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Categories: Tex-Mex, Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: South EndHerald St (Silver)
Back Bay (Orange)
Arlington (Green)
Mon-Wed. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Tequila can make any meal taste delicious right? But when both the waiters and the bar tenders know an abundance about both drinks and food... you've got an awesome spot either at the bar or in the dining room.
I've had drinks at the bar with Tapas and gone home very happy, as well as several entrees during recent visits. Recently, Masa has redone their menu and intensified the spices and intrigue to their dishes which will keep the true tex-mex fans and regulars happy with some extra spicy variety on the menu.
I'm also a big fan of the brunch here. It's a fantastic price for your choice amongst several delicious dishes and coffee. Plus, whether you are at Masa for brunch or dinner, the corn bread and spreads are heavenly. This is the restaurant that put cornbread back on my list of favorites.
If you get a chance or simply love Tequila, be sure to chat with the knowledgeable bartenders about this libation. They'll inspire a appreciation for Tequila and it's yumtastic tapas pairings.
Normally the thoughts of a tequila fueled rampage on a Monday night would make me a very happy boy. But for some reason, this week when I ended up at Masa for a work dinner party I just couldn't get into it. I mean, not like I was planning on getting ripped on the bosses dime or anything, but, well I was planning on getting ripped on the bosses dime....
The bar. It was busy with all the South End rummies drinking up and taking advantage of the after work specials. Looked fun. But when showing up early to an event, and drinking alone, after squeezing into a bar spot after being overlooked by the bar staff for a few minutes I was overheated, sober and annoyed. It's all good. Sit down to a sort of grubby bar (meaning dirty and sticky w/ lime juice) and order a house margarita. Not great, not terrible. Sort of weak. Nice glass of water though.
The dinner. Yeah, coworkers showed up saving me from doing the tequila tasting to my head. So we grab a booth, and actually, I thought the dining area was pretty cool. Well, yet intimately lit. A little light on the staff, but they were attentive enough and were good about making good with the water. We split the calamari appetizer, it was too small for 4 people but was really good. Not fried. Honestly though, that and the fresh bread with house made spreads worked for me. For the entree I had the tex-mex style steak frittes. Here we go from 3. 5 stars to 3 stars. It was pretty unimpressive. I can't remember the last time that I didn't want to finish a steak. Yeah I can, I was at an Appleby's.
Overall. I would absolutely go back for tapas and a drink, and possibly dinner. I would probably not suggest a work/celebration dinner here though.
After a not-so-heavy night of drinking, naturally we want brunch. We came in last Saturday around 11:30 a.m. We made reservations via opentable just the night before.
Ben G had touted its SouthWestern influences and recession specials. He said you had to ask for that special menu. Well, they gave it to us along with the regular menu when we were seated.
Frankly, I don't enjoy SouthWestern food but the gay boyfriend was all about it. The thing that convinced me was the pursuit of a good Bloody Mary.
Masa's jalepeno bloody ($7.50) was pretty nifty. I just wish it was double the amount. The cost of it was nearly the cost of breakfast!
Service was really lackadaisical. After being seated for almost 15 minutes, she finally came around and filled our waters. I thought she was a food runner at first since she didn't introduce herself but then later took our orders. I watched her give the same treatment to the table next to us but then give stellar service to the table on the other side of us. Very odd.
After she cleared my first course, she took my silverware but didn't return with a new knife. I had to ask for one and then she told me it was hot to the touch. Damnit! It was burning hot! Where they did they get this from? The forge?
So, what's this recession special all about? You get two items for $7.95 plus coffee or tea. Your first course is a choice of platain empanada, yogurt with fresh fruit and dulce de leche or a bowl of plain fruit. I opted for the empanada. It was mushy and not exactly appealing.
Then you had a choice of a short list of items, some of which were higher priced on the regular menu. Noting that the short ribs weren't available on this special menu, I opted to get the creamy soft scrambled eggs with chorizo. If I was more of an egg person, I would have enjoyed this more. As it was, it was fine.
The gay boyfriend had the avocado eggs benedict. He loved it. It's very rich.
Overall, I'd come back to try their recession priced tapas or come on Thursday for salsa dancing night but I am not sure about brunch-- not unless I get to order what I really wanted, about 3 bloody marys!
