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Name: Back Deck
Address: 2 West St, Boston, MA, 02111
Telephone: (617) 670-0320
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 2.92

Back Deck

2 West St, Boston, MA, 02111

(617) 670-0320
Store is closed

Back Deck Menu

Dessert

Back Deck S'more

Snicker Sundae

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Sundae

Warm Indian Pudding

Arroz Con Leche

Double Chocolate Pudding

Bowl of Toscanini's Ice Cream

Nutcracker Sweets

Back Deck S'more

Snicker Sundae

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Sundae

Warm Indian Pudding

Arroz Con Leche

Double Chocolate Pudding

Bowl of Toscanini's Ice Cream

Nutcracker Sweets
Coffee and Tea

Coffee

Espresso

Cappuccino or Double Espresso

Tea

Coffee

Espresso

Cappuccino or Double Espresso

Tea
Beverages

Fountain Sodas

A J Stephan's Root Beer or Cream Soda

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

MEM Iced Tea

Back Deck Lemonade

Orange, Cranberry or Apple juice

Saratoga Springs, Still Or Sparkling Water

Fountain Sodas

A J Stephan's Root Beer or Cream Soda

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

MEM Iced Tea

Back Deck Lemonade

Orange, Cranberry or Apple juice

Saratoga Springs, Still Or Sparkling Water
Kids Menu-Salads

Small Green Salad

Small Caesar

Small Green Salad

Small Caesar
Kids Menu-Fruit and Veggies

Carrot Sticks or Green Beans

Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Yogurt Dip

Carrot Sticks or Green Beans

Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Yogurt Dip
Kids Menu-Small Plates

Grilled Chicken Wings

Grilled Cheese

PB & J

Chicken Dinner

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Hot Dog with Fries

Pasta Alfredo

Plain Noodles

Grilled Chicken Wings

Grilled Cheese

PB & J

Chicken Dinner

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Hot Dog with Fries

Pasta Alfredo

Plain Noodles

Healthy Meal suggestions for Back Deck

Dessert

Back Deck S'more [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Snicker Sundae [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Sundae [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Warm Indian Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Arroz Con Leche [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Double Chocolate Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bowl of Toscanini's Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Nutcracker Sweets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Back Deck S'more [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Snicker Sundae [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Sundae [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Warm Indian Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Arroz Con Leche [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Double Chocolate Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bowl of Toscanini's Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Nutcracker Sweets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Coffee and Tea

Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Espresso [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cappuccino or Double Espresso [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Espresso [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cappuccino or Double Espresso [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Beverages

Fountain Sodas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

A J Stephan's Root Beer or Cream Soda [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

MEM Iced Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Back Deck Lemonade [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orange, Cranberry or Apple juice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Saratoga Springs, Still Or Sparkling Water [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fountain Sodas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

A J Stephan's Root Beer or Cream Soda [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

MEM Iced Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Back Deck Lemonade [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orange, Cranberry or Apple juice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Saratoga Springs, Still Or Sparkling Water [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Kids Menu-Salads

Small Green Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Small Caesar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Small Green Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Small Caesar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Kids Menu-Fruit and Veggies

Carrot Sticks or Green Beans [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Yogurt Dip [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carrot Sticks or Green Beans [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Yogurt Dip [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Kids Menu-Small Plates

Grilled Chicken Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

PB & J [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Dinner [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Hot Dog with Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Alfredo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Plain Noodles [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

PB & J [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Dinner [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Hot Dog with Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Alfredo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Plain Noodles [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.

Boston Common Coffee Co. ( 97 Salem St )

Einstein Bros Bagels ( 725 Commonwealth Ave )

Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.

Einstein Bros Bagels ( 725 Commonwealth Ave )

Write An Anonymous Review

Emily D.

Friday night drinks and dinner with the girls and I'll probably not return any time soon. The drinks were good, I ordered the Spiked Strawberry Lemonade [strawberry vodka, amaretto, grapefruit & Back Deck Lemonade]. It was everyone's favorite.. a couple girls ordered the Blueberry Limoncello Cooler and wasn't too happy with it. They ended up ordering the mine after. The food wasn't really anything exciting. On the menu it sounded great but when we got our meals, we left a bit unsatisfied. I ordered Mexicali Burger - pepper jack, sliced avocado & green chili salsa, chipotle mayo on the side. Sounds great, but my burger was over done and bland, the avocado was in huge chunks which made eating in a sandwich really difficult. I had the potato salad as my side and it was flavorless. The portions are small but since I was "meh" about it.. it didn't bother me. A couple others had burgers and felt the same way, minus one friend who had the Shrimp Skewers. She enjoyed hers and a side of mash potatoes which she loved. She did mention the corn bread was super dry. I would say go for drinks.. but don't expect an amazing dinner.
(2)
Sean J.

Solid burgers and good service. The Mexicali burger is really good, especially with the chipotle mayo on it. The design of the restaurant is a little strange, kind of feels like a restaurant you would find at an amusement park.
(3)
Sarah D.

3 appropriately unenthusiastic stars. This is a place that I did not know existed before yesterday. Since yesterday, I have come to realize that it exists, and am now wondering why it exists. MYSTERIOUS. There is really no reason to come here except for the reason we had last night, which was that it started pouring rain when we were standing right outside. They serve big things for not a lot of money and with not a lot of flavor. The burger can take a lot of hot sauce, boyo. I think I had fries but I can't for the life of me remember them. $20ish dollar pitchers of decent beer were a nice thing, so we had seconds. It's like the 99 but with weirder decor and friendlier servers. Bye!
(3)
Michael S.

If you're wondering if it's possible to make pulled pork dry - yes, yes it is.
(2)
Joseph B.

Sunday rainy night and the place is very quiet. Got the Mixed Kabobs and enjoyed the flavor of the lamb more than any other lamb I have ever had. Beef was good and Andouille sausage was meh. No spice in the sausage but the side sauce was wonderful. Enjoyed the Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA as well. Service was very good but with restaurant being so sparsely populated, I would have been very disappointed had it not been so. In short I will be back.
(3)
T B.

We ate lunch here after a recommendation from the concierge at the Hyatt nearby. We found the food to be OK but not great, but the service was good. The "back deck" theme is cute, and the restaurant appears very clean. However, there are a lot of better places nearby that I would have rather eaten at.
(3)
Shantel S.

Avoid this place if you're a vegetarian. There isn't much on the menu that isn't meat. I don't like how close the tables are to each other.
(2)
Kristine A.

My friend decided we should check this place out. It was a new place that neither one of us had gone to. As someone who spent many years in hospitality, there's a rule to never go to a restaurant within the 1st month. We just missed it thankfully. The service was great, he was informative & attentive. But the food & drink on the other hand left something to be desired. I was not impressed by either. There were only a few vegetarian options which is pretty much the norm & not surprising to me. But if you're going to charge what you do then make it worthwhile, which it wasn't. I don't understand their theme of this backyard picnic table & yet the items like squid don't really belong on the menu. There is a disconnect between them specially since it seems pretty marine animal heavy. Not really a place I will go back to.
(2)
Lisa B.

I *love* trying new restaurants, and Back Deck definitely impressed! Our group of seven girls headed to Back Deck to celebrate a friend's birthday with some quality girl time. We showed up a little early, and the staff was nice enough to seat us by the windows. Here are the food highlights: House potatoes: Unique! Small potatoes are sliced into moon shapes (rather than spears) and seasoned with salt. Great mix of crunchy and meaty. S'more: SO delicious (and huge!) The marshmallows are homemade, and it makes a ton of difference! Here are the drink highlights: Berkshire Summer: Great little cocktail with a very cucumber-y flavor. Refreshing! Sangria: I didn't partake, but people RAVED. Apparently it was also very strong - always a plus! Our server was excellent (Joe, I believe), and the small plates were enough for a meal. I also enjoyed the Gorgonzola dressing for my house salad. I think some of the larger meals look a bit expensive, but if you stick to cocktails and small plates, all will be well :)
(4)
Derek K.

Everything is almost good, but not quite there. The menu is scattered, and the service is hit or miss.
(2)
Nicole V.

See Sarah D's review for details. Summary: - Down pouring rain - Stopped here en route to Chinatown - THIS PLACE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A YEAR? Shocking. - Burger was okay; certainly not offensive - Food portions were huge; could have split one burger - Toppings were generous and delicious - Potatoes magically retained heat for hours; I loved them - Friendly service - Affordable pitchers of beer - Large pitchers of beer - Frosty glasses with each pitcher of beer - Sarah D and I drank two pitchers of beer - Clean bathrooms - Monkey Fist on draft - Sarah is awesome - Monkey Fist puns don't get old - Go for the pitchers of beer - Seriously, the beer
(3)
Lin M.

Trying to find dinner near the Opera House on a Sunday is quite a challenge. There is either Chinese or very high end. Then there is the Back Deck. Don't be put off by the dÃ©cor...crab shack chic not on the beach is disconcerting. The food is excellent and reasonable. Five of us ate 4 courses and drinks for $200. It is not just hamburgers...although those are good. The smoked eggplant dip was very good. I enjoyed a small plate of Sausage & Mashed: a charcoal grilled andouille with mashed potatoes & gumbo greens (collard greens.) The size was perfect to allow dessert. I had the chocolate cake but my companions tried different ice creams which were very good. This is a classic...Don't judge a book by it's cover!
(4)
Kristen K.

They get an 'A' for design. The big open windows are great for a nice day and the decor inside is very tasteful. The chairs are not comfortable, however. The food is just not good speaking very bluntly. I've had a turkey club, salmon salad, and veggie burger on different occasions - none of which I was impressed by. I would not choose this restaurant myself but coworkers have taken each other and the boss out a few times and chose this place. The fries are the best option there and they're just a side. Salt is also needed so that may speak to how well they season their food. The bruch menu looks great online but I was disappointed to discover it is only served Saturday & Sunday mornings. Not the worst place, but if you're looking for all American, look elsewhere.
(2)
Travis A.

Walking around downtown on an empty stomach can be a bit of a dilemma for those who are not as financially endowed, but, would like to have a nice cozy place to sit and enjoy a fresh meal (other then the food court at the garage, which I wouldn't consider cozy or "fresh") This place suits the area perfectly with it's summer like picnic decor, nostalgic 90's tunes, relaxed server and staff attire and young crew. My server Dan, was exceptionally friendly, not to talkative and bothersome (which is perfect for me, I don't like to be bothered to much while eating, but I do enjoy friendly banter.), and had a warm personality about himself. I also liked the fact his nickname around the restaurant is "Jimmy Neutron" because of his huge hair flip. Never eating here before, I asked Dan for a suggestion on sandwiches...he steered me away from sandwiches and brought me right into his reality, and suggested their new burger that isn't on the menu yet. An Italian treat! My favorite since I have Italian roots! A chickpea veggie burger w: fresh motz, razor thin bruschetta, basil, tomato, lettuce, and a port mushroom cap on top of a fresh potato roll. Served w/ a side of fresh slaw, sweet pickle and pesto Aioli. The burger was stacked high, but was a bit sloppy. The veggie patty didn't hold well and became a fork and knife sandwich. Not really an issue for me, but just a small nit pick to maybe improve for the future. The slaw was a tab bland, but not to bad...could use a little bit of a pick me up. The pesto aioli was actually pleasant to dip the sandwich in near the end it's its consumption. Not to over beating. Overall the presentation was standard, nothing super fancy or complicated, which suits the place and it's atmosphere. For downtown, this price range and relaxed environment is a growing gem on the area for Lunch. I gladly would give $15 + tip to a place like this, then Subway or Chinese in the food court. Since it's still relatively new, it's not very busy during the day, so, I would highly suggest this place to people who are looking for a nice bite to eat that isn't crowded to kick back and get that chill, summer vibe in an area of Boston that is somewhat stuffy and bitter (especially in the winter) I'll definitely be back to try other things on the menu in the near future and at different times as well. For now, this place is a solid 4 star.
(4)
Nashrah R.

Casual spot for brunch if you're in the mood for an interesting, if somewhat disjointed cuisine. I split the two types of kebabs they have with a friend and we both liked our meal. A little on the pricey side but not terribly so.
(3)
Darth R.

I've lived in Boston for 5 years, and this place takes the cake for worst meal I've had in my residence here. When we walked in we were told there was a thirty minute wait for a table despite 10 tables being open. While that count of free tables on a Saturday night should be the first red flag, we decided to wait. We were ushered to our open table (one of ten), and sat down. Having never been here before, I like to ask waiters what the favorite dish is by their patrons, as well as theirs. We ordered wings for the table, two of us ordered mixed plates (the Mixed Grill), one ordered the burger, and the last one ordered a pork dish. Then we didn't see our waitress for 30 minutes. She then brought our beers over. Then we waited another 15 minutes for the wings. The wings were decent (in reality, the best part of the meal in retrospect), the wait was unreasonable. Our entrees arrived 30 minutes after the wings. Our friend ordered a glass of wine. The burger was probably the best item out of the four, but it was overcooked, under-seasoned, and cold. The mixed plates were pretty much tasteless. When the best thing on the plate is a pre-packaged sausage (the only thing with seasoning), when stacked next to some nice cuts of other meats, I could only assume everything was just thrown on the grill without preparation. The food was poor. We asked for the bill, all of us with a majority of the food ordered left uneaten on the plates. The bill came, as did our friend's glass of wine. Great timing. I'm not interested in returning, and will discourage my friends and others to stay away.
(1)
Corey L.

I've only had drinks here, but I like this place. They have interesting drinks, I've always sat at the bar and always liked the bar tenders. And I've always gone on to have good nights whenever we've visited this place - so it gets 4 stars. Try it for drinks, it'll give you good luck!
(4)
John M.

Bland, greasy, uninspired wings and dipping sauce. Soup came out luke warm the first time, without chorizo the second. Turkey burger itself was ok but the bun and toppings were run of the mill and sparse. Wedge cut fries were tasty but inconsistent (some crunchy, some mushy). Waitstaff didnt seem to care much about anything. Avoid this one.
(1)
Adam F.

Love this place. Always quick service and always good food. Been here 3 times and always a pleasure. Will be back soon!
(5)
Travis J.

Best burger. It was cooked a perfect medium. The Bloody Mary is to die for and Tom the server is probably the best we have ever had. Oh, did I mention the mayo?
(5)
Ryan O.

I stopped in one Sunday for a quick lunch. Having never tried it before, not sure what to expect. It was fine overall...would probably come back if in the neighborhood again. I had the monte cristo sandwich and a cup of tea...can't go to wrong with that. The service was slow...but leisurely.
(3)
Teresa C.

Our door man at our hotel suggested this place as a family friendly dinner option. He was right! We had an excellent server and the food was pretty tasty. I had the sausage and smash and then shared a smore dessert with my son that was made of chocolate graham crackers, hershey chocolate and peanut butter marshmallow. Yum!
(4)
Django B.

I was looking forward to Back Deck, but was kind of let down. The one highlight of our meal was the wings appetizer that were more like tasty BBQ chicken than greasy hot wings, they were decent. I got the Muffaletta burger. I was hoping that it'd be more muffaletta inspired, less burger but it ended up just being a regular burger with some chopped olives under the patty. The meat was good and cooked well, it just wasn't doing any justice to something using the muffaletta modifier. As a side I had the coleslaw, which tasted dry to me, with little flavor. My wife had the pork chop, which seemed over cooked. The brussel sprouts were so undercooked they were inedible. The squash and cranberry were average. Overall, it missed the mark. If I were to come back here, I would stick to the apps.
(2)
Jayne B.

Slow service. We were seated right away by a welcoming and friendly hostess--off to a great start. It was peak dinner hour, but plenty of open tables. At the table waiting to order, we kept waiting, and waiting. The couple at the table next to us was getting bored waiting for their food so they started talking to the couple on their other side, who just received their order. When asked, they said what they ordered was good, but 'it took quite a while' to receive it. So all three tables were getting the same unbiased neglect. After what must have been ~25 minutes, our order arrived. The salmon cobb salad was ok, but needed more dressing. It was difficult to say what kind of dressing it had, because dressing was quite scarce. I would have asked for more dressing, but the server did not even once come by our table after the food was delivered. One glass of water was all we were allowed, I suppose. The salmon did not taste fresh but 'fishy', like it had been frozen. I mistakenly thought that in Boston, as it is so close to the Atlantic ocean, fresh fish would be common. Finally the server arrived much later when we were somewhat tired of waiting for the bill. I wish I had more positive moments to report. This place is in a great location, nice atmosphere, and has so much potential to be a great establishment if it had more attentive and professional staff (servers and in the kitchen).
(2)
Christine W.

This place has a great concept and the theme was consistent throughout the entire restaurant...even the bathroom. The food was fun and was a good portion. Service was good and atmosphere is great for groups.
(4)
Cullen F.

First visit. Chicken Wings are the best in the city. Marinade is not typical buffalo, but it's a delicious peppery butter infused, & falls of the bone. Staff is great, & not assumptive. Other team members knew our preferences from our server, and asked if things met our request. Definitely will go again.
(5)
Savanna R.

They "don't do sugared rims," despite it being your birthday and NO ONE being there at 10:00 on a Friday night. They won't even be nice about it. This may have just been one bartender, but he was a complete jerk and I'll never go back or recommend this place because of this experience.
(1)
Saige B.

As I've passed the Back Deck several times, I finally popped in for lunch on a blistery weekend afternoon. The atmosphere is slightly confusing as it has that "I'm almost like a back deck" with the "open kitchen, trendy" feel. Very odd. After looking at the menu, my anxiety kicked in that this new place in the downtown area was going to be another failed try at reviving the former red-light district. I was very wrong. The wings are probably the best non-buffalo/BBQ wings I have had in a long time. The chef was previously at another restaurant and used his spicy sauce on the wings. Job well done. These were delicious and for $8, completely satisfies the wallet as well as the taste buds. The french fries were fresh, warm and accompanied a just as fresh burger. I commend the wait staff as well because he explained their hopes of building the downtown area back up with neighboring hotels. DISCLAIMER: I cannot comment on the rest of the menu, as other reviewers haven't been too excited about this place.
(3)
Mathew M.

I went in with high hopes of "backyard" summer food. The first sign of something wrong was that they kitchen was out of pulled pork sandwiches. Obviously, this happens from time to time but at 11:30 during the lunch rush? Not a good sign. Instead I opted for the Vietnamese style Flank Steak sandwich. What followed was the most flavorless excuse for Bahn Mi that I've ever had. The coleslaw side was watery and bland. Service was great, but the food really needs some work.
(2)
Malyna K.

This place is solid. I thought the concept of bringing the outdoors inside was very cute. I bet it is very nice in the summer when they can open the huge windows! Service was standard, and I did feel like it took a bit for our food to come out. I ordered their signature drink back deck punch and it was very good. You could definitely taste the gin though (which I liked it), and I thought the grilled pear that came with it was a nice touch. I ordered the Asian inspired short rib special and the short ribs were tender. I thought they could have taken the Asian concept a bit further with the spicy cabbage garnish though. PS The fries are A+ - not your usual steak or shoestring or wedges.
(4)
Lesley H.

I've tried this place twice,and both times have been underwhelmed both by service and food. Both instances the waitstaff seemed to be out of it. Not able to answer questions about the menu properly and generally unhappy to be there. Just recently, I watched as our waitress took back the bill and tossed a fit as she seemed unhappy with her tip. She proceeded to head up to the hostess station and complain, then complain to the other waitress, and then to the bartender. She gave us quite the stare down as we left. I had cash to leave her on the table, but was so uncomfortable with the reaction that I didn't. As someone who worked in the industry for many years I tend to over tip, but this time I didn't feel bad only leaving 10%. The food is mediocre. I got the chicken wings based on another yelp review. They were flavored with spices but very greasy. I've also had the salmon salad which was fine. If you're desperate then this place is fine, but otherwise head across the street to papagayo.
(2)
Curtis V.

The Back Deck graciously seated us at 10:50 on a Friday, with their kitchen closing in only ten minutes. We didn't stay for long, but our server, Tayla, was attentive and super friendly, and didn't rush us to order despite how close they were to closing the kitchen. What really made this place stand out, though, was the amazing chickpea burger. Seriously, that thing was fan-fucking-tastic and I've been thinking about it for the rest of the weekend. One of the best non-meat patties I've eaten in a long time-- vegetarians take note. I'd definitely go back if I were in the neighborhood again.
(4)
Jack M.

It's a nice-looking place. Certainly very big and vibrant. They have some surprising beer selections here, and their "house" ale (beer tap is in the shape of a spatula - the "icon" of this place) is really really good. Never a lot of people here. I can't comment on the food as I haven't had it - yet. But there's never a crowd. Always lots of empty tables.... what does that say to you?
(3)
Marven A.

I went to this place with my friend and brother in July and it was awesome! I had the Hot Wings and Beef Burger which was perfect! The waiters were pretty chill too, I liked now they had the windows open so you can get that nice summer breeze. I'd totally recommend this place to everybody.
(4)
Patryk S.

Great experience. Open windows to the street Their micro-brew was tasty. Service was quick and friendly The overall atmosphere/ambiance was conducive to enjoying good times with friends and beer-drinking. The one negative experience was the aggressive homeless guy that wanted my knife.
(4)
David B.

We've been searching for our go-to place in Downtown Crossing for theatre. We gave Back Deck a try. Alas....it is not to be. I kept an open mind following reading a so-so review in the Boston Globe. We gave it a try, with an open mind, and walked away thinking it was just ok. I had the Cesar Salad...good but not anything spectacular. The husband had their green salad. We each had burgers. Again, they were nice but a bit expensive for what you got. I recall the burger being cooked farther than requested to the waiter. All is all, I'd go back and give them another try...we were there not too long after they opened.
(2)
Josie G.

A friend and I walked by on our way to the movies and stopped by for a grilled cheese + a burger that we split. Overall, the food was decent, but I thought for the price the burger was small - the bun was twice the size - and there were about 5 potato wedges total. The service was friendly and the manager was visible - important things! I would probably go back and give it another try, perhaps in the summer when the windows are open!
(3)
Lindsay S.

Fantastic gluten-free menu. I've been twice and was pleased both times. The GF burger bun was definitely homemade and delicious. Just as exciting was the fact that all burgers could be turkey or veggie if you don't want beef! The mahi mahi tacos weren't as great as the burger I had the first time. They also have delicious iced fiesta tea which is berry flavored and unsweetened. The service was great both times, and the two different male servers I had were some of the best I've ever had. Definitely will return when I'm in the area again.
(4)
Michael Z.

I have gone to the back deck three times, and was completely satisfied with my experiences in this new, hip, backyard style grill. Cool layout, ambience makes you feel like you are sitting in upscale backyard house for a nice picnic or BBQ. Mural on the wall above the bar is really summery and gets you ready for some great BBQ. I have tried many different meals here at the Back Deck, and I am very satisfied with the quality of their food. Everything they have to order is fresh and delicious. I have tried the pork chops, steak, and chicken. Pork Chops were easily the best. I also had a mexicali burger which as the name should describe, was loaded with avocado and mexican spices. Amazing cheeseburger! Handcut fries are always a plus, and everything that isnt fried here at the Back Deck is thrown onto one of the many wood fire grill grates for toasting. I recommend getting a S'more for dessert because its probably the only place in the city that can offer this to you as a dessert. You really can't beat homemade graham crackers on top of marshmellows and chocolate. All of this stuff is great... but I feel as though the prices are a bit steep. If you are spending $13-14 on a cheeseburger, it better have won an award or two. Drink prices are also a bit steep.. Nonetheless, the bar area is a bit tight, but gets the job done. Bartenders are very knowledgable in drink making, and the staff is extremly friendly/helpful. Gansett' on tap is a huge plus because I love it, and so should you. All in all, if you make a little overtime this week, head on over to the Back Deck for some of their specialty drinks and foods. Its stuff that you guys can make in your back yard at home(except better tasting)...unless you live in town and don't have a back yard. The Back Deck should be your new BACK YARD!
(4)
Frank W.

Bottom line: A good after work spot for beers and bbq type fare. Dies quickly after that rush. Having walked by this place since it opened (i'm around DTX a lot) my friend and I figured it was high time to give it a shot. We grabbed a reservation for 7pm (good thing, as the restaurant was busy at that time) and got a few beers while they were working on the table. Bartender was friendly and let me try a beer without good commitment. Huzzah! That quickly came to and end and we were seated. Our waiter was fairly responsive, though I didn't think his suggestions were that helpful. We were able to chill out with a New Waldorf Salad to start (I didn't think it had much flavor.. just a very thick creamy dressing and apples.. meh). Our main entrees came (Steak and Salmon) which were both very good, though large in portion. The rice with the salmon was overly salty though I think that was to try to make it edible on its own. Live plant life, easy viewing of a television (important for those 7pm game times) and fairly good drinks. I'd actually come back here. It's one of the better joints in DTX.
(4)
Kei S.

First off, I RSVP for lunch... IT WAS MY WIFES B DAY!!!! yet we were told, "hold on, we are clearing the table now" You mean, you never held my table for me? -.- ok! Our server was way too high maintenance.. and his shirt was unbutton down to his chest.. WTF!!! this is a restaurant, i dont want your nipple hair all over my food... The service was horrible... the server scoff at us when we tried to flag him down... the food was mediocre at best.... for a downtown prime location and decent price food .. I WOULD AVOID STILL!!!!
(1)
Sean B.

We needed a quick spot to eat before a movie, and I don't know many places downtown. I took a shot at Back Deck, and was glad I did. The place was very quiet early on a Saturday. This is a nice place, warm, bright, comfortable decor and a pretty cool modern chandelier over the bar. All of the employees were wearing street clothes, which confused me a bit, but I confuse easy. I had a cheeseburger, as is my custom. It was very good and cooked perfectly, good sized but not huge. I got it with cheddar. It was one of the better burgers I've had lately. I chose the potato salad for a side instead of fries, it was good, but somewhat bland. All of the ingredients tasted very fresh. Alas, the pickle was quite disappointing. How can you claim to be a barbecue place and serve a disappointing pickle? My friend had some roast pork with polenta, it came with a spinach based stuffing and some roasted red peppers. The presentation on the plate was great, it came out looking like a picture in a magazine. The pork was a little dry, but the stuffing complemented it well. The polenta was the best part of the meal, it was very good, it was delicate and not dry at all. A+ for the polenta. We didn't ask much of the service, but they were quick, polite, and friendly. I didn't have a drink, but their beer selection looked very good, with a number of different craft brews available. Back Deck isn't the best place I've eaten, but the food was good and filling, and it has a nice, friendly, comfortable atmosphere. I imagine that it would be a great place to stop in the summer, when they can open the windows up and get more of an outdoorsy atmosphere. A pretty good downtown spot.
(3)
Jason P.

Ok, so full disclosure here, I didn't eat IN the restaurant. My gf was out w/friends from work (all who ate and liked it here) and she offered to bring me home something. Well I yelped it and said I would pass. She then texts me "It's on me". So I said, yeah, get me a burger... WOW!!! This was awesome. The burger, bun, fries (potatoe wedge-esque awesomeness by-the-way) we all very, very good and this was essentially taken home to Charlestown. Yeah I heated the burger and fries, but this was better than a lot of places in the restaurant. Some people even accuse me of being a little critical...but this place makes a mean burger. Given other peoples reviews, I either got lucky or they are getting better!!! Hopefully the latter.
(4)
Rachel K.

The food was great, but it was some of the worst service I've ever experienced. The waitresses were absolutely horrible and rude. This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had.
(1)
Simon L.

Very cool setting. Good concept. Decent cocktails. Like the giant opening street level windows. Did not try grilling. Oversized patio furniture is used for all seats and tables. A large round bar in front of the grill with some flatscreens for game watching.
(3)
Greg N.

I'll be honest. This place wasn't very high on my list of places I've been wanting to try, so I didn't go in here with particularly high expectations either. That being said, upon arrival, I really wanted to like this place. I thought the interior was very chic (with a couple of silly missteps like the weird mural above the bar) and comfortable. It was obvious they were going for a "back deck" theme... but I didn't feel like they were trying to beat you over the head with it. This place could have easily veered off into tiki-madness with astroturf everywhere, but it stayed fairly restrained. kudos! My boyfriend had a cocktail. It was cucumber and gin and rosemary. Despite the fact that it glowed green, it was quite tasty. The food was completely subpar. I ordered the lamb kabob small plate and a side of the green apple coleslaw. The kabobs were well-seasoned but inconsistent in their done-ness. A couple were well-done while another was pretty much rare. They were decently flavored, but had a yogurt sauce that could have been used more liberally. The coleslaw was completely lacking flavor and had not a single trace of green apple that I could find. It tasted like the chef had opened a 5 gallon bucket of Sysco coleslaw, mixed in a liberal dose of Elmer's School Paste, and scooped into a sad little bowl. Add to this a good 2 inches of watery liquid in the bottom of the bowl and it shapes up to be an unpleasant experience. The service was good, not great
(2)
Li N.

