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Vox Populi - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
755 Boylston St(between Exeter St & Fairfield St)
Boston, MA 02116
Neighborhood: Back Bay
(617) 424-8300
- Nearest Transit:
-
Ring Rd @ Boylston St (9)
Ring Rd @ Huntington Ave (9)
Huntington Ave @ Exeter St (39, 55, 9)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
159 reviews for Vox Populi
Review Highlights
"Use to stop here after work for their Blueberry Martini's."
(in 10 reviews)
"I love this bar and love their goat cheese salad."
(in 4 reviews)
"Dining room is tucked away upstairs too."
(in 27 reviews)
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159 reviews in English
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Review from Alyson G.
12/13/2010
So even though my first impression of Vox Populi wasn't the best I've been here for a couple of events and they were fun. I stopped here for lunch after shopping for Halloween costumes and the menu seemed a little pricey. I just wanted a burger and a beer and their prices seemed high for lunch so we headed to a more casual spot down the street.
But I returned for a happy hour and was so happy to see they had blue cheese stuffed olives. True confession: I don't think I could not like a place with blue cheese stuffed olives. They make a fab dirty martini, and the apps are good too. We thought about hosting a party upstairs, but in the daylight the place looked a little rough around the edges. The floors were worn and there wasn't anything special about the venue.
But in the evening, the floors don't stand out, and their cocktail menu does. They have fabulous cocktails, and the service is great. -
Review from Kelsey A.
Cambridge, MA
7/22/2010
DO NOT GO TO VOX POPULI.
I went here because I was basically forced. I read a bunch of Yelp reviews before I went, and saw at least three where Yelpers had had their debit/credit cards overcharged -- as in, Vox had added on to the tip after the customer signed the bill. Sketchy! I was wary of this, but stupidly did not bring cash.
I split the bill with my friend. Because it was between 5-6:30, the food was 50%, so the bill was reasonable, but they added an 18% gratuity. For two people. RED FLAG #1.
My half of the bill was 17.92, with the added gratuity of 4.68. What I found a little weird was even though they added the gratuity, you had to write the final total on the bill. Fine, whatever. 22.50. I signed the receipt and gave it to the waiter.
This morning I went to check out the transaction online, and the total was $27.12 -- $4.62 more than I had paid.
WTF?!??!?!
I still have to call them today, and then report them to the BBB, because this is absolutely ridiculous. I should have listened to the other Yelpers or brought cash.
As a side note, the food sucks too. First of all, I ordered a Blue Moon with lemon, and the waiter gave me ATTITUDE about it -- "You don't want orange? Just lemon? Really? Lemon instead?" . Chill the fuck out dude, it's my beer! When it came, it was FLAT. We told him and he came back and said that we had been given the end of the keg. Oh cool, thanks.
I ordered fried goat cheese salad for dinner. Normally, when you get something like this, I complain because there is not enough goat cheese. Totally the opposite experience here -- the salad had like, 1 cup of lettuce and 2 HOCKEY PUCKS of goat cheese -- no lie. It was disgusting.
Ugh. I hate Vox. Never go there, seriously, unless you like shitty food and shittier service. -
Review from Lindsey M.
East Watertown, MA
6/25/2010
I've been here a couple of times but never ordered an entree so I can't speak to the food. I will say I had a yummy cucumber gin martini with Tanqueray today after work. It was a great way to take the edge off an enjoy the winding down of the week with work friend Karen.
I'm giving it 3 stars as the martini had some nice vegetable notes but I wasn't impressed with the apps I've had there in the past and was a little disappointed that there were no whiskey/bourbon summer drinks on the drink menu. I have a new found love for sweet and spicy summer Manhattans and was bummed whiskey didn't make the list. I'd definitely go again but am more likely to frequent West Side Lounge on Mass Ave in Cambridge for my whiskey addiction. -
Review from Jen S.
New York, NY
1/6/2009
Your Facial Hair Is Probably Not Bad Enough To Hang Out At Vox.
You're a dude. It's Saturday night and you get a call from a friend - what's this? Everyone is meeting up at Vox on Boylston? Word on the street is that this is a pretty trendy bar. Sweet, you think. Jen S. reviewed this place, so she must hang out there, which theoretically makes it awesome.
But oh, wait. You just looked in the mirror and suddenly you realize you can't go because you're not sporting the world's stupidest facial hair. Are you clean shaven?! Don't even think about it. I swear I saw them bouncing clean shaven dudes without 10 lbs of hair gel in their hair, yelling "get some really nasty looking facial hair on that baby's-ass smooth grill of yours or don't even try to come back here." I heard it. Do you have a normal beard/goatee? Well now we're talking. If you really want to fit in at Vox get that razor out pronto. Shave a butterfly into your beard, some initials, a lightning bolt, a fu man chu, come on. You know you want to. How are you going to look awesome in the near-pitch black upstairs bar that has drunk bitches spilling their $15 martinis on my slutty top? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT?
