Fresh North Atlantic haddock fillet dipped in beer batter and fried to a shatteringly crisp golden shell, served with thick steak-cut chips, malt vinegar, mushy peas and tartare. The Boston Irish-pub default.
Boston's Irish-pub fish and chips tradition descends from the city's 19th-century Irish immigrant wave and the proximity of the Georges Bank haddock fishery. The Boston version is haddock-specific (not cod, as in much of the UK); haddock has been the New England fish of choice since the colonial era, when it was salt-cured and exported. The Atlantic Fish Co, Legal Sea Foods, and the Union Oyster House (1826, oldest restaurant in continuous operation in America) all serve canonical versions. The defining Boston touch: ALWAYS haddock, ALWAYS thick steak-cut chips (not fries or wedges), served with malt vinegar.
6 editor picks for Boston haddock fish and chips in Boston, ranked by editorial score. All Boston signature dishes · Boston haddock fish and chips across every city.
Neptune Oyster ★ 4.9
north-end · 63 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street has run the city's defining raw bar in Boston since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, Gulf of Maine lobster roll on a buttered.
Row 34 ★ 4.6
seaport-fort-point · 383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Located in Seaport Fort Point. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans seafood.
James Hook & Co ★ 4.4
seaport-fort-point · 440 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110
James Hook & Co on Atlantic Avenue has sold live lobster and lobster rolls from the harbor wharf in Boston since 1925. Located in Seaport Fort Point.
Saltie Girl ★ 4.4
back-bay · 279 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116
Kathy Sidell's Back Bay seafood room on Dartmouth Street has run the tinned-fish-and-crudo agenda in Boston since 2016. At 279 Dartmouth St.
Union Oyster House ★ 4.2
north-end · 41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108
Union Oyster House on Union Street has shucked oysters in Boston since 1826, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.
Legal Sea Foods Long Wharf ★ 4.0
north-end · 255 State St, Boston, MA 02109
Legal Sea Foods on Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium in Boston, has anchored the chain's flagship since 1968. Kitchen leans seafood.