I am very impressed by this place and am so glad my friend suggested to come here for dinner. I came on a Wednesday night and though it wasn't super busy, there was still a decently sized crowd. Our server was amazing and I wish I got her name because she was so patient and friendly and checked in on us / refilled our waters without being annoying. She was also able to accommodate my friend who prefers to make many substitutions including adding things that don't normally come with the meal and removing things that she can't eat. The highlight of the evening would hands down be the calamari. Just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. It was perfectly seasoned, battered, and fried with a light tangy vinaigrette style sauce. The only thing I would have liked was my burger to have some kind of sauce. It just came with cheese, tomato, lettuce and onion with ketchup and pickles on the side, so it was slightly dry. Some caramelized onion or a sharper cheese would have also amped things up, but it was still tasty. I got the truffle fries and they were so good. Prices are a little high - $14 for a burger plus $4 for truffle fry upgrade and the calamari was $12. Overall a splurge but definitely worth it! read more

Street meter parking. Ordered the ultimate burger and substituted my side with truffle fries for additional $3. The BURGER WAS THE SIZE OF MY HEAD. Took a lot of effort to eat the huge burger. I recommend sharing this with a friend if you have a small stomach. The burger was good and greasy. My hands and arms were covered in oil by the time I finished it. Truffle fries was pretty good. The server was nice and did not rush us to leave after we paid. You get your money's worth. Good experience. read more

Tryst - The Ultimate Burger with truffle fries - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

See all

Starter with flatbread and mint and cucumber margarita, Bourbon Steak Tips with tater tots, excellent!

Was going to a show at the Regent Theater so decided to grab dinner first at Tryst. Cute little place in the middle of Arlington. Service was excellent and we were seated right away. Had the seared scallops with mushroom risotto. While the sea scallops were a bit on the small side, they were cooked perfectly and the mushroom risotto was delicious. Ended with the strawberry tiramisu. I am not sure I would call it tiramisu...it was more like strawberry cake but it was very good. If I am ever back in Arlington, I would stop in again. read more

I have been an Arlington dweller for almost 15 years and I ain't never been to Tryst before a couple of night's ago. Mind you that I am a total foodie, and I rarely expect much from any restaurant because they most all suck. I was quite pleased with Tryst though. This joint was pretty nice. It was mellow with a decent vibe. I am not one who gets off on being waited on, but the service was cool and low key. The menu is wicked small but it has decent stuff. I got the Long Island Duck Breast (WTF is a Long Island Duck Breast? -is that different than a Staten Island Duck Breast?). My order was preceded by the Spicy Chili Calamari app which was somewhat copious and nicely fried and tasty. My entree was yumski (albeit skimpy) and well arranged with fingerling 'badaydas" and pearl onions 'n stuff and pork belly bits and a mystery sauce. It was teenie, but it was satisfying. I have been back twice since and I liked it even more. The staff was wicked nice and my drink was strong and tasty, mainly because it was an all-booze drink. They could up-scale the place a bit and use tablecloths n' stuff to add some more class. I would say to all peeps out there that the gnosh is very good - I wouldn't drive miles for it, but if you're in this neck of the woods, hit it up. read more

Tryst - Some tasty food at Tryst. - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

See all

I had dinner here recently, and it was pretty good. The place is large, and, depending on the night, you can usually have your choice of a regular or "tall" table. I have no idea why they offer tall pub tables as an option in the main dining room, except that perhaps the designer thought it made the place look more "urban", but it made no difference to me either way. However, I can certainly imagine a scenario where someone might not be comfortable at a tall table, but have no other option, and end up having to wait unnecessarily. I had the pig under a brick, and it was pretty fucking delicious. It was cooked exactly right, and had about as much flavor as I could have asked for. This was the stand-out actor in our little dinner play. The calamari appetizer was good, but no different than you might find it anywhere else. For dessert, I had the gingerbread, and it was bathed in some kind of sticky syrup that made it really sweet. I'm not saying I didn't eat the whole thing, but it is an established fact that I am a disgusting animal, so that is no indicator of quality. It was too sweet. We were there on a Thursday night, and the place filled up while we were eating. Even with a large group in the dining room, and more televisions on the walls than should be allowed by law outside of a sports bar, we were still able to have a quiet conversation, without trouble. Regardless of my criticisms, we had a good time here. This is a better-than-average neighborhood place, and it's nice to have it nearby. Would go back. read more

