Kingston Station

(617) 482-6282

25 Kingston St
Boston, MA 02111 42.3537 -71.0591

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Neighborhoods: Central, Downtown

kingstonstation.com

Price:

$$$

Last updated 1.19.12

Category:

Bars & Clubs, Restaurants, Lounges, Coffeehouses

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, Debit Card

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Brunch, Lunch Spot, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Traditional American, Chinese

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Kingston Station

Featured Review

Gerrish Lopez

Contributor

In Short – Kingston Station has the feel of a classic European railway station, with vintage white tiles, mismatched tables and chairs, and a small café in front. The casual atmosphere suits the American bistro fare served within. Popular items include beef carpaccio salad, steak frites, veal milanese, and truffle fries. Sample an original cocktail such as the Partly Cloudy (Brugal Anejo rum, ginger beer, fresh ginger) or, if you dare, the Kubler Absinthe.

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
The front cafe area has free wireless internet and an assortment of newspapers to enjoy with coffee or tea.
When to Go:
As it is just 10 minutes from the Theater District, Kingston Station is a great pre-theater dining destination or post-theater coffee-and-dessert spot.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The food is pretty good (truffle fries are delish) and the decor is really cute and quaint.”
  2. “The ambiance in the rear dinning room was very cozy/romantic with low light being accented by candles and white christmas lights on the "big wheel”
  3. “The service was excellent and we like the decor (see below however).”
  4. “The only additional thing that would make this restaurant a perfect ten would be to dim the lighting for ambiance.”
  5. “Fantastic food, nice decor - huge improvement on Peking Tom!”
  6. “The decor was nice, lots of little touches to give it a nice vintage feel.”
  7. “The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great.”
drinks
87.5% positive
  1. “found the wine to be a great price at $6.00 a glass.”
  2. “There's a huge bar and a big dinner area around the back, though we ate in cafe area at the front.”
  3. “The bar does get loud later in the night, but all that said, I will definately go back and continue to recommend this place”
  4. “Kingston gets a very bad wrap for noise (I don't know who goes to a bar for a quiet intimate experience..)”
  5. “The drinks were good as well with an ample selection of beers, wine and cocktails, which came in small and large sizes, which is a nice change for people like my fiancee who can't handle more than one typically-sized martini.”
  6. “The fries are terrific, the drink menu terrific with great prices this makes for a great after-work during the week hot spot.”
  7. “The long bar is a great spot to meet friends, and then head to a table to enjoy the food.”
  8. “The drinks and food were great, but it was VERY loud.”
  9. “That is my only criticism out of everything else: food, service, drinks, were awesome.”
  10. “The food was delicious (the truffle frites are a must), and the drinks are equally good.”
  11. “And - great coffee.”
  12. “love the "Partly Cloudy"--anejo rum and ginger beer garnished with lots of fresh ginger.”
food quality
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The fries are terrific, the drink menu terrific with great prices this makes for a great after-work during the week hot spot.”
  2. “That is my only criticism out of everything else: food, service, drinks, were awesome.”
  3. “love the "Partly Cloudy"--anejo rum and ginger beer garnished with lots of fresh ginger.”
  4. “The long bar is a great spot to meet friends, and then head to a table to enjoy the food.”
  5. “The sauce was so flavorful!”
  6. “Fantastic food, nice decor - huge improvement on Peking Tom!”
  7. “The food was really good.”
  8. “The food was delicious (the truffle frites are a must), and the drinks are equally good.”
  9. “The drinks and food were great, but it was VERY loud.”
  10. “had the pork chop for dinner, which was a nice big portion and was delicious.”
  11. “The food is pretty good (truffle fries are delish) and the decor is really cute and quaint.”
  12. “My friend and I ate her last night and I loved the food.”
  13. “They have the best salmon and shrimp scampi as well as sandwiches that are the best!”
  14. “Great variety of dishes on the menu.”
  15. “The food here is just great.”
  16. “The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great.”
  17. “Really awesome fries.”
  18. “was surprised to find how refreshingly different this place is from the old Peking Tom that was here, which was kind of dingy and served bad American Chinese food.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The drinks were good as well with an ample selection of beers, wine and cocktails, which came in small and large sizes, which is a nice change for people like my fiancee who can't handle more than one typically-sized martini.”
  2. “The service was good with our friendly waiter offering suggestions and endorsments of our choices.”
  3. “Great variety of dishes on the menu.”
  4. “The fries are terrific, the drink menu terrific with great prices this makes for a great after-work during the week hot spot.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “The bar does get loud later in the night, but all that said, I will definately go back and continue to recommend this place”
service
57.14000225067139% positive
  1. “That is my only criticism out of everything else: food, service, drinks, were awesome.”
  2. “have been to Kingston Station twice and both times received horrible service.”
  3. “Drinks were spilled all over and the bartender was really slow.”
  4. “The service was good with our friendly waiter offering suggestions and endorsments of our choices.”
  5. “The service was excellent and we like the decor (see below however).”
  6. “The drinks were good as well with an ample selection of beers, wine and cocktails, which came in small and large sizes, which is a nice change for people like my fiancee who can't handle more than one typically-sized martini.”
  7. “TERRIBLE service”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “The fries are terrific, the drink menu terrific with great prices this makes for a great after-work during the week hot spot.”
  2. “Fantastic food, nice decor - huge improvement on Peking Tom!”
  3. “found the wine to be a great price at $6.00 a glass.”
  4. “There's a huge bar and a big dinner area around the back, though we ate in cafe area at the front.”
  5. “It was completely unpretentious and the prices were very reasonable.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “The long bar is a great spot to meet friends, and then head to a table to enjoy the food.”
  2. “Drinks were spilled all over and the bartender was really slow.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/05/10

