Central Kitchen

just because you are better looking than most places in central, does not mean you can overcharge and fool people about food quality with your wanna be french glass water bottles. just not good enough. sorry. Pros: next door to cool bar Cons: expensive, conveyer belt like, bad service more

The menu featured a "Lobster Clam Bake": Lobster tail, little neck clams, potato (fixed some fancy way) for... more

In short: Overpriced, rude, amateurish. The details: The menu featured a ""Lobster Clam Bake"": Lobster tail, little neck clams, potato (fixed some fancy way) for $27. The dish arrived: a miniature lobster tail (2 inches long at most, 1 inch wide); 3 little neck clams; 3 slices of potato. I called the waiter back: ?Please tell the owner that this meager portion for $27 is an embarrassment to the restaurant.? The waiter apologized, said he?d take it off the bill (so far, so good) and then proceeded to remove the plate! He asked if I?d like to order another dish. ?No!? A few minutes later he returned to inform me that ?Lobster is an expensive dish. This same meal at another restaurant would be more than $30.? I informed him that the market price of lobster is currently at a low point ? lobstermen get $3 per pound these days. more

The menu featured a "Lobster Clam Bake": Lobster tail, little neck clams, potato (fixed some fancy way) for $27. The dish arrived: a miniature lob... more

A tough call, dinner here is good but run run run away when it comes to lunch. I rarely write reviews, but after being served an inside out chicken-pot pie with semi-cooked frozen vegetables and an overabundance of parsley (incidentally they seem to want to add this to everything during lunch) I should have learned my lesson. When I suggested they not use frozen veg. They hostess seemed perturbed and then responded that it wasn't her problem. Dinner good, lunch run away. Pros: Dinner here is great (service, value everything) Cons: Lunch here is very very bad more

Went there last night for father's day. Excellent service, good wine, and great food. My steak was as good or better than Morton's. Also, the portions aren't tiny, so you get what you pay for. My only quibble was that the caesar salad was fairly generic, it would have been neat if they'd made it more fun. Pros: Food, service, atmosphere Cons: It's a bit pricey, so check the website to make sure it's in your budget more

I will keep this simple and to the point . My friend and I both had the veal and after a few bites we looked at each other and said this tastes exactly like beef stew from a can, at best. Since you are paying over $100 for dinner, there are too many better restaurants in the area, go somewhere, anywhere, else. more

In trying to be hip, the servers just succeed at being rude. The wine list is exceptional, food so-so. Pros: good wine list Cons: horrible service, so so food more

I have to give the exact opposite review of that below. After an entirely unsatisfactory evening at Rendezvous the first thing I thought was ""I should have gone to Central Kitchen."" I have never had a dissapointing meal here. The cheese plates are always an option and the mussels are excellent. I loved the pork tenderloin and the seared halibut when they were options. The menu, though small, is inventive and changes often. It can be expensive but the prices match the meals. The wine list is definitely not your usual ""house red"" and the staff can readily suggest something if you are less than a connoisseur. Pros: Another reason for the greatness of Central Sq Cons: Very small. Not good for large groups. more

A small but well developed menu of tasty dishes that changes seasonally. I especially recommend the mussels. more

A small but well developed menu of tasty dishes that changes seasonally. I especially recommend the mussels. more

I've been to Central Kitchen a number of times, for drinks and dinner, and every time it dissapoints. While the wine list is impressive, and the staff knowledgable about it, the negatives far outway the positives. Food is overpriced and poorly done- the frites with my mussels were placed directly in the bowl, resulting in a soupy mess. My date's steak, ordered rare, came well done, and when we asked about it, nothing was done. Also, I have never had such poor service in a restaurant of this supposed caliber. Rude and inattentive bartenders are strictly unacceptable, particularly when I am paying $100+ for dinner. I won't be back- Rendezvous, across the street, beats this place by miles. Pros: Great wine list. Cons: Awful service, overpriced. more

When you wlk into this place, it's dark and warm..very neighborhood-like atmosphere. The food price isn't too chep, but it's absolutely worth it! People, try this place. The place was packed, and I could see why - prompt service, nice wine, very excellent food in every aspect. Absolutely no complaint. Bravo! Pros: Superb quality in food Cons: small, tables very close to each other more

The food varies but is generally lovely, better than Oleana, for example. Steak-frites and creme brulee better than Paris; had a brook trout meal last night that was simply exquisite. Drinks excellent; knowledgeable, pleasant staff. My problem is the noise level. I'm not asking for silence, but seems to me that food of such high quality deserves an atmosphere in which one might be able to converse without having to shout across the small, rather intimate tables as if one were in a sports bar during a Patriots' game. more

