Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar

Came here for a bday party. The pig roast done family style is great. The pig itself was perfectly cooked with tender meat and good crackling skin. The sides were also excellent: carrots, cauliflower, corn, Mac and cheese, and sausage stuffing that was amazingly flavorful!

Cozy boothes here for drinks. They let us turn their non alcoholic drink into alcoholic with some spirit which was nice. Good drinks but the fried pickles were awful. They were very sour and just bad...

The irony is that all my companions tonight were not fans of either whiskey nor raw seafood, the two specialties of Citizen Public House, but thankfully all the other food and drink options were plentiful and very delicious! The spicy deep fried pickles were super addictive, the endive winter salad was so flavorful with a very nose-tingly horseradish dressing, cauliflower cream pan fried gnocchi was divine, and especially enjoyed the duck pot pie with root veggies. Our server was so charismatic, attentive and kind. Could not recommend coming here enough! And would love to come back and try their raw seafood bar :)

Amazing! Went during a vacation on a weeknight. Tuna tartare, oysters and steak frites. Great service and large whiskey menu. Delicious cocktails. There was a mixup on the prices of the whiskey pours and the bar manager made it right for us - great service.

Solid place for oysters. Nice and cozy vibe. The food was generally a bit salty (the fish in the smoked fish soup, in particular) but it was a good. Good service and nice, old school Boston vibe. Would go back.

Large restaurant at Boylston street with a lovely outdoor seating area. We had potato smoked fish soup, it was lacking seasoning and tasted bland! The Atlantic cod fish was okay-ish. Tablea at the outdoor seating area aren’t clean.

The burgers meat kind of taste funny. It was dry crumbly, homogenous, and had a weird taste to it. I don't know what they're doing to the beef, and it was really under seasoned and bland.

Appetizers are incredible. Right next to Fenway Park! Everything was delicious. Excellent service.

My husband and I haven't been here in probably ten years, and I'm so glad we tried it again! I appreciate that even though they are known for whiskeys, they have a Zero proof cocktail list. I enjoyed the yummy mango rosemary one. I was also really impressed with our server, Nicole who had memorized my extensive list of allergies upon arrival and had great recommendations! We started with the straciatella eggplant focaccia with pomegranate, basil oil, and balsamic reduction which was unique, and my husband devoured it. I enjoyed the pan fried gnocchi with cauliflower cream which was an awesome vegetarian dish with a great texture and flavor- you would never know there was cauliflower in it because it tasted so cheesy with sage and rosemary. My husband had the steak paillard, which he said was ok. For dessert, you may think you've had great bread pudding before, until you try this toffee bread pudding which is somehow a light yet custardy masterpiece and not cloyingly sweet (sorry Eastern Standard). Also, they validate parking at a nearby lot...I already want to go back!

Great spot close to Fenway but classier vibe than most of the bars around there. Large bar and lots of tables. They said they have the most whiskey in all of Mass which I would agree, they had a large book of everything. We got oysters and turn tartar and they both were amazing. Prices were decent as well. The service was great, I would come back if I was in the area!

The irony is that all my companions tonight were not fans of either whiskey nor raw seafood, the two specialties of Citizen Public House, but thankfully all the other food and drink options were plentiful and very delicious! The spicy deep fried pickles were super addictive, the endive winter salad was so flavorful with a very nose-tingly horseradish dressing, cauliflower cream pan fried gnocchi was divine, and especially enjoyed the duck pot pie with root veggies. Our server was so charismatic, attentive and kind. Could not recommend coming here enough! And would love to come back and try their raw seafood bar :)

Aeperol spritz was amazing and refreshing. Oyster was bit small but pricey. Burger tasted great with juicy and tender beef. Love the portion for both salad and Burger. It was overall a great experience and nice staffs.

This place is SO GOOD. Their pig roast event is a must and worth the money. They serve an entire pig with multiple appetizers and drinks. I highly recommend. Enjoyed everything we ate and had a ton of leftovers to savor for the next few days.

We dined here tonight for my husband's birthday and it was nothing short of fantastic. The Almost Summer cocktail was one of the best I've had and the Cobb Salad with grilled chicken was amazing. Sal was the kindest waiter we've had in a long time and made our dining experience that much better! Well definitely be back and give this restaurant 11/10!!

