I have been to Magoun's on every night of the week, with different people, for different occasions. It is obviously a community watering hole with Trivia night, regular customers, and sport leagues coming in after games. Â
The food is great (the wings and the mac and cheese especially).
The rotating beer list is a great way to try new beers from a knowledgeable wait staff.
Besides some cold running water in the bathroom, it is all around a great bar.
This place is right down the street from me and is about as good of a neighborhood bar as you could ask for. They have an amazing beer selection and interesting and menu (by pub fare standards) and have different specials and things going on all the time. It's kind of small, but a great place to catch some sports and good food/beer if you're in the area. I plan to keep going back to keep trying more of the food, but I've have several of their tapas (Wednesday nights I think), Mac & Cheese Triangles (woof, these are good) and the pork belly sandwich with cajun pasta salad and it was all delicious. Service is pretty much on par for what you'd expect by going to a pub, so I don't know why people on here are complaining so much. It's not a 5-star restaurant after all. Go, try it, you'll have a good time.
Review Source:My friends assured me the food here was better than Daddy Jones, and the beer selection was great. The beer selection was actually really good, what was available wasn't. One out of 5 Greenflash beers were available. OK, fine.
The food is pretty gross, and the service is super in-your-face. The only thing good I ate was the chicken wings, but before we were half done our dinner was in our face. This place violated all my senses, and sort of fucked up my night. I don't get what the hype is about.
The food was delicious, but the service was rank. It was so bad that I don't think I would ever would want to step foot in that establishment again despite them having awesome roasted potatoes.
After learning that it was a friend of mine's birthday, the waitress proceeded on making it known that she had no interest in caring for our table. When asked what kind of cheese was in one of their brunch menu options, she said something like, "It's probably cheddar or something shredded." How do you not know what kind of cheese is in a plate that you serve day in and day out?
Our cheese woes were just the tip of the iceberg though. After eating a rather tasty meal, we sat with our clear plates in front of us for a good 10 minutes until the hostess (the hostess!) decided to clear our table. At this point, you would think the server would pay a little more special attention to our table. Nope. We sat for another 10 minutes waiting for our check until I decided to wave the very helpful hostess down again (since the server seemed to be ignoring us) who went up to our server and let her know that we were waiting for our check. Even with that, the server took another 10 minutes to hand off the check to our hostess who then delivered it to us.
At that point, I was irate. Instead of choosing to wait another 10 minutes until our server realized that we existed, I went directly up to her (after waiting a good 5 minutes) and asked her to split our check. She took it, carried our cards around for another 5 minutes and had someone else deliver our checks to us. The icing on the cake was that the someone else who delivered it to us THREW the checkbook on our table, didn't look at any one of us, turned around quickly, mumbled "thanks" and darted away in the opposite direction with stank face.
I was absolutely appalled by the behavior of the waitstaff. To top it off, when I tried to complain to a manager, I couldn't since apparently there wasn't a manager on duty. What restaurant doesn't have a working manager on duty? Terrible.
The only pleasant person at this place was the hostess who waited on us hand and foot, and who really didn't have to. She even suggested that I write my info down for the manager to call, but I instead decided that I just would never step foot in here again. If you're looking to be ignored, by all means, eat here. Otherwise, stay away (or order takeout!).
FYI, I visited on Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, for brunch. There was a parade and not many people to tend to. It's sad to know that 3 or 4 servers can't handle 3 or 4 tables...
Ok, so there are a number of awesome things about magoun's.
The menu and the food are really good. Irish inspired, but not limited to just that. Fair price, generous portions. Rotating specials, such as "bacon palooza", which is one month of various specials featuring bacon. It's really a great place to eat
As good of a place to eat as it is, it's even better to watch a game. They have about 1,000 (it seems) HD projectors, and they are massive. Hard to get a spot for a big game, but get in early and it's awesome.
The atmosphere and decorations are awesome. They also have an excellent beer selection that is constantly changing. Really, you can't ask for much more.
The problem I have with this place is the freakin' music! It's a really nice place with good food and a great atmosphere, and then NSYNC comes on. Or some depressing Coldplay song. It just doesn't fit. It's obviously some sort of lite rock/pop satellite radio. This place desperately needs someone to take control with an iPod. Or at least some Irish styled stuff if you don't have a good taste in music.
