I really really reaaallly wanted to like Ward 8. I mean, a truffle lobster roll? I was in heaven when I saw it on the menu -- but when it arrived in front of me, not so much. I have had my fair share of lobster rolls in Boston, and this was not one of the better ones. The seasoned house fries were amazing though! I'd like to go back and try their late night "shareable" plates. Overall, the food, drinks, and service were just "meh" for how expensive it was. read more

You will find a lot of the pre game crowd from the TD garden here so it gets a bit loud when there's a game but there's a nice ambiance that sets it apart from the other bars and pubs in the area. They also have some great plates and the wine selection by the bottle is good. By the glass is limited but all in all it's a cool little spot. read more

I ate here for the first time while visiting my daughter on 3/26/19. Food, service and atmosphere was great. I had the vegetable fettuccine.

We came here on a Tuesday night when most other places in the North End had really long lines. Overall, I thought it was a fine meal, but there were a few issues that brought down my rating. The bourbon drink I got was divine (I don't remember the name, but it's the one with orange oil and sherry). The duck wings were also fantastic, though only 4 to the plate. Likewise, the polenta poutine was delicious but also similarly sized. The real miss were the entrees - my friends got the "lobster hole" sandwich, which came with a huge portion of fries and salad, and an itty bitty amount of lobster on an open faced sandwich, which was overwhelmed by the amount of truffle oil used. I like truffle oil well enough, but this was a bit much. I got the short rib dinner, which was well seasoned and flavored, but was not quite as "melt in your mouth" tender the way short rib should be prepared. Service was also just ok - our waitress did not seem that interested in us and took a while to come back to check on us for water, etc. Overall the place was fine, but I think I'd much rather come here for drinks and appetizers than the full dinner, especially given that dinner was not exactly cheap. read more

Local watering whole for all North and West Enders. Also a favorite place of many Bruins and Celtics fans being that it's steps from the Garden... service is always great Mike the GM or "big chief" as the locals call him is always on his A game. Lisa and Elsie work the floor. Nick the owner is always available and and helpful. Definitely a spot to checkout if your in the area! read more

I was very disappointed in the fact that the bartender not only said they did not have blue cheese stuffed olives for my martini, but that he "could not even imagine putting blue cheese in an olive because it's expensive and it's from the cheese plate." Also, my friends "hang ten" was extremely sweet and not refreshing whatsoever. Overpriced and poor service. The bartender also reeked of cigarette smoke, I can only hope he washed his hands before making our cocktails! Also the patrons next to us ended their night to find out that the bartender had lost their credit card! read more

Fancy! Maybe too fancy? The food is interesting, but the portions are small. It's possible that we ordered a pizza after we got home.

My husband and I met up with four of my friends at about 9:30pm last Friday, and they were very nice about accommodating us even though my friends had already eaten. They moved us to a bigger table in the corner so we could all sit together, and were very pleasant about taking our drink and food orders. I had the cucumber mixed green salad and the mussels, which were both very good. I was also a fan of the Lion's Tail cocktail, which was tasty and strong. Overall, it was a great experience; the only reason I took off a star is that it is loud. We were having a hard time hearing each other, and one of my friends starting getting a headache. read more

Nice place. We got our order super fast and everything was really good. Prices might be a bit steep for the atmosphere since dinner for 2 with one drink was over $60, but we would go back. read more

A few friends took me here for dinner during my bachelor party. I had a Southside and the shrimp and scallop scampi. The food was fantastic, no one had a bad thing to say. read more

Great cocktails and beer selection. The food was amazing as well, especially the carpaccio and steak dumplings. My only complaint was the mac and cheese tasted amazing but smelled like it had been in a plastic storage container for years. Other than that it was amazing read more

I've been here twice. Both times the food was was great, but the portion of steak frites was pretty small. I think it may have been 6oz which seems a bit odd to me as it is usually 8-10oz. I ended up having the same waiter twice and both times he was bit of a fly-by-night and kept squeezing between two tables to pass through. The second time I was there my drink went over, but he replaced it. Food - 4 stars Atmosphere - 4 stars Service - 3 stars read more

Had dinner here and everything was very good. The flat-bread appetizer was good, just average. I had the swordfish - the vegetables and sauce with it was very good - some were slightly under cooked. The swordfish was not the best cut I've ever had but still good. My boyfriend had the chicken that he liked a lot. read more

My boyfriend and I needed a place to sit down and enjoy drinks near the north end of Boston. Ward 8 was a great place to go, the bartenders are great and very down to earth and funny. The drinks are unique and delicious. read more

