Masa

I had been to Masa a couple of times, both times I thought the food was sub par. On my third experience the food was awful, my server brought me the wrong order two times, I waited 55 minutes for tapas which was overcooked and they refused to remove from the bill. Management did no seem to care about my experience whatsoever and seemed severely irritated and defensive when I brought this to there attention

I have the opportunity to dine in just about every decent restaurant in Boston due to my profession, and would recommend Taco Bell before I ever mentioned this place to anybody.

Pros: not really many

Cons: rude, discourteous, inexperienced, immature management staff

Posted 09/19/09

I've lived in the South End of Boston for three years now and have eaten out repeatedly at Masa. On the positive note, nice place, great ambiance., Salsa on Thursdays. Every evening during happy hour they have $1 tapas by the bar (For $10 great tapas assortment that is very filling), and other discounted menu items - they're great. Dinner in the main dining room is also great, including delicous brunch on Saturdays and Sundays (nut crusted texas french toast!).

The huge and unfortunate drawack is the customer service. Everyone from the hostess (who snapped at my guest to hurry up and decide if he wanted to sit at the bar or in the dining room b/c the seat would get taken), the waiter (inattentive), the bartender (I've seen her on multiple occasions cut customers off and slam down drinks on the bar out of frustration when it gets busy), to even the busboy (told our table to move our own plates so he could set down the next course, bad timing all throughout the course). And these all occured on seperate visits.

So in the end it's a tradeoff, food and atmosphere for consistently bad customer service.

Pros: Food, Tapas, Drinks, Atmosphere

Cons: Customer Service

Posted 07/18/09

Someone took me here when I said I was homesick for Arizona and this helped me feel better.

I LOVED the cornbread and the assortment of interesting butter and jams that were served with it. We got the breakfast tacos to share from the tapas menu and I ordered the BBQ Mac and Cheese for an entree, which was very heavy - which was to be expected, but I ended up being disappointed by it. I wish I had gotten something else. The cornbread was enough to make me happy about the whole experience, though. They use blue corn, which makes it even better!

I missed the Southwestern-look that you see everywhere in Phoenix restaurants! I will come back here when I'm homesick again because there are very few places in Boston to get this same Southwestern experience.

Pros: Cornbread at brunch!!!

Cons: Very limited patio seating

Posted 07/09/09

If you want upscale TexMex, this is it. A bit on the pricey side but the food was very good. The wines were way over priced. By 10 times or more in some instances. I know because I have bought some of the same wines at the store and the South American vineyard itself when I traveled there. The desserts were just ok.
The service for us was good when we were there. Overall, I would say it was a good experience with good food but not great. The atmosphere was a bit pretentious for what amounted to a tex mex place.

Pros: good food

Cons: way over priced wines

Posted 03/29/09

I went to Masa for the first time last night during Boston's restaurant week. The food was great- even though 'chipotle seasoned new england clam chowder' sounds disgusting, it was actually pretty good! The server wasn't very friendly, but no big complaints the hostess was very nice.

The place was cute, in a great location, and they clear out the tables in part of the restaurant for free salsa lessons & dancing after dinner.

Pros: everything was delicious

Cons: unfriendly service

Posted 03/20/09

Went to Masa last night to catch up with an old friend. Our server was attentive but gave us plenty of space. In addition, he was friendly, offered great recommendations, and our food was delicious! And the jalapeno margarita was unique and had an awesome, spicy kick!

Pros: Awesome margaritas

Cons: Remote location

Posted 03/11/09

The bartender was a capital B! Rude, not caring, inconsiderate. One of the worst attitudes I have seen. If the tapas were not good and a deal, I would have walked out!

Posted 02/17/09

Masa has the most delish tapas & quesadillas. Mmm Mmm good! My friends and I also chowed down on a variety of tasty and scrumptious bread with dip. If you like to eat a bit of everything in small portions this is the place for you. My waitress was very nice. Hospitable and attentive. I recommend it!

