Great beer, great environment, great decor!
Would be a 5-star revue, but the food is overpriced (-1 star) and the hefty French-Canadian waitress is the most offputting and rude creature I've ever had to deal with (-1 star, would be -2 but that wouldn't leave a fair rating the rest of the place isn't bad).
What a great place!
My traveling partner and I went here on a whim when we were trying to find something to eat. It was a bit difficult to find a parking spot on that Friday but it was delicious food! We were seated right by the windows, which were tall and wide open, and it was a nice night out.
Our waitress was fantastic! I can't remember her name, but she was so funny and sweet. Loved her! She carded me when I got a drink (I'm 21), and she said her birthday was just a couple days away from mine but a lot of years away. I of course said "Well, maybe only four or five years older than me, right?" I think we became one of her favorite tables at that point ha ha.
The food was wonderful as well! Portions weren't too big (I had the fish and chips), and I can't remember what I had for a drink but it was good too. Not too expensive, pretty small on the inside, but had a very awesome hometown feel to it while still looking classy.
Love The Mad Raven!
I'm branching out from Naked Fish and exploring all possible lunch places in Waltham near my office park. With a name like The Mad Raven, this place was hard to resist. I really wanted to love this place.
I went to Joe Sent Me recently. I like the ambience of The Mad Raven a lot more. The food was a hair better at Joe Sent Me.
There was one guy serving the lunch "crowd" and when I asked which was better, the Maple Chicken Salad or the Steak N' Bleu Salad he serious told me that one had chicken and one had steak so whichever I preferred. Finally, I got him to recommend the Steak N' Bleu Salad. I think the steak salad I had at Joe Sent Me was better.
We had to go to the bar to pay, but I was in a hurry to get back to my office.
I'd be willing to give it another try. Perhaps it improves with booze.
The Raven is a solid choice for all nights of the week and has become a staple for Waltham festivities. You can get a decent meal if you're looking for dinner, or the right ambiance for some drinks with friends. Fun trivia on Tuesday and love music on the weekends -- always with great service!
Review Source:Went here for trivia night with a few friends. Â The biggest thing I can say about this place is that everyone knows each other. Â People walking into the bar would chat with various waitresses and the bartender before sitting down, then have a nice conversation with whoever was waiting on them at the table. Â As this was my first time at The Mad Raven, I did not know anyone on staff and was rather disappointed with the service, since my waitress was always off chatting with random people. Â I don't usually like dropping stars for poor service as I know that's more a reflection on the wait staff than the restaurant as a whole, but in this case it was really irritating that the whole bar ground to a halt when a regular walked in. Â Guess I won't be one of those regulars.
Review Source:I have been to the Mad Raven a few times, and while I am not a frequent visitor, I've been made to feel like family there by the owner. While the food isn't the best Irish pub fare, that family welcome means so much, particularly being a busy city area where anonymity is valued. I have been to some of their live music shows too, and they have some great musicians go in there.
Review Source:My friend and I were driving through downtown Waltham when we saw the Mad Raven and decided to stop in for a drink and to split an appetizer. The place was nice- dark interior with raven decorations and plenty of televisions plus good tables. We sat ourselves and a server came right over with menus. We were going to split an appetizer but my friend saw jumbalaya on the lunch menu and really wanted to get it so I went with shepherd's pie. He enjoyed his meal except for the overly blackened chicken which he had to cut around with a knife. My shepherd's pie was awful. It was way too hot. Still steaming after twenty minutes. It looked nothing like a shepherd's pie. A little bit of meat at the bottom, some veggies interspersed (I counted 3 carrots and 2 pieces of zucchini) with a thick gravy and tons (and I do mean tons) of both mashed potatoes and chunks of potato on the top. I think it had a bit of cheese added. Yuck. It was served in a huge soup bowl and really was nothing like the shepherd's pie that I'm sure most of us are used to. I complained to the waitress that it was way too hot and she nonchalantly laughed and said to make sure I ate it slowly. Um, yeah that's quality service. I ended up getting it to go because my friend was done and it was still piping hot and just gross (the meat tasted awful). I will say that hours later when I gave it to my dog she really loved it. We won't be back.