Saturday night this one guy who approached me had truly succumbed to the Vox bad facial hair rule of law. Imagine a goatee. Now shave the moustache part off. Now shave the sides of the goatee until you have a thin long rectangle of hair that starts at the lower lip and ends under the chin. Now punch yourself in the face one million times and don't talk to me.
I've been here three times. It's cheesy and wants to be trendy and blanketed in a thick layer of meatheads. I recommend going here if you have terrible facial hair or if you bought an outfit that doesn't fit in anywhere in Boston and you really want to wear it somewhere where you can guarantee someone will be dressed more stupidly. -
Review from Mike T.
Boston, MA
5/4/2007
Vox is yet another participant in "The Boylston Street Bars Parade of Failure." Snotty bar tenders, unnecessarily aggressive bouncers and patrons that seem to have been hand selected by some phantom talent agency that promises to deliver the worst people from both Los Angeles and New York straight to your bar. To make matters worse, Vox was the bar responsible for having the bad ass dance group '1-2-3 Party' arrested. (See the April or May edition of Dig.) Why is Boylston packed with so many crappy bars? I mean Whiskeys, Lir and Vox all in one place??? Its like Boston set out to build a Bullshit District.
Craptacular. The weakest link. F.
Thank God for the Pour House. -
Review from Winnie T.
Boston, MA
8/15/2010
This is about the food--- I have no idea about the drinks and how it is as a bar.
Stopped by here earlier for dinner to catch up with my old friend. Ordered the flash fried calamari as an appetizer, and then we ordered the lobster ravioli and the shrimp linguine as entrees. The food was...mediocre; however I DID really like the calamari because it tasted fresh (fresh calamari is not overly chewy) and the breading was light and crispy. I just didn't really enjoy my pasta...something about it was bland but salty at the same time. My friend liked her lobster ravioli but thought it was a little on the greasy side. The service was also mediocre. At one point I had to flag down another waiter to refill our water and replace the utensils that the waiter took from us. Our waiter went kind of MIA during our dinner.
Overall, this place has its hits and misses, and for the price, it's probably not worth it. I didn't hate my experience, but I don't think I really enjoyed either.
...but the calamari was good! :) -
Review from Katie H.
Newburyport, MA
8/3/2007
I was very wary of going here after reading all the poor reviews it had received, but alas, my friend chose it for her birthday so I had to trudge along. I decided I'd be open-minded and try to enjoy myself. That did not work.
Vox was exactly what I expected, unfortunately. The crowd was pretentious and snooty. The bartender was repeatedly snarly. He got pissed at my friend waiting expectantly after she'd ordered 4 drinks and barked at her that it would be a few minutes, while he continued down the bar taking other people's orders and filling them.
We asked if we could sit and were told that in the back was a private party, but the two front booths were fine when people left. Not too long after a group of girls got up and we slid in. The table was *never* cleared of their dirty glasses and used napkins the entire time we sat there. We started to question whether or not we were allowed to sit there, but as no one ever came up to us and said otherwise we figured we'd stay. Not once in the next 45 minutes did any staff pay attention to us. Just as I was mentioning how bad of a review I'd be giving the place a server came up, and asked while rolling her eyes "how are you guys doing?" before we could answer she picked up ONE dirty glass out of the 6 and walked away.
I finally said to my friends I couldn't bear to stay there, and why were we spending money on somewhere that so clearly didn't deserve it, or apparently didn't even want it? And like I said last night, I'd give this place one star just for the quality of drinks which were great, but being able to acquire 2 drinks in as many hours is not my idea of a night out. Minus 4 stars for quality of service.
Maybe it would've been different if we were all over make-upped and dressed like hookers like some of the other patrons... -
Review from Jeffrey H.
Washington, DC
4/29/2008
Ick.
I came here with a group of friends for dinner followed by some adult beverages downstairs.
Ick.
The food was very pricey for what it was and I can't believe people actually spend that kind of money on dinner here.
Ick.
The drinks were decent, but you can't really go wrong with a bottled beer - lushies am I right?
Ick.
The decor was trying to be trendy but came off as lame. Upstairs for dinner, we were forced to walk through an awkward crowd that was gathered for a college reunion. Squeezing between a bunch of drunk young adults wasn't my idea of a pleasant evening. We were seated WAY in the back near the kitchen or utility area - romantic, right?
Not so ick.
Cute waiters.
