BLT Fish Shack

I love this place and am so sad it is going through a renovation. I am eagerly waiting for BLT fish shack to come back!

I come here with my girlfriend often. We obviously like it. Food is pretty good. Nothing super special. Just a good choice for seafood dinner. Pretty casual place.

I’m a fan. I came here late on a Saturday night. It was clear that the restaurant was slowing down for the evening, but we were welcomed as if it was no problem. We had amazing oysters (they offered four West Coast and four East Coast that night) and for an entrée, both of us in my party had grilled salmon cooked over a bed of quinoa. Delicious and the best preparation of salmon I’ve had in years. Healthy as well. We were also well taken care of by our server, Roy. Will be back!

AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!
I recently visited BLT Fish Shack, and was super blown away… the food is amazing (baja fish tacos and lobster boil are real gems), our server, Art was very knowledgeable and attentive, and the manager, Taft was extremely warm, friendly and hospitable. I have been to BLT Steak, Burger, and Prime, and the fish shack was exactly what I have come to expect of this chain… will DEF return!!!

What happened to BLT?!
I was here about a year ago with my boyfriend and was amazed. The atmosphere, the fresh fish and the open kitchen blew us away. After we left we both couldn’t stop talking about the place and even agreed we’d head back. I even remember what I ate that night, Tasmanian Trout over Quinoa with a glass of Pinot Grigio.
My father was between places to go for his birthday dinner. Knowing he loved fish I didn’t hesitate to recommend BLT. I made a reservation for the whole family. The service was great and our waitress was more than helpful, but the quality and the food that was prepared wasn’t anywhere near to what my boyfriend and I had. It also upset me that the upstairs was now closed and only open for private parties.
The only plate that blew me away was the raw oysters. There was a great variety to choose from, both east and west coast and the oysters were fresh.
No one truly enjoyed themselves or truly indulged in their dish. It’s sad to say that I won’t be returning here anymore.

Blech. Clam chowder was a victim of too much liquid smoke. No evidence clams were anywhere near this cup. Oysters were not good. Even my beloved Kumomoto didn’t seem up to its bright self. Not well shucked. The fish in the fish and chips was about one notch above the McDonalds filet of fish. And the fries were refuges from Checkers.
Second time here — first was a couple years ago and we enjoyed it — and the last. Music too loud. Server so busy cleaning up she lost at least one wine sale. The only mediocre (as in best) thing was lobster roll.
Junk. I believe the inmates were running the prison here. Can’t get outta here soon enough.

First time coming here, very cozy, very shacky, very cool, the staff makes you very comfortable, the ambiance brings you home yet the food is very upscale…
Our table was placed in the very middle of the restaurant.
Chef Donnie Rowe came to our table and checked on us, a pure, real, genuine experience…
Thank you very much to the staff…
Will definitely come back.

Nothing to knock your socks off but after about 8 visits I figured the service at the bar generally is bad unless you re a regular. Service at the tables is better and they try to be accommodating with your order. I will of course go back but I do wish the ambiance was a little less shack and a bit more like the upstairs.

This was about as bad as it gets. Our waiter was nowhere to be found the entire night. The food was about as flavorless as you will ever have. Basically everything tasted the same — plain, lukewarm, and unseasoned brine. I started with the New England clam chowder. It was awful. It tasted like water milk and ham. My friend had the lobster bisque and took one spoonful and spit it out. Well of course I thought to myself I better try this. This may have been the worst thing I have ever tasted. It tasted like the chef soaked old lobster shells in a pot of water for a year. Truly inedible. The entrées were not much better. The fish and chips were a small piece of fried fish over a basket of fries. The tuna blt was served on stale Italian bread. With so many great choices in NYC, take my advice and skip this place.

Made it to BLT Fish Shack almost a half-​hour past my reservation time on a Friday night recently; had dinner here with my boss while we were in town for a business trip. Luckily, we were ushered in quickly, and easily seated at a table near the bar. As busy as the restaurant was, and with the crowd of people waiting for seats, it was nice to be tended to so quickly.
The food was good. I expected it to be just as decent as any typical «New England”-style casual seafood place, and luckily it did not disappoint. We started out with shellfish as appz. I don’t generally do clams, but something compelled me to try the half-​dozen little necks. With a splash of tabasco sauce and lemon, each one of those clams went down nicely. Taste was just a little too fishy for my liking, but then again — it was raw shellfish. I had to check myself on that one, and was fine.
For dinner, I wanted something easy. So I went for the Fish, Shrimp and Chips combo. I was nicely surprised to find the fish extremely tasty, and flaky. It definitely was not under nor over-​cooked, and was seasoned perfectly. The shrimp was good, too, although it bordered the line of «tempura» more so than anything, but was flavored nicely making it worth it. Throw a basket of salted chips (fries) along with the fried fish and shrimp, and happiness ensues. Wondrous.
Boss-​man ended up ordering a side of corn on the cob, and he gave me one of them. It was probably one of the best prepared corn (on the cob) that I’ve ever had, and I was not expecting that at all.
I stuck with some classic, easy picks, and I wasn’t disappointed. Would definitely swing through again.

