Meh. I wanted to love this place but nah I'm good. I went here on a trip back to Boston last weekend and was excited to enjoy dinner with old friends. There were 8 of us total. There's no denying that this place is huge and beautiful inside, and my early 20s self would've likely been soooo hyped on it. But alas now I'm skeptical of everything. I arrived with my boyfriend and we were the first of the group to show up. They didn't take reservations but I was pleasantly surprised that they sat us right away, despite it looking relatively busy and our party not being entirely present yet- so that was a plus. Now to the downfalls: the service was subpar, at best. He duped us into paying $8 for Voss water when we asked for still water- which apparently means bottled overpriced nonsense. Foolishness. But whatever that could've been the least of the problem. There were 8 of us, all ordered meals plus appetizers and the majority of the group ordered multiple cocktails as well- so you'd think we would be a table worth paying attention to from the waiter's perspective. Apparently not. He took our orders and then disappeared for the rest of the night. The food was good, but surely not worth the ridiculous prices for some of the items ($20+ for pad Thai? Lol). The sushi was fantastic though. Aside from being essentially nonexistent, said waiter was also pretty rude and unpleasant toward us overall when he did actually show his face. It's such a shame really- this place seemed like a spot that our group would love to return to for future gatherings, but this experience ruined that possibility. read more

Great atmosphere for a date night or a party! We were seated at a table in the middle of the room for a party of 12! Drinks are strong but very good, all the women went with mai tais and the men had mixed drinks and beer. Prices are on the expensive side around $12-15 For food we shared the lobster cupcakes which were amazing, a crap cake with great lobster in the middle and a creamy mouse on top as frosting! We shared a larger order of pad thai along with our sushi and it was way too much! That could easily feed 4 people, we had 5 eating it along with our sushi and had leftovers! I got the lo mein and would say pass it up next time, there was a real lack of chicken and vegetables in it! It felt like eating angel hair spaghetti with no flavor! read more

Empire - Lobster Cupcakes! - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is my first review in a long time! Because this place is one of the first that has stood out to me in a long time. First of all, a quick shout-outs to the awesome service from Thuy, my friend and I agreed that she played a large part of this memorable experience. I don't know why this place has a 3-star. Maybe it doesn't do well as a nightclub, but the food here is extraordinary. Musts: Lobster Cupcakes, and Torched Yellowtail Maki. Also of note: Cambodian rice, in my opinion, a rice version of the Pad Thai, great flavours. The drinks/cocktails didn't particularly stand out for us. May just stick to the wine list next time. read more

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The food was AMAZING. However, the waitress was extremely rude, unprofessional and tacky. 3 examples: 1. When I said, "the food is so good you must love working here!" the waitress replied, "I try to bring my own meals; I don't like to eat heavy, you get sick of it," WOW. Okay. Not the response you would expect from someone representing a business. 2. When one of my friends ordered two drinks, the waitress told her she could only order one drink at a time. When my friend replied that the other drink was for someone else, the waitress replied that the other person would have to be here. That's when I raised my hand and told her she was ordering both of our drinks together. Then the waitress said, "well I still have to see your IDs." Girl - calm down. Super un-classy. 3. When my group and I left, there was all girls and only 1 guy, and the female who had been our waitress looked at the male in our group only and said have a great night to him only. Ew. Really tacky. read more

One of the only spots that allow dogs on the patio (non-service animals). Lovely service (thanks, Peggy!) What I ordered: Kanpachi Carpaccio Tuna Truffle Sashimi Spicy Salmon "Rice Bites" Spicy Tuna Maki Cloud 9 Kyuri Crush What I'd order again: Kanpachi Carpaccio Spicy Salmon "Rice Bites" Spicy Tuna Maki Kyuri Crush read more

They weren't accommodating to us and wouldn't even come up with alternatives when faced with the issue. Never been faced with such bad service any where else and have had the mood ruined especially considering that it was my friends birthday party. read more

