(617) 520-9500
149 Alewife Brook Pkwy
Cambridge,
MA
02140
42.3905
-71.142
Neighborhood: Cambridge Highlands
What People Are Saying About Summer Shack
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene – From the 40-foot fisherman statue that guards the front door to the 1,500-gallon tanks housing hundreds of stomach-bound lobsters, celebrity Chef Jasper White's labor of love thinks big. This humongous shack (which holds a capacity of over 300) sees its bevy of communal tables and leather booths filled to the gills on most nights, guaranteeing deafening noise levels and harried service. Area singles stop by the comfy bar and lounge areas to indulge in some of the smoothest margaritas around. – – The Food – Locals and tourists alike get a kick out of White's…
07/10/08
Like a bad joke...
by Mybestfriendlesley
After seeing Summer Shack on the Top 10 list for the best clam chowder in boston, I decided to check it out. Bad idea. Not only was the environment cheap and touristy, but everything on the menu was incredibly overpriced. I guess I should have known that it would be entirely unauthentic, since 2 of their 4 locations are at Logan Airport and Mohegan Sun, but I was still shocked by the tacky nature of the entire restaurant. It felt like they were playing a bad joke on customers while mocking New England tradition. And the chowder sucked.
- Pros: decent crab club
- Cons: price, service, ambience, chowder
06/05/08
Expensive for poor quality seafood
by MelissaS23
Last night, we visited the Summer Shack. A friend and I decided to split the lobster roll. It was $20, and it was on an untoasted hotdog bun (which immediately fell apart), and had the meat of about 1 lobster tail. I ordered two drinks at 8.50 a pop that were ridiculously weak. And their hot fudge sundae dessert left much to be desired. Their seafood (fish even) plates are super expensive ($28 or higher). Even their crab legs are $36. The deal is, the lobster roll wasn't even that good. The lobster was poor quality, again, the bun fell apart, and it was pretty much lobster smothered in mayo. Gross.
- Pros: cheap for non-seafood dishes
- Cons: expensive for poor quality seafood
07/28/07
Not worth the price
by niiicola
I am originally from the Cape, and this place is nothing like a "Cape Cod seafood shack." If you are going to go with the "seafood shack" thing, then go with it, but don't charge high-end restaurant prices. Unfortunately, we ended up paying $85 for two people (not including drinks) for boring seafood and a downmarket atmosphere. I understand that the whole vibe of the place is fun and casual, but the food really doesn't deliver. I had the striped bass special, and while the quality of the fish was pretty good, the dish was like something I could have cooked myself at home, but with less seasoning. My husband ordered the ginger/scallion lobster, which at $45 was overcooked and drowning in sticky sauce. For appetizers, the Wellfleet oysters were very good, but the shrimp were definitely not as fresh as they could have been. All in all, we were pretty disappointed with this place, and my overall feeling is that it's all hype and no substance. It felt a bit like a theme park restaurant.
- Pros: Good oysters
- Cons: Way overpriced, not a great ambiance
The Details on Summer Shack
Know Before You Go:
Don't expect a mellow environment on Tuesdays or Wednesdays--boisterous smashing-crab parties are held on those two nights.
When to Go:
Happy hour is served from 4pm to 6:30pm Monday through Friday in the adjacent Shacks Sports Bar.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, Debit Card
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
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