I have been to Firebrand Saints twice. The food menu small and  simple: rotisserie, sandwiches, salads. The execution is great. Everything is fresh and done in-house.
I highly recommend the appetizer platter. It has hummus, eggplant baba, and carrot puree. It's served with pickled vegetables. The smoked chicken sandwich is amazing, because it's also served with pickled vegetables.
I had the best mezcal-based drink I've ever tried. It had mezcal, bloody mary and a splash of beer. Delicious.
I really like the atmosphere because it's very unassuming and casual. We've sat both inside and outside and really enjoyed the service and the music.
The portions are quite big, which means you can share and save some money. An appetizer platter and a sandwich will feed 2 people.
I will definitely keep coming back to FBS!
Aside from the patio and outdoor seating here at Firebrand, this place is a complete mess. I am not picky, and pretty much all of my reviews are good. But it was haaard to find much to like about this place.
Upon entering with a group of 7 of us, we were barely greeted and it took a while for them to ask us if we wanted to sit. Â We had to tell them we were sitting outside.
The place had a few customers but for the most part it was pretty quiet for a Monday night around 8pm. Â
The server we had, he seemed very unsure of everything and not much experience and we wondered if he was filling in or something. He just was all over the place. Â Took us almost 20 minutes to order drinks, and almost another 15 to receive them. Â I started to order two at a time. Â We couldn't quite figure out why the wait. there were a few other tables outside and dead inside and it took forever. The bartender didn't look like she could handle a rush. Â The manager didn't seem to give a crap.
Took a while to put a food order in and then took what seemed like forever to come. No apologies or updates. Â The server/s were barely around in between our last round and food. Â
The food and menu is something different. Â Wasn't really a fan. Â The side orders and apps seemed ok. The sandwiches were OK.
Drinks are moderately priced for the area.
The main reason we went there was for the patio and that's pretty much the only thing they got going for them.  The staff doesn't seem trained or have much experience and  the management does not care about their product or how customers time was there.  We saw about 3 other tables annoyed and fed up.  Table behind us with like 5 guys waited about a half hour for a pitcher of beer. Another table got fed up with the wait for their food and check and couldn't wait to leave.
Great location and idea, but poorly run and poor staff. Â We didn't wanna leave a big tip, but they included it in anyway,$43 tip. Â So bogus. Â Probably because they knew we were upset and mentioned it out loud and they heard us. Â So that was kind of sneaky and shady.
Better off going to Abigail's on Third, or anywhere else for good service.
After walking by everyday on my lunch break, and feeling jealous of all the people drinking beer and eating french fries on the patio, I decided to give this place a shot.
It's not a place I would go out of my way for, but I'd recommend it to people who work in the area. Lunchtime was crowded, and it took about 30 minutes to get our food (a salad and a mezze platter, not sure what took so long?). We were sitting at the bar (terribly uncomfortable metal seats), and the bartender wasn't particularly friendly, but wasn't outright rude either -- just, unconcerned.
Despite the slow/cold service, and the smallish menu (also seemed a bit over-priced for lunch), the salad niciose that I ordered was truly excellent. I might go back for that dish in particular, but everything else was forgettable.
This 2 star rating is based on the average of 2 visits. The first time in January was ok, yesterday's experience was awful.
Pros: Atmosphere, decent food, tasty cocktails, very nice patio.
Cons: SERVICE.
The managers are clearly not present or non-existent, because the staff could care less about sales volume. If I was the owner I would be furious because my profits could be twice what they are. The last thing you want at a bar is for your patrons thirsts to go unquenched. We had a group of 9 people, and several went 45 minutes without getting a drink (30 mins to flag down the staff, 15 to actually get the drinks).
Were they overworked? No. On 2 occasions we went inside to flag them down and 6 of them were just standing around chatting. Probably about how relaxing their jobs are without a boss.
