Slow service. Food not cooked as I requested. Shaved Brussels sprouts tasted like cardboard. Beer was good. With all the restaurant choices in this neighborhood, go elsewhere. read more

Good -- not bad or great. If the restaurant was not around so many greats in Washington Square, it'd probably standout more. That being said, the food here was very good. I especially appreciated their crisp on the outside--moist on the inside shoestring fries. When's the last time you had a good shoestring fry outside of a rockabilly joint? They deliver. I had the special pulled pork BBQ (pic below) and it was plentiful, juicy, and savory. They didn't overdo the BBQ sauce, wasn't too salty, and the coleslaw was just crunchy and milky enough to fit a la southern style. My companion had the tuna sandwich. Certainly don't order if you're not into the tuna and rye combo -- for many the rye stands out too much. Unfortunately the tuna was a little dry. There wasn't any creamy-like topping on it, either. Creamy condiment/mayo and tuna to many is blasphemy -- but the sandwich either needed to be more moist or make up for it with the said condiment. We sat outside on a nice day and availability isn't bad here. The inner bar area seemed to be fun and the architecture/decor was nice. Prices are reasonable. Wait staff were a little too european for my taste. I only saw my original waiter once and everyone else seemed to be helping each other out but made for some long wait times between water refills, being done and wanting the check, and order time to entree on a not-so-busy lunch afternoon. I'd come back if I friend desired to check it out but not craving anything specific or overly excited to return--just too many other great options around the area. read more

The Abbey - BBQ pulled pork sammy special - New American Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

We had a strange service experience here -- all staff were very nice and gracious but there were a lot of mistakes and they seemed very frazzled. However luckily the food was quite good! My only qualm is the burger I ordered wasn't cooked medium well, it was more like medium or medium rare. I also didn't mention it though-- I'm sure if I complained about it they would've fixed the mistake. Our appetizer, the soft pretzel, was scrumptious! read more

Guys killed it! Came in at 1130pm after a difficult shift at work. Met with a hearty hello and service immediately. Fresh hot made to order delicious food at 1130... not lying! It will be my late night go to every time when I'm in the area. read more

Years later, I finally returned to The Abbey, and we loved it. Super-friendly servers! Great food -- burger, chicken and white bean soup, a broccoli salad with salmon. And a fun, bustling atmosphere. Loved it! read more

I was disappointed with the overpriced meals and tiny portions. We ordered the cod and the gnocchi as well as a cocktail. The quality of the food was pretty good but the portions were tiny, almost seemed like they were meant to be small plates or tapas style but for the price of a full dish. The half piece of cod and tiny potato pancake was not worth nearly $26. Same with the gnocchi--$19 for a half serving of pasta with no meat is just ridiculous. The drinks were creative and well made, at $12 a cocktail. Though the atmosphere was nice, and the service was good, I shouldn't drop $40 on a meal and leave hungry. There are many more reasonably priced, great restaurants in the area, and there is no reason to spend so much on tiny portions of elevated bar food. read more

Very good, big serving sizes, and they serve food until pretty late. I ordered the Thanksgiving panini. I'm pretty sure they forgot the cranberry sauce but I didn't get a chance to ask them to fix it, as they were extremely busy and we were sitting at the bar. The servers were not very attentive, but I understand they were busy as it was a Saturday night. I would go back for the food! read more

The food here was so delicious! I savored every bite of the bison bolognese. Tender meat, and just the right amount of sauce. Pasta was also cooked to perfection. I took some of my partners fries and also loved them. read more

The Abbey - Bison bolognese - New American Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

We've been to this place so many times and never reviewed it so here's a list of things we like and don't like about it: Things we like: - The food. Never had anything bad here. - The drinks. I don't know if they still have the "fearless king" on the menu but it's excellent. Whiskey with basil and grapefruit juice. I don't like really sweet drinks so this was perfect. - The service. Quick, efficient, always friendly. Things we don't like: - The wait on a weekend night. Gets really crowded but I guess it's a sign of a good place. - The outdoor seating. It's on a slant so I feel unstable. Dishes we've tried and love (some items not available anymore because their menu changes a lot): - Charred Caesar salad (best I've had. Love the anchovies and how they grill the lettuce a little) - Bison bolognese (slightly spicy, pasta texture is just right.. just order it.) - Smoked French onion and braised short rib soup (the guyere crostini goes really well with the soup and it's a decent portion I could have this alone as a meal) - Truffle fries - The burger. - Pappardelle with wild mushroom (great alternative for those who can't order the bison bolognese) - Steak frites (Madeira sauce is excellent. Don't get the truffle fries with this, you'll have too much fries) - Chicken with Madeira sauce (again, Madeira sauce. And the chicken is cooked to perfection) Dishes we've tried and it was okay: - chicken wings with hot sauce (it was good. Just not special) - flatbread pizza (I actually forgot which one we had.. which means it didn't leave an impression) - roasted cod with cream sauce (I like the sauce. Cod was well cooked but kind of bland) - shredded brussel sprouts read more