Ick.
Downstairs for after dinner drinks I was pretty much forced into a table area to gather with my anti-social friends...and by anti-social, of course I mean sober friends who weren't willing to crowd the bar with a bunch of "Boylston" street people.
Ick.
It's like Whiskey's but trying to be classy.
Ick, ick, ick! -
Review from Michael W.
San Diego, CA
5/2/2006
Or what I usually call Vox Unpopular....
I went here I think twice last summer, not my decision, but with some friends, and the place sucked. I think i waited in line for a few minutes to get up stairs to find meat heads and caddy girls running around like they are the god gift to men, but really they are just dumb and ugly...
Pass it up at all costs -
Review from Kim P.
New York, NY
Updated - 5/22/2009 1 photo
So, I came back for dinner. And I changed my mind.
It was a warm Thursday night; the outdoor patio was hoppin', the people-watching was prime, and the eye candy was gorg! And since a friend had ditched me last minute for dinner plans, I thought, what the heck. Life's too short to be timid!
And with that mentality, I grabbed a Cosmo, a table for one, and a mojito. By far, one of the best decisions I've made this week.
Avoiding the lurking older businessmen and batting my eyes at the corporate cuties next to me, I ordered the Mediterranean Pork Chop for my entree.
Oh.
My.
God.
The valet boy was gawking from the curb because of my moans of delight, eyes rolling back; yep, ladies and gentlemen, that was me having a food orgasm on the side of Boylston.
And the Mediterranean potato salad! OH GOD. I'm such a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl, so the pork chop's side just pushed me over the edge.
I won't return to Vox for the bar scene, but I'll definitely be back for a dinner on the outdoor patio...I just gotta get one of those corporate cuties to take me ;)Listed in: Making Out with Meatheads:…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/9/2008
Vox Populi reminds me of bad porn.
The atmosphere is cheesy, the "beautiful people" are faking it,… Read more »
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Review from Nina F.
Long Beach, CA
10/25/2007
I habitually rate restaurants based on the quality of their espresso martinis, a drink that is surprisingly easy to fuck up. Sometimes the best of restaurants produce the worst excuse for an espresso martini -- straight vodka with a handful of espresso beans tossed in, or worse, watery because they've mixed coffee with vodka and nothing else.
Vox scored some points right off the bat with the written description of their creamy espresso martinis. Then they arrived -- wonderful glasses of creamy caffinated goodness. Definitely worth the semi-steep $11.
On the inside, Vox is pretty standard -- an open bar area, and a mix of booths and tables. Food-wise, I was impressed with their cheese plate appetizer. I'm sometimes weary of the "chef's choice" of cheeses, but all four were de-lish. Unfortunately, no one on staff seemed to be able to tell us what the cheeses were... Afterward came the bowl of french onion soup and the autumn pear salad, also scrumptious.
Although I had a good experience here, should I be in Boston again, I'd probably just come here to kick my night off with a drink at the bar. -
Review from Laura G.
4/28/2009
I haven't written a yelp review in ages but my experience at Vox last Saturday has given me new inspiration.
Before heading to Vox on Saturday night to celebrate a couple birthdays I did what I always do, read all the yelp reviews, both good and bad. So I went in with low expectations, yet open to the idea that I may meet the 45-year old of my dreams.
Entering Vox....
Two minutes into walking into Vox and my roommate grabs my shoulder, "Oh my god, did you see that?!?". No, I didn't see that, I'm too busy chasing my other roommate who has jetted off in front of us. "Well, some guy just poked my boob and he was going for yours but you walked away". Oh good, molested already.
Getting a drink...
Moving onto the bar. It's almost impossible to get to. I finally get to order three Sam Summer Ales....wait 5 minutes. Kegs out, it's going to be awhile. Bartender asks me if I want something else. Well, yes I'll have three Bluemoons....wait 5 minutes. Tap isn't working. The bartender suggests Stella. Well sure, I'll have three of those. So she pours two Stellas, which I hand back to my roommates while I'm waiting for the third that never comes. Sweet. Finally request third beer from bartender and cash out.
So then the men of the evening...
Creepy man from paragraph three continues to drunkenly stumble around on his cellphone talking to his imaginary friends and occasionally walks up to my friend group and just stands next to us, but says nothing. Friend scares him away and we see him attack other women.
Three grease ball Europeans begin to circle and eye us like we're the human version of Big Buck Hunter. I'm pretty sure they were deciding who would be the most points.
Leaving Vox...
We told one of the bouncers about the creepy guy and decided to dip after one drink. As we left said creepy guy stood in front of the door as a line of girls walked in and practically rubbed himself against all of them.
