I came here with a friend after attending the NE Dessert Showcase (lame) and we needed to drink away the fact that we wasted money on the event. Â I got the buffalo chicken flatbread which was great, and they had a good selection of wine. Â For a somewhat quiet area of Seaport, the restaurant was hopping for a Saturday afternoon.
Review Source:The best clam chowder!!! Ok. Let me back up. We made reservations here for a friend's going away dinner. I have never been but a friend of ours has and loves it. So we made and I just love the decor. Its fun! It is a Irish place but surprisingly not a lot of Irish food on the menu. Which does not really bother me, just an observation. Â I order the one of the martin cocktails and totally loved it! The drink was delicious with out being too sweet or strong. We had a great waitress ( so wish i could remember her name) who was very nice but the service was a little slow. Didn't really bother me because we had no where to be and we had such a large group. My husband and I ordered a bowl of the clam chowder and I have to say it is probably the best i've had in the city. There is just so much more too it that it was so flavorful, filling and wonderful! Definitely order that. We also split a burger as they are HUGE so if you aren't that hungry just split it. If you are still hungry (which we weren't) order dessert. We will definitely be back!
Review Source:This place is not in a great location, but served decent food.  It's stereotypical  fake Irish decor (owned by the same company as Green Briar and Ned Devine's).  We had drinks which were pretty overpriced and two appetizers: the steak pizza and calamari.  The service was particularly good, but we were there before the dinner rush on a Friday.  The calamari was just okay, but the flatbread was great!  A little heavy because of the meat, but a nice dish to share for two.
Review Source:Every time I walked down from the room there was a loudmouth (or multiples) trying to impress the world with how smart he was while doing the exact opposite. Good service sometimes marginal others. At least the Guinness was cold and fresh. Had the olives, they were gross and made me feel sick. They have earned their low rating honestly and I won't be going back even for the overpriced pints.
Review Source:My first stop here was March 2010 when I was visiting Boston. When I moved to Boston in 2011, I went back for a quick bite to eat from the airport. As before, this place has great service, the bartenders are quality, and the managers are friendly and extremely helpful.
I've been back many times since then for conferences at the hotel and have not been disappointed. I also come here when I want to watch some Sunday Football in a neutral setting, being a Cowboys fan and all!
The food is great, I would highly suggest the MJs Irish Burger and the Clam Chowder. I also judge many places on their fish and chips, I'd say theirs are pretty tasty too!
They have a great beer list, and the bartenders can handle most any cocktail drink order you give them. The waiters are friendly and quick, my favorite waitstaff would be Katie. She's been great!
Since my initial visit, they've added a porch section that looks phenomenal. I would recommend this place if you're in the area or at a conference nearby.
I used to LOVE this place. The food was great and the service was fantastic. I recently just made a visit and was in total shock. I really was counting on this restaurant to provide the same experience I have had before. I ordered a soup and was given no spoon. I sat there for 5 minutes waiting for ANYONE to come around so I could ask for a spoon. The food took forever to come out of the kitchen... I mean they could be busy right? Wrong. No one was really there. The check took forever to get. At this point I was so disappointed I really just wanted to leave and of course I had to sit there miserable for my waitress who had at most 3 brain cells to come over and give me the check. The food was okay but to not give us a place setting is not okay.
Review Source:Just spent four nights at the Westin with my mom, dad, brother and fiance and we went for dinner at Mj O'Conners for dinner on July 3rd and 6th and both times were pretty fantastic.
Each time we came in we were seated in the dining area which was great because we got to enjoy dinner as a family without the noise of the bar area. Â The service on both nights was attentive, always making sure our drinks were replenished. Â The food was prompt and great too! Â
The menu is close to bar food with sandwiches, carbs and so on but also had good seafood as well. Â Many of us ordered the City Bar Burger which was amazing. Â I ordered the Lobster Roll which was ok. Â Appetizers were pretty good we had the flatbread, calamari and beer battered onion rings. Â Before eating here, take a look at the menu, it fit what we were looking for which was simple but good tasting food.
