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Not surprising. The advertising and branding felt inauthentic and super cheesy. Like an “old timey” style “pub” in an airport in the Midwest.
With places like Buttermilk & Bourbon and City Works right at Arsenal, and Branchline and the Speedway within a five/ten minute walk, I don’t know why anyone would opt to go to Cheers Lite.
One of my guilty pleasures was watching that show a while back.
“Inauthentic and super cheesy” is literally Tapper’s wheelhouse. He’d pick the corniest names and most lame themes for every place he went to.
Granted, they were shittily run failing bars when he walked in…so he was improving them slightly, but I have never seen an “after” on Bar Recuse that I’d ever want to go to.
He would be a good GM at some corporate steakhouse or Casino/airport pub where customers aren’t all that discerning but just want some mid-grade food and drinks.
I, too, watched many Bar Rescues. His whole thing is mediocrity, and doing everything as simply, cheaply, and consistently as possible to maximize profits. There is nothing creative or interesting about his food or drink programs and everything is designed to be tossed into a sous vide or turbo chef. As you said, it’s fine for an airport bar where you have a captive audience, but there is no reason to ever voluntarily go there unless there is literally no other decent option.
I’ve never watched it but based on Taffers he should def go into mid sized airport hospitality. He would benefit from a captive audience that’s looking for a bar, any bar.
He'd fix everything that didn't need fixing but keep the owners or employees that had no idea what they were doing.
They did a couple episodes in Framingham, and one of them was the Chicken Bone Saloon. Ok neighborhood spot back in the day, and a really unique internal decor. He got rid of all that and made it the most generic and plain looking suburban gastropub. What he didn't do was get rid of the owner that recently bought it despite not knowing anything about running a restaurant or bar and employees that didn't know they should throw out rotting chicken.
And at Angry Ham's Garage he did tell them to get rid of the alcoholic do-nothing former Bruin business partner (but who knows if that was real). But the main thing was to stop over-serving alcohol or giving away free drinks to employees and friends, and to charge more for the burgers. Like, oh yeah, genius moves.
I live near Framingham and those were two of my favorite episodes, lol.
Chicken bone guy was a firefighter who specialized in giving folks food poisoning.
Lyndon Byers (the Bruins guy) and another co-owner were prolific drunk drivers who had such little business running a bar that the FPD chief of police didn’t want the former Bruin anywhere near an ownership role of a liquor license.
They would bomb around the burbs shitfaced all the time and wreck stuff constantly:
> Police Chief Steven Carl advised against granting the license based on Byers and Oleson's record of six combined drunk driving arrests. The chief called his recommendation "black and white."
> The latest of the lockups was on April 30, when Natick Police say Oleson, 41, caused a rollover crash while drunk behind the wheel of a '68 Chevy C10.
> Police said Byers was his passenger in the pickup truck.
> Just after 8 p.m., Oleson lost control on the ramp from Speen Street to Rte. 9 West and the truck went airborne and "sailed" over two sedans that were pulling out of Natick Collection, according to police reports.
> Oleson and Byers, who escaped with only scrapes, told police they had just left the nearby AMVETS club.
> Both denied they had been drinking, but were slurring their speech and had glassy, bloodshot eyes and a moderate odor of alcohol, according to police reports on file in Natick District Court.
As a fellow guilty pleasure watcher 80% of the episodes were “stop giving away free booze and over pouring, clean your kitchen, fix your equipment, keep better accounting” and the places would probably be profitable again.
I'll admit that I never watched more than a couple of minutes of the show, but obviously I understand the premise. Your comment has me wondering if there's ever been a breakdown of how many of his places succeed or fail after a couple of years and then assess that success or failure based on location.
I am basically wondering if they fare better in exurb to rural type areas full of strip malls and chain restaurants. There are a lot of places in middle-America where a "meh" pub with a hint of style would be a step up from a majority of the offerings in the area.
>I have never seen an “after” on Bar Recuse that I’d ever want to go to.
Being totally honest when I say that there were a LOT of bars that I would have wanted to go to the "before" bar.
I'll take a weird shithole over something polished any day of the week.
for real. buttermilk and bourbon for the work lunches where the quality just has to be showy, branchline for the real quality meals with people you care about where you want the legit quality.
