Probably a 4.5.
We were given a gift certificate for her and randomly went on a weekend around 1... we were pleasantly surprised by the brunch menu and flavors, as well as the nice decor and feel of the restaurant.
Pleasant staff and yummy food/drinks.
Not an amazing location but a nice restaurant.
We will return to try dinner.
We came across this place randomly and kept going back at least once a month.
How shall I start? I can start telling you about the beer selection, tap and bottled, or their good wine selection but that only goes so far.
I will continue and mention their superb new American (fusion-ish) dishes. While the price is not cheap, it is worth what you get for your money. Everything is fresh, often grown locally and cooked to perfection. I believe if you went to a "fancier" restaurant you will end up paying double and getting half the value.
If you can't make up your mind about the menu, the market fish (daily) is good and I also like the sliders.
They have seasonal dishes and specials (loved the duck+rabbit one, hope it comes back again). The service is excellent and very friendly.
I loved it so much that I proposed to my (now) wife there and we also came back for our anniversary.
I highly recommend it! Make a reservation for dinner (goes double for weekends)
And if anyone from Temple Bar is reading this -
Please bring back the shortrib dish! I miss it terribly...
Wish there were a 3.5 star option. This place had solid food with some great flavors. Have had some delicious dishes here but also a few duds along the way. Definitely worth visiting if you're in the Cambridge area. Somewhat on the pricey end but by comparison to a tavern type location it's worth the minor upsell for a rather inventive menu.
Review Source:As good as ever. Girlfriend had the burger. Cooked med rare as always. I had the pork special - maple brined pork loin and deep fried pork belly with asparagus and fingerling potatoes fried in dukfat.
The tuna and salmon "poke" was entertaining but not spectacular.
Drinks as good as ever.
I've walked past Temple Bar 1,000x, but the only thing to get me in the door was a Backlash beer social to which fellow yelper Juliana C toted me. Â I'll admit, my expectations weren't high - I don't do "swank" super well, and Temple Bar seemed like it would reek a class level that I just don't possess. Â I don't like going to restaurants and feeling like a poser. Â
To my surprise, the whole experience was full of win. Â Not only were the Backlash beers outstanding, but our white truffle flatbread pizza, our crispy duck wings, and the parmesan fries were deliiiiicious without breaking the bank. Â The servers didn't slight us on passed apps just cuz we already had food - they still brought around flank steak and ceviche while we were noshing our non-comped grub. Â The servers were friendly and personable while still being deft in execution, and we had our own nook in the corner to mingle and sip.
I can't speak to what a full-on dinner experience might be like here, but I'll say that on a Tuesday night, Temple Bar provides great service, great food, and great atmosphere. Â Their lamps are sick and their draught list is fresh.
I'm sorry I judged you, Temple Bar, but I promise I'll be back. Â You were a most pleasant surprise.
Temple Bar is one of those places you keep going back to because you want it to be better. Â The ambiance is great - it has a modern but warm feel that is quite welcoming on a cold night. Â The drink menu is well done. Â However, with a few exceptions (the duck wings), the food isn't inspired. Â The steak entree is tough and rubbery. Â The salmon filet is underseasoned. Â Given how good the drinks and appetizers are, I am always surprised that the entrees consistently disappoint. Â Recommend Temple Bar for a quick drink after work for the ambiance, but if you're looking for a tasty dinner, there are plenty of better options.
Review Source:We walk in and the first thing they say to us is you will need to leave your table by 7pm. Mind you its 5:15 and the whole restaurant is empty. I can't believe this chick said this to me. Also if you need to use my table at 7, wouldn't you tell the waiter so that he could have some pep in his step. Why would you say that to the paying customer?
So we get seated in an awkward round booth and our waiter did not want to be there at all. I was seriously convinced that he wanted to go home. He was sooo slow. Once again it was empty because they just opened at 5.
We received our food which was delicious. Great mussels and amazing short ribs... But I must say every 3 times I go to this place. The  people at the front door who seat you act as if you are inconveniencing them for being there. This also happened when I had a private event.
So the food is great! But sometimes that attitude can mess up a good thing.
This was a regular brunch hangout for me, I would be there at least once a month, alone or with friends. I went today after an absence of a couple of months and I was appalled by the food. I don't know if they've changed their kitchen staff, but their omelet was dry and rubbery, their home fries were slimy.
