Gargoyles On The Square

05/10/09

very disappointed

by dunger at Citysearch

We had high expectations for our Mothers Day Brunch. Two of the four meals were very cold. Egg whites were substituted for scrambled eggs and the portions were very tiny, these folks went away hungry.

Coffee was cold, and didn’t like the “self serve”

08/19/08

Outstanding flavors, weaker service

by perchdogg at Citysearch

I went to Gargoyles with my girlfriend on a Saturday night and neglected to recognize that Boston's Restaurant Week was in full swing. The place was very crowded and although we had a reservation for 8 pm, we weren't seated until 8:30. We passed the time with cocktails and had to stand in a very crowded bar area that overlapped with a dining area. The hostess seemed incredibly flighty and naive to the preferences of a more expensive restaurant's clientele. I heard another patron complain very vociferously about the rudeness of the maitre d'.

Once seated, we were thrilled with the menu and choices. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive without being over-bearing. For appetizers we had baked figs and the tuna poke which were both great. The figs may have been a bit too filling for a first course but this was forgivable because of the flavors. The tuna was excellent with simple flavors that accompanied each other extremely well without creating an overwhelming effect; a strong first dish. For entrees we enjoyed the duck confit and bbq pork loin - both were very good, well-seasoned and plentiful. Finally, for desserts we tried the panacotta and chocolate cheese cake; while the panacotta was solid, the cheese cake was a stellar dessert. I should also mention that we tried Gargoyles' take on sangria, which bore minuscule resemblance to its inspiration and should probably be skipped.

Though the wait for a table was long, the food was more than I hoped it could be. You may just need to pad your schedule a bit if you think of coming here on a busy night. We would go back.

• Pros: FOOD -
• Cons: Crowded and noisy, and we did get hints that service is generally sub-par though our experience was acceptable.

08/01/08

Beloved bistro delivers reasonably priced, original interpretations of classic American fare to satisified Davis Square crowds.

by Eric Grossman at Citysearch

The Scene
Gargoyles doesn't actually look out onto Davis Square, but floor-to-ceiling windows offer plenty of people-watching opportunities. On most nights, the action is in the front bar, where area professionals congregate over martinis and pints of obscure, imported beer. The dining room's warm-toned, calming environment places the focus squarely on the kitchen's eclectic, contemporary cuisine. Affable waiters are well-versed in the menu's many intricacies.

The Food
Gargoyles' seasonal menu provides adventurous diners with several whimsical presentations of standard favorites. Tender venison medallions, which come to life thanks to a toasted hazelnut and port wine reduction, sit atop a delicate crepe stuffed with Vermont cheddar, roasted apple, celery root and spinach. Starters are no less inventive; try the chili and honey grilled salmon, which comes with pink grapefruit, cucumber, and a watercress yogurt dressing. Leave room for stylish desserts, including a delicious banana Baked Alaska.

07/29/08

good date restaurant

by dizzy02138 at Citysearch

I love that Gargoyles has a seasonal menu and uses local and fresh produce. From my two experiences it can be a little bit of a hit-or-miss with the flavors, at least for me. I've been underwhelmed by a few of the appetizers although the presentation was beautiful. But, my entres were both great. However, it is always interesting and I have had some great dishes... so I'm happy to experiment. My only complaint is that both times our table was very close to the neighboring table so it was difficult to tune out their conversation or feel that I could converse freely. Otherwise, the lighting is low and the ambiance is romantic.

• Pros: original dishes
• Cons: close seating

11/11/06

Great variety

by spollock4 at Citysearch

We've eaten from the regular menu and the bar and found both to be terrific. Definitely recommend Gargoyle's as a first stop for the night as well as the main event.

• Pros: reasonably priced bar menu
• Cons: crowded on weekends

10/15/06

Definitely a date spot

by mropinionated at Citysearch

I went with a buddy of mine because we heard about the great food. A little too romantic, but none the less we had a fun night. From the moment we walked in the door it was a great experience, the hostess was gorgeous, the drinks at the bar were good (although a little over priced for the area) but the bartender really knew his stuff. The dinner was fantasic although had a little dispute with our waitress about the food, but she quickly took care of it and didn't charge us. The food is definitely for those with an open mind, willing to try something new. I would make a suggetion but each plate was such a unique combination that i wouldn't give the food justice if i tried to describe it. We met the owner, who was very nice and took special care of us even though it was our first time there. Overall it was a great evening, although the dim lighting and balconette seating is more appropriate for a dinner date than two buddies catching up since college.

