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Glamour shot of a multi-tier seafood tower, garnished with plenty of crab claws and dry ice — The seafood tower at Mastro’s

20 Seafood Towers Worth the Splurge

Go all out with a huge feast of shellfish

by Rachel Leah Blumenthal@blumie Updated Jun 17, 2021, 6:54am EDT

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The seafood tower at Mastro’s

| Mastro’s/Official Site

by Rachel Leah Blumenthal@blumie Updated Jun 17, 2021, 6:54am EDT

Boston loves seafood, and plenty of local restaurants — whether focused on seafood or not — showcase raw bar items in a variety of ways, from the ubiquitous dollar oyster deals to stunning towers stacked with everything from king crab legs to lobster.

It’ll cost you, but here are some of the best towers in town for the next time you’re in the mood for a seafood splurge.

The latest CDC guidance for vaccinated diners during the COVID-19 outbreak is here; dining out still carries risks for unvaccinated diners and workers. Please be aware of changing local rules, and check individual restaurant websites for any additional restrictions such as mask requirements. Find a local vaccination site here.

This map was originally published on September 13, 2018; it is updated periodically, and the date of the most recent update appears above.

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Russell House Tavern

Russell House Tavern offers a pretty robust raw bar, including stand-alones like tuna tartare and lobster tail. In terms of combos, the crimson platter ($45) includes oysters, shrimp, clams, and accoutrements, while the Ivy League platter ($95) includes larger portions of everything from the crimson platter, plus two split lobster tails.

14 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA 02138

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The Hourly Oyster House

Younger Russell House sibling the Hourly, also in Harvard Square, is even more focused on seafood than its big siblings (in addition to Russell House, there’s Temple Bar, Park, and more). The Hourly’s seafood tower ($110) includes oysters, clams, jumbo shrimp, bass aguachile, tuna crudo, and lobster salad.

Open in Google Maps

15 Dunster St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Visit Website

A two-level seafood tower, full of oysters, jumbo shrimp, and more, sits on a white marble counter in a restaurant. A bread basket is visible nearby. — Seafood tower at the Hourly

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Reelhouse

Pair the waterfront views at Reelhouse with a regular ($65) or large ($130) shellfish tower, including oysters, lobster, shrimp cocktail, crudo, and crab cocktail. Or head to Quincy to visit the newer Marina Bay location — and stay tuned for perhaps more locations in the future.

6 New St, Boston, MA 02128

Visit Website

A silver bowl on a metal stand is full of ice, shrimp, crab claws, and more. Dark blue restaurant booths are visible behind it. — The seafood tower at Reelhouse

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Neptune Oyster

You’ve already had the Neptune Oyster lobster roll, one of Boston’s most iconic dishes? Why not return for the Triton or Neptune plateau ($75 or $119, respectively), a wide assortment of seafood that includes oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, and lots more. Yes, there will be a wait; put your name in and wander the North End for a while.

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113

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Also featured in:

Mare Oyster Bar

From the Frank DePasquale family of restaurants, Mare Oyster Bar is another solid North End option for seafood towers. Mare’s includes oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, a chilled half lobster, and Alaskan king crab. Market price. (A half-sized portion is also available.)

3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

A two-level seafood tower is full of oysters, shrimp cocktail, half lobster, and more. It sits on a white tablecloth-covered table on a restaurant patio, a glass of champagne to the side. — The Mare shellfish tower

Also featured in:

Mastro's Ocean Club

This glitzy national chain, which focuses on both seafood and steak, uses dry ice to give its elaborate seafood tower a smoking effect. It’s customizable — choose your own selection of seafood — so the price varies, but the restaurant’s raw bar options include king crab legs and claws, lobster cocktail, oysters, caviar, and lots more.

