A New England institution where diners don bibs and crack open lobsters with their bare hands.

In Short
With 30-plus outposts up and down the Eastern seaboard, this Cambridge-based chain reels in a seemingly endless supply of after-work professionals and tired tourists. The look varies somewhat from establishment to establishment but a casually nautical theme and a crowd as loud as the ocean's roar are fairly consistent. Signature dishes include clam chowder, wood-grilled swordfish, steamed clams, and 2-pound lobsters that can be ordered baked and stuffed with scallops and shrimp.