LTK Bar and Kitchen

02/14/2008 Posted by max26

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.

Pros: Great location, great food

Cons: Poor service staff

12/10/2006 Posted by thaiboo

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.

Pros: Seafood, for fusion-enthusiasts

Cons: Service, out of the way location

11/07/2006 Posted by southiegirl247

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.

10/25/2006 Posted by regularbostondiner

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.

Pros: Drinks

Cons: Location

10/04/2006 Posted by bochse

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!

Pros: The Menu, The Food, The Ambience....

Cons: They don't take reservations

08/27/2006 Posted by cyd68

It would have been three stikes and you're out, but not this time, it only took two. Service was unorganized as well as the seating. The first dish we tried was the angry lobster, which made us angry due to that it was explained to us as something it was not. (We were told it was a lobster out of the shell tempura style over noodles). Well, when it came to us it was the whole lobster tempura battered over noodles, so messy! Exactly what we were NOT looking for. That was our first visit. We decided to give the LTK one more try, it was rather busy this evening and we decided to wait for a seat rather than cozy up to the bar. Our wait was around 20min. When we were called for our table we saw a nice table for two off to the back that was unavailable despite our request to sit there due to that it was reserved?! So after our 20min. wait for a table for two, we were seated at a communial style table, not what we were waiting for, when we expressed our dissapointment we were told we would have to wait for a table for JUST two. (isn't that what we just did?) After this second try, we have decided to not play ball anymore, LTK - 2 STRIKES and YOU'RE OUT!!

Pros: nice area.......

08/25/2006 Posted by roxy2181

The decor is nice, the waitstaff is a little flaky (one dropped several dirty plates while we were there) and the food is decent, its just not the innovative, exciting ideas you'd expect from a TEST KITCHEN... don't get me wrong, I LOVE Legal Seafoods, which is why I was so excited to try this place out, but it lacked pizzazz... The seating is a little strange. We sat at a bar like table, (high seats and side by side) but instead of a view, we watched a foursome outside eating - just a little strange to have other diners right in front of you as you eat.

Pros: Decor

Cons: Flaky Waitstaff, Average food

08/25/2006 Posted by stylish_guy_on_a_budget

Legals realized it might not be a bad idea to convince 20 somethings and 30 somethings to go to one of their restaurants. Unfortunately it's just not worth heading to the seaport to try this place out. The Good: The atmosphere and feel of the place are spot on. The inside is modern yet warm and cozy. Chill music plays, although a bit loudly, in the background. The menu is fun with some nifty descriptions. The wine list is good and offers many by the glass (including three different sizes). The Bad: They only kinda take reservations. The hostess on the phone had to ask the manager if it was OK to make a reservation. When we arrived reservations really didn't seem to mater because we waited for over 20 minutes. The food was good, but the portions are on the small side. There are some fun asian inspired seafood dishes, but I feel you could get the same for less at a good Thai place. Our server was nice enough, but things were just slow. Took too long to get both rounds of drinks. Overall a good idea, but I don't think I'll be in a rush to get back.

Pros: Reasonable Drink Prices, Vareity of fun Fish dishes, Outdoor Seating Area

Cons: Strange Reservation Policy, Slow Service, Out of the way Location

08/24/2006 Posted by kellymr29

We gave it two tries. After seeing about a dozen empty tables and still being told there was a 25 minute wait for a table, we went up to the bar and had our cocktails served to us in plastic cups. The table was ready in about 3 minutes, before we even settled up at the bar. The servers are very nice but very scattered and dont seem to know what is going on. There was a lot of confusion with the hostesses and wait staff as to where to put your name in for a table and who was waiting on your table once you were seated. The food was mediocre at best which is so hard to say, I have been a loyal fan of Legals for years and was hoping to see LTK carry on the quality but shaking it up by trying something new. We tried the pizzetta once and the pesto was so oily and tasteless we had to let the oil pour off. The ipod docks?? Please, the house music is louder then most clubs to start with and the tables are packed in next to each other.

Pros: Location in the Seaport, decor, parking

Cons: Food, service

08/16/2006 Posted by davenjo8

Having enjoyed numerous meals at Legal's in several cities, my experience at their new LTK was a considerable disappointment. Service was spotty, but inasmuch as they've only been open a few months, I can forgive that. The clam chili, while it contained some clams, was a long way from anything I've had that was chili. The angry lobster was particularly bad. Too heavily breaded (not the Tempura-style expounded by the waitress) and doughy at that, the lobster was tough and stringy. What it sat on, below the snow peas, was a glutinous mass of pasta-like substance over cooked, over sauced, and generally off-putting. Because the "TK" in LTK stands for test kitchen, I can only surmise that my meal was a failed experiment, and one I would never want to repeat.

Pros: None

Cons: service, food preparation