I was in town this past week for a business conference. Another attendee asked the bartender at our hotel where the best seafood was; and she recommended Belle Isle, stating, "Best Lobster Rolls in the city." So we hopped in an Uber and made our way to Belle Isle. Upon arrival we saw that the restaurant was situated right on the water, with an accessible doc, which hosted, what appeared to be, a functional fishing boat and lobster traps.
The hostess encouraged us to sit where ever we would like. After a quick huddle we sat down at the bar and were immediately greeted by Melissa; who was cheerful, and poured a perfectly cold draft beer. She recommended the Lobster Pie as it was her favorite, but our stomachs were set on the Lobster Rolls as per our hotel bartenders glowing review.
We were not disappointed! The lobster roll was almost too much to handle. The bread that hosted the succulent chunks of claw and tail meat was buttered and toasted to perfection; but hardly the texas bookshelf you'd expect it to be upon seeing how much lobster was piled on top.
We met two locals, Henry and Paula, who also recommended the Lobster Pie, as well as the Clam Chowder. And both of us having never had New England Clam Chowder out of anything other than a soup can, jumped at the opportunity to taste the real thing. Another delicious dish! Best Clam Chowder I've ever had, hands down.
I came back for a second visit, risking missing my flight home to try the Lobster Pie. It was worth every little bit of stress I gained watching my Uber take 5 minutes longer to pick me up than the app predicted. (I made my flight)
If you're looking for a family friendly, yet fun and welcoming environment with seafood that will blow your mind. This is the place to go!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat, Lobster Roll w Onion Rings, Seafood, Rolls
Rob Allard
Once again, fell victim to an establishment with a bunch of FAKE 5 star google reviews. I was really hoping for an authentic, good, non-chain seafood place with delicious fresh seafood and a great atmosphere (as many reviews described) but was sadly disappointed ?.
On a weekend trip to Boston with my family, we decided that we would go here for our seafood experience - but alas I am here to warn my other fellow gastro-explorers DON'T GO HERE FOR THAT! Here is a breakdown of what was ordered by a family of 4 and all of the issues with it.....
Lobster roll - It was indeed a lobster roll in form and appearance but absolutely vapid beyond that. Cold lobster mixed with what seemed to be just mayo and no seasonings whatsoever on a way too small untoasted hot dog buns. I ate it because I was starving but not worth anywhere near the price charged. I grew up in MA with family in Maine and NH so I know what a good lobster roll is - and it's not even a close resemblance to what I was served.
Fried shrimp dinner and fried calamari dinner (my kids 12 and 15 ordered these)- I understand that were no where near the gulf of Mexico so obviously not expecting fresh shrimp or calamari, but you could at least try to make it good. On both plates, the onion rings and french fries were greasier than any I've seen in recent memory. To make it worse, you would think that they are operating a kitchen that lacks even basic seasonings like salt and pepper and the predominant notes of everything on the plate was - grease. Not appetizing and my kids ate virtually nothing and I don't blame them.
Baked Scalloped Dinner (Wife) - This was probably the most disrespectful dish of all. The way you can take beautiful fresh scallops and do them dirty like this is reprehensible. They were sandy, meaning lack of diligent prep and soaking/rinsing but even worse - it was as if they were just thrown on a baking sheet raw dog, no seasonings whatsoever, and put in a torture oven only to emerge and have some fake butter thrown on them and dusted with unseasoned bread crumbs. My wife ate about a 1/3 of them before finally tapping out.
The service (or lack thereof) I could write an entire other essay on but I think other reviewers have covered that in detail so I'll keep it short and sweet - our waitress was not attentive at all and we were finished eating for a solid 20 minutes before my wife had to finally track her down to request our check so we could finally leave this nightmare. (that extra 20 minutes caused us to miss a train also btw)
Moral of the story - if you are a glutton for punishment and enjoy being disappointed and leaving hungry, by all means go here. If you are looking for anything but that, this is not your place. It's really sad because it's a fantastic location that has so much potential but clearly has terrible management/ownership pushing it in the wrong direction.