And scene.Listed in: Bad News Bars
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Review from Krys A.
1/18/2009
So I totally enjoyed my meal and beers here, but the reason I'm giving it 3 stars is for the service...
I arrived before my friend so I was hanging by the door with the hostess,... aka Miss Personality (nnnoooootttttttttttttttt). Then we are seated took a bit before the waiter came over and when he did he was back every 5 annoying seconds to check on us, its like CAN I LOOK AT THE MENU FIRST before you come back? LOL. So then, we ordered our meals which were both awesome. The salmon was FANTASTIC!!! And you cant go wrong with my favorite buddy Sam Adams Winter. But it seems as though after we ate our waiter was no where to be found. He would take FOREVER to come back and check on us and that too became annoying. (He too had NO personality) Its like okay, first your here every 5 seconds now your gone for 5 hours at a time and there weren't many people in the place on that cold Wednesday night. Hmph?
Food and beer, thumbs up. Awesome little place to go, nice environment and atmosphere... I'll be back but I'm hoping to avoid those same staff members. -
Review from Eric W.
Boston, MA
9/24/2007
Dang! After a bad meal, I get excited, because I know that at least I can come to Yelp to really tear into the place. This time, though, I'm disappointed to find that Vox has already been torn into about one hundred bajillion times. We were lured in by a beautiful and kind Siren-like hostess. Then we crashed on the rocks. The staff was dazed, seemingly unsure what they were doing there. Tacky big screen TV's showing football (football! What is this, Indiana?) captured even tackier drunken ladies like flypaper.
The drinks were unique and attractive, and the antipasto was slight but tasty. The main dish (paella) made an appearance about, oh, 45 minutes later. The recipe seemed to be seafood in box o' rice. You learn something every day; yesterday's lesson was stay away from here. -
Review from Anya S.
5/21/2009
There is a special place in hell for people who enjoy this place.
Outside: As you sip your $16 dollar drink and eat your 35+ entree on the patio, you can look over the sidewalk less then three feet away (!!!!!) where a few homeless people are sitting on the ground, holding their change cups.
Inside: As you sip your $16 dollar drink and eat your 35+ entree your may observe a sea of orange colored women, (I mean bimbos) enjoying themselves after a hard day of work (I mean trying to score a husband after a hard day of shopping and putting together sexy whorish outfits).
We didn't eat there for obvious reasons, but we all got some drinks. They were overpriced, but good. The decor is ok, very suitable for the meat market. Not my scene. -
Review from David I.
Lunchtime. Fast service. Good crabcakes. That summarizes it. I just dropped in and was very surprised at my experience since it seemed a lot of Yelpers didn't like this place. I went when it was slow, but when the service is great and the food was pretty good I had to share.
I would recommend this place for lunch. I don't know about evenings and nights. -
Review from Deb K.
Boston, MA
12/5/2007
I have never eaten a real meal at Vox. I usually end up there after work for drinks when they have a fun event going on. The events are great and I keep going back (just get on their email list to hear about them). Vox is getting 4 stars from me because:
1. They support Toys for Tots
2. I got to experience an awesome bartender and free drinks (including the Captain) last night because I brought a toy
3. The passed hot appetizers were pretty slammin' (risotto balls, bacon wrapped scallops, meaty poofs)
4. CAPTAIN MORGAN was in the house!! And yes, I got my picture with him. I know the Captain gets around, by this was my first time meeting my hero and it was glorious. -
Review from John P.
Cambridge, MA
8/19/2009
A packed-to-the-walls meat market. Ladies, you will not lack for attention for longer than 60 seconds once you hit the front door.
It's tough to navigate the upstairs bar. These two oddly placed pillars that everyone crowds around block a good chunk of the floor. Step back a few feet and hang out in the middle of the floor; you'll have a better time.
As for the scene: aggressive but not skeezy. Guys will chat girls up with no hesitation, but I never felt like I had to watch for someone slipping some ro' in a friend's drink.
A decent stop for a bar-hopping marathon, but I wouldn't stay the night here.Listed in: Cheap Date Spots in…
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Review from Angela H.
Boston, MA
8/9/2007
Wow, I'm very surprised at the poor reports. I'd heard their name on NPR a bunch -- Deborah Becker telling me again and again about their underwriting support and free gift certificates with a pledge of $100 or more -- well, 100 bucks was out of my price range and so too VP until trusty old Restaurant Week came around. Perhaps because it was RW, perhaps because it was a Wednesday and quiet, but I was very pleased.
We sat upstairs, two ladies dining out, drinking lovely wine and eating incredible fish and pork smothered in various creative, eclectic decorations -- the tequila, mango and avocado marinated halibut, for instance, was delectable. More than this though, was the heavenly -- HEAVENLY -- creme caramel with raspberries and blah blah blah. It was beautiful.
