- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Foundry on Elm
Categories: Nightlife Bars Restaurants Gastropubs Restaurants Canadian (New) Bars, Gastropubs, Canadian (New) [Edit]
255 Elm StSomerville, MA 02144
Neighbourhood: Davis Square
(617) 628-9999
- Nearest Transit:
-
Elm St @ Chester St (87, 88, 89, 90, 94, 96)
Davis Square Busway (87, 88, 89, 90, 94, 96)
Davis Square - Outbound (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 1 am
Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 10:30 am - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
351 reviews for Foundry on Elm
Review Highlights
-
"Really glad to see a place like this in Davis square." In 60 reviews -
"The beer list is phenomenal here." In 25 reviews -
"Stuffed acorn squash- creative, really yummy." In 7 reviews
Loading...
351 reviews in English
-
Review from Lucia F.
Medford, MA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I guess Foundry on Elm has lost its appeal as the 'hip place to go.' I had heard awhile ago that it was a place that was hard to get into.
I showed up here around 11 on a Friday night and it was pretty empty (which is actually kind of nice--there were plenty of options of tables to sit at).
It seemed like they had a pretty extensive drink menu (both mixed and beer selection).
I liked that they had plenty of bathroom stalls, which were all clean. -
Review from Nate S.
Quincy, MA
5/15/2012
Despite the beer selection not being as expansive as some of the other bars in the area they were out of first two beers I picked off the drinks list. I had the chef burger that was supposed to be great but the bun was semi-stale and the fries were greasier than some I've had at fast food joints.
Bottom line: Go here for drinks and maybe appetizers if you don't mind spending 25% more than the food is worth. If you want decent food go elsewhere. -
Review from Shannon M.
Burbank, CA
5/15/2012
I came here for lunch, so it wasn't super busy and our service was pretty good.
I ordered the Croque Monsier sandwich, wihch was tasty, but half way through eating it suddenly the butter and cheese got to my arteries and I had to stop eating it or else suffer a horrible death. The fries are average, nothing outstanding. -
Review from Matt M.
Somerville, MA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Local yocal right here. Love this place, everytime. Short rib is amazing and the Raw Bar Oysters are a solid deal. Beer list is infinite and service is amazing. What more can you ask for?
-
Review from A M.
Arlington, MA
5/25/2012
Another great addition to Davis!
-
Review from Lindsay L.
Somerville, MA
5/24/2012
If you can get a seat at the bar, that's where the action is. Also you can interact with the bartenders, who really do enjoy crafting cocktails. The menu is easy going and easy to get a nice appetizer-sized dinner. The brunch is also fabulous with a croque madame to die for.
-
Review from Pete J.
5/12/2012 2 Check-ins Here
The decor is great, the food is very good, but the service sucks.
It started it's spiral downhill after we sit and no-one comes over. Finally we grab a waitress and she takes our order for drinks. I asked what beers were on tap and got an eye-roll. Great.
10 minutes go by and no drinks arrive. Finally she comes over again and says that "they" lost my order and "What did you order again?" So I repeated my order to her all the while thinking, "Who are 'they' that she's blaming and why didn't you just own up to forgetting our order yourself. (Because if shehad rung it into the computer it would be there to see, even if the bartender lost the chit.) But anyhoo.
Drinks come and they are good. Food was just apps, Poutine and Oysters. Delivered faster than the drinks. We're interested in another round of drinks, but the waitress has gone AWOL.
Then we see the owner or manager yelling at a server for all to see. Classy.
No-one clears our dirty plates, or suggests a second round - so we just grab a random server and get the check, happy to put the Foundry in our rear view mirror. -
Review from Kelsey F.
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well well - nothing on Saloon's menu was intriguing so we wandered upstairs to Foundry. As soon as I looked at the menu I realized the two must be owned by the same people. The menu was very similar just with more on it.
It was my first time at Foundry. It was packed on a Friday night but we scored two window seats no problem. They have a long and varietal beer list from PBR cans to 24oz Triples. We ordered their calamaris that was served with pickled peppers and aioli - so so good! We also got the truffle flat bread - can you really go wrong with anything truffle?? The flavor was amazing and it was super cheesy. I wouldn't consider it a "flat" bread but rather a chubby bread, but who's going to resist a bit more dough!? -
Review from Connor F.
