Oak Room Restaurant

When you want in, you are not in the restuarant, but instead are in the oak bar. It is where you wait, after checking in with the host. I went there for my birthday. In the bar, we waited about 29 minutes to get our drink, then were ignored for the rest of the 40 minutes we waited to be seated. We had arrived that early because we had heard such great things about the decor, that we though it would be fun to sit for a bit. The bar is an amazing site. I can not do it justice using words. You have to see it to believe it. Interesting enough, someone siting next to us in the bar was ordering dinner from the Oak Room menu, so I suppose that you can do it. It you wnat to sit in take, the Oak Bar is a great place to do it, but if you want attentive service, it is a joke. That said, when we were brought into the restaurant proper, it was different. The decor stayed amazind, verging on over-the-top, but the service was just as good. The waiter was very attentive, treating us like we were his only guests that evening. The food, while very expensive, was great. I ordered a steak, and my wife some chicken. We both finished happy with our food. Because of the price, I wouldn't recomment it as a place for anything other than special occations. Also, try to stay out of the bar, because it disappoints. The restaurant, though, it worth it, as it is an experience.

Pros: Decor. Food. Restaurant Service.

Cons: Price. Pre-Dinner Bar Service.

Posted 08/22/08

We went to the Oak Room for our office Christmas Party and I have to say that we were greatly disappointed!!! We were impressed with the decor but that was about it...the service and the food was just mediocre, from the appetizers to the entrees to dessert! The waiters were not attentive nor friendly and the place wasn't even packed! We have been to a few "top of the line" steakhouses around Boston and I can honestly say that this was a huge letdown...a restaurant to this caliber should never have an "off" night..we spent alot of money for food that night and the experience was just "OK"... Sadly enough, I don't think I will ever give it a second chance and I haven't recommend it to anybody who loves food!

Pros: the decor is beautiful

Cons: the food and service is just mediocre

Posted 05/31/08

I went out with a party of 17 to this swanky venue and DAMN was I impressed! Our waiter was so great and friendly we were almost shocked at how attentive he was. ALLLL of the food on the menu is great
( yes I got to see a huge chunk of the menu with 17 plates at the table) but if this kind of place is a once and a while thing for you, there is no point in going if you do not get the steak. Filet mignon, DIVINE... If you really want to splurge, go for the Kobe Beef... phenominal...

Pros: Service, Quality and Freshness of Food

Cons: Valet Parking.

Posted 04/30/08

I have been to this restaurant/bar twice and both experences were so awful that I will never return. The decor is beautiful but the service is so terrible that i will never dine here again. The first time with a friend. We sat at a table and this is no exagerration, waited over 20 minutes and no one came over to us. They werent even that busy!!! Then I decided to go to the bar and stood at the bar for 10 minutes and none of the 3, yes 3, people behind the tiny bar even acknowledged me. A manager saw me standing there and I said I had been waiting for drinks for over half an hour and no one, not a waiter or a bartender would wait on me, so she apologized and got my friend and I a drink and said they were on the house. When we got the bill, our waiter had put the drinks that were supposedly "on the house" on our bill! after such terrible service we didnt even want to argue over it, we just wanted to leave, so we paid the bill. The second time I went with a friend who was from out of town and heard good things about it, we sat at the bar and again, it took about 15 minutes to be acknowledged, and the bartender made all the servicebar drinks before ours. I know this is supposed to be an upscale restaurant, but the service is anything but fine dining.
DO NOT GO HERE.

Pros: None

Cons: Terrible service

Posted 10/29/07

The picture for this restaurant as well as the reviews (mentioning buffet or lunch) are not the Oak Room, but refer to the Oak Bar area which sits in front of the Oak Room Restaurant as one enters. We ate recently in the actual Oak Room Restaurant...delicious food from 1950 (chops, steaks) served by waiters who knew nothing about it from 2007. Two people, no bottle of wine, two courses for $195 total and we were rushed through by a Brazilian waiter to whom we kept saying "Go Slow", "No Need To Rush": our main entrees arrived one minute after our appetizers! We, at 50 years old more or less, were the youngest there by 10-20 years. The portions were so groaningly too much and so much fat and oil! A Boston Cream Pie for dessert came with melted dripping black chocolate over it..about eight ounces! And this was atop lamb chops in grease, haddock in a bed of oil. Who eats like this anymore? The food was delicious but I was glad we were there with a gift certificate as the service was indifferent and complicated by language issues, and the food was just heavy. Everything is a la carte, so in addition to haddock ($38) and lamb chops ($43) we got some mixed veg ($17)..tasty but salty as heck and swimming in grease and oily breadcrumbs. Again, not distasteful but so heavy, so much! I strongly urge patrons to eat in the Oak Bar area...light menu, more waiters, better service. The Oak Room touchingly catered to a lonely old woman while we were there: three waiters spending all their time with her talking and serving (of about 40 seats only some six were occupied the time we were there). That is its charism...not anyone under 65 or who cares about their health.