While walking into the place the hostess and one of the waiters took one look at us and looked the other way. Wasn't able to seat 7 people together while the entire restaurant was empty. They made us wait 15 min so we just left. Rude and didn't even serve us water! Bad customer service. Not worth it and overpriced. Just go across the street to Papagayo, friendly and fun.
(1)
Jenny M.

I went there for lunch with my friend who works down the street and I thought it looked awesome! It's clean and new inside with enough space between tables so you're not listening to other people's conversation. However, the food was okay (don't get the grilled cheese - you probably have better bread at home) and my friend was actually given the wrong burger (she asked for turkey, they brought over beef). The fries were okay but lukewarm although my friend said she liked her potato salad. I thought since this was a new place they would comp the drinks since they screwed up my friend's order AND her flatware was given to her dirty. They didn't - no big deal, it would have been a nice thing to do. Instead, the waiter took our credit cards, asked who belonged to which card, even though we would have been fine splitting the total, and then charged me for my friend's meal, which was more expensive. Why ask unless you know for sure who to charge? If this is a new place, it's going to have to do better than this to survive since I'm not likely to go back.
(2)
Lisa L.

Worst meal I have had in a long time; totally has potential w/ a cool atmosphere and in a great spot but just terrible food; management was great and gave me credit but never, never again
(1)
Charlie B.

This place was crap. First of all, they sat us and our water glasses were stuck to the table. Gross. We should have got up and left then, but just didn't want to search for a new spot to grab lunch. Second, they got my order wrong and brought me the wrong burger. They didn't seem to care when I told them. The food was subpar and the service was pretty bad.
(1)
Cindy C.

Headed over for lunch since this place has now been around for a couple years and we decided to kick some tires since it has passed the initial "make or break" phase. Food, drinks, service, and staff were a major dissapointment! And don't even get me started on the bathrooms...There was one operating urinal for the whole restaurant and bar! My husband said he was thrown back when he opened the door (The stench was that bad). No one was really at the bar, despite the world cup. It took 20 minutes to even take our order on a Monday afternoon and they weren't that busy. I ordered a salad and my husband had a sandwich. They were just okay. There was practically no dressing on the salad (just a little smear at top), and a couple of fry "chips" came with the sandwich. The cornbread took 40 minutes, and came out like a blackened brick. The "back deck" lemonade was the worst part. It looked like someone dumped half a can of powder into a glass. Anyway, suffice to say, there are better options downtown.
(2)
M C.

Went here after the red sox parade - was very crowded and the hostess was not friendly or helpful but other staff was very nice. Food was decent ; loved eggplant spread and turkey burger was not bad. Fall sangria not amazing - couldn't taste fall flavors - decent option if in the area
(3)
Thomas N.

lunch recently, in town to check out all the stuff on the common....nice place, interesting selection of beers and of drinks, the drinks were very good, service was pleasant and kept the water filled, food was very good, mexican burger tasty and cooked as ordered although avocado does not want to stay on a burger, the chicken strawberry salad very good and the salmon cobb salad also very good....so a good experience..
(4)
Steven P.

Meh. The waitress got our order wrong and what food we got was drab and boring. We decided to order desert just to improve our mood. Chocolate cake always helps, right - but even that was a disappointment. It was awful. Can you imagine that the cake was so bad two men wouldn't finish one piece? I'd rather have eaten diner at Starbucks. The most entertaining part of the evening was watching other customers react to the same conditions. It's fairly obvious that the management hasn't eaten there in a while...things would surely be better if they had to choke down that cake.
(2)
Ai C.

Love this spot! As others have pointed out in their reviews, this place has great style in the dining room, but the food and drinks are what keep me coming back. The bartenders know their stuff and shake up some great drinks, and the service is fast while the food is fresh. Love the burgers and the wings are great, but their salad selections are also flavorful and filling without doing damage to your waistline.
(4)
Thomas L.

I've been sitting on this review for a few weeks now, hoping I would think of something positive to say about my experience here, but....no can do. If anything, I've become more jaded after reading other reviews for other 'new' establishments in/around Boston, and am left wondering why this place fell so short. The two good things I can say have to do with aesthetics; the location is great for an after work drink/snack or before/after the theater/movie. And, the interior is clean, as it is new. So, we opted to sit at the bar as we only wanted a couple of apps and a few drinks. Good atmosphere, helpful bartender, comfortable chairs, and ESPN on the overhead televisions. We went with an order of squid and an order of fries, and a couple of their signature cocktails. I kid you not when I tell you that the food came out before the drinks, even though we were sitting at the bar. Not a big concern you say? Sure, perhaps more folks were ordering drinks than food, or maybe the bartender was training, or maybe our cocktails were on the difficult side of making. Or, maybe the food was sitting in the back, already prepared, and simply shuffled around before being brought out to us. The squid was extremely fishy tasting, and the balsamic vinegar was gooey to the touch. The greens were a bit wilted and very far from fresh. The fries looked good at first glance, as they were roasted slices. It's too bad I wasn't just window shopping, because biting into each one was akin to biting a casino chip. Yes, they were that hard. And tasteless; I used half a bottle of ketchup. As for the drinks. Well, if you like Boston proper ice, this is the place for you! Our drinks were literally floating in ice. I should have expected this, as while we were eating our apps and waiting for the cocktails, I noticed a bartender preparing a large pitcher. I thought 'Cool, that would be fun to grab with a couple of coworkers'. But then, it was filled 7/8s with ice, and then with the liquid concoction. Then, the bartender prepared the four glasses that would accompany the pitcher, and these were filled to the top with ice. For shame! I really wish I had paid attention and observed the drinks being delivered and consumed, but to be honest, this had me concerned for my drink. I'm not going to try and remember what exactly I ordered, but it was summery and light and I was hoping it would be refreshing. I can tell you that it had a slight, far reaching sense of taste, even less alcohol, and an awful lot of ice. I wish I could give this place a pass for being new, etc., but the above shouldn't be attributed to a newly opened restaurant, as these aren't your common mistakes that will be fixed down the road. Honestly, it's experiences like this that make me wish that our dear site Yelp* offered zero stars.
(1)
Tom D.

This place just opened up downtown by my office so I thought I would give it a shot for lunch on a Friday. I came away feeling kind of unimpressed. The turkey burger and mashed potatoes I got were decent but for 12/13 bucks I was expecting something a little more than average. Drinks? They have some sort of pitcher that the loud annoying ladies next to me were gabbing about in between one upsmenship of whos child is better (Tommy got an A, well Billy scored 3 goals!....Die). But everything was pricer then expected For the summer this place has a pretty cool atmosphere: open windows with the feel that you are on a real back deck. For the winter? Not sure how their gonna swing it, the place isnt very big and the food probably wouldnt have me coming back.
(3)
Daniel W.

Extremely disappointing. Put simply, the service was slow and inattentive, and food was not as described and overall just plain bad. I order the Brick Chicken, which is described as: "Boned grill-roasted half chicken, pan juices, grilled croutons & hearty greens, pine nuts, black olives & golden raisins, creamy Dijon vinaigrette" What I received nowhere near resembled the description. The "Boned grill-roasted half chicken" was a soggy small drumstick along with a soggy small drummette with a chunk of thigh attached. When you tell me I am getting a half chicken, I expect half a chicken... where did the breast go? When you tell me it will be grilled, I expect crispy or at the very least, flavorful skin. I got neither. Let's continue with "pan juices, grilled croutons & hearty greens, pine nuts, black olives & golden raisins, creamy Dijon vinaigrette" Grilled Croutons: Rock-hard stale bread. It was grilled, but it honestly was not edible. Hearty Greens: It was wilted leaf lettuce, stewing in the aforementioned pan juices. Pine Nuts: Instead of pine nuts, they decided to throw whole almonds all over the plate. Black Olives: There were no black olives on the plate Golden Raisins: Finally, something was as described. Thank Goodness! Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette: I honestly don't know if this was on the plate, because the lettuce greens where sitting in a puddle of pan juices. If it was there, it just melted into the pan juices and was indiscernible. I generally do not get this worked up over a meal, but this was just plain bad and extremely disappointing. The only thing that kept me from sending the food back, was that I was out with 4 good friends and it wasn't worth the trouble of interrupting our time together to deal with it.
(1)
Chris M.

I'm shocked a restaurant this bad can exist in downtown Boston. Without a doubt, the worst meal I've had in the city. Instead of writing an essay of how bad it was, I'll just bulletpoint everything. -Walked in and stood around for 5 minutes before being greeted -Took waitress 10 minutes to come introduce herself (it wasn't busy) -Didn't have several menu items but weren't informed about it until after I tried to order them -Ordered wings but she never put the order in so we didn't get them -Asked for bacon on a chicken sandwich... didn't get any bacon -On the Mexicali burger, it's supposed to come with green chile salsa... however they put the OLIVE SALAD from the muffaletta on it instead. GROSS. -Asked for my burger medium rare and got medium well -Potato salad had zero flavor and it was made with nearly raw potatoes -The fries are just giant chunks of potatoes they throw in the fryer -Went the majority of the meal with no beverages because the waitress disappeared On a brighter note, the ambiance was nice. Nothing could save the disaster of a meal and service we got though. AVOID.
(1)
Jane L.

This place was a pleasant surprise for me. We went there for brunch and thought the food was quite good for the price. I enjoyed my Carolina egg brunch that came with pulled pork. The portion was generous and I didn't find the food to be greasy. My son ordered the pancake off the kid's menu and it was quite fluffy and tasty. I liked the atmosphere and the service. We will definitely make this a go to place for us in the future. I'd like to go back and try their dinner one day. I'm glad that I found a nice little place in my neighborhood.
(4)
Jenet S.

Just ate here tonight. The service was excellent! But that's pretty much it. The host was very presentable & our waitress was wicked attentive. The food was just "blah". It could be so much better than it is because they have a nice location & theme, plus decor is lovely. The pork chop was way too dry, not much taste. They could've marinated it longer. Pet peeve is having things dry & overcooked. Same went for their fries. Not seasoned, bland & way too dry. Not crispy I don't know just tasted like old fries that have been sitting out for awhile. The green beans was cooked in too much oil or butter it overtook the flavor. Would've been better to just use a lil salt/pepper or garlic salt. The sweet potatoes were pretty good though but they were also cooked in that oil/butter. Whatever it was that they cooked it with, it wasn't good. I really hope that they could pay more attention to the food because like I said everything else was nice but you do go to a restaurant to eat & enjoy your meal. Front of the house is great. Focus more on the actual flavors of the food being served.
(3)
Christopher D.

Pretty lame. I've always wanted to try this place ever since it opened. Today was the day. The decor is great. It feels like you really are on the back deck. Service was excellent as well. That's where it all ended. My wife had the spiked strawberry lemonade and I had The Ginger Arnold Palmer. Neither of us bothered finishing our drinks. We had the cornbread to start and it was actually pretty good. The serving of maple butter was kind of small. My wife had the chicken and pasta. The chicken was pretty fatty. The pasta was al dente (like rubber bandy squeaky al dente). I had the cheeseburger with fries.The cheeseburger itself was unremarkable. The fries were cold. Again, the service was very good. I'd definitely pass on this place.
(1)
Landon C.

We came here after a post-work event this past Friday. It was great for an average "where is the closest place" kind of spot. Other than that, it wasn't exactly spectacular. Service was average, space around the bar was below average, overall impression is... average. I'd say come here if you don't know of any other places and it will do fine, but it's not the place you go if you know the area.
(3)
Aaron B.

Back Deck is a pretty solid choice if you're in the area. Its not my first choice but they pulled through with decent service and pretty good food. The first time I went here I got a burger and the second I went for a marinated chicken, mashed potatoes, and grilled zucchini dish. The chicken was okay but it's deff more of a burger spot. I also recommend getting the grilled shrimp appetizer--it's amazing. They also make some mean drinks for not being a craft cocktail spot. I had their house manhattan and they did it right. Super good take on a classic cocktail. Also, did I mentioned they sat 20 of us in 5 minutes? Hats off to Back Deck for that.
(4)
Natassya B.

Was looking for dinner while my brother was in town visiting. Stumbled across Back Deck- and was happy we did! Found that the atmosphere was classier than a regular "pub/bar" scene, but cozy enough that you didn't feel you had to be too dressed up. Good over all vibe and decor. The food was good and they offered a great variety of options but unfortunately it just took a long time to actually get our food---which had us pretty hungry and antsy. They had apparently missed our entree order when they processed our appetizers, but that didn't make for expedited efforts to get the food out. The waiter was kind and attentive and apologetic of the wait--but overall it was just a little longer than you're hoping to wait when you're looking for dinner. That said- would consider going back to give them another try. Things happen, and their location is great, and a nice alternative to the bar food scene that's around.
(3)
Dayshawn S.

Came in on a Monday right when it opened and was seated immediately (sometimes there can be a wait if the staff isn't ready yet). The place definitely has that back deck atmosphere. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful since it was my first time visiting. My particular waiter went above and beyond with helping me learn the area as I had only be in town for a week. He wrote down some suggestions of places for me to visit along with which T stations were nearby. The burger I order was good (Mexicali burger), but the potato wedges were hot on the outside, but a bit cold on the inside. Other than that, no complaints. The menu has a decent food and drink selection. What was most impressive was the table across from me that was in a rush and asked the waiter to help keep them on schedule. The waiter was not annoyed by this and made sure their food was out quickly and that they got the check quickly. He was super helpful - wish I remembered his name. Good service is hard to come by - I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)
Sabrina N.

I had dinner here a few nights ago. The service and drinks were both good but the food wasn't that great. I had a turkey burger and it was like eating cardboard. I won't be back.
(1)
Rohit K.

Never again. No words. Removed good review from Google. Putting in extra effort to rate on yelp.
(1)
Alexandra M.

Funny staff and great drinks. They have 888 vodka from Nantucket, which not everywhere has and is a great vodka. I got a drink with that of 'my own' creation and Berkshire Summer which has cucumber juice that they make which was great, not too chunky. I didn't get food but my friend did and the fries were fantastic. Great sauce too, creamy and kind of spicy.
(5)
Mike N.

Went in here hungry to eat good food with 3 friends. Came out hungry. Let's not pretend that a restaurant is anything other than a place that lets you eat good food in a timley manner. This place was neither. sh%tty service, might as well shut it down and do something more valuable in life, you are clearly not interested in your core competency. You guys ruined my Boston experience. Congratulations!
(1)
Stacy M.

Ate lunch at this restaurant on 08/04/15. The hostess and server were great! My coworker and I both ordered the salad with salmon and the lemonade. Our food was pretty good. However, when we asked for refills on our lemonade we were told we would have to pay for it. One glass already costs $4.00, so they wanted $8.00 for two small sized lemonades. When I asked why the waiter told us it is because the lemonade is fresh squeezed. Then the staff needs to squeeze more lemons! I am thankful the server told us before charging us twice. Overall, I may come back here again, but with so many new choices in the area Back Deck needs to "get it together" and refill the $4.00 lemonade. #squeezemorelemons
(2)
Rebecca C.

As soon as you walk In the bar is to your left hand side. I got there at 5:40 to meet with my two friends for dinner. I thought about getting a drink before hand, but the bar was so packed that it didn't seem worth it. I asked if there was a wait and was told I had to wait till my party was there before we could get sat which I totally get because why take up space if it would be like an hour before my group got there. Luckily, my friend arrived within 5 minutes and my second within 10. We sat down at our table and were greeted by our server tommy. He seemed like a nice chap. We ordered a pitcher on their sangria which had Riesling, lemonchello, and a strawberry purÃ©e. The sangria was interesting. Very light at first with a burst of citrus at the end of each sip. Our drinks were garnished with half a strawberry. We the ordered an order of wings to start off with. It was so good. They were served with celery and a Gorgonzola dressing for dipping. Next our main courses came. My friend ordered a burger which was average and served with what seemed to be thinner home fries but these were considered fries there. My other friend ordered a lobster roll and it was delightful. The roll was buttery and slightly crisped. I couldn't decide what I wanted so I ordered the avocado and cucumber gazpacho. It tasted of lime. Not my cup of tea. I also ordered their small plate of andouille sausage and mashed potatoes. The sausage was burnt along the top, the spinach (or whatever every the greens may be) tasted like you would buy it at a store and wasn't fresh. The best part of the dish was the mashed potatoes. They were so good!!!! I highly recommend these. Our server tommy was very busy but was sure to come check on us to make sure we were getting by just fine. I'm giving the place only three stars because in wouldn't go out of my way for it. My food was meh. The chef was an older gentleman in a white coat and was not wearing anything to keep his hair from going in the food and not a single host smiled at me which was kind of a bummer on how to start it all off. Overall I won't be rushing back here, but I'm glad I at least gave it a second chance from the past horrible experience I had.
(3)
Whitney F.

Tried to get drinks and small plates with my fiancÃ© at this place. After waiting for 5 mins for the server to take our drink order, he informs us that they are supposedly only offering "full dinner" service because they were on a wait. But they weren't on a wait at all. There were no waiting parties at the door or at the bar. News flash rude server: 2-4 $9+ drinks plus 2 $9 small plates is the same price as a full dinner. Get over yourself Back Deck.
(1)
Tracy B.

Went here for a work event & being the Yelper that I am I had scoped out the place long before... We get there and the place is cute, like the outdoor*ish type seating with the large open windows... Our group for work was 57 people - we had the entire top section and a few tables by the open windows on the Washington Street Side. As soon as we sat down our server was right there... Drinks immediately came out - The iced tea was awkward and tasted Minty Mojito ish... Then we got Lemonade & that was PURE Lemon Juice, not like fresh lemon juice, like the little yellow lemon you get in the produce section from Concentrate... We had a preset menu and we ordered several things and all shared. The Corn Chowder was decent - thin chowder broth with just tons of corn & potatoes in it... The Gazpacho (which I had preread here was like watered down Guac) I was told tasted JUST LIKE THAT and my coworker returned it for a salad. I got a Mixed Green Salad to start & that was 1 pepper and 3 leaves of lettuce, Im 9 Mos prego here I WANTED TO EAT! Entrees we got the Flank Steak, Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Platter The Garlicky Gravy on my grilled chicken might have been the best thing I EVER ATE - It was soooo delish. The Steak was decent, the Roasted Potatoes with the steak were tasty & everyone raved about the Cole Slaw. Lemon Pound Cake Desert was just as any Pound Cake would taste, Nothing extraordinary. Last night with the set menu was ok, Would def go back when not Prego so I could order a drink from the menu (they had some nifty ones) and would try other options... Just in one of those Majorly inconveinent locations... Otherwise a decent time.
(3)
Kelly W.

This is a great little place. It has a 'back deck' atmosphere and the decor and setting really does make it feel like you're on someone's (very nice) back deck. The menu includes kids options, a HUGE gluten free menu, and a fun 'back deck' menu of items like burgers, tacos, and more. Prices are decent, but a little on the high side for a moderate place. We chose the shrimp and watermelon salad (delicious according the my husband), the cubano pork tacos (soooo yummy), and the kids had a PB&J and a salad with a side of fries. I also ordered an elderflower margarita which was yummy, and not sweet at all (which I loved). Our server was extremely attentive, personable, and looked after us well. I would definitely recommend it if you're in the area and looking for delicious casual fare. If you're looking for a gluten-free place in the area their gluten free menu is extensive, and they have special accommodations (separate grill, etc.) for those with celiac disease.
(5)
Xerxes N.

I dig it. After walking through the city for a bit I built up an appetite and wanted something that I didn't have to go digging on Yelp to find. Whatever looked cool, sanitary and somewhat busy (as a sign that they're popular) was where I was going. Wide window doors that let the fresh outside air into the restaurant. So I can high five folks as they walk by while eating my lunch. Cool enough. Swanky, modern, sleek and clean decor. Check. Lots of people. Check. Table for two, please. Instead of a full meal I ordered the chicken liver and lamb kabob dishes. Both were fantastic and served on a small bed of lettuce that almost made each appetizer/small dish on itself enough for someone with a mediocre appetite. Delicious sauces accompanied each dish and I found that each bite was tender and flavorful. Add in the cool ambiance, friendly service and the open windows on a beautiful late spring day along with good tasting food. The verdict? Yay! I'm a fan.
(4)
Dawn E.

The outdoors is now indoors. Which is fun. The cocktails are lovely but pricey and the food is just okay. I had some tomato bisque which was palatable and a then shared a bellisimo burger and a caesar salad with a friend. Without having to ask, these things came out already split on shared plates for us. I don't much remember what they tasted like and that says a lot. Our service was tremendous. We never waited for drinks. We never got any guff about a trailing member of our party. Our check came when we were ready but we were never rushed out. Overall... A-OK
(3)
Taj K.

Randomly decided to check out this place for brunch, and it was a pleasant meal. First of all the decor is great! The furniture, the servers outfits, the wide open windows truly made me feel like I was hanging out on a friend's back deck. I went with the BLTEC, which is basically their version of a breakfast sandwich. I was told the eggs would be cooked over medium but they were a little bit more done than that. My husband had the pulled pork burrito, which was their version of a breakfast burrito. The pulled pork tasted great but the burrito could have used something like salsa, beans or pico de gallo sauce within the burrito. I think it would be fun to go back but I don't think back deck would be my first choice for brunch.
(4)
Damian A.

Enjoyed our meal here. Chickpea burger was a little dry but daughter had regular meat burger and was great! Fresh tasting food and friendly and polite male server. Atmosphere was great based on your backyard only complaint would be wood backed booths get a little hard.
(4)
Rae Lynn K.

Three stars for a somewhat convenient location to nearby shopping and also for cool ambiance and tables near the open walls. Other than that food is average and service is practically non-existent. Took 20 mins to get my servers attention to the bring the bill. No beverage refill. Food was brought out and then they forgot about us. Oh and on top of that there are maybe 6 other tables here so the place is practically empty. No reason the service should be this slow other than they seem to just not care about the patrons. Won't be back.
(3)
Shaye Lee C.

Really nice place as far as the atmosphere and decor. The food has been good. Good sandwiches. I've been here three times and the service just wasn't up to par.
(3)
Jay W.

Back Deck is a solid choice. Good menu, friendly service and unique drinks. As a tourist in Boston, I have found you really have to look hard for good food here. They've got a lot of pubs and drinking, but for a city like this, a little to be desired on the food front. As such, I'm constantly checking Yelp! for decent reviews. Happened upon this place looking for a good place for lunch. Ended up finding out that since it was Saturday it was brunch. Boom. No way this place is 3 star. Service was very friendly and sat quickly. Brunch menu options were awesome. I couldn't decide. Went with the Deluxe Benedict Burger and my companions had French Toast and the Pulled pork sandwich. Nothing was left on the plates. My favorite was the cocktail menu. Spiked Strawberry lemonade was tasty and not too heavy. This wasn't he most amazing or original place I've ever been too. Of course, I travel a lot for fun and business and have been exposed to more than most. But this place was on point and I have no complaints.
(4)
Thanh L.

We were in a snacky mood after the movies and stopped by this place. We ordered the sausage and mash and pasta primavera from under the small plates menu. For supposedly small plates, the portions were comparable to normal sized entrees in Europe - a good thing! Maybe we'd all be down a notch in our belt buckles if we ate more reasonable portions in this country. Anyway, that's the positive for the evening along with the fun decor of the space. The food itself was so so. The salty sausage was unceremoniously wedged in between a pile of spinach and mashed potatoes. Not a terrible tasting dish but not mindblowing either. The pasta primavera was fine. I can't really add much meat to this review because there's really not much to say about the food - it was just...fine. I'm surprised by all the comments about great service because that was a huge pitfall for the evening - service moves like molasses here! When we walked in, the place was about 40% full. Hostess wasn't too friendly and it also took us a few minutes to be seated even though there were tons of empty tables. It took 7 minutes or so for us to get waters when we sat down and for us to put our order in. Our server didn't check in on us after our plates arrived and we had to flag him down 15 minutes later to inform him our fries hadn't been delivered. Tried to be understanding that he didn't check in since he looked like he was constantly moving - checking up on other tables, delivering bills to other tables, setting up other tables. Understanding attitude totally gone when he failed to show up for the rest of the evening period. He just disappeared for the night!! We noticed this after he didn't show up loooooooooong after we finished our meal....so we had to flag someone else down for the bill and for more water. Still no water, Just the bill came, so we flagged a third server down for the water - I needed hydration badly, I was so parched from finishing all the house fries...we sat there so long I eventually finished the damn thing. Not diggin the place, there are so many other places to check out in this city.
(1)
Shauna L.

Only giving 3 stars because the placement of the bar right next to the door and where people gather to wait for tables....... First it's friggin cold every other second when someone comes in or stands there with the door open and second you have people standing literally breathing down your neck.. I personally hate people on my back. So my husband and I moved slightly over to the middle of the bar. Other than that the food was yummy! I had an adult grilled ham and cheese. Loved it! My husband had a delicious Ruben with the thickest cuts of meat I have ever seen! Menu looked wonderful and we will be going back there again. Casual, yummy, friendly staff and love looking to the kitchen from the bar. Plus it's not over the top pricy for when we go to the ballet. Food gets 4.5 stars!!!!!
(3)
Gauravi P.

The food here was mediocre at best. Mu have this restaurant three stars for the good service and lively atmosphere. We came here for brunch. I ordered the Eggs Diablo, which had absolutely no flavor to it. I even had to add hot sauce to the dish to actually feel like I was eating something with taste. It was just so bland. My father in law ordered the Mexican burger which he seemed to enjoy so that was a plus.
(3)
Sean R.

I ordered the scallops over penne and was underwhelmed. The pesto penne lacked flavor and the scallops were overcooked. The highlight of my meal was my drink. My personal favorite was the Ginger Arnold Palmer. Maybe next time I'll just visit the bar.
(3)
Craig T.

To start off the name back deck is interesting. I'm not quite sure if it's the most appropriate name for somewhat high end restaurant. The reason why I mention that is cuz I'm a marketing major and I'm curious what the marketing strategy was behind the name. It was a small simple menu and a little expensive for mid twenties children. I ended up getting a nice meaty juicy cheeseburger. Overall I thought the burger was pretty good nothing over the top. The one thing that was interesting was the waitress seemed like she has a stick up her butt. Overall my fellow amigos had a fun night and soild drinks that got me a lil tipsy. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars even though my review seems like a two and three fourths to a three and a half star type rating.
(4)
Stephanie S.

OK. I really liked this place. Last night was my first time there. The service was friendly and my boyfriend and I both enjoyed what we ate. HOWEVER, all of this means nothing because of the following: my boyfriend was in the bathroom the same time as the chef (by the way, the kitchen is partially exposed in the bar area, so you can see who's cooking)...the chef was on his cell phone while at the urinal and then finished his call and after peeing DID NOT WASH HIS HANDS!!! As we were leaving, we passed Chef Dirty Hands outside smoking and I couldn't help but wonder how many times he's going in and out to do that and not washing his hands after touching the dirty door? Also, there was a huge jar of mayo left out by the kitchen the entire time we were there (about 90 minutes) so I'm wondering how good that is now. It's too bad because this was a nice place with an interesting menu and close to the movies, Park St., and Downtown Crossing.
(1)
Monica F.

Excellent atmosphere. Service was nothing really special to talk about. The food was good but what I decided to get wasn't so great. I went with the porterhouse pork chop with mashed potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. First off the pork chop was brined and had some spices that most likely could be found in curry powder or masala. Did not really enjoy that. On the other hand my boyfriend's plate was delicious he had the steak tips. Perfectly seasoned and the portions are generous. As for desert we got the flourless chocolate brownie with honey vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. The presentation was very simple and cute. I usually don't eat desert but this was really fresh and not overly sweet. Overall I would come back to this place.
(4)
Jennifer L.

We stopped in on a whim because we were hungry and wanted a lunch that wouldn't break the bank. The restaurant itself is very nice- clean, nicely decorated, and plenty of seating. We ordered a lamb kefta roll-up and a salmon Caesar salad. My fiance liked his lamb roll-up well enough, but said he wished it had more lamb. My salad was underwhelming. The dressing was tangy and left an odd aftertaste and the salmon was tasteless, like they forgot to season it. The prices weren't bad and our server was friendly, although he seemed much more interested in checking on the two girls sitting next to us than checking on us. There are better restaurants in Boston I would be willing to try before giving this one another chance.
(2)
Jay G.