In 42 years I've never been to a restaurant where I couldn't get served. Masa changed that. After waiting 20 minutes in a restaurant that was only 1/4 full I could not make eye contact and NO ONE ever stopped to take my order. I've never left a restaurant in my life but no one seemed to care when I told the manager I was leaving since no one served me. The worst I have ever encountered.
Fun place, that has a good ambiance some gourmet food with out a huge price tag. It probably would only get 3 stars from me if it were in NYC but in Boston places like this are rare. The food all has a very distinct flavor and there is a great use of different flavors that complement each other well.
The brunch is great everyone knows that. The booze are a little expensive but they have some real creative good drinks.
The BEST way to enjoy Masa on the cheap is the tapas sampler that is the chefs choice of 10 different bite size tapas for ONLY $5 from 5 to 7 pm, These are delicious and a great idea for a cheap delicious quick after work stop.
- I loved the food...flavourful and delicious...the cornbread and the accompaniments really really good...the corm and Yucca Chimichangas and the sole fish dishes were my favorite, the pinapple unside down cake with polenta was great.
-The service not so great, I got my wine glass filled to the brim, and the table was shaking every time we used the knife and fork on our food, resulting in the wine spilling all oever the place..
Would love to return here again to try the tapas and the brunch...
Came here for my golden birthday (thanks honey!) and had a great time. The ambience, food, service, and details were all great:
+ The sangria margarita: Aside from the fact that it was as big as my head, this drink was truly delicious. Tasted like legitimate sangria - not too sweet, not too fruity, just right.
+ The cornbread & molasses butter: the bf would have been happy to eat this as his meal. Delicious!
+ The garlic and mussel soup: slightly spicy, creamy, yummy.
+ The fire roasted corn and yucca chimichangas: Do I even need to go into detail? I'm sure you can already tell that they were scrumptious.
+ I got the ahi tuna, he got the short ribs. We were both stuffed, impressed, and satisfied by the end.
+ The plating - beautiful! I am one of those patrons who finds delight in the details, so thank you for your effort!
I cannot wait to come for their legendary $8 three-course brunch. It sounds too good to be true, right? Also for those happy hour tapas. Yup, it def seems as though I'll be back :-)
I really try to like this place when I go... I really do.
I've been three times for dinner, and once for a 'company event'. While it seems that the tapas are the best part about this place I'm always underwhelmed when I get a 'full dinner'. Perhaps I will give them a chance and go for tapas or perhaps brunch.
We got the 'scorpion bowl' style sangria, which had FAR too much Peach Schnaaps.
The steak frite came with completely dry and over heatlamped fries. I like my humor dry, and my fries crispy!
I'd much rather go around the corner and go to 28 Degrees and get a real drink and a 'south end fusion' style dinner. :-D
Ok so they have a great specials on tapas and sangria but nothing was really memorable. I shared the combo platter with a friend and I was happy there was only one of each. I wasn't loving anything and the sangria was way too sweet.
We were here for an event and filled the bar area up. After a while you could tell the bartenders were getting annoyed by us. It's not like it's a museum, get a group of girls together and we'll make some noise. But they did well serving all of us since it was busy and there weren't many people working. It sounds like brunch is the way to go here, so I will have to try it and update my review.
MASA, MASAAA
I like you SO-FAR
Sunday brunch: eggs benedict and huevos rancheros.
Restaurant lively, even on a snowy Sunday!
It was preeeetty good and tasty.
However, can't want to come for dinner
and eat the spicy cheese empanadas!
Like I said,
MASA, MASA
I like ya so FAR
Maybe I just need more tequiLAAAA!!! (With my sunday brunch)
HA HA HA
oh masa, i have to break up with you.
i used to love it here, and i used to come in fairly often. the brunch price cannot be beat, but there has been a steep decline in service over the past few months.
granted, our party was a bit of a shifting one, but the restaurant wasn't full and we were in the bar area. we cancelled our regular table reservation to a slight annoyance, but it wasn't like we were displacing any customers - the restaurant was steadily emptying after the initial brunch rush. i felt bad initially for having to change as many things as i did, but the service reflected that i won't need to go back again.