Pros: Ambience, Service, Value, Drinks

Cons: None

Posted 09/15/08

I have gone to Masa twice. I think the food was great.
However, some of the waiters could get a bit cocky and not friendly. One of my friends got into a big fight with the waiter and the manager didn't do much about it. To me, the situation was just a bit ridiculous. My friend returned a bowl of fruit salads saying the fruits were not fresh. The waiter took the fruit bowl into the kitchen, came out, and told my friend that the fruit salads were fresh. This was a bit shocking to us. And, my friend wasn't happy about it. Then, this waiter told him, if he weren't happy, he could call the manager. I thought the situation seemed to get a bit out of the hand. And, as for this manager, it's like it's beneath his dignity to say sorry to the customers. He told my friend, they just cut the watermelon an hour before they served it, there was no reason the watermelon could not fresh.

Most of my friends were so mad that they won't go back to this place. But, for the food, I did go back again. However, I will probably avoid brunch so that I won't run into the cranky waiter and incompetant manager again.

In terms of ambience, I think it was okay. It's not a place I will hang out for drinks and some bites.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Service could be very bad ...

Posted 09/05/08

Had brunch here and it was fantastic. I am a huge fan of mexican/southwestern food and this is top of the line. The homemade confiture with the homemade cornbread was fantastic. They should sell the confiture in jars to buy to take home.
The food, the service, all top notch. I would expect service like this in a 5 star restaurant. The food was the best.
I've eaten in top of the line restaurants and this to me was better than Del Posto which I ate at 2 weeks ago.
Sure differnt style, but to me a restaurant is about food, not pretense either.
I've recommended this restaurant to Amex Platinum for their fine dining list of recommendations.
Well Done Masa!

Pros: everything, food, service, drinks, value

Cons: none

Posted 05/17/08

I didn't realize anyone could make chicken taste this juicy, flavorful and absolutely divine. The atmosphere was lively and the setting was nice. They had an impressive tequila list. The cuisine was almost of a fusion kind, which made it even more interesting. Every item that we tried had a unique blend of spices and flavors. I'm a big fan of the simple creme brulee, so I didn't particularly appreciate that they had an espresso creme brulee instead, but clearly I'm biased about that. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a different and adventurous experience in dining.

Pros: Tequila, fusion cuisine, ambience

Cons: Cost is not prohibitive, but ensures that you don't here too often

Posted 04/17/08

The food was wonderful. The service was great. The quesadillas were delicious. If you are a fan of key lime pie, it was excellent.

Posted 04/11/08

we once had that tapas special (it was like $5 for a sample plate containing 10 diff items) on friday happy hours, don't know if they still have that going on.

great ambiance; food and drinks are great. good place to hang after work -- although they don't open till 5:30pm, not early enough for us.

they have salsa thursday?!? i have to check it out!
:)

Posted 04/11/08

I had a similar experience to michael06780. I had a reservation that was not honored because we were supposedly late (although only by 3 minutes by my watch). We were told that they held time to a clock that was set 20 minutes fast, and that it was *our* fault for coming late. I definitely got the feeling that the host simply thought that my friends and i weren't "good enough" to be eating there.

Cons: Rude staff

Posted 02/17/08

I normally enjoy the weekend brunch at Masa - the food is reasonable and tasty. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for how rudely I was treated this past weekend. We had called to confirm that the brunch was open til 3 and to make a reservation for 2:45 pm. We were politely told that it would be no problem and that as long as were seated by 3, we would be fine. We made the 40 minute commute from Cambridge and arrived at 2:47 pm.

At this point, we were rudely told that brunch was over and they would not serve us. We reminded them that we had a reservation for 2:45 and we had been told we could sit til3. At this point, the host said that brunch closed at 3 and that it was after 3. We showed him all our watches and phones (which are automatically updated). He said his clock said 3:05 and that was the time he was going to use. He went on to berate us for being falsely late. I was astounded.

Any reasonable restaurant would have apologized that the kitchen had closed early. I could never have expected to have been yelled at for being late, according to "their time."