We were not the only table to get terrible service, the group next to us had 3 drinks spilled on them, which of course splashed on some of us. What do we get as an apology? A 20% gratuity built into the tab. Luckily we didn't have the opportunity to run up the tab, but this business owner really needs to straighten out his/her employees.
the food is definitely a 5 here if you know what to order (rotisserie pork, pulled chicken with side of bbq sauce, mezze plate, or the chips/salsa/queso), but in terms of service this place is atrocious. the waitstaff spends all their time talking while your food just sits there waiting to be picked up. if the service is going to be this bad, they should at least put your food somewhere where people can't see it while it's waiting to be picked up. i almost walked over to pick up my sandwich multiple times..
one last bonus is that they are open later than anywhere else in kendall square, one last minus is that they have awesome tv's that would make it a great place to watch sports etc, but they only use one of them for tv. the rest have some hipster bs playing on them all the time.
Yo, why everyone be hatin' on FBS? Okay, it's not as glorious as... I dunno, The Squealing Pig, but it's not BAD.
It's got a great, trendy atmosphere full of MIT people talking MIT things (robots and spaceships), it's got a cool, hypnotic art thing over the bar usually showing something post-ironic and weirdly deconstructed (robots and spaceships... or maybe Disney's Aladdin). The service is ALWAYS very friendly, and the beer selection is nice. Food is fine (I've only ever had the snacks; the mezze platter, e.g., with that mushy carrot stuff that is AMAZING; the fries that are okay), wine selection is a bit more limited.
Basically, if you're in the area at 5pm, it's quite a nice spot to visit.
We stopped in for an early lunch. Â The service was great and they even made bloody marys (nice and spicy!!) for us off the menu! Â Had the complicated winter salad which was filling. Â Only critique - the arugula salad was oddly really salty. Great lunch spot for sure and i'll def be back.
Review Source:Stopped in with a group of about a dozen on St. Pats weekend, and this place was blessedly uncrowded. Â I was skeptical at first, but the server was pretty social and attentive; most of us ordered the brisket burger and were instantly appeased. Â Well worth trying.
Downside: doesnt' come with fries. Â Gotta order them separate.
Also, whatever their signature cocktail is, something that looks like a strawberry margarita, is nothing like a strawberry margarita. Â The majority of our group came to the consensus that it is pink death water, and we immediately regretted putting it in our mouths (it's some sort of pepper-spicey drink). Â However, we did have one individual who made his way through 4 of them happily, so I suppose it just takes a certain palate.
I like the atmosphere a lot here. The TVs are pretty cool with this interesting technology that actually logs words spoken in a cool data format. It's hard to explain.
But everything else pretty much sucked.
The food is awful here. The beer selection mediocre.
I asked the waitress if the fish sandwich was fresh, as I wasn't in the mood for a burger. She insisted it was, but it was absolutely vile. The entire filet was fried to a crisp and drier than a banana peel left out for a weekend. It was tasteless and sprinkled with pepper. The brioche was covered in what I think is a peanut oil. Altogether, this was one of the worst sandwiches I've ever had in my life. I started feeling really sick from it. I told the waitress about my negative experience, and she could care less. She's like, oh I'll tell them.
I want a refund. And for them to cover my antacid.
Yuck.
I work in Kendall Square and it really is IMPOSSIBLE to find a four or five star lunch spot in the area. Most of the food is just mediocre and it is just so disappointing, especially since there are so many businesses in this area. Even a decent place could make a fortune!
Firebrand Saints is pretty hot lunch spot in Kendall Square. The food is rather average, actually better than some of the other lunch joints in Kendall Square. Of note, there is a wide and awesome selection of beers!
For lunch I started with the buffalo wings. They are spicy and tasty. I could eat a whole plateful! I highly recommend trying them out.
I also ordered the harvested mushroom sandwich. This includes red pepper tapenade, balsamic onion, grilled asparagus, and smoked mozzarella. This sandwich is very bland overstuffed to the point where it was soggy and falling apart. I probably ate 1/4 of the sandwich and gave up. Some of my coworkers who accompanied me felt the same way about this sandwich.
The service is good. During my experience, Â I was a little annoyed that they brought out the appetizers and main entrees out together. This caused the dining table to clutter and there just wasn't enough room, nor time to enjoy and savor the appetizers.
Overall, my experience was average. I would probably come back to grab a beer and some wings due to the convenience of the location.
Noticed this place open up last summer, and walked by on my way home everyday. Nice seating area outside looked great on a warm summer night. Out of the way so it was never packed, though it still looked pretty busy.