I had the cowboy omelet shock had hardly any chorizo ... And a side of fruit which was served too cold
Disappointed, I will not be going back there again in a hurry
Had a really fun dinner here the other night. I usually just come here for drinks which is probably why I have never reviewed it. We were late for our reservations because we couldn't find parking, but no one seemed to mind.
We started out with the calamari, which I have had about a thousand times here. They give you a huge portion, so keep that in mind if you are just getting one for yourself. The dipping sauce is lemony and tart and nice and light.
I got a Bombay Sapphire martini, extra dry, straight up wtih a twist. It basically perfect. He got Jameson on the rocks, which I'm quite sure you can't screw up.
He got the NY strip steak. It was great, and perfectly cooked. It came with sort of a weird scalloped potato loaf or something. It was a bitttt too greasy.
I got the pork loin, with cheese grits and brussel sprouts. It. Was. Delicious. The pork was juicy and tender, the cheese grits were cheesey and the brussel sprouts were...sprouty? I seriously loveloveLOVED it.
For dessert I had anoher martini and the chocolate peanut butter cake which was super rich and super awesome.
Yay. Success.
The only, only, only drawback was that our server was almost TOO attentive. We were gabbing a lot and he kept asking us if we were done when we still had a ton of food on our plates. But, I'll take that over getting ignored any day of the week.
Temple is the restaurant I can always turn to when I want good food. Â If you're into beer and ambiance, it does fairly well in both of those categories as well.
The burger is a solid choice. Â It's possible that I like the sliders even better.
The perfectly crisp calamari is a huge portion and great for splitting between 2-4 people.
The duck wings have a fantastic sauce that I truly cannot get enough of.
The brownie sundae is spectacular. Â You're not even going to regret eating it because it's so good.
The chocolate fondue is chocolate fondue. Â If that's your thing, then it's a good choice. Â Temple doesn't do anything to make theirs unique.
The fries! Â Oh, the fries. Â When I come here for a beer, I can't go w/o ordering some of the rosemary fries. Â They are perfectly fried and have the most wonderful rosemary flavor. Â They come with the burger (and probably other things), but if you want a bar snack, you should do it.
I hear their Sunday brunch is amazing, but I can never wake up early enough.
I have been to Temple Bar on two occasions, and both times, the food was impressive. Â To begin at the beginning, the dinner rolls were very good. Â The second time I went, I got adventurous and tried the molasses-flavored bread, and I could not believe how great the flavor was as soon as I took the first bite. Â Out of a tremendous sense of friendship, I let my friend have the second piece, and she was pleasantly surprised as well. Â
Moving on to the main course, I had the short rib the first time I went, which was good, and was surrounded by exceptionally good mashed potatoes, of which I am not normally a fan, but became a convert after having had them there. Â
On the second occasion, the pork loin dinner I had blew away anything I can ever remember eating when I lived in the Cambridge area, and was on par with some of the best places I've ever been. Â To begin with, I was impressed that the pork loin was cooked perfectly (I had mine more medium rare than my friend, who opted for the safer choice of medium). Â The meat was juicy, which is sometimes not the case with pork, and had a wonderful flavor that was accented with fantastic cheddar grits, which were also cooked just right, and Brussels sprouts. Â It was an exceptional presentation, and I truly enjoyed every bite. Â I shamelessly cleaned my plate as best as I could do without resorting to abandoning my fork and knife, and even with the impairment of utensils, nearly didn't waste a drop. Â
For dessert, the second time I went, we had an insanely good chocolate fondue, with fresh fruit and delicious pieces of chocolate and vanilla cake. Â Cake is another item of which I am not a big fan in most cases, but they nailed the flavor without going overboard, and it was amazing.
With regard to the service, the second time I went, it was exceptional. Â As my friend described it, the experience was "flawless." Â Our waiter was professional, was attentive without being invasive, and treated us in a respectful and yet still friendly manner. Â I had previously had a negative experience the first time around and had made management aware of it. Â I received an almost immediate response to my complaint at the time, and was very impressed with the professionalism with which Christina, the General Manager, directly addressed the situation and persuaded me to give this place another shot. Â I had a real sense that my opinion mattered, and I am so glad I tried the restaurant a second time. Â In addition to the fact that I already felt the food was good the first time around, my experience with management and with the first class service the second time around sealed the deal on my positive review.
