McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks

As stated in another review if I could give zero stars I would! The food here was absolutely terrible! The mussels tasted rotten. We were unable to eat them. We got stuffed shrimp it came out luke warm and looked as if it had been sitting around awhile. It all tasted terrible! I DO NOT recommend this place!

So we decided to go to this restaurant for our friends graduation party on 5÷15÷15. There were 16 of us.
There are several complaints here worth mentioning that I hope the restaurant will take in to consideration.
For all 16 guests, every person ordered from seafood to stake and so on. We had placed several orders of appetizers as well.
My first complaint is with our waitress. She was an older Asian lady with very short gray hair and a limp when walking. I have to say that I have never been more annoyed at a restaurant waitress than I was last night. During the entire time she was extremely pushy with all of our guests.
Recommending something is very different than telling customers to skip on a certain dish and ordering something more pricy. If someone in our group is not interested in ordering a $ 40 stake then there is no reason for her to tell our guests to skip the fish & chips and get the stake instead. Clearly she was acting like a salesperson in order to get a bigger bill in the end.
The whole time she was annoyingly pushy in terms of what to order and how much to order.
Secondly, our bill that came up to $ 880 plus tip it came out to almost $ 1,000 which we had no problem paying for but a waitress should not tell us how much to tip. She openly said that its custom to pay %20 or more (just because we looked like visitors, it doesn’t mean we are). Please don’t ever tell customers how much and how to tip. Clearly if we are paying for a $ 1k bill, we know how to tip.
Then more annoyingly, she came to our table trying to convince us to sign up for some rewards cards to save money by mentioning how much was the total bill and how much we would get back in return.
What if I didn’t want my guests to know how much my total bill was? Ever think about that?
Lastly, I would hope that since such a chunky bill was paid for, I would expect a manager or someone in the restaurant to be considerate enough to provide our table of 16 with several complimentary cakes versus one tiny single person cake for the graduation boy.
I would have to say that they have lost a huge customer. Under no circumstance will I ever return or recommend this place to anyone.
On a side note, the food was decent, not too great considering most of the food brought out was cold since they tried to serve all 16 at once.

My wife and I ate dinner here after attending a show in the Theater District on Saturday evening (5:30−6:00 PM).
Two positive things about this restaurant is it’s close proximity to the theaters/​Boston Common and the interior décor which is pretty nice and designed in such a way to keep the noise down.
Now for the negatives:
The wait staff is mediocre, the waiter was not attentive at all, the bus staff left dirty dishes on our table for the entire meal, and I had to continually ask for a refill of my water since I could sit there for 15 – 20 minutes with an empty glass (while the staff is literally walking by with water pitchers in their hand). We also had to ask for bread since they were delivering it to tables in such an inconsistent manner.
The food was rather average, essentially on par with what you would expect from Cheesecake Factory but at the price of a high-​end restaurant.
Overall an experience that we do not plan on repeating anytime soon. Disappointing.

If I could give this place zero stars I would. This used to be an institution but they need major help in order to compete with all of the great restaurants (and steakhouses!) in Boston. Service was horrible and our waiter could have cared less. In fact, he seemed bothered that we were there. Didn’t even ask if I’d like a refill on my iced tea. The floor was dirty, silverware and cups were dirty too. The food was awful. My clients Lobster Bisque was the most disgusting food item I’ve ever seen, my fish was far too greasy and so were the coconut shrimp.