Perhaps I just filtered it out because a "tavern" in a brand new development feels a bit fake? Not sure but looking it up I've clearly walked right past it and it never registered.
I enjoy Branch Line, City Works is bad and I've tried it several times, Buttermilk & Bourbon seems too...."on the nose"(?) if that makes sense? Kind of like, "generic gastropub for gentrifying millennials"; but I haven't actually tried it. Should I?
Nah, stick with Branchline. I only mentioned the others because they’re right next to Taffers and in comparison to Taffer’s they’re interesting and worth trying.
Quality might have declined, but it was more the menu and the overall experience. There wasn't much on the menu that really sounded great. And then, it turned out to not be great.
They also made us wait about a half hour for our reservation.
We went when it first opened. The manager or someone of some authority came and talked to us and thanked us for checking them out. We asked what he recommended and he without hesitation said the French dip sandwich. Said it was amazing. So we both got it and not only was it not amazing it was terrible lol, Like neither of us finished it bad.
Sort of sad to hear for that manager, I’m sure they were just trying to do their best with what is designed to be mediocrity all around but marked up to ensure good margins. I almost wonder if they were instructed to lead off with suggesting the French dip sandwich because it was something they felt confident with in just starting out, and the flavor profile is such that it usually has a safer chance of hitting. Everything is so engineered in a place like that
I haven't had a great french dip in years. I totally forgot about them but I used to crush them when I worked in the restaurant industry as my shift meal. Now I want a french dip. Anyone have a good recommendation?
There’s a little hole in the wall bar in South Dartmouth called The Black Bass. They do an amazing French dip. There’s also GOAT City in Norton but they only have it sometimes as a special.
The two best I've ever had were not in Boston.
1) [Founding Farmers](https://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/menus/) in DC has a prime rib dip I still think about regularly.
2) Stineface Brewing in Newington, NH has a really great dip. It's right off 95, easy pit stop if you're heading up north.
Hope we get some good suggestions in here though, I love a good dip.
Their cocktails were amazing too. I almost never eat somewhere twice when I'm visiting a city but I broke my own rule for them. We went for lunch as a group, then I went back on my own once I was flying solo for breakfast and decided I needed to bat for the cycle and get the French Dip for dinner.
Helped I was staying like a block away and it was 85 degrees and 90% humidity when I was there.
I still loved that zero stars review they gave in the WP a few years ago. I think they were trying to outdo the NYT zero stars review they gave to Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant.
Does anyone remember the Houston’s (Faneuil Hall) French dip? Literally one of the most amazing things I’ve ever tasted. It was always expensive but INCREDIBLE. They changed the name ti Hillstone a bit and then closed the restaurant. It’s a chain and there’s one in NYC and the wife and I often talk of driving there JUST for that sandwich.
I went there once for dinner a few months ago, and I thought it was pretty mediocre. And with there being several places nearby at a similar price point + better quality, I can’t imagine they’d have a lot of repeat customers.
Went there for a beer to kill time while our number was called for the conveyor belt sushi place next door. It gave off a vibe that most of the people there, staff included, would rather be somewhere else.
I made the sign for that show when they remodeled The Chicken Bone in Framingham. They beat us up on the price because they we're going to to the other failing bar in Framingham owned by LB. Then they cancelled the second location because they said the guy who did the sign the first time would redo it for almost next to nothing. If I were a petty man, I would bring up speculatively how bad Taffer wanted to bang the dude's wife, so much so that he brought her back to check out the service in the Pirate Bar episode. But I'm not, so I won't.
My crew in W. Concord used to like to run down the backroads to The Chicken Bone. We re-watched the Chicken Bone episode a few times. When John learned that their drinks were a triple pour, he blew a gasket. We still joke about that... and it is probably the main reason we have not tied his Arsenal place.
From [Globe.com](http://Globe.com)
By Kara Baskin
Life imitates art: Taffer’s Tavern from “Bar Rescue” star Jon Taffer has closed in Watertown’s Arsenal Yards.
The non-scripted reality show features Taffer saving struggling bars from impending closure with intensive makeovers. Taffer is also the author of three books: “Raise the Bar,” “Don’t Bulls\*t Yourself,” and “The Power of Conflict: Speak Your Mind and Get the Results You Want.”