So as a general rule, avoid hotel restaurants. But since I was in a hurry, I grabbed a bite here before heading out. Ordered the fish and chips. The fish was heavily battered but the batter was good. A bit too oily but most of it soaked into the fries which didn't help them at all. Not a bad place but expected better in Boston
Review Source:I am staying at the Westin for a conference and wanted a quick, quiet dinner so I could get some work done in the evening.  I went to M.J. O'Connor's, got a seat immediately at the bar (when the lobby bars were PACKED) and ordered dinner and a class of wine.  The menu is decent - I got the steak salad which was quite tasty and the steak surprisingly tender and flavorful.  I had a really nice glass of red wine. The wait staff  were very friendly and accommodating.  They had the right amount of chatting me up as a solo traveler and leaving me alone to eat in peace. (those of you who travel alone on business know what I mean) I think I would have given it 5 stars if the "atmosphere" would have been a bit better.  For an Irish pub, the beer selection wasn't great and the menu was a bit...boring?  I don't want to sound too negative because I had a really good experience.  I just don't want someone to read my review and think this is a really great Irish pub.  It's just a really good hotel bar with nice food and good service and a nice change from the upscale lobby bars.
Review Source:Me and my friends found a huge table and we wanted to grab it for our friends when they got out of the boat show and the hostess comes over and says when are your friends coming because we have reservations coming in. We told her they are here already. She has very bad customer service!! She should never be a hostess.
Review Source:Aweful food-microwaved and definitely NOT fresh. Host was very rude and unfriendly. Waiter was good, he tried but the restaurant gave him nothing to work with. We ordered the French onion soup-microwaved (it came right out)-& tasted hideous. I had the goat cheese ball spinach salad-two of the goat cheese balls had no goat cheese in them. The onions were not "caramelized" Â they were raw. My husband had the curry chicken-he barely ate half-just couldn't get through it. A real shame as part of a hotel that charges $250 plus a night. Never again!
Review Source:I am only giving this place three stars because of the clam chowder. Â The barbque sliders were well below par and the service was lacking. Â The chowder was delicious though. Â Maybe the best I have had (caveat: I am from the Midwest, so it should be no surprise that it probably was the best I have ever had.) Â But being from the Midwest, the barbque pulled pork was not worth the money.
Review Source:I almost want to give this restaurant 2 stars simply because they have a gluten-free menu, but my experience was so unbearable I can't. Consider it 1.5 stars.
Let's start off with some context: I was at the Boston Convention Center for PAX East and needed gluten-free food. I decided to try M.J. O'Connor's because I was trying to get some quick food before returning to my booth (I was exhibiting a game). What a terrible idea that was!
First, I was asked to sit at the bar and give my to-go order to the bartender. I waited for 5-10 minutes to get the attention of anyone on staff - and had questions to ask them because I have a bunch of dietary restrictions. They were not knowledgeable about the food, had to go away and ask questions, and came back after another 10-15 minutes. At this point, I really didn't want to eat there - but had spent so much time trying to get attention that I figured I should so I could get food and get back to my booth.
A bartender came up to me and asked if I was being helped - and I said no - I needed more attention. His response? "Well, we're very busy, so we can't give you that attention". Alrighty then - get me my food and get me out of here!
So I ordered a green salad. Boring! It came after another 15 minutes - and was a mediocre salad with greens and 5 cherry tomatoes. All this could be yours, too, for 9 dollars. NINE DOLLARS.
Yep. Buy anything else - anywhere else.
Stopped in after a conference at the 'new' convention center.
Nothing to overly brag about here; service was good, beers were cold, and there is a nice outdoor seating area if the weather cooperates.
