Craft Food Halls - Revolution Hall — Restaurant in Lexington

UPDATE: I heard from the marketing director shortly after posting this review, and he quickly helped right the situation via refunding the $12 fee for not returning the card. I still have a big problem with the policy to begin with, and definitely the way it is (not) communicated and implemented. I would give this place at least 4 stars if they either did away with this practice completely, or at least made some changes to it. I think some small, easy changes could make a big difference. Like, communicating it clearly. Repeatedly. Verbally and with signage. Reconsider the price point - $12 is ludicrous. Allow a grace period. We tried to return our cards the next morning and were told the fee was a done deal, end of story. I do very much appreciate the prompt and satisfactory resolution, but it should not have come to that. I hope they reconsider this, there's a lot to like about this place that I wish I felt better about.

A decent experience last night was completely ruined by a surprise $12 charge to my credit card this morning. They have a weird system where the bartender runs your credit card and then issues you a special chipped card you then use to buy/pour drinks right from the tap, and the charges go right to your credit card. This system was never really explained to us, by the way, beyond some mumbling from the guy behind the bar. But we figured it out. Couple friends and I had a nice night there, and without thinking, headed home with the cards they had issued us. Next morning we noticed the message on the back of the card, "Kindly return your card to avoid a $12 service charge." This is the only notice we got about this, by the way - nothing/nobody at the venue ever said anything about it (which I am 100% convinced is by design). We noticed we had each already been charged the $12 fee, but we went back to the place to return the cards, figuring the charges would be refunded. Nope! The guy there told us there would be no refunds - once you leave without returning the card, that's it. He did offer us a gift card instead, but I have zero interest in returning to this place. This is the textbook definition of customer-last policy & attitude, and they won't be getting another dime from me, nor should they from...

Like others have said, the atmosphere is great. The layout is fun with couches, tables and games (ping pong / shuffle board) inside and an artificial grass outdoor area when the weather is nice. I'd definitely recommend taking a bike ride up the Minuteman Trail and stopping by for a drink.

Having said that, the process to both order food and drinks needs to be tweaked. The self service ordering process, QR codes/Toast menu for food and drinks card for beers/self service taps, isn't very intuitive.

For example, it wasn't clearly explained why I needed a separate drink card or why I had to turn it back in at the end of the visit. You can just add money on to a prepaid laundymat card or MBTA Charlie card and reuse the cards forever. A ski resort card or college id card just charges your linked credit card in batches without requiring the resort card to be turned back in (they like you to reuse the cards). At the food hall, I had to stand in line to get a food hall card, stand in line at the self service taps, eventually pour the beer and then track someone down to turn the card back in and close out my bill. At that point, they charge your credit card and make you sign a slip of paper like at a restaurant anyway. If you don't turn the food hall card back in, they charge you a penalty fee. It's a lot of steps, where a cooler of cans and checkout kiosk like in the Agganis Arena or TD Garden concourses would have been fine for Sat afternoon patio drinks.

Also, the food vendor sent me a text that my food was ready, but when I walked up to the counter, the food wasn't there. The food preparation employees also weren't prepared to answer customer questions (required to talk to customers?). I think what happened was the system texted me when the sticker was printed out, but before the food was packaged and put on the counter. Just an unnecessarily confusing situation if you're standing by the counter with the text that says your food is ready and there's no order up.

It seems like a fun place to visit, but it's very self service oriented. The first impression would be much better if there were more employees to explain how everything works and help you get you started the first time with the food and drink...

My husband and I had the pleasure over the weekend to visit for the Troegs event at Craft Food Hall - Revolution Hall in Lexington. Set away from the city center in an industrial zone sits this modern location with plenty of parking. It's off of 95, allowing access to distant guests. Upon entering, the staff is friendly and attentive, explaining their self-serve tap service operates. By authorizing a debit or credit card, patrons are provided with a card to keep track of which beverages are poured. Their selection was predominantly Troegs due to the event, but they also had a cider option, wines, and a full bar. There was plenty of seating not only at the bar but at high top tables and regular tables, too. Outdoor seating would definitely be enjoyable during the warmer weather, but there was a fire pit some guests were sitting around during our visit. A side portion of the space is dedicated to a counter in front of the restrooms (easily obstructed by guests), some couches, and even some games to play. My major issue with this location is their misleading name - it's not a "food hall" but rather a bar with three types of food available. Selections range from pizza, salads, and bowls to sandwiches and burgers. These kitchens are in one portion of the building, and ordering is done through a tablet next to the taps. There are gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan choices available, which is handy. Once your food is ready, a text message is sent, and you pick it up from their counter. While my salad bowl was ready in ten minutes, we waited an additional 15 minutes, and my husband's burger wasn't on the counter. He had to ask one of the staff, and they handed it over since they never placed it on the counter and had been sitting there for who knows how long. We would visit this place again to sample an array of craft beers since the price is very reasonable. I'm unsure if we would order food again, but it's good to know...