Last week myself and 8 friends came here after our Softball game looking to grab a couple beers as our season had ended. Â We sat outside and ordered 6 pitchers of Coors Light and then started talking about our game and general banter. Â About 10 minutes later the waiter came back and we ordered some food. Â After talking some more for about 10 more minutes, we noticed that our beer still had not come out. Â When our waiter finally returned we asked him where our beer was and he said the keg was kicked the they were changing it. Â I told him we would take another type of beer instead but he responded "don't worry about it" and walked back inside. Â After being there for about 35 minutes with no beer (or water) our food came out. Â The first half of my burger was very good, but once i ran out of pickles i used to chase my food, being that i had no liquid to wash it down, I could not eat anymore; this was not being i was full, but because my mouth/throat was so dry. Â The other half of my meal sat there and eventually got too cold to eat. Â After the waiter brought our food out, we asked about the beer, starting to get disgruntled. Â He said there was an issue with the line and it was only pouring foam. Â We told him we'd take another type of pitcher, or bottles, or any form of beer that was not foam. Â He shrugged us off again, apologized, and walked in side. Â
At this point we decided to get the manager. Â We had been waiting for about 40 minutes and had not gotten a drop of liquid. Â After a few guys went in to talk to the manager, the waiter comes out with hot, not warm, hot, glasses (must have come right out of the washer). Â He had in tow two pitchers of the flattest, most disgusting beer i've ever had (and we used to drink keg beer that'd been sitting in our college basement for weeks on end). Â After 45-50 minutes we decided we no longer wanted to stay there, get the run around, and give this restaurant our hard earned money. Â The manager eventually came out and was nothing short of hostile towards our entire group. Â He informed me his name was Rich (after me asking) and pretty much started yelling at us. Â Instead of caring about his customers he immediately had a scowl on his face and tried to prove that we were in fact wrong about the whole situation. Â I asked for the check, informing him we were fed up, and he still stood there arguing. Â He informed us there was no way we had been waiting for 45 minutes for beer, since the time on the food order was only 35 minutes ago. Â I told him we ordered the beer 10 minutes before we ordered food, and he still continued to press on. Â At that point i cut him off. Â "Stop, stop. Â Stop talking. Â This is not the time to talk. Â The time for you to talk was 30 minutes ago. Â You are not right. Â This isn't even a situation where the customer is always right. Â You are wrong. Â We know how long we have been here. Â Now please get our check, so we can leave." Â Were my exact words. Â He stormed off and came back with the check. Â We got about 15 dollars off of food. Â He said he would have given us 120 dollars of free pitchers. Â But that time had come and gone. Â we had now been there for an hour and fifteen minutes. Â We are all working young adults, and do not want to be up until all hours of the night on a work day. Â On our way out another group sitting outside asked us what had happened. Â Giving a quick summary they informed us they had been waiting for a long time as well, got up, and followed out us. Â
This was the single worst restaurant experience of my life. Â The lack of service mixed with the non-actions of one of the worst managers I've ever encountered made me feel like Tavern in the Square could care less about their customers. Â I left feeling swindled. Â Not only did we practically sit for an hour with no service, but when the one person who is suppose to ease the customers pain and frustration only comes in to make it much worse...it leaves me at a loss of words. Â Even typing this infuriates me. Â What should have been a fun night with my friends reflecting on our season turned into a nightmare that left every one of us angered and shocked that service and management could be that bad. Â That customers could be cared for that less. Â There were so many opportunities for the situations to be very easily fixed. Â But when a manager doesn't care about his customers and has to be right no matter what, well i hope he felt like he won the night, because he left swarms of angry customers.
Short version:
+ 10 guys ordered 6 pitchers and waited over 40 minutes, were served warm flat beer, decided to leave after an hour of not being served any drinkable beer.
+ The manager made a number of poorly calculated decisions including
- Not offering us a different type of beer that we could have quickly
- thinking we cared about getting 6 pitchers all at once rather than giving us something to drink at all
- thinking it appropriate to argue with us about how long he thinks we have actually been waiting and why we shouldn't be upset.
