On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: American (New), Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhoods: Davis Square, North CambridgeDavis (Red)
Tue-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"This place is always clean and has Friendly staff, it has good beer selection and seems to have a good crowd no matter what night of the…" read more »
Loading...
I've been here several times and am a very big fan. So big, in fact, it has become one of the "go to" places that I will bring friends and family who visit from out of town.
As far as mixed drinks go, I've only had the margarita, and it is excellent! The sangria is also very good!
For dinner, I usually get their Signature Hoisin & Honey Glazed Duck Confit. I fell in love the first time I had it and now I can't bring myself to try the other entrees (but the people I go with do, and they all seem pretty happy!). I was specifically told that the Lamb Shank was delicious.
I've been for the disco brunch once and although the menu is a little small, but the selection of food that I saw brought to our table was well made and eaten quickly! The only "complaint" that I had was that I was dead set on getting the Lobster & Boursin Omelet, which is listed on their website, but it wasn't on the menu in the restaurant.
The service here is always great. Very friendly without being overbearing; very professional.
I went here with my Sis & friends for a quick dinner and loved it! Its a classy place with nice decor and minimal lighting in the dining room. A good date place. Our server was extremely knowledgable and friendly, a chill girl and not stuffy or reading from a script.
The prices are decent but any entree is at least $25, for the quality and portions its just okay. I had the skirt steak and it was very good, it was suppoed to have buffalo au juis but I didn't taste any. Everyone enjoyed their meals and overall it was a good experience. Its not my typical resturant style or price but for certain occasions its cool.
A final note, the bathroom are tricky. There are two in back and I guess they are unisex? They both have some artwork on the doors and there is nothing that indicates mens or womens. After a lot of confusion trying to figure out which to use I had to ask for help!
I was meeting a friend at Gargoyles, and saw the Chef, Jason Santos, at the bar. I have known him for 10 years a so, when he was at Tremont and Sibling
After the exchange of pleasantries, he was finishing his inventory..right down to the sugar packets...That the type of guy he is...He loves being a chef and it shows...
His cuisine is imaginative and bold...We had the Hawaiian inspired tuna poke and the smoke salmon with truffled egg as apps...both were excellent
For the main course, we split the fried chicken and the cod...My fish had layers of different textures....inspired...and thats the word for this place
Because it is impossible to recreate this food anywhere else
Another great meal....Inspired, yet fresh tasting food. In my opinion, this is perhaps a top 5… Read more »
I'm going to preface my review right away, because the star count needs some hedging: 3 stars is an unfair number for Gargoyle's, especially when considerably worse restaurants score higher. Why, then, is it scoring so middle-of-the-pack? Let me try to explain.
I want to like Gargoyle's much more than I do. Everyone I know who has been here has raved about it. Hell, I've raved about it. But somehow, as I step further from the event, I start to notice more and more the places where it failed to hit the mark. Gargoyle's is slick. The wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always seems to be around when you want them to be, and not when you don't. The decor is blackandred modern chic. The dishes are a nouveau American fusion that just screams class.
Which is how it falls. The screaming gets to be a little much. I've eaten here twice, and both times the dish I had seemed, if anything, over-flavorful. Too much fig. Too much blue cheese. Too much hoisin. When the gargoyle putting together the food can contain his exuberance -- in an excellent tuna poke, in knock-down cocktails -- everything comes together well. And Davis needs a classy joint, so I'm glad a classy joint it's got. But I can't shake the feeling that Gargoyle's is wearing a bow tie for the first time, and isn't quite comfortable enough to lose the cummerbund.
So, sorry, Gargoyle's. In my heart, you'll always have that fourth star, stretching for a fifth, but in my head... You just need to cool down, and maybe we can try another dance.
I went here for brunch with two friends. We ordered the french toast sticks app which came fairly quickly and was pretty good, complete with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and sprigs of fresh mint. Then again tossing some french toast sticks in a deep fryer and plating them isn't rocket science. I'm a vegetarian and they were pretty short on options. They had a meat and cheese breakfast sandwich that I asked them to substitute an egg for the meat. They were extremely willing to accommodate my dietary needs which I was very grateful for. However, our food didn't come out for an extraordinarily long time & the place was by no means packed. When it did come out it, my sandwich was cold, the eggs on my friends eggs benedict were overcooked in some spots and frighteningly underdone in others, and the homefries were pretty soggy. The waitress was nice, but it couldn't make up for the lack of professionalism on the kitchen's end. It wasn't the worst meal I've ever had, but I don't think I'll be going back. Maybe you'll have better luck...