This is probably or 9th or 10th time coming here since moving to Arlington late July. Most of our visits have been Sunday brunches but also a couple of dinner. We find the quality of Arlington restaurants to be pretty good so you understand that we really love this one. Tryst is a pretty typical New American style restaurant; great kale & Brussels sprouts salad, fresh shrimp and fish tacos, lobster sliders, and an amazing chipotle bacon burger. They have a good selection of cocktails, nice wines and Boom Sauce IPA on draft. The kids menu is great, even considering my picky vegetarian kids. Delicious cheese pizza, buttermilk pancakes, good pasta marinara. The kids love to color with the coloring sheets and abundance of crayons provided. The waiters are nice and helpful, always greeting us with a smile and remember what we like and that I like to be seated so I can watch the Patriots game if it happens to be on. read more

See all

Last night 3 other girls and I went for Restaurant Week. I expected it to be super busy or crazy, but at 7:30 it was pretty calm in there. The decor was, well, I don't really know because it was so dark. One of our friends had to use the tea light at the table to read the menu. The menu was more extensive than other places I have been for RW with 5 apps, 5 entrees and 4 desserts. Even though desserts was spelled wrong on the menu (as noticed by another one of the girls). The cocktail menu was nice, too, everything sounded great. I ordered the Capirihna with mango and passion fruit. All I tasted was lime, it was way too tart. I tasted the Pear Ginger Martini and liked that much better, although I didn't get much ginger flavor from it. I had the Crispy Fried Oysters app and really enjoyed the aioli and fresh, sweet corn on the plate. The oysters could have been a little more crispy, and this wasn't the only dish where the protein had no seasoning, just a sauce underneath. I tasted the Prosciutto app and enjoyed that as well. The only reason I didn't order it was because I expected it to be a tiny serving but it was generous. For dinner I had the pork chop and expected the peach BBQ sauce to be basted on and caramelized into the chop. Sadly, the chop was a little bland by itself and the sauce was a little to spicy for me. It tasted peachy, but pungent. The polenta fries were fantastic with little corn kernels coming out when cut open. YUM. The pickled nectarines were not so much pickled but tiny slivers of fruit that really didn't do much for the dish. The highlight of the desserts was the ice cream. Delightful creaminess with lots of flavor! I had the root beer float- the root beer was so rooty and the ice cream had a nice strong vanilla taste. This came with a brownie, which was supposed to be the star, but was really just kind of hanging out on the side of the plate. I would have rather had a bigger float with no brownie. The brownie was good, I just don't get how they go together. The service was ok, the waitress was overbearing one minute and non existent the next. We waited a LONG time in between our apps and entrees, and the dinner took 2 and a half hours on the whole. A little long. The waitress did notice that one of us was cold and turned down the AC. And when the other three gals ordered coffee and I didn't she brought me one anyway in case I saw the others and wanted it. She didn't put it on the bill. I would definitely go back to Tryst and try more! read more

We had an early dinner and had wonderful service and food at Tryst! Our server was very attentive to our table and was very quick to refill water glasses (i drink a lot of water). We had a kale Brussel sprouts salad to start off with which was so good, and two specials from the menu, the duck with a cranberry sauce and scallops with mushroom risotto. The food was good, although the lighting was a little too dim for my liking, and our two person table against the wall felt kind of small, even though the restaurant was empty. Should've requested to switch to a four person table. The dinner came to around $80, which is a little high for just a normal night out, but it's within walking distance for me so I would consider going again. read more

Tryst - Duck - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

See all

Very nice food and service. The ambience is best! They close early, so need to be there early to enjoy all food and experience

We ordered takeout and delivery from Tryst last night and it was a delicious dinner! We have dined there many times over the years and we miss being in this restaurant. The food came right on time and we were pleased with the selections. We were also happy to give the restaurant employee/delivery person an in-person gratuity. Supporting Project Takeout! read more

