51 Lincoln

I was in Boston visiting family with my daughter and 6-year-old grandson over the Memorial Day weekend. My daughter went to the restaurant, 51 Lincoln, with her adult cousins and so enjoyed the Watermelon Steak that she wanted to go back during our stay for my sister and me to taste it. As she was leaving the restaurant the evening she went with her cousins she asked if they had a kid's menu. Their server told them that they did have hamburgers in the bar and other items my very picky grandson could eat. Upon returning to 51 Lincoln we were greeted by the server who took care of my daughter when she was last in. She was very friendly, upbeat and happy to see that my daughter had come back with guests. We were seated at a table in the main dining room, which is maybe 5 feet from the bar. We were all ready to start with a wonderful cocktail and relax a bit before ordering our wine and dinner. We had been touring all day and we knew that my grandson would be hungry so we wanted to order his meal first. Our server was brusk and rushed. First she pushed by grandson's chair in to the table and said ""I don't want to trip over him"". When we asked if we could order his dinner she appeared to be put off. We ordered him the hamburger and she immediately said the chef doesn't allow hamburgers in the dining room. We explained our situation and she said she would be back. My daughter got up to use the restroom and when the server came back she said, ""Where is she"", I was sort of shocked at her demeanor. My daughter came back and the server said, ""What does he eat"". Well, we told her there was nothing on the main menu but the bar menu had choices; her response was ""work with me"". We felt unwelcome and felt like the server belonged at a fast food joint where she would be more comfortable not having to work with the clientele. My grandson has traveled throughout most of the world with us from the time he was an infant and, although he is a picky eater, we have never had to leave a restaurant because we couldn't get him something to eat. He is used to our dinners that last for hours and has impeccable manners. I have never gotten up from being seated and left a restaurant before this occasion. Obviously 51 Lincoln isn't a young people's restaurant, but I am amazed that they would turn away customers and not feed a youngster a hamburger that they serve in the bar 5 feet away. Did I mention that the restaurant wasn't full on a Tuesday night at 6:30? Our server never offered us the opportunity to sit at the bar either. I did get a chance to look at the menu. It was very pricey and their wine list was also very expensive. We are wine drinkers and with a short look I didn't see anything that was reasonably priced for a bottle of wine on their list. We would have easily spent 300.00 for our party of four with cocktails, wine, starters and dinner. 51 Lincoln must be doing very well to turn away willing and eager diners from their restaurant. Shame on the server for her lack of caring and not being willing to put something together for us. Shame on the chef whose standards are ridiculous. I have dined at many Iron Chef establishments and famous chefs though the country and world and never have I been so taken back by their poor manners and lack of professionalism. Although my family lives in the Boston area and we visit often, I would not recommend 51 Lincoln to anyone in my family or to friends who live in the area. 51 Lincoln not only lost our business that evening, but any future business that we would have given them during return visits to the Boston area. The recipe for the Watermelon Steak that my daughter enjoyed so much is available on the Internet and is not some ""hidden"" chef's secret. She has already downloaded and printed it and we intend to make it in the very near future. So much for needing restaurant 51 Lincoln to enjoy Watermelon Steak! more

51 Lincoln is a gem. The food is creative, flavorful and fun. It is tucked away in Newton Highlands, which is a great neighborhood to check out. The restaurant has a new bar with a few seats where you can get a drink if you are waiting for a table. The specialty cocktails are interesting and the wines by the glass are well selected. The ambiance is fun and upbeat. The artwork on the walls (created by the chef owner) is modern and sophisticated. The service is very knowledgeable. Everyone seems to know all there is to know about all the dishes we inquired about. I especially enjoyed the food and liquor pairings. They are small portions of food that are served with house made tasting liquors. Our meals were fantastic. I will surely be back soon. Pros: Food - Wine - Service Cons: Slightly Noisy more