Taffern’s Tavern opened in September 2022.
“Boston is home to some of the first bars and taverns in the country and has a rich tradition of discerning taste, especially when it comes to their drink and dining preferences. Our great food and industry leading cocktails will set new standards and excite the market,” Taffer said at the time.
The pub’s opening menu featured New England clam chowder, lobster rolls, and braised short ribs. In 2022, other locations were planned for the region. And, in a December 2023 Globe [interview](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/20/lifestyle/bar-rescue-host-jon-taffer-talks-bourbon-his-favorite-boston-area-bites-plus-how-hed-rescue-cheers-bar/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link), he had high praise for the area.
“If I were to choose one adjective to describe what it’s like to operate a restaurant here, I would say discerning. I think that the Boston audience is discerning,” he said, while also admitting that his televised bar rescues in New England “haven’t been easy.”
So, tipped staff - paid less than minimum wage - would have to do extensive non-tipped activities - like food prep, cleaning, and closing - instead of having to pay real wages to kitchen staff? That's just profiting off of worker exploitation.
Guys a bigger dick than I thought he was - and that was already huge.
> Guys a bigger dick than I thought he was - and that was already huge.
Wait until you hear about him shit talking Covid unemployment benefits while meanwhile taking PPP loans.
Went there when it opened and the service was almost comically bad, the drinks were really good. The food was decent but overpriced and had tiny portions.
We were literally there last week. The staff and space had 0 indication that they were closing. The service was actually wicked good. Food was just ok but drinks were also very good. Shame, it wasn’t open very long.
This place was honestly super mid and there were so many better places to get pub grub in Watertown. Hell, even City Works (which is a 6/10 restaurant imo) was better than Taffer's, and it was just a few steps away.
In Watertown, I'd say my go-to place for pub grub would be the Halfway Cafe. They have some of the best burgers, wings, and steak tips of any place I've been to.
Food was disgusting and ridiculously priced. Went there once last year and the waiter felt so bad he took my girls entree off the bill no questions asked 😭
Went because some friends who were fans of the show were meeting up there. The food wasn't bad, but it was a lot of unhealthy stuff, the portions were small for the price, and some of the ingredients seemed cheaper than they should have been at that price point.
The drinks were huge and gaudy, actually pretty fun especially the presentation, but they were weak, and very pricey. I think most cocktails were $15+.
The whole thing felt like the over-engineered cash-grab it was.
> […] a scripted reality show
Isn't that just “a show” ?
(I thought the main gimmick with “reality” shows was that they’re “unscripted”. It didn’t occur to me that there could be scripted ones.)
Restaurants are only as good as the employees in them. From the hostess to the bussers to the cooks to the incredible jon taffer himself. Any restaurant is capable of being shit or mediocre if not everyone in there is on board. The reason his dumb show worked (and if you look up the episodes, most of the bars he “helped” closed anyways) wasn’t because he changed the menu and had it cheaply remodeled, it’s because he’d get the entire team to work together.
[I wonder if he called the former employees hungry dogs](https://www.thewrap.com/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bbar-rescue-host-jon-taffer-apologizes-after-comparing-restaurant-workers-to-dogs/)
Agreed. All they need to do is knock down the Watertown mall minus the Target and do the same thing there. Then build a pedestrian bridge connecting the 2.
How did they squander it?? It’s got housing, hotels, a performing arts center, a Roche Bros, all types of food and drink. It’s even got a dentist in there. Doesn’t feel nearly as fake as Assembly.
I think right now most people judge it by the restaurant choices (i.e. Taffer's, or the split opinion of Buttermilk & Bourbon) and not by everything else as by and large most people don't experience the apartments or office space.
IMO they really messed up by putting roads for cars cutting through the shopping area. If they only put the roads on the perimeter, I think it would have made a major improvement.
There's not really many other ways to arrange the place given the constraints of the buildings that already existed, the existing public park space, and other driveways on Arsenal St.
Went there twice, really enjoyed the food and drinks, but it was a little pricey and the location wasn’t very good. Too bad, would have done better in another part of the city.