3.5 stars, if I was able... Unfortunately, a lovely venue and ambience, as well as an extensive cocktail menu, is brought down by their sub-par food. The location is beautiful, with an expansive dining room and plenty of space for intimate couples and big groups. We were here on a date and felt appropriately cozy despite the large dining room size. The drink menu is huge, but we opted for overpriced beer because we had cocktails elsewhere before our meal. Their cocktail list sounded good, but ran around $14/drink. Hopefully, they are worth that price... but we cannot vouch for that. The food menu is fairly large, but feels small if you want something in particular (few rice dishes, few seafood dishes, few noodle dishes, etc). We found it difficult to find something that suited our desires. Nonetheless, I ordered the steak and kimchi fried rice and my husband ordered the street noodles. Both of our dishes were 90% noodles/rice and 10% the actual description of meat/veggies. I could not find any kimchi in my dish whatsoever. So, would we go back? For fancy overpriced drinks, probably yes... for a meal, no. Maybe they will hone in on what they do well and create a better focused dining experience that doesn't feel so much like a sad, broad appeal to the masses. read more

Empire - Uhhh... steak & kimchi? I only see rice.... - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love this place! Its actually huge and can be fun on the weekends in the lounge area. The seating is also really nice which makes you want to stay longer. The drinks are oh my god amazing. They have a watermelon drink that comes in a watermelon!!! and it tastes delicous. Bit expensive but its so worth it. There ambiance is really cool, they have some wall decorations with mirrors and its really dark and intimate!! Came with a big group and we just ordered a bunch of apps. The dumplings were my favorite. Our server was awesome she always came back to check on us, filled up our drinks, could hold a conversation and made us all laugh! Having a great server will seriously make your experience. read more

Empire - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I love it here. Food is great. Service is great. I come back often. It's poppin on the weekend so reservations recommended. There is bar seating and fine dining available. Music on the weekends. Fav dishes: steak + frites, salmon bites, and scallion pancakes. read more

Second time I've been here and it was another subpar experience. After waiting over 25 minutes for a server to come to our table, I had to go to the hostess stand to finally get someone. The server (who wasn't apologetic at all) came over and took our order. I didn't see that man again until I finally took my credit card out and put it on the table. Didn't ask how the food was, if we needed anything, if we wanted more drinks, nothing. And on top of all of that, the food here is mediocre at best. I would have been better off ordering Chinese food from some local hole in the wall place down the street instead of going to this overhyped PF Changs ripoff. read more

This is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. If you want a fancy place for any occasion with great ambience and good food, this is it. The service is great and quick. Their dessert -Shanghai mud pie is too good!! Food is delicious and their noodles are yum! Would definitely visit this place again read more

Empire - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Food was okay but hostess was super rude (hostess with green sweater). We waited for 30minutes for our server to come and we rushed eating our food. The lady asked us to leave with an attitude and told us it was illegal to be there at 10pm. We understand that with COVID regulations are getting stricter but the approach was very wrong and inappropriate. We are truly disappointed. read more

Before I start this review, I would like to call out Maria the hostess! Maria was an amazing hostess who greeted us with nothing but warm smiles. Now, to continue my review; I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE. The staff is externally rude. I was on a business trip with my team and we decided to eat out together. We then found out that Empire was unable to split the check read more

Came here for the first time with my boyfriend while visiting Boston. This place has beautiful setting, great music and crowd! Amazing drinks too! Super pretty! If you like fruity pretty drinks then this place is great for that. I had the spicy guava margarita and the pineapple mai tai (for 2) and both were great. NANCY was an amazing bartender! She took care of and was super attentive and friendly. Would definitely return! Thank you Empire and Nancy for allowing us to have a great experience! read more

Empire - Guava spicy margarita - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I don't like giving bad reviews, but beware here . My server was wonderful, but the food was Horrible! First the menu you see on the website is not the website at the restaurant. I'm a vegetarian, I ordered hot and sour soup .. completely inedible.., just awful. Next , ordered sautéed vegetables, plate of broccoli and bok coy ... literally nothing else. I returned the soup, then returned the veggies... next tried the lo Mein ... the saltiest thing I ever ate , actually made me vomit. Bottom line , service was great .... food was terrible! Might be a fun place to drink... don't eat . read more

HAIRS IN FOOD? Found a long black hair in my dinner entree.. requested they take it back and bring a fresh order to the table. I heavily salted the food so I would know if they gave me the same plate. GUESS WHAT? I am beyond disgusted at this restaurant I will be further reporting this to the board of health. The manager didn't even address the situation and instead sent some nervous new server to apologize. Classy read more

