Dolphin Seafood Restaurant

My wife and I decided to try this place again. I got the fish tacos and she got the ahi tuna burger. My French fries and Cole slaw were great. The fish tacos had absolutely no flavor at all. tilapia with onions and tomatoes no sauce or seasoning. You would think a seafood restaurant would have good fish tacos! My wife enjoyed her ahi tuna burger.

I am giving 3 stars but it is a little bit of a stretch. I usually go there only for the fish and chips lunch as my experiences there were up and down. Went there today for dinner with my wife and 2 others. I ordered the shrimp with garlic, another ordered the fish and chips while my wife and one other ordered the swordfish. All of us had salad sides which only came with one tomato! My meal was fine as was the fish and chips. However the swordfish meals were not good at all as both said the meals were tasteless and bland and they couldn’t finish them. Told the waiter who was very nice overall and he went and told the manager. She came over and asked if they wanted anything else instead. They said no so she took the swordfish meals off the bill without any hesitation. We gave the waiter a tip based on what the bill would have been with the swordfish meals. Based on other recent reviews it appears getting a good meal there can be a hit or miss proposition. Too bad as it is a nice place in a good downtown location and the people there seem nice.

For the first time in my life, I considered cancelling my meal order based on the quality of the appetizers and drinks. The diet Pepsi was served with limes as requested, but the limes were brown and looked like they had been sliced days ago. The seafood chowder was bland and had the consistency of something poured from a can into a warming tray and forgotten about– think tapioca with mushy fish chunks suspended in it. The calamari was overcooked and had the texture and flavor of elastic bands. The batter on the calamari was falling off and excessively oily.
Our meals did little to improve the experience. The greens in both salads were wilted and some of the croutons in the Caesar salad were mushy. The ‘seafood Diablo’ consisted of overcooked, rubbery seafood in a bland sauce that desperately needed seasoning as well the requisite kick one would expect from such a dish. The seafood platter was, in a word, unpleasant. The scallops were rubbery, the fish tasted foul and had a mealy texture, and the clams were sour and even more rubbery than the calamari appetizer. I did not try the shrimp and will give them the benefit of the doubt and say that potentially they might have been passable as food, but at that point my appetite had vanished and the only thing I craved was the check.
The server was acceptably attentive and quite pleasant which was the only decent part of the experience.
Needless to say I will not be returning to this subpar establishment.

I booked a table for 8 for my sons graduation. When we arrived at the restaurant the waitress promptly came over and gave my son a huge platter of shrimp cocktail and acknowledged his graduation. I was very happy about this. However, the service went downhill from there. We waited almost 2 hours for our food. The waitress did not come and refill any of our drinks. At one point I even went to the bar and ordered a martini and brought it back to my table! When asked where our food was we were told «the steamed lobsters take longer», in which we called bullsh&$ on that one. Needless to say we will not return with a large party again.

Dolphin Seafood — Natick, MA — 6÷2÷2016
First out… Some of the freshest of fresh shrimp cocktail I’ve had in a long time served on a bed of crispy lettuce with cocktail sauce and horseradish… Seriously… The only way you’re going to get fresher shrimp is if you go out in a boat and get it yourself…
Next the lobster bisque… A savory rich creamy broth with chunks of lobster. Quite a bit different than the traditional lobster bisque… Like a pairing of bisque & chowdah… Amazingly rich in flavour and a texture that only adds to the enjoyment!
Garden Salad of mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes accompanied by crumbled feta cheese dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette… Nicely plated and flavourful…
And for the main this evening… The Lobster Natick… Half a Lobster in a casserole, topped with seasoned shrimp and scallop stuffing, flavored with the light cream sauce and finished with roasted peppers and Monterey Jack cheese… For me, I could do without the three strips of pepper atop the dish and way less cheese on top but that’s just me… Add in a stuffed baked potato with cheese and bacon bits with sour cream on the side and life is truly complete! The potato just melts in your mouth as the bacon, butter and sour cream tantalize your taste buds… Wow! The dish was truly delicious so I’m going to guess it was probably not on my diet… Oh well… Add an hour to the elliptical…
Everybody is super friendly here… From the person that greets you at the front, to my server Katarina to Adam who just happened to walk by… He seemed so friendly I just struck up a conversation about food and restaurants and such… The vibe of a place really tells you a lot… And this place oozes friendly!
Much to my surprise there is no cappuccino here… Who has a restaurant with really great food and skimps on the cappuccino?! They have regular coffee and tea… The coffee is very good and served very hot. All in all it was a great experience and I will not only be back but also visit their sister store in Cambridge by the same name…

This place has been wonderful for many years and it still is. Probably a goto while in Natick.
Waiters were friendly, food was fine, and atmosphere… very nice. I was here when it opened… and have returned a few times over the years. Interestingly… I always return.

I love the Dolphin! The options of casual bar dining and appetizers or more formal dining room are both nice. Great service, John, Tim and Katie are my favorites but they are all friendly and professional. Mostly great fresh seafood but great burgers, salads, pasta and pizza too. Fun spot, my kids and parents love it too!

