Barking Crab

The Barking Crab is a clam shack overlooking the water. That wouldn't be a big deal on the Maine coast or the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, but in downtown Boston, it's beyond cool. This extremely casual restaurant has a lively bar scene and a clientele of local office workers and families visiting the Boston Children's Museum. The place to be in the summer is at a picnic table on the deck, which might require a wait at busy times; in the off season, the dining room is a cozy oasis. The menu includes the usual clam chowder, fried-seafood plates, and lobsters, with a handful of creative options (such as a yummy crab-cake sandwich) and enough non-seafood dishes to keep vegetarians from starving. The food is fine, and overall quite good, but that's not really the point. This is a downtown clam shack -- what a concept.

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