I hated this place. Extra star for serving "food".
It was so dark, I couldn't see my food - I couldn't even tell what I was eating. I forgot what I had ordered - and by the time this weird dish arrived - you couldn't taste whatever the hell it was supposed to be.
This place will serve you the chef's ego on a plate. That's what you're getting at a place like this. Pretentious food doused in sauces that completely bastardize the meat intended to be ingested. It's a joke.
Please, spare me "Gargoyles"....
Here goes another C-note plus I will never see again.
Atmosphere - C
Now if you put in an effort to get a reservation, why would one seat you in a bar area? Music too loud. People stuffed next to each other. Not a way to enjoy a meal. Waitress needed to talk a bit less too. Overly cheerful stuff won't get you a bigger tip, it just makes you annoying. Asking "is the food tasting great?" constantly is really annoying. Attentive service, but little less chit chat from wait staff would be nice.
Drinks - C+
Pear martini was stiff (bonus points), but we were trying to figure out what was that chemical aftertaste.
Drafts were out of service. On a Saturday night that is unacceptable.
Appetizers - D
Crabcakes - where is the crab? For sure I could not taste it.
Figs w/ prosciutto and blue cheese - why don't you just let me chew on a block of salt. Chef could have tempered the overwhelming saltiness. Oh and it was one greasy appetizer.
Main course - C+
Pad thai with rare tuna (D) - I have had lots of pad thais. There are many cheap Thai joints that will beat the chef in the area of flavor. Tuna was unimpressive either. Dear chef, grow some cojones and innovate a bit. Bland bland bland.
Duck confit - not bad, not bad at all. I wold give it a B. After tasting duck confit in Opera (Chicago), B is a generous grade for Gargoyles. Duck was good, but the rice was consistency of wallpaper glue paste. Banana leaf was a nice touch, but no extra points.
Desert - C-
Chocolate tart - WTF!!!! Fail fail fail! Next time just put a ganache on a skillet. It will be softer than the crust of the tart I got.
Strawberry Tiramisu (B-) - chef, you ever heard of hulling strawberries. Major loss of points. Lady finger were good, tiramisu was good too.
Unfortunately, Gargoyles is another restaurant we will not be on our list of places to re-visit.
Great happy hour place. Never actually ate dinner there. Fantastic martinis. They offer 6 or 10oz. Always go with the 10oz. Still considered, by me, to have the best martinis in town. Through Drink is catching up. Also try the cheese, fruit, nut appetizer.
Only negative: They for some reason don't open up the bar seating to bar patrons. Basically you are supposed to be eating dinner to sit there, which can be annoying since the bar does fill up fast. So if you go for just drinks you could end up standing.
It was several months after coming to the Boston area that we finally discovered Gargoyles. At the end of Davis Square, it can be easy to miss if you're not looking for it. In fact I talk to people all the time who've been in Boston for longer than I who don't realize what this place has to offer.
Came here with the gf and some of her grad school friends I want to say late last year for the first time, and it's been a favorite of ours ever since. Atmosphere and ambiance are great, good bar feeling while still having a bit of class. I stick pretty exclusively to beer here (and everywhere else I guess) but the gf swears the signature drinks here are pretty amazing.
As for the food- I've never strayed from the Gargoyles burger, and for good reason. While Lineage may have recently come along as a contender, the burger at Gargoyles is pretty great. And the housemade ketchup (not to mention the excellent waffle fries) they serve it with are amazing too. Try it and I bet you'll question the standard Bostonian attitude that Bartley's has the best burgers in town.
We stick to the bar area and the bar menu when we come here since it has the things we like, and so given that I feel it's actually pretty cheap. Dinner menu is a bit more pricey, but I'm sure worth it.
I've only been here twice, and both times were for the Disco Brunch they hold on Sundays. (Though, don't quote me on Sunday only; that just happened to be the day I went there both times). It's not completely all-out disco-y, but there are hints of it that make it fun.
The coffee is self-serve, which is fine with me, as long as it's hot and doesn't run out, which it didn't. They had a hot pink feather boa lining the table, which was cute. Once or twice I considered taking it and wrapping it around myself to see if anyone would notice...but I digress.
The music is the big part of what makes it disco. Not always disco music...while I've heard songs from the BeeGees and other such groups, they also play ABBA and Michael Jackson...mostly just 80s or retro music, with some disco included. They've also got some cool lighting on the ceilings to make it seem like a nightclub.
