Warren H.
Yelp
There's always something special and quaint about cafes/bars in a populous area. If it's bustling and filled with both locals and tourists at any time of day, you know you have a special place. Offer up some delicious food with some excellent craft cocktails, and I say that's a recipe for success. I've had the pleasure to visit one such place during my recent trip to Boston and I'm glad it was recommended to me. Let's take a bite into, Parish Cafe & Bar.
The Place (4 out of 5) - Parish Cafe & Bar is located right on Boylston St. in the Back Bay neighborhood so it's surrounded by a lot of foot traffic, and the hustle and bustle of the nearby businesses. Since the general nature of the facades of the buildings in this neighborhood can be a bit hidden, it could be easy to miss; however, the outdoor patio seating area and the constant flux of people going in and out of Parish will make it easy to find! Inside can feel a bit cramped, but the bar is fairly lengthy. During the lunch rush hour or just any busy service, the place can be a bit shoulder to shoulder especially at the tables, but once you settle in, it's actually not that bad.
The Service (4.5 out of 5) - All in all, the service was great! I was greeted by the hostess as I walked in and up the ramp and then when seated at the bar, the bartender was prompt to acknowledge me and get me set up with my place setting, menu, and water. In addition to those two individuals, other additional employees would walk by and make sure I was good and taken care of as well. The food and drinks arrived timely with no mistakes or delays. Really great customer service! No complaints here!
The Food (4 out of 5) - First and foremost, the menu is definitely seasonal and at the time of this writing, the menu has changed since I had been there and I've just been late in writing this review. When I went, for my drink, I had the Candy Apple Mule to start. I'm a sucker for any Mule drinks and when I read Candy Apple Mule, I had to get it! This was a delicious, refreshing drink and tasted like a jolly rancher! Admittedly, I may have had more than one...more like, 4. Next I had an order of onion rings. This was absolutely great and would definitely recommend! It was fried perfectly, super crispy, the onions were tender and soft inside, and the chipotle aioli sauce was a perfect addition of a creamy, saucy bite with a bit of tang to it. I could have had two orders of these and would've been perfectly happy! For my main course, I had the Meatloaf BLT. Was this good? Yes. Was it what I was expecting? Not really. To be fair, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the meatloaf was a bit dry and blended in with the bite/texture of the bread. The bacon was crispy and added a needed saltiness to it and the mashed potatoes it got served with were good as well, but nothing to write home about. I wanted to really like this dish, but it left me wanting more than it offered. I didn't really knock my score down due to this because, let's face it, the onion rings were THAT good.
Overall (4 out of 5) - Parish Cafe & Bar is a great place to come for a bite to eat during your lunch if you happen to work in the area or if you're out and about exploring the Back Bay neighborhood. There's plenty of options to hit different people's palettes and you're for sure to find something to your liking. If not, there's an excellent bar that also serves delicious drinks for those just looking to indulge in a beverage. Either way, the vibe is great and the food and drinks aren't that bad either! Thanks for the hospitality, Parish! Cheers!