This has become an almost common theme - google, do a better job with allowing these reviews which only lead others to disappointment and a thinner wallet.
TO THE OWNER SPECIFICALLY - Take the criticism here and in many other reviews to turn this place around. This could be a great spot and I would love to see it flourish but it will never happen with the product your kitchen is currently pushing out.What you are doing here is not impressing any patron who actually has taste buds and rather just never getting any repeat business.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
michael fake
Drove 1 hour and a half after a friend recommended their lobster roll. It had a large amount of lobster, so will give it that, and the seasonal drinks were good, but after being seated outside which we requested, and after waiting 20 minutes and seeing a waitress take care of one other table, my husband went inside to inquire about a server. Hostess said she had sent someone originally but she never appeared. We were polite and not rude. Waitress finally appeared, no apology, nada. Since we might not see her again, we ordered or drinks and two lobster rolls right away. Drinks did arrive promptly after that and food shortly after. Np problem waiting for a check as that service came quickly! Still left 20 percent tip as we don’t know what caused the lack of any service at the beginning, but so many other places to get both good food and service, we noted, we have been there twice -the first time and the last! And it was not even busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
David P
Best seafood you’ll find in New England. Everything you want - nothing you don’t.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Arnold Gatto
Good Food only...
Parking: 20 or more . .
Wheelchair accessibility: About 5 or 7
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari Side Order
Benedetta Patterson
Great spot near airport to get seafood! Friendly staff. Be aware only cash/ Venmo. (ATM across the street). Clam chowder was great. Nice views. Clean facilities.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood, Fried Shrimp
Don Cloonan
Very disappointed in this place, we both got the fried scallops and they were very oily and brown and mostly tasted like old oil. Must not change the oil. We go there around 3 pm. Our waitress was very nice and did a good job. Sat outside and they have a sign about seagulls and they were there flying around and my guest actually got shit on. All you have to do is have some rope on poles and this would prevent the seagulls from flying and landing right next to you. Overall very over rated.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Nick Anderson
Look at this picture. This is the apex predator of lobster rolls, the undisputed heavyweight champ. Every time we have guests in Boston who want the authentic experience we take them for a Fenway tour and a lobster roll at Belle Isle. No other place has both crucial elements of the perfect lobster roll: 1. Delicious but light seasoning 2. Generous portion of claw meat. Search no further, this is the spot.
On a side note, the service is great and it’s fun to watch the planes take off from the porch during the summer. That said, I would eat this food in a dark basement and still give it 5 stars.
Parking: Big lot on the side of the building for easy access.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat
Dave Lee Designs LLC
Amazing seafood and atmosphere. A must stop if you are a lover of local New England seafood.
The Seafood platter was over the top and delicious. My wife had the lobster roll and she said it was one of the best she has had. Definitely will return
The food is always fresh and amazing! It's always busy and the view is great! It can get a bit loud at times though. Most of the time the service is great! We're there very often!! They do get short staffed from time to time but it's so worth the wait!!
Parking: Depending on the time you go, sometimes the parking can be a little difficult. Especially at peak times.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Haddock
Samantha Gauld
Swordfish was great! Maybe brew your own ice tea?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Seafood
G Benett (mothratwins)
This CASH ONLY place is a Boston classic. We love seeing and, yes, hearing planes land at the airport across the water! Prices remain fair, but food quality has dipped a bit since our last (pre-pandemic) visit. Service remains impeccable. Take the family and enjoy a seafood banquet!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat, Lobster Roll w Onion Rings
Jose Torres
Was serve my food then didn't see the server till she came with the check and then on top of she over charge me $35 that was the worst service experience I've had in Belle Isle and been going there for over 20 years
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Smith
I thought the food was really mid to be honest. I got the fried shrimp dinner. It totally under seasoned and over cooked. The onion rings were raw in the center. I was pretty disappointed as a friend recommended it. The only thing that saved it was the friendly staff and the ice cold beer I got.