The food has always been great, according to myself and the people I've eaten there with. The first time I went was a year or so ago, but I remember I had a lamb BLT, where (hopefully self-explanatory) the bacon was carved from lamb instead of pork. There wasn't much of a difference in taste, but the food was really good regardless, and the waffle fries were also awesome. (Any place that serves waffle fries as their side instead of plain ole fries is ok in my book!) They have a decent range of mimosa flavors, and I've had the grapefruit mimosa, which was reallllly tasty. :-)
The last time I went was last weekend, and the food was still great. I had a breakfast pizza, with chorizo, homefries, tomatoes, cheese and queso fresco (that's "fresh cheese" in Spanish, in case someone has a hard time:-)), and two fried eggs in the middle. The thing was probably the size of a medium pizza from Domino's or the like, and I had a fourth of it at the restaurant. It was breakfast pizza; what more can I say? It did the trick for a first meal on a Sunday morning!
To wrap up, though I've only been twice, it's enough to keep me coming back.
Yum! Not only did we score 1000 points with our 6:00 OpenTable reservation, but we also used an OpenTable gift check, which made this slightly pricey (for Davis Sq.) totally worthwhile!
Every bite was creative, delicious and well-prepared. We started with a special appetizer: potato and cheese dumplings, which were basically high-end rangoons with a crisp napa cabbage slaw and sweet/spicy chili dipping sauce. My husband loved the RIDICULOUSLY huge buttermilk braised lamb-shank (picture caveman-sized meat on bone), and my duck confit was perfect- sweet, savory and with crispy skin. Great accompaniments also! Dessert, a warm pumpkin tart, was lovely comfort food.
Our server was super-friendly, and asked our opinion on the spice level of the special appetizer. Attentive, timely service, but no rush.
Went the other night for cocktails and a bite. I had an unexpected craving for a pork sandwich and boy was I happy I gave into it because their gourmet pork sandwich turned out to be divine. Yummy bbq shredded pork with crispy sliced apple on a toasted baggette. My friend got a delicious looking cobb salad with crispy crab and avocado.
We sat in the front room by the window/bar and the place had a nice ambiance--a little upscale but not too pretentious. I always notice lighting and I definitely approve of this place's set up. There was a good sized crowd and the bar was nicely full. And the service was awesome. It's a tid pit pricey, but not too bad. Good for a low key, classy evening.
A fantastic date bar. You can go to The Burren for atmosphere, or the Joshua Tree to watch a game, or Johnny D's for the live music. But Gargoyles is quiet and subdued. Dim recessed lighting, coming predominantly from the bar shelves, creates a classy experience.
They have a very small range of taps but a wide variety of tasty cocktails. Go on an off night - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - and enjoy a quiet conversation.
Protip: don't feel like a full-price gourmet meal? They have a cheaper bar menu, which I completely missed the last time I was there. I ended up going next door to Spike's instead. While this wasn't a mistake (going to Spike's is Never A Mistake), I left a friend hanging for a few minutes while I wolfed down a hot dog.
If you're looking for a place in Davis Square where you won't be rubbing elbows with the Tufts kids, this is the place to be. Stellar cocktails, always mixed to perfection. The specialty martini list always seems to be changing and with every iteration, I find a new delicious drink. I've had dinner in the dining room, but definitely prefer to grab a stool at the bar with a friend and split a dish. Try the cheese board or any of their desserts!
Awesome food and great setting! My mom came up from CT for dinner to celebrate the end of a big event weekend for me (Wine Riot, woo!), so I wanted to take her somewhere nice. I recently moved to Davis Sq, and looked around for menus online to decide where to go. When I saw the Smoked Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese Rellenos on Gargoyle's menu, I looked no further. The food was so yummy and the dessert menu looked great but we were so full already! We didn't get any drinks because it was after a weekend full of wine drinking, but I've heard great things about their cocktails. I can't wait to go back!
This review is only for Gargoyles' Sunday brunch.
After having read many of the reviews for Gargoyles in Davis Square I thought I'd give it a try for their Sunday disco brunch. I took two friends with me and after seeing all the awards that the restaurant had won, we were excited, expecting something special.
The menu for brunch is very limited. There are no pancakes and no eggs benedict which is understandable for a restaurant that is known for its creative fare, but nor were there any interesting alternatives. I was baffled as to how the brunch selections were even created by the same restaurant which has had many accolades for its creative dinner menu. We started with the fritters, which were quite good, but they were undercooked in the inside. Two of us ordered the french toast, which I had read about on yelp. It was very average, nothing special, I could have been having french toast anywhere. I don't mean to sound grumpy and jaded, but I think it's time for them to retire the disco music since nothing else here was remotely connected with the disco theme so it just felt out of place.
