Hoped for more. We ended up getting a reservation last minute on a Friday night. The restaurant was lively - lots of people and music rather loud. Loved the casual decor. We were a few minutes early but were seated right away. Menu was small. There were 2 in our party and we ordered 2 tacos, kale salad, smashed potatoes and sirloin. Decent quantity of food for us and we have hearty appetites. Loved the tacos and kale salad but was completely underwhelmed by the potatoes and sirloin, and they were pricy dishes. Potatoes lacked flavor and the although the sirloin was cooked perfectly I did not care for the seasonings. Drinks were ok but not memorable. Service was slow. We sat for a while waiting for our food and then all 4 dishes came within 5 minutes. I was also hoping to order a second drink but by the time the waiter returned all our food was gone and I was ready to leave. Unfortunately nothing on the dessert menu appealed. We might give it a second shot but we're not in a rush to return. Other great, less expensive spots in the area that we prefer. read more

Overpriced everything! Rude staff. Food... eh. AVOID. Should have known ....the place was almost empty on a Friday ngiht at 6pm.

You are paying high prices for entries that are small as hell... this is not worth the money to eat BUT the drinks were strong... I liked that read more

La Brasa - Grown man drink - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Came here very easily by getting a reservation for 7:30pm by just calling in a few days before. The food was outstanding... +The ambiance is so nice; gorgeous space with fresh plants, open air, no loud at all, and extremely friendly staff and hostess. +the food is incredible: we had the chicken patte, the lentil hummus, the warm bread (so good and baked in-house fresh), the mussels, the flounder (which they even de-boned for me upon request), and the sweet potato and goat cheese dish. Everything was so great and explained in great detail by our awesome waiter, Wesley. +the dessert was really good (the flan) which had salt on it and was pretty light and not jiggy at all. +reasonable prices compared to the South End and a fun area of Somerville-- easy street parking by permit. Overall, such a great place and I would love to come back if I didn't live in Siberia in the South End. This place is not pretentious and def. a "woo hoo! as good as it gets" rating for 5 STARS. read more

Located in a random area (East Somerville), La Brasa is like a high-end restaurant that could normally be found in the South End, Boston! I walked in before opening time (hoping they served lunch but disappointed to find out that they didn't). I was greeted by a nice young man called Alex who kindly gave me a tour of the restaurant. Very spacious with lots of seating areas! It has a similar theme and layout to Commonwealth in Kendall square with the farms-to-table concept (very popular right now!) and a market attached to the restaurant. It's no wonder that they share the same owner. I will post later with the food review. NOTE: Reservations can only be made online (not phone) but they do accept walk-ins. They are currently not serving lunch; only dinner from 6:00pm. read more

I don't understand the poor reviews. We loved this place so much we grab gift cards to give some friends as a modest wedding gift. Went with a small group and ordered tapas style until we were either to full of food or beer. Loved the layout and everything on the menu that went into the wood fired oven. read more

I live right around the corner from La Brasa and I was so hoping they would do well as its a great place to have around East Somerville. I been here many times and I always leave here with the feeling of something missing... lack of flavor tends to be the number one issue, the beer list isnt the best either, the chef is always walking around but it doesnt seem to care to come to the tables to ask if the food is ok or to just say hello. I keep on giving them another try - every 2 months or so - but at this point I should just give up. Please if you enjoy it please keep on coming to support this local place. But if you are looking for amazing food go where else, like Commonwealth in Cambridge or Sarma in Somerville. read more