THANK YOU so much for accommodating to those of us with Celiac disease. I can't tell you how much it is appreciated that a nice meal can be enjoyed without the stress of wondering whether the kitchen understands the seriousness of cross contamination etc. The meal was delicious!!! Will be a frequent customer. read more

This was one of our favorite restaurants that we ate at in Boston. Super cozy with a hipster vibe, cool graffiti/brick wall, and really nice bar with quite a collection of exotic bitters. Oh yeah and AWESOME food...we actually came here twice in one day! Our first stop was Sunday Brunch, I ordered the Salmon Benedict (subbed tator tots instead of home fries) and it was one of the best brunch dishes I've ever had. The salmon cake was heavy on the salmon and fried perfectly. Wilted garlic spinach, perfectly poached eggs, and dill hollandaise topped it off. The tots were perfect and crispy. I did have a screwdriver type of drink (can't remember the name) that included a fennel flavored liquor. Although I was apprehensive of the flavors, it was mixed perfectly, I really enjoyed it! Later that night, after having a couple drinks, we were looking for a late dinner spot. Most of the restaurants had just stopped serving food but another place down the street advised us that Ward 28 has a late night menu, so off we went! We ended up having another (couple) beverages and ordered a dozen oysters and lobster rolls to share. The oysters were great, typical of what you find around Boston but the lobster rolls were something different. They came 2 mini rolls to an order and the lobster was mixed with truffle mayo. The bread was perfect, fresh herbs (chives? tarragon?) set off the whole roll to perfection. Not sure if it was the drunk munchies but we LOVED the lobster rolls. On top of this, the service was excellent BOTH times and the bartenders were super friendly and helpful. Thanks for a great time, Ward 8! :) read more

I love this place. From the food to the general ambiance, Ward 8 does it right. I highly recommend the maple duck wings, some of the best things I have ever eaten. I have come here a few times but the staff is so knowledgeable of the menu and makes great recommendations. Amazing bar as well that have 'offline' drinks. The wait recommended this drink called the Bees Knees which was amazing. I will continue to go back here... also the homemade s'more ice cream is highly recommended if you have room at the end :) read more

Loved the food (definitely don't miss out the duck wings or fries!) but we had a really rude waiter. We had to flag him down several times for our orders and he rolled his eyes when we asked a question about the menu. It was bizarre. I would come back here for the food but definitely would do my best to avoid that server... read more

Terrible! Appetizer was delicious (fries sampler) but the dinner itself was disgusting! We took maybe 5 bites and just could not stomach the rest. We have heard great things about this place but we're very disappointed and will never return. read more

Very nice avocado toast for brunch, friendly staff. Place looks good with sitting area at the central square bar. freshness of some ingredients are avoiding me to rate 5 stars read more

Great atmosphere and great service. Nice menu options and they accommodated some minor adjustments for me in my meal. This is a good choice for eating and/or drinks! read more