See all

Had a delicious outdoors lunch here today ~ fresh and flavorful food and kind service! This was a great way to start a Monday afternoon staycation. I enjoyed the Sriracha deviled eggs and buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with buffalo sauce and house-brined pickles, yum! The fries were cut not-too-thick, just the width I like. I would recommend this place for no-fuss satisfying food and casual, comfortable atmosphere. read more

The Abbey - Sriracha (slightly spicy) deviled eggs with crispy bacon bits, for the egg lover! - New American Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Ron is the man! Go visit Ron! This place has the best bolognese too. Love that they do late night food, always a great option if you're in the area. read more

Cozy and inviting atmosphere, excellent cocktails, food that is consistently superb, plus friendly and attentive staff. This place never disappoints. read more

This review is for the bar. (I can't wait to go back and eat!) I went on a Friday night around midnight. The restaurant wasn't very crowded and my friend and I were able to find 2 seats at the bar immediately. The service was excellent! The bartender was extremely friendly and patient. He answered our questions about the different beers and offered us samples. The ambiance was very classy and intimate. There was a brick accent wall, dark wood, and twinkly lights. I can't wait to go back and try the moulles frites! read more

The specials are worth getting always. The food is delicious and drinks are good. ambience is nice and great for dates. After coming here about a dozen times I've never had an issue with their service and they're the only ones who are open and still serve great food past midnight. They get a 6/5 stars. read more

The atmosphere was nice, but the waitress assured me my meal was dairy free and it was definitely NOT. I have a severe lactose allergy and told her this before ordering to make sure my meal could be made lactose free. When she brought the food she said "no cheese", but that was it. I will not be back. read more

My favorite restaurant in Brookline. And I love the Brookline restaurant scene. You can't beat the staff here! The bartenders feel like family, and I enjoy the company of the locals and frequent visitors from surrounding communities. read more

Great burgers!!! Great and friendly service! We sat outside and was refreshing. We noticed the restaurant to be packed this particular night so we preferred outside. However that said it's a rustic bar atmosphere. read more

I just had a totally satisfying dinner at The Abbey. I started with the pork belly, which was draped in a delicious sweet and sour sauce. Crunchy, unctuous, flavorful, perfect. For my entree, I went with the bison bolognese, a marked improvement over my last pasta experience here. The sauce was rich and deep in flavor, with a light kick of heat. Pasta was on a soft side but completely tasty. It all was crowned in fresh grated parmesan for that perfect, salty tang on the back of your palate. I'd also recommend the "little drink on the prairie", kind of a lighter take on a boulevardier. It's a special though, so it might not be around next time. The best part though is their kitchen is open until 1:30am. Who does that?! So convenient! read more

We stopped in here, after finding it on yelp. The inside is fairly small with a small area to sit right out front. We were seated fairly quickly. The service was a tad slow, but it was jam packed. We were a party of 3 and I think we all came to the same consensus. As for the food, it was good, but for me it left a little to be desired. Everything seemed VERY greasy, almost masking the taste of the actual dish. It wasn't horrible, it just wasn't outstanding either. I will say the grilled Caesar was delish. Everything else as I mentioned above was a bit too greasy for me. If I came back to Boston I probably wouldn't come back, I'd rather try something new. read more

See all

Such a nice night at The Abbey! It was pouring rain out when we walked in. We were offered a table immediately. Attentive service, great drinks, yummy food, cozy atmosphere, and kind service! We enjoyed our experience and will be returning! read more

Yummy place for lunch. With prices for main lunch entrees all around the $11-13 price point, was easy on the wallet, too. Great beer list, and the menu had a little something for everyone. Cocktails on point. Came with two kids on a weekend for lunch, and we far from the only people with kiddos in tow. I wouldn't call it a kid-friendly place (no crayons, kids menu, etc), but rather kid-tolerant -- aka, reasonably behaved kids are welcome. Which as a parent I appreciate! This would be an ideal place for new parents to take a tiny newborn who just sleeps all the time; you can enjoy a fine beer, eat a good meal, and pretend everything is fine, your world hasn't shifted dramatically at all. read more

With so many reviews about the Bolognese, I had to order that, right? I thought so, but to be honest, I didn't think there was anything special about this dish. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between theirs and my home-cooked version. And in no means am I a chef so by home-cooked, I mean canned pasta sauce and ground meat. read more

Amazing... drop the mic. Went there with my girlfriend and I couldn't stop talking about it for days. This was one of those rare moments where the food was so good I left the restaurant elated. My stress disappeared and I felt like a new man. I didn't get a main entree so I can't speak to that but the love and I got a selection of small plates with a side of truffle fries. read more