Excellent meal. Excellent service. Five people at the table, all were very pleased with our dinner. Would have liked to try the carrots with mole but it wasn't on the menu last night. This is a "small plates" restaurant. The plates really are tasting plates and are best shared with the table. To her credit, this is one of the first things our waitress told us before ordering. These are not "entree" portions, don't expect it to be so. The prices are slightly above moderate but not outrageous. When asked, our waitress described every dish on the menu in detail (without being pretentious and telling us the names of the chickens and pigs we were about to eat) and described the portion size as well. We ordered two portions of some of the dishes because there were five of us and some of the plates we ordered come with two or three of the offerings. Everything we ordered was remarkable with the exception of the Mexican fried rice....which was OK but not what I had been led to expect given other reviews here and in the Globe. Just uninteresting. The rib eye steak, sliced and weighed at your table from a large roast, you are charged by the ounce. At first blush I thought that was gimmicky.......but it's smart. Dining with vegetarians? (we were) just cut us a little....good idea. It was one of the best pieces of beef I've ever had. Really. And I've been treated to exquisite Wagu beef at a friends house a few times. This isn't Wagu beef, but when I tell you it melted in my mouth, please believe me. I won't describe every dish we ordered; we had eight. The pork loin sandwich was very dry. But order anything or everything and you will likely be very pleased. A word about the room: it's cavernous and very loud. And if one more new restaurant in Somerville (or anywhere in town) uses reclaimed pine pallets and barn wood for their tables, bar and walls, floor to 20 foot ceiling....there won't be any wood left to reclaim and they're going to have to use new materials. Enough already guys. Go there. read more

After such disappointing experiences at East End Grill, I was very eagerly awaiting the opening of this place. Luckily, my expectations were mostly met. We started out with the ham and chutney. Very tasty. The chutney cut the salt of the meat perfectly. Next we had the carrots with mole. I'm not a mole aficionado but this wasn't bad. The carrots were slightly under cooked, but again, not bad. I ordered the ribeye with chimichurri and it was delicious. The char on the meat was flavorful and had a perfect texture. The sauce was great as well. The rest of the meat was the tiniest bit undercooked for how I prefer it, but I'm looking forward to reheating the leftovers. My dining companion got the lamb saddle special. It came with Israeli couscous and was topped with pistaschios. Quite tasty. I tried the Seductive Barry cocktail. It had a bitter undertone to it that wasn't my favorite. My dining companion ordered the Norma beverage and it was also bitter. I can handle strong flavors ( love me some scotch) so be forewarned if you're expecting something fruity. We also tried the Blind Pew Fizz which includes pisco, cream, egg white, cardamom and coffee. It sounded wild and I just had to try it. Pisco can be pretty sour and this was. It's kind of odd but I liked it. I'm looking forward to going back and trying the rest of the food, but maybe not the cocktails. read more

Personality plus is how I would describe our server last night at La Brasa. Attentive, fun, informative. He was very tall so he came down to our level table side. Nice touch. Order the Mexican fried rice. Awesome dish. Also had the special--a ramp crepe--look it up. Veggie resembling spinach with some cheese. Oh and the cheese plate. I felt as if I were in an episode if Portlandia with the cheese descriptions. But it was delicious. We also ordered the " bread service" just because we wanted to say " bread service" So all the food has a charred black material either sprinkled on it or naturally occurring--as the veggies in the fried mexican rice dish. This is fine until one of our dinner mates started discussing carcinogens. Dessert, the flan, was not my thing but I did try the foamy white accompanying the flan--it was topped with char and was not a bit sweet--disappointing, but that was truly the only disappointing aspect of our meal. The cocktails were divine! Try all if them. read more

My husband and I were greeted quickly and were sat in a nice corner table with a great view of the kitchen. Right away a Fresh bottle of water was brought to our table. After a few minutes our waitress arrived and patiently explained the drink menu. We loved the street walking cheetahs drink, good priced drink, delicious but not too sweet. After much debate and questions, we ordered the fried dough with veges, highly recommend this appetizer, fantastic. We also ordered the tacos, the pork was ok, it needed a bit more spice and warmer tortillas. Not sure I would try them again. My husband ordered the skirt steak, it could have been more tender but the flavor was excellent. We also ordered the carrots in mole', which I loved tasted a bit like a parsnip. A must vegetable dish. I ordered the fried chicken another must dish to try. The chicken was tender and had an excellent outer crunch drissled in a multitude of spices. No desert ordered as we were stuffed . The ambiance barn type walls, high ceilings with Bill Withers playing in the background. Candles and flowers throughout. Open but yet felt cozy. read more

