We recently moved up to the N Shore. Â The Black Cow is exactly what was lacking in our old town and the surrounding area. Â A good place to grab drinks and American style food. Â We were very happy to check it out when it re-opened.
The portions are quite large and what I ordered was very good. Â The drinks are solid as well. Â I am not a beer drinker, but they have many beers on tap.
The atmosphere is pretty casual, and the service was very friendly both times we visited.
The newly renovated restaurant is very cool and fun - it gets 5 stars for that. Â We have only been once since they reopened and the food experience was a bust - hence the 2 stars. Â The menu is not creative, fairly ordinary, without quality. Â The portions were generous. Â The service was excellent - waaaaay better than the old staff. Â Will give it one more shot.
Review Source:I live 1mile away, and as such, come here quite often. When I first moved to town 2 years ago, I ate here a lot because I loved the vibe and atmosphere... It never quite struck me back then that the food wasn't very good, but sadly, the more dishes I tried on the menu, the more quickly I came to the realization that the food just isn't up to par. In general, it is fair (worth of 1-2 stars) but just not what it should be. The more time that goes by, the worse the food seems to get. Nowadays I only go there for a drink at the bar and maybe an appetizer... but I have even had a few bad experiences with the appetizers! Gristly chicken fingers, chicken quesadillas made with dark meat and way too much fatty (ie: low grade) cheese. Come on, Black Cow, you can do better than that!
I do love the bar (it should get 5 stars), find the staff friendly, and the overall atmosphere to be lively and fun. Every other aspect of the Black Cow is so nice that it makes the food quality all the more of a disappointment.
Over the years, we have gone to the Black Cow a number of times. Â The food has always been good and dependable. Â However, last evening we stopped in for a quick dinner and things were definitely not up to our expectations. Â
My husband ordered a burger and I had the pulled pork sandwich. Â Our server brought us a basked of bread to munch on while we waited. Â I took a roll, buttered it, and took a bite. Â Bletch! Â The worst bread that I had had in years! Â I put it on my bread plate and decided to leave it there. Â (Couldn't decide if the butter were really butter or a margarine.....it was all whipped and just didn't taste right.) Â My husband reached into the bread basket for a roll and I offered him mine instead (minus the one bite ;-)....I'm generous that way). Â He took a bite and winced. Â He ate the whole thing but took no more. Â We told the server and the Hostess how bad the bread was and suggested that they really needed to find a better source for their bread. Â The Hostess replied that many people don't eat the bread any more. Â What about the people who do? Â
The food arrived and it was ok....nothing more. Â Usually, their burgers are really good....eh. Â The pulled pork was ok but spicy enough to require plenty of water. Â Â
The server checked on us a couple of times and the hostess checked on us once, found we needed a refill on water, and never came back. Â When we called her over, she apologized. Â Those things can happen, however, when one adds it all together, both my husband and I decided that the meal was just, generally, disappointing.
We will come back to see if we have the same experience again....but if it happens again, the Cow will have lost customers.
Beer selection excellent. It is rare to see delerium tremens, fullers esb and tucher on the same draft. But, the veal was overcooked, the waitress knew very little about the menu, and it was overpriced for what we got. If I'm going to spend this much on dinner in the future, I'll go somewhere else.
Review Source:I know they want to be a fancy pub. They try so hard with their decor, beer selection, and prices. Too bad they simply fall short.
You want a good beer selection? Go to Deep Ellum or Sunset cafe in Allston. If you don't come close to those then I'm not impressed. Maybe I'm just hard to impress, though.
My husband and I each got steak tips - mine as a salad and his as an entree. They steak was only as good as other much less fancy restaurants I've been to. The mashed potatoes were pretty yummy. Greens are greens, fresh as expected.
Service was really good. She certainly deserved our 20%.
Here's what really turned me off -- on the menu the steak is listed as mid-20's A LA CARTE. Then sides are listed next to it A LA CARTE! So if I wanted steak and potatoes it would have cost $25ish for the steak + $6 for the mashed potatoes. Are you f*** kidding me?
If you want really yummy food at these prices then go to 62 Wharf in Salem or the Adriatic.
