We started our meal with 1/2 dozen oysters and chowder along with the complimentary cornbread they give you. This part of the meal was fantastic. I have no complaints about any of these items. For my meal, I chose the Chef's special Red Snapper with rice and sauteed spinach. When my meal arrived, it looked delicious and I couldn't wait to dive in. The first bite was awful. There was absolutely no seasoning and the breading on the fish had formed hard edges that were impossible to cut through. The spinach and rice was even more disappointing. It was drenched in oil and very greasy and no seasoning whatsoever. I rarely reach for the salt, but this time I couldn't get enough. This was the most disappointing meal I had experienced in a while. I would not have expected the oldest restaurant in America to serve such horrific food. My friends who joined me were also less than impressed with their meals. The both had lobster dishes, which, while cooked perfectly lacked seasoning and that wow factor we were expecting.
The service matched the horrible food. We were seated for quite a while before the server appeared at the table, she lacked any sort of personality, and never refilled our drinks. When it came time for the check to come, she was no where to be found. I could understand the delay in service if we were eating when the restaurant was packed for dinner rush, but we weren't. It was mostly empty with other staff members standing around.
All in all this experience leads me to say, skip America's oldest restaurant. There are plenty of other great places in Boston.