La Brasa - A great red wine list - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Small portions. Fatty meats. Odd ingredients and combinations. Over-priced. Noisy. Slow service. Not recommended. We wanted to like this place. Nice decor though. read more

Ok food. Doesn't live up to the hype. We had two of the chicken dishes. Pretty much dead bird. All entrees came out at different times so my food was cold by the time I ate it while waiting for my friends dish to arrive. Our friends has steak and seemed to like it, hence the 3 stars. Valet guy was on phone outside, sign was in dark pink chalk On black so can't see from the street, the restaurant phone won't pick up so we circled 20 mins before I got out and figured out the parking. Seems to be a sketchy neighborhood so wouldn't park on street here. read more

Service was fine but the food was way overpriced and simply not good at all. Paid $20 for pork belly that was just a bit chunk of fat with barely any pork meat on it. Both our dishes were soggy full of extra sauce. Poached eggs were so runny that some of the white was still liquid. Just bad, this was the last time for us. This place is obviously going downhill, it used to be better. read more

I came to La Brasa on a recommendation. I am not normally the type for upscale dining, because I am really easy to please with pizza, and Chinese food. That means that when I pay more than normal, I expect my mind to be blown. I want to run into the streets barefoot, because my socks have been knocked off. With that in mind, I will review La Brasa based on the state of my footwear. Unfortunately La Brasa failed to deliver that experience. My first impression of the place was very formal, because the host greeted me, and informed me that my "dining partner" had already arrived. We had a brief chat about that, because I liked how they found the least presumptuous way to refer to my date, and she humored me though my witty banter. Footwear: OK OK, my shoelaces are coming untied. So far, so good, but then La Brasa feels that they are too cool to provide any sort of first course snack. Bread is listed as an appetizer, but it costs $3 (for plain bread!) to $6 (with butter?!) on top of your meal. I was immediately turned off by that transaction, but I was already in my seat, and committed. I ordered bread with ricotta cheese, because why not? I learned two things that day: bread can be good, but not $3 good, and ricotta cheese pairs poorly with bread; They are both so bland that the texture changes, but the flavor does not. Footwear: Too bad La Brasa, I will just roll up my knee high socks, because you have some serious doing to impress me after that. Shoes, and socks are firmly on. My date, and I both ordered the pork belly plate. Not every thing was disappointing, the pork was great. Pork usually is, because it is so fatty, and delicious. Their cooks did an excellent job with the squash, which I really enjoyed, and the onion was mildly carmelized. The pork chop was also pretty big, which surprised me; I often worry when eating out about portion size, but LaBrasa delivered on the entree. Footwear: I can feel my toes wiggling in my boots, but that is the best that it gets. Finally the bill came for two people, two entries, one appetizer, and a single drink: $70. Like I said, when I pay more than the minimum I expect the experience to justify the price. Minus the poor bread pairing, the food was all very tasty, but not enough that I am pinching my pennies to repeat the experience. Well, at that point I just had to stand up, and leave, because my shoes had not gone any where. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area. Everything I've had to eat and drink here has been delicious. The smell and atmosphere of the place makes me feel warm and happy - mainly because of the open kitchen/wood oven and the wooden decor. I have been for dinner, late night pizza, brunch, drinks, and the Wednesday date night they offer. Some experiences have included better service than others (seemed to be due to new staff) but it's truly negligible once you taste the food! The flavors are always amazing and the chef is friendly and often acknowledges us when we come in which is nice! I will definitely keep going back! If you have had a negative experience at La Brasa please give it another chance because you are missing out!! read more