our waitress was flat out terrible. i asked for milk for my coffee and it didn't come until after a busser had to bring it to me - it'd been roughly 10 minutes on a not so busy afternoon. she came over with the milk after the busser had taken care of me, and acted pissed off that i asked again. not only was she inept with service, but she also had a rotten attitude. i have no idea how someone like that is in the service industry, but c'est la vie.
she proceeded to get our order wrong, and when her fellow server brought us the wrong dish, we informed them that we'd ordered something different. the delivering server went to the end of the bar and threw a mock hissy fit, much to our waitress's amusement. bear in mind, we saw and heard everything they said. it seemed that they blamed us for our waitress's error, and made a big deal about the error itself. the staff seemed more into hanging out with one another (and their visiting buddy) than they were into providing adequate service. we were huffily presented with the simple dish, but the manager-type fellow witnessed the hissy fit and did NOTHING.
also? no one would come to take dirty plates. we were stacking empty dishes and one waiter jokingly came over and made a "tip me to take these off your hands" motion. i know he was joking, but with the service as bad as it was, i don't think it was appropriate.
even the food was lackluster this time around. i ordered an empanada and the caramelized plantains were cooked to the point of toughness - it was like biting into plantain jerky. the breakfast tacos simply weren't good. cornbread was cut into bite sized pieces that had dried out by the time we got them.
i used to love masa. their tapas deal and brunch deal couldn't be beat. now i'm not sure if i want to go back. i am so disappointed in the service. save your 8 bucks, or spend 9 and go somewhere else with prix fixe brunch in the south end. it's worth the extra distance and extra money to avoid the masa experience.
Last weekend we went here for brunch, and the food was amazing! I almost always get eggs benedict, and they had a sort of latin twist with avocado and pico de gallo and it was really incredible! It was really refreshing to get a different take on a classic dish.
My friends loved their food too, and the presentation and atmosphere was really nice and sophisticated but simple.
The only downsides were that there werent really any good sweet options for the main course, and we had a really rude waitress who would roll her eyes for the smallest requests.
If it wasnt for our waitress, I would have given 5 stars. Very cool place!
The first time I went to Masa it was amazing. The bloody marys at brunch were spicy and fantastic. Our food literally came out in five minutes, and was delicious. We had the Huevos Rancheros and the Santa Fe Style Eggs Benedict. Both were full of flavor and were really really good. I would order them again in an instant. After that experience we couldn't wait to get back to Masa for dinner, and last night we got our wish.
We arrived at 7 for our reservation, and the place was still pretty open. We were seated at a table for two so close to the tables next to it that I almost pulled the table cloth and settings from the next table as I tried to get into the banquette. Our server arrived and slowly vomited out the specials. I'm still not sure what they were, she barely seemed to know herself. We then ordered drinks: I ordered a whiskey ginger, which she asked if I wanted straight up or on the rocks, and then she returned with what tasted like whiskey soda. My fiance ordered a mojito, then asked about the beer selections. Upon asking if they had Dos Equis Amber, he was told that no, just regular, which he ordered. She returned a while later with Dos Equis Amber.
We ordered two appetizers, the Spicy Tuna "Cabo Rolls" and the Smoked Garlic and Maine Mussels Soup. The tuna in the rolls was great, but there was flavorless and useless rice in there as well that ruined the whole app. The soup did not have whole mussels in it, it was a pureed soup and the smokiness was overwhelming. WAY overwhelming.
Our Fire Roasted and Sweet Potato Flautas were mediocre, at best. No depth of flavor, not worth finishing. About half of the Pan Seared Tres Chiles Tenderloin of Beef remained on the plate at the end of dinner. I don't like to complain at restaurants, but if a guest doesn't eat most of their meal, you have to assume something is wrong.
So the service was awful, the food disappointing, and I won't need to go back ever again.
I don't know why I do not come here more often. This gets five stars for AMAZING value and overall experience.
I think I've been here twice, both for tapas. The tapas are $1 each and are the size of amuse bouche(sp?) so it's good to get two of everything if you are with someone. We got 2 samplers and a tuna tartar app and this was a great dinner. Also, we had heard about $5 pitchers of sangria. They serve maybe 2.5 glasses and the sangria is good. Also, we happen to be there on a Thursday, so the tapas sampler was half off. That's 5 bucks for a taste of 10 different unique bites. Very satisfying.
Bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable, explaining each thing we were eating. Atmosphere is pretty nice, bar may get crowded, so I wouldn't recommend this for groups. Still yet to try the restaurant half.
so, three pitchers of sangria, 2 samplers and a tuna tartar app came to $34. Where can you find a better deal? (email me if you know one)
I will start with the disclaimer that the only times I have been here have been Thursdays.
So that means dollar tapas!
Dollah Dollah Bill.
That means for ten bucks you can get the amount of tummy filler you would pay three times as much for in regards to deliciousness.
I think I've had every sing tapa they offer and they have all been a success.
The big point winner for this place is presentation. Every dish comes out looking amazing. As someone who used to make their living as a food stylist, I gladly use this place as inspiration.
This place is perfect for first dates or to seal the deal.
I'm always a bit wary of latin-american inspired high-end cuisine in Boston having lived in places where the best burritos are served out of trucks.
But Masa, you got me with your recession special brunch. $7.95 for a Saturday 3 course brunch? Cornbread starter to die-for with mango butter? And far enough on the edge of the South End that I don't have to valet park? Yes, yes, yes!
I will be back - and next time I'll make a reservation.
Best brunch for the price that I've had in a good long while. If the brunch was $20, I might be not so over the moon. Still pleased, still would love it, but damn, this is a deal.
For 2 people we spent $16 plus tip. If your wallet is hurting, but you still want to go out to eat somewhere, then come here for brunch.
For $8 you get:
A starter
a meal
unlimited coffee or tea
great little bread basket of corn bread and such
Yay! We got the plantain empanada and the granola and yogurt for starters. The empanada was amazing. It came with cinnamon butter as well that was the perfect accompaniment.The yogurt and granola was sweetened with condensed milk, so it was almost a bit to sweet for me. A great healthy choice though.
For meals I got the scrambled eggs. Let me tell you, this was the best scrambled eggs I have ever had. Usually scrambled eggs can be a bit dry and a bit to eggy. These had cheese cooked into it. They were moist, cheesy and eggy all in a good way. It was spiced properly and was just heavenly. It also came with potatoes, and a side of salsa.
The bread was wonderful with some jam and cinnamon butter options.
Seriously, my husband and I both were salivate over our food.
I have also been here at night for drinks, and I do have to say that the drinks are very expensive. The specialty drinks are $10-$12, which I suppose is standard but a bit pricey for me. However the drinks are great with quality alcohol used.
Nom, nom, nom, come here for brunch! (Make a reservation though).
Tried another happy hour venue! There was a lot of hype from the reviews, so let's clarify what Masa's happy hour special is:
$5 combination platter of tapas - 10 pieces, one of each of the available tapas on their menu, regularly $1 each
$5 vase of sangria - about 2.5 servings
Bar area only
5pm - 7pm every night except Thursdays when the deal is available all night
Not a bad deal. If you're watching your diet and appreciate not-XL-portion sizes, I thought 1 combo tapas platter and 1 vase of sangria was a great dinner. The chorizo with cranberry chutney salsa was good, but had a weird aftertaste. I liked the shrimp with roasted garlic chile aioli, smoked jalapeno arepa with black beans, cheese-jalapeno empanada, and spicy roasted pepper stuffed with cheese best, so that's about half the plate. Probably not the best deal for vegetarians because they can only eat half the plate.
You're stuck in the bar so don't come with a big group unless you all come early. 7 of us arrived around 6pm on a Wed. & took up a corner of the bar. Unfortunately, the corner was where the servers kept coming in and out from behind the bar, but they were gracious. I sat at the bar where the bartender was very knowledgeable about the food and kept my water glass full. I would definitely return, especially because it sounds like their weekend brunch is a good deal, too.
Maybe I went in with too high expectations. Maybe I read too many Yelp reviews and got too excited. Maybe I was spoiled by living in Southern California and South America over the past four years.
I really wanted Masa to be great. Things I like about Masa: The decor. The attentive service. The food styling. The cornbread they brought to the table at the beginning of the meal.