Mediocre food which is slightly over priced because of the location. Food is not distasteful, neither is the ambience bad, but only if the taste of food were to be improved it would become a go to spot for me in that area. For now, going there once is more than enough
(3)
Amanda L.

Eh. This place was fine. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday before going to the Drink Craft Beer Summerfest to make sure we had something to soak up the booze. We shared the beef skewers, lamb meatballs, corn and cornbread. The beef skewers were great and didn't need the sauce. The meat was tender and flavorful and the skewers sat on top of a delicious kale salad with cranberries. We both found the meatballs to be a bit dry along with the pita that came with the dish. These were also skewed and sat on top of a tasty orzo salad with crunchy veggies and yummy feta cheese. The corn was fine, but doesn't hold a candle to the corn at Toro and Lolita - which are made similarly but executed WAY better. Lastly, the cornbread was also fine, running on the dryer side, but the grill marks on the bread added something new to the classic dish. The portion of cornbread is HUGE and can easily feed 4. Service was fine. I think if we had ordered drinks or a dessert then our waiter would have been a bit friendlier, but he was pretty quick with taking our orders and bringing the check - possibly rushing to shoo us out as quickly as possible and get the next table in. The overall experience was fine but I won't be back since nothing wowed me.
(3)
Patrick M.

fantastic for brunch! really cool vibes, chill staff, awesome food, good drinks, and reasonably priced. Even though I'm not into french toast, I personally recommend their french toast with the bananas soaked in bourbon its A++
(5)
Danae K.

This is a nice place close to most train lines (Park st., Downtown crossing) right by Chinatown. Ambiance is nice, with large tables, large windows, and big screen TV's around the bar area. Servers are knowledgeable of the menu and are happy to help! Reason it's a 3/5 is due to the quality of the food. Burger was a bit too greasy, and the fries were colder than I would have liked them to be. All in all, nice place to enjoy another persons company over a few casual drinks.
(3)
Brenda W.

I thought the decor, menu, prices, and food were good but the service was a bit lacking when we were waiting to pay. On this particular Sunday around 2:30pm, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich which came with slaw on top and the bbq sauce on the side and I ordered a side of potato salad. The pulled pork was grand -- moist and tasty and I did appreciate the sauce being on the side so I could control just how messy I wanted it to become. The potato salad was really good but highly unusual. It had peas in it. Never witnessed that addition before and I'm not really a fan of peas but it was good, nonetheless. The price for my sandwich and side was 10.00, a very fair price. Our server was prompt when we first sat down and attention was prompt until we needed our bill. We had to flag her down in the end to pay. Other than that, I was completely satisfied with our dining experience.
(4)
Ryan H.

Friendly staff. Food compares to an airport bar or motel breakfast. Cool greasy bacon, cool toast, cool home fries. Eggs are fine. It was...fine
(2)
Aamina M.

Ordered the chickpea Mexicali burger, which was worth the $15 ($13 plus tax)- burger was bigger than my face and the chipotle mayo was spicy and delicious. I really liked it. The fries were decent, and I would've given this place 4 stars except some of my friend's fries were burnt and hard. Otherwise, good service and ambience.
(3)
Jared W.

Weak. Just weak. Everything of note in China town was closed because it was a Monday early afternoon. So we walked starving into back deck. We were feeling anything for food really, honestly the place had great ambiance but a very small and limited menu and wicked expensive. Seriously 30 bucks for a 10 Oz sirloin steak? and that's the only option besides sirloin tips for a steak on the menu. No, it's not a porterhouse or a ribeye/delmonico or a filet....it's a stinking 10 oz crap cut of sirloin. That right there turned me off. If you're going to screw me at least pay for dinner. You'd have to be stupid to pay for that when capital grill or many many high end restaurants around Boston are that price point for a well known delicious steak (not a sirloin) and I can buy a sirloin 10 Oz cut for 9 bucks and guaranteed cook it to my liking better, especially seeing how they cook to order on on a simple thing like a burger... but we will get to that. .. So we realized we'd be screwed because the burgers were 16+ bucks (and the menu didn't specify organic ground kobe grass fed beef, so unjustified pricing) but we're hungry and the wife has a gluten allergy so that limits things a bit, and we just bit the bullet and ordered burgers. She ordered mexicali burger gluten free medium and I ordered matterhorn burger not gluten free medium rare and we both got fries. They had "gourmet fries" not sure if they call it that there but we do because we used to work a restaurant that called it that. They are basically either fried or baked potato wedges. These ones seemed fried. They were pretty good but beware...if you're not into home fries or steak fry type...thicker potatoes..you won't like these most likely. The burgers came out pretty quick. Size was fine. We are the quality over quantity folks anyhow. But...definitely nothing to write home about. Bacon was over baked on mine. Overcooked patties. Almost no flavor at all. Apparently they ran out of seasonings? She didn't even finish hers and we both didn't finish the "fries" which were good as I said, but just not our style (too starchy not enough crisp). I appreciate how unique they were. Now, we both have restaurant/industry and cooking backgrounds and always appreciate constructive criticisms and compliments alike. So when she told the waitress, who nicely asked if things were okay, "please tell the chef that they overcooked the burgers. Both were well done" we were not expecting a comp. We wanted them to know basically that they screwed up 30+ bucks worth of the simplest thing to cook. On a slow Monday. That's exemplary of a garbage chef in my opinion. Maybe I'm expecting too much out of a "high end" burger joint but I don't think I am. There are places like these popping up like BRGR etc that have classy and excellent takes on classic staples The waitress first said "oh. Okay well why wouldn't you tell me, I would have had them make you another" Sorry, but most people don't go to a restaurant before they get hungry. They go when they are hungry. This was a late lunch of around 3 o'clock. So...we didn't want to wait 20 minutes and then another 20 minutes for something 90% of the world's establishments can do better quicker and for much less, and cook it correctly the first time within 15 minutes. So she basically just said sorry and can I get you anything else. We said no. And that Was it. Guaranteed she didn't tell the chef because if they can't make a burger correctly on a slow, pre-dinner service weekday in Boston at a "high end" restaurant, I'm sure the chef hears it all the time and just would shrug it off, get defensive and be a jerk like so many chefs can be towards their underlings. Trust us....we know. The wife hires them as part of her job. I don't blame her for not saying anything. But she shouldn't tell the chef anyways really that's just the polite way of suggesting she tell the KM or whatever....it was probably someone on the line anyhow. It was handled poorly and it was 80 bucks for unremarkable gin drinks and awful food. See my reviews on red Robin. Their service sucks but they make better priced and delicious gourmet burgers with bottomless fries OR salads. End. Do not recommend, clearly.
(1)
Na S.

Fast and yummy with vegetarians options. My mom and I were freezing and looking for something to eat before go back to our hotel and end up in here. It wasn't really crowded so it was quiet and the food came really fast. We both ordered the Penne primavera and it was reaally good, not small at all (it was in the small plates section). The menu wasn't really big but I love that you can order any burger with chickpea burger!
(5)
Ariana Z.

Looking from the outside in was what first drew me to Back Deck- the clever use of a spatula flipper for sign was very creative. The whole concept of homey in-your-own-back-yard feel made me feel right at home. Service was wonderful, everyone was friendly and offered the right amount of service without being over bearing. The food was also tasty- I had the roasted cauliflower and bacon salad and my friend had the classic ceasar. We both enjoyed our salads and they were actually pretty filling. Over all we really liked it and would definitely come back again.
(4)
Natalie C.

Good service, good (not great) food, good beer -- but there was a mouse running around the bar, and I left when I saw it run into the kitchen. Told the bartender and he just shrugged. Too gross to ever return.
(1)
Micaela F.

I rarely write reviews, but I felt obligated after my experience at Back Deck. I just moved to the area and wanted to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant near me that I have not been to. The atmosphere is nice, but the food and the service is a whole other story. My boyfriend ordered a burger, cooked medium and it came out close to well done. How hard is it to cook a burger correctly? I got their Salmon Cobb Salad, which wasn't technically a Cobb salad. The Salmon was extremely over cooked and hard to eat. The food arrived within 15 minutes, so I was curious how the overcooking was even possible. As we got up to leave, I was walking out of the restaurant and right by the waitress station it felt as though they just spilled olive oil all over the floor. I slipped and fell right on my hip, with no help from any of the staff for getting up. They didn't even apologize. The entire floor walking out felt extremely slippery. I wouldn't be surprised if others had fallen down as well. I will not be returning.
(1)
Denis B.

Being from New Hampshire, my wife and I don't know much of gems in Boston. So we try everything. We came in pretty hungry and loved the atmosphere. Really feels like your back deck. I got the Benedict burger with home fries (although I asked for French fries, didn't bother me much as I love both) the burger itself was decent tasting, although the hollandaise could have used some work. The home fries were very good, nice a crispy. My wife or the Mexi Cali burger and she liked it with the chipotle mayonnaise. She really loves the potato salad also. We also got a side of corn bread with maple butter for both of us. The maple butter was great, but the corn bread was very disappointing. Tasted over baked and very dry. The service was pretty good (I believe his name was jim?) a couple strange 5-10 minute waits for drinks, but very friendly and helpful none the less. Also the water that they pour when greeting is nice, but would have been better cold. Don't know if it was planned to be warm. Price wasn't too bad that we have seen for boston, $50 for 2 with a healthy tip.
(3)
Elyse Q.

There's this bartender there (and I'm going to get her name wrong buuuut) it's "Ini" or "eenie". Anyway, she's kind, helpful, and sassy - just how I like my bartenders. We went for drinks on a Saturday night - she was attentive, funny, made good drinks, and happens to be a bit of a flirt, which is always appreciated. The drinks were good and strong, and the Cape Cod Fizz sneaks up on you like a distant uncle at a family reunion. The "Dark and Stormy" isn't really Dark and Stormy insomuch as it is "Light and Sunny". But according to my man friend, it was "good". Definitely a nice chill place to go on a whim.
(5)
Sheldon O.

Not that great. As my wife said..."do you think they have tasted their own fool?" We had the wings and the pastrami. Junk food Sunday has been a disappointment. Service was very good, food was meh, drinks were standard.
(2)
Lesley M.

The house salad with creamy Dijon mustard dressing either doesn't seem creamy and taste mustardy, or they got my order wrong and gave me balsamic instead. They said that's the way they make their dressing in-house though. Hmmm... Green beans with my salmon were a bit undercooked, and service seemed low energy. Salmon was pretty good though. I may come back another time as I'm curious to try their brunch menu.
(3)
Lisa Y.

Only local craft beers sold here. On my trip to Boston, we stopped by Back Deck to grab a beer and coffee while it poured out side. We had a table of 6, but we only ordered a few appetizers. They have a great local craft beer selection that I would totes jumped in on if I wasn't busy throwing back coffees. The service here was wonderful, and the space is spacious and it feels like my back deck back at home. I would highly recommend coming here to throw back some craft beers.
(4)
Robert K.

Great food and drink. Stopped by on the way to see Billy Idol. Service fast and friendly. Great place for good American Grub.
(4)
Chris C.

They served up a pretty tasty burger for my first visit. I ordered the beef burger with pepper jack. It was cooked exactly as I ordered it, medium, and the consistency in texture, flavor and bun to meat ratio was perfect. It was busy there, but we got a table as soon as we walked in, and the server was always around checking up, which, to me, is a good thing. Cheers!
(4)
AL A.

We were very hungry and cold. It was about 3 pm We stopped at the Back Deck for lunch. We were told to come back 90 minutes later. It wasn't busy and no one else was waiting for a table It was because they didn't have enough staff. The host was happy to inform us of a delay. Needs new management.
(1)
Martha P.

I've only been here three times, for drinks and side dishes at the bar. Cocktails taste fine and are priced comparably to other bars in the area. The mashed potatoes are creamy and delicious. The cole slaw is not! I've realized the reasons I will frequent a bar are: 1) the ambience - and this place is nice that way - plaid shirts and jeans for the wait staff and an easy, casual feel about the room, plus seemingly happy hostesses; 2) the prices - I've already spoken to that; 3) the friendliness of the bartenders - never had any problem with that here; they were busy but managed to be pleasant and not keep me waiting for my drinks & food. I'll probably be back to try their burgers. I appreciate the fact that this lower section of the shopping area near Downtown Crossing has become more hip, catering to people who want to go out after work.
(3)
Sarah M.

I've been here a few times and think the food is pretty good. The mexicali burger is pretty delicious. The cocktails are not their strong suit so stick with beer/wine. Every time I've been the service has been great and it's a good place to go with a small to mid-sized group.
(4)
Linda S.

Really poor Gf buns OR decent buns but a chef who doesn't know what to do with them. I got the No Carolina pulled pork sandwich and was excited as I had heard some decent reviews, BUT It fell apart after my first bite and was just a hard, dry, crumbly mess. The fries are really overdone cut up red potatoes with no seasoning. I give them 2 stars for trying.
(2)
Matthew S.

Back Deck is in a good location and has a decent interior. On food, however, they fall short. Food quality is not as good as expected, and on the grilled foods they fall short of other places in the area. What Back Deck is good for is coming to have a beer (or pitcher of beer) and cocktails, especially when it is warm and the windows are open.
(2)
Nas O.

I love the atmosphere here and the food it's pretty good for the price your paying but the menu is kind of small and your options are limited. I definitely plan on going back however
(4)
Natalie H.

My husband and I came here before a show. We both got different types of burgers: the Mattahorn and Mexicali. Both burgers were pretty good. They were each about $15 each - a bit much for what it is. I would come back however and try some of the beers too.
(3)
Carrie D.

5 star atmosphere, 2 1/2 star food (except the appetizer I tried) I'm actually really sad writing this review because I really wanted to give this place 4 stars. The staff members were friendly and helpful. The general atmosphere was relaxing and the decor was great. (Love the spatula on the front door!) I thought it was going to be a good place to grab a quick bite after the ballet. (Guess I should have read more Yelp reviews!) General impression- It was OK, nothing special, terrible cooking oil. We started with the eggplant spread. Really great! Easily 4 stars which is why I guess the rest of the dinner was just pitiful. I was expecting great things after starting with this. My daughter ordered a cheeseburger and fries. It looked nice coming out. The bun was toasted with perfect grill marks. The fries were nice and thick. You could tell they had used fresh potatoes. However, one bite of the fries was all it took to almost cry. The cooking oil tasted horrible. I really wanted to like them because they looked so good, but the taste was a seriously disappointing. The burger was OK. (5 Guys would have been better.) 1 1/2 stars because of the taste. Nothing special about the burger and the potatoes were wasted once they hit the foul cooking oil. (Seriously, I can't get over how terrible the cooking oil was.) I ordered the Salmon Cobb Salad. The avocado and goat cheese were great. The egg looked like it could have been fresher. The yolk was a little too green. The salmon was just alright. So maybe 2 stars at best. I don't have the desire to go back, ever. But if I (unluckily) found myself here again, I would order the eggplant spread and beer. It's really hard to mess up a draft beer. Tip to the owners - Please find a better cooking oil or clean your fryer. It would make your big, thick fries a million times better. xoxoxoxo someone who really loves french fries
(2)
Jackie G.

Pretty cool bar. Coworker and I stopped in for something to eat. Spent a little time at the bar. The bartender was cool to chat with. Food came fast enough and was pretty good for the price. Beer was good..tried a local favorite brew but just can't remember the name. I would sum this as one of those holes in the wall good places to go. Interior was very current and felt warm. All ages can go inside but 21 and over for the bar. I'd go back!
(4)
Tina C.

I went there when it first opened and did not like it. I just tried it again because you really cant beat the location with friends coming from all parts of the city. I do like the atmosphere, interior, location, and staff but everything else makes me not want to come back. First off, SUPER overpriced for the drinks and food it is serving. I would consider those prices if the food was good but its not, not even close. I ordered the hot wings as an appetizer and wow. It was $8 bucks for 6 wings that were just grilled. There was no buffalo sauce, no spices, just grilled. I then ordered a burger medium rare and I felt like the middle was still cold. It was extremely rare in the middle, it still looked like raw ground beef in the middle. It came with fries that looked like burnt home fries. This burger was $15...... All in all, I am sad to say that I really dislike this place, especially at the price points that they set. It really is not worth it.
(2)
Andrew Q.

I'm probably being quite unfair to Back Deck by knocking off points for not having the drink I wanted as a result of their shipments being knocked out by a winter storm. I am definitely not being unfair for knocking off points for what was, at best, inattentive service. I visited Back Deck with a group of friends. Though we were a large group, we were promptly split up into two separated tables and told they could not be joined. Worse yet, I had arrived after my friends had already ordered. As a result, the waitress didn't take my order for a good while after my friends had already received their food. That was compounded by how long it took for the food to come out of the kitchen. I'd be willing to forgive this if the food was decent, but it was pretty boring. Big fan of the hot spiced apple cider though, especially since it came with a real stick of cinnamon. I'm really not a fan of being left hungry, and Back Deck did exactly that. I guess I don't feel so bad about giving them two stars after all.
(2)
Alissa S.

My go-to pre-show at the Opera House meet up (Max & Dylan's) closed, so before seeing ONCE with some friends last week we decided to grab dinner & drinks at Back Deck (note that a couple of the other area bars tend to be too crowded at happy hour to even get served at the bar, so on a freezing day we were very happy that this place, though busy, has plenty of seating). I love the lighting in here, the winter punch was delicious, and though one of my friends arrived about 15 minutes after we placed our initial food order, they knew we were trying to get to a 7 PM show and rushed her salad out just minutes after our burgers. The burgers were above average and all of the other food we saw go by the table was beautifully presented. I remember thinking the menu was limited/that there weren't a ton of things I'd order, but I can't say for sure that I didn't immediately rule out certain things that night knowing that we were in a rush!
(3)
David G.

I have only been there twice. And I have only tried the Mexicali Burger. After having tried thousands of burgers in Boston, I come to the following conclusion: Boston Burger Company is damn good, but the Mexicali Burger at Back Deck beats everything. Not as greasy as burgers at BBC and still not as green as one of these vegan things. It's just a perfect burger with a pretty decent potato salad on the side.
(5)
Catherine P.

I want to love this place. The set up is really neat and I can only imagine how nice it is in the summer with the windows open and giving you that Back Deck cook out feeling in the city.. Lovely! As for the downfall, I have visited this location numerous times for brunch and dinner hoping that maybe I just ordered the wrong thing or it was an off day, but I still have yet to really love anything I ordered compared to other eateries around this area. I have ordered a breakfast burger in which I cannot remember the name (was just a big mess which not a lot of flavor), PB and chocolate stuffed french toast (did not really have a lot of pb or chocolate so that was disappointing), boyfriend had an omelette which looked decent, but nothing to rave about. For dinner we both ordered the Matterhorn Burger. It was not bad, but again compared to other local places it did not blow me away or make this a must go place for me. In a city with a million options to eat I would not put this at the top of the list, but if nothing else is open and you are in the area it will be a decent option. Maybe I will try again once it warms up and the ambiance will sell me.
(3)
Katelyn P.

This place has great ambience, so I had high hopes for the food. But it was underwhelming. Not a huge menu selection, but not awful either. I got the Cubano tacos, they were fine but not something I'd be excited to eat again. It's just average: fun atmosphere to hang out with friends, but the food is pretty forgettable.
(3)
Ariel Z.

I like the vibe of this place a lot. I've often come here just for drinks, as the bar is larger than most and the bartenders very down-to-earth and fun to talk to. They will even give you as many beer samples as you'd like. The cocktails are plenty strong, generally. The food is pretty good. In the past, I've come here for their brunch and also for dinner. The Mexicali burger is a favorite for many. I recommend the soup with butternut squash and apple as well as the steak kebabs (comes with a healthy salad on the platter). The spicy tomato chutney for the steak kebabs was bursting with heat and flavor. Definitely a great spot for gourmet pubgrub and interesting cocktails with a fun, outdoorsy spin!
(4)
Dan O.

I'll be brief because I was in and out of this place so quickly. Even though the place was quiet at about 25-30% capacity, the majority of the staff was completely inattentive. After about 10 minutes without any checking in on me, I flagged down some guy who was not even working my section. He just became my waiter thereafter which is honestly for the best because I was pretty livid with those people who thought my food-less drink-less table was normal). Now rightly worried about the management of the place but too rushed to go elsewhere, I went simple for food with a Mexicali burger. It was very small. It also came in a very small basket like you would get at a place that isn't primarily a restaurant. The final sin was the fries were enormous wedge cuts; basically baked potatoes slices. Just do not go here.
(1)
Emily C.

Came with a group of friends on a slow Sunday night (around 7 PM). The "Back Deck" theme is carried nicely throughout the decorations and furnishings, from wooden picnic tables to the potted greenery. Our server was very friendly, and went out of his way to make us feel comfortable. The food was not spectacular, but it hit the spot on a cold day. I especially recommend the Portuguese Kale Soup! The flavor is strong, and reminds me of Italian wedding soup. The Greek Style Lamb Kafta Skewer is good, too, but not as remarkable.
(4)
Megan M.

Dear Yelp, My girlfriend and I were going out on a date on cinco de mayo with the brilliant idea that we would go to a very busy mexican restaurant with no reservation. Needless to say, there was a one hour wait. We decided to head across the street to Back Deck. We were seated immediately. Our server's name was Tayla, she was a delight. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgable, and smiled a lot to boot. The drinks were excellent. I ordered the elderflower margarita. The first one was a bit tart, but the bartender was more then willing to fix that for me. My girlfriend ordered the blueberry limoncello cooler which was also delicious. For her next round, she ordered the spiked strawberry lemonade which she loved even more. For dinner, she had the cubano tacos while I had the grilled rare tuna. Both were excellent. If you are going to a show in the area, or just want a great night out, back deck is highly recommended. Sincerely, A Satisfied Customer p.s. This is my girlfriend's account
(4)
Sean R.

Food was just OK to poor. Dijohn dressing on the salmon salad was thin and tasteless. The spicy chicken wings tasted good but were very greasy. and kitchen made the wrong dessert. Service was good, and they corrected issues when pointed out. Just overall a disappointing experience.
(2)
Shir L.

The service = negative stars. The waitress suggested this most popular drink, and it was just awful. The food DESERVED negative stars. I will not be returning at all. The overall experience was just unpleasant.
(1)
Ed B.

Wild blizzard outside. I walk in with 20 people. They set us up and take GREAT care of us. The service was outstanding. The food was great. The beers/drinks were delicious. The place is clean and comfortable. Five star experience for sure. Check it out!
(5)
Kaitlyn N.

What I like about Back Deck is the ambiance. They play up the "deck" aspect with the furniture and decorations, which I appreciated as I was there during a snowstorm and enjoyed imagining I was someplace warm. They also have those big windows that open up onto West St which is the closest you can get to outdoor dining. The food was pretty mediocre and nothing I'd go back to have again. However, the beers were a good size and the service was good. I'd come back here as a place for drinks after work.
(3)
Charles K.

The burgers are quite good but overpriced for what you're getting, and in comparison to other sit-down restaurants in the area. The fries that come with them aren't traditional fries but quartered fried potatoes. Also, it would be nice if they weren't served in a wire basket that's so tiny that it makes them impractical to eat. As far as the setting, it's insanely weird that the restroom is located outside the actual restaurant. They went for a patio look, which apparently meant going with wooden tables with slats in them and uncomfortable metal patio chairs or wooden booths.
(3)
Alexandria L.

Great place to grab a seasonal or themed drink as they have many delicious concoctions for the adults. Food seems to be delicious as the kitchen had never a dull moment. Tom the bartender is great!
(5)
Florian F.

First it took some time until we were asked for drinks and what we wanted to order. After ordering the food showed up very fast. That was surprising. But the. We noticed that the fish we ordered was under cooked and also the pork a could have take. A little more time on the grill.
(2)
Vanessa A.

Meal: Diner. Seared tuna salad with pears. It was delicious. I ordered potato fries and the portion is huge. Perfect for sharing. Price: 3 people, 1 appetizer, 3 meals and 3 sangria (recommend it) $86 + tip Location: We went to the Opera House for a show right after eating. It's right next door. Service: Friendly, but the kitchen was a little slow with the eggplant dip appetizer.
(4)
Eva W.

Good things: -Lots of seating, so likely no wait -Fun cocktails -In my one experience, I had an attentive and nice server. Things that are not bad, but also unimpressive: -Most of their food (I had eggplant spread app, mixed grill meal, and smores for dessert). Everything was fine, however, if you're a foodie, you're better off at nearby Stoddard's or jmCurley. -the "backyard" seating is slightly uncomfortable (the booths look fine). -menu isn't very cohesive--mediterranean, then burgers, then pasta entrees? I was hesitant to get anything, because I didn't know what they'd be good at.
(2)
Sarah C.

I came here around 9:30 on a Saturday night.. the weather was nice so the windows were open and it was nice to eat while getting some fresh air. I had the Mexicali burger (burger with pepper jack, sliced avocado & green chili salsa, chipotle mayo on the side, and fries) and was impressed with the flavors. I would return and possibly order it again..I am still thinking about it!!
(4)
Betty W.

We walked into this restaurant without any hesitation because of its interesting spatula decoration, also it is new to the neighborhood. Loved the idea of back yard settings, but not a big fan of the view after they opened the patio doors, there were few trash barrels across the street. Ordered the beer on tap, great selections although selections were limited. The chicken liver appetizer was amazingly good, the salad underneath was just prepared right with the dressing. Chicken wings were grilled to perfect! We also ordered the mix grill as entree, the lamb skewers were delicious! Duck sausage was unique, and portabella mushroom were just yummy! We left happy with a happy stomach! So, we went back again, second time wasn't as good as first. Grilled food needs to be served instantly, and the waitress was missing when we need her, and showed up when we do not need service. So, we had to wave at other servers for help. However, the grilled squid was delightfully tasty with the tangy sauce. Overall, the dining experience and enjoyment of food was still good regardless.
(4)
Mike B.

Great Fries!! The fries are really great! The food was well above average. The reason 3 stars? The service was oddly bad! This place has everything going for it except service. I really can't get over that - it's unacceptable to have such bad service.
(3)
Dhwani U.

The place is nice and new. The food wasn't that amazing tho. They only had one vegetarian option which tasted like eating air.
(3)
Jill G.

So cute inside! The best place downtown to bring kids- good kids menu and a setup inside that makes you feel like you're at an outdoor picnic/ grill! The sandwiches are delicious and they have a decent drink menu as well. Not too pricey. A great family spot.
(4)
Megan L.

I have been to this restaurant twice now, and had I written this review after my first experience it would have been totally different. I went with my sister last week before we were set to go see The Lion King right next door. Our reservation was at 5:45 so we had plenty of time to relax and eat/drink before we needed to leave. We started with the Mexican Street Corn which was very good actually, albeit messy, and I would order it again. For our entrees, my sister got the pork tacos which ended up being dry and overall not good. On our first visit, our waiter guided her away from them saying they "weren't the best item on our menu". He was definitely right and they should be avoided. I ordered a repeat of the meal I had the first time we came here because it was so good! I got the grilled salmon with jasmine rice and asparagus. When my plate arrived, it did look very pretty but tasted like an ashtray/grill. The bottom of my salmon was so burnt; the only thing I could taste was char. I brought it to the waiter's attention and he promptly took my plate to have it redone. The manager came over and was very confused saying he had no idea what the problem was, and after I explained it to him again, he said he would make me another. 2-3 minutes after that, he came back and told me that was "how they make it there". When I told him it wasn't like that the last time I had it, he insisted that is always how its done and I would get it again and still be unhappy or we could pick off the burnt bottom. I opted for the latter and said I would do it when I got it back. Instead, I got the plate back and someone else picked off the bottom for me taking a lot of the salmon with it and I lost a couple spears of the asparagus as well, strangely enough. I ate it away because I was hungry and didn't have time to find something else. Next comes dessert, and what I really loved about The Back Deck is that they do a special themed dessert to match the show playing next door. The one they had for Phantom of the Opera was fantastic! For this show, it was a coconut pound cake with zebra icing and mango sherbet. One bite into this dessert, I pulled a hair out of my pound cake. Horrified, I once again called over the waiter to get it taken away. After declining another piece, we were given the check. The dessert was taken off the bill, but I still had to pay in full for my salmon ($23) despite not being happy with it. Normally I do not complain at a restaurant not matter what is going on (which I told my waiter when I called him over the 2nd time), and for me to make note of 2 issues during one meal really says a lot! The manager's attitude and response was not acceptable in my opinion and in large, I won't be going because of him. Our waiter was nice, but I think he definitely should have tried harder to see what management could do to make up for this less than pleasant experience. Not that I am trying to get a free meal here by any means - we had 5 glasses of wine for the table, plus our appetizer, and the other entree - I just would have appreciated that my complaints be taken seriously and something actually done to apologize. The manager didn't even come back to check on my salmon after I got the plate back, or after I found the hair in my dessert. I guess that will teach me for hitting up the same place twice and expecting the same great time.
(2)
Chris C.

