Tavern On The Water

I live in Charlestown, actually, right across from the Tavern on the Water. I honestly cannot recommend the place even when friends visit and want to eat at a place with a Harbor view. The place is too crowded and the waiting staff is not up to par to handle the crowd. They have mixed our bill and charged us for things we didn't order. You have to pass by a stinky dumpster right outside of the restaurant even to get there. Food? Super mediocre and overpriced. And the place gets really too loud. more

I emjoy early evenings and weekend afternoons at the Tavern. The view of Boston is spectacular. Everything about the place is enjoyable. The crowd is a good mix of young professionals. Its fairly easy to meet people as well. Make sure to try the clam chowder, and the seasonable beer on tap. Pros: atmosphere, location, patrons, service Cons: TV set-up (at least upstairs) more

Tavern Saturdays Nights It can not get better. I was there last night for dinner then Drinks! It was busy I had to wait in line for a a long while. and it was 7:30pm. I sat down on the bar outside. more

I think the inmates took over the asylum at Tavern on the Water. Made a reservation for 830 outside...stood around at the hostess stand outside for 30 minutes until she sent us upstairs. Got upstairs to the host's stand for him to tell us that we were 30 min late and would have to wait. Why would he think this? Because the hostess never sent word up. We finally sat down for our 830 reservation at 920. Our waitress took our order, and then returned 20 min later to tell us that she had lost our ticket and needed to retake our order. My biggest problem with this situation? The fact that NOTHING was comped. Not the beers we drank while we waited for the staff to collectively pull their heads out of their rear ends. None of the entrees that our waitress had to resubmit. Nothing. I have never seen a group of ""professionals"" more comfortable with substandard performance in my life. Pros: Food is decent Cons: The overall experience more

The reviews above seemed a touch harsh. I agree that a better wine selection would be nice, but they have a tasty ship yard salad, a wonderful view, and casual but polite servers. To avoid disappointment, I would advise going for lunch. It has more of a lunch vibe. more

Ok this place is getting a bad wrap on this page so here is my 2 cents. Pros: Best View Cons: Parking in the Summer, I walk there more

I would like to support what another reviewer wrote about the management at TOTW, I could not believe how unprofessional and rude they were after my experience this weekend. Pros: View is great Cons: Extremely rude staff/management more

Its rare to hope that a business will fail terminally and be replaced by something else, but that is what deserves to happen to Tavern on the Water. It has a superb location at the edge of the Navy Yard overlooking the water, and could build on its intentions to be an unpretentious, decent neighborhood bistro with A+ views but nothing can redeem the appalling management and service, the swill served in plastic that is served as wine or the food that was greasy, woolly or rubbery- sometimes all three, but never really edible. Having waited an hour for a table we were shown into a store room lit by fluorescent lights. The manager- incidentally a deadringer for Dr Mengele- claimed this was for our safety as the children might accidentally fall through the walls on the outdoor decking! Having made our case firmly and insisted on occupying the outdoor tables, the waitress- who probably is studying for a BA in passive-aggression at Bunker Hill community college- informed us the kitchen was closing- at 9 pm. Extraordinary but proof of why Boston will always play second fiddle to New York. Someone needs to fire the management, kitchen and waitstaff, close the place down and reopen to make use of the superb views of the city and give the Navy Yard a waterside eating and drinking place it deserves. Until then avoid this place and instead go to the Navy Yard Bistro or Copia- for the additional 10% in prices- its worth it to have decent food and service worth paying for. Oh and yes, the restrooms were disgusting, the beer was warm, the silverware absent, the hamburgers looked like Costco rejects and the seafood had been sitting around for far too long on land to anylonger qualify as seafood. Lets hope Citysearch can revise their star rating and this place no longer comes out with anything more than NOT RECOMMENDED. Pros: Waterviews in Charlestown Cons: Service, management, food more

I went to Tavern on the Water for Sunday brunch and was quite pleased with my meal. We reached there about 15 minutes early, and yes, the surly waitress sent us packing too. Our waitress was very nice. Our meal was excellent. The omelettes, pancakes and french toasts were perfect, as were the home fries and the dressed greens. And the bloody mary bar was really, really good - especially the house blend. I will definitely be going back here frequently! Pros: parking (winter), prices Cons: parking (summer) more

After a another terrible expiernce at Tavern on the Water, I feel I have no choice but to write this. This morning my girlfriend and I took her visiting mom there for lunch. Our experience started with rudely being turned away to wait in the freezing cold because we had arrived 5 minutes before opening. (We should have left then!) It went down hill from there, between an entire staff of rude people, dirty dishes and flat out cold and complete unappitizing meals, this was not the nice lunch we were anticipating. Such a shame too, beautiful location with great views. I have an idea... tear it down and start from scratch with an establishment worthy of the spot Wish I could say this was an isolated experience, but unfortunatly it was pretty consistent with all my pasts visits. I know it is my own fault for returning, but that was the certainly the last time I will make that mistake. To Sum It Up - DON'T GO. more

This is a no-frills joint that lives up to its name. Seated on the patio (roof-deck?) on a Sunday afternoon, we felt like we were dining aboard a ship (without the sea-sickness). I asked for the chef to substitute a vegetable for the ham on my eggs benedict. His choice was spot-on: arugala dressed with a touch of tangy vinigrette. My date and I both had dishes that came with perfectly dressed greens on the side - a nice alternative to the usual greasy brunch fare. Overall, quite a pleasant experience. Pros: Outdoor Seating, Location, Value Cons: Not great if you're taking public transpo more