Things I didn't like so much about Masa: The food was just ok. We had two of those $5 carafes of sangria, which were pretty much watered down grape juice. My friend had the chorizo and shrimp quesadilla, which he said was amazing. I had the romaine salad, which supposedly came with a green chile dressing but really just tasted like over-done caesar dressing. For entrees, he had the adobo roasted chicken, which was tender and juicy but looked incredibly lonesome on his plate. I, on the other hand, ordered the steak which came with a side of chili-powder doused fries and a mini salad. The steak was perfectly cooked (medium), still red and moist. But -and my friend agreed- it tasted like it hadn't been marinated. A distinct lack of marinade. Now, I know North Americans are supposedly afraid of spice but would a little Tabasco or Cholula really hurt?
Dessert was good; he had the chocolate cake (which I stole a bite of ) and I had the flan, which was light and refreshing yet creamy. So add the flan to the list of good things about Masa.
I'd say the price of Restaurant Week prix-fixe fits the quality of the meal we had. I don't think I'll be going back for a full-price meal.
Masa gets a fifth star. For their ability to deftly handle large crowds and small groups with equal attention and service. For their delicious variety of recession-proof tapas (hi, $10 for 10 tapas...only $5 if you come from 5-7pm) and for their thorough summer-loving drink list, featuring strawberry caipirinhas and spicy habanero margaritas.
For a group of female friends (old and new), a dinner date (first or fiftieth) a quick cocktail before a night of dancing or even a slamming Saturday brunch, Masa has become a place I frequent, for all sorts of fabulous occasions.
First stop on my 2008 Boston Restaurant Week Extravaganza? Masa on Tremont Street.
The draw? Fancy…
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Monday night with the ladies enjoying some tapas and cocktails.
Easy to find...and meter parking or valet readily available.
We sat at the bar to take advantage of the tapas happy hour.
$0.50 tapas?! I'm in. (Fine print: Applys to combo plate only)
But that's ok cause if you planed on getting more than 5 tapas its worth it.
1 combo plate and a Masarita please.
approximately 15 minutes later I was enjoying an array of delightful tapas.
$5 gets you a bite (or 2) of each tapa on the menu
Grilled chorizo
Fire roasted sweet corn taco
Shredded chicken taquito
Queso fundido jalapeno empanada
Goat cheese and queso chihuahua quesadilla
Beer battered achiote shrimp
Pulled pork and montery jack springroll
Smoked jalapeno arepa con chicharron
Whats my take?
The Fire roasted sweet corn taco was a tasty combination between delicious sweet summer corn and a salty, crunchy fried taco shell.
The Shredded chicken taquito was by far my fav...crisp and overflowing with flavorful chicken.
I found The Queso fundido jalapeno empanada was a bit too cheesy for my liking. After one bite it seemed dense and heavy.The deep fried flaky pastry crust was not as light and flaky as it was intended to be.
The Goat cheese and queso chihuahua quesadilla topped with anaheim chile puree was an amazing little bite size quesadilla that left me wanting more. Perfect combination of cheese, tortilla, and sauce.
Beer battered achiote shrimp?? Mine was definitely not beer battered. More shrimp cocktail style topped with a confusing roasted garlic chili. Given 2 shrimp, I left 1 on the plate...
The Masa BBQ Sauce overpowered any other flavors the pulled pork and montery jack springroll. Another dense crust that didn't lend well to the whole "light tapas" menu. And was that pulled pork?? :-/
One bite was all I could take.
I'm assuming the pickled hot pepper on my plate was the Smoked jalapeno arepa con chicharron. It was indeed salty, spicy, and delicious. Stuffed with chipotle black beans and cotija cheese.
Last but not least the Grilled chorizo. Playing with the salty/sweet combination, the grilled slice of salty seasoned spanish sausage was topped with a sweet cranberry chutney. Not bad, but not my fav.
The Masarita filled with Sauza Extra Gold, Triple Sec, Apple Juice, Fresh Squeezed Orange and Lime left me wondering if they forgot the alcohol...taste like drinking a cup of OJ.
My yelper girlfriend informed me that its a premade mix. When asking the bartender for another drink, I requested a non-premade drink from the menu. She insisted that NONE of their drinks are premade. Yet we saw her poor from only one bottle into the glass...
I thought drinks here were not impressive and many of fellow girls agreed. I tasted a habanero drink that was on the menu that should have had a disclaimer on it. WILL BURN ESOPHAGUS...not enjoyable one bit.
