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Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing, Boston, MA

Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing

4.4
4.4
2825 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 60 times today
  • Good for business meals
  • Healthy
  • Good for groups
Legal Sea Foods began in 1950 as a fish market in the Inman Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's here that the "Legal" name became synonymous with quality and freshness. In 1968, our first seafood restaurant opened, right next to the fish market. The fish was simply prepared, either broiled or fried, and served on paper plates at communal picnic tables. Despite the low-key trappings, the food was second to none and word spread quickly. This early success led to further expansion and now, six decades later with restaurants along the Eastern Seaboard, the commitment to freshness and quality endures: "If it isn't fresh, it isn't Legal!" Inspired by the urban setting of its neighborhood, Legal Sea Foods Downtown Crossing is slick, dark and modern with glossy, black brick paired with glowing amber glass. Our lounge comprised half the restaurant while our dining room overlooks the open kitchen. In warmer months, we open our patio along Avenue de Lafayette.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (617) 692-8888
  • Website
    https://www.legalseafoods.com/locations/boston-downtown-crossing/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    Whether celebrating a special occasion with family and friends or hosting a corporate event, Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing can accommodate all your special event needs. Make a splash when you celebrate a special occasion or host a corporate event with us.
  • Private party contact
    Jessica Keefe: (617) 530-9432
  • Location
    558 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown Crossing
  • Parking details
    Our validation will net you savings at the Lafayette Garage across the street at 1 Avenue de Lafayette. Weekdays before 4pm, get a $2/hour discount for up to two hours. Or park for $16 on weekdays after 4pm and all day on weekends.
  • Public transit
    Orange/Red Line: Downtown Crossing Station<br />Green Line: Boylston Station<br />Orange Line: Chinatown Station
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,825 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing offers a "delightful seafood dining experience" with standout dishes like lobster bisque and fish tacos. Known for "excellent service," it's a perfect pre-theater spot. Although some find it "a bit pricey," the quality seafood and accommodating staff make it a reliable choice in downtown Boston.

2,825 Reviews

  1. Michael P

    Atlanta Metro

    104 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    104 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The Oysters Rockafeller was ok at best - bland. The Blackened Swordfish was excellent but a but small.

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  2. CountryChicken

    Greater Boston

    36 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food and service. I enjoyed the Caesar salad and clam linguine.
    Legal Sea Foods – Downtown CrossingResponded 3 days ago
    Hi CountryChicken, Thank you so much for your kind words and fantastic ratings. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food and service, especially the Caesar salad and linguine. We strive to provide our guests with an exceptional dining experience and your feedback is a great affirmation of our efforts. We look forward to welcoming you back to Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing soon!

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  3. Teresa

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 6, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was cold. The fish was recommended by the server and the meal was subpar. If this is one of their top dishes it should have been perfect. Rice had no flavor. Fish had barely any crumbs and was basic.

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  4. Joseph

    Greater Boston

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on October 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Booked a table before a show at the Opera house and was impressed by the food and service. Colin was very helpful at making sure we got to the theater in time!
    Legal Sea Foods – Downtown CrossingResponded on October 7, 2024
    Thanks for visiting us, JosephH! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience at Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing. It's wonderful to know that our team was able to help you make your show experience a little more special. We're always striving to provide the best for our guests, and it's heartening to hear that we were able to do so. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! I will pass this great review to Colin!

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  5. Ann

    Greater Boston

    50 reviews

    5.0

    50 reviews

    Dined on October 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great pre theatre dinner. Salt & vinegar encrusted Cod, recommended by server was excellent!

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  6. Wendy

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent server added to our enjoyment celebrating my aunt's 90th birthday!
    Legal Sea Foods – Downtown CrossingResponded on October 5, 2024
    Hi Wendy, We're thrilled to hear that you chose Legal Sea Foods - Downtown Crossing to celebrate your aunt's 90th birthday! It's wonderful to know that both our food and service contributed to your enjoyment. We always strive to make special occasions like this memorable. Thank you for taking the time to leave us this wonderful review. We look forward to serving you again soon! Best Regards, Douglas Anderson General Manager

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  7. CountryChicken

    Greater Boston

    36 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined on October 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The two dozen oysters were amazing and so was the crab sandwich express lunch special. Taryn is wonderful.
    Legal Sea Foods – Downtown CrossingResponded on October 5, 2024
    Hey CountryChicken, Thanks so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our oysters, crab sandwich, and our express lunch special. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We're delighted that you had a great experience with us and we look forward to serving you again soon! I will relay this review to Taryn!! Best, Douglas Anderson General Manager

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  8. Mary Kathryn

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Crab Cake was to DIE for! Very chill enviroment with super friendly staff!
    Legal Sea Foods – Downtown CrossingResponded on October 5, 2024
    Dear Mary Kathryn, Thanks for the feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the Crab Cake and found the environment to be chill and friendly. It's always our goal to provide a memorable dining experience for our guests. We appreciate your high ratings and look forward to serving you again soon! Douglas Anderson General Manager

    Is this helpful?

  9. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Extensive menu, and the majority of items just happen to be gluten free! Nice variety, quality seafood. Amazing service.
    Legal Sea Foods – Downtown CrossingResponded on September 30, 2024
    Hi, We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our gluten-free options at Legal Sea Foods - Downtown Crossing! We're glad you appreciated our variety of options and quality seafood. We strive to provide excellent service and it's wonderful to know we hit the mark during your visit. Thank you for your kind words and high ratings. We look forward to serving you again soon! Douglas Anderson General Manager

    Is this helpful?

  10. Mark

    Greater Boston

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 29, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing as always. The restaurant was typically busy for a Sunday pre-theater going crowd, we were not in a rush, however our server appeared to be overwhelmed, so it is possible that the restaurant was understaffed. We were greeted appropriately and drink orders taken but they our server brought them late and my pint of Guinness was not poured to the top (a good 2 inches below the top of the glass, so I think the pour was rushed and our server grabbed it from the bar while it was resting before it was topped off) Our food arrived via food runners in a timely manner but we did not see our server until we were about 90% finished eating. -- we saw him, he was constantly walking by our table to take orders from other tables and input them at the server station. He never checked on us when our food arrived to ask how it looked or if we needed anything else. Waters were only refilled once when I asked him. It appeared to be the servers responsibility and not a busser -- or the bussers were also understaffed and gave little attention. Again, the food was great, and the kitchen & food runners payed close attention to the gluten sensitive needs of my child.

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FAQs

Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 692-8888.

Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing is rated 4.4 stars by 2825 OpenTable diners.

Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 60 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing

558 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Downtown Crossing
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Our validation will net you savings at the Lafayette Garage across the street at 1 Avenue de Lafayette. Weekdays before 4pm, get a $2/hour discount for up to two hours. Or park for $16 on weekdays after 4pm and all day on weekends.
  • Public transit
    Orange/Red Line: Downtown Crossing StationGreen Line: Boylston StationOrange Line: Chinatown Station
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    https://www.legalseafoods.com/locations/boston-downtown-crossing/
  • Phone number
    (617) 692-8888
  • Private party facilities
    Whether celebrating a special occasion with family and friends or hosting a corporate event, Legal Sea Foods – Downtown Crossing can accommodate all your special event needs. Make a splash when you celebrate a special occasion or host a corporate event with us.
  • Private party contact
    Jessica Keefe: (617) 530-9432
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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