Somerville, MA
5/7/2012
Food was decent, service was poor. Although this isn't the waiter's fault, per se, it started off on a sour note when, after ordering two different beers, I was finally told their whole CO2 system was busted and all they had were nitro brews-- Guinness and Boddington's. Again, these things happen I suppose, but it set the tone somewhat for the rest of the meal.
We ordered our salads before deciding on mains, and then when my girlfriend decided on the burger and saw that it came with either a salad or fries, she decided to get the salad with the burger. We called over the waiter and asked to cancel her salad, but he said they were about to come up, as if there was nothing he could do. Maybe I'm crazy, but if you decide you don't want something before it's even come to your table, they shouldn't force you to eat it and pay for it-- especially if it's something as simple as a salad. After this incident, the waiter seemed to sense we were unhappy, but rather than this making him extra attentive and accommodating, he seemed to try to avoid us. He came to see how the food was when I had about two bites left of my burger, even after he made two separate trips to the table right next to us to get their drink orders and deliver the drinks.
As for the food-- the mixed greens salad was remarkably uninspired. A pile of lettuce, some of which was still a bit frozen, with average dressing. The only thing to spice it up was a handful of cherry tomatoes around the edge and a few fennel shavings on top. I had the special burger, their entry in the Boston Burger Competition. This was excellent-- high quality beef, with barbecue sauce, blue cheese, bacon, and onions. Very tasty. The fries were good, although maybe a tiny bit overdone for my taste (and I generally like my fries pretty crispy). My girlfriend got their regular burger with cheese and onions-- also good, but, like the salad, a little uninspired. For the type of place Foundry seems to be positioning themselves as, it just wasn't very exciting.
All in all, decent food, but dismal service. Not sure if the busted CO2 system was something that could be helped, but given the fact that they bill themselves as serving "fine food" and "proper ale," they (or at least, our waiter) seemed remarkably unperturbed by the fact that basically their entire (extensive) beer menu was unavailable. I don't expect obsequiousness, but I guess he was just a little too nonchalant about it for my taste. -
Review from Elizabeth K.
Somerville, MA
4/22/2012
I've been here now 4 - 5 times. Each time I've hoping and hoping it will be great, but, it just never is. There is just sometime always totally off about the service.
For example:
This time, we walked in 1 minute before our reservation and then stood there for 5 minutes as the 3 hostesses bitched at each other and about the other employees - complaining about the arrangement of tables in the restaurant and how they should be one way but aren't and "so and so shouldn't have done such and such" etc. Lots of cattiness and eyerolling. Classy. A welcoming first impression, as always.
They ultimately decided to squish our 4-top between two 2-tops even though there was plenty of open space in the restaurant. Ugh. I hate dining on top of other people.
Our waiter was great at first, then, he pretty much disappeared after we put our food order in. Which was kind of problematic when those of us that ordered meat got our food a solid 10 minutes before the person that ordered a salad. It also took forever to get drinks. Our drink order when receiving our food didn't come until we were just about finished eating - which then gave us death glares from management as we sat there trying to jug our beers after our plates where cleared. Sorry, we're not intentionally holding up the table - would have liked our drinks with our food too.
Anyway, the food is actually pretty delicious, which is why I've given it so many chances but, the service is always, some how, completely ridiculously off. It's also on the pricier side for Davis, so, if I'm going to spend the money, I'd like to know my experience around the tasty food is not going to be an annoying hassle - which I can now pretty much guarantee it will be by coming here. -
Review from Ladyjane S.
Cambridge, MA
4/16/2012
Been here a few times, most recently on St Patrick's day for brunch. I think it's time to revisit.
They had a great menu and in our group of about 8 people, everyone enjoyed their food. I had the Irish breakfast which was really really good. Prices are a bit high in general but the quality of food is always very good so I don't feel like I should complain about the prices. I've never been disappointed.
I've always had great service here, whether at the bar or in the dining room. I do prefer to sit at the bar because I love sampling their awesome selection of beers. -
Review from Kathleen F.
Somerville, MA
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
In terms of food and drink the Foundry on Elm was fab. I had a wonderful lil cocktail sampled off their fab menu, and delved into a very satisfying croque monsieur for dinner which I highly recommend. Atmosphere is great and the seating goes very far back to accommodate people on the busy nights. The main reason I didn't up this to a 5 star though was that the service was painfully slow on a busy night. I felt like they weren't properly staffed to accommodate a Fri./Sat. night and that showed in the service level. Regardless though I will definitely be back, the food and drinks are just too phenomenal to not!
