Captain Boston Seafood, Medford - look for other options!

[rlh]

Always on the lookout for topnotch fishmongers, I noted a posting about this spot on Main St at Harvard St in Medford and stopped in Tuesday night to pick up fish for dinner.

It was unappealing upon entering -- a distinct off smell (mostly fishy but more than that) and messy, cluttered retailing. The service was limited at best -- very little eye contact. There were no labels on anything in the case or prices posted/listed anywhere. The selection that I could see through the cloudy case and piles of paper inside was limited.

I settled on the safe bet of haddock -- at 10.99 per pound -- seemed fair. I realized when I got home to cook (about 15 minutes later) that I should have gone with my gut and left without buying -- or at least asked to smell the fish...

IT REEKED -- upon opening, my wife called out from upstairs asking WHAT was that. Rinsed it, doused it with lemon, and broiled it -- it was edible, but it was like getting fish on an average day at the local Foodmaster.

I don't plan to return -- we will stick with proven spots of Carey's Catch in Lexington, Hook downtown, Yankee Lobster in the Seaport and Whole Foods (River St or Fresh Pond, NOT Woburn), and maybe get to the touted spots in East Cambridge (New Deal and Courthouse, right?) soon.

[Aromatherapy]

Haven't been since they moved next door a month or two ago but although signage was poor and communication awkward (language barrier) the fish I've gotten has always been excellent. Hope this was a one-time problem.

[rlh]

There was no language barrier in my case (both of us were fluent in English, though both staff that evening were Asian-American) -- just lackluster service/attitude.

[MeffaBabe]

MOULTONS SEAFOOD ON WINTHROP STREET IN MEDFORD ALSO SELLS FRESH UNCOOKED FISH FOR YOU TO TAKE HOME AND COOK YOURSELF. NEVER A FISHY ODOR-ALWAYS FRESH AND THE PRICES CANT BE BEAT...THEY HAVE FRESH LOBSTERS ALSO
781-396-6466 .. STOP IN FOR LUNCH AND GET YOUR FRESH FISH ON THE WAY OUT! :-)

[rlh]

Thank you for the reminder and letting me know they sell uncooked seafood -- this really needs to be on my short list for both cooked and fresh -- I've wanted to try it for a long time now!

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Moulton's Seafood Restaurant
178 Winthrop St, Medford, MA 02155

[itaunas]

Wow -- sounds like a downhill alert and I think I hold the blame for pointing you there. I would be curious to know who served you -- usually the husband or wife are there, both who are limited with English communication (not Asian American). I have seen their children (?) helping cut sashimi platters, but never been served by them. They don't usually post the prices (in the old store, they did have some written down, but wasn't regularly updated), but are willing to rattle off the prices of various cuts before you buy. They tend to be higher than Courthouse and New Deal, but less than whole foods.

I have been since they moved to the new shop and the non-sushi selection was thin (I ended up buying swordfish which I usually avoid), but both the sushi-grade and normal fish I bought was perfectly fresh. So my experience hasn't changed from what Aromatherapy said above, but I do usually shop at Courthouse (and new deal) for more selection and better prices, stopping at Captain Boston on Saturday afternoons when I have last minute craving. In any case, I will assume a downhill alert and take one for the team some Saturday in the future to see if anything has changed as far as staffing and or quality.

[Aromatherapy]

I was in late Saturday (hottest day of the year) for some shrimp. Kids were indeed doing the waiting on customers, middle-aged Korean couple were working in the back. It did seem a mite whiffy and shrimp were a shade less good than usual but still better than Whole Foods. As they can be awfully convenient for me I'm not giving up yet. My long-term impression is that retail is only a small part of their business, and most retail customers I've seen there have been Asian, particularly Korean, who I would hope will not tolerate bad fish. Will post future visits.

[itaunas]

They do a lot of wholesale (for instance Hana sushi used to buy from them), but it does seem odd that they moved to a larger retail space and have not improved the retail experience/selection. In addition to the wholesale, they do a _huge_ business in sashimi platters to asian families. I tend toward buying fish from them, rather than shell fish (aside from oysters), but they did used to have large beautiful shrimp at the smaller store. They sometimes had some surprises in the freezer, but I didn't see if that was still customer accessible at the new location. They'll also measure out wasabi (the powdered type, not fresh) in dixie cups for you.

[yumyum]

That really stinks. (no pun intended). I would definitely steer you to New Deal on Cambridge Street. In addition to the freshest fish, the service is really friendly.

[houlette]

Hmm, that's too bad. My wife and I were just going to try them out this weekend, but maybe we'll stay away now. And they advertise sushi platters -- I would have expected extra-fresh fish!