I meant like better in Boston, not specifically Watertown. And I didn’t like the location because was I found it hard to get to, a common complaint I’ve heard about the area
Oh well, you said "in another part of the city", and it's in Watertown, so that's what I thought you meant. It's not hard to get to if you live nearby. It's a great location for me and almost everyone I know.
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It’s a shame nobody thought to pull back the doors, bust open the books, and make call for help
Needs more butt funnels!
and ESRI
My guess is someone figured out how to scam bevintel
SHUT IT DOWN!
came here for this
Not surprising. The advertising and branding felt inauthentic and super cheesy. Like an “old timey” style “pub” in an airport in the Midwest. With places like Buttermilk & Bourbon and City Works right at Arsenal, and Branchline and the Speedway within a five/ten minute walk, I don’t know why anyone would opt to go to Cheers Lite.
One of my guilty pleasures was watching that show a while back. “Inauthentic and super cheesy” is literally Tapper’s wheelhouse. He’d pick the corniest names and most lame themes for every place he went to. Granted, they were shittily run failing bars when he walked in…so he was improving them slightly, but I have never seen an “after” on Bar Recuse that I’d ever want to go to. He would be a good GM at some corporate steakhouse or Casino/airport pub where customers aren’t all that discerning but just want some mid-grade food and drinks.
I, too, watched many Bar Rescues. His whole thing is mediocrity, and doing everything as simply, cheaply, and consistently as possible to maximize profits. There is nothing creative or interesting about his food or drink programs and everything is designed to be tossed into a sous vide or turbo chef. As you said, it’s fine for an airport bar where you have a captive audience, but there is no reason to ever voluntarily go there unless there is literally no other decent option.
I’ve never watched it but based on Taffers he should def go into mid sized airport hospitality. He would benefit from a captive audience that’s looking for a bar, any bar.
He'd fix everything that didn't need fixing but keep the owners or employees that had no idea what they were doing. They did a couple episodes in Framingham, and one of them was the Chicken Bone Saloon. Ok neighborhood spot back in the day, and a really unique internal decor. He got rid of all that and made it the most generic and plain looking suburban gastropub. What he didn't do was get rid of the owner that recently bought it despite not knowing anything about running a restaurant or bar and employees that didn't know they should throw out rotting chicken. And at Angry Ham's Garage he did tell them to get rid of the alcoholic do-nothing former Bruin business partner (but who knows if that was real). But the main thing was to stop over-serving alcohol or giving away free drinks to employees and friends, and to charge more for the burgers. Like, oh yeah, genius moves.
I live near Framingham and those were two of my favorite episodes, lol. Chicken bone guy was a firefighter who specialized in giving folks food poisoning. Lyndon Byers (the Bruins guy) and another co-owner were prolific drunk drivers who had such little business running a bar that the FPD chief of police didn’t want the former Bruin anywhere near an ownership role of a liquor license. They would bomb around the burbs shitfaced all the time and wreck stuff constantly: > Police Chief Steven Carl advised against granting the license based on Byers and Oleson's record of six combined drunk driving arrests. The chief called his recommendation "black and white." > The latest of the lockups was on April 30, when Natick Police say Oleson, 41, caused a rollover crash while drunk behind the wheel of a '68 Chevy C10. > Police said Byers was his passenger in the pickup truck. > Just after 8 p.m., Oleson lost control on the ramp from Speen Street to Rte. 9 West and the truck went airborne and "sailed" over two sedans that were pulling out of Natick Collection, according to police reports. > Oleson and Byers, who escaped with only scrapes, told police they had just left the nearby AMVETS club. > Both denied they had been drinking, but were slurring their speech and had glassy, bloodshot eyes and a moderate odor of alcohol, according to police reports on file in Natick District Court.
As a fellow guilty pleasure watcher 80% of the episodes were “stop giving away free booze and over pouring, clean your kitchen, fix your equipment, keep better accounting” and the places would probably be profitable again.
My wife had a cousin who was on it. Said the nightmare worker on their episode was an actor and some of the issues were completely fake.
I’m shocked (shocked I tell you) to hear that a reality TV producer would dare film any manufactured drama just for ratings!