Last night my softball team went to the Tavern in Central Square. We arrived at 9 and were seated outside. The first chance we got we ordered 6 Coors Light pitchers; this was before 9:10. Then we ordered food. after 20 minutes we have no beer. Then our food comes (not all together, mind you, relatively spread out), we still have no beer. "We are changing the keg, it's all foam right now," are standard excuses. Fine. I asked "can we just get something different? I'm not married to Coors Light." My question was brushed off. We begin to eat, but we still don't have anything to drink. Its now about 40 minutes since we ordered. We go inside to complain and ask for a manager. Â I walk back outside and the waiter has delivered 2 of our 6 ordered pitchers. These are full of what is obviously reconstituted keg foam - it's completely flat and not at all cold. They obviously spent 10 minutes filling the pitcher with foam and waiting for it to go down rather than just giving us something different. I take my beer inside and talk to the manager again. I explain that the beer is flat and gross, and that we need to get this situation resolved in the next 5 minutes. I go outside, 5 minutes pass (to be honest, I didn't have a stop watch, but we are all constantly looking at our watches because we cant believe it). I got back inside to tell the manager we are finished here. He has a couple pitchers sitting on the bar he says hes ready to bring out. Unless he's got 6 hands I can't see and was going to bring them all at one time, I think he should have brought them as they became available. I tell him I intend to pay for very little of this meal. It is now 10 pm. I don't care how many free pitchers you want to give me now. It's 10 on a Tuesday. I don't want 10 pitchers at 10, I want 6 pitchers at 9:15. Upon delivering the check, the manager though it would be appropriate to say "Now i just want to make it a point that it wasn't 45 minutes..." I stopped him right there. This is no longer an argument that I am willing to have. I am well aware of what time we got there and what time it is. We pay for our half eaten nachos and burgers that we never even got water to wash down.
All in all, nightmare scenario. The manager failed in every aspect of his job - recognizing problems and correcting them quickly, soothing customer dissent, knowing what was a reasonable loss to accept. Really, what hurts you worse, 10 guy who go home and go postal on your yelp and facebook pages, or giving us pitchers of Sam for the price of Coors and calling it a day. Assuming you pay what I pay for a Sam Adams keg (and I'm sure you pay less) each 16 oz beer costs $1.48. So that Sam pitcher cost you 5.93. So if we are paying 10 for a pitcher of Coors and get Sam, you are still at least covering your cost, and at least breaking even considering labor. The manager failed to understand this, ran around in circles doing nothing, probably ended up pouring out the 6 pitchers that were sitting on the bar when we said we are done waiting, decided it was appropriate to argue with us about our complaint, and now you've got a bunch of 25 year old guys that hate your bar and will tell everyone they know.
Worst dining experience. Â My boyfriend and I arrived for dinner around 9 pm and the restaurant wasn't busy. I ordered a diet coke and he asked what other fountain sodas they had. Tom, our super rude waiter, said root beer among other choices, and my boyfriend asked for root beer. We then ordered nachos. After ten minutes, our nachos cames, but we were still waiting on drinks. Tom finally came with the root beer only, in a bottle, for 3.50 a bottle. Â Finally we got two fountain drinks like we asked for. We drank them within five minutes and Tom regularly walked by and saw empty glasses and never brought refills. Finally our meals came and I had to ask for refills which were returned with a dirty look. Food was served room temperature. I ordered chicken and waffles. The mashed potatoes that came with them weren't hot enough to melt butter, nor was the affle. My boyfriend got a pilgrim sandwich, also room temperature, and with a hair in it. Several times I wanted to ask for a refill and more butter and syrup, but was rudely ignored by our server until my boyfriend let for the bathroom. Then, he became attentive. Needless to say, we both left and ended up puking and shitting our brains out this evening,
Review Source:I can't comment on the drinks since I didn't have any when I came here. This is just for the service alone. The waitress came by just once to check on us and then disappeared or decided that our table in the corner didn't exist for the rest of our meal.