Review Source:A nice local pub. Pretty crowded around 8pm on a Friday night but I was able to find a seat right away. There was a wide range of ages represented so it must appeal to all. The service was very good and friendly.
I had the beef tips/ turkey tips combo and a cup of  beef stew.
The stew was hearty with lots of beef and vegetables and the tips were tasty and tender. Â The Shepard's pie looked good from a neighboring table.
I'd go back again  when I'm in town.
I want this place to be awesome- the name is great, the décor is lovely, ambiance is top notch- but it is missing something.  I've been there twice so far, once for drinks on a Friday night and another time for brunch on Sunday afternoon.
The drinks were ok, music is awesome, and the service was friendly but the place was nearly empty on a Friday night. Â Brunch was a real let down. Â Boyfriend loved his scrambled eggs and bacon but I was not impressed with the Irish breakfast. Â My eggs, ordered sunny side up, were embrassingly undercooked (just gross, honestly), the toast was very dry and not served warm (may have been sitting out for a while), baked beans were flavorless, and some mystery sausage was lumpy and burnt. Â With In A Pickle and Joseph's down Main Street, there's no reason to return for brunch here.
Went here on a Wednesday night with a few friends, got a big table and quick service. Everyone really liked their food.
Calamari - good
Nachos - really good
Fireman Burger - amazing (Wednesday night special.. amazing)
Pizzas - great
BuffChick Mac n' Cheese - ok, a little too spicey for some but I liked the bite I had!
Better than average pub food. Good beer list. Cheap drinks. Overall a great time.
Hearing we need to try the trivia on Tuesdays!
Seemed like it would be a decent place for dinner, not so great for brunch, though they did let us book a large group on short notice. What was billed as paninis were really sandwiches on baguettes. The egg quesadilla was passable. The service was extremely slow; maybe a waiter failed to show, but the service was abysmal; pleasant enough, just slow and unprofessional. It was a good place to watch the Patriots.
Review Source:I visited The Mad Raven the other night and had yet another great experience. They recently changed the menu to have everything in one pamphlet and it seems as if they added more items. I appreciated that the volume of the music was low and the waitresses were attentive.
I ordered an entree with blackened chicken and shrimp over a creamy pesto pasta and wow did it have flavor! The chicken was perfectly juicy, the shrimp were fresh and the pasta was al dente and had the right amount of sauce. The only downside to the meal was that the waitress forgot the pizza that I was going to take to go, but she offered to get it set. I've also never seen her before, so I wonder if she was new and it just slipped her mind.
I went here last night for Tuesday night trivia. It wasn't crowded for trivia but each team has to pay $10 to enter. That's a first. There were only 2 waitresses on staff for 25 people and it took a while for us to get our orders.
I ordered medium steak tips but they were overcooked. I thought medium meant a pink center not white. It was a really small portion of steak and it was hard to cut (maybe because they were over done?). Beer selection wasn't bad and they do have a good amount of tvs for watching games.
This place was recommended to my by my wife and her friends after they tried it out. So my wife and I went for dinner back in November and tried a few of their dishes. We tried the vegetarian quesadilla, which was made really well. It was definitely a good portion for two people. I ordered the Mexican with potato fries and my wife ordered the Mushroom Ravioli. My sandwich was absolutely amazing. It had a great smoky and spicy flavor. The bread was toasted really well and then vegetables were portioned really well for the overall sandwich. The fries were also very crispy and warm. I also took a few bites of the Ravioli, which was divine. The sauce with the mushrooms worked really well together. It was a really good experience overall.
After that dinner, we've been there regularly, especially for lunch. The prices are a couple of dollars less for lunch than for dinner, but even those prices are great. My only complaint is that I feel that the appetizers are slightly priced a little too high for the portion size. This is a great restaurant/bar to go to if your in town or on your lunch break. Service is great and food is usually ready from anywhere between 10 to 15 mins.
I will definitely be going back there frequently. Can't wait to try the beer once I turn 21. :P
Went for lunch and was looking forward to the potato skins, but it was a big disappointment. I think they were frozen, boo! My friend had a burger and I think that was a frozen kind too.
