Restaurants, Traditional American Restaurants
$, Brunch, Cheap Eats, Group Dining, Historic Setting
Amrheins has been a Boston tradition since 1890. For over a century, diners throughout the city of Boston have been welcomed into Amrheins to enjoy quality meals amongst friends and neighbors. Today that tradition continues in our updated facility. Despite the renovations in 2005, Amrheins is still full of history. Amrheins is the proud home of the oldest hand carved bar in America and still has the first draft beer pump in Boston on display. But what makes Amrheins special is its dedication to quality cuisine and superior service and we are one of the few restaurants in Boston with plenty of off street parking. We hope that you enjoy your visit. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to enhance your experience.
I live in south boston, and have to say that this was the worst meal I have have ever had. The food was far worse then the beer garden and the playwright, and the service was terrible. I don't think I'll try it again.
Cons: Menu, Food, Service
Posted 02/13/06
In South Boston there are so many better options for food. I like the bar, but everytime I have eaten here, I come away disapointed. The food is just really not that good at all. Even my parents who were diehard fans for years have found a new place to go. It's too bad.
Pros: Bar
Cons: the food
Posted 02/05/06
Terrible food. Goat Cheese Salad was disgusting. Pot Pie had no chicken, and the gal who served us our food was rude. Wine list is a joke, too bad the place is beautiful. Go elsewhere, there are far better choices in south boston and dorchester now.
Pros: Decor
Cons: food, FOOD, food
Posted 02/04/06
We dined again at amerheins this afternoon. Again the bar food was great and the beers were ice cold. We have been 5 or 6 times in the past month and are always pleased with everything. This is a great place to go before or after dinner for drinks!
Pros: Cold Beer, Bar food, Great bar
Posted 02/03/06
This is a step up from your average bar and I highly recommend it. It's glorified bar food, but it has a great old time feel with the huge wooden bar as well as a new look with huge screens and high ceilings.
Those looking for something different than Beer Garden and Junction for a casual meal, you should definitely check out A Bar.
Posted 02/01/06
UPDATE (5/2009) I wrote a below average review for Amrheins when it re-opened after its big renovation. Then I wrote a great review in 2007 when they hired a new chef and had a new menu that was great. Sorry to have to say that it's going down hill again. This is what happened to me. My husband and I have been going there for dinner. I very much liked the small plates they offer. I particularly liked the lobster and crab cake plate that came with 2 scallops in a lemon butter sauce. A week or so ago my husband and I went there for dinner. I ordered the small plate and my husband ordered a baked scallop entree for himself. The very courteous waitress brought us our meals. I looked at my plate and it was very different from what I had been ordering in the past. The sauce on the plate was completely different. There were in fact 2 sauces on the plate, one of which I think was either strawberry or raspberry. The lobster and crab cake was there, but there was only what looked to be actually a half of a scallop sitting on top of it. The scallops that my husband had were at least twice the size of the one I had on my plate. So I asked the waitress where the other scallop was. She said that it only comes with one. I said that's not what it said on the menu. She checked the menu and said I was right and the she would check with the chef and the manager. So we began to eat. After a while she came back with this story: They changed the company where they get their scallops from and the scallops are so big now that they only put one on the plate. That's it! Never mind that its say 2 on the menu. No apology, no second scallop, no reduction on the price. No one even came to see us. They had the waitress tell me this. Also, the lobster and crab cake had distinctly fishy flavor and the sauces was horrible. The management and chef here are just horrendous. I probably won't go there again so this is my last review.
Pros: Parking
Cons: Lack of Respect for the Customer
Posted 01/25/06
In reading some of the other reviews, it appears many of you don't like change. I think they have done a great job at updating the old Amrheins. Southie doesn't need run down bars -- this is a great renovation for the neighborhood. I have eaten there several times -- the staff is great - friendly - and the atmosphere is fabulous. The menu has changed quite a bit from the old and I think they need to work on that. The food is good -- just good. The one carry over from the old restaurant should have been the chef. I did hear someone complain about a steak being cooked too much and apparently the chef has an ego!!
Give it another try -- experience it as a new restaurant in town rather than just comparing to the old. I'm sure you'll find it warm and inviting.
Pros: atmosphere, wait staff, great drinks
Cons: average food, need better menu
Posted 12/12/05
My sister and I went to eat at the reopened Amrheins the other night and if just wasnt the same. The menu was pricey and didn't have a great deal to choose from like the old days. We ordered two appetizers and split one entree but the food was just not prepared right and tasted kind of stale. The soup was OK, the chicken fingers however were like plastic and the steak tips that we split were overcooked. We were also turned off as from our seats in the dining room we could hear some obnoxious woman in the kitchen yelling and swearing. She was yelling like she owned the place. They did a nice job with the renovations and the people that waited on us were nice, so that was good, but the place just ain't the same. We won't be back for awhile, sorry to say.
Pros: Service Polite
Cons: Food, Prices, Kitchen Noise
Posted 12/06/05
I have been waiting for this place to open back up and now i am wishing it stayed closed. The menu is awful, there is nothing to it. The old menu was way better. They are trying to be upscale in a not so upscale neighborhood. I wouldn't go back there again.
Cons: menu
Posted 12/06/05
Ate at the new Amhreins today and the verdict is that we probably won't bother to return and see if they work out their kinks. My boyfriend's chicken parmigiana was just horrible. The sauce was clearly out of a jar and the entire dish tasted microwaved. Even a chain restaurant would be embarassed to serve this. My burger was less offensive, but nothing special (on the dry side, served with field greens and a slice of an anemic-looking tomato). The edible flowers decorating both our entrees just seemed silly. The decor is upscale, with an ornately carved bar and large leather banquets. This makes the two enormous plasma televisions on the wall all the more distracting. The menu continues the idendity crisis, there were only small plates and entrees, with specials of the burger (? It was your basic cheeseburger) and chicken pot pie.
Pros: Decor
Cons: Food, Drinks, Value
Posted 12/03/05
Amrhein's has finally reopened after going through an extensive renovation. The placed was completely gutted out and I must say it looks absolutely fabulous. The restaurant is the oldest bar in Boston - opened in 1890. The original hand carved bar still hangs on the wall and is quite a masterpiece.
They did a fabulous job with the decor and the food was wonderful. I would say it is on the gourmet side of the fence -- with a beautiful presentation. Portions were very generous (especially the Strawberry Shortcake). I had the baked haddock and my guest had the pork chop - which was huge and so tasty.
For those of you who dine in a large group -- there are several semi circle booths that seat at least 8.
Get over and check out the new Amrhein's. You won't be disappointed.
Pros: Atmosphere, Good Parking, Food
Cons: Limited menu
Posted 11/15/05
