21North — Restaurant in Medfield

My husband & I met a couple of friends for an early dinner on a Sunday. The friends ordered their food because we were running late. The waitress took my drink order and a few minutes later, the owner or manager (not sure who he was) told me there is a charge because there was a band playing in the background. He asked if I wanted it added to my bill rather than pay cash which I said “yes” to. I asked how much it would be & he replied “$20.” I was shocked thinking it was some nominal charge, especially since I was there to order dinner, not just hanging out & drinking. I asked if the $20 will go towards the bill since we planned to order a full dinner and he said it’s an additional charge. I asked if he was joking but he wasn’t. $20 charge for coming in to eat dinner and the prices are expensive which I can understand between inflation, post covid, pay for staff, etc but to charge patrons that much extra per person (not per party). Had I not already ordered my drink & met up with the friends, I would have walked out immediately. The friends were also unaware of the outrageous charge. You can go out to eat in nearby towns with similar food & drinks, listen to live music in the background & not get whacked with an additional charge. It’s too bad because I’ve heard rave reviews which must be on nights when there is no live music. If necessary, charge a nominal charge NOT $20 per person!! If there are nights without live music, I might consider returning but if they’re going to charge $20 per person for coming in to eat, then I definitely will not return. C’mon, it’s Medfield, not Boston or NYC!

EDIT: I can’t reply to the comment from the owner so adding an edit to my review. There was no sign on the door or anyone asking when I walked in about being aware there was a private party going on. We simply went to meet a couple of friends for dinner with background music. I guess if I am ever to return, I will plan ahead & call to make sure we don’t run into something...

As someone who used to dine at the former Zebra in this very spot, it was refreshing to walk into 21North and experience the new energy this family-owned restaurant has brought to Medfield Center. It’s clear that a lot of heart and effort have gone into transforming the space—not just physically, but also in terms of vibe, hospitality, and the sense of community it cultivates.

Our Father’s Day dinner got off to a bit of a shaky start—some small service hiccups and the digital menu format took us a little by surprise—but to be fair, the team was managing a lot behind the scenes, and it was clear they were doing their best to accommodate and serve everyone with care.

The food had some solid highlights. The soft pretzel bites were fun to share, the fish tacos were satisfying, and the barbecue bar pizza had good flavor. The real winners for us were the desserts—the cinnamon cereal cake was light and creative, and the chocolate chip cookie with ice cream was rich and nostalgic in the best way.

What stood out most beyond the food was the sense of family. Learning more about the story behind the restaurant—the legacy of the building, the commitment of the owners to the town, and the ways they’re showing up for their staff and community—made me appreciate the meal even more in retrospect. It’s not just a restaurant, it’s a labor of love, and that means something.

It’s great to see another local spot offering live music, thoughtfully crafted drinks, and a comfortable space to gather. Medfield benefits when places like this thrive, and it’s clear that 21North is working hard to offer something special.

Looking forward to coming back—next time, I’ll take a seat at the bar and enjoy it for what it is: a local gem with a story to tell and a...

I was really looking forward to my reservation here for my sisters and my birthday. The food looked amazing and the atmosphere was adorable. However, I was really disappointed when we had to leave the restaurant because our seating was not handicap accessible for my grandmother and the restaurant could not accommodate. I understand the restaurant is small and seating is limited but what frustrates me is that the seating options are not well advertised on the website. But most of all, I was beyond frustrated with the way this was handled by the manager. The initial response from the manager lacked any apology and immediately blamed us for not requesting handicap seating in the reservation or letting them know ahead of time we had a handicap person in our party. There was no apology until we decided to leave but the apology was still pointing the finger back at us “if we had known, you should have told us”

I was even more disappointed that the manager was able to call me 2 days prior to our reservation to tell me that I could not bring a cake to our dinner unless we wanted to pay $30 to bring our own cake. But they couldn’t ask me if we were ok with high top seating at the time?

This restaurant lacks ADA accessible seating and I think that should be better advertised at the time of making a reservation. It should never be assumed that everyone is able bodied.

Additionally, I am VERY disappointed with the response from the manager in this situation. I understand that it was too late for our table to be rearranged due to the capacity of the restaurant. However, there could have been more sincerity and less blaming from...