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Late on a Friday night, La Brasa is like a little oasis from all the crazy obnoxious crowds in the city. Off the beaten path a bit, I was thrilled for some low key drinks and snackies set to a nice array of hip hop. "The food menu is extremely limited," our server had warned. He told us there were only three options for snacking, but all were excellent. Crispy fried chicken wings with a mole sauce. House made pork tacos. Oysters. We opted for the first two. The wings were hot and crispy and while the accompany mole didn't look all too appetizing -- a bit on the thick side - the taste was great. There was a bit of crumbly cheese on top that added a nice salty kick. The pork tacos came 2 to the order in a double-corn tortilla. The tacos were crazy flavorful and well balanced. A nice meaty bite with a spicy kick - perfectly accompanying our cocktails, of which we had a few. The Tinder Date was sharp and acerbic. A pretty hilarious play on the name. (I can only assume that this was intentional.) The campari and grapefruit played well together, making the drink bitterly refreshing. The Ice Breaker (gin, yellow chartreuse, St. Germain and lemon) tasted like a delicious Popsicle. A bit on the sweeter side, but none of us seemed to mind. The Dutch Goodbye was a bit too cinnamon-y for my taste, but my companions seemed to enjoy it just fine. The drink came piled high with spice-dusted crushed ice. I had a bitter grapefruit boozy shaved iced which was refreshing, though not sure how boozy it was. All in all, La Brasa did not disappoint. I'm looking forward to being back for their dinner menu and I hear they have fantastic brunch. read more

Inconsistent. I think this restaurant works best for red meat and pork-eaters, not for vegetarians or pescaterians. The bread and ash butter is magnificent. The chocolate mousse (without the hard, caramelized-sugar add ons) was also great. The Mexican fried rice is good, but it doesn't stand up to Little Donkey's biryani in terms of complexity of flavor; that's a high bar, though, so I realize I'm being tough there. Onto the other side of the meal. The branzino was not memorable. I liked the eggplant, though I wouldn't come back just for that. Also had the kale salad, beets, eggs, empanada, and the beans. I really don't remember them a day later. I think the vegetable selection has a long way to go in terms of pairings with spices, sauces, etc. especially when compared to like Sofra / Oleana, Little Donkey, and even hole-in-the-wall joints like Momo n Curry or Life Alive. I think the flavors the chef pairs the vegetables with get lost in the mix. Maybe they aren't a focus; in which case, don't do veggies on the menu, it's not worth it. Drinks were fun and yummy, as was the space. Love, love, love the music selection. Overall, a great spot to go to before a night out. read more

Went to La Brasa the other night for a birthday celebration, after many months of wanting to go. Overall, we had a great time, and the food was yummy, if not uniformly mind-blowing. Here's the rundown... The Food/Drink: We had the pleasure of being seated at a portion of the bar that faces right into the open kitchen, which gave us the opportunity to get up close and personal with our meal prep (and chat with the sous chef a bit!) Much of the meal was small plates, and with so many fun flavors, it seemed to make sense to get more small things than a couple entrees only. Overall, the food was delicious - a special highlight was the Empanada small plate was our favorite - bright, bold flavors, hearty, AND vegetarian! The one entree we split, a preparation of duck two ways, was perfectly cooked and wonderful! The other dishes we got were good, but not mind blowing, which was kind of a bummer. Overall, the quality of the food was really good. I wish we had been advised to pace our ordering, because our 3 small plates and entree all came out at roughly the same time, which was a lot to handle. The Experience: The service was nothing short of awesome. Our server was the perfect amount of attentive and informative; the space was modern and hip; the option to sit at the kitchen was awesome; and perhaps most importantly, the bar seats had hooks for coats underneath - CRUCIAL. read more

We came in early - 6:30 on a Friday. Our group of four ordered a lot of food, including many interesting sides and some meat dishes and burgers. Their fried chicken wings were piping hot and amazing. They're served with what tasted to me like a soy/teriyaki type sauce and some garnish. We had an attentive waiter and stuffed ourselves with some unique offerings from this upscale fusion restaurant. Because of the light crowd, we had a long leisurely meal and conversation. I would go back again. If you have a big appetite you'll have a $$$ bill, which we thought was in line with the overall experience. read more

