Row 34 (Boston)
Overall Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 stars
Address: 383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Neighborhood: Seaport
Perfect For: well-executed seafood dishes in an industrial chic atmosphere
Hours: Mon – Sat 11:30am – 10pm, Sun 11:30am – 9pm
Reservations: Yes
Parking: Stilling Street Garage, metered street parking
Links: Website, Menu
Cost: $40 per person (food only), including 3.5% kitchen appreciation fee
The interior of Row 34 is bright, airy, and spacious with a modern industrial feel. Tall ceilings, beautiful brick walls, and wooden pillars adorn the dining room.
Seating options include standard tables, high top tables, and bar seating.
I arrived at Row 34 for a weekday lunch. I recommend making reservations, as they are often quite busy and sometimes completely packed during lunchtime on weekdays.
Their lunch menu features various seafood starters such as an oyster slider, blue crab & artichoke dip, and tuna tartare, as well as entrees like lobster rolls, crab fried rice, griddled crab cake, and crispy fish sandwich. Fried food options include oysters, clams, calamari, fish tacos, and beer-battered fish & chips.
I opted for a New England clam chowder and a mayo-based lobster roll.
Like almost all other seafood joints in Boston, Row 34 offers two types of lobster rolls: cold mayo-based or warm buttered. I chose the former, called Ethel’s Creamy Lobster on the menu. It was served with a creamy coleslaw and french fries.
The brioche roll was on the smaller side compared to other lobster rolls I’ve had, but delicious with a nice toasted exterior and a soft plushy interior. The lobster meat was a pitifully meager amount, by far the least generous amount of lobster meat in any lobster roll I’ve had in the Boston area. It was partially made up by the fact that it was tender, well-seasoned, and juicy. The french fries and slaw were acceptably good, but nothing special. Overall, I was expecting a lot more for a $64 lobster roll that is 30-50% more expensive than other lobster rolls in the area.
The clam chowder was at least more reasonably priced, served with bacon and a house saltine. It tasted very fresh and flavorful, without being overly creamy or heavy.
Service was good: my server was efficient and helpful in answering questions, and our food arrived promptly. If I returned again, I would be interested in trying the oyster slider, crab fried rice, and/or cornbread.
