Hillstone_boston

We asked to be seated on the patio at Hillstone's, and the Maitre'D seated us, and a waitress came for our drink order, Then GB, assistant manager, and MW, Security Guard, said we weren't welcome at the restaurant. We were three gay men and one had a cut off shirt at the sleeves and that was ""not allowed"" despite no apparent dress code posted anywhere at the restaurant. We left and took pictures of the women in sleeveless ensembles to foster our harassment claim. Security Guard, MW, came onto public property at Faneuil Hall and physically confiscated my cell phone, despite my protestations. We reclaimed the cell phone and left. MW trailed us to another street, scared off all taxis with his ""badge"" and called the Boston police. We asked to see his badge and he refused. We waited for over an hour - his hostages - until finally a Boston Police officer came. She told us that Security Officer, MW, had no right to confiscate our phones and also did not have the right to scare off the taxis. After 2 minutes of discussion, the Boston Police Officer said that, ""Hillstone obviously doesn't like you, so stay away from them."" Hillstone and their staff treated us to the rudest and most obnoxious behavior we have ever experienced by anyone, anywhere! more

Houston's is a delicious restaurant for lunch or dinner. I have had some great meals there with friends, family, colleagues, and clients. I would consider it upscale-casual... which, to me, is sort of an ideal combination. Not too uptight, and nice enough for a business lunch or a nice night out. They have a great bar area and wonderful appetizers as well... and they even have sushi, which I am very fond of. Also, their sandwich/burger rolls are baked on-site in their open kitchen so you can watch them pop out of the oven when you walk by... and they smell just as good as they taste. (delicious!!) Huge bonus -- Houston's has free parking nights and weekends when you eat in the restaurant and park in the 60 State Street Garage. Since it is located in Faneuil Hall, it isn't the easiest place to park (or the cheapest area, by far), so take advantage!! Pros: Free parking, nights and weekends more

If you want a delicious burger in a restaurant with good prices and excellent service Houston's is the place to go. We usually go in the afternoon or weeknight evenings and it is not busy, so reviews that complain about waits and service problems may be due to the volume of customers.\r Their garden burgers are enough to almost make you not miss the beef. The fish sandwich is also delicious. One of my favorite things about Houston's is that you can substitute fries for something like coleslaw, or cooked vegetables. They also cook your meat to your request and get it right.\r Advice from my fiancee is that you shouldn't order a burger on a date. They are too messy and juicy to look neat eating them. We did have burgers on one of our first dates, and she is marrying me, so it clearly isn't a deal breaker.\r Overall I really like Houston's for a good burger in a nice setting. Every server we have had has been excellent, and we really enjoy eating here. Pros: Service is always friendly and efficient Cons: Dark dining room and loud noise more

Last week, my sister and I went to Houston's and sat at the bar. The bartender, Tracey, was awesome! She told us about their homemade lemonade and said it's great with Absolut Citron. Sign us up! We had two each. Delicious. Then, we had the grilled artichokes, which were EXCELLENT. They were served with an aioli. Today I called them because I was making them on the grill and asked the person who answered the phone what was in the aioli. After LAUGHING hysterically, she said, in the most SNIDE tone: ""ummmm, we don't give out our recipes. ummmm no."" then she laughed some more and hung up the phone. Ignorance and rudeness have no place in customer service, no matter how good the food is. Pros: Excellent grilled artichokes and great bartender Cons: Would not tell me what was in the aioli (it's THEIR recipe) more

This is more of a ""promise"" than it is a review, because the ""bait and switch"" tactics of the Jekyll and Hyde hostess team successfully skewered my party of six before we even got to the front door. However, I promised them a full recap on this website, and I am a man of my word. A call to the Ms. Hyde hostess at about 5:15 on Saturday evening went like this: ""We don't take reservations for a party of 6 but we can easily work you in with no more than a 15 minute wait if you call me back in 30 minutes; ME: ""but I have been there before and I beleive that your boothes can accomodate us, especially since one member of my party is only 4 yrs old, and you take reservations for parties of 5"". Ms. Hyde: ""that's not at all necessary and you will be more comfortable in a ""High Top"" anyway; no need to give you my name since there are only two of us working and we can definately accomodate you.... 30 minutes later Dr. Jekyll answers the phone: There will be a 2 to 2 and one half hour wait; we can't help you, you talked to who???, what do you mean you didn't get her name; sorry sir, there is nothing we can do. The promise of a very frank review of my experience the next morning on this website (hence the ""promise"" mentioned above) got their attention, but it was fleeting and only got me a long wait on hold before I hung up. Since I was already in the car, I called King Fish which is only a couple of hundered yards away (by more like miles away when it comes to basic human consideration) and they happily took my reservation and seated my party promptly upon arrival. We had a nice relaxing dinner despite the early frustrating start. Where's the beef? it is clearly with the rigid and duplicitous staff at Houston's. I don't care how good the food is, if I need to be treated like cattle to get to it, it is simply not worth it. I will never return. Pros: They answered the phone when I called about reservations Cons: They answered the phone when I called about reservations more

