PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

An enormous space with a lobster tank in the middle of the floor, the Summer Shack feels like an overgrown seaside clam shack -- but one that's been to cooking school. All the basics are here: raw bar, excellent french fries, out-of-this-world tuna burger, lobster roll, and even a clambake (a lobster, clams, mussels, potatoes, sausage, and corn on the cob). But check the name again -- Jasper White is nationally renowned for seafood, and his pan-roasted lobster, on the aptly named "big bucks lobster" section of the menu, has been a local foodie favorite for nearly 3 decades (since his days at the fine-dining restaurant Jasper's). Yes, the contrast is incongruous, but it works. You might find yourself sitting between a kid chowing down on a corn dog and a suburban couple savoring wok-seared lobster with ginger and scallions or steamed mussels in wine-and-herb broth -- and they'll all be equally happy. You'll be able to hear them exclaiming, too: When it's full, this is one of the loudest restaurants in the Boston area. Arrive early, ask to sit on the second level (just a few steps up, but much quieter), and you might be able to have a conversation. The Summer Shack in Boston's Back Bay, at 50 Dalton St. (tel. 617/867-9955), is especially popular before and after Red Sox games and Symphony performances. It also accepts reservations for parties of any size. From April through October, it's open 11:30am to 10pm Sunday through Wednesday, until 11pm Thursday through Saturday. In the winter, the weekday opening time is 5pm. Year-round, the bar serves food until 12:30am. Another branche is at at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Boston 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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