-
Review from Elizabeth M.
Arlington, MA
5/20/2012
Had a wonderful brunch here today! Yummy food and friendly knowledgable servers. We had my 2 granddaughters with us and they were ready to accomodate them too. All of us had a good time and I will be going back again and recommending it to friends and coworkers.
-
Review from Alexis G.
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tasty brunch!
Beignets dipped in chocolate to start are always a great choice.
I also got french toast with caramelized apples on top, plus a side of home fries. Delicious delicious delicious.
i could probably love this place if I lived here. I do love an all you can drink brunch though, and there didn't seem to be an option for that.
Weirdly, everyone here knew who we were since we went to Saloon the night before... -
Review from Molly L.
Allston, MA
5/8/2012
This Review is for cocktails and ambiance only: Ive never had the food.
So as stated above, i haven't eaten here, BUT the menu looks pricey for pretty basic stuff. I HAD to write a review anyways though because i popped in after a movie one night and was obsessed with the scene and the atmosphere. I went again last weekend and I'm in love.
I felt like i was one of the younger people there (mid 20s) and i liked it. Sometimes you just do not want to get stomped on by 21 yr olds from Tufts who cant walk in their stillettos after one Stoli Razz and soda - i expect the pricetag keeps them away. Also - very diverse from business to artsy, couples, and not.
I love this place for having a beautiful bar with perfectly crafted cocktails. All the bartenders take their sh*t seriously and make nice, classic, classy cocktails. Also - the waiters seem to have fun working together and thats always good in food service.
The smashes - superb. Juleps - Joyous! Their glasswear is perfect and their portions are nice. Looking for a good little pre- or post-date stop? GO TO FOUNDRY! -
Review from flora R.
3/3/2012
After hearing rave reviews about this place, I was eager to try it out. We came here for an early date-night dinner recently and ended up being disappointed.
For starters we had oysters and poutine. The oysters were delicious but our setup lacked horseradish. Poutine was more gravy than fries or cheese but still tasty enough for us to eat.
My date's drink was good, however I ordered two different cocktails they had listed and was not particularly fond of either.
We had a flatbread pizza that was good and steak frites that was ok, but not particularly impressive.
Overall, I was ok with this restaurant, but nothing wowed me and I doubt we'll be back. -
Review from Alyson G.
4/16/2012
Oh they have Oysters and Kentucky bourbon ale? Then this is definitely one of my favorite places in Davis. I've been here for drinks and dinner and always have a fabulous time. The Kentucky Bourbon ale is amazing and the truffle fries and hummus were tasty too. Love that they open up the windows in the front for patio side dining now that the weather is nice.
-
Review from Chris C.
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
My dinner group dined here on a Friday night and rated it as follows:
In summary: Food: 3 people got the steak frites, all were cooked perfectly to order. The ribs were delicious: smoky and sweet. The roasted chicken was well done, and the pork belly with broccoli rabe and polenta was tasty. The burger was overcooked, but the side of brussels sprouts made up for it. Cocktails were good and the beer list was interesting. Service: Foundry on Elm was able to accommodate a last-minute venue change and take our group, so they get points for that. Service overall was efficient; not spectacular but not intrusive, either, though it got a little slow as the evening progressed. Decor: Generally a "good vibe" and "pleasant", and "bustling, busy and packed, the way a bistro should be.
And diner comments are below:
"The GInger Smash cocktail was outstanding, plenty of booze and lots of fresh mint really enjoyed the Steamed Mussels Appetizer.
The meat on my Steak Frites was a perfect medium rare as ordered,
the frites however were mediocre, and I wish the side of ketchup was something more interesting.
If I was quicker, I would have snuck a piece [my friend's] beautifully grilled brussels sprouts,"
--
"bustling... noisy... packed. Just the way a bistro and beer place should be. The chicken was done well and the beer list interesting. Bravo."
--
"The space was handsome, but they crammed 8 people into a table that could fit 6 at best making dining slightly uncomfortable -- I hate sacrificing my comfort for the Resturants profit. Service was ok, but got slower and less responsive as the night went on. Food was solid, but a bit overpriced For the somewhat meager size, thou my steak was cooked perfectly to order, which is (medium) rare."
