We had a phenomenal night of drinks, food, and legendary musicians at The Bull Run, Shirley, MA (Apr 2026)! Their huge 275-seat event space was packed at tables for 4 to 8, for the two 1-hour sets of Live Dead & Brothers Band, an Allman Brothers - Grateful Dead group of legacy musicians from those bands and families!!! An authentic rockin' performance! They opened hot, with Feelin' Alright and Truckin', and ended hot with Midnight Rider, Ramblin' Man, and Jessica, with around 14 more between. The acoustics were excellent at our table, and we also took up our share of the crowded dance area :-) Their tour continues at least through Dec 2026. Our tickets were about $50 each. Service was fast and friendly, and they let us pull up one more chair for our group of nine. You can get crafted beers and cocktails. We settled in with ice cold regional beers, which honestly are just as distinctive as fancy craft beers. We got some food to share off their "concert menu", too. An entrée-size dish of rich creamy homemade Mac & Cheese, made with tasty aged Grafton Cheddar, soft slightly-al-dente curly Cavatappi pasta tubes, not-overcooked green beans, as i recall, crisply crusted with lightly-maple breadcrumbs. Very flavorful and satisfying. A sweet fresh bright Autumn Salad of greens, pecans, and bright beets, in tart vinaigrette. And juicy "Bull Run Classic" burgers with crisp lettuce, tasty firm tomato, mildly-sharp red onion, and, for one of them, an add-on of rich cheddar, all on a cloud-like brioche bun. They do ask for $20 per person food/beverage minimum for all shows, essentially an entree or a couple beverages each. That's about what we had planned to order anyway :-) This place knocked us out with their dedication to farm-to-table ingredients, sourced from more than 25 regional farms named on the dinner menu. We've never seem such an extensive list of the actual sources. Very cool! The Bull Run has been a tavern since 1741, named after the Battle of Bull Run in 1861, (or in another version, named for a brawl in the tavern at the same time :-), and has been run by the Guercios extended-family since 1946. It was a stop on the stagecoach route and a gathering place for the Revolutionary war. We loved the original wood, structure, and décor. The fireplaces were lovely. It's a huge venue. Bull Run has live music every week, and they're open Wed-Sun, but watch their schedule because dates vary, sometimes one day that week, sometimes all four! This show was in their 275-seat room. There's at least one larger room for around 400. Theres a little parking along Rt 2A, and much more out back across the covered bridge. Dont be put off by the rustic exterior. We loved this legendary performance at a legendary restaurant! read more

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I am always surprised by how amazing the food is here. I have loved everything I've ordered from the Bull Run. I have no other restaurant that I could say the same thing about. I strongly recommend eating here because the atmosphere here makes me feel at home. If you are reading this... enjoy. read more

Met a friend who lives nearby. This place is historic and it shows. A lively place with a good New England menu plus some nice specials. Our waiter, Michael, was a delight. Good wine selection too. It's definitely worth a drive to experience a piece of Americana. read more

Great older wooden barn with wide planks wood floors. Adam, our bartender was very welcoming to this first timer. Many choices on menu and offers daily specials. Ordered a butter fried chicken sandwich. Chicken was cooked perfectly with fresh greens, red Vidalia onion, bacon. Requested Aioli,spicy barbecue, and ranch served on the side. A return trip to the Bull Run is Def warranted! read more

We enjoyed Valentines dinner in the Tap Room by the fire place. Our server "Michael" gave us a warm greeting and made us feel welcome. He did an excellent job taking care of us throughout the entire meal. The food was incredibly delicious and served hot on a very busy evening. I had the 8oz filet mignon cooked to perfection and my wife enjoyed the seafood casserole with large pieces of lobster, scallops and shrimp, also cooked to perfection. There's so much history with this location, the Tap Room is so warm and inviting. There was soft guitar music being played in the room which we enjoyed. We finished the meal with the vanilla rose cake which was an amazing treat. Thank you Michael, the kitchen staff and the hostess for making our dinner special. read more

The Bull Run Restaurant - Vanilla Rose Cake - American Near Me - Shirley, Massachusetts