Came here with a party of 10 for their pig roast! We booked this over a month in advance to make sure we could have the time and date we wanted and their reservation process was pretty easy and simple with just a few emails and a call to confirm. We were seated behind the bar at a long table that was half booth half seats. The place was really loud and super lively - arguably though, the music could've been turned down since it was a little too loud in my opinion and I could barely hear the people sitting right next to me. They didn't begin serving us until everyone had arrived, but that was fine. The food started coming out gradually once they put the order in and we were surprised at just how much we got - the meal starts with some seafood so one oyster, clam, and jumbo shrimp per person. Each was pretty good and the quality was pretty decent. The pig and sides slowly started coming out once the seafood was finished - the pig itself looked pretty awesome and they let you take pictures before cutting it up. The sheer amount of meat and sides was more than filling. On top of the pork, there was stuffing, carrots, cauliflower, mashed potatoes, corn, and mac n cheese. I felt they relied a bit too much on barbecue sauce though as it was smothered all over the carrots and pork. The mashed potatoes were also flavorless and the mac n cheese seemed to be lacking in cheese. The charcuterie of the head at the end was really nice and a good way to ensure most parts of the head didn't go to waste. Service was a little lacking as it was difficult to flag any server down to get the check or more water. The one thing preventing this from being a three star review though was that the manager of the restaurant was willing to discount the overall price due to a miscommunication - there was a part of the website that stated $58 per person pre tip and tax, but their in person menu said a number more than $60. They were kind enough to honor the lower price as we had all gone in with that expectation - this made it closer to $70 overall per person not including drinks. Overall, I think the experience was okay - the price we paid felt fair, but the actual price might not be as worth it. It's definitely a lot of food and we all got to take leftovers home, but the quality of the main course itself was a little lacking. Definitely a fun thing to do with friends though!

My first meal in Boston. It's 500 feet from the hotel so it is too convenient. A very cool place with a lot of chill people, nice wait staff. We started with some local ousters. Very fresh and tasty, briny. The cocktail sauce was very well made. My wife ordered fish and chips. The fish is a nice, thick, flaky, juicy cod. Absolutely delicious. Better than London! I ordered a few items from the raw bar, half lobster tail, crab claws, long neck clam, and cracked claws, shrimp cocktail. As expected, everything is nice and fresh. Only criticism is the lobster is small for $22. Everything went down easy with some delicious local beer.

The chowder & espresso martinis! Also the shrimp cocktail was so fresh, we couldn't stop ordering more. We lucked out with getting a table after not having a reservation. We would definitely come back next time we're in town.

So fun! Great menu. Delicious craft cocktails. Warm focaccia with caramelized onion butter- so unique & tasty. Oysters were perfection & their vinaigrette was bomb. Loved the chicken parm slider too!

Great place to stop and have some good drinks. We're not from the area but stopped here two nights in a row.

We had a great experience. Shrimp toast along with the cod loin and duck confit pot pie were outstanding. A great whiskey list that we will happily try to dive further into on our next visit.

Wonderful selection of oysters and beers and whiskey. We had a great server and ate lots of oysters! Absolutely delicious and $3.50 apiece. Do not get the gnocchi mac n cheese as it was awful. The atmosphere is so fun and this place is open pretty late.

We came here before a Red Sox game on the weekend and had the worst experience. This review in no way reflects the servers/bartenders/mangers on at all and is a direct representation of the incompetence of whoever owns this establishment. Once seated, our drink orders were taken. Then, the server came back and told us that most of the menu was unavailable: any and all raw bar, salads, charcuterie board, tuna, etc. Then about 4-5 beers listed on the menu were also out. It would've just been easier to get a list of items that were actually available as that list would have been much shorter than what they were out of. Once we each decided on 1 of the 4 available entrees that day, we waited almost an hour for our food. One member of our party wasn't served her meal until 15 minutes after everyone at the table was, when we asked the server where her meal was he replied "they should be making it." ?? Weird. But like I said, I'd imagine it being stressful and embarrassing working at a place that isn't fully stocked at 230pm on a Saturday.. like why even open?? On top of all of this, there was a hair in my brothers food. We couldn't even comment on this because we felt so bad for all the employees. The manager was extremely understanding and made amends with our terrible experience. However, I still wanted to write a review to get the attention of whoever owns this. Like, please, actually quit this day job and just stick to what you you know- dinner. Nobody needs an experience like this before a Red Sox game (which we ended up being late to btw). I feel sorry for all of their employees. I'm actually surprised they still have any.