--
"This was a tasty venture up north to Somerville. I had a very tasty burger, though it was definitely overcooked and the bacon was more or less bacon bits. The bun it came on was delicious though. Trying to be a little more health-conscious, I ordered a side salad rather than french fries. I should have gotten the fries. It was uninspired. The brussels sprouts I ordered were quite tasty and definitely different than other places I've had them. I'm fairly certain they cooked them with a touch of maple syrup, which gave them a little sweetness. It was GOOD!
"My only other issue regarding the food is the cocktails. While I enjoyed my cocktail, I am tired of pretentious, hipster cocktail names. "Run Rabbit Run" and "Himalayan Gentleman" aren't cocktail names, they're the names of really bad b-list movies on Lifetime.
"I liked the vibe of this place and thought it was definitely a more positive experience than negative. As Will said, it was more "solid" than spectacular."
---
"A solid choice across the board, and they were able to accommodate a late reservation.
"I had the pork belly, which was tasty, and accompanied by broccoli rabe, sweet corn polenta, and a cranberry gastrique. I also had a tasty Old Fashioned. Service was efficient, not spectacular, but not intrusive either." -
Review from Jason M.
2/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
No matter how many nice things I want to say or feel about my relationship with Foundry, I can't muster much more than "Meh."
The first time we went, the boyfriend was hip to introduce me to poutine... french fries with cheese curds and gravy. Between that and their outstanding beer selection, I was smitten with Foundry.
We went back. The second time, we had some generic food... it was kind of dull and unremarkable. It just didn't hold up to the first experience. The only remarkable thing was every microbrew on draft was out... not really their fault, just disappointing.
Last week, we gave it another try. The place was jumping... we were told it would be a 30 minute wait. When the boyfriend points out the empty table, we were instantly seated.
We had the same beer problem. Beer #1 was out. Beer #2 was out. Waiter proceeds to be extremely unhelpful by telling me how great those two beers were... and that I should settle for something else. His attitude was oft-putting and weird. I couldn't quite put my finger on it... I was annoyed.
Don't get fooled by the sexy ambiance, overload of hipster glasses and great music (last week we had lots of New Order, The Cure & Depeche Mode). No matter how sexy you make the place... it's still just meh. -
Review from Angela B.
Hopkinton, MA
4/16/2012
I had read some mixed reviews on Yelp but decided that given the location (right down the street from The Moth performance) and the cool vibe, we would give it a try. We were not disappointed. The service was very good! The beer selection was impressive. I would have liked to have had a bit more time to try some other choices. The food was pretty darn good, not fabulous, but pretty darn good. We will definitely be back.
-
Review from Chris T.
Woburn, MA
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here last night with the wifey for the second time and felt that it was time for an official review. We absolutely LOVED it.
We were sat by the hostess after a 10 minute wait and was greeted by our waitress, Jodie, who was awesome. She offered us complimentary still or sparkling water and went over the drink list with us. She was very knowledgeable and professional, but never gave us a hint of snobbery. She helped the finance with her wine selection and described the daily specials as well as the charcuterie board to us.
Started off with the Herb Marinated Mushrooms, Truffle Parmesan fries, and the charcuterie board. The mushrooms were served cold, but still great. The fries were tasty, but the truffle was infused in the cheese rather than the fries. The board had tasty meats and tape on it, but we agreed that there should have been more of each. Still delicious though.
For entrees, the girl got the double cut pork chop, which was very tasty, especially with the cranberry glaze that it came with. I got the Thursday night special which was the Porchatta. It's basically a slice of an apple and caramelized onion stuffed pig, but right down the center, so I got all types of pig meat. The meat was delicious and very tasty, but there was soooo much fat on it, that I could only eat about 1/2 of the entree. Very good and interesting dish, but be aware that you'll be dealing with a lot of useless fat.
For dessert, I got the chocolate bread pudding which I thought was incredible... until I had the panna cotta that wifey ordered. Oh my god. One of the best desserts that I've ever had. It's a nice, creamy panna cotta, served with a lemon cream and fresh blueberries, and it could not have tasted better. It absolutely floored me. You need to get this dish.
As for the overall experience, Foundry has never failed. We never felt rushed, the drinks are always well made and poured and the food is always flavorful. Good prices and great times. -
Review from Simon S.
