Eating Out: Barking Crab

A coastal city, Boston has no shortage of waterfront dining. Meritage, Sal de la Terre, Anthony’s Pier 4, all these are spectacular restaurants boasting five-star meals at five-star prices. But where to go when it’s the day before payday? When all you need to complete your week is an ocean view and a cup of chowder, but all you’ve got is a couple fivers? The answer, friends, lies under a yellow-and-red striped tarp on Sleeper street, and its name is the Barking Crab.
This little seaside haunt has been in business since 1994, originally sharing its space with Neptune Lobster and Seafood Market and eventually expanding to become an inside/outside year-round venture. The ambiance of the enclosed half is rustic – seafaring knicknacks line the wall and lobster traps filled with Christmas lights dangle from the ceiling - but the décor in the tent is as simple as it comes. Breezy and uber-casual, the deck houses picnic tables rather than cozy nooks for two, putting the unsuspecting diner at risk of sharing his personal space with strangers. Each table is topped with a bucket of plastic silverware, napkins, condiments, and a rock, which may be confusing to the new initiate. The drinks (beer, and wine only, but a good selection of both,) come in plastic cups, ostensibly to prevent breakage. Champagne, however, arrives tableside in a standard glass flute and is quickly upended in a clumsy attempt to open a crab claw. (Hint: that’s what the rock is for.)

Speaking of crab claws ($13), they are not for the timid The shell of a Jonah crab is significantly harder than that of a lobster, so diners who feel seasoned by hours spent with a cracker and a bib best be prepared for a fight. Much easier to consume were the fried clams ($11) and fish and chips ($12), which could be eaten by hand, without the use of brute force or paperweights. Although Bostonist has, of late, had bad luck with whitefish, we decided to get back on the bike for the purpose of this review. Happily, our efforts were well-rewarded and our faith in scrod is thusly restored. The fish filet at the Barking Crab is large and meaty, fried to perfection in just the right amount of batter and served with a generous helping of fries and tartar sauce (which, incidentally, is homemade and delicious, using lots of plump capers in addition to relish). In the mood for something more earthy? The menu also offers seafood scampi ($16 - $24) and vegetable primavera ($11), but the atmosphere isn’t conducive to fancy food. You don’t really feel at home in this joint until you’re up to your elbows in peel n’ eat shrimp, with a little daub of ketchup stuck in the corner of your mouth.

The only drawback to the meal was the mind-numbingly slow service, (and a diagram on how to deal with the crab claws might not be a bad idea,) but an ocean view on a beautiful day tends to heal all wounds. The Barking Crab isn’t for everyone, but unless you have no soul, you’ll find something to love. Four hats for this shanty by the sea - it may be a little harder to get to with the new detours, but it's well worth the trip.

88 Sleeper St, Boston, MA