Restaurant Review: Row 34 in Boston
The city of Boston is home to some of the best food all around, but nothing beats its world-renowned seafood. Anyone who lives in or has visited this bustling city can attest to this. Sure, Boston has some great clam chowder, baked beans, and even Fenway Franks, but we are, first and foremost, the land of seafood.
Now, full disclosure: I am by no means a seafood connoisseur or “seafoodie.” Honestly, I wouldn’t even call myself a “foodie.” But I recently visited an upscale seafood restaurant called Row 34 in Boston, and I feel the need to tell you about it.
Located in the city’s beloved Seaport District, Row 34 is a stylish eatery popular for its delicious oysters, fish entrees, and craft beers. Being a 3-dollar-sign restaurant (according to Google), it’s not a restaurant you would typically find me at, unless it was for a very special occasion. And it was – I was there with my S.O. attending a wedding rehearsal dinner the night before the big day.
So that’s the backstory. Here’s what you really want to know if you’re still reading. Overall, I would give Row 34 a generous 4.5 stars. Ok, maybe 4.25 – it is on the pricier side, and by pricy, I mean $42 for a whole fish entree. With seafood typically being higher priced, that may not seem “pricy” to you. But as a college student, any meal above $20 is expensive in my eyes. That’s not to say that everything on the menu is overpriced, though. There are certainly plenty of affordable options.
Now in terms of flavor, I would call Row 34’s dishes buttery, savory, garlicky… I’m going to stop there before your mouth starts watering. Before the main meal, the other guests and I enjoyed a plate of oysters (of course), tasty oyster sliders on buttery brioche bread, heavenly bacon-wrapped scallops, and more. One guest literally finished eight bacon-wrapped scallops before his main dish even arrived. For my main course, I ordered a pesto pasta, which was creamy and flavorful. I wouldn’t call the pasta otherworldly, but it’s probably better than anything I could make at home. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll likely enjoy Row 34’s desserts. One dessert that seemed to be a hit was their brookies, a.k.a. brownie cookies.
In short, I almost felt like I was taste testing dishes from MasterChef or one of those other cooking shows. All the food was fresh and delicious. Being a special occasion, the event I was attending included a special menu, so I can’t speak on every dish on the regular menu, but I would guess whatever you order will likely match my experience. However, I won’t lie – the portions were on the smaller side, but that is to be expected from a more expensive restaurant. Like many fancier eateries, though, the presentation of the food was cooking-show-level.
If you value restaurant service, you will be pleased to find that Row 34 has excellent service. We were greeted well and servers were prompt and attentive. Waitstaff circled around every table with mouth-watering appetizers, checked on us during the main course (which arrived fairly efficiently given our party size), and filled up our drinks consistently and without asking, showing that they are proactive. Being a wedding rehearsal dinner, the staff always served the bride first, which I thought was a nice way to make the experience personal.
Something that stood out to me is that the waitstaff always asked, “Are you still enjoying this?” before clearing each guest’s dish (and did so at an appropriate time), instead of saying, “Are you still working on this?” It’s a small detail, but it makes a difference. When you eat out, your meal is something you should take your time and savor instead of rushing to finish like in an eating contest. Finally, the restaurant had a classy, stylish ambience with modern decor. For special occasions or private events, you can reserve the back room which is beautiful and spacious.
I hope you enjoyed reading my somewhat-lengthy review of Boston’s Row 34. But this is just my two cents. If you like what you read, go and try it for yourself!