The three key parameters of friendship: proximity, similarity, reliability. Apparently, La Brasa and I are besties. Most offerings come and go, and thus it's difficult to recommend anything specific. Typically, restaurants that rely on an ever changing menu seem to exploit their patrons' intrigue of what might be next, which is perhaps a crutch. I like experimentation, but sometimes it becomes frivolous and novel. La Brasa does change it up a lot, but it is not confused as to its identity. Variations are more pertinent to the details rather than their offerings as a whole. I've tried multiple fried chicken dishes here, and consistently they have been excellent. Fried chicken is a staple that La Brasa has down - whether it's with a greek yogurt and olive oil base, a tangy Thai crispy exterior, or a broccolini accompaniment. The details will fluctuate, however the staple itself remains consistant, and consistently excellent at that. Drinks are fun. Well crafted cocktails incorporate creative and unorthodox elements of bitterness, creaminess, smokey flavors, and of course, egg whites. Smokiness seems to be their overarching style. Also, smokey beer is a thing? Other oddities include squid pancakes, persimmon-pear salsa, celery root espresso puree, "hoTchada", and common use of ash as a burnt / charcoal flavor note that can be found in select dishes as well as in their scrumptious caffeinated aperitifs. Due to the hip AF decor, large spacious layout, eclectic playlists, and friendly service, the vibes are always on point. La Brasa is one redeeming quality to an under-appreciated strip of Somerville. EMERSON&LABRASA4LYF. read more

I was very impressed with La Brasa. The meal started with excellent service provided by William, A great server always makes the meal more enjoyable. His recommendations of the Thai fried chicken and the white asparagus were right on. I have to say the chicken is one of the best dishes that I have had in a long time. There was a simplicity to it but yet it was bursting with flavor. The brussels sprouts were excellent. Be sure and leave room for desserts because the flan and The butterscotch putting were superb. The restaurant is also very reasonably priced. La Brasa is a winner! read more

We had an amazing experience at brunch! The decor is super cool..you can feel the attention to detail and love and care in everything; high ceilings, unfinished wood, interesting design pieces. The service is wonderful. Everybody is courteous, approachable and patient and can offer great advice. And now to the food. It's inventive and unique but still approachable and just delicious and not at all too cerebral. The brisket benedict was a highlight! The coffee is some of the best I've had in the Boston area! Can't wait to try dinner! read more

So the evening did not start off well as we had a 8pm reservation on Saturday night and we didn't get seated until 9:30! To simply put it, they overbooked. The host was a little agitated as we were not the only party waiting and upset at the wait. We were not given any complimentary drinks or appetizers as we waited over an hour. One of my friends and I split the small plate of taco's at the bar because we were starving. The carnitas were delicious, I enjoyed the salsa, and didn't give the tortilla much thought (room temperature from a bag it looked like). My friend liked it as well, but the salsa was definitely acidic, they put lots of lime in it, but I actually liked that part. Now on to the food. Interesting was probably the best way to described it. First we tried the prime rib meat cart. They carve it table side and charge 3.95 per oz. The prime rib was perfectly cooked, but they put it on top of this green sauce that didn't elevate the beef, but actually made it less tasty. Our server was very quirky, not sure if he was a jerk or very complacent and weird. He didn't take our drink orders down, so obviously we had to ask another waiter for our drinks. Also their soda isn't your typical cola/sodas. First they don't have sprite, and second they were all flat. I got a ginger ale, and it tasted like pure ginger, which surprised me but definitely was not what i expected. I think it took about 25 minutes for us to order our appetizers and our meals. We split the Mexican Fried Rice, Spicy Thai Fried Chicken, and the Steak. The Mexican fried rice was good, it wasn't very interesting as it was rice stir fried with some peppers and threw on some tortilla chips that got soggy immediately. The Steak was cooked perfectly, but it was the first time I ate a steak served with smoked salmon. They both were good but they didn't complement each other to give me a foodgasm. Although the Steak and Salmon were good, they were on top of their monstrosity of a "housemade A1 sauce" that comprised of mostly Dates and a mess of ingredients. I was glad it didn't cover my steak, otherwise I would've sent it back. The Spicy Thai Fried Chicken was the champion of the evening. Perfectly cooked, with 3 leg quarters (it was the largest portion they had on the menu it seemed). It came with a nice little honey glaze I believe with thai basil and peppers. I wish they brush the sauce on it and not on the plate. The decor was nice, it had character. I liked the high exposed ceiling and the wood aesthetics. Although it was strange during the middle of dinner they started blasting hard hip-hop and rap. read more