Just a heads-up; last time I visited and plunked down my card, it appeared that the someone modified the gratuity I entered on the Merchant slip. I had to call my bank and get to the bottom of the differing transaction amounts. Could have been an honest mistake, but something you might want to look out for down the road if you choose to visit.
This is a fancy overrated hotel restaurant that serves average food. Â I came and got the quesadilla that included mango salsa. Â The food was ok but again over priced. Â They did have a good selection of beer but the atmosphere seemed like a confused rusian irish mix. Â I would walk a couple blocks over and go to a place on the water to get a better deal.
Review Source:Disappointing! Â Nice atmosphere and the food was decent, BUT our waitress kept forgetting to input my order and what I actually ordered. Â My friend's food came 30 minutes before mine and she didn't even offer to take it off the bill since she was the one who made the mistake. Â Her answer was that you just have to laugh it off...well, my guess is that she won't make it very long as a waitress...but what do I know?
Review Source:Went here after the food show at the BCEC. Place was jam packed with people also from the food convention. Never been here before. Highly doubt I would go here again unless I am in the immediate area like staying at the hotel or going to a convention. Most people are out of towners. Not a bad thing but not my usual environment. Waitress was really nice even though the place was crazy busy. A good sign!
Yet another bar that does not carry Heineken Light. OH THE HUMANITY!!!
We went here for dinner last Friday since it's so close to the convention center, where we were enjoying the Boston Auto Show. I'm happy to report that we enjoyed O'Connor's too! The tables were all full, but we had no trouble finding 3 seats at the bar where they serve their full menu. I was thrilled to find a cubano sandwich on the menu, which turned out to be very tasty. Their fries were good too - I don't often eat french fries. Service was friendly and timely and prices were reasonable. I would happily return!
Review Source:Not terrible, as far as hotel pubs go, but not particularly good either. Â For an 'irish' pub/resteraunt there's a severe shortage of Irish food on the menu and the menu as a whole is tiny. Â Add overpriced drinks and a staff that can't get a simple order right and this place isn't winning any awards from me. Â Their only redeaming quality, in fact, is that they're not Saucity (the other resteraunt in the hotel).
Review Source:Ugh. Â This place just makes me sad. Â And kind-of angry. Â I obviously should have listened to the other reviews, but since I'm staying in the hotel and its too dark to walk around when I don't know where I'm going, I decided this place was at least cheaper than room service, so I gave it a shot. Â
I called for take out, and they said it would be 10-15 minutes. Â I arrived there about 20 minutes later, and was ignored for about 5 minutes. Â Then the bartenders looked at me as though they were embarrassed that I had to wait, and talked to each other while looking at me. Â Helpful. Â Finally someone came over and told me that the kitchen was "backed up". Â This was about 30 minutes after I placed my order. Â Really? Â Another 5 minutes pass, more talking in hushed tones while looking at me ensues. Â I am offered a drink, I get water. Â 5 more minutes. Â Now I'm just mad. Â Finally, 45 minutes after I placed my order, I get my food. Â Thankfully, all of the hushed talking must have accomplished something, because the onion soup I ordered was taken off my bill. Â I appreciated that, because I didn't want to be overly rude, but at that point I was going to demand a discount. Â Â So I left no longer angry.
Fast forward to me in my room, excitedly opening my food because I am starving. I ordered onion soup, and fish and chips. Â The "guiness onion soup" is essentially canned onion soup with a slice of bread and cheese on top. Â Lukewarm at best. Â Not edible at all. Â Awesome. Â Oh well, I think, at least it was free. Â
I open up the fish and chips. Â Those are hard to screw up, so I still have hope. Â I see a huge mess of grease. Â I have one giant piece of fish, also lukewarm. Â There is a puddle of grease under it. Â I try to pick it up and all the skin falls off because its soggy with grease. Â They can't be serious. Â I end up eating the actual fish and pulling off all the gross soggy skin. Â The fish itself was edible. Â The fries would have been good had they not also been victims of the greasy pile that was my fish. Â I wiped off the bottom ones to salvage them, and ate the rest. Â
This was, by far, one of the worst excuses for a meal I've ever had. Â At 17$, the fish and chips were laughable. Â At 7$, the onion soup was plain insulting. Â
At least the bartender was nice enough to take the soup off my bill, otherwise I'd likely go find someone and complain. Â
I know some people write angry reviews no matter where they go, but I never do. Â This was just too terrible of an experience to ignore. Â
Maybe as a bar its ok. Maybe the alcoholic drinks are good. Â But avoid the food at all costs, and never take their time estimates seriously. Â Really, I'd just avoid this place altogether. Â I would rather have paid double for room service. Â Ugh.