Warning: Masa does not hold reservations well and will blame you in case your reservation cannot be met. They also use a clock that is set to a time someone between EST and PST.

Cons: Horrible service; dishonest; do not hold reservations

Posted 02/16/08

On a cold blustery February night while visiting from NYC, we decided to try Masa. We were so glad we did. The restaurant is located in South End, and holds its own among some celebrated Boston spots on Tremont Street. The cozy and sumptuously detailed decor set the mood for a great evening of dining. We were treated to a complimentary appetizer from the chef, and then served a variety of breads with an assortment of spreads. Our appetizer was a smooth as butter spicy ahi fusion roll, which I highly recommend. Our main courses were both fish dishes. I had an amazing pan fried catfish dish with winter vegetables, a smokey tomatillo sauce and gruyere grits. It was a perfect dish for a cold night and the flavors were robust and eclectic. The other entree ordered was a roasted salmon with horseradish, cucumber and a salmon caviar, with creme freche. A more delicate entree that would be good year round. I had a delicious specialty cocktail as well. Our service was impeccable and the bill was quite reasonable.

Pros: food, service, decor

Cons: none!

Posted 02/16/08

First of all... this is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. Great decor, great music, great atmosphere.

I'm going to start from the small stuff... the TAPAS! Aside from the fact that they haven't changed their tapas menu in a few months, you can't beat the deal. If you eat here between 5-7 after work... glass of wine.. etc etc etc... you get a plate of 10 different tapas for 5 dollars. I usually go with my boyfriend and get 2 plates (we mix and match our favorites and trade eachother) for 10 bucks. You can't beat that happy hour special.

The entrees are delicious. The braised pork is to die for. Their drink selection is AWESOME, too. They have great tequilas, wines, ecclectic mix.

The service couldn't be any better. The people are fun, cordial, and know how to recommend something...

Definitely give this place a try!

Pros: tapas, service, ambience

Cons: need to change their menu a little

Posted 02/14/08

I've gone to Masa a couple of times now and I will definitely be back. The first time I went we started out with drinks and tapas and later were seated for our reservations. Everything was spectacular. I had the Crispy Chermoula Chicken Breast with Coconut Mole and it was fabulous. Later inteh evening I asked for a hot cocoa, because I don't do coffee and everyone else had order coffee and it looked like we were going to be a while. Unfortunately they didnt have any but they offered try to make some from scratch using a chocolate ganache and steamed milk. It came out fabulous. Since then I have been back with a couple of friends to have tapas and drinks. Each time the service has been phenomenal. The Watermelon Marg that has habernero in it is excellent. As for the other drinks I have to say the classic marg was lacking but the ultimate was quite good. I highly recommend ordered the flight of tequilas, you receive three shots of tequila of your choosing. Really is the best deal and you can be sure they won't be watered down. :)

Pros: Excellent Tapas, Dinner, Tequila Selection and Atmostphere. Wonderful Service.

Cons: The Classic Margarita wasn't to my liking (but the ultimate was quite good)

Posted 12/02/07

Brunch at Masa is to die for. The first time I had the Texas Toast stuffed with caramelized bananas - it was rich and delicious. The second time I had the Huevos Rancheros which I declared my favorite brunch dish of all time. It was the perfect combination of eggs, cheese, beans and cream (with tortilla strips for a nice crunch). I am excited to try the Venezuelan chocolate chip pancakes but I'm not sure I'll be able to stray from my new favorite dish. The decor is warm and inviting - the staff is friendly. You wont be disappointed.

Pros: Great Menu

Cons: Parking can be a challenge

Posted 07/24/07

I love this place! I've never even thought about writing an online review, but after reading some of the crazy ones below that say this place should be avoided, I HAD to. The service has always been really friendly and on point, never abrupt or rushed. They make the best drinks- I'm super picky about my margaritas, and Masa gets it right. The food, I swear, gets better and better each time I go in. I love the new menu! Butternutsquash soup is unreal, and the salmon is to die for, and the filet with truffle macaroni is delicious. Masa-whatever you're doing- keep it up!