Would be 5 stars if not for the awful music.
I tried this place last night with small group of friends, and while I'm always glad for a new experience, I can't see myself ever truly wanting to go back. Â Although I know this place is home away from home for many regulars, and I respect that, I couldn't call it home myself.
I should start by mentioning that there was nothing wrong with the food. Standard casual fare, in generous portions. I shared a bacon poutine and it was tasty, and the chicken slider appetizer I ordered as my entree was definitely big enough for an entree. Â My dining mates enjoyed the Thanksgiving egg rolls, and the mac & cheese looked wonderful.
That said, the atmosphere is actually the type that I avoid when I'm the one doing the restaurant choosing. If I have to use a flashlight to read the menu, it's too dark. If I have to shout my dinner conversation ("SO HOW WAS YOUR DAY?"), it's too loud. Ordinarily I don't like big sports screens on the walls, but if not for the light of those screens I wouldn't have been able to see my dining partners at all, so I appreciated the light bleed. As it was though, I had a very hard time seeing my food, but I'd put my flashlight away by then and was just trying to endure my meal over my noise headache. I actually went and sat in the blessedly quiet bathroom several times just to stuff my brains back in my ears. I was overjoyed when none of my companions wanted another drink and we could leave.
I would happily order from this place if they were on Foodler. Â The food is fine. But I can't see going back in person unless dragged there for the birthday of someone I needed to be nice to.
It is what a Neighborhood bar should be. Great beer and a giant selection. The food is always good with lots of good choices and always some really good specials. Friendly staff that keeps your glasses full. There is only one reason this place will not get a 5-star rating from me! NO SLUMBREW! How can they not serve a Somerville original that makes truly incredible beer! Get this beer on the menu, they deserve to be among your tap selections!
Review Source:If I lived close by, Magoun's would easily be the neighborhood bar. Â Since I live far away, it's a rarer pub treat, but if I'm in the area it's a solid go-to for beer, grub, and atmosphere. Â I'm surprised by just how awesome their hummus plate is (the pita is crazy good), sammies and flatbreads and fajitas are ample and tasty. Â Quicktip: if you're going to get the pretzel, make sure you know it's filled! Â While condiment lovers might fawn over their pretzels, as a purist their filled pretzels are just ok for me. Â Anyway, the beer selection is solid, they rotate menu specials, cask nights, and trivia - the place is usually pretty packed, but in the good way, not the obnoxious way.
Now I've just gotta work on teleportation to the far reaches of Somerville...totally doable, right?
This is the perfect bar to watch a game or celebrate with friends in Somerville. I've visited a few times since moving to Boston. Â They have a great selection of German, Irish and local brews, as well as an excellent menu of bar food and "comfort" dishes (and lots of great mac n' cheese choices!). Â
Overall, I highly recommend visiting for any occasion. Â In the summer they open up the front and it's a great spot for an afternoon break. Â Always busy, lively and comfortable atmosphere, great selection of drinks and food.
Great beer list, great food, great little spot to catch the Bruins game. My only complaint is the rotation of waiters/waitresses you can receive on any given night. Waitress #1 takes our drink order. Waitress #2 asks if we need drinks; we politely reply we've already been attended to. Waiter #3 comes out with the drinks. They all seem very disorganized and are rushing around. Must suck to share tips between the house staff!
Review Source:I hope the owner reads this site.
The food here is good.. However, I've never experienced crappier service at a restaurant before. This post isn't the product of one poor experience, it's basically a year all rolled into one post.
The bartenders there are rude and not welcoming- you feel like they don't want to be there and you're just being a pain asking for a beer.
The best part is that they basically refuse to do take out. We live locally and went down for a few drinks one night and ordered food to go so we could unwind an enjoy good food at home after a long day. The bartender said it would make the kitchen mad, so she'll bring it out on plates and give us to go boxes to put the food in ourselves. I've never heard of something so ridiculous in the 6 years of waitressing experience I have.
Then we call on a Saturday to put an order in for a pick up to eat at home during the Bruins game. The girl who answers the phone tells me they're not doing take out orders today. Dumbfounded I said, do you normally do takeout? And she says yes but we have a large event going on right now and the kitchen won't be able to handle that.
