One of the bands I play with was recently hired to perform at the Common Room. This was my first time there, and I was immediately blown away when I walked in by what a cool bar/restaurant it is. The staff and owner, Tommy, were so kind, helpful, and great to work with in putting on our show. They did all of this for us while simultaneously and masterfully tending to a very large crowd of patrons that night. I've worked in restaurants as a waiter and bartender to know, their service and execution were truly impressive. Highly recommended spot for a couple of drinks, a nice dinner out, or to catch some local live music! read more

Let's start with the good. The ambiance is okay for what it is (comfortable, decent space between tables, casual vibe), there is plenty of parking in the big public lot nearby, and I can see the appeal of it for suburban families with young kids. This is perhaps the most aptly named restaurant ever. Solidly common, and solidly disappointing. Terrible service (slow, inattentive, and they messed up the simplest of orders). The food was mediocre at best. Boring and predictable selection of draft beer (I know it's the suburbs, so maybe that's unfair). If you don't want to see TVs everywhere you look, stay away. Did I mention the inattentive service? Definitely won't be coming back with so many better options just steps away. read more

This was our first visit and it won't be our last! I ordered the grilled chicken kebab. You get two nice sized kebabs and 2 sides. I got the steamed broccoli and a side salad. All were served on the same plate so I'm glad I got the salad dressing on the side. My companion had a Common Burger with cheddar cheese and fries. All was served hot and promptly. Draft beer list was fine and what we expected. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Our server Amanda was attentive. read more

We hosted a family event there and it was was excellent! The bar was quick serving both guests at the table and at the bar. The food was delicious, hot and there was lots of it. We were very pleased with the whole event and the staff's helpfulness. Would absolutely host another event there. read more

Yikes. Was here last month and I can't keep thinking about how horrible the service was. We were seated fairly quickly but it took quite some time for our server to make his way over. While he was friendly, always smiling, that's about the only good thing I can say. It was our first time here, we had a lot of questions and Jovan had very few answers. He seemed more confused by the menu than we were - maybe he was new? We ordered Buffalo Wings to start but were brought BBQ. Small mistake but still annoying. We had to flag down a runner as our server was hard to find the entire evening. They were tasty once we got the replacement. I ordered the Common Burger medium well and it came out mooing. My boyfriend ordered the Meatball Mariana with angel hair and it came with penne. So that's three items that need to be returned this point. Mind you neither of us are particularly picky, we just wanted what we ordered. When our server finally came by and we pointed out the errors he looked at us bewildered - like we were speaking some other language. He took the plates back but wasn't apologetic by any means and a manager did not come by. Again when we got our replacement plates the food wasn't bad but having been in the industry for a while, service is important to me. When the bill came, nothing was taken off. We weren't looking for anything completely free, just a small token for the numerous errors. Needless to say, we won't be back. Thanks Jovan. read more

Despite being a very crowded Friday night, The Common Room staff were calm and friendly, the overall vibe in the room was positive (meaning, navigating around the room and brushing against people and apologizing was received with a smile and a nod) and the food was delicious. And a fun band was a huge bonus! read more

The Common Room has become our go to place as a family with 4 kids (5-11). There is something about the space and the sound that our kids feel they can move and talk without bothering others. While simultaneously not throwing the parents into overstimulation. We routinely have server Brianna- who my child told me he loves when we have her- and as adults we appreciate her, too. There is something for everybody in the family on the menu. The pretzel app is great. We will continue to be regulars. read more

A name has never been more applicable. What a common blah restaurant. The definition of meh. The food is boring and uninteresting and the way it was prepared was just not good. We started with nachos, and it was boring and lacked good taste. The cheese sauce was grainy. We had the steak sandwiches. It was like eating rubber. Barely chewable. Just super disappointed. Never will be coming back. read more

Best food, best vibe, best best place to hang out and listen to music with friends! Service was warm and friendly. Definitely coming back. read more