Found the service to be slow and the food to be average at best. The reason I stayed in and ate at M.J O'Connor's (stayed at the Weston Waterfront) was to have a quick dinner and go to bed. If I could do it again I would either bit the bullet and take a cab someone good or just order room service which I would rate higher then O'Connor's.
Oddly enough they did have very good Clam Chowder which I thought was random but a nice suprise. This positive Claim Chowder is worth an additional star saving M.J. O'Connor's from the dreaded 2 star review.
A pleasant three-star surprise can be found at this Irish pub. The food varies in quality. On one night, the beef stew was solid ($16) and the pressed chicken sandy was quite good ($11) while another visit with a Cubano ($11) was drenched in mustard and the steak + cheese sandwich ($13) was overly wet.
It's my personal policy to avoid restaurants located in hotel lobbies. They are overpriced and usually mediocre. But when you're in town with no car, sometimes you have to take a chance out of necessity. I'd say they are a four star place for drinks even though you will at times have to get your own drinks from the bar. Earlier this year, I was in town for PAX East where audible grumbling from the wait staff was overheard more than once regarding their lack of tips.
Gee... maybe if I didn't have to get my own beverage, I might tip more than 20% like I do back home? But if I'm reminded or you assume that I tip poorly based on my pop culture t-shirt and jeans, you're going to reap what you sow.
Side note, one of my pet peeves was the fact that no one employed could translate the Gaeilge painted over the archway. I asked a couple of waitresses and the bartender and no one knew. I finally photographed it, sent it to a friend of mine who translated it for me.
Very good Irish pub in Boston. Appetizers are very tasty especially the wings and clam chowder. I had the pastrami sub which was lean and very tasty. The guiness is good but not the best in Boston - (see my reviews of the times and mr dooleys). All in all a nice spot and they pipe in some great irish tunes too.
Review Source:Great pub food. Â My sister and her boyfriend invited us here. Â They have two locations and my wife and i would never have come here as it is all the way over by the convention center. Â
Good news - there is lots of parking on the street
even better - if its really cold, there is valet parking - MJ's is in the Westin Hotel
The good news keeps on rolling - the facade is very good looking and the place looks like a real Irish pub. Â Which is no easy task - the westin is nice, but kind of sterile, this place however provides heart and soul.
The food was great - they had bangers and mash!! a must have, the shepherds pie was great. Â They have a great beer selection and a good selection of single malt scotch.
A great place to spend a cold Sunday and if things get too happy, the westin can likely accommodate with rooms upstairs, maybe you'll get lucky.
Three words: Steak. Tip. Sub. I ordered it with the intention of only eating half the bread as a compromise for ordering such a devilish plate. However, the bread was soaked in cheesy goodness that I couldn't help myself. AND it was so good, I didn't even feel guilty afterwards. No crumbs on the plate. No walk of shame.
Review Source:Maybe it was because it was quiet when we went but our experience was much different than the majority of these reviews. We stopped in around 5 PM and found the place to be fairly empty other than the seats around bar and a few larger parties.
Both of us ordered "The Cubano" and were thrilled with our choice. It was soooo delicious! I love the idea of a pressed sandwich and this one did NOT disappoint. The fries were also tasty and I cleaned my plate. Due to it being a scorcher of a day, I was drinking water with lemon and the waitress kept my glass full.