Open in Google Maps

25 Fan Pier Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Glamour shot of a multi-tier seafood tower, garnished with plenty of crab claws and dry ice — The seafood tower at Mastro’s

Also featured in:

Smith & Wollensky

What is it with steak-and-seafood chains and shellfish towers? The one at Smith & Wollensky comes sized for two, four, or six ($72, $133, or $179 respectively), featuring Maine lobster, chilled colossal crab, jumbo shrimp, oysters, and more, with various accoutrements.

Tufts Building, 294 Congress St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

Closeup on a silver platter stuffed with ice and seafood — Seafood at Smith & Wollensky

Also featured in:

Tuscan Kitchen Seaport

At this Italian behemoth in Boston’s Seaport District, the seafood tower — aka the gran assaggio di crudo — includes shrimp, yellowfin tuna, scallop carpaccio, oysters, hamachi, littleneck clams, lobster tail, and lemon basil aioli. Market price.

Open in Google Maps

64 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

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Three-tiered seafood tower with shrimp, clams, oysters, and more — Part of the Tuscan Kitchen seafood tower

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Bistro du Midi

French cuisine meets coastal New England at this Back Bay classic, which offers a petit or grand plateau ($39 or $120, serving one to two or two to four respectively) — a selection of assorted shellfish. Aside from the plateau, the restaurant serves plenty of other seafood options, such as the bouillabaisse, full of lobster, shrimp, calamari, and mussels.

272 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

A two-tiered tower of seafood, including shrimp, oysters, lobster, and more — Bistro du Midi seafood tower

Also featured in:

Ocean Prime

With over a dozen locations around the country, including one in Boston’s Seaport District, this high-end seafood chain serves a customizable “smoking” seafood tower, much like its Seaport neighbor Mastro’s (see above.) The price varies depending on what seafood you’d like to include.

Open in Google Maps

140 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Three-tiered seafood tower with a smoking effect thanks to dry ice. A glass of champagne sits next to it. — The customizable “smoking” seafood tower at Ocean Prime

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Saltie Girl

At Saltie Girl, the seafood towers (market price) come in three sizes, with the largest, the “royale,” including a giant spread of oysters, clams, shrimp, crab salad, lobster cocktail, tuna poke, sea urchin, and caviar. The rest of Saltie Girl’s menu is also a seafood bonanza, featuring dishes like a fried lobster-topped burger, a smoked fish platter, imported tinned seafood, and more. Don’t miss the torched salmon belly.

Open in Google Maps

281 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

Two platters of raw bar items on ice sit on a metal stand atop each other — The “royale” seafood tower at Saltie Girl

Also featured in:

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse

Davio’s is another steakhouse chain (this one is Boston-based) that doesn’t shy away from an extensive raw bar. The tower — “torre di pesce” — comes in three sizes ($55, $110, $185) and includes Maine lobster, lump crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, hamachi, and salmon. There’s also a cooked version with oysters Rockefeller, mussels Pernod, crispy calamari, crispy scallops, shrimp with spicy tomatoes, lobster with tarragon butter, and crab cakes.

Open in Google Maps

75 Arlington St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

overhead view of a two-tier seafood tower with lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, crab salad, oysters, and more — Davio’s seafood tower

Also featured in:

Row 34

Row 34 is known for shellfish. In fact, it’s named for it. (The Row 34 is a variety of oyster from sister farm Island Creek Oysters.) Get a taste of everything with the shellfish tower, stacked with oysters, lobsters, and more, and drink your way through the excellent beer list as well.

383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Grill 23 & Bar

Another for the swanky-steakhouse-with-seafood-tower category, Grill 23 serves two sizes of a shellfish sampler ($66, $127) that includes shrimp, oysters, lobster, salmon tartare, clams, and mussels escabeche — quite a luxurious lead-up to an 18-ounce, 100-day-aged prime ribeye.

Open in Google Maps

161 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116

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Legal Harborside

Legal Sea Foods’ massive three-story location in Boston’s Seaport District offers harbor views and a distinct vibe on each floor. Head to the second floor for a celebratory night out, including a shellfish platter ($75, serves four) with oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, crab cocktail, and tuna tartare.

