Service was great and friendly. The food is the worst in the area. The Mac and Cheese tastes like it was put into a plastic bowl and microwaved until the plastic melted onto the macaroni ...unfortunately I know what that taste is like. The balsamic on the flat bread pizza was put on the pizza before going into the oven which made it taste almost like a BBQ sauce. If this place is open in a year it will be because of the bar. My advice, go across the street.
(1)
Melissa K.
Small brunch menu but great options! The kitchen is really slow. Seven been waiting for 40 minutes with only four other parties here. I've never had such terrible service in a place that is supposed to be good.
(1)
Dr. Tyler C.
This is a new trendy restaurant in Newton which is in the space previously occupied by Applebee's. Nice interior decor. I would add a few suggestions for improvement. The big one is that unless you have a reservation, you are not allowed to sit in the dining room even though a multitude of tables were empty the entire time we has dinner. I would turn tables as often as you can. Great tv's all over the place. The clam chowder tasted like like it was aged in a chimney from the 17th century. However, the presentation was great as it had real clams in the shells. Better watch the bartender pour premium alcohol as it tastes like well liquor. Had to return it twice and each time the vodka tasted like well liquor. The table next to us complained that their premium liquor tastes like well liquor too. The oysters are amazing but the humus was pasty and could have been teeth polisher. The entrees ranged from great to mediocre. Great beer choices to choose from. I kept my eye on three tables which were not sat the entire time we were here which was 2.5 hours. Remember we were not allowed to sit at them because they were reserved for parties with reservations. Overall, server was great and the atmosphere was nice. There can be some improvements to this place but I do overall recommend it as a decent place.
(3)
Aaron G.
Food remains just ok, if not mildly mediocre. The burger was not earth shattering nor were the "famous" fries. (And as a larger guy, I know my fries). My eating companion had the pumpkin ravioli and was not impressed with the taste. The plate had 10 ravioli total and was swimming in a weird juice. The wait staff was attentive. The decrease in star from my previous visit is for the band. We weren't sitting that close and still couldn't talk. And what a weird band it was; middle-aged funk playing "original songs". With one table cheering after every song. We get it, you're with the band. At the end of the day, this is still a hotel bar/restaurant trying to be something else. And it's not. At least the parking is free.
(2)
Pat V.
I've been here twice now, and I've already decided what I'm having on my next visit. First time, I had the Bishop Burger (topped with bacon aioli and crispy onions, on a brioche roll), and it was perfectly cooked (I said medium and actually got medium) and delicious; the accompanying herb and parmesan frites were quite tasty (but they should have been hotter). We sat at the bar and the service was excellent. On the second visit we sat at a quiet table with very comfy chairs where we shared a pork belly appetizer special that came with a yummy bok choy salad and "northern" corn bread, it was indescribably delicious. I had the Meatloaf, with haricot vert and some fabulous garlic and bacon mashed potatoes, it was excellent. My companion had the Scallops with mushroom risotto, asparagus and baby carrots and was just as pleased. My red sangria was dangerously good, nice and strong with fresh fruit, schnapps and brandy in a surprisingly large glass. Creme brulee was done just right, too. The waitress on this second visit was very attentive and friendly without being intrusive, and very knowledgeable regarding the menu. This place IS a nice mix of upscale and casual, both for the food and the atmosphere. The food is imaginative without being too outlandish. It's not cheap here, but the prices are quite reasonable for both the quality and quantity that you get. And they throw in free parking (don't forget to get validated!). Do be warned, though: there are a lot of TVs here.
(4)
Trina U.
This place is right across the street from my house...which could turn out to be dangerous! Really good food and an intimate vibe. It's a little bit pricey for me, but worth it. The graham cracker crusted calamari are awesome!
(4)
Linda G.
Loved it! Nice atmosphere. Delicious and plentiful dishes. Great drinks. And when the owner found out we were celebrating our anniversary he sent over some champagne. Will definitely bring our friends back.
(4)
Paul S.
I saw Boston sports writer Dan Shaughnessy there a few weeks ago, nuff said lol. OH the Calamari was quite tasty as well. Liked the menu will be back to try more
(4)
Mike D.
Nice upscale sort of atmosphere. Had the short ribs, which were very good. The gnocchi that came with the short ribs were very different but extremely tasty. One annoyance was that the live music they had was too loud to sit near--an entire portion of the restaurant wasn't being used because of it. Our waitress let us move to a quieter section though, so all was well. The dessert (something with Nutella and bananas) was fabulous--definitely recommended. Did not try the bar, but it looked like a clean and upscale place that would have some really good cocktails.
(4)
Marie F.
Came to test out their brunch. Fantastic! They don't fool around with a large menu but what they have they do well. Try the yummy lemon ricotta pancakes! We plan on returning often.
(5)
K. H.
I was pleasantly surprised with my experience here. I'd been avoiding it for a while because I'm such a Buff's fan(across the street). We finally decided to check it out. Although my meal was very plain and uneventful(Boston Bibb Salad)..my boyfriends burger was amazing! Also the cherry gnocci side was the best I've ever had. They won me over with their Nutella bread pudding and super nice service. I'll definitely go back...I'll just avoid the salad:-)
I'm glad we discovered this gem in our neighborhood. What surprised us is that this place is not affiliated with the hotel at all. It kind of just gets swallowed into the hotel/garage and you assume its a small hotel bar. I hope they find a way to become more noticeable! It's actually pretty big inside. There's a large bar, the waitress was wonderful, the owner came out to our table, and there was a band setting up when we left (about 9 o'clock on a Friday). The food was great. We had the hot rocks which was a fun little appetizing experience, cooking the meat yourself on a hot stone. You don't get much for $13, but hey it's date night. We got the half chicken and the short ribs for dinner. Both were very good, and large. Will be going back again soon!
(4)
Katina M.
Make this your local! Great service, interesting menu, delicious food, tasty drinks, terrific vibe. Visited on a stormy night and really enjoyed the chowder and bread pudding. Can't wait to get back and try more!
(5)
Suzanne P.
We are staying at the Crown Plaza this weekend. After moving our daughter our of her apt up three narrow and winding flights of stairs, we had no interest or energy for dining out. We tried Social and we delighted! The Lobster sliders were chocked full of lobster and the clam chowder was out of this world!! Imagine freshly steamed whole clams on open shells smothered in crispy bacon bits with onions and peppers, drowning in a rich, creamy, flavor-filled soup, and you've got the Social's concept -- stop by for best bowl of clam chowder ever!!
(5)
Misti M.
Excellent Brunch!!! Wonderful brunch this morning, great food and service! Ambiance is great, nice space, noise level was low so you can have a conversation, you are not packed into a tiny space like other places in the area. No wait at 11:30, free parking in the hotel garage next door, friendly staff.
(5)
Kerry C.
I had dinner here tonight, to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in a long time. We sat at the bar first, then got dinner. First, I can't believe this place used to be Applebee's - what a makeover! My dinner (scallops with risotto) was excellent, on par with the better Boston restaurants. The service was also good, both at the bar and at our table. We took our time ordering an app first, then our meals, and never felt rushed. Yes, it was more expensive than other Newton restaurants, but the food was worth it. There was a band that started playing as we were finishing our meal - don't get me wrong, they were good, but we couldn't hear each other over the music. So keep that in mind if you are with a group that wants to chat. Overall, It was a good experience, and I would recommend the place.
(4)
Christy H.
The ambiance was great. The food tasted very good! Ordered meatloaf w/chipotle bbq and mashed potatoes. Quite tasty. The only awkward moment was when 1/2 the table received their food and the other half didn't until about 15 min later. We had a party of 10 so I do understand timing can be difficult, however it was awkward as it was a very long time between deliveries.
(4)
M P.
Went for Easter brunch and they were out of 6 of the items on a pretty limited menu. There was no attempt to try to find a creative solution. Water glasses were filled at the start, but no one ever checked on them. The soda I ordered sat unfilled for most of the meal as well - and was only filled at my request. Food was okay but not great. Not planning to ever go back.
(1)
Trevor S.
Which local didn't celebrate the closing of the banal chain place here before... TGI Fridays maybe? What could be a sweet local spot was instead another cookie-cutter chain, with gross, chemistry lab food indistinguishable from thousands of strip malls across the world. We got Social. And it's all right. My two visits have been fine. They do the please-everyone type of menu with the steak, chicken, and fish on there. The service was friendly and efficient and generally great. They handled a fairly large group with aplomb and ease. It's nearby. It's nice. I'll be back.
(3)
R B.
Mediocre In Every way. Four of us had dinner. Wine: 9 -14 dollars a glass. One of us had cold pad tai and tuna. One of us ( me) had presumably the same not top quality freshness ahi tuna on a salad, one of us had a pasta dish with too many capers. Not sure about the other person's meal. Server was ok but struck us all as completely insincere re niceness. Not a good choice. Honestly, we wish we went to Cheesecake Factory for far better quality food with similar descriptions.
(2)
Emily F.
i am so glad this place opened up! Newton Corner was desperate for a higher-end bar where you could meet after work and get some good food. I have had 2 different and delicious salads there. I am often served by the same very kind staff, and they are fun to hang out with when the bar is still quiet. Thanks for opening, Social! We have been waiting for you!
(4)
Blake C.
LOVE this place! Came here for dinner with friends a few weeks ago and then brunch again last weekend. Every single thing we ordered was absolutely fabulous! The tuna tartar and chicken lollipops for appetizers were amazing! I had the short ribs and it was incredible - I couldn't wait to eat my leftovers the next day. The scallops and filet were both cooked to perfection as well. I thought the prices were very reasonable for the quality and atmosphere. The brunch??!!! Where to begin! Everything was to die for - the creme brulee french toast especially, and a great bloody mary! Free parking too! I can't wait to come back! My new favorite place!
(5)
JEFFREY K.
The food was wonderful and our server was suburb BUT this restaurant is loud and I mean very loud...so if you go to watch sports it is great...if you are going for dinner where you want to converse then you need to go elsewhere.
Dear Social, I can tell you really want to do well, so here's the thing: 1. You need better signage, stat. You're in a location that is simultaneously ultra convenient and hard to find. 2. Your parking, compared to Newton Center, is a dream. Free covered garage parking? Awesome. Advertise that. Why don't you have nice little signs telling people? 3. The mussels app is sublime. Even with the frites, though, you need bread to soak up that sauce. Bring bread! 4. The hummus app is a miss. What the heck? Like chalk. Go visit The Local, and take notes. 5. You're doing great with the burgers and whatnot, but the entrees either need to improve or you need to lower your prices. 6. We thought the desserts were fab. Why no dessert menu? The server rattled off our choices, and we promptly forgot them all. Also, with desserts that good, you need after dinner drinks.
(3)
Ali B.
I chose this restaurant in part based on Yelp reviews and I was not disappointed. I had a little trouble finding the restaurant because I did not realize it was in the lobby of the hotel. Parking tip: don't drive around looking for street parking. There is a garage connected to the hotel and we got a parking validation so the parking was free. The atmosphere had a cool and casual vibe to it, but was slightly upscale. We sat at a table but there were plenty of people at the bar. The food was delicious, and our server was helpful with our choices. I got the short ribs which were excellent. The drinks were also very good. The service was just a tad on the slow side but really wasn't a big deal. Our server was friendly and helpful. I'll definitely go back because the food was so good.
(4)
Annie D.
I liked this place. I got a pasta dish with chicken and veg - it was delicious! The waitress wasn't GREAT but she wasnt bad either. The only thing i didnt like was the waitress started cleaning up everyone eles plates while I was still eating.
(4)
Jack G.
A great new addition to the area. Appetizers were creative and delicious (chicken lollipops, baby philly, mussels), and we particularly enjoyed the sirloin, boneless beef short ribs, and the burger entrees. Portions were very generous. Flatbreads were delicious- especially the mango jalapeño prosciutto flatbread. The service was very friendly and accomodating. There are like 40 beers to choose from (many on tap), and the choice of wines by the glass were quite excellent. Desserts were one of the highlights of the evening: We all shared the lava chocolate cake, creme brulee, and poached pear - amazing! Validated parking in the adjoining garage was very convenient.
(5)
Garrow T.
Great spot and great menu. We were there for Saturday night dinner and the mussels were excellent. And the duck salad and meatloaf met all expectations. Manager Bill Costa did a fantastic job reinventing the old Applebee's location into a perfect eatery complete with old actor's photos throughout. A perfect spot just off exit 17 on the Mass Pike with complimentary parking. An undiscovered secret but well worth the visit.
(4)
T. B.
Very pleasantly surprised by this hotel restaurant. The food was delicious and our service was attentive. We were there for a graduation dinner and they comped us 2 desserts! The bar is very pretty too.
(4)
Julia P.
So to be clear this restaurant is attached to the Crowne Plaza but is not owned by the hotel. Decent prices for food ($12 for basic but tasty mussels that were HUGE and totally entree size.) But high for drinks ($14 for a Bullet Manhattan) especially coming from SoCal where I'm already accustomed to spendy cocktails. All in all a great place to eat as a guest at Crowne Plaza, and busy even on a Tuesday night, but not totally sure I'd come here otherwise...