We were looking around for her when we needed our check and we were craning our necks to the point that other patrons had to stare at us like we were crazy. Then we tried waving. In the end, it took about 10-15 minutes for her to finally realize that we were still here. It would have been excusable if she were serving in a different section of the place. But no, she was in the bar area where we were so I can't think of why she didn't see us. It wasn't even busy.
No apologies offered when she came by. We left the place telling each other we won't be back.
Absolutely awful service. Average food, average drink-no surprise-but when it came time for the check, we asked our waitress who was serving the outdoor patio on Saturday, it took 20+ minutes at which point I had to stand up and walk into the restaurant and ask her for the check. When I walked back, check in hand, the peoe next to us commented that last night a server had gone home with one of their credit cards, and no one was helping them get it back. The waitress said that happens a lot. Do NOT come here! ... Oh and we mused our bus thanks to our slow waitress. Ugh.
Review Source:I've been to the Tavern on the Square a number of times - I LOVE their patio in the summer. The food is always fairly solid - I tend to go there for unhealthy salads for some reason and they're usually decent. Also, they have cute servers.
So I will continue coming back - not to be blown away, but to have a decent meal sitting outside. Or for a game maybe.
Fun place with only fair food. I was in with a friend on a Tuesday night, the bar was pretty full and they had the big windows open which was nice. Beer samplers were fun and only $8. We shared lettuce wraps as an appitizer and those were pretty good but my flatbread pizza was mushy and lacked flavor. Trivia started later that night and it was LOUD. It took our waitress three tries to get our bill correct but she was friendly throughout the night. I'm sure there are way better places to eat in Salem for others who may just be here for one night...
Review Source:This is a pretty decent place, but the company that owns this restaurant owns many others in the area and seemingly cannot be bothered to make the menus differ between locations. Because their places have other names than just the "Tavern" branding, you can walk into a newer-looking bar anywhere within ten miles of here only to find out that it's just another of the same. It's not a bad chain, so really it could be worse, but it would be nice if the owners made an effort to unify their branding so patrons would know that they are going to a place they know and enjoy as opposed to attempting to try something new only to open the menu, see the same fried pickles and risotto fritters (which admittedly are quite good) and realize "Oh crap, it's just another Tavern in the Anywhere."
Review Source:This place is okay. Not good, no bad, just okay.
Which is good, in Central Square, which has plenty of good and bad, sometimes in the same place, with zero relationship to price. Â If you can't come to a consensus on where to go you can go here and no one will suffer too badly.
Two decent pours of decent pino grigio; three decent sized tacos; a pleasant and filling hot artichoke dip for around $40.
Not a destination, but a solid fall-back.
(the check boxes reminded me: way too many tvs all over the place, but that's pretty common in a lot of places)
Tavern got a gluten-free menu now!! It is really nice when chains jump on-board. They have gluten-free nachos and other bar-snacks. Things tasted really great and the servers were really accommodating and double-checked additions.
The outdoor seating (and open window-walls on warm days) is really nice. Service is always great, and often it is large enough to accomodate groups.
This isn't the first time I've had lunch at the Tavern, but for the price they charge could they spare the food. I ordered the Soup & A Half. Well where was the half, Â two bites and it was gone. The sandwich was 2x2. You call they a half. Â Don't waste your time going. There are so many other good restaurants in cambridge where you can actually see the sandwich.
Review Source:Considering their brunch buffet is all-you-can-eat for SIXTEEN DOLLARS, this place is seriously underrated. Â
I have paid more for less at everywhere from IHOP (the gold standard for affordable breakfast goodness) to your garden variety 4 star hotel brunch buffet.
