We dined here on Sunday July 14th.  I want to warn everyone to be very careful about dining here if you have a food allergy.  I have Celiac disease, and ordered from the gluten free menu: salmon, spuds, and asparagus.  I told them I have a severe allergy and the waiter seemed understanding.  However, when I received my meal, the 'spuds' looked a little different  They were in the shape of a 'cake'- I thought: wow: this is cool.  But one bite told me that it was not potato, it was risotto- and sure enough, when I mentioned it to the waiter, he said "I'm sorry- that's not gluten free."  He took the risotto off the plate and then went to yell at the cook staff.  Didn't clear the whole plate and start new- just gave me a side of 'spuds' which I wasn't really confident about.  And then, and this is the kicker:  they still charged me full price for a meal that has made me sick all week.  Eventually, at our insistence, we talked to a manager, who took my meal off the bill as well a drink that was so-so to begin with.  They were all very nice- but I need to post this review because it's very clear by the error, and the inaction after, that they don't have a handle on food allergies. beware!
So if you have allergies; go somewhere else.  If you don't have allergies- well, I think it's a good restaurant  -  my party got the fondue which looked delicious.  And the location was great.
Leave your vuvuzela and team pennant at home - Anthem has all that you need to proclaim an evening a total success. Â
Indoor seating, outdoor seating, indoor/outdoor seating: it's all great. Â Our party loved being able to people-watch while enjoying the modern comforts of air conditioning. Â The nice cushy booth was another comfort appreciated after a long morning of museum-ing. Â The atmosphere was casual and the noise level was average which lent nicely to a laid-back luncheon.
The menu is only one page, but it packs a wallop! Â Our appetizer of "Really Good Fried Pickles" with chipotle aioli ($8) would have been great for 2-3 people, but wasn't quiet enough of a quantity to satisfy us humidity-hunger munchers. Â Also, they were "pretty good" (not "Really Good" as advertised) as the nickel-sized rounds were a bit watery. Â
Entrees arrived in perfect time! Â My house-made veggie/bean burger was impressive! Â The "burger" was more substantial than veg-patties I've seen in the past, yet held together (no crumbling) quite nicely. Â The tzatziki sauce added a hint of tang and individuality to the meal ($14). Â Fries: holy smokes. Â The perfect amount of perfect, crisp, seasoned fries (just more than a handful) was an excellent side. Â If you're looking for more side options, their mac'n'cheese might not appear to be acceptably cheesy....but don't judge a noodle by it's sauce! Â The flavor is THERE!
My carnivorous friend ordered the "Meatloaf Stack" (ground beef, chorizo, italian sausage, cheesy texas toast, whipped spuds, gravy + vegetable $23)....what-a-stack. Â It was an well-presented meat mound and she professed that it was quite possibly the best meatloaf she had ever tasted (don't tell her nana!). Â In fact, all of our meals were so delicious that we nearly chomped ourselves into pleasant little food comas *belch*
Great location - great scene - great bar and food menu (...just brace yourself for a Boston-sized check).
So, tell you all a little story about this place. Â That SAME guy from NYC was in town again, and my friends ironically suggest Anthem again for dinner... I grunt and gurgle, express our terrible time last time we were there... "Naw, its cool, I like that place" is the response from my friends. Â
Again, we head there with a request for 10+ people. No problem securing a table, which is great. The only thing great about this place. Â Â Â I just ordered beers, as I knew the food is total crap here. Â I actually did order the side of fries (which are about the most decent item to eat here), and honestly, they are good. Â
By the end of the meal, most felt they had overpaid for the product they received and on top of the mediocrity of food, the bill was totally FUBAR. Â Waitress charged us for 4 extra beers that nobody ordered or consumed... 1 extra of a beer we had, and 3 miscellaneous beers nobody even touched. Â Do you think we wouldn't notice, "1 Guinness, 1 Corona, 1 Heineken" on the bill? Â Seriously? Â Â Good thing I audited it to catch the BS this place spits at its customers. Â
If this place didn't automatically include 18% gratuity in the bill, I wouldn't give them anything - service and food are total horrendous - total tourist trap.