Another "meh" experience - bland unimaginative food, uninspired drinks, and disjointed service (server: don't call men in thier 40s "boys") Didnt really want to go based in my one other experience there, and after a 2nd visit, Wouldn't go back
(1)
Bob H.

My wife and I often go to the Brattle Book Store across the street from the Back Deck, so we decided to have a light lunch there. The restaurant is on the corner of Washington and West. We enjoyed the street activity while eating. My wife had the Cauliflower salad which was excellent ($10). I had the Grilled hot wings ($8) which were very good. We loved the outside deck dÃ©cor. Our waiter Michael was very informed and enthusiastic and the meal more enjoyable. Also, they had five or six draft beers, but they were all good choices.
(5)
Kenny K.

I've only had a burger and "fries" (in quotes, because I wouldn't consider them fries) at Back Deck, but was thoroughly unimpressed. The prices are too high, and the food quality is average at best.
(2)
Elisabeth S.

The one star rating is directly for the Chef's attitude. My sister and I came in one evening for a snack after a movie. I had the corn chowder, she had a shrimp appetizer. We waited over 25 minutes for our food - it was a Tuesday night around 10pm and they were not busy, but we did not complain about the wait. When the food did come out, the chowder looked good and tasted great, but my sisters shrimp looked a little under cooked on only a few pieces. She asked me if it looked funny, I said to just eat the ones that looked fully cooked. We didn't say anything to the bartender or the chef, but the chef saw us talking and threw a fit in the kitchen! He started swearing and kept staring right at us, giving us the evil eye. Since he saw this exchange, I don't know why he wouldn't have walked up and checked on everything. Instead he threw a tantrum. The worst part: after we finished and paid - and didn't complain once - we walked out onto the street and that same chef was outside smoking and KEPT GLARING AT US! What a creep! Definitely will not be back.
(1)
Karl P.

The place was pretty nice for the most part. The food was alright but nothing special. The hostess that I had was rude and seemed as if she was working there as a punishment.I don't plan on returning.
(1)
Holly M.

I'm so sorry to give the two-star, because I'm thrilled with all these new downtown restaurants and I love Back Deck's big windows opening right onto the sidewalk, but, man, what an underwhelming dinner. Went here on Friday night because all other options had lines out the door and Back Deck had a table ready to go. Maybe we should've realized there was a reason for that. My salad with seared tuna was alright, but lacked any special kick or presentation to it. It seemed as if even the chef must've been unexcited about plating that thing. My boyfriend's burger was again, alright, but nothing special. The french fries were quartered potatoes that were dry, hard, and cold when they arrived. Service was pretty slow to boot (though not unfriendly). I wouldn't say we hated the place, it was just completely underwhelming, and not inexpensive for what you get. I wish them luck, though. I just think they need to rethink their approach if they are going to compete with some of the other the other fabulous downtown restaurants.
(2)
T. C.

The food at Back Deck was not bad at all. I had a burger and it was a pretty big one. The beef was a little overcooked, but consider the number of customers there, I can understand. It's acceptable. The environment does add points to food. The reason why I give this a 2-star is the service. It's busy all right, but this is not a take out restaurant, so you should still greet your customer, patiently take their order and give them the check at the end. Well, we didn't get any of those. The server who served our table was angry and bitter. When our food arrives, he "threw" it on the table, walked away and disappeared. At the end, we had to "find" him to get us the check. We had to ask for the check 2x. He even gave us an attitude when he saw that the tip was just 15% not over. I mean, how can you expect more when the service is like this?! I wouldn't go back to this place again.
(2)
Rebecca D.

We just stopped in for drinks. Summer sangria is delish! After his initial disappointment that our party of four wasn't eating, our waiter was very good.
(4)
Molly C.

I have been here a few times and have always had delicious food and awesome drinks! The staff is really friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxed. I LOVE the gazpacho and HOME MADE S'mores!!! so so so good. I haven't ever been disappointed. And did I mention cocktails?! I love them - and I am whoa-fully disappointed at many downtown establishments, but not here. I am a sucker for cucumber drinks and they have a gin based cucumber number that is right up my alley.
(5)
Michael R.

The service was great. The mexicali burger is great, however, the basket it was served in was way to small making the meal awkward. The slaw also left something to be desired. But overall not a bad meal.
(3)
Kerry Q.

Met a friend for dinner last night at 5p. I hadn't been to the Back Deck before and liked it from the minute I walked in the door. The decor is comfy/casual and feels like you're outside but without the hassle of bugs. The drink menu looked great - I had lemonade that came with a free refill - and the food menu was really interesting with a strong emphasis on grilled food. My Caesar salad with chicken was great and he enjoyed the hell out of his burger. I would definitely go back to the Back Deck and try some other food options.
(3)
Julie M.

We were trying to find a restaurant that was laid back and affordable in the Theater district when we came across the Back Deck.....all of the waiters were flannel and there's good beer on tap! The burgers were delicious but I tried something else and it was nothing exceptional but for the price still good! Our waitress helped us handle a forgotten ticket situation by printing them out and we could not have been more appreciative! We'll definitely be back!
(4)
Richard C.

To grill or not to grill, that is the question. At Back Deck, they rely heavily on the old standby, our good friend the grill. If the vibe is intended to look and feel like the prototypical "back deck" in most suburban houses, they've certainly succeeded. Picnic tables and a brightly lit interior set the scene, and the smoke of the grill is evident if not overwhelming. The aptly named "backyard burgers" offer three slightly intriguing choices; the Santa Fe burger (pepper jack, avocado, tomato salsa), the Muffaletta (provolone, Creole olive salad, garlic mayo) and the Mexicali (pepper jack, avocado, chipotle mayo and green chili salsa). Being a sucker for all things New Orleans, I opted for the Muffaletta burger, which rings in at $13. Arriving on a plastic and very picnic-y inspired plate, it looked like a very typical burger. Fully melted cheese and the usual toppings of raw red onion, a pile of lettuce and a slab of tomato compile the burger plate, most of which I quickly push aside to get to the meat of the matter. The burger is an ideal size, the Goldilocks of burgers if you will, featuring a wonderful meat to bun ratio and just large enough so you need two hands to hold it but it wont weigh you down either. The first few bites are a delight: juicy, pleasantly beefy and ever so bitter from the char of the grill. The beef doesn't appear to be a fussy blend, it's straightforward and effective but not exactly inspiring or avante garde. But sometimes that's okay; there's nothing better than a burger that knows its own limitations, as much as a burger can or should have personality, sometimes the hand of chef can make it too ambitious for it's own good. In other words, the simple beef deserves a simple approach, in this case a quick hit of the grill makes the difference in the end product because it matches the overall vibe of the restaurant itself. The seasoning is just fine, and the olive spread on top is borderline genius because it lends a natural saltiness to the burger that may or may not have been missing otherwise. Here the olives are the seasoning, and a hefty dose of the well prepared garlic mayo rounds out one very tasty burger. It's not completely perfectly cooked, however, like most backyard burgers it's more or less done depending on the bite, sometimes it's juicy, other times it's teetering on dry. The bun is fresh, soft and again, typical, but it's a smart choice for the burger and it works. The fries are little chips of sorts, more steak than French, but different enough to be noted; they need a touch of salt but are pretty delicious nonetheless. I wish they were more evenly cooked because some are crispy and some are soggy, but overall a good flavor profile and successful. Back Deck is not quite an original; it mostly feels like a been-there-done-that kind of place both in decor and menu. But it's just different enough to separate from some of its contemporaries in the local burger scene (Coda, Grafton Street, Post 390). It's a solid burger, somwhere in the good to very good range, if they can maintain consistency and improve on a few areas (cooking to temp, fries, seasoning) it could be a player in the Boston burger game. For $13 I can't complain too much, but I'd like it a hell of a lot more if were in that $10 range which it probably deserves to be.
(4)
Amit A.

I had the turkey burger for lunch, i would definitely get that again. They also have a good craft beer selection on draft and bottles. Service was good too...
(4)
Janna B.

I made a Yelp reservation for six at Back Deck. They had our table ready even though we were a few minutes early. It was very busy and our server was assigned to at least ten tables and took quite a long time to take our drink and food orders. She was apologetic, however. I wanted to order the pear salad with seared tuna, but they were out of tuna. Al appreciate finding out what's out of stock when being seated but that did not happen, and I was scrambling at the last minute to select something else. When our food did arrive, my friend's burger that was supposed to have melted provolone did not. She sent it back and when they retuned with the plate, there was a hard piece of cheese plunked atop the burger. My salmon Cobb salad was ok with goat cheese, avocado, bacon, tomatoes, and cucumber. It definitely was not the best Cobb I've had, though. All in all, if you are in need of a restaurant after a show at the Boston Opera House that is within three minutes walk, and you have no foodies with you, Back Deck is a place you can live with.
(3)
Theresa M.

I've only ever been to the bar, so maybe I'm missing out on the"it needs work" aspect of the restaurant. Love the size of the bar. It's pretty small, but they can make what you want. They have Narragansett on tap, which made me happy, even if it's a mediocre beer. Love the vibe, and the fresh cut fries. Bar tenders are friendly and run a tight ship. New places can always have room for improvement, but my belief is that they'll be fine.
(4)
Michelle L.

Food was great! The cowboy steak was awesome. The restrooms needed cleaning though. :(
(4)
Teresa T.

The concept of Back Deck is a good one especially when taking in Boston's winters. However I wished the metal seats had cushions as it was cold to the touch when we sat down. I ordered an ice tea which tasted funny and the grilled tuscan chicken sandwich with fries. The sandwich was good - all components held together, wasn't sloppy or overly dressed - but the fries seemed more like home fries. Overall Back Deck is solid.
(3)
Rachel C.

It looks like a fun bar, but as I am reading the reviews I can see I am not the only one who was confused by the posted hours vs. when the restaurant just feels like closing. My friends and I had been out for restaurant week at Blu and were looking to get a night cap. We had planned to go to Max and Dylan's but they were pretty crowded and we liked the atmosphere and space at Back Deck as we had walked by so we turned around and walked in. Immediately we were turned away and were told the restaurant was closed. This was before 10 pm. If you aren't accepting patrons, lock your doors and adjust your posted hours. I also highly doubt that if a manager had seen the staff, who were all just hanging out at the bar, turn away 8 women looking to get drinks on a Monday night, they would have been too pleased.
(2)
Sheila S.

The feel and atmosphere is great here. A refreshing change to the many similarly styled Boston restaurants. Owned by a Babson grad who also owns another area restaurant. I have been twice and satisfied both times. The first was with a group for a fundraising event and they allowed us to use the whole top deck area which was perfect for us. Second was for dinner and the turkey burger and fries were delish! The fries are hand-cut potatoes, lightly salted, and clearly made to order. I knocked my rating down a star given the potato salad was overly creamy and the wooden deck style chairs could use cushions for long sitting.
(4)
MJ L.

This is an absolutely wonderful place to dine, especially in the summers when the floor to ceiling windows open out, and it actually feels like you are dining in someone's back deck. I also tried it recently, though, and it was also very cozy with the snow falling outside. I really liked the wings as apps. My friend ordered the chicken liver, which was average. I had the eggplant spread in the past, which was my favorite app. The baby back ribs were divine and incredibly filling. The dessert menu changes all the time. I just looked today, and they have S'mores, which I will definitely have to try next time! This is a great place to take a date right before heading to Lowes AMC for a movie (5 minute walk away!)
(3)
Sara G.

Bottom line for me is that on a semi-warm day, they open all the big garage-style walls and you get some fresh air. Given Boston spends 6 months a year being holed up due to freezing weather, when I find a place that doesn't stick me inside in the warmer months, I'm in love. I had the fish tacos. They were meh. The drinks, however, were good. I like the casual ambience, and the service was friendly.
(4)
Kevin M.

I do not recommend Back Deck. I went here with some work colleagues before a Red Sox game, thirteen of us in total. This was around 5pm on a Tuesday and the place was completely empty, no one there. We said we were getting drinks and a few appetizers, but the hostess refused to sit us and said we must all order entres as well. I reiterate, there was no one at this place, almost every table was open. And all 13 of us were planning on getting a few drinks as well as sharing appetizers. Yet that was not enough for them to be able to seat us. We were turned away and went to Max and Dylan's instead, where we were sat and racked up a decent bill. I dont blame the hostess at Back Deck, as it appears this is their bizarre policy. But I would recommend the ownership reconsider. No one in my office will go there now, and we work just around the corner. I give this place a year before it shuts down.
(1)
Guy A.

Upon sitting down, we informed the sever we are going to order beer and an apps he than proceeded to tell us he was going to have to force us to order food on because it was the night of a show. On the lighter side the beer selection is good and the food is decent. The wings are above average
(3)
Mark G.

The food here was shockingly good. I say shockingly, because I didn't expect much by the time the food arrived. The concept of the restaurant is great -- it's an indoor-outdoor restaurant with huge windows that open onto the street. Unfortunately, they need to focus on cleaning the floors and general eating areas -- floors were greasy. Our server was polite, but forgot a round of drinks entirely -- once reminded she was happy to oblige. The drinks were generous; 23oz pilsner glass drafts for $7 -- I'll take that. I ordered the Brick Chicken -- while it was very good, what came out was not Brick Chicken. By definition, Brick Chicken should be butterflied and pressed flat on the grill/pan with a 'brick' or weighted iron press on top -- it should come out with crispy skin. What I got was a generous portion of juicy roasted chicken. Not at all bad in any way, but definitely not what I ordered. The Caesar salad was passable, chicken was well cooked. I should probably have listened to the reviews and stuck to beer bites and drafts. All in all, for a menu with mainly $20+ entrees, I typically expect better.
(2)
Holly M.

Adorable. Seriously the decor is too cute. The floor is supposed to look like a deck, the table are wooden, and the general feel is outdoorsy...which is awesome on a cold winter day! I thought the food and prices were pretty good and we would live to try it again. The drinks were strong and tasty and I would certainly be willing to sit at the bar and have a few more. Cute interior, right in DTX, and reasonable prices.
(4)
Allie M.

Great food. Fun atmosphere. Good service. My boyfriend and I had a lovely time at the back deck. The Perfect Chicken was indeed perfect. We also had the butternut squash soup which was very tasty and a decent portion size. My boyfriend ordered the MexiCali burger which came in a small red basket that was overflowing with the burger and fries. For 14$, the burger was nothing special but still good. We also split a pitcher of the house punch which was good but a lot for the two of us to finish. They didn't hurry us out the door as we casually finished our drinks, which was very nice.
(4)
Lisa L.

Pretty good good, but not really the best experience. It was more casual than I thought and the service was poor. I would go back for a burger if I was in the area. Oh but the s'more dessert was awesome!
(3)
Craig H.

Service was good, but the food was pretty bad. My girlfriend ordered the grilled cheese and I ordered their signature burger. The grilled cheese wasn't even melted, in fact the middle layer was flat out cold. My burger was $12.99, and the patty was pretty tiny. The bun dwarfed the burger in fact. Overpriced place. Avoid.
(2)
Nora S.

This new restaurant in Downtown Crossing is off to a great start! We had a great time here before going off to a show at the Modern Theatre next door. The staff was friendly, didn't make us feel rushed but at the same time got us off to our play on time. The turkey burger was nothing special but their fries were surprisingly good and the Grilled Salmon Cobb Salad was excellent. I'm thrilled to see another stylish but reasonably priced dinner option in the neighborhood.
(4)
John D.

Call it teething problems, but this place has a way to go before they perfect their act. A group of 5 of us went there for drinks and appetizers and (unlike another reviewer), we were not given the "you get a table only if you have dinner" spiel! The large bay windows give this place an open, spacious look. The furniture is new and dark wood. Overall, the color scheme of the place needs a better interior designer's input. The bartender/server we had seemed to know the menu, but not his scotches/whiskeys. Two of the people in our group had to walk with him and check out the list of options at his computer! The hot wings were hot (w.r.t. temperature), but the taste was bland, overly peppery and oily. Overall, it's a nice place at a very good location, but they would have to get their staff trained and their act together if they need to survive more than just on the basis of location, location, location!
(3)
Sean R.

Went last friday. The concept is interesting, but a bit confused. They're trying to recreate a back yard grill out, but seem to be lacking some necessary components. We didn't have trouble getting a table but otherwise service was slow and inattentive. Booze was a tad pricy, but this is downtown. I got a burger, it was good, but they definitely overcooked it from the medium rare I requested. If they're gonna be a back yard bbq sort of joint, they can't mess this up. It's brand new, so I might give it another shot, but a burger joint should mess up a burger order.
(2)
Ashley L.

Really wish I could give this place five stars but the value just wasn't there. Me and A.G. Shared a large plate after the waitress told us they were huge but it was actually small. We ordered the kabob plate and it was delicious but not worth the $18.
(2)
A. G.

The food was delicious. The drinks was good but it is very overpriced. The waitress told us the large plate was big enough for two people... "Its HUGE", sadly it was a little more for one person. My friend and I left feeling broke and hungry. Also, the bread basket was awful. Cold rolls with no taste. Overall it was like everything in downtown, overpriced and not amazing. Best bet, go to Chinatown.
(3)
Kevin L.

Decent start on their first day. Overall, the food was good, but not great. The backyard theme feels just a little gimmicky and makes the space look less nice than it could. The drink menu is not particularly extensive, but does seem like it would work with the theme and food. The escarole and lentil soup was a solid start to the meal on a cooler than expected day. The cheeseburger was also solid, but not outstanding and cooked more med-rare than medium as requested. Our big complaint of the meal were the accompanying fries. Cut in semi circles, the fries seemed undercooked - more raw than just soggy. The porterhouse porkchop was very good, though the bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes could have been better seasoned and were a touch watery. We didn't try dessert, but thought the choices fit well. The service was pleasant and relatively prompt, and lacking in the frantic nature of other opening days. In summary, the food and experience were solid, but not amazing, with room to improve as they get more practice. It seemed like a strong start for a first day, and I will definitely come back later this summer to see how it evolves.
(3)
Amanda T.

Back Deck just opened a week ago, so I'm sure they are still working out the kinks. That being said, we did not have a good experience overall. We were a group of 7 and had not made reservations, but thinking that it was a Sunday night there would be a minimal wait. They told us it would be about 15 minutes...not a problem. We were seated about 40 minutes later. And the restaurant was barely half full. The specialty drink list doesn't make sense - a regular cocktail is about $8-10, while a pitcher of sangria which generously serves 3, barely serves 4, is $35. For three people, not a deal at all - for 4, just average pricing. The food was ok. Nothing special, but the prices ranged greatly, and were pretty expensive for the food we were getting. I had a Caesar salad with chicken for $11, and it was pretty small, just iceberg lettuce with a little dressing, cheese and croutons - kinda disappointing. The main entrees are in the $15-$25 range, which seems like a lot for what people got. Then came dessert. Three of us ordered the Snicker's sundae - and the ice cream arrived as soup. We complained and though the waiter apologized, he indicated that they were having trouble with their freezer and were working on it. So, in other words, he KNEW there would be a problem and didn't say anything when we ordered the desserts. No one offered to comp the desserts, nor did we ever see a manager at all. Someone else at the table ordered the chocolate cake, which she said was ok, but it was a tiny serving for the price. Our waiter was attentive, but unsure of himself, forgot things, and just generally seemed inexperienced. He will get better over time though. My experience at Back Deck deserves one star, but I gave it two because as I said, they just opened a week ago, so I attribute some of the issues to that and think the restaurant has potential to improve. I don't think I will be going back anytime soon however.
(2)
Jules H.

Tried this spot for the first time this week, and the service was awesome, the pitcher of arnold palmer cocktail (I forget the ingredients..) was strong and delicious, and the food was solid. The three stars is because the decor is a bit odd - my friend and I said it felt like they had tried to convert an upscale Burger King. And I also wish they had a vegetarian burger option - I know it's a grilling place, but it is pretty standard to have something other than just mixed griled veggies for the non meat eaters among us. But they're new, I think they'll improve.
(3)
Alison S.

We stopped in here before the ballet. Barbeque, casual ambiance, didn't exactly go with our fancier outfits but that was fine. My boyfriend got a Back Deck Manhattan, which he could not stop raving about. I got the Santa Fe Backyard Burger, with the veggie burger. Clearly a handmade veggie burger, which is nice to see - few places do that. It was a good size, but the burger was too soft and kept falling apart. Very messy but very tasty. The fries were great and I kept dipping them in the chipotle mayo, which, although spicy, I just could not stop eating! Perhaps a bit overpriced but not a bad little place.
(3)
Nancy F.

I came today for my second and last time. The bartender look annoyed when I ordered an spicy drink but said no when he offered a Bloody Mary. The fries that I ordered were not really that good. They better be great to put all that in my body. The margarita was not good whatsoever. Service was just ok.
(1)
Elizabeth D.

We went here last night with our 3 kids and had an awesome experience. Love the teak tables and outdoor theme. The space is big and airy and light. Cocktail list was great. Kids food some of the best I've had in a while. Adult food excellent too. Not bar food-- really like what you would serve to guests in the yard. Fresh, light, well seasoned and carefully cooked. Mixed grill was great. My only complaint was the wine list. Too many local glasses...we are not known for our wine here in MA and it's Ok to just admit that! The smores was amazing, sundae less so as it came out melted already. Our server, Scott, was great too. Super energetic and devotedto the customer experience. We will be back-- congrats for doing it all right only 5 days in! Great for large parties, kids, a casual meal, drinks, good meat. Lots of dates happening when we were there too.
(5)
M D.

This is a great casual, quick place near the theater to grab a bite which does feel like you are sitting on the back deck. I call it kabab meets pub--i.e. classic burgers/beer but also has some more original items, i.e. eggplant "hummus"/spread, white bean bruschetta, lamb kabobs/pita etc. The pear-ginger sangria is really more just like sangria. Came here when they were very busy and though hostess was a little rough around edges, we sat in bar area. The service here was great and fairly quick and friendly. Large screen TV at bar to watch games. Again my second visit--first on a wk night before show and recently for lunch before matinee performance and overall food was good on both occasions
(3)
Charlotte K.

I've always like Paul Sussman's places (I still really miss Daddy-Os). Today at lunch was my first visit (lunch time) to Back Deck, so my jury is still out. The place is really attractive. Windows were wide open on a pleasant day but I assume they have AC for when it isn't so nice outside. I had a good glass of pinot noir. Ordered the chicken livers starter on salad with a creamy dressing, and an order of what they call fries, but are really very skillfully fried thick slices of potato. I thought the potatoes were superb, crispy and golden on the outside, hot & fluffy on the inside. The salad and dressing were tasty but the chicken livers weren't good. Disappointing because the chicken livers I remember from Daddy-Os all those years ago were so high quality and generous in serving. In this case I really think the livers themselves were at fault--they were cooked fine, pink in the middle, but they were small and not flavorful; but also I got 4 tiny livers. Chicken livers are cheap, there is no reason not to give a generous serving. A step up from my usual Downtown Crossing lunch and I will go back, but I hope it gets better. I was a bit disappointed. Also--my very YOUNG waiter kept calling me "Young Lady." I am 54 years old. Yeah, I look good ;-)) but it was absurd and actually even a little weird. Someone needs to stop him doing that. M'a'm or nothing at all will do just fine, thanks!
(3)
R A.

I was surprised to see such a low rating! I've been here twice and both times were fantastic. I love the atmosphere. Very relaxed and comfortable. It's great when it is nice out and all of the windows are open. I came both times at lunch and service was spot on. We didn't have to wait at all. Now the best part... the food. By far some of the best grilled cheese I've had in awhile. I started off with a side salad - which was delicious with the lemon-cumin vinaigrette. French fries were nice and crispy. Overall I will definitely come back!
(5)
Heather C.

I've had some very inconsistent experiences here. First off their ambiance and decor is great. I love how you feel like you really are out back on the deck with your friends. They have a great drink menu with lots of cocktails and beer. I've had great lunch experiences. They have the best ruben around, loaded with meat, and delicious. A few of my coworkers and I got the reuben and raved about it for days. The vegetarian platter is yummy too. Also, it's nice that they have a gluten free menu available. My one dinner experience was really bad. The green gazpacho is not gazpacho. It's basically a slightly watered down prepared, sub-par guacamole. It's thicker and warmer than a gazpacho, has no chunks, has that green color that only comes from the prepared guacamole you find in the refrigerator section as opposed to fresh avocados. And it has way too much chili powder. It was heavy in texture, flavor, and appearance. Gazpacho is supposed to be light and refreshing, like a liquid salad. My friend got the cornbread and it had a weird flavor. We couldn't tell if it was supposed to taste that way and we just didn't like it, or if there was actually something wrong with it. The butter that came with it tasted the way things taste when you leave them uncovered in a refrigerator too long, so maybe that was the cornbread's problem too. Her chickpea burger was disgusting. It was soft and mushy, in a very unappealing way. It was barely warm. And just watching her eat it made me feel bad that I had suggested this place. She ended up eating only about half. We didn't expect falafel because that's not what it was called, but I've never had a chickpea patty that wasn't at least a little crisp. I got the Pork chop. The pork chop was actually really delicious. Huge chop, well seasoned and cooked properly. The bourbon Sweet potatoes, however, were just weird tasting. I've never had a sweet potato that tasted like that. They were very undercooked and dry, but as for the flavor, I can only imagine they were cooked and left in that open fridge as well to take on that weird flavor that I can't really describe. It was acidic and sweet at the same time, but in a very cloying and overpowering way. Also, they weren't very warm either. The cabbage was ok. It was a little too vinegary, but had the potatoes been good, I would have been pretty satisfied with that meal. I'd go back for the Ruben at lunch, but I'm not sure I'd ever go back for dinner. I don't eat out every night, so when I do I like a place to be consistent enough that whatever I might choose that night will taste good.
(2)
Lauretta L.

No complaints here! We stopped by after walking across half of Boston for the hell of it. I loved the ambiance - casual yet classy. This place has a fun vibe but isn't overly dark or loud. I got the Berkshire Summer, which was crisp, refreshing and surprisingly strong. Our bartender was very friendly and attentive as well. I can't review the food but I'd definitely come back for drinks.
(4)
Margaret C.

What a great space, and what disappointing food and beverages. We had very nice service and, generally, a pleasant time hanging out by the open windows on a warm evening, but I would only ever go back here for beer. The dressing on my Caesar salad tasted weirdly off, and the grilled chicken addition was super-dry strips of breast; shockingly overpriced at $14. Mixed drinks had little detectable alcohol and clumsy proportions. Bleh.
(2)
Melissa V.

Decided to check this place out for a post-performance dinner, and I couldn't be happier that I did. First off, I was tickled that they offered a children's menu, with many sensible selections for the pickier crowd. My daughter chose a hot dog with fries, and devoured the whole thing. My mum and I started off with a green salad and the lamb skewer. The lamb was flavorful and cooked to perfection. I loved the orzo salad that came along as a compliment, and the cucumber sauce was light and delicious. For the main course, I went with the Cowboy Steak. The coffee and chili seasoning was excellent, without being overpowering, and the BBQ sauce was an amazing finishing touch. All the flavors, steak included, blended really well. The potato au gratin was good, but not overwhelming. I made the suggestion to swap out the watercress for some pea greens, but overall, it was a very tasty meal. My mum got the mixed grill, and she seemed to really enjoy it. For desert, it was chocolate cake a la mode all around! The cake was perfect, and the honey vanilla ice cream mixed so well. The service was knowledgable, attentive and friendly, and there wasn't a long wait between ordering and serving. I am already looking forward to my next visit. :)
(5)
Emily H.

Came in for lunch and had the most uninspiring chicken sandwich on what was called focaccia. They were out of a cider I wanted. The cheese on it was freezing cold and the sandwich was rather tasteless. I guess I should have ordered anything else as this place as it seems to have its fans. What it does have going for it is a nice atmosphere which is casual with good music for parties of four or more. I will go back and try a burger I suppose. Or not.
(2)
Jason G.