While the execution isn't amazing, the selection is wide, varied, creative and SIXTEEN DOLLARS.  Yes, they have the usual breakfast fare- home fries, scrambled eggs, and pancakes.  But they also have awesome creative stuff like jalapeño cheddar hash browns; basil cheesy vegetarian scramble; orange coconut French toast (though a bit overdone for my taste); and Eggs Benedict.  Not to mention a ton of warm entrees (pasta, stir fry, cod) and desserts (ice cream, petit fours, whoopie pies, cakes).  My favorite items were the scramble, the jalapeño hash browns, and the whoopie pie!
Bottom line, for the price (SIXTEEN DOLLARS), this place is a steal and pretty decent, especially for vegetarians. Â They handled a large group of 20 adults + a baby well and were gracious and polite. I would definitely go back.
Enough time had gone by since my last visit to Tavern in the Square for me to forget how forgettable it was. Last Friday, I met some friends for dinner, and ordered the California burger, medium rare. My fella had the cowboy burger, medium. Mine sounded great on paper - bacon, avocado and a heap of meat. I was hungry and hadn't treated myself to a burger in a while, so I was looking forward to it. What I got was super bland, which is mind-boggling because bacon!! Surprisingly, my burger was true medium rare, but so was my fella's. In the rush to get our food out at the same time, they undercooked his. My sweet potato fries were good, so I filled up on those. My burger was such a disappointment, I declined taking it home with me.
Later that night I felt really gross and went home early, vowing to remember this time, that going to Tavern in the Square very rarely ends well.
I've been to Tavern in the Square two (Three? Three.) times now for lunch and dinner and I can't clearly recall what I had to eat on any of those occasions. Steak tips? Steak tips sounds right. For me, not being able to remember what I had to eat at a restaurant is not a good sign. It does mean that the food wasn't so bad that it was memorable, but it also means that the food wasn't anything special. The one menu item I do remember trying is the deep-fried pickles, but unfortunately what I remember was being unhappy with them. They use pickle spears instead of chips, the proportions are all off. I love pickles, but with spears there just isn't enough breading. The breading kept falling off, leaving me with just warm pickles, and I can get warm pickles at Stop and Shop. I was happy enough with my meals there, but would never press to go back.
Review Source:I was so excited when I first saw their menu. It was love at first sight. Big dig fries?? Truffle tater tots? Truffle mac & cheese? You've got me. But I've been here several times now, and the food is always below par. Â It seems like everything's frozen and sloppily thrown together. Â It can also be REALLY loud. Â I understand that it's a bar too, but if you're going to serve dinner, you should at least be able to hear each other, and that's tough here. Â Even the truffle tater tots can't save this place.
Review Source:celebrated my 46th birthday at the function room at this place on 12/30/12 with a group of 50! I and my guests felt that it was the best of the best!
from service, food, attention to details on how i wanted things to be set and all!
thanks to Nicole the extraordinaire event planer from there, the manager Mode who was on duty that night, the two beautiful young ladies Erin and Kate who were my waitresses! I will continue to celebrate there yearly till my big 50!
Ugh... I hate to do this to the Tavern... it has served me well over the years, but it is time I accept what's been staring me in the face for so long... This place is mediocre.
It's like that needy friend we all have. They are there when you need them, but then they start hitting you with all their problems and you just want to run away or rip your ears off... Such is the Tavern...
They're convenient. A quick walk away. Big menu. All you can eat buffet on Sundays... Good you say? Eh... at first glance.
You think it won't be bad this time. "I bet it was that waitress we had that time". "Maybe they had an off day"... And then boom! They hit you with "so so" food, poor inattentive service and "ugh" drinks.
The place is relatively big for Central. Which makes it even more convenient in an otherwise packed restaurant area, but if you can wait 20-30mins more to get a table somewhere else, I would recommend it.
It's not all bad within the Tavern. It's decent for watching a game with a good group of friends. Keep the beer and Nachos (if you can eat them) coming. Sit back and have a good time.
But if it is quality food/service you want, keep walking.
Trust me, you'd be better off not having to face your "needy" friend's problems...
Oy Vey. I just had the worst lunch experience ever.
