Waypoint — Restaurant in Cambridge

My family and I have been going to Waypoint for years, often to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, or new jobs. We’ve always left saying the food was exceptional and the service was excellent. Last night, though, was a different experience. We were warmly greeted by the hostess, who asked if we were celebrating something. We told her it was my wife’s birthday, and she wished her a happy birthday before showing us to our reserved table. So far, so good. A member of the support staff poured water, and shortly after, our server introduced himself. He was pleasant enough, but we could tell early on that we were not going to receive the level of service we’ve come to expect at Waypoint. After ordering drinks, my wife asked for a cocktail napkin to dispose of her gum. The server said he would bring one but did not return with it until five minutes after delivering our drinks. That small delay set the tone for the evening. While he technically did not forget anything, it was clear we were not a priority. We started with 24 oysters and two appetizers, which were delicious! We then ordered 12 more oysters, and it took several minutes for the server to enter the order into the system. It took even longer for them to arrive. By the time they did, we were tired of waiting and decided to order our entrées. We chose the fish and chips, lobster cacio e pepe, and Johana crab angel hair. The fish and chips came out first and were amazing! Unfortunately, it was served well before the other dishes, so we all picked at it while waiting. Eight minutes later, the lobster cacio e pepe arrived and was also excellent! Then it took another 12 minutes after the lobster cacio e pepe before the final dish, the Johana crab angel hair, to be served. Aside from one brief check-in to say it was on its way, there was no acknowledgment from the server that the timing was off. When the last dish finally came, the server brought a small three-ounce pour of the beer I was drinking as a peace offering. What added to the frustration was the presence of a manager doing laps around the dining room. He looked at our table more than once but never came over. Had he simply stopped by, he would have seen we were eating in shifts and might have checked in. Instead, he walked in circles, spinning his keys on his finger, chatting with the staff, and appearing totally unaware or uninterested that one of us had finished eating before the last person even got their meal. When the bill arrived, we were more than ready to leave. I put my credit card down, and instead of simply picking it up and bringing it to the credit card machine, which was three feet from our table, the server walked around the restaurant, went to the back, and then finally returned with our credit card slip. I know what you might be thinking — maybe the machine was broken. It was not. We watched several other servers use it...

I have only lived in Boston for 6 months and have tried over 65 restaurants since I've been here but I don't think any restaurant has made me say "WOW" and sit back in my seat like Waypoint. Top 3, if not top 1, dining experience I've had in Boston so far! I had been to Alden + Harlow and loved it so I thought I would give Waypoint a try

Wait: The two of us had 8 PM reservations on a Saturday night and arrived 10 minutes early. The table before us was just finishing up their meal and we were seated right around 8...a great start to the evening.

Setting: The restaurant is large and dimly-lit with high ceilings and interesting light fixtures. You walk in and immediately next to the hostess you will see the oyster bar filled with fresh oysters. Tables are sufficiently spaced so that even since it is a large restaurant, it feels intimate. You will not be elbow to elbow with other diners like at other seafood restaurants in the city like The Daily Catch or Neptune Oyster.

Food: I usually reserve 5 stars on Yelp for restaurants that NAIL every single dish and Waypoint is no exception. When asked what my favorite was, I listed every single item below. I could not pick a favorite or even two favorites. I can only imagine what I didn't order which warrants a trip back!

Nantucket Bay Scallop - Scallops and Pear...an unlike pair (get it?) but wow it was delicious. The scallops were rich and perfectly cooked and was complimented by the sweetness of the pear tart tatine. 3 more orders next time please!

Maine Lobster Tail - though small, it was big on flavor with brown butter aioli and chili garlic oil. Though I don't love bread, I wish I had some bread to soak up all the sauce. I was relegated to having to use my fork continuously to savor every last ounce of sauce.

Market Vegetables - perfectly cooked beets, spaghetti squash, and multi-colored potatoes dressed with a black garlic tehina (think hummus) and pistachios. Who knew vegetables could be so good (I'll take the recipe for this one please).

Wood Roasted Char Belly - this is one we weren't initially planning on getting but the waiter recommended it and we were so glad they did. The fish was perfectly cooked while the skin was perfectly crisped.

Octopus Polpetti - the only pasta dish we got but WOW that sauce. The pasta was covered in garum (a fish sauce), mint and chilies, yet another sauce I need the recipe for. The octopus came in the form of fried balls (looked like hush puppies) which we were surprised by but it was still delicious.

I CANNOT WAIT to bring visitors to Boston and locals alike back to Waypoint so I can try more things on the menu. I...

This used to be one of my favorite place but not anymore! We came for dinner at 6pm and were looking to get $1 oysters. We were then told that for Fridays and Saturdays the $1 oysters deal are only for at the bar. I was bit confused - because prior to making the reservation for a table online I called ahead and asked if the restaurant still has the $1 oyster deal from 5-7 pm, which at the time the person over the phone confirmed that there is the $1 oyster deal from 5-7pm and there was no mentioning of it only being at the bar for Fridays and Saturdays at the time. The table next to us had the exact same question because based on the restaurant’s website they also thought that there would be a $1 oyster deal. Our server went and got the manager. However, when the manager came to explain the situation to us he was super rude and condescending. He started out by restating that the $1 oyster deals on Fridays and Saturdays are only for at the bar. Which then I told him, yes I wasn’t aware of that because when I call ahead and asked, no one mentioned this. The manager still went on and say, well whoever that person was, they’re wrong. It has always been like this, for about two years now. I then mentioned that we came here last year on a Saturday, sat at a table and got one and a half dozen $1 oysters. The manager was very rude and just responded that if it was lat year, he was at the restaurant and that shouldn’t have happened, it’s just not correct. I’m not even trying to win the argument and say who’s right or who’s wrong but simply trying to explain my point of view of what happened. But instead we got a very rude from the manager. We did end up getting offered to get a dozen $1 oyster but the whole experience was just extremely unpleasant. If they have stated the deal more clearly then this wouldn’t have happened, not to mention the table next to us had the exact same issue too. No one should go to a restaurant and be talked down to like that by a restaurant manager. And in addition, the whole night the service was super slow and food was just mediocre. For the price you are paying to eat at this place, there are way better restaurants in Boston to...