270 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210

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Overhead view of a rectangular silver platter full of ice and raw seafood, including oysters, crab legs, and more. The platter is on a wooden table. — Legal Harborside’s seafood platter

Also featured in:

Select Oyster Bar

Select Oyster Bar goes all in on seafood towers, offering four different plateaux. The least expensive, the Gloucester ($105), serves one to three and includes oysters, shrimp cocktail, blue crab salad, dressed Maine lobster, and salmon crudo. For those who want to shell out the big bucks, the most extravagant is the Hemingway ($350), which serves four to six and includes larger portions of everything in the Gloucester, as well as hamachi crudo, tuna tartare, caviar, and avocado toast.

Open in Google Maps

50 Gloucester St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

Overhead view of a round silver platter full of raw oysters and accoutrements; it’s sitting on a wooden table accompanied by two smaller plates, one with tuna tartare and one with salmon crudo. — A spread of seafood at Select Oyster Bar

Also featured in:

Porto

At this Back Bay Mediterranean restaurant with ties to Trade and Saloniki, the Porto plateau ($95) includes a dozen oysters, along with shrimp cocktail, lobster salad, and tuna tartare. Get it on the gorgeous patio.

Open in Google Maps

Ring Rd, Boston, MA 02199

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Summer Shack

With locations in Boston, Cambridge, and at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the casual Summer Shack serves its “tower of power.” Price and ingredients vary slightly by location, but the Boston location is currently charging $65 and including oysters, littlenecks, shrimp, and oyster and tuna sashimi.

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

A whole lobster sits on ice in a round tray, surrounded with accoutrements and other bits of seafood — Part of Summer Shack’s seafood “tower of power”

Also featured in:

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

This national upscale seafood chain has a location at the Prudential Center in Boston’s Back Bay, where diners can order a shellfish tower for $75 — Maine lobster, shrimp, oysters, and jumbo lump crab. It’s also available at the Burlington location.

Open in Google Maps

122 Belvidere St, Boston, MA 02199

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Boston Chops

Why not warm up for a giant steak with a giant seafood tower? (Maybe add a giant stack of onion rings while you’re at it.) At Boston Chops, the fresh seafood plateau ($99) includes oysters, shrimp, a half lobster, and tuna tartare.

Open in Google Maps

1375 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Russell House Tavern

14 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Russell House Tavern offers a pretty robust raw bar, including stand-alones like tuna tartare and lobster tail. In terms of combos, the crimson platter ($45) includes oysters, shrimp, clams, and accoutrements, while the Ivy League platter ($95) includes larger portions of everything from the crimson platter, plus two split lobster tails.

14 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Visit Website

The Hourly Oyster House

15 Dunster St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Younger Russell House sibling the Hourly, also in Harvard Square, is even more focused on seafood than its big siblings (in addition to Russell House, there’s Temple Bar, Park, and more). The Hourly’s seafood tower ($110) includes oysters, clams, jumbo shrimp, bass aguachile, tuna crudo, and lobster salad.

Open in Google Maps

15 Dunster St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Visit Website

A two-level seafood tower, full of oysters, jumbo shrimp, and more, sits on a white marble counter in a restaurant. A bread basket is visible nearby. — Seafood tower at the Hourly

Reelhouse

6 New St, Boston, MA 02128

Pair the waterfront views at Reelhouse with a regular ($65) or large ($130) shellfish tower, including oysters, lobster, shrimp cocktail, crudo, and crab cocktail. Or head to Quincy to visit the newer Marina Bay location — and stay tuned for perhaps more locations in the future.