Pros: suffocating small area with non-busy waiters staring at you

Cons: fatty, heavy food which reminded you of dinners from the 1950s

Posted 07/04/07

I made reservations at the Oak Room for Valentine's Day. I called the restaurant the afternoon of our dinner to make sure it would be ok to wear jeans. The man I spoke to said it was fine as long as I called ahead before and said he would leave a message for the manager. Upon arrival, we were seated quickly when the manager came to our table to inform me that I could not wear jeans. I explained to him that someone was supposed to leave him a note and said it was fine. He brought me to the lobby where they actually had a pair of khaki's in my size waiting for me. It was slightly insulting but at the same time very generous. After that was over, I ordered the surf and turf(filet with a lobster tail) which was incredible. The filet was the highest quality beef I had ever had. Deserts were great(and on the house because of the mishap) and the decor and ambience is definitely something that one should experience. Extremely impressive!!

Pros: Service, Ambience, Food....they truly cater to each individual table

Cons: most expensive meal i've ever had....but still worth it

Posted 06/07/07

My boyfriend and I went to the Oak Room yesterday for Brunch and had a wonderful experience. The waiter's recommendations were excellent: you have to try the crab cakes! lobster roll and oak room benedict were also great. Waiter Kenny was awesome, made us feel welcome and (like other reviews have said) like royalty! It is obviously a little pricey, but definitely worth it. Great variety of brunch items and you really get a lot of food. Brunch special was a great deal, included an app, entree, and dessert for $29!!

Pros: great steak & lobster, beautiful room

Cons: pricey, but brunch was a good deal

Posted 04/22/07

Went for a birthday meal, the mood was perfect, and the table was great. Shrimp cocktail was outstanding, with huge shrimp that made me fear I wouldn't be hungry for the main course. As some other reviews have warned, the sides left something to be desired. The potatoes au gratin were bland, but benefited from generous salt and pepper; the asparagus lacked flavor, and no amount of seasoning could redeem them. The steaks were excellent, except that both my wife's and mine were overdone. We ate them anyway, they were that good, and because we didn't want to wait for new steaks. The manager was very apologetic, and comped us each a glass of champagne with desert. Overall, the service and the mood of the place made up for the mediocre sides and the overcooking. I might suggest consulting your waiter about whether or not the kitchen tends to overcook the meat, and maybe then order a doneness slightly more rare than you would normally prefer.

Pros: Service and atmosphere. Great cuts of steak. And giant shrimp.

Cons: Bland sides.

Posted 11/08/06

Wonderful food, great service, but expect a similar price-range. The steak is to die for. My boyfriend and I wanted a special restaurant last Valentine's Day and found it with The Oak Room. Its central location is also an added bonus. It was grand, romantic and impressive. In fact, a college student like myself can be a fish out of water. Only go to The Oak Room if you don't mind acting like a king/queen, and being treated like one too. You MUST try the steak. On Valentine's Day 2005 they had a special menu which was wonderful as we had little idea of what to try. We paid $200 for the two of us, not including wine... but we still talk about that evening and can still taste the food in our memories. Absolutely make reservations for Valentine's Day and I imagine any other special occasion.

Pros: Exquisite food, Grand atmosphere

Cons: Very expensive, Very formal

Posted 01/09/06

The food is among the best we've had in Boston but the menu is a la carte so the bill really adds up. The crowd definitely tends to the older side. Except for one young man dining with his parents, my husband and I were the only patrons under the age of about 40 in the room.

Pros: Delicious food, Good service

Cons: Expensive, Older Crowd

Posted 10/03/05

My 14 ounce kobe beef filet was perfect. Not exactly a value, but buttery and well-marbled. Our hot seafood appetizer was solid. The calamari was excellent, as were the crabcakes, while I thought the clams casino and Oysters Rockefeller were a bit average. As for the sides, the onion/potato crisps and the mushrooms were both very good. One disappointment was that our server wasn't decisive in recommending wines and then didn't have the correct year for the one he did suggest. It's a well put together list (with no bargains, however).