Now, I was a bit surprised when the bill (including tip) came to $100, considering it was supposed to be "fixe prixe." So.... I guess the wine's kinda pricey.
I was also surprised by the fashions of the bartendresses and hostesses. I thought I was in an upscale hooters. But, hey...I still liked my creme caramel. -
Review from California G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/23/2008
Vox might be the sort of place I would find my mother hanging out at. While the ambiance and décor win points, the type of crowd hanging out there really isn't my style. I think the place has potential, but is sort like a prepubescent boy whose balls have yet to drop.
I went as the "wingman" (as usual) hoping to find some handsome men for my girlfriends, yet the place lacked any and all major or serious talent. On the plus side the drinks are strong and the staff is welcoming. I might try this place for a starting point and/or dinner, but I'd probably avoid trying to find your prince charming here. -
Review from Caitlyn L.
Boston, MA
5/18/2009
Did I go to the same bar as everyone else?
No, it shouldn't win any design awards, but it's not HORRIBLE. The drinks are pricey, but they're huge. The bartender may as well have given me my Ketel One cranberry in a mug. The music went through random one-hour phases (top 40...dance (but good dance!)....hip hop), which was odd, but I didn't really hear much I didn't like.
I'm guessing it really is a crap shoot, like another reviewer has said, or maybe it was because I came reasonably early, but the crowd was actually pretty good when I got there. People were friendly (in Boston??), sleazy guys were at a minimum, and everyone was pretty well-dressed without appearing to have tried too hard. In short, it was upscale but still laid back. I had people help me get my drinks from the bar and a random guy behind me - who did not subsequently try to hit on me - hold my jacket as I was trying to take it off. Small details, but not things you find at every Boylston bar.
Now for the negatives...I can appreciate not having to stand in line, but honestly, I would rather have waited than been absolutely crammed into the top floor. We ended up hanging out on the first floor, which was not as bad.
Not a bad option on Boylston Street. -
Review from Ryan D.
Boston, MA
3/26/2010
As a bar, I love this place. Great drinks, cool bartenders, and a unique atmosphere. One bartender, Tim, makes an excellent bloody mary with muddled basil! However, the 5 star bar is offset by some of the worst food i've ever eaten...
I came here during this year's Restaurant Week expecting Vox to really flex their culinary muscles with their prix fixe menu. What I got was a poorly prepared, underseasoned, overpriced letdown of a meal.
Let's star with appetizers. My girlfriend ordered the winter endive salad, which was forgettable and contained the bitter hearts of the endive that I thought were typically discarded, not eaten. I went with their vegetarian chili, which was bland.
We hadn't given up hope at this point, however our entrees were even more of a disappointment than our appetizers. My girlfriend ordered the braised shortribs which we both agreed is impossible to screw up. However, despite being well cooked, the meat was also very bland. The mashed carrot it came with was quite delicious though. I ordered the Tuna au Poivre, a "Pan Seared Yellow Fin Tuna." What I got was a tuna steak cooked so well done that most of it had the consistency of Chicken of the Sea. I had to send it back and give them another chance. My second tuna steak was obviously made in haste, burned on the outside, but tasted better than before. The garlic mashed potatoes that came with the steak were excellent, but a weird pairing in my opinion.
Desert was the light at the end of the tunnel. We ordered both of the prix fixe deserts: poached pair tartlet and chocolate custard. The tartlet was bland with undercooked pears that had a mealy consistency. The pears and ice cream were served on something resembling an eggo waffle when you don't toast it long enough. The custard was also quite bland despite being infused with espresso shavings.
My recommendation: save yourself some money and disappointment and don't eat anything at Vox. Spend your money on drinks instead! -
Review from Katia M.
1/15/2007
I just don't like this bar. I've been here several times, and I've never had a good experience -- the bar upstairs always has everyone up there sardined into it, despite the fact that there's plenty of space to stand elsewhere ... so it's impossible to get a damn pint.
I know people who like it and I know people who go, but I just think ... I miss you more than Vox missed the mark ... when they made this nightclub. I miss you more than that place missed the point, and that's an awful lot, girl.
Etc. You get the point. What I"m trying to say is that Vox sucks, and I miss you.
Update: Okay, I will up to three. It's not my kind of bar so much, but Halloween there was pretty fun, and I can't tell you how much I like their Original Espresso Martini. It is wicked lots of good, and that's a fact. Plus I think I met the owner and he was nice. However, I will not take down my original review, because the fact that I tried to put a song from "Team America: World Police" in it makes me laugh. And I am all about making myself laugh. -
Review from Lauren v.