The Common Room - Perfect "meet up" with friends! - Comfort Food Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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We thought the food was fine. Ordinary, nothing to write home about in flavor or portion size, but it was good. I had the Turkey Tips, my wife had Eggplant Parm. What we were not happy with, was the service. We went on a Saturday evening at 7PM. The place was busy but we had a reservation and they seated us right away. We ordered drinks, an app, (Chicken Tenders), and our entrees, all at the same time. The app took 40 minutes to arrive, then another 5 for them to bring the Bleu Cheese. My entree showed up at the 1 hour and 10 minutes point. Then, after waiting another 10 minutes, I flagged down a manager about my wife's dinner. Her supper came out about 5 minutes later. That's 1 hour, 25 minutes. They comped my wife's meal. I can see how the kitchen was backed up and they took forever. I've worked in the back of the house before and I understand that things go awry sometimes. I wish they had communicated with us. I appreciated the comp, but would rather have paid and had the two meals together in a reasonable amount of time. I've been there a few times on Fridays for lunch, when it's not crowded, and the wait was fine. Would I go back for dinner? Yeah, I would, but if the same thing happened again, that would be my last time. read more

When you need a spot for dinner and want to bring the kids.... this is it. Everything is just good enough. Holiday drinks are yummy - but could give you diabetes. Lighting is so bright you won't miss a detail on your plate. Waitresses are trying very hard and are very kind, but they can't get ahead. The one standout ... is the water. No joke. They spent a bunch of money installing a water filter that makes the water taste crystal clear. Definitely drink up. read more

Great food, great sports bar vibe with lots of TVs to catch all of the games, and prompt service. The cocktails were delicious, as were the steak tips and chicken Parmesan. Only tricky part with Needham Center is parking as it's mostly street parking, but would definitely return! read more

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experience/waitstaff: upon arrival, there was no host to greet or seat us. after a few minutes, one of the waiters came by and asked us if we needed help. we told him of our reservation and he nodded and walked away. several minutes went by. the hostess finally arrived and asked if we had been helped. we said, "we think so?" and described that our waiter had asked as well. another couple minutes went by and we were finally seated. our waiter came and brought a bottle of water and two glasses. he didn't pour anything. that was up to us. the couple at the table next to us was seated shortly after us and given the same bottle and glasses. except her glass had a huge piece of green lettuce on the side of it. we mentioned to the waiter. he rolled his eyes and took it away. when he brought back a new glass, no apology or anything. we waited 30 minutes after ordering for our food to arrive. food: my husband ordered a salad with chicken. it was ok. I ordered steak tips (medium), grilled asparagus and Brussels sprouts. the asparagus was the only fully edible item on the plate. the sprouts were undercooked. as was the beef. it wasn't medium as ordered, it wasn't even medium rare (which, to be frank, is my preference but at a new place I always request one level higher for safety). the tips were rare - and fatty. given we waited 30 minutes already for our food, I didn't want to send it back for fear of longer delays or ... worse. when we mentioned this to our waiter and showed him, it became my fault for not sending it back. again, no apology or accountability. it was a subpar experience from beginning to end. I typically love giving local establishments the benefit of the doubt, but we will not be returning. read more

Just ate at the Common Room for the first time 1. They gave us a glass with lipstick on it 2. Out of multiple things on the menu, and it was only 6:30 PM on a Saturday. Some things they only told us they were out after we ordered them 3. They ran out of spoons and could only offer us forks for our ice cream dessert 4. Weren't able to split a meal on two plates that we wanted to share, even a simple thing like a salad 5. Had two glasses for water for a group of four, until we said something 15 minutes later 6. Food was overall adequate read more