A lot of restaurants could learn a thing or two from Temple Bar when it comes to providing OUTSTANDING customer service, as well as very good, tasty food! I ALWAYS have a great experience when I go to this restaurant, and if anything is ever not fully to my liking, the staff immediately makes amends and ensures my satisfaction. I commend the management of this restaurant for REALLY getting it right!! I am a loyal customer who always spreads the word about how great this restaurant is! Keep up the great customer service and great food and I'll return again and again and with more and more loyal customers!
Review Source:Temple is my go-to for just about anything.
Looking for a chill place for drinks? Check. A delightful brunch with primo people watching? Check. Fancy dinner? Casual dinner? Desert? Fab wine? Check, check, check and check.
Temple does a phenom job of blending a great atmosphere, attentive servers and fan-effin-tastic food all in one. I've been going at least once a month for a while now and I've never been disappointed.
My faves? Tuna tar-tar, duck wings, mussels and man-mosa. Enjoy!
For some reason I have always had my reservations about Temple Bar but I was very impressed with their dinner which rarely happens. Â My girlfriend got the pan seared chicken which was the best chicken dish I have tried in Boston. Â The sweet potatoes on the side complimented the salty chicken wonderfully.
I got the maple brined pork which was good as well. Â The pork was a little tough and there were only 6 brussel sprout halves on the side, why not more?!!!!
I feel like their beer selection is a little lacking for a "bar". Â But my girlfriends chicken dish was so good I have to give Temple bar 5 stars and the particularly preferred rating.
My sisters and I went to this restaurant last week after I came on yelp to search for some new places to try around our area. I use this site a lot to judge restaurants and read through quite a few reviews that were seemingly positive. A few had mentioned that the service was not good, but if those are few and far between I boil it down to the person being too knit-picky with everything and probably an all around difficult person in general, I've been a waitress and bartender myself for many years and understand that while the job seems relatively easy, if the wrong person is seated with you it makes your job 50x harder. In any case, we gave it a go!
We chose this place in Porter Square, which is not the best of all the squares in the area (Davis, Union, Harvard...), a bit quieter in this area which is what we wanted. First, it said they had parking in the back -- no, no -- they have maybe 3 spaces in the back, dont even try it. When we went inside, we did not wait too long for our table, which was surprising because it was a Friday night at 8pm (I had made reservations on Open Table earlier) -- I still thought we'd have to wait but it was not bad. When we were seated and our waiter came over, you could INSTANTLY tell he was in a sour mood and did NOT want to be there. He did not greet us and ask us how we were, his first line was "what do you want to drink?". We ordered drinks (2 espresso martinis which were NOT made traditionally, it was simply espresso vodka and regular vodka, and a vanilla lovers special  which was DISGUSTING). We also ordered an app (the Aged Cheddar fondue). He took easily 25 minutes to bring our drinks out...frustrating. Once we got the appetizer, it looked good enough, it did not list on the menu the items that came with the fondue but it was definitely not worth the $20 in price...we got some hard pretzel bites, clearly frozen broccoli, broken  up cauliflower, salty little meatballs half cooked -- it was disastrous. There was also what looked like a beet in addition to those items but when I said it aloud, the waiter quickly snapped that it was a "pickled pear". Oops.
He did not ask us how the appetizer was and asked for our meal options in the same manner as he asked for our drinks, unenthusiastically and rushed. Our meal took 30ish minutes to come out and was brought by different waiters. The server never came over and asked how our food was and if everything was cooked correctly. At one point he saw me struggling to get through the pork loin with a butter knife and finally offered something stronger -- should've assumed it from the start, I would've anyway. In any case my sisters got the salmon and I got the porkloin. Very tough, not quite worth the price either, not bad, not anything to rave about either. When our server finally came back around 45 minutes after we got our food, w decidedd to try one more drink. We ordered it from him and he rolled his eyes and sighed at us blatantly. I have no idea why on Earth he had such an attitude we are 3 really nice girls that just wanted to have a nice Friday night after a hectic work week. The food and drink reviews seemed good enough, but I have to be honest for $40 bucks each it was not at all worth it. We were treated like garbage and the food and drink were mediocre, and thats being nice. After a long work week you look forward to unwinding at nice little restaurant with appropriate treatment/attention, good conversation, good food, and good drink. This place had none of the above. Terrible, terrible, terrible service. We even asked to speak with the manager and she got as far as "I super apologize". Oh, thanks, that seems really sincere.