Oh? I didn't know putting 2 burgers in a to go box instead of putting it on a plate was that difficult?????
We gladly took our business down the street to RF O'Sullvans in Somerville who will do take out. And has better food and service. Magoun's needs a serious Bar Rescue from Jon Taffer...
Thanks for nothing!
Olde Magoun's was for quite some time a go-to spot for me. Great burgers and beer list and the Wednesday special menus are generally entertaining. The corned beef is outstanding. However, after several bad experiences linked almost entirely to one hostess' horrible habit of seating people at this ridiculous pseudo-bar in the middle of the restaurant, I can't bring myself to go back.
Olde Magoun's, please understand this. No one wants to sit and eat dinner at that weird little bar seating space in the middle of the restaurant. When sitting there, you have to stare directly at entire other tables of people. It's like you're at the same table, but YOU'RE NOT. Because you don't know them and you don't want to be forced to make new friends. The bar is not even large enough for plates, drinks, appetizers and And from experience, I can tell you that the hostess will cram in several more people next to you until you're not sure where your elbows end and your new dining companion's begin.
Last night, my boyfriend and I went in for dinner and despite a nearly half-empty restaurant, the hostess tried to seat us in that space. We asked to please sit somewhere else and without missing a beat, standing in front of several empty tables, she insisted there was no available table. This may have meant that our party of two couldn't sit at a table for three or four. So, basically, Magoun's, what you're saying is that other parties of people, who may or may not show up, are more important than customers actively standing IN your restaurant and wanting burgers. Or beers. And fries and salads. Who knows? We could have bought a scandalous amount of food and drinks. But we'll never know, will we?
I was on the hunt for places with a good craft beer list and came across Olde Magoun's. As I was driving over I realized that I have actually never been to that part of Sommerville. It was like finding out the world is round. We walked in and it felt like we were the last people to find out about this place. It was packed on a rainy Wednesday  night!
There was a nice selection of beers to choose from with some beers that I find at most craft beer places along with some new-to-me choices too. The menu was large and I focused on the larger burger menu. I love that you can use grilled chicken or a vegan burger as a replacement for any burger. I ended up with the Dubliner Chicken. Everything was cooked perfectly and came out really quickly.
Our server was super busy, but managed to stay friendly and quick. Perfect!
I'm glad I ventured out of my little neighborhood bubble and I will definitely be stopping by for another pint soon!
I should have reviewed this place a long time ago but it always seemed to slip my mind. Â However with my birthday in a few weeks and this being the place I will be celebrating at I figured it was time. Â I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. Â They have an awesome beer selection, and if you ask the bartenders will let you sample something you have never tried before. Â I have not had a bad thing from the kitchen ever, which is rare for most restaurants because usually someone will have an off night or you just won't like what you order. Â Their nachos are huge and delicious, and their burgers with the homemade Irish bacon are amazing! Â Also I highly recommend the Cajun pasta salad, it is by far the best pasta salad I have ever had! Â I saw a lot of reviews complaining about slow service, but I personally have never experienced that. Â It could be because I am a bar person and will rarely ever sit at a table. Â So to me as far a bars goes this is my all time favorite one, and I can't wait to celebrate my birthday with numerous Car Bombs the same way I celebrated there last year! Â
Cheers!
I came here on Sunday 2/10 after the Nemo blizzard and I thought it was great. Â I had stopped by this place to pick up my bib for the Jingle Bell run in December and made a mental note to stop by for drinks and some food. Â My friend and I figured we would get out of the house after being snowed in and it was a great decision. Â It was packed for a Sunday morning around 11am. Â I ordered the Magoun's house bloody mary which was served in a cute little tiki mug!! Â It was spicy enough to go down smoothly. Â I think I drank the entire drink in about 2 sips. Â
I ordered the white bean huevos rancheros and needless to say it was everything I was expecting and more. Â I wasn't sure how I felt about white beans maybe because I'm used to the traditional blackbeans but they were great and actually tastier. Â The chorizo was cooked to perfection and added bonus. Â The tortillas were also served on the side rather than underneath the eggs which I really liked so I could make my own little burrito concoction!!