Sunday, March16th. This was my third time attending their "Sunday Live Blues" event. I joined a group of "regular" friends at a table in the bar area, where the band was playing. Since it was St. Patty's weekend (tho not yet St. Patty's day) I opted for the "special" corned beef and cabbage dinner when I was finally able to get the waiters' attention. Yeah, it was busy, but not overly so. I got there early purposely to beat the Sunday night blues music crowd and have dinner (The third time's a charm?) The waiter advised me that I had to give him a credit card before he'd take my order. What? I'm 72 and felt that I had reached at least "semi-regular" status for this continuing Sunday night event. What is this? A restaurant or some kind of college puke bar? None of the friends I joined at the table were required to produce a proof of payment prior to ordering. I asked them. Strike one. When my dinner was delivered via a runner my corned beef and cabbage dinner was more corned beef and potato and carrots. No cabbage. What? This is your corned beef and cabbage St. Patty's Day Special? Sheesh. Strike two. So the runner leaves the plate and he's gone. There are no condiments on the table and the waiter is nowhere to be found. After a while I was able to flag down the runner. May I have some salt and pepper (the dish was bland and needed something) and some mustard, please? After too long a wait, with my dinner getting cold, the runner appeared with the salt, pepper and mustard, apologizing, "sorry, I had to go down in the basement and find the mustard." Strike three. What? You have a dinner "Special" and the most common condiment for that special isn't not only automatically served with the dish but the server has to go looking for it? Nobody bothered to check in with me to see if I needed anything. I got no water and trying to order another drink was frustrating. I want to like this place, if for no other reason than they're supporting live local music. And let's face it, Needham needs all the help it can get. But the food is meh at best and they seriously need to hone their operations. The first two times I went (and dined) the food was such that I recall thinking "I'll never order that again." Common Room (a fitting name, for sure) has a good vibe and spirit but jeeze Louise, y'all can do better. I'm rootin' for you but after being in business for about a year, it's not looking good, I'm afraid. read more

Looks like it could be a cool spot if you're 12. If you want food don't just walk in. Call ahead.

I had the pleasure of dining at the common room for the first time on Saturday. My husband and I had an amazing date night. We enjoyed the chicken parm and steak tips. The atmosphere & the music were incredible. Thank you so much to our bartenders Billy & Lauren, they took such good care of us! We will definitely be back!!! read more

I just moved to Needham and was looking for a place that had good music and live food and I believe I found it! I ordered a raspberry vodka cocktail while we were waiting for our table and it was a very refreshing drink. We started with the southwestern eggrolls and they were fried to perfection and it came with a house made chipotle aioli that was delicious. Now, we were having so much fun and enjoying the singer that we didn't notice our food was taking a little longer than normal. Luckily our waiter (I wish I remembered his name!) noticed before us (talk about being on the ball!) and he went and got the manager and they came over, explained the error, apologized profusely and bought us a round as an apology. We were blown away by the care, consideration and attentiveness of the waitstaff and the management. Our food came out hot, fresh and delicious. My boyfriend ordered the special of the night which was chicken kabobs and he commented how fresh everything tasted. My steak tips were cooked to perfection and the grilled asparagus was on point. Dessert was a caramel cheesecake that was absolutely amazing. When we were finished with supper we went over to the bar and enjoyed the guitar player they had that night. We are big country fans and he was playing all the hits like Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers. We ended staying the rest of the night just so we could hear his whole set! There was plenty of street parking and there was a public lot not too far from the restaurant. We will definitely be spending many more nights here! read more

Common Room in Needham is . The outdoor seating is perfect on a summer night. The waitstaff? Friendly, knowledgeable and were sensitive to my son's allergies. The menu's large and mostly high end pub food. A must-visit when in Needham. Went to Abbott's Custard, around the corner, for desert. They are also a 5 star. read more