This is my favorite restaurant and bar in the area, by far, and it's because it satisfies both of my conflicting "likes" -- a city-like vibe within an "olde" town rich with history. Â
The menu is very reasonable in price, with apps and pub fare under $15ish and dinners, which are mainly American dishes with some outside influence here and there, are worth the price. You can satisfy your desire for seafood with their seared scallops or grilled salmon, or get your steak fix with their A La Carte cuts with various sides. Either way it's delicious.
The bar is perfect for any occasion, whether a busy weekend night or Sunday afternoon for a beer and the game on TV (of which they have 3 large LCDs). They have an awesome selection of craft brews, as well as scotch and other sipping spirits.
All the above really describes how you can get all the attributes of a city location (apps and drinks, dinner and cocktails, date night or with friends at the bar, etc), in the back roads of Hamilton Village.
Also, I love when places have unique history behind their locations or start up, etc. This building was the town's first brick building, and the decorations inside give you an old watering hole feel, as there are cool signs, wood-workings, paintings, etc. Â It also was the local post office into the 1980s, before becoming The Black Cow.
I don't normally mind when the service isn't that good. I mean, being a waitor or waitress is tough work dealing with difficult people. Yet, with that being said, the service here is terrible. I have given it a chance a few times now and it has been bad every time. It's a cool place that gets ruined by the rude staff.
Wish it was better, but oh well.
I've only been here a couple of times, but had to give 5 stars for FANTASTIC fish and chips. Â I'm picky about my fish and chips, but this fish is cooked perfectly with a nice light batter, and the fries are perfect. Â I even like the cole slaw (which I usually skip). Â I went here for my birthday last night, and all 8 of us were happy with our meals (and I have very honest friends). Â The fire was warm and cozy while we watched the snow come down hard outside, and it was a perfect inviting atmosphere. Â I also appreciated that they happily seated us as people arrived even though some members of our party were late. Â Great service!
Review Source:Too pretentious; too expensive for what one gets. When it comes down to it, The Black Cow merely aspires to be an upscale pub, after all. Â Food quality is uneven. Â Waitstaff ranges from clueless to seasoned, but uninspired.
One can have a far better, more meaningful, and tastier dining experience. Â Although seemingly wide-ranging, the beer selection actually is nothing too special. Â Get out of Hamilton, townies: there is a whole world of better eateries outside 01982!
I've been here a few times because each time I think that it can't be thaaat bad, but unfortunately it's really not worth the time or the money. Â I disagree with the reviewer who said that they would choose here over Not Your Average Joes in Beverly. Â Although the food at Joe's is probably more generic, I have been to both and Joe's offers decent food at decent prices whereas Black Cow offers okay food at ridiculous prices. Â I had the escargot, which was pretty bad and a caesar salad which was okay. Â My boyfriend had one of the fish plates and was not impressed. Â I do agree that it has a nice ambiance and is in a stellar location in downtown Hamilton but would recommend one drive to the Bertuccis in Beverly instead - at least you'll know what to expect. Â I have yet to find a good meal from a restaurant in the Hamilton area that is not a chain. Â If you're willing to drive a bit further towards Essex, there are some fantastic cafes along the main street in Ipswich.
Review Source:Gordon Ramsey Alert! Â I'm just going to start flagging Restaurants for his Production Staff.
Okay, we ate here in the Dining Room again tonight only because of the AC and my hands and feet are literally swelling up as I type (and it's becoming difficult) Â from the amount of SALT in my Salmon and Spinach Entree which... was Swiss Chard and not Spinach btw: mentioned this little plant classification factoid to the Waitress who acted like this was something the Chef told her... BUT didn't tell me when I ordered that tonight we're substituting? Â Maybe nobody eats that green stuff anyway?
My Salmon clearly was salmon because of the color and the texture but that crunch must've been the salt that's affecting me now. Â Too bad there wasn't any local fish on the Menu to order instead!