I was in town this past week for a business conference. Another attendee asked the bartender at our hotel where the best seafood was; and she recommended Belle Isle, stating, "Best Lobster Rolls in the city." So we hopped in an Uber and made our way to Belle Isle. Upon arrival we saw that the restaurant was situated right on the water, with an accessible doc, which hosted, what appeared to be, a functional fishing boat and lobster traps.
The hostess encouraged us to sit where ever we would like. After a quick huddle we sat down at the bar and were immediately greeted by Melissa; who was cheerful, and poured a perfectly cold draft beer. She recommended the Lobster Pie as it was her favorite, but our stomachs were set on the Lobster Rolls as per our hotel bartenders glowing review.
We were not disappointed! The lobster roll was almost too much to handle. The bread that hosted the succulent chunks of claw and tail meat was buttered and toasted to perfection; but hardly the texas bookshelf you'd expect it to be upon seeing how much lobster was piled on top.
We met two locals, Henry and Paula, who also recommended the Lobster Pie, as well as the Clam Chowder. And both of us having never had New England Clam Chowder out of anything other than a soup can, jumped at the opportunity to taste the real thing. Another delicious dish! Best Clam Chowder I've ever had, hands down.
I came back for a second visit, risking missing my flight home to try the Lobster Pie. It was worth every little bit of stress I gained watching my Uber take 5 minutes longer to pick me up than the app predicted. (I made my flight)
If you're looking for a family friendly, yet fun and welcoming environment with seafood that will blow your mind. This is the place to go!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat, Lobster Roll w Onion Rings, Seafood, Rolls
Once again, fell victim to an establishment with a bunch of FAKE 5 star google reviews.
I was really hoping for an authentic, good, non-chain seafood place with delicious fresh seafood and a great atmosphere (as many reviews described) but was sadly disappointed ?.
On a weekend trip to Boston with my family, we decided that we would go here for our seafood experience - but alas I am here to warn my other fellow gastro-explorers DON'T GO HERE FOR THAT! Here is a breakdown of what was ordered by a family of 4 and all of the issues with it.....
Lobster roll - It was indeed a lobster roll in form and appearance but absolutely vapid beyond that. Cold lobster mixed with what seemed to be just mayo and no seasonings whatsoever on a way too small untoasted hot dog buns. I ate it because I was starving but not worth anywhere near the price charged. I grew up in MA with family in Maine and NH so I know what a good lobster roll is - and it's not even a close resemblance to what I was served.
Fried shrimp dinner and fried calamari dinner (my kids 12 and 15 ordered these)- I understand that were no where near the gulf of Mexico so obviously not expecting fresh shrimp or calamari, but you could at least try to make it good. On both plates, the onion rings and french fries were greasier than any I've seen in recent memory. To make it worse, you would think that they are operating a kitchen that lacks even basic seasonings like salt and pepper and the predominant notes of everything on the plate was - grease. Not appetizing and my kids ate virtually nothing and I don't blame them.
Baked Scalloped Dinner (Wife) - This was probably the most disrespectful dish of all. The way you can take beautiful fresh scallops and do them dirty like this is reprehensible. They were sandy, meaning lack of diligent prep and soaking/rinsing but even worse - it was as if they were just thrown on a baking sheet raw dog, no seasonings whatsoever, and put in a torture oven only to emerge and have some fake butter thrown on them and dusted with unseasoned bread crumbs. My wife ate about a 1/3 of them before finally tapping out.
The service (or lack thereof) I could write an entire other essay on but I think other reviewers have covered that in detail so I'll keep it short and sweet - our waitress was not attentive at all and we were finished eating for a solid 20 minutes before my wife had to finally track her down to request our check so we could finally leave this nightmare. (that extra 20 minutes caused us to miss a train also btw)
Moral of the story - if you are a glutton for punishment and enjoy being disappointed and leaving hungry, by all means go here. If you are looking for anything but that, this is not your place. It's really sad because it's a fantastic location that has so much potential but clearly has terrible management/ownership pushing it in the wrong direction.
