Village Forge Tavern

5 stars for the music and ambience.  2 stars for the food / service.  Eat somewhere else then go there for the music, just be sure to get there early as the place isn't that big and fills up early.   Really nice vibe!!

So there I was, stuck in scenic but boring Boxborough Mass for a week on business. Thank the interwebz for Yelp; because of the positive reviews, on a Thursday night I found my way to the Village Forge Tavern.

Really good food, great music & a neat atmosphere. As noted, no cover - just throw in the hat if you like. The locals greatly outnumbered the tourists, and Fitzy took great pleasure in poking fun at one fellow who apparently started sneaking in the place before he was 18 and "stayed 21 for five years". Most of the way through Fitzy's first set, he called out if I had a request, and the San Franciscan in my subconscious made "Friend of the Devil" (uncultured Philistines: it's a Grateful Dead song) the first thing on my tongue. He apologized as he never played the song outside of a band setting, but I thoroughly enjoyed his solo rendition on a six-string acoustic guitar. When it was time for the solo, he played the chord progression and noted "here's the part where Jerry plays for about 8 minutes." The locals didn't sing along, funny that...

The site's photo makes the place look three times larger than it is - imagine a tavern that had to fit into a submarine and you get the idea. Get there early.

I've been to the Village Forge Tavern many times, but last night I went with pad, pen, and camera in hand with the intention of writing this review.  In the end this objectivity made me see things a little differently, but it didn't change how I feel about this place.  I almost always have a good time when I go here.

First let's talk about the venue and the music, since this place is mostly about that.  The venue itself is very small, and each Saturday night they feature a 3 or 4-person jazz ensemble that plays mostly early jazz classics.  With such a small room, it's very personal, and there is a direct connection between the performers and the audience, seated just a few feet away.  There is no cover charge, so the band literally passes a hat around so you can show your support.  You may be invited to sing on the microphone as one person was, and did with remarkable success on this occasion.  Everybody loved this and cheered wildly.

There is a full bar, but the tap has only 3 beer selections.  It took 10 or 15 minutes to be served my first beer, which seemed like forever, but after that things went smoothly.  I ordered a bottled beer and it arrived in a bottle with no glass.  I have to be objective and give them pretty low marks there.

The pub menu isn't that great either, but you can order off of the restaurant menu if you want to, so that's what I did:  I selected the fried artichoke hearts with Cajun aioli for the appetizer.  It was good, and less spicy that I would have guessed for a Cajun anything.  It was an ample portion for an appetizer.

For the entree I had Chestnut & Pepita Crusted Salmon, with butternut risotto, aged grape must, and toasted pumpkin seed ($22 on the dinner menu, $16 on the lunch menu).  It was nicely presented, and the pumpkin seed, chestnuts, and pepita gave the salmon a pleasing earthy crunch and flavor.  The butternut risotto went well with it, but if I were to be a picky restaurant reviewer I would say that the risotto was a bit too mushy.

When I go to the Village Forge Tavern, I go mostly for the music, so the fact that you can order an interesting entree is just a bonus as far as I'm concerned.  The music was good, the conversation and laughter was natural, and overall it was a very good time.  It almost always is.

I uploaded a photograph, and I wish that I could upload a short movie clip that I took, because just 10 seconds of the noise, music, and action there would tell you more about the vibe of this place than 100 pictures would.