6 New St, Boston, MA 02128

Visit Website

A silver bowl on a metal stand is full of ice, shrimp, crab claws, and more. Dark blue restaurant booths are visible behind it. — The seafood tower at Reelhouse

Neptune Oyster

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113

You’ve already had the Neptune Oyster lobster roll, one of Boston’s most iconic dishes? Why not return for the Triton or Neptune plateau ($75 or $119, respectively), a wide assortment of seafood that includes oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, and lots more. Yes, there will be a wait; put your name in and wander the North End for a while.

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

Mare Oyster Bar

3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

From the Frank DePasquale family of restaurants, Mare Oyster Bar is another solid North End option for seafood towers. Mare’s includes oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, a chilled half lobster, and Alaskan king crab. Market price. (A half-sized portion is also available.)

3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

A two-level seafood tower is full of oysters, shrimp cocktail, half lobster, and more. It sits on a white tablecloth-covered table on a restaurant patio, a glass of champagne to the side. — The Mare shellfish tower

Mastro's Ocean Club

25 Fan Pier Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210

This glitzy national chain, which focuses on both seafood and steak, uses dry ice to give its elaborate seafood tower a smoking effect. It’s customizable — choose your own selection of seafood — so the price varies, but the restaurant’s raw bar options include king crab legs and claws, lobster cocktail, oysters, caviar, and lots more.

Open in Google Maps

25 Fan Pier Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Glamour shot of a multi-tier seafood tower, garnished with plenty of crab claws and dry ice — The seafood tower at Mastro’s

Smith & Wollensky

Tufts Building, 294 Congress St, Boston, MA 02110

What is it with steak-and-seafood chains and shellfish towers? The one at Smith & Wollensky comes sized for two, four, or six ($72, $133, or $179 respectively), featuring Maine lobster, chilled colossal crab, jumbo shrimp, oysters, and more, with various accoutrements.

Tufts Building, 294 Congress St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

Closeup on a silver platter stuffed with ice and seafood — Seafood at Smith & Wollensky

Tuscan Kitchen Seaport

64 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

At this Italian behemoth in Boston’s Seaport District, the seafood tower — aka the gran assaggio di crudo — includes shrimp, yellowfin tuna, scallop carpaccio, oysters, hamachi, littleneck clams, lobster tail, and lemon basil aioli. Market price.

Open in Google Maps

64 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Three-tiered seafood tower with shrimp, clams, oysters, and more — Part of the Tuscan Kitchen seafood tower

Bistro du Midi

272 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116

French cuisine meets coastal New England at this Back Bay classic, which offers a petit or grand plateau ($39 or $120, serving one to two or two to four respectively) — a selection of assorted shellfish. Aside from the plateau, the restaurant serves plenty of other seafood options, such as the bouillabaisse, full of lobster, shrimp, calamari, and mussels.

272 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

A two-tiered tower of seafood, including shrimp, oysters, lobster, and more — Bistro du Midi seafood tower

Ocean Prime

140 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

With over a dozen locations around the country, including one in Boston’s Seaport District, this high-end seafood chain serves a customizable “smoking” seafood tower, much like its Seaport neighbor Mastro’s (see above.) The price varies depending on what seafood you’d like to include.

Open in Google Maps

140 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Three-tiered seafood tower with a smoking effect thanks to dry ice. A glass of champagne sits next to it. — The customizable “smoking” seafood tower at Ocean Prime

Saltie Girl

281 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116

At Saltie Girl, the seafood towers (market price) come in three sizes, with the largest, the “royale,” including a giant spread of oysters, clams, shrimp, crab salad, lobster cocktail, tuna poke, sea urchin, and caviar. The rest of Saltie Girl’s menu is also a seafood bonanza, featuring dishes like a fried lobster-topped burger, a smoked fish platter, imported tinned seafood, and more. Don’t miss the torched salmon belly.