The whole experience was terribly underwhelming. I was embarrassed to have taken two foodie friends here after having talked the restaurant up so much. I would have been better off going to the diner next door.
I really wish I reviewed this place right after I had eaten so I could describe in detail the meal. It was amazing.
The food can be described more as creative cuisine and chef certainly knows what he/she is doing. I had a mushroom/chinese noodle/crab rangoon type dish and it was incredible. I mean I reallllly wish I could provide more detail but basically my mouth waters every time I walk by when I'm in Davis Sq. I absolutely plan to return.
Try it once, seriously.
I love this place. I have been going there for a year at yeast 3 times a month. Great Drinks, Good food, excellent service, I can't think of many things that they could do better.
It is one of the hidden gems of in the Boston Area. I don't know if it's still on the drink menu, but have a big girl. You will not be disappointed.
My husband and I went here for a romantic dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We had heard good things about this place, and were warned that it was a little pricey, but didn't mind because we were celebrating. In terms of the ambiance, it was a bit dark and cluttered for my taste (the tables are right on top of each other). However, the dinner we ordered was wonderful. I ordered a steak that had a delicious blend of apricots and other items that created a memorable sweet/savory combination in my mouth, and the portion was good. I would definitely like to try this place out for dinner again one day.
I can't describe how much I love this place. We walked in and were allowed to pick any table we wanted. The staff were friendly and our waitress was hilarious. We started out with drinks, and I highly recommend The Backyard Martini. Our waitress told us that the staff usually drinks it after a long shift because it's so refreshing, and I couldn't agree more.
I got the Calamari Salad which had some of the best calamari I've ever tasted (next to Grafton Street of course). Then I got the Italian cubed for dessert. Lemon ice cream and a shot of limoncello! It was unreal. Definitely the highlight of my week.
Everything about this place was fantastic. The only strike against them was that they kicked us out for hanging around too long, but it's not like I've never been forcibly removed from a public place before. :) I will definitely recommend Gargoyles to anyone who will listen.
I'm a huge fan. Been here twice for dinner, and the food is both fabulous and fairly priced.
The decor is very tasteful and can be either romantic or casual depending on if you sit in the front or the back.
The service is nice, though not super knowledgeable about their wine menu.
My wife and I went here during restaurant week. We had a 3 course meal for $33 each and the food was terrific. The service was really nice, and the drinks were great. I am a pescatarian and the menu options were great.
We had the poke, then I had the tuna. My wife had the salmon and we were both really impressed. The desserts were great as well.
I will absolutely go back to this restaurant. It's a nice break from the hustle and bustle with the more casual restaurants. The ambience is nice and relaxing.
This review is for Summer Restaurant Week menu 09.
The food was good. The Duck confit was delicious. The crab cake appetizer was ok, nothing special - a bit salty actually. My friend had the zuchinni soup and that was really good - but salty as well. Her tuna with pad thai entree was a bit weird. The pad thai was kind of disgusting.
The service was good, the hostess and server was really friendly.
To sum up the night: Eating here was an unexpected, pleasant surprise! This is a perfect place for a special date night.
We ended up here mostly by accident. We were in Davis looking for parking forever on Saturday night, and Redbones had a ridiculously long wait. Being a little extra dressed up anyways, we wandered down the street when P remembered hearing about Gargoyles and that it was near. Lo and behold, there it was! We were promptly sat and found out that it was the very start of Restaurant Week.
My tuna poke was absolutely nommy, as was his new orleans shrimp. He had the steak which was dreamy, and my dish which I cannot pronounce let alone spell was beyond words. So much so, that we didn't talk much during dinner--just ate the delicious food in front of us! The dessert we had was caramel apple tart, which definitely would have been better warm. But, in all--I was so pleased and full from an excellent dinner, I didn't really want or need the dessert. Oh, and the 10 oz martini? Delicious!
We definitely lucked out with it being restaurant week, but even more so that we ended up at Gargoyles on the Square in the first place. I will definitely be back, especially knowing that Sunday nights is Prix Fixe.
I walked in and helped myself to a serve-yourself coffee table which was fabulously laced with a flashy silver tablecloth which was fashionably displayed under a disco ball for Gargoyle's Sunday Disco Brunch! Groovy Baby!