Posted 02/24/05

This luxury steakhouse was everything I expected and more - a lot more! $$$$

Yes it is expensive, but it is totally worth it for the most part. Just be aware that you may get more than you bargained for with the "specials."

I got the surf 'n' turf filet mignon with a lobster tail. Drum roll please....$73! Considering the filet mignon (known as tenderloin there) is about $40, that means they charged me over $30 for a lobster tail.

Besides the over-priced crustacean, eveything was perfect. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic luxury steakhouse.

Cheers.

Pros: Delicious Food, Good Presentation, Valet Parking

Cons: Over-priced Specails

Posted 10/17/03

Ridiculously expensive and worth every penny. As a college student, it's rare for me to splurge on something like a French bistro (I weep for the loss of affordable Metro) or a fine hotel restaurant, and half the time you end up paying for food that you can't pronounce and won't eat. The Oak Room, despite its luxurious decor, feels downright homey, from the family style side dishes of mashes potatoes, to the (somewhat disappointing) tomato halves that garnish the plate. The tenderloin is the most tender I've had in my life, and the steak au poivre has a great sauce. Focus on the steaks, and skip the underwhelming soups & appetizers. This restaurant is great if you're looking for one special night to impress someone with, and the service was very professional even to a young couple like me and my boyfriend.

Pros: best steak, good service, T accessible

Cons: expensive, unimpressive appetize, a little too cozy?

Posted 01/12/03

I found the Oak Bar to be one of the few bars in Boston not busting at the seams with the sweaty meat-market aura you'll find at most yuppy places in Boston. The jazz bands are classy, not sleazy and the host staff is accomodating. Even if you only pop in for a glass of wine, they will see to it you are comfortable. The crowd ranges in age, but it is great to see some middle aged folks mingeling with the younger generations on Boston. This is a classy place, so all the wanna-be socialites...stay away from my favorite place.

Posted 12/01/02

It is a must to begin the evening in the Oak Room Bar and for a martini. Although the drinks are expensive ($15) it's worth the price. The atmosphere in both the bar and the dining room is perfect. My teenage son and I had dinner there recently and we enjoyed both the dinner and each others company. Sort of like a "coming a age" place for a young man and his Dad.

B. Becker
Los Angeles

Pros: atmosphere, food, service

Cons: expensive

Posted 10/06/02

The portions were generous and the food very good if you are looking for very basic traditional fare. My only complaints are the lighting. Throughout our entire meal I kept wishing the lights would be turned down a bit - it was much too bright to be very romantic, but that could be because most of the patrons looked over 70. The desserts leave something to be desired. There were only 3 choices, none of which were intriguing.

Pros: good food, service, portions

Cons: desserts, lighting, no music

Posted 10/05/02

The Oak Room is a great place to enjoy a drink and a nice cigar. oh and the steak is fabulous also!

Posted 10/01/02

Went to Oak Room for dinner. Haven't been to Capital Grille or Grill 23, so I can't draw comparisons, but food at Oak Room was amazing! Steak was perfectly cooked and prepared. It was very tender, juicy and well flavored. Dining area was well decorated. Very classy. It is an expensive place to eat at, but is definitely worth it and their portions are very big. Expect to spend about $50 per each person including tip but excluding drinks. Definitely will go back for more.

Pros: Environment, Service, Food

Cons: Expensive

Posted 08/06/02

I was immediatly drawn to this restaurant because my husband is what you would call a steak connoisseur. I had read other reviews of the Oak Room and had promised him that he would not be disappointed-sure enough, we weren't! The ambience was romantic and the dining room had an old world feel to it. The service was fantastic (and the waiter was very patient with me as I asked him to explain what fromage was.) However, the highlight of our night was definitely the food. While I rarely eat steak, my husband (the steak fanatic) remarked that this was the best steak he'd ever eaten! I believe his exact comment was "boy, this was worth the price of admission"!

Pros: The

Posted 06/25/02

This is what you expect from Boston. A little blue blood in your face. The Oak Room is a classic. Sure, you probably only want to dine here when the rents are in town or you're celebrating something, but when you do, you know it's the right place. Nothing like a martini and some oysters before a good steak. I like that this place looks like it hasn't changed since the 40s. Not many places have the sheer ambience of this very big, yet small room.

Pros: traditional, atmosphere

Cons: expensive, older crowd

Posted 05/15/02