Wish I could give 3 ½ but it is what it is.
First lets just get the people part over with, loved them all. Awesome staff, very friendly and all with such a pleasant demeanor that *might* make you consider coming back… until you get to the food.
It’s 2 of use and we ordered little necks, Jonah crab claws, lobster roll and tuna BLT.
The clams were meh, almost on the verge of fishy instead of a nice light brine. The crab claws were beyond tasteless. Come on! For the $ 8 each I expect at least a little sweet, but nah, it ain’t so.
The lobster roll was ok but when they stuff herbs and other masking ingredients in there it takes away from it. The only thing that was any good was the Tuna BLT. If you’re gonna get it make sure you get it done rare. And oh my gawd, those fries were SALTY!!!
Well, that’s all folks. It was good for a one and done but I don’t think I’ll be back.

Service wasn’t spectacular and neither was the food.

My response to this meal? «Oh…»
Sadly, I came with high hopes, but what’s even sadder is how badly I was let down.
What makes one choose one dish over another? What makes food different? The answer: Flavor. What was my meal lacking? Flavor (or, the right flavor) and oh so much more.
Let’s begin with the New England Clam Chowder. What should it be? Rich, creamy chowder with some potato possibly some other vegetables, and the wonderful flavor and presence of clams. What was I served? A cup of floury water-​cream, with a ridiculous amount of tough, bone-​dry, pieces of ham? Bacon? Who knows.
On to our next course: Fish, Shrimp, and chips. The shrimp were flavorless, some of the batter was raw on the inside, and resembled A takeout Chinese restaurants shrimp tempura, just soggier and had less flavor. How about the fish? Sadly flavorless, but the batter was perfect. Crispy, light, and golden. Such a shame it was just a nice disguise for flavorless fish. Yes, cod is a very mild fish, but there was no seasoning whatsoever. Not even a dash of salt. The fried were good, however they were comically over-​seasoned. Now I know where the seasoning that belonged to the rest of my meal went…
There are some good raw bar specials during happy hour, but other than that– good luck.

This is a solid restaurant. Good vibe and tasty food. The menu isn’t comprised of anything overly exciting– just your standard fare for a seafood restaurant, but it is well executed and fresh. A little bit pricey however for my liking. I feel that there are other places in the city where you can get food that is just as good for 25% cheaper.

The bread, you might have heard, is incredible. Pesto/​garlic/​cheesy little ball of heaven on a cold day. Probably just as good on a warm day, come to think of it. The lump crab appetizer is awesome. Just a big mound of fresh lump crab. Great oyster selection. I grew up on cans of Campbell’s Manhattan clam chowder. I had no idea how good it can be. Good drink selection, but very pricey (and I’m not just saying it as a Nashville bumpkin — drinks cost more here, my host attested). Our service was a little slow, but super friendly.

Overall, it was 3 stars. The server we had bumped it up a star. He was very attentive and was very knowledgeable of the items on the menu.
However, food was 2 stars. We had:
1. New England Clam Chowder — very thin chowder. It needed more cream to be a chowder. The taste of bacon in the chowder overtook the dish. Also overly salty.
2. Fried oysters — I expected the oysters to be a little more substantial. It was very small. Not much flavor.
3. Crispy Fish tacos — the cod was under salted. Taco was bland. A nice touch was the pickled red cabbage.
4. Maine crab and gruyère dip — it looked really appealing on the dish but the flavor wasn’t really there.

BLT Fish Shack served us up some really fresh and tasty oysters during a weekday happy hour. The prices were very good ($ 1/​oyster), but I really wish their happy hour food menu was more extensive because the oysters were basically it. I’m more accustomed to life at the Mermaid Inn where they have happy hour sliders, mac-​n-​cheese, etc. because we really like our options.
It sucked that we could only take advantage of the happy hour specials if we sat at the bar (which had extremely limited seating) even though there wasn’t a lot of people sitting in the restaurant and many tables were empty. Service was all right — nothing spectacular.

We went here last night for a casual celebration dinner. We expected good food, but instead we had a great experience. We were immediately seated for our 8pm reservation and received a free round of drinks thanks to Foursquare. Our waiter gave us just the right amount of space while always being there when we needed him.
The bread was delicious and the grab and peel shrimp was perhaps the best tasting shrimp I’ve ever eaten. Our main dishes were equally delicious.
Most surprising was the manager who came over and genuinely engaged with us. Sure, many managers make the rounds — but how many seem to genuinely care? He chatted with us, bought us a round of celebratory sparkling wine and made a fantastic dessert recommendation.
I hadn’t been here in years and after yesterday, hope to get back here within the next two weeks.

Pesto + Garlic Bread!!! SO FREAKING DELICIOUS AND MOIST!
I’ve been here twice but unfortunately not for happy hour. I actually don’t mind coming here because I like the relaxing atmosphere at the bar with great service. Every time I have been here, I’ve ordered their oysters on the shell and clams with a bottle of Hitachino. Simple yet delicious and hits the spot. Their oysters have been very fresh.
If you are in the area trying to kill time, for example, because you are waiting for a table at Raines Law Room, I recommend crossing the street to grab a casual beer/​snack while you are at it!

The Good.
–Lovely cheesy garlic bread given at the start of the meal.
–Everything fried is money, especially the fries themselves.
–The calamari, especially the sauce, is a winner.
–A good oyster selection.
–The crab dip is dope.
The Bad.
–The lobster bisque is pretty weak. It’s hard to make a bisque I don’t like.
–It’s a touch too pricey for what it is.
–The gap between our appetizers and entrees was long enough that I assumed they forgot our entrees, and so I was ready to leave by the time they arrived.
The Ugly.
–I know you just give me the huge, fried cheese-​stuffed peppers with my shrimp and chips to mask the fact that you’re only giving me a few actual shrimp. I’m on to you, BLT.