Open in Google Maps

281 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

Two platters of raw bar items on ice sit on a metal stand atop each other — The “royale” seafood tower at Saltie Girl

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse

75 Arlington St, Boston, MA 02116

Davio’s is another steakhouse chain (this one is Boston-based) that doesn’t shy away from an extensive raw bar. The tower — “torre di pesce” — comes in three sizes ($55, $110, $185) and includes Maine lobster, lump crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, hamachi, and salmon. There’s also a cooked version with oysters Rockefeller, mussels Pernod, crispy calamari, crispy scallops, shrimp with spicy tomatoes, lobster with tarragon butter, and crab cakes.

Open in Google Maps

75 Arlington St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

overhead view of a two-tier seafood tower with lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, crab salad, oysters, and more — Davio’s seafood tower

Row 34

383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Row 34 is known for shellfish. In fact, it’s named for it. (The Row 34 is a variety of oyster from sister farm Island Creek Oysters.) Get a taste of everything with the shellfish tower, stacked with oysters, lobsters, and more, and drink your way through the excellent beer list as well.

383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Grill 23 & Bar

161 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116

Another for the swanky-steakhouse-with-seafood-tower category, Grill 23 serves two sizes of a shellfish sampler ($66, $127) that includes shrimp, oysters, lobster, salmon tartare, clams, and mussels escabeche — quite a luxurious lead-up to an 18-ounce, 100-day-aged prime ribeye.

Open in Google Maps

161 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

Legal Harborside

270 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210

Legal Sea Foods’ massive three-story location in Boston’s Seaport District offers harbor views and a distinct vibe on each floor. Head to the second floor for a celebratory night out, including a shellfish platter ($75, serves four) with oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, crab cocktail, and tuna tartare.

270 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Overhead view of a rectangular silver platter full of ice and raw seafood, including oysters, crab legs, and more. The platter is on a wooden table. — Legal Harborside’s seafood platter

Related Maps

Select Oyster Bar

50 Gloucester St, Boston, MA 02115

Select Oyster Bar goes all in on seafood towers, offering four different plateaux. The least expensive, the Gloucester ($105), serves one to three and includes oysters, shrimp cocktail, blue crab salad, dressed Maine lobster, and salmon crudo. For those who want to shell out the big bucks, the most extravagant is the Hemingway ($350), which serves four to six and includes larger portions of everything in the Gloucester, as well as hamachi crudo, tuna tartare, caviar, and avocado toast.

Open in Google Maps

50 Gloucester St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

Overhead view of a round silver platter full of raw oysters and accoutrements; it’s sitting on a wooden table accompanied by two smaller plates, one with tuna tartare and one with salmon crudo. — A spread of seafood at Select Oyster Bar

Porto

Ring Rd, Boston, MA 02199

At this Back Bay Mediterranean restaurant with ties to Trade and Saloniki, the Porto plateau ($95) includes a dozen oysters, along with shrimp cocktail, lobster salad, and tuna tartare. Get it on the gorgeous patio.

Open in Google Maps

Ring Rd, Boston, MA 02199

Visit Website

Summer Shack

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

With locations in Boston, Cambridge, and at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the casual Summer Shack serves its “tower of power.” Price and ingredients vary slightly by location, but the Boston location is currently charging $65 and including oysters, littlenecks, shrimp, and oyster and tuna sashimi.

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

A whole lobster sits on ice in a round tray, surrounded with accoutrements and other bits of seafood — Part of Summer Shack’s seafood “tower of power”

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

122 Belvidere St, Boston, MA 02199

This national upscale seafood chain has a location at the Prudential Center in Boston’s Back Bay, where diners can order a shellfish tower for $75 — Maine lobster, shrimp, oysters, and jumbo lump crab. It’s also available at the Burlington location.

Open in Google Maps

122 Belvidere St, Boston, MA 02199

Visit Website

Boston Chops

1375 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Why not warm up for a giant steak with a giant seafood tower? (Maybe add a giant stack of onion rings while you’re at it.) At Boston Chops, the fresh seafood plateau ($99) includes oysters, shrimp, a half lobster, and tuna tartare.

Open in Google Maps

1375 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

Related Maps