The hanger steak and frites was to die for. The best meal I have had in a LONG time!!!

GREAT meal, TERRIFIC service from Trent. We had oysters that he recommended--very good. Then fish and chips, which was a large portion and good (not thick nor bready) fry on the fish. Good wine selection, and a good martini. Be happy and stop by. You'll be lucky if you have Trent as your server!

Nice ambience (we sat at the bar), though a bit too dark for my aging eyes! Tasty cocktails and good food - we shared a frisee/endive salad and fish-and-chips (very fresh fish, crisp coating, good fries). Recommended for a cocktail and a bite in the Fenway area. Bonus: less expensive than Eastern Standard.

I came here a few times before the pandemic, but it wasn't a regular spot of mine. Decided to make a reservation for this past Sunday night before heading to the Thundercat concert at House of Blues. We had a 6 PM rez, but were a little late and got there at 6:08. They sat us right away at a small table for two. I wish I had gotten the server's name because she was great. There were a couple of issues which she handled quickly and professionally. The first issue was that I unwrapped my rollup and there was a massive amount of food stuck to the fork. Like - I don't know how it made it out of the kitchen like that. I got a new one quickly. The second issue was the raw platter. We ordered 4 oysters and 4 shrimp to start. One of the four oysters still had shell on the top. For a restaurant that has "Oyster Bar" in its name, that is not ok. I learned how to suck oysters during quarantine and mine are way better. Also, the shrimp were kind of tiny for the price - at least they tasted good. When I sent the 1 poorly shucked oyster back, two came in its place, which I didn't expect and appreciated. For dinner, we shared the fish and chips. Both the fish and fries were fried well. Good crunch on the fries as well as the fish with a tender inside. No complaints there. We ordered a couple of cocktails which were also just ok. The manager (Marquis?) stopped by and said hello. He was very personable and nice. So, service was very good, but the end product was "ok". I would come back and give them another shot down the line for sure.

I was in Boston for one night and decided to stop in for dinner because it was across from when I was staying (The Verb, an awesome rock n roll hotel). I sat at the bar and found the restaurant to be my type of place, with dark wood and natural lighting. The bartender gave me excellent suggestions from the extensive whisk(e)y and spirits menu. I indulged in the Nikka Coffee Malt flight, which was excellent. I started with a half a dozen delicious local oysters (selection changes frequently) and then had the fish and chips as an entree; the fish was fresh and flaky, with just the right amount of crispy batter, complemented by nice crispy fries. Highly recommended.

(3.5 stars) Food was pretty solid but also very pricey for the quality. Appetizers were relatively small and also on the rich side. Enjoyed the burger and the Fries, but the best part of them was the Buffalo sauce I asked for on the side to add some heat/flavor, otherwise it was just a little plain.

SO GOOD. IF YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO READ MY WHOLE REVIEW JUST KNOW THE MAC AND CHEESE GNOCCI IS SO DELICIOUS. YOU MUST ORDER my go to order- 1. Fried pickles and peppers 2. Ricotta and honey baguette 3. Mac and cheese gnocci 4. Cucumber Collins Trust me. Its tried and true. V good when a little tipsy and also when sober- tbh the greatness is multiplied with drinks coming. The staff are great. Love the vibe. So yummy and usually have room for walkins

The restaurant is located right next to Fenway; therefore, they should be expecting a crowd when there are games. We went in just for drinks and the tab came out to 32$, the bartender then proceeded to give me back all of my change in $5 bills. She already had a terrible attitude and obviously did not want to be at work. I found this very disrespectful will not go back. The devil is in the details.

The seafood options are absolutely divine! Love everything about this place- from the portions, the ambiance and the service. Prices are a bit on the higher end, but there is value for what you're paying for. I can appreciate that. Highly recommended!