All in all, we'll never go back. Not a good enough experience all around. Usually if the food and drink were good and the service was bad I'd give it another shot on the chance the server was having an off night but this place was straight disorganization with little leadership and it showed. Don't waste your time, seriously.
I took my girlfriend to this place for a nice quiet dinner. Â The wait was pretty long, around 45 minutes, and there was no room to sit at the bar while we waited but that's no one's fault but our own. Â I will say they misquoted the wait by about 20 minutes but, again, not really anyone's fault if a table eats slower than normal.
The food was very good, reasonably priced and decent portions. Â The 3 members of the staff we dealt with were super friendly and helpful. Â They have a great beer selection on draft and also make some unique drinks that are expensive but tasty.
With drinks, apps, dinner, tax and tip...we were a little over $100 ...I think that is about average for Boston, possibly below average. Â I would recommend making a reservation.
We came here for brunch on a Sunday around noon and were a little surprised that there was a fifteen minute wait. Ironically, the table they ended up seating us at was open when we showed up 15 minutes earlier...
The brunch menu was a little more limited than I would like and there was nothing very unique. Pretty standard breakfast fare and a few lunch items, but they did have a pretty large brunch drink menu.
The waiter brought out some complimentary mini baked goods, which were just okay. There was coffee cake and chocolate chip muffins neither of which were anything special.
I ended up ordering the stuffed french toast which was INCREDIBLY sweet. Like I ate two slices and I couldn't eat any more without feeling sick. I mean the menu description made it sound sweet, but I didn't know it was going to be THAT sweet.
Overall I'd say this place is just okay. The brunch fare was mediocre, and while not terribly expensive, I wouldn't say it was worth the money either.
I visited Temple Bar for the first time during last spring's RW. Living in Cambridge for  almost five years, how had I not been here sooner??
I had the frog leg "lollipops" which were cooked in a General Tso style and were tasty!! A great way to have them for the first time, especially if you feel a little for Kermit while you're eating them. I also had the fish (I *think* it was mahi mahi) wrapped in a banana leaf which was delicious. For dessert, I had a fruit panna cotta which was good.
On my last visit, I had the scallops and risotto and was in love. Everything was cooked perfectly. Â I took my visiting sisters-in-law out to a late dinner that night and hadn't made a reservation. Well, we killed an hour at the bar and it all worked out just fine.
I'm not in love with Temple's cocktail menu. They're definitely interesting and while I appreciate the resurgence of the cocktail menu in general, I have little patience for a  menu filled with unknown ingredients. I think the menu has been somewhat simplified since my last visit, though. At the very least, they've changed the names of some of the drinks. I wasn't thrilled with anything I ordered and ended up just sticking to my scotch- of which they've got a fantastic selection!!
The dining room is dark. Classy, but not stuffy. There's not a ton of parking around here- it helps if you're a Cambridge resident and can park in the side streets. It's about a 10 minute walk from Harvard Square (and you can even hop on the 77 from there if you don't want to walk), so you're better off T-ing it.
I would definitely go back. Perhaps with a reservation next time!
This place is so loud, so hip, it makes me want to leave. Â How can you hear? Â Doesn't matter. Â You're there to see and be seen. Â Or, if you insist on being heard, you have to speak at loud decibels. Â The couple next to us, we heard their entire first date. Â My husband and I were afraid to talk as if our voices would interrupt their tryst. Â Our tables were that close together.
The food. Â I had a burger, because in spite of all the eclectic things on the menu, that's the only thing that really appealed to me. Â It was delicious, but I skipped the bun. Â My husband had a duck salad, a okay. Â You don't come here for the food.
You come here for the scene, and to be seen. Â And if you're loud enough, to be heard.
Great, great, great! I've been coming here since childhood, and have grown to love it more and more (back then I complained it was too loud-- a "clanky fork restaurant.") Now that I've come to appreciate food and desserts, I realize the value of this place.
Great salmon. GREAT mussels. The vegetables could be cooked for longer, in my opinion, but everything else has been perfect. Â Tip: order the brand new chocolate mousse for dessert. Three kinds of chocolate, one- of-a-kind out of this world experience. Try it with dessert wine if you dare, and want the richest of the richest, sweetest flavor combination in existence.