Overall
Drink menu needs some work but prices are great for the quality of food in the swanky area.
3-stars "A-OK". I shall return to try the normal menu which did look delightful.
Finally made it out to Masa for their Fiesta Brunch. Good thing I made a reservation, because they were utterly full when we got there shortly before 11:15am. Our waitress was busy, but friendly and apologized for the wait. She filled our glasses with water, wrote down our orders, and delivered a basketful of blue and yellow cornbreads - enough for each of us to try both flavors - and the selection of three spreads (I loved both the maple butter and the apricot habanero jam). The only negative as to the service was that our coffee and tea were never refilled.
I ordered the Plantain Empanada and the Chocolate Chip Pancakes. The empanada was a nice little pastry sitting on top of a smudge of cinnamon cream cheese. The pancakes were three large flapjacks while the few chocolate chips sprinkled within weren't super evident. The mango butter was nice and fruity and the only really special thing about the carb laden plate. Altogether a bit too sweet a meal though, so I finished off my friend's crispy home fries.
For $7.95 (pre-tax/tip), a great deal.
Things I liked:
-Willingness to let 20+ Yelp ladies fill up the bar area on a Monday night
-$5 "pitchers" (I'd say vases but let's go with the flow) of sangria
-Inexpensive tapas (50 cents before 7:00 pm, $1 after)
-Yummy (strong!) strawberry caipirinhas
-Lots of windows and a patio for people watching
Things I liked not-so-much:
-Eye rolling from some staff when things got a little loud
-Slightly expensive specialty drinks
-Weak margarita (don't bother)
It's not the best place for a group but if you keep yourselves organized, but definitely a good one if you're armed with a thirst and hunger for some tapas and tasty drinks. Just keep it simple here and get crazy somewhere else.
I would like to love this place. I really would.
My friend and I took a breather from Shecky's Girls Night Out at the Cylorama to have a light dinner at Masa. The place was just about empty when we arrived and asked for a table.
"Do you have a reservation?" the host asked in an annoyed tone
Um, no.
"It's restaurant week!!" he rudely replied while pointing us to the bar
The food was decent. Sangria was alright. I've had both better elsewhere. The portions were teensy - even for tapas. I wish the waitress had let us know because we would've known to order a lot more earlier.
The restaurant remained empty in the hour and a half we were there. The waitress was so slow (though unlike the host, very pleasant), we added up our meals and left cash on the bar.
Can't say I'll be back anytime soon.
Been back for Sat. brunch a few times and its been very good. The $8.95 Brunch menu is an amazing deal! The service however has not been very friendly or fast the last few time so minus 1 star.
The Caramelized Plantain Empanada is fantastic....fresh, warm and tasty served with Cinnamon Cream Cheese--yummy! I really enjoy the Santa Fe Style Eggs Benedict: the Green Chile Hollandaise could use a little more spice but the biscuit and avocado are very good.
Overall a great deal for brunch. We will be back for more.
We went there for Sunday brunch and were both very happy! It's a very cute restaurant and the server… Read more »
My last visit would have only been a 3 star, but I've been before and had a better experience, so I bumped it up.
Went yesterday for the brunch deal, but was disapointed to find out the only have it until 11am on Sundays. :( It was really hot and the AC wasn't working very well, so after I got some ice water and cooled down a bit I was feeling good about my choice - the BBQ Mac and Cheese. It was pretty good, a bit greasy for my taste (I know, what do I expect with cheesey goodness)
My BF got the eggs benedict, and liked it, but felt it was a small portion. He ate it before I even had 3 bites of mine...
Love the corn bread and spreads!
Service was slow...but it was our waiters first day, so I'll give him a break.
Will definitely be back for more.
YES. A place close to my apartment that I can hit up on Sundays for tapas at the bar! We went here this evening to try out the tapas menu. YUM. The sweet grilled corn taco was my personal favorite while Tim enjoyed the pulled pork tapas. We tried a few of the drinks too: Rasberry Mojito, the Masarita and the mangorita. The mangorita was by far the shining star. Delicious, smooth and with the just amount of sweetness without drowning out the tequila too much.
