Some people plan vacations around historic landmarks or luxury hotels. Others base their trips around meals. If you’ve ever chosen a destination because you were craving buttery lobster rolls in Boston or spicy crawfish étouffée in New Orleans, you already know that seafood can be the main event. And in harborfront cities with deeply entrenched fishing histories, seafood truly steals the show.
If you’re looking for a destination where you can build an itinerary around seafood — where you can start your mornings strolling around fish markets, or walking along the waterfront, and ending your days indulging in locally-sourced seafood — one of these cities are sure to fit the bill. From bright and savory seafood cioppino to poke bowls stuffed with fresh catches, these top seafood cities across the country offer lots of locally-caught fare and harborfront beauty. We’ve scoured numerous sources to not only round up these cities, but to offer specific seafood-oriented recommendations, including tourism sites, Tripadvisor, Google Reviews, Reddit, and various food publications.
New Orleans, Louisiana
From shrimp-stuffed po’ boys served on top of crusty French bread, to the rich, Creole flavors of crawfish étouffée, indulging in New Orleans’ one-of-a-kind seafood scene is an unmissable thing to do. Thanks to the city’s proximity to the Gulf, Lake Pontchartrain, and the Mississippi River (where you’ll find the city’s 18th-century port), crawfish, shrimp, crabs, oysters, redfish, catfish, and more are all New Orleans staples. Not only has seafood has long been intertwined with local culture, but the state has even become one of the country’s top seafood suppliers.
One classic spot to try is Basin Seafood And Spirits. The 4.4-stat rated spot offers dishes like blue crab beignets, cornmeal-crusted oyster caesar salads, and po’ boys topped with your choice of fried seafood. Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar is another crowd-pleaser, with a 4.5 Google rating, and a menu showcasing New Orleans’ French and Creole culinary roots, with dishes like blackened catfish served over crawfish étouffée, Louisiana shrimp and grits, and buttery, char-grilled oysters. For raw and prepared seafood straight from local fisheries, Porgy’s Seafood Market and Restaurant is another local gem.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is practically synonymous with dishes like New England clam chowder, lobster rolls, scallops, and oysters. The waterfront restaurant Barking Crab has become a local institution since opening in the ’90s, with a 4.1 Google rating and over 6,600 reviews. Here, you’ll find everything from traditional chilled lobster rolls to full clam bakes, complete with lobster, mussels, and steamers. Union Oyster House is one of the country’s oldest, most renowned restaurants, open since 1826, serving not only oysters, but also dishes like broiled Boston scrod, a young codfish prepared with breadcrumbs, butter, and herbs, and local sea scallops…