The Common Room Grill officially opened in the former Latina Kitchen & Bar near the corner of Dedham Ave and Great Plain Ave in Needham. They already had a family & friends soft opening a few days ago to work out any issues beforehand.  The space with hardwood floors was redone with the bar area to the left and dining room to the right. There is limited seating up at the bar with high table seating nearby at TVs. The dining room has booths and table seating with TVs and framed Boston sports pictures & framed jerseys including the GOAT.  The food menu offerings include a variety of appetizers, salads, burgers/sandwich plates, flatbread pizzas, main entrees (pasta dishes, steak tips, turkey tips, salmon, chicken shish kabobs), kids menu and desserts. The bar offers 12 beers on tap, bottle beers, wine, and cocktails. The pricing is moderate. I stopped by the Common Room Grill on their official opening night. At the time of this posting, they were only open for dinner with lunch hours soon. The place was already hopping just before 5pm with all seats at the bar filled up and several tables already seated. I was seated at a small round table with a comfortable booth seat. There was late 80s and early 90s music playing over the speakers.  The menu is still evolving as I noticed a slight variations from the menu posted on Facebook. The server arrived with a bottle of cold still water with glass and I promptly decided what I was going to order. For a starter, I got the Nachos Grande ($11 plus tax) which came out with warm corn tortilla chips topped with sour cream, guacamole, roasted red peppers, grilled onions, navy beans, and house-made queso. This was enough for 2-4 people to share. For an entree, the Chicken Parm ($24 plus tax) served with pasta choice. The entree was served on a large round flat plate with a big breaded pounded thin crispy chicken cutlet topped with a thick melted cheese blend with a small side of al dente tagliatelle pasta smothered in a rich tomato sauce. I finished this tasty chicken parm and boxed up half the nachos left over. Both the appetizer and entree were excellent choices. For dessert, the White Chocolate Mousse Cake ($9 plus tax) was comprised of a round layer cake of yellow sponge cakes, white chocolate cream layers, raspberry spread, topped with white chocolate shavings and chocolate sauce drizzle on the plate. This dessert was a pretty solid choice. Overall, the food here was pretty good and freshly prepared to order. The service was adequate here despite getting slammed on their first evening open to the public. My main entree actually arrived before my starter due to the kitchen not having certain ingredients available. The food took a while to come out and the staff is still on a learning curve. My server checked on me, assuring that the kitchen was busy at work. The check was $47.08 with tax and before tip. There was a QR code on the check for convenient online payment through Toast. The owner thanked me for stopping in for dinner. I will be sure to stop in again to try other dishes on the menu. The diners at the next table ordered the Chicken Shish Kabobs with mashed potatoes & asparagus and the Griff pizza both looked very good. read more

Delicious food and great vibe. The jalapeno cheese dip and truffle fries are absolutely delish! Also... make sure to order the upside down pineapple cake! TP read more

Nothing Common about this place!! went there last night & it was amazing!! Do yourself a favor & visit this great Restaurant- Service was unmatched - the Blackened Salmon dish was crispy cooked to perfection- the cocktails were flavorful & generously sized & last but not least the live band was the best.. great night out!! can't wait for the next visit 5+ stars Margaret & Maria read more

Had an opportunity to check this place out last night. Really cool vibe inside. Sat in the bar area. Live music was surprisingly very good. The service was outstanding. One girl worked the bar area and was very attentive, my drink was never empty. The giant pretzel appetizer was delicious. The Buffalo cauliflower was amazing, but my favorite app was the Brussels sprouts in bacon. Perfectly cooked. I had a white pizza. Crust was delicious, next time I'll do a cheese for sure. Must try the chai tea martini with pumpkin sweet cream floater. Wow. Can't wait to go back. read more

Came in for a drink at 11:00. Last call at 11:45 . Bartenders treated me with nothing but respect and honesty . Warned us 15 minutes before last call and 5 minutes before last call. They made sure we were taken care of and had a great night cap . Great customers and servers all around . Highly recommend read more

HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. Food is delicious. Hearty comfort food with an added gourmet touch. The ambiance is new, fresh and fun. With bands playing on weekends and an upbeat staff. If you're looking for a place for satisfying, delicious comfort food during the week and a great time listening and/or dancing with music entertainment on a weekend night, go to The Common Room! read more

Normally I wouldn't bother, but this place needs a review. The food was awful. Even saying that is probably too generous. The pizza was very poor, with what tasted like canned sauce and dough that is frankly worse than premade stuff you would get at the supermarket. The garlic Parmesan sauce our boneless wings were covered in was also outrageously salty. The burger was passable, but not particularly good. Service was fine. I want this place to succeed, but the owners and chef need to take a hard look at what they are serving, because frankly, no one should be paying for this food. read more

Flat bread pizza no es bueno Not a pizza nor a flatbread Dried out DHOS Served fifteen minutes before rest of party read more

This place seems like a sports bar kind of restaurant. Service is great, but food is so so. Wings are good but sauce is way too salty. Pizza is average. I would not go back. read more