Aside from the afros, tie-dye shirts and peace signs lay an incredible menu; half of which is cocktails designed for the hung over and less than par non-alert Sunday morning crowd.
A large table set for 12 was laced with mini water guns, confetti bursts and beaded necklaces. It was a brunch set up for my roommates 27th birthday and it could not have been done better. The coffee was great and the company was incredible. the food was out of this world amazing. I tried the french toast and it was some of the best I have ever had. That means a lot coming from a breakfast aficionado. Growing up my mother used to tell me that "if my brother only ate half as much for breakfast as you do he would have half as much the brain" I loved her! I still do.
The french toast was topped with diced cantaloupe and raspberries and smothered in pecan butter. Save a tree in Canada and hold the maple syrup on this dish - the pecan butter is mouthwatering!
They have this dish on the menu which basically has everything in a traditional breakfast (waffle fries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and gravy, a big time Canadian delight) throw into a skillet. Had I had the stomach to muscle this I would have dove right in and conquered. You have to go to this place for sure!
Andouille susage corndog = DIVINE
Crispy outside, juicy in, just perfect, I am craving it as I speak.
Restaurant week menu as ok, I had a pea and green pepper soup with brisquet. The brisquet wasn't too tasty, and the soup was not delicate enough for me, I couldn't taste the pepper. I am a pea soup snob though, it was very good but not as catchy as that sausage corndog.
The steak entree was also lacking in oomph. I love the garg apps, but the entrees sometimes are a little more ordinary than what the descriptions promise. Still points for creativity though, because they are always willing to try new things.
Update, since then I have had their foie gras torchon which is very rich, share it, but absolutely… Read more »
It may be true that this is the best restaurant in Davis Square, but it also isn't particularly indicative - I mean, Red Bones is fantastic for what it's worth but when you're in the mood for a nice sit down dinner, you probably don't want to have the option to spin the beer wheel to decide on your drink. (Or maybe you do, in which case I applaud you for resisting the pull to become a Snob.)
It is by no means perfect. Many of the dishes I've had have been almost-home runs with just one element of eh. For instance, the signature honey and hoisin glazed duck confit is like heaven (although honestly, if you confited a guinea pig and told me it was duck, I'd devour it and ask for seconds...heck, if you confited a guinea pig and told me it was a guinea pig I doubt I'd be averse) but the sweet sticky rice could be dessert. On a recent occasion, I had the salt and pepper fried scallops, and while they were very good, the oyster egg foo young was just odd and, in my opinion, ill-conceived. Oysters are delicious but I am not sure they belong in omelets, and furthermore these oysters were chopped to such a miniscule size that I'm not convinced they were even present.
The appetizers I have generally found to be more solid - the signature tuna poke is just spectacular, and once I had a short rib appetizer that came with a miniature bottle of some yogurt mixture that you squeezed into a broth to make psuedo-noodles. I appreciate the molecular gastronomy-lite touches in general, especially considering they're a rarity in these parts. The one appetizer I've had that didn't drive me wild is the Japanese-style crab cakes currently on the menu; I thought they were far too leaden in contrast with the brightness and acidity in the accompaniments - it was just unbalanced.
The desserts are whimsical and excellent; I don't remember ever not being pleased with one.
The service could be better - very average to slightly above, and I may just be a stickler but I feel that a place like this should be better than that. Waitstaff are perfectly nice but I've had some timing issues and been left alone a little too much for my liking.
Also, I've never eaten in the bar, but the cocktails are creative and superb, and I love that they come in two sizes, regular and big, for those of us raging alcoholics out there...
A delightful place not afraid to mix up flavors that you wouldn't think go together. Exhibit A: "Pork Porterhouse" with beet blueberry crumbs. Exhibit B: Tasty monkfish with carrots cut so that they looked like ikura.
Many people complained about the wait staff and their timing, but the times we've been, they were fine. One time, a guy was spacy when describing the specials, but he wasn't rude. They also answer questions about the menu if you aren't familiar with the agreement.
However, use extreme caution when ordering that Vesper. My accomplice and I couldn't resist the idea of a lillet-and-gin cocktail, but somebody at the bar went bonkers with the rosewater, and it tasted like dishwater detergent. Go with the Davis Square Trolley instead, which is a Sidecar that tastes more like a Creamsicle. If you are not a pro drinker, don't drink a Gargoyles cocktail too fast, or it will mess your head up.
This place is awesome.