Love the food and drinks

by Hri at Citysearch

I love this place! One of the few reasonable places in Boston where the food (gruyere cheese fries!) is delicious and tasty, but also the drinks are well-made. Friendly staff (they leave you alone to eat and aren't intrusive) and a chill atmosphere make this place a hidden gem in downtown crossing.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/25/10

Upscale Comfort Food

by Lalalauren , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

Kingston Station wins major points for their cocktail list - I had both the Blueberry Collins ($11) and the Flying Dutchman were both well mixed & delicious. The Blueberry Collins is their current cocktail of the month, and it's dangerously good - super sweet & fruity; I basically couldn't tell I was drinking alcohol.

I ordered the truffle fries and a side of fried macaroni and cheese; I should have known from the waiter's reaction that I didn't need to do so. The order of truffle fries came out, and I was overwhelmed by a massive plate of cheesy, truffle-y goodness. I barely made a dent, even with some help from friends. The baked mac and cheese was good, but wasn't particularly warm by the time it got to me. I also sampled a friend's mini slider; it was a well-seasoned, perfectly cooked mini burger. Yum!

The decor is pretty cute - it's meant to be evocative of a train station, and it is; vintage white subway tiles definitely help to this end. The service is OK; definitely not great.

  • Pros: Tasty Cocktails & Comfort Food
  • Cons: $$$
4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/01/09

Great for happy hour!

by LadyEC at Citysearch

The fries are terrific, the drink menu terrific with great prices this makes for a great after-work during the week hot spot.

  • Pros: Great half price appz with a cozy atmosphere
  • Cons: Can't think of any
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/04/09

Great place to meet friends and eat

by mjk122 at Citysearch

Had a great dinner with a group of friends at Kingston Station. The long bar is a great spot to meet friends, and then head to a table to enjoy the food. The owner makes you feel welcome and comfortable without being obtrusive. Our server was on his toes all night and kept the 8 of us well fed and never without a drink in our hands.

Great variety of dishes on the menu.

  • Pros: Great bar, great food
3 Star Rating: Average

11/11/08

Really awesome fries...Decent Entrees...TERRIBLE service

by jsteff22 at Citysearch

I have been to Kingston Station twice and both times received horrible service. As someone coming from a service background I can be a little more nitpicky than most, but this was really bad. The first time I went was in May 08, the server was unattentive, leaving drinks (both alcohol and water) empty, the place was empty so we didn't understand why. The last time was unacceptable...drinks were empty, the server forgot to put our appetizers in and when we asked where they were he accused us of not ordering them, and then ignored our table the rest of the night. Not only was our server off, but the bar was a disaster. Drinks were spilled all over and the bartender was really slow. Aside from all of the service issues...the owner is really nice and apologized to our table. The food is pretty good (truffle fries are delish) and the decor is really cute and quaint. However, there are a lot of places in this city with similar menus and better service, so hopefully they can turn their service around.

  • Pros: Good Food, Cute decor, Nice owner
  • Cons: Lousy service, Loud for dinner

The Details on Kingston Station

Place Categories:

  • delicious food
  • excellent service
  • great prices
  • nice decor
  • really awesome truffle fries
  • not particularly warm baked mac
  • very loud american chinese food
  • best sandwiches
  • not particularly warm cheese
  • nice big portion
  • amazing apps
  • good vibe
  • love partly cloudy
  • good level
  • friendly waiter
  • good rolls
  • huge improvement
  • great coffee
  • very bad wrap
  • great atmosphere
  • great afterwork
  • beautiful tiling
  • very loud drinks
  • great spot
  • best salmon