Hint: If you do come here, make sure to check your bill. Â Likely going to up-charge you for something or hide something on there you didn't order.
Loved it! I stumbled upon it as I sought refuge from rain.
Grabbed a seat at the bar, ordered the veggie burger (delish!) and watched the Bruins game.
The environment was great! I sat in the "terrarium" which was really cool and I had a full view outside into Faneuil Hall.
Overall, it's worth a stop!
Oh Anthem. Â I really do enjoy you. Â But occasionally you disappoint me. Â
I've been to Anthem several times now and it has its highs and lows. Â The flatbreads are really tasty. Â Their drinks, for the most part are great..do not order the cucumber cooler though - so gross! Â
Service is mediocre/ Â Hosts are usually friendly and accommodating. Â On my last visit, my server told me that fries came with my sandwich but an undressed salad came instead...fine since I'm trying to be healthy, but she kinda gave me attitude when I asked for oil and vinegar. Â I never mentioned that she had promised me french fries. Â She did take that gross cucumber drink off our bill graciously, so points for that. Â The bahn mi sandwich with crispy pork belly did not melt in my mouth the way I envisioned it would. Â It was all french bread. Â But the veggies and spicy mayo that came on it were really really good. Â
Overall it's a decent choice for something a bit nicer than normal pub fare in fanueil. Â It's great for post-work drinks, great for flatbreads, and good salads. Â Amazing people watching if you can get a spot in the open windows or outside.
Friendly waitstaff, were seated right away (we were a party of 5). Service was good, location is great- right in Faneuil Hall. I'd say the lychee martini with champagne topper was a bit...interesting. Weird. Maybe you'd like it. We kinda didn't so the next round ended up with martini sans champagne. Was mo'betta. For dinner I had the salmon and crispy rice cake- I will say that while the salmon was cooked to my liking it didn't have much flavor and the rice cake overcompensated with spice...didn't feel balanced...it was like, "Oh ok...that's... um, well it's alright...does anyone want a bite of my salmon and ....oh! What the Christ...??"
Totally worth hitting up though- my friends liked the lobster macaroni and their menu has variety so you'll most likely find something you like there.
I'm always skeptical of eating in Faneuil Hall with the massive amount of tourists, most of which are clad in condom hats from Dick's or Crocs from wherever one buys Crocs. The menu at Anthem looked appealing and it was nice that they had some gluten free items for the wife.
We made reservations for 7pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was a ghost town - never a good sign. Lots of people milling about outside, but nobody eating at Anthem. They had a good drink menu and our server was pretty nice, but the food was really disappointing. We started off with the gluten free tacos with shrimp and steak. 4 tiny tacos for $16. They tasted ok, but not $16 ok. I had the fish and chips, which was unfortunately more batter than fish sitting on top of oil sogged fries. My wife had the turkey sandwich without bread, which looked ok, but she was disappointed in the mashed potatoes.
There are better food options even in Faneuil Hall - unless you want to overpay for subpar pub grub.
Great food. Great ambiance. Service is pretty bad which is why I am giving this place 2 stars. I think the drinks are overpriced in my opinion just because the location is in Quincy market. At one point I got up to order drinks from the bar since I was sitting for 30 mins without a server. I was asked to move in order to get drinks from the bar. The server when he finally showed up had no idea about the menu but the food was still pretty good.
Review Source:A touristy restaurant located in the Faneuil Hall area. We made a reservation (Saturday night of marathon weekend), but it didn't look like you'd need one. Got the chowder (good, not fantastic) and the Boston Bibb salad (same). For dessert we got the pizza, which was FANTASTIC. Highly recommend the dessert pizza. Service was good and quick, and we sat at a table near the bar which had a TV.
Review Source:On my last day in Boston, I wanted to check out Faneuil Hall and get a quick bite to eat before I caught the train back to New York. I read some less than stellar reviews for Anthem Kitchen and Bar but thought the menu looked solid. I gave it a try anyway.