La Brasa: glowy, seasonal, hipster, southernplayalisticadilla. In fact, my favorite thing about La B is its dirty Southern subtleties. ATL gangster rap wafted down from the high ceilings as we ordered hot chick'n, I mean, spicy Thai fried chicken. Our server described this dish by putting both hands up, closing his eyes, and taking a brief moment of silence... sure enough, soul, spice, heat, and farm-next-door quality. The swiss chard pie and "chorizo & potato quesadilla & squid" were less notable, but fun to eat, nonetheless. Onto the drinkables: the Paloma, Horchata, and some other things - consistently enjoyable, thoughtfully crafted, not distinctive. 'Twas the after-dinner cappuccino with sea salt + ash + molten pit of caramel that stuck. The tapioca pudding was not-too-sweet, properly portioned, simple, and gingery. And yes, we drank it. Overall, go for the vibe (service + music + ambiance), the fried chicken, and a memorable cappuccino full of salt & ash. Yes, there are other places with those things, but why should you choose La B? Quite frankly, because there's a drink called the Oaxaca Flocka Flame. Keep the Southern flame alive, B. read more

Get off your behind and go to this place! Agreed the pricing is high, particularly for the neighborhood, but I promise you it is worth it. Great for big groups. Great for a coffee in the AM with a quick peruse in the market. Just go... read more

Lovely neighborhood spot. Relaxed atmosphere but chic decor. I was impressed with the innovative menu options (sweet potato with goat cheese, really tasty spreads) mixed with more traditional fare (empanadas, Brussels sprouts). Perfect if you want tasty food in a more low-key atmosphere. read more

Very disappointed, I asked for a coffee and was told we only have espresso, I want to the ladies room and saw three tables with coffee. It was a bad vibe, the staff seemed very unhappy to be there. The food was good but everything seem to be covered in hot peppers of some kind which was a little too much for me. read more

After all the long wait and excitement.I was there last nigh, had their famous Mexican fried rice, the fried rice is too salty, I didn't like it very much. Then I also had their lamb shank pozole, which is okay, I liked the actual lamb,it's tender.But again it's too salty. I am giving them three stars because the inside decoration, the food is only a two stars to me. Also a little too expensive. read more

La Brasa - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Meh... Honestly everything was okay but not great. The pacing was far too fast, and I mean really fast (I understand that with alto-shaams and circulators most foods are just kept warm for fast pick up by th ecooks) but when I order a brisket with BBQ sauce and the bass sashimi, I DO NOT WANT my heavily spiced BBQ brisket before my delicate bass. The desserts are awful, just terrible. I don't understand why they bother to offer mediocre ice cream topped with mediocre espresso. I forgot a majority of items we ate, some sort of strange chard 'pie' which tasted like a hot pocket, so that's why I gave it a meh rating. However the FoH staff are much better than I anticipated. Everyone from the Host stand to the Bar Back were amicable and very attentive. In a few months when the kitchen finds it's feet the place may be better, but for now highly forgettable. read more

My boyfriend and I ordered a little bit of everything to share. We just kept commenting over and over again throughout the night about the party of flavors in our mouth! From tomatillos to citrus to fresh jalapeños and roasted red peppers. Everything just was popping on your entrées!! That Seabass. I mean, no words. Just get it! A special thanks to Paul who served us at the bar and sold us on all of the variety of drinks, appetizers and entrées. He is certainly an asset to your business. We will certainly be back. read more