I was sad to see we were the only group dining here around 6pm on a Sunday night. Maybe it was just early, but I'm guessing it's due to fear about COVID. To that end, all the staff was wearing PPE, the maximum occupancy is heavily reduced, tables are spaced for social distancing, and there was plexiglass between most of them. We felt VERY safe and comfortable with their safety measures here and the bar and tables were immaculately clean. Our server, Shelby, was super friendly and helpful throughout the evening too. We found the food to a fault, to be flavorful, nicely presented, and properly cooked. The medium-rare burgers were actually medium-rare and the fish (cod) was flaky and not dried out. I'd certainly recommend the charcuterie board and/or oysters to start your meal here. The oysters were very fresh and they had a great selection of local & regional varieties.

My wife and I went to our first Sox game in 6 years and we had about an hour to spare before the first pitch -- we were looking for a drink or two and some quick, delicious food. We walked into Citizen and the hostess was welcoming AND efficient. We chose to sit at the end of the bar, right at the oyster-shucking station. Within seconds, our server greeted us, gave us menus and brought us up to speed on the evening's oyster selections. He returned at just the right time; we splurged for a dozen oysters (4 each of PEI, Maine, and Barnstable) and ordered drinks. The drinks and shellfish arrived in a timely fashion and I must say they were some of best damn oysters we've had in quite some time! Ridiculously fresh; great flavors and mouthfeel from all 3 varieties. The mignonette was outstanding! They offered an Italian rosato from Lombardy (blend of 3 different grapes) and it was as delicious. Bright berry flavors up front, balanced by the perfect amount of acidity. Our server returned at the right time (halfway through oyster heaven) and we decided to split the fish and chips. It arrived with impeccable timing and was equally outstanding! The fish was incredibly fresh, the batter delicious (rich, but not too heavy) and the perfect level of crispiness. The hand-cut fries were right on the money, and the aioli that came with them was amazing. It didn't take long at all to get our check and settle up, and we were in our seats at Fenway with ten minutes to spare! Everything about our experience at Citizen was excellent. The vibe, the friendly efficiency of our server, the overall cleanliness, employees clearly taking pride in their work, and the absolutely scrumptious food made for a memorable experience. All this in under an hour! We will be back, for sure.

Complete fall!! At the bar, the bartender forgot our order repeatedly, then brought us the wrong drinks. At our dining table, salad came without proper toppings and without chicken while one person ( there were 3 of us) didn't get meal at all. Finally, that person's meal came while I was still waiting for chicken and toppings for my salad. The other 2 people had finished eating before my chicken came. It was completely dry and my salad was mostly gone by the time it showed up. It's really a shame they screwed up so badly because I dine in this area weekly before events and/or concerts in this area...

Nice restaurant in Boston that offers indoor and outdoor seating. Came her with my fiend for some oysters and drinks. I am a lover of margaritas and i just wasn't fond of the drinks. For the price of the drinks i would expect a real margarita and not sour mix. If you are looking for oysters, they have a really nice selection of different kinds. We tried 12 of three different types, overall the oysters were great but come at a cost of about $3.25 per oyster. . I think that the staff could be a bit more friendly and the hostess gave us a bit of a hard time as we made online reservations for that evening but she tried to gaslight us saying we did it for tomorrow, even though we had confirmation on our phone for that evening. We did find two seats at the bar instead. In conclusion, the food was pricey but good, staff could be kinder and not so rude. My vote 3 stars!

Soooo hungry from my Boston trip and stopped by this place to eat. It's a solid bar to go and wind down after a hard day's work. The food is really good and their selection of liquor is great as well. Patrick was an amazing server who was able to attend to all our needs. We had oyster, meatball sliders, fish and chips and the ricotta crostini which all were excellent recommendations and choices!! I highly recommend and will be back for sure!

Among all the oysters that I tried while visiting Boston, these were my favorites. We were luckily seated in front of the lady who opened the oysters, who by the way was a total sweetheart! We got to see all the dishes being prepared while enjoying ours. We got the four kinda of oysters that they were offering that week, plus a shrimp cocktail. Everything was so fresh and well prepared, price wise was good too! Drinks were spectacular and the place too! The only reason why I am decreasing one star is because how disorganized they were on service, which doesn't make me that mad but it will be a completely fantastic spot if they would work on it. Our server was super nice, just got very busy even though the place was not busy at all. We will go back as soon as we are in Boston again

Unbelievable food, atmosphere and service. Sal was a terrific server. The food is to die for. The ricotta crustini with honey and thyme. So good. Best mussels I've ever had in my life! A truly unique experience!