They open at 11AM and I was definitely one of the first customers there. My waiter was extremely friendly and talkative, probably because I was the only one there, but regardless. He gave me time to look over the menu and came back when I was ready.
I ordered the Charcuterie [$16], which was the chef's house made selection of meats, and cheeses of the day with traditional accompaniments. From what I could identify, there was sausage, a mild type of cheese, what appeared to be a jerky of some kind, bread and butter pickles, a whole grain mustard, chopped liver [which was creamy, smooth, and delicious!! Probably one of the best I've had] and little pieces of toast [too small, too crispy] . It was served in the traditional manner, on a cutting board.
I had the Mac + Cheese [$16] for entree and substituted with tasso ham. The Mac + Cheese came out before I finished my app, but that was okay. The ham provided a spicy kick at the back of the throat. The cheese sauce was creamy and not too thin, the herb crumbs on top were delicious. I was so full, but that was probably because I ate so much two days prior. It also came with a side of arugula in a light dressing, which was also pretty tasty [but honestly, who is focusing on arugula when you've got mac and cheese on your plate?]
Funny: The waiter kept giving me the wrong bill. It took three tries until he gave me mine.
The bill came out to about $30+change. I gave a rather large tip because the service was good and I liked the waiter. I'd come for dinner if I'm ever in Boston again.
I went here for drinks with some former co-workers the other week, I was pleasantly surprised to find a high end bar in Faneuil Hall. There were no bros, no skanky girls in next to nothing, AND our drinks were served in REAL GLASSES!!!! Take notes, Faneuil Hall, the masses of Boston (or at least the well dressed ones with moderate levels of self-respect) can be trusted with real glassware!!
We opted for a table over trying to stand near the bar, and our waiter was very attentive and offered us more drinks before our glasses were empty! Our table was right next to a window on the second floor, so we were able to look out over the tourists and the trees, which was actually very nice. Should I find myself tempted to come to Faneuil Hall for drinks (not likely, at all) I will make sure to come back to Anthem!
Popped in here around 9pm on a Monday night while up in Boston on business to catch up with a friend over a few drinks.
The bar was pretty dead - there were a handful of folks at the bar, and one table full of tourists ordering dinner. Â Stayed for about 30 minutes and had a couple of drafts. Â Pricing was average for Fanueil Hall. Â Bartender was friendly.
Good spot to pop in if you're looking for a quiet chat with friends during the week, but don't come here if you're expecting a vibrant social scene. Â I'm sure the place perks up on weekends and Thursday nights right after work due to its location, though.
I came here before a Celtics game today and had a great experience! It was my first time and it was tasty. I got a breakfest burger and it was great! My freind got a wicked spicy burger and also found it to be good. Our waiter was very freindly and the rest of the staff was as well. My only slight and petty issue was the lack of fries on my plate. Yes, I do realize that is stupid but the fries were so good that I think that they should be a little more generous with them. It was a great time!
Review Source:On a busy Friday night, here is a place that you can still find a table & have a conversation. Don't be put off if you walk by and see the place hopping; they have a quieter second floor.
Service:
Among the friendliest & most efficient I've encountered in Boston.
Menu:
Lots of appetizing choices and a selection of burgers for the non-adventurous. In my case, the American burger sucked me in and made my night with it's unapologetic use of Velveeta cheese. It was a damn fine burger.
Location:
Right in the middle of touristy Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, Anthem carries the risk of being full of tourists. Consider yourself warned.
We ordered the ravioli appetizer portion and you get 4 ravioli for $18? Ridiculous! Not only was it overpriced but the ravioli was really hard. We got a salad that was ok and the soup was blah too. I don't even remember the entrees. The food was that uneventful.
I guess the restaurant itself is cool and they did have music playing and a semi-cool vibe going on so that's why I'm giving it 2 stars but the food here is not good. If this was just a club great but you are a restaurant so up your food game anthem!
4 stars for the CLAM CHOWDER alone!!! The bowl we got was very well deserving of winning the Boston chowder festival's best!!
I hear the $9 bowl is much more worth it than the $6 cup! And trust me you'll want more since its delicious!!