TITS has 1/2 priced burgers on Tuesdays. I thought I would mosey over and grab a bite. I sat myself at the bar, ordered my burger. And then I waited. And I waited some more. Then I passed out and died from starvation.
Not really, but seriously. 45 mins for a mid-rare burger? Finally the bartender shows up with my burger. Except it wasn't a burger. It was a hockey puck. A hard lump of undigestable roadkill.
So why three stars? The manager dealt with the problem super quickly, got me a salad and a $10 gift card.
Plus, there's something about TITS.
I've been here several times to root on my college football team with other fellow alumni (GO CARD!). In terms of food and drink, Tavern In the Square is pretty unremarkable. Their beer selection is pretty standard, and their food selection is pretty much what you'd see from any full service pub, though with slightly higher prices. That being said, they are very accommodating to groups of patrons who want to catch a game together. The waitresses were very polite, professional, and bring out drinks efficiently, even when my large group was bumbling through the menu in incoherent fashion. In terms of food, I highly recommend the nachos, which are enormous and could probably feed two people on its own.
Review Source:I like Tavern In the Square. The food is mostly average, but it's a good place to go with a group since the menu is so diverse. I was super bummed to see that my go-to BLT (which was always freaking delicious, btw) seems to have disappeared from the menu since my last visit. The sesame encrusted tuna salad I got instead was pretty good -- all of the veggies were fresh and the wasabi peas were a nice touch. The sesame-ginger dressing that came with it was awesome; I'm definitely going to have to try recreating it at home. Overall though, I wasn't blown away by it. I think next time I'll stick with the burger/sandwich/fries side of life. Salads really aren't the thing to get here.
The service, on the other hand, was excellent. When we mentioned to our server that we had an event to head to after dinner, she made sure that everything came to us quickly. She happily answered all of our questions about the food, even going so far as to ask the kitchen what cheese was on the fire roasted vegetable flatbread (it was mozzarella and very tasty). Anyways, I'm sure I'll be back to Tavern In the Square, if only because it's such a convenient spot. I'm also sure I'll forget the veggies and go for something deep fried or dipped in chocolate. ...Or both. Both would be ideal.
Came in on a saturday evening to a college football crowd with my two friends. We were seated and waited 25 minutes with no service before we got up and went down the street to the field. It was so loud in there it was even hard to coordinate our decision to leave. Also the prices are a bit high.
I've been there other times and the service was better and the food standard. Great TVs.
Tavern Central is still the Best (only) Minnesota Vikings Bar in Boston.
Their function room large enough to accommodate our Proud, Purple-wearing Viking fans every week. With no room fees, this is the best bar around to host any kind of event or game watch party.
Other highlights include the breakfast buffet - which just happens to coincide with Sunday football. Its FILLING to say the least - nobody leaves hungry. Another personal favorite are the tator-tots! I also appreciate their beer selection, they have all your local favorites, including some Western-Mass craft beers. I wish they had some of my Minnesota favorites, but those are hard to find this far east.
I'm looking forward to another fun football season watching the Vikings at the Tavern!
Disgusting burger. Â So overseasoned it tasted like bad meatloaf. Â 13.99, might as well buy a mcdonalds burger and pay the rest to one of the hobo's outside to punch you in the stomach. Â We could be starting a cottage industry here people. Â I think the worst part was when I told the manager about it I got the eye roll and the "nobody ever complained about that before" instead of sorry sir we will work on it. Â Usually if folks have a bad experience they just leave, never go back and tell their friends not to go. Â Mr manager: Â you should hang up your name tag and try another profession if you cannot handle it.
Review Source:Granted, I didn't expect much based on a three-star average of 354 reviews, but I didn't expect THIS. We walked in and after about a 60 second wait were seated. Good. TVs everywhere showing the Olympics and other stuff. Good. Service comparable to the speed of a turtle. Excellent.
We waited 10 minutes for a waiter to come by, then waited another 5 for our drinks to come, and then the waiter took another 10-15 minutes and finally, at long last, took our orders. The food probably took another 15-20 minutes to come. And it's not that the place was jam-packed, the service was just generally slow.