I like the inside of the place, might be worth a trip back for drinks after work.
Parking sucks too.
Still a good pint. Our waitress (name forgotten) actually produced a pack or Ritz crackers for my niece who was inconsolable and melting down from starvation/overdue nap/being 4yrs old.
Waitress earned an extra $10 for that feat of magic. Well done and thank you.
The food is still poor... Even though my expectations were very low I still found myself shocked at how disappointing it was. Â I ordered a burger figuring that you can't F that up too much. WRONG. Giant stale hamburger bun? Really? Don't serve stale buns.
Is there anyone working in this kitchen who gives a toss? That's a sincere question. Spend a few dollars on a line cook who is good even if you won't pay a chef to run your kitchen.
Two other people at our table ordered burgers. Between the 3 of us, one half of one bun was eaten.
That waitress was great. Superb. Rock-star quality. Many thanks!
Note to self don't go here again. Â A group of us came here for lunch on St. Patty's day for lunch. Â Granted this place was slammed and you would think they would prepare and staff accordingly. Â They only had 2 waitresses on and the service turned out to be bad news. Â We waited for over 1.5 hours to get a table. Â We finally sat and waited another 25-30 min. Â The waitress finally came over and was super rude to our entire table. Â Not cool. Â Sorry to put you out! Â
I ended up getting the turkey club, the menu description said it came with maple bacon. Â To my sad surprise they squirted maple syrup on the bread. Â The turkey was absolutely disgusting, totally over processed fake meat. Â I was so grossed out I'm now a vegetarian. Â I kid, but it was horrible.
I like this bar. Â The food lacks (read: don't really bother, except maybe late-night nachos), but my beer has been well-poured and mixed drinks are strong. Â Tuesdays have trivia which is fun. Â Weekend nights (and other random ones) can get pretty terrifying - whenever the college kids are let off campus they harass the entirety of Waltham, it seems.
Friendly bartenders, waitstaff, and owner (the one time I met him).
We visited Mad Raven's a few days ago and promised never to return. It's not that the place was terrible. It just didn't seem worth the high price tag.
We both ordered Apple & Walnut Salads. These were okay--the lettuce seemed fresh. But there was very little flavor, and not enough apples or walnuts! For plates that cost nearly $10, we thought we'd get a bit more. I could've made the same salads at home for $2 per person.
Meanwhile, the service was fairly sub-par. There seemed to be only one waitress for the whole crowd, and she rushed around, too busy to refill our drinks.
The decor is pretty fun--high ceilings with an unfinished, industrial look. But it was hard to enjoy the atmosphere. Throughout our visit, the pub was transitioning to 'night-life mode.' Minute-by-minute, someone dialed up the music volume, 'til it was hard to hear each other, even from a foot or two away. Yeah, yeah: pubs are loud. But the Raven was obnoxiously, artificially loud.
You can do better. Overpriced, mediocre food in a unimpressive setting.
Ok, nice looking pub, drinks were good. I like the cozy atmosphere.
Food...very average, to below average and considering price level, it needs to be better. And the faux pas for a restaurant, a mixed green salad, where there were lots of bits of that black ooze that happens to salad greens left sitting in the plastic bag...a no-no...AND hair...I prefer my salad hairless, just my preference, and usually, the way most people like it, no?
So, if this was the only place around, I'd return and stick to the beverages, skip the food...but, since Waltham is a sort of hot bed of places to eat and drink, it's very unlikely I will return.
Let me start by saying that my friend swears by this place, the bartenders are very friendly, and the food isn't bad. Â I've been to the Mad Raven three times expecting the amazing experience that my buddy keeps driving into my head, but have yet to see it.
The Guinness and Smithwicks are good on draught, and the sandwiches are solid, but the burger I had last time was extremely average, and the sweet potato fries have been crunchy (not crispy - I mean overcooked or burnt) and not very tasty BOTH times I've ordered them. Â The regular fries (fat steakhouse ones) are better, but again, very average, and a small portion.