We did not get either good food or service at this restaurant. There are other restaurants in this area that you should try. This one is not worth your time! more

I have to say this place is absolutely outstanding. My wife and I go here EVERY Sunday and sit at the bar and have not only one of the best meals ever but outstanding service. Additionally whenever we want to celebrate an event with friends, this is the place to go.\r \r The menu: Outstanding, your, what I would call typical, bar fair, that is anything but typical. The best all around tasting foods, salads with unique tastes w/o the ""unique"" price. Burgers that are so juicy and succulent. The BEST fries ever - shoestring but thiner with a hint of spice.\r \r The service: which if any of you know me is the most important. EVERYONE is friendly and courteous and helpful. They hang up your jackets for your - help you sneak a bottle of champaign to your friends w/o them knowing to help celebrate an event, they are always smiling - just a GREAT bunch of people.\r \r The restrooms are super stylish and clean!\r \r The bar is nice and big, friendly. GREAT service\r \r The location is awesome. Once you are done eating you can walk around Faniuel Hall.\r \r Did I mention that the prices are NOT outrageous!\r \r Parking - Park in a heated garage in the dead of winter at 60 State street and they validate - you cannot get any better than this place for a great dining experience in Boston!\r \r Pros: Unbelievably outstanding service Cons: I wish it were closer to my house! more

Last night, a friend and I went to Houston's. We were seated at a table, ordered wine and appetizers. After we ordered our second glass of wine, the manager came to our table and said that our waiter had informed her we had not ordered dinner, just appetizers, and that it was their policy that dinner must be ordered when they had a wait list. She then asked us to move to the bar or leave, despite the fact we were still eating and drinking. We arrived early when there was no wait list and there was no mention of what we should order when we were seated. I've always thought I could order whatever I wanted when I went to a restaurant. This is apparently not true at Houston's, but I won't need to worry about it since I will never darken their door again. more

I've been here 2x and every experience is one to remember. Food, drinks and service are top of the line... Check it out and you will not be sorry. more

The service was very friendly, and the ribs great! Unfortunately, the seats were made for taller people so i had to remove my shoes and sit on them (covered with my jacket)! Very nice to have the doors open after the colder weather. \r Limited menu but had heard about the ribs, and was not disappointed! Cons: Got the impression that, once the meal was over, it was time to leave. more

I went to Houstons last weekend with a group of friends (guys and girls alike), and our experience was top notch. From the sweet greeter at the door to the adorable server, our time at Houstons was memorable. \r The moment we sat down our server was near us, smiling ear to ear and absolutely down to earth--confident--and funny. We ordered the artichoke starter and then each had an entree (I had the RIBS---soooooo delicious!!), and the entire meal was flawless. My boyfriend ordered the NY Steak Strip and it was amazing... all of the staff present last Saturday seemed excited, energized, and high on life---it was a perfect group date!!!! I definitely will be back soon-----\r \r Olivia :) Pros: ambiance, lighting, top notch servers, efficiency Cons: could be more of a dessert menu more

This place is really great, especially for a chain restaurant & probably one of the only decent places to eat around Faneuil Hall. The bar area is a great place for after work drinks. They also have the BEST veggie burger I have eaten in my life - it's so good you won't even miss meat - it's not on the menu but if you order it they will make it. It's my favorite entree here. The downside is that the Boston branch of this chain has the most poor service ever - the waitress wasn't very vigilant about filling our waters and takes forever to come by and take additional orders or see if everything is going okay. I've eaten at the Boston one several times & have had poor service both times. Note: In San Francisco - the service & the food is excellent and it's one of my favorite places. Pros: Best Veggie Burger, Good drinks/wine list Cons: Expensive, poor service more

You need to try the ribs, it is a must. They are tender and fabulous. Also in terms of drinks, hands down the mojito is awesome. more

Great food...definitely try the ribs (better than traditional bbq places in town). The drinks were good and had people lined out the door just to have a spot at the bar. Was there a couple months ago, so the weather was still nice and the doors to the patio were open with live jazz playing. 30-something crowd more