Ended up here for a few drinks one night, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Great drinks from really friendly staff. I'll be back in the summer for a seat outside.
I saw this place on an episode of Chronicle last week and it seemed pretty cool so i thought I'd try it. Â So last Wednesday I went here with the girlfriend and we were less than impressed. We got seated the moment we walked in the door and our waitress brought us some water. We looked over the drink menu and I ordered a beer and the girl got a diet Coke. Our waitress comes back with our drinks, asks us if we want to order any appetizers, and when we say no she walks away. She never asked us if w were ready to order dinner; she just turned and walked away.
So we wait for her to come back....for 15 minutes! Finally the girlfriend flags her down and we place our orders. Note: I should not have to flag down the waitress to place my order. The waitress should've noticed that we were sitting there for 15 mins. with our menus closed and ready to order. After about 20 minutes the food comes out and it is pretty good. I forget what the gf got but I got the veal and pork burger which was pretty good. My only complaint is for the price I am paying for the burger, the burger is not that big. The fries were pretty good too.
The waitress comes back, clears out plates, and then disappears for another 20 Goddamn minutes! She must've walked by our table half a dozen times and never asked us if we wanted more water, another drink, or the check. While I was in the bathroom, the girl was able to get the check from her and we were finally able to pay and get the hell out of there.
Over all, the food was good but a little pricey. The service left something to be desired.
Interesting spot! I need to come here outside of work hours.
Located near my work in Kendall Sq., I recently tried a burger for lunch and found it to be really good. Super thick, and cooked exactly as requested. I ordered with a side of steak fries (which turned out to be rather large and good!). Only negative point is the prices seemed a bit on the higher end.
Ambiance here is ... interesting! Â I went with a group of 15 ish people and they were very accommodating.
Despite many raving reviews about their burgers, I tried one of their entree menus -- chicken with parmesan fennel mashed potatoes and grilled broccolini. Â It came in a tight-fitting, cute little red plate, which made the food more appetizing, in my opinion. Â And the food did not disappoint! Â Best chicken/potatoes/broccoli I've had in a long time. Â Especially the mashed potatoes. Â So creamy. Â Melted in my mouth.
This place is also very close to the Kendall Sq Redline stop!
First time to FBS was for a Thanksgiving eve party. I went with a group of friends. First impressions are the location is a bit strange and difficult to locate on our first attempt, we needed to drive around the block to find it. The Kendall neighborhood is supposedly up and coming with bars and more nightlife which could benefit this spot drastically.
The interior decor is spacey and modern with some elements of street grit to go  along with the tech design aspects. The elevated Dj stand is a cool touch... We wondered all night " how the hell did the Dj get up there?!"
The bar left something to be desired. Not a great selection. Not many flavored vodkas and they don't serve any energy drinks or Heineken. Also my drinks were taxed every time I ordered, seemed a bit strange to get a bill each time for 4.36$ for a 4$ beer. Seems like a pain in the ass for the bartenders...I haven't experienced that before. Â On 1 trip to the bar I asked the bartender how much my beer was to quiz him and he charged me the $4 . Seems like he just didn't want to go through the hassle of collecting change.
All in all this place is cool, haven't tried the food, one friend reminded me that it looked like Toro in boston and that it's more of a bar/ grill so i have to try the food sometime. The open kitchen is a nice touch. Judging solely on the nightlife aspect it could use some work promoting but I liked the crowd that showed up and Cambridge is awesome so it has potential.
3.5 stars
I attended an event at Firebrand Saints and had the opportunity to sample a few appetizer trays over the flow of the evening.
First up was the House Made Chips & Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa $6 (add 'pretty things' queso dip for $3). Â I wasn't crazy about the queso dip because it seemed to have an added something that made it taste a bit funny to me... but the chips were thick cut and crisp and the salsa tasted pretty good despite being rather dark in color.
Next was the MEZZE BAR - three for $12 - yet in our case inclusive of all the below:
Smoked Eggplant Baba
Tzatziki
Hummus w/ spiced group lamb & pine nuts
Spiced Carrot Puree
Whipped Celery Root w/ dates & goat cheese
Too bad they weren't labeled though, so I have no idea which were the two extra yummy ones that were decorated with a sprinkling of a red spice and a dab of a spreadable cheese - perhaps they were the eggplant baba and the whipped celery root? Â The carrot puree was also pretty good, despite the fact that I had mistaken it for something pumpkin. Â The pita bread pieces were thick, soft, and nicely toasted.
