03/10/09

Awesome cask beer

by CSMobileUser3

What a find

01/16/09

not for everyone

by greendressgirl

The Other Side is a remnant of a time when Boston was a lot less homogenized and a lot more interesting. Yes, there's loud music. Yes, the wait staff sometimes have a little attitude. But does every place in Boston need to be like Stephanie's on Newbury? If you like a place with a little character, good food and beer with vegetarian options, go to The Other Side. If not, Stephanie's is right down the street...

• Pros: music, atmosphere, mezzanine, veggie fare
• Cons: none

12/03/08

Too loud; lame waitstaff

by Gumsmith

Had lunch there today with some friends. I chose The Otherside Cafe because my friends are vegetarians and there are many vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. We hadn't seen each other in a long time and wanted to catch up since they were in Boston for the day. The music was so loud that we had to yell across the table. I don't mind the vibe and I certainly don't mind loud Elvis Costello, but we had to yell across the table. When I asked a server if he could turn the music down a notch because we were trying to talk, he said: "This is how loud we usually have the music here." I told him we could not converse. He stated: "Just so you know, we will turn it down a little, but this is how loud we keep the music here." Funny, I thought restaurants were all about the customer and not the waitstaff. The food was great; service was poor (ie clearing plates before you're finished.) Skip it.

• Pros: Great, fresh food. Big salads.
• Cons: Too loud. Servers have bad attitudes .