Went here for dinner on a Thursday night around 5:30. It wasn't too crowded, though the bar area was about half-full. As we were sitting there the restaurant started to fill in, and a good sized crowd developed. This was my first time here, so I am not sure how crowded it might usually get, but there were a couple of parties that checked in with reservations, so maybe it's better to play it on the safe side and check-in with opentable in advance. The hostess and waitress for very nice and friendly. Our waitress was attentive throughout the meal. The restaurant decor is interesting. All wood tables and chairs, and large windows looking out on downtown crossing. My friend ordered a Turkey Burger. The patty was thick, and it was cooked well, and he reported that it was really good. I had the regular Burger, cooked medium. It was very good, and cooked properly. The fries that come along with the burgers were really good. I think they just take a potato and cut it into large pieces. They are good because you get that crispy on the outside but actual taste of potato on the inside. Overall, this was a good place that if I was in the area I would certainly stop in again. I've heard from other people that they like the burgers as well, so that seems to be the thing to go with if you're here.
(4)
Michael H.

Great spot for before or after a night at the theatre. it is right next to the Opera House! The menu is not too pricey with good selections. I had a delicious burger. But as another reviewer commented, the bar is next to the door and not conducive to lingering on a cold Boston night!
(3)
Kara G.

So here's the concept- Back Deck cooks BBQ favorites like you would in your own backyard- "but better!" Except... I don't know why you would subject yourself to the ho-hum surfer dude atmosphere and lackluster food when it really is stuff you could make in your own backyard (or your own fire escape...or your own George Foreman for that matter). Upon entering, they seem to be going for some kind of backyard-luau mashup. Open floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around the corner restaurant allowing you to take in the sultry cross breeze of Downtown Crossing afterdark --tourists and hobos and urine, oh my. Drinks were average. The Ginger Arnold Palmer (lemonade+iced tea+ginger+bourbon) combined so many delicious things I figured it was a no-brainer but ultimately it underwhelmed and grew watery from neglect. They had a short wine list with plenty of bottles ringing in between $25 and $40 but again nothing stellar. The theme of everyone's meal was bland- my fresh & grilled corn soup was chilled which seemed an odd choice for a cream based soup. The corn was overcooked which combined with the cold presentation to kill off any flavor. Pitas w/ eggplant spread was both tiny for the price and needed so much additional seasoning I'm floored that a deer didn't mosey up to those open windows to take part in the subsequent salt lick. But I think my biggest issue came at the end of the night. The restaurant's posted hours had close at 11pm. But when my friend asked for a glass of wine at 10:05 our waitress looked supremely put out and said they were closing and she'd need to see if they still had the bar open. Okay, Okay... so it's a weeknight and things are kind of slow. But if you're closing (almost an hour before your scheduled time) it's just good customer service to give your tables a heads up and ask if they'll be ordering anything else. At the very least don't make your patrons feel like idiots for making a request. Follow that up with eye rolling and impatience when we had a question about our check, and that right there clinchs it- I'll stick to my own backyard.
(2)
Jess H.

These guys have a Gluten-free menu that is almost as big as the regular one! Some of you will appreciate how exciting this is :) This meant I got to have my birthday brunch at a place where there were more than two options for me and no one else felt like they were on a diet! I'm a happy meat eater so this works really well for me. The staff has been cool every time I've been in, even just at the bar... and everything has been tasty. I can relax and not worry about ordering or interrogating the waitstaff to make sure I don't get sick... they're on top of it. I had eggs benedict on yummy local bread from Curtis Street Bakers - just like a real girl. Thank you!!
(4)
Dr B.

Interior is nice with decent space between tables and having the huge windows open during the summer is nice. Service was good, but not great. Food was definitely sub-par for this price range.
(2)
Carrie P.

We eat out a lot in Boston and today we stumbled upon the Back Deck. We had Kelsea and we let her know we were in a rush. We were in and out in less than an hour and the food was awesome! First off we have the hardest time finding a place that doesn't fry shell fish as my fiancÃ© has an allergy. They only grill it so he could have French fries if he wanted! I ordered the eggs Diablo, Amazing!!!!! He had the Andouille plate. We will go back for sure! This place is very conscious of allergies seafood and gluten!!!!!
(4)
Katy W.

Ok, well this is a necessary downgrade. I was trying to be generous with my last review, but this experience just meant that we're not going back. Skip this if you want the short version: (So, with another reservation, we had lunch here recently, but the oddities of our first try were only compounded. I stated that "we" (3 people waiting to be seated) had a reservation and that we were early and gave my last name. Since I use Open Table, I want to be clear about who I am so that I can get my points. So, the waiter takes a minute gathering menus and seats us at a large, comfy round booth. I proceed, as usual, to peruse the menu while he pours water. He asks if our table is "okay." Given that it's the biggest and most comfortable there, we say yes. So, about five minutes later, he returns to take our drink order and says we can wait for the lunch order until our "whole party arrives." Huh? It then comes out that he has seated us thinking we are another party. He says didn't you say your name was Kelly? No, I most certainly did not and he couldn't have misunderstood my name either (which is obviously similar to Kelly) because I only ever gave my last name. His confusion is odd to me, doesn't seem to be my problem. He then says he will have to reseat us because he has a party of 5 arriving. Now, I think this has only ever happened to me once. I would assume customary etiquette would be for the waiter to be very apologetic, make a joke at his or her own expense and we all secretly roll our eyes and move on. Not here, instead he was basically arguing that it was our fault (he left 5 menus which we didn't pay much attention to, one we thought was the wine list) and not being particularly apologetic. In fact, he was vaguely accusatory which really got under my skin. ) So, the waiter screws up our reservation and re-seats us. The problem is that the manner of the servers here is just plain odd, distant, peculiar, strange, off-putting. We arrived before the lunch rush and the vibe is one of desertion. It did fill up later, but you would think they would take a reservation as a compliment not an annoyance. When the waiter fails to make us comfortable, the whole thing just feels unfriendly. Their prices are a smidge high and their food is a tad mediocre so the whole combination just isn't working. This isn't just about the reservation confusion; I didn't really want to go back, but, since it's convenient, I thought I would withhold judgement and give it another shot. They really need to get it together here. They're one of the only sit-down places in downtown in this price range so I'm guessing they have a captive audience, but we're not going back. I'll freeze eating my falafel on the Common before I go back again. Please note, I don't give 2 star reviews often.
(2)
Michael C.

Lots of work to do on this place if it is going to survive. On Friday night my wife and I walk in to sit at the bar for a drink and some appetizers. The bar is packed so we ask for a table. The hostess asked; " Two for dinner?". Answering honestly I said; " Drinks and an appetizers." Sorry if you are not having a full dinner we can not let you have a table. I see so now you are dictating how much I have to order for dinner. After saying fine " We will have dinner," the genius they have working as a hostess says she can not seat us now. My advice is to avoid this super noisy place while they work out the kinks.
(1)
Philip M.

Solid 3.5-4 star location right in the heart of downtown but just off-the-beaten path enough that it's not super-crowded. I came here recently for a Saturday night date-night and I'm glad we did. The decor and feel of the restaurant is that of a backyard-like space but it's done in a very clean and upscale way. Prices are what you'd expect for a Downtown Crossing restaurant. Quiet enough to easily have a conversation. Drinks here were strong, delicious, and come by the glass or in a pitcher. Tip: get drinks by the glass so you can try different ones. For some reason, the per pitcher price isn't any cheaper than getting 5 of the same drinks. Great beer tap/bottle list and pretty good wine list. The greek lamb shishkabob appetizer was delicious, bravo. I got the Moroccan lamb special which was OK. The side-salad for it was super-fresh and terrific. The pita it was on wasn't great. My date got the pork chop which was absolutely delicious. Cooked exactly how he wanted too. I kept biting into his dish and the cranberries were a great complimentary touch. Our waiter was very nice and attentive, but not overly so, which was great. He knew the menu and gave a recommendation when asked without pushing too hard. Bathrooms were super-clean. Looks like all the windows open up to the outside when it'd get warm, which will be great.
(4)
D N.

A good pre-theater choice. Very good burgers, potato salad,. Pulled pork tacos were fresh and tasty, although they could have used more seasoning and spices. Solid desserts too. Good service, and if you're seated away from the bar, not too loud. Reasonably priced.
(4)
ME E.

Cute place just blocks away from Downtown Crossing with great tasty burgers and friendly service!
(5)
Christine C.

Eh, Nothing special. It's overpriced and the food is just o.k. Too many good places to eat in the area--I would pass on this one.
(1)
Mk E.

I really wish Yelp offered half-star ratings to reviewers, because this place is more of a 2.5 than a 2, but here we are. First, the most glaring issue this restaurant has: the host stand is backwards. Hosts/servers have their backs to the door, which means guests who walk in get largely ignored until someone has the bright idea to turn around. We would've had better luck being seated if we'd come in through the window. The place was mobbed for Sunday brunch, and we got the sense that perhaps they were short staffed. We were seated none too warmly by a dude who struck us as a manager. When a waitress finally found us, she thanked us for our patience, which I guess was nice. Drinks were fine, food was fine, and I'm inclined to come back sometime to see what dinner is like, but the service is hugely underwhelming.
(2)
Jenn S.

I really really wanted to love this place. It looks really fun with the decor but the food was not very good across the 6 people party we had. I had the veggie burger and it was way too mushy and felt uncooked. The other items from our party were burgers - ok, but nothing special, ribs- very fatty, tasted frozen and not flavorful, kebabs - just ok. I would go back if their menu was revamped or if I wanted a drink ONLY. The prices and food were not worth it as is. On the other hand our waitress was really nice!
(1)
Eric F.

My friends and I really enjoyed the backyard-themed interior that we all noted made us feel as if we were kicking back outside. The food had its ups and downs. We loved the Grilled Point Judith Squid and Grilled Hot Wings - perfectly cooked with great flavors. In fact, I wouldn't have minded eating a couple more plates of the squid. Unfortunately, my Beer-Can Chicken was very dry with parts of the drumstick grilled to the point of being inedible. My friends did seem to enjoy their Beef and Mexicali burgers though. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, just not terribly attentive as there were long waits between apps, mains and the check. All in all, I think Back Deck will be worth a return visit once they pick up their rhythm and sort out their execution on certain dishes.
(3)
Laura S.

I REALLY want to like this place because it has a great atmosphere and is so close to the move theater, but unfortunately it's pretty awful. It's a fun place to grab a drink- beautiful bar, open windows and really fun decor. Unfortunately, I've been here twice and the food is meh at best. The short ribs were tough and chewy and my burger was really dry.
(2)
Rachel N.

This place is weird enough that I can't really figure out how to rate it - 1) it looks like a movie set from "Honey I Shrunk The Kids: Picnic Edition", 2) it was empty on a Friday night - as in, we rolled into the bar and there were maybe 9 other people there - and there were probably only 10 more actually seated having din (incl one man who was dining solo and going to TOWN on some ribs, which I respect) - but, the drinks were totally yum, making it enjoyable. Granted, my experience here is quite limited as I literally only imbibed - but if you're looking for a place to grab A+ cocktails (I could have easily pounded a pitcher of the Ginger Arnold Palmers by myself) - and actually be able to hear your friends talk, as the place is DEAD, then Back Deck is quite lovely. Mixed drinks around around $8-10, with pitchers available of everything. Quiet, casual, random.
(4)
Taylor J.

I loved the Mexicali burger. Great flavor. And the Chipotle mayo was BAM good! I tried my husband's Ruben which was also great. The drinks, on the other hand... I ordered the elderflower Margarita which has grapefruit in it was a bit sour and not so good.
(4)
Jason B.

Having come here a few times, I'm on the fence about whether to go 3- or 4- star. There's a lot to like about Back Deck, though they need a hand in the kitchen department. Drinks: They've got some great cocktails on the menu, especially seasonally-wrought stuff like the boozy Arnold Palmer concoction and the Raspberry Lemonade. They're made well, and the bartenders do a good job turning them out. It's not Drink, but it's not Bullets in Waltham, either. (do a search) Service: The bartenders are friendly and attentive, as are the waitstaff. No complaints here. Food: Kind of neutral. Some of their offerings are of good quality: the burger is made well - while some fall flat: The lamb kefta wrap had no lamb in it. Salads are fine, nothing to write home about. The atmosphere is fun and friendly - picnic tables and smoke from the grill make it feel a little like a backyard BBQ. If you are in DTX and jm Curley is full, head here before you go anywhere else. It's pretty much these two spots in DTX before you hit the crappy lows elsewhere.
(3)
Matt C.

The food sucks so hard. On par with Applebee's. The 'fries' were stale heated up homefries. The $15 burger was bland and dry and under seasoned. The artichoke spread was cream cheese and garlic plopped on the plate with an ice cream scoop. Don't go here, unless you just want to drink. They have a bunch of local beers, but that doesn't really set anybody apart in Boston these days. Conclusion: go to Stoddards. I should have.
(1)
Gregory G.

I've been here for dinner once and while the service was fine, for the money you can definitely find better restaurants in the area. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed and there never seems to be a wait, which there may be a reason for. Overall, I'd definitely go to one of the other 20 restaurants within the block then come back to this one.
(2)
Alee G.

I stumbled upon Back Deck on a whim strolling along the streets of downtown Boston looking for a place to lunch on an impromptu midday meet-up with my mum. This place has an impressive look... clean.. inviting. A "back deck" kind of feel. They don't have outdoor seating, but the indoor seating feels like outdoor seating. Plus they have windows that open up to the street, so it definitely has an outdoor feel. I wasn't too hungry when we arrived, so I ordered a small plate of grilled vegetables with lemon aioli. It was good, but I wish there was more variety. It was just a few onions, red peppers, tomato, and zucchini. The plate was good though. My mom ordered the small plate of lamb kabobs. I tried a piece of one. It appeared to be a bit undercooked, but I found it tasty. The service was good and timely. And the prices are reasonable. The menu options are a bit scarce. I would come here again. It's a nice chill spot.
(3)
Caitlin M.

Great service on both occasions, either at the bar or at a table for dinner. Drinks were great, salmon is fantastic, and service was great as well.
(5)
Adam G.

Damn! I hate doing this but this place needs work. There is no way they get repeat customers. The food was completely flavorless. Great service and Arnie Palmers though.
(2)
Kerri Y.

3.5 stars----This place is fun! The atmosphere is fun, the concept is fun and the food is even fun. Stumbled across Back Deck when going to see a show. Place was packed but they took us immediately on a Friday night. Service was surprisingly great as well. I read other reviews and it sounds like this place is hit or miss with service. Food is everything you would have at a backyard BBQ with a twist. The chip and eggplant spread were exceptionally tasty. The pork (Pernil Cubano en Calabaza) was fantastic. It was sitting in half of roasted squash with some spicy sauces on top. It also came with black beans and rice. More than enough food. I was stuffed and didn't finish half the plate. This is a great place for a date.
(3)
Juan S.

Nice grill in the theater district of Boston. Good quality meats and creative menu. Service and prices also pretty good.
(4)
Laurie L.

Service is hit or miss at this spot. Been here a few times. Depends on what you order from this place. Not everything on the menu is great but some things are tasty. Every time I orders the salads, they where always too watery and not drained well. When you order a steak make sure to ask for the meat medium If you want medium well they usually over cool the steak to ur liking .. Otherwise it's a cool summer spot in the downtown area
(3)
Jenn Z.

Overpriced mediocre food at best
(2)
Thomas S.

I looked at how many times the manager said sorry and not once offer to come back and try us again. people been writting about your place for over a year and your still saying sorry. if i was the manager there i would have had the food and staff working hard if they cant cook fired or lazy waiters and waitresses texting and shitty service FIRED. i have fired many in my life ..lady i think your too nice to run a place like that because you been apoligizing for over a year and the place still sucks.either the owners are holding you back from you doing your job or your too nice and dont want to hurt your staff feelings. thats my opinion
(1)
Jordano S.

Worst place ever ... Seriously The chicken breast that I order was awful And expensive .., chicken breast DONT HAVE Skin. The smash potatoes was simple bad. I just spend 28dlls for bad food Sad
(1)
Christiane C.

Good food and friendly bartenders. This is a nice place to stop before a show. It has a cool decor. My one suggestions is to put the burgers on big plates instead of baskets. They give you big portions, but I always end up making a mess in those tiny baskets.
(4)
Sara J.

Came here on a whim after I wanted to pick something up at Cafe Hemshin and realized it wasn't open for dinner. I love the interior of the Back Deck, so I figured we'd make a night of it and have a sit down dinner here for the first time. I guess that interior I loved was all this place has to offer, and I am giving it three stars for ambiance and that's about it. My date's burger was average, the fries were more like potato blocks, and the waitstaff kept tripping over my chair despite my hardest to keep pushing in. I told the waiter I was vegan, and I am self-aware enough to know it is not easy to accommodate special diets at every restaurant, but our waiter made it especially awkward for me to figure out what to eat, I felt like he had no idea what was on the menu. He talked to the chef a couple times and gave me zero suggestions and I finally ordered something and I didn't realize it had dairy in it-- definitely my mistake--- but the waiter didn't bother to point it out to me either which, I feel like, should be his job. Despite the mix-up there wasn't a whole lot about the flavor and prep of this place that makes it so much different than Applebee's, just twice the price. I say skip it and head to your local greasy spoon for similar fare done well at an appropriate cost.
(3)
Nicole P.

The food was very yum! I got the glazed salmon, and my mother had the brick chicken. The prices were not outrageous as you might find in some of the restaurants nearby. It was very clean and the waitress was friendly. I do wish she had come back to check on us or refill my drink more often. My glass lay empty for most of the meal. I would definitely go back if I was in the area.
(4)
Joe R.

Great place. Reasonably priced, not fancy.
(3)
Jackie C.

This place was super relaxing with great food! We had the double grilled chicken breast (I think it was called) and it was just fantastic! The mashed potatoes were amazing and the steamed asparagus was tasty. I also had the "White Christmas" by Sam Adams which is one of my new favorite beers. Our server was so nice, I feel awful I can't remember her name but she made amazing suggestions for us and it really made out night. We will totally be back next time we are over by the movie theatre.
(4)
Nikki I.

The idea of this place is cool and I am sure that it is better to be here in the summer. Food: The food was very unimpressive and all 4 of us dining received overcooked meals. The wings were good...that is all I can recommend. Service: The service was slow and our drinks did not come out until we had almost finished our meal. Needs work!
(2)
Nick G.

The atmosphere is definitely nice. It was a warm summer night so all the windows were slide back (walls?) - so it was nice and open. I got a turkey burger, and in lieu of fries, I went with mashed potatoes - which was surprisingly a little cup - like a dipping sauce cup... In any event, my friends got the "fries" with their burgers - which were really chunks of potato, there were more oily than crispy. Sangria was good - it's different than your typical sangria.
(3)
Brenda E.

I don't normally have complaints about restaurants since I'm pretty easy going when it comes to service and quality of food, I figure if I don't like the place I just won't come back, but my experience here last night merits a post. A friend and I decided to come here for dinner and drinks before a show at the opera house, and told the hostess we would like a table for 3 since my husband was expected to arrive a bit later. She said this was no problem that she would seat is at a two seater for now and move us when the rest of our party arrived. No complaints about our waiter, DJ, he was very polite and immediately brought us water, our drinks and took our app order. The problem began when my husband finally arrived about 45 mins later. The couple next to us, also at a two seater, was kind enough to offer us their table since they were on their way out anyway and suggested we join the two small takes so my husband could sit with us. We did this and not even a minute later did the manager come storming to our table, yelling that we weren't allowed to take any table we wanted and that he had a line out the door waiting for tables so we would have to wait like everyone else. My friend calmly tried to tell him we understood but that he didn't need to be so rude about it, and he simply shrugged his shoulders and walked away, huffing and puffing. In all my dining experiences never have a seen a manager act this blatantly rude! I understood his point but he didn't have to let us know in the demeaning manner that he did. I even went up to the hostess and told her she was very polite and that it was her boss that was a complete ahole! Needless to say I won't be coming back here until management gets their act together, this is no way to treat paying customers and i will surely advise my friends not to come here either.... If I wanted to be treated badly I would have gone to Dick's where at least I know what's coming!
(2)
Ashley P.

While doing some shopping, we stopped for lunch at the Back Deck. We ordered some Hard ciders which hit the spot. Since it was lunch we weren't looking to drink to much (strange for me, I know!) but they did seem to have a great selection of drinks and beers. We both ordered burgers for our meal. And they were definitely delicious. But as I think back I can quite remember what they were, you know what I'm saying? So while I left very satisfied, But of note - I wouldn't avoid going here again, but I don't know that I would go out of my way to eat here.
(3)
Lynn J.

nice find near Chinatown! we sat at the half circle bar, which gets a full view of the kitchen, and were able to watch the game too. the bartender was really sweet, and the drinks can quickly. Food was fresh, Pub fare...very good, and the prices were reasonable. Best dish: French fries = jumbo home fries! Tip: the floor to ceiling windows are open in summer for a full view of foot traffic on Washington Street.
(4)
Mrs. G.

We went to Back Deck the other night and I found the restaurant's menu to be quite confusing as well as the staff. (except the bartender-he seemed "with it". The waitresses were gossiping about customers at the bar counter and the chef was arguing with a customer that he didn't serve someone inappropriately who requested a gluten free meal. What happened to the customer is always right? Or, professionalism for that matter. We had two drinks at the bar and then met friends when our table was ready. The hot apple cider rum was very good. Our waitress looked exhausted and was out of it-she wasn't mean or anything though. The menu was really short. We wanted to order some appetizers but there really wasn't anything any of us wanted (party of 6, including well traveled foodies). We ended up ordering an eggplant dip which was pretty good a bit too creamy for me. Then ordered wings which were okay but I sort of wanted/expected something more traditional with a title like "back deck" I was thinking it was a BBQ spot. It's not. I ordered the Mexicali burger, it was fine-nothing mind blowing. My fries were cut too big and needed some salt. They tasted more like large baked potatoes than french fries.My friend ordered the polenta plate. It looked pretty but looked more of like an appetizer platter. Didn't feel like a large plate meal. Needless to say, I think this would be our last time at the back deck. It was beautifully designed but the concept doesn't make sense to it's guests.
(2)
Lindsey M.

I went for brunch and while initially impressed by the cool decor and overall concept, my hopes were deflated throughout the meal. From the start the server was sloppy, inexcusably so, he couldn't answer direct questions about the food. I'm sure you're saying to yourself, well it was probably busy... but no, we were the only table in the place and after our first experience I can see why. The omelet I ordered was shiny on the surface, a sign of over-beat or boxed eggs aka the definition of not delicious to my mouth. The home fries with onions were just plain, meh and lacked a crispness that would bite back. The family all seemed to have decent meals, so I suppose I got the dud. Regardless this place gets 1 star because of the terrible service. The server mentioned he was sick yesterday, gross. Then couldn't answer simple food allergy questions, annoying. Terrible food, unfortunate. The thing that was the most vexing was having the server pour three iced coffee refills only to walk over shortly after and declare... "Uh, The coffee refills aren't included, but all the other drinks are. Ummm... Is that okay?!" Well that would have certainly been better to know before you refilled them, and yes is did note that when you brought them to the table they were chock-full of ice. Either way, it was a scum bag move and the food really sucked, I won't be back. TL;DR - Cool concept, poor execution, worse service.
(1)
Natasha M.

Food was surprisingly good, except for our app, the eggplant with pita, which was overwhelming with a cream cheese taste. I had the mixed grill, yummiest part was the sausage and beef. The lamb kofta was so so and definitely needed the tomato chutney that came on the side to give it flavor. My man had the chicken breast main, which was also just ok. Mashed potatoes were the best part of his entree. The mixed drinks were good. I was a little shocked that out bill came out to $90 for two people at this "casual" restaurant.
(3)
Ruth C.

I ate lunch here with my family yesterday. It was my first time here. The atmosphere was great! We got there right at 11 so we got seated pretty quick. Our waiter was awesome and very patient, considering there were 8 of us. We had restricted dietary needs and questions. Yet he was still pretty cool, even though he spilled a beer on my sister in law. The service was still good and prompt. I think his name was David. Anyway, I got the pulled pork with fries. My fries were fresh and delicious. The pulled pork sandwich was lukewarm/ cold, but it still tasted good. I should've got the mexicali burger, now that looked delicious! I also got the winter punch, that was delicious! Everyone else's food looked good and no complaints. ....besides the spilled beer lol poor guy. So I would recommend this place. Just make sure your pulled pork is warm.
(4)
Nicole C.

I ate here last night with my husband, sister, and two of her friends. I had the lobster roll with fries and corn on the cob, my husband had the BBQ plate, and my sister and her friends had salads (2 with salmon and 1 with chicken). The girls loved their salads. My husband loved his food except the corn bread which he thought was too sweet, but I tried it and I liked it. My lobster roll was fantastic! It was mixed with a lemon mayo and celery and it just went so well together and there was quite a bit of lobster. The fries and corn were great. Our check came to $111 and change for 5 meals 2 alcoholic drinks and 2 non alcoholic drinks. I didn't think that was too bad. I can't think of anything that they need to improve on. Our experience was fantastic and we all loved the atmosphere and how we actually felt like we were eating on a back deck. I definitely recommend this place!
(5)
Elena R.

Just left this place. Absolutely great! Just feel bad that didn't find it before. Food and drinks are great. And even desert (and I'm very picky with it). And that bartender Shaun... What an eye-candy and a sweetheart! This is the first place I'll walk in to as soon as I'm back to this amazing town!
(5)
Katy C.

Festive family dining, but a serious wait for the food! The music is turned up above the noise if the crowd with only makes people talk louder!
(2)
Jeremy W.

Came here with a bunch of co-workers on a Thursday. I called ahead to see if the 10+ group of people would be able to hang around the bar area and they said yes which was nice, since the bar area isn't that large. Overall had a good time here, and would come back if I was looking around for some place to get a drink around the area
(3)
Mariza B.

Their food is absolutely delicious & they are conveniently located in the heart of the theater district. I had their burger & mashed potatoes. The burger was deliciously flavorful & the mashed potatoes made with real red skin potatoes. It was just amazing. For dessert we had the s'mores...it was worth every little amazingly delicious calorie. I will definitely come back here.
(5)
Dave M.

the place is large, clean and well designed. it has a homey and comfortable design and they have the those huge windows they leave open on good days. the hostess and waitress were all friendly and the service was generally good. the burgers were pretty good and their fries are unique. the bellissimo burger was pretty good ($14). i bit into a piece of the paper, the ones used to separate frozen patties. a small mistake. and the beef kebab was good ($10) but the medium rare i requested for the kebab came out rare and chewy. it's nothing particularly special but it's not a bad place to try.
(3)
Tristan B.

A thoroughly mediocre experience, but it's Downtown Crossing, what do you expect? I was propelled here recently in a group outing of indecision and hunger, as the area is pretty awful for a seating area. Back Deck seemed like an okay idea for our party of five, and we were seated promptly in the back on the amusingly cute area. The amount of light for a cold February day in DTX was impressive. The food, however, was a total buzzkill. It came out extremely fast (within 5-7 minutes of ordering), which rang off some alarms for everyone in my party. I got the Mexicali burger (aka the burger with avocado) and it was a sad affair of a grisly mid-well cooked patty (that I had asked cooked mid rare), and the additional flavors of salsa/avocado was bland tasting and overwhelmed the burger so it was difficult to eat. A mayo "spicy" sauce was included to help crank up some sort of flavor, but the base ingredients just didn't have it going together. The "fries" were more like baked potatoes, which can be done right (See Miracle of Science), but in this case, half of them were undercooked and half were burnt and cold. My girlfriend got some eggs/pulled pork, and those same potatoes, and it was "okay" at best. Same story on the potatoes. It sucks that DTX is DYING for some good restaurants.
(2)
Julene C.

The food at back deck was below average at best! The beer menu was ABOVE average but it didn't make up for the tasteless and poor quality of the food! The grilled chicken wings were mushy and bland. The lamb skewers were gritty and the beef on the skewers was chewy and over cooked! The fries which were really more like fried potato halves were cold and needed salt! The best thing we had was the corn on cob. Not good! The chef needs to taste the food before serving it! There are too many wonderful places to eat in Boston. Don't waste your time or $$$ here!
(2)
Levinia T.

