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    The James

    4.3 (126 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    The James Photos

    THE JAMES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The James

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    Reviews With Photos

    Sunday roast with beef
    Anthea G.

    My husband and I along with our two boys dined at the James Pub in Needham for our wedding anniversary lunch. We specifically picked it for the Sunday roast they offer in the fall and winter. The food was delicious! Our appetizers (sausage rolls and chips with curry sauce) were tasty and our mains - Sunday roast with chicken for me, Roast beef for my husband and older son, and a burger for the younger son were cooked to perfection! Portions are very generous and we were quite stuffed! We were also surprised with two complimentary desserts - really very kind and thoughtful of them. From the moment we sat down at our table to the time we walked out the door, the service was friendly and kind. We will definitely be back and highly recommend the James pub for a wonderful dining experience.

    A good Irish Whiskey, water, hand sanitizer, QR codes for the menu...  such are the times.
    Dave R.

    To others, I describe The James as "a cozy, friendly, smallish, Irish-inspired restaurant *with* great food. In downtown Needham, walking distance from the commuter rail in/out of Boston, The James has long been one of my favorite spots. While the menu is limited, I have found everything on it is delicious. That staff is super friendly. And they have a great selection of Irish Whiskey! The only thing I don't like about The James is that it's a small place. I can be tough to get a table or a seat at the bar. (The COVID-era addition of outdoor seating helps in nicer weather.) But that's just me being sad that I can't get always get a table here. If you haven't tried it yet, you should.

    Sausage roll
    Chris F.

    Cozy pub with excellent food and interesting cocktails. I like the cocktails, they are not ordinary and they are made with care. Service is warm and efficient. The food here is really good and the locals are lucky to have such a great place for diner. When we visited they had a Sunday roast dinner which was proper with roasties, Yorkshire pudding and nice serving size of gravy. The beef was excellent with a hint of the rosemary and served at the perfect temperature I requested. Great place overall

    Haloomi salad

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    Good and drinks are wonderful. Ambience is comfortable and inclusive. Love the live music nights.

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    The best drinks and such beautiful food with amazing flavor. Love the vibe at this place and the awesome staff.

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    Stuart H.

    Thank you so much, see you next time.

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    Stuart H.

    Thank you for your kind words Mike!

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    Page 2 of 4

    Ask the Community - The James

    What's the outdoor patio table situation? Any heaters?

    Hey, we have a heater for every table. Come join us, everything is well spaced out.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - The James

    Best burger I've ever had (and let's not forget about the fries, soda bread, and short rib and ale pie...

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Lockheart

    Lockheart

    3.9(90 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    Was looking for a casual night at the bar with my husband and Lockheart was the place. The…read morebartender made a delicious skinny margarita and my husband had the spicy one. We started with the lobster guacamole, it was ok a little mushier and bland for my liking. My husband had the quesadilla and I had two street tacos, they were delicious! Recommend if looking for Mexican fair.

    I came expecting big things from this spot. They have a robust taco menu for not being a Mexican…read morerestaurant. The options are tacos are vast. Tuna poke, lobster roll, smash burger, pulled pork... so many to choose from. I ended up being disappointed with my selections. The lobster roll was more lobster salad being 75% mayo. I didn't finish it. The smash burger taco was salty. I mean like really salty. It might have been good otherwise. Pulled pork was probably the best taco from my selections. Tuna poke had too much mayo that I could barely taste the tuna. The highlight was the lobster guacamole. I really liked that. For now, I can say I was disappointed by the tacos which was the reason I came initially I will go back and try more dishes though. Service was A+ and there's outside seating. The inside was loud but great AC on a humid night. They also had an open mic night downstairs which looked fun. I will give it another chance but I will not order the tacos again, which is disappointing because they sound so good.

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    Lockheart
    Lockheart - Rib eye steak, pblt, and baja fish tacos

    Rib eye steak, pblt, and baja fish tacos

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    Black & Blue Steak and Crab

    Black & Blue Steak and Crab

    3.6(49 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    Practically perfect! Drinks!…read moreAppetizers! Salads (wedge especially) Steaks!!!! Sides! Sweets! And service at every stage. A first rate establishment! We will be back.

    I wanted to love this place: great location, nice vibe, date night, and the promise of a classic…read moresteakhouse nigh, but the experience missed the mark in ways that were hard to ignore. Service felt disorganized and inattentive from the start. Nothing catastrophic, just consistently waiting longer than needed and off enough to make you feel like an afterthought rather than a guest. The steaks were the biggest disappointment. We ordered them at specific temperatures, but they arrived already overdone; we ordered medium and medium rare. They were served on plates so hot they kept cooking at the table. By the time you got a few bites in, you were basically eating a different doneness than what you ordered. The Manhattan cocktail came over ice, which is...a choice. Not the one I'd expect at a place positioning itself as a steakhouse. And then there were the Brussels sprouts, which somehow included a literal piece of lobster shell. Not exactly the kind of surf-and-turf surprise anyone is looking for on a night out when they're paying for a babysitter too. All jokes aside, I was worried for someone who may have shellfish allergy. Could've been catastrophic for the restaurant. All in all, it was a beautiful night out that deserved a better meal. Instead of "black and blue" the steakhouse way, I left feeling more like "black and blue" the emotional way--just without the satisfaction.

    Photos
    Black & Blue Steak and Crab - Dining Room

    Dining Room

    Black & Blue Steak and Crab
    Black & Blue Steak and Crab - Table for 4

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    Table for 4

    District 118 Kitchen and Bar - Handcrafted Rum Rummer

    District 118 Kitchen and Bar

    4.1(360 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$$
    Free parking
    Outdoor seating

    I was in the area and decided to hop on yelp and search restaurants in the area. One of the…read moresuggestions that came up was this restaurant. I decided to give it a try since it was only nine minutes away from where I was. When I walked in my child and I were immediately sat, and my child was provided a kids menu. My child went with the pasta and butter, which is her favorite dish from anywhere. I had the pan roasted chicken and a white sangria and for dessert we shared a caramel brownie cheesecake. This restaurant is big and spacious. It was very busy and seems to be a popular restaurant in that area. Our waiter was extremely friendly, patient and attentive. I definitely recommend this restaurant. Spaghetti and Butter ($12): 10/10 Pan Roasted Chicken ($27): 10/10 White Sangria ($14): 10000/10 Caramel brownie cheesecake($13): 1/10 (we didn't like it at all)

    Found ourselves headed to Newton in need of some dinner plans when we found District 118 on Yelp…read more Made a quick res using open table and we were set. We arrived about 20 mins early and they were able to take accommodate it. We had a nice, high top booth by the window with great views of the bar area. The decor is modern and upscale although you could easily get away with casual attire. We were greeted right away by both the hostess and our server, Busra who was fantastic throughout the evening. Started with some delicious cocktails and fresh guacamole. I had the short rib grilled cheese which had a near perfect ratio of meat to cheese and the bread was not overly toasted where it tears up your palate. The sweet potato fries weren't much to look at but they were really good. Everyone had a great meal and the only minor infraction we could find was a few wilted pieces of romaine in the ceasar salad; which can happen anywhere. Overall, it was a great experience. Prices were a bit higher than similar places at home but it is also Newton so $16 cocktails and $22 burger w fries is probably average. Plus, the quality was worth the price IMHO.

    Photos
    District 118 Kitchen and Bar - Classic Caesar Salad

    Classic Caesar Salad

    District 118 Kitchen and Bar - Slider

    Slider

    District 118 Kitchen and Bar - Dessert

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    Dessert

    The James - irish_pubs - Updated May 2026

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