Manhattan, NY
4/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Decent cocktails, decent service. Has everything you want and a good look just not sold on the overall feel. It lacks character but some how pulls off being cool with a decent menu. Good, but maybe just a little pricey for that atmosphere.
-
Review from Jeff M.
Updated - 3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Two strikes...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/6/2012
Foundry on Elm is unexciting but edible. This is the type of place where the line features cooks… Read more »
-
-
Review from Christopher M.
Somerville, MA
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I used to enjoy this place. My bartendress, heather, was really into trying new things, making new drinks, and really helping to create a great atmosphere for her patrons.
Sadly, she was let go.
The food is kind of hit or miss.
Meh. I've experienced better. -
Review from Han H.
Quincy, MA
1/8/2012
Went here for dinner last night with my fiancee and another couple. Made an 8pm reservation on OpenTable. Arrived on time and was told by hostess that our table would be ready shortly.
We wait at the bar. 30 minutes later, we're still not seated, so I ask the hostess again why the delay. She apologizes and informs me they're "slow in turning around tables", and we're next. Apparently "next" meant waiting another 20 minutes before being taken to our table.
Thus, for an 8pm reservation, we weren't seated until 8:50pm.
I was willing to let go of this delay...until our waiter started attending to us. It was obvious he was either very inexperienced and/or completely incompetent. Lacked basic customer service skills. Struggled with taking our orders. Poured water into my 1/2 full pint of beer! Took him over 30 minutes and multiple reminders to bring over my friend's glass of wine.
After what happened to my friend, I had enough. I asked the hostess if I could speak to the manager. The manager comes over and I explain everything that has made our experience less than desirable. He apologizes profusely, explains that there was a "glitch" with OpenTable that resulted in them accepting a large # of 8pm reservations when they clearly didn't have capacity, and their hostesses had taken their walk-in patrons ahead of those w/ reservations. He then apologizes for our waiter, albeit unprofessionally by going into detail "problems" with this waiter (while the waiter was standing right next to him!). It was clear to me that the manager was not, um, competent, although he was sincerely apologetic and said the entire dinner was on the house.
After that point, he sent pretty much every other waiter/ress to our table to service us and make sure our needs were met every few minutes. It was an overreaction to being called out for their shortcomings and it ended up being awkward and even a bit annoying.
It's unfortunate that all of this took away from the fact that the food was actually quite good and reasonably priced. However, don't expect me to make dinner plans there ever again -- I strongly feel Foundry on Elm is much better suited as a bar than a restaurant. -
Review from Elizabeth B.
Middlesex, MA
4/6/2012
I think you could enjoy this restaurant if you want to hang out and drink beer. The food is good. The beer is good. Just don't drink the wine.
The service, on the other hand, was abysmal. The waiter chatted at back, while we waited for simple requests. The red wine I ordered was served at fridge temperature of about 35 degrees. When I pointed out that the wine was so cold it lost all its flavor, the waiter haughtily pointed out that it was in the menu as chilled. Chilled for that wine means 50-54 degrees, not soft drink temperature. -
Review from Emily H.
Boston, MA
5/7/2012
We ordered oysters and I had the steak frites for my main. The food was good, the set up was nice. Nothing to write home about but a decent place for davis square.
-
Review from Manfred S.
Medford, MA
3/9/2012
Hey its much better than the Rosebud. Bar service was super nice. The hostess was not so nice. Table service was good. Burger was good. Kölsch was very good. Wellfleets weren't the freshest, but didn't cause any problems. Cheesy fries were good. Not a bad choice for a beer (and close enough to stumble home in an emergency).
-
Review from Liz M.
Somerville, MA
1/12/2012
My husband and I came here within the first 2 weeks of opening and have been back several times. The quality of the food just keeps getting better every time.
The service can be a bit harried at times. The hostess the last time we were there was very nice and helpful.
I would definitely recommend this place - either for dinner, drinks at the bar, or brunch. -
Review from Ella B.
Los Olivos, CA
12/24/2011
This is for the bar only. We stopped in after a show at the Somerville Theater on a Sunday evening.
The restaurant was semi-full, not to capacity, but decent for a Sunday night.
The cocktail and beer selection is pretty good. As the other reviewer, Kevin, mentioned, they have speakeasy themed drinks which I think is awesome. We sat at the bar by the windows to people watch, (so no wait service).