Before Restaurant Week, we had been for the Sunday Disco Brunch multiple times, always saying how tasty everything was and how happy we were with the meal. We delayed eating lunch or dinner here until Restaurant Week when I said no more excuses. We went with reservations on a Friday night at 8 and it was quite full. We went the classy route with an Asian Pear Martini for my significant other (she loved it and made me taste...I agreed) and a gin and tonic for me at the bar while we waited, and after a quick 10 minutes we were seated.
Starter:
I had the tuna poke and it was amazing, absolutely great and not too filling, quite tasty.
Entree:
Duck Confit, orgasmic. It was one of the best entrees I have had in a very, very long time. If it is on the regular menu, I would get it again. Fantastic.
Dessert:
Malted Chocolate Cheesecake, amazing way to end the meal, loved it and it was the perfect ending to an awesome evening
I don't smoke and I wanted a cigarette after that meal. The food is amazing, I recommend eating here often.
Went up to Somerville for my daughters' graduation. Such a happy occasion. And of course we wanted a special dinner. She on the other hand wanted Chef Jasons' deep fried vegetarian risotto croquettes. I do not think they are on the menu any longer, but since he was a JUDGE for her senior engineering project, she twisted his arm and he agreed to make this special dish when she mentioned she was coming to the restaurant for graduation dinner with her folks.
We drove over from campus and were mortified to see that parking might take an hour of hide and seek, but we stumbled upon the lot just past Gargoyles and to the left side street that they had reserved..... (call the restaurant ahead of time and ask about this or you will circle til oblivion). We arrived for our 7PM reservation and were shown to the bar for drinks.
The place was jumping cause of graduation week and the staff apologized for the wait, which we surely understood. While waiting we drooled over the smoked chicken sandwich and freshed fried potato chips the woman had just been served from the bistro menu.
We were shown to our table and were greeted by Beth in a very friendly fashion. Our table was off to the side in a lovely velveteen booth. The back dining room is very secluded from the front bar and only holds about 12-15 tables? A reservation would probably be a must during the weekend.
We started out with the sweet gem salads which was a nice touch, blue cheese and grapes. The fresh olive bread and butter was delicious.
I had the duck confit which consisted of 2 whole leg portions cooked in a honey based sauce that comes with sticky rice. I was pleasantly surprised to find the rice was very good and filled with cashew nuts and sweetened by?? I ate my whole meal down to the last morsel. Not usual for me. I liked it very much.
My daughters' croquettes were very tasty, but I don't want to comment too much on them as they are no long a menu item. Chef Jason will always hold a special place in her heart.
The fillet mignon dish got good reviews from the "boyfriend"- sorry I could not reach over and grab a bite- just met him for the first time.
And the tagliatelle my husband had would be the only dish that got an okay review. It was very fresh, innovative, but lacked just one final ingredient. If I had to say I would have given it a splash of citric.
We opted to skip dessert but I would definitely go back for another round here if I were in the vicinity.
Thanks Chef Jason. You gave us a memorable evening.
One of the best restaurants in Davis Square and one of our favorites. A little on the pricier side (especially for the area), but the food is good and their desserts are to die for. Friendly waitstaff and good music.
We prefer the bar area to the main dining room - just livelier and better lit. But if you're looking for an intimate, romantic dinner, then the main dining room is for you. The service is great; food is excellent, though some things can be a bit salty at times. They have a full bar and make some darn good mixed drinks.
This place is a little too expensive for me to be a regular, but it's reasonable enough and close enough to home that it's the go-to "we want something a bit fancy" place for my boyfriend and me.
The service is always good: laid-back in attitude, but efficient. The servers are friendly and make me feel at home.
The drinks are wonderful: they make a fantastic dirty martini.
The food, though, is why I keep coming back. I adore the honey-hoisin glazed duck confit, which is tender and flavorful and amazing. The sticky rice is sweet, rich, and delicious, and it's complimented nicely by the cashews. I've also had other entrees, though, such as Best Parts of Lamb, which was divine: it had lamb bacon, lamb tenderloin, and lamb rib chops. YUM. All of it was perfectly cooked, and made me glad not to be a vegetarian! The moules frites I ate were luscious, with the blue cheese on them adding a nifty piquant twist. I wish I could remember more of the dishes I've had here, but alas, I'm blanking. I highly recommend Gargoyles to anyone, though, and can't wait to go back yet again!
went from fun/good to horrible in about 5 hours..oh and 5 hours is about how long it takes for food poisoning to set in--no?