This has become an almost common theme - google, do a better job with allowing these reviews which only lead others to disappointment and a thinner wallet.
TO THE OWNER SPECIFICALLY - Take the criticism here and in many other reviews to turn this place around. This could be a great spot and I would love to see it flourish but it will never happen with the product your kitchen is currently pushing out.What you are doing here is not impressing any patron who actually has taste buds and rather just never getting any repeat business.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Drove 1 hour and a half after a friend recommended their lobster roll. It had a large amount of lobster, so will give it that, and the seasonal drinks were good, but after being seated outside which we requested, and after waiting 20 minutes and seeing a waitress take care of one other table, my husband went inside to inquire about a server. Hostess said she had sent someone originally but she never appeared. We were polite and not rude. Waitress finally appeared, no apology, nada. Since we might not see her again, we ordered or drinks and two lobster rolls right away. Drinks did arrive promptly after that and food shortly after. Np problem waiting for a check as that service came quickly! Still left 20 percent tip as we don’t know what caused the lack of any service at the beginning, but so many other places to get both good food and service, we noted, we have been there twice -the first time and the last! And it was not even busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Best seafood you’ll find in New England. Everything you want - nothing you don’t.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good Food only...
Parking: 20 or more .
.
Wheelchair accessibility: About 5 or 7
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari Side Order
Great spot near airport to get seafood! Friendly staff. Be aware only cash/ Venmo. (ATM across the street). Clam chowder was great. Nice views. Clean facilities.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood, Fried Shrimp
Very disappointed in this place, we both got the fried scallops and they were very oily and brown and mostly tasted like old oil. Must not change the oil. We go there around 3 pm. Our waitress was very nice and did a good job. Sat outside and they have a sign about seagulls and they were there flying around and my guest actually got shit on. All you have to do is have some rope on poles and this would prevent the seagulls from flying and landing right next to you. Overall very over rated.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Look at this picture. This is the apex predator of lobster rolls, the undisputed heavyweight champ. Every time we have guests in Boston who want the authentic experience we take them for a Fenway tour and a lobster roll at Belle Isle. No other place has both crucial elements of the perfect lobster roll: 1. Delicious but light seasoning 2. Generous portion of claw meat. Search no further, this is the spot.
On a side note, the service is great and it’s fun to watch the planes take off from the porch during the summer. That said, I would eat this food in a dark basement and still give it 5 stars.
Parking: Big lot on the side of the building for easy access.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat
Amazing seafood and atmosphere. A must stop if you are a lover of local New England seafood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat, Haddock, Seafood
The Seafood platter was over the top and delicious. My wife had the lobster roll and she said it was one of the best she has had. Definitely will return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll Onion Rings
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is always fresh and amazing! It's always busy and the view is great! It can get a bit loud at times though. Most of the time the service is great! We're there very often!! They do get short staffed from time to time but it's so worth the wait!!
Parking: Depending on the time you go, sometimes the parking can be a little difficult. Especially at peak times.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Haddock
Swordfish was great! Maybe brew your own ice tea?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Seafood
This CASH ONLY place is a Boston classic. We love seeing and, yes, hearing planes land at the airport across the water! Prices remain fair, but food quality has dipped a bit since our last (pre-pandemic) visit. Service remains impeccable. Take the family and enjoy a seafood banquet!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Meat, Lobster Roll w Onion Rings
Was serve my food then didn't see the server till she came with the check and then on top of she over charge me $35 that was the worst service experience I've had in Belle Isle and been going there for over 20 years
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
I thought the food was really mid to be honest. I got the fried shrimp dinner. It totally under seasoned and over cooked. The onion rings were raw in the center. I was pretty disappointed as a friend recommended it. The only thing that saved it was the friendly staff and the ice cold beer I got.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
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