The bartender was super nice and made a drink with brandy since the first one I ordered had brandy (and wanted to stick with the same liquor). The husband thought his old fashioned was pretty authentic.
All in all, it seemed like a great place to us and we may have eaten there, but we had plans for dinner.
Not quite five stars yet since we didn't eat there and also didn't experience the wait staff. And I will say that the drinks aren't cheap either, but well worth being a little spendy if you're looking for good drinks. -
Review from Alyssa J.
10/31/2011
There is something about Foundry on Elm that is so utterly forgettable to me...I like the decor, the food is good, the beer list is extensive...something just doesn't click.
The service is good, but the kitchen is slowwww. I find it hard to believe that it really takes 25 minutes to cook a medium rare burger when there are maybe 20 people in the entire place.
I don't know...Foundry needs to step up or step down and let a cooler place fill this spot.
Addendum: Best fries in Boston -
Review from Meredith K.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Unique and seasonal food and drink menus make The Foundry more than your average gastro-pub!
RELIEVED: Simple, seasonal food menu. This exudes confidence in what they are offering. Drink menu was unique and seasonally tailored as well.
DRANK: Pre-lunch cocktail was the Autumn Star. Pumpkin-infused bourbon, bitters, and sugar, garnished with star anise. This bourbon was wonderful. The pumpkin came in gently on the finish. Post-lunch beer was the Christoffel Nobel, which I've never had. Perfect 11.2 ounce pour of a pale lager.
EATS:
Meze Plate was unique! Had the usual hummus, but topped with a garlic puree, accompanied by wonderful marinated mushrooms, and a sort of zucchini spaghetti.
Turkey Thanksgiving sandwich. Open face usually scares me, but this went down easily. I could taste the bacon fat in the gravy - thank you!
Parisian Gnocchi - HEAVEN. Perfectly cooked gnocchi, quick flash fry for a slight crisp, spaghetti acorn squash in the shell, brussel sprouts - ATE IT ALL!!!
SERVER: Andrew. This man's kind and helpful countenance gave the place a modest sophistication that I adored. He will go far, whatever his other endeavors may be. -
Review from Melissa N.
Somerville, MA
2/25/2012
My husband and i live in the 'hood, and Foundry is our "go to" place. We like to sit at the bar, and have dinner. The food is really yummy, and the cocktails are terriffic. Colin made me a " Hanky Panky" last night...( He said, "let me make you something that i think you'll like") and he was right. If you have'nt been here before, you're missing out!
-
Review from Albert B.
Boston, MA
12/30/2011
Quality food. I highly recommend the squash soup. For my main lunch entree, I ordered the Italian sausage flatbread- it was delicious. Service was a tad bit slow, but the server was friendly and polite.
Downside was lunch selection in the menu and time it took between appetizer and entree. -
Review from JEM C.
Malden, MA
10/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This gastropub is pretty cool and different. The beer options are good, they have a kentucky bourbon beer that is awesome and confusing...is this really just beer? The food is good (not great) and kinda not consistent. The flavors/quality vary by plate. I preferred the appetizers and flatbreads than other entrees.
Overall, its a fun atmosphere and I might be back. -
Review from Sara D.
Somerville, MA
9/26/2011
I had a pretty bad experience at Foundry last Saturday night. I went there with my boyfriend and his good friend. We got there late (around 10 pm), looking for a late dinner. I've been there at least 3 other times, and it's always been "just OK, not great, but not bad." However, this time around, I cannot say that it was even OK. I don't give a 2 star rating lightly, but there were a couple of things this past time that I can no longer overlook.
Our server was a young fellow who seemed pleasant enough, but really didn't have it together. It is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine when a server doesn't write down your order (rather, does it by memory) then gets it ALL WRONG. I have no idea if management forces them to "do it by memory," but if that is the case, then make sure your folks actually have a memory. My boyfriend ordered "the cheese plate to start" as an appetizer, and "a burger, cooked medium, with bacon, sauted onions and mushrooms." (This is on the menu, not some specialty order.) The waiter came back about 3 minutes later and sheepishly said, "you wanted onions and mushrooms on that, right?" My boyfriend said yes, and the waiter scurried off... at which time we all said, "there is no way you are seeing bacon on that burger." Sure enough, it came out well done without bacon.