---nice big chunks of clam, creamy chowder, not too many potatoes, just the way I like it! & of course served with Westminster oyster crackers
ONE GRIPE: Service was kind of slow
This is a great place! Perfect place for dinner in my option. Came to Boston for a tradeshow and sat outside with some co-workers.
I ordered a lobster cobb salad. Absolutely the best i've ever had...event though I've never had a lobster cobb before.
If you're looking for something not too fancy..this is just the place for you!
My recommendation: this is a must see- don't miss it!
I've been do Anthem a handful of times and always have had a good experience in terms of service and always enjoyed the drinks and food.
Anthem is a great spot if you are looking for a nicer, not so touristy restaurant in Fanueil Hall. Â It's two floors with a great green house type of area that opens up in the summer. Â Even in the colder months it's nice to be able to look out to Fanueil. Â It's a great space overall.
As for food I've never been disappointed. Â Their crab cakes are delicious as an appetizer. Â I've tried a couple of the flat breads, most recently one with a smoky/truffle taste - ah maze ing. Last time I dined here I ordered the steak and blue salad which was well put together with all the right flavors mixed in - blue cheese, walnuts, steak, oh my.
I've been here twice - once back in August just for dinner; my experience then was fine.
The second time I came in a group with a reservation; the room we were in was not that full or busy. The entire meal we had poor service - the first time we ordered drinks, the server brought out one person's beer and the rest of us had to wait about 15 more minutes for ours (and it was a mixture of draft beer and cocktails, so not understandable as to why the other drafts took so long). Â
Every time we needed to order food or more drinks, our server was distracted and rarely accessible (we'd have to flag him down) and then it would take forever  to actually get the food or drinks.  And we didn't order that much; over the time we were there, which ended up being 3 1/2 hours, I had 2 drinks and everyone else had only 2 or 3 each - that's less than 1 drink every hour.
The food was good, but cold. And fries should never, ever be cold. I assume this was because the kitchen was busy - not sure. Â The burgers were good, but three of us ordered them medium-well, and they were quite red (but still tasty).
When we wanted to leave, it took us a long time to actually have a chance to ask for our checks. Then, we waited for 30+ more minutes just to get them. The manager ended up helping the server and comped a few items. However, it was still a very frustrating experience.
I doubt that I will go back; the service was not worth it.
I'm not quite sure why the reviews for this place are so low, but I've always had a pleasant experience and good food at Anthem. The wait can be a while to get in, but I'm not picky on where I sit and don't mind sitting at the bar. The drinks (especially the sangria and peach Bellini) are delicious and the standard cocktail price for downtown Boston ($10-$12).
My favorite things on the menu are:
Lobster roll (around $22) and as I was told by the waiter AND witnessed for myself, this includes more lobster meat than one normal-sized lobster gives you. It's delicious and more than I can eat.
Cheeseburger (nice and simple) - Their burgers are cooked right at what temp you like them and are seasoned perfectly.
Fried pickles (app) - AMAZING
Other than the basic salads, soups, apps and burgers, the entrees are slightly expensive for the "faneuil hall" experience but this place does deliver with portions and quality.
The only reason I don't give this 5 stars is the location.
Went here for dinner with my boss on Thursday pm. Very nice dinner, good service and food quality was nice. I saw a really good looking Lobster Cob Salad when I was leaving.
I came the next day specifically to try that salad. Sat at the bar- afternoon bar tender left alot to be desired- there were only 2 of us. The handsome business man at the other corner seemed to be the priority.
The salad- was AMAZING!! I didn't even want to use the salad dressing. The lobster portion was large and had several intact claw meat chunks. The rest of the ingredients were perfectly flavored.
It's a pricey lunch at @ $24 but the quality was well worth it. I made a point to thank the chef for a memorable meal.
(4 stars for the food, would be fewer stars for service.)