I understand things happen, but what frustrated me MOST was that the 2 people I spoke with on the phone the day after vomiting, cold sweat & body pains for 2 hours later that night--- were perhaps the rudest people I've dealt with. Too bad too, because my meal was pretty tasty....
"it must have been your lunch, not our dinner, we are clean..no way its us..no you can't talk to the manager..they are hard to get in touch with'
..i even wrote a letter..and have heard nothing back..
They lost my patronage and that of everyone I know as well. My dinner was decent, the waitstaff was very friendly, but the service at the Dollar Store is more professional than that of the day staff I spoke to the *following* day at Gargoyles. ALL SET..thanks for cutting one place of my list of 'cool ideas in Davis'
DISCO BRUNCH. Should anything else matter?
Okay, so it's a little contrived in this faux-schmancy place, but the beats do wonders to perk up the mood. Nothing like the kick of a Bloody Mary and a dose of full sunshine to coax you out of a hangover and get you chatting with you buddy about the debauchery of the night before either.
Also of note: chicken and waffles.
Flavor trainwreck. Sounds repulsive, right?
Wrong. I was begging for bites from my friend, just the perfect amount of spicy and sweet and even tasted scrumptious without the bacon. Awesome, as people so often try to use it to lend flavor to the dish.
And my mascarpone french toast with a sprinkling of fresh raspberries? Lick-up-off-the-plate divine! And at under $10 a plate, a serious bargain compared to upscale eateries in say Harvard.
Minus one star for the shameless bartender. Rico Suave asked me if I was famous. Good try, dude. HA!
I've been here three or four times for dinner. I'll begin with the location. It's a great spot- just on the edge of Davis Square. Easy to get to.
The decor: I love the design of this place- the main dining room is so cozy and I love the colors and the dim lighting- it's the kind of room I want to spend a good 2 hours in with a bottle of wine.
The staff: Each time I've gone, the waiter/waitress is great. Very natural, easy, friendly. No complaints there.
The food: Sigh. Oh, Gargolyes. What has happened to you? How I loved thee 5+ years ago when the menu was full of savory, mouth-watering dishes. The last two times I went I wanted to put down the menu and let my chin fall to my chest in a moment of silence. A melancholy silence. I am beginning to suspect a 7 year old child is involved in the demise of this place. Why, you ask? Because the menu offers such items as rice krispies, coke, ketchup, etc.. mixed in to the very expensive meal you are about to purchase.
I love a culinary adventure, but if I want coke, ketchup, or whatever else is in the kitchen cabinets back there, I'll stay home and make it myself.
Ok, so Yelp probably doesn't need another person telling you how awesome Gargoyles' brunch is, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Why? Because I haven't been able to stop thinking about when I can go back.
First tip: there is apparently no need to make a reservation for Sunday morning at 10:30. This is when they open. And you may find yourself, like we did, the only people there the entire meal.
Second tip: if you want to try one the awesome-sounding mimosas, wait til noon to go. No alcohol served before noon. I know- LAME.
Third tip: the brunch menu online does not/may not match the actual menu at the restaurant. Be prepared in case you get your heart set on something.
Gordon got a basic breakfast; eggs, toast and bacon, but LOVED it. I got the Blue Corn Blueberry pancakes with Cinnamon-Pecan syrup and a side of bacon. First off, the bacon tastes real and good. Substantial, even. The pancakes were delicious. The blue corn was a nice little twist on traditional pancakes and gave them an interesting flavor. So. Good.
The wait staff was attentive (again- the only ones there). No disco that day as the "boss wasn't around" so we listened to hip hop/pop instead. Not a problem as I'm not a big fan of disco to begin with.
Brunch is totally affordable, too. I think our bill (with coffee and tea) came to under $20.
Oh, my word this place is delightful!
I've passed this restaurant since it's opening but never ventured in for the somewhat higher entree prices ($22.00 - $30.00 range). Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a meal here IMMEDIATELY. I HIGHLY recommend making a reservation first because their dining area is very intimate. Looks like about 12 tables, including four or five booths, where my Mom and I dined.