I had been intrigued by this restaurant for years and finally decided there was a nice enough occasion to go (college graduation/​mothers day).
UNFORTUNATELY I was very disappointed. Apparently they have a different menu on holidays (like Mother’s Day) yet they do not update their online menu. My family and I looked at the menu ahead of time to make sure they had lobster, which we all wanted, and it was there. I also noticed a yummy side dish that I wanted.
The trouble started when the menu did not list lobster. They had a side dish of lobster tail ($ 21) and when I asked if they had any whole lobsters the waiter asked, but they did not because of the busy weekend. Although no one was in the restaurant and it was dinner on Mother’s Day– strange. (The waiter was very kind and apologetic by the way, not his fault).
A few people ordered lobster tails and I went with the bourbon glazed salmon (over cooked, but good sides). After about 20 minutes, the waiter informed us they were actually out of lobster tails. Those people reorderd, and we sat waiting. After about another 20 montes, waiter returns and informs us the swordfish (one person’s substitute) is actually out. She reorders for a third time, and we wait some more. A couple nervous looking managers came over and apologized, offering free dessert. Eventually the food came, with only 1 side dish wrong. We ate quickly since we were starving and left.

Oldish décor.
Worst crab-​cakes I ever tasted.
Uninspired cooking.
Look for better seafood as well as steak places in Boston.

The happy hour menu is great and so is the service. We enjoyed the oysters which were tasty and perfect. I had a Blueberry Cosmo and my partner had a raspberry mule. Both are prepared well but they took ten minutes to arrive (in fact our oysters arrived first).
The shrimp cocktail is my issue… This is a seafood joint. We ordered on the regular menu and expected ‘jumbo’ shrimp for $ 15.99. The shrimp we were served are the kind they prepare meals with. At $ 5.20 each these shrimp are a complete rip off. We would have enjoyed more oysters instead if we knew.
The happy hour menu is a huge bargain so we will still come back and even at regular price the oysters are worth every penny! Steer clear of the shrimp though. Totally not worth the price.

Come here for their happy hour! That is what I came in Easter for but yeah I forgot they don’t do HH on holidays!
Anyways, had a pretty gloomed out server, he didn’t seem to know the day’s special, did not offer complimentary bread, and overall made me feel like I could not enjoy my dinner. I basically had to ask him for anything like water, bread, specials, etc.
Food came out alright, my salmon rigatoni was good but I was not feeling the chops of salmon on it. I think the dish would be more yummy if it was a filet of salmon sitting on top (thats just me). As for my partner, he got the lobster and steak special. Steak was chewy and did not taste good at all. I can make a better steak and I’m not a chef. Lobster was good though.
Experience wise, I had a hard time enjoying my meal whenever my server came by. There was actually a brief period where he did not check up on us which was nice but when I finally needed him so I could pay the bill, I got a bit upset, how ironic.
There is street parking, which is pretty filled up around dinner time. If anything come here for their HH, regular dinner is not something I will come back for. The only time I felt happy in their restaurants was when I was talking to their hosts (very nice people).

I stopped by after 10pm on Wed and it was too boisterous for my tastes, then I tried at 8−9pm the next night and it was calm and relatively quiet. Sure, it took some gesturing to get the bartender to pay us some attention, and I thought the drinks were a bit pricey, but it does have a good stock of spirits. I might go again, but I would want a backup plan if it was too busy.

On a recent trip to New England, I was so excited to dine here and not just because of the brand of seasoning, well maybe a little :-) I ordered the cashew crusted tilapia dish, complimented by a red sangria. It was scrumptious!
As someone that works in food service, I am big on the service aspect of any place that I eat. Our waitress, Katherine, was amazing and very engaging. I would definitely recommend this location to anyone in Boston or planning a trip to go there.

Stopped here for breakfast since we stayed overnight at the Park Plaza hotel. They had a nice breakfast buffet available with oatmeal, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, eggs benedict, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, coffee and juice. It was a little pricey, but a good value if you make the most out of a buffet.
I’ve eaten at the McCormick & Schmick’s in Providence and their food is reliably good. This Boston location is on-​par with the quality.

Was staying at the Park Plaza for the evening and it was pouring outside. So, i didn’t really want to venture too far from the hotel.
I stopped into the bar and noticed there was a happy hour menu which seemed intriguing so i gave it a spin. I went for the steamed edamame and the blackened chicken quesadilla.
Both of the items came out at the same time which proved to be really awkward in the bar setting. Additionally, the food took FOREVER to come out (more than 30 mins).
The food was just ok, nothing special. The quesadilla was pretty small and didn’t really wow me. As for the edamame they were extremely salty. I cant say i’d order these items again but i guess i got what i paid for?