As a frequent diner here I've waited a long time to write this review, but the verdict is in: it's not very good. This is most disappointing because it's an outstanding venue for the kind of music I like. I guess take your visiting conservative relatives here who want a taste of "Traditional Olde New England Fare" (my words) - it's certainly way better than Wayside Inn for this - but otherwise avoid. There's a moderate selection of traditional entrees like roast turkey, prime rib, shrimp scampi, etc. And for the most part they're decent. However: only a select few items are available at the concert venue. If your first visit to Bull Run is to attend a concert you'll be quite disappointed if you were hoping for a fine meal. It reflects poorly on them as a restaurant and there's just no reason for it. The room is very well staffed, diners are checked on regularly, and the extra time to get food from the kitchen to this other room if any is slight. Last time I got a burger. A $20 "Classic Burger" ought to be pretty good, right? No. I ordered it medium and it was 2 levels past that at well-done: Shriveled to a thin dry disk and hidden in the bun. The bacon was undercooked and unpleasantly chewy. And, they forgot the cheese. I would have sent it back but was enjoying the music too much to bother. $20? No. That's for a plain burger. To add cheese and bacon adds another $4, so $24! You do get fries and a pickle with it but that's totally insane. I know prices have risen but that's more than I've seen anywhere. Before that I started with French Onion Soup which I remember liking on past visits. Nothing like I remembered. The cheese was skimpy and just melted, not browned under the broiler like I remembered. The croutons were insufficient and soggy. And the broth lacked the complexity I remembered. It needed something: sherry? Better stock? There was no table bread provided so I asked. Waitress brought some, a small portion certainly not enough for the table of 8. When my companions arrived they ordered more. Little did we know they would be charging $3 for each serving - we were not told. Note to restaurants: don't make me mad. Table bread should be free. Period. Several times we've ordered reubens for takeout. We've watched them decline in quality since 2020 when they were quite good, then they started occasionally missing the mark, and the last times so disappointing we've stopped getting them. Skimpy portions of corned beef, not hand-carved like it used to be, inconsistent cheese and sauerkraut proportions, sloppy presentation, etc. Back to the dining experience: Our waitress Maddie was awesome. She checked on us frequently, had a friendly attitude, and was easy to interact with. As I was briefly leaving to use the rest room I saw her behind the bar, called to her by name and asked her to bring the cheesecake when she had the time - no hurry. She knew exactly who I was and what table I was at without asking. With the number of tables she was covering and how busy this place was that's amazing and deserving of my 25% tip. Yes that's a very high tip, more than I usually do. There's a reason for that beyond the good service. They recently added an extra "kitchen fee" of 2.5% or so. It goes to back of the house staff. Not much but I resent it. It just tells me you're not paying them enough. So raise your prices 2.5% and don't itemize it! Bizarrely the bill says this charge can be removed "by request". So you want to make me the a-hole by requesting it? No, you are by not paying them enough. Nevertheless I had resolved to do just that this time, so my generous waitress tip was to justify to myself or whomever that I'm not just being a cheapskate. But again, as I was enjoying the music so much I forgot my resolve and the "fee" got paid. So to wrap things up, I'm not eating meals here anymore. I'll continue to go to the amazing concerts (nothing like this anywhere near me) but it will be cocktails and desserts only for me from now on, both of which are quite good. read more

The Bull Run Restaurant - American Near Me - Shirley, Massachusetts

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If you didn't give this four stars or above, it's simple don't come here because you do not deserve to eat here. Are go to place for prime rib has shut down, so we found this. Oh my God. I think the word that goes here is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or shortened scrumdiddlyumptious. We started out with the hummus platter with PETA it was nothing short of amazing. Then we got the main course prime rib. When I say perfectly cooked I mean perfectly cooked. Seriously always trust a big man when it comes to food reviews. You could have basically cut it with a butter knife and a plastic butter knife at that. It came with a horseradish aioli which was delicious. I got the twice baked potato and the asparagus with it. Again absolutely delicious. But for dessert we had the coup de gras. Mango creme brulee. Oh my God I am just so happy I have low cholesterol. We will go back again and again and again Infinity I also have to give props to our server Emily she was one of the most gracious servers I had ever had. read more

