Tavern in the Square — Restaurant in Tyngsborough

I have tried many times with Tavern in the Square in Tynsboro hoping for better outcomes. Sadly it keeps getting worse. In general the service at the large bar, which typically feels overstaffed always underwhelms. All the bartenders somehow seem too busy to be attentive and lack any personality whatsoever. Last night was my last effort and why I’m choosing to write this review now. Myself and a friend went in for dinner around 9:30 PM—one of the few open spots on a Monday— hoping to get something light and fresh as the menu would suggest. Couple of super basic “small bites” later, I ordered the sesame salmon bowl and she got a Greek salad. The Greek salad showed up looking like the lamest salad ever thoughtlessly constructed. It amounted simply to a bowl of shredded lettuce lacking any of the hallmarks that make up a Greek salad. Basically it was like the lettuce toppings you would get on a subway footlong. Very disappointing for something that after tip costs $20. This was naturally sent back and we got the standard apology from the manager. In addition to saying he would remove the lettuce from the bill he said he would cover the to go my friend was planning on replacing it with. We thought this was a very nice gesture until of course the General Tso’s Chicken to go was still on the bill. In the meantime we decided to just share my sesame salmon bowl which at least came with all the ingredients the menu mentioned but that’s the best I could say about it. It was like the Where’s Waldo of flavor with some dry salmon on the side. Between the 2 of us we didn’t even finish the light fare. Now I am just hearing that the to go tsos chicken (that was supposed to be comped although I didn’t mind paying assuming it would be good) that was kept for lunch today was the worst chicken she’s ever tried and had to be thrown away too. Just an overall very bad experience and an awful day for the kitchen staff. Coming from 2 people who have been to nearly every restaurant in the area and never sent anything back I was very disappointed. $150 for a couple drinks, friend pickles and some cool Ranch dip. Tough night. All that being said, the bartenders tonight did a great job and probably the best experience to date at tavern in that respect. The single service star is not a reflection on them specifically but on my experiences...

LOUD. Really Loud. So loud we couldn't hear each other across the table without almost yelling. The alt pop music was only half the problem. The ceiling is high, but like the rest of the place, was all hard surfaces, bouncing the noise around. Suggestion: at least put anechoic tiling or panels on the ceiling to deaden some of the sound. It would improve things drastically. Price point on menu is high average, and the Massachusetts taxes boost it a bit into the high priced range. The food is very good, and portions are generous. We had the " common landmark" meals, a cheeseburger, and the fish and chips. The fries for both were basic and average shoestring potatoes ( but there are several other options). The cheeseburger was good quality, fresh, " smashed" patty, brioche bun. Well prepared to well done without being overdone or dried out. The fish was a full half-fish filet of haddock, lightly breaded, not overcooked or dried out. Flaky, tender, and moist inside. Service was very good, and not intrusive or neglected. While the wait for our food was a bit long, it wasn't excessive, and probably had a bit to do with how busy they were just post-lunch rush at 14:30. The decor is very nice, and the bathrooms are well lit and very clean, which is an important detail in assessment of a restaurant. The main area is also very clean, and well lit. The forward facing wall is made up of folding glass panels, so that the dining area can be opened to the environment, like a cabana style eatery in good weather. The noise, unfortunately, was such a detraction from the experience, that we are unlikely to visit again. That is the one major flaw in the establishment...

Wish this place was better. The food is meh. We came in last night (Nov 10th), around 5:15 pm. I don't know what was going on with the host stand but I called on my way in and asked how long the wait was. Spoke to a girl at the host stand who said it would be a 30 to 40 minute wait if we walked in right then, okay... Except we were actually just getting into the parking lot while I was still on the phone so we decided to swing by and lo and behold we just walked in there was no wait at all. Tons of open tables and open booths. Great but I was kind of confused why the person on the phone tried to send us away. We asked the guy at the host stand if we could sit at one of the many open booths and he looked at his computer and then said they all had reservations specifically who wanted booths. Okay. Not a huge deal but 3 of those those booths sat empty for most of our meal and the last booth sat empty the entire hour we were there. Maybe the reservation cancelled, I don't know, but it was a little annoying. Our waitress was friendly and welcoming, she wasn't super attentive, just kind of what you'd expect for a Friday night so figured maybe she was busy, no real fault there. The food here isn't the worst but it's not great either. Very middle of the road. I want to like this place so badly but this is our second time here and each time I leave I just...