All in all, it was a nice early dinner... good atmosphere, tasty food, great service.
This place was ok, the decor is nice, the atmosphere fun, the food was pretty good and the service average. Once we received our food our server disappeared and we couldn't get refills on our drinks until she came to take our plates away, which by then was too late to have with our meal. Don't think I would choose this place again.
Review Source:While attending a conference in the area, we ventured here for a quick lunch. Â It is super convenient as it is RIGHT next to the Convention Center. Â That being said, I'd suggest making the trek elsewhere. Â The food was overpriced and blah and I saw more than one server being rude to other customers.
I had the tomato soup to start- your standard tomato soup ($5) so not bad. Â I ordered the Caesar salad ($10) with the dressing on the side and was shocked when our waitress brought me a small plate with a few pieces of romaine on it. Â The description had noted home-made croutons, but instead I got a piece of super hard bread- it was so hard that I sent a piece airborne when I tried to break it apart. Â Since the salad was ten bucks, I figured it'd be enough to fill me up- not so much. Â
I wish I had listened to the other reviewers and been ambitious enough to skip out on this place.
This place is yet another substandard cookie cutter Irish bar.
I was staying at the Westin and returned after a few pints at the Littlest Bar and took the family down for dinner. I ordered a pint and curry chips. Service was very slow (not just the waiting for the Guinness - I expect that) I took a sip of the the Guinness and my wife asked if something was wrong. I said yes the Guinness is awful. Every sip was worse than the last. After the great pints at the Littlest this was painful.
The only saving grace was the curry chips, at least they had them.
It tasted like the standard Bisto Chip Shop Curry Granules mix and the chips were fresh and hot.
Yet another Irish bar to avoid.
Side note, I was just reviewing the menu and noticed it is a sister bar to Solas in the Lenoxx. That explains the bad Guinness.
Terrible. Horrible. No Good. Very Bad. Experience.
The service is abysmal! We were ignored for a good 20 minutes until a waitress came over to ask if anybody had taken our order - NO THEY HADN'T!!!
But don't worry, another waitress was running around replacing the candles on the tables rather than SERVING GUESTS!!
I ordered the meat loaf - and mom would have been pissed that this place dared to call this dog food "Mom's Meatloaf," because it couldn't have been further from mom's meatloaf had it been a vegetarian tofu loaf. YUCK!
The sides with the meatloaf included mashed tatters and green beans. The potatoes had no flavor and the beans had so much butter on them I literally felt an artery throw it's hands up and collapse mid bite.
My friend ordered the pasta dish and was disappointed that they forgot the flavor while making the dish.
No matter how tired, cold, and grumpy you are after walking around Boston all day in the rain and wind - make the effort to leave the hotel for dinner, because this place SUCKS!!!
While I wouldn't be able to tell you what a traditional Irish pub should look or feel like, I do know that much of the cuisine at M.J. O'Connor's is not traditional Irish fare; however, I have enjoyed the last two meals I've had there.
During my first visit, I tried the quesadillas. Â The portions were larger than expected, so I happily walked away with leftovers. Â On my next visit, I ordered pepper tuna soft tacos for take-away, and I was pleased to find a good helping of tuna in the box. Â Neither meals were mind-blowing, but the service was quick. Â And since I'm staying at the Westing Waterfront, it's a convenient place to dine/order take-away.
Had the pleasure of sitting out on the patio. I felt like I was dining in the middle of a concrete parking lot. Every direction I looked, was a slab of concrete and the valet simply park the cars up on the sidewalk. If you're looking for a view of Boston or the waterfront, this isn't the right place.
However, the food is reasonably priced and drinks are in line with every other Irish bar. Try the BBQ chicken sandwich, lobster roll, burger, or grilled cheese with tomato soup.