08/05/06

not a great meal

by smidls at Citysearch

The Improper Bostonian's "guaranteed great meal" rating swayed us to try this place. we were disappointed. it all started out great, cocktails were delicious, waiter charming. we decided to go with the prix fixe dinner. things went wrong with the grilled clam app brought out by a server. although i ordered the salad, we both ended up with the clams. they looked great, so i decided to keep them. mine were ok, if a bit chewy, but my friend had 2 clams (out of 4 clams) that were undercooked. she didn't realize it until she ate the first one, which was not only raw-ish, but was actually bad & left a terrible aftertaste. we got the attention of our waiter to tell him. he offered to have another clam app cooked up, but she didn't want to chance it. he didn't offer anything else and he was completely taken aback at my suggestion that perhaps she could get a complimentary second cocktail. it might have been a bit much to ask for, but he could have easily said something like, "the management won't allow me to do that, but may i offer you a salad from our menu?". Instead he just said he couldn't do it and left it at that. i wasn't going to mention the error in the order, but since he was not offering anything besides more bad clams, i told him. we communicated everything in a pleasant fashion - we aren't into berating waiters - but from that point on, he completely made himself scarce and was not so friendly. the duck breast entree was quite rare. i know that's the trend, but maybe warn diners? aside from that, both meals were pretty good, but not stellar. dessert was outstanding, but not enough to win us over after the rough start and the unhelpful waiter. i don't blame waitstaff for bad food, but i do expect them to attempt to "make things right" in one way or another. for pete's sake, even appleby's gave us a free round of drinks once, just because an order came out wrong! spend your money elsewhere.

07/26/06

Left in a Food Coma

by eclovelace at Citysearch

That was the best meal I've had in a long time.

I haven't been to Gargoyles in many years, but I understand they have a new chef recently. We went for the "full tour" which is a 6 course tasting of the menu paired with wine for each course at $90/person ($60 without wine). Every course was tasty and some were just fantastic.

Many of the dishes had an asian flair which I don't recall with the previous chef including:

sushi tuna appetizer (chunks of sushi tossed with seaweed, ginger, and other vegetables with a great spicy dressing)

dumplings stuffed with octopus, sticky rice (these were melt in your mouth fantastic; not rubbery so I think the octopus must have been well marinated)

hoisin flavored duck confit over sticky rice (this was flavorful sweeter variation of more classic duck confit, and there was only a hint of hoisin to prevent it getting too salty)

We survived until the dessert which was a rich chocolate mousse cake that just plowed us under. We left in a food coma; dizzy from all the flavors.

Only suggestions: cocktails are pretty steep for Davis Sq ($11), and dining room staff needs to connect with hostess and make sure first seated are the first ones asked to order (3 tables seated after us were offered drinks before us).

• Pros: inventive, delicious food
• Cons: $11 cocktails

07/20/06

a surreal experience

by weather88 at Citysearch

wow- haven't been here since 3 years ago- then I was underwhelmed, thought it was a good value- but not notable other than solid. since moving across the city it didn't make our list anymore. We returned, same room, many of the same staff.. but the food was killer. Way outside the box, yet substantial. imaginative menu, but not skimpy on classics. And meticulous.. prof., yet, down to earth service. Value still a key factor. Server was helpful, knew his stuff. We got a 5 course tasting menu, all presented with full explaination (you will need one, i'm afraid I did.) Whoever is cooking there now is really doing some amazing things, and yet the price points are still on the diners side. This place was able to make me want to to haul back across town many more times in the future. I would rate it as the the 3rd best total experience I've ever had in a restaurant. Cheers!

• Pros: service, food, value
• Cons: davis sq.

06/26/06

coolest place

by joncarr at Citysearch

I just wanted to drop a note about Gargoyles. I have been to many restaurants in and around the Boston area and I am so impressed with this place! I have been there many times and it has always been more then just a great dinning experience! When I go to have a nice quite dinner we always get a great selection on the menu of creative dishes. My only problem seem to be that I always find too many things that I want to try on the menu that sound so amazing that I have a hard time choosing. Once we have had our relaxing dinner and we are on our way out we always get pulled into the friendly, energetic social bar area and we always end up have a drink or two and meeting some great people and friendly staff! I have been there a number time and have seen a number of celebrities even a playboy playmate who told us that it is one of her favorite places to hang out in the city! The energy is high, the people are friendly, and food is great! I would highly recommend Gargoyles to everyone if you are looking for a great meal or a few tasty drinks in a great environment, gargoyles is the spot! Good job guy! And I am look forward to your next adventurous menu!!

• Pros: Good food, great service
• Cons: none that I can think of