Red Fez

Recommends

GaryGM

Joined 3 years ago

Great Place.... I think this place is great. Food is terrific. I have been there several times & even had my engagement party there! The Chicken & Lamb Kabobs are great. Salmon is very good as well. As others have noted the appetizers are very very good. The middle eastern Beer & international Wine selection is a great fit for the food & this place is NOT expensive, especially with free parking in the back. I don't understand anyone who says this place is expensive; maybe next to the average greasy kebab house.

The drawbacks are when they are busy; New Years Eve, a popular music act, my engagement party. The quality of service definitely goes down. Please note: Everyone of my guests enjoyed themselves.

As for 'bad tasting food' I think commentators are talking about the Kofta. Their recipe is unique, and one night I saw a couple return it for that reason, but I like the Kofta! I think there is a lot of parsley which can be over powering.

If you enjoy Arabic & Turkish food then you must go. Its been around for decades for a very good reason!

Doesn't Recommend

annette p

Joined 3 years ago

Premium quality rudeness. A local music ensemble that I adore, called Dünya, was playing here. I made a reservation a few weeks in advance and then when I showed up, I was left there standing for about 5 minutes. The maître d'hôtel came and said they had no record of our reservation, he said pointing to a ruled sheet of paper covered with scrawls. I can see they have a sophisticated record-keeping system. They made me stand there like a schmuck pleading for a table. Eventually, I just had to leave, it was so rude.

The funny thing is, we had had the exact same problem last year when Dünya played there. They haven't got their act together after a full year.

The food here is OK, but way overpriced. As you can see from my other reviews on Yelp, which are mostly 5 stars, I am a very tolerant person. However, to be called a liar, effectively, in front of the other people who were waiting to be seated is unacceptable.

Doesn't Recommend

henklfchma

Joined 4 years ago

No good until new managment. the manager had adttitude all the time

he should not be in thsi filed, he wantsus to tips the waitress more that we should and we give 40 % and he wants more for the blonde one, the brazilain boyz and the middle eatern are good worker,

but the other no way

Place was good and pack once now is so empty and wonder why....... wonder if the owners knows why

Recommends

LoveCityLife

Joined 4 years ago

Great space & Entertainment, Poor Food, Poor Service. Food: below average, burned and tasteless. A good advice: stick to the appetizers if you were to eat anything there.

Service: poor, slow and below average. Manager/Owner has no people or PR skills, he does not bother himself to greet or acknowledge his customers.

Place: is Great, the room is beautiful, decorated with gorgeous carpets and exotic lamps. The way they have the bar and the dining room separated is great. They have a gorgeous space and it looks like they spent the money on renovating it.

Parking: Excellent in the back of the restaurant, it is spacious and free.

Entertainment: is the best thing they have beside the space. On Friday, they have Armenian & Turkish band (good musicians a bit stiff). On Saturdays they have a Middle Eastern band (one main singer who manages to pull it off and create a good ambiance - musicians are good). Belly dancers change often, I have seen two lousy ones and only one real good one.

Not great for dinning but it is a good place to go to with your friends, order few light appetizers, have a drink, enjoy the music and dance.

Recommends

lovecitylife

Joined 4 years ago

Good Music, Excellent space, Poor Food, Poor Service. Food: below average, burned and tasteless. A good advice: stick to the appetizers if you were to eat anything there.

Service: poor, slow and below average. Manager/Owner has no people or PR skills, he does not bother himself to greet or acknowledge his customers.

Place: is Great, the room is beautiful, decorated with gorgeous carpets and exotic lamps. The way they have the bar and the dining room separated is great. They have a gorgeous space and it looks like they spent the money on renovating it.

Parking: Excellent in the back of the restaurant, it is spacious and free.

Entertainment: is the best thing they have beside the space. On Friday, they have Armenian & Turkish band (good musicians a bit stiff). On Saturdays they have a Middle Eastern band (one main singer who manages to pull it off and create a good ambiance - musicians are good). Belly dancers change often, I have seen two lousy ones and only one real good one. On Sunday they have Jazz music on the evening and are planning to have Arabic music on the afternoons. Can't say much about Sundays because I never been there on Sunday!

Not great for dinning but it is a good place to go to with your friends, order few light appetizers, have a drink, enjoy the music and dance.

