Bonfire

Recommends

jmarchunsky

Joined 8 years ago

Totally recommending this restaurant. We totally recommend Bonfire. Not only great food, but the service was exceptional due to our wonderful British server Lyndon. He is funny, helpful, and quite the gentleman. He steered us to the best items on the menu (the Churasca which is their signature menu item, plus the lobster taco's-amazing. ) Throughout the night, in conversation, we spoke to him of our plans to move soon, and he recommended the Keys. When our dessert came to the table, he had the chef humorously decorate it to include the words "Move to the Keys" on the plate. Lastly, after the bill was paid, he walked us out of the restaurant to say goodnight with fond expressions of good wishes. He made our first visit here a memorable one, and we highly recommend that anyone visiting Bonfire beg to sit in his area. Great food & service.Doesn't get much better than this.

Recommends

italiandude

Joined 8 years ago

Try the tacos!. The warm, red theme and the loud bar welcome you in one of Boston finest's food temples. While for most steakhouses the only differentiating factor is the quality of the meat (being the rest just about the same), English's cuisine surprise you with unsuspected twists. Don't limit yourself to the wanderful ribeye: a platter of tacos (my favorites are skirt steak, lobster, and oyster) will knock out your taste buds!

Recommends

netwerk23

Joined 10 years ago

Good but not the best. Party of 8, place was empty due to snowstorm. Service was very good, orders were delivered with good timing and no mistakes. We were the only table in the joint, so that might have affected the service. Food was good but not up to the hype or the prices. A rare T-bone was good but poorly seasoned and the cognac peppercorn sauce overly sweet (was more like bbq sauce). Tempura green beans were abysmal, 100% not recommended. Try somewhere else first.

Recommends

cosmicpoet

Joined 8 years ago

Love it but.... I do love a good steak and they do that well. Very well. The only thing that bothers me about Bonfire is the that certain seats are facing the windows on the street and the difference between the light inside the restaurant and outside the restaurant makes the street lamp's light very annoying. They should close the drapes to the restaurant if they're going to keep it so dark in there.

Back to the food though, the salad was crisp, the waiter/waitress was attentive (except when bringing our check). I would have liked it if the waiter/waitress was a little more knowledgable about which wines to pair with which entrees, but the food itself was really well done and on that alone, it's worth the cost.

Doesn't Recommend

ldyjane

Joined 8 years ago

Don't waste your money.... Calamari appetizer was not crispy or tasty, bread was like cheap store rolls, signature steak with potatoes was ok and skimped on sauce on asparagus. Good wines get disproportionally pricey and no explanation of menu when seated. Service was only fair and the facility seems run down.

Recommends

valerieh

Joined 11 years ago

Service is not a priority. During our recent visit to Bonfire, we were immediately enchanted by the ambience and looking forward to a wonderful dining experience. However, we this sense of anticipation was immediately dashed when after having to wait to be seated, our waitress came to take our drink order and promptly vanished & left us waiting for an additional 30 minutes. We finally had to see the manager and asked for another server. The meal itself was mediocre at best (considering the prices) and the overall dining experience turned out to be a huge disappoinment.

Recommends

timh83

Joined 9 years ago

Not worth the hype. Bonfire could definately stand to step it up. A gorgeous restaurant with a interesting menu simply failed to meet expectations. We were seated promptly in a good location (after making reservations). The service was fair, the server was curt and seemed to be trying to avoid us, although there were no mistakes, and the timing was fine. The food was not up to snuff. The calamari were average, my dry aged ribeye was good, however the prime sirloin lacked any flavor whatsoever. The chocolate trio was okay, but was much too rich and heavy to be enjoyed. All in all, an average experience at a restaurant that should be well above average.

Recommends

vertigoman

Joined 9 years ago

Very good meal with excellent service. Bonfire is not your regular steakhouse; if you want the best grilled steak in Boston, try Grill 23. If you want to try something different, though, head over to Bonfire and try one of their specialty dishes. All of the steaks are good, but a visit to Bonfire is most rewarding when trying something like their skirt steak, or any of the Argentinian-flavored appetizers. The service was excellent; a jolly waiter by the name of Lyndon took very good care of us, and was very knowledgeable about the wine list; instead of going for a wine you know, let the staff recommend something special. As far as dessert goes, the lemon meragne pie was disappointing but the chocolate trio was excellent.

Recommends

biaeliz

Joined 10 years ago

Amazing at the very least. I could go on and on about this place, I LOVE it!! The restaurant itself is beautiful. In terms of service and food I have to say that my standards are very high as I have worked in the industry for many years. The service was fantastic, i find it hard to believe that some people who complained about the service are talking about the same place! Our server was extremely well-mannered and willing to answer all of our questions, and was ready with plenty of recommendations. Todd English outdoes himself in terms of the food- it was excellent!!! I was very impressed with everything about my experience. I can honestly say that out of my nine days in Boston, the story of our amazing night at Bonfire was the one we told the most when we got home!!!

Doesn't Recommend

wernie

Joined 10 years ago

Poor Value for Money. Bonfire visit: Wednesday Mar 26 '03. My worst dining experience in Boston ever. Poor quality of food. Excessive use of sugar in almost all dishes - including potatos; batter in onion rings. (Additionally: batter in onion rings was undercooked)

As a steak house: abysmal. Tenderloin ($35 without sides) portion was measly, significantly smaller than that of Grill 23 or Capital. Grill ($32). The meat tasted like Texan brisket barbeque. It could possibly have been over-aged Even the cognac peppercorn sauce was too sweet. Non steak dishes better, but nothing fantastic.

Went at 8.30 pm. Only 4 tables filled. Olives is much better, and much better value.