(4)
Beth T.
Great food, good service, very pleasant, informal atmosphere. We got to the restaurant early and had an especially warm welcome. Service was prompt and the food was excellent.
(5)
Su T.
Great food, nice decor and good service. Loved everything we ordered. We had the pizza, meatloaf, short ribs, chocolate lava cake and bread pudding. Didn't expect the amount of food for the price so good value as well. Will definitely go back again. Seems like a fun place if you just want to have a drink and enjoy the music at the bar.
(5)
Wendy S.
I have had lunch there twice in the past month and both times the service and food were excellent! They have a great menu...hard to decide what to have. Cobb salad was excellent as was the tuna tar tar. My friends had sandwiches which they said were great. Awesome fries too! Look forward to trying it for dinner some time.
(4)
Laurel F.
let me start with clam chowder from hell .some heavy cream boiled and presented as the classic clam chowder ................... then came the risotto ,i can't believe what i tasted .this resturant has a dishwasher as a chef ..
(1)
Aileen F.
I preface this by saying that we went on a Saturday afternoon and it was snowing. Grain of salt added now to the substance. Having read a few reviews on Yelp we ordered the chicken lollipops and tuna tartare. The tuna was good but came with a very large scoop of lime wasabi sorbet. While the sorbet was quite tasty, sort of like the partially melted, sticky part of a lime Popsicle, it was completely misplaced and a little odd. Odd because it was the size of a small ice cream and far too sweet particularly because the plate already included a sweetened duck sauce and some other sweet sauce. The tuna is great by itself, no need for all of the sweet accoutrements. On to the lollipops. They tasted like a 30 year old chicken that was fried the day before and reconstituted that afternoon. The celery salad, however, was tasty albeit a bit salty. Didn't go further with an entree. Service was good (sat at the bar) and it seems like a great place to go watch a game except for the fact that they do not have any non-craft beer on tap. The bathrooms also needed some attention. Will try again but I am skeptical.
(2)
Alex O.
I am a sucker for excellent customer service, and I have to say that Social delivers. I came in here for a bite after a long workweek and day. The crowd was a restaurant-y mix of younger and older (owing to the early time, perhaps). The bartenders were fast and attentive. I ordered a Bishop Burger and Aioli fries. The burger came out a grade rarer than I had ordered, but the bartender immediately and politely took it back to the kitchen and resolved to fix it. In fact, he came back minutes later with Philly Sliders "from the chef while you wait". It was a nice touch and put a smile on my face. Can't say any other restaurant has ever done that before. When the new burger came out, it was every bit as delicious and worth-the-wait as I'd hoped. For the food and the experience--superb customer service--I give this place an effusive five stars. Well done, Social!
(5)
Deanna S.
Great vibe! Brie fondue appetizer was amazing as well as the truffle fries. Prices are great
(5)
Anna B.
Solid new restaurant! I wasn't blown away by the food but it was good. The pork was tastier than the bread pudding that came with it, my friends enoyed the salmon and the scallops. I randomly chose a glass of red wine from the menu that turned out to be delicious. Prices were good, service was good and it's got a nice ambience. Not chic or trendy but nice - perfect for a work dinner or when you want to go eat with someone and catch up. BONUS: It's a block from the 57 and several other MBTA bus lines.
(4)
Dan B.
We went last night and had an excellent meal. We had a party of 7, 4 adults and 3 kids, everyone was pleased. I had the tomato soup with lobster sliders and a spinach side with truffle oil. My wife had the salmon, which was delicious, and the service was very attentive.
(4)
Greg D.
Been here several times and really enjoy it. Newer place that seems to be getting better all the time as they get into a groove. The bar is nice, well stocked and has every game you'd want to see on. The bartenders are extremely friendly and nice. They made the experiences fun and have seemed to make a connection with their regulars. The owners I've met several times and seem engaged and appreciative. The food is really good. A bit pricey, but delicious. The short rib I highly recommend and the first time I had it, I thought of returning within a day or two just to have it again. Also suggest the butternut squash bisque. Excellent. They have music on weekends and, with a couple exceptions, the bands have been good. I like this place. Good after work spot too if you're in the area.
(5)
Nicole W.
Fabulous restaurant with a lovely night setting. East access off the Mass Pike and located in Newton Corner. I suggest you trying the "Lobster Rolls." Live music was on the Saturday we went and several large flat screen TVs for sports fanatic like us.
(5)
Susan W.
First, all the things I like about Social: great parking, nice room and ambiance, nice selection of craft beers on draft, free wifi. What I didn't like: I ordered my burger medium rare. It came out medium to medium well. No problem sending it back but it came back with the same fries, which are now stone cold, and the ketchup container hadn't even been refilled. The burger was done correctly, however and was tasty. Very disappointed that they couldn't give me a new order of fries. Says to me that they don't really care, so in return, I don't care to go back. I also sat with an empty glass twice. If the bartenders had made eye contact as they walk up and down the bar I would have asked for a refill. What a shame as I really wanted to like this place.
(2)
Sue L.
Run here! Had a fabulous dinner with friends on a weekend night. The brie appetizer is amazing and the wine was delicious. Dinner was excellent, flavorful and interesting. They had some live music when we were there. It wasn't too loud, we could hear one another chatting at the table. The atmosphere is really great. It looked like a fantastic bar for hanging with friends. Did not have any dessert because we were full but they all sounded great! The hostesses were so nice, our waiter was terrific. It's great to have in the neighborhood. I hope everyone supports this new business so we have it to enjoy!! Really delicious and looking forward to a return visit!
(5)
Fred S.
Had dinner at the bar last night. We were very surprised by what an amazing job they did transforming this space from an Applebee's into a very classy restaurant . They have one of those menus that have so many great choices that it's nearly impossible to decide what to have. I had the seared tuna with two great sauces served over Pad Thai. Wonderful! My wife had a burger, also excellent. The owner was very gracious and offered us a sample of their seated scallops. Also fabulous. We will definitely be back soon to try dome of their other choices. There are a lot of new restaurants in Newton, but this one really stands out as one of the best.
(5)
Michaela J.
I could not be more disappointed in a restaurant. We chose to host a birthday party for my mother here because the owner/manager said they could accommodate the party properly. The day of, we were waiting over an hour for a waitress to give us coffee and to take our order. After asking the manager why there is such a hold up, we find out there is only ONE waitress for the entire restaurant, INCLUDING our party with 20 guests! Talk about NOT being accommodating! Now TWO HOURS into the party, the poor waitress scrambles to provide a self-serve coffee station. Not only should this have been done before the party even started, but we found the milk to be COMPLETELY spoiled. There were several more complications along the way, including messed up orders, lethally salted food, and asking for the cake three times, but the overall service and preparation was what made the party a complete mess. Everyone had issues with the place and I was mortified to host a party here.
(1)
Luis Y.
Fantastic place! The baby philly appetizer is to die for. Saturday nights have a live band, awesome music. I totally recommend this place.
(5)
DeAnna T.
My b/f and I stumbled on this place after we realized Max& Leo's (despite how tasty the pizza might have been) was a tiny shoe box of a place with no real bar or social scene. We went on a Tuesday, as mentioned it's located where the old Applebees used to be. It's in a very walk-able location but they also offer free covered parking. The restaurant is very very clean. It was large and mostly empty - the majority of patrons being from the hotel attached were seated in and around the bar area. We tried the following meal options. Hot Rock: Its marinated sirloin that you cook on a hot stone; similar to fondue this is very gimicky. The portion is tiny (4 meat squares), the quality of meat is mediocre (not marinated), the accompanying sauces are the best part. I think the value here is the entertainment of cooking on a hot rock. Bread plate; very reasonably priced for the quality and variety of bread and the butter was also very tasty. Grilled flatbread (mozzarella/basil) tasty but so basic, no effort, something you could make at home with left over ingredients in your fridge. Half of the slices only had some dried tomato on it no cheese or basil. Bishop Burger: What a waste of side ingredients the actual meat in this burger was disgusting and is either kept frozen or sitting for a considerable amount of time - it tasted like a glorified whopper. While it was cooked properly (medium rare) it was still flavorless grey meat. The french fries that come with the burger are AMAZING and should be tried on their own. We mentioned the burger and they were kind enough to offer a remake we declined and they generously covered a molten chocolate cake dessert for us. The cake was a little burned in my opinion (however it's made in house and was still tasty) the ice cream that comes with it was yummy and good quality vanilla (perhaps Häagen-Dazs?). They have a great beer, cocktail, and wine selection and great customer service. Overall just a standard place to eat food the quality is no different than the bertuccis or buff pubs around the corner just a much better atmosphere and decor. We will definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu.
(3)
marcy c.
Just had a great meal at Social. What a great addition to the Newton restaurant scene. Chicken lollipop app was my favorite! Place has a great vibe, really nice bar, and fast and friendly service. Food was terrific. And live music fridays and saturdays. Would definitely recommend.
(5)
Eric C.
My wife and I hit Social on a Saturday night. We were a little early for our res but greeted with a smile and promptly seated. They've got a good selection of draft beers and signature cocktails. The menu had some twists on standard issue American-fare. The lobster roll sliders were tasty, I had a salad which had a little too much lettuce on it but who doesn't like a little extra ruffage? Our entrees were good and our waitress was awesome. Best part? I didn't need a loan to pay for dinner. Good food, nice vibe, nice staff, good drinks...what more could you ask for??
(4)
Rick S.
I have been to this place twice since they have opened and have not been disappointed. The grilled meatloaf is unbelievable. The only reason for not having 5 stars is the small menu. Other than that... WOW!!!! Outstanding!!!!
(4)
Amy B.
I loved this place. Very nice sophisticated 'vibe', excellent service, and wide range of prices. We all enjoyed the excellent upscale burger while friends could find more expensive things. Wine great. Be sure to order the fondue as an appetizer. I really liked it. I look forward to going there a lot since I live in the area and can invite friends who want something interesting and won't have any trouble parking!
(4)
Douglas F.
Well, whoever gave this place more than one star is either accustomed to Soviet style (lack of) service or had an entirly different staff than I had last night. I was on the Pike heading into the South End and said to my wife lets check out this new spot. First mistake. Went in and was met by an uninspiring hostess. Was seated and sat for almost 10 min while the one harried server went to and fro. Passing our table multiple times while serving the only other table occupied in the dining room. After a few passes he said 'i'll be right with you". Which he was not. We gave up after a while and moved ourselves to the bar where we expected better service. Second mistake. The bartender (who spent most of the next hour with his back to everyone sitting at the bar) was unfriendly and unresponsive. We watched him actually shoot his hand in the air as if to say do not say anything when a server came up to him to speak with him while he was entering an order on the POS system. Just rude and proof of his inability to perform even the slightest multi-tasking. After another 5+ minutes we asked for water (twice). All the while that we were trying to get a drink of water or libation, the manager and I think the owner were hanging around shooting the breeze. In my experience if you have an overwhelmed server the manager should jump in. At least for water. Nawt! At this point my wife said maybe we should just get up and go across the street to Buff's. We stayed. Third mistake. The two dishes we ordered (tuna and salmon) were way too saucy as were the two sides (sprouts and spinach). The 18% tip I left was pure sympathy. The other multi star reviews either come from management or people who need to get out more. Next time I stay on the Pike! One and done.
(1)
Gem F.
Finally managed to get out and try this new gem. Came from southy and was worried about parking but couldn't have been easier, ample street parking and a garage connected that they validate for you. Great modern interior, big bar, plenty of high tops as well as a more formal private dining room in back. Cocktail menu was funky and fun, great way to enjoy the bar and band before dinner, being social at social! The host managed to accommodate our request and sat us right in front of the live band. The app list was creative and impressive, could have tried them all. Settled on the Brie fondue, muscles and Had to try the hot rock Kobe beef that you cook table side. All awesome with a great twist, the muscles sauce was some of the best I've had, great idea to serve truffle fries for dipping too. The short ribs entree was to die for, fell right off the bone. As good as any high end steakhouse, paired with an awesome beet salad and gnocchi, highly recommended. Split a Molton lava cake and banana tartetam, would have licked the plate! If you're looking for somewhere with a great bar scene, casual entertainment and a creative twist on your favorites this is the spot! I'll be getting social again soon!
(5)
Marlana Y.
We were trying to find a place that wasn't too inexpensive and could host a group of 10 girls for a bridal shower. PLUS- free validated parking! It wasn't easy booking a reservation/room with the event person. They have a specific person that does events and so when your calling it in through the phone, the hostess on the phone would not know what's going on. So it wasn't as seamless as you would think. Getting a response was hot/cold. I would sometimes get a response right away and other times I had to wait a few days. The brunch menu has many different options for everyone and the price point was competitive compared to other brunch places. The waiter was phenomenal! He was very helpful and made sure we were happy with our choices and that our drinks were always full. We had a semi private room on the side so it was nice Highly recommend this place to host future events!
(4)
Jack E.