Doesn't Recommend

Turkman

Joined 4 years ago

Totally Red Disaster on Valentines night.. On Feb 14th , the night of Valentine I was at the Red Fez Bar getting a double Scotch ( I had specified the brand ) , When I was asked by the bartender how this particular drink is made , I must have been out of my mind to even stay another minute there When a bartender Doesn't speak english and lacks the knowledge of his duties behind the counter . But I don't Blame him ,, I Blame the Owner of this joint Cause after finding out that the Owner doesn't speak simple communication Language Called ENGLISH , that's when I felt the air inside is going to Suffocate me , the owner decided to call the cops Just for letting him know that he shouldn't have bartenders working in a bar when they don't speak English or Know how to mix a drink . And So Boston Finest Arrived in Numbers to escort me out because of the non speaking english owner russhed like a coward to call them and threatened me to be arrested if I ever went back there EVER AGAIN . So Good Luck Folks

Doesn't Recommend

FoodieJubee

Joined 4 years ago

The Red Failure. Knowing that The Red Fez is the oldest Middleastern restaurant in the Boston area my friend and I decided to try it out. Upon entering the restaurant I felt like I was walking in Disney World's Epcot Center with a fat belly dancer and blaring music. It was very Cliche to say the least. After the hostess seated us, we had to go through several servers to have our waiter take our order. We waited 40 minutes for our hummus, yogurt dip, and grape leaves to reach our table (Each item needed to placed in a dish and sent to our table). Following came the luke warm green watery main course. We each took a bite and threw it out into our paper napkins. This was by far THE WORST dining experience I have ever had. Be careful enter with caution.

Recommends

aerlinnel

Joined 6 years ago

Very good experience. I was really surprised to see all the negative reviews on the Red Fez, although I suppose a number of them date back a while. I went with my boyfriend for my birthday dinner last Friday evening, somewhat randomly (we were going to go to the Franklin Cafe, but the 1+ hour wait put us off). The Fez was a very pleasant surprise! We had some very tasty meat-stuffed grape leaves for an appetizer. My entree was the lamb (kebab-style chunks) wrapped in roasted eggplant and cooked in Neapolitan sauce. It was *delicious*, rich and hearty -- perfect for a frigid late-November night. My boyfriend had the lamb loins, also very good, although he said it was quite a bit of work to get the meat off the bones. My pear mojito left something to be desired -- it was very alcohol-y except for the layer of sugar at the bottom -- but the busboys were extremely zealous in making sure that my water glass stayed full. In fact, they were extremely zealous about everything, to the point where they actually cleared our silverware with the appetizer dishes and our (attentive and very nice) waitress had to bring us more. It seems that the Fez ownership has taken criticisms of its service to heart and made improvements.

The dining room is only barely separated from the bar area, so at times it was difficult to hold a conversation over the music from the bar (and some music -- Abba and old-school Britney Spears?!) Nevertheless, the ambience of the place was nice, and I really liked the decor. And even on a Friday night, the dining room was only about half-full. Check this place out! I know I'm glad I did.

Doesn't Recommend

toneperc

Joined 6 years ago

TASTELESS/OVERPRICED FOOD, WHAT A WASTE OF A NICE SPACE...... SHAME THAT THE FOOD IS SO BAD HERE, THE SPACE IS SO NICE, INCLUDING THE OUTDOOR PATIO SPACE. IT WOULD BE SO NICE TO SEE A TRADITONAL ITALIAN RESTAURANT MOVE INTO THIS SPACE OR A MEXICAN RESTAURANT. WE NEED A MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN THE SOUTH END....

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

South End's festive Middle Eastern restaurant serves dependable fare to a loyal, local following.. The Scene
Awash in warm colors and authentic touches, an upbeat atmosphere fills this popular South End spot (and the patio, when weather permits its use). An eclectic mix fills the airy bar for one of Boston's most unusual drink menus. Nearly 100 wines are on offer, including about 30 by the glass.

The Food
The user-friendly, predominantly Middle Eastern menu satisfies, from light snacks to heavy meals. Most diners start with a selection of hot and cold mezze (appetizers); spinach-cheese dumplings, hummus and tabouleh do not disappoint. Another excellent starter is the moist, lemony mako shark skewer. Entrees include several standards, such as a healthy-sized char-grilled chicken skewer plate. Seared breast of duckling is prepared with a flavorful chutney of almonds, apricots and dates. Strong Turkish coffee and Moroccan mint tea wash down pleasing homemade desserts, including a surprisingly good tiramisu.