After reviewing the online menu, I figure that the third platter was a throw together assortment of sliced meat from their Slow Roasted Beef "French Dip" Sandwich au Jus $14, horseradish, pickles and some toasted oiled slices of bread for a make your own open faced sandwich idea. Â The meat ranged from medium to well, and it was quite tender.
Last but not least was the platter of half steak fries (available as a side for $3) and half Deep Fried Battered Onions w/ scallion buttermilk dressing ($10 on the Start menu). Â The fries were more wedges than steak fries, and as such were meaty, but not as crisp as I would have liked. Â The onions bits had some pieces that were just too oily.
Service here was nice and friendly, except for the minor error where we were told to go to the bar to order, only to find out that there was a server specified for our convenience.
The Ladies room was a little tight with only one sink set in a relatively narrow area.
Went here for lunch today and was completely underwhelmed. The spicy smoky pulled chicken sandwich that I got was neither spicy nor smoky...in fact, it had almost zero flavor. And there was no sauce on it? I feel like that's strange. I mean I know this isn't a BBQ place but spicy pulled chicken suggests more than the chicken you might poach to put in soup or chicken salad. The slaw was also a bland watery mess that just bummed me out because I was starving and the whole sandwich itself was just unwieldy. Soggy and just lame.
The service was pretty slow too - I mean, this is clearly an area where people are having lunch during work so you know, bring us our check so we can take care of that shit and get back to work if we need to. We were seated in a back section though, so maybe they just forgot about us.
At least the onion rings were sensational - maybe the best I've ever had. Served with some kind of naughty buttermilk dip. Both stars are for you, magical onion rings.
I've had dinner and drinks here a few times before and really enjoyed myself and the whole atmosphere FS evokes, but I'm starting to think that I might mostly specifically enjoy drinking here. Out of the context of nightlife, FS just kind of fell short of what I look for in a dining experience.
Meh.
Went in on a Friday night & were seated right away. Decor is very cool- very Blade-Runner-esque; enough interesting visuals to keep you entertained throughout the meal. I generally have an aversion to fluorescent lighting, but it has been toned to where it really works in this space.
I had a burger, my wife had the pulled chicken sandwich. My burger was very good, if a little underdone and with forgotten condiments. Had a bite of the chicken sandwich- fairly pedestrian. I liked the fries- one potato cut up, fried, and put into a metal container. Prices were midrange, but only covered basics; with add-ons the price increases quickly. High quality but limited beer selection; my wife said her cocktail was "OK".
Service was OK; did not really match the energy of the space.It wasn't bad by any means- it was certainly adequate, just nothing beyond that- more impersonal and detached on all interactions. Or maybe that's what they're going for (?).
Probably wouldn't go back- definitely not out of my way.
Been going since the soft opening over a year ago. Â Great food and really good drinks and beer. Â They hosted an event for us and it was amazing! Â The place has a fun modern art focused industrial feel to it.
Suggested Menu items:
Buffalo Shrimp
Sangria
Mezza Bar
Lamb and Sirloin Burger
Did I mention the in-house made pies?
Loved it here that atmosphere was cool, the food was great and the service was great too!
Tried the pulled chicken sandwich, which was a little to plain for me, but hey add some of their homemade bbq sauce to spice it up and bam I was a happy camper. The service was great, our waitress was super friendly and attentive. Love the atmosphere super chill yet trendy, and there was also the option to sit outdoors which is great for a nice day.
Overall, defiantly someplace worth checking out.
I'm really sad to write this review. I honestly don't take writing reviews below three stars lightly. For months, I'd watched Firebrand Saints' beginnings in anticipation, thinking to myself "Yay! Finally a hip restaurant just steps from my fiance's office!" But, after two mediocre experiences, this review is the result. In fact, my experience is analogous to a blind date, with the I-don't-know-what-I-was-thinking-when-I-said-yes subsequent second date.