Sometimes you come across a restaurant with all the potential in the world and is perhaps trying to cook with the best of intentions... but they fall flat. Newton has a place like that called Social. It's taken over a previous Applebee's location, connected to one of Newton's few hotels, has a lovely upscale-feel interior, and validates (free) parking in the covered garage right next to it, giving it an immediate leg-up on the neighbors and competition. I've gone here a few times with high hopes, sometimes for work gatherings, and a few times on snowy days just to keep my car parked and snow-free for a few hours and to warm-up with both something hot and something spirited. But all times I've gone, I've been incredibly disappointed. I could go though a long list of sad: Chicken Lollipops, dry; Firecracker Shrimp, not so firecracker; their various flatbread pizzas... well, you're sitting there looking at the delicious top-10 Boston's Max & Leo's pizzeria across from them and thinking to yourself, "wow this is really awful" (chewiest dough around); chili, bland; meatloaf is a brick... The list would go on and on. This place does have it's strengths, hence why it doesn't get only 1 star. The drinks are sometimes delicious, along with a wide variety of liquors on their shelf. The space is great, good for after work gatherings or perhaps even booking for a larger social event. And of course the fact that you're not battling for on-street parking is a major plus in Newton Corner (aka the "circle of death"). I'd recommend this as a "must avoid" until they straighten up their kitchen. It currently cooks like it's a 1960s restaurant and its clientele-by-age proves this to be true (great for retirees perhaps).
(2)
Paul M.
Social Restaurant & Bar - Newton, MA - 5/11/2015 The restaurant is connected to but not part of a hotel. Not much in the way of parking. Either run across the street every hour to feed the meter or park next door and pay an un-godly rate at the parking garage. The inside is your typical bar/restaurant decor with seven large televisions, large black & white photographs and mirrors decorating the walls. Bring a sweater if you get cold as it's quite chilly inside. For me it's perfect but then I prefer the cold. I opted for the Firecracker Shrimps appetizer- Spicy marinated shrimp in a crispy egg roll wrapper with sweet chili sauce over fresh spinach leaves. Quite tasty although not wanting to fill up before the main course arrived, I removed the last two shrimps from their pastry shells before dipping and consuming... The bread, served served room temperature with those gold colored cold butter packets... How much trouble would it really be to offer a warmed whipped butter dish? When you see it's plating you will ask yourself; "huh?"... It was very good tho. For the main this evening... Boneless Beef Short Ribs... Ginger braised with carrot Fondue, chestnut gnocchi, bleu cheese beet & frisee salad... The dish was great albeit a bit small... I say charge a couple of extra bucks and increase the size but that's me... The dessert menu was rather sparse with nothing really jumping off the page saying "eat me" so I think I'll pass on the dessert this evening. I was going to have a cappuccino but wait... They don't have cappuccino!? Really??? What good quality restaurant in 2015 does not have a cappuccino machine?! The temperature in the restaurant seemed to have subsided or maybe the meal warmed me up. In any event, it was an excellent meal. Resign yourself to having to pay a "vig" for parking and come here. My meal was delicious and my server fabulous! Only a few suggestions... Offer your patrons Valet parking, Invest in a very inexpensive cappuccino machine and loose the butter packets... Its like new shoes with cheap laces...
(4)
w s.
More like antisocial. Walked in to a mostly empty restaurant, sat at the bar. No bartender in sight. When she did appear she ignored me until my husband returned from the loo. She said I will be right with you. Ten minutes later as we watched her wander around looking for bottles behind the bar we decided to go across the street to Buff's Pub. We walked in the door the place was crowded. The bartender greeted us and we had a beer 30 seconds later. The only reason I gave two stars is because it has a nice decor.
(2)
Melissa A.
Service was impeccable! We are from out of town and this was exactly what we were looking for. Started with the chicken lollipops. Fancy buffalo chicken wings. Zoh mah goodness. So tender and spicy. And the homemade blue-cheese sauce was amaze.
(5)
Peter W.
I live close by and have been here several times at the bar. The drinks and service are very good. The atmosphere is relaxed with some nice decor. We've ordered some of the appetizers - they are a bit different. Ok, not great. Sometimes the fries are excellent, other times mediocre. The philly subs and crab melts are ok. We finally sat down for dinner with some friends. The food is good overall. We had the burger (big and juicy), chowder (expensive, but it has real whole clams in shell), pasta (tasty and big portion), steak, and scallops. I haven't been here when there is live music or special paint nights. They may be fun.
I've had stuff here that's good and stuff here that meh. Nothing has hit it out of the park. BUT... I've been here mroe than a few times because the location is perfect for me to grab a drink with a friend on the way home without going too far out of either of our ways. Appetizers are mostly boring (although I'm a huge fan of the calamari, because it's an interesting take on it). Both drinks and food are over priced for both quantity and quality (and I'm a person who has no problem spending a lot on something exceptional). Service is spotty. I've had great attentive table service and I've been largely ignored at the bar. Then I've had adequate service on other occasions on both counts. Still, if you're headed west from Boston and need a quiet place with a nice atmosphere and some free parking for a Pinot Noir... Social fits the bill.
(3)
Erin C.
I've been back several times and I love this spot! My girlfriends and I have met up for dinner several times and everyone LOVES their food. The brussels, the mussels, the mac & cheese with lobster grilled cheese bites and every single side on the menu are fantastic. Last time we were there we tried every dessert too. Excellent choice. ;) The service is on point and the people working there could not be nicer!
(5)
B T.
I work in the area and have driven by here plenty of times. Their recent groupon gave me a reason to try. Gf and I had the lobster sliders app which was awesome. The buttery toasted bread they were on was unreal even by itself. I had the Steak frites and she had angel hair pasta with lobster and roasted peppers I think in it. Both were very good and better than I expected them to be. Our waitress was admittedly new/training but was attentive and did a good job. We will be back! To the restaurant: you should offer a full lobster roll/sandwich something like that on that same bread you use for the sliders! Would be a hit IMO!
(4)
Adam F.
My family and I went yesterday for Mother's Day because it was the only place in the Newton/Watertown/Waltham area that had reservations available on Open Table for Mother's Day dinner. The manager was very polite and upfront about letting us know that they were extremely short handed on the floor and in the kitchen and that some of the menu items were unavailable. The restaurant and bar were almost completely empty and there was some really quiet 90's Seattle rock music emanating from the bar area. Our server was extremely friendly despite being the only person working. Maybe because it was so dead, the other servers went home. One can only speculate how a restaurant on a main street in a wealthy city could be so empty on one of the busiest group dining days of the year. For food, I started with the tomato bisque with grilled cheese and lobster bites. On its own this would be a 5-star. It was loaded with lobster, although the cheese wasn't melted. It was delicious dipped in the tomato soup. My girlfriend and I had Grey Goose Martinis, which were pretty harsh tasting. My bother had a watered-down Old Fashioned (most restaurants outside of Drink cannot make an Old Fashioned). For my entree I had the short ribs, which are the most expensive entree on the menu at $26. The portion was 1 small short rib, maybe 3-4 ounces. It was tiny and extremely burnt. Like, it was very crispy all over and super dry on the inside. Short ribs are supposed to melt in your mouth - not suck the moisture from your mouth. The short rib(s) was served with chestnut gnocchi which was really good, a spoonfull of pureed carrots, and a beet and endive salad which was just 1 endive with a dollop of bleu cheese dressing - no beets. Without the soup and sandwich previously, I would have been very hungry. My girlfriend and mother had the meatloaf (ma - the meatloaf!) which was great - definitely get that if you go here. Although, my mother's portion was only half the size of my girlfriend's portion, which lead me to believe that they ran out of meatloaf. They made up for it by giving her a Close Encounters sized portion of mashed potatoes (let's see if you kiddies get that reference). Brother had the steak frites which looked a little on the medium well side, but he said tasted good none-the-less. Sister-in-law had the scallops which were also burnt. I like how they validate parking in the Crown Plaza garage, so you don't have to try to find a spot. Newton Corner definitely needs a place like Social, where locals can get a good meal and a cocktail in a modern setting. I think the management needs to fix some of the staffing issues and also work on the execution of the menu. You have great ideas, but they need to be executed properly. I think there is potential here, and with some management tweaks to improve consistency, this could become a 4-star spot.
(3)
Retro G.
We went back and found the staff welcoming, food tasty, environment great but they were out of many menu items. We had to make several attempts to place an order. Staff was apologetic, there was a big private party there or in the adjacent hotel. I would go back for a drink, to hear some music and for a light bite.
(3)
Nandanie S.
Some of the 2 star reviews are super confusing. I don't want to sound biased... I've only been here for lunch. I'm not too sure about what it's like for dinner or brunch, but my lunch visits have been pretty stellar. It was my friend's birthday, and she decided that she wanted to go to Social. So we went, I ordered, and ate our hearts out. Birthday girl got the chicken flat bread and my other friend and I ordered the burgers. This burger was the one of the best I've had. It had bacon aioli, sauteed onions, and the tomatoes and lettuce were chopped up and mixed into the bacon aioli and then was topped onto the burger, whichever way you wanted your burger cooked. The aioli almost tenderized the meat a little, based on taste and blend of ingredients on the meat. The bun also had this toasty, sweet brioche taste to it, and it was just so damn good. The fries were equally tasty. Parmesan cheese with herbs atop perfectly cooked potatoes. Oh comfort food gods...thanks for introducing Social to us. And here's the icing on the burger cake. Out of nowhere appeared two molten chocolate lava cakes with ice cream. I didn't say anything to the waiter and neither did my friend that it was our friend's birthday. When the birthday girl went to ask about red wines on the list, she mentioned that it was her birthday. I'm sure this prompted the arrival of the chocolate cakes to our table. Love that their attention to detail was so amazing. On behalf of the birthday girl, thank you for making her birthday memorable :)
(5)
Tarin L.
I came here with a few co-workers on a Wednesday night. Overall, really solid food - the scallops were delicious and I tried a bite of the short rib which was also worth ordering. My coworker orders the burger which he RAVED about, but I did not have the pleasure of trying it. The pizza wasn't anything special but it was ok But the best part of our dinner was our server Dylan. He had great recommendations and was very accommodating. 5 stars for Dylan.
(4)
Tessi D.
Waited for ten minutes after being seated- no contact at all. Restaurant wasn't busy and even seated by host and wait staff saw us. Waited a full 15 minutes with no recognition so we left. Menu looked good so I gave two stars but service was terrible- what happened to a simple "table touch" in the industry?
(2)
Kat I.
I really like this place. I went there a couple of times and always got decent food. I always get the tuna tartare and I can also recommend the mussels, hot stone and the fondue as appetizers. The burger , the scallops, and the steak tips are very delicious as well. The drinks are stiff too!
(5)
Don P.
1 1/2 hour wait until they brought bread. Food was terrible. Had a group of 15 for a post graduation lunch. Reservation made months in advance. Was told by the Manager that he had "stressed the staff". I told he had also (and primarily) stressed the customers. 15 meals and not one enjoyed. Desserts were good. Parking a joke. My advice...stay away!
(1)
Malia R.
I stopped in for a quick dinner on a business trip and had the skirt steak. Service at the Bar was hands down the best service I have had in a long time. If you are in the area, stop by this place and you will not be disappointed!
(5)
Ann K.
As you can tell by my yelp history, I don't enjoy writing negative reviews (this is my first), but I feel it's my civic duty to caution you against the Social Restaurant & Bar. We ate the lobster sliders, overly weighted with lettuce and celery (only little bits of meat); the scallops, accompanied by limp asparagus, mottled carrots, and slimy risotto; and the firecracker shrimp, which, albeit edible, were presented on a bed of broken spinach leaves. Overall, the food ranged from "...hmmm, this is odd..." to bad. I had hopes for this restaurant, and was honestly willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, chalking up the negative reviews to larger parties, special circumstances, holiday events, etc., but considering we were the only patrons dining, I can only guess that their issues are systemic. I'm very, very sorry, Social! : (
(1)
Elizabeth B.
Just returned from dinner here. A couple of comments: 1. We arrived for our reservation almost 30 minutes late, and rightly enough, they had given away our table. There were no tables left, but they had space at the high chairs and the bar, which was fine with us. The bar seating was really comfy, the bartenders were terrific and friendly, and the view was great. What struck me was that the manager kept apologizing like it was his fault, though of course, it wasn't. He also stopped by midway through our meal to see how we were doing. Great service! 2. They validate parking in the lot on the weekends and I think one weeknights too, but double-check about the weeknights. I could be wrong. Definitely on the weekends though. Given how annoying parking is in Boston, that's a huge plus for me! 3. Husband ordered the Bishop Burger with bleu cheese and loved it. Highly recommend. And the fries were delicious too, handmade with the skin still on them. 4. We also had the chicken lollipops--crispy outside and falling off the bone inside. 5. I ordered the short ribs. The meal was well-prepared and the meat was good but the sides were the highlight. The gnocchi and carrot fondue were both delicious. If I had one critique, it's that I wish there was a little more of the sides on the dish. 6. We totally peaked with the Nutella bread pudding dessert. That thing is insanely good--it's almost as if it's a bread pudding lava cake with the Nutella inside. The caramelized bananas and shaved white chocolate were decadent and delicious (this was definitely good white chocolate, by the way. Not the gross fake kind.) 7. The volume was appropriate. I hate places where you can't carry on a conversation during your meal. Overall, I liked the vibe in this place and I loved the staff. I would definitely return.
