Boston Chops South End — Restaurant in Boston

Despite an absolutely terrible waiter (more on that in a moment) the food and our fill-in waitress, Melanie, were wonderful and saved the entire evening.

Upon arriving we were impressed with the vibe, decor, and setting - seemed like a top-notch NYC style restaurant. The hostess showed us to a really nice table.

Very quickly things started to fall apart when the our waiter approached the table to take our drink order and immediately made it clear we were interrupting his evening with two sharp rolling of the eyes at one of our guests drink order and then kept saying they were out of wines that were being ordered by several people literally just a rude, condensing comment ‘we are out of that’ firm statements. It didn’t make much sense, but we moved on. 45 minutes later our drinks arrived which were basically slammed on the table and again he disappeared without another word. When I asked about then wine he literally ignored my question.

About 20 minutes into this rude and awkward display, we asked one of the bus people to please send our waiter over. Again, the non verbal awkward display was very clear. When we asked about another round of drinks, the waiter literally turned around and walked away to the table next to us.

In response we asked a passing waitress if she wouldn’t mind helping us with some drinks. Rather than dismissing us, Melanie could not have been more helpful and friendly. She made sure our drinks were not only ordered but actually delivered them to us herself within a few minutes. Melanie salvaged the experience and we could not be more grateful!

This rude display by our original waiter continued until I asked to speak to the manager. Miguel was kind enough to listen to the issues and stepped in and could not have been helpful.

Our food finally arrived. Steaks were extremely well prepared, flavorful, and delicious. Although our waiter never returned until it was time to order dessert, about an hour later which was far too long, Melanie checked in a couple of times with us.

With this level of terrible service from our waiter (similar to multiple other reviews) Boston Chops has some serious issues. Thank goodness for Melanie who rescued the evening and that the food was truly delicious. We will not know why our waiter was so incredibly rude, offensive, and dismissive, but based on getting Melanie and Miguel’s efforts. It really should have never come to this need for intervention, especially when you consider the price point of $150-200+ per person. You do expect a level of service and excellence.

Honestly, we would probably go back but would be hesitant based on the experience with the waiter and the multiple other reviewers indicating similar issues. BC must do something to address the on-going...

I’m disappointed because this is a restaurant I visit a few rimes a year. What I witnessed this evening will prevent me from dining here again. A small group of people who were apparently early for a dining reservation sat near me and my partner at the bar. Shortly after (before they had a chance to order drinks) a guy claiming to be the general manager approached quite hastily demanding to know “why you were so rude and aggressive to MY staff!?” From what I gathered, the group told the hosts upon arrival that they were early for their reservation and would have a drink at the bar until a table opened up. If a table opened up early, they’d be happy to take it. The group was apparently met with some hostility by the hosts saying that there was absolutely NO WAY they would be seated before their reservation time. However, the group was able to make a reservation online for 30 minutes earlier than their original time while they were sitting at the bar. One member went up to the hosts to say, “hey we made an earlier reservation online and will be under a different name and we’re happy to be seated whenever.” This news was met with hostility from the hosts which created a stir between this guest and the host. After the guest returned to the bar to join the rest of the group was when the general manager approached. He was very aggressive towards the group demanding to know why they were rude and aggressive to his staff. The group was trying to tell him the story but the manager was VERY hostile and not listening. He escalated the situation and was eventually shouting over the guests. The entire bar side of the restaurant got quiet trying to see what was going on. The manager eventually walked off leaving the group and other diners stunned. One member of the group decided she should try and explain the situation and walked over to him as he was skulking in a corner. I asked the rest of the group what had happened and got the rest of the story. Needless to say, these guests, myself and my partner, as well as others seated nearby were quite appalled by the way the situation was handled. It was a very clear mishandling of a non-serious situation. The manager created a scene and embarrassed himself, the restaurant, and these poor guests. Maybe the restaurant was experiencing other issues which may have caused stressed for the workers but the manager did an abysmal job trying to “solve” a minor issue. This scene left a very foul taste in my mouth and it will be a long while before I...

THE ATMOSPHERE:

Friendly smiles as we approached the hostess stand. The uniformly dressed and well groomed host confirmed our reservation and then escorted us to our table adorned with a decorative encased burning candle, and formal leaning tableware. The restaurant has ambient lighting, comfortable chairs, and conveniently placed coatracks with a built in umbrella stand. There was no loud music making for easy conversation; the attire leaned towards business casual but one wouldn’t feel overdressed If opting into a more fashionable outfit as this isn’t a fine dinning establishment. The overall aesthetic is attractive.

THE SERVICE:

Professional and attentive embodying hospitality. We particularly appreciated not having to prompt to refill/order beverages because the waitstaff took initiative.

We were served individually plated hot dinner rolls with spreadable butter. All dishes arrived well timed and at the perfect temperature.

THE FOOD:

The Wagyu Dumplings were nicely crafted, in so far the flavors were well balanced and complimentary. The texture of the dumpling was perfect, but the filling was dense- reminiscent of a firm meatball.

The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was an absolute stunner, and the standout bite. The ingredients were fresh, and the crab was folded into the mixture perfectly allowing the meat to remain intact. The Old Bay Remoulade was rich and creamy aligning with the flavor profile of traditional tartar sauce.

The Grilled Hanger Steak served with Arugula Salad and Frites- meh. The steak was cooked to the requested doneness but significantly lacked flavor resulting in a disappointing bland standalone bite. However, the peppercorn sauce I shall rename “The Redeemer” salvaged the dish. The restaurant took creative liberties in describing the dressed arugula leaves as a salad, because there were no other ingredients in it- a one note bitter experience. The Frites were served hot and crispy, but plated afterwards.

THE VALUE:

This is not a budget friendly restaurant, which is okay. I did not feel overcharged because the service and atmosphere created an enjoyable dining experience. I value hospitality, and can appreciate chef crafted menus even when dishes aren’t my palate pal.

Note: Parking is a nightmare. Take caution because some of the side streets have residential only parking signs and your vehicle will be towed. Download the Park Boston app to pay for your...