Stopped at Back Deck when I first got into Boston. A couple friends and I stopped there since it was the first stop off the subway. It was pretty slow for a Friday night, I thought. I ordered a burger with avocado and green chili. It was pretty good. The service was good and the beer selection was plentiful. One thing I really liked was their Caesar salad! The dressing was homemade and garlic-y... it was delicious!
(3)
Brandy L.

The food was ok. Grilled wings had no flavor. My Salmon Cobb Salad was ok. The lettuce was wilted because food was four on it when it was hot. I saw my waitress twice: once to take my order and the other to bring me my check. Never asked if I wanted anything else; never came to check on the food. I'm from out of town, but I probably wouldn't recommend it or come back.
(2)
Ian S.

This place was decent. Burgers were good and service was okay. My friends and I had no problem getting a table for lunch on a weekday afternoon. It seemed fine for a quick, casual, inexpensive meal in the Downtown Crossing/Park St. area, but for something special or unique I would go elsewhere.
(3)
Melisa C.

I came here with my boyfriend and his friend on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. I ordered the grilled cheese with french fries, both were very good. The food overall was great, but the service was a little off. Our waiter may have been new or just busy, but despite this I would go back to this place.
(3)
Michelle N.

I had been here for after-work drinks and found it to be pretty cool, and decided to try it out for dinner with my boyfriend. Um, not such a good idea. First off, the seating system is AWFUL. They have some system where they send you a text message when your table is ready. So we arrive, see multiple open tables, but are told it is a 25 minute wait. What?? So we wait, and wait, and wait. No one ever arrives to claim these tables, so they finally seat us. Annoying? Yes. So we look at the dinner menu -- very limited choices and the entrees (other than the burgers are all $20 and up -- which feels pricey for a casual place that is lacking ambiance). We both decide to stick with the turkey burgers. Our waitress tells us we got the last two turkey burgers they had (again, what??) and runs to the computer to put in our order before someone else takes the last turkey burgers (weird). I am not joking when I saw these were the most tasteless burgers, fries and pickle I have ever had in my life. The burger had no seasoning, ditto for the fries, and the pickle was so soggy and tasteless -- like it had come from the bottom of some giant pickle jar. I wouldn't recommend wasting your money here -- oh wait, it probably won't last so you don't have to worry about that!
(2)
Alyssa S.

2.5 stars My boyfriend and I popped into Back Deck before catching a movie at Loews. I haven't heard of this restaurant before; so I was curious about what to expect. We went in around the odd time of 4pm, and there was only one other party finishing up their lunch. Our server was very relaxed, but I don't think he picked up on the fact that we were trying to catch our movie...very friendly!-- but kept pressing for info about the movie we were seeing and what it was about. *oblivious* After waiting 25 minutes after we ordered our food, I'm pretty sure my boyfriend and I scarfed down our sandwiches in 3 minutes (to make our 4:35 movie). I had the Lamb Kefta Roll-up and the bf had the Mexicali Burger. My wrap was good (even though there was NO LAMB in it!)-- is that just the way it's supposed to be?! I was shocked. I'd be willing to return to the Back Deck, but I wish the service and wait were less spotty.
(3)
Katie S.

Great food servers were still learning but good we went there for dinner before mammia Mia and then went back after for dessert great food would definitely go back
(5)
Justin L.

Ok clean, decor is fine. The food is awful! Nothing was seasoned. Greasy noodles, bland pork ribs (5 baby back ribs for $18). Strawberry salad too sweet. Chicken livers were eh...shrimp skewer was overly greasy. $16 for plain grilled veggies and no seasoning!! The only thing worth buying are the cocktails. They are strong. Though the Arnold Palmer lacked strong ginger flavor. The manhattan lacked any hint of fig or vanilla... So just buy it to get buzzed. That's about it there. Don't waste your money.
(1)
Vanki N.

Nice location and great views from the windows. One friend had a burger and liked it a lot. The rest of our party was not as happy with their meals (grilled chicken plate, butternut squash soup) and rated them as average. the service was average also. Overall, not great but not terrible either.
(3)
Kate S.

Needed a place close by to eat before seeing Wicked at the Opera with my mother. This place was decent, but nothing to rave about. They didn't give us ice with our water, which I found strange so I had to ask for it and for a lemon wedge. I got the salmon cobb salad and my salmon was rather dry and I think even a bit freezer burned. My mom got some specialty burger (I forget the name), but we believe she ended up just getting a regular beef though. She said the burger was still good though and it looked tasty too. Overall wasn't terrible, but next time I might opt to try something else like the panini place across the street
(2)
Joseph X.

Food was excellent. I had grilled wings that were okay. The potatoes were terrific! Also had a shish kebob plate that was tasty
(4)
Earl B.

Went there for a mid week lunch. Liked the atmosphere ... open, big windows, interesting concept, easy to talk with table mates. Good, moderately priced food. Grilled Salmon Cobb Salad (this most expensive thing on the lunch menu at $14) was really good. ..nicely presented and very fresh, not just a bowl full of stuff mixed together. Everyone else like their food. Good beer selection. They have pitchers, which brings it down to $5 a pint. Not bad for the city. I liked it. A nice change of pace from the usual pub grub that seems to be everywhere these days (not that I mind pub grub).
(4)
Sheila G.

Back in early July I was downtown taking care of some business and called my daughter to join me for lunch. We didn't have any particular place in mind when she happened upon a friend who recommended this place. It was a beautiful summer day and the first thing I noticed were the wide open windows to the outside. It gave the place an open, airy feel which was very nice. The inside was nice & clean and the dÃ©cor was okay. We were seated right away as there weren't very many people at the time we were there. The lunch menu wasn't that extensive but I knew I wanted to try something different so I ordered the Greek-Style Lamb Kefta Skewer with yogurt cucumber sauce and a green salad. Well, when they said small they meant small! I think I had 4 kabobs which were okay but nothing to rave about. Oh and the "salad"was a few sprigs of mixed greens. Come on Back Deck you can do better than that especially at $9.00 a plate. I would probably give them another shot but next time I would order a regular size lunch. For now the best thing going for Back Deck is the building!
(2)
Kristen P.

My friend and I went to Back Deck after work one day. We had a few drinks at the bar. The atmosphere was very clean and for a person that doesn't particularly love beer, I thought their house beer was the best I've ever had. The food that people around us ordered seemed alright but the menu was so limited. I was really hungry and couldn't find anything I'd want to eat on the menu.
(3)
Paul M.

Worst dining experience, ever. It took more that 10 minutes before anyone came to our table. Would have been longer but the couple sitting across from us sent their waitress over. It was another 5 minute before our waiter showed up. The waiter was drunk. We ordered 1 sparkling water with ice, 1 beer, and 1 bottle of wine. The waiter brought the sparkling water with no ice, and no other drinks. We asked again for the rest of the drinks, got the beer, but still no wine. Asked again. He brought 1 glass of wine, not the bottle. He then got really belligerent. We asked to see the manager. He said "NO". We asked the hostess for the manager. She sent the owner over. He was stoned. Didn't seem to care. We left. The couple across from us also walked out. It was awful. Never going back.
(1)
Amanda K.

Came here for brunch with a group of friends after wandering around the area for a while looking for a place to go into, and we were all very pleased. The server was fantastic, very friendly and helpful, and the brunch menu was creative. I had such a hard time deciding! My grilled cheese with guacamole was DELICIOUS as were the potato wedges that came with it, and the fresh squeezed lemonade that apparently takes ~20 lemons per batch to make. A friend ordered pulled pork and eggs and was slightly underwhelmed, mostly because the server had talked it up a lot (and not because it was the most expensive thing on the menu). I really liked the atmosphere and decorations. I plan to go back there for dinner someday and may bump it up to 5 stars if it does as well then!
(4)
Cherie E.

Went here yesterday for brunch and were pretty darn satisfied. Service - even with a guy who told us he was new - was really good. Food - an omelet for me and a grilled cheese for my honey - was tasty. French fries and home fries were yummy. I would say the best part of the experience was definitely the staff who were friendly and very helpful in terms of helping us find what we want in Boston.
(4)
Priscilla L.

The restaurant is beautiful inside -- comfortable booths, large windows opening out to the sidewalk, and clean lines in the gorgeous dark wood decor. I was at Back Deck for dinner yesterday. I went to the bar first where I sat for ten minutes. Neither of the two bartenders acknowledged my existence or even gave me a glance. I smiled and looked at them, hoping to catch someone's glance, but both never looked in my direction. So I thought, okay, maybe they are busy, or at least they were looking busy by wiping down the counters. No, I am giving them too much credit. They both had plenty of opportunities to just say hello and I'll be with you in a minute, or just drop off a menu. So after 10 minutes of being ignored at the bar, I left the bar, went to the front of the restaurant and asked for a table. The two female employees at the front were very friendly and helpful with getting a table for me in a few minutes. However, while I was waiting for the table, I noticed that after I left, a white male (customer?) went over to the same seat where I was, and one of the bartenders (Ritchie) immediately greeted him, and had a conversation with him for about 2 minutes. They were both standing during the conversation. I thought perhaps the male customer was a longtime customer and that is why the bartender acknowledged him so quickly. However, when I came to Yelp today to write this review, I discovered that this restaurant is brand new, so there wouldn't be any longtime customers yet. The male customer left after the conversation, and a white female customer sat down where I was sitting at the bar, and she was immediately greeted by Ritchie, and she was given a menu. The two bartenders are white males. I am not sure if the two bartenders didn't acknowledge me because I was not white, but these were my observations. There was nothing about my appearance that should have caused me to be ignored. I was happy and smiling, and looking forward to dinner at a new place. I had come to the restaurant directly from work, so I was dressed in business casual. At first, I had thought maybe because I came to the restaurant by myself, so the bartenders were more apt to ignore patrons dining alone, but then I saw how Ritchie was very quick to acknowledge the white male who was by himself, and then the white female who came by herself, and I eliminated the dining alone factor as a cause for their behavior. To be fair, it appears that the bar seat I was is Ritchie's area, not that of the other bartender, since it was Ritchie who appeared to wait on the patrons for that side of the bar. Lisa was my server at the table. She was fabulous -- warm, friendly, helpful, efficient, and thoughtful. She saved this rating from being a 1 star. I left a 25% tip for her. If I didn't have the experience that I had at the bar, I would have given this restaurant 4 stars. I had the Mexicali Burger, which was cooked perfectly. The burger came with two large slices of perfectly ripe avocado, chipotle mayo, and green chili salsa. However, the burger was pricey at $13 and it came in a small metal wire basket that made it difficult to pick up and eat, nevermind cutting in half. I also had the potato salad which I would say was barely passable -- the potatoes were slightly undercooked and hard. The potato salad was also tucked into the basket. There was a tissue on top of the basket, so the food was sitting on top of it. There was a small appetizer plate nearby, so I put the burger on the plate so I could cut it in half. I was in a great mood when I entered this restaurant, and I left with a sad feeling. For the rest of the evening even when I was at the engaging Anthony Rapp event at the Modern Theatre, I thought about the lack of service by the bartenders. I am never going back to this place and I wouldn't recommend it to any friend. I mean, there are plenty of restaurants in Boston that serve similar food and have better service overall. Why put up with bad service even if it is just one or two bad servers? Your money deserves to be treated well. So bothered was I by what I saw from the bartenders, that I went to bed last night telling myself to make sure to write a review on here.
(1)
Alexandra B.

I actually really like the food here especially since they have gluten free buns for their burgers but the service is atrocious. I went with 9 other people and I ordered the Cobb Salad with the dressing on the side. The salad came out with the dressing on it. I sent it back and when it returned there was olive oil on the greens, so I sent it back for a third time. The waiter was apologetic, kind of. The best part was the end of the meal when I got the check. Nothing was comped and the gratuity was added. I would've tipped far less than the 18% that was listed. I talked to the waiter on the way out about the situation and he said the manager/owner was aware and decided not to do anything about it. He also mentioned I could write a letter If I really wanted to. Worst customer service ever. If you don't mind just ordering whats on the menu and nobody caring if they screw it up, this restaurant is your place. I give this restaurant a year based on the way the "owner" treats his customers.
(1)
Marisa C.

We tried this place tonight on a whim, my husband is gluten free and we'd been hopping around to restaurants in Boston all weekend, testing out dinner spots. It wasn't too crowded, but it was lively enough in there for a Saturday night in Downtown Crossing. My husband ordered the gluten free burger with cheese and fries. He got a gluten free bun (boo for charging an extra $1 for a g-free bun!) too. He said that the burger was awesome, and it was cooked the way he liked it. He is pretty picky, and he doesn't usually rave about food, so the fact that he gave the burger an "A" was a plus. I tried one of his fries and they were great! (thick steak fries that appear to be handcut) We also got the gluten free grilled veggies to share and while it was pretty basic, it was tasty. The Mahi Mahi, grilled corn, and avocado/sour cream drizzle was delicioussss! I got the Spiked Strawberry Lemonade and it was very well made. My husband got the Snicker's sundae for dessert, I got the black raspberry ice cream and we were happy with that. I gave this a 4 instead of a 5 for the following reasons: Service: the bartender took longer than I expected him to take to engage with us, once he did come over, he was very helpful and prompt, but I felt that he didn't really interact much with the patrons (maybe he was new?) He didn't check in on us during our meal, which is always a nice touch, he didn't ask me if I'd like another Spiked Lemonade, he just quietly took my glass away while I was eating, but never asked if I'd like another, he did however keep filling up our Cokes and Diet Cokes. Food: I got the Mahi Mahi tacos and I had a few issues about my dish; the jasmine rice seemed a bit overcooked and hard, the "black beans" was really "chili" and it wasn't very flavorful, the chili tasted like Amy's Organics vegetarian chili from the supermarket, the soft taco wrap was kind of stale, so I ended up just eating the filling of the second taco, after the first one cracked in my hand. Overall, I would say this is a hidden gem. I work nearby and I've passed by it multiple times, but have never been in. I didn't know that they had a gluten free menu, and we were psyched to learn there was lots of g-free stuff to try. I would give decor/atmosphere a 9 or a 10, it's not too loud in there, the music is upbeat (Motown-60's era rock), you really feel like you are eating in someone's back yard (a really cool HGTV deck). Lighting is calm, a bit dark, but there are cool lighting elements scattered throughout the restaurant. We liked the materials used (tile that looks like brick, dark wood, topiaries with lighting, etc.
(4)
Amanda T.

Went to see Sister Act at the Opera House and stopped here for dinner. Service was very friendly but slow. We both got burgers. Burgers were tasty, fries were unique (sliced more like large homefries) but not great. Atmosphere was cute. I wanted to love it, but it wasn't quite as good as it could be. Good location and decent food if you're headed to the Opera House.
(3)
Mark R.

I don't write many online reviews, but I need to alert people to concerns about this new-comer restaurant.... For a restaurant that's theme is "back deck" and they tout grilled meals, you'd expect the food to be cooked properly. Not in our experience, and as I read through the reviews below, it appears to be a theme - under-cooked meat that is, not "back deck".... We've been to this restaurant twice, but we won't go back - this evening we went and ordered the chicken kebabs from the appetizer menu and my wife pointed out a piece on one end didn't appear properly cooked - most of it was ok, but definitely that piece had redness in it! And then I ordered the beer-can chicken for my entree and when I pulled the leg off, it literally had blood coming out at the joint area! I told the waiter and he took it away and immediately sent the manager. He was very concerned about it and offered something else. I asked what was quick as we have two babies and had pretty much already burned the time we could spend without getting into melt-down territory. He didn't have a good alternative, but suggested he could expedite a burger since he was the manager and it would take 10 minutes even for medium well. So I ordered that and it was more like 15 minutes, so I had them box it and when I got home 5 minutes later (we live two blocks away), it was medium rare with blood running out of it! Not that this will make you sick like the under-cooked chicken, but again, they should live up to their theme and know how to grill meat!! They did comp that entree, but based on this experience (and frankly the underwhelming taste of the food in general on both visits), we won't return. Overall it seems like there is very little management experience in terms of running a restaurant here, which seems odd since it's owned by the same people who own Ritas and Fajitas. They'll need to brush up really quickly if they want to survive. There is no question, you're better off crossing West St and walking down three doors and going to Max & Dylans, or walking down Washington St five doors and going to Salvatores!
(1)
Alan T.

Great burger and nice atmosphere. Staff came off as a bit "funny" and maybe a bit green, but not a problem whatsoever. I'll be back!
(4)
I Y.

I came here with a group of my friends for a friend's bday. The overall dining experience wasn't bad. Our waitress was nice & checked in on us periodically. I had the mixed grill for dinner which came in a generous proportion and tasted good - meat was cooked just right and the flavors were balanced. I would definitely check this place out again.
(4)
Lisa F.

We had a large group, which they handled well. The food was very tasty, especially the cauliflower garlic soup. The desserts were messy and fun to share (s'mores).
(4)
Kathleen M.

I recently had dinner with my Mom at Back Deck and all I can say is WOW. The food was more than amazing. The Smoky Creamy Eggplant Spread was such a surprise that this one dish alone would bring me back! We both had the Santa Fe Burger which was also out of this world. I know I sound a little bit more than positive but it was just that good. Welcome to the neighboorhood Back Deck! See you soon! =)
(5)
Parson H.

Don't sit near the open windows. Friends and I were there last night and a mugger reached into the window and grabbed her purse pulling my friend and her chair out her window where she fell several feet onto the sidewalk (her purse was under her chair and she was holding onto the straps and we all saw this sketchy-looking dude, but no one imagined he'd reach into the window, through her legs and grab her). Granted, a restaurant can't anticipate that it's open windows would be like gold for street criminals; however, their response is what makes it a 1 star for me. No management ever came by to address what happened. We got a waiter who said things like "wow, this has never happened," "let me bring you some water" and my favorite "hope you'll come back again." Are you kidding me? We were just sitting, having dinner, about to close out the check when our friend was grabbed out of the restaurant and thrown onto the street and you think bringing back a bill with $20.00 taken off makes this okay? Terrible. Terrible. Terrible customer service. She could have been seriously injured and we 4 women were traumatized.
(1)
Smrits S.

Sat at the bar, got tasty drinks. Decided to split a burger. The burger arrived already cut in half on separate dishes, with our slaw side also already split. I was surprised and very pleased. The burger was juicy and delicious. Service was quick and friendly.
(4)
NH d.

Cool place. Love the home made s'mores. They actually make the marshmallows and graham crackers here. Fair prices. Dinner was delicious.
(5)
I L.

Swiss burger and side salad were sampled - better than your average bar food and good value for the price. I like the big open windows that create a outdoor, yet shaded, dining experience.
(3)
Kevin R.

SKIMPY ON THE WINE & FOOD PORTIONS, MOLDY ROLLS & THE MANAGER COULD TAKE A REFRESHER COURSE ON CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1. Ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio (nothing special - domestic brand) was given a bit less than 6 ounces in a large wine glass. I told the server that I was not paying $9 for this small amount of non-special Pinot Grigio and asked to either have the bartender add more or cancel the wine order. The manager then stopped by the table to tell us that they serve the "standard" 6 ounces for every wine order and he was sorry but he would not "add" any more to the 6 ounces. Now this is a new restaurant and, if I were the manager, I would would want my new customers to think that my bartender has a "heavy hand" so that they would tell their friends & relatives so that the restaurant becomes known as a good value for after work or before a show drinks. I decided to just stick with the water and didn't order another cocktail before ordering. 2. We asked our server about certain menu selections and placed our orders. My dinner companion ordered the chicken liver appetizer and lamb kabobs which I ordered also and skipped ordering an appetizer since the server wasn't very enthusiastic or certain about how many of them were prepared or size. The chicken livers arrived. There were about 4-5 very small pieces of chicken liver skewered served on a "bed" of iceberg lettuce with no dressing (which was supposed to be a "hardy greens with a creamy garlic dressing" as described on the menu). Chicken livers are very inexpensive and paying $10 for this small, plain and very unappetizing appetizer was a big disappointment. 3. Before the appetizer was delivered a basket of rolls and butter were placed on the table. Since I didn't order an appetizer, I decided to eat a roll. As I was finishing the roll I noticed a green spot on the last piece as I was about to put it in my mouth. It was mold. My dinner companion then inspected the remaining piece of his roll and noticed mold on his roll also. There were 2 more rolls left in the basket on the table and those were also pocked with mold spots. The couple at the table next to us overheard us and they inspected the uneaten rolls remaining in their basket (after each had eaten a roll also) and their rolls also were covered in mold spots. We asked to speak with the manager and told him about the moldy rolls. He said they have their bread delivered daily & he couldn't understand how such a thing could happen and blamed the moldy rolls on their bread supplier. 3. The lamb kabobs were described as skewered "Lamb Kefta" with a "yogurt-cucumber sauce" served on a "green salad". We asked the server what Kefta was & if the portion size was sufficient as a meal. We were told Kefta was an old, Greek style, spiced lamb and that the portion size was definitely a "meal-typed" size. When our lamb kabobs arrived there were 4 small "Swedish-meatball-sized" lamb-meatballs skewered on a bed of iceberg lettuce with a barely detectable, very unappetizing looking, white substance "dribbled" over the supposed lamb kabobs. We were expecting a healthy portion of spiced, pieces of lamb kabobs, not skewered, ground lamb, meatballs that were dry and overcooked! We again asked to speak with the manager regarding the menu / server description of the lamb kabobs not measuring-up to what had been served. 4. I do have to say that the server was very gracious under the circumstances and was very apologetic and she tried to make things better by suggesting other options (she is the reason this review received one star instead of zero stars). The manager should take some cues from our waitress regarding customer service skills. The end-result was that the manager told us we did not have to pay for the "meal", so we left the server an appropriate tip for what the "meal" would have cost. 5. We went to our show but were still hungry after the show due to the skimpy portions served at the Back Deck that we went to another restaurant, Rock Bottom, for some healthy-sized appetizers and glasses of wine that were very moderately priced. Unless big changes are made at the Back Deck restaurant, we will be frequenting the many other downtown / theater area restaurants / bars after work or before shows. The only thing positive I can say about our experience at the Back Deck is that our server was very sympathetic towards us which was much appreciated.
(1)
M C.

The fantastic new addition to downtown exceeded my expectations. The very fresh, tasty food will make this a favorite of the residents in the area. Quality food at a good price is always welcome. My husband especially enjoyed the Sam Adams seasonal...he was impressed that it was served ice cold! The windows that open to the street added some additional interest. Great that there were no TVs! Can't wait to try it again, this time for lunch.
(5)
Lisa S.

This was a weird experience bar night. My friends and I (group of 6) were looking for a place to grab a drink after seeing a movie. It was probably around 9:30 and Stoddard's waas too busy. We popped into Back Deck, thinking, oh, there's tables, let's sit down for drinks. Many empty tables. So we go in and ask the hostess if we can sit at a table for drinks. She says not without ordering food. We then tell her that if they need the tables we will happily move to the bar if it gets busy. Again, no. Apparently they were waiting for the shows to get out. So we go to the bar. It was ok but we would have preferred to sit down. Finally, after we've been there an hour, people come in to fill the many empty tables. This is about when we are paying our check. Very annoying. Wouldn't go back. If you're packed, fine, keep the order food rule to sit at a table. But otherwise, especially if people offer to move if the table is needed, it's nice to let people sit.
(1)
Ian S.

This place was decent. Burgers were good and service was okay. My friends and I had no problem getting a table for lunch on a weekday afternoon. It seemed fine for a quick, casual, inexpensive meal in the Downtown Crossing/Park St. area, but for something special or unique I would go elsewhere.
(3)
Laura S.

I REALLY want to like this place because it has a great atmosphere and is so close to the move theater, but unfortunately it's pretty awful. It's a fun place to grab a drink- beautiful bar, open windows and really fun decor. Unfortunately, I've been here twice and the food is meh at best. The short ribs were tough and chewy and my burger was really dry.
(2)
Rachel N.

This place is weird enough that I can't really figure out how to rate it - 1) it looks like a movie set from "Honey I Shrunk The Kids: Picnic Edition", 2) it was empty on a Friday night - as in, we rolled into the bar and there were maybe 9 other people there - and there were probably only 10 more actually seated having din (incl one man who was dining solo and going to TOWN on some ribs, which I respect) - but, the drinks were totally yum, making it enjoyable. Granted, my experience here is quite limited as I literally only imbibed - but if you're looking for a place to grab A+ cocktails (I could have easily pounded a pitcher of the Ginger Arnold Palmers by myself) - and actually be able to hear your friends talk, as the place is DEAD, then Back Deck is quite lovely. Mixed drinks around around $8-10, with pitchers available of everything. Quiet, casual, random.
(4)
Taylor J.

I loved the Mexicali burger. Great flavor. And the Chipotle mayo was BAM good! I tried my husband's Ruben which was also great. The drinks, on the other hand... I ordered the elderflower Margarita which has grapefruit in it was a bit sour and not so good.
(4)
Jason B.

Having come here a few times, I'm on the fence about whether to go 3- or 4- star. There's a lot to like about Back Deck, though they need a hand in the kitchen department. Drinks: They've got some great cocktails on the menu, especially seasonally-wrought stuff like the boozy Arnold Palmer concoction and the Raspberry Lemonade. They're made well, and the bartenders do a good job turning them out. It's not Drink, but it's not Bullets in Waltham, either. (do a search) Service: The bartenders are friendly and attentive, as are the waitstaff. No complaints here. Food: Kind of neutral. Some of their offerings are of good quality: the burger is made well - while some fall flat: The lamb kefta wrap had no lamb in it. Salads are fine, nothing to write home about. The atmosphere is fun and friendly - picnic tables and smoke from the grill make it feel a little like a backyard BBQ. If you are in DTX and jm Curley is full, head here before you go anywhere else. It's pretty much these two spots in DTX before you hit the crappy lows elsewhere.
(3)
Matt C.

The food sucks so hard. On par with Applebee's. The 'fries' were stale heated up homefries. The $15 burger was bland and dry and under seasoned. The artichoke spread was cream cheese and garlic plopped on the plate with an ice cream scoop. Don't go here, unless you just want to drink. They have a bunch of local beers, but that doesn't really set anybody apart in Boston these days. Conclusion: go to Stoddards. I should have.
(1)
Gregory G.

I've been here for dinner once and while the service was fine, for the money you can definitely find better restaurants in the area. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed and there never seems to be a wait, which there may be a reason for. Overall, I'd definitely go to one of the other 20 restaurants within the block then come back to this one.
(2)
Alee G.

I stumbled upon Back Deck on a whim strolling along the streets of downtown Boston looking for a place to lunch on an impromptu midday meet-up with my mum. This place has an impressive look... clean.. inviting. A "back deck" kind of feel. They don't have outdoor seating, but the indoor seating feels like outdoor seating. Plus they have windows that open up to the street, so it definitely has an outdoor feel. I wasn't too hungry when we arrived, so I ordered a small plate of grilled vegetables with lemon aioli. It was good, but I wish there was more variety. It was just a few onions, red peppers, tomato, and zucchini. The plate was good though. My mom ordered the small plate of lamb kabobs. I tried a piece of one. It appeared to be a bit undercooked, but I found it tasty. The service was good and timely. And the prices are reasonable. The menu options are a bit scarce. I would come here again. It's a nice chill spot.
(3)
Caitlin M.

Great service on both occasions, either at the bar or at a table for dinner. Drinks were great, salmon is fantastic, and service was great as well.
(5)
Adam G.

Damn! I hate doing this but this place needs work. There is no way they get repeat customers. The food was completely flavorless. Great service and Arnie Palmers though.
(2)
Kerri Y.

3.5 stars----This place is fun! The atmosphere is fun, the concept is fun and the food is even fun. Stumbled across Back Deck when going to see a show. Place was packed but they took us immediately on a Friday night. Service was surprisingly great as well. I read other reviews and it sounds like this place is hit or miss with service. Food is everything you would have at a backyard BBQ with a twist. The chip and eggplant spread were exceptionally tasty. The pork (Pernil Cubano en Calabaza) was fantastic. It was sitting in half of roasted squash with some spicy sauces on top. It also came with black beans and rice. More than enough food. I was stuffed and didn't finish half the plate. This is a great place for a date.
(3)
Juan S.

Nice grill in the theater district of Boston. Good quality meats and creative menu. Service and prices also pretty good.
(4)
Natalie C.

Good service, good (not great) food, good beer -- but there was a mouse running around the bar, and I left when I saw it run into the kitchen. Told the bartender and he just shrugged. Too gross to ever return.
(1)
Micaela F.