(5)
Laurie M.
Great staff, food and entertainment!!! Love this place. We are from,Atlanta Georgia and staying at Crown Plaza. After a long day of sight seeing we went to the social for a cocktail and or dinner. Never disappointed!
(5)
Michael A.
Mediocre at best. Service was fine, so I'm basing the review simply on the food quality. Dinner was the biggest let down. We are currently staying at the connected Crowne Hotel, and went here based on Yelp reviews. What a mistake. We ordered the Brie fondue appetizer to start. We love Brie cheese, and fresh fruit. This app included little to none of those things. The fondue was basically heavy cream, butter, and a splash of Brie in a mini handled pot. I was expecting a hot plate or bowl, like traditional fondue, but this was clearly a pre-made mix heated in the pan before ordering. The fruit was brown and warm... It was gross. Atleast offer some fresh produce! And the walnuts were inside the cheese bucket... They could have simply put them on the side instead of drowning them in cream. For the main course, we both ordered the flatbread. Whatever you do, DONT order the flatbread. It was wayyy overcooked. And my mozzarella/tomato/basil flatbread literally had Campbell's tomato sauce as the base. I almost threw up. My wife got the goat cheese pizza. Had zero flavor...she ate 3 pieces and quit. Our total bill was $79 after tip, which including a couple drinks. We could see the pizza joint across the street (Max n Earls) and all we kept thinking was "we should have gone there". The answer is simple: go to the pizza joint across the street, not here. We had to force a dunkin donut down after the meal, just to erase the bad taste.
(2)
Karen D.
After writing this review, I got a message from one of the owners, Bill, who was very apologetic and made it clear that he values customers. I'm very appreciative that he reached out and was open to hearing the feedback.
Lobster sliders appetizer was a waste of $17. The bun was buttered and grilled perfectly but the lack of lobster meat was laughable. Hot stone app was just okay. Nothing spectacular in terms of taste but presentation was cool. Had the short ribs for main course which was fantastic! Highly recommend. Wife had Yellow fin tuna which was also awesome! decent portion of tuna grilled rare. Overall, good experience and good food. Expect to drop over $100 for two with drinks.
(4)
Jeff P.
Great atmosphere. Delicious and plentiful dishes. Great drinks. Our waitress, Kristen was very attentive and friendly, and very knowledgeable regarding the menu. At the end of the night, we really enjoyed dining here and would highly recommend if you are in the area!
(5)
Elizabeth S.
Interesting mix here. The place is self-described as "upscale casual" or "casual upscale" - I can't remember, but something along those lines. The food is on par with that. Creative, varied menu, delicious execution. The service and ambiance? Not so much. The atmosphere is more like a Waltham pub than an upscale restaurant, even with the word "casual" added. TVs everywhere, young adults all clad in North Face jackets, older clientele in similar dress as well. Our server was very nice. The kitchen was quite backed up, but the server remained friendly throughout. He didn't write down our order, which made us nervous, and then he was surprised when some of the dishes weren't what we ordered. That's why you write it down, friend! Would I go back? Sure. Like I said, the food was excellent. Would I go back for a special occasion? Nope.
(3)
Renee A.
We chose to celebrate our son's college graduation with a lunch at Social. Worst decision ever. What should have been a joyous meal was truly over shadowed by the worst service I have ever received at any restaurant. Not only was the service inexcusable, the food was mediocre at best (and cold). A simple lunch took two and a half hours. I had to go to the host to get menus after sitting there for twenty plus minutes. They did comp our drinks (mostly iced tea and soft drinks) and gave us dessert trays. However, these gestures don't even come close to making up for the atrocious service and cold food. I made the reservations for our group months ago. They acknowledged that they "stressed their staff". Not my problem. Don't accept reservations,then, during Boston's busy graduation weekend. Ruined the day. Not exaggerating. After 90 minutes, they offered us bread. Seriously? Ninety minutes of sitting there and then they tell us there is bread? Terrible. Will never go back. Can't stress enough that this is a place that is not worth the money nor the time. Horrible. Shame on Social. Don't book a party you can't serve.
(1)
Alex Z.
My wife bought a Groupon for the Social and we went and checked it out this past Friday with some friends. Front of house was friendly, got us seated quickly. First round of drinks came fast as we were waiting for some others to get there. When our party was finally complete, it then took a little while to get our waiters attention again. I've worked in restaurants so I get it... you get slammed and sometimes it takes a little while to work your way back around; But the restaurant was more then half empty and the other servers were just kinda standing around and talking to each other instead of helping out. We got a flat bread for a shared app which was pretty good. Standard bar pizza fair, but the sauce on it was excellent. Bar did a good job of keeping our drinks coming. I got the Steak Frites for an entree which again was okay; Wasn't crazy about the cut of meat but they did cook it to the correct medium rare. My wife had the scallops which she really liked, and our token vegetarian friend got the pumpkin ravioli which he said was excellent. There was also a live band starting as we were finishing dinner which was a nice touch. Good to have that in the area I will probably come back; food was serviceable (but a little pricey), decent to good service, and free live music... at least on Fridays
(3)
Irene W.
This place had a lively ambience on a Thursday night. Great place for dinner, I shared a "chicken lollipop" appetizer with my friend and had the steak frites for myself. The steak was a little bit well done, but otherwise the meal was fine. My friend ordered the salmon and loved the way it was cooked rare, definitely something I will try if I ever stop by this location again. The service was very prompt and the waitstaff was very attentive. Overall, a great dining experience to get dinner with friends! An additional plus is the free validated parking in the garage adjacent to the restaurant.
(5)
Rick R.
Was in town on business and brought some colleagues to Social for dinner. Had a really nice time. They have a great wine list and a unique selection of starters. I especially like the "All grown up Philly steak sliders". The gnocchi side is also something very special and not to be missed. I look forward to returning.
(5)
Caty M.
My first experience here was pretty negative. It was Sunday brunch and the restaurant was painfully short staffed. Although the servers were still very friendly and doing their best, our first impression was pretty much ruined after waiting for so long to be seated (and being passed by repeatedly by the manger without any sort of acknowledgment). Our meals took a long time and one came out wrong. The second experience was a post wedding party where the emphasis was heavily on the alcohol. Bartender was lovely and the apps that were served were good. I won't go out of my way to come back too soon, but maybe in the future if give it another shot.
(3)
Ann G.
So glad they had a Groupon b/c it's very close to my home yet not a place I drive by often, and I hadn't even realized it was there (where the old Applebee's was under the Crowne Plaza). The good: *Service. Our server Bernard was 5* service. Excellent. *Validated, covered parking (also convenient for anyone taking the buses into Newton Corner) *Comfortable atmosphere - not too loud, comfy seating *appetizer portion size and the mussels appetizer (very tasty, good size) *ribs and scallop entrees were all very good. Initially the portions looked small, but they were just right (no leftovers). and everything was cooked perfectly. The mediocre *the side salad with the rib entree was too warm. Not sure if this was intentional. But still tasty *the carrots on the side with the scallop were a little bland, but cooked perfectly The bad --Nothing was bad. We were a little under the weather so we didn't have any drinks, but the cocktails looked clever and would like to go back to try some.
(4)
Sharon L.
I threw a retirement party this afternoon at The Social for approximately 60 people. We were set up in the semi-private back area of the restaurant which was perfect for our party. The atmosphere, food, and helpfulness of the staff was amazing. The party went off without a hitch and everyone had a wonderful time. Working with the owners and manager of The Social was a breeze. They were so helpful and accomodating for the party. They worked with me to design the perfect menu, at the right price for this party. When we arrived to set up balloons and a slide show the owners were ready to help us out. They worked hard to make sure that we had everything we needed, including a TV connection for my computer and a microphone for our speeches. The wait staff were eager to serve us, take our drink orders, clean up any leftover plates, and help us out in any way we needed. I highly recommend to everyone that this is the place to have a party. Everyone left our party today talking about when we could have our next event at The Social. This is definitely the place to go for great drinks and amazing food for your next party.
(5)
Trudy G.
I had heard decent things about this establishment and they advertised having a Brunch on Easter, good for groups, so we made a reservation several days in advance. Our group was for 5 and when we walked in the restaurant was only half full at best. However, they did not have four or five of the items that we had come for. I'm not sure how you can run out of signature dishes for a brunch that you advertised as good for big groups. After I expressed my disappointment, the waiter apologized, but did nothing else and was not attentive to drinks and water glasses running low at several points. Having the manager come over an apologize would have gone a long way. Given that we had previewed the menu and had identified the cinnamon rolls, the crab cake egg benedict and lobster roll as items we would like to order, it is was very disappointing to have NONE of them be available. If you order the Lemon Ricotta pancakes, don't expect berries and maple syrup, despite what the menu says. My plate came with one sort-of-ripe strawberry and no syrup until I asked. The atmosphere has a lot of potential, but tables have nothing on them (flowers, candles, or even salt and pepper shakers). The food we had was decent, but nothing to go back for again given the other disappointments. They missed the boat with me.
(1)
M. Christina T.
Our first time here and we had a wonderful experience! We were celebrating a special occasion; the staff was very personable and attentive. My BF and I requested for a bit more privacy...and was given a nook all to ourselves. We definitely liked the decor and low light ambiance giving the lounge-y feel. There is a front and back section of the restaurant; the back had a more intimate feel. If you're looking for a more lively part of the restaurant we would suggest dining closer to the front/bar area. We went on a Saturday night which had a live band at 9:30 p.m. Onto the food; note we bought a Groupon which included an app. and two (2) entrees. We chose the fondue as our starter. I had the pan-seared scallops and my BF had the espresso rubbed pork tenderloin (cooked medium rare...not sure if it was to be that way). Overall, the food was good; no complaints. We were going to order dessert but to our surprise our server (forgive me, fine sir, but we forgot your name after finishing a bottle of wine) pulls out this DELICIOUS nutella stuffed bread pudding. This young gentleman really helped make our night out truly special and for that we THANK YOU. The management team came around and asked if we were ok...again very attentive. At the end of the night, we really enjoyed dining here and would highly recommend if you are around the area! It's a nice spot away from the touristy attractions nearby. Overall, customer service was exceptional. I say reasonably priced as it is connected to the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
(4)
Laurène H.
I hosted a bridal shower at social and it was great. The lunch buffet (sandwiches, appetizers) was really well done. I had actually come for brunch and found the food pretty low quality, so I was a bit apprehensive about my event (based on that experience, I would have given social two stars). However, the quality of the food at the event was phenomenal - including a seared tuna sandwich that makes me hungry just thinking about it. The staff was also very nice, super helpful and accommodating. We bought decorations, flowers, desserts. The event was a success and I am glad we picked social for our venue.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street, Validated Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Music : Live Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Tue, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Ally C.
I came here for Valentine's Day with my fiancée and had a great time. We enjoyed our food, drinks, and the band that was playing that night. We had made a reservation for 8:30 and we didn't get seated until 9. I wasn't too upset about that because it was V-day and it was packed. Once we got seated and placed our orders for everything it took about 45 min to an hour for us to get our entree. The waiter did come over and apologize a couple times for the delay but we were getting hungry. As we left one of the owners also apologized. We left happy! On our second visit I went with a group of friends and we just got drinks this time. It was fairly late at night so it wasn't busy at all. The bartender there was this older lady who was literally one of the rudest bartenders I had. She acted like she was upset that we came in and could careless for our business. One of my friend's ordered a Dirty Shirley (Shirley Temple with vodka) and she barks out "What's that? I don't know what that is?" If she didn't know what it was, which is fine, she still could have been polite. Also, we would have stayed longer too if she wasn't so off putting! I gave it 3 stars because our first experience was nice and our second one was less than stellar. I'll give Social another chance because we live so close to it and can practically walk there in 5 min! Hopefully, our third visit will yield a more positive experience.
(3)Carl C.
Service was great and friendly. The food is the worst in the area. The Mac and Cheese tastes like it was put into a plastic bowl and microwaved until the plastic melted onto the macaroni ...unfortunately I know what that taste is like. The balsamic on the flat bread pizza was put on the pizza before going into the oven which made it taste almost like a BBQ sauce. If this place is open in a year it will be because of the bar. My advice, go across the street.
(1)Melissa K.
Small brunch menu but great options! The kitchen is really slow. Seven been waiting for 40 minutes with only four other parties here. I've never had such terrible service in a place that is supposed to be good.
(1)Dr. Tyler C.
This is a new trendy restaurant in Newton which is in the space previously occupied by Applebee's. Nice interior decor. I would add a few suggestions for improvement. The big one is that unless you have a reservation, you are not allowed to sit in the dining room even though a multitude of tables were empty the entire time we has dinner. I would turn tables as often as you can. Great tv's all over the place. The clam chowder tasted like like it was aged in a chimney from the 17th century. However, the presentation was great as it had real clams in the shells. Better watch the bartender pour premium alcohol as it tastes like well liquor. Had to return it twice and each time the vodka tasted like well liquor. The table next to us complained that their premium liquor tastes like well liquor too. The oysters are amazing but the humus was pasty and could have been teeth polisher. The entrees ranged from great to mediocre. Great beer choices to choose from. I kept my eye on three tables which were not sat the entire time we were here which was 2.5 hours. Remember we were not allowed to sit at them because they were reserved for parties with reservations. Overall, server was great and the atmosphere was nice. There can be some improvements to this place but I do overall recommend it as a decent place.