Pros: Seasonal menus, $1 tapas, Drinks, Great Atmosphere

Cons: none

Posted 03/22/07

I went to Masa with a group of friends last Friday night. We had a dinner reservation at 9pm. After checking in with the hostess we went to the bar for drinks. They had a nice selection of tequilas so we decided to have margaritas. They were excellent. We sat down for dinner 15 minutes later. I had the ceviche appetizer. It was delicious, fresh, and creative. The first citrus ceviche I've had that contains watermelon. Mmmmm! The Sea Scallops with barbecued duck and sweet corn cream was over the top. Our margaritas just kept getting better, and we were on to our next course. I had a braised pork shoulder with port fig jam, a three pepper polenta, and a chile reduction. It was delicious. To end the meal on a good note, I ordered on of there desserts. A chocolate mousse taco. I had never seen a taco as dessert, so I wanted to be adventurous and try it. It had a chocolate taco shell, filled with a light chocolate mousse, and white chocolate shavings on top. And the entire taco is sitting in the middle of a raspberry puree ring. I highly recommend this Masa. They're prices are right on, and the atmosphere is great. And thumbs up on the website!

Pros: Food, drinks, and service

Cons: none

Posted 03/21/07

This place is great. I went there with a few friends and it was my buddys girlfriends birthday. I called ahead to give them a heads up. When we arrived I told the hostes who I was and she asked me to hold for one minute, she returned and asked me to step over to the bar. I agreed and I was greeted by the manager. He asked me what he could do to make the night special for my buddies girl. I told him what wine she likes and asked that a dessert be sent over at the end. Sure enough she had her glass of wine upon us being seated. They went above and beyond for this night. The best part is she had no idea what was coming because she never saw her boyfriend speaking to management. I've never been so impressed by any service and I've dined at a lot of restaurants. Thanks Masa

Pros: service, food and service

Cons: none

Posted 03/21/07

Like slop on a plate. My best friend and I dined here on a Wednesday night and I guess we should have read the CitySearch reviews before we decided to waste our time. We ordered cocktails that were watered down, a selection of appetizers that were bland, chicken and steak entrees that appeared to be haphazardly strewn onto the plates and desserts that were forgetable. I felt sorry for the servers that had to carry out this mess. What we paid ($125+) plus what we received (flavorless slop) = highway robbery. We will not be returning, nor do I recommend anyone else does.

Pros: Servers were nice.

Cons: poor food quality, poor presentation, poor drinks.

Posted 03/21/07

I have been a regular guest at Masa for almost a year. Now visiting at least once or twice a week.
I discovered the restaurant through a friend who highly recommended the bar and tequila around relaxing atmosphere and great beats. Masa and the staff have always provided great attention for my guests and me. The hostess is a very genuine young lady and treats her visitors with care and warmth; servers have all great personalities and look joeys of working together. Managers of the house always provided their best to satisfy everyone?s needs!!!!!
The Southwestern cuisine presented in a very elegant form brings your mouth to a different level of flavor and the drinks will give you the perfect end or beginning of the night.
Love Masa and I hope to share my wonderful experience with many!!!!!!!!

Posted 03/17/07

Went to Masa and was highly disappointed in the whole experience. We arrived twenty minutes before our reservation celebrating a birthday on a Saturday. We checked in, told them about my date's birthday and requested a candle for our dessert. Margaritas at the bar would tide us over we figured. Problem is, it took fifteen minutes. I understand the dining room was full, but the bar wasn't. And for $14 each, for the margaritas, they were not good. They put salt on mine after I asked for no salt, and got an evil sneer from the bartender for pointing out her mistake. After twenty minutes PAST our reservation time, I went to the host stand to inquire about our table. The host told me that our table would be ready soon. Twenty minutes later, I went back to the host stand, this time the host rudely told me they were busy, but that he had no control over the tables. We decided to try the tapas at the bar while we waited, they were not memorable and served lukewarm. Finally, one hour after our reservation time, we were seated by the rude host, who we later learned was the GM. We ordered a bottle of wine, which they were out of. We tried another bottle, which they were also out of. The server recommended a third bottle, which we later found out when we got the bill was twice the price of our other wine picks. We ordered apps, the tuna roll, bland and fishy tasting, and the empanad, which was cold and not worth $13. Our first entree choice was out for the evening, so we decided on the tuna and the duck. both were bland and cold. We don't remember the desserts we ordered, but I do remember the first two tequilas we tried to order with them were also out of stock. The manager came by and asked how everything was and we told him the problems. I also reminded the GM about the neglected birthday candle in my dates dessert. He told me that they were very busy and said that some things do get overlooked. Like someone enjoying their experience in their establishment.