Inside seating: dark, sultry atmosphere. Outside, sidewalk seating is fun on summer nights.
I love Temple Bar. It's warm, inviting, and comfortable... just a classy establishment all around. Plus, their food and drinks have always been top-notch; no surprises, no frills, just deliciousness.
I've gotten their calamari almost every time I'm here, and they always mix it up, in terms of the sauce that accompanies the dish. The most recent time I tried it, there was a sweet and spicy tamarind mixture, which was good. I have also gotten their burgers, sandwiches, and flatbreads (not all at once!), and all of them are solid--last time, I ordered the spicy pork belly flatbread (with carrot, spicy pickled cucumber, and cilantro--and it was a big thumbs up). Plus, their chocolate fondue is ah-maz-ing. Loads of fresh fruit and pound cake and cheesecake bites with a cauldron of hot melted chocolate? Sounds like perfection to me.
Their drinks--from beers on tap to cocktails--are all very good, too. I try a new cocktail each time I drop by, and the last one I tried was the Vanilla Lover, which was a super tasty concoction of house-infused vanilla vodka, parfait amour, white cranberry juice, lime, and sparkling wine. The seasonal punch (guava, when I ordered it) was also a dream. Really, I don't think you can go wrong with their cocktail menu. Word to the wise (or at least you Scotch drinkers... which I guess is really the same thing): they have Oban 14-Year here... which, if you haven't tried it, I'd highly recommend you do... it's my favourite single malt scotch whisky, hands down.
Definitely a cool place to grab a drink or two, as well as a bite to eat.
My wife and I have passed this place many times, but never felt the need to try it out. A Bloomspot coupon changed that and I'm happy it did ...
We went early on a Saturday night and grabbed a great table by the window. Our waitress, Chelsea, I believe, was professional, attentive, and fun. We started with the calamari and the Kobe beef sliders as appetizers. The sliders were delicious and the calamari was tasty, but I didn't care for the oily, tangy dipping sauce.
Our meals -- halibut and scallops -- were both seared to perfection. Great taste, great texture, great seafood. All the while, the service -- with the water and the attentiveness -- was top-notch.
We ordered the delicious chocolate fondue for dessert, which filled us to the brim. A warning: Don't order this unless you have a lot of room left after dinner.
All things considered, great service, pretty great food, and nice location. I think we'll be back.
Came here for drinks after class one day during the school year. Definitely ranks higher in my book than the tourist traps in Harvard Square since it's about half a mile north of the T-stop.
I had a cocktail with champagne and lychee (I think, but my memory may be failing me) and it was delicious! and I'd say they weren't too watered down either.
Ambiance is dark and classic.
Service is good here, and I would like to return here to try some of their food.
By far my fav place this summer! Try the confit duck wings..omg they are mouth watering(ly?) good!! I would order it take out if it didn't seem a bit tacky lol
they re drinks!!! try the willys way cocktail, its the perfect refreshing drink, its whiskey, rosemary pineapple syrup and lemon
The crowd seems a bit more cultured than your average pretentious(im a successful guy and fulltime douche) scene you ll find at say....The Post or Red Lantern in back bay?....its more of an old classic dark cherry wood, leather, cigar room in the back sort of feel...love it
I go to the Temple Bar almost every tripI make to Boston. My boss lives in the area land we meet for late night business meetings.
The food (3.25 stars) is good, but not great. The service, however, is awesome (5 stars). You must ask for Nicky! She is the whole reason we keep going back. Her friendliness and general warmth make going to the Temple Bar feel like you are eating at a god friends house.
I first came to Temple Bar on a Rue La La voucher. Great Deal! Three course dinner for maybe Sixty bucks?
Anyway, I remember the experience being amazing. It was a bit crowded so I still had to wait a bit even though I made a reservation, but the hostesses were accommodating and grabbing a drink at the bar while I waited wasn't the worst thing in the world. I enjoyed the food, but the portions were quite big. After the Tuna Tar Tar appetizer I was full. The main course was delicious and the DESSERT...oh the DESSERT. I have a sweet tooth and thought that the Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding was to die for. Basically this dessert made me want to come back.
