jasper white's summer shack
 

Has anyone been to the Summer Shack recently? One of our children has requested that we go there next time we are in Cambridge to visit him. Is it an okay value for the $$? He is a student and not into a formal setting for dinner...thoughts anyone?

It's not formal at all so don't worry about that.

Most people I know really love the Summer Shack. I think the food is only average but it should be fine for your needs. I think it's a decent value for the money.

The portions are vast, the restaurants are fun, the prices are reasonable. The fried clams are really, really good all the time. There are possibly better ones, but they are in places you would not be likely to find in relatively obscure towns. Excellent fried chicken, very good potato salad, makes me hungry to think about it!

The menu is huge.

http://www.summershackrestaurant.com..._Cambridge.asp

The wood grilled lobster (a splurge) is absolutely amazing (as is the wood grilled Delmonico steak, for any non-seafood people).

Fabulous fried clams and the worst Margarita I've ever tasted (only managed to down a few sips). Of course I should have known better than to order that drink in Boston, but Jasper should know better than to use such a vile drink mix.

If the mixed reviews you're finding here (and I concur)are a little unsettling you might consider East Coast Grill. Also in Cambridge (Inman Sq. to be precise), also informal and offers an exceptionally fresh/local menu of food from both land and sea.

This is one of my favorite restaurants - but the Cambridge/Alewife location, not Boston.

Some of the freshest seafood I have found - as far as value, fresh seafood is pricey, but you get what you pay for.

Definitely no frills, used to have picnic tables, but they have recently upgraded it somewhat. Menu, plus blackboard specials. If you are into raw clams or oysters, ask server for best suggestions of the day.

I will agree that you can find lobster of equal quality for lower prices in Boston area, but I personally have never ordered the lobster (although tablemates have). I would go with the swimming type fish rather than lobster. Deserts are also very good, as is cornbread basket they bring before dinner.

Can't comment on drink quality - it seems like a beer or inexpensive wine place to me, so have never odered mixed drink. There is another room that they use for functions and is calls itself a sports bar - but have only been in there to check Red Sox scores on summer excursions there.

Late Julia Child used to frequent Summer Shack.

Reading your replies making me hungry!! This sounds like the perfect fit for what we are planning. We have, by the way, been to East Coast Grill and were very pleased with it. BUT the Summer Shack is a place he has wanted to hit for a while....maybe when we return him to school in January.

Are the clams as strips or whole??

The have both whole clams and clam strips. (Try Bermuda fish chowder when there)

Ok - we couldn't wait until january so we went when we picke him up for Xmas break! He had baked stuffed lobster, my daughter ordered King Crab Legs, and my husband got he bouillabase.....all good choices! I had the fried scallops.

The atmosphere is fun and the service was fine. Yes it was pricey, but goo d seafood is. And yes, Jasper was there - he did come out of the kitchen and was walking around, stopping at various tables.

Glad you enjoyed it. We were there for lunch shortly after it opened and my daughter (a teenager) and a friend were playing a video game. She came back to table and told me "a man was talking to them" and asking them what video games they liked and then he gave them some additional tokens for the machines. I was a little concerned until she pointed out "the man" and it was Jasper White.

The story behind his opening this restaurant is that after years of being chef in very upscale restaurants he had a family and wanted to try a more family-friendly and informal restaurant.

Burned fish, literally. They could have cared less. Will never go back.