[13] In 1950, George Berkowitz, the son of Harry, opened a fish market adjacent to his father's grocery store and named it Legal Sea Foods.

[18] In 1990, the restaurant partnered with the United States Department of Commerce in developing a hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) program and helped to establish a landmark fishing industry standard for freshness and food safety.

Roger had worked in the family business since the age of ten and is an honorary graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

[23] At the Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, fans in New Orleans were served New England clam chowder from Legal Sea Food's Chowda van.

[28] In 1999, the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association presented Roger Berkowitz with the Silver Plate award for America's best full-service, multi-unit restaurant operator, one of the food industry's highest honors.

On February 22, 2014, a carbon monoxide leak killed the manager of the Legal Sea Foods branch at the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station, New York and sickened 27 others.

President & CEO of Legal Sea Foods, Roger Berkowitz, said that the company would install carbon monoxide detectors and conduct comprehensive safety audits at all locations.

[42] 2019 marked the start of a collaboration with Stonewall Kitchen, a specialty food manufacturer based in Maine, on a line of signature sauces, dressings and condiments.

These products are sold under the name "Legal Sea Foods by Stonewall Kitchen” and range from cocktail sauce to lemon dill aioli.

In August 2020, $10 million from the federal government Paycheck Protection Program ran out, and the company began exploring mergers with other restaurant operators.

[45][46] Following the acquisition of the restaurants by PPX, there were reports from certain vendors indicating that they had not been remunerated in full, despite Berkowitz having allocated adequate funds for this purpose.

[51] The New England restaurant chain also only serves fish which are within National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) guidelines, which are considered sustainable species by the federal government.

[53] Legal Sea Foods became one of the first restaurants in the United States to employ lean production techniques to improve the customer experience.

One of the main changes was to install a line back position, similar to a bar-back, to quickly restock whatever the chef or cook needed in a just-in-time flow.

The company also made industry advances in fish handling and has worked with federal agencies on developing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

[55] Bon Appétit magazine touts a meal at Legal Sea Foods as among America's "Top Ten Tried-and-True" dining experiences.

[56] In January 2011, Legal Sea Foods sponsored a dinner that featured several species of fish which were listed by the advocacy organization Seafood Watch as ones to avoid for sustainability reasons.

[3] In March 2015, Legal Sea Foods partnered with Uber on a promotion to deliver bowls of clam chowder anywhere in the city of Boston.

[75] In 2015, Legal Sea Foods launched a multimedia advertising campaign that attempted to establish a new religion whose members would be known as "pescatarians", comparing them to Catholics and Presbyterians.

CEO Roger Berkowitz said that the campaign was the widest-reaching to date and spanned all forms of media from print, online, television, and even a gag website.

On Super Tuesday, Roger Berkowitz declared himself a candidate for President of the United States in a parody ad campaign of the "fishy" election.

In addition, Legal Sea Foods introduced the "Lobster Lob" at all home games played by the Boston Pride, part of the National Women's Hockey League, during the 2019–2020 season.