Now the food, Oy! The food is incredible. We were fortunate enough to dine during Restaurant Week, so they had a prix fixe menu, which was not mandatory, and we opted to chose our own combination of food. We skipped their appetizers but the bread they serve is so delicious and mysterious, you notice right away the olives but I also tasted a hint of what I think was anise. Surprisingly good. My Mom ordered the honey- glazed duck confit with sticky rice, mango, cashews and young coconut milk and it was the perfect balance of sweetness and that rich, crispy duck breast flavor. I ordered the marinated pan- grilled salmon with
carrot cous cous and fried zucchini. The salmon melted in my mouth and I've never had the pleasure to eat carrot cous cous before, I want it again...NOW. We both paired our meals with one of their many varieties of white wine. I had a Pinot Grigio and my Mom had a Reisling, they were both insanely good too. This place deserves all the 5-star accolades!
OK, let me start by saying that I've gone here for dinner a few times and it's EXCELLENT - we love this place. Cozy, funky place with a great menu.
Now. Let me tell you about our first (and last) brunch experience. My wife made reservations here for Mother's Day brunch based on our dinner experience. While she was aware of their "disco brunch" she assumed they wouldn't be doing it for Mother's Day (and their site didn't make it clear, to boot).
So, we get there and, lo and behold, the area is quite dark and has a f$*king strobe light blinking - it's incredibly annoying and actually starts to give my wife a migraine. So we call the host over and politely ask if we can be moved somewhere else, possibly a bit away from the light.
What do we get? A huff of exasperation and a flamboyant shrug of the shoulders: "I've got absolutely NOWHERE to put you. Sorry."
So we ask, "Would it be possible to perhaps turn off the strobe? You know, it being mother's day and all?"
(huff) "I can't do that - we're world famous for our disco brunch!" No exaggeration - this guy claimed that they were world famous for their disco brunch.
Then the lady sitting at the table next to us, who was clearly finishing her meal, kindly leaned over and offered, "You know, it's not such a bad idea. I mean, with mothers here and all."
He'd have none of it and instead reiterated the burden of fame that Gargoyles on the Square is saddled with as a result of their brilliant "disco brunch."
He must have had a change of heart, because he came back a bit later and managed to move us to the front of the restaurant, out of the disco hell. Then the next bit of stupid happens.
My father-in-law orders a Texas hash something-or-other and, when it arrives, we're all surprised to see how undercooked the egg on top appears to be. So he asks if it can be cooked a bit more. The waiter obliges, only to return a minute later exclaiming, "The chef says that he can't cook it any more. This is cooked inside the shell and it's the new thing."
Seriously. This guy said this to us with a straight face.
I'm sure we will return many times for dinner (under the assumption that the evening staff is not the same as the daytime) but, frankly, if you're looking for Sunday brunch, go to Rosebuds next door. Or Metropolis Cafe in the South End.
Or stay home, make yourself an omelette and play some Abba. Mission accomplished.
Despite the great dinner, this place gets one star for Boston's crappiest customer service.
Had my 41st birthday party here during the "Disco Brunch" one recent Sunday afternoon.
Nice atmosphere, nice decor, Ricky- our server, was excellent, nice, and cute to boot. Food was okay, drinks didn't make the mark at our table- we had to keep sending them back, they weren't sweet enough. Brunch menu isn't extensive, but there is something for everyone on there, and it's tasty, without being outstanding.
As for the "disco" in the Disco Brunch- well, someone forgot it. It's not what I was imagining. They just had disco music playing SOFTLY in the background, and two whack blinking colorful overhead lamps. Staff wasn't dressed for the 70's or disco, and didn't seem to really be into the whole theme thing.
Here's my summary of the Disco Brunch experience: nice restaurant with good food, efficient service, nice atmosphere, and great music playing in the background. I'd definitely go back (and am actually looking forward to going back), but now I know what to expect, and more importantly- what not to expect.
This is actually a really good restaurant, especially considering there seems to be so little competition for a good restaurant in the Somerville area.
In fact, I even worked at Gargoyles as a server for a little while, and even though it wasn't my kind of work environment, I can definitely attest to the quality of the food and ingredients, and to the establishment itself. The menu is great (though sometimes better than other times, since it continually changes), and the drink menu is awesome, with 12oz martini's as the most popular option! The backyard (cucumber) cocktail is a must, truly a staff favorite!
Also, feel free to quiz the staff about the menu...while i worked we had daily menu quizzes during staff meal where we had to recite every single ingredient in a dish, from salt to garlic, etc etc. so they'll definitely know it pretty well.
Come Unwind - One Olive at a…
Neighborhood: Back Bay
NFL Football Promotion
Medford, MA
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Teele Square
Category: Turkish
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: Bars
Me and my girl like to watch The Phantom Gourmet.…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
I'm a sucker for a sweet drink that goes down…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