I had the fish and chips, and being a bar/pub style place my expectations were that it was going to be at least decent. Well, whaddaya know? I was wrong. By a lot. And that made me sad.
The menu claims that the fish and chips are "beer battered" and cooked until "golden brown". They're right, but if you like soft, almost soggy batter, then order the fish and chips.
Also, the fish had a strange spice/kick to it that tasted like it belonged somewhere else. It definitely did not taste like fried, crunchy fish: instead soft, with that spice almost making it feel like it was roasted or cooked in some other crappy way that doesn't taste good.
But the fries. Man, the fries are top-notch. Unlike the fish, they were crunchy and had a lot of flavor. And the most important part is that they tasted like french fries.
Overall, a disappointment. But there is potential here. I see flashes or brilliance at Tavern, and I hope to come back and see a marked improvement.
Service was kind of slow - We had to wait a really long time just to get the check. Outside seating is meant for wicked skinny people - not pregnant people - honestly, space those tables out! Food is ok - decent chicken & waffles though. Prices ok too.
Not bad if you're looking for your run of the mill tavern/etc. fare.
I've been to Tavern in Central a lot. Â I think that I've had mixed experiences over time, i think 3 stars is both appropriate and what it's worth. Â I have to say that it is a chain bar/sports bar, what do you really expect?
First, I really appreciate the seasonal beer selection, it is good. Â However, charging $7 for a 22 oz draft and $21 for a 60 oz pitcher just doesn't make sense.
Second, I agree with most reviews that the brunch is not worth the price nor the visit, we came using a Groupon and thought the cost was ridiculous.
Third, we actually planned to have a birthday party at Tavern in Central. Â We were told that we could use the overflow room and that it would be reserved for us and our 40 some odd guests. Â However, on the night of we were informed that not only would we have to tally a single bill in excess of $700 but that they would be seating other guests of tavern in the room. Â It would have been great to know this in advance, so we could have chosen a different location.
Finally, after many years of stopping by to grab random drink or two, I was in this bar on a Saturday night with fewer than 75 people and found it amazingly hard to order a drink. Â Like over 20 minutes hard to order a drink, I gave up and almost left, we stuck around only because we were meeting other people.
I want to finish by saying that not only have I been here many times, it also holds a lot of sentimental value since it is the place that I was introduced to the love of my life,  That said I wish we had met somewhere else.  I only added that portion  to echo my desire to give a better review.
Tavern is always solid for a meal, and think "classy sports bar" for vibe. Wide variety of food to choose from, all of which is good-- I've never had something that I didn't like. Brunch is solid, and there's a spot in the back with a skylight that's a great place to get together with a big group of friends.
Here's the thing. Every neighborhood needs a place like Tavern-- a loud bar that's actually more of a restaurant that serves huge portions of classic American food. That doesn't mean that it's great. If you're in the mood for American food with a group of friends, though, this is your place to go in Central Square for a good meal and catching the game.
... And get the waffle fries while you're there.
Great place to watch a game with friends. Okay food and good beer selection.
This particular Tavern, located in Central Square, is a great place to meet up with friends for a bite and watch whatever game happens to be on TV. Their beer selection is better than average, with a modest selection of craft beers on tap and in bottles plus most of the common macrobrews. Their mixed drinks are somewhat variable in quality, but the food is at least consistently average. The emphasis on the food is on quantity more than quality these days. Some of the menu items that used to be outstanding such as their seared tuna salad have faded in quality over the past few months.
All that being said, the food quality and quality is unlikely to be bad, but it may underwhelm you if looking for something tasty and memorable. This location of the Tavern seeks not to impress you but is merely content to be "ok". It's brethren, especially the location in Allston and to a somewhat lesser degree the Porter Square location, have similar menus but somehow manage to deliver much higher quality results with the same ingredients. The beer selection at the Allston location also tends to have a better craft beer selection, perhaps due to having to compete with the likes of Deep Ellum and what now passes as the Common Ground. They could stand to add a few Belgian beers on tap, as well as some higher caliber IPAs such as the likes of Stone IPA, Ithaca Flower Power, and Green Flash, or at least add some session beers such as Notch.