My Mother's potatoes were apparently SO over over over cooked like they are way cooked previously and then brought out to be recooked under the broiler to order. Â Repeatedly? Â That's our guess. Â Seriously, how can anyone screw up potatoes? Â
Out of season Asparagus from the Grocery Store when we're surrounded by Organic Farms and CSAs during a bumper crop year is just shameful. Â
Another totally uninspiring menu in Hamilton, MA but not nearly as pretentious as 15 Walnut across the way (add another $10. to each bacon encrusted plate there!) Â For an upscale 'Pub' like Le Cow to have a Pub Menu that might as well be TGI Friday's shows their lack of imagination. Â Why don't we have a decent Gastropub up here? Â This COULD be it... but isn't.
I stumbled across the place on a drive around back roads on leaf peepers weekend. Â Nice decor, service was slow and inattentive. Â I had the reuben, which was toasted, not grilled. Â The meat was good, dressing not plentiful. Â I had sweet potato fries with it--very yummy and served hot. Â (but cost extra). Â Kind of pricey, seems home to a lot of yuppies with babies, at least on a Saturday afternoon. Â I wouldn't go out of my way to go there again, but if I were in the area, I'd go there instead of say, Joe's All American, just up the road.
Review Source:As most everyone knows, Boston is famous for it's amazing selection of pubs. When I first moved to the Boston area to attend grad school one of the first things I did was visit as many pubs as possible. Sometimes, going to a pub is not always about the drinking, and that's where  come to one of my favorite places, The Black Cow.
Many have mixed feelings on this place. My friends' and my own opinion seem to be no different. I love The Black Cow because it is a place where you can go with your friends to have either light hearted talks or serious discussions about things in a good atmosphere. Example being that I am a theology grad student and I would meet there every Friday after class with a handful of friends and a professor and we would have excellent conversations. It is the ideal place for that sort of thing, in my opinion. I come from out West. Meat country where burgers and steaks are treated as revered delicacies, maybe even art forms at times. The Black Cow has some of the best burgers, pub burgers, that I've had in the Boston area. I always get the bleu cheese burger with fries (that don't usually require ketchup) and a good beer.
Now, this is a pub and I haven't discussed the beer selection at all. I noticed another reviewer who rather appreciates their beer selection, however, I cannot say that I agree with the statement 'best beer selection on the North Shore.' The beer selection, I feel, is okay. I cannot say that it is superior in any right and I will tell you why. Now, I don't drink beer for the sake of getting "drunk" or "waisted" as I once did when I was younger. I typically only drink one beer in a sitting for the sake of savoring the flavor of that one good beer. Being that I a value flavor and uniqueness over alcohol content, I am disappointed with The Black Cow for not having a better selection. They do have a few English ales which I can appreciate, but they do not have a good Belgian selection. They have a website where they have their tap list and several on the list are not at The Black Cow. Their foreign beer selection as a whole could be better. I have friend who don't go to The Black Cow because they don't serve Newcastle Brown Ale. That is a very popular English ale that one can find at an Outback Steakhouse, but not find at The Black Cow. In their defense, they do have a few that I am fond of such as Old Speckled Hen, Fuller ESB, and Smithwicks.
Pubs in the area typically have a bar menu and a regular menu, as many reading this likely know. I tried some food from the regular menu after having a rough day one time and found that it was a bit expensive, and over-priced for what you get. The cost factor could have been redeemed by awesome food, but it wasn't. I tried something else one a separate occasion and was also disappointed. The waitstaff at The Black Cow are not the most friendly. They can give the place a rich or snobby environment at times, but that is not par for everyone who works there. A couple of the bar tenders have been very nice. The wait times for food or even for drinks can be unbelievably long and can leave you wondering whether your waiter/waitress has forgotten about you. I've had to wait quite awhile every time, but I have never been in a hurry and have been having great conversation. That said, I recommend only going during the evening when you are not in a hurry and going to the bar side because the service might be a little better.
So, there are pluses and minuses to this place as is common with most places. I for one, fully endorse this place and despite it's setbacks with beer selection, wait staff, and prices, it is my favorite place to go because it is near my grad school and it has a great environment for enjoying great conversation with friends. The lights are always dimmed and the front windows tinted so that every time of day that you go to The Black Cow the atmosphere is nice. It is typically quieter when compared with other pubs, especially Irish pubs (which this is not by the way), and has many loyal customers. There is also another location in Newburyport which is a bit of a drive to the North of Hamilton, but it is on the water. My friend Aaron is the bar tender there, but I have not been to this location. So, I recommend that you try this place out and see if you like it. I always get a burger and an English ale to go with it. It's the perfect combo to cap off what might have been a rough week of grad studies or work.