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Attended a concert here and was surprised at the quaint ambiance of this restaurant with New England charm off the beaten path. It was a much more sprawling space than I expected. We enjoyed the singer musician performance we attended and ate dinner at the same time (Prime Rib - very good). Would come here again if in the area. read more

My wife and I just moved to the area in the past week with my elderly MIL and after spending three exhausting days unpacking, we were looking for a nice place to eat late on a Friday night. Not knowing the area, we stumbled upon the Bull Run and decided to pull in despite the parking lot being nearly at capacity. The place was crazy busy, should have made reservations! We were told the only available seating was upstairs. My elderly MIL could not manage stairs so we were getting ready to walk out and look elsewhere when the maitre d' notified us that a party ready to be seated downstairs overheard our predicament and offered to take an upstairs table to accommodate us. During this time, we also met the owner, Alison, who was extremely gracious and pleasant. She gave us a quick history of the restaurant and couldn't have been nicer, despite our lack of making a reservation. Once seated, we had a great experience. I ordered the ribeye special rare and it was one of the best steaks I have had in a while. My wife (slow roast turkey dinner) and MIL (seafood dish) were extremely happy with their meals as well. The waiter (wish I remembered his name) was fantastic and attentive to us, despite a full dining room and many other tabletops to handle. The dining room featured an organ player who was quite good, many of the other patrons were singing along to the songs he played. Great atmosphere all around. On the way out, the marquee showed that Suzy Bogguss played there the night before. One of our favorite 90s country singers! Did not expect to see such a big name in a place like that and sorry to have missed her. We will be back. With a reservation this time! read more

Amazing food, great service, and a very pleasant atmosphere. You won't be disappointed at all.

TL:DR It has a ton of charm but the animals who died for this meal died in vain. Went here with my fiancé for early dinner while house hunting in the area. We got each of the non alcoholic cocktails. They were good but a bit pricey for what you get. The second order of them was also super delayed. We ordered refills around the time we finished our app and they came out right before the check about 45 minutes later. The appetizer we got was the calamari. We got both dipping sauces because we were interested in the caper dip. Thank god we did because the marinara was extremely bland. Pretty much just crushed tomato. The caper sauce was nice though. The calamari itself was pretty good but lacked a bit of seasoning. For entrees this is where it went south. My fiancé got a salad with chicken and i got the prime rib medium rare. The salad itself was decent but the chicken was not added to the salad it was just a side of chicken breast that was cooked to death. Extremely dry and crumbly. The prime rib was just sad. It was well done rather than medium rare and it had 0 seasoning. The fat cap was hard and not rendered and it was so dry we couldnt get more than a few bites down. I read a few more reviews where the prime rib also came that way for them. So im assuming its just hit or miss. The sides were nice however. I just think whoever was on proteins that day missed the mark completely. We ended up taking the meat home and cutting it up to use in a stew.. it was that tough. The ambiance is great though and even though our server took a long time with drinks she was friendly and nice but otherwise inattentive. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. read more

Went last night to the Albert Lee show. He was great as usual. As I have stated before the Bull Run is in need of a sound system upgrade. Poor sound and the vocals are nearly obscured by all other sound. Secondly, my reuben sandwich was really good but it was nearly half the size of the one I got on my last visit. read more

What a wonderful spot to grab a meal. We had about a 20 minute wait because we did not have a reservation but it went by quick. The restaurant is a bit on the rustic side but it had a ton of charm. While we waited for our meal we were serenaded by a gentleman playing the piano. For our meals I had the small prime rib served with mashed butternut squash and my girlfriend had the turkey dinner. The prime rib was so flavorful and cooked perfectly. We absolutely loved this place. read more

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Met my sister and her husband and my friend for dinner. We ended up seated upstairs above the front room. I had never been seated there and it sort of felt odd as if I were in someone's living room. There was a bar in the room but it was unmanned so all of our servers had a long walk to get our food and drink. The room was sparse and bland, It lacked the warmth and character of the bottom floor. The long walk to the kitchen had all the food arriving with what looked to be hospital cloche made of plastic. My food was barely room temperature and very unappealing. I would refuse to be seated there again should I choose to return. I have had much better experiences on the lower floor and at their concert dinners read more

