The Hourly Oyster House

Review summary

1. K

   Kelly VIP

   Seattle2 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Awful service and mediocre food that is overpriced. We had multiple servers assigned to us that did not provide good service. I ordered a wine pairing that came w 3 wines, 1 of which I was unable to even get, and 2 that came after the course had already been served and eaten. Shellfish was undercooked and they bring half eaten food into the kitchen and served it back to me after they tampered with it. There are obviously Food Safety Concerns - Once food has been exposed to saliva and potentially contaminated, it's no longer considered safe to be handled and served again. This restaurant should have had policies in place to prevent the re-serving of food that has been on a plate. Bringing potentially contaminated food back into the kitchen area could lead to cross-contamination and pose a risk to other food items.
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Greater Boston1 review

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I have visited Hourly a number of times, never fails to impress!
   

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3. O

   Oscar VIP

   Richmond56 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Back again and same deal: great food and terrific service!
   

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4. C

   Carlos Enrique

   Mexico City4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I come to the Hourly every time I come back to campus. It is for me the best restauranr around, in terms of food, atmosphere, and prices.
   

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5. J

   Jenny Boom Boom

   Greater Boston4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A very lovely and fun place. Great oysters and other choices. All wait staff are very cordial and helpful. This sounds like a generic review..... we have been 3 xs Love this place!!!
   

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6. J

   Joe

   New York City7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 1, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Our server wasn't too attentive, maybe it was Saturday night that restaurant was bit too busy. Besides, everything else was excellent. We started with tale of two oysters, great presentation and assortment of the day. This is the reason why we visited restaurant, but few of oysters had cracked shells inside, and wasn't really tasty, all were quite fresh. Moving on to entree, we ordered lobster roll and icelandic cod. Cod cooked to perfection, it was one of the best fish I've had in a long time. Lobster roll was really good as well. For $34, it had lots of "really good lobster meats." I can't not end this review without commenting french fries. yum yum. If I return, I would definitely order the same. I would hope for little better oyster for my taste bud, but that's a crapshoot. Besides, awesome cooked food, you can tell the chef was someone who knows a thing or two. I am sure every cooked menu is top notch.
   

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7. M

   Michael VIP

   Richmond46 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 28, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Second visit. Parking garage across street, validated,, but plenty of on street spots. Amazing in Harvard Square. Excellent, friendly servers. Delicious food. Our party of three split 18 oysters, enjoyed entrees and dessert. Warm vibe. Casual. Don't miss!
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Greater Boston1 review

   5.0

   Dined on February 27, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Oscar our server was a pleasure. Always a delicious meal at the Hourly.
   

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9. T

   Thatmomdotcom VIP

   Orlando14 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 27, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Fantastic dinner, excellent service. I felt compelled to order the lobster roll and it was worth every cent, huge pieces of lobster tail meat in a perfectly griddled bun. My companion (my 17 year old son in town to tour Harvard) had the half tale of daily oysters and enjoyed them all, as well as the bisque. Wonderful dinner. And they called me to let me know I left my car key behind, I appreciated that!
   

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10. A

    Al

    Tampa3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 24, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4

    The prices would be ok if the food had the taste to match, however this is overpriced, and lacking in flavor. The shellfish are fine but overpriced. The shuckers need to work on not letting so many shell fragments stay behind in the oyster cups. The shuckers also need to learn that the bottom half of the clam shell on which the raw clam is presented, should be separated from the clam so it is easier to remove in one forkful. Speaking of forks, it was odd to have to request a cocktail fork for the $125 seafood tower. On this tower, the small halves of lobster tail were overcooked, and the tuna and hamachi lacked a needed addition of salt/seasoning. The overall service was friendly, but sometimes inattentive. Servers should also know more details about the dishes and types of shellfish in a restaurant of this caliber. The clam chowder was too small for $10, and had almost no actual clams in it - it was mostly a tasty cream based soup with some potatoes. Even the mignonette for the oysters had barely a noticeable piece of minced shallot. The biggest disappointment was a halibut entree in which the fish was mushy and the flavor was so neutral that it was bland. Overall, this is a big letdown in a metro area known for some stellar oyster bars.
    

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