The salads are a good option, but their poorly conceived flatbread options are best avoided. One surprisingly good menu item are their tater tots, and their taquitos can be great depending on who is cooking (they are often undercooked and soggy). Their burgers are reliably good as well as most sandwiches, but their mahi mahi tacos tend to look better than they taste.
All in all, not a bad place to get together and create your own memories with friends, because you certainly won't remember the food. This place would get 4 stars if they started paying a bit more attention to their food preparation quality. Regarding their Sunday brunch buffet, they do manage to offer a good selection of quality items.
Where to go when you a need loud, chaotic atmosphere, beer, and a place to celebrate the life of an old friend due to his untimely passing? The Tavern in the Square.
He would have loved it.
Right in the heart of Central Square, with a small amount of outdoor seating, The Tavern in the Square is filled with revelers of all types making lots of noise. As my old friend adored high energy, drama and meeting new people, especially minimally clad young women, he would have been the last to leave. And I doubt he would have left alone, either.
There are many large TVs, so when the game is on, you can watch and listen, joining in the with the cheering and booing that takes place whenever anything interesting happens. My old friend preferred blues and jazz music, but he would be able to get a dose of that here, too. Every kind of auditory stimulation seems to be taking place at The Tavern in the Square. The place is huge and the noise carries. Not a place for romance, this is more of a place to party.
My old friend was a life long drinker, starting in junior high, so we started the evening by raising a glass of Rogue Dead Guy Ale (which he would have loved knowing) and then the Cisco Whale's Tale Pale Ale. As he spent summers on Nantucket, he would have approved of this choice as well. There are some nice beers.
Food is starchy, caloric and standard pub food. Heavy on chicken and cheese dishes, you'll find nachos, wings, quesadillas, pizza, burgers, soups, sandwiches, pasta, mac and cheese, chicken pot pie, steak tips, turkey and more. Load it on. There are also plenty of sides, salads and a few entrees that are veggie friendly. I can't say as I'd gravitate here for food, but I did eat all of my pickles, Thai lettuce wraps and rather expensive, rather dry veggie burger.
Service was very pleasant. As my old friend was such a fun loving guy, maybe the servers could tell that by osmosis. They kept us happy and well fed as we told old stories together and began to add to the noise level.
Easy to find and brimming with energy, The Tavern in the Square really was the perfect, vibrant place to gather with a bunch of people who had not seen one another in a while and raise a glass to an old party loving friend. He would have been right at home.
I've been to three TITS locations (Allston, Porter, & Central) and they're ok for a sports bar, but nothing special. Â The TVs are pretty small and the speakers are often so loud that you literally have to yell to be heard across the table.
The biggest complaint I have though is that a lot of their menu is prepared in advance so if you're the type of person who asks for modifications with your meal you may not enjoy the menu here. Â I ordered a sandwich and asked to have it with no mayo and they told me they could not do it because all of the sandwiches were pre-made and they had none of the sandwich ingredients leftover to make one special just for me. Â Just kind of a bummer.
On a positive note, the waitstaff has always been really nice and attentive and I do have fun here when I go with friends to watch a game.
Three stars is fair, my giving it two stars reflects that I am too old for the place at thirty-five (you will be old one day too, reader!).
The food is edible, the prices are alright, they were very nice and the beer selection is OK. Â I would be a regular here were I living somewhere with a poor selection of bars - but instead I am Cambridge.
Large bar, suitable for groups and aimed at the early-20's. Â Gently loud, bar food standard bar food and passable beer selection. Â Very good if you wish to be drunk, which is a very good reason to be at a bar.
Lots of young girls coo-ing at a British accent, I liked that.
My roommates and I live down the street from Tavern so we're here all the time. The staff is always friendly.
