Hecate — Restaurant in Boston

I've attempted to go to this bar once before and wasn't able to get in, at the time, we were turned away at the door for a private event by a host using a very whimsical voice to turn guests away. We actually waited in a line to hear this instead of them having a sign out front which now that I think about it is sort of surprising, it took us about 10 minutes just to find out that they weren't even allowing ANYONE in. But that really isn't the purpose of my review.

I'd just like to point out that this bar has a system that is going to inevitably generate 1 star reviews. Because they don't allow reservations and ask guests to arrive and wait in a line at the start of the evening or even arrive earlier than they open just to get on a list, and then allow a short window to arrive, guests are inevitably going to find this disappointing, even if most understand there will be others who don't and will simply review poorly(As this has probably ruined their night already). And even as much as the management may reach out to these reviewers there's nothing they can do to remedy this besides just saying to come back another time and try again to get in. They can't offer a guaranteed seat for another experience because they can't even guarantee a seat to new guests, they can only offer seats night of to people who have arrived in person.

I believe the reason they use this system is to keep as many of their seats full at any possible moment, for profit(Obviously all restaurants ARE for profit, but this is to an extreme). People who make reservations in person night of are inevitably close-by, and have already sunk a lot of time in(Many people say they've waited 45 minutes to make a reservation at the door). And not allowing a grace period of any more than 15 minutes means you can quickly shuffle through reservations to find someone who will show up faster to fill that seat. This( And based on their other 1 star reviews) makes me think this restaurant is less hospitality focused and more self service focused. They could easily allow a weekly reservation list(Starting Sunday at around 1pm or something each week) and only allow reservations for exactly the number of seats in a night and schedule around specific windows, having a 5 o'clock seating, a 7 o'clock and so on(Or time specific and each allows about 1 hour of guaranteed time), for their 24 seats, and letting anyone who doesn't catch one of these guaranteed reservations sign up for a specific day to day waiting list that they can use to simply alert another person if they have a no show within 20 minutes, or if there is a cancellation. They could even require a fee to make a reservation like this to incentivize people to make their reservations. But they don't, despite all of the reviews they've gotten about this exact issue, and an issue that will not stop generating poor reviews.

The current system requires guests to wait roughly 30 minutes or more just to make a reservation, and then only allows them 15 minutes after their text for an opening to arrive. This IS without a doubt super disrespectful of peoples time. I think if this is going to continue they have to turn people away and not just put them on a waitlist. People may try and plan their night around visiting, and when that plan is (Seemingly frequently) ruined, they have to last second change where they will go. I think even if they just alerted guests that a seat would be opening soon when a guest pays their check, and then allowing about 20-25 minutes for the new guest to arrive would help a ton. But I'm also sure they won't be doing this. They will see this, write a response that let's me know about their current system, and not really look into making any changes. So I ask you the person reading my review considering going here, to think about it and decide if this is something you want to deal with. Is a good cocktail worth that or would you rather go someplace else in the city? Somewhere with significantly...

I recently visited Hecate, a speakeasy bar that had received some buzz in the local community. However, my experience left me thoroughly unimpressed and convinced that I will not be returning anytime soon. Allow me to share my grievances about this establishment, which failed to live up to its purported reputation.

First and foremost, the prices at Hecate were outrageously high. I understand that speakeasies often aim for a certain exclusivity, but this place took it to another level. The cocktails were exorbitantly priced, leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth even before taking a sip. While I appreciate unique concoctions and the effort that goes into crafting them, the prices simply did not match the quality or experience I received.

To make matters worse, the waiter who served me had a demeanor that can only be described as rude and arrogant. They seemed disinterested and displayed a condescending attitude throughout our interaction. I found their lack of professionalism appalling, and it significantly impacted my overall impression of the establishment. No customer should be subjected to such discourteous behavior, especially in a supposed upscale venue.

Moreover, the ambiance at Hecate was utterly lackluster. Speakeasies are meant to transport patrons to a bygone era, enveloping them in an alluring atmosphere that fosters conversation and enjoyment. Regrettably, Hecate failed to create any semblance of such an environment. The dim lighting felt more gloomy than romantic, and the overall decor lacked the attention to detail I expected. The absence of any discernible vibes or character further contributed to a sense of disappointment and disconnection.

Taking all these factors into account, I cannot fathom a reason to revisit Hecate. The exorbitant prices, combined with the rude and unprofessional behavior of the staff, left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Additionally, the lack of ambiance and character within the establishment only reinforced my decision to never return. I would strongly advise against wasting your time and money on this overhyped speakeasy. There are far better venues in town that provide a truly memorable experience without breaking the bank or compromising on basic customer service. Edit, to respond to owner: You are labeled as a speakeasy on different sites. Even if that’s not the case, I don’t know why a bar like you would voluntarily decide to be located in an isolated, dark alley near the trash. This “bar” has a lot of negative reviews and I advice people to look at them before going there. More importantly, I advice people to look at how the owner is responding and handling these constructive comments. Speaks volumes about the...

Excellent cocktails paired with a needlessly annoying wait list system make this place difficult and frustrating to get into, but worth it once you get in.

First up: These are the best cocktails I’ve had in Boston, imaginatively designed, very tasty and beautifully presented. Worth the extra few $$$ compared to a lot of other spots nearby. Waiters also happy to make good recommendations and talk about the drinks which is nice.

The biggest negative here is the waitlist system which has been designed in an extremely annoying way which makes it highly likely you will miss your slot after waiting hours.

If you go on Friday or Saturday you aren’t going to get a table when you arrive, so you will go on the waitlist. The way this works is you get a text as soon as a table becomes available for a party your size - from that moment you have 15 mins to get to the bar and claim the table before they text the next person. Note that the text doesn’t tell you this - so if you don’t immediately leave wherever you are and run to get there there is a high likelihood you will be disappointed when you arrive. It took 2.5hrs for us to get this text after showing up originally at 6pm, during which time we had drinks and dinner somewhere else. Even though we left the other restaurant as quickly as we could, getting the check, paying and walking over still took more than 15 mins so we missed our slot.

When we arrived there were several groups in the same position, who were justifiably annoyed. One couple took 18 mins to get there and still lost their slot. We were lucky that another group of three gave up their slot so we were able to get that after a second short wait.

If the owners of this bar care about not annoying their potential customers, they could do the following: in the text telling people their table is available, include a time when you will give the table away so folks know how long they have to get there and can make an informed decision send a text to folks when they are e.g. 3rd in line for a table so they know their slot may be coming soon and can plan accordingly. tell people when they go on the waitlist how many people are ahead of them so they can figure out whether to go have dinner somewhere or wait nearby.

Clearly the buzz around this place is enough that it’s full all the time at the moment so this isn’t affecting the bottom line, but have to feel that in the long term it would be better to try to leave people feeling positive about their experience, even if they...