In fairness to .. Yelp? I haven't been here in person and haven't tried the food. However, they have one my bets friend's favorite dishes (bison bolognese). She took the bar and I wanted to get her dinner so I picked the abbey. I was a horrible planner and ordered too early, but the lovely lady who took my order (even though my phone was breaking up) helped me place my original order and then helped me fix the time without extra charge. I'm in California and I want everything for my friend and am so thankful The Abbey could help. I trust them forever! Thank you so much! read more

UPD; I have been here many times since. Its a great option for lunch and dinner, not my favorite among the local eateries but a solid 4. Since they do not take reservations, its a sure place to get a table even on a busy night. read more

All that- and it's kitchen stays open until 1:30 AM. Every. Day. Of the week. Cant say enough- this place makes dishes that taste authentic and wonderful. Atmosphere is great and has a bar, outside seating, and intimate inside seating. The staff has been lovely and and warm each time I've gone, no matter how late it was. Highly recommend the bolognese if you ever stop by- which you should. read more

The Abbey was a perfect late-night option on Christmas evening. We arrived about 10 minutes before the kitchen closed, which is normally a non-issue (I can order quickly, having already read Yelp reviews and knowing what I wanted). My 4-not-5 star is because one of the dishes wasn't as great as it could have been due to their kitchen closing. I tried the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" specialty cocktail, and WOW was it both delicious and heavy-handed on the whiskey! You'll never hear a complaint from me when it comes to heavy pours ;) Chicken wings were delicious - crispy outside, moist inside, great sauce. Very happy. The bison bolognese is one of The Abbey's signature dishes for a reason - it really doesn't get much better than this! The low-point was the burger. Everything looked fresh (toppings) and the fries were great. But when you ask for medium well and you get medium rare with bits of pure rare, you can't help but be a little disappointed. Granted, the kitchen was closing early on Christmas night. But it's a burger patty that needed just 1 more minute on the griddle, and no option since they had shut the kitchen down as our food was served. We said nothing. How could we? We're reasonable folks, totally understand WHY it happened, just wish it hadn't. Incredibly friendly staff. Had we said something, likely it wouldn't have been an issue, they'd have figured something out for us. But we were not going to be "that party" that caused any waves late Christmas night. We enjoyed The Abbey immensely and would hold no grudge against them for this. All this said - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I just can't give 5 stars today. I think that's fair. read more

See all

My favorite spot in Brookline. I've been coming here for years. The food, service and atmosphere are always fantastic. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. These guys are amazing at what they do. read more

Great neighborhood restaurant. Good food and nice people. Comfortable ambiance. Not too noisy.

Stopped by here with a friend after work and I liked the quiet ambiance of the place. They do have quite a few selection of Gluten Free options but no gluten free bread. I really did love their gluten free pasta and my friend got some sort of pizza special. Overall this was a cute place to come have dinner. I had my waitress bring her favorite glass of wine over for me and it was definitely a hit! She mentioned it being one of their specials as well. I should've gotten a name for it sorry yelpers! read more

See all

Got the special tonight- shepherds pie with duck inside. Putting it nicely, this dish was not good. The consistency of the entire dish was like soup and it tasted like mainly salty gravy with random tiny shredded slivers of meat. I've eaten shepherds pie a ton of times in other places and it didn't resemble thIs version in any way. I mean, if the chef googled pics of shepherds pie, it would be a very obvious difference. Apparently, I was the only one who complained about this dish. Oh well- I guess I'm the only one who knows what shepherds pie is supposed to look like. I sent it back and got the bison bolognese. The bolognese was great, slightly spicy, and is one of their staple dishes. All in all, it turned out well at the end. They might want to pull that shepherds pie off the specials menu though. Just sayin! I gave 4 stars for this place because generally speaking, the food is good, atmosphere is warm and cozy, liquor selection is good, and the staff is nice. read more

The food was great and very tasty all around. Beer and Wine also great. Service was amazing very friendly and easy to talk to. The atmosphere was very unique and chill, it's dimly lit at night and has a very cool kitchen view and nice music in the back ground. read more

Everything about The Abbey feels right. Okay, the congested nature of a small space bursting at the seams due to its humble ingestion of its own popularity can cause fidget-inducing frustration while waiting for a table. But everything else is stellar. The much lauded bison bolognese ($20) is every bit the rock star its promo posters proclaim. Steak frites ($23) feature a perfectly medium-rare hanger cut made impossibly tender through kitchen magic, and layered in a fine portion over crisp and salty fries. Slather on a little Madeira sauce, serve up a bottle of Monk's Flemish sour ($8) and we're golden. Platinum even. With a comfort heavy menu (oh hoi lamb neck poutine!) and a stellar beer list, too many visits will leave you in a permanent food coma, so venture responsibly. But if you happen upon a coveted two-top and your date stands you up, drop me a line. read more