Pros: The night finally ended

Cons: Manager, Service, Food, Value, Everything

Posted 03/11/07

So disappointed! Came here for my birthday with out of town family and friends. Reservations were made over a week in advance for 9:30PM, didn't even get seated until 10:15 after being told 4 times our table was being cleared and we would sit in one minute. The only compliment I can give is that the drinks were great. Other than that, it was, by far the worst dining experience ever! The waiter apologized for our wait and assured us we would be taken care of. Once seated, our drinks took another twenty minutes to arrive. We ordered appetizers, which came out over 40 minutes later and were ice cold. The waiter checked on our appetizers another 10 minutes after we had eaten them and when I mentioned they were cold he said, oh, wow, and we're not even that busy now. WHAT???? He then walked away without clearing our empty plates, didn't take our dinner order and ignored the fact that our drinks were empty. At this point I requested the manager, who did promptly come to our table, apologized and said he would be taking care of us from that point forward. He took our dinner order and then walked away. Our appetizer plates and empty glasses still sat before us!!!! When dinner came, a new waitress was now serving us. We had to hold our appetizer plates ourselves so she could place our meals before us. She did take a new drink order and they took another twenty minutes to arrive. Every meal we ordered was either way over cooked or ice cold. When she returned to our table with our drinks I asked for the manager again and said to please just remove our meal because at this point we're exhausted and so aggravated and disappointed with what transpired that we'd all just lost our appetites. The door man approached the table and told us to leave when we were able to! Again I say, WHAT????? This was the most horrendous dinner experience I've ever endured and they absolutely ruined what was supposed to be a fabulous night out and I wouldn't return here EVER!!!

Pros: Drinks

Cons: Service, Food quality, Rudeness of all staff, Time it took to be seated even w/ reservations!

Posted 02/25/07

I have eaten at Masa many many times over the years and got to say that its been great and just okay. However I keep going back. After not having gone in a few months because I felt the food was lacking flavor and the South Western flare that Masa used to stand for, I heard from a friend they had gotten a new chef and the food was awesome. I was dying to see if this is what Masa needed to turn me around and keep me coming back. I went with some friends last Saturday and the place was packed like I've never seen. I thought to myself that this is either really good or it is really bad because i wanted to taste the food and being a seasoned restaurant goer I know on busy nights the food can suffer. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG... THE FOOD WAS AMAZING. YEAAAAAHHH MASA finally back from the brinks. This is the South Western Flavor I have been looking for. The appetizers where awesome I had a Short Rib Flautas my friends had ceviche, mixed green salad, and I think a shrimp empanada. The short rib rocked, perfect spices and flavors in the meat and BBq sauce. I ordered the Chicken with Plantain Sopes, Roasted corn Avocado Salsa and a Molasses Chipotle Mole. It was So So Good. One of my friends had a filet with wild mushrooms and truffled macaroni and some king of mexcian cheese and a Ancho Chocolate sauce that tasted so great. We all passed around our plates because the flavors of all the dishes just where simply amazing and everyone wanted to try the others. I took a piece of paper from my purse and had to write down the descriptions because I was so happy and wanted to post a nice review about one of my favorite places. Our waiter was also really great which set the tone for the evening also.
Well for all you critics that have knocked it, go back and try it again. This new Chef is rocking it back to life and everyone who likes this type of cuisine should taste what Masa has to offer again. Good Job guys!

