Visitng our daughter in Boston next week.
she asked to have dinner one night at either Barking Crab or Anthony's Pier 4.

Any comments on one or the other? Looking for casual (there may be a couple of other students coming) with tasty food.

I did my research here (after I posted, sorry

Seems like Atlantic Fish and Jasper Whites get more mentions.

so any comments on the above four places???

Thanks, Lucy

When my son was at Tufts several years ago, a group of students and their parents got together and had dinner at Pier 4. As long-time residents of the Boston area, it is not the place we would have picked. However, the kids and the out-of-town parents wanted to go. We actually had a really very good meal and an enjoyable evening as well.

Since next week-end is parents' week-end for a couple of colleges, I encourage you to make a reservation wherever you decide to go.

We were just in LA last week, and one of my son's group of friends, who does a lot of business travel,had been in Bos the week before and happened to mention that he had a badly overcooked salmon---wild, it was the special that night-- at Atl Seafood, FYI. Of course, one bad experience is just that, but it is the data I have.

I would say, go where the kids want to go!!

My own opinion - which I am sure will be disputed. Pier 4 has seen much better days. Have to admit that I have never been to Barking Crab, but husband and friends have and were positive about it. However, Pier 4 is a Boston landmark and not a place dtr is likely to go to on her own - so arguement could be made for either place. I would go to one of these if she has specifically requested it.

For seafood I would prefer Legal Seafood (I know, a chain, but still excellent and it started here) or the Jasper White's at Alewife on Red Line (not the downtown one - somehow they are almost like 2 different places with the Cambridge one being far superior).

Enjoy your visit - it hs been 85 degrees here for weeks but is going to turn into typical fall in 48 hours.

I'm originally a Bostonian (i.e., chowdahead) who has dined many times at Pier 4, as well as once at the Barking Crab. They couldn't be more different in terms of atmosphere.

Pier 4 is a totally old school seafood restaurant which has seen better days. It used to be one of the few restaurants on the wharf back in the day and it was the restaurant of choice of politicians and celebs (I saw Fred Lynn and Bill Lee of the 1975 Red Sox there, a total thrill when I was a teenager!) They have a very traditional seafood menu. I don't think it would be a bad meal, but it's pricey and not innovative.

Barking Crab is much more casual; it has a large covered outdoor picnic table area and hardly plush seating inside. Meals are served on mainly paper plates, with plastic cutlery and rocks for breaking the shells on crabs and lobster! It's great for a sunny afternoon, drinking lots of beer and getting rowdy with friends, but it's not the destination for a nice meal. I was not impressed with its dinner menu at all. If you want a totally casual experience, it will do, but you'll have a much better meal elsewhere.

Atlantic Fish is my favorite. Great food and service. They also have outdoor dining which is great for people watching.

I had a really bad experience with Pier 4 several months ago when I was planning a party in Boson. AFTER giving them a $250 deposit, I was told I would not be able to order food from their online party menu, and that there was a minimum charge per person (also not mentioned to me on the phone or online). After more than a month, we finally went through American Express to get our money back.

Fortunately, we ended up at the Seaport Hotel, which was fabulous in every way

Barking Crab has a very young crowded bar crowd. For lunch with children it would be ok but it's very noisy. I haven't been to Anthony's in years but love the location. I'm Legal Seafood fan when it come to FRESH seafood.
I say go wher they want to. It's the company that counts as well as the food.
Welcome to Boston where the myth persists that we eat baked beans Saturday nights and The Lodges don't talk to the Cabots. But, we do eat Cod!!

If your daughter asked for Pier 4 or Barking Crab, did she have a specific reason?
Pier 4 would be (for me) for the history/memorabilia of it all - I also feel it has seen better days but still we often have guests from out of town who ask to eat there and the meal has been, in my description , ok to good -

Barking Crab is very, very casual and much more fun on a bright, sunny day and for young people later in the day when it is really lively and fun -

Legal may be a chain, but it is consistent and fresh ; Atlantic Fish as well and is probably the more well rounded 'restaurant' experience of all of them -

this reminds me of an article about local ingredients in an article in 07 Dining Awards from a local publication "stuff at night" - where , to paraphrase, che chef and owner of Craigie Street Bistro was talking about how about 1/2 the fish in Boston comes from South America, Alaska and Hawaii, etc that there are all these articlees about everything coming from the Fish P9ier but that most of hte time the "fish Pier' is really the Fed Ex depot at Logan - taht he gets fresher fish from hawaii often than from Maine with direct flights, etc....that the halibut - a mainstay of New England - moves from Alsaska to the Atlantic, blah blah
and then quotes other chefs/restaurant owners in Boston all talking about how much of their fresh fish they get from hawaii ! ...

just thought you might get a kick out of that.

If your daughter wants to be able to say she experienced Anthony's Pier 4, then I get that -
if it's to eat a great meal at a nice restaurant , I'd vote for Atlantic - if it's for fun and mostly all students - you might consider Jasper White's, college kids I know love it there -

depends on who you want to please and who is eating, in my mind...

Have fun ! Is she at BU or do I have that wrong?
If so, if you haven't eaten at Elephant Walk yet, you might like that during your stay, not far from BU/Kenmore and we were there again this weekend and I was reminded of how much we like it there -

She is at BU and I think she wants a fun meal, but Her dad and I would like good food as well!! Atlantic and Jasper's actually sound better.

I think we'll be eating at Elephant walk for lunch on Friday...TerryR also recommended it highly, so with two trusted Fodorite recos, I'm going!

BTW, are you coming to the GTG on the 13th? I'd love to meet you!

Well, wherever you are going, it is a good idea to make reservations ASAP. Elephant Walk is on Open Table, not sure about the others, but you can easily check. That is the same week-end for Tufts and even, I think, BC--altho, I am not positive about BC. That means Boston will be crawling with parents taking their kids out!!

The Barking Crab was closed for renovations when I was in Boston but Pier 4 is anything but a casual environment.

Lcuy I was so hoping to make the Boston GTG this weekend, but it is my ladies trip to Charleston, SC.... so I will be chowing down in another wonderful city w/ great restaurants !!
Hopefully next year or some other time if you visit her at BU put it out there, we'll have our own tiny GTG with whoever can make it -
have fun.

Of the 4, I've only been to Barking Crab. As was mentioned above, it's vey casual, picnic seating.

If weather is bad there is also an indoor room as an alternative to the tents.

View of the Fort Point Channel section of Boston Harbor. Kids would probably like it. They serve on plastic dinnerware with plastic cutlery, and have a pile of stones at the table to smash your crab claws with!

Lcuy-We will be doing the same thing you are next weekend for BU Parent Weekend. I have taken my daughter to Barking Crab and it was fun-very rustic and we loved pounding away at our lobster. The other food did not really appeal to me. My husband and I had the most delicious meal at Atlantic Fish 2 months ago for what that is worth. Completely different place and feel. Good luck!

Lucy-there are much better seafood restaurants in Boston than either of those two. If I had to choose, I would go to the Barking Crab, much less formal. A very good fusion seafood place ia East Coast Grill, but it's in Cambridge, of course.