Washington Square Tavern

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

Posted 05/28/09

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

Posted 08/06/08

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

Posted 12/06/07

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

Posted 06/30/07

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

Posted 03/08/07

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

Posted 03/05/07

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!

Posted 09/26/06

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

Posted 09/18/06

Just went there again for about the 10th time in the last 2 years and it was great as usual. Service was top notch and the food was excellent... Menu is short, but very well rounded and ever-changing. You can pretty much expect at least one main course from the major groups although I don't recall seeing many pasta dishes. The bread at the table is always fresh and quality. Great range of beers and a very nice wine list. There can be a long wait some nights, but it's worth it. I am very happy to see that this place has not lost a step with the addition of Beacon Street Tavern.

Pros: Excellent food, wine, and beer selections. Comfortable place to be in shorts and sandals or a suit

Cons: None

Posted 08/25/06

Since moving to the Washington Square neighborhood four years ago, I've eaten at WST about every two to three months. The food has NEVER disappointed, and usually has been outstanding. The menu changes every few months to remain seasonal. The ingredients seem fresh and high quality and are prepared in creative, delicious ways. I've always found the service to be friendly and efficient. Note, however, that I've learned to arrive early (around 6-ish) on weekends to get a table without waiting. I wish they'd take reservations, but apparently, they don't need the hassle -- more power to them!

Pros: Excellent food, pleasant easygoing atmosphere

Cons: No reservations, so you may have to wait

Posted 08/03/06

The food is always incredible and the wine list is delicious. There is usually a wait to be seated but get a drink and enjoy the atmosphere. This is a great neighborhood bar with more than a touch of class. The menu changes seasonally so you never know what kind of deliciously treats await you upon your arrival.

Pros: Incredible Food, Friendly Service, Relaxing Atmosphere

Posted 02/24/06

Although the food and drink of the Washington Tavern has been very nice, I have not found the service to be up-to-par. Case in point: I've been trying to make reservations for about an hour now, and the line has been busy.

Posted 08/23/05

The food is consistently outstanding and the sides are wonderful. Great wine list with reasonable prices. Some of the reviews mention rude service, but I've been there literally dozens of times and have never seen the staff be rude to anyone. It gets noisy and sometimes you need to wait a while because it's small, and it's popular. It's not cheap, but for the quality of food it's a good value. I love this restaurant, and so does anybody I've gone with!

Pros: Wonderful food, Nice people, Good value

Cons: Noisy, Not for kids

Posted 06/29/05

This is one of my favorite restaurants, period. It is the perfect combination of inviting pub atmosphere and outstanding food, with just the right amount of panache to thoroughly distinguish it from a "common" tavern. The very friendly service is beyond compare. The atmosphere is warm yet classy. The food is sophisticated gourmet fare superbly prepared with quality ingredients. With a dining experience this completely delightful, the prices are worth every penny.

Pros: Sophisticated food, Great atmosphere, Friendly service

Posted 05/12/04

I definitely recommend the tavern for dinner. The food is excellent, the wine selection is great, and the service is friendly (as long as you aren't rude). It's busy Thursday through Sunday, unless you show up early in the evening. Go earlier in the week if you hate waiting.

I'm a little biased in their favor, since I know the owners and staff. However, there are a few things I'd like to correct from the other reviews:

1)It's fairly popular and gets crowded, meaning that the wait might end up being longer than what you were told initially.

2) Being a neighborhood spot, locals will drop by, get their name on the list, find out what the wait is, and come back later, so it seems like they showed up after you did.

3) The staff isn't rude, unless you've been rude first (although they do like to joke around).

Pros: Friendly

Posted 04/01/03

We were impressed with the atmosphere at this Washington Square eatery/pub, but our enthusiasm was quickly extinguished. LONG wait - and it sure seemed as though people who came in after us were getting seated before us. Food was ok and the waitstaff was decent . We stayed for drinks afterwards at the bar and it was quite noticeable that the bartenders have a "better than thou" attitude. They were clearly busy talking to their friends and weren't very attentive. Moreover, we all felt that they were RUDE!

Pros: pleasant atmosphere

Cons: bad service, rude bartenders

Posted 01/12/03

I love going to the Washington Square Tavern. The food always blow's my mind. I like getting a table in the back - it's cozy back there. The wine list is great and very complementary to the dishes. The specials are always so enticing - it makes it so hard to choose!

All I can say - is go there often!!!

Posted 11/11/02

Went to this restaurant on a Thursday night. Was told it was a 30 minute wait, waited over an hour while many people (same number in our party) who arrived after us were seated. Apparently being friends with the host is imperative as a few people at the bar also noted to us.

Posted 11/07/02

My boyfriend and I went there for dinner this past monday. We didn't have any alcoholic beverages, so I can't comment on the quality. I can comment on the food and the service though. Between the appetizer and the entrees we had at least a 35 minute wait. Neither of our dishes was what I would call complicated, so I fail to see what the long wait was for. Looking around, I at least felt better that everyone else near us was waiting just as long for their food. When our dinner did finally arrive I was very disappointed in my Lobster risotto. The rice was undercooked and there was not very much lobster in it. On top was deep fried fennel. In my opinion fennel does not take well to deep frying. We finished up and got out of there as soon as possible.

Posted 10/08/02

little known locals spot that meets need for good food, good value, good scene

Posted 08/21/02

With hardworking and knowledgeable staff. I can't think of a better place to sit and quaff (easy now) a few damn decent martinis, pity that they favour Stella Artois over Spaten these days but at least they have the wonderful Belhaven to compensate. Best neighbourhood bar in the underserved Brookline area, foxy waitresses too!

Pros: non-smoking, inexpensive

Cons: parking

Posted 08/01/02