209 Boston

16 reviews

(617) 536-0972

209 Columbus Ave
Boston, MA 02116 42.3484 -71.0723

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Neighborhoods: Back Bay, Back Bay East

209BOSTON.COM

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209

Last updated 8.24.09

What People Are Saying About 209 Boston

The Editor

Eric Grossman

Citysearch

The Scene – Well-groomed couples and groups of singles mingle at the bar and the adjoining section of tables, making this one of the area's premier pickup scenes for the gay and lesbian crowd. Warm copper and gold colors make for a romantic atmosphere. When not delivering designer martinis (white grape, vanilla-espresso) from the busy bar, attentive servers keep an eye out for empty water glasses. – – The Food – Equally popular as a Sunday brunch destination or a casual dinner spot, 209 serves modern comfort food with a Southwestern twist. Signature dishes sees…

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User Reviews (16)

11/08/07

Horrible Service and Tasteless Food

by katbird1188 at Citysearch

I was revolted by the service. After waiting 45 minutes for a table (when I had made reservation 3 weeks in advance), the host and the manager were far from apologetic. In fact they directly insulted my friends when we expressed our displeasure. Had it not been a Saturday night, we would have left and gone elsewhere. Meanwhile, our server was new and incapable of refilling our drinks, and the food, especially the sweet potato gnocchi, was chewy, over-cooked, and tasteless. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy.

Pros: the scenery
Cons: service, food, THE SERVICE!

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10/18/07

Tasty apps and entrees, Good cocktails, Service needs some work

by janey52007 at Citysearch

Been here twice this month. The food is definitely different from all the descriptions on here. Each time I've been here I've had the same cocktail, a Sidecar, and each time it was perfectly mixed, which is a rare drink for a bartender to get right. Last time I dined at 209 I had a kind of East-meets-Southwest Tuna sashimi dish. Very tasty with super fresh fish and a delightful black bean sauce. Very flavorful. I also had pumpkin ravioli that were the BEST ravioli I've ever had. Our server, Louis, said they were handmade, which was obvious because I've never tasted anything like them before. I would recommend this dish to anyone. On previous occasion I had pasta (linguini, perhaps) with clams, which was also very good, but a tiny bit too salty. I also had a chicken dish that was very tender, juicy, but with a super-crispy skin that had, again, a whole lot of flavor. Delicious. Also a dessert that was a kind of sweet appley cheesecake tart of some kind. Tasty. The wine we ordered was something I could have picked up at a discount wine store. I honestly don't remember it at all other than it was a white. The service both times was slow, considering the place was half empty. But it was nice to sit and watch the Red Sox on the TV and not feel rushed through our meal. I recommend this place with 4 stars because it is friendly, casual, but with really good seasonal food on the menu. Like you can have a 4 star meal and your jock boyfriend can have a burger and nachos. Also, even though this is a well-known gay place, it is very neighborhoodly and straight-friendly. All they need is a couple of good waiters and it will be even better.

Pros: Cocktails, Tuna Sashimi, Pumpkin Ravioli!!!, Chicken, Entrees good in general
Cons: Service slow and a bit clumsy, Wine list is tired

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09/17/07

PLEASE Change Restaurant Description

by scandalous at Citysearch

This restaurant went though a radical change last fall season. Seemed to be doing quite well. From what I experienced, the new young chefs brought some flair to the cuisine and the space was warm and inviting. Service seemed to have upgraded. There was one girl in particular who was a superstar waitress, hot, with glasses and then disappeared. A few sub-par staffers also vanished. There was a major turnover in staff. And then I noticed that the restaurant seemed suffer a dry spell. The food is decent and the early bird pre-fixes are enticing. What is going on with this space. I know Club Cafe is next door and all, but many straight people from the neighborhood dine here, too. Time to change the 'label' and stop advertising this venue to the gay community...the owner is doing himself a disservice by doing so.