Every time I go into Dolphin, they seem to be making more and more improvements. From expanding their bar area to updating the décor, it’s evident that a lot of thought and care goes into this family-​run restaurant. That same level of care is evident in their food, drinks, and excellent service. I personally love their swordfish kabob, oysters rockefeller, and shrimp cocktail. And Katie makes a perfect espresso martini.
Dolphin’s bar specials are great for a light bite with a cocktail. My husband and I have enjoyed the live music on Saturday nights, which is a rare find in the suburbs. We hope to go back for trivia and karaōke with friends.
I appreciate that Dolphin’s website and Facebook page (
) have occasional coupons, whether with our families or friends, or for a date night. Parking is easy at the private restaurant lot, and the bartenders and servers are always smiling and friendly. We have nothing but positive things to say about the Dolphin!

Made a reservation for Valentine’s Day at 7:30 and requested a booth or table off to the side. We get there promptly at 7:25 and are seated directly in the middle of floor despite the fact that there are open tables around the edge which were not occupied at all during our time there, albeit brief.
I ordered a vodka martini, dry, dirty and with olives. When it came it was just vodka with ice cubes floating in it and 3 extremely mushy and off-​color olives. The house pinot noir my fiancé ordered was fine.
Next when we ordered a dozen raw oysters and a dozen steamed clams this got messed up too. The clams came out raw despite the fact that I made it abundantly clear by pointing at the menu that we wanted the steamed ones. The oysters were huge (not to my taste, maybe to yours) and 7 of 12 were not completely shucked (still attached to the shell).
Once we decided that this was not the place we thought it was I nicely asked for the check which took another 15 minutes.
We were going to book this venue for our rehearsal dinner. Now we will never be returning.
WARNING TO ALL: the pictures of the dining room are vastly overstated.

Great deal here. Plenty of seafood for great prices. Really great variety too. However the service was lacking. Felt like the waiter was pained to be there and it made me feel bad asking him for things. The restaurant space itself is nice and spacious.

I love how they enlarged and redesigned the bar area. Great prices, good food and fun atmosphere!

I am a regular customer on Friday nights — and I wouldn’t have it any other way! The staff are amazing, drinks are excellent, and food is great! I love having a spot to go to on a regular basis especially knowing I will get consistent service every time!

Where do I start! Awesome food, always fresh, clean, very well presented!!! I known this restaurant for a long time and it doesn’t beat anyone in neighborhood! Awesome staff, lead by great people, true professionals and dedicated people ! Family own business if I’m not wrong, successful for many many years ! Had dinner so many times and had a function over as well, just amazing experience every time !
If you want good food, awesome atmosphere, served by good people — stop by they got it all !

A true gem right in Natick Center. Fresh and generous portions of seafood (calamari, scallops and more). Great place for cocktails too. The bubblegum cocktail is a glass of poppin delight.

It’s my favorite place to go for seafood. The oysters are soooo delicious. The best oysters I have had. The atmosphere is great and everyone are so nice and friendly. I would give it 6 stars if I could. Amazing. Love going there.

My family and I went to the Dolphin for a meal on Sunday and it was really wonderful! The service was super and the food was so yummy! I especially felt bad because my 9month old son was making a mess but they just accommodated us with no fuss. The management is on top of everything and really cares! That’s rare these days.
I’ll definitely go again soon. The best part about this place is the freshness of
The seafood! They go every day for fish and seafood and that’s clear in the flavor!

We came here for drinks and apps. The bar is nice, the restaurant is nice inside as well. Fairly busy during the week.
We had a few drinks from the bar, and some beers. Good beers on tap which is always a plus.
We got a few oysters, they were ok. Nothing bad, but compared to Island Creek in Fenway, they aren’t anything special. We got a few different kinds, they have wellfleets which are great.
We got a few fried apps as well. The fried clams, coconut shrimp, and the fried calamari with the pesto. Everything was ok, nothing spectacular but I would get it all again.
Nice place, a bit pricey for what it is but worth going to. Good location in the center.

When this place first opened up about 10 – 15 years ago it was good. I’ve gone there for lunch 3 times in the last 5 weeks and been disappointed. This last time the service was terrible. Our waiter, Luis, was abrupt and definitely not interested in how we were enjoying our meal. The swordfish kebab was over-​cooked. The lettuce in the salad it was over was brown. But he didn’t want to hear any of what we had to say. Then we decided to approach the manager who essentially had the same attitude. (Fish rots from the head down so they say.) Get a new manager in other words. Because if the manager has that attitude, you’ll be out of business!
We won’t be going there again. Too bad because it once was a great place.

Everything here I would call mediocre; however, they have a good deal some of the time where they give you 2, 1 ¼ lobsters for 22 dollars.

Aaaaamazing! Spicy wonton are to die for!!!
Sausage Incredible and good beef broth
They are very proffessional and polite
Big smile. .good food big 10****