Waking up early for breakfast while on vacation is not necessarily anywhere near the top of our list of things we just have to do...in fact I'd venture to say it's not on the list at all...we did want to get up early enough, though, on July 4th to see the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old State House and then parade to Faneuil Hall...so, on vacation time, this meant doing that with plans to find breakfast (or as we like to call it, brunch) somewhere in Faneuil Hall. Â We did a quick circle of all the available places in the area and settled with Anthem Kitchen + Bar as we wanted something nicer than the stands inside Faneuil itself. Â Results were mixed.
We were seated quickly which was nice, but it took a long time for a waiter to acknowledge our presence...we saw another table who had been seated after us with their beverages before our waiter appeared for the first time. Â We started to get the idea that, as thoughtful as the menu looked (breakfast pizza, churros with nutella + berries, chef's creation omelette, granola, fresh seasonal fruit plate) that breakfast made the staff uncomfortable in a venue better known for their lunch and dinner foods and drinking options. Â In fact we overheard one of the waiters who had been vigorously gathering up coffee mugs from tables tell another waiter that the coffee mugs made him nervous and he just wanted breakfast to be over.
He was right to be gathering up the coffee mugs as the coffee just wasn't good. Â Browned water all the way...The kind of coffee the British would serve to their enemies (hey we're in the heart of the American Revolution here so you'll forgive the metaphor...) I complained about it to the waiter and he went into a long explanation about water ratios which indicated to us when it was all over that he really didn't know anything about coffee. Â So away went the coffee and we brewed our own from the nice selection of Tazo teas they had. I went with "Awake" as, well, I needed it.
My wife had the Breakfast pizza. Â She loved it. Â She loved it so much I began to question my place in our marriage. It was an oblong pizza, marinara sauce topped with homemade mozzarella, sunny side up eggs and spinach leaves, on ciabatta bread, served on a cutting board. Â This is normally served with bacon but, of course, she had it without and they obliged with no problem. This was beautifully presented and made her the happiest girl in Boston eating it.
I had the Chef's Creation 3 egg omelet, made with egg whites and served with breakfast potatoes. The chef comes up with a different omelet periodically (perhaps daily) and this is what they serve...this time it was spinach, sun dried tomatoes and a cheese which, for the life of me I don't remember. Â I eat a lot of egg white omelets and people either know how to cook with egg whites or they don't...this was done well. Â The red potatoes were served in a style that could easily have had them served with an afternoon or evening dish and they were delicious.
Outside of the slightly weird atmosphere for breakfast at a place where it seemed like they didn't want to be serving breakfast to begin with, the slow service, and the unacceptable coffee, it was a good meal and probably the nicest place to have breakfast around Faneuil Hall.
A quick glance at the lunch and dinner menu shows they have a few interesting vegetarian options including a Hummus Platter and Four Cheese Fondue Appetizers, a margherita pizza, fried green tomatoes, a couple of salads, fresh pappardelle pasta, a veggie burger and an intriguing Mac + Cheese - we didn't have any of this, but if you happen to be starving at lunch or dinner, and you're a vegetarian, you'll have plenty to choose from here.
For more reviews from a vegetarian perspective visit Rick and Addie's Veggie Food Blog: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpoetrysuperhighway.com%2Fvfb&s=89d5df170c764ee40720370f2f008685235e7dc96a11833ad6eb4026acd23cd2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://poetrysuperhighwa…</a>
3.4 Stars
I've only been for lunch, and as far as Faneuil Hall places go for lunch this a good choice for a sit down lunch. Â The front room is dominated by the bar which has the olde Boston feel. I would recommend the Atrium if the weather is nice.
They have gone wide and deep on the menu keeping the prices reasonable. Thematically it's Modern American Comfort Food with a nod to the healthy conscious; ceviche and tacos contrasted with fish & chips and mac & cheese.
Entree salads are a good choice here with extensive protein add ons, jerk chicken and lobster salad are two I like. The burgers and the sliders another good bet, the menu is slanted to the hearty side, the sliders provide a lighter portion. For the meat lover there is steak, ribs, and meatloaf. Vegetarians are not left out besides the salads they have a
veggie burger and vegetable baguette(has goat cheese).
* Quinoa Tabbouleh is awesome.