I went back this past Saturday. Again, I had a great time. Only this time I ordered the short rib with horseradish mashed potatoes. The short ribs were great. You didn't need a knife to cut them. The mashed potatoes on the other hand tasted overwhelmingly like horseradish. I know that horseradish is a strong flavor but wow! If you love horseradish than the potatoes are for you. I just found them to be too overwhelming to eat. The seasonal risotto was also good. There is a lot a parmigiano so you be prepared.
Now, I came back for that dessert. I then come to find that they no longer have the bread pudding. Wait...What?! It was the absolute best and its still listed on their website as an option! If it was only seasonal, I understand, but please, update the website so I don't come in with false hopes.
Overall, I would go back again. I know I'm getting a great meal and the service is great.
This is a good date place. Â They have plenty of seating inside with dim lighting and ceiling fans (important in the summer if you tend to overheat like me!). Â They also have outdoor seating, but you're basically on the sidewalk beside Mass Ave.
Drink-wise, I started with an Old Fashioned and moved on to Basil Hayden on the rocks. Â Hard to mess up straight whiskey, and the Old Fashioned was pretty good (although on the sweeter side).
My date had a gin & tonic and scotch, neat. Â No idea what scotch, but he seemed happy with the choices offered.
We also shared the vegetarian tasting platter and a side of fries. Â The arancini were really good. Â The quinoa tasted like something I'd make at home, which is not an insult. Â The coconut rice pudding was delish, and had little chopped pieces of fruit on top.
I'd go back to Temple, but it's probably not at the very top of my list (but really convenient when you want moderately priced food/drinks that's fancier than just a local pub).
Came here last night for dinner and was happy to find the experience was exactly what I hoped it would be. Â I'm moving into the area in a few weeks, and am looking for a regular spot to grab drinks or dinner within walking distance. Â Temple Bar definitely fits the bill!
Between the two of us we had the mixed green salad, tuna tartare, and the scallops. Â All three dishes were seasoned perfectly and had great flavor. Â The tuna, unfortunately, was a bit mealy, but the avocado mousse on top made up for the weird texture. Â Neither of us sprang for a cocktail (white wine instead with all that seafood) but there was quite the good looking selection.
Our service was fantastic, and I wish I had caught the name of our waiter before we left. Â He was very attentive, and knew the ins and outs of the menu very well, which is a plus for me and my gluten allergy.
The decor and ambiance are great, and the price point is not too too high. Â Will definitely be back here soon!
If you find yourself at Temple Bar, put your name in for the patio and order the White White Truffle Pizza. It's amazing. You're welcome.
I met a friend here to catch up over food and drinks on the patio and we had a blast. We decided to make a meal out of a bunch of small plates and but could not stop talking about the White Truffle pizza. Avocado, Tear Drop Tomatoes, Baby Arugula, White Truffle Oil, and Aged Balsamic combined to make the most delicious summer pizza. We also ordered wine, salad and mussels which were all fabulous too. So fabulous, I couldn't get a table outside last time we tried. But we'll be back again for sure.
We waited over 45mins for two entrees. The calamari was too salty and the tamari and rice wine vinegar sauce doesn't compliment it at all.
The menu is extremely limited with no vegan options. No vegetarian options, so we had to modify the only two fish dishes (served with either bacon or chicken tamale) they offered.
Went here for restaurant week. First off, This menu was so hard to choose from. Everything sounded so delicious. Luckily I came with a group of girls who didn't mind sharing and letting me taste what they got.
We looked over the drink menu and there were some interesting cocktails. I wasn't familiar with any of them and I didn't want to chance it so I ended up ordering my usual Kamikaze martini. I asked if they had any raspberry vodkas, they didn't but the waitress mentioned they could add a raspberry syrup for the flavor. Yes, that sounded great! And it tasted great too... my friend was jealous. She ordered one after. Great Job on the drinks Bartender!
First Course: I chose the Crispy Frog Leg Lollipops. The frog legs were prepared "General Gau's Style" served on top of a Purple Rice Cake, Pea Tendrils in a spicy garlic ginger sauce. Let me say that I've never once had frog legs, so I had no idea what they were going to taste like. These frogs legs were so good! And yes, they do taste like chicken. Especially the way these were prepared, it tastes like a fancier General Gau chicken.