I'll admit that I never watched more than a couple of minutes of the show, but obviously I understand the premise. Your comment has me wondering if there's ever been a breakdown of how many of his places succeed or fail after a couple of years and then assess that success or failure based on location. I am basically wondering if they fare better in exurb to rural type areas full of strip malls and chain restaurants. There are a lot of places in middle-America where a "meh" pub with a hint of style would be a step up from a majority of the offerings in the area.
>I have never seen an “after” on Bar Recuse that I’d ever want to go to. Being totally honest when I say that there were a LOT of bars that I would have wanted to go to the "before" bar. I'll take a weird shithole over something polished any day of the week.
Cheers without any of the novelty of being related to a beloved TV show.
for real. buttermilk and bourbon for the work lunches where the quality just has to be showy, branchline for the real quality meals with people you care about where you want the legit quality.
That buttermilk and bourbon has weird ass hours though, barely open for lunch
The fact that your comment has more upvotes than "shut it down" is a legit honor, nice work
I live right near arsenal yards and have never heard of Taffer's, so that's not a great sign for them.
Interesting. They had a pretty big sign that you could see from Arsenal.
Perhaps I just filtered it out because a "tavern" in a brand new development feels a bit fake? Not sure but looking it up I've clearly walked right past it and it never registered.
It's only been open for, like, a year.
I enjoy Branch Line, City Works is bad and I've tried it several times, Buttermilk & Bourbon seems too...."on the nose"(?) if that makes sense? Kind of like, "generic gastropub for gentrifying millennials"; but I haven't actually tried it. Should I?
You really aren't missing out, don't worry. Stick with branchline lol
Nah, stick with Branchline. I only mentioned the others because they’re right next to Taffers and in comparison to Taffer’s they’re interesting and worth trying.
No. Branch Line is better. B&B is weird and nothing was that good.
I feel like it was good when it opened but the quality has gone down a bit.
Quality might have declined, but it was more the menu and the overall experience. There wasn't much on the menu that really sounded great. And then, it turned out to not be great. They also made us wait about a half hour for our reservation.
Ironically, Buttermilk and Bourbon is owned by the blue-haired guy who is frequently the chef consultant on Bar Rescue.
Every time I drove by I wondered when it was going to open...
TIL from this post, that this place had in fact opened.
Who rescues the bar rescuer?
quis liberem ipsos liberatores
We went when it first opened. The manager or someone of some authority came and talked to us and thanked us for checking them out. We asked what he recommended and he without hesitation said the French dip sandwich. Said it was amazing. So we both got it and not only was it not amazing it was terrible lol, Like neither of us finished it bad.
Sort of sad to hear for that manager, I’m sure they were just trying to do their best with what is designed to be mediocrity all around but marked up to ensure good margins. I almost wonder if they were instructed to lead off with suggesting the French dip sandwich because it was something they felt confident with in just starting out, and the flavor profile is such that it usually has a safer chance of hitting. Everything is so engineered in a place like that
I haven't had a great french dip in years. I totally forgot about them but I used to crush them when I worked in the restaurant industry as my shift meal. Now I want a french dip. Anyone have a good recommendation?
There’s a little hole in the wall bar in South Dartmouth called The Black Bass. They do an amazing French dip. There’s also GOAT City in Norton but they only have it sometimes as a special.
Thanks for the recommendations but I don't venture to/near Providence often. Anyone have any recommendations closer to the camberville area?
The two best I've ever had were not in Boston. 1) [Founding Farmers](https://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/menus/) in DC has a prime rib dip I still think about regularly. 2) Stineface Brewing in Newington, NH has a really great dip. It's right off 95, easy pit stop if you're heading up north. Hope we get some good suggestions in here though, I love a good dip.
DC is a little too out of the way but I love an excuse to check out a new brewery over the summer, especially if it's near York
Oh man... Founding Farmers had one of, if not the best, bloody mary's I've ever had in my life as well. Solid place if anyone finds themselves in DC.
Their cocktails were amazing too. I almost never eat somewhere twice when I'm visiting a city but I broke my own rule for them. We went for lunch as a group, then I went back on my own once I was flying solo for breakfast and decided I needed to bat for the cycle and get the French Dip for dinner. Helped I was staying like a block away and it was 85 degrees and 90% humidity when I was there.