The servers were very attentive and always filling my glass of water and asking how we were. Â The place was pretty chill and definitely not stuffy. Â As we were leaving around 12:15'ish a lot of people were coming in. Â They seem to have a great beer selection so I will definitely come back and check those out.
If you live in the neighborhood or just looking for good food, something different and friendly atmosphere definitely check this place out.
What a find!
I came here for their annual chili cook-off because my friend entered in it. I think the contest was a little rigged, but it's an awesome thing that they even offer something free like this for the townies nearby!
Believe what everybody else says about the beer selection. I'm so glad they have a good range of it on tap! and with a good ABV content! Maybe I'm a lightweight, but I had two and I was already gone for the afternoon. Whoops....
My friends, who are regulars, started raving about the buffalo wings. Then hubster and I were like, okay, why don't we just get it, and we can judge for ourselves? Even with the hyped up expectation, we still enjoyed it to the max. They ordered the bone-in and boneless wings. They were salty, crispy, had the right amount of spice (one that zinged! your taste buds for like 30 seconds and then left), and was accompanied by some awesome homemade bleu cheese.
With 4-5 TV screens all around the restaurant/bar, this is definitely a good place to chill out on a Sunday afternoon....
I do love good ol' Magoun's, our go-to local spot. Â You will love it too if you love:
A. Nachos: huge pile of chips with PLENTY of the toppings...not like some places where you get to the bottom of the pile and have nothing left to go on the chips.
B. Sports: tons of screens, but get there early if it's game night.
C. Beer: lots of choices, sangria is yummy too.
D. Food: overall really good, especially for your typical sports bar. Â Avoid the flatbread...looking back, I should have known, but you'll be happier with a different choice.
Service can be slow, but the staff is usually very pleasant. Â They also always have events going on (the New Year's Hangover Brunch definitely hit the spot) and special menus on Wednesday nights. Â Check out their website for details.
How often do we judge a burger before we take that first bite? We assume it's going to taste one way based on expectations or the decor of the restaurant; burgers served in a pub should probably taste one way versus a white tablecloth setting which should yield different results. But is that fair? Or is the Boston restaurant scene that predictable? Rarely do we get a proper aioli when we're anticipating Dijonnaise, or we expect a unique beef blend but instead get treated to a frozen patty. Magoun's Saloon in Somerville is a beautiful blend of a classic pub with a familiar but slightly different burger; sort of the old meets the new but there is a burger for every taste on the menu. It feels like the anti-RFO's, and if you know me that's a very good thing. The extensive burger list boasts the normal (cheddar, bacon, Swiss) toppings and the not-so-normal (pulled pork, kielbasa, mac and cheese, foie gras butter) and unlike their burger rival down the road, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles are all free.
I opted for the Hillbilly, a well proportioned burger topped with pulled pork, coleslaw, American Cheese and a red pepper vinegar sauce on the side. Normally I'm skeptical of burgers loaded with too many toppings, and flavor aside, the pulled pork and coleslaw are accents to the properly sized burger, topped just generously enough to make it work and not taking away from the patty which is often the case. The beef is familiar in that steak-y, beefy burger way that defines a great pub bugrer. It's cooked nicely, the pink interior is especially evident due to the dimly lit dining room and there is a solid amount of juiciness. The bun is cold, but shiny in a Brioche sort of way and buttery, soft the perfect size and fit for the fully loaded burger. The house-made pulled pork has a nice, subtle smokey flavor but that's about all. It's tender but bland, on the one hand I'm glad it doesn't distract from more important things (ie the beef) but I wish there was more to it. Same goes for the coleslaw, which I'm glad isn't a mayonaisse induced mess, but it offers little more than texture on this burger. However, I did discover that by dipping my burger in the side of red pepper vinegar sauce, au jus style, it gives the overall burger package just the right kick in the face, taking it from good to very good, although I would say it benefits the pork and the coleslaw more than the burger, bumping up the flavors of the toppings and sort of losing a little something with the beef portion of the show. But it's a fine line and a very difficult balance to master; overall the burger and bun combination is so wonderful, the rest of it almost doesn't matter. The steak fries are okay, like most fries, they are enjoyable but not thrilling and need a touch of salt.