Discrimination begins when a store employee, service provider, or lender treats individuals differently than others because of their membership in a particular group. http://www.mass.gov/mcad/resources/employers-businesses/discrimination-in-business-gen.html I am a 25 year old West Indian American living in the North End. I graduated from Yale and teach kindergarten. I like to think I am educated and contributing to this thing we call society. Every now and then, it comes to my attention that I may stand out in the place I call home. Ward 8 was one of those places. I've been to Ward 8 a few times and the food has been at best forgettable and the drinks are adequate. I used to like the atmosphere. Tonight, I was at the bar with two of my friends. It was a corner of the bar. When we first walked in, the tables were full so we asked if we could check out the bar. They said yes. We did. There was a small corner that was free. It WAS ambiguous if we could order there. Then the bartender came over and took our drinks. You wouldn't take our drink orders and would say something if you didn't want us there, right? That would've made sense. So we took our coats off, settled in. About ten minutes later, a waitress came over and said that we were in the way and that we would continue to be as the kitchen was right by that part of the bar. Mind you, there was space for waitresses and waiters but it was tight. What normal waitresses or waiters say is "Hey, so sorry we keep bumping into you, it's right by the kitchen." And then normally the customers say, "Oh no, I'm sorry how can I help?" And then waitresses/waiters say, "I'll let you know if I see another spot on the bar or there's nothing you can do, just wanted to let you know." She was unlike those well-versed waitresses/waiters and was pretty rude and made us feel unwelcome after doling out our money. I walked with her and told her such. She seemed pretty unapologetic and I asked for her manager. Her manager came over in his bright orange button down and it started off on a fine note. He seemed to want to know what happened and how to make it better. I'm not one to 'ask' something from an establishment when they've done something shoddy. That said, I do think it's appropriate to express displeasure at an establishment for its service. It's an unstated but pretty universal thing that it is an establishment's job to provide and have something in these situations like a free appetizer that cost $2 or a free drink. When he asked what he could do to fix it over and over again without any suggestion of his own, I said "You ruined my Saturday night" and then he told me that I yelled at him. Was I dramatic to say that? Absolutely. Did I yell? No. I think that's when I knew I was being seen differently. A person who is white, is unreasonable. A person who is colored, is yelling. I asked to speak to his manager, who he said wasn't there and then someone else appeared and said they were his manager. She said very similar things to him. In the middle of our conversation, she started walking away from me and I followed her and she told me I was 'approaching' her. That was also a sign that I was being treated differently. We came to no agreements and then I walked away exasperated. My friends said, "Let's just go' and I said "No, we wanted one more drink, let's just order one more drink." They refused to serve my friends and I and then called the cops to have us leave. I called the cops too--who said they had other issues to work on that night that took priority and I should just walk across the street and go to another bar. Their cops didn't show up before I left but their official argument was going to be that we were 'too intoxicated.' All in all, if your waitress or waiter is rude, be humble, apologize and don't expect me to have a plan of action for you. More than that, do not impose aggressive behavior because a person of color is unhappy. It IS racism to do that. Please, tell me how you've dealt with a white person who is unhappy from your poor service. Discrimination begins when a store employee, service provider, or lender treats individuals differently than others because of their membership in a particular group. read more

Part of our group had tickets to the Celtics game and it was recommended we go here before hand-we are so thankful we did! The environment is great, the staff and service were wonderful. Maureen was our bartender and she did an amazing job with our drinks! read more

Service was great. Food was great. Great location. The server, Jeff I have had before. What a great guy.

With no reservation we walked in off the street right after a concert at the garden. We received fast service and the food was good. It was late and the menu was short (I assume this is by design) All of the beers are craft selections so if you're looking for something mass market then this isn't your place. I will go again when I am in the neighborhood. read more

I've lived in the North End for 5 years or so and let me tell you that this is exactly what we needed. Great "new American" food, great selection of cocktails and craft beers, excellent service, and a nice downtown NYC decor. We went for the first time this past saturday and it was packed. There are so many great options on the menu it was tough to choose. They were doing an excellent job handling the crowd too. Owner is a really nice hardworking guy too and wish them all of the success in the world. We will be coming back. We ordered: oysters ((3 for $7) x 2), the cucumber salad (~$12), the duck maple chili wings (~$10) and their mac and cheese (~$14). Our server was friendly, informative, and also really nice. She "coursed" our order, which was really nice - meaning oysters, then came salad, then the wings and mac & cheese. It was nice to be able to enjoy the meal in stages as opposed to everything at once. Their daily oyster was from Duxbury, exceedingly fresh, and properly shucked. The salad was good, everything fresh, nice dressing, but let's talk about these duck wings. Fall off the bone spicy and sticky sweet duck meat. Melt in your mouth good. The mac & cheese was solid, had bits of pancetta or bacon (or some pig product) and was really tasty. It was not the best mac and cheese I've ever had, but it was solid. We thought that all of food items were excellently prepared and fairly priced. Top marks. Drinks: we had their take on a mint julep, a nitro milk stout, and a racer 5 ipa. Drinks were so good that we also got their bee sting (jalepeno honey tequila) and the moscow mule (vodka and ginger beer). Just like the food menu, the drink menu has plenty of great options. I think the prices were quite fair - especially on the beer. I think some of the cocktails could have been $1 less, but I'm really searching for criticism here. As a side note: I like that they turned the tv's in the bar area off after the bruins game, turned the lights down a bit, and turned the music on. I like that it's not sports bar, but they played the game on mute for those at the bar, and then didn't leave it on for all the post-game nonsense. The music: we heard a nice mix of like 90s and early 2000s east coast r&b and hip hop. Just the right volume, and nice selection of songs that brought that nostalgia for anyone in the 26-35 crowd I'm sure. read more

What a nice addition to the North End. The wait staff is attentive and knowledgeable. I had the steak frites...perfectly cooked. My GF had the succulent Ginger-Miso Salmon...she normally eats half an entre...there was nothing left on her plate. The wine list is small but the selection was good and the price was about what one would expect. The bar has a nice vibe not too loud (I am over 50 after all). We will be back often. My go-to restaurant (other than Tasca) is the Navy Yard Bistro...it may soon be Ward 8. read more

