Summer Shack Cambridge
149 Alewife Brook Parkway
Cambridge, MA 02140
617.520.9500
In the New England area, it is hard to distinguish yourself as a major seafood phenomenon in the restaurant world but the Summer Shack in Cambridge, MA does just that. Located right beside the Alewife stop on the Boston Red line and surrounded by business complexes, this local eatery seems to reside in a realm of its own. Walking in, the diner is barraged with elements reminiscent of an outdoor clam bake: the classic tin roof, the worn wood, and the smell of salt water. Creatively this establishment crafts an outdoor feel beautifully indoors.
The idea of having the freshest ingredients is a common factor in the cuisine. Chef Tim Willis notes that he orders the seafood like produce; by requesting a certain amount in a day while ordering no more than two days ahead. The diner’s choices consist of a fully stocked menu as well as a black board filled with extensive amounts of fresh fish that is updated every couple of days. The menu is a mix of traditional Southern comfort food and less traditional New England seafood. There are numerous options for the avid seafood lover but there are also options for the finicky eater with the average age of five.
Diners start off with a plate of complimentary cornbread and rich butter. While a little dry on its own, the cornbread hits its mark with the accompaniment of the luxuriously thick butter. When most restaurants take on the art of infusing two different cuisine styles, the balance of the styles usually suffers becoming lackluster in the one and adept in the other. However, the Summer Shack is able to create Southern comfort foods such as fried chicken with meat so tender it just falls right off the bone. As well as seafood concoctions such as the yellow fin tar tar with meat so succulent it barely needs any spice (though its Dijon sauce compliments it well).
It is obvious that servers undertake rigorous training because their knowledge of the menu and blackboard astound even the more ardent seafood lover such as me. Feeling attended to is a vast understatement as customers were asked minute details about their personal lives while waiting and servers seem to have premonitions of the diner’s needs.
While dining, a person can forget that they are just outside Boston and easily become engulfed in the local culture itself. What should be considered the most important part of the Cambridge Summer Shack is the fact that it does have local flavor from the food to the patrons who frequent it. It melds into several categories of being a family restaurant, local hang out, and gratifying seafood abode. All making it a gem in the New England area for the excellent service, the quirky local culture, charming cuisine, and family friendly atmosphere and worthy of 4 out of 5 forks.
For more information about the Summer Shack, visit www.summershackrestaurant.com.