I rarely write reviews, but I felt obligated after my experience at Back Deck. I just moved to the area and wanted to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant near me that I have not been to. The atmosphere is nice, but the food and the service is a whole other story. My boyfriend ordered a burger, cooked medium and it came out close to well done. How hard is it to cook a burger correctly? I got their Salmon Cobb Salad, which wasn't technically a Cobb salad. The Salmon was extremely over cooked and hard to eat. The food arrived within 15 minutes, so I was curious how the overcooking was even possible. As we got up to leave, I was walking out of the restaurant and right by the waitress station it felt as though they just spilled olive oil all over the floor. I slipped and fell right on my hip, with no help from any of the staff for getting up. They didn't even apologize. The entire floor walking out felt extremely slippery. I wouldn't be surprised if others had fallen down as well. I will not be returning.
(1)
Denis B.

Being from New Hampshire, my wife and I don't know much of gems in Boston. So we try everything. We came in pretty hungry and loved the atmosphere. Really feels like your back deck. I got the Benedict burger with home fries (although I asked for French fries, didn't bother me much as I love both) the burger itself was decent tasting, although the hollandaise could have used some work. The home fries were very good, nice a crispy. My wife or the Mexi Cali burger and she liked it with the chipotle mayonnaise. She really loves the potato salad also. We also got a side of corn bread with maple butter for both of us. The maple butter was great, but the corn bread was very disappointing. Tasted over baked and very dry. The service was pretty good (I believe his name was jim?) a couple strange 5-10 minute waits for drinks, but very friendly and helpful none the less. Also the water that they pour when greeting is nice, but would have been better cold. Don't know if it was planned to be warm. Price wasn't too bad that we have seen for boston, $50 for 2 with a healthy tip.
(3)
Elyse Q.

There's this bartender there (and I'm going to get her name wrong buuuut) it's "Ini" or "eenie". Anyway, she's kind, helpful, and sassy - just how I like my bartenders. We went for drinks on a Saturday night - she was attentive, funny, made good drinks, and happens to be a bit of a flirt, which is always appreciated. The drinks were good and strong, and the Cape Cod Fizz sneaks up on you like a distant uncle at a family reunion. The "Dark and Stormy" isn't really Dark and Stormy insomuch as it is "Light and Sunny". But according to my man friend, it was "good". Definitely a nice chill place to go on a whim.
(5)
Sheldon O.

Not that great. As my wife said..."do you think they have tasted their own fool?" We had the wings and the pastrami. Junk food Sunday has been a disappointment. Service was very good, food was meh, drinks were standard.
(2)
Lesley M.

The house salad with creamy Dijon mustard dressing either doesn't seem creamy and taste mustardy, or they got my order wrong and gave me balsamic instead. They said that's the way they make their dressing in-house though. Hmmm... Green beans with my salmon were a bit undercooked, and service seemed low energy. Salmon was pretty good though. I may come back another time as I'm curious to try their brunch menu.
(3)
Lisa Y.

Only local craft beers sold here. On my trip to Boston, we stopped by Back Deck to grab a beer and coffee while it poured out side. We had a table of 6, but we only ordered a few appetizers. They have a great local craft beer selection that I would totes jumped in on if I wasn't busy throwing back coffees. The service here was wonderful, and the space is spacious and it feels like my back deck back at home. I would highly recommend coming here to throw back some craft beers.
(4)
Robert K.

Great food and drink. Stopped by on the way to see Billy Idol. Service fast and friendly. Great place for good American Grub.
(4)
Chris C.

They served up a pretty tasty burger for my first visit. I ordered the beef burger with pepper jack. It was cooked exactly as I ordered it, medium, and the consistency in texture, flavor and bun to meat ratio was perfect. It was busy there, but we got a table as soon as we walked in, and the server was always around checking up, which, to me, is a good thing. Cheers!
(4)
AL A.

We were very hungry and cold. It was about 3 pm We stopped at the Back Deck for lunch. We were told to come back 90 minutes later. It wasn't busy and no one else was waiting for a table It was because they didn't have enough staff. The host was happy to inform us of a delay. Needs new management.
(1)
Martha P.

I've only been here three times, for drinks and side dishes at the bar. Cocktails taste fine and are priced comparably to other bars in the area. The mashed potatoes are creamy and delicious. The cole slaw is not! I've realized the reasons I will frequent a bar are: 1) the ambience - and this place is nice that way - plaid shirts and jeans for the wait staff and an easy, casual feel about the room, plus seemingly happy hostesses; 2) the prices - I've already spoken to that; 3) the friendliness of the bartenders - never had any problem with that here; they were busy but managed to be pleasant and not keep me waiting for my drinks & food. I'll probably be back to try their burgers. I appreciate the fact that this lower section of the shopping area near Downtown Crossing has become more hip, catering to people who want to go out after work.
(3)
Sarah M.

I've been here a few times and think the food is pretty good. The mexicali burger is pretty delicious. The cocktails are not their strong suit so stick with beer/wine. Every time I've been the service has been great and it's a good place to go with a small to mid-sized group.
(4)
Linda S.

Really poor Gf buns OR decent buns but a chef who doesn't know what to do with them. I got the No Carolina pulled pork sandwich and was excited as I had heard some decent reviews, BUT It fell apart after my first bite and was just a hard, dry, crumbly mess. The fries are really overdone cut up red potatoes with no seasoning. I give them 2 stars for trying.
(2)
Carrie D.

5 star atmosphere, 2 1/2 star food (except the appetizer I tried) I'm actually really sad writing this review because I really wanted to give this place 4 stars. The staff members were friendly and helpful. The general atmosphere was relaxing and the decor was great. (Love the spatula on the front door!) I thought it was going to be a good place to grab a quick bite after the ballet. (Guess I should have read more Yelp reviews!) General impression- It was OK, nothing special, terrible cooking oil. We started with the eggplant spread. Really great! Easily 4 stars which is why I guess the rest of the dinner was just pitiful. I was expecting great things after starting with this. My daughter ordered a cheeseburger and fries. It looked nice coming out. The bun was toasted with perfect grill marks. The fries were nice and thick. You could tell they had used fresh potatoes. However, one bite of the fries was all it took to almost cry. The cooking oil tasted horrible. I really wanted to like them because they looked so good, but the taste was a seriously disappointing. The burger was OK. (5 Guys would have been better.) 1 1/2 stars because of the taste. Nothing special about the burger and the potatoes were wasted once they hit the foul cooking oil. (Seriously, I can't get over how terrible the cooking oil was.) I ordered the Salmon Cobb Salad. The avocado and goat cheese were great. The egg looked like it could have been fresher. The yolk was a little too green. The salmon was just alright. So maybe 2 stars at best. I don't have the desire to go back, ever. But if I (unluckily) found myself here again, I would order the eggplant spread and beer. It's really hard to mess up a draft beer. Tip to the owners - Please find a better cooking oil or clean your fryer. It would make your big, thick fries a million times better. xoxoxoxo someone who really loves french fries
(2)
Jackie G.

Pretty cool bar. Coworker and I stopped in for something to eat. Spent a little time at the bar. The bartender was cool to chat with. Food came fast enough and was pretty good for the price. Beer was good..tried a local favorite brew but just can't remember the name. I would sum this as one of those holes in the wall good places to go. Interior was very current and felt warm. All ages can go inside but 21 and over for the bar. I'd go back!
(4)
Tina C.

I went there when it first opened and did not like it. I just tried it again because you really cant beat the location with friends coming from all parts of the city. I do like the atmosphere, interior, location, and staff but everything else makes me not want to come back. First off, SUPER overpriced for the drinks and food it is serving. I would consider those prices if the food was good but its not, not even close. I ordered the hot wings as an appetizer and wow. It was $8 bucks for 6 wings that were just grilled. There was no buffalo sauce, no spices, just grilled. I then ordered a burger medium rare and I felt like the middle was still cold. It was extremely rare in the middle, it still looked like raw ground beef in the middle. It came with fries that looked like burnt home fries. This burger was $15...... All in all, I am sad to say that I really dislike this place, especially at the price points that they set. It really is not worth it.
(2)
Matthew S.

Back Deck is in a good location and has a decent interior. On food, however, they fall short. Food quality is not as good as expected, and on the grilled foods they fall short of other places in the area. What Back Deck is good for is coming to have a beer (or pitcher of beer) and cocktails, especially when it is warm and the windows are open.
(2)
Nas O.

I love the atmosphere here and the food it's pretty good for the price your paying but the menu is kind of small and your options are limited. I definitely plan on going back however
(4)
Natalie H.

My husband and I came here before a show. We both got different types of burgers: the Mattahorn and Mexicali. Both burgers were pretty good. They were each about $15 each - a bit much for what it is. I would come back however and try some of the beers too.
(3)
Andrew Q.

I'm probably being quite unfair to Back Deck by knocking off points for not having the drink I wanted as a result of their shipments being knocked out by a winter storm. I am definitely not being unfair for knocking off points for what was, at best, inattentive service. I visited Back Deck with a group of friends. Though we were a large group, we were promptly split up into two separated tables and told they could not be joined. Worse yet, I had arrived after my friends had already ordered. As a result, the waitress didn't take my order for a good while after my friends had already received their food. That was compounded by how long it took for the food to come out of the kitchen. I'd be willing to forgive this if the food was decent, but it was pretty boring. Big fan of the hot spiced apple cider though, especially since it came with a real stick of cinnamon. I'm really not a fan of being left hungry, and Back Deck did exactly that. I guess I don't feel so bad about giving them two stars after all.
(2)
Alissa S.

My go-to pre-show at the Opera House meet up (Max & Dylan's) closed, so before seeing ONCE with some friends last week we decided to grab dinner & drinks at Back Deck (note that a couple of the other area bars tend to be too crowded at happy hour to even get served at the bar, so on a freezing day we were very happy that this place, though busy, has plenty of seating). I love the lighting in here, the winter punch was delicious, and though one of my friends arrived about 15 minutes after we placed our initial food order, they knew we were trying to get to a 7 PM show and rushed her salad out just minutes after our burgers. The burgers were above average and all of the other food we saw go by the table was beautifully presented. I remember thinking the menu was limited/that there weren't a ton of things I'd order, but I can't say for sure that I didn't immediately rule out certain things that night knowing that we were in a rush!
(3)
David G.

I have only been there twice. And I have only tried the Mexicali Burger. After having tried thousands of burgers in Boston, I come to the following conclusion: Boston Burger Company is damn good, but the Mexicali Burger at Back Deck beats everything. Not as greasy as burgers at BBC and still not as green as one of these vegan things. It's just a perfect burger with a pretty decent potato salad on the side.
(5)
Catherine P.

I want to love this place. The set up is really neat and I can only imagine how nice it is in the summer with the windows open and giving you that Back Deck cook out feeling in the city.. Lovely! As for the downfall, I have visited this location numerous times for brunch and dinner hoping that maybe I just ordered the wrong thing or it was an off day, but I still have yet to really love anything I ordered compared to other eateries around this area. I have ordered a breakfast burger in which I cannot remember the name (was just a big mess which not a lot of flavor), PB and chocolate stuffed french toast (did not really have a lot of pb or chocolate so that was disappointing), boyfriend had an omelette which looked decent, but nothing to rave about. For dinner we both ordered the Matterhorn Burger. It was not bad, but again compared to other local places it did not blow me away or make this a must go place for me. In a city with a million options to eat I would not put this at the top of the list, but if nothing else is open and you are in the area it will be a decent option. Maybe I will try again once it warms up and the ambiance will sell me.
(3)
Katelyn P.

This place has great ambience, so I had high hopes for the food. But it was underwhelming. Not a huge menu selection, but not awful either. I got the Cubano tacos, they were fine but not something I'd be excited to eat again. It's just average: fun atmosphere to hang out with friends, but the food is pretty forgettable.
(3)
Ariel Z.

I like the vibe of this place a lot. I've often come here just for drinks, as the bar is larger than most and the bartenders very down-to-earth and fun to talk to. They will even give you as many beer samples as you'd like. The cocktails are plenty strong, generally. The food is pretty good. In the past, I've come here for their brunch and also for dinner. The Mexicali burger is a favorite for many. I recommend the soup with butternut squash and apple as well as the steak kebabs (comes with a healthy salad on the platter). The spicy tomato chutney for the steak kebabs was bursting with heat and flavor. Definitely a great spot for gourmet pubgrub and interesting cocktails with a fun, outdoorsy spin!
(4)
Dan O.

I'll be brief because I was in and out of this place so quickly. Even though the place was quiet at about 25-30% capacity, the majority of the staff was completely inattentive. After about 10 minutes without any checking in on me, I flagged down some guy who was not even working my section. He just became my waiter thereafter which is honestly for the best because I was pretty livid with those people who thought my food-less drink-less table was normal). Now rightly worried about the management of the place but too rushed to go elsewhere, I went simple for food with a Mexicali burger. It was very small. It also came in a very small basket like you would get at a place that isn't primarily a restaurant. The final sin was the fries were enormous wedge cuts; basically baked potatoes slices. Just do not go here.
(1)
Emily C.

Came with a group of friends on a slow Sunday night (around 7 PM). The "Back Deck" theme is carried nicely throughout the decorations and furnishings, from wooden picnic tables to the potted greenery. Our server was very friendly, and went out of his way to make us feel comfortable. The food was not spectacular, but it hit the spot on a cold day. I especially recommend the Portuguese Kale Soup! The flavor is strong, and reminds me of Italian wedding soup. The Greek Style Lamb Kafta Skewer is good, too, but not as remarkable.
(4)
Megan M.

Dear Yelp, My girlfriend and I were going out on a date on cinco de mayo with the brilliant idea that we would go to a very busy mexican restaurant with no reservation. Needless to say, there was a one hour wait. We decided to head across the street to Back Deck. We were seated immediately. Our server's name was Tayla, she was a delight. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgable, and smiled a lot to boot. The drinks were excellent. I ordered the elderflower margarita. The first one was a bit tart, but the bartender was more then willing to fix that for me. My girlfriend ordered the blueberry limoncello cooler which was also delicious. For her next round, she ordered the spiked strawberry lemonade which she loved even more. For dinner, she had the cubano tacos while I had the grilled rare tuna. Both were excellent. If you are going to a show in the area, or just want a great night out, back deck is highly recommended. Sincerely, A Satisfied Customer p.s. This is my girlfriend's account
(4)
Sean R.

Food was just OK to poor. Dijohn dressing on the salmon salad was thin and tasteless. The spicy chicken wings tasted good but were very greasy. and kitchen made the wrong dessert. Service was good, and they corrected issues when pointed out. Just overall a disappointing experience.
(2)
Shir L.

The service = negative stars. The waitress suggested this most popular drink, and it was just awful. The food DESERVED negative stars. I will not be returning at all. The overall experience was just unpleasant.
(1)
Ed B.

Wild blizzard outside. I walk in with 20 people. They set us up and take GREAT care of us. The service was outstanding. The food was great. The beers/drinks were delicious. The place is clean and comfortable. Five star experience for sure. Check it out!
(5)
Kaitlyn N.

What I like about Back Deck is the ambiance. They play up the "deck" aspect with the furniture and decorations, which I appreciated as I was there during a snowstorm and enjoyed imagining I was someplace warm. They also have those big windows that open up onto West St which is the closest you can get to outdoor dining. The food was pretty mediocre and nothing I'd go back to have again. However, the beers were a good size and the service was good. I'd come back here as a place for drinks after work.
(3)
Charles K.

The burgers are quite good but overpriced for what you're getting, and in comparison to other sit-down restaurants in the area. The fries that come with them aren't traditional fries but quartered fried potatoes. Also, it would be nice if they weren't served in a wire basket that's so tiny that it makes them impractical to eat. As far as the setting, it's insanely weird that the restroom is located outside the actual restaurant. They went for a patio look, which apparently meant going with wooden tables with slats in them and uncomfortable metal patio chairs or wooden booths.
(3)
Alexandria L.

Great place to grab a seasonal or themed drink as they have many delicious concoctions for the adults. Food seems to be delicious as the kitchen had never a dull moment. Tom the bartender is great!
(5)
Florian F.

First it took some time until we were asked for drinks and what we wanted to order. After ordering the food showed up very fast. That was surprising. But the. We noticed that the fish we ordered was under cooked and also the pork a could have take. A little more time on the grill.
(2)
Vanessa A.

Meal: Diner. Seared tuna salad with pears. It was delicious. I ordered potato fries and the portion is huge. Perfect for sharing. Price: 3 people, 1 appetizer, 3 meals and 3 sangria (recommend it) $86 + tip Location: We went to the Opera House for a show right after eating. It's right next door. Service: Friendly, but the kitchen was a little slow with the eggplant dip appetizer.
(4)
Eva W.

Good things: -Lots of seating, so likely no wait -Fun cocktails -In my one experience, I had an attentive and nice server. Things that are not bad, but also unimpressive: -Most of their food (I had eggplant spread app, mixed grill meal, and smores for dessert). Everything was fine, however, if you're a foodie, you're better off at nearby Stoddard's or jmCurley. -the "backyard" seating is slightly uncomfortable (the booths look fine). -menu isn't very cohesive--mediterranean, then burgers, then pasta entrees? I was hesitant to get anything, because I didn't know what they'd be good at.
(2)
Sarah C.

I came here around 9:30 on a Saturday night.. the weather was nice so the windows were open and it was nice to eat while getting some fresh air. I had the Mexicali burger (burger with pepper jack, sliced avocado & green chili salsa, chipotle mayo on the side, and fries) and was impressed with the flavors. I would return and possibly order it again..I am still thinking about it!!
(4)
Laurie L.

Service is hit or miss at this spot. Been here a few times. Depends on what you order from this place. Not everything on the menu is great but some things are tasty. Every time I orders the salads, they where always too watery and not drained well. When you order a steak make sure to ask for the meat medium If you want medium well they usually over cool the steak to ur liking .. Otherwise it's a cool summer spot in the downtown area
(3)
Jenn Z.

Overpriced mediocre food at best
(2)
Megan L.

I have been to this restaurant twice now, and had I written this review after my first experience it would have been totally different. I went with my sister last week before we were set to go see The Lion King right next door. Our reservation was at 5:45 so we had plenty of time to relax and eat/drink before we needed to leave. We started with the Mexican Street Corn which was very good actually, albeit messy, and I would order it again. For our entrees, my sister got the pork tacos which ended up being dry and overall not good. On our first visit, our waiter guided her away from them saying they "weren't the best item on our menu". He was definitely right and they should be avoided. I ordered a repeat of the meal I had the first time we came here because it was so good! I got the grilled salmon with jasmine rice and asparagus. When my plate arrived, it did look very pretty but tasted like an ashtray/grill. The bottom of my salmon was so burnt; the only thing I could taste was char. I brought it to the waiter's attention and he promptly took my plate to have it redone. The manager came over and was very confused saying he had no idea what the problem was, and after I explained it to him again, he said he would make me another. 2-3 minutes after that, he came back and told me that was "how they make it there". When I told him it wasn't like that the last time I had it, he insisted that is always how its done and I would get it again and still be unhappy or we could pick off the burnt bottom. I opted for the latter and said I would do it when I got it back. Instead, I got the plate back and someone else picked off the bottom for me taking a lot of the salmon with it and I lost a couple spears of the asparagus as well, strangely enough. I ate it away because I was hungry and didn't have time to find something else. Next comes dessert, and what I really loved about The Back Deck is that they do a special themed dessert to match the show playing next door. The one they had for Phantom of the Opera was fantastic! For this show, it was a coconut pound cake with zebra icing and mango sherbet. One bite into this dessert, I pulled a hair out of my pound cake. Horrified, I once again called over the waiter to get it taken away. After declining another piece, we were given the check. The dessert was taken off the bill, but I still had to pay in full for my salmon ($23) despite not being happy with it. Normally I do not complain at a restaurant not matter what is going on (which I told my waiter when I called him over the 2nd time), and for me to make note of 2 issues during one meal really says a lot! The manager's attitude and response was not acceptable in my opinion and in large, I won't be going because of him. Our waiter was nice, but I think he definitely should have tried harder to see what management could do to make up for this less than pleasant experience. Not that I am trying to get a free meal here by any means - we had 5 glasses of wine for the table, plus our appetizer, and the other entree - I just would have appreciated that my complaints be taken seriously and something actually done to apologize. The manager didn't even come back to check on my salmon after I got the plate back, or after I found the hair in my dessert. I guess that will teach me for hitting up the same place twice and expecting the same great time.
(2)
Chris C.

Another "meh" experience - bland unimaginative food, uninspired drinks, and disjointed service (server: don't call men in thier 40s "boys") Didnt really want to go based in my one other experience there, and after a 2nd visit, Wouldn't go back
(1)
Thomas S.

I looked at how many times the manager said sorry and not once offer to come back and try us again. people been writting about your place for over a year and your still saying sorry. if i was the manager there i would have had the food and staff working hard if they cant cook fired or lazy waiters and waitresses texting and shitty service FIRED. i have fired many in my life ..lady i think your too nice to run a place like that because you been apoligizing for over a year and the place still sucks.either the owners are holding you back from you doing your job or your too nice and dont want to hurt your staff feelings. thats my opinion
(1)
Jordano S.

Worst place ever ... Seriously The chicken breast that I order was awful And expensive .., chicken breast DONT HAVE Skin. The smash potatoes was simple bad. I just spend 28dlls for bad food Sad
(1)
Christiane C.

Good food and friendly bartenders. This is a nice place to stop before a show. It has a cool decor. My one suggestions is to put the burgers on big plates instead of baskets. They give you big portions, but I always end up making a mess in those tiny baskets.
(4)
Sara J.

Came here on a whim after I wanted to pick something up at Cafe Hemshin and realized it wasn't open for dinner. I love the interior of the Back Deck, so I figured we'd make a night of it and have a sit down dinner here for the first time. I guess that interior I loved was all this place has to offer, and I am giving it three stars for ambiance and that's about it. My date's burger was average, the fries were more like potato blocks, and the waitstaff kept tripping over my chair despite my hardest to keep pushing in. I told the waiter I was vegan, and I am self-aware enough to know it is not easy to accommodate special diets at every restaurant, but our waiter made it especially awkward for me to figure out what to eat, I felt like he had no idea what was on the menu. He talked to the chef a couple times and gave me zero suggestions and I finally ordered something and I didn't realize it had dairy in it-- definitely my mistake--- but the waiter didn't bother to point it out to me either which, I feel like, should be his job. Despite the mix-up there wasn't a whole lot about the flavor and prep of this place that makes it so much different than Applebee's, just twice the price. I say skip it and head to your local greasy spoon for similar fare done well at an appropriate cost.
(3)
Nicole P.

The food was very yum! I got the glazed salmon, and my mother had the brick chicken. The prices were not outrageous as you might find in some of the restaurants nearby. It was very clean and the waitress was friendly. I do wish she had come back to check on us or refill my drink more often. My glass lay empty for most of the meal. I would definitely go back if I was in the area.
(4)
Joe R.

Great place. Reasonably priced, not fancy.
(3)
Jackie C.

This place was super relaxing with great food! We had the double grilled chicken breast (I think it was called) and it was just fantastic! The mashed potatoes were amazing and the steamed asparagus was tasty. I also had the "White Christmas" by Sam Adams which is one of my new favorite beers. Our server was so nice, I feel awful I can't remember her name but she made amazing suggestions for us and it really made out night. We will totally be back next time we are over by the movie theatre.
(4)
Nikki I.

The idea of this place is cool and I am sure that it is better to be here in the summer. Food: The food was very unimpressive and all 4 of us dining received overcooked meals. The wings were good...that is all I can recommend. Service: The service was slow and our drinks did not come out until we had almost finished our meal. Needs work!
(2)
Brenda E.

I don't normally have complaints about restaurants since I'm pretty easy going when it comes to service and quality of food, I figure if I don't like the place I just won't come back, but my experience here last night merits a post. A friend and I decided to come here for dinner and drinks before a show at the opera house, and told the hostess we would like a table for 3 since my husband was expected to arrive a bit later. She said this was no problem that she would seat is at a two seater for now and move us when the rest of our party arrived. No complaints about our waiter, DJ, he was very polite and immediately brought us water, our drinks and took our app order. The problem began when my husband finally arrived about 45 mins later. The couple next to us, also at a two seater, was kind enough to offer us their table since they were on their way out anyway and suggested we join the two small takes so my husband could sit with us. We did this and not even a minute later did the manager come storming to our table, yelling that we weren't allowed to take any table we wanted and that he had a line out the door waiting for tables so we would have to wait like everyone else. My friend calmly tried to tell him we understood but that he didn't need to be so rude about it, and he simply shrugged his shoulders and walked away, huffing and puffing. In all my dining experiences never have a seen a manager act this blatantly rude! I understood his point but he didn't have to let us know in the demeaning manner that he did. I even went up to the hostess and told her she was very polite and that it was her boss that was a complete ahole! Needless to say I won't be coming back here until management gets their act together, this is no way to treat paying customers and i will surely advise my friends not to come here either.... If I wanted to be treated badly I would have gone to Dick's where at least I know what's coming!
(2)
Ashley P.

While doing some shopping, we stopped for lunch at the Back Deck. We ordered some Hard ciders which hit the spot. Since it was lunch we weren't looking to drink to much (strange for me, I know!) but they did seem to have a great selection of drinks and beers. We both ordered burgers for our meal. And they were definitely delicious. But as I think back I can quite remember what they were, you know what I'm saying? So while I left very satisfied, But of note - I wouldn't avoid going here again, but I don't know that I would go out of my way to eat here.
(3)
Lynn J.

nice find near Chinatown! we sat at the half circle bar, which gets a full view of the kitchen, and were able to watch the game too. the bartender was really sweet, and the drinks can quickly. Food was fresh, Pub fare...very good, and the prices were reasonable. Best dish: French fries = jumbo home fries! Tip: the floor to ceiling windows are open in summer for a full view of foot traffic on Washington Street.
(4)
Mrs. G.

We went to Back Deck the other night and I found the restaurant's menu to be quite confusing as well as the staff. (except the bartender-he seemed "with it". The waitresses were gossiping about customers at the bar counter and the chef was arguing with a customer that he didn't serve someone inappropriately who requested a gluten free meal. What happened to the customer is always right? Or, professionalism for that matter. We had two drinks at the bar and then met friends when our table was ready. The hot apple cider rum was very good. Our waitress looked exhausted and was out of it-she wasn't mean or anything though. The menu was really short. We wanted to order some appetizers but there really wasn't anything any of us wanted (party of 6, including well traveled foodies). We ended up ordering an eggplant dip which was pretty good a bit too creamy for me. Then ordered wings which were okay but I sort of wanted/expected something more traditional with a title like "back deck" I was thinking it was a BBQ spot. It's not. I ordered the Mexicali burger, it was fine-nothing mind blowing. My fries were cut too big and needed some salt. They tasted more like large baked potatoes than french fries.My friend ordered the polenta plate. It looked pretty but looked more of like an appetizer platter. Didn't feel like a large plate meal. Needless to say, I think this would be our last time at the back deck. It was beautifully designed but the concept doesn't make sense to it's guests.
(2)
Carrie P.

We eat out a lot in Boston and today we stumbled upon the Back Deck. We had Kelsea and we let her know we were in a rush. We were in and out in less than an hour and the food was awesome! First off we have the hardest time finding a place that doesn't fry shell fish as my fiancÃ© has an allergy. They only grill it so he could have French fries if he wanted! I ordered the eggs Diablo, Amazing!!!!! He had the Andouille plate. We will go back for sure! This place is very conscious of allergies seafood and gluten!!!!!
(4)
Django B.

I was looking forward to Back Deck, but was kind of let down. The one highlight of our meal was the wings appetizer that were more like tasty BBQ chicken than greasy hot wings, they were decent. I got the Muffaletta burger. I was hoping that it'd be more muffaletta inspired, less burger but it ended up just being a regular burger with some chopped olives under the patty. The meat was good and cooked well, it just wasn't doing any justice to something using the muffaletta modifier. As a side I had the coleslaw, which tasted dry to me, with little flavor. My wife had the pork chop, which seemed over cooked. The brussel sprouts were so undercooked they were inedible. The squash and cranberry were average. Overall, it missed the mark. If I were to come back here, I would stick to the apps.
(2)
Heather C.

