My party of 2 ate at Legal Sea Foods for the first time. Our $112 lunch was a great value, but its famous dishes were disappointing.

Amory RoseMay 31, 2024, 22:44 IST

Legal Sea Foods was a fish market before it was a restaurant.Amory Rose

I visited Legal Sea Foods for the first time with a friend and tried a range of its dishes.
Our $112 meal felt like an amazing value, but the crab cake and lobster rolls were disappointing.

Seafood can be hard to find if you don't live near a coastline — but some chain restaurants make it more accessible.

I recently turned to such chains when I wanted to get seafood in my fairly landlocked state of Pennsylvania.

One of the most famous is Red Lobster, but the casual-dining seafood chain hasn't been doing so hot and recently filed for bankruptcy.

So instead, I turned to one of its lesser-known competitors, Legal Sea Foods, to satisfy my seafood cravings.

The Legal Sea Foods I visited felt bright and welcoming.

There is only one Legal Sea Foods in Pennsylvania. Amory Rose

The location we visited had a more upscale atmosphere than the rest of the mall it was in.

The Legal Sea Foods didn't feel like it was inside a mall. Amory Rose

The fresh oyster and clam options were displayed at the center of the restaurant.

Legal Sea Foods sells oysters and clams. Amory Rose

The menu included classic seafood options, and lunch specials were available to order.

A $43 half-pound Maine lobster roll was the most expensive item on the menu.Amory Rose

There were also sushi and non-seafood dishes available to order.

Legal Sea Foods has a sushi menu. Amory Rose

We received two rolls and butter after we placed our lunch order.

The rolls ended up being a highlight of our meal.Amory Rose

We both enjoyed how buttery and well-seasoned the blackened tuna tataki tasted.

The tuna portion was the perfect size. Amory Rose

The spicy salmon from the sushi menu ended up being our favorite dish.

Legal Sea Food blew us away with its sushi menu.Amory Rose

We were disappointed by Legal Sea Food's signature crab cake.

You might enjoy this if you prefer simple crab cakes.Amory Rose

The lunch combos came with plenty of food.

The soup portions were generous. Amory Rose

I'd order the lobster bisque again.

The lobster bisque came with crackers. Amory Rose

Neither of us enjoyed the clam chowder much.

The clam chowder wasn't very memorable. Amory Rose

The crab roll tasted very plain.

The crab roll came with fries. Amory Rose

We thought the meat in the lobster roll had an unpleasant texture.

The lobster in the bisque was much tastier, in our opinions. Amory Rose

Our soups were the only dishes we decided to take home.

I appreciated that we were able to bring dishes home.Amory Rose

The chain's value and quality make it worth returning to, though I'd stick to ordering off the sushi menu in the future.

We were given two pieces of taffy with our check as well.Amory Rose

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