Yum! I tried the curried mussels, braised short rib, and roasted chicken. All were delicious. There were fried oysters on another dish on the menu so we asked if we could add them. They did at the raw oyster price, 3 for $7. The music and crowd were on louder side, so just be ready for that. Check it out if you're in the area. I'd go again soon. read more

Just ate here and food was awful. Pork in tacos was chokably dry and tuna tartare was too dodgy eat. Single use bathrooms only and women's was filthy. read more

Food was DELICIOUS! Bloody Mary made with homemade mix was not very good. Very horseradish-y. But vibe was awesome!

I received horrible customer service from the staff at Ward 8. I went to dinner herein January and had forgotten my backpack with valuables at the restaurant, only to realize it 10 mins my departure. When I called the restaurant, the hostess told me her staff couldn't find my backpack--despite me directing her to where I was seated. My friend returned to the restaurant shortly after to find my backpack exactly where I had left it, which displays the lack of effort the staff put in. Additionally, I visited the restaurant a few weeks after for an itemized receipt for business purposes. The hostess took down my contact information and card information, notifying me that her manager would contact me in 2-3 days. After waiting 5 days to be contacted, I reached out via email and received no response. The poor customer service and lack of professionalism at this establishment is both frustrating and disappointing. read more

OMG, I love this place!!! Recently went for dinner one night, and brunch another morning. Both experiences were AMAZING. For dinner I had delicious salad and duck wings. Brunch was fabulous! Eggs sausage and mimosas!! And my friend ordered the bacon bloody Mary, which I tried, and also found delicious. Cannot wait to go back! read more

On 1-9-15 I was at Ward 8 with a friend. We were seated at a high top next to the bar. We ordered several drinks (5) and 3 appetizers. When another girlfriend came late and tried to sit with us that is when the maitre d' , waitress, and bartender became nasty. We couldn't take a chair from another high top in the bar area. Even though we sat with numerous bar chairs butting up next to our table. When we attempted to turn a chair that became open at the bar which was abutting our table we got the wrath of the bartender. He told us in a nasty torn that we couldn't turn a vacant seat around even though the drinks we were purchasing came from his bar and the turning of the chair did not block the bar in any manner that was not already blocked by our table. As patrons that work on that street daily and purchased drinks and food I felt that we were mistreated. Our friend had to stand at the side of the table and have a drink. Because of the way we were treated, I will never go back!!!!t Additionally, the drinks are pricey for the size. Boston as so many great restaurants and bars that know how to provide customer service to their patrons you don't have to subject yourself to this mistreatment. read more

I wanted to eat well and have a drink or two after a long Sunday work-a-day. This place was on the way from point A to point B, so I gave it a shot. I wasn't let down. The host was welcoming to a wandering gastro-gnome, and the bartender gladly guided me into a good meal. read more

Very nice ambiance, although a bit on the candlelight dinner side (great for dates, but be aware - PDA gets aggressive late at night). Cocktails are good (including the Ward 8, although it was actually invented at Locke Ober which is now Yvonnes), late night ramen is solid, apps are strong. I've also had the lobster hole at brunch and it was pretty awesome for carb counting seafood lovers. Like that unlike many places in the area, it is a large space so waits are reasonable, I'm willing to pay a slight premium to not plan ahead but your mileage may vary. read more

Great new place in Boston! I had the lobster hole and mac and cheese. Both were delicious! The mac and cheese had a nice bread crumb crunch. The lobster hole is their take on a lobster roll. I loved how buttery the brioche was in the lobster hole and the smell of the truffle mayonnaise. My only complaint is I wish it had more lobster meat. Ward 8 doesn't have a dessert menu yet but hopefully will have one soon. The drinks were great too! read more

If you want trendy, hipster bartenders with attitude.. where they are doing you a favor by serving you, by all means go. They make a good craft cocktail, but nowadays you can get that at many places where they realize they are in the service industry. read more

Incredible... Service was great, food was delightful, and the desert was marshmallow infused ice cream!!

Went for brunch, really awesome atmosphere and quick service. One of the best brunch menus I have ever seen. I got the french toast and it was to die for not to mention the bacon infused blood Mary. My friend got the egg sandwich on Portuguese sweet roll and that too was amazing. Would go back every weekend if I could!!!! read more

Food and service was good. Seemed like a cool spot for a group. Bartenders do a great job with their drinks and there is a decent draught selection. read more