Legal Test Kitchen - Seaport

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beatrix

Joined 4 years ago

LTK one of the best spots in Boston. I love this place! I have been going here for years and the tenders always remember me and they are so nice it is stellar. Legal Seafoods as a company takes their food and service very seriously and it shines through especially in this location! It is also located on the waterfront sort of tucked away so its a nice romantic spot or the perfect spot to meet friends. When the weather is nice they have outside seating which isn't great for people watching but being so close to the harbor its great!

I cannot say enough about the bartenders in this location too! I am a stickler for good service and they are the highest that I compare others to.

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goforut

Joined 5 years ago

Won't rush back. I went to LTK with two main expectations; an adventurous seafood menu to choose from, and then a delicious seafood dinner.

The menu was a pretty typical seafood menu. In fact, given that you can see Boston Harbor from the dining room, the menu was lacking any information regarding which fish was local and which was shipped in.

Our server also explained that the "test" in LTK is more about the atmosphere and using hand-held computers to place the orders, than it is about the menu itself. Ok, whatever.

When none of the seafood options jumped out at me, I ordered a steak tip salad. The tips themselves were excellent. They were tender, well flavored, and cooked to order. The rest of the salad was mostly noodles, with a few leafs of greens and some other things. It was ok, but not great.

The server wasn't there when I needed her, even though the restaurant was not busy. I asked a waiter who happened to pass our table for a few things I needed, and he helped, but grudgingly so.

Overall, an ok meal but not a great experience.

Doesn't Recommend

MF02155

Joined 5 years ago

Fair food, poor value, weak drinks, terrible service. Quite a surprise from Legal.. I was most disappointed, and embarrassed as I brought some out of town guests to try LTK for the first time.

I made a reservation, and they were quite specific on the time, down to the quarter hour, but we still waited 20 min only to be seated at a long, bar height table with barstools which we shared with one or two other parties.

The waitress took another 20 min to acknowledge us, than we waited further for her to return to take drink orders. Finally she took food orders, but was more salesperson than server ? consistently recommending the most expensive dishes. She offered several ?specials? (as the late George Carlin said ? if it's do damn special, why isn?t it on the menu? ;) and failed to mention the prices (a common but annoying practice as you know) ? they were generally more than the menu items. Then one guest (a teenager) ordered the Paella and the waitress cheerfully offered ?would you like a lobstertail on that??. While the boy was deciding, I casually asked if there was an extra charge. She sheepishly stated that, yes it was $17.95 additional. $17.95 for a lobstertail! Can you imagine paying $38 total for a dish of Paella?!

The waitress was otherwise slow and unhelpful. She was entirely untrained on presenting or serving wine, we had to seek her out for replacement of utensils taking from the first course.

Food was fair but overpriced, atmosphere was VERY crowded, and too noisy to conduct casual conversation except to one?s immediate neighbor.

I ordered a drink, a Dark and stormy and received a glass of Ice with ginger beer and a ?splash? of dark rum ? couldn?t have been a tablespoon, probably a teaspoon. Once mixed the rum was entirely undetectable by sight or taste. When the drink arrived I observed that ?it wasn?t especially ?dark? ? she glanced, mumbled something and walked off ? no offer of repair or replacement.

All in all a very disappointing experience for me, a 30 year patron and fan of LS. Needless to say I won?t be back to LTK

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max26

Joined 9 years ago

Consistent experience with other reviewers. A date and I went there over summer '07 and while I am just remembering to review Legal Test now, I am surprised how similar the previous reviews match our experience.

The menu selections were impressive along with the wine pairings. We found the cuisine better than standard legal seafood fare, but the service has prevented me from returning.

While the greeter was disorganized when we arrived, she was helpful. However, our waiter seemed pretty inexperienced, not very attentive and then upsold us on our drinks. The wine pairings come in different sizes and he consistently brought sizes larger than requested, which we were charged for. His upsell backfired because I deducted the difference from his tip.

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thebarefootconsumer

Joined 6 years ago

Really nice staff but food is plagued by inconsistency. Working in the WTC East, I am fairly limited when it comes to lunch options although the area is on the up and up and Seaport's dining scene is definitely improving.

