Lobstah lovin’

Seafood is Boston’s culinary crown jewel: shellfish, scallops and haddock are only a sampling of the incredible options that are available fresh, and usually one needs only travel half an hour south if the fish aren’t caught directly off the city’s piers. With the warm weather comes seafood cravings, and because we don’t go to college in Idaho, we bypass the land-locked fate of freezer-burnt Gordon’s fish patties and can consciously resist that eye-twitchingly frustrating Filet-O-Fish jingle.

However, amid the miles of shoreline, a student budget is usually a pretty severe obstacle to tackle when looking for a decent seafood binge. Yankee Lobster Fish Market and Restaurant in South Boston is the solution. Renew your ZipCar membership and drive down to Northern Avenue. Although the neighboring empty parking lots and abandoned warehouses are reminiscent of some of the dodgier scenes in “The Departed,” you’ll find that the trip was worth it.

To start, we split the clam box ($13.95), a heaping mountain of fried clam strips that had the consistency of butter. The creamy tartar sauce was a perfect condiment to the salty clam fries. Next, we opted for the special of the day: a two-pound lobster for only $20. In case you are not familiar with the typical shellfish prices in Boston, this is about half of what you can usually expect to pay for a lobster of this size. Despite its cheap price tag, no flavor was sacrificed. Every bite of the beautiful lobster was perfectly broiled to tender, juicy perfection.

Pair your meal with a bottle of UFO White beer at the counter, available for about five dollars. Every entrée, although big enough to share, comes with a side of coleslaw and your choice of onion rings or fries (opt for the former).The only downside was discovering that the restaurant did not brew its own iced tea, which is a perfect pairing with fish &- but instead, we chose from a variety of canned teas from their fridge.

Fish and chips ($8.95), a scallop plate ($15.95) or the house-made crab cake sandwich ($9.50) are just a few of the other options on the menu. The homemade clam chowder ($5.75/16 oz.) and lobster bisque ($6.95/16 oz.) are also not to be overlooked, and even make a creative condiment for your French fries. If you’re not partial to seafood, or are taking a pesca-phobe on a date, Yankee Lobster offers hamburgers ($8.95), salads (up to $13) or buffalo chicken wraps ($8.95).

Regardless of its somewhat precarious surroundings, Yankee Lobster has the best value for seafood and shellfish in the city. Out-door seating, a BYOB policy and cheap beer on tap put this small restaurant/fish market at an even higher standing. However, don’t come here if you’re looking for table service and romanticism. Yankee Lobster Fish Market is just that: a fish vendor that happens to serve great seafood to patrons in a no-frills dockside atmosphere.

Yankee Lobster Fish Market and Restaurant is located at 300 Northern Ave. in South Boston.