This is a top notch restaurant! The food is absolutely fantastic and the employees are great at their job as well. It is just a fantastic experience read more

Went to the Bull Run's Thanksgiving (2025) buffet expecting so much more of a $75/head meal than was in fact delivered. While we were disappointed that the food and atmosphere were not up to the price, we were appalled that what had been promised as a wheelchair-accessible restaurant was anything but. When making reservations that include our 93 yr old wheelchair bound mother we are always careful to verify the wheelchair access, regardless of what is required by law. "Oh, yes!" we were reassured, we could bring her to the buffet. We did not know that we would have to wait on line to be seated and that the hallways were barely large enough for the massive crush of patrons to go back and forth, let alone manage a wheelchair. In fact, even getting in the front door was difficult due to the fact that there were several other patrons there with assistive devices who essentially couldn't get past each other due to the tight confines of the building's front entry/reception area. OK, I get it, it's a structure originally built in the 18th century, but it's operating as a restaurant in the 21st century. Bull Run, don't claim that the place is handicapped accessible if it's not. Unfortunately, It gets worse. There was no advance mention that the majority of the buffet was UP ON A STAGE. Or that the dining room's seating would be packed so tightly that you are REQUIRED TO CHECK YOUR COAT, because there isn't enough room to hang it on the back of your chair. And certainly barely enough room for those with walkers and wheelchairs to navigate. Fortunately, mother didn't need to use the bathroom BECAUSE THEY WERE DOWNSTAIRS, accessible only by a long flight of stairs or perhaps by going outdoors, and around the building to the bottom floor. When asked, the staff that we spoke with had no idea how someone who cannot walk could access the restroom at the Bull Run. Finally, the noise level in the dining room was exceedingly loud, leaving (most) guests to yell at each other across their tables or sit in silence. The food, while traditional for a thanksgiving dinner, was bland and uninspired, but the packed room was filled with diners, many of whom seemed to be enjoying it, so I won't take many points away for that. Still, for $75 per person it was disappointing to put it mildly. Our final check was $365 for 4 diners (no alcoholic drinks)...that included a generous tip for the server who clearly was working hard in adverse conditions and was very apologetic about the ADA non-compliant conditions. read more

The Delmonico was very juicy and cooked perfectly to medium for my liking.lobster bisque was more bisque than lobster bits.My friend got the clam chowder and which he said was exquisite. Server was very friendly and on top of things. The decor was very nice, little too much dim lighting. 4 stars because my friend's burgers were bland and lack any real taste with the special arugula or seasoning. The server was very respectful about it and even offered to take them off the bill which we declined. Overall decent spot little pricey but depending on what you get well worth it. read more

The Bull Run Restaurant - Lobster Bisque - American Near Me - Shirley, Massachusetts

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I don't know why I have not rated this establishment already. Wicked good. Elizabeth was an awesome server, who has served me in the past. Calamari was lightly fried and delicious. I went with a dinner special of duck, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts with bacon. I devoured the meal. Ambiance is 1728 colonial and what one would expect for a Commonwealth period restuant. read more

I haven't been here in years, but the time I went, the food was really good and the ambiance was really nice.

The food in the service isn't that bad. But the atmosphere is horrible. You can expect to eat with blaring music from entertainers who should just retire. Not the place to go if you want to have conversation with the ones you're with. read more

We had an absolutely wonderful night at The Bull Run! We had some confusion about our tickets and the staff was so kind and accommodating to us! They actually set up a table on the spot for us, a perfect table! Thank you Alison for running your special family business with such kindness. The food, drinks and show were excellent, as was our waiter Shane. We are already planning our next trip back, we'll make sure to process the tickets correctly this time ;) We really love the ambiance and groovy vibe of The Bull Run Tavern. read more

One of the oldest taverns in the country. Atmosphere is antique and charming. Good food and drink. I'm a fan