The burgers at Magoun's are great for what they are: an upgrade over the expected grub at a place like this, which can be as normal or as different as you want it to be. They start at a very reasonable $9.25 (the Hillbilly rings in at $10.95) and there is very good value in a very solid plate of the classic burgers and fries.
I used to live around the corner from this joint but never gave it a second glance until one fateful day...
Scene:over at a friends house down the street helping her paint her apartment.
Friend: all of this painting is making me hungry
me: yeah me too, I'm totally starved
Friend: hey, let's try that Irish pub that's in between both of our apartments. We always pass but never go in!
me: perfect!
And so the love affair began.
*I'm not big on sports and hate being in a bar/restauraunt during the season, when they turn the music down and the play by play up, so I avoid it during those times. Â However, if that's your thang then you will love going then!
GO FOR THE BURGER!! Seriously good. Â Also, I know this sounds strange but the Sangria is really really good!
I have gone here a few times and it seems like the staff is always stressed. Sometimes the wait people are good but most times they always seem like they are about to be fired. It is a shame as most nights this place is packed and seems like everyone should be having a great time. I feel bad giving them a lower review but if it weren't for the good food and great beer I would not ever go in this place I don't think.
Review Source:Good atmosphere. Â Service was hit or miss.
Waiter was stuck-up or annoyed, or something. Â Just not really pleasant.
Great 25-cent wings for Monday Night Football.
The menu said that the wing special doesn't start until after kickoff. Â So 5 minutes into the first quarter, we tried ordering them and the waiter said he still wasn't sure if he could put it in yet. Â So he had to go ask the chef first.
Do the wings start after kickoff or not? Â Seems pretty simple to me.
They brought me the wrong burger. Â Just the meat with cheese on a semi-stale bun. Â No ketchup, no lettuce, no tomato, no pickles. Â Just meat and cheese on bread. Â What gives? Â I asked for lettuce and tomato and never got them.
The nachos were strangely sweet. Â Something weird going on there.
I might be back, but probably not.
We went here for football on Sunday, and it was awesome! Â We got there just before the Patriot's game was starting and only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. Â I probably wouldn't cut it that close next time, though.
They have lots of good craft beers on tap. Â I tried the nachos, and they were excellent. Â Big TVs all around. Â Good service.
But, oh Lord, the pretzel. Â The pret.zel. Â $4.50 gets you a jumbo NY style pretzel, stuffed with cheese and dipping sauce (kind of like a sweet mustardy sauce). Â This thing is the best thing in the world. Â We ordered one, and immediately ordered another. Â Do not go to Magoun's without eating at least one of these!
If I lived around here, I'd be at Magoun's on the reg.
I am a regular at Olde Magoun and I guess it says it all! Theres no better place to go for a casual beer if you are in Somerville. If you disagree, please, write me...sometimes I feel like I am missing other cool places but I just love there. Inside is beautiful...large TVS, everything in wood, nice glasses, etc....
Beer selection is fantastic...I tried other drinks besides the beers and It is not their forte....so stick w the beer or wine ( u can t go wrong w that!)
Food - delicious! The portobella sammy is so yummy , nachos are huge .. i never had a bad food experience there. LATE NITE MENU!!!! THE BEST
Staff is super nice. There is a guy waiter who is fabulous,fast and very friendly.
Anywho, go! I highly recommend!!!
Hands-down, my favorite neighborhood haunt. The burgers are fantastic, the mac & cheese is delicious, their beer list is great (complete with a rotating selection of a non-Magners cider on tap, hoorah!), and they'll put my college football team's game on if I sit at the bar and ask real nice. One time, during Bacon Palooza, my husband and I put away the wild hog rangoon, a giant plate of poutine, and a cheeseburger apiece, and then chef Howie treated us to the bacon praline brownie--I think mostly because he wanted to watch us hurt. And oh, how we hurt. But I still ate every bite of that brownie.
I think this place is the #1 reason I'm dragging my feet about looking for a new apartment.
Minus one star for mediocre fries.
Just please bring back dessert on Wednesdays.
A weird little beer oasis in the indie-culture desert that is the medford/somerville line. I heard that all the bartenders are descendants of straight-off-the-boat Irish folk. I can only assume this means there's mob connections.
