We're going to be in Danvers for a wedding and would like to go for fabulous lobster one evening. Any recommendations? Thanks

Hmmm.... North Shore: Oahu, LI, MN, MA, and I suspect there are others....

It is truly helpful, and will generate more helpful answers, if you identify, in the header, which state, or area is meant.

Go to Woodman's in Essex. Great "sea in the rough". You pick your own lobster. They have great fried seafood. Not elegant, though, by any means. Great location. Essex is a beautiful town. Lots of antiquing, if that appeals to you. I would highly recommend a lobster at Woodsmans.

Check it out on woodmans.com

Another restaurant for great seafood is Tom Shea's, also in Essex, and directly across the street from Woodmans. A bit more upscale. About 20 minutes from downtown Danvers, I would think. Up Rte 128. www.tomsheas.com

Thank you for your suggestions. Yes, I did mean North Shore of Boston..when I posted I headed Massachusetts, but I guess it didn't come out that way!

I have been researching everywhere! On Tripadvisor(I think!) some people didn't like Woodman or Tom Shea. Lots of good reports of the Village Restaurant in Essex. Have you heard of it? I think the critics were referring to the fried clams, which we don't want. So maybe the lobster is great after all!

If you're willing to drive a little further, Chauncy Creek in Kittery Point (just beyond Portsmouth, NH) is wonderful. Less than an hour drive from the North Shore, I think.

I like Woodmans in Essex, although, like every place there will be critics. Rustic, picnic tables - it is the lobster that is great, not high style dining.

FYI - there is no "massachusetts" sub-category, although it seems so the way the page is set up. The only advantage to selecting a state is that when someone enters "Massachusetts" in search box, your post will come up.

Woodmans is THE well-known tourist place. But really, it is dirty, expensive, and such a long wait.

I've heard there is a newish great place just across the street from Woodmans that is excellent, but I haven't been there. Sorry, don't have the name.

Once you are at the Northshore, all the local places will have fresh lobsters, so you can enjoy them just about anywhere. All they do is boil them so it's hard to go wrong!

Do you want something more upscale? There is a Legal Seafood at the Northshore Mall in Peabody if you don't mind a chain.

But I would go to Essex or Gloucester for the "charm" and just drive around until something appeals. All the places will have a wait at dinner time, especially summer weekends. By the way, I like The Village very much.

In the other direction, you could go to Maddie's Sail Loft in Marblehead. That's a hopping, local place that easily lends itself to a walk to the pier for an ice cream after dinner.

There really is a difference in lobsters. You want to go someplace that serves a lot of lobsters so they are not swimming around in a little tank for weeks before they are cooked - some lobster guy told me that once and I didn't believe him at first but now I believe it is true.

Also, some discount lobster places serve "chicken lobsters" - which are barely legal or soft shelled or softer shelled lobsters, which I do not think taste the same. This is the type of lobster you sometimes see at "twin lobster special" places.

It is also easy to overcook lobster or cook a bunch of them and then dump in water to reheat so it gets overcooked.

The main thing is you want to go someplace where lots of people are eating lobster (not a pork chop place that also serves lobster). The places mentioned above would all meet that criterion.