I am not a big fan of Asian Food but my girlfriend loves this place so we went... Glad I did. Heres a rundown..... Atmosphere: Cool decor in a great location right by the water. Open space and not at all cramped. Service: Tyler (Manbun---Stud) you KILLED it. Thank you for making sure there was "Happy Birthday" on the dessert and for the quick and attentive service. He was slammed around 8 PM and is a PRO. Cost: Don't understand the price to portion model (Overpriced). All in all if I had to come again I would not go against it. read more

The place offers beautifully presented sushi that is also an explosion of flavor with each bite. I tried about 8 different items from the Wednesday all you can "eat/try" menu - I think the Empress House may be my favorite. read more

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I came here last night for a friend's birthday and everything was perfect! We started with potstickers, rangoon's, salmon rice bites, salt+pepper calamari & beef teppanyaki. All delicious. For our entrees we had sesame beef, house fried rice & rock roll. Drinks, food, atmosphere and service are all top notch. I'll definitely be back read more

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I'm not sure how this place can get anything lower than a 4 star. The menu is phenomenonally amazing , savory, and every bite is nearly an orgasm. The decor is a feast to the eyes. If there was ever an Asian heaven , this is what it would look like. Love the fact that the nightlife crowd attracts a wide range of diversity which is always a plus. I also love that it's Lounge - like yet still has that club feel. The music volume is enough to feel the beat but not overwhelming enough to cloud your conversation. Really guys.... just look at my pictures pick your choice , everything was good. My top 3 favorites were the Tuna Tartare, Spicy Salmon Rice Bites , and the Hot and Sour Soup. read more

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Went here after work on a Friday. The decor and ambiance are the things that drew me to this place. The large doors, plush seating, and Asian style decor are great. The wait staff is very friendly, attentive and sexy (in their corsets ). Service was prompt. I like that they have a food runner bring you the food and tell you the ingredients in the food and how it was made. We ordered the chicken teriyaki and they made french fries with Parmesan cheese olive oil and rosemary (it wasn't on the menu). The food was delicious. We also ordered a bottle of red wine that was tasty. This place is pretty pricey but if you want to treat yourself or someone to something nice this is the place. Oh and at night they have a DJ and the dance floor opens up. read more

Empire - The food was consumed so quickly i didnt have time to take a photo...its that good. - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ok, I definitely have to start making it out to the seaport area more often. So many delightful surprises! Empire kind of reminds me of Red Lantern but like 10 times better. The space has a very rich and welcoming decor--love the sky high ceilings and double doors. So much room to breathe. Docking a star because the night had a bit of a rough start with getting seated/set up. I was meeting a friend and opted to sit at the bar across from the kitchen. We were planning on having drinks and apps, so I didn't want a table, and where I sat just made more sense because there were a ton of people at the other bar already and I just wanted to some elbow room and a bit more quiet. After about 5 min, I was able to flag someone down to get some water/a menu and the whole interaction was just really weird. I felt like I sat at the wrong place and the server seemed very annoyed with me in a "whatever, you can sit here, i don't care" kind of way. Now that I work part time in customer service for $9/hour, I really don't understand this kind of behavior. Luckily, eveyrhting was smooth sailing after she peaced out. At this point, I don't remember what we ate, but it was fried and delicious. Our actual sever was a sweetheart--it was his first shift working on his own. Overall the experience was nice, and I would definitely come back. Great date venue! read more

Went to seaport during the weekend and was looking for a place for dinner after we went to Taiyaki. Went to three restaurants and all were full then walked into Empire. The decor beautiful, great for a date. I got the braised duck which had a delicious sauce, tender duck, yummy purple potatoes. My girlfriend got the steak frites and both found to be delicious. On the more expensive side but worth it read more

Empire - Duck - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Nice place and atmosphere to hang by the seaport.. staffs are nice and bartender are cool. Drinks I would say are decent but the food are overpriced. Food I wouldn't go crazy for if you want a full stomach and walk out satisfying. So don't expect great food from here. Wish they improve on their food menu. Otherwise it's a trendy place to have drinks. read more