3/10/2008
What the big deal about Vox is I will never know.
A few big things about Vox:
- The space. Completely unnecessary if you ask me.
- The big discrepancy in ages. Of course its cool that old men in their 60's want to visit Vox, who am I to stop them? But keep your meandering eyes away from my general direction, creeps.
- The big way in which it resembles a character-less chain restaurant.
- The big price of bland, weak drinks.
- The big feeling of annoyance I get when I am inevitably hit on by the game-less tools at Vox.
- The big feeling of relief I get when my friends come to their senses and realize we should go someplace else. -
Review from Debby L.
11/27/2009
Walking to Newbury Street to find food, we saw this place and stopped in to look at the menu.
Steak Frites and Tuna Tartar caught my eye, so we decided to have lunch here.
The tuna tartar was amazing. It had a spicy kick to it, and it came with some nice crunchy crackers. There was also a lot of tuna in the dish, and I thought the display was very nice.
The steak frites was ok. I didn't think it was spectacular since I asked for rare, and it came out pretty much medium. It wasn't as juicy as I'd like even though there was a lot of fat in the meat. The steak was quite big, so I'm glad we decided to share the plate. The fries were great though. It was shoestring and very crunchy.
The coffee was bold and really good. It came in a large cup and was refilled whenever I asked. Cream and sugar also accompanied the coffee. I was very happy with that.Listed in: BOSTON
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Review from Diane D.
Brighton, MA
9/16/2010
VOX gets three stars from me because it represents the wide range of experiences I've had here over the past 4 years: some wonderful nights, and some not so wonderful ones too!
First, let's do real talk: FOOD. I heard recently that Vox had tried to revamp it's food, and since it's in such a convenient location for after-work gatherings, I decided to try it for a work dinner of 10 people. Thank you Vox for NOT disappointing! Everyone was really happy with the quality of their food and the service was surprisingly attentive. The primary annoyance was the noise as the after work-crowd grew around 7:30 PM, but luckily we left shortly after.
As a chill lounge spot for drinks - it fits the bill mostly with location and the fact that its a more upscale spot on that part of Boylston. But I've had so-so experiences and don't always dig the "we're old but still pretty" crowd that seems to flock there. If you take a good group of friends with you though, it's hard to go wrong anywhere, and that's the same here. -
Review from Alexander W.
New York, NY
8/15/2006
This place is just dumb. I had a table but the experience was ruined by all these ex-frat boy 30-somethings and sleazy women standing around -- blocking me in! The clientele just was not right and darting through the crowd was painful since the fools wouldn't move.
Service was okay. At least they apologized for how annoying the other people were! I don't think I had much of any food though, since it was all boring meat-based plates. The drinks were alright -- I actually enjoyed this one (hot) hard cider I had. -
Review from Eric B.
Boston, MA
4/5/2007
I visit Vox regularly with friends. It's a nice upscale place to hang out at night without the attitude. The drinks are a bit on the expensive side, but I've found it to be a fun place to go to with a few friends or even large groups.
I've only eaten here once and the food was good. Nothing special if I remember correctly.
As a side note, I have been going to Vox's Halloween party for two years in a row. I think it's the best that I have been to in the city. They even have a costume contest and I have been impressed with the creativity and time people put into their costumes. -
Review from Megan M.
Ashland, MA
5/14/2007
Ugh. Cheese-fest. This was yet another stop on our night out on Saturday, not my choice. It's an alright place to go, but there are just so many other much better places.
People are jammed into this place like you wouldn't believe. I felt like I was on Spring Break or in the Alley. For the prices they charge, you'd think they could let up on the number of people they squish in here.
The crowd also left something to be desired. The type of people I can't stand (pretentious wanna-bes with Daddy's money that think they're so very important) frequent this place, or at least, on nights I've been. Some people were fine, nice even. But overall it's just not my thing. I doubt I'd be back of my own volition. -
Review from holly m.
3/8/2007
I dined here with Craig P on Monday night it was "good." I'll only say good because I had heard so much about this place that I was so looking forward to it being wonderful and it was not. We did have a delightful dinner and wonderful drinks, but the atmosphere...so so. I heard its great and the place to be seen, but maybe not on a Monday evening?! I dunno... I'd try it again, if only to have drinks.
Decent menu for Restaurant Week, though not the most original. -
Review from Ruth M.
Oakland, CA
8/30/2008
My beau and I were winding our way through the Back Bay on an extravagant martini/seafood crawl, and the "Martini Bar" written on their window seemed like as good an invitation as any.