* better than decent wine list  and by the glass, nice variety.
* lobster mac & cheese.
While waiting for a table at another restaurant in Faneuil Hall, we came across Anthem. Â I eyed out someone eating a flat bread pizza and we deiced to be sat right away at Anthem. Â
(Are you noticing a trend? If there is no wait, and the food looks good, I'd rather be sat right away. I hate waiting for food! )
My girlfriend and I sat outside and decided to split some dishes:
Really Good Fried Pickles - not so really good fried pickles. I was disappointed in a little bowl in which the bottom was filled with oil they were fired in.
Chopped Caesar - the most perfect Caesar salad. It came with hardboiled egg in it. It made it perfect. Right amount of dressing to lettuce. YUM!
Any now to the BEST part:
Pulled Chicken Flatbread Pizza - I wish I could eat this EVERY day. AMAZING. Â I personally took off the squash. I was blown away at how good this was. If I wasn't 5 hours away, I'd go get it for lunch right now! If I go back to Boston, I'm going back to Anthem and getting this pizza and trying others as well!
I brought the boyfriend here for his birthday dinner. I was looking for a place that had kick ass burgers (for him) and fish for me. I made a 5:30 reservation  because it was a Sunday and we are trying to be more like an old married couple. The place as empty and the Bruins game was on. Perfect.
Our drinks were mixed perfectly. The vodka to tonic ratio was perfection.
He got a burger. I got the salmon. Both were delicious.
The price matches the quality of the food. The staff was friendly and service was well executed. I will be going back in the near future.
The only reason this place is getting two stars is the food was decent and it is nice inside and has a lot of promise, so why so bad?? Â SERVICE BLOWS!!!
I would have to agree with all the recent poor reviews this place needs some serious change of management and some lessons in hospitality, if the Manager is reading this you need to seriously step up your game or get another gig!! Â Clearly the only reason Anthem has even survived is the location in Fanueil Hall and obviously the tourist traffic and crowds in this area helps.
Where to begin, our waitress Katie was HORRIBLE!!! I want to preface this by saying I understand that it is a tough job, but seriously on a Wednesday night when we are one out of only two tables on a slow night you'd expect better service. Â My girlfriend and I sat down and asked for drinks and waters and mentioned that we had two others joining us, drinks came waters came then server fell off the map! Â When our joining couple came the server came back WITHOUT menus for them!! Â Are you kidding me?!?!?!
After putting in our orders she never returned to check on our drinks, our waters, or even ask how the food was, RIDICULOUS!!! Â She took forever and infact we had to ask another worker to get her over, HORRIBLE!
The service here needs some SERIOUS repair, I for one will not be returning to sit down and If I'm ever back in it will be to hit the bar and that's it!
don't bother trust me!
I got one of the best veggie burgers in the whole of Boston!
It's made in house, and it's full and fluffy and really tasty. They really seem to know how to put it together.
My friends got chicken wings, and I think the dipping sauce was a bit spicy for them except they said the ranch dressing was really good.
The portions are really big
Fabulous place and worth visiting, as they do have a good selection of beers also and vegetarians will definitely find something to eat :)
Kerry's review below says it all. Â Went here for Restaurant Week last night and was slightly disappointed. Â Wasn't expecting much walking in based on some of the reviews, but was hoping to be pleasantly surprised which didn't happen.
I had a short rib ravioli as appetizer which was decent, but arrived at the table lukewarm at best. Â Two of my friends went with the ceviche and also commented about how unexpectedly spicy it was. Â Ironically, one of the best dishes we had last night was an order of fried pickles separate from the restaurant week menu (be careful, the dipping sauce has some kick, too!). Â My main course was an encrusted cod - decent, but nothing to rave about...if anything, it was a touch overcooked. Â The duo of creme brulee for dessert was blah - a traditional and an orange flavored brulee that I didn't care for. Â My friends went with the fried twinkee and dessert pizza that left me with dessert envy.