The first? Was it the ambiance? The food? The drinks? Sadly, no. I wasn't able to get to any of that because, as a party of one, the hostess asked me to wait a moment that turned into ten minutes of me watching her scribble in a red notebook and completely ignoring my existence. Was I supposed to jump up and down, effectively reenacting "party rocking" to get her attention? I don't think so. I'm not that coordinated. All I'd wanted was a midafternoon snack and a stiff drink. I left not thinking I would ever go back.
And then yesterday, fate had it would be a coworker's birthday, and that's where she wanted to go. With our party of seven, we were seated immediately, with the choice of  sitting inside or out. We chose out, since it was a beautiful day. Ordering went pretty smoothly, and water was brought out for us (their water glasses are awesome, I have to say and I'm now going to have to find out where to buy them because they're so substantially cute!). But, then came the drink with the bug in it, and the salad that was ordered that didn't show up until 30 minutes until my lunchmates had basically finished their meals. A salad. Did I do something crazy? Did I go all Meg Ryan on that salad? No. Also, I do wish that they had listed that there would be dressing on the salad. Not that it was bad, I just would have asked for it on the side.
All in all, I will go back to this establishment because I honestly want to give it a chance. Especially since there are many reviews waxing poetic about how good this place can be. Maybe I just didn't get the luck of the draw.
I went in between meetings in Kendall Square. Sat at the bar. Had some iced tea, free wifi, and their MEZZE BAR (three for $12). It was big enough to eat as a meal. I chose the Spiced Carrot Puree, Whipped Celery Root w/ dates & goat cheese, and hummus with lamb and pine nuts. The carrot puree was like dessert - delish! And anyplace that has "whipped celery root" is my friend. Bartender was nice, friendly, yet left me alone when I wanted him to. He recommended their selection of burgers for next time, plus said they have a daily deviled egg variation.
With all the start ups (aka still low on funds) in the Cambridge Innovation Center at One Broadway, this hip, trendy restaurant with quality food at very reasonable prices is perfectly situated for professional, classy wining and dining. Bravo!
Kendall Square on the come up! Last time I even thought about venturing over to this side of KS, I am pretty sure there used to be a slab of concrete where this place used to be.
So the drinks at this place are perfect for a Tuesday afternoon of early cocktailing. I had something with gin, St. Germain and cucumber. Perfect!
I like the vibe: industrial-chic and the bartender was welcoming, helpful and friendly. The low-back bar stools though...No.
I ordered the sirloin something or other burger, which is made by slow-roasting the meat for 40ish minutes then flash grilling it. What that means is that your burger looks gray on the outside. If you're like me, that's unappealing. I tend to like my burger with a nice char, or at least brown. But, the meat was juicy. An okay burger; not the best and not one I'd get if I had a burger jones, but hey, I suspect I'll come here for the drinks, not the burger. I can live with that.
Duxbury dozen shucked poorly but still excellent.
FbS deviled eggs with turmeric and chunks of meat in the devil are wonderful.
Wedge fries are nothing spectacular.
Polenta is creamy and savory.
Sirloin chuck And brisket burger with cheddar and thousand island "special" sauce added. Brioche bun held together well the juicy, steamed, med-rare burger with the lettuce and tomato. An unusually well prepared burger. Temperature was spot on. Meat texture and flavor was very nice - a beefy, juicy, "right amount" of grease burger.. Easily held in hand, Â a burger for which to return.
The lamb and sirloin burger was equally delicious and well prepared.
All are steamed to a perfect med rare.
Can't wait to try the rest of the carving board.
Love the industrial post modern architecture, although contrast of warm wood cutting boards of the kitchen to the cold blue metal frames in the plate glass windows.
Great bar.
Went here for dinner last night. It was pretty good. The atmosphere is very MIT/Kendall Square/Industrialesque. Â
Liked the food overall. Here's the breakdown:
Deviled eggs: Yummy, nothing too special. Pretty standard deviled egg.
Fried onions: These were the star of the night... Delicious. Tempura-like batter - green onions, red onions, and regular onions. Yummy sauce. Very different.
Sirloin/Lamb burger: Yummy, nice bun. Not very lamby tasting though. Also, I asked for medium and it was more medium rare. I am pregnant, so hopefully it was good meat!