Easily the best beer selection on the North Shore. Â If anyone knows of a better place I'm all ears.
Look, it's going to be an expensive adventure. Â I am not going to hold this against the rating. Â This isn't a weekly place to sit down and eat (unless you have the money to do so, then by all means), this is more of a higher class pub place than a fancy restaurant. Â Basically, if you want a better dining experience, but still want to be pretty casual, this is your place.
The food is damn good, particularly the steak tips. Â Portions aren't ginormous and for the price they should be, but it is quality stuff.
This seems like a good place to go to for some drinks. Â Again, the beer menu rocks, but I also noticed a nice selection of scotch and whiskey there. Â You don't often see that in the area, either.
My only real issue with the place was the service there. Â Not rude, per se, but not at all engaging or friendly. Â I'm not a douchebag, I'm a heavy tipper and it helps if the person serving me attempts to have a personality. Â I just think it adds to any dining experience.
Oh please., yes this place tries to be fancy...(go to the Newburyport location, it]'s much better) but you could compare it to other chains like the Palms, Ruth's and others who try too hard. You'll have a great meal there, but once your get the check you'll ask yourself, geez I could have gone to ******** for cheaper!
Review Source:We came here for dinner and it really was a night to remember. Our waitress was amazing the atmosphere was spectacular.
I had a pasta dish and my boyfriend had the half of chicken and as he said it was worth every penny. The bread was also superb and I LOVE their french onion soup.
We were so pleased with this place we of course had to get dessert. Perfect place for a romantic night out!
We have been here twice and both times not impressed. Â My tuna was wayyyyyyy over done even though I asked for it very very rare. Â My husband had a mixed drink that was weak. Â The service was OK, but when I told her the tuna was way overdone and she took my plate and left the there with nothing while my husband was licking his chops. Â Not impressed at all.
Review Source:Whenever I'm in Boston I'm visiting my homeboy James. Â Whenever I'm visiting my homeboy James, I'm getting my drunk, drug and dance on. Â Whenever I'm getting my drunk, drug and dance on I'm starting it off at The Black Cow. Â Yummy food, drinks (helllooooo Pink Cadillac!) and friendly servers makes this a great little regular spot. Â It's like an episode of Cheers every time I come in there...inevitably everyone knows James and, even though I'm only in Bean town once a year, they remember me too. Â And they're STILL nice to me.
Review Source:still a nice place. solid bartending. surprised by a very limited by the glass list and a rather pedestrian drink special menu. for beers hey had one bank of taps by the window that had about ten taps and another set of four by the service bar with two repeats on that set. that said; their speed rack was quite impressive with a lotta top shelf stuff in the well. they also have an extensive selection of bourbons and scotches. i guess they like their stuff good, simple and straight.
had the burger. good quality meat, a nice char and cooked just 'slightly' past my requested MR. fries were very good. the offered mustard was French's, a little sad. the tomato had no business being there, way under ripe and gritty.
the place was very clean as were the restrooms.
the crowd was your basic bob-cut, tweed jacket, yuppy w/o being too stuffy about it types.
liked it a lot and will be back.
UPDATE (12/9/07)-
what happened? both burgers ordered were WAAAAAY over done. i cut mine in half and turned the cut side towards the bartender and when she came by to ask how things were i replied "eh, it's just OK." then motioned to my burger which i ordered MR, she looked at me and and then the burger and said "oh, OK." then walked away. we went back and forth as to whether to send them back but we didn't have time for a re-do.
also, the same bartender kept wet-sniffling her nose every 45 seconds. it got damn pretty annoying.
This is a beautiful, warm, inviting restaurant, located in an old brick building that was once the Hamilton Post Office. Â The location is nice, and the food that I've had here has been great. Â The problem is that there's not a single vegetarian entree on either the lunch or dinner menu. Â That's unusual these days, and although it's possible to put together a meal of salad and the one vegetarian option on the appetizer list, or by having them adapt one of the regular entrees, the lack of menu options make this an awkward restaurant choice for many vegetarians. Â This is also a problem when selecting a restaurant for a small group of colleagues or friends who don't know each other well -- there's often at least one vegetarian in the group.