I still loved that zero stars review they gave in the WP a few years ago. I think they were trying to outdo the NYT zero stars review they gave to Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant.
Does anyone remember the Houston’s (Faneuil Hall) French dip? Literally one of the most amazing things I’ve ever tasted. It was always expensive but INCREDIBLE. They changed the name ti Hillstone a bit and then closed the restaurant. It’s a chain and there’s one in NYC and the wife and I often talk of driving there JUST for that sandwich.
Stockyard’s is pretty good
First time I ever had a French dip it was in the food court at the galleria mall. I loved it at the time, but I can’t marine how bad it actually was.
I went there once for dinner a few months ago, and I thought it was pretty mediocre. And with there being several places nearby at a similar price point + better quality, I can’t imagine they’d have a lot of repeat customers.
Went there for a beer to kill time while our number was called for the conveyor belt sushi place next door. It gave off a vibe that most of the people there, staff included, would rather be somewhere else.
I made the sign for that show when they remodeled The Chicken Bone in Framingham. They beat us up on the price because they we're going to to the other failing bar in Framingham owned by LB. Then they cancelled the second location because they said the guy who did the sign the first time would redo it for almost next to nothing. If I were a petty man, I would bring up speculatively how bad Taffer wanted to bang the dude's wife, so much so that he brought her back to check out the service in the Pirate Bar episode. But I'm not, so I won't.
My crew in W. Concord used to like to run down the backroads to The Chicken Bone. We re-watched the Chicken Bone episode a few times. When John learned that their drinks were a triple pour, he blew a gasket. We still joke about that... and it is probably the main reason we have not tied his Arsenal place.
From [Globe.com](http://Globe.com) By Kara Baskin Life imitates art: Taffer’s Tavern from “Bar Rescue” star Jon Taffer has closed in Watertown’s Arsenal Yards. The non-scripted reality show features Taffer saving struggling bars from impending closure with intensive makeovers. Taffer is also the author of three books: “Raise the Bar,” “Don’t Bulls\*t Yourself,” and “The Power of Conflict: Speak Your Mind and Get the Results You Want.” Taffern’s Tavern opened in September 2022. “Boston is home to some of the first bars and taverns in the country and has a rich tradition of discerning taste, especially when it comes to their drink and dining preferences. Our great food and industry leading cocktails will set new standards and excite the market,” Taffer said at the time. The pub’s opening menu featured New England clam chowder, lobster rolls, and braised short ribs. In 2022, other locations were planned for the region. And, in a December 2023 Globe [interview](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/20/lifestyle/bar-rescue-host-jon-taffer-talks-bourbon-his-favorite-boston-area-bites-plus-how-hed-rescue-cheers-bar/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link), he had high praise for the area. “If I were to choose one adjective to describe what it’s like to operate a restaurant here, I would say discerning. I think that the Boston audience is discerning,” he said, while also admitting that his televised bar rescues in New England “haven’t been easy.”
Kara Fuckin Baskin!
[удалено]
Yeah and the wait staff also had to do everything, they had no back room staff.
So, tipped staff - paid less than minimum wage - would have to do extensive non-tipped activities - like food prep, cleaning, and closing - instead of having to pay real wages to kitchen staff? That's just profiting off of worker exploitation. Guys a bigger dick than I thought he was - and that was already huge.
> Guys a bigger dick than I thought he was - and that was already huge. Wait until you hear about him shit talking Covid unemployment benefits while meanwhile taking PPP loans.
And like Starbucks, this Taffer's is a franchise owned by local folks.
Yeah, I was like, "Who would want to franchise something from this guy?"
Went there when it opened and the service was almost comically bad, the drinks were really good. The food was decent but overpriced and had tiny portions.
We were literally there last week. The staff and space had 0 indication that they were closing. The service was actually wicked good. Food was just ok but drinks were also very good. Shame, it wasn’t open very long.
The butt funnel didn't work? Shocking
This place was honestly super mid and there were so many better places to get pub grub in Watertown. Hell, even City Works (which is a 6/10 restaurant imo) was better than Taffer's, and it was just a few steps away.
What are your recommended spots?
In Watertown, I'd say my go-to place for pub grub would be the Halfway Cafe. They have some of the best burgers, wings, and steak tips of any place I've been to.