Service was great at the bar and the food came out quick. We had the 5.00 10 tapas combo to being with (offered from 5-7 pm 7 days a week). The only thing that erked me a bit was the fact that we paid 16 dollars for a valet when they parked us in a metered spot right out front. If the valet had told us that spot was open we would have tipped him either way.
All in all a very solid experience. We will most definitely be back to try the entrees and the brunch!
I highly recommend the Santa Fe Style Eggs Benedict for Brunch....it's so good!
My monthly dining group went for my birthday brunch on a Satuarday, and made it a favorite because of the "warm." "cohesive" southwestern" decor; ,the "excellent" server's "ability to keep up "with a large group"; food that was "uniformly good" and "tasty" (especially the "kick-ass spicy bloody marys"); and the "surprisingly reasonable" "overall value" (especially due to the Saturday prix fixe items).
This 292nd review is REALLY going to make a difference. Like the way yuppies think they do. Speaking of, MASA!!!!
No, yeah, I really liked it! WINK-AND-A-SMILE! It did take a bit for the hostess to communicate to the servers that "Them people is here, they gone-eat and you need-go-talk to dem!!!!". But I'm not going to dock them shit because of random honest mistakes that humans make. WE MUSTN'T EXPECT WAITSTAFF PERFECTION OF ANDROID PRECISION! B'gock!!!
Anyway, the service was actually really good. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful in suggesting shit. The food was awesome, the preparation was goddamn fucking divine, the cocktails top drawer and all that shit. I assume you can get great detailed accounts from other reviews to that end.
But speaking as a resident jackass and general bullshitter, I enjoyed this shit.
I went to this place for the brunch, it's down the street from my apartment. I saw that they have a brunch for under eight dollars. It was busy on the Saturday mourning I was there. The started is a basket of cornbread that did in fact taste just like jiffy or even the Sysco brand, instant cornbread.
I'm from the south and I know what real cornbread taste like, in fact that flavor would have gone better with the trio of jams that's served with your jiffy.
The sangria here lacks fruit and in my opinion wine. It seems like they poured some seltzer on top of half a glass of wine and sent it out. There was no fruit soaking in wine. This was not really a true sangria.
The plantain empanada was pretty damn good, I would like to have more than one to my order though.
The eggs Benedict , eggs poached perfectly, the hhollandaise sauce was pretty damn flavorful and good. The small buttermilk biscuit was a let down. I don't understand why they would use instant.
This was pretty good even though the portion was pretty weak, but keep in mind this brunch only cost $7.95 and presentation is nice and you get to sit outside.
This meal was the worst I've ever overpaid for.
First, let's get some things straight: Masa advertises as both a Southwestern grill and a tapas bar. Maybe they think that all food from Spanish-speaking people falls under the same cuisine?
We ordered the tapas platter and an entree along with margaritas and sangria. The drinks were really weak, obviously watered-down. The tapas were OK, but were very greasy and didn't seem that fresh -- they used tortillas that tasted like the crappy wheat ones you get in a package in the bread aisle. Things that should have been seasoned just tasted super-fried.
After our meal my friend and I both felt queasy and gross.
Not much on the menu for vegetarians, either.
The clientele wasn't much to get excited about: women in their late 20s who work in marketing (or want to) and are really looking for a husband. The guys were the standard douchey South End crowd.
They get an extra star for really good service.
I've only been here a handful of times for dinner, but each time i loved every bite.
Pluses:
*Bread basket with cornbread/sauces at the beginning
*Delicious food, really.
*Great date environment
*Nice wine list
*Knowledgeable staff
Minuses:
*A little expensive, but to be expected for a nice restaurant in the south end
*Sangria could have packed a bit more punch... err... booze
I would go back for sure.
The first restaurant I actually love in Boston.
The food-amazing! Always. The Drinks-so incredibly delicious. The service-needs work (at least in the main restaurant...the bar was good)
Late night bites:
If you come here for cocktails...never a disappointment. The sangria margarita, mojitos, cocktails...all delicious and clever. BEST part...tapas tasting. For $1 you get to try different types of tapas served at the bar. They're all incredibly tasty...Ive tried them all-and each are only $1. Pretty good deal for delicious tapas. You must go!