An unassuming entrance leads to a dark and elegant bar/dining area that is a total surprise after the walk up Mass Ave in Central Square. The entire staff have tasted the wine list, and their knowledge shows. The list is interesting, and features many wines that you may not have heard of, but will want to get to know. We drank an Alsatian Pinot Gris that was a knock-out. The menu is a mix of classic and creative, and while it is not extensive, what they serve is properly and inventively prepared. The steak frites that I ordered was perfection, as good as any I've had in Paris or Montreal. The frites must have been cooked in goose fat. Our party of four all found the dining experience to be fun and delicious, a place one wants to return to. It is casual and a little funky, but classy in its own way, and they have a large second floor that offers late night socializing. There is a parking lot with meters behind the restaurant, but be careful not to park in the grocery store lot, which is directly behind the restaurant. We liked Central Kitchen and will return soon. Pros: Excellent, friendly staff; wonderfully prepared food; a fun place Cons: Central Square...it is what it is. more

Central Kitchen was my ""home bar"" when I was a visiting professor at MIT for about 6 months. The inviting buzzy atmosphere and warm, cozy feel of the place kept me coming back to hang out at the bar after a long day at work. It's busy and a nice spot to chat as you sit nibbling at some great little plates of cheese, olives or charcuterie. The food is marvelous and always struck me as very intelligently put together, covering both the down to earth satisfaction of bistro fare and the inventive twists that surprise you and lift a meal beyond expectations. Execution was always polished - in perhaps a dozen meals, I never had a bad experience. The roast chicken was particularly memorable. I always had the sense that there was someone really thoughtful and professional on the other side of those swing doors, someone with a deep feel for good food, and real food. Everything seemed to work. Nothing whacky or excessively showy, but great presentations that could have you believing you're inProvence for the night. I found several wines on the list to satisfy my picky classic euro-tastes, but there's enough variety for everyone. Service and welcome in the dining section nothing but friendly and efficient. At the bar there was often good conversation with the bartenders, or other patrons. However, I can't say I was ever really made to feel ""at home"" there, despite dozens of visits. With the exception of one or two male bartenders, there was a certain coolness about the place, which was a little saddening for a loyal and very appreciative customer far from home. But maybe that's Cambridge for you. Pros: Food, design layout, atmosphere more

Central Kitchen never disappoints. The menu always has a variety vegetarian, fish and meat selections in both the appetizer and entree categories. Everything from start to finish is flavorful and perfectly prepared. Special requests or requests for substitutions are handled graciously. The ambience is nice with kind of a NYC feeling, my only complaint would be it's sometimes a little dark to read the menu and they could use a curtain to block the wind in winter. The menu doesn't seem to change very often but the steak and frites are always welcome standby! I would recommend reservations but the staff is always very helpful trying to squeeze you in when they can. Pros: Tasty Food, Ambience more

Nothing beats Central Square and nothing beats the Kitchen. It's become a weekly staple amongst my friends. Pros: Good Wine, Good Service, Enormous Room Cons: no fries on the side more

Excellent atmosphere & service, the food was interesting and very good, the prices were appropriate... and the wine was wonderful. We had raw oysters, which were excellent. A simple salad, which was thoroughly but not overly dressed with an understated vinagrette. A ""parisian"" shellfish stew dish with a very intense and wonderful broth. Steak frites was very good, not the best ever, but there were several perfect bites; the fries were excellent. And now to the wine. The glass list was very good; I had a Barolo which made me very happy. The bottle list contained many attractive and reasonably priced choices. But the reserve list was the real surprise: bottle after bottle of the best wines from famous chateaus, some with considerable age, all priced scarcely above retail! We did not resist. Our vintage Bordeaux was decanted properly and served in appropriately large glasses. We were not disappointed. more

Special occasion dinner was the setting, nice modern spot interesting menu, the food was as good as the wine selection. We ordered a bottle of red wine, one I was familiar with and love, except it arrived refrigerated, not chilled but flat out COLD, the bottle was sweating from the change of temperature. When I mentioned it I was told that it is the way they serve red wine there, long story short: this became a series of embarrassing exchanges, scorning comments and looks that was finalized by me putting my foot down and asking them to take it back and them accusing me of trying to get free wine, after I didnt even drink it. The wait staff and management were so extremely rude that I will never go back, if you love red wine, STAY AWAY!!! Pros: Decor, Food, Music Cons: , Manager, Wine more