My absolute local favorite in Arlington. Been here many time and we finally came here for my wife's birthday. A review is finally due. Wasn't expecting anything special but with their new menu was so good. I had the duck which was cooked to perfection and the drinks (old fashioned) was perfectly crafted. My only suggestion is to use single large ice cubes in the old fashioned but I'm just picky. The owner gave us a free dessert for my wife's birthday which he totally did not have to do but we so appreciate it. It was a perfect night for a birthday. Recommend anyone who wants to check this place out! read more

See all

We tried Tryst for dinner tonight. This is a place that, while they have some interesting ideas for dishes, there is no delivery in terms of flavor. It's wayyy overpriced. I know that it's gotten a lot of rave reviews here on Yelp, but this seems to be one of those typical ritzy gastropubs that talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. The great: ambience and service. It's really lovely in there, beautifully decorated. You couldn't ask for better service, everything arrived quickly and without a mistake. Our waitress was terrific, as was the hostess and all the other staff. For food I would recommend the chorizo tater tots, the raspberry sorbet and the chocolate ice cream, all of which were yummy. The not-so-great: Everything else. The honey and soy-lacquered chicken was dry and blander than vanilla in terms of flavor, as was the calamari and homemade Twinkie. Each bite left me wanting more oomph, there isn't any pizazz whatsover to their food. Although their dishes are described as having a sauce there wasn't any on the plate besides the characteristic 'drizzle', which was unfortunate because more of that drizzle would have helped the food tremendously. And the prices -- oy vey! The portions are those "precious" nibble sizes and really, for entrees priced at $20+, the food should be reflective of the cost. The real kicker is the watered-down glass of sangria that they charge $13 for. Ridonculous. Normally I'd say there would be a return visit for drinks and ambience, but you can't even get a real drink here. read more

Tryst is a great spot to visit in the suburbs. Every time I've been in the area after work it has been quite busy. The restaurant is very clean and has a nice atmosphere, and for Arlington it's pretty upscale in comparison to most of the other restaurants. I came here with my good friend and we thought the service was pleasant and the quality was notable. We were greeted by the host immediately after entering the restaurant, and seated within a few minutes even though the restaurant was full (no reservations). Our waiter brought us bread right away, it was just regular bread and butter, no oil. I had the fried clams to start, and they were delicious. These clams were large and the bellies were extremely juicy. I wanted more! Then I had the "Grilled Flat Iron Steak," which was also delicious. The portion was on the smaller side, but it was enough to fill me up by the end of the dish. Presentation was nice and out waiter was very attentive and helpful. The prices were what I would expect for this type of dining, but worth it. A bit on the high side. Also, I didn't have dessert but I'll be back! The bar looked inviting and next time I'm going to arrive a bit earlier. We arrived at 6:15ish so most of the dinner crowd had already arrived. Overall, I enjoyed it! read more

We really liked our experience at Tryst. Hesitant as it was Dine out Boston and normally that means over crowded restaurants with lackluster quality to the food the hostess assured us the menu was of their standard fare and the kale and brussel sprout salad was one of their most popular appetizers. I ordered al a cart, my companion opted for the three course menu. The kale and brussel sprout salad was amazing! I've already looked it up on line to make this at home. Delicious and I do not like brussel sprouts, at all. Not even a tiny bit but I didnt taste the sprouts. The lemon dressing was kind enough to out flavor the cabbage like brussel sprout flavor! I was sold on the healthy greens!!! For entrees we ordered the braised beef short ribs and the roasted chicken breast. The beef short ribs were the best of the two. Not overly salted, and the meat fell apart easily. My companion actually was jealous and commented yet again I picked the better meal. ;) His dessert was the triple chocolate pot au creme. It was devoured in a few minutes. Between bites I think I heard this is so good. Overall the staff were super nice, knowledgeable about the food and extremely efficient. We've been looking for a nice place to come and happy to know we've found one!!!!! It was great! read more