One of my favorite spots in Boston. Cozy, unpretentious and delicious food and drinks. OH and I don't care how full you are, you need to order the bread pudding. It's rich and decadent, and the perfect size. You can thank me later.

Came in on a snowy day, and had their fish chowder, and these INCREDIBLE oysters from Stonington. They have a proper bar and have an immense selection. Would return next time in town!

Has always passed by this bar. The business is also packed and popular. The food is tasty. We sat by the bar today because we don't have a reservation. So rmb to book ahead if you want a table especially on weekend. I ordered the steak and Fries and friend ordered the lamb main. Both really tasty. I also liked the creamy burrata black truffle.

Drinks here are really bad. The sangria was not drinkable and we had to send it back. The Moscow mule was just OK, but I would never order drinks here again. The fish and chips were very good. If the drinks matched the quality of the food then it would be an easy 5/5 stars. I would never come here again though.

August 19th, Saturday. 2 people. Total $112 Stopped here for dinner before a concert at Fenway. Drinks were good (Dirty Martini, rum and whiskey drink and espresso martini). Food was mediocre. We ordered the Ricotta Crostini which came with a woman's hair in the dish. My husbands burger was ordered medium and came medium rare. I ordered a second drink (espresso martini with baileys) and it came out without the shot of baileys. We had a reservation and we felt very rushed, the main entrees came out 3 minutes after our appetizers came out. We didn't even finish putting our appetizers on our plate before our main dish was brought to our table. Our server was nice. She was attentive and remembered our orders and acknowledged each of the mistakes that we brought to her attention. Our only complaint is that she didn't offer any solution to make our experience better in response to the problems we described. It seemed as though either the kitchen was understaffed or they just weren't prepared for the high demand of serving dinner before a show at Fenway. Wouldn't recommend - suggest choosing a different restaurant in the area for dinner and drinks before the show.

My husband, son, and I went to Citizen Public House at the early hour of 5:30pm. We always joke about making early dinner reservations, the hostess always thinks we are going to be like 90, but we like to eat early because of our son. His bedtime is early! Upon arrival, we were the only people there. The restaurant had just opened. It is located in the heart of Fenway. A lot to do, and many fun restaurants. My husband and I were seeking a nice, dinner experience. Oysters, cocktails, the whole thing. My husband was in heaven. He loves oysters and bourbon and they market themselves as an oysters and bourbon restaurant. We were escorted to a booth in the back, talked away from the traffic for our son. We were greeted almost immediately by our server, Chase. He will go down in history as one of the best servers. Very attentive, patient in answering all of our questions. His interaction with our son was adorable as well! He gave his honest opinion about the menu and helped us with our choices. The menu had some great options. We chose the burrata for an appetizer to share and a half dozen oysters on the half shell from 3 different areas. My favorite was the Lakeville. Considering it was a bourbon bar, my husband ordered Blantons on the rocks and I ordered The Perfect Manhattan. The menu offered many interesting craft cocktails. We had a hard time choosing our dinner items so Chase helped explain all of our dish contenders. We were so happy with our final choices. My husband ordered the lamb dish and I had the Capes Cod with seafood risotto. Everything was nice and light, as Chase had explained. Overall, this was the perfect dinner experience and exactly what we were looking for. We would come back here in a heartbeat. I highly recommend it. Also, shout out to Chase for making our dinner experience even better!

Best oysters we've ever had! Our server, Sal was so very helpful and friendly! This is the best seafood spot around in Boston! Top notch!

The Summary: Atmosphere - 5/5 Neighborhood - 4/5 Food - 5/5 Drinks - 5/5 Inclusivity - 5/5 Experience - 5/5 The Story: I've walked by this spot multiple times and there are always people there having a great time, I had to see for myself! My boyfriend and I had a reservation and were seated quickly at one of their tables outdoors. This restaurant has a great space for outdoor dining so I felt safe & comfortable the entire time. Whether you're just eating with one other person, with a group of friends, or using equipment like a stroller or wheelchair, there's enough space to accommodate so everyone can have a good time. Our waiter was impressively nice and attentive. I had the "What's the Craic?" Burger and one of their new, creative cocktails while my boyfriend had the Lemon Chicken. Everything tasted *great*, and despite everything going on we had a fun, normal night out. Can't wait to go back, and to also take advantage of their generous to-go options.