My friends and I used to gather at Houston's after work for dinner and drinks. The last time we went is the last time I will ever go to Houston's! The food is great, I have to admit but the policies and staff are just ridiculous. My friend and I were out to dinner on a weeknight, and had a bill of over $100 as we had ordered apps., dinner and drinks. Another friend came to meet us over drinks and we were reminded three times that the only reason we were allowed to stay at our table was because it wasn't that crowded in the restaurant??!! As a result we ordered another appetizer so we would not be harrassed anymore about sitting in the seats we had been in for dinner. Then, feeling the pressure, we moved up to the bar and were asked by the security guard three times (!) to move from the area we were standing in because it was somewhat close to the dining tables. The bartender hadn't even handed us our drinks yet. We told him we had never been treated so rudely in a restaurant, and another girl not in our group, reminded him that the online reviews of Houston's have gone down the tubes. I have lived in MA all my life, and always will, and I will never set foot in this place again, and I will tell everyone how horrible and rude the policies at Houston's are. Open your eyes management! You are missing out on what used to be regular customers who feel they deserve some respect! Pros: The food and decor. Cons: The rude policies and staff. more

While I absolutely love the California burger and the spinach dip from this restaurant, the customer service at this restaurant is absolutely awful. First of all, every time I go there, they bring out my entree way before I have even had a chance to take more than one bit of my appetizer. They make no secret of the fact that they want you in and out of there as fast as possible. Secondly, last time I went there, I went with a group of seven friends. One of our friends only planned to have a quick drink and hang out. They REFUSED to allow us all to sit in a 6 person booth claiming that we would be ""uncomfortable"" and that it would affect their service to our group. When we responded that we would be more than comfortable sitting 7 people in a very roomy 6 person booth, they refused and we had to go somewhere else to eat. We could easily have fit 7 of us in their booth, but this restaurant doesn't care about customer service at all. more

Like this place when I am in the mood for some good food and fun atmosphere. Great place to eat when you have been in fanueil for the day or are going out for the night in the area. Never had to wait very long. The jumbalaya is great! more

I went to Huston's on a Saturday night with some girlfriends. We got right in with no wait and had a nice booth for the four of us. Our waitress came over and introduced herself then just walked away without a word. We wanted to order drinks but had to wait 10 minutes for her to come back. Once we finally got her back, she was very friendly and helpful with suggestions. She even brought one of the girls two samples of beer to try to see what one she liked before she ordered one. The food was good, but very overpriced. You could go to someplace with better food and service and spend the same amount. If you're going to go to a chain steakhouse, you're better off with the Capitol Grille. Overall, it was a fine experience but noting to rave about. Pros: Ambience Cons: Overpriced more

I recently went on a date to Houston's for the first time. Upon entering the restraunt we were greeted by an unusually friendly hostess and a scary metal horse sculpture, this was just beginning of the experience that is Houstons. The wait for only about 20 minutes. After just being seated we had already been waited on by 3 of the staff members, all of them were extremely friendly, almost too friendly, it was kind of weird. Our main waiter appeared out of no where and immediately expressed his happiness with the fact that we had already ordered drinks, because apparently that is rare to start off dinner with drinks. He then took our orders, he was able to sell me on what he basicly described as the ""top secret salmon"" which he made sound like was the only piece of salmon on the East cost. It turns out that the only thing special about the salmon was that it was the smallest thing i've ever seen. It did come with a baked potato which was pretty good, FYI Houston's, to my dissapointment, does not have a potato bar. While we waited for our food we observed the bizarre atmosphere inside Houston's. Besides the terrifying metal horse statue Houston's also offers scary lighting, a wall made of giant jenga pieces, and a drawer which pulls out of the kitchen area filled with only tortilla chips (you can't make stuff like this up). The food was pretty good, and after we had paid for the meal we had been waited on by a total of 9 Houston staff members, which I thought was pretty impressive. Im summary Houston's was definitely a one of a kind experience, which everyone should experience once while in Boston. I will go to visit Houstons again, although not soon, however my date vowed never to return. Pros: Ambience Cons: Small portions more

I had heard good things about this place so I took my boyfriend there for his birthday. Everyone was really friendly and our server gave us the recommendations of the scallops and cioppino and we took them. I had the scallops. They came in this cream reduction sauce that was amzing and the scallops were incredible. My boyfriend LOVED his cioppino. So much seafood. I would definitely go back there again. The only downside of the evening was that we had to wait for a table for about a half an hour so I'd make a reservation if possible. Pros: great food and service Cons: wait for a table more