I don't typically let my morals get in the way of me frequenting an establishment, and I won't let that happen for OMS. We're good (just as long as you keep the creepy dudes out. I've had one too many encounters.)
Your veggie burgers are great!
Pretty good food but awful bar service. Â Went late the other day and was greeted with an extremely unfriendly "jock" bartender who certainly did not welcome us, party of four, even though there were only 2 other paying customers. Â I know we're not regulars but have been multiple times and are neighbor and are now totally turned off by the whole experience. Â After ordering 1 drink he ignored us the rest of the time we were there and closed out the register without asking if we wanted a last drink. Â And when I say ignored, he purposefully didn't look at us until after he secretly closed out. Â Needless to say, bald jock bartender man may have lost magouns 4 semi regular customers.
Review Source:This place gets crowded as sin at night. I went on a Thursday night, wasn't expecting it to be as packed as it was.
Managed to find a table without much trouble. Think we got lucky.
Amazingly good food here. Really fantastic beer selection. I tried the BLT, just on impulse. Best dang BLT I've ever had. Perfect bacon, awesome, soft bread, strong taste from the veggies. Onion rings are probably the best I've ever had, too.
My friend got the Trailer Park, which I found charming as hell. It's a meatball sandwhich with mac and cheese and BBQ sauce. Somehow, it worked. She loved it.
We could sit and talk and it was really quite great. Definitely going to go back for a second visit.
When I used to live in Ball Sq, this was my favorite place to have a beer, grab some food, watch a game, play trivia, and do pretty much anything else you'd want to do at a neighborhood bar. True story: I once took a girl here to break up with her, hoping that the great beer and nachos would soften the blow. She ended up crying in the bathroom, but I doubt it had anything to do with the bar.
They have an excellent beer selection, and a charming habit of serving the beer you ordered in a glass bearing the beer's name. I even ended up here on Cinco de Mayo one year, and got a pretty solid margarita in a Dos Equis special margarita glass, with a painted rim. Awesome.
The food here is so much better than it has any right to be -- burgers, wings, pulled pork, pizza, kielbasa, and especially the mac-n-cheese and nachos, are all top notch. I don't think I've ever been disappointed with anything I've ordered here.
Service is friendly and good overall, but sometimes a little slow when it's busy. The authentic Irish accents tend to make up for any other shortcomings.
In general the crowd here is pretty good too. A varying mix of regulars, townies, young professionals, and sometimes some older folks or families. Being from Upstate NY, none of my sports allegiances lie with Boston teams, but everyone has generally been respectful even when I'm openly rooting the other way. The bar is usually pretty good about switching one of their many TVs to a game you want as well.
I can't really say anything bad about this place, except that it's kind of a drag to get to, now that I don't live in the neighborhood anymore. Still worth a trip out there though.
Went there on a Friday night to grab a couple drinks and some bar food. The place was full but we found room at the bar.
Great beer selection. Reasonable price. My friend and I shared a burger and some guacamole. The burger was good, the guacamole had goat cheese it in, kinda weird.
Overall, great place to grab a drink with some friends when you don't want a super crowded bar.
I've been here several times. Â LOVE this place!!!
They take the time to do the little things. Â It may seem like not a big deal to some folks but I love that if I order a random beer, they have the glass for it! Â Beer selection is top notch and it rotates. Â (Although, I do feel the beer prices are a tad high.)
Food is great. Â When they first opened, I went there to eat and was so underwhelmed I had to be talked into going back. Â So glad I did! Â Burgers are awesome...the specials on Wed nights are great. Â Their pizza is very good. Â I've also had the mac & cheese...awesome!
Service can be a little slow from time to time but overall it's not bad. Â They're friendly and on top of things. Â I would highly recommend Magoun's!
Haven't been for brunch yet but it's on the To-Do List!
You know how a good rule of thumb with Chinese restaurants is to scope out the patrons and see if any of them are actually, you know, Chinese? Â Apply that rule to Somerville townies and prepare yourself for a totally righteous night of Bostonian pubbing.