Potato salad: Not a fan... There was an herb in there that was a bit overpowering. I think it was tarragon?
Overall, I'd go back. May be best for apps.
Also, it is pretty loud in there and it wasn't even that crowded. Not too bad, but I definitely had to say "what?!" a few times to my friend sitting across from me.
Although a sit down restaurant- they have pretty quick service for lunch.
The Harvested Mushroom sandwich was very tasty, loved the mushroom, grilled asparagus and not too much cheese. Â Very filling for a veggie sandwich. The chips and salsa were very good as well, although the chips were a bit salty; I was dying for water afterwards. Â It was a bit pricey- about $30 for lunch for two before tip, but the quality was worth it.
The atmosphere is fun. They have a projected moving image on one of the walls that keep you entertained during your meal and the kitchen is open so you can watch them work their magic on a sandwich with a blowtorch to melt cheese. The hanging neon lights definitely give it a hip vibe. I think this place is difficult to locate unless you are really looking for it. I didn't see a sign, aside form the name on the glass.
I had a great time here. The waiter/bartender were friendly.
The food was really tasty. Their fried onion app was really tasty. It was all kinds of fried onion - yellow, red and even green, which proved to be delicious. And there were some random slices of potatoes in there too.
The burgers were delicious. Juicy and tasty. However, the one complaint was that the rest of the table ordered their burgers medium rare and they came out medium well. I ordered mine medium well and it came out medium. I was fine with that.
Also worth noting, if you want fries, you have to order them. And they're not fries, they're steak frites. I did not care for them, so next time I won't order them. Oh yes, there will be a next time. And it will include blue cheese.
Lamb & Sirloin burger was SUPER juicy - loved it.
I also tried the arugula salad and potato salad as a side. The arugula was salty, but I've been finding many arugula salads to be too salty in other restaurants too, so perhaps it's my own subjective taste! The potato salad was dressed with fresh mustard seeds and gave the salad a nice kick.
I love the opened kitchen here, wish my kitchen can look like that someday. The projection on the wall is very cool, and it's fascinating watching the lines change. The tables are a little weird, the tall tables are super skinny and you can't sit across someone without touching their knees (and I have pretty short legs already lol). The tall skinny glasses also makes it difficult to pour water into, but makes for a fun game.
Try the burger!!
Yes its loud, but unless you're expecting a "fine dining with candles experience" I think you're going to love this place.
My baby daddy and I went here early on Saturday night (6:30pm) on St. Patrick's day. We figured it would be easier to get a table and avoid obnoxious green jerks if we went early. We walked in and we were one of the first people to arrive - which is no complaint. Only a few green jerks in there at the time and they were well behaved. The ambiance is pretty chill, with a mix of eclectic flair. It's a casual place, but it takes it's food and drinks seriously.
We sat at the bar and ordered some food and drinks. The cocktails, apparently are quite amazing. My man was pleased with his bourbon drink choice- and he has high standards when it comes to libations. The food was also fantastic, although we realized when we arrived that we weren't as hungry as we thought we were. So we split a beautifully prepared salad that included asparagus grilled to perfection and the homemade tortilla chips with salsa and Pretty Things queso dip. WOW. Believe me when I say that as someone with a slight dairy intolerance, I was willing to suffer a little in order to sample as much of that beer queso as I could. It's incredible! My husband finished most of it and I mostly just felt jealous the whole time.
After the salad and chips we were feeling kind of full and wishing we had come on empty stomachs so that we could sample of the amazing burgers or sandwiches that were included on the menu. We decided to go back very soon and branch out a bit - but still, of course order an appetizer of the queso dip.
Disclaimer: First off I will say I am biased because I worked on the projection piece that is on the wall of Firebrand Saints.
However I recently went here with my sister for a surprise visit ( my first since the restaurant opened ) and I was blown away by the food.
I had the mezze plate and it was some of the best bread, hummous and Baba ghanoush I have ever had as long as I can remember. Ridiculously fresh, tasty and delicious. Â I remember the main course being really good and having a great Notch session Pilsner on draft. All the staff were super nice and that was before they knew I worked on one of the installations in there.