Mental note - when a place has to advertise their purpose, it means they don't have a regular clientèle. If they can't keep a regular clientèle on Boylston, there's something wrong.
We were there a little early, but immediately seated outside. I thought it was weird that they put us right against the sidewalk, even with open tables further from the pedestrian traffic, but whatever. In a few minutes, a bunch of rich-looking older people got those tables, so that explained that. Our table was dirty (soot, probably from the road) and they replaced our plates, but not our glasses, which was also concerning. When I moved my glass, I could clearly see the ring of clean table cloth left behind.
Yeah, so we were feeling a little footloose and roughly ignored the price of the drinks. Whatever. A $12 martini that tastes like a $12 martini is worth it some days, you know? These were not that kind of $12 martinis. My lychee martini had a single lychee, and really, no juice at all. I make better ones of these at home. It was just cranberry juice and vodka, which is fine, but advertise it as so. My beau's was similarly over-promised and under-delivered.
They wouldn't let us order drinks without food (it's a law or something, but I've seen other places go without enforcing it). Again, whatever. But there weren't any cheaper appetizers to accommodate this. You're a martini bar - some people might really just want drinks. Anyway, the tuna tartar was ok, but the sweet potato things that came with it were awful.
Overall, way too expensive for something pretty terrible. I usually reserve 1 star reviews for places that are dangerous or likely unsanitary, but considering the berth of good places nearby (Capital Grille, Oak Room, the Palm) that are better in every possible way, I'm as unlikely to ever come back as if I'd found a roach in my martini. -
Review from Mai O.
Cambridge, MA
7/24/2007
Last Friday my colleagues and I went out for dinner/drinks for pre-clubbing. I was working late, so I didn't really eat dinner there (only 2 appetizers among three of us) so my review is on atmosphere, drinks, and appetizers I got.
Pros:
Drinks I had -- peach martini(?), mojito, and limoncello shots -- were all very good
Appetizers I tasted were also very good -- Tuna tartar and calamari
We were a group of 8, and some of us were kinda loud but they were very forgiving.
The waitress was nice and patient. Men(drunk) kept on ordering mojito shots (WTH is that??) and made her all confused, I apologized to her and said regular mojito is what they mean.
I liked the decor.
Not too pricy.
Cons:
Why so many bouncers? Does it turn into a club after 10 or something? And they take like a good minute to verify your ID.
But they did let my French friend in without ID (Well he is 40 years old...) because we explained he is French and it's not habitual to carry around IDs in France, and that he is 40 years old. So I guess they were being nice, they just take their job quite seriously.
It is also hard to park given the location. -
Review from Kayla N.
Fort Collins, CO
5/26/2008
Came here on a work trip with my coworker, E. We expensed an order of Spring Rolls (kind of small), some salmon (him), and some gorgonzola raviolis (me). We did NOT expense the three bottles of AWESOME wine that we put away that night.
I loved the decor in this place, as well as the music (mostly mash-ups). We also had a table that faced a giant flat-screen tv and it was March Madness time.
Overall, it was a great place to eat, drink, and become bff's (at least for one night) with E from work. -
Review from Rozina K.
Boston, MA
10/22/2007
Vox. You totally suck. Big time.
Made the mistake of going to Vox for a drink on Saturday night to watch Game 6 of the ALCS. Don't ask why. We were already in the neighborhood, wanted to get a drink and watch the game, and Vox had TVs. We ordered drinks, which we soon found out contained little to no alcohol. $11 for a martini? I need some serious alcohol if you're going to charge $11. So we switched to beer - $5.25 for Lager!!! Are you crazy?!? OK, no big deal. We had good seats, right in front of the TV and the place was filling up with Sox fans. I'm thinking this might be fun after all. Ordered some appetizers - calamari, french fries and pizza. Calamari was totally inedible, pizza and french fries were very average.
We'd been there a couple hours and were having a semi-fun time and then the bouncer came over to my boyfriend and I. First of all, there was absolutely no need for a bouncer to be at this place - they were definitely trying too hard. So yeah, the bouncer comes over and tells my BF to take his hat off. He was wearing a Sox hat on game night and was not alone..the bouncer went around and told a few people to take their hats off!!!! Totally douchey. We were both dumbfounded as was everyone else around us. Whatev, we got back to watching the game. He came back over a half hour later and said that he could put his hat back on. The manager said it was OK to have them on tonight because of the game but usually they have a strict dress code. Totally pretentious (in a bad way) and completely unnecessary. Get over yourself.
Bad food, expensive drinks, awful service. Vox, you deserve no stars. -
Review from Annette A.
