Boston and we had a delightful time. The food was very good, the service was attentive and friendly, the pricing was a little high but not so much for fresh lobster. Overall a very good experience.

Food was over cooked, needs better air conditioner, will not return

Love this place. Great oyster selection and good drinks.

Amazing lobster roll. Perfect amount of mayo and big chunks of lobster.

Go-to place for seafood. Never really had a bad meal here. The specials are always good!

My wife & I went out with my visiting parents. The lobster roll was amazing! The waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. She helped my mom crack some of her lobsters. My wife's steak was overcooked and not a great cut to begin with.

Great food, good service. Choose this place as it was pouring and we didn't want to go far from our parked car. The calamari here is the best i have had ever. Wine suggestions were good and service was impeccable.

A family brought a dog to summer shack saying it was a service dog. The small dog then walked on the table. Not sure if the dog was truly a service dog.

My younger siblings liked the lobster tank,I liked the service and taste of the ocean!

Delicious seafood! The only disappointment was dried out corn bread but who cares don't need it anyway! Great atmosphere delicious pan roasted lobster with bourbon and wine.

I know you're probably all going here for the sea food, but the fried chicken is pretty darn good too.

And they have multiple oyster types for you to choose from.

Great service awesome Seafood one of my favorite places to eat

The fish is always fresh and tasty.We always sit at the bar because the service is amazing.