The atmosphere is good for watching soccer, but I was told they do not carry rugby games or many other eu sports. Â I'll be back if my buddy really wants to go, but I'll try somewhere else if I'm just driving through Waltham looking for lunch.
Wow I can't believe it's been over a year since I've written an update on "the Raven".
Food is still delicious!
Staff is still stellar!
Still 5 stars in my eyes, I'd give 10 stars if I could!
You know this place is 5 stars if I can spend literally 9 hours in here during the snow storm on Sunday. I came for the game and ended up staying into the night hours.
Always an excellent time in here whenever I come in. I feel like Norm in Cheers. That's how you know you've found a great local watering hole. When you feel at home whenever you walk in.
I like this place. Â It's totally relaxed and not overcrowded. Â You can actually linger and have some drinks and hear your conversation (I'm looking at YOU Margarita's). Â
Surprisingly, all the food is great. Â I've never had a bad meal here. Â Sometimes they're under-staffed which leads to waits, but nothing horrible.
I've been to the Mad Raven a few times with the bf. Â It's a typical towny-ish Irish pub kinda place. Â I haven't tried their food, but I hear it's pretty good. Â They have a good draft beer selection and a full bar for everything else. Â
I don't think I've been since colleges were back in session so it may be a little more upbeat, but it was pretty low-key when I was there. Â I only give it three stars because I always have to wait significantly longer than necessary to get a drink at the bar. Â it's a little ridiculous actually.
However, I do want to try their food so once I do that, if I am impressed, I'll update my review with an improved rating if warranted :)
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Can I get you some more coffee?"
these are just a couple things our waitress could have said to make our brunch better.
Food was good. Â Portions were good.
There weren't a lot of people there. Â Our waitress never asked us if we'd like anything to drink. Â Never brought us water, never asked if we wanted more coffee. Â In fact she barely came over, and when she did we never got a chance to ask her for anything before she walked away. Â
I kept trying to flag her down (she could see us from the bar) Â but she just didn't care.
It would have been a very nice brunch if it weren't for a crappy server...
oh yeah, did I mention her hair was dangling from my friends pint of Guinness (we both have short dark hair, and this one was long and blond)
what a disappointment.
This is my first review here on Yelp, so here goes.
I live within walking distance of the Mad Raven, so it would be awesome if it were a great bar to go to. Â But...
I've only gone here on Friday or Saturday nights, and it's always been pretty dead. Â I like to go to bars to have fun and socialize with people, and that's not really the atmosphere they have going here (at least not when I've been). Â I hear it's hopping on Wednesday and Thursday when the college kids come out, but I couldn't tell you how that scene is.
I really want to like this place more than I do. Â It has a really cool look and atmosphere which sets it apart from other random pubs which can be pretty bland (like Joe Sent Me, for example, which is next door). Â The look is definitely one of the best things abuot the Mad Raven.
So, in the end, it's a good place to go if you just want to have a couple drinks with friends and head out somewhere else. Â Or, if you want to have a laid back night and just watch some bar-TV. Â If you're looking for a place to go "out on the town" and mingle with a bunch of like-minded people, I wouldn't come here.
Oh, and, for some reason everytime I've been in there it has the distinct smell of puke floating in the air. Â My friends have smelled it too. Â It's especially bad if you buy a Coors Light (maybe someone puked in that cooler?). Â I haven't been there in a few weeks, so maybe it's gone now. Â But it was definitely hanging around for a couple of weeks when I was going.
Been here twice in the past couple weeks and had a good experience both times. Â The server was always pleasant and attentive.
I've had The Mexican (tasty) and the burger (good but not great) and look forward to making my way down the sandwich list as they all look good! Â My gf had a salad both times and was happy with each (the maple walnut and the southwestern).
I'm not necessarily taking away a star from the Mad Raven, I'm just giving a more accurate rating. Still, the veggie burgers are some of the best I've had in the Boston area. But as good as it gets? I'm not quite comfortable making such a bold procalmation.
So, Mad Raven you still rock. Though we noticed you skimped on the sweet potato fries last time we were here . . . what's that all about? (Though, it's probably for the best . . .)