Anyway if you are in that area it is a solid non-pretenious, place to get some great food or just grab some good beers.
Hope to be back there soon!
Overall:
I really liked 'em and recommend you give it a shot, at least for lunch. However, if you're a quiet talker, and value your conversation, either come here early, or come here late. Don't come during the lunch rush.
The Bad:
Loud. It's loud. You can't hear other people at your table talk unless you're one of those obnoxious loud people. Yet somehow you can hear everyone next to you. Maybe this isn't a problem if you dine alone but it was a big deal.
The Chili. It's called something like "Texas Border Town Chili". But it's really more like a spicy beef stew. There's no beans, the sauce was waterey. It wasn't red. I actually really liked it, but as a stew. It just shouldn't be called Chili. As my Texas-born-and-bred wife said "If you served this as chili in Texas, they would beat you". :o
The Good:
They were *fast* to bring out my lunch. Like I was worried about it coming out that quickly (but I didn't need to be).
The burger was excellent. Best burger in Kendall.
The deviled eggs were excellent.
They have Boylan's (most of the flavors, but no Birch :( )
Service was good and prompt.
Firebrand Saints is a fun place to grab a few drinks and burgers with friends.
The space is a cross between tech-geeky and artsy with durable industrial furnishings, soaring windows, Pop Art inspired wall collages, and a mesmerizing video installation.
My boyfriend and I got to Firebrand Saints early and had a few drinks at the bar. Â Our bartender/mixologist was fantastic! Â He was approachable and gave superb recommendations off of the cocktail list. Â He also made off the menu drinks after getting to know our likes and dislikes. Â We would have spent the entire night at the bar if our friends hadn't arrived making us move to a table.
At the table, we ordered their mezze bar ($12) to start, a generous plate of high-quality puffy grilled pita slices surrounding three vegetable pates (from a choice of five) like smooth smokey eggplant baba, curried carrots, and thick tzatziki. Â Yum! Â Everyone at the table ordered the sirloin, chuck and brisket burger ($9). Â The burger was excellent; I just wish the actual burger was bigger. Â For $3 more, we also got French fries.
The biggest disappointment of the night was dessert. Â They only had pie, and not very good pie. Â Oh, well. Â You can't win them all.
All in all, we had a very good time and we will definitely be frequent diners (and drinkers).
I really wanted to like this place more than I did. Â
First off, if it wasn't snowing, we never would have stayed. Â We waited at the front desk for over 5 minutes (along with another person who had been waiting even longer than us) before my husband went to the bar to ask if there was a hostess or if we just sat ourselves. Â The bartender told us to go back and wait for the hostess, which we did, for another minute or two. Â If it wasn't snowing outside, we never would have waited that long to not be acknowledged. Â
The table service was a lot better though and I loved the funky, techy decor. Â
The food prices are crazy though. Â Somehow it is $3 more for mushrooms than for meat, not really sure why. Â We jokingly asked the server - she was not amused but also thought about it for a second and told us it was probably because asparagus is really expensive. Â Whatever, Â I got the mushroom sandwich anyway because I just really wanted some veggies. Â It was tasty, but I probably wouldn't pay $12 for a mushroom sandwich again especially since it comes with absolutely nothing else. Â
My husband got the lamb & pork burger after getting a lecture about how he shouldn't order it unless he really likes lamb because people have been complaining that it is too lamb-y. Â My husband got excited because he loves lamb. Â To us, the burger tasted a lot more like pork. Â Maybe they started over compensating for the complaints? Â
For an app we got the buffalo shrimp which were really good. Â I would probably go back just to get beverages and apps. Â
Anyway...back to crazy pricing. Â It's most apparent in the add-ons. Â For $3/side you get like 10- french fries or 3 mouthfuls of mashed potatoes.
I dropped in a couple of weeks ago for some drinks and food with friends. This is a fairly new spot in the Kendall area.
It has a real warehouse feel to it. Really open and high, but not comfortable... warehouse is the best way to describe it. I sat at the bar in the most uncomfortable stools ever made. They didn't have a back to put your jacket or bag on, and there were no hooks for ladies (bags). They did have an outlet though under the bar at every stool. I guess you are supposed to go with a laptop? Or you can charge your iPhone while you have a beer?
