Radius

Worth it for the burger.

by AdClubKaitlin at Citysearch

The best burger in Boston... Massachusetts... America... and possibly the world.

At $19 the burger is totally worth it.

(The similarly priced cocktails are not.)

A great date night or special occasion destination.

Did You Know This Used to be a Bank?

by Allie Beau , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

I work for Start Up company. Which means, sometimes there are no drinks in the fridge and occasionally I can be found sans shoes in the conference room. It certainly does not, initially anyway, mean posh lunch in the Financial District.

But I have amazing and generous bosses, and work for a company that has continued to shine through an economic downturn, which all lead up to one epic moment in my life--

Lunch

At

Radius.

It wouldn't have been nearly as monumental if my coworkers hadn't gushed over their experiences there after every "Lunch Meeting" they attended. I heard tales of the most amazing burger in Boston. Of basil-infused lemonade and a twenty dollar cheese plate. Of men in suits doing important things and closing important deals and spending important money.

So obviously, when I went for a business lunch there with two of my favorite higher-ups, I was surprised to see I did not feel entirely out of place. While I love dive bars sometimes (always) (constantly) (regularly), I can also sometimes (ineffectively) (clumsily) enjoy an upscale meal (especially when I'm not footing the bill?).

The staff certainly helps to make you feel welcome, whether you're in a power suit or flipflops (guess which was me?!), and the service is downright impeccable at most times.

I've only been for lunch, and sampled a number of menu items. Apparently the burger is to die for (and for twenty bones--it certainly should be), but I have a weirdness about ground beef that is neither important nor relevant to your life, so we'll just say I cannot comment on the burger, except that it looked great, and fried onions atop anything is fabulous. I can, however, vouch for the Lobster BLT, which is as decadent as it sounds. Also the Handmade Maltagliati, which is a fancy name for delicious wide pasta, served with duck and crushed pistachios. Cause, ya know, why not? Also, the calamari is the best around.

The restaurant itself is stunning, playing off the original design as a bank (always a fun fact to throw out there should your dinner conversation turn awkward). Everything down to the bathroom decor is meticulously placed and cared for.

Overall, delicious dining experience and I'd say it's "worth every penny" if they were ever my pennies to begin with ;-)

• Pros: fantastic food
• Cons: going here makes me feel like i live below the poverty line

Great, if not slightly overrated

by BostonBurgerBlog , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

We're talking $19 for a BURGER!! What ever happened to the burger being a "food for the people," anyway? Luckily, it was Paul D's birthday, so we had a legitimate reason to finally go, not that running a burger blog isn't reason enough, but the time had come. Outside of the burger, not much surprised me about Radius; a reservation is necessary, the decor is stunning, parking is lousy and it would be an expensive night. Do people usually pay $14 for a cocktail? I must never go out for drinks, so I guess this is the norm. 8:00 on a Friday night I would have guessed the place would have been packed, but no, more than half the tables were empty, and that's not just my pessimistic view coming through. We were a group of eight, late 20's to early 30's and about as nicely dressed as we can get, and with no dress code required, felt we deserved as good a service as anyone else. This isn't the first place where I felt ageism was in issue and it wont be the last. If we had all worn tuxedos would it have different? Hard to say but I doubt it. No I am not a baby-boomer and no I don't have oodles of money, does that mean I'm less of a customer? Maybe I am just writing an immature blog regarding burgers, but I still fancy myself as a critic, of sorts. You want to avoid having people like me come to your restaurant? Don't put a burger on the menu then. Sorry for the soapbox moment there, let's get to the food.

They really stretch out the service at Radius, we were seated over an hour and a half before our burgers arrived, luckily they aren't stingy with the free rolls. When the burgers do arrive, it's like food being sent to the king, as loyal servants all come out and gracefully present the massive burger with a huge pile of golden fries to join the party. The fries, sort of a modern take on McDonald's (in fries only, tell me it's not a guilty pleasure for you) are perfectly crispy, sprinkled with fresh herbs and are quite tasty, if not lukewarm, and needing a little bit of salt. Fries deserve to be salty, end of discussion. The burger is massive, the bun a perfect fit and oozing with horseradish sauce and gooey Vermont cheddar cheese. Topped with fried onion strings, this is a two-handed job without a doubt. I first taste the horseradish, which is not overpowering, as anticipated, but a wonderful accompaniment. The beef is flavorful and very juicy, but I don't find the onions all that exciting, I understand the textural addition, but to me they didn't have to be onions at all, anything crispy would have worked here. The bun is perfectly done, with just the right amount of crust and chew, no easy feat. Unfortunately I quickly realize my burger is not cooked to medium-rare, I'm so hungry I tear through half of it before I notice the pink is gone, and it's a disappointment. Upon further inspection the meat doesn't blow me away, and as i progress further, the meat is dryer and less appealing, good thing the horseradish sauce is aplenty and keeps the sandwich relatively moist. However, some people at the table are having entirely different experiences. We've seen inconsistencies before, but for $19, and for a restaurant that executes classic French techniques otherwise flawlessly, why can't the burgers all be cooked the same way? If Radius can't do it, what hope is there for anyone else on the Boston restaurant scene? Don't get me wrong, I'm still happy with the burger, but I suppose my expectations are a little higher, all in all, it's a delicious sandwich, maybe a little too rich, maybe in need of a pickle, but very good, I just wish I had their best offering. If you don't think value is important, you're crazy, for $19, plus tip, it's not a cheap night. I might come back again, but it's not special enough to make me want to do it regularly.

only the wine list still shines at radius

by flamsteadman at Citysearch

i remember so well just a few years ago when getting into radius was a challenge worth the struggle. for years radius had been one of our regular haunts with always impressive service and wonderfully creative culinary focus. no more.

we started to see the signs of wear and tear physically in the restaurant during the past year. its not good when you can see dark stains seeping from under the bar onto the lounge floor. when you frequent a restaurant you notice things that wear out and dont get replaced. then we seemed to experience more service you would categorize as "sorry i'm new here" than true polished service.

finally the food started to go south. many of the menu choices got boringly old and then we actually had a "bad" meal.

during restaurant week we mistakingly went in for a quick meal forgetting it was restaurant week. we watched as full of themselves bartmaids tried to act as though radius still could command the $200 dinner prices we had been willing to pay in the past. i watched as the manager came out and chatted with a friend at the bar; even he was tried and worn.

fine dining restaurant managers are taught as soon as they start their career that they must look the part. this poor lad looked as though he had been wearing the sam e old pair of shoes since the day he was hired.

so as sad as i am to say this radius is but a glimmer of its former self. like the qb who refuses to retire someone needs to tell the chef and the owners its time to either close for good or give the old girl one hell of a face lift and redo. either way i'll move down the street to a fresher face until then.

chow

• Pros: the wine list and the coffee
• Cons: service and the (gulp) food

Great food, excellent service, make your evening special

by vc_boston at Citysearch

My buddy and I chose this place to plan a surprise birthday for our wives, as both ladies turned 30.

Radius did an excellent job in making their evening special. The hostess was well prepared with a plan in place for the surprise and staff did a fine job coordinating everything.

We were a group of 8 with one kid. Everyone loved their entree. The appetizers, main course and dessert were consistently good. Unlike other high end restaurants, the staff was polite, friendly, and accommodating.

Will highly recommend for special occasions or even just a romantic night out.

• Pros: consistently delicious food, warm welcoming staff
• Cons: none