My tour through Big Night venues continues. Ive been to explorateur (nice) and the Grand (hell no) I spent the evening and a few bills at Empire last night. We are and drank and danced in the lounge which turns into a club of sorts late night. Consistently the food and drink are better at other places with a similar style. The costs are very high for something that is consistently bland. However the service is consistently good. My waitress at the end of the long table was quite good. And the gentleman on security was helpful. It does feel like the staff is a little overworked. I had the Tuna Tartare, pot stickers, and red dragon roll. The tuna was very good. Potstickers were like they came from Market Basket. And the red dragon roll was pretty horrible. Very little flavor. The drinks also had no soul. They pale in comparison to what you get at say Lolita or Better Sorts. I think the food and beverage program here needs a reboot. The venue itself however is well designed and built. I might try it once more. But overall I feel, like my time at the Grand, ripped off. read more

Very pricey, but the food here was so delicious. We got the pot stickers, rangoons, empire house maki, dragon roll, fried rice, pad Thai & crispy sal roll, all fantastic! I would not recommend the apricot cucumber martini. read more

The place is MASSIVE, HUGE. Fusion approach sushi that isn't "fusion" in the sense of fusing it with "other cultures" but in a "new generation does food their way and bring in the influences that mean something to them". Reasonably priced, not sort on "umami". Fried rice cakes shaped like a "mini mofongo" or cupcake, stuffed with lobster and spicy mayo - great special, full of flavor. We also loved the short rib mushu - the small bowl fills two people no problem. The tuna tartar was a bowl of "mess" because of the bottom sauce pool - but it worked! We also tasted lobster rangoon, a couple of pot stickers and sushi - all with consistent results. They have all you can eat sushi Mondays (limited selection, but for $25 bucks, ITS SUSHI for crying out loud! C'mon, they have shrimp tempura and spicy tuna among the offerings...). Live DJ on weekends, so I need to come out and check out busting some moves with my old man! They also have hibachi and tepanyaki (eh, not my favorite, so I will pass on that, but know that they have it). Good wine list, great cocktails - was a great Sunday night party/gathering with a group of hungry young pups! read more

Dined here for a birthday dinner on a Friday night. The decor quite lovely with its sleek lounge atmosphere and dark lighting to set the scene. Kind of like a west coast L.A. scene brought to the east coast. There are 2 sides essentially: lounge area and restaurant area. My impression was that the ambience would match the service. Unfortunately, that impression was not met. Had we known the service was going to be beyond slow, we would have ordered our food as we were being seated. Imagine having been seated an hour ago and STILL not being ASKED what you would like to order. This is exactly what happened. When we first were seated, our waitress came by and offered us something to drink. Usually that's a good sign as I hate to be sitting parched for 30 minutes before someone even offers me water. However, to be simply asked what our dinner order would be an hour after we sat down is ridiculous. And the only reason we were even able to put in our order after that long was because of one of the guests waving down our waitress; I'm sure it could've gone another who knows how long if she had not done that. Mind you, another table had come in well after us and were already eating through apps and their entrees while we were still waiting to put our orders in. Finally, we place our orders and await the food. Honestly, the food was okay. I ordered the calamari and a side of fries and I've had much better salt 'n pepper calamari from the small spots in other neighborhoods for much less. A dash of spice and 3 slices of papaya pickles is what the calamari was dependent on to deem it flavorful at this place. It wasn't memorable, like I said, you can find better somewhere else for cheaper. Everyone else ordered between scallion pancakes, beef teppanyaki, chop stick chicken terriyaki, pot stickers, and crispy salmon roll. All unimpressed; just okay.t read more

Empire - Fries - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came back in 2020, updating to one star finally. This time around, my wifes ID was flagged as fake by their system and they were unable to serve her drinks. She is 30 and the ID is just a new state design. So weird. Two bad experiences = 1 star. read more

Place is really and portions are pretty large. Me and my girlfriend got the steak frites and the Cambodian rice. We had left overs. Definitely recommend this place for birthdays or date nights. Just be alarmed that they only accept 4 credit cards if you have a large group. read more

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We came here for a birthday dinner and enjoyed the restaurant. It wasn't too loud and had a very nice ambience inside. We were disappointed that the servers did not do anything to acknowledge we were celebrating a birthday. The hostess wished a happy birthday when we came in and when we left, and we mentioned it to our server, but they didn't do anything to make the night particularly special. That said, the food was classic Asian Fusion food. We particularly enjoyed the rice bites and the mooshu, though the beef in it could have been a more tender short rib. All in all, a solid experience and a great visit! read more