Absolutely terrible service. We used to go here and the food and service was always amazing. During our most recent trip our appetizers were good but my entree was unfortunately super spicy. I even asked before ordering if it was spicy and the waitress said it wasn't. After tasting it telling them it was wayyy too spicy, the waitress said I'm sorry and I'll get the manager. The manager didn't seem to care and just told us they will take it off the bill. There was no attempt to fix the situation or make a new plate. It was more of a feeling of "we don't care we're busy". After watching my friends eat their meals and just sitting there sipping a drink, we left and went to another restaurant because I was starving. I will never go there again. read more

Very underwhelming, particularly for the price. We came here last night for dinner, with very little previous knowledge, but because the interior has so much curb appeal---we decided to stop in. At first, we weren't quite sure what the concept was (Mexican, Brazilian, Steakhouse,Tapas?), and even now I'm still not quite sure what's going on. Our waiter was friendly, and suggested we try a few various items on the menu to share. Wow, what a concept! So, not wanting to go off the grid, we started with 2 small plates: Carnitas Taco & a "Chicken Wing". Taco: it was basically a street style taco with some braised pork, onions, & cilantro, served by itself on a plate. The flavors were good, but the presentation was lacking, and we found it kind of difficult to share. Chicken Wing: Also, impossible to share. Second, let's call it what it is: this was just a piece of Fried Chicken. It was so greasy & salty, we actually had to change course on the meal, because we were feeling guilty after eating this (we got a salad & fish next). Now, while it was a whole chicken wing (drum + flat), imagine yourself sharing one individual wing with someone else. I suppose if I wanted to put wing(s) on the menu at a place like this, I'd go more deconstructed, or something that was feasible to eat with a knife & fork. Also this coming from a chicken wing lover who feels it would be morally wrong to eat chicken wings with utensils, but if you're concept is "sharing", sometimes we have to adapt. Conceptually, it just fell flat given its greasy texture and its difficulty to eat. Romaine Salad w/ Avocado & Jalapeno: Actually the best dish we had all night. Jalapenos were raw, and therefore wicked spicy, but the salad was nice & refreshing after the first "course". Cod with Chickpeas, Pearl Onions & Braised Celery: Fish was a bit undercooked, and missing flavor. The onion, chickpea, & celery trio just didn't seem to work well with the Cod, and we were just all around bummed when we were eating this. The onions & chickpeas were tasty as individual items, but c'mon, it's an onion & chickpea. Finally, one ancillary item--when we left the restaurant and got home, our clothes stunk. The experience of their open kitchen stayed with us, literally, the rest of the night. Will we be back? Probably not, unless a friend drags us there or something. I think they'll eventually fix some spots within their menu and land on dishes that make sense given their concept, and can utilize what looks to be an interesting kitchen. Best of luck. read more

Great place to eat and drink. It's a little pricy but well worth it. Two thumbs up!! Been here at least 5-7 times and always left satisfied. Be sure to try the Baby Boys!! Those drinks are too good!! And the carnitas tacos, wow!!!! read more

Mundane and over priced brunch visit. Hash browns were extremely saturated and maybe fried 3 times over. Bacon was burnt and tasted foul, tucked underneath the eggs, with 2 better looking pieces on the outside. C'mon... Poor execution for basic dishes. read more