Very disappointed with the service/host last night at The Abbey. I have been told that this review will most likely be laughed at my management from previous employees but I still feel it is imperative to write this review. We were quoted ten minutes as a party of two. Two girls came in after us; mentioning there would be a third joining them. Krista the "host"/ server quoted them 30 minutes. A table then left just a few minutes and was bussed (a 4 person table).. she then ignored us and sat the two girls. We waited for 25 minutes when Krista came up to us to tell us that "shortly there would be two spaces opening at the bar". I was already annoyed because we were obviously skipped and the two girls were still sitting there not ordering and waiting for their third person. (20 minutes after they were seated) I then asked her why we were skipped with the seating. I explained that I worked in several fine dining and casual upscale restaurants throughout college where the seating was first come first serve; we always took guests in the order they arrived. She immediately got defensive and told us that she "originally quoted us 20 minutes" (which was a lie). She then told me to stop yelling at her (while she was raising her voice at me)... I was not raising my voice, merely trying to explain to her that she should be retrained on how to properly seat in a small busy restaurant. She then snickered and told me that she did not need to be retrained. This entire time I was waiting for an apology; which is truly what would have resolved the majority of me being annoyed. She just stood their raising her voice at me; whilst other individuals starting turning from the bar to see what the commotion was. It was not until I asked her to just simply acknowledge her mistake that she said "I thought another table would have left by now." She never apologized and she seemed very confident that she could speak to a customer disrespectfully without any repercussions. I am writing this review because I do not agree with establishments allowing employees to speak to guest this way. (I would have been fired immediately from any one of the restaurant positions I had when I was younger for her behavior) and Krista I'm sure you'll be looking at this review and hopefully you can learn to properly address your mistakes with guests. We're all human and make mistakes but it's truly how you handle yourself that makes a difference. read more

The Abbey is my absolute favorite neighborhood spot. Delicious food, great drinks, amazing service!

I had the chicken and avocado sandwich which was pretty amazing. I got a side of asparagus which was pretty perfect as well. My husband loved his craft beer and burger. The service was amazing...especially when I walked past the restaurant late at night in desperate need of the restroom which they let me use even though they clearly were closed. read more

I'm only writing this because I'd been anticipating mussels frites for weeks and although yes, you do have mussels, and yes, you do also have frites, it's simply not the same dish when the mussels are served separately with green curry and without garlic and white wine. The mushroom gnocchi I chose instead was beyond delicious, the cocktails were perfect, but *please* bring back classic mussels frites! they could coexist in peace with the curry mussels (if you must). read more

For all you Avatar the Last Airbender fans (I am a certainly one of them) you might not be too thrilled by the fact that their bison bolognese dish is fantastic since Appa, our adored flying bison in the TV show, is everyone's favorite! But jokes aside, this dish seriously is probably one of the best I've had in Boston. I would come back for it every other day if it didn't make me go broke. The pasta appears to me made in house and is perfectly prepared al dente...and pairing that with the bison just elevates the dish to parts unknown. Traditionally I'm not a huge fan of red sauce, but this dish is probably one of the few exceptions. The dish also has a slight kick to it, which I always enjoy in my food. So if you want to try something bold and different, come to The Abbey and order their bison bolognese! Note: If possible, come for lunch because their dinner menu is the same as lunch just more expensive and you get the same portion size according to our waiter. read more

The Abbey - Bison Bolognese - New American Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Sophisticated pub food in a warm setting; cozy and excellent service. We came here for lunch on a weekday and there was no wait. The place is small but it allows the waiter to be extremely attentive to you. I read from yelpers that the deviled eggs and bison bolognese were top notch, but I was in the mood for sharing smoked cod fritters, sautéed mussels, and the tomato bisque and grilled cheese panini. -Fritters - you get three delicious bite-sized morsels -Mussels - has a unique coconut curry broth that reminded me of thai food. yum! -tomato bisque and grilled cheese - the bisque warmed us up nicely from the rainy day and the grilled cheese was good for dipping This is the kind of restaurant that I immediately adored when I walked in, a place I would want to go to every week and make it "my own". Phenomenal service and delicious comfort food that make you feel at home and cared for. read more

See all

Today was the second time I went here and it went pretty much the same as the first time. Once we were seated and ordered drinks we waited 45 minutes for someone to take our order. I totally understand that they are busy but it seems that this restaurant does not have waiters assigned to specific tables. As a result, you essentially have to wait until one of the few waiters that works there comes over. They move around very fast so it's almost impossible to flag one of them down. I just don't understand how you can seat someone and just wait for one of the waiters to come over. They are too busy to communicate with each other so you end up waiting for someone that never comes. After over 45 minutes, we flagged two different waitresses down for the check and one finally brought it over. Will not be back. I have no idea how you could run a restaurant like this. read more