(3)Aaron G.
Food remains just ok, if not mildly mediocre. The burger was not earth shattering nor were the "famous" fries. (And as a larger guy, I know my fries). My eating companion had the pumpkin ravioli and was not impressed with the taste. The plate had 10 ravioli total and was swimming in a weird juice. The wait staff was attentive. The decrease in star from my previous visit is for the band. We weren't sitting that close and still couldn't talk. And what a weird band it was; middle-aged funk playing "original songs". With one table cheering after every song. We get it, you're with the band. At the end of the day, this is still a hotel bar/restaurant trying to be something else. And it's not. At least the parking is free.
(2)Pat V.
I've been here twice now, and I've already decided what I'm having on my next visit. First time, I had the Bishop Burger (topped with bacon aioli and crispy onions, on a brioche roll), and it was perfectly cooked (I said medium and actually got medium) and delicious; the accompanying herb and parmesan frites were quite tasty (but they should have been hotter). We sat at the bar and the service was excellent. On the second visit we sat at a quiet table with very comfy chairs where we shared a pork belly appetizer special that came with a yummy bok choy salad and "northern" corn bread, it was indescribably delicious. I had the Meatloaf, with haricot vert and some fabulous garlic and bacon mashed potatoes, it was excellent. My companion had the Scallops with mushroom risotto, asparagus and baby carrots and was just as pleased. My red sangria was dangerously good, nice and strong with fresh fruit, schnapps and brandy in a surprisingly large glass. Creme brulee was done just right, too. The waitress on this second visit was very attentive and friendly without being intrusive, and very knowledgeable regarding the menu. This place IS a nice mix of upscale and casual, both for the food and the atmosphere. The food is imaginative without being too outlandish. It's not cheap here, but the prices are quite reasonable for both the quality and quantity that you get. And they throw in free parking (don't forget to get validated!). Do be warned, though: there are a lot of TVs here.
(4)Trina U.
This place is right across the street from my house...which could turn out to be dangerous! Really good food and an intimate vibe. It's a little bit pricey for me, but worth it. The graham cracker crusted calamari are awesome!
(4)Linda G.
Loved it! Nice atmosphere. Delicious and plentiful dishes. Great drinks. And when the owner found out we were celebrating our anniversary he sent over some champagne. Will definitely bring our friends back.
(4)Paul S.
I saw Boston sports writer Dan Shaughnessy there a few weeks ago, nuff said lol. OH the Calamari was quite tasty as well. Liked the menu will be back to try more
(4)Mike D.
Nice upscale sort of atmosphere. Had the short ribs, which were very good. The gnocchi that came with the short ribs were very different but extremely tasty. One annoyance was that the live music they had was too loud to sit near--an entire portion of the restaurant wasn't being used because of it. Our waitress let us move to a quieter section though, so all was well. The dessert (something with Nutella and bananas) was fabulous--definitely recommended. Did not try the bar, but it looked like a clean and upscale place that would have some really good cocktails.
(4)Marie F.
Came to test out their brunch. Fantastic! They don't fool around with a large menu but what they have they do well. Try the yummy lemon ricotta pancakes! We plan on returning often.
(5)K. H.
I was pleasantly surprised with my experience here. I'd been avoiding it for a while because I'm such a Buff's fan(across the street). We finally decided to check it out. Although my meal was very plain and uneventful(Boston Bibb Salad)..my boyfriends burger was amazing! Also the cherry gnocci side was the best I've ever had. They won me over with their Nutella bread pudding and super nice service. I'll definitely go back...I'll just avoid the salad:-)
(4)Brian D.
This place is great. Tried everything twice. They started out firing on all cylinders with the hot rocks (cook a tender piece of beef on a hot rock), mussels (great sauce for bread), and Brie fondue. Every was on point. Then came short rib with gnocchi (really good, not sure what was in them), and a squash purée. Others got a great spicy jalapeño pizza, pork chop, and pad Thai tuna. Everyone raved. Finished it off with a chocolate lava cake and banana foster. No explanation needed. Underscoring the whole thing was a few bottles of clois du bois rouge. Great night. Highly recommended!!!!
(5)Alyssa W.
I'm glad we discovered this gem in our neighborhood. What surprised us is that this place is not affiliated with the hotel at all. It kind of just gets swallowed into the hotel/garage and you assume its a small hotel bar. I hope they find a way to become more noticeable! It's actually pretty big inside. There's a large bar, the waitress was wonderful, the owner came out to our table, and there was a band setting up when we left (about 9 o'clock on a Friday). The food was great. We had the hot rocks which was a fun little appetizing experience, cooking the meat yourself on a hot stone. You don't get much for $13, but hey it's date night. We got the half chicken and the short ribs for dinner. Both were very good, and large. Will be going back again soon!
(4)Katina M.
Make this your local! Great service, interesting menu, delicious food, tasty drinks, terrific vibe. Visited on a stormy night and really enjoyed the chowder and bread pudding. Can't wait to get back and try more!
(5)Suzanne P.
We are staying at the Crown Plaza this weekend. After moving our daughter our of her apt up three narrow and winding flights of stairs, we had no interest or energy for dining out. We tried Social and we delighted! The Lobster sliders were chocked full of lobster and the clam chowder was out of this world!! Imagine freshly steamed whole clams on open shells smothered in crispy bacon bits with onions and peppers, drowning in a rich, creamy, flavor-filled soup, and you've got the Social's concept -- stop by for best bowl of clam chowder ever!!
(5)Misti M.
Excellent Brunch!!! Wonderful brunch this morning, great food and service! Ambiance is great, nice space, noise level was low so you can have a conversation, you are not packed into a tiny space like other places in the area. No wait at 11:30, free parking in the hotel garage next door, friendly staff.
(5)Kerry C.
I had dinner here tonight, to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in a long time. We sat at the bar first, then got dinner. First, I can't believe this place used to be Applebee's - what a makeover! My dinner (scallops with risotto) was excellent, on par with the better Boston restaurants. The service was also good, both at the bar and at our table. We took our time ordering an app first, then our meals, and never felt rushed. Yes, it was more expensive than other Newton restaurants, but the food was worth it. There was a band that started playing as we were finishing our meal - don't get me wrong, they were good, but we couldn't hear each other over the music. So keep that in mind if you are with a group that wants to chat. Overall, It was a good experience, and I would recommend the place.
(4)Christy H.
The ambiance was great. The food tasted very good! Ordered meatloaf w/chipotle bbq and mashed potatoes. Quite tasty. The only awkward moment was when 1/2 the table received their food and the other half didn't until about 15 min later. We had a party of 10 so I do understand timing can be difficult, however it was awkward as it was a very long time between deliveries.
(4)M P.
Went for Easter brunch and they were out of 6 of the items on a pretty limited menu. There was no attempt to try to find a creative solution. Water glasses were filled at the start, but no one ever checked on them. The soda I ordered sat unfilled for most of the meal as well - and was only filled at my request. Food was okay but not great. Not planning to ever go back.
(1)Trevor S.
Which local didn't celebrate the closing of the banal chain place here before... TGI Fridays maybe? What could be a sweet local spot was instead another cookie-cutter chain, with gross, chemistry lab food indistinguishable from thousands of strip malls across the world. We got Social. And it's all right. My two visits have been fine. They do the please-everyone type of menu with the steak, chicken, and fish on there. The service was friendly and efficient and generally great. They handled a fairly large group with aplomb and ease. It's nearby. It's nice. I'll be back.
(3)R B.
Mediocre In Every way. Four of us had dinner. Wine: 9 -14 dollars a glass. One of us had cold pad tai and tuna. One of us ( me) had presumably the same not top quality freshness ahi tuna on a salad, one of us had a pasta dish with too many capers. Not sure about the other person's meal. Server was ok but struck us all as completely insincere re niceness. Not a good choice. Honestly, we wish we went to Cheesecake Factory for far better quality food with similar descriptions.
(2)Emily F.
i am so glad this place opened up! Newton Corner was desperate for a higher-end bar where you could meet after work and get some good food. I have had 2 different and delicious salads there. I am often served by the same very kind staff, and they are fun to hang out with when the bar is still quiet. Thanks for opening, Social! We have been waiting for you!
(4)Blake C.
LOVE this place! Came here for dinner with friends a few weeks ago and then brunch again last weekend. Every single thing we ordered was absolutely fabulous! The tuna tartar and chicken lollipops for appetizers were amazing! I had the short ribs and it was incredible - I couldn't wait to eat my leftovers the next day. The scallops and filet were both cooked to perfection as well. I thought the prices were very reasonable for the quality and atmosphere. The brunch??!!! Where to begin! Everything was to die for - the creme brulee french toast especially, and a great bloody mary! Free parking too! I can't wait to come back! My new favorite place!
(5)JEFFREY K.
The food was wonderful and our server was suburb BUT this restaurant is loud and I mean very loud...so if you go to watch sports it is great...if you are going for dinner where you want to converse then you need to go elsewhere.
(4)Giselle S.
First and foremost I was glad I used a Groupon for the appetizer/entrée deal. The good: lots of parking (get your garage ticket validated), loved the bar, seats, tables, whole interior is very cool, everything was very clean including the bathroom, our server at the bar was very nice and answered my hundred questions with a smile. The not-so-good: had the mussels for the appetizer (very small but could be out of season, not sure). I liked the sauce that they came in and there was plenty of it, but only two super tiny slices of bread to dunk. I asked for more bread and received three more tiny slices of bread, disappointing because the sauce was so good. For an entrée I ordered the angel hair with lobster. It could have used a little cracked pepper or parmesan for a zingy flavor, it was a bit bland-but still ate every bit, ha ha. I use a spoon to twirl the pasta onto the fork and requested one but received a teaspoon with the apologies of 'that was all they had'. Given they serve clam chowder and bisque, I would think a soup spoon couldn't be that far away. Not earth shaking just annoying. My boyfriend had the steak and was disappointed. He said it was nothing he couldn't make at home but was cooked the way he liked it. Would I go back? At the moment, I would say yes and give them another chance. The flat bread pizzas sounded awesome and they do offer live music on the weekends.
(3)Jaimie K.
Dear Social, I can tell you really want to do well, so here's the thing: 1. You need better signage, stat. You're in a location that is simultaneously ultra convenient and hard to find. 2. Your parking, compared to Newton Center, is a dream. Free covered garage parking? Awesome. Advertise that. Why don't you have nice little signs telling people? 3. The mussels app is sublime. Even with the frites, though, you need bread to soak up that sauce. Bring bread! 4. The hummus app is a miss. What the heck? Like chalk. Go visit The Local, and take notes. 5. You're doing great with the burgers and whatnot, but the entrees either need to improve or you need to lower your prices. 6. We thought the desserts were fab. Why no dessert menu? The server rattled off our choices, and we promptly forgot them all. Also, with desserts that good, you need after dinner drinks.
(3)Ali B.
I chose this restaurant in part based on Yelp reviews and I was not disappointed. I had a little trouble finding the restaurant because I did not realize it was in the lobby of the hotel. Parking tip: don't drive around looking for street parking. There is a garage connected to the hotel and we got a parking validation so the parking was free. The atmosphere had a cool and casual vibe to it, but was slightly upscale. We sat at a table but there were plenty of people at the bar. The food was delicious, and our server was helpful with our choices. I got the short ribs which were excellent. The drinks were also very good. The service was just a tad on the slow side but really wasn't a big deal. Our server was friendly and helpful. I'll definitely go back because the food was so good.
(4)Annie D.
I liked this place. I got a pasta dish with chicken and veg - it was delicious! The waitress wasn't GREAT but she wasnt bad either. The only thing i didnt like was the waitress started cleaning up everyone eles plates while I was still eating.
(4)Jack G.
A great new addition to the area. Appetizers were creative and delicious (chicken lollipops, baby philly, mussels), and we particularly enjoyed the sirloin, boneless beef short ribs, and the burger entrees. Portions were very generous. Flatbreads were delicious- especially the mango jalapeño prosciutto flatbread. The service was very friendly and accomodating. There are like 40 beers to choose from (many on tap), and the choice of wines by the glass were quite excellent. Desserts were one of the highlights of the evening: We all shared the lava chocolate cake, creme brulee, and poached pear - amazing! Validated parking in the adjoining garage was very convenient.
(5)Garrow T.
Great spot and great menu. We were there for Saturday night dinner and the mussels were excellent. And the duck salad and meatloaf met all expectations. Manager Bill Costa did a fantastic job reinventing the old Applebee's location into a perfect eatery complete with old actor's photos throughout. A perfect spot just off exit 17 on the Mass Pike with complimentary parking. An undiscovered secret but well worth the visit.
(4)T. B.
