Town Meeting Bistro — Restaurant in Lexington

Summary: Good potential, not so good execution. Expensive, but not worth the price.

Location: The decor is great. Very quaint, colonial setting in one large room. The downside is that it gets very noisy.

Service: Not quite up to snuff for the category this restaurant is trying to fit into. There was one server, and about 5 'helpers'. The helpers were young kids who were a bit awkward because they were inexperienced and seemed afraid of doing anything wrong. Unfortunately, since they were so young, they couldn't serve drinks. Because there was only one server, there was very little personal attention that you would expect from an expensive restaurant. He basically took your order and brought it to you. He did a great job of handling a full restaurant by himself though.

Food: The portions were small, which was unfortunate, as it took well over an hour and a half from the time we ordered our entree to the time we received it. The plating was beautiful, but the flavors were nothing special. I tried oysters, duck confit, and a mozzarella dish for appetizers, and none really stood out. My pork loin entree was pretty standard and didn't taste nearly as good as it looked or sounded when I ordered it.

Beverages: The beer selection, while not standard Inbev brands, was very small and pretty overpriced. The one beer I really wanted, being a beer geek, was out of stock. The IPAs I ordered were served out of a pilsner glass.

For six people, we spent $500. Overall, I would say if you are going to spend the kind of money you can get a better experience with better service, better food, better portions, and better atmosphere from places nearby in Concord like Bondir...

If you like waiting a very long time for very mediocre food that's over priced, you are in for a treat!

I am genuinely confused by the good reviews on here.

First, you walk in to... empty rooms... and a desk with a phone number to call. We ended up finding the restuarant in the back.

Second, the service was terrible. Servers themselves are very nice, but it took 30 minutes after drinks for them to take our dinner order. We were one of four tables... in the entire place.

Third, the menu was tiny compared to what was listed online.

Fourth, they brought bread that is incredibly stale. Like rock hard focaccia bread. I stupidly took a bite, thinking, it can't be right. Stale. Dry. Wrong. We started with the clam chowder, which I do not recommend if you actually like clam chowder. If you like bland soup with chunks of veggies and bits of clam, then this is for you. I got the burger and fries because they didnt have hanger steak, burratini, lamb, flounder, or duck. The burger was just fine. Nothing crazy, just a regular burger that you can over cook at home. Over priced for nothing special burger. My partner got the char. He said it was good. I tried it and, again, it was just regular. Nothing special. Very disappointing meal all around. Most of the menu is reduced down to a few things.

I am giving two stars, because its clean and the servers were nice... when...

Absolutely phenomenal food and even better service.

Town Meeting Bistro is a lovely little dining room in the back of a fancy little old inn in historic Lexington. The menu shows off seasonal, farm-to-table ingredients in a variety of upscale, but not pretentious, dishes, and the quaint decor evokes an 18th century-inspired feel without being over the top.

I arrived just after 8:00 (they close at 9:00) without a reservation, and after checking with the kitchen that they could accommodate me, no one on staff ever treated me like an inconvenience. I was serviced with kindness, sincerity, and class - and I made sure to return it with copious, well-deserved thanks.

The food was incredible. I had a parsnip soup with poached pears and candied pecans which was, for my mouth, like coming in from the winter cold to a warm blanket on the couch. It was so good, I’m determined to try and recreate it at home. I followed that up with a wild mushroom risotto which made me count my blessings that I enjoy both mushrooms and risotto. I washed it all down with a delightful rye cocktail, and would have partaken of dessert if my company dining budget would have had the space (it was also approaching 9:00 and I wanted to be considerate to the staff).

All in all, a fantastic experience. I’ll be sure to visit again, and perhaps stay at the...