Found my second time here a completely different experience. Glad I gave it a second chance. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (drinks, service, menu, food, and overall restaurant) was on point. Actually - not everything. Parking took a while because it was cold and I refused to walk more than like a block, but that doesn't really count against the restaurant. The guacamole was outstanding. They had a special pizza w/ five different types of meat that they initially said they were out of, but said they could do it as a flatbread instead. In a word -- YUM. My boyfriend didn't like our entrees because they were not the usual way you would expect. (Chicken cacciatore and "fried" chicken). That's what I actually love about Tryst. They have a creative and innovative way about how they do things. The menu changes, the food is not just food, but a creative,l and original spin on the dishes they serve. Additionally, the quality of the ingredients and food is amazing. The service (my second time) was impeccable. I love tryst. It's like a culinary happy place in a humdrum dark cloud of restaurants. I wish I would have come back the 2nd time a lot sooner. read more

See all

1st time here - we ordered and split the Broccoli Rabe and chicken sausage flatbread along with the kale and Brussels sprout salad - both very good! Nice decor and atmosphere and bar scene was very nice - tv's were not obnoxious at all. The staff was friendly and paid just the right amount of attention. We will definitely be back- hubby wants to try the burgers next. read more

Tryst - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

We were here on Monday night . It's look private zone for our party. We like it. The host was friendly and nice h. He was Asian guy. He bought us to the table inside. The waiter was ok. We ordered the appetizers. Kale salad , tossed green, shrimp taco, calamari . For Entree's we had salmon, steak, lobster. The Americans food lover might be interested in the tasting. The dessert we had blueberry tart and chocolate melton cake . I recommend for dessert is awesome read more

See all

First time ever eating in Arlington. Had a meeting at this restaurant. I wasn't expecting the ambiance to be so dimly lit, but I was really digging it. There was no music in the background that I heard , but I was with a large group so convo was constant. I really liked the vibe, it's clean, modern and spacious. Our Waiter was kind of wacky. He wasn't really personable and he charged us for 5 kale salads and our table had only ordered three. No biggie, bc we caught it. We ordered guacamole as an app and I liked it, but it was a little too zesty. We also ordered this app that was an antipasto dish and I liked it a lot m, really tasty cheese. I tried the sangria and it was bad. It did the trick, it wasn't sweet, but I tasted blah. For a meal I actually had the shrimp taco appetizer, and it was reallllllly flavorful and tasty. Apparently they have a a good brunch. Will definitely be back to try more! read more

Tryst - Shrimp taco - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

My GF and I were visiting Boston, and wanted to find a good local restaurant. Our hotel clerk told us about this resto and recommended the shrimp tacos. We split one ... and then ordered two more ... on a scale of 1 to 10, theses were a 17. The salmon was also great, with a unique and amazing zing I couldn't put my finger on. Totally worth the trip outside Boston. read more

I really enjoy this restaurant. I was treated to a 50th birthday celebration here and have now been back several times. Even when this place is busy, I never feel rushed or pressured to leave. The last visit I got the brussels sprouts (my latest veggie obsession) and the Cuban sandwich. I opted to get the salad instead of fries (which are awesome, btw). The sandwich was very good - not dried out like it can be and ample. I had to take it home to finish. I have had many sides and dishes over the last few months - all unique and all tasty. I also thought the prices were reasonable compared to other restaurants of the same quality. read more

The food was excellent. I especially liked the lemon ricotta pancakes and the vegetarian benedict (even the little salad on the side was VERY good -- most places a pile of lettuce on the side is an afterthought, but this was just as good as everything else) and the bloody mary. The meat-eater liked the house-made sausage. The service was excellent, also! We didn't arrive until 2:10 for their brunch (which ends at 2:30) and so were there until at least 3:00, but never felt rushed or as though we weren't completely welcome. The only significant criticism we had is that with a name like Tryst and such a good menu, the several televisions showing sports seem WAY out of place; we would have expected a romantic atmosphere, not a sports bar. But that wasn't (at least, not today -- it was our first visit) enough of an issue to give them anything below a full 5 stars. read more

Liked it here. Waitstaff was attentive. Hash of the day was amazing. My Bloody Mary was yummy. Good place for brunch but DON'T bring your kiddies. It's a place for grown ups. read more