If you want to have your wedding/reception/private party in a place with personality, filled with staff who will make your event happen and a chef who knows how to cook food your guests will rave about, La Brasa is the only place you need to consider. One of the great things about La Brasa is that the space itself - if it's your style, you really don't need to do much to enjoy the environment. All we did was have our florist (Wilfolk Flowers) bring in some small table arrangements and votives/garland for the windows. Just like that, the space was exactly what we wanted. Throughout the night we kept getting compliments from our family and friends (the people who know us best), saying how the reception, the food, the space, the atmosphere was so us, so perfectly. It was one of the best compliments that we could have received that evening. We worked with both Meredith (event manager) and Kelly (restaurant manager) to help make the night possible. Meredith was so accommodating, allowing us into the restaurant early in the planning process to take measurements and photos. She helped us plan the menu and figure out the nuts-and-bolts of how the evening would be put together. Kelly was our night-of point person for everything, and she made everything go so smoothly. We had a couple requests, mostly just to keep track of time and make sure that we stayed on schedule-ish, but she went above-and-beyond to make sure that we didn't have to worry about anything all night. She took care of every detail we could think of, plus many that we hadn't considered. She did so much to make the night wonderful - it wouldn't have been the same without her. The staff working that night were welcoming, accommodating, and incredibly friendly - which was very important for us in order to have the type of reception we had hoped for. They were quick with offering to get anything for a guest, fun to talk with, and willing to make a joke when appropriate. We were even greeted with a glass of bubbly to toast our big day, before the guests arrived - exactly what we needed to celebrate privately before the big event. As always, Chef Daniel Bojorquez and his team were on-point. They crafted plate after plate of delicious food for us and our guests. If there was a single complaint about the evening, it was that there was just too much delicious food - everyone wanted to eat more and try another bite. They were happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions or requests - our 7-year-old nephew chowed down on a bowl of buttered noodles, happy as can be! Eating family-style helped make the evening special. Instead of feeling overly formal between new family and reuniting friends into a completely relaxed meal, full of sharing and lively discussion. It was what you hope to have happen, but can never seem to plan on - but La Brasa made it possible. If we had any suggestions for having your wedding reception or party at La Brasa it is this: let La Brasa do what they do best. They are the best at making guests have a wonderful time, eat delicious food, and enjoy the experience. They did so much to make our night special - we absolutely made the right choice with La Brasa. read more

When you order a delivery burger expectations are low. What arrived at my home in its little box was nothing short of delicious. It wasn't soggy, it wasn't bland, it was scrumtrulecent. The potato pieces were delightful and seasoned beautifully, I ate every crispy flake I could find. Amazingly I ordered medium and got medium ... 10 out of 5 stars for that alone...when does that ever happen? read more

I can't help but feel like we got hosed. BIG TIME. The food was pretty good, but for a "family style" meal, the portions were tiny. The $18 cheese board had three ridiculously small wedges of cheese and a few slices of pickled carrots. The roast beef, brought to the table on a cart and cut in front of us, was really good, but is $4/ounce. Waitress weighed it, but didn't tell us how much each cut was, so the bill was a bit of a surprise. If you get the roast beef, I hope you have good eye-balling skills when it comes to meat cuts. The atmosphere was alright. Fairly loud, but they use cool raw wood tables, tractor seats at the bar and open rafter layout. At the entrance though, they have a beautiful, silver Honda cb450 cafe racer on display. This brought my review up to 3 stars. I like motorcycles. read more

I have walked by this place a bunch of times and always wanted to try it out. It is a great place for a good, different cocktail. Made with care and love the drinks are very tasty (a little expensive). I cannot comment on the food, but everything I saw come out looked good and hot. The menu had a full range of items and looks to have reasonable prices. read more

Must try?: They change their menu often enough that it's hard for me to suggest something you would definitely find there. Be confident that whatever you order will be delicious. Do you need a reservation?: When I have gone it hasn't been full, but I would make a recommendation, just in case. Recommended party size: 2-4 is good. Any larger and you may have difficulty catching up with everyone. Would I return?: I have returned, and try to take all of our out-of-town guests. It's that good. La Brasa is a wonderful restaurant in east Somerville. There are massive windows and beautiful tables that make you feel at home as soon as you sit down. No matter how busy they are, we always feel like we are treated well and that they are excited to see us. One warning: a delicious cut of meat comes around, stopping at each table, offering slices and selling by the ounce. It is truly delicious. But it's not cheap, and it's easy to go overboard. Don't buy all of it. Your wallet won't quickly forgive you. read more