Fish Type: Haddock Price: $18.00
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Poor Miscellaneous Score: Excellent |  |
Comment: Now that's more like it!
The Barking Crab is my kind of place. It's not fancy, although they have fancy food. It's not pretentious, although they have a prime location on Boston Harbor. And it's not unwelcoming, although the food is pricey. It's the kind of place a Midwesterner thinks of when they think of Boston - fresh seafood in a prime location with a lively atmosphere and lots of friendly faces. Like I say - my kind of place.
A feisty four year old and I showed up at the Crab on a Friday night after a full day of museums, oysters in historic buildings, aquariums, and piggyback rides. I was ready for a good strong drink and he a good stiff 7-up. We took a high top near the bar and rested our bones while we waited for his mom. We chilled for a good two hours before she made her appearance, eventually ordering our fish & chips and her lobster around 6:30pm.
The $18 fish & chips was easily one of the cheapest things on the menu as they (unsurprisingly) feature all sizes and preparations of lobster and crab. The fish of choice was haddock and comes as one big piece splayed across a smattering of fries. It was light and flaky but damn near impossible to handle. It fell apart all over the place when I tried to pick it up, and necessitated a fork to get it dipped properly. The loin was caressed with an ever-so-light breading that had plenty of actual seasoning and complimented the delicate fish well.
Being the the BC is a "crab shack" they probably don't have a ton of room in the kitchen so I wasn't really surprised to see the typical freezer fries. I'm guessing they don't have the space or desire to dedicate to a hand-cut fry station, and while this lot did that job, that's about it.
As if the fish didn't fall apart enough on its own the Crab's house tartar aided in the deconstruction. It was juuuuust thick enough to tear it apart, and while it had some zip, I'd had enough drinks that it wasn't all that memorable save for the number it did to the haddock. As we came to expect in Boston, the coleslaw was outstanding, as the thick and creamy conglomeration would pair well with most any seafood.
All fall-apart-flakiness aside this had to be one of our best meals in Boston. The place was right up our alley, the fish (and lobster) were tasty, and the experience was second-to-none. Overall, we really recommend this "Fish Fry" and will definitely comeback to the Barking Crab next time we visit Boston.
barkingcrab.com
88 Sleeper Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 426-2722