Brighton, MA
1/16/2009
If you're one of those people looking for partnership with someone who resembles your father, this place couldn't get any better. Everyone working in the Back Bay area flocks to this place after 5pm, so you could expect anything from the young Jersey Shore beer connoisseur to the bitter yet horny post-divorce stock broker from India looking for a trophy wife.
They try really (really) hard to be a swanky dance club, but your skin is pretty much crawling after 9pm and even a dozen $9 drinks aren't enough to make you want to risk rubbing up one of your dad's friends. And with the size and layout of this place, you're going to rub up against many things you didn't expect to rub up on without even having to dance.
Crowd aside, the bartenders were only as attentive as they needed to be. There were several bartenders on shift (again, especting to be a swanky, crowded nightclub), but for some reason they always seemed pre-occupied sharing flair tips and tricks with their other buddies behind the counter.
The cash and number of minutes you'll end up spending here will be equivalent to the oldest person in the room. -
Review from Jennifer B.
Manhattan, NY
8/15/2006
Good martinis, adequate atmosphere, questionable crowd. By questionable I mean dudes in striped button downs (you know the ones I'm talking about--multicolored narrow stripes--you probably have one, but don't all wear them at once, people!).
I've enjoyed this place each time I've been, but more for drinks and the company I'm with. It's definitely a pickup scene. -
Review from Johnny C.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2008
Met up with my mom for a day of shopping after her news of break up with soon to be ex-husband no. 2. I had to disguise my glee and at the same time cure her woes. No better place to do that than VP.
We walked in to find an interior that could be a Vegas lounge, a menu with a tasty variety of choices, and -most important- ALCOHOL!
The menu is a fusion menu of cuisines whose fusing I can't recall. I just remember the scallops being tasty and the dessert being fab: the chocolate cake is amazing and the rhubarb tart even better.
Had several cosmos that were made to perfection. Mom, after many cosmos, went from "I can't understand why he would do this? Maybe it's a midlife crisis?" to "Shwell, I don' care! Shhhcrew 'im! Thish ish the life I wernt. Wert you call thish cocktail again?"
Staff were great. Super efficient. Meal was tasty. Bartenders are liberal with the pour. Perfect place for a spontaneous meet up when everybody is having trouble deciding where to go. -
Review from Meghan M.
4/26/2009
This review is for drinks only!
I met a friend at Vox last night. It was my first venture out to Boylston in quite a while (and now I remember why that is).
The good thing about this place was that my mixed drink was good and the bathrooms were clean. That's where it ends. They let WAY too many people in this place. It was so crowded that you couldn't move and good luck getting anywhere near the bar after about 11pm. It made things unbelievably uncomfortable. The drinks are expensive ($9.50 for a mixed drink) and the beer was not cold. The crowd here just added insult to injury. I was followed around all night by a Tony Soprano look-a-like that was twice my age that kept rubbing his belly up against me and talking about Alice Cooper. This, as you can imagine, has reaffirmed my inclination towards internet dating vs. meeting people out at places like this. And that's saying a lot because http://match.com is full o' freaks. Oh, and they close at 1am? Really? That's just weird. -
Review from Aditi R.
6/21/2009
Bear with me - first review. *Nervous wreck*
Not really - but be gentle.
Short version: Fun place for drinks....Considering I've ONLY been there for drinks.
Not so short version: I've been there twice now for drinks. My friend and I started bar hopping on Boylston and this was our third stop. I'd never been here but passed it a million times so thought I'd give it a try. Plus it looked really packed. We got a spot pretty easily at the bar. However, it took us a good 10 minutes to get the bartenders' attention which gets me really annoyed. Especially since we were staring at them as they were walking by waiting for a drink. Dock a star for that one. We ordered a two shots and two martinis. The shots were bartenders' choice and was fairly decent, and our two martinis were The Blue Brazilian and the French 755. The latter was pretty damn good, but the prior was entirely too sweet and I couldn't finish it. We stayed for a bit, people watched (which is pretty good here) and left after we realized we couldn't shake off a couple of guys off of us.
Second time was upstairs, which a MUCH bigger space, and gets crowded really fast on Saturdays. Was fun for the time that we were there and the bartenders were definitely nicer and faster upstairs. I had a beer and that was $5 which is fairly normal Back bay prices.
Verdict: I'll certainly be back. For dinner is questionable, but for drinks (not their martinis though...), I"ll be here again! -
Review from Dasha B.
Boston, MA
8/21/2010
This review is strictly about Vox as a bar.
I came here on a Thursday night, and the downstairs was full, but not packed. Upstairs there were about 20 people at 10pm. A glass of Prosecco set me back $10.
The decor tries to be swanky, but not too modern and minimalist. Vox is probably an average-level stop on the Boylston/Newbury bar scene.