Good atmosphere overall as there was a lively crowd in and around the bar and a number of diners that also looked to be there for restaurant week. Â Our server seemed to be a nice enough guy, but didn't pay much attention to us once drinks were on the table and food had been ordered. Â We only managed one round of drinks (and this crew is usually good for two or three) because they were gone halfway through dinner and he didn't ask again until dessert was on the way (also took a while to arrive for some reason).
I had relatively low expectations going in last night and Anthem delivered. Â I'd go here again for the bar scene but wouldn't make it a dining destination.
We came in with a party of 6 shortly after they'd opened on a Saturday. The very first thing that hit me was the overwhelming smell of dirty mop water. I'm glad they mop their floors, but...yuck.
Our food took a very long time to arrive, especially given how empty the restaurant was, but our server was pleasant enough.
When it did arrive the food was mediocre. The flavors of my spinach salad were very poorly balanced (I expect cider-dressed greens to be acidic, but not THAT acidic) and the blue cheese tasted way moldier than even blue cheese is supposed to taste. At least one companion commented that their burger was pretty dry, and the fries were limp and unexciting.
Fortunately I don't spend much time in the FH area, and now I know that Anthem is a last-resort at best.
I enjoyed Anthem and may wind up back in if I desperately need some good food in Faneuil Hall. Â From my experience and from reading the other reviews, it seems that the service is really what kills this place, because the food is pretty good.
I had been wanting to try Anthem for a long long time and actually didn't realize they had moved to FH until after I had made my res online! Â The cab I took dropped us off in the back end of FH and so we had a slightly difficult time finding the place since it's in the front corner of FH by Houston's-aka-Hillstone.
The table was ready on time for our 6:30PM res (for a party of 4), which is a good start. Â My wife got a chardonnay that she enjoyed and I started with the London Mule which was very good - like a Moscow Mule except with black tea infused vodka and lemon instead of lime.
The waitress was a little on the ditzy side though. Â My one friend is gluten-free and Anthem actually provided a gluten-free menu. Â She was surprised to see that chili was on the gluten-free menu since most places use wheat flour to thicken their chili (Anthem must use cornstarch or corn masa, which is actually much more traditional). Â So she ordered the chili and a steak salad and, when she ordered the chili, she even said, "Sorry if this is obvious, but it needs to be gluten-free." Â To which the waitress replied, "No problem, would you still like bread with that?" Â Umm....no....
When the chili came, it had croutons in it. Â The ditzy waitress had no problem taking it back and quickly bringing out another, crouton free chili.
Another silly part of the experience was that the restaurant had run out of all of what are presumably their most popular apps - empanadas, tacos, fried pickles, and crabcakes. Â What what? Â You're out of ALL of those? Â In the middle of Saturday night service?
So my wife and I started with the mussels, and for entrees she had the lobster mac and I had the braised short rib with pappardelle. Â All in all, food was good and came out of the kitchen pretty quickly.
I like Anthem. It's close to where I live, dependable, and vastly better than the majority of other places in FH. I've been probably about 5 times over the past year. Admittedly, I'm past the age of wild Friday/Saturday nights getting wasted at all the bars in the area, so when I've gone, it's only been on quiet weekdays. Lots of reviews complain about poor service, and maybe it does decline on a crowded weekend night, but every time I've been the service has been totally acceptable with decent wait staff who are attentive, accurate and reasonably friendly.
The menu has a lot of stuff that doesn't really speak to me. I'm guessing the entrees are overpriced for the quality, although that' s just a hunch. I think the flat bread pizzas are awesome. They used to have a pulled pork pizzza, but took it off the menu and replaced it with a spicy Hawaiian. Both were/are delicious. The clam chowder is sinfully rich and will make you feel like you ingested 16 oz of heavy cream, but dang is it tasty. I'm also a fan of the brussel sprouts with bacon as that's a classic combo that always works.
Beer selection is decent enough. There's a few quality micros in addition to the usual fare. Atmosphere is dark and intimate which is how I like things. It's usually never too crowded or loud on weeknights so I've always enjoyed my time there. They do have live music on some nights which can be a bit annoying since it seemed like no one cared for it (and the music kind of sucked).
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