Went last night for the first time. The food and drinks were spot on! I will be coming back for sure. Melissa G Dedham read more

The food was excellent, the service was wonderful, I highly recommend. We had the steak tips with fries and the turkey tips with vegetables. Food was moist and tasty, fries were hot and delicious. We were a couple but seeing all the women's and men's groups there, it's also a great place to come with your friends. read more

When I walked it I stood awaiting for someone to greet me and finally they did. They didn't have half of the items on the menu and the food they did have I was on the toilet all night long. My waitress was great. read more

Food and service.. nachos were the worst I ever had!!!! Fake cheese,raw onions,tasteless chips etc.. one would have thought they would remove the item from the bill. Dish was basically untouched. Not a place to go to!!!!! It's a shame Not the casewould not recommend this place read more

I really want this place to succeed but after my fourth time there I think I can officially say that the food (on a whole) and service is just not good. I've had a couple of dishes that are ok. The nachos were very good. Avoid the calamari. My big issue is that every time I've been there, the wait and bar staff (who work hard) are overwhelmed and there's always a couple guys, who I presume are owners/managers, that are just standing around doing nothing. The last time I was there one of the guys turned off the football game we were watching to golf and then sat down at the table next to us and ate a huge meal. Meanwhile we had been there for about 20 minutes and haven't had our order taken. read more

Fantastic live Blues and Funky Soul on Sunday evenings after 7! Great staff and service, and one of the best Reuben sandwiches going.

Meh. Food was fine, my chicken kabobs were drowning in sauce and the rice was so salty I couldn't eat it. My husband's steak tips and mashed potatoes were fine, nothing special but at least not overly salted. Meals and drinks had to be sent back because they were wrong. I asked for my cocktail to have just a splash of pomegranate juice instead of the normal amount because I have to watch my sugar and when my drink showed up, it filled about 1/3 of the glass. Which leads me to believe that they don't know how to make real cocktails , they just fill things with juice. I did see another review that said the drinks are crazy sweet . Our server was fantastic but her team kept letting her down. She had 4 tables across from us who were waiting for 45 minutes for their meals when we left- none looked happy. She appeased them with "as many free things as I could", but that could only go so far. Atmosphere is cold and boring. Don't need to go back here... read more

Very popular with solid food. The giant pretzel is great and my kids are obsessed with the chicken kabobs.

We had such a wonderful dining experience at this warm and inviting restaurant!! Everyone was so welcoming, great service! The food was delicious and well prepared. Welcome addition to Needham center, can't wait to go back!! read more

This is my new favorite hang out spot. The food is delicious and the vibe is fun. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The food is familiar and delicious. I got the steak tips and it was perfection. A spicy margarita is a great way to start the weekend! read more

Glad we were able to try this place without a long wait. Went on a Tuesday evening so there were plenty of tables. Definitely an odd shaped restaurant so TV's could not be seen if you were seated at a booth so not exactly a "sports-type" restaurant where you can hang and watch a game. We ordered calamari for apps, steak tips, chicken broccoli and ziti, burger and salad w salmon. There were 4 of us. The calamari app was not enough for 4 to pick at, I'd say there was probably only a cup full of calamari. Same for the steak tips..portions are small. Overall, food was very tasty, price seems reasonable altho they could give a bit more for portions. Also thought using Latina Kitchen labeled water glasses were kinda cheesy! Noticeable...maybe remove the name! Service was ok. Had to ask to refill our water glasses. I wouldn't rule out going back tho. read more

Recently opened. Very long wait but totally understand. Great vibe lots of TVs. Gonna give it to you straight and not sugar coat. Beer selection is great. How many places have Kona big wave on tap? Common room does! Burgers are good. Friends have told me me salads aren't great. Avoid the pizza. It's terrible hard dough with sauce from a can. Takes up a ton of room on the menu and is awful. I want to try the wings next as I hear those are decent. All in all come here for the drinks,burgers and apps. Probably not a dinner destination, at least not yet. Staff is great, all the wait and bar staff are awesome. I truly hope they can up level their food. read more