Boxfish Seafood Restaurant

I'd been anticipating Boxfish opening since we first heard from the folks at Cha Yen that they were going to open a "fish place" in their old location. We went the third night of their official soft opening and the place was packed. They seat about 20-22 people (if I remember correctly), so I recommend making a reservation. They have a mix of casual and fancy food with prices on the higher end but not exorbitant. We got the salmon tarts, lobster bisque, grilled branzino, scallops, and the yuzu tart and brown butter pecan ice cream for dessert. Everything was delicious! I especially loved the salmon tarts, the branzino, and the desserts. Samat was the only one serving and hosting most of the time, so please be patient as they get up and running - service was excellent and actually not nearly as slow as I expected during a soft open. We will definitely be back!

I would say that the food overall was decent but not worth a revisit. This review is purely based on non-lobster food items because at the time of our reservation, all of the lobster items were sold out. The main issue was the service. We ordered 2 clam chowders, 1 mac and cheese, 1 fries, and 1 seafood platter, which then became no Mac and cheese and 2 seafood platters. It was hard to discern whether they had split out the entree into two separate dishes as some restaurants do, or whether they had mistaken our order for 2 separate platters, but the bill made this evident later on. I got the moonlight kiss and bourbon cocktails, which were standard cocktail fare. Overall, I would say that while the lobster may perhaps be worth the visit, the above items were not. There was also a difference in the clam chowders served. Aside from my friend being served far earlier, it seems that there was a difference in saltiness between hers that came out earlier and mine that came out later. For the price of 140$, I’m not sure this is worth the visit as many of the items were unremarkable overall. This does not mean that the food was not good, but rather that for the price and relative to the experience and taste, it may not be worth it. For people considering this restaurant, I would skip the seafood platter and perhaps focus on the lobster, which likely will be good no matter what. Desserts for this menu are currently a yuzu tart and ice cream, which are also generally standard fare for restaurants of this price. As a side note, I also think the cocktails were a little light on the actual alcohol at 12,14$. I donated a pint of blood today which should have made the alcohol more effective, but it was surprisingly not as hard hitting as one would think. Though this note is purely speculation on my part folks !

I'd been anticipating Boxfish's opening for months and we are so excited about this addition to Watertown! Brought to us by the chef and owner of Cha Yen (which we also love), the menu featured predominantly seafood options. Basically New England comfort food with some welcome zest. The grilled octopus was outstanding: perfectly cooked and with ube and a sauce that balanced the dished beautifully. We didn't leave anything on the plate! The clam chowder was everything I'd want in a bowl of clam chowder. We shared the fishermans platter and two sides. Everything was fried and battered lightly enough that every component still felt fresh. Oh! And we are now thoroughly addicted to the spicy sauce! Can't wait to go back and try more.

Went with a friend during their soft opening, and everything was amazing!! The octopus was flavorful and tender, the oysters were super fresh (they gave us two options, though I don’t remember exactly what they were—we went with the staff’s recommendation), and the lobster roll was well-seasoned. Everything was reasonably priced with decent portions. For dessert, we had the pecan ice cream and it was delicious! Not overly sweet, with lots of pecan chunks inside—such a perfect little sweet treat after a meal. The staff were really friendly and happy to answer any questions we had. The restaurant decor is also really nice—super vibey with great music. Perfect for a date or for a nice meal with family and friends.

Just went to the soft opening thanks to Professor Ed's story post on Instagram. The uni butter sauce was a little too salty for me, but the rest of the flavors with the umami briny uni flavor were luxuriously blended and balanced. I absolutely loved the Moonlight Kiss cocktail—Tasted like the Chinese chrysanthemum tea juiceboxes (iykyk), cold, refreshing, and strong. I didn't finish because I forgot to ask for light liquor even though I'm a lightweight. Tuna tacos were delightful—would've loved one or two more for $16 appetizer. Clam chowder was definitely good by born&raised New Englander standards. Clams were sweet and tender, never rubbery. Yuzu tart curd was a bit sour and not set in the crust, but I would've rather less lemom juice than more sugar added. Brown butter pecan ice cream was devine. :) Service was lovely and attentive. We had Samat, iirc, and he was one guy doing hosting and waiting. It's a bit pricey, but the care for quality is visible.

This is a place I will definitely be frequenting. It is very small, and decor is minimal, but the seafood it out of this world. The brown butter lobster toast was topped with lobster tail, over a brown-buttered brioche brick with black bean crema. Outstanding! Paella was best I've ever had--saffron rice made with a rich seafood broth, generous amount of scallops, shrimp, mussels, and lobster tail. I took half of the big serving home. Friends tried lobster bisque and grilled octopus, and both said best ever. Bisque the right balance of cream, lobster, and sherry - with big claw pieces. Octopus tender and flavorful. I tried the White Cloud cocktail -- made with horseradish-infused gin and sour cream. Sounds weird, but it was unique and delicious.

We went to box fish on its official opening night, and we were impressed with this new seafood restaurant opening. The surface was attentive. The food was exceptional. The paella was very tasty. The scallop dish was a work of gastronomical art. The muscles were perfectly done with a flavorful broth and toast to dip. The appetizer of grilled octopus was perfectly done and. The side dish of truffle mac & cheese had real slices of truffle not just truffle oil.

Had an absolutely wonderful time at Boxfish! Every dish we ordered was fantastic. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the fresh catch of the day was definitely a standout along with the salmon tart. Will have to come back again!