Very pleasantly surprised by this hotel restaurant. The food was delicious and our service was attentive. We were there for a graduation dinner and they comped us 2 desserts! The bar is very pretty too.
(4)Julia P.
So to be clear this restaurant is attached to the Crowne Plaza but is not owned by the hotel. Decent prices for food ($12 for basic but tasty mussels that were HUGE and totally entree size.) But high for drinks ($14 for a Bullet Manhattan) especially coming from SoCal where I'm already accustomed to spendy cocktails. All in all a great place to eat as a guest at Crowne Plaza, and busy even on a Tuesday night, but not totally sure I'd come here otherwise...
(4)Beth T.
Great food, good service, very pleasant, informal atmosphere. We got to the restaurant early and had an especially warm welcome. Service was prompt and the food was excellent.
(5)Su T.
Great food, nice decor and good service. Loved everything we ordered. We had the pizza, meatloaf, short ribs, chocolate lava cake and bread pudding. Didn't expect the amount of food for the price so good value as well. Will definitely go back again. Seems like a fun place if you just want to have a drink and enjoy the music at the bar.
(5)Wendy S.
I have had lunch there twice in the past month and both times the service and food were excellent! They have a great menu...hard to decide what to have. Cobb salad was excellent as was the tuna tar tar. My friends had sandwiches which they said were great. Awesome fries too! Look forward to trying it for dinner some time.
(4)Laurel F.
let me start with clam chowder from hell .some heavy cream boiled and presented as the classic clam chowder ................... then came the risotto ,i can't believe what i tasted .this resturant has a dishwasher as a chef ..
(1)Aileen F.
I preface this by saying that we went on a Saturday afternoon and it was snowing. Grain of salt added now to the substance. Having read a few reviews on Yelp we ordered the chicken lollipops and tuna tartare. The tuna was good but came with a very large scoop of lime wasabi sorbet. While the sorbet was quite tasty, sort of like the partially melted, sticky part of a lime Popsicle, it was completely misplaced and a little odd. Odd because it was the size of a small ice cream and far too sweet particularly because the plate already included a sweetened duck sauce and some other sweet sauce. The tuna is great by itself, no need for all of the sweet accoutrements. On to the lollipops. They tasted like a 30 year old chicken that was fried the day before and reconstituted that afternoon. The celery salad, however, was tasty albeit a bit salty. Didn't go further with an entree. Service was good (sat at the bar) and it seems like a great place to go watch a game except for the fact that they do not have any non-craft beer on tap. The bathrooms also needed some attention. Will try again but I am skeptical.
(2)Alex O.
I am a sucker for excellent customer service, and I have to say that Social delivers. I came in here for a bite after a long workweek and day. The crowd was a restaurant-y mix of younger and older (owing to the early time, perhaps). The bartenders were fast and attentive. I ordered a Bishop Burger and Aioli fries. The burger came out a grade rarer than I had ordered, but the bartender immediately and politely took it back to the kitchen and resolved to fix it. In fact, he came back minutes later with Philly Sliders "from the chef while you wait". It was a nice touch and put a smile on my face. Can't say any other restaurant has ever done that before. When the new burger came out, it was every bit as delicious and worth-the-wait as I'd hoped. For the food and the experience--superb customer service--I give this place an effusive five stars. Well done, Social!
(5)Deanna S.
Great vibe! Brie fondue appetizer was amazing as well as the truffle fries. Prices are great
(5)Anna B.
Solid new restaurant! I wasn't blown away by the food but it was good. The pork was tastier than the bread pudding that came with it, my friends enoyed the salmon and the scallops. I randomly chose a glass of red wine from the menu that turned out to be delicious. Prices were good, service was good and it's got a nice ambience. Not chic or trendy but nice - perfect for a work dinner or when you want to go eat with someone and catch up. BONUS: It's a block from the 57 and several other MBTA bus lines.
(4)Dan B.
We went last night and had an excellent meal. We had a party of 7, 4 adults and 3 kids, everyone was pleased. I had the tomato soup with lobster sliders and a spinach side with truffle oil. My wife had the salmon, which was delicious, and the service was very attentive.
(4)Greg D.
Been here several times and really enjoy it. Newer place that seems to be getting better all the time as they get into a groove. The bar is nice, well stocked and has every game you'd want to see on. The bartenders are extremely friendly and nice. They made the experiences fun and have seemed to make a connection with their regulars. The owners I've met several times and seem engaged and appreciative. The food is really good. A bit pricey, but delicious. The short rib I highly recommend and the first time I had it, I thought of returning within a day or two just to have it again. Also suggest the butternut squash bisque. Excellent. They have music on weekends and, with a couple exceptions, the bands have been good. I like this place. Good after work spot too if you're in the area.
(5)Nicole W.
Fabulous restaurant with a lovely night setting. East access off the Mass Pike and located in Newton Corner. I suggest you trying the "Lobster Rolls." Live music was on the Saturday we went and several large flat screen TVs for sports fanatic like us.
(5)Susan W.
First, all the things I like about Social: great parking, nice room and ambiance, nice selection of craft beers on draft, free wifi. What I didn't like: I ordered my burger medium rare. It came out medium to medium well. No problem sending it back but it came back with the same fries, which are now stone cold, and the ketchup container hadn't even been refilled. The burger was done correctly, however and was tasty. Very disappointed that they couldn't give me a new order of fries. Says to me that they don't really care, so in return, I don't care to go back. I also sat with an empty glass twice. If the bartenders had made eye contact as they walk up and down the bar I would have asked for a refill. What a shame as I really wanted to like this place.
(2)Sue L.
Run here! Had a fabulous dinner with friends on a weekend night. The brie appetizer is amazing and the wine was delicious. Dinner was excellent, flavorful and interesting. They had some live music when we were there. It wasn't too loud, we could hear one another chatting at the table. The atmosphere is really great. It looked like a fantastic bar for hanging with friends. Did not have any dessert because we were full but they all sounded great! The hostesses were so nice, our waiter was terrific. It's great to have in the neighborhood. I hope everyone supports this new business so we have it to enjoy!! Really delicious and looking forward to a return visit!
(5)Fred S.
Had dinner at the bar last night. We were very surprised by what an amazing job they did transforming this space from an Applebee's into a very classy restaurant . They have one of those menus that have so many great choices that it's nearly impossible to decide what to have. I had the seared tuna with two great sauces served over Pad Thai. Wonderful! My wife had a burger, also excellent. The owner was very gracious and offered us a sample of their seated scallops. Also fabulous. We will definitely be back soon to try dome of their other choices. There are a lot of new restaurants in Newton, but this one really stands out as one of the best.
(5)Michaela J.
I could not be more disappointed in a restaurant. We chose to host a birthday party for my mother here because the owner/manager said they could accommodate the party properly. The day of, we were waiting over an hour for a waitress to give us coffee and to take our order. After asking the manager why there is such a hold up, we find out there is only ONE waitress for the entire restaurant, INCLUDING our party with 20 guests! Talk about NOT being accommodating! Now TWO HOURS into the party, the poor waitress scrambles to provide a self-serve coffee station. Not only should this have been done before the party even started, but we found the milk to be COMPLETELY spoiled. There were several more complications along the way, including messed up orders, lethally salted food, and asking for the cake three times, but the overall service and preparation was what made the party a complete mess. Everyone had issues with the place and I was mortified to host a party here.
(1)Luis Y.
Fantastic place! The baby philly appetizer is to die for. Saturday nights have a live band, awesome music. I totally recommend this place.
(5)DeAnna T.
My b/f and I stumbled on this place after we realized Max& Leo's (despite how tasty the pizza might have been) was a tiny shoe box of a place with no real bar or social scene. We went on a Tuesday, as mentioned it's located where the old Applebees used to be. It's in a very walk-able location but they also offer free covered parking. The restaurant is very very clean. It was large and mostly empty - the majority of patrons being from the hotel attached were seated in and around the bar area. We tried the following meal options. Hot Rock: Its marinated sirloin that you cook on a hot stone; similar to fondue this is very gimicky. The portion is tiny (4 meat squares), the quality of meat is mediocre (not marinated), the accompanying sauces are the best part. I think the value here is the entertainment of cooking on a hot rock. Bread plate; very reasonably priced for the quality and variety of bread and the butter was also very tasty. Grilled flatbread (mozzarella/basil) tasty but so basic, no effort, something you could make at home with left over ingredients in your fridge. Half of the slices only had some dried tomato on it no cheese or basil. Bishop Burger: What a waste of side ingredients the actual meat in this burger was disgusting and is either kept frozen or sitting for a considerable amount of time - it tasted like a glorified whopper. While it was cooked properly (medium rare) it was still flavorless grey meat. The french fries that come with the burger are AMAZING and should be tried on their own. We mentioned the burger and they were kind enough to offer a remake we declined and they generously covered a molten chocolate cake dessert for us. The cake was a little burned in my opinion (however it's made in house and was still tasty) the ice cream that comes with it was yummy and good quality vanilla (perhaps Häagen-Dazs?). They have a great beer, cocktail, and wine selection and great customer service. Overall just a standard place to eat food the quality is no different than the bertuccis or buff pubs around the corner just a much better atmosphere and decor. We will definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu.
(3)marcy c.
Just had a great meal at Social. What a great addition to the Newton restaurant scene. Chicken lollipop app was my favorite! Place has a great vibe, really nice bar, and fast and friendly service. Food was terrific. And live music fridays and saturdays. Would definitely recommend.
(5)Eric C.
My wife and I hit Social on a Saturday night. We were a little early for our res but greeted with a smile and promptly seated. They've got a good selection of draft beers and signature cocktails. The menu had some twists on standard issue American-fare. The lobster roll sliders were tasty, I had a salad which had a little too much lettuce on it but who doesn't like a little extra ruffage? Our entrees were good and our waitress was awesome. Best part? I didn't need a loan to pay for dinner. Good food, nice vibe, nice staff, good drinks...what more could you ask for??
(4)Rick S.
I have been to this place twice since they have opened and have not been disappointed. The grilled meatloaf is unbelievable. The only reason for not having 5 stars is the small menu. Other than that... WOW!!!! Outstanding!!!!
(4)Amy B.
I loved this place. Very nice sophisticated 'vibe', excellent service, and wide range of prices. We all enjoyed the excellent upscale burger while friends could find more expensive things. Wine great. Be sure to order the fondue as an appetizer. I really liked it. I look forward to going there a lot since I live in the area and can invite friends who want something interesting and won't have any trouble parking!
(4)Douglas F.
Well, whoever gave this place more than one star is either accustomed to Soviet style (lack of) service or had an entirly different staff than I had last night. I was on the Pike heading into the South End and said to my wife lets check out this new spot. First mistake. Went in and was met by an uninspiring hostess. Was seated and sat for almost 10 min while the one harried server went to and fro. Passing our table multiple times while serving the only other table occupied in the dining room. After a few passes he said 'i'll be right with you". Which he was not. We gave up after a while and moved ourselves to the bar where we expected better service. Second mistake. The bartender (who spent most of the next hour with his back to everyone sitting at the bar) was unfriendly and unresponsive. We watched him actually shoot his hand in the air as if to say do not say anything when a server came up to him to speak with him while he was entering an order on the POS system. Just rude and proof of his inability to perform even the slightest multi-tasking. After another 5+ minutes we asked for water (twice). All the while that we were trying to get a drink of water or libation, the manager and I think the owner were hanging around shooting the breeze. In my experience if you have an overwhelmed server the manager should jump in. At least for water. Nawt! At this point my wife said maybe we should just get up and go across the street to Buff's. We stayed. Third mistake. The two dishes we ordered (tuna and salmon) were way too saucy as were the two sides (sprouts and spinach). The 18% tip I left was pure sympathy. The other multi star reviews either come from management or people who need to get out more. Next time I stay on the Pike! One and done.
(1)Gem F.
Finally managed to get out and try this new gem. Came from southy and was worried about parking but couldn't have been easier, ample street parking and a garage connected that they validate for you. Great modern interior, big bar, plenty of high tops as well as a more formal private dining room in back. Cocktail menu was funky and fun, great way to enjoy the bar and band before dinner, being social at social! The host managed to accommodate our request and sat us right in front of the live band. The app list was creative and impressive, could have tried them all. Settled on the Brie fondue, muscles and Had to try the hot rock Kobe beef that you cook table side. All awesome with a great twist, the muscles sauce was some of the best I've had, great idea to serve truffle fries for dipping too. The short ribs entree was to die for, fell right off the bone. As good as any high end steakhouse, paired with an awesome beet salad and gnocchi, highly recommended. Split a Molton lava cake and banana tartetam, would have licked the plate! If you're looking for somewhere with a great bar scene, casual entertainment and a creative twist on your favorites this is the spot! I'll be getting social again soon!
(5)Marlana Y.
We were trying to find a place that wasn't too inexpensive and could host a group of 10 girls for a bridal shower. PLUS- free validated parking! It wasn't easy booking a reservation/room with the event person. They have a specific person that does events and so when your calling it in through the phone, the hostess on the phone would not know what's going on. So it wasn't as seamless as you would think. Getting a response was hot/cold. I would sometimes get a response right away and other times I had to wait a few days. The brunch menu has many different options for everyone and the price point was competitive compared to other brunch places. The waiter was phenomenal! He was very helpful and made sure we were happy with our choices and that our drinks were always full. We had a semi private room on the side so it was nice Highly recommend this place to host future events!