They discriminate against POC, specifically the managers and security. We had a reservation for over 10+ and somehow one of the "managers" (apparently there's more than one working at the same time) singled out one particular individual at our table and asked him for his ID again after already showing his ID at the door. They also gave him a hard time about what he was wearing. After almost the entire table confronted the manager on discrimination, he ARGUED with us instead of apologizing and making us feel comfortable after we had just spent over $600. It was embarrassing and the entire room was staring at our table. As for the food, it was good, but overpriced. Double what I usually spend on sushi. Our waiter was great and we tipped him well regardless of how the managers treated us. I will not be returning and encourage POC to spend money in places that are happy to have you instead of places that will harass you. read more

I come here often when entertaining people from out of town or large groups. I would recommend making a reservation for the lounge area in advanced as they are always reserved and tricky to get of you just show up. If you are going for the food and not the nightlife it's doable, the place is large enough that you can dine without being effected by the music or crowds. The food is excellent and they have been very accommodating to changing plates for us and customizing the dishes. It is a bit on the expensive side but you get what you pay for. The night club is great, the music system has to be one of the best in the city, I hate when clubs have horrible systems it's the worst. Sometimes it can be nearly impossible to get a drink when he place is busy. I've noticed if you are in the lounge part without a table the bar seems understaffed for the amount of patrons. This is a solid place to come for good food and a night club atmosphere. The crowd is very diverse which I like as well. read more

Empire - The kahuna. Tasty - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here for a birthday dinner and some cocktails. Very professional security, the gentlemen assured us seats on a very crowded Friday evening within minutes. Sat down and ordered the sushi rolls and drinks. Ambient yet loud atmosphere. Delicious and fresh bluefin tuna was our favorite. Great place for large dinner celebrations, Cheers! read more

Empire is amazing! Just went there again the other day and the ambiance, the food and the service are just great! All the sushi rolls are so creative and delicious!!! read more

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The place feels very grand as you enter. I like how they have an open kitchen near the center. Irma here are meant to be shared. Appetizer: chicken dumplings. Good. Entree 1: sesame beef with broccoli and white rice. Excellent flavor, perfect texture, great sauce. Entree 2: chicken lo mein. It's made with thin noodles, and a generous amount of chicken. Service: waiter was helpful, but left us hanging a while at the end. read more

Quick summary: Good servers, Great food, and nice ambiance My first experience here wasn't the best but they seem to have significantly improved! I had a beef stir fry special and the way the waitress described it made my mouth water. "Sliced flank steak, flash fried, then wok fried with a house made sauce and vegetables" I'm getting hungry just saying it again. It was excellent! Also wouldn't think to order dessert but we did and really enjoyed it! The prices are a little high but you do get quite a bit of food. I will definitely be back and hope the beef stir fry dish makes the menu! . read more

Atmosphere: five stars. Transported me into a world of luxury and excess - I am a bond villain. The decor - the trendy dim litted room - glowing candle - models in trendy short dresses and men in business suits - loved it. Hawaiin Poke: five stars. Crunchy sweet salty briny fresh. Ugh. Give me a big spoon and five more samples of this - I can die now. Beef buns: five stars. Soy sauce braised beef with fatty tendons and sauteed shitake. Excellently rich. Sushi cupcakes: No. No. Everyone no. When did heaping mountains of mayo on expensive premium ingredients (like Uni and Lobster) become so acceptable - even in trendy high quality elite places like this- like come on - we are right near the sea. I can hear the tunas mourning. The dolphins are ashamed. For real. Do not get this . Toro maki: Four stars...too spicy for me...but I enjoyed the fatty flavor. Music: five stars. These mixes be bumpin :3 awesome night life scene :3 read more

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A few friends ordered at the bar on a Thursday(May 24, 2018) evening after work and when I say I had the rudest service at the bar. I couldn't make it up and ask to be cashed out, paid in cash but the bartender(tattoo girl) decided to tip herself 40% and when I ask for my receipt and change she seem surprised and still no receipt . I still tips 20%. I would never come back, even if someone paid me to. read more

Empire - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love empire so much I literally come every month. The food is fantastic every single time. Why then am I giving it three stars you ask? Simple. The service EVERY SINGLE TIME is just awful. Food arrives quickly but the waitstaff is so cold and rude it just puts you off all together. Even the people at the host station are rude. Also the prices are a little ridiculous. If you can handle the staff, the food is definitely worth it. Pro tip: travelzoo features them a lot so if you can wait for a voucher so you don't have to pay as much! read more