The waiter by the way was super nice and the inside diningroom has a great atmosphere.
I always felt a little 'off' when I walked into the downtown location of MJ O'Connor's - this place made me realize why - it's NOT an irish pub.
It IS an Irish-themed hotel bar, and the only difference with this location is that you can access it directly from the lobby rather than the primary entrance on the street.
OK, sure, they serve curry fries and Guinness - but so does every other bar out there, practically (and the fries are fries - out of the same frozen bag as Ruby Tuesday's gets theirs).
And if you need final proof that this isn't an Irish bar, look at those huge plate glass windows letting in all that sunlight.
enough said
Decent enough if you are in the hotel already or here for a conference. My steak salad and onion soup were pretty tasty. For convenience, I'd eat here again.
Not worth a road trip to get here. Despite the wood panels, Â "irish pub" decor, and guiness on draft - Â it's not very convincing when there's plenty of American fare from the other hotel restaurants on the menu, but no corned beef, or shepherds pie, etc.
Totally adequate convenient place for hotel dwellers and conference goers alike. I was attending a conference at the Westin and stopped in for lunch. Truthfully, I am happy this place isn't an upscale hoity toity place. There should be something equally close, affordable, and tasty in a nice hotel and not just the requisite expensive meal and pricey cocktail place.
But anyways. I stopped in for a leisurely lunch with coworkers during the first day of our conference. The waiter gave us plenty of time and space, and didn't pressure us to hurry or pay the check. We sat, chatted, and ate for close to 2 hours.
The food was decent. I got the tomato soup and grilled cheese. The tomato soup came in a small cup and was sorely underseasoned. However the grilled cheese was on a delicious crusty bread, charred on the outside and gooey with two kinds of cheese (monterey and boursin) on the inside. YUM.
The prices were decent and the service was good. A solid B experience for sure.
Hey, MJ. Is it Ok if I call you that? Yes? Ok, listen up MJ. I know you can do better. You and me, we have a little bit of a history. I've been to your Park Plaza location, we've had some good times. You've always managed to provide me with some pretty decent bar food. Hey, remember that time you put mango chutney in your tuna melt? That was fun, right? And I know that you, or your staff in this case, likes to smile. I've seen them do it! And hey, we all make mistakes right? What's a few extra drink charges between friends? As long as we're both polite about it, we can work it out! So simple!
MJ, this is why we need to talk. What's going on here man? What's with this animosity towards the Seaport area? Here's the deal, you're one of the only games in town. Or, at least this part of town. There's not a lot of mid-level bar/restaurants in this area, unless of course you go into Southie proper. And the places around here that could be your competition? Well, MJ, they're not doing so hot. Atlantic Beer Garden's struggling a bit. The Seaport Bar and Grille is better known for their deck than for their bar or their grille. This could be your chance to shine! Come on man, I know you have it in you!
So here's my advice: First, tell your waitresses to drop the attitude. It only takes 17 muscles to smile, yadda yadda yadda, whatever, I don't really care about their face muscles. I'm not asking for beauty pageant grins here, but I could do without the eye rolling and pouts. Second, let's try to get that food out hot. With the exception of the curry fries (great job on those by the way. Seriously, cravings), everything I've had here has been lukewarm. Third, could we not insult my intelligence? Or in this case, sobriety. I know the difference between 3 and 5. Please don't tell me I've had 5 drinks when we both know I've only had 3. 3 means I'm still sober! So when you try to pad my bar tab, I'm probably going to notice! What's that? You weren't trying to pad it? No problem, like I said, we all make mistakes. I'd love to stay and enjoy those last 2 drinks with you, but my friends are moving on, so if we could just settle this like adults that would be fantastic.
MJ, I'm glad we had this chat. I really do believe you're trying, but if you could just try a little bit harder, I really think we could have something here. Don't get me wrong, we'll never be more than friends, but I wouldn't mind hanging out every now and then.
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