• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tiny Urban Kitchen
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » US Travel » Boston » Cambridge » Central Square

    Alive and Kicking Lobster

    Published: Nov 24, 2015 by Jennifer Che

    wpid22972-DSC4467.jpg
    I am embarrassed to say that I lived within a 15-minute walk from this place for ten years and never once tried it.

    Oh sure, I had intended to visit Alive and Kicking Lobster, a small seafood shack tucked away in a residential part of Cambridgeport. I'd heard great things about it, and I even knew a local (and respected) restaurant that sourced seafood from the place.
    wpid22982-DSC4472.jpg
    Oddly enough, it wouldn't be until I actually moved away from the neighborhood that I would visit. And that is all because of my food-obsessed coworkers at my new job, who invited me to walk over on an unseasonably warm day in the middle of November.

    I was thrilled to find out that our offices are only a two-minute walk away.

    wpid22968-DSC4465.jpg
    Alive and Kicking is really a tiny "restaurant" that consists of a simple seafood counter (you can see people lining up and out the door in the photo above) and a couple of outdoor picnic benches.
    wpid22978-DSC4470.jpg
    Their specialty is lobster (live, steamed, or made into a sandwich), but they also have raw oysters, fresh fish, scallops, steamers, and a soup of the day (clam chowder on the day we went).
    wpid22976-DSC4469.jpg
    For me, it's an amazing new source for picking up fresh seafood to take home. Honestly, out here in this residential area of Cambridgeport, there aren't that many options!

    But the fresh seafood is not the main reason to visit.
    wpid22986-DSC4474.jpg
    Their signature dish is the Lobster Sandwich ($16.95).

    Keep in mind, it's not a lobster roll. Owner Louis Mastrangelo believes that lobster deserves a better "vehicle" than the thick bread rolls that are ubiquitous in these parts. The lobster sandwiches at Alive and Kicking are made using thin slices of buttered and toasted Scali bread.
    wpid22990-DSC4476.jpg
    Inside, it's just fresh, sweet lobster meat with a touch of mayo and nothing else. There's no celery, no other vegetables, nothing.

    The result is delicious. The ratio of lobster meat to bread is just right, and the lobster is allowed to shine. The flavor is simple and pure, yet perfect at the same time.
    wpid22988-DSC4475.jpg
    The sandwich comes with a side of chips. You can also get a combo meal by adding a drink and a side of soup (e.g., clam chowder).
    wpid22970-DSC4466.jpg
    On a warm day, grab a seat at the outdoor patio area.
    wpid22984-DSC4473.jpg
    Sit on some picnic benches, and enjoy a phenomenal sandwich with like-minded food-loving coworkers.

    Alive and Kicking Lobster
    269 Putnam Ave
    Cambridge, MA

    Note: Alive and Kicking Lobster is currently facing a zoning challenge after a neighboring bed & breakfast complained that the space was not properly zoned to be a restaurant. The business began in the late 1980's with owner Louis selling lobster out of the side of a truck. It has since grown to become more restaurant-like, though the area is technically not zoned for a restaurant. Proponents argue he should be grandfathered in, having run his business here successfully for 20 years. Challengers argue that the residential space is not proper for a restaurant, and the business is causing problems to the neighbors. For more details on the news story, check out this article. To sign the petition in support, go here.
    wpid22980-DSC4471.jpg
    Owner Louis Mastrangelo

    More Boston

    • Jinny's Pizzeria Newton
    • Farewell Bergamot
    • Happy New Year! A look back at 2017
    • Jen's Top Restaurants to visit in Boston - 2017 update

    Recent Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain January 16, 2023
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars December 29, 2022
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia December 9, 2022
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia December 5, 2022
    • Llisa Negra Valencia Spain December 1, 2022
    • Central Bar by Ricard Camarena - Valencia Spain November 29, 2022
    • Casa Ripoll Valencia - Beachside Paella November 27, 2022
    • Valencia Spain Trip Report - Itinerary November 23, 2022

    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. Traveling during Covid: Our 3-Month Trip Around the World says:
      December 20, 2021 at 4:15 am

      […] from Row 34, the best New England IPA in the world from Trillium, my favorite lobster sandwich from Alive and Kicking in Cambridge, New Haven pizza from Frank Pepe, and the one-and-only vanilla loaf from Hi Rise Bread […]

      Log in to Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2022 Tiny Urban Kitchen