concierge "The Virtual Concierge"

I had the pleasure of eating at the Times Irish Pub and I honestly have nothing I can complain about. Our server was polite and prompt in terms of taking our order and getting the food out to our table.

Our table started off with some Buffalo Wings (on the bone). The sauce was sweet and spicy, and the wings were very decent sized.

For an entree I had the Stuffed Rodeo Burger, which I highly recommend. It might very well be the best burger I’ve ever had in Boston. It was perfectly cooked (medium well) and the roll was fresh and buttery.

As far as the location, The Times outdoor patio sits right on the edge of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It’s tucked away from the tourist foot traffic of Faneuil Hall, but it’s still a great location to people watch or grab a few drinks after work.

If you’re in Boston for either a Celtics or Bruins game, the Four’s is a must for your pregame meal. The walls of this two story pub are covered with Boston sports memorabilia and you might even run into a former athlete or two.

On game night, expect the Four’s to be packed, but they do a great job of getting people seated and served so they can be on their way to the game. On non-game nights, there usually isn’t a wait for a table but the place is by no means dead. Even if you’re not going to a game, it’s a nice place to toss back a few and watch sports on one of their HD flat screens.

As far as the food goes, it’s your typical mix of pub food but nothing on the menu will disappoint. Even the fussiest of eaters will find something they like on the Four’s menu. My favorite entree is by far “The Flutie” which is their buffalo chicken sandwich, accompanied with either a side of fries or pasta salad. A close second would be the “Bobby Orr”, otherwise known as the steak tip sandwich. Proceed with caution though, the Bobby Orr requires a fork and knife to devour it.

Price wise the Four’s is extremely reasonable. For an appetizer, two entrees, and a couple of beers, expect to pay about $60-70 including tip (and how many beers you have).

For the tourist who is looking for Boston’s “Cheers”, don’t bother with the tourist trap in Faneuil Hall. The Four’s will give you the experience you’re looking for.

Let me just start out by saying that I’m a big fan of the Black Rose, and I’ve enjoying adult beverages there for almost ten years now (wow has it been that long?).

Although the atmosphere is top notch, especially if you’re in the mood for a classic Irish pub complete with live music, the dining experience is forgettable.

I have dined at the Black Rose twice. The first time was few months ago and I had a cheeseburger, and it good. I wasn’t walking away ranting and raving about how good it was, but I wasn’t complaining either. Basically when it comes to burgers, that’s what I expect – it’s just a burger.

However, my second time dining at the Black Rose I had the boneless buffalo tenders to start. They looked like they had been delivered from Denny’s. For those of you who have had a late night meal at Denny’s (yes that Denny’s), you know what I’m talking about. Bright orange buffalo sauce, that really looks like a buffalo sauce impostor. The tenders were alright, but not what I expected.

For my entree I had a steak and chips. The steak really didn’t pack much flavor, it was slightly over cooked (medium/well as opposed to the medium I ordered), and it came with a ball of butter on it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind butter on my steak. Most restaurants do this to give the steak a nice glimmer and a little extra flavor. However, this was more of a butter topping, almost like you would put on your baked potato.

Overall, I was very disappointed with the food. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first person to tell you to head to the Black Rose to enjoy a fun night out. However, I honestly can’t recommend the food.

Hands down the best seafood in town whether you a local or a tourist. If you’re an out-of-towner I recommend that you go for the Lobster Bake. It comes with a cup of New England clam chowder, mussles, little neck clams, corn on the cob, and a lobster (steamed or backed stuffed with bread crumbs, scallops and shrimp).

I also recommend the lobster bisque, possibly even more so than their World famous chowder.

Legal is a chain, but don’t let that hold you back. These guys have been doing it right for decades. I recommend calling ahead for a reservation particularly if you plan on going for dinner. Most of their restaurants don’t have a lot of room for people to wait for a table, and don’t be surprised if the bar is packed with people who opted to forgo the 45-60 minute wait for a table by pulling up a stool.