Way overpriced for little portions. $ 18.99 Fish and Chips a total ripoff. I was in shock with the little food on the plate. I thought it was the kids meal!
$ 26.00 for stuffed flounder smaller than your fist. $ 3.50 for a fountain drink? really?
Never Again!!!

This review is for their banquet/​party booking service.
tldr: They do not know how to manage a calendar and will drop your party even if you call 3 months ahead.
I called this restaurant in October for a large group (100ppl) booking in December. They took down all my info, penciled us in, and followed up with menus. Over the next few weeks I spoke with them on the phone (and over email) communicating our preferences and re-​confirming the date and time. Every time i spoke with them I gave my name and number, and asked that we were down for the date we needed. I know that the holiday season is busy and didn’t want to risk losing the spot.
I repeatedly asked for the contract, and for unknown reasons it was not coming through email. I called back multiple times and was told by the same person that he would send it over. No rush, as long as we were on the calendar, right? I spoke with this person 4 days ago, he confirmed he would send it, and that our group was on the schedule. At this point I have probably spoken with the restaurant about 8 times, always confirming the date and time with my name and group.
Today i get an email that another group has signed a contract and they cannot accomodate us. And all of the restaurants in that area are booked up as well (surprise!).
So now i’m left two weeks before a holiday event looking for a 100ppl space, date non-​negotiable in Boston’s back bay. The best solution I am given is «call this guy down at our faneuil hall location, it’s 5 minutes away». False, it is 35 minutes away. This is a pre-​formal event dinner in December. Not walkable.
So apparently handling an event calendar is too complicated for this group. Enraging. But i wish i could give them 0 stars for hospitality as well. To be clear, not only did they royally mess up our event… they offered no explanation, no good solution, no discount, no fix or compensation whatsoever. That is completely unacceptable. To make it worse, we will probably have to still give their other location our business because there are literally no other options.
Overall, horrifying experience. TBD if we can find a new location for our event… And for the record, this is one of the few reviews i have ever written because no restaurant experience i’ve ever had ever has been this ridiculous.

Great food. Host/​server was very rude (Alex). whispering to his coworkers right in front of us. Another worker ended up serving us.
Metal tasting water with no ice in the pitcher.

I was staying at the Boston Park Plaza hotel and came over for a quick bite because the conference dinner that I had just sat through had left me feeling hungry. So although I wasn’t looking to pig out, I did want to get a bite and preferably a quick one. Once I walked in, the hostess suggested that happy hour was on and I could sit at the bar. Which is what I did.
Once seated, service was slow. A server greeted me and gave me a menu but didn’t check on me until several minutes later. Which is why someone else in the interim went ahead and took my order of calamari and firecracker shrimp. Although the place looked fairly light (it was Thursday night), it still took them about 20 minutes or so to bring out my order.
Onto the food itself, it was, somewhat surprisingly perhaps, pretty good. I love it when the calamari has a bit of kick to it and there was quite a bit of kick, courtesy the fried jalapenos that came with it. The firecracker shrimp was also pretty nice. I like foods to have flavor and spice and this item certainly did. The portion sizes for both dishes were good given that these were appetizers. The taste of the food notwithstanding, if I wanted a water refill, it was hard getting attention from the servers though I did manage to have my waters refilled during my meal.
My overall impression was that the service for this place was quite indifferent but the food was pretty solid. I wouldn’t mind giving this place another try given that the food was very well-​cooked and given that I am a sucker for seafood.

It’s a chain… A «medium/​high» end chain… So you know what you are going to get. But if it’s Tuesday and you are looking for oysters to fill your gullet and a Laphroaig to qualm the days frenzy, then twelve bucks for a dozen and twelve bucks for a Smokey beverage is quite the simple pleasure that can’t be overlooked.
So enjoy the Park Plaza guests and the airline personnel on layover then move on to a more interesting place for dinner.