I had a selection of mezze for my food. The pita was nicely toasted and was delicious and great to dip in the mezze! I chose the spiced carrot puree (PHENOMENAL; YUM!), smoked eggplant babaganoush (eh not bad, not great), whipped celery root with goat cheese (sounded better than it tasted. The celery root puree was gummy and the goat cheese flavor didn't meld well with it), and hummus (OK). What threw me off is they put pickled vegetables in the mezze platter that didn't go with my selections and I didn't like them.
I had the oil slick as my cocktail, and it was so good I had a total of three.
The service was nice, attentive, not overtly friendly, but nice enough.
Not a bad place, not great either. I saw someone order a burger though and that looked really good. I would go back to try it... but I don't look forward to sitting in their uncomfortable chairs.
What on earth is your problem? Â You with your surly chef, your PMS-y waitresses, your i'm-doing-industrial-chic-as-though-MoS-or-ÂCambridge-1-never-did-it-before attitude. Â
Who opens a bar across the street from MIT Sloan School of Management (where NOTHING else is located but grad students) and then complains that "this wasn't the clientele we were aiming or hoping for"? Â If you did a modicum of research, you'd know that MIT grad students were all you'd get here, and maybe you'd drop the attitude every time you came in and showed us a bit of hospitality. Â After all, we're paying you for the privilege of standing around in your area, providing our own entertainment.
Tonight, a friend of mine was raising his drink to his mouth to take a sip of his rum&coke (it could have been jack&coke, who knows with him). Â Suddenly, the glass shattered in his had, just as it was reaching his lips. Â Glass went everywhere, including all over the bar we were leaning on. Â For a glass to do that mid-air, it had to have had a crack in it that was put under just the right pressure to shatter like that just near his face. Â Unfortunately, the chef at the other side of the bar started slamming pots and lids loudly and childishly, conveying he was visibly upset and put-out by the fact that he needed to re-make his dishes because they may have glass in them. Â Literally, he threw a tantrum about it, and I was embarrassed for him. Â Almost as embarrassed as I was for the waitress, who huffed and signed passive aggressively to show her anger over a broken glass.
Dude, he was putting the glass in his mouth and it shattered. Â Be thankful there's no lawsuit on your hands and drop the effing attitude because there's glass in your kitchen. Â If you didn't want to serve grad students, you should have opened elsewhere.
The last time I wrote a Yelp review, Kendall Square was but a wee glimmer in a foodie's eye - a place where unsettling amounts of radio waves actually microwaved your Trade Joe's burrito for you.
Holy gentrification Batman! Firebrand Saints is but one of Graham's Number* of places offering premium craft ales, burgers sourced from more than one species of hoofed animal, and the requisite pierced, tattoo'd bar staff to make your pinstriped self feel like a total square.
So what sets it apart? For one, a relaxed attitude that defines what a bar should be. No stupid policy requiring food at tables. Awesome, repurposed 1980s truck hoods banged and welded into high-top tables. Great service with minimal eye-rolling at requests for refills on chips and salsa, and "would ya, would ya mind splitting this, like, 7 ways?" requests for the check.
But that's happy hour. The food, oh the food! Serious butchery in play here. Try the sirloin, chuck and brisket burger, mid-rare, with American Cheese. On the latter, yes, it does cost $1.50 for Land o' Lakes. Hey, at least they're honest. The fries are hand-cut - basically a potato sawed five ways and lightly fried. The only stinker (heh) was the Firebrand Saints deviled eggs. Anchovies, curry powder, and boiled egg. Try if you dare.
Your inner British pub fan will be pleased with Fuller's ESB on draft and half-pints for the whole beer program. In the other direction, your inner frat boy will be pleased with pitchers and plenty of pork rinds.
Add to all this glory the various aeshtetically-pleasing interpretations of Sports Center (I'm told all MIT algorithms) that adorn the zero-edge display wall behind the bar. Finally, a visual representation of my confusion when it comes to the Jets play-by-play.
Firebrand Saints has enough to set it apart from your average Cambridge pub. The location draws a crowd - particularly after work - so go early, go often, and eat well.
* = math major joke**
** = I was not a math major
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