We really wanted to love Bull Run. We've heard great things and we're hopeful to enjoy their prime rib for Christmas Eve special dinner. We ordered for Christmas Eve, picked up our food and drove only 5 minutes home. When I opened the prime rib box it was fully cooked, tough, and unfortunately flavorless. I had requested medium rare. I realize the meat probably continued to cook in the box, but I don't think it should have been well done. I asked to substitute their homemade Mac and cheese for the butternut squash. We were charged $4 extra and the Mac and cheese was not homemade, had no flavor, and was lacking cheese. The appetizer we ordered, seafood stuffed mushrooms, were ok. There were only 4. The popover included was hard & tasteless. My partner ordered Seafood Casserole. We opened the box and there was hardly any casserole. It was filled worth filler such as stems of parsley. The small pieces of lobster were tough and inedible. Lastly, we wondered why our bill was so high at pick up. We realized an 15% gratuity was added without our knowledge. We usually tip, and did not realize this was added in. Overall, we were just very disappointed in our Meal and most of it was not edible. Our bill was $137.50, which was a lot, but we were hopeful for a great Christmas Eve meal. read more

Love this place, one of my favorites!!!! Great great place, great staff, amazing food and excellent drinks!!!! Family friendly lots of comfortable food I try literally everything and i haven't had any bad experience, the apple crisp and the lava cake omg Believe me have to try it!!!! read more

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Always good food. Staff are great as well. We just to brunch today and we were quite happy. The ambiance is nice.

We enjoyed our monthly girls night here. The staff were super friendly. Our server was very good. The menu had some good options burgers, pizza, and full dinners. I had the salmon burger with sweet potato fries. It was tasty. The haddock dinner was well liked by a few of my friends. The room had a rustic tavern vibe. Would definitely recommend. Prices were very reasonable. read more

The Bull Run Restaurant - Sausage and Ricotta Bull Pizza - American Near Me - Shirley, Massachusetts

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First off, let me say this place has amazing character. It has old world charm. I recommend making a reservation if you go on a weekend because they fill up quick. We ordered the calamari appetizer to start and it was delicious. It was lightly fried to perfection. I got one of the specials, the whiskey steak. While it tasted okay, I should've gone for their house special prime rib. My steak was plain and the sauce that accompanied it was ok. The steak was cooked a perfect medium rare though. My son had the mushroom pizza, which was divine. We splurged for the lava cake dessert, which didn't disappoint. Our waitress was FANTASTIC. I will definitely be back again, but I'll stick to the regular menu. read more

The Bull Run Restaurant - Molten lava cake - American Near Me - Shirley, Massachusetts

Special birthday dinner party of three and I don't feel the quality of the food for the price was good enough to return. The waitstaff were great and so was the ambiance but we mainly went there for the French Onion Soup and popover bread which were only fair. My partner's steak (best on the menu) was marginal. I can't remember what I had and unfortunately all three of us didn't feel this restaurant lived up to its reputation or was it the wonderful meal I remember from years ago. read more

I've been going to the Bull Run Restaurant for dozens of years. I eat at the bar. The service is always exceptional. Great drinks. The food initially years ago was pretty awful. They then got a new chef in and turned the restaurant around. Was EXCELLENT. Unfortunately over the summer '25 they got a new Chef and the food is now extremely disappointing. I ate there tonight. Had the fish and chips and the fish was tasteless, dry and overcooked. It used to be so good. I substituted french fries for what they called a double baked potato, which was a disgusting, over cooked potato skin that was probably cooked last week, stufFed with mashed potatoes and topped with cheese. It was hardly warm and absolutely awful. I'm really worried that they are going to go backwards with this new chef. Very disappointed and sorry to report. I generally eat here 1 to 2 times a month. read more

Ambiance very nice! Date worthy, really yum food! Chowder is exceptional! Just nice New England stop!

