Legal Seafood - Family Friendly?

I see from this forum and a guidebook I%26#39;ve been reading that this chain of restaurants comes recommended. We%26#39;ll be traveling to Boston at the end of September, and would like to try the Legal Seafood at Copley Square. We have two boys ages 5 and 10, and without getting into too much detail, let%26#39;s just say that our 5 year old sometimes has issues with volume control. Not too major, but he might have a few small outbursts. As a result, our dining choices can be challenging.

We would likely go early for dinner when hopefully it would be less busy. Is the setting there fairly accommodating to families with small kids? Do other diners go there with an expectation that there will be kids there, or is it more of a quiet, adult type setting?

Also, to further complicate things, I have a mild seafood allergy. I%26#39;m assuming there will be some other things on offer there? I just can%26#39;t go with the family to Boston and NOT go to a seafood restaurant - it would be such a shame for them! (My husband%26#39;s already looking forward to clam chowder - not from a can!!).

Thanks all for any assistance.

Legal Seafood - Family Friendly?

There are 3 Legal%26#39;s in that general area. Park Square, Copley Place and the Prudential Center. I think of Legal%26#39;s as being noisy places to begin with, so I don%26#39;t think it should be a problem. They all offer children%26#39;s menus, so I%26#39;m sure they%26#39;ve seen (or heard) a few like your son in the past ;-). That said, you might want to go to the one at Prudential Center and get a booth. As for you and your food options, there aren%26#39;t many. Three to be exact! Filet Mignon, Herb Chicken or a veggie dish. I think there is a misconception out there that one has to visit Legal while in Boston to get good seafood. In reality, MOST restaurants in Boston offer a varied menu which includes good seafood. Legal%26#39;s, on the other hand, is 99% seafood. And real good clam chowder can be found all over the city, so your hubby won%26#39;t suffer from clam chowder withdrawals for long.

If you%26#39;re in need of another place to take the kids besides Legal, consider Durgin Park at Fanueil Hall Marketplace.

Legal Seafood - Family Friendly?

The kids should be fine. Legal%26#39;s tend to be kind of ';bustling';.

Thanks so much for your replies. Sounds like it should be okay then, and I have made a note of your other recommendation in Faneuil Hall.

Off topic a bit, but since I am just starting to research about Boston, it seems the general concensus is ';do not drive';. We have no problem with that and are prepared to pay the hefty daily parking rate at our hotel and either walk or take the ';T'; everywhere. But why is it best not to drive? No parking? One way streets? Bad traffic? All of the above? I was just curious.

I had sent an email to a specialty liquor store (V. Cirace?) in Boston because I was looking for a particular product that we can%26#39;t buy here in Canada, and even on their website, it states that they recommend their customers should walk or take public transit to their store. I guess driving must really be tough in Boston! Do the locals mostly rely on public transportation as well, or are they just accustomed to driving in the city? I just thought it was interesting. Thanks again!

A few comments. First, I really would not recommend Legal Seafoods if you have a seafood allergy. As one poster noted, they have few alternative non-seafood items. And that%26#39;s absolutely true. And their suggestion of a ';regular'; restaurant is also true: most places in Boston do have seafood items on their menues and take care to prepare them as befits our reputation.

Secondly, folks at mid or high end restaurants here are not surprised to see kids dining, but they expect them to behave properly. For kids that often have noise or other issues at restaurants, I think the parents owe it to other diners to find places where they can go in and out fairly quickly and that cater more to families with kids. I have taken my children (now grown adults) and my grandchildren to nice restaurants without incident (major ones at least), but they were always (or mostly always) well behaved. I don%26#39;t know yours so I%26#39;m not being judgemental in that regard. You%26#39;ll have to be the one that ultimately decides, but if you find you%26#39;re always worried about it, then it%26#39;s probably not the right spot for you.

As far as driving, here folks do drive, but generally not between spots Downtown. It%26#39;s too hard to find parking spaces and it costs you every time you move your car. Traffic is no worse than any other major city, although finding directions around our ';cowpaths'; may be a bit challenging for you. We%26#39;re a big walking city - you%26#39;ll see that when you%26#39;re here. And the T comes in mighty handy where distances are greater.

Thanks for your reply Alanm. I may also have to play this decision by ear, depending upon the type of day my son is having. I%26#39;m not too concerned about the other choices for me as a non-seafood eater. If it was a great restaurant that my husband would enjoy, then I would be perfectly fine choosing one of the three other items on the menu. He rarely gets seafood, so to have GREAT seafood would be such a treat for him. But if he can find this at any number of places in Boston, then we may simply look elsewhere.

In the meantime, I will try searching for some other family friendly restaurants that offer a varied menu. If anyone has any suggestions around the Copley Square area, I would be grateful.

Thanks!

I agree that at some seafood restaurants you have to exercise caution if you have a shellfish allergy, but Legal Sea Foods is hyper-sensitive to the issue and we%26#39;ve never had a problem.

My husband is deathly allergic to shellfish (he%26#39;s gone into anaphylactic shock once), but we eat at Legal several times a year. Just make sure you tell the server in advance of any issues you have. They%26#39;re actually very careful to cook fish and shellfish separately.

Legal seafood is family friendly, not necessarily wallet friendly. A place that I have enjoyed is called the Daily Catch. http://www.dailycatch.com/main.html

It may be an issue if you really have a loud kid.

There are a number of places around fanuil hall where you can get a solid seafood dinner and very good clam chowder. All of these will be fam friendly.

Legal is family friendly. I can related my 5 year old also has ';issues';. The Legal at Prudential might be your best bet because you can just take him for a walk in the mall to distract him or bring him to the courtyard if he is a having noise issues. If he is totally out of hand there is a Food Court at the Prudential and Boston Chowda makes a pretty decent clam chowder.

Quincy Market is a bit too overwhelming for my 5 year old. It is loud and crowded. I am not sure if your child is noise sensitive like mine but if that is the case be forewarned but there is also a Boston Chowda at Quincy Market.

If you plan on not using your car you might want to park it at a T stop such a Wellington during your stay. It will save you some cash for it is only $5.00 per 24 hours. Or if you will be here during the weekend the Boston Common Garage offers parking fro $11.00 per day only on the weekends.

Enjoy!

The Summer Shack on Dalton St. across from the Sheraton Boston is an option you might want to consider. They offer fried chicken, steak or meatloaf in addition to their extensive seafood menu. I would view this place as a more ';kid friendly'; atmosphere.

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. Much appreciated!