Pros: A New Chef, Great Cusine

Cons: Parking, Valet to expensive

Posted 02/25/07

Just meanered into Masa for a impromptu Sunday Brunch and was pleasantly suprised. For a beautiful spot in a good neighborhood the prices were really reasonable and the service excellent. Our brunch was very fresh and yummy. Protions were kind of "Ehh" but when you factor in how affordable they were it all fell into perspective. I was with a friend that had been in the night before for tapas and sangria and said that it was wonderful and super cheap (some kind of special?). Most importantly the service was excellent. As a lifer in the restaurant business I am very sensitive to the dying art of good service. Our server (Alfred? Albert?) was really busy and still managed to get us everything thing we needed promptly and with a great personality. I would definatly go back. (Make sure to request a booth to avoid getting stuck at the dreaded center 2 top).

Posted 02/24/07

A group of us went here the other night and it was pretty decent. Our service was great, our drinks were great, but the food was nothing special. Everyone ate their food, but no one said it was good or bad. It's an average place with above average service.

Pros: Service, ambience

Cons: Pricey, nothing special

Posted 02/11/07

last week i was meeting a guy for our first date at Masa, before i went i did some research and came upon city search's reviews...well you guys were right on! i was warned ahead of time of the limited parking, so i was prepared to valet. once there my date was seated at a table on the bar side of the restaurant, once seated with my date, the bartender/server was immedialty at our table to take our drink order. when he arrived(in under 2 min, no exaggeration) he was armed with two of the BEST margaritas i have ever had(including those in Mexico). to say the service was amazing, would be an under statement. on a very busy thursday night, we never waited long for any of our apps, meals or drinks. our server was so knowledgeable in the menu and Masa's extensive tequila selection. after several of those delicious margaritas, around 930 ish it turned into this great salsa scene. the tables had been cleared out of the dinning room and people were tearing up the floor. overall i had not only a great date, but an amazing time at Masa. we even thought of going back there for our second date! i will be going back to take friends that will be visting boston in the spring.

Pros: service,setting,margaritas

Cons: none~!

Posted 01/31/07

I enjoyed the atmosphere and food at Masa. I went with a group of friends on a weekend. Best food I've had in a long time!

Pros: Food

Cons: ?

Posted 01/13/07

We recently went to Masa after having checked out the web-site, and passed by. The decor is warm, all in yellows and copper, South-westernish with style. At the bar I had the best Caipirinhia in Boston, actually made by a Brazilian bartender. The cockatil list is nice. When we ordered the dinner, we decided to go with the Masarita pitcher - obviously some kind of sangria maison. Well non, it was this huge bowl of super-strong margarita ! (good yes, but we couldn't finish it). But above all, we loved the food ! It's very inventive, it has this fusion of Asian and South-Western flavors, very interesting in the mouth. We will definitely go back very soon, frist to try some more entrees on the men, then also for some of those tapas everybody is talking about... Best of all, Masa is not over-pricey, and that makes the food even more delectable. It's really worh the money.

Pros: food, drinks, ambience, price - everything !

Cons: ?

Posted 11/12/06

Having known or heard nothing about this place (except for their "stylish" website), four of us made reservations here for my birthday dinner a few weeks ago. Dining in the south end is fun, although pricey, but always fun with friends. The dining room is a nice, cozy setting and the bar looked like it would be a great place to sample any of there long list of tequilas! But, we orderd a margarita for 4 people! We were expecting a pitcher and small glasses, but it came out "scorpion" style in a huge glass with 4 long straws! What fun!!! We orderd the lobster roll, some seared scallops, and tuna "rolls" in a fried shell for appetizers and they were awesome. I would say they were better than our entrees as all of ours were a bit salty. But, with a friendly and attentive server capping off the evening with a candle-lit warm chocolate cake, it was overall a great evening and a place that I have recommended to friends to go when all the other fancy eateries in the area are booked entirely for reservations. Next time, I'd like to sample the bar and that tapas menu they serve there (and not in the dining room). Fun, warm colors and lights also compliment the setting...check out the website, it gives you a good feel for the place.