Great vibes, came for late apps and drinks and was pleasantly surprised! Our waiter was wonderful and very accommodating, and the quality of everything was great.

We had a great meal at citizens! My bf and I came here for a night out and we're not disappointed. We started with the tasting platter. For our meals, we got the sirloin burger and the lamb risotto. Our server griffin was excellent and so welcoming. We also loved our food runner, Morgan. They made our entire experience even more wonderful! Thank u citizens for a successful date night.

Came here for drinks yesterday, amazing service and great drinks. The drink menu is extensive with cocktails, beers, wine, liquors, and more. I got cucumber Collins, super fresh. definitely on the sweeter side. I also got the fried pickles which were good. They came with a ranch like dipping sauce. Super crispy.

Was pretty empty on a Sunday evening so we got seated right away at a booth. Two of us shared a Cobb salad and burger and both were delish. Very laid back, I would definitely go back.

A very special evening!! Left work heading home and decided to stop for a bite. Love this place!! Love everything about it! Atmosphere . . great vibe . . food was amazing and what made it super special is the staff . . our server Sal was excellent! Beautiful service with a big smile and the GM Marquis was truly amazing!! He was watchful and making sure things were running smoothly . . he was kind & friendly kindhearted . . fun night!!

This is a hidden gem in Fenway that I recently discovered. Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar is definitely underrated and overlooked! This place is my new favorite place for a late bite. The best part is the kitchen stays open late unlike some restaurants that close their kitchen super early even though the restaurant stays open. The food on the menu is super delicious. This took me by total surprise! I did not expect the quality and taste of the food to be this delicious!!! I was expecting your typical bar food but this is definitely a gastro pub! They have a wide selection of whisky, cocktails, wine and beer. They also have a full menu. My favorite dish on the menu is the roasted chicken. I usually don't order chicken at a restaurant but this is by far the best chicken dish I have ever eaten! The chicken was beautifully roasted and it was well seasoned and moist. The veggies on the side was cooked perfectly. I also tried the citizen sirloin burger here and it was cooked to a perfect temperature. It was super delicious! Service here was superb! Our server was attentive and gave us some great recommendations. I highly recommend checking this place out for a drink or dinner when you are in the area!

Came here because we were staying at the Verb Hotel right across the street and couldn't find a restaurant in the what felt like the whole city of Boston without a wait or reservation. We weren't sure what to expect but damn were those burgers amazing. And being just south of $20 a pop (this place isn't cheap) the burger better be amazing. And damn this thing delivered. Juicy, flavorful, huge...it's rare a burger is so good the bacon on top feels like an afterthought, but that's exactly what happened here. I was stuffed after eating half and I'm a prominent man. The burrata appetizer with prosciutto was also really good. Super quick service and they timed all the food perfectly.

So so good! Had 14 oysters and two burgers and a few cocktails. Service was amazing and the place is so cute. Made a reso and the best thing to do as it gets crowded. Loved the oysters and so fresh.

Food and service was excellent. We enjoyed great fresh oysters and outstanding stuffed to the max lobster rolls. We were seated right away for our reservation of 5 and had a great experience. Highly recommended.

Incredible whisky selection! Food was delicious, burger was unreal. Bartenders were very social and fun.

Came here to celebrate my significant other's birthday and could not have been more pleased. We ordered two whiskey flights and smoked mussels to start. Note, the flights are preset which was great as you can choose the style/type that you want to try. The mussels were plump and flavorful! For dinner, we ordered the filet mignon and the "what's the Craic" burger (which came with crunchy fries), and a side of foraged mushrooms. All were prepared fantastically and not too salty for our tastes. For dessert, we ordered the bread pudding and it was lovely. I'd highly recommend getting transportation here as I can't imagine it'd be easy on a Friday night to get street parking. Also, it is a smaller place so it isn't the quietest, but I had no problem holding a conversation.

This place is awesome. Amazing everything especially the mini fried scallop roll and toffee bread pudding.