Food was great. The lobster bisque had great taste but no chunks of meat. Atmosphere was cool too

well this is a very popular place, it has LOTS of entertainment and we have been there several times to enjoy the shows....big really old place with lots of rooms and an interesting bar area...lunch recently, which is a saturday thing, not too busy, but we were early...service was pleasant, drinks were good and as ordered...sandwiches, a reuben and a french dip both good though nothing special....it is really busy here in the evening both for food and for entertainment....nice historic place!!! read more

The ambiance is wonderful as it is cozy and has the American Revolutionary era feel. Unfortunately, it's in the middle of nowhere and the prices reflect that. All the meals were satisfactory, but the prices were insane for even Boston never mind the burbs. There are just better restaurants with more reasonable pricing for us to travel to. read more

This was our Thanksgiving Day, first my wine glass came FILTHY and included some one's lip print on the rim. Right there I wanted to vomit! Bacon cheddar tots were nasty. The cheese and cracker tray came with some cottage cheese something as the cheese (not what I thought it would be) Food had zero taste (I got the prime rib). Plates were plastic...PLASTIC! Tacky. The best part of the whole meal was the Molton Lava Cake, Apple Cheesecake and Dark Espresso Martini. read more

My son decided to treat me to brunch last weekend. It was beautiful weather so he called the night before and asked if they were serving outside. They said yes, and took his reservation. When we arrived, there was no outdoor seating. The host said they stop that on Oct 1. That's ok, but the receptionist who took our reservation had apparently been in a box. The ONLY reason we'd gone here was to sit outside. So we sat inside and had brunch. I wanted breakfast and, because I'm diabetic, I asked for the French toast with no sugar, just sugar free syrup. The waiter said they didn't have sugar free syrup, but it's ok, they have local real maple syrup! He said there's no sugar in that! Are you kidding? So I ate half a piece of dried out French toast. My son loved his breakfast. I believe the French toast is pre-fab and just warmed. It was dry and stiff. Very disappointing. read more

In the past several years, I've been attending the amazing concerts at Bull Run -- a fantastic venue. The concert menu is much better than my first few times, with seemingly a lot more choices now. I absolutely LOVE the baked mac & cheese with the side of butternut squash, but I've had the pizza at least once, delicious as well. I'm constantly amazed with the servers at the Bull Run concerts, especially since I'm a host at another restaurant and I see how hard my servers work, generally assigned 3 tables and/or booths that usually each seat from 2 - 4 people. Last time I attended a concert, I asked my server how many tables they each had, and she said 5 tables. Given that each of the round tables seats 8, that could loosely be broken down as 5 parties of 8, or 10 parties of 4, or 20 parties of 2. Dinner is served from 6:00 - 7:30-ish PM, and the guests arrive throughout the time prior to the concert. If a table isn't one party of 8, then -- to me -- it looks like the servers are playing "whack a mole" keeping up with individuals, or 2 or 3 people intermittently showing up at the tables, sitting among and between guests already in progress, and constantly having to notice who's new at the table now, and others tugging at them asking for more food or drink while they're on their way to serve or take orders. I'd lose my mind -- LOL! A HUGE THANKS to all of them willing to put up with the concert goers, and I hope that tips make it worth the insanity. Looking forward to two more concerts at Bull Run before the end of 2025!! read more

Great food experience after disc golf at Devens. Highly recommended for their excellent service, but don't order the fish tacos if you've ever been inside a Mexican restaurant read more

We went with our family to Bill Run. First time we'd ever been. The service wasn't all that great. We had to continually flag down the server to refill the sodas and to order more adult beverages. The lobster roll was a bit bland. The brussel sprouts were too sweet and needed salt. I could only eat a couple. I love brussel sprouts but nope, pass. I ordered the blueberry ale (beer) and I'm totally serious, it came to the table with fresh blueberries floating in it. The clam chowder was pretty good. Right in the middle of the clam chowder taste scale between the east coast and San Francisco over the past couple of months. Everyone thought the food was ok and for the limited amount of restaurants in the area, I would give it another shot if I lived in the area. read more

Great staff, great food and historic old time feel of one of the oldest restaurants in the area.

HUGE fan of Bull Run. Was able to find parking in the back lot, though it was tight. Ordered the fried calamari to share and I had the shrimp and scallop scampi and my partner enjoyed the seafood stuffed haddock. Everything was well prepared and flavorful. Our waiter was fantastic! Inside is very cozy and reminds me of a tavern. read more