Pros: Margaritas, Appetizers

Cons: Entrees

Posted 11/11/06

A couple of friends and I went to Masa last Thursday for drinks and salsa night. We weren't planning on having food, but after the bartender showed us the tapas menu, how could we say no at $1 a piece? Great variety and taste and were all very good. They also have a new dinner menu that looks good, but it was too late at that point for us to try what sounded like some interesting dishes. She also introduced us to banarita shots, which are three different shooters you take at once. That is my new shot of choice, but I am pretty sure that Masa is the only place to get them! Overall, great food, drinks and service!

Posted 09/05/06

I went to Masa on a Thursday night with a friend after hearing about their $1 tapas and salsa dancing. The tapas were great (only available at the bar), I especially recommend the chorizo! We tried the $10 assortment and were pleased with almost everyone! The had a fun and lengthy drink menu, with Banderita shots as a exciting combo. Good sangria also. Atmosphere was great, young crowd, nice set-up, nice and informative staff. We were hopeing for more of a salsa crowd, as my friend and I were the first on the dance floor but we were followed by many and had a great time! Definitely recommend for a low-key and early, but fun Thursday night out!

Pros: $1 tapas at bar, salsa dancing

Posted 07/11/06

Masa can be a regular spot for me to go on Friday nights. The bartenders are usually AWESOME!! educated sweethearts... with great knowledge and attentiveness. Just recently I was there on a Sunday evening when the bartending service was the worst. SLOW and RUSHED with no wine education. I gave the girl a second chance.. thinking she was new, but then realized she was commanding when she snarled at a server about something and then came and gave us the same nasty attitude. I hope for the servers' sake she is not a manager. Like I said, the bartenders are usually wonderful... just beware of this one.

Posted 07/02/06

I just had another great time at MASA. Their wine list is very diverse with a lot of hard to find South American treats. The margaritas are wicked good and strong. The food served here is very imaginative and of a higher calibur than most of the other restaurants in Boston. The amuse that started the meal was interesting, turning Latin food on end, i.e; the "chips and salsa" parfait was outstanding!!! The little treats at the end of the meal were an added surprise. Don't miss this place!!!!!

Pros: Everything

Posted 06/18/06

They have a great tequila selection and the ambience is good. That's all the positive things about Masa. Our food (just entrees) took 1:20 to arrive. At about an hour, our waiter told us he was sorry and that our food woulld be right up. Not true. The food, when it finally arrived, was below average. My pork dish sounded very interesting and tasty on the menu, but it reality it was somewhat bland and very chewy. Either a bad cut of meat or improperly cooked. Much the same could be said for my girlfriend's steak frites. I'm sure a manager would have loved to know about our displeasure if we had ever seen one. Any other restaurant would have done SOMETHING to make up for the wait and poor food. After two drinks and an entree each, we ended up paying $100 for a pretty awful dining experience.

Pros: Ambience, Drink selection

Cons: Food, Service, Cooking Time

Posted 02/16/06

As a local that walks to Masa, neighborhood comments on it being a ho-hum meal are true. The atmosphere is ok. Our most recent visit was for brunch where you can pick three different menu items as a meal-combo, which is nice. Of the six items we had, only two had reasonable culinary creativity. The granola was no better than the standard Quaker-variety out of a can at home with a slice of fruit. The ceaser salad was very good though as were the Huevos Rancheros.

The Dixie-cup sized mimosas were overpriced and you'll want to check the itemized bill before paying to ensure your charged correctly.

All-in-all, an OK experience, but for similar money, Perdix (bout six blocks up the street) is easily a superior choice (esp the Tuna app).

