Henrietta's Table

01/21/09

not worth it

by adeleviolin at Citysearch

i was dragged to this place by some friends. After reading all the other reviews about it, i didn't have high expectations. So i wasn't surprised when the food arrived and it was very average. This restaurant is over-priced, and the food is not tasty or well- prepared- basically, there are many other better places in Cambridge....so i recommend to go somewhere else. I ordered the lamb shanks.....and to be honest, it was kind of disgusting. It came in a brown sauce with no flavor except for some burnt pieces of bacon, and the meat, although tender, was kind of slimy and fatty. We also ordered the grit cake- which was a bit like a breakfast grit cake, with a bunch of unappetizing vegetables piled on top, which weren't even salted, and also had no flavor. So, if you ask me, i think the chef needs Ramsey to come in and help him out for a week. The menu sounds like it ought to be good, and the location of the restaurant is nice, but the kitchen staff don't know what to do with the fresh, organic ingredients they have collected. Until they change their approach, this place should be avoided at all costs.

08/01/08

The Charles Hotel's most casual dining spot delivers an exceptional assortment of seasonal upscale comfort fare.

by Eric Grossman at Citysearch

The Scene
Henrietta's rustic, farmhouse decor makes for a homey atmosphere within the chic Charles Hotel. The main dining area, casual and friendly, attracts local professionals, families and hotel guests. A sunny patio is open in warmer months, and bar dining is available for a solo meal and perhaps a chat with one of the friendly bartenders. Waitstaff is always pleasant, adding to the restaurant's "down on the farm" feeling.

The Food
An emphasis on fresh, local, farm-grown fare is clear as seasonal ingredients purchased directly from local farms fill the short but robust menu. Fresh salads served in wooden bowls whet the appetite with crisp local greens and cheeses. Main courses, such as seared wild king salmon, Yankee pot roast, and grit cakes with sautéed mushrooms, are hearty and flavorful. A dessert list as long as the rest of the menu tempts with homemade concoctions such as cheesecake, bread pudding, and ice cream.

Hits
The freshness of the food cannot be understated, as dishes delight the eyes as well as the tastebuds.

Misses
A bit on the expensive side, a complete meal with side dishes can bring the bill to a level higher than the casual atmosphere might suggest.

07/30/06

Great Service

by jzambri at Citysearch

I went to henrietta's table last week, on an extremely busy monday night (we were a party of 5). The restaurant was completely full, however, the managerial staff only had three servers on the entire floor, at least that we noticed. Despite the hectic night inside the restaurant, and the fact that it was understaffed, our waitress was phenomenal (her name was Ashley, and she was a young, cheery female). She was extremely friendly, very accomodating, and shared with us a vast knowledge of both the foods offered on the menu and the wine list. Despite the fact that she was obviously very busy, she took time making us feel very welcome, and often stopped in to check on us and make sure we were doing well. Ashley recommended the pork chop and it was met with rave reviews from those of us who ordered it. To be honest, the food was mediocre, fatty, and slow. However, our service more than made up for it. I'm not sure if i'll go back, but if I do, i'll certainly request the same waitress.

• Pros: great server
• Cons: fatty, greasy food. slow kitchen service.

07/16/06

very disappointing

by carol1978 at Citysearch

Had heard good things about this restaurant and was looking forward to a good meal with good friends. First - the staff seating folks seemed bored, no eye contact and certainly no pleasantries! The table cloth was dirty and had not been changed in between guests!!!! The waitress was young, attractive and couldn't have cared less. The restaurant was half full on a Saturday night so there should have been no reason for the waitress to be so hurried, to reach across people to hand you your cutlery, to walk off before anyone had been asked if they wanted coffee....it was just pretty unblievable actually. Now - the food. The presentation was very poor and the food was mediocre at best. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant for any reason.

07/10/06

Went for brunch and had a delightful yet harried experience

by sb_fido at Citysearch

My fiancee and I went to the $40 pp brunch last Sunday around 12:30 and I cant wait to go back despite the crowd and poor service. Never having gone before, I was surprised to see what was essentially a very large but elegant cafeteria with lots of tables crammed together. We were seated promptly and just as promptly abandoned without any guidance to the rules for brunch. I finally flagged down a server who helped us with cocktail orders and then we sprinted to the food line. It was long but the food was delicious, plentiful and still hot. The eggs Benedict were amazing, the sausages incredible and the omelet bar was worth the extra wait. Dont bother with the oysters, they were room temperature and had lost much of their ocean brine while sitting haphazardly in their ice bath. There was a great assortment of freshly made croissants, muffins, bagels and homemade creem cheeses. The hot bar also features 3 main courses of which I indulged the beef with roasted new potatoes. The potatoes were so perfect (moist on the inside and crispy on the outside) I went back several times for more. Desserts was equally delicious but most of the cakes quickly ended up looking like mushy piles before being replaced with new. I stuck with the fresh fruit and with chocolate bread pudding. Despite it being hard to find an actual server, dirty dished were quickly bussed away making room for new. Though it was hard to get coffee/OJ refills, the wait was worth the coffee as it was some of the best Ive ever had. Run dont walk to the buffet line!

• Pros: Amazing food, best coffee ever, great selection
• Cons: Poor/unorganized service, expensive parking, unromantic atmosphere

03/29/06

User review by psk145

by psk145 at Citysearch

My husband and I have enjoyed dinner here on a number of occasions but tonight was the first time we had brought our children (very well-behaved). The staff was very accomodating and, to our surprise, there is actually an affordable children's menu. It's nice to know that we have the option of bringing our children to one of our favorite restaurants.

• Pros: food, service, family-friendly

03/11/06

User review by bejjie

by bejjie at Citysearch

Service was terrible!! Dinner lasted almost 3 hours, and some of the food was not appetizing whatsoever. The roasted cauliflower was my favorite part of the dinner.

• Pros: Seated us right away, Dessert
• Cons: Bad service, Food was average

12/06/05

Boston's Best Comfort Food We've Found

by mill2024 at Citysearch

Now we know where to send our college son living in Boston when he wants comfort food. The Yankee Pot Roast is melt in your mouth good, as was the pumpkin bisque. The service isn't stuffy, but friendly. Probably the best casual dining hotel restaurant we've been in. Would return now just for the food, even though we were staying at the Charles this time.

• Pros: Great food, Casual dining

03/18/05

Good comfort American food

by cl_foodie at Citysearch

We went here for dinner, never made it for lunch, and it had surprisingly good American comfort food. Everything on the menu was flavorful and the sides were delicious as well. Prices are reasonable for the ambience you get in Cambridge.

11/04/04

Outstanding Desert

by hubba1975 at Citysearch

Service was adequate. Main dishes were slightly above average. Disappointed limited selection in sides. However the chocolate bread pudding, was outstanding! Simple and delicious. Don't know if I would go back for dinner with all the other great restaurants around, but would definitely go back for Chocolate Bread Pudding! One of the best deserts I have ever had.