LTK is a complete cr*p shoot. The staff are all really nice but unprofessional. Actually, the bartenders are great and make some mean drinks but the waiters/waitresses are horrific despite being nice kids. The food is different every time I go. You can't even order a caesar salad without a mistake as of recent. And take-out is almost always screwed up.

They have a great menu and when doing it right, the food is solid. I hope they get their act together!!!

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Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

The Legal Sea Foods empire branches out with an exceptionally modern approach to the conventional restaurant experience.. The Scene
Located in the ever-changing Seaport District, LTK (Legal Test Kitchen) attracts pre-concert crowds--the Bank of America Pavillion is across the street--and curious types from the suburbs. The restaurant is a frenetic blur on most nights, due to its unique usage of modern technology. Diners are encouraged to bring their iPods, as speaker docks are provided, and wireless LCD screens with internet and TV capabilities float from table to table. Overwhelmed servers do their best to navigate the sights and sounds that engulf the equally busy bar area.

The Food
With all the distractions on offer, LTK's food does well not to get overshadowed. Categorized by offbeat titles ("nosh," "exhilarate," "zazzle"), the menu houses dozens of modern seafood preparations, including balsamic-glazed calamari grilled under a brick, lobster tempura with black bean chow-foon noodles, and cedar-planked wild salmon with cooling tatziki. Warm chocolate chili cake and strawberry wontons provide a sweet finish.

Hits
In light of the Seaport's conservative dining scene, LTK deserves kudos for its fresh approach. When patrons utilize the restaurant's technology responsibly, it's a sight to behold.

Misses
When there's a concert, especially a sold-out one, the normally calm bar is often a frantic mess, with boisterous music fans squeezing in one more drink before showtime.

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thaiboo

Joined 11 years ago

Good seafood but service needs work. I went there for lunch on a Saturday with 2 friends. We had called ahead to make reservations so we were seated promptly. Once we placed our orders, it took 20+ mins to get the food, even though the appetizers (clam chowder & oysters) - should have taken 5 minutes max to prepare. The next snag was that my friend got more oysters than she had ordered. Before touching it, we pointed this out to our waiter. He good-naturedly admitted to his mistake, but said not to worry about it; we would not be charged, and that we could even throw out the extra ones if they weren't good, heheh. We weren't disappointed; the oysters were good, and each of us was happy with the rest of our meal. I liked with my order - salad nicoise with seared tuna, even though it was strange that the romaine lettuce was tossed with caesar salad dressing. Maybe that's why it's "fusion" and a "test" kitchen? Anyways, the final snag came when we got the bill and we WERE charged for the extra oysters. When we called this to our waiter's attention, he mumbled an apologetic "oops....I'm sorry" but stood there helplessly looking at us. So of course we said it was fine and paid for it. We did indeed enjoy the extra oysters, but it was weird that he didn't keep his word (he was so confident and smooth in the beginning). So, LTK is worth the trip if you are willing to be patient - hopefully they'll train their staff better and iron out these glitches with time.

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southiegirl247

Joined 7 years ago

Gadgets better than the food. But great desserts and drinks!. The explanation of some of the dishes was a bit confusing but overall the expereince was pleasant and different. We were given the option of watching tv at the table or using an iPod station. The food was good and the dessert excellent.

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regularbostondiner

Joined 7 years ago

Delicious drinks. We didn't eat the night we were there but the bar was busy and the drinks were great! The bartender was friendly and made a good blueberry martini. The pomegranate margaritas were great too.

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bochse

Joined 7 years ago

For GREAT food you would be hard pressed to find a better value!. My wife is in the wine business and as a result eats at all of the high end restaurants in MA. As her husband I am often treated to many of these eateries on her expense account. Recently we discovered LTK in South Boston and I have to say this is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Boston. To date we have dined there three times and we have never been disappointed. They have a fresh and exciting menu with items you wont find in many restaurants and they always have fun and exciting daily specials. If you are looking for a fun place to take and impress a date or just looking for something different you have to try this place. This is one of the few places where you can get a three course meal with wine and still come in for less than a Fin-spot and that includes a 20% tip!