Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Island Creek Oyster Bar 500 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215 617-532-5300 Island Creek Oyster Bar Website

Last Updated: 4/15/2019

Why did we dine here? – Island Creek Oyster Bar is one of the top seafood restaurants in Boston. Several foodies recommend this spot and it gets a high 4.5 Yelp rating with over 1800 reviews. A classic spot near Fenway park. They also run the popular Row 34 restaurant in Boston that we like. Our last visit was in 2019.

Be sure to read: Boston Restaurant Recommendations

In 2017 we ate at their new location in Burlington, MA.  We swear the original Boston location is better.

We had no interest in eating anything but good seafood in Boston, as we have good Asian food in the SF Bay Area, and we just came from NYC with its stellar Italian, etc. Farm-fresh raw bar, imaginative cocktails & an extensive wine & beer list in sleek surrounds. An extension of the Island Creek Oyster farm in Duxbury.

If you come here when there is a Red Sox game, beware that parking very expensive, so make sure you use the Hotel Commonwealth valet next door.

Insider Tip – Reservations, Careful ordering.

Cuisine – Seafood
Location – Kenmore Square, Boston
Opened – 2010

Service – Island Creek Oyster Bar had very good service. Solid waitress who helped us order, great pacing and good waitstaff.
Verdict – Island Creek Oyster Bar serves up super fresh seafood in a casual yet modern and stylish restaurant. A great place to dine if you want this food in an upscale venue. Also perfect for a pre-game meal.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Maybe.

Island Creek Oyster Bar Signature Dishes – Oysters, Lobster Pasta, Fish

Island Creek Oyster Bar’s Menu is pretty wide ranging with lots of raw bar options, appetizers, fried items, fish, and several land options.

Website Island Creek Oyster Bar Menu

Island Creek Oyster Bar Food Picks:

Assorted Oysters Island Creeks from Duxbury, MA ($2.75 each), Moon Shoals from Barnstable, MA ($3.50), Fin de la Baie from New Brunswick Canada ($3.50) – Boy they have a huge selection from as far as California. We wanted to keep it local. Several of these were saltier than we were used to.

In 2019 we tried Aunt Dotty’s ($3) which are caught in the owner’s aunt’s property. Seems like everyone orders from the raw bar here.

Clam Chowder ($11) hand-dug clams, buttermilk biscuits, house-cured bacon was thick, very bacony, but good. Every restaurant seems to have their own twist.

Fish & Chips ($21) beer batter, malt vinegar aïoli was better than Yankee Lobster Eatery.

Lobster Pasta ($38) Lobster Roe Noodles, braised shortrib, grilled lobster, oyster mushrooms, Pecorino is a signature dish and included lots of lobster. A must order dish.

Steamed Littleneck Clams ($16) rosemary fennel broth, ICOB bacon, scallion butter were also great. Fresh, small, good portion size, and lots of bacon. Nice slice of toast for dipping.

Half Maine Lobster from Cousin Mark ($18) was a reasonably priced fresh lobster half. This must have weight 2 lb plus as a whole. Good stuff.

Old School Baked Beans ($6) were good. Have not ordered these in a while and this reminds us that we need to eat these more. The ones in Burlington were not as good.

Asparagus ($8) were a bit lemony but acceptable.

Broccoli ($6) was steamed and cooked fresh.

Spicy Broccolini ($8) was not too spicy.  Decent.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
Mesclun Green Salad ($12) looked sad and was covered in cheese.  Stick to the seafood.

Panna Cotta ($10) was fair at best.  The ice cream with it was better.

Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?

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