Have been to 51 a bunch of times and thought I owed it to the chef to write a review. Last experience was on a Friday night when it was totally packed. Was meeting friends that I had not seen for a while so asked for a table out of the way so we could really talk. The manager, Ryan (cute and really nice), offered me a table in the wine room downstairs... TOTALLY FABULOUS! The room has a lush oriental carpet, reclaimed barnwood (yes, I had to ask) and wine racks on the walls, and a flat panel tv fireplace (cute idea). Innovative and cosy, we all absolutely loved it. Now to the food... we had the taleggio stuffed date with prosciutto and rose petal liquor, the caesar salad, the rigatoni bolognaise, the chili braised short ribs with veggie frites, the crispy duck breast with sweet potato hash, the vegetarian plate, and the molasses glazed pork tenderloin with collard greens and a sweet potato pancake. All were fantastic - the short ribs just melted in your mouth, the homemade mozzarella on the homemade crouton that comes with the yummy caesar salad was a really nice extra, and the rose petal liquor was really light and fresh. The service was also great... Richard knew the menu and was able to steer the group to dishes that matched our tastes. He also showed us some fantastic wines on the ""reserve"" list that were a great bargain... we truly appreciated a waiter that did not steer us to the most expensive bottles on the list, but rather showed us some really great wines (in our budget) that went perfectly with what the entire group was eating. Wonderful experience... will definitely be back! Pros: Relaxing and unpretentious with truly creative food, excellent service Cons: Hard to get a reservation on weekends more

People that don't really understand food fun and chef experimentation should stick to the safer dining establishments. I think someone here mentioned ""a thick fatty piece of bacon"" well that's one name for it and another one is ""bacon lardon"". I look forward to what creative and daring food combinations chef/owner Jeff comes up with next. As long as you ask for an explanation of a dish and the server gives a full and accurate discription you should have a safe dining experience. As for sweaty disheveled waiters I agree. I expect floor staff to be able, knowledgable and in control at this price point not a sweaty, snobby mess. One last tip: Take care to ALWAYS BE KIND to your server for they will ALWAYS return the favor Pros: putting the flavor back in food & not good for kids Cons: may not be everybodies cup o tea more

I dined at 51 Lincoln on Tuesday night and had a great experience. Our server, Katelyn, was adorable and extremely knowledgeable. She recommended the chicken liver terrine and the duck. Both were fantastic! I have dined here before and found the service stuffy or brisk, but a new menu and fresh faces seem to have been just what the doctor ordered for 51 Lincoln. The entire staff seemed to be working together, and I never for a moment felt neglected or forgotten at my corner table. The food was all delicious and the cocktails were fabulous. I'll be heading back soon! Pros: Service, Food, Drinks Cons: Noise more

The food at 51 Lincoln is flavor forward. The chef has created a unique menu that will stun you with its creativity of combinations. All the food that we tried was well executed. The wine list is impressive in its quality and value. There are lots of wines to choose from that are more than fairly priced. The atmosphere reminds me of an art gallery in the way it displays the chef's own artwork. The service was excellent. Overall, I had a great experience and can't wait to go back. Pros: Food, Wine, Prices more

Had a great dinner at 51 Lincoln last night, went at 6:30 and my first thought was we were going to have to wait for our table( the place was packed) but to my surprise we sat right away. Our server ""Brian"" was very pleasant and knowledgeable and we started with a couple of cocktails, I had the 51 monk which was a very intesting combination of the chefs ""hibiscus liquor' and hendricks gin, my wife had the scarlet, both were very good and as we perused the menu our appetite grew. We ended up ordering the watermelon steak and the gazpacho for appetizers, both well done but the watermelon was truly unique in both taste and texture. For dinner we ordered the brined pork chops and the skirt steak, we loved them both! The jalapeno jam with the perfectly seasones chops was the perfect balance of heat and sweet and the cornbread with the skirt steak was possibly the best I ever had. Our waiter suggested a 2000 Figeac with dinner but for $45 I couldn't believe it would be good, it was great!! Generally not a dessert person I couldn't pass up the made to order cookies and I'm glad we didn't, they even came with a shot of cold milk!! Overall we had a great experience front to finish and look forward to going back soon, next time I want the scallop ceviche with cilantro vodka first. Pros: food, wine, service Cons: loud more

I had read a review of the restaurant in the paper and we eagerly made a reservation for dinner. The atmosphere is cold with little ambience..The service was brisk and not very friendly. The wine list needs work...The food was mediocre to say the least. We left unsatisfied...the prices are very high for the quality of the food. Pros: Location? Cons: Atmosphere...Food...Wine List...Service more