I've had some very inconsistent experiences here. First off their ambiance and decor is great. I love how you feel like you really are out back on the deck with your friends. They have a great drink menu with lots of cocktails and beer. I've had great lunch experiences. They have the best ruben around, loaded with meat, and delicious. A few of my coworkers and I got the reuben and raved about it for days. The vegetarian platter is yummy too. Also, it's nice that they have a gluten free menu available. My one dinner experience was really bad. The green gazpacho is not gazpacho. It's basically a slightly watered down prepared, sub-par guacamole. It's thicker and warmer than a gazpacho, has no chunks, has that green color that only comes from the prepared guacamole you find in the refrigerator section as opposed to fresh avocados. And it has way too much chili powder. It was heavy in texture, flavor, and appearance. Gazpacho is supposed to be light and refreshing, like a liquid salad. My friend got the cornbread and it had a weird flavor. We couldn't tell if it was supposed to taste that way and we just didn't like it, or if there was actually something wrong with it. The butter that came with it tasted the way things taste when you leave them uncovered in a refrigerator too long, so maybe that was the cornbread's problem too. Her chickpea burger was disgusting. It was soft and mushy, in a very unappealing way. It was barely warm. And just watching her eat it made me feel bad that I had suggested this place. She ended up eating only about half. We didn't expect falafel because that's not what it was called, but I've never had a chickpea patty that wasn't at least a little crisp. I got the Pork chop. The pork chop was actually really delicious. Huge chop, well seasoned and cooked properly. The bourbon Sweet potatoes, however, were just weird tasting. I've never had a sweet potato that tasted like that. They were very undercooked and dry, but as for the flavor, I can only imagine they were cooked and left in that open fridge as well to take on that weird flavor that I can't really describe. It was acidic and sweet at the same time, but in a very cloying and overpowering way. Also, they weren't very warm either. The cabbage was ok. It was a little too vinegary, but had the potatoes been good, I would have been pretty satisfied with that meal. I'd go back for the Ruben at lunch, but I'm not sure I'd ever go back for dinner. I don't eat out every night, so when I do I like a place to be consistent enough that whatever I might choose that night will taste good.
(2)
David B.

We've been searching for our go-to place in Downtown Crossing for theatre. We gave Back Deck a try. Alas....it is not to be. I kept an open mind following reading a so-so review in the Boston Globe. We gave it a try, with an open mind, and walked away thinking it was just ok. I had the Cesar Salad...good but not anything spectacular. The husband had their green salad. We each had burgers. Again, they were nice but a bit expensive for what you got. I recall the burger being cooked farther than requested to the waiter. All is all, I'd go back and give them another try...we were there not too long after they opened.
(2)
Josie G.

A friend and I walked by on our way to the movies and stopped by for a grilled cheese + a burger that we split. Overall, the food was decent, but I thought for the price the burger was small - the bun was twice the size - and there were about 5 potato wedges total. The service was friendly and the manager was visible - important things! I would probably go back and give it another try, perhaps in the summer when the windows are open!
(3)
Lindsey M.

I went for brunch and while initially impressed by the cool decor and overall concept, my hopes were deflated throughout the meal. From the start the server was sloppy, inexcusably so, he couldn't answer direct questions about the food. I'm sure you're saying to yourself, well it was probably busy... but no, we were the only table in the place and after our first experience I can see why. The omelet I ordered was shiny on the surface, a sign of over-beat or boxed eggs aka the definition of not delicious to my mouth. The home fries with onions were just plain, meh and lacked a crispness that would bite back. The family all seemed to have decent meals, so I suppose I got the dud. Regardless this place gets 1 star because of the terrible service. The server mentioned he was sick yesterday, gross. Then couldn't answer simple food allergy questions, annoying. Terrible food, unfortunate. The thing that was the most vexing was having the server pour three iced coffee refills only to walk over shortly after and declare... "Uh, The coffee refills aren't included, but all the other drinks are. Ummm... Is that okay?!" Well that would have certainly been better to know before you refilled them, and yes is did note that when you brought them to the table they were chock-full of ice. Either way, it was a scum bag move and the food really sucked, I won't be back. TL;DR - Cool concept, poor execution, worse service.
(1)
Melissa V.

Decided to check this place out for a post-performance dinner, and I couldn't be happier that I did. First off, I was tickled that they offered a children's menu, with many sensible selections for the pickier crowd. My daughter chose a hot dog with fries, and devoured the whole thing. My mum and I started off with a green salad and the lamb skewer. The lamb was flavorful and cooked to perfection. I loved the orzo salad that came along as a compliment, and the cucumber sauce was light and delicious. For the main course, I went with the Cowboy Steak. The coffee and chili seasoning was excellent, without being overpowering, and the BBQ sauce was an amazing finishing touch. All the flavors, steak included, blended really well. The potato au gratin was good, but not overwhelming. I made the suggestion to swap out the watercress for some pea greens, but overall, it was a very tasty meal. My mum got the mixed grill, and she seemed to really enjoy it. For desert, it was chocolate cake a la mode all around! The cake was perfect, and the honey vanilla ice cream mixed so well. The service was knowledgable, attentive and friendly, and there wasn't a long wait between ordering and serving. I am already looking forward to my next visit. :)
(5)
Emily H.

Came in for lunch and had the most uninspiring chicken sandwich on what was called focaccia. They were out of a cider I wanted. The cheese on it was freezing cold and the sandwich was rather tasteless. I guess I should have ordered anything else as this place as it seems to have its fans. What it does have going for it is a nice atmosphere which is casual with good music for parties of four or more. I will go back and try a burger I suppose. Or not.
(2)
Kara G.

So here's the concept- Back Deck cooks BBQ favorites like you would in your own backyard- "but better!" Except... I don't know why you would subject yourself to the ho-hum surfer dude atmosphere and lackluster food when it really is stuff you could make in your own backyard (or your own fire escape...or your own George Foreman for that matter). Upon entering, they seem to be going for some kind of backyard-luau mashup. Open floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around the corner restaurant allowing you to take in the sultry cross breeze of Downtown Crossing afterdark --tourists and hobos and urine, oh my. Drinks were average. The Ginger Arnold Palmer (lemonade+iced tea+ginger+bourbon) combined so many delicious things I figured it was a no-brainer but ultimately it underwhelmed and grew watery from neglect. They had a short wine list with plenty of bottles ringing in between $25 and $40 but again nothing stellar. The theme of everyone's meal was bland- my fresh & grilled corn soup was chilled which seemed an odd choice for a cream based soup. The corn was overcooked which combined with the cold presentation to kill off any flavor. Pitas w/ eggplant spread was both tiny for the price and needed so much additional seasoning I'm floored that a deer didn't mosey up to those open windows to take part in the subsequent salt lick. But I think my biggest issue came at the end of the night. The restaurant's posted hours had close at 11pm. But when my friend asked for a glass of wine at 10:05 our waitress looked supremely put out and said they were closing and she'd need to see if they still had the bar open. Okay, Okay... so it's a weeknight and things are kind of slow. But if you're closing (almost an hour before your scheduled time) it's just good customer service to give your tables a heads up and ask if they'll be ordering anything else. At the very least don't make your patrons feel like idiots for making a request. Follow that up with eye rolling and impatience when we had a question about our check, and that right there clinchs it- I'll stick to my own backyard.
(2)
Natasha M.

Food was surprisingly good, except for our app, the eggplant with pita, which was overwhelming with a cream cheese taste. I had the mixed grill, yummiest part was the sausage and beef. The lamb kofta was so so and definitely needed the tomato chutney that came on the side to give it flavor. My man had the chicken breast main, which was also just ok. Mashed potatoes were the best part of his entree. The mixed drinks were good. I was a little shocked that out bill came out to $90 for two people at this "casual" restaurant.
(3)
Kristen K.

They get an 'A' for design. The big open windows are great for a nice day and the decor inside is very tasteful. The chairs are not comfortable, however. The food is just not good speaking very bluntly. I've had a turkey club, salmon salad, and veggie burger on different occasions - none of which I was impressed by. I would not choose this restaurant myself but coworkers have taken each other and the boss out a few times and chose this place. The fries are the best option there and they're just a side. Salt is also needed so that may speak to how well they season their food. The bruch menu looks great online but I was disappointed to discover it is only served Saturday & Sunday mornings. Not the worst place, but if you're looking for all American, look elsewhere.
(2)
Katy W.

Ok, well this is a necessary downgrade. I was trying to be generous with my last review, but this experience just meant that we're not going back. Skip this if you want the short version: (So, with another reservation, we had lunch here recently, but the oddities of our first try were only compounded. I stated that "we" (3 people waiting to be seated) had a reservation and that we were early and gave my last name. Since I use Open Table, I want to be clear about who I am so that I can get my points. So, the waiter takes a minute gathering menus and seats us at a large, comfy round booth. I proceed, as usual, to peruse the menu while he pours water. He asks if our table is "okay." Given that it's the biggest and most comfortable there, we say yes. So, about five minutes later, he returns to take our drink order and says we can wait for the lunch order until our "whole party arrives." Huh? It then comes out that he has seated us thinking we are another party. He says didn't you say your name was Kelly? No, I most certainly did not and he couldn't have misunderstood my name either (which is obviously similar to Kelly) because I only ever gave my last name. His confusion is odd to me, doesn't seem to be my problem. He then says he will have to reseat us because he has a party of 5 arriving. Now, I think this has only ever happened to me once. I would assume customary etiquette would be for the waiter to be very apologetic, make a joke at his or her own expense and we all secretly roll our eyes and move on. Not here, instead he was basically arguing that it was our fault (he left 5 menus which we didn't pay much attention to, one we thought was the wine list) and not being particularly apologetic. In fact, he was vaguely accusatory which really got under my skin. ) So, the waiter screws up our reservation and re-seats us. The problem is that the manner of the servers here is just plain odd, distant, peculiar, strange, off-putting. We arrived before the lunch rush and the vibe is one of desertion. It did fill up later, but you would think they would take a reservation as a compliment not an annoyance. When the waiter fails to make us comfortable, the whole thing just feels unfriendly. Their prices are a smidge high and their food is a tad mediocre so the whole combination just isn't working. This isn't just about the reservation confusion; I didn't really want to go back, but, since it's convenient, I thought I would withhold judgement and give it another shot. They really need to get it together here. They're one of the only sit-down places in downtown in this price range so I'm guessing they have a captive audience, but we're not going back. I'll freeze eating my falafel on the Common before I go back again. Please note, I don't give 2 star reviews often.
(2)
Christine C.

Eh, Nothing special. It's overpriced and the food is just o.k. Too many good places to eat in the area--I would pass on this one.
(1)
T B.

We ate lunch here after a recommendation from the concierge at the Hyatt nearby. We found the food to be OK but not great, but the service was good. The "back deck" theme is cute, and the restaurant appears very clean. However, there are a lot of better places nearby that I would have rather eaten at.
(3)
Shantel S.

Avoid this place if you're a vegetarian. There isn't much on the menu that isn't meat. I don't like how close the tables are to each other.
(2)
Jason G.

Went here for dinner on a Thursday night around 5:30. It wasn't too crowded, though the bar area was about half-full. As we were sitting there the restaurant started to fill in, and a good sized crowd developed. This was my first time here, so I am not sure how crowded it might usually get, but there were a couple of parties that checked in with reservations, so maybe it's better to play it on the safe side and check-in with opentable in advance. The hostess and waitress for very nice and friendly. Our waitress was attentive throughout the meal. The restaurant decor is interesting. All wood tables and chairs, and large windows looking out on downtown crossing. My friend ordered a Turkey Burger. The patty was thick, and it was cooked well, and he reported that it was really good. I had the regular Burger, cooked medium. It was very good, and cooked properly. The fries that come along with the burgers were really good. I think they just take a potato and cut it into large pieces. They are good because you get that crispy on the outside but actual taste of potato on the inside. Overall, this was a good place that if I was in the area I would certainly stop in again. I've heard from other people that they like the burgers as well, so that seems to be the thing to go with if you're here.
(4)
Michael H.

Great spot for before or after a night at the theatre. it is right next to the Opera House! The menu is not too pricey with good selections. I had a delicious burger. But as another reviewer commented, the bar is next to the door and not conducive to lingering on a cold Boston night!
(3)
Philip M.

Solid 3.5-4 star location right in the heart of downtown but just off-the-beaten path enough that it's not super-crowded. I came here recently for a Saturday night date-night and I'm glad we did. The decor and feel of the restaurant is that of a backyard-like space but it's done in a very clean and upscale way. Prices are what you'd expect for a Downtown Crossing restaurant. Quiet enough to easily have a conversation. Drinks here were strong, delicious, and come by the glass or in a pitcher. Tip: get drinks by the glass so you can try different ones. For some reason, the per pitcher price isn't any cheaper than getting 5 of the same drinks. Great beer tap/bottle list and pretty good wine list. The greek lamb shishkabob appetizer was delicious, bravo. I got the Moroccan lamb special which was OK. The side-salad for it was super-fresh and terrific. The pita it was on wasn't great. My date got the pork chop which was absolutely delicious. Cooked exactly how he wanted too. I kept biting into his dish and the cranberries were a great complimentary touch. Our waiter was very nice and attentive, but not overly so, which was great. He knew the menu and gave a recommendation when asked without pushing too hard. Bathrooms were super-clean. Looks like all the windows open up to the outside when it'd get warm, which will be great.
(4)
D N.

A good pre-theater choice. Very good burgers, potato salad,. Pulled pork tacos were fresh and tasty, although they could have used more seasoning and spices. Solid desserts too. Good service, and if you're seated away from the bar, not too loud. Reasonably priced.
(4)
ME E.

Cute place just blocks away from Downtown Crossing with great tasty burgers and friendly service!
(5)
Mk E.

I really wish Yelp offered half-star ratings to reviewers, because this place is more of a 2.5 than a 2, but here we are. First, the most glaring issue this restaurant has: the host stand is backwards. Hosts/servers have their backs to the door, which means guests who walk in get largely ignored until someone has the bright idea to turn around. We would've had better luck being seated if we'd come in through the window. The place was mobbed for Sunday brunch, and we got the sense that perhaps they were short staffed. We were seated none too warmly by a dude who struck us as a manager. When a waitress finally found us, she thanked us for our patience, which I guess was nice. Drinks were fine, food was fine, and I'm inclined to come back sometime to see what dinner is like, but the service is hugely underwhelming.
(2)
Jenn S.

I really really wanted to love this place. It looks really fun with the decor but the food was not very good across the 6 people party we had. I had the veggie burger and it was way too mushy and felt uncooked. The other items from our party were burgers - ok, but nothing special, ribs- very fatty, tasted frozen and not flavorful, kebabs - just ok. I would go back if their menu was revamped or if I wanted a drink ONLY. The prices and food were not worth it as is. On the other hand our waitress was really nice!
(1)
Michael C.

Lots of work to do on this place if it is going to survive. On Friday night my wife and I walk in to sit at the bar for a drink and some appetizers. The bar is packed so we ask for a table. The hostess asked; " Two for dinner?". Answering honestly I said; " Drinks and an appetizers." Sorry if you are not having a full dinner we can not let you have a table. I see so now you are dictating how much I have to order for dinner. After saying fine " We will have dinner," the genius they have working as a hostess says she can not seat us now. My advice is to avoid this super noisy place while they work out the kinks.
(1)
Nick G.

The atmosphere is definitely nice. It was a warm summer night so all the windows were slide back (walls?) - so it was nice and open. I got a turkey burger, and in lieu of fries, I went with mashed potatoes - which was surprisingly a little cup - like a dipping sauce cup... In any event, my friends got the "fries" with their burgers - which were really chunks of potato, there were more oily than crispy. Sangria was good - it's different than your typical sangria.
(3)
Lauretta L.

No complaints here! We stopped by after walking across half of Boston for the hell of it. I loved the ambiance - casual yet classy. This place has a fun vibe but isn't overly dark or loud. I got the Berkshire Summer, which was crisp, refreshing and surprisingly strong. Our bartender was very friendly and attentive as well. I can't review the food but I'd definitely come back for drinks.
(4)
Margaret C.

What a great space, and what disappointing food and beverages. We had very nice service and, generally, a pleasant time hanging out by the open windows on a warm evening, but I would only ever go back here for beer. The dressing on my Caesar salad tasted weirdly off, and the grilled chicken addition was super-dry strips of breast; shockingly overpriced at $14. Mixed drinks had little detectable alcohol and clumsy proportions. Bleh.
(2)
Eric F.

My friends and I really enjoyed the backyard-themed interior that we all noted made us feel as if we were kicking back outside. The food had its ups and downs. We loved the Grilled Point Judith Squid and Grilled Hot Wings - perfectly cooked with great flavors. In fact, I wouldn't have minded eating a couple more plates of the squid. Unfortunately, my Beer-Can Chicken was very dry with parts of the drumstick grilled to the point of being inedible. My friends did seem to enjoy their Beef and Mexicali burgers though. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, just not terribly attentive as there were long waits between apps, mains and the check. All in all, I think Back Deck will be worth a return visit once they pick up their rhythm and sort out their execution on certain dishes.
(3)
Ruth C.

I ate lunch here with my family yesterday. It was my first time here. The atmosphere was great! We got there right at 11 so we got seated pretty quick. Our waiter was awesome and very patient, considering there were 8 of us. We had restricted dietary needs and questions. Yet he was still pretty cool, even though he spilled a beer on my sister in law. The service was still good and prompt. I think his name was David. Anyway, I got the pulled pork with fries. My fries were fresh and delicious. The pulled pork sandwich was lukewarm/ cold, but it still tasted good. I should've got the mexicali burger, now that looked delicious! I also got the winter punch, that was delicious! Everyone else's food looked good and no complaints. ....besides the spilled beer lol poor guy. So I would recommend this place. Just make sure your pulled pork is warm.
(4)
Nicole C.

I ate here last night with my husband, sister, and two of her friends. I had the lobster roll with fries and corn on the cob, my husband had the BBQ plate, and my sister and her friends had salads (2 with salmon and 1 with chicken). The girls loved their salads. My husband loved his food except the corn bread which he thought was too sweet, but I tried it and I liked it. My lobster roll was fantastic! It was mixed with a lemon mayo and celery and it just went so well together and there was quite a bit of lobster. The fries and corn were great. Our check came to $111 and change for 5 meals 2 alcoholic drinks and 2 non alcoholic drinks. I didn't think that was too bad. I can't think of anything that they need to improve on. Our experience was fantastic and we all loved the atmosphere and how we actually felt like we were eating on a back deck. I definitely recommend this place!
(5)
Elena R.

Just left this place. Absolutely great! Just feel bad that didn't find it before. Food and drinks are great. And even desert (and I'm very picky with it). And that bartender Shaun... What an eye-candy and a sweetheart! This is the first place I'll walk in to as soon as I'm back to this amazing town!
(5)
Katy C.

Festive family dining, but a serious wait for the food! The music is turned up above the noise if the crowd with only makes people talk louder!
(2)
Jeremy W.

Came here with a bunch of co-workers on a Thursday. I called ahead to see if the 10+ group of people would be able to hang around the bar area and they said yes which was nice, since the bar area isn't that large. Overall had a good time here, and would come back if I was looking around for some place to get a drink around the area
(3)
Emily D.

Friday night drinks and dinner with the girls and I'll probably not return any time soon. The drinks were good, I ordered the Spiked Strawberry Lemonade [strawberry vodka, amaretto, grapefruit & Back Deck Lemonade]. It was everyone's favorite.. a couple girls ordered the Blueberry Limoncello Cooler and wasn't too happy with it. They ended up ordering the mine after. The food wasn't really anything exciting. On the menu it sounded great but when we got our meals, we left a bit unsatisfied. I ordered Mexicali Burger - pepper jack, sliced avocado & green chili salsa, chipotle mayo on the side. Sounds great, but my burger was over done and bland, the avocado was in huge chunks which made eating in a sandwich really difficult. I had the potato salad as my side and it was flavorless. The portions are small but since I was "meh" about it.. it didn't bother me. A couple others had burgers and felt the same way, minus one friend who had the Shrimp Skewers. She enjoyed hers and a side of mash potatoes which she loved. She did mention the corn bread was super dry. I would say go for drinks.. but don't expect an amazing dinner.
(2)
Sean J.

Solid burgers and good service. The Mexicali burger is really good, especially with the chipotle mayo on it. The design of the restaurant is a little strange, kind of feels like a restaurant you would find at an amusement park.
(3)
Sarah D.

3 appropriately unenthusiastic stars. This is a place that I did not know existed before yesterday. Since yesterday, I have come to realize that it exists, and am now wondering why it exists. MYSTERIOUS. There is really no reason to come here except for the reason we had last night, which was that it started pouring rain when we were standing right outside. They serve big things for not a lot of money and with not a lot of flavor. The burger can take a lot of hot sauce, boyo. I think I had fries but I can't for the life of me remember them. $20ish dollar pitchers of decent beer were a nice thing, so we had seconds. It's like the 99 but with weirder decor and friendlier servers. Bye!
(3)
Michael S.

If you're wondering if it's possible to make pulled pork dry - yes, yes it is.
(2)
Joseph B.

Sunday rainy night and the place is very quiet. Got the Mixed Kabobs and enjoyed the flavor of the lamb more than any other lamb I have ever had. Beef was good and Andouille sausage was meh. No spice in the sausage but the side sauce was wonderful. Enjoyed the Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA as well. Service was very good but with restaurant being so sparsely populated, I would have been very disappointed had it not been so. In short I will be back.
(3)
Mathew M.

I went in with high hopes of "backyard" summer food. The first sign of something wrong was that they kitchen was out of pulled pork sandwiches. Obviously, this happens from time to time but at 11:30 during the lunch rush? Not a good sign. Instead I opted for the Vietnamese style Flank Steak sandwich. What followed was the most flavorless excuse for Bahn Mi that I've ever had. The coleslaw side was watery and bland. Service was great, but the food really needs some work.
(2)
Kristine A.

My friend decided we should check this place out. It was a new place that neither one of us had gone to. As someone who spent many years in hospitality, there's a rule to never go to a restaurant within the 1st month. We just missed it thankfully. The service was great, he was informative & attentive. But the food & drink on the other hand left something to be desired. I was not impressed by either. There were only a few vegetarian options which is pretty much the norm & not surprising to me. But if you're going to charge what you do then make it worthwhile, which it wasn't. I don't understand their theme of this backyard picnic table & yet the items like squid don't really belong on the menu. There is a disconnect between them specially since it seems pretty marine animal heavy. Not really a place I will go back to.
(2)
Lisa B.

I *love* trying new restaurants, and Back Deck definitely impressed! Our group of seven girls headed to Back Deck to celebrate a friend's birthday with some quality girl time. We showed up a little early, and the staff was nice enough to seat us by the windows. Here are the food highlights: House potatoes: Unique! Small potatoes are sliced into moon shapes (rather than spears) and seasoned with salt. Great mix of crunchy and meaty. S'more: SO delicious (and huge!) The marshmallows are homemade, and it makes a ton of difference! Here are the drink highlights: Berkshire Summer: Great little cocktail with a very cucumber-y flavor. Refreshing! Sangria: I didn't partake, but people RAVED. Apparently it was also very strong - always a plus! Our server was excellent (Joe, I believe), and the small plates were enough for a meal. I also enjoyed the Gorgonzola dressing for my house salad. I think some of the larger meals look a bit expensive, but if you stick to cocktails and small plates, all will be well :)
(4)
Derek K.

Everything is almost good, but not quite there. The menu is scattered, and the service is hit or miss.
(2)
Nicole V.

See Sarah D's review for details. Summary: - Down pouring rain - Stopped here en route to Chinatown - THIS PLACE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A YEAR? Shocking. - Burger was okay; certainly not offensive - Food portions were huge; could have split one burger - Toppings were generous and delicious - Potatoes magically retained heat for hours; I loved them - Friendly service - Affordable pitchers of beer - Large pitchers of beer - Frosty glasses with each pitcher of beer - Sarah D and I drank two pitchers of beer - Clean bathrooms - Monkey Fist on draft - Sarah is awesome - Monkey Fist puns don't get old - Go for the pitchers of beer - Seriously, the beer
(3)
Lin M.

Trying to find dinner near the Opera House on a Sunday is quite a challenge. There is either Chinese or very high end. Then there is the Back Deck. Don't be put off by the dÃ©cor...crab shack chic not on the beach is disconcerting. The food is excellent and reasonable. Five of us ate 4 courses and drinks for $200. It is not just hamburgers...although those are good. The smoked eggplant dip was very good. I enjoyed a small plate of Sausage & Mashed: a charcoal grilled andouille with mashed potatoes & gumbo greens (collard greens.) The size was perfect to allow dessert. I had the chocolate cake but my companions tried different ice creams which were very good. This is a classic...Don't judge a book by it's cover!
(4)
Travis A.

Walking around downtown on an empty stomach can be a bit of a dilemma for those who are not as financially endowed, but, would like to have a nice cozy place to sit and enjoy a fresh meal (other then the food court at the garage, which I wouldn't consider cozy or "fresh") This place suits the area perfectly with it's summer like picnic decor, nostalgic 90's tunes, relaxed server and staff attire and young crew. My server Dan, was exceptionally friendly, not to talkative and bothersome (which is perfect for me, I don't like to be bothered to much while eating, but I do enjoy friendly banter.), and had a warm personality about himself. I also liked the fact his nickname around the restaurant is "Jimmy Neutron" because of his huge hair flip. Never eating here before, I asked Dan for a suggestion on sandwiches...he steered me away from sandwiches and brought me right into his reality, and suggested their new burger that isn't on the menu yet. An Italian treat! My favorite since I have Italian roots! A chickpea veggie burger w: fresh motz, razor thin bruschetta, basil, tomato, lettuce, and a port mushroom cap on top of a fresh potato roll. Served w/ a side of fresh slaw, sweet pickle and pesto Aioli. The burger was stacked high, but was a bit sloppy. The veggie patty didn't hold well and became a fork and knife sandwich. Not really an issue for me, but just a small nit pick to maybe improve for the future. The slaw was a tab bland, but not to bad...could use a little bit of a pick me up. The pesto aioli was actually pleasant to dip the sandwich in near the end it's its consumption. Not to over beating. Overall the presentation was standard, nothing super fancy or complicated, which suits the place and it's atmosphere. For downtown, this price range and relaxed environment is a growing gem on the area for Lunch. I gladly would give $15 + tip to a place like this, then Subway or Chinese in the food court. Since it's still relatively new, it's not very busy during the day, so, I would highly suggest this place to people who are looking for a nice bite to eat that isn't crowded to kick back and get that chill, summer vibe in an area of Boston that is somewhat stuffy and bitter (especially in the winter) I'll definitely be back to try other things on the menu in the near future and at different times as well. For now, this place is a solid 4 star.
(4)
Nashrah R.

Casual spot for brunch if you're in the mood for an interesting, if somewhat disjointed cuisine. I split the two types of kebabs they have with a friend and we both liked our meal. A little on the pricey side but not terribly so.
(3)
Jess H.

These guys have a Gluten-free menu that is almost as big as the regular one! Some of you will appreciate how exciting this is :) This meant I got to have my birthday brunch at a place where there were more than two options for me and no one else felt like they were on a diet! I'm a happy meat eater so this works really well for me. The staff has been cool every time I've been in, even just at the bar... and everything has been tasty. I can relax and not worry about ordering or interrogating the waitstaff to make sure I don't get sick... they're on top of it. I had eggs benedict on yummy local bread from Curtis Street Bakers - just like a real girl. Thank you!!
(4)
Dr B.

Interior is nice with decent space between tables and having the huge windows open during the summer is nice. Service was good, but not great. Food was definitely sub-par for this price range.
(2)
Darth R.

I've lived in Boston for 5 years, and this place takes the cake for worst meal I've had in my residence here. When we walked in we were told there was a thirty minute wait for a table despite 10 tables being open. While that count of free tables on a Saturday night should be the first red flag, we decided to wait. We were ushered to our open table (one of ten), and sat down. Having never been here before, I like to ask waiters what the favorite dish is by their patrons, as well as theirs. We ordered wings for the table, two of us ordered mixed plates (the Mixed Grill), one ordered the burger, and the last one ordered a pork dish. Then we didn't see our waitress for 30 minutes. She then brought our beers over. Then we waited another 15 minutes for the wings. The wings were decent (in reality, the best part of the meal in retrospect), the wait was unreasonable. Our entrees arrived 30 minutes after the wings. Our friend ordered a glass of wine. The burger was probably the best item out of the four, but it was overcooked, under-seasoned, and cold. The mixed plates were pretty much tasteless. When the best thing on the plate is a pre-packaged sausage (the only thing with seasoning), when stacked next to some nice cuts of other meats, I could only assume everything was just thrown on the grill without preparation. The food was poor. We asked for the bill