Dinner:
Service was really really slow the night I went with a part of 5. Luckily, we were in good company to keep our frustrations low. At least the food was excellent. Among some of the ones I remember tasting great:
-Skillet Roasted Sea Scallops (app)
-Ahi Tuna "Cabo Rolls" (app)
-Blackened Rare Ahi Tuna Steak with Yellow Mole
-Southwestern Style Steak Frites with Chile Dusted Frites
-Corn Meal Crusted Fried Skate
Go try it out!
How can you go wrong with 50 cent tapas before 7pm (and only $1 after that)? The $10 sampler platter was full of a wide variety of delicious little treats ranging from bbq taguitos to shrimp smothered in spicy mayo, each just enough and together more than I could eat.
The drink menu offers a unique variety of margaritas. I started the evening with the habanero watermelon margarita, which was overly spicy to the point of having no taste. I quickly moved on to sangria, which was yummy and refreshing. Though it felt a little strange (alcoholic much?) to mill around carrying a carafe in one hand and a wine glass in the other, the 3-4 glasses for $5.75 was a fantastic deal!
A great place for a girls' night out! I will definitely be back.
I absolutely swore off any type of food even close to the South of the Border variety after coming back from a month in Mexico and Central America. Okay let's be honest, I wanted to puke at the sight and smell of frijoles, guacamole or tortillas...ugh, overdose. So imagine my reaction when my friends said, "hey, let's go to Masa for happy hour Thursday night!"
Not bad, really not bad. I ate everything and then some. All the different tastes offered in the tapas combo was enough to keep me interested with desire afterward to consume more guacamole on top of my side of tuna tartar. The $0.50 per tapas cost between the hours of 5-7 p.m. on happy hour Thursday also kept us doing the math for a while but I blame the mango margaritas.
We went back for brunch on Sunday. Eggs have never looked so delectable. Even with an extreme food prejudice, I'll be back!
Disclaimer: about a year or so ago, I went in late night, randomly met the owners and drank many different types of tequila. Quite the night. So I have a soft spot for this place.
The Tex/Mex tag is a bit unfair, even if they proclaim it themselves. Yes, there are chili spices and tomato based foods, but it's not a rib and taco joint. It's better. Much better.
I had scallops and the pork shoulder. Both were cooked the way they should be and had a spice/bite to them that was expected and well done. No complaints.
My only critical notch is that the bartender charged an extra two dollars for putting my straight up tequila in a snifter. I get it, you have to hand clean it, but at least tell me in advance. Otherwise it looks like price gauging. I don't mind paying, I just mind not knowing. And I didn't ask for the glass, he just put it in there. Knowledge is power people. Get it in a rocks glass instead.
Masa is a nice restaurant in the South End area of Boston, but I have to say that their advertising is incredibly misleading -- they say that all their tapas are half off before 7pm on weekdays, but the catch is that you have to get 10 of them -- you can't pick and choose which ones you want. All 10 of them were really good, some better than others, but they should really advertise the "getting 10" part of the deal.
Their habanero watermelon margarita was interesting -- sweet with a bit of a kick to it. It was a lot better than I expected. The regular menu doesn't seem that interesting to me, so I think I would stick with the tapas if I come here again.
Went to Masa for $1 apps & drinking on Friday night with some friends. The $1 apps are nice but I didn't get the feeling that they were their first string selection.
The drinks were good, somewhat small selection of beers, but the margaritas were very good - try the Jalapeño cucumber, very good.
It was less crowded than I anticipated, but there were still a good number of people there making table / bar real estate high demand.
Even with the dollar apps, 6 of us managed to drink our way through $450 in about three hours. Which is reasonable for the area, considering the state we were in when we left.
My one regret is that I was full after my meal and couldn't order and eat more.
I got the Santa Fe Style Eggs Benedict--without hollandaise since I can't stand it--and it was phenomenal. The eggs were perfectly poached; the white cooked through, but the yolk still runny (with runny yolks, who needs hollandaise, anyway?). They were each shaped like a little scoop of ice cream, and were perched on a delicious smear of avocado on top of a decadently buttery biscuit.
And the corn bread--buttery and wonderful. I will definitely be back.
Neighborhood: South End
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Wine Bars
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Italian
Woburn, MA
Category: Restaurants
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