Upscale Spanish Food in Boston's South End - Masa

(617) 892-4489

439 Tremont St (Appleton Street)
Boston, MA 02116 42.3468 -71.0691

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Neighborhoods: Shawmut, South End

masarestaurant.com…

Hours:

Mon-Wed 5pm-11:30pm

Thu-Sat 5pm-1am

Sun 10:30am-3pm, 5pm-11:30pm

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Masa

What People Are Saying About Masa

The Owner

Masa

Owner

Located between Arlington and Berkley Streets, Masa is an elegant yet casual Boston Spanish restaurant whose Southwestern feel is evoked as much by its food as by its decor. Muted abstractions of landscapes, natural tones and mahogany accents create a warm, sultry ambience throughout the dining spaces where patrons enjoy $1 tapas at the bar. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week, this Boston Spanish restaurant also features brunch tapas Mon. - Fri. from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, hosts Salsa dancing on Thurs, provides valet parking and encourages outdoor dining on the roomy yet intimate patio…

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The Editor

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene – In the stylish South End, where upscale bistros seemingly blend into one another, Masa's warm, Southwestern environs stick out like a cactus. One of the neighborhood's most welcoming bars provides a romantic locale for sucking down tasty "masaritas" (the house margarita, made with grapefruit juice). When the weather's agreeable, patrons jockey for one of the the small sidewalk tables. – – The Food – Expectations of sizzling fajita platters are squashed after scanning Masa's menu, which is chock full of upscale ingredients and modern cooking styles (think…

1 Star Rating: Poor

09/20/09

average food and the worst customer service in the South End

by Guru1

I had been to Masa a couple of times, both times I thought the food was sub par. On my third experience the food was awful, my server brought me the wrong order two times, I waited 55 minutes for tapas which was overcooked and they refused to remove from the bill. Management did no seem to care about my experience whatsoever and seemed severely irritated and defensive when I brought this to there attention

I have the opportunity to dine in just about every decent restaurant in Boston due to my profession, and would recommend Taco Bell before I ever mentioned this place to anybody.

  • Pros: not really many
  • Cons: rude, discourteous, inexperienced, immature management staff
3 Star Rating: Average

07/19/09

Decent Food, Poor Customer Service

by FrancisKeys

I've lived in the South End of Boston for three years now and have eaten out repeatedly at Masa. On the positive note, nice place, great ambiance., Salsa on Thursdays. Every evening during happy hour they have $1 tapas by the bar (For $10 great tapas assortment that is very filling), and other discounted menu items - they're great. Dinner in the main dining room is also great, including delicous brunch on Saturdays and Sundays (nut crusted texas french toast!).

The huge and unfortunate drawack is the customer service. Everyone from the hostess (who snapped at my guest to hurry up and decide if he wanted to sit at the bar or in the dining room b/c the seat would get taken), the waiter (inattentive), the bartender (I've seen her on multiple occasions cut customers off and slam down drinks on the bar out of frustration when it gets busy), to even the busboy (told our table to move our own plates so he could set down the next course, bad timing all throughout the course). And these all occured on seperate visits.

So in the end it's a tradeoff, food and atmosphere for consistently bad customer service.

  • Pros: Food, Tapas, Drinks, Atmosphere
  • Cons: Customer Service
4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/10/09

Where an Arizonan in Boston goes for Southwestern food

by Tiffany M

Someone took me here when I said I was homesick for Arizona and this helped me feel better.

I LOVED the cornbread and the assortment of interesting butter and jams that were served with it. We got the breakfast tacos to share from the tapas menu and I ordered the BBQ Mac and Cheese for an entree, which was very heavy - which was to be expected, but I ended up being disappointed by it. I wish I had gotten something else. The cornbread was enough to make me happy about the whole experience, though. They use blue corn, which makes it even better!

I missed the Southwestern-look that you see everywhere in Phoenix restaurants! I will come back here when I'm homesick again because there are very few places in Boston to get this same Southwestern experience.

  • Pros: Cornbread at brunch!!!
  • Cons: Very limited patio seating

The Details on Masa

Save Money:

Saturday brunch service includes a $7.95 prix-fixe that includes two courses and coffee or tea.

The Extras:

An inviting brunch menu (huevos rancheros, Venezuelan chocolate chip pancakes with mango butter) is served on Sundays until 3pm.

When to Go:

Salsa dancing attracts lively crowds on Thursdays from 9pm to 1am, with lessons offered from 10:30pm to 11:30pm.

Parking:

There's hardly any non-resident parking in this part of the South End. Use the pricey valet service ($12) or find yourself hoofing it from the Back Bay.

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Smoking Permitted:

On patio

As Seen In…

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Boston

Message from Masa

  • Boston Salsa Dancing-Thur
  • Spanish/Southwestern Cuisine
  • Tapas, Brunch, Great Drinks

Located between Arlington and Berkley Streets, Masa is an elegant yet casual Boston Spanish restaurant whose Southwestern feel is evoked as much by its food as by its decor. Muted abstractions of landscapes, natural tones and mahogany accents create a warm, sultry ambience throughout the dining spaces where patrons enjoy $1 tapas at the bar.

Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week, this Boston Spanish restaurant also features brunch tapas Mon. - Fri. from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, hosts Salsa dancing on Thurs, provides valet parking and encourages outdoor dining on the roomy yet intimate patio from Apr. - Sept.

Masa boasts a semi-private dining space that can accommodate up to 32 guests. An expansive wine and house drink menu work to pair perfectly with every intuitively prepared dish that Executive Chef Philip Aviles creates. Reservations are recommended and made easily online.

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