I didn't enjoy the rice cake. I couldn't figure out what the flavor was and it just wasn't appealing to me. My friends on the other hand ate mine and really liked it. One of my friends ordered the Cinnamon Rubbed Beef Rib that came with a side of cumin scented celeriac slaw. When this plate came out, I thought it was her main course. 2 huge pieces of sweet-savory ribs. I told her, there's only one way to eat these. DIG IN with your hands and enjoy. I had to taste and it was awesome.
Main Course: I had the Chorizo Cornish Game Hen. The hen was stuffed with bread stuffing and pieces of chorizo. By the way, anything is better with chorizo. The hen was perfectly cooked and juicy. It had a apricot habanero BBQ Glaze that was sweet but had quite a kick. I didn't notice til my mouth was burning. I'm not complaining.
I wasn't impressed with the Cornbread Pudding. It was more like dry cornbread in a cup. It was a bit dense and I would've rather just had cornbread squares on the side because it was too difficult to eat from the little dish.
Other favorite from friends was Grilled Adobo Rubbed Mahi-Mahi. It was on top of sweet ripe plantains and on the side was a Banana leaf wrapped chicken black Bean Tamale. I really wish I ordered this because I could not find one thing I didn't enjoy about this dish. I got to taste a bit of everything and it was so good. I recommend this dish if it's on the menu!
3rd course: I chose the warm Banana Bread Pudding with cut bananas in a caramel sauce. So yummy. The caramel was perfect with the soft sweet bread pudding. Ugh, heaven.
I tasted the Lemon Pana Cotta. It was good but I'm not a lemon fan and it was very lemony. I also tasted the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Mousse Cake. It was soft and sweet on top of a peanut toffee square. That was good!
The restaurant decor was modern and dark. But the lighting wasn't too dark that couldn't read the menu. It felt very inmate and there were drapes on either side of restaurant. Great for a date night! We had a few servers check up on us and refill our drinks. They were friendly and attentive.
Since it was restaurant week, you can't beat $33.95 pp. The menu otherwise is a bit pricey but I would come back!
I have to bump Temple Bar up to 5 stars. Â I love it because it's such an easy, consistent option - nice but not too nice (or expensive), good food, good drink, good service, always lively. Â I've had most of the menu offerings and nothing has disappointed. Â I had the pork belly lettuce wraps on my last trip and they were freaking amazing - too often, restaurants don't crisp up the thick cuts of pork belly, but Temple Bar executed it perfectly.
Really though, kudos goes out to Temple Bar for how they handled a situation on Friday. Â We had an 8:00 res for a party of 5 for my wife's birthday, and we requested one of their round booths. Â When we got there, they didn't have the table ready and, even after a 20 min wait in the overcrowded front bar area, all they could do was squeeze us into a high top meant for 4 by the back end of the bar. Â My wife became visibly upset that her birthday dinner was getting messed up, and the manager apologized up and down for the problem, allowed us to sit at the high top for another 20 min until the real table was ready, and comped us a bunch of apps while we waited. Â She really salvaged what could have been a bad situation.
Self-described as a "casually sophisticated neighborhood bistro offering modern American cuisine," Temple Bar is a local hotspot for drinks and/or a nice dinner. Super crowded on weekend nights-- make sure to make a reservation.
I've only been here to eat a couple times, but the food has always been absurdly delicious --perfectly cooked, great flavors-- and with filling portions. Even the free (warm!) bread (3 types: molasses, raisin loaf, country roll) doesn't disappoint. Â
Based on group satisfaction during my visits here, I'd say you can't go wrong ordering anything here. My personal recommendations: Â
- Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps: they were an appetizer special one night we were there, and they were bomb
- Springer Mountain Statler Chicken Breast (roasted, and with an apple cider chicken jus): chicken was nicely roasted and juicy
- Pan-Seared Atlantic Salmon (in a light miso butter sauce, with poached potatoes, spinach, and a thinly sliced apple-fennel salad): just amazing
It is also absolutely necessary that you save room for dessert. The warm Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream and the Pumpkin Mousse Parfait are to die for.
One of the two times I was here, service was a little off... we had to wait over 30 minutes for a table, even with reservations. Our waiter was perfectly cordial but seemed to have forgotten us for what must have been a good 40 minutes (well, maybe an exaggeration, but it seemed awful long) during our meal, and he seemed absent-minded when it came time for dessert and the check. Maybe it was a particularly hectic night? In any case, the food and atmosphere were good enough to make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
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