Reviews & Ratings for Washington Square Tavern

04/17/10

Great neighborhood tavern

by vizjer , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

I have been here a few times, and always have an enjoyable time. The service has always been good when I have come here. They have a great selection of beers, which is great, because there aren't a ton of places that have different brands of beers available. Food has also always been good in my experience. Though I tend to go for the burger most often, other items on the menu are just as good. Great place to come if you live in the Brookline area, but a hassle if you don't live close.

• Pros: Food, Drinks, Atmosphere, Location, service
• Cons: Location, No outdoor seating

05/29/09

Great place for everything

Contributor at Citysearch

This is one of my favorite places for both food and drink. You cant go wrong at the WST

08/07/08

Best Place in Boston for a Drink

by Linebrook at Citysearch

Some background: I'm from Europe, and I've lived in Boston for two years. My observation: Even though people around here vote Democrat, their lifestyles can be very conservative or uptight---good citizen types. Then, you have college students, and a smaller number of "hipsters" (who you could mistake for being artsy or trendy, but don't be fooled). On top of that Boston is not as cosmopolitan as someone on the outside might imagine. The city is about careers, business, research, and universities---that's about it. It can be fairly segregated by these "types", and it becomes hard to find a good pub or bar that stands away from all of that.

Enter Washington Square Tavern: My favorite bar/pub in the Boston metro. Food is excellent, beers are excellent, atmosphere is great. It's the sort of bar where you can drink merrily and chat with the people next to you, or you can read and enjoy the surroundings, at least early on in the evening. Service is hospitable, warm, and friendly. I live locally and come here all the time.The pub

Re. the bad service--I've seen it on occasion, and it's fair. It is not bad service, it is about being firm with people. The pub is in an upscale part of town called Brookline. You get staid business people on occasion who are put-off by the forwardness of the bar staff and then treat them like servants. Or, you get fresh-out-of-college New England types, who are young people dressed up like my grandparents at their 25th wedding anniversary in 1958 (pearls and everything). They sip beer as though they were 'sinning', sit around cluelessly, and again can be rude to the staff. If you don't live in New England, and if none of this makes sense to you, then don't worry----you'll have a good time!

• Pros: Service, Friendliness, Food, Beer, Wine and other Spirits
• Cons: No outdoor seating

12/07/07

Hidden gem

by thebarefootconsumer at Citysearch

Washington Square Tavern is a complete hidden gem! The food is consistently fabulous. The menu is changed every two months or so but always has a little something for everyone. The bartenders are unbelievably entertaining and cute (who doesn't love an Irish brogue?!) and the restaurant embodies quaint, busy, home style and gourmet all at once.

I have eaten here over 20 times and have never had a bad experience. Get there early on weekends though as the dinner crowd is steady and the bar going crowd beings piling in around 10.

• Pros: hot bartenders, great ambiance, fabulous food
• Cons: no dessert

07/01/07

Good food, small menu, high prices, spotty service

by croll at Citysearch

We went to the WST recently on the advice of some friends. Apparently the Tavern is supposed to be popular among foodies although, oddly, I'd never heard of it in the last five years of living in Boston. We walked in to find a lovely, charming tavern atmosphere and were able to have a couple of drinks at the beautiful bar while waiting for a table to open up. One did, but we had to share it with another couple. This wasn't a problem due to the large size of the table, but it's not what I'd call a romantic atmosphere (fun, but not romantic). We were promptly informed that the kitchen was out of two of the seven entrees. When we ordered a bottle of wine a minute later, we discovered they were out of that, too, and wound up going with a rather mediocre substitute. After ordering, bread was brought to our table (not enough butter and slightly stale). The main attraction is the food, however, and it was wonderful. The lamb lollipops were to die for, as was the veal marsala and the trout. After our plates were removed, our waiter (who I suspect was also the manager) disappeared. No inquires about an after dinner drink. When we asked about dessert, we found out they don't serve any ("to save you from yourselves"). After paying $140, we went across the street to Athenas and had a lovely dessert and coffee. The food was wonderful and gave me some great ideas about things to try at home, but we probably won't be going back. The price is about right if you judge only by the quality of the food, but the limited selection and the spotty service left us disappointed.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Service, Selection, Prices

03/09/07

best upscale comfort food in brookline

by natashakurg at Citysearch

this busy and lively brookline neighbourhood restaurant/bar is a true gem. The staff is friendly and accommodating and even though the restaurant doesn't accept reservations the food is definitely worth waiting for! my fiancee and I had the most fantastic asparagus bisque and tender andouille sausage stuffed calamaris folllowed by a succulent pork tenderloin (yum!) and a fantastic blue cheese sirloin burger. we drank a great bottle of pinot noir that was decanted for us at the table. unfortunately the WST does not offer desert but we appreciated their great after dinner drink selection. if you are looking for upscale comfort food in a casual and cozy atmosphere-check it out!!