Three of us visited last night to take advantage of the Tuesday $10 burgers. Very few diners from 6:30-7:30. The burgers were good (both the cheddar and chef's). Greens portion generous if unexceptional in content. Fries were very lackluster. But, overall a good value. Biggest problem was the server's lack of enthusiasm. Almost seemed that were interrupting his evening by dining there. Just sort of dumped the plates on table. Definitely didn't make us feel really welcome. They seem to want to project an image of fine dining. The signage, menus, business cards, and see next paragraph. However, the overly visible TVs, ambiance, and service don't Finally, other than the special, prices seem a bit high. I like a good beer--and they had one I would have ordered--but not for $10. Entrees also seemed overpriced. Can't see returning soon. Did return (6/12). No improvement. Chili on burger was reminiscent of canned sloppy joe mix. Food slow to come out. read more

I applaud the omelettes made with egg whites! Most places you have to pay an extra dollar or two for egg whites but they do it be default. Love it. Lobster omelette was awesome. Huge portion and generous with the lobster. If you're ever in Arlington and want some brunch, definitely check this place out. This also had 21st Amendment water melon beer on tap in early April. Yes yes and yes to that. read more

See all

Why oh why can't my hometown have restaurant week? I came in for brunch around 1:00 on a Sunday and was surprised to see this place less than half full. I was seated promptly at the table of my request (by the window so I'd have good light for reading!). Though I wasn't planning on having a huge brunch, the "two entrees for $15.11" restaurant week deal was too good to pass up. I started with a mimosa (overpriced at $8, but tasty) and a coffee (could have been stronger, but got the job done). I then ordered the shrimp taco as my appetizer and the breakfast pizza as my main course. I was surprised a few minutes later when my waitress returned with a big old slice of chocolate-chip banana bread to "start" my meal with. I'm not usually a fan of pastries, but it was SO FREAKIN GOOD. I pretty much ruined my appetite with it, while guzzling coffee to offset the sweetness. I had requested that my app and main dish come out at the same time so I could try both and save the inevitable leftovers. The shrimp taco was pretty much incredible - the battering on the shrimp was light and crispy, and the rest of the filling worked really well. The breakfast pizza (house made sausage, caramelized onion, goat cheese, chives, topped with a sunny-side-up egg) was ENORMOUS. After having gorged on pastries and tacos, I finished a mere one slice of the pizza and then boxed up the rest. The service was quick and friendly, the food was amazing, and the restaurant-week price was unbelievable. I might find Tryst a touch on the pricey side when they're not running a special, but the serving size on their brunch items would make up for it. read more

Tryst - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

I went to the brunch they serve here with family today, so we ordered a lot of food which we all shared so I got to try the following dishes: the beet/goat cheese salad banana-nutella crepes huevos rancheros eggs benedict with brisket hash breakfast pizza In addition to which they served us complimentary muffins and we ordered some fruit juice. The grapefruit juice was freshly squeezed but the orange juice was not. Anyway, I liked everything we ordered- it was delicious. I am amazed at how every time i go to a restaurant like this and sort by negative reviews that the number one complaint is "the food was bland". "Bland" is like the yelp equivalent of Peter Griffin going "nyehh!" and pushing away his cereal bowl. That, or everyone who utters this word has spent some time licking bleach out of a waffle pan. So, anyway. Not only was the food very good and not at all bland, but our waiter was very polite and helpful. We were about the only people in the restaurant at 11:30am so I can' t comment on the evening service here, but it was very chill. read more

Tryst - New American Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Literally one of the best restaurants in the greater Boston area. Kale & Brussels sprouts salad, steak frites and a house made dessert! AMAZING! read more

We recently held a small party in the back of Tryst and can't rave about it enough! We enjoyed several platters of six of the starters as appetizers for our cocktail party ( lobster sliders, bacon-wrapped scallops, buffalo brussels sprouts with blue cheese on the side, mushroom bomb sandwiches, tomato basil mozzarella flatbread, and peppadew poppers) and one was more scrumptious than the next. All were hits but in particular, our guests clamored for more and more of the mushroom bomb sandwiches, the flatbread and the lobster sliders, chock full of lobster meat. And I don't think I have ever had such interestingly prepared and tasty brussel sprouts anywhere else! The ambiance is also delightful and the staff as friendly and as helpful as can be. Once our party guests left, we just had to stay and have dinner. The hamburgers were perfectly done and the fried calamari may be the best we have ever tasted. My green salad with grilled salmon was perfect. One of the best evenings dining out that we have had in a long time! read more

Great meal and pleasant ambience. Recommend the Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad and Flat Iron Steak.