The service was a little whack (three different servers and we STILL didn't get a drink order for 20 minutes?), but the beer all comes in its specialized glass, the side salad was mixed greens instead of pure iceberg blandness, and my boyfriend gave his meal the highest praise he can bestow* (*may be paraphrased):
"You know all those times I just want a freaking burger? Â A good burger? Â A thick, juicy, kicky-cheesed, hunka meat atop an egg roll burger? Â THIS IS WHAT I'M EFFING TALKING ABOUT."
Good food, lots of beers, local color? Â Well, if it's good enough for the screeching group of Boston accented ladies, bedecked in shamrock accoutrement over their Bruins jerseys, having a birthday party in the corner, then faahk yeah it's good enough for us.
This place is nearly perfect. They sport a crazy amount of craft drafts. Have a question about how a beer tastes? They'll pour you a sample if you're not a douche. I have been impressed with every bit of food that has entered my facehole from here. My favorites include the Reuben (not for a light eater, its huge) their fresh burgers, and the Cajun pasta salad (seriously its retardedly good). My girlfriend and I have never had bad service here, despite what some reviewers said.
All in all this is a favorite place of ours, and a great place to go try a new beer and have some great food in a cool irish-y atmosphere.
The food here tends to be ok but just watch out as the food is all pretty heavy and some of it is a little experimental. If you stick to the basic fare you will do well.
The staff is half good and half grumpy. There is this chubby bald bartender with a goatee who must hate his job. He specifically avoids eye contact if you need anything like another beer or want to order food. He BLATANTLY avoids anyone needing him. He almost seems to take offense if you try to wave at him to get his attention. Yesterday I went for food and just left when he ignored me for a good 10 minutes. He hovered around the farthest edge of the bar to avoid having to work. Â
Since this makes me very frustrated I think that is my last time at Magoun's Saloon. Just as an FYI... I am a very good tipper so there is no reason that this man would not want to serve me except perhaps that he is L... A... Z... Y...
With the nfl season upon us once again, Old Magouns Saloon is an excellent choice. While you would never know it from the outside, this place is actually quite large. With all the games on TV and a great selection of bar food, you cant beat this place for football. I have had many items on their menu. Most are great. All of them are large portions. I like:
Cheese filled pretzel
Turkey and cheese press
Curry fries
Wings are good (skip the really hot ones. THey are hot, but they are dry b.c. too many weaklings ordered them and could not eat them bc they were too hot.) Therefore, they do not toss them and put the sauce on the side. This makes them somewhat dry.
Salads are nice
Jamaican meat patty
and much much more. I am a fan. They have many different specials on different nights as well. They have a wide variety of beer specials and the staff is friendly. Check it out if you are in the area.
Magoun is certainly not the closest place when my wife and I feel like walking someplace for dinner (we live in Davis Square, it's slightly over a mile away). Â There are probably several dozen fine restaurants closer. Â But Magoun is always our first choice. Â Hard to say what specifically makes it our favorite place, but having been there many, many times, I think it hits the perfect mix (for us) of:
Food quality and price - You can certainly find a cheaper dinner. Â You can probably find better (or at least, more 'upscale') food. Â But Magoun nails a sweet spot for *really good* food that doesn't cost a whole week's paycheck. Â They have some unique dishes all their own, and many pub standbys. Â Never had a bad meal here (though I'll admit a bias towards the kielbasa mac & cheese and the fondue burger). Â If you want to change things up a bit, they usually have some sort of theme nights on Wednesdays (tapas, Oktoberfest, etc).
Beer selection - Always changing, always good, reasonably priced for the area. Â Can't ask for much more there.
Service - I do see a few reviews where the reviewers had bad service. Â I will say we've had one or two nights where the service has been poor, and if it'd been on our first visit, we would've been put off too. Â However, we've now been here enough times to feel that these times were very much the exception, not the rule. Â Overall, we love the service here.
Atmosphere - I hate overly-stuffy restaurants, where I feel like they're condescending to serve me. Â On the other end, I'm not too wild about 'aggressively casual' places that try too hard to be fun and spontaneous. Â Magoun again hits a pretty solid bullseye for our tastes - nice pub atmosphere, not too loud most nights, good lighting, friendly, good place for conversation, watching the game, or just enjoying a few drinks at the bar. Â Classy, but casual.
All in all, I think it gets five stars because a nice pub with good food and a friendly waitstaff is just what we want after a long day at work; Magoun fills that niche perfectly.