• Pros: no desert
• Cons: fast service

03/06/07

Horrible service, snotty attitude

by soflainboston at Citysearch

I recently went to Washington Square Tavern around 5pm on a Thursday, expecting to catch a few drinks and some nice appetizers. Instead, I walked in and felt as if I was a hassle to every member of their staff, almost as if I should be grateful that they were allowing me to dine there. (Let's not mention that their menu is very limited and overpriced.)

From the moment we walked in, my two friends and I were treated as if we were gum on the bottom of the waitstaff's shoes. Our hostess cut off one of my friends as she was speaking, the waiter was also curt and extremely inattentive. I normally do not complain, as I know waiting on people is hard work, but I felt so strongly about this restaurant that I called back to complain to the manager. Turns out, this manager was our waiter! He said that there was a "mismatch of expectations" and "something was off from the moment we walked in but he couldn't put his finger on it." I was wholeheartedly surprised that a manager would lend legitimacy to such terrible service, and also allow it to continue while admitting that something was off. When I pointed out to him that he never checked on us, not even once. He told me that as a manager he had a lot of other things to do. I guess in one respect he was right; we did have a mismatch of expectations. I expect to be treated with respect when I dine at a restaurant.

• Pros: nothing is worth the terrible service and overpriced food
• Cons: SERVICE and management's handling of it

10/18/06

Upscale comfort fare combines with a lively bar scene to yield one of Brookline's most popular restaurants.

by Eric Grossman at Citysearch

The Scene
Facing the square after which it's named, this beloved neighborhood bistro is a magnet for in-the-know foodies and area 30-somethings. With communal tables, dark woods and tall bookshelves, the restaurant yields a mildly Irish vibe. With no separation between the bar and dining areas, the room can get quite noisy. An impressive drink selection includes inventive house concoctions (pear martinis) and a well-chosen wine list. Harried waiters do their best to keep everyone happy.

The Food
Loyal customers keep returning for the kitchen's modern comfort fare, dished out at Brookline, not Boston, prices. The ever-changing menu includes seasonal salads (baby arugula with sweet pecans, goat cheese and red wine vinaigrette) and homemade soups (English pea with creme fraiche and pancetta). Entrees combine fresh salmon filets and hearty pork chops with homey accompaniments like creamy polenta and roasted sweet potatoes. Those craving a sweet finish are dismayed to learn that dessert isn't served.

09/27/06

Great burgers and amazing crab cake!

by esuyengh at Citysearch

I admit it, I am a food snob. I love places like B&G where you can get tastes of really fine dining for decent prices, so I was real happy when I heard through word of mouth (and then from looking here on citysearch) that there was a place like that right next door to my house. I have visited 3 times already and each time in the last month and a half, which says a lot considering I normally am not a fan of bar-like environments. With that said, the bar-like environment of Washington Square Tavern is more from the crowd than the dining area; the dining area is nicely designed with gleaming wood and earthy tones that definitely make one feel comfortable.

I have so far sampled the catfish burger platter, the sirlion burger platter, the goat cheese ravioli, the surf and turf appetizer, and the crab cake with corn bisque. Although this may sound like heresy, but both myself and my girlfriend think the sirlion burger is as good as those from Bartley's, albeit more pricey. I enjoyed the ravioli as it was definitely unique and tasty. The surf and turf and catfish burger were decent. But the highlight is definitely the crab cake in corn bisque. My girlfriend is allergic to crab, but she kept stealing the bisque while carefully avoiding the crab cake. That is how good the bisque is.

Service here is good too; even on a crowded night the waiters bring bread right away and tend to circle around to your table several times. Plus, the third visit they had barely overcooked my girlfriend's burger (medium instead of medium rare), and when we pointed it out, without question they took it back and brought her a new one that was perfect and steaming hot. Plus they did not charge us for either burger and were still very very friendly after that. I would say in the Brookline area, it is probably the only restaurant with great food AND great service (with Taberna del Haro coming in a close second).

• Pros: Best crab cake appetizer ever! Friendly service.
• Cons: Can get crowded; Brookline prices, but still worth it!

09/19/06

like it, love it, want some more of it

by canape at Citysearch

Great place. Been going here for a few years now and will keep going as long as I live in the neighborhood. Food's dynamite and service exceptional Barstaff are great. Just reviewed the newest addition to the family down the street. Nice to have a choice available. Keep up the good work.

• Pros: they have the right formula here