(4)Jack E.
Sometimes you come across a restaurant with all the potential in the world and is perhaps trying to cook with the best of intentions... but they fall flat. Newton has a place like that called Social. It's taken over a previous Applebee's location, connected to one of Newton's few hotels, has a lovely upscale-feel interior, and validates (free) parking in the covered garage right next to it, giving it an immediate leg-up on the neighbors and competition. I've gone here a few times with high hopes, sometimes for work gatherings, and a few times on snowy days just to keep my car parked and snow-free for a few hours and to warm-up with both something hot and something spirited. But all times I've gone, I've been incredibly disappointed. I could go though a long list of sad: Chicken Lollipops, dry; Firecracker Shrimp, not so firecracker; their various flatbread pizzas... well, you're sitting there looking at the delicious top-10 Boston's Max & Leo's pizzeria across from them and thinking to yourself, "wow this is really awful" (chewiest dough around); chili, bland; meatloaf is a brick... The list would go on and on. This place does have it's strengths, hence why it doesn't get only 1 star. The drinks are sometimes delicious, along with a wide variety of liquors on their shelf. The space is great, good for after work gatherings or perhaps even booking for a larger social event. And of course the fact that you're not battling for on-street parking is a major plus in Newton Corner (aka the "circle of death"). I'd recommend this as a "must avoid" until they straighten up their kitchen. It currently cooks like it's a 1960s restaurant and its clientele-by-age proves this to be true (great for retirees perhaps).
(2)Paul M.
Social Restaurant & Bar - Newton, MA - 5/11/2015 The restaurant is connected to but not part of a hotel. Not much in the way of parking. Either run across the street every hour to feed the meter or park next door and pay an un-godly rate at the parking garage. The inside is your typical bar/restaurant decor with seven large televisions, large black & white photographs and mirrors decorating the walls. Bring a sweater if you get cold as it's quite chilly inside. For me it's perfect but then I prefer the cold. I opted for the Firecracker Shrimps appetizer- Spicy marinated shrimp in a crispy egg roll wrapper with sweet chili sauce over fresh spinach leaves. Quite tasty although not wanting to fill up before the main course arrived, I removed the last two shrimps from their pastry shells before dipping and consuming... The bread, served served room temperature with those gold colored cold butter packets... How much trouble would it really be to offer a warmed whipped butter dish? When you see it's plating you will ask yourself; "huh?"... It was very good tho. For the main this evening... Boneless Beef Short Ribs... Ginger braised with carrot Fondue, chestnut gnocchi, bleu cheese beet & frisee salad... The dish was great albeit a bit small... I say charge a couple of extra bucks and increase the size but that's me... The dessert menu was rather sparse with nothing really jumping off the page saying "eat me" so I think I'll pass on the dessert this evening. I was going to have a cappuccino but wait... They don't have cappuccino!? Really??? What good quality restaurant in 2015 does not have a cappuccino machine?! The temperature in the restaurant seemed to have subsided or maybe the meal warmed me up. In any event, it was an excellent meal. Resign yourself to having to pay a "vig" for parking and come here. My meal was delicious and my server fabulous! Only a few suggestions... Offer your patrons Valet parking, Invest in a very inexpensive cappuccino machine and loose the butter packets... Its like new shoes with cheap laces...
(4)w s.
More like antisocial. Walked in to a mostly empty restaurant, sat at the bar. No bartender in sight. When she did appear she ignored me until my husband returned from the loo. She said I will be right with you. Ten minutes later as we watched her wander around looking for bottles behind the bar we decided to go across the street to Buff's Pub. We walked in the door the place was crowded. The bartender greeted us and we had a beer 30 seconds later. The only reason I gave two stars is because it has a nice decor.
(2)Melissa A.
Service was impeccable! We are from out of town and this was exactly what we were looking for. Started with the chicken lollipops. Fancy buffalo chicken wings. Zoh mah goodness. So tender and spicy. And the homemade blue-cheese sauce was amaze.
(5)Peter W.
I live close by and have been here several times at the bar. The drinks and service are very good. The atmosphere is relaxed with some nice decor. We've ordered some of the appetizers - they are a bit different. Ok, not great. Sometimes the fries are excellent, other times mediocre. The philly subs and crab melts are ok. We finally sat down for dinner with some friends. The food is good overall. We had the burger (big and juicy), chowder (expensive, but it has real whole clams in shell), pasta (tasty and big portion), steak, and scallops. I haven't been here when there is live music or special paint nights. They may be fun.
(4)Jessica B.
I do not like writing bad reviews, but the food was just bad. Social Restaurant & Bar is located in the old Applebee's location. They validate parking in the hotel parking garage. The waitress and hostess were both charming and good, I had no issue with the service. But when I order over-priced food at a restaurant, I don't expect it to be worse than what I could make at home, and I'm no chef. It was $100 + tip for a couple and we do better at home. I started out with a Elder Statesman. While Ketel One is my vodka and I like St. Germain Liqueur, this mixture was sour and went down hard. My second drink was a Ketel One martini on the rocks. I forgot to specify olives and got a lemon. Then I had a seared tuna and baby spinach salad. It's supposed to be served with carrots, crispy wontons, orange segments, and sweet ginger & tarragon vinaigrette. I think there was one tiny piece of orange. It was just blah. For my entrée, I had the grilled atlantic salmon. It had little bones in it. (yuck) It was served with preserved lemon, grilled romaine & olive quinoa salad. Cold quinoa salad and a piece of GRILLED lettuce. We make better salmon and quinoa salad at home and no one really wants to eat a piece of burnt lettuce. My husband had the lobster roll and said the one at The Local is much better. Too bad. Nice interior, very reminiscent of BOKX 109 with dark leather booths. Good service. Truly awful food. I did feel very young, as the median age was about 75. Two stars just means "Meh. I've experienced better," and this is truly the case. I will not be going back.
(2)Dawn E.
I've had stuff here that's good and stuff here that meh. Nothing has hit it out of the park. BUT... I've been here mroe than a few times because the location is perfect for me to grab a drink with a friend on the way home without going too far out of either of our ways. Appetizers are mostly boring (although I'm a huge fan of the calamari, because it's an interesting take on it). Both drinks and food are over priced for both quantity and quality (and I'm a person who has no problem spending a lot on something exceptional). Service is spotty. I've had great attentive table service and I've been largely ignored at the bar. Then I've had adequate service on other occasions on both counts. Still, if you're headed west from Boston and need a quiet place with a nice atmosphere and some free parking for a Pinot Noir... Social fits the bill.
(3)Erin C.
I've been back several times and I love this spot! My girlfriends and I have met up for dinner several times and everyone LOVES their food. The brussels, the mussels, the mac & cheese with lobster grilled cheese bites and every single side on the menu are fantastic. Last time we were there we tried every dessert too. Excellent choice. ;) The service is on point and the people working there could not be nicer!
(5)B T.
I work in the area and have driven by here plenty of times. Their recent groupon gave me a reason to try. Gf and I had the lobster sliders app which was awesome. The buttery toasted bread they were on was unreal even by itself. I had the Steak frites and she had angel hair pasta with lobster and roasted peppers I think in it. Both were very good and better than I expected them to be. Our waitress was admittedly new/training but was attentive and did a good job. We will be back! To the restaurant: you should offer a full lobster roll/sandwich something like that on that same bread you use for the sliders! Would be a hit IMO!
(4)Adam F.
My family and I went yesterday for Mother's Day because it was the only place in the Newton/Watertown/Waltham area that had reservations available on Open Table for Mother's Day dinner. The manager was very polite and upfront about letting us know that they were extremely short handed on the floor and in the kitchen and that some of the menu items were unavailable. The restaurant and bar were almost completely empty and there was some really quiet 90's Seattle rock music emanating from the bar area. Our server was extremely friendly despite being the only person working. Maybe because it was so dead, the other servers went home. One can only speculate how a restaurant on a main street in a wealthy city could be so empty on one of the busiest group dining days of the year. For food, I started with the tomato bisque with grilled cheese and lobster bites. On its own this would be a 5-star. It was loaded with lobster, although the cheese wasn't melted. It was delicious dipped in the tomato soup. My girlfriend and I had Grey Goose Martinis, which were pretty harsh tasting. My bother had a watered-down Old Fashioned (most restaurants outside of Drink cannot make an Old Fashioned). For my entree I had the short ribs, which are the most expensive entree on the menu at $26. The portion was 1 small short rib, maybe 3-4 ounces. It was tiny and extremely burnt. Like, it was very crispy all over and super dry on the inside. Short ribs are supposed to melt in your mouth - not suck the moisture from your mouth. The short rib(s) was served with chestnut gnocchi which was really good, a spoonfull of pureed carrots, and a beet and endive salad which was just 1 endive with a dollop of bleu cheese dressing - no beets. Without the soup and sandwich previously, I would have been very hungry. My girlfriend and mother had the meatloaf (ma - the meatloaf!) which was great - definitely get that if you go here. Although, my mother's portion was only half the size of my girlfriend's portion, which lead me to believe that they ran out of meatloaf. They made up for it by giving her a Close Encounters sized portion of mashed potatoes (let's see if you kiddies get that reference). Brother had the steak frites which looked a little on the medium well side, but he said tasted good none-the-less. Sister-in-law had the scallops which were also burnt. I like how they validate parking in the Crown Plaza garage, so you don't have to try to find a spot. Newton Corner definitely needs a place like Social, where locals can get a good meal and a cocktail in a modern setting. I think the management needs to fix some of the staffing issues and also work on the execution of the menu. You have great ideas, but they need to be executed properly. I think there is potential here, and with some management tweaks to improve consistency, this could become a 4-star spot.
(3)Retro G.
We went back and found the staff welcoming, food tasty, environment great but they were out of many menu items. We had to make several attempts to place an order. Staff was apologetic, there was a big private party there or in the adjacent hotel. I would go back for a drink, to hear some music and for a light bite.
(3)Nandanie S.
Some of the 2 star reviews are super confusing. I don't want to sound biased... I've only been here for lunch. I'm not too sure about what it's like for dinner or brunch, but my lunch visits have been pretty stellar. It was my friend's birthday, and she decided that she wanted to go to Social. So we went, I ordered, and ate our hearts out. Birthday girl got the chicken flat bread and my other friend and I ordered the burgers. This burger was the one of the best I've had. It had bacon aioli, sauteed onions, and the tomatoes and lettuce were chopped up and mixed into the bacon aioli and then was topped onto the burger, whichever way you wanted your burger cooked. The aioli almost tenderized the meat a little, based on taste and blend of ingredients on the meat. The bun also had this toasty, sweet brioche taste to it, and it was just so damn good. The fries were equally tasty. Parmesan cheese with herbs atop perfectly cooked potatoes. Oh comfort food gods...thanks for introducing Social to us. And here's the icing on the burger cake. Out of nowhere appeared two molten chocolate lava cakes with ice cream. I didn't say anything to the waiter and neither did my friend that it was our friend's birthday. When the birthday girl went to ask about red wines on the list, she mentioned that it was her birthday. I'm sure this prompted the arrival of the chocolate cakes to our table. Love that their attention to detail was so amazing. On behalf of the birthday girl, thank you for making her birthday memorable :)
(5)Tarin L.
I came here with a few co-workers on a Wednesday night. Overall, really solid food - the scallops were delicious and I tried a bite of the short rib which was also worth ordering. My coworker orders the burger which he RAVED about, but I did not have the pleasure of trying it. The pizza wasn't anything special but it was ok But the best part of our dinner was our server Dylan. He had great recommendations and was very accommodating. 5 stars for Dylan.
(4)Tessi D.
Waited for ten minutes after being seated- no contact at all. Restaurant wasn't busy and even seated by host and wait staff saw us. Waited a full 15 minutes with no recognition so we left. Menu looked good so I gave two stars but service was terrible- what happened to a simple "table touch" in the industry?
(2)Kat I.
I really like this place. I went there a couple of times and always got decent food. I always get the tuna tartare and I can also recommend the mussels, hot stone and the fondue as appetizers. The burger , the scallops, and the steak tips are very delicious as well. The drinks are stiff too!
(5)Don P.
1 1/2 hour wait until they brought bread. Food was terrible. Had a group of 15 for a post graduation lunch. Reservation made months in advance. Was told by the Manager that he had "stressed the staff". I told he had also (and primarily) stressed the customers. 15 meals and not one enjoyed. Desserts were good. Parking a joke. My advice...stay away!
(1)Malia R.
I stopped in for a quick dinner on a business trip and had the skirt steak. Service at the Bar was hands down the best service I have had in a long time. If you are in the area, stop by this place and you will not be disappointed!
(5)Ann K.