Pros: atmosphere

Cons: uninspiring

Posted 12/16/05

We stumbled upon Masa after dinner at 28 Degrees - and we wished we hadn't eaten yet. Our mojitos were the best we've ever had, and the tantalizing aromas wafting around the room were irresistable and we ordered a plate of tapas. At $1 a piece they are a little nibble of culinary creativity, and I only wished the Scallop and Duck tapas was offered in an entree size it was that good. The hospitable staff treated us as if we were guests in their own home, and we felt like we had been "regulars" for years. The decor was warm and inviting and a live guitarist played the whole time we were there, and he was wonderful too. We will DEFINATELY go back to Masa and recommend them HIGHLY. It is an unbelieavable value for the food and ambiance.

Pros: artisinal tequila

Posted 12/06/05

I was very disappointed with Masa. I would never recommend anyone to go there for dinner. Both the salmon and the lobster tamales were overcooked, dry and had bad flavor combinations. The salmon was quite possibly the worst I have ever had. Even when I told the server, they did nothing to correct it for me. With such a romantic atmosphere I expected a much better experience. I also found the servers to be rude, and thought it was interesting they could not make any menu recommendations.

Pros: ambience

Cons: service, food , valet parking, $15

Posted 11/06/05

...the wine menu is limited and the noise level is too high. Service is generally good and the food is generally high-quality. The room is a little too dark.

Pros: food quality

Cons: wine offerings, dessert options

Posted 10/21/05

We visited on a Friday and it was my second time there, the first having been for tapas at happy hour. The valet was outrageous for the South End - $14, but the service was even worse. Though we were seated promptly, our waitress stumbled through the specials and disappeared after delivering our drinks (and telling me they ran out of Wild Turkey). 10 minutes later, we were able to order and our waitress disappeared again. She didn't bring our app or meal and never checked in to see if we needed another drink. Then she delivered the check not asking if we wanted dessert, and disappeared *again*. The food was excellent, with a great scallop and duck appetizer that was not at all fishy, but the service and overwhelmingly loud ambience ruined a nice meal.

Pros: Appetizers, Good food

Cons: Loud, Poor service

Posted 10/09/05

I have been to Masa a few times but the last visit was beyond my expectations. From start to finish it was a great experience. I had a few tapas, petite but yummy, at the bar with the charming bartender (Greg, I think) while I waited for a few friends. When we all got together we sat down for what has to be one of the best steaks I have ever had! I had the chili rubbed cowboy steak and it was cooked to perfection. I had to fight off my fellow diners. Our waiter was great and attentive and he let us know that if we stayed a little later they had live salsa music and dancing (this was on Thursday). We stayed and were glad we did. We were all a bit sleepy the next day - but well worth it!

Pros: great service, fun environment, good vibe at bar

Cons: parking

Posted 08/07/05

The guacamole is to die for! The chunchs of guac and cilantro make this item scrumptious.
Our table enjoyed the Cowboy Steak and I licked my lips over the seared Ahi Tuna. The Host was pleasant and the Server gave us excellent menu recommendations.
We'll be back :)

Pros: food, beverage, service

Cons: southend parking

Posted 07/14/05

I have had Sunday Brunch at Masa's twice now,each time I have had delicious,innovative meals. The Golden Margaritas were awesome...too bad Sunday comes only once a week.I have also been at their Salsa nite...what fun,and enjoyed an extravaganza of $1.00 tapas. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone

Posted 07/11/05

I have been to Masa on quite a few occasions and have always had a great, fun experience! The sangrias are fantastic as well as the appetizers. The bar atmosphere is fun and the restaurant is romantic. Decor is wonderful. Highly recommended for a great dinner.

Posted 07/10/05

Wonderful margarita, and everything we tried on the tapas menu was delicious. As you would expect, a $1 portion is pretty teeny, so don't attempt to eat a dinner of tapas. They're great as bar nibbles though! Our waiter was friendly and pretty average in terms of attentiveness, although he did flake when we asked for the check. We forgave him; the place was packed. We'll definitely go back!

Pros: inventive tapas, perfect margarita, good crowd

Cons: average service

Posted 07/06/05