If you are looking for a good food, which I think you are, skip this restaurant. Take a look at their menu on Yelp. Choose any meal. Look up the recipe online and try to make it at home. Regardless of your cooking experience, the food you make will be better than what you can get at Tryst. Their food is below average, at best. It looks they don't have any chef or someone who knows how to cook. Their service is a mixed bag. They deliver your meal after a long time. If you go there, expect to starve for a while. On the flip side, the staff are nice and greet you well. We had a toddler and they treated us with respect and patience despite her playfulness. All is all, I would skip this restaurant without any hesitation. Cooking artistry is non-existence and you will get a bad meal for a good amount of money. Don't waste your money and time. read more

This place is judged in its category, small restaurant in a town with population of 40,000. As such, it is one of the top performers. Short menu still has a wide variety of dishes, beer and wine lists, again short, are interesting, cocktails are inventive. Service is great with personal attention. Highly recommended for an elevated meal if you are in the vicinity and do not want to drive to the city. Price is right, expect 60-70 dollars for the dinner. Most portions are on the large side. read more

The service is ameatur. We had to request coffee refills twice, and one time left my seat to ask the server while she idly chatted with the bartender. Our waters were empty too. The coffee is unimpressive, tastes like it's been on the burner too long. I'd expect more for a $60 breakfast for two. Creative and delicious brunch though. Perfect bloody mary. Spacious setting with rich decor. Friendly bartender. read more

We walked into an empty restaurant and the host asked if we had a reservation. "No, we didn't realize we needed one." Keep in mind, the restaurant is still empty. We then get seated in a tight spot by the kitchen. Our server asked if we wanted drinks. "No thank you, water is fine". The Waiter makes a bit of a huff noise and walks away. Our Waiter then returns 20 minutes later with and takes our order. Food comes out in roughly a half hour. Once again there is literally no other customers but us. Our food was mediocre at best and very overpriced. Our server never returned to ask how we liked our food or attempted to refill our glasses. We noticed he was chatting by the bar with other staff. He never bothered to see how we were doing and only acted friendly when he brought us the check, Very disappointed with our experience and we would not return. read more

A place for adults of all ages. No fawning from the staff. Direct, honest, affable but not cute. Best kale salad in New England. Perfect lamb chops and grilled asparagus. Quiet with excellent jazz background music. Drinks are respectable. Deserts are complements to the meal. Not shouting to draw attention t=o themselves. read more

The tasty food and helpful staff are both quite good here. The space has nice ambient lighting, fun music, and is well laid out. Tryst could easily be a four-star date night place, except for one peculiar decision that gives the place a massive identity crisis: the walls are *covered* in televisions. This is a small restaurant, and yet there are six or seven large tvs on the wall, sometimes playing news and sometimes playing sports. Not only that, but there are also lots of mirrors, so the tv images come at you from all sides. In a place where effort has been taken to have sexy, low lighting, the flickering tvs become even more distracting -- the bright tv moments dwarf the actual lighting of the room, and commercial breaks feel like a dry, indoor lightning storm. From this, all I can conclude is that Tryst (whose name, menu [with sections like "getting serious" and "a lil' something on the side"], and design are all overtly oriented toward romance and dates) has chosen as it's target demographic couples who like the motions of dating but don't like each other, and will be relieved from conversation by the sensory overload and distraction of television. Since my wife and I actually like each other, we often skip Tryst and go out of our way to places where we can be more in the moment of our dates -- True Bistro, Flora, Za, and Christopher's are places with comparable food and unspoiled ambiance. We'd be back to Tryst much more often if they fired the televisions and hired some art in their place. read more

their description is new American and it spot on describes their food. It was good. It was american with a slight gourmet/pretentious twist. I had the Lobster sandwich (it was low in mayo which is good, and high in lobster meat which was awesome) with a side of really good cole slaw and another side of potato salad (too much mayo and too bland for me, but my husband liked it). It was a $20 dish. YIKES! Over priced for what it was, but they have to pay for the nice cozy decor somehow! My husband got the burger, he liked it. it was cooked perfectly, which is hard to find these days. It was also overpriced. I like my food with lots of spice and flavor so this was a little on the bland side for me, ok, really on the bland side, but that doesn't mean it's bad. over-all i thought the food b-o-r-i-n-g. oh, and a p.s. I just found out that they don't let the servers take their tips on the night they make them, they have to wait a week or maybe even two before they get their rightfully earned and deserved tips. BULLSHIT! I refuse to support this place that treats their employees like that. read more

