Legal Seafood, Chestnut Hill

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

Legal Seafood

43 Boylston St

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

617-712-1988

Legal Seafood Website

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill Exterior Decor

Does it deserve 3 Yelp stars? We had not eaten at a Legal Seafood for over 20 years and decided to try a Legal that was conveniently located at the mall we were at. This Chestnut Hill, Boston location has been in existence since 1975, and is now part of the posh ‘The Street’ mall. Be sure to check out the cool SuperLux movie theater here, it has great amenities.

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill History

Insider Tip – Snack on small items here to minimize the $$$.

Cuisine – Seafood
Location – Chestnut Hill
Opened – 1975

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Maybe. 30 minute? No. 1 Hour? No.

This location is rated at only 3 stars on Yelp (As are most), so we went in with low expectations. The main issue with most Legal locations is the high price and mediocre food quality. In spite of this, Legal Seafood has open a ton of locations, and in several states.

The food was better than expected as was the service. Prices are on the high side though.  In Summer 2018 we ate at the Philadelphia Airport location and found the food quality about the same. Surprisingly good for airport food!

Our server definitely tried his best. He was friendly and attentive, helping us navigate the menu and taking care of our table well.


Legal Seafood Food Picks

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill Clam Chowder

New England Clam Chowder ($9.50 for a bowl) was nice and thick with a ton of potatoes, lots of clams too. Good flavor profile. Huge portion, as he knew we were sharing.

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill Raw Oysters in a half shell

Oysters on the half shell ($3 each Cotuit, $2.75 each Cranberry Cove) seem to be on every menu out in Boston. These proved to be very fresh. Are there any bad oysters around here? Accessories included lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, and a vinaigrette sauce.

Spinach Quinoa Salad with Salmon ($18.95) was a gluten free offering with a huge piece of salmon. Surprisingly reasonable price for this quantity of food.

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill Grilled Seafood Combination platter

Grilled Seafood Combination Plate ($28.95) changes from day to day. A reasonably priced combination of 3 broiled fish: scallops, and shrimp. They cooked them in an old school manner, although this is not exactly artisan quality fish cooking like we received the day before at Row 34. Not cheap, but this dish represents good value.

It includes two sides. We choose: broccoli and jasmine rice.

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill Steamed Lobster

Lobster ($36.95) for a small 1.25-1.5lb lobster and 2 sides: Corn on the cob and a Baked potato. A good sized lobster all steamed up. Messy, and requires a lot of work to get all the meat, but in the end, it was worth while.

Food OK:
None

Food Pans:
None

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

Restaurant Map:


Legal Seafood Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating: (Good)
Service Rating: (Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating: (Very Good)
Value Rating: (Average)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:Full Bar
Attire:Casual
Parking:Street
Reservations:Yes

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