Brighton Beer Garden

08/13/09

great place to bve ignored by staff

by absolutcinnamon

After being carded at the door by a bouncer, with no greeting by the doorman or hostess, we sat ourselves next to a table full of dining customers. After 20 minutes, after talking to a waitress and hostess asking them if we could order, they told us to hold on again. We left and found a great Irish place next door. The atmosphere is atrociously full of beerpong playing db's and noise pollution from the trivia host over the intercom.

We should have written the waitress a note on the table with ketchup, if only I could have found a bottle.

• Pros: great location
• Cons: horrible service

02/21/09

A beer garden with no Sam Adams on tap?

by DrGonzo79

I've been to this place a few times just for drinks and appetizers and was generally unimpressed but had not expected anything because I already was aware that "Beer Garden" was a misnomer. My most recent experience really put the icing on the cake. A group of my friends had planned a surprise get together for another friends birthday and we decided to hold the simple party at the Brighton Beer Garden. The staff was generally nice but somewhat inattentive to a group of 15 or so people. There was only one waitress serving us and getting our drinks seemed to take quite a long time. When we ordered our first round of drinks I was surprised to find that an establishment calling themselves a "Beer Garden" in Boston did not have Sam Adams on tap. Our waitress also asked the birthday boy if he wanted his gin and tonic "on the rocks". Thats simply a stupid question, or maybe she was Mormon, I didn't ask. Aside from the beer being slightly warm the drinks were fine so I ordered the mussels with white wine and garlic for an appetizer. Apparently I wasn't specific enough when I placed the order because when our food was delivered I had a plate of mussels fra diavolo in front of me. Not a big deal, I like fra diavolo- when its prepared well. Unfortunately this was the worst dish I have ever eaten that I paid someone to cook for me. The garlic bread was burnt to a crisp and inedible, there was very little pasta and tons of sauce (picture spaghetti soup). The sauce was terrible. They spiced the dish with what tasted like Frank's Red Hot so I felt as though I was eating spaghetti with buffalo sauce. The mussels were old and half were not cooked long enough for the shells to open. This was my personal experience, some of my friends were fine with their meals but overall the whole group was unimpressed. Shy away from the Beer Garden unless you solely want to sit at the bar, there are too many better choices in the area. I wish Soho was back.

• Pros: Lots of flat screens, plenty of games
• Cons: Bad food, expensive, not worth it

10/16/08

I don't get it. Another Sports Depot

by DudePal

I don't get it. One previous review said that there was over 100 beers to choose from. I saw about 10 or so drafts, and about 30 or so bottles. Most importantly, the beer selection was rather small considering the name "Brighton Beer Garden." I also consider the beer selection small considering some of the local competition. "The Sunset Grill Tap" on Commonwealth has over 112 taps and a total of over 300 beer choices including meads. The food selection at the Beer Garden is far smaller than the sunset as well.

Our appetizers were overcooked. The fajitas came with a side of rice pilaf, which is not really a good side for a southwestern/mexican dish. However, the pilaf was just how my mom used to make it. Right out of the box. The chicken was stuck to the platter it was served on, and I wasn't given a plate to eat off of.

They have like 20 flat screens, but I couldn't hear any of them because the trendy music drowned it all out. Keep in mind this was on a night where the red sox were playing a playoff game.

A manhatten costs $10. You won't see prices that high at a tourist trap.

Ok. so its "pub food." Fine. But it should at least be good pub food if it costs $80 for three people to share an appetizer, and each have an entree with one drink. -I couldn't help but notice that every single waitress was blonde, and didn't appear to be any older than 20. How can they have good beer knowledge when they aren't old enough to drink legally?

At the start, the host tried sitting us at a table near an open window, with at least four other booths available. She didn't event think of asking if we'd prefer a booth instead of cramming us in the corner by the window.

So to sum it all up the beer selection is slightly bigger than your average sports bar, but smaller than any place that boasts "Beer" in the name. The food just stinks. The atmosphere made me feel dumb for showing up. They need to call it what it is; another "Sports Depot." If you like beer stand clear.

• Pros: If you're a college meathead jock you might like it
• Cons: If you're a beer fanatic you have been misled. Try the sunset grill.