The Independent

Recommends

goldfish123

Joined 5 years ago

WONDERFUL!. I see the last review written for the Indy, as we affectionately call it, was posted in 2007 and it was about no football on Sunday? Um, the Indy isn?t that kind of bar. It?s a traditional Irish pub with an upscale feel. This restaurant/bar has some of the most creative food I?ve ever scene on a bar menu! Appetizers feature things like fried almonds and deviled eggs among standards. There actual dinners are so creative using items like lentils, fennel and cauliflower! And the last time I went, I tried their clam chowder. Absolutely phenomenal! It is served to you in a crockpot ? you open up the lid to find whole steamers amid a whole cream and broth base with fresh scallions and whole baby red bliss potatoes, lightly smashed into the bottom of the bowl. It was fantastic ? truly! And their French fries ? lightly salted, shoe-string fries I have literally dreamed about!

All those who wrote bad reviews, go back to the Indy to experience it again, and get something different this time ? order one of the creative entrees and I guarantee, you will be happy!

Doesn't Recommend

person0

Joined 6 years ago

no football thursdays. I was in the bar there for the thursday night football game. I was happy that somebody in town had the nfl network and was showing the game. But about halfway through this irish band starts playing. Not what i was looking for when i wanted to watch some football. So I tried to go to the other side of the place. Of course, it was packed with all the other people from the bar who wanted to watch the game, and the bartender was running around like crazy. So rather than deal with this mess I just left. Disappointing. And I had called to see if they were going to play the game.

Doesn't Recommend

aebares

Joined 6 years ago

The food was soo greasy and buttery it made me sick-. I've always like the Independent as a good cocktail bar while I lived down the street, but the food has taken a turn down a heavy greasy path since the new cook took over.

I had gotten one of their breakfast sandwiches for brunch with their bacon and it was the greasiest fattening food I've had since I had bbq down south.

The crossant tasted good at first, but that was also slathered in butter & the eggs were mostly milk.

It maybe authentic, but I got sick from it and was up from 11pm to 3am; which is uncalled for.

That is why I'm warning those of you that like your food crisp or light, this is on pare with the heaviness of Red Bones; which makes me long for the days when they were just like the Joshua Tree's food.

My wife got a BLT that she had to take the bacon off of, the bread was slathered in butter and the french fries were like "Potato Sticks".

Mind you this is not a one time experience, I had just forgotten about my last and it may just be the bacon "rashers" that is almost all fat. The kind of fat you make Lard out of and how they do their bread.

I will say the Staff was attentive

The attmosphere is good

The Drinks are great

The food kept me on the toliet all night. Trust me when I tell you; you know when & which food does this to you. I'm still a little queezy today.

So beware and still go for the Cocktails and if this is truely Authentic Irish food; then pack sandwiches if you head to Ireland.

Recommends

gripdxd

Joined 11 years ago

Cool place, good food.. This place had a nice atmosphere and looked like a fun pub. Great burgers and good service. It also had a nice size bar to accomodate a large party.

Doesn't Recommend

secretsquirrel02143

Joined 6 years ago

worst brunch ever. My friend and I went to the Independent for brunch one Sunday and being the only people in there should have given us a clue.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which arrived almost a full hour after ordering, and to my surprise, instead of bacon, there was a 2" thick slab of BACON FAT. There was seriously no red to this bacon, it was all, and I mean the ENTIRE piece was clear, greasy, bacon fat. There is no way the chef could have not known that this was inappropriate. When I tried to send it back, I was told that fatty was the way it was served, for flavoring.

I will never return.

Recommends

gchill20

Joined 7 years ago

I love this place. To my surprise, my hands down favorite restaurant in the Boston area and I don't live anywhere near Union Square. The food is absolutely delicious, and my only complaint is that they don't change the menu more often (which they very recently did). I've ordered every item on the menu, and my favorites remain the clam chowder, fried grits, and braised pork. The pub side of the restaurant is also fun, and they have board games and pretty good djs on Fridays.

Recommends

kgoodfellow

Joined 7 years ago

Great artichoke dip. I really enjoyed my meal here. Our waitress was friendly but not overbearing; the atmosphere was relaxed; the food was good, especially the artichoke dip, which was very garlicky but delicious.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Sophisticated bistro cohabits with chummy Irish pub in Union Square.. In Short
The area's gentrification seems obvious in this sleek bistro conjoined to a pub where brogues are thick as the head on a Guinness draft. While the pub-goers hoist pints (sometimes to the music of singer-songwriters), young execs loosen their collars on the bistro side and kick back to recorded jazz and adept contemporary cuisine (veal shank with spaetzle, smoked trout fritters).

Doesn't Recommend

mcolette76

Joined 7 years ago

Where's the Flavor?. I went with my boyfriend for a nice dinner. The decor was modern and stylish. The menu was small. We both got the grilled pressed chicken sandwiches. There was NO flavor! The chicken was supposed to have been seasoned with herbs, but it was bland. Then, I think they forgot to put the mayo or sauce inside because it was dry and tasteless. I would go back again, but only for drinks at the bar. The food was terrible.

Doesn't Recommend

paulyjoe

Joined 8 years ago

arrived @ 7:30 - Entrés served by 9:20. With a group of seven arriving at 7:30 on what appeared to be a slow Saturday night we started with appetizers which were fair to good but slow to arrive. We began to have the suspicion they were attempting to make up for the lack of business in the dining room by pushing drinks from the bar and delaying the food. They sure were attentive in the drinks department.

Once our dinner was served close to 2 hours later, our salad was not washed well and was "explained" their salad is organic and is supposed to be gritty. Walked out of there feeling like we were swindled.