Also, it should be noted that we NEVER saw the cheese plate. The crazy part was, we figured the waiter forgot, so we actually reminded him when he brought over our drinks (which took forever!). We said, "we'll take that cheese plate too..." and he smiled and nodded, but the cheese plate never came. No idea what happened... but I'm guessing that if he had WRITTEN IT DOWN the first time, we would have received our appetizer. Sheesh.
As for my food, I ordered the mussels and a side order of the Poutine fries. The mussels were a HUGE disappointment. Out of the 16 mussels in my bowl, 7 of them had not opened up during the cooking process (meaning I could not eat them). Someone should be checking this stuff before it goes out the door of the kitchen. The food took forever, so by the time my 9 edible mussels finally arrived, I had had enough of this place and just wanted to leave.
This place has so much potential, but they really need to get their act together. In the future, I'll go there for drinks at the bar, but I'm not wasting my money on mediocre food. -
Review from Katie V.
9/15/2011
Been here 3 times and each time has been just ok. I like the menu -- seems to be heavily influenced by Eastern Standard and the Russell House Kitchen. (In fact, one friend of mine assumed it was owned by the ES folks and still doesn't really believe me that there is no connection between the two establishments).
The food is hit-or-miss. The gnocchi I had last night, served in a gorgeous hollowed-out roasted butternut squash, was a little dried out, but the squash and the brussels sprouts in the dish rocked my world. Great fall flavors. Everything was well-seasoned and the presentation was original and cool. My boyfriend tried the bahn mi and didn't love it -- I had a bite and thought the chicken liver mousse spread kind of dominated the other flavors. It's an interesting/ambitious idea to use liver mousse as a sandwich spread and it didn't quite work (even though I like liver mousse). Bahn mi should be about the pickled veg and the Korean BBQ meat-- the richness of the mousse was too much.
The mussels I had on a previous visit were good, though not stand-out/ memorable in any way. Very very good french fries. And a friend's steak, ordered medium-well, had to be sent back to the kitchen twice for more time on the grill. But this happened right after they opened so maybe the grill man is now more accurate with his meat temps. And they were very polite and took the steak off the bill.
So I'd give Foundry like a B/B+ rating. Not bad but could be better with a few tweaks. -
Review from Aine F.
Somerville, MA
4/24/2012
Food and ambiance are good. But bad service can really make or break a place and service is the failing point here. We have been to Foundry a few times and always sit at the bar- most recently last weekend. Despite 4 bartenders, the service was pleasant- but very slow. We waited a long time for our food (I realize that this is not the bartenders fault) and then sat with dirty dishes in front of us for 10 minutes after our meal.
Most obvious of all was that a manager walked by us, both inside and outside the bar, several times, without either acknowledging the delay in our food, or noting (or picking up) our dishes. Nor was there any comp for the delay. The woman next to us waited 45 minutes for her food and got a free drink. Her whole meal should have been comped. A little customer service goes a long way. I suggest that the management staff spend less time just walking around and more time paying attention to staff, and customer satisfaction. -
Review from Lindsay L.
Cambridge, MA
1/29/2012
The two stars is for service. I was at Foundry on a Saturday night, and everything moved at a snail's pace.
My friends were given menus at our table, and the waitress took so long to get back to us that we ordered drinks from the bar.
Then I asked the waitress for a dessert menu. We didn't see her again for about twenty minutes so we got our own dessert menu from the bar. When the waitress finally came back with the menu, my friends and I gave her our orders right away before she could leave our table.
Then of course the dessert took forever to come. The server came with my dessert but no utensils. I asked for utensils, and he NEVER returned to our table. Since the ice cream in my dessert was going to melt quickly, my friend asked the doorman for a fork so he grabbed one for her, and she gave it to me.
I really like the food and ambience of the bar, but there really needs to be more wait staff to accommodate customers at the tables especially on a Saturday night. -
Review from Alex B.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can't really talk much about this place other than the fact that they have this Kentucky Bourbon Beer that I am now in love with. Not kidding. I am really in love with it. It is my favorite beer. Harpoon Leviathan is officially out the window...well actually it just moved down the ladder to number two. I wish they served it in a normal 12oz glass though. Higher alcohol content doesn't mean you should give me less of it.
These things are $7 and remind me of a caramel candy apple. In both the aroma and taste. Do yourself a favor and go here and get a hold of the perfect fall drink for yourselves.
A lot of people seemed to order food there. I guess that means its pretty good.