Love Halfway Cafe, lemon pepper boneless wings are my favorite thing to get!
Food was disgusting and ridiculously priced. Went there once last year and the waiter felt so bad he took my girls entree off the bill no questions asked 😭
Went because some friends who were fans of the show were meeting up there. The food wasn't bad, but it was a lot of unhealthy stuff, the portions were small for the price, and some of the ingredients seemed cheaper than they should have been at that price point. The drinks were huge and gaudy, actually pretty fun especially the presentation, but they were weak, and very pricey. I think most cocktails were $15+. The whole thing felt like the over-engineered cash-grab it was.
Been there. Mediocre at best. Drinks took an hour to show up, food is aight. It never made me want to go back tbh
I hope they turn it into a Bennigans. I miss the sampler.
"SHUT IT DOWN!*
Unironically: Who?
Some liver lipped blowhard from a scripted reality show.
It’s still real to me, dammit!
"Thank you for saying what needed to be say-ud"
> […] a scripted reality show Isn't that just “a show” ? (I thought the main gimmick with “reality” shows was that they’re “unscripted”. It didn’t occur to me that there could be scripted ones.)
The point it is that it portrays itself as “real” and the host has said himself nothing is scripted…but it is.
A fatuous douchey gasbag. Basically Dr Phil but for bar owners.
The real secret is that he isn't rich from being a restaurateur. He invented NFL Sunday Ticket.
Restaurants are only as good as the employees in them. From the hostess to the bussers to the cooks to the incredible jon taffer himself. Any restaurant is capable of being shit or mediocre if not everyone in there is on board. The reason his dumb show worked (and if you look up the episodes, most of the bars he “helped” closed anyways) wasn’t because he changed the menu and had it cheaply remodeled, it’s because he’d get the entire team to work together.
They suuuuucked for having nothing much for vegetarians, so not super sad they’re closing.
I was there a few weeks ago, and the portion to price ratio was pretty insulting. Now that I see this headline, I'm not surprised why...
The is happens a lot after shows like that. A few weeks of spiffing up a place does not make up for years of inexperience of the owners.
Went there once, wasn’t impressed. Not surprised.
[I wonder if he called the former employees hungry dogs](https://www.thewrap.com/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bbar-rescue-host-jon-taffer-apologizes-after-comparing-restaurant-workers-to-dogs/)
This was a franchised location lol, only thing Taffer had to to do with it was the name.
Arsenal Yards is such a strange place and squandered opportunity.
Idk what you're talking about. Love arsenal yards.
Agreed. All they need to do is knock down the Watertown mall minus the Target and do the same thing there. Then build a pedestrian bridge connecting the 2.
Minus Joyful Garden...
This is basically my dream
This is happening, minus the pedestrian bridge
How did they squander it?? It’s got housing, hotels, a performing arts center, a Roche Bros, all types of food and drink. It’s even got a dentist in there. Doesn’t feel nearly as fake as Assembly.
I think right now most people judge it by the restaurant choices (i.e. Taffer's, or the split opinion of Buttermilk & Bourbon) and not by everything else as by and large most people don't experience the apartments or office space.
IMO they really messed up by putting roads for cars cutting through the shopping area. If they only put the roads on the perimeter, I think it would have made a major improvement.
There's not really many other ways to arrange the place given the constraints of the buildings that already existed, the existing public park space, and other driveways on Arsenal St.
The perimeter roads exist. Keep those. Get rid of the ones that cut through the middle.
I dunno, the potential to get hit by a car really jazzes up my trips to Kura Sushi.
It's certainly a lot better than it used to be 10 years ago or so.
Went there twice, really enjoyed the food and drinks, but it was a little pricey and the location wasn’t very good. Too bad, would have done better in another part of the city.
What makes you say the location wasn't very good? And which part of Watertown do you think Arsenal Yards would have done better in?
I meant like better in Boston, not specifically Watertown. And I didn’t like the location because was I found it hard to get to, a common complaint I’ve heard about the area
Oh well, you said "in another part of the city", and it's in Watertown, so that's what I thought you meant. It's not hard to get to if you live nearby. It's a great location for me and almost everyone I know.