I'd give it only one star if I didn't enjoy the pub so much! Â If they add a vegetarian option to the menu, I'm sure I'd raise this to five stars based on the quality of the food that I've been able to eat here!
I'd heard rave reviews about the Black Cow when I moved to Beverly, and it definitely lived up to it's image. Other reviewers are quite correct about the crowd that gathers there---Cashmere sweaters, pearls & designer shoes seemed to be the standard attire; however, no one seemed to really mind or care that I was much less dressed up in jeans. Â Their steak tips were very good, but it was their potatoes that really made the meal for me. Â It's a bit pricey, as the meals are what you'd exactly what you'd expect--some unusual ingredients, gourmet combinations and spot on cooking--but worth it for the experience. The dark woods and subtle antique decor add an element of old New England you won't want to miss if you're in the area.
Review Source:I hear so many good things about this restaurant that I'm going to try it again and may change my review. Â Plus, I don't eat burgers, and that's what they are known for. Â I had the pomengranate salmon with jasmine rice, fennel, & snow peas and didn't like it. Â I don't think that is because it was bad, it's just that I didn't care for it. Â I think the prices are a little too high. Â I popped my head in to get a menu once, and the decor and ambiance seemed nice. Â Jamie gets it right when mentioning the patrons of this establishment. Â However, I do need to try dessert there. However, I recommned the Black Cow over the Myopia Cafe on the next block up.
Review Source:I go to the Black Cow A LOT!! Â Mainly because it's the only bar I can walk to from my house. Â After spending so much time bar hopping along the Newport Beach, California boardwalk, I'm really not used to being so far from any sort of a nightlife.
Life herein Hamilton is very quiet and pleasant. Â A bit too quiet for my tastes though. Â To find any sort of a bar scene close to my house I have to go to Beverly or Salem. Â When I need a quick drink, a quality meal and some good company ... I turn to the Black Cow.
It's a very nice place with a great ambiance and a warm crowd. Â There is a lot of money in this town and I'm pretty much the only regular customer who isn't extremely wealthy. Â I mean filthy, old money rich. Â These people are all newspaper, gold mine and rail road barons. Â This is a big time equestrian area. Â So many of the customers here have their own horse ranches. Â They take horses very seriously in Hamilton. Â I think most people here love horses more than they love other people. Â I found that out when I jokingly mentioned to someone at the bar that I was a horse poison sales representative. Â One patron there didn't appreciate my humor.
Anyway ... great bar menu, great service, great on-tap beer selection. Â The wait staff is very pleasant and courteous. Â Quite a few super cute waitresses too. Â The bar is more my scene. Â The restaurant part is way too dark for me to enjoy a meal. Â The pub menu has some incredibly delicious bar food staples: buffalo chicken tenders, steak tips, fish 'n chips & chowdah. Â Great food, reasonably priced.
The full restaurant menu however, is a bit overpriced for what you get. Â Don't get me wrong, the food is awesome, but a bit too expensive for what you get. Â Once I ordered some special cut steak for $40. Â I think it was a Delmonico. Â It was real, real good but when I went back for it they said it was taken off the menu for good.
The desserts are excellent. Â My favorite is the pumpkin cheesecake. Â Great, but also a bit expensive.
Overall, I really like the Black Cow and all the great people who work there. Â Two thumbs up!
The Black Cow is an institution in horse country. Â A dark wooden bar with brass rails and high top tables on one side and a booth and table dining room on the other, the "Cow" is full of the blond bob haircuts and professional men in polo shirts. Â Convenient to where I work, it is a great spot for an afterwork drink. Â The pub area has a great Angus burger (under $15) that is thick, grilled and the way a burger should be. Â The wine list is great and the wine comes in nice big glasses. Â The dining room menu is slightly overated for the price in my opinion. Â And the food is good enough but not extraordinary. Â The Cow is really about the ambiance, the feeling of horse country and fox hunts, and meeting some friends.
Review Source:
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