I came for happy hour after a Red Sox game and got to truly enjoy the $ 1 oysters and buffalo shrimp. The place looks a little dates but enjoyed my time there. Convenient because I was staying at the Boston Park plaza hotel which is in the same building

I am in Boston on business — staying at the Boston Park Plaza.
Got back from work around 10:30p tonight, not having eaten dinner yet, so I decided to keep it simple and head to McCormick and Schmicks, attached to the hotel.
I walked into the restaurant and was greeted by two servers just staring at me. I asked if the restaurant was still serving dinner to which they replied, «Yeah. We’re open until 11. It’s seat yourself.»
Having taken a peak at the (overpriced) menu prior to entering the restaurant, I would have thought I’d at least be seated politely. Guess not.
I cozied up into a booth by myself, exhausted from a long day. All I wanted was a nice glass of wine, a quick dinner, and to head up to my room immediately after.
It took the server a bit to get to me, and she asked if I was there for «just drinks» or «happy hour». (This was one of the servers that greeted me, and who answered my question regarding dinner still being served).
I asked her for the dinner menu, and she asked if I wanted anything to drink. I was skimming the menu to find the wine list. My server pointed it out on the back of the menu, and I felt rushed to pick.
I finally picked a glass of Sauv Blanc. And then I didn’t see it for another 10 minutes. No water. No bread. No nothing.
I finally had my glass of wine in front of me, and began scrolling through work email on my phone. I thought that by the time my «grilled Atlantic cod» arrived, I’d have all the loose ends tied up from my day. 20 minutes passed. 30. 40. Nothing. Did not end up getting my meal until 11:15.
And all the while, no check ins from my server, no bread basket, no water, no offering of a second glass of wine… Nothing.
My server finally noticed me fidgeting in my seat, and she explained that, «the kitchen is slow at night.» I asked for a glass of water while I waited, which, no surprise, took way too long to get to me.
My meal finally arrived in front of me, and it was okay. JUST okay. Which is the only reason I’m giving this restaurant (2) stars instead of (1).
My fish was definitely not grilled as I had ordered (from the menu options of Broiled, Grilled, or Baked). But it was hot. And I was hungry.
The green beans and mashed potato sides however, were lukewarm. With cold spots. Blegh. The green beans were satisfactory, but on the greasy side. The mashed potatoes were pretty
standard.
I finished eating about 10 – 15 minutes after being served, and I asked for my check.
All of a sudden, I had an attentive server. Yet no offer of dessert, coffee… And no apology for the food being slow.
Once I had finished signing the check, I took a sip of my water, and drank about half the glass until I looked down and noticed the glass was filthy, and I had just drank half a glass of water with all sorts of mystery food/​drink particles floating around in it.
That was pretty much the last straw that drove me to write this review.
I don’t ever write reviews.
Now, in all fairness, I realize I walked into the restaurant a half hour prior to close. I understand the workings of a restaurant having worked as a server for many years. However, in my experience, if a customer walked into my restaurant even a MINUTE prior to close, we greeted said customer with a smile, and prompt, attentive service no matter how secretly annoyed the entire restaurant/​kitchen staff was. Customer service was and always is of the utmost importance.
And not for nothing, but McCormick and Schmick’s prices are ridiculous for the quality of food and service they offer. WAY overpriced.
Will not be going back, or recommending this establishment to any of my Boston friends.

Happy Hour is amazing.
I am used to going to HH at restaurants and them having a limited, yet unapeeling menu. I’m a picky eater and don’t eat meat so… here goes nothing.
The menu item selections were hitting all the right spots. Pita chips & hummus, buffalo shrimp, fries, oysters. Each ftem was no more than $ 4. With drinks our total cost was $ 60.
It was a perfect end to a semi-​stressful Thursday.
I will be back soon.