I'm saying a solid 4 outta 5 here yelpers.
i (we)have been to the raven a few times, so that says a lot right there, more so...
once during sox playoffs, with friends, got there 35 minutes before the start so got a table, which was great as it got wall to wall nation, and had great table service the whole game. Â the other times, good service all around.
personally, the steak and cheese with peppers is righteous, it comes with steak fries and after a few of the dark bitters, it tastes yum yum. Â its the only thing i get there, but why change it up if it works and you only go once and a while.
trivia too, but i don't think i have made it out there, but its an option.
The Mad Raven brings me back to college days..a popular spot on Tues--Thurs for Bentley / Brandies crew... The atmosphere is 5 stars all the way..very warm inviting casual Celtic / sportsbarish / vibe..i love it...After the renovations of dark tones and plenty of memorabilia with LCDs hidden everywhere..its pretty slick...
The bartenders are very friendly...and quick with their knowledge of drinks...The food is pretty average --your standard bar food ..plus some creative options...especially amongst the salads....
All in all a good place to hang out chill..for a casual evening or sports event...parking is a little wierd on Main St..and beware of the freekin cops around here..they linger so close to Dunkin Donuts always...( a hard lesson learned :-))
An average bar. You get some townies here from time to time, but it's nothing to write home about.
With their own assortment of drinks, they can claim a bit of uniqueness, but these sorts of spots have had to fight to not become a dime a dozen. Great for a quiet chat at the bar where you don't have to shout to hear who you're with. Otherwise, not a place that pops up as standing out.
I've been to Mad Raven twice - once on a Wednesday and once on a Thursday. Â Both nights there were a few people there, but it wasn't overly crowded so it was a good place to meet up for a couple beers with friends. Â
Wednesday was sports trivia and the questions were pretty tough. Â A bunch of people were using their phones to look up answers which was a load of crap. Â The guy running it should have squashed that. Â
Overall, there was a good beer selection including a few rotating seasonal specials. Â I haven't had the food, but I liked the bar enough to give it a try sometime soon.
They actually do a delicious burger for lunch. Â Go figure.
The Mad Raven let's in a ton of underage girls and guys alike, which is obnoxious. Those seem to be the same kids who puke in the bathroom and get kicked out for fighting. Â The place often gets crowded with Brandeis coeds and will serve drinks in plastic cups, which is a no-no for a $7 vodka- cran.
Oh, Mad Raven. The last time I visited this place was with a group of 6, we couldn't decide where to go and people kept throwing out suggestions and I was on the phone trying to talk to my friend while relaying what he said to my boyfriend who was driving, and everyone kept vetoing every suggestion so I said to my boy, "Which offends you least, Watch City or the Mad Raven?" and he had to think long and hard. Finally we settled on Mad Raven because we had a coupon.
So we go to the Mad Raven for dinner around 7:30 and there's hardly anyone there, and several of us order their pizza. The beer selection is pretty good, although our waitress has to keep running around double-checking things, getting us more menus, etc. Finally the food comes and I am informed that my pizza has yellow cheese on it because they are out of the regular cheese (hello, no one's in your restaurant!) and I shouldn't worry because it's the same as the white cheese. As far as I know, no one makes yellow mozzarella, so I'm not sure how stupid she thinks I am. My boyfriend's pizza is white, but he eats one slice and says it tastes "moldy." Don't ask me how he's so sure what mold tastes like.
Oh well, at least we get one of our dinners for free, right? Wrong. Their coupons aren't good on Fridays. BOOOO!
I would give fewer stars, but I realize that many people view this as a crazy college bar rather than a more comfy, intimate pub with good food and such. I'm nto a crazy college bar kind of girl, so I can't evaluate it on that scale. But I don't think I'll be back. (This wasn't my first visit; others were similarly unimpressive.)
While I can't say I've ever been there at night, I have been going to the Mad Raven recently for lunch to watch the World Cup with a bunch of colleagues. Â Big TVs, great quality pub grub (try the Curry Chicken!), nice atmosphere (full of soccer fans!), and decent beer selection on tap. Â You just can't go wrong.
If you're looking for a place to catch the World Cup games (and play hooky from work), this is a great place to go. Â Cheers, folks!
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