As you can tell by my yelp history, I don't enjoy writing negative reviews (this is my first), but I feel it's my civic duty to caution you against the Social Restaurant & Bar. We ate the lobster sliders, overly weighted with lettuce and celery (only little bits of meat); the scallops, accompanied by limp asparagus, mottled carrots, and slimy risotto; and the firecracker shrimp, which, albeit edible, were presented on a bed of broken spinach leaves. Overall, the food ranged from "...hmmm, this is odd..." to bad. I had hopes for this restaurant, and was honestly willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, chalking up the negative reviews to larger parties, special circumstances, holiday events, etc., but considering we were the only patrons dining, I can only guess that their issues are systemic. I'm very, very sorry, Social! : (
(1)Elizabeth B.
Just returned from dinner here. A couple of comments: 1. We arrived for our reservation almost 30 minutes late, and rightly enough, they had given away our table. There were no tables left, but they had space at the high chairs and the bar, which was fine with us. The bar seating was really comfy, the bartenders were terrific and friendly, and the view was great. What struck me was that the manager kept apologizing like it was his fault, though of course, it wasn't. He also stopped by midway through our meal to see how we were doing. Great service! 2. They validate parking in the lot on the weekends and I think one weeknights too, but double-check about the weeknights. I could be wrong. Definitely on the weekends though. Given how annoying parking is in Boston, that's a huge plus for me! 3. Husband ordered the Bishop Burger with bleu cheese and loved it. Highly recommend. And the fries were delicious too, handmade with the skin still on them. 4. We also had the chicken lollipops--crispy outside and falling off the bone inside. 5. I ordered the short ribs. The meal was well-prepared and the meat was good but the sides were the highlight. The gnocchi and carrot fondue were both delicious. If I had one critique, it's that I wish there was a little more of the sides on the dish. 6. We totally peaked with the Nutella bread pudding dessert. That thing is insanely good--it's almost as if it's a bread pudding lava cake with the Nutella inside. The caramelized bananas and shaved white chocolate were decadent and delicious (this was definitely good white chocolate, by the way. Not the gross fake kind.) 7. The volume was appropriate. I hate places where you can't carry on a conversation during your meal. Overall, I liked the vibe in this place and I loved the staff. I would definitely return.
(5)Laurie M.
Great staff, food and entertainment!!! Love this place. We are from,Atlanta Georgia and staying at Crown Plaza. After a long day of sight seeing we went to the social for a cocktail and or dinner. Never disappointed!
(5)Michael A.
Mediocre at best. Service was fine, so I'm basing the review simply on the food quality. Dinner was the biggest let down. We are currently staying at the connected Crowne Hotel, and went here based on Yelp reviews. What a mistake. We ordered the Brie fondue appetizer to start. We love Brie cheese, and fresh fruit. This app included little to none of those things. The fondue was basically heavy cream, butter, and a splash of Brie in a mini handled pot. I was expecting a hot plate or bowl, like traditional fondue, but this was clearly a pre-made mix heated in the pan before ordering. The fruit was brown and warm... It was gross. Atleast offer some fresh produce! And the walnuts were inside the cheese bucket... They could have simply put them on the side instead of drowning them in cream. For the main course, we both ordered the flatbread. Whatever you do, DONT order the flatbread. It was wayyy overcooked. And my mozzarella/tomato/basil flatbread literally had Campbell's tomato sauce as the base. I almost threw up. My wife got the goat cheese pizza. Had zero flavor...she ate 3 pieces and quit. Our total bill was $79 after tip, which including a couple drinks. We could see the pizza joint across the street (Max n Earls) and all we kept thinking was "we should have gone there". The answer is simple: go to the pizza joint across the street, not here. We had to force a dunkin donut down after the meal, just to erase the bad taste.
(2)Karen D.
After writing this review, I got a message from one of the owners, Bill, who was very apologetic and made it clear that he values customers. I'm very appreciative that he reached out and was open to hearing the feedback.
(4)Lyndsey C.
Love the atmosphere, the free covered parking, and the service... But the menu... Ohhhh the menu... Everything was absolutely delicious. We tried the tuna tartar, oysters, hot stone meat, short rib ragout flatbread, tomato bisque soup with lobster cheese bites, creme brûlée. The drink menu is expansive and great too and the food menu had plenty of other treats I must try. Additionally, food is high end with many melding flavors and interesting spins and ingredients. Prices are pretty reasonable too. We will return.
(5)Chris P.
Lobster sliders appetizer was a waste of $17. The bun was buttered and grilled perfectly but the lack of lobster meat was laughable. Hot stone app was just okay. Nothing spectacular in terms of taste but presentation was cool. Had the short ribs for main course which was fantastic! Highly recommend. Wife had Yellow fin tuna which was also awesome! decent portion of tuna grilled rare. Overall, good experience and good food. Expect to drop over $100 for two with drinks.
(4)Jeff P.
Great atmosphere. Delicious and plentiful dishes. Great drinks. Our waitress, Kristen was very attentive and friendly, and very knowledgeable regarding the menu. At the end of the night, we really enjoyed dining here and would highly recommend if you are in the area!
(5)Elizabeth S.
Interesting mix here. The place is self-described as "upscale casual" or "casual upscale" - I can't remember, but something along those lines. The food is on par with that. Creative, varied menu, delicious execution. The service and ambiance? Not so much. The atmosphere is more like a Waltham pub than an upscale restaurant, even with the word "casual" added. TVs everywhere, young adults all clad in North Face jackets, older clientele in similar dress as well. Our server was very nice. The kitchen was quite backed up, but the server remained friendly throughout. He didn't write down our order, which made us nervous, and then he was surprised when some of the dishes weren't what we ordered. That's why you write it down, friend! Would I go back? Sure. Like I said, the food was excellent. Would I go back for a special occasion? Nope.
(3)Renee A.
We chose to celebrate our son's college graduation with a lunch at Social. Worst decision ever. What should have been a joyous meal was truly over shadowed by the worst service I have ever received at any restaurant. Not only was the service inexcusable, the food was mediocre at best (and cold). A simple lunch took two and a half hours. I had to go to the host to get menus after sitting there for twenty plus minutes. They did comp our drinks (mostly iced tea and soft drinks) and gave us dessert trays. However, these gestures don't even come close to making up for the atrocious service and cold food. I made the reservations for our group months ago. They acknowledged that they "stressed their staff". Not my problem. Don't accept reservations,then, during Boston's busy graduation weekend. Ruined the day. Not exaggerating. After 90 minutes, they offered us bread. Seriously? Ninety minutes of sitting there and then they tell us there is bread? Terrible. Will never go back. Can't stress enough that this is a place that is not worth the money nor the time. Horrible. Shame on Social. Don't book a party you can't serve.
(1)Alex Z.
My wife bought a Groupon for the Social and we went and checked it out this past Friday with some friends. Front of house was friendly, got us seated quickly. First round of drinks came fast as we were waiting for some others to get there. When our party was finally complete, it then took a little while to get our waiters attention again. I've worked in restaurants so I get it... you get slammed and sometimes it takes a little while to work your way back around; But the restaurant was more then half empty and the other servers were just kinda standing around and talking to each other instead of helping out. We got a flat bread for a shared app which was pretty good. Standard bar pizza fair, but the sauce on it was excellent. Bar did a good job of keeping our drinks coming. I got the Steak Frites for an entree which again was okay; Wasn't crazy about the cut of meat but they did cook it to the correct medium rare. My wife had the scallops which she really liked, and our token vegetarian friend got the pumpkin ravioli which he said was excellent. There was also a live band starting as we were finishing dinner which was a nice touch. Good to have that in the area I will probably come back; food was serviceable (but a little pricey), decent to good service, and free live music... at least on Fridays
(3)Irene W.
This place had a lively ambience on a Thursday night. Great place for dinner, I shared a "chicken lollipop" appetizer with my friend and had the steak frites for myself. The steak was a little bit well done, but otherwise the meal was fine. My friend ordered the salmon and loved the way it was cooked rare, definitely something I will try if I ever stop by this location again. The service was very prompt and the waitstaff was very attentive. Overall, a great dining experience to get dinner with friends! An additional plus is the free validated parking in the garage adjacent to the restaurant.
(5)Rick R.
Was in town on business and brought some colleagues to Social for dinner. Had a really nice time. They have a great wine list and a unique selection of starters. I especially like the "All grown up Philly steak sliders". The gnocchi side is also something very special and not to be missed. I look forward to returning.
(5)Caty M.
My first experience here was pretty negative. It was Sunday brunch and the restaurant was painfully short staffed. Although the servers were still very friendly and doing their best, our first impression was pretty much ruined after waiting for so long to be seated (and being passed by repeatedly by the manger without any sort of acknowledgment). Our meals took a long time and one came out wrong. The second experience was a post wedding party where the emphasis was heavily on the alcohol. Bartender was lovely and the apps that were served were good. I won't go out of my way to come back too soon, but maybe in the future if give it another shot.
(3)Ann G.
So glad they had a Groupon b/c it's very close to my home yet not a place I drive by often, and I hadn't even realized it was there (where the old Applebee's was under the Crowne Plaza). The good: *Service. Our server Bernard was 5* service. Excellent. *Validated, covered parking (also convenient for anyone taking the buses into Newton Corner) *Comfortable atmosphere - not too loud, comfy seating *appetizer portion size and the mussels appetizer (very tasty, good size) *ribs and scallop entrees were all very good. Initially the portions looked small, but they were just right (no leftovers). and everything was cooked perfectly. The mediocre *the side salad with the rib entree was too warm. Not sure if this was intentional. But still tasty *the carrots on the side with the scallop were a little bland, but cooked perfectly The bad --Nothing was bad. We were a little under the weather so we didn't have any drinks, but the cocktails looked clever and would like to go back to try some.
(4)Sharon L.
I threw a retirement party this afternoon at The Social for approximately 60 people. We were set up in the semi-private back area of the restaurant which was perfect for our party. The atmosphere, food, and helpfulness of the staff was amazing. The party went off without a hitch and everyone had a wonderful time. Working with the owners and manager of The Social was a breeze. They were so helpful and accomodating for the party. They worked with me to design the perfect menu, at the right price for this party. When we arrived to set up balloons and a slide show the owners were ready to help us out. They worked hard to make sure that we had everything we needed, including a TV connection for my computer and a microphone for our speeches. The wait staff were eager to serve us, take our drink orders, clean up any leftover plates, and help us out in any way we needed. I highly recommend to everyone that this is the place to have a party. Everyone left our party today talking about when we could have our next event at The Social. This is definitely the place to go for great drinks and amazing food for your next party.
(5)Trudy G.
I had heard decent things about this establishment and they advertised having a Brunch on Easter, good for groups, so we made a reservation several days in advance. Our group was for 5 and when we walked in the restaurant was only half full at best. However, they did not have four or five of the items that we had come for. I'm not sure how you can run out of signature dishes for a brunch that you advertised as good for big groups. After I expressed my disappointment, the waiter apologized, but did nothing else and was not attentive to drinks and water glasses running low at several points. Having the manager come over an apologize would have gone a long way. Given that we had previewed the menu and had identified the cinnamon rolls, the crab cake egg benedict and lobster roll as items we would like to order, it is was very disappointing to have NONE of them be available. If you order the Lemon Ricotta pancakes, don't expect berries and maple syrup, despite what the menu says. My plate came with one sort-of-ripe strawberry and no syrup until I asked. The atmosphere has a lot of potential, but tables have nothing on them (flowers, candles, or even salt and pepper shakers). The food we had was decent, but nothing to go back for again given the other disappointments. They missed the boat with me.
(1)M. Christina T.
Our first time here and we had a wonderful experience! We were celebrating a special occasion; the staff was very personable and attentive. My BF and I requested for a bit more privacy...and was given a nook all to ourselves. We definitely liked the decor and low light ambiance giving the lounge-y feel. There is a front and back section of the restaurant; the back had a more intimate feel. If you're looking for a more lively part of the restaurant we would suggest dining closer to the front/bar area. We went on a Saturday night which had a live band at 9:30 p.m. Onto the food; note we bought a Groupon which included an app. and two (2) entrees. We chose the fondue as our starter. I had the pan-seared scallops and my BF had the espresso rubbed pork tenderloin (cooked medium rare...not sure if it was to be that way). Overall, the food was good; no complaints. We were going to order dessert but to our surprise our server (forgive me, fine sir, but we forgot your name after finishing a bottle of wine) pulls out this DELICIOUS nutella stuffed bread pudding. This young gentleman really helped make our night out truly special and for that we THANK YOU. The management team came around and asked if we were ok...again very attentive. At the end of the night, we really enjoyed dining here and would highly recommend if you are around the area! It's a nice spot away from the touristy attractions nearby. Overall, customer service was exceptional. I say reasonably priced as it is connected to the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
(4)Laurène H.
I hosted a bridal shower at social and it was great. The lunch buffet (sandwiches, appetizers) was really well done. I had actually come for brunch and found the food pretty low quality, so I was a bit apprehensive about my event (based on that experience, I would have given social two stars). However, the quality of the food at the event was phenomenal - including a seared tuna sandwich that makes me hungry just thinking about it. The staff was also very nice, super helpful and accommodating. We bought decorations, flowers, desserts. The event was a success and I am glad we picked social for our venue.
(4)