Dillon's — Restaurant in Boston

TL;DR Awful, disrespectful service. Called ahead to secure a space for a large group and we were ignored, treated like a nuisance, and basically made clear we were not wanted. None of us are going back.

Full (Long) Story I work at a store nearby of about 250 employees. We will occasionally have gatherings at local spots to celebrate birthdays, promotions, just general fun.

A friend was having a birthday and called about a week ahead to see if DIllons could accommodate a large-ish group of about 30, with folks coming and going throughout the night. She tried to book the place for a Friday night, so she knew it may be busy and wanted to make sure this could work. They said this was fine.

When my group arrived after our shift, a few folks had already shown up early. They got a table on the patio but when we tried to join them, they warned us that they had been told we’d all get thrown out of too many of us tried to sit on the patio.

So the rest of us decide to go to the bar. Their front bar is not super large, so this ended up being a disaster and it took close to 20 minutes for the first of us to get a drink. By this point the birthday girl showed up and was trying to secure us a space.

They decided to stick us on these tables towards the back; not the back room but rather ones that line the hall to get to the back. The tables could fit maybe 8 people comfortably and anybody standing was blocking the hall to get to the back.

Another group had been giving that room. We were told if we wanted table service one person would have to put down a credit card to assure payment. With us expecting upwards of 50 people coming and going through the night, we obviously weren’t going to do that, but we were not getting service at the bar.

Once the group who had the back space showed up, it was a miserable, cramped mess. It was obvious the staff didn’t want us there. I ended up leaving, having never gotten a drink.

After the fact the rest of our group left and went to another spot nearby who’s always accommodated us happily, knew us well and had no issue with the large, transient group.

Needless to say, never going back, and our staff of 250+ people all heard about how we were treated and take their business...

TLDR: Great spot for food, beer, and cocktails. Service is sometimes slow, but food/drinks always come out quick. They usually have sports playing on the TVs. Can be loud inside if they're super packed or a big game is happening - not a complaint, but something to keep in mind if you're looking for somewhere quieter.

I've been multiple times over the years. Food is always hot, fresh, and delicious. Their beer and drink menu is also great. Beer menu isn’t crazy long, but has a solid selection and is the perfect length in my opinion (but could be short if you're expecting pages on pages of options).

Looks small, but is surprisingly spacious! Can be loud inside, but nothing crazy or unexpected. Patio and indoor seating available.

Only rating 4 stars because service and customer experience could use some slight improvements, but it's nothing overwhelmingly terrible.

Their fried pickles are some of the best I've had in Boston, but I've noticed their portions have gone down with an increase in price, which is disappointing. Otherwise, the food is good and fair priced (on par with other restaurants nearby).

Usually, the service is great, but occasionally, waitstaff seem overwhelmed and understaffed because of longer waits for the bill, plates, and waters - it's never a terribly long wait though! I've never had to get their attention to ask for these, but something to consider if you're in a rush. Despite this, the food and drinks always come out quick and nothing is ever forgotten.

Also, the quality of their cocktails seems to fluctuate. My friend has ordered the Old Fashioned many times - usually, it's great! But on our most recent visit, it was way too sweet and tasted super syrupy.

Overall, great place! Would recommend to anyone looking for a casual spot to grab food/drinks and to watch whatever game is on.

I'll keep coming back as long as the fried pickles stay...

Each year, I attend music/college seminars in Boston, MA. 100's of students visit from all over the world for yearly conferences. Tipping isn't the same in every country and many of my colleagues didn't understand the concept of tipping. The staff was somewhat rude due to the cultural difference. They were under the impression that not many of us spoke English and I was over hearing what they were saying. I overheard the waitress tell another server that, "I'm not getting anything from these guys" and continue to complain as if we were unble to understand English. I ordered a burger and it was nothing like the same burger I had ordered just that afternoon at lunch. At the end of the night, I was among the last to leave. As we were all paying our tabs, several of my colleagues were asking, "what is a tip." Each time, the server answered with a sarcastic answer and more frustration. When it was my turn, I asked, "how much would you like me to tip?" The server answered with a frustrated "don't worry about it." I explained that I was an American and I understood how frustrating it could be. I also explained that it was rude to complain about customers in front of customers who didn't speak English. I also offered to tip for the entire party of 17. The server seemed a little embarrassed and told me again, not to worry.

I want to point out the quality of service and food I recieved was completely different when I was with English speaking customers who understood the concept of restaurants in the states. Boston is a huge city that attracts customers from many different countries from many different cultures. Please have patience with these type of customers; as my friends from Brazil, India, and Russia have different customs. Next time, I will avoid eating at...