I don't drink but ended up at Tavern on St. Patrick's day and it was PACKED. So while I'm sure this girl at the bar ordering shirley temples instead of green beer, was *great* for business, they didn't show me any rudeness over it. In fact, the waitress saw my empty glass and refilled it without me asking. It was very sweet of her.
We ordered the Big Dig fries, basically nachos with waffle fries instead of chips. It is delicious.
If you go to watch the game, they usually have a few showings at once but you can usually see one or more of the televisions at once.
It's a pretty great atmosphere, I see a lot of the same people, so while it's not exactly Cheers, but it's pretty damn close.
I have been to Tavern in the Square only a few times. Why does it deserver four stars? Two reasons: VERY friendly staff and fried pickles. The food is pretty average (although the mac and cheese wasn't disappointing and if you're in a comfort food mood, it's a good place to start here) but the staff is so friendly and attentive that it completely enhances the experience. Unlike alot of bar/restaurants around, they know when to back off and when to ask how everything is. Maybe it was just my four experiences there, but there seems to be a quality group of people at the front of the house.
Plus, like I said, fried pickles. They aren't on a lot of menus in Boston, so if you are seeking them out and are looking for a place that doesn't destroy them, try Tavern in the Square.
I love this place for lunch. Â
I'm allergic to gluten, so the first thing I ask is if they can accommodate me. Â Not only can they do so with aplomb (they have a gluten-free version of their menu and are VERY informed on the subject), but they are one of the few places in the city that regularly carry gluten-free beer. Â (Not that I often drink beer at lunch, but it's nice to know it's there if I want it.)
I love the burgers (no bun, obviously) and their fries are top-notch, no matter which ones you try (yes, the oil is comingled, so if you're celiac, don't get excited). Â
And if you are there for lunch, be sure to sit at the bar and ask for David. Â He's awesome. Â He'll keep you company and entertained as well as feeling personally cared for (he asks for your name when you sit down and then calls you by name as he serves you - nice touch!)
The only downside to this place is when it gets busy. Â It is EXTREMELY noisy when it's busy. Â During the downtimes however, it's quite charming and inviting.
Tavern in the Square (or for people who think they are funnier than they are, TITS) is the textbook definition of a 3 star joint on Yelp.
It's a very large restaurant, especially for Cambridge. It has two bars, one on either side of the entrance when you walk in - pretty sure only 1 side will be open during lunch hours but it doesn't get too busy so you can always find a seat. During the warm weather, there is outdoor seating and Tavern has large windows which open up so you can still get fresh air while seated inside.
It's mostly a lunch choice for me on my days off but I have been there at night and I would not want to pick it as my dinner spot. It gets very noisy and the area in the back looks like it can get really cramped if they are at capacity. The tables look like they are on top of each other in some spots.
I'd definitely stick to appetizers, salads, and burgers here. I haven't gotten any dinner entrees because I've heard nothing great about them.
The drinks are on the slightly more expensive side of Boston prices - about $7-10 for mixed drinks, but they do have a good selection of higher end bottled beers to go with some pretty good selections on tap.
No Wi-Fi keeps it at 3 stars, too.
Cliff's Notes: Good burgers and sandwiches, two bars, semi-expensive drinks, and high noise level at night - definitely more lunch than dinner if you're looking to sit down for a meal and not just hang out, chat, and drink.
To echo the sentiments of some of the other reviewers, the word 'meh' comes to mind everytime I think of the Central Square Tavern in the Square.
The beer menu is acceptable, the food choices are acceptable, and the wait staff is pretty terrible. All in all, this location garners the rating of 'Meh. I have experienced better.' This place could be any bar in any city in any country because there is absolutely nothing unique about it. I wish in the category of ambiance they had 'boring' because I would for sure select that box.
The place is big, so it's good for groups. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT, come here with a large group if they are not expecting you. Even if it is a Wednesday night and they aren't very busy- the wait staff will get overwhelmed and irritated. (I am speaking from personal experience)
I might go back, I might not because heck, the world is my oyster.
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