One of the greatest shames of "on-line" reviewers, and rest assured, there are many, is that they tend to only leave comments when shit goes bad. This comes to mind because tonight was my fourth time having a meal at Tryst and I never bothered to write a review. To be fair, I haven't used yelp much in the last couple/few years as I think it has become a sounding board for amazingly entitled sounding assholes who somehow think an internet connection makes them James Beard. Any-hoo, as they say... I've had a few really, really good meals here. But I write tonight to tell you how awesome the place is when maybe you didn't have the best plate. To be brief, everything was great until I got my entree. Doesn't matter what it was, but it wasn't really cooked to my liking. This is something I almost never complain about. But I did this time and I can't tell you how accommodating everyone was. It was taken back, cooked to my specifications and we were still treated like pashas and not pariahs for bringing up a short-coming in a dish. Dessert followed which was awesome as was the home made lemoncello. To sum up, I should have written this review three meals ago, but it was how Tryst handled something that WASN'T great that really made me feel bad I hadn't yet posted how great this place was. The matre'd, the floor manager, the waitress, everybody, was amazingly attentive and nice-- and when you're paying some decent money for a meal, that's important. Good food, awesome people, go there. read more

Let's start from the front-of-the-house. With a half-full restaurant, the hostesses deliberated for a solid 5 minutes about whether or not we could be sat. Despite our reservation, it really seemed to be a dilemma. After much debate, they reluctantly sat us at a booth... surrounded by at least 4 other open tables. A few remained open for the duration of our meal. I ordered the french toast with "fresh" strawberries, sweet marscapone and "vermont maple syrup." Our waiter delivered our coffees/espressos quickly and espresso was good. Once the french toast came up, it was a disaster. The strawberries were not fresh, but instead were served in strawberry sugar syrup a la IHOP. The syrup was not real maple syrup-- Aunt Jemima, or the equivalent. The french toast itself was underseasoned, undercooked (even soggy) and generally disgusting. Diners consistently make better french toast. The omelette was also ordered at my table. Virtually no seasoning on the eggs, and the spinach, mushrooms and onions were horrible. Mushrooms were sauteed beyond recognition and spinach wasn't fresh. The potatoes that were served were basically fried, unseasoned blocks of potato. Tryst chefs, please season your food. As for the service, when I told the waiter that I was through with my french toast (that had barely been touched) he took it away without batting an eyelash. Finally, to top it all off, he began griping about how picky the managers are and how it irritates him. Classy. Overall, Tryst is overpriced, underseasoned and served with a good dose of angst by its staff. A great place to take grandparents who don't like seasoning and enjoy a nice ambiance. If you judge a restaurant by its menu prices, this place should impress (the quality of the food and the prices really don't match up). A big waste of time and money. read more

I think 3.5 stars for this place is pretty spot on. We rolled in for a late Friday dinner...grabbed a drink at the crowded bar as we waited for a table to open up. My wife and I really like the mix of restaurants that dot the main street (Mass Ave) in Arlington Center...and the crowd is a nice hodgepodge of senior citizens, hipsters, trust fund babies, blue-collar-types, etc. The town of Arlington mirrors the city of Somerville, except Arlington touts higher taxes and a better public school system. Anyhoo, back to Tryst. No complaints for the overall customer service...warm greeting/farewell from the hostess, and attentive service with a smile from the knowledgeable server. For an app we ordered the chips and gaucamole - on par with Ole in Cambridge, and a couple notches above Border Cafe. For the entrees my wife really enjoyed her beet and ricotta ravioli. My grilled flat iron steak paired with a glass of Malbec was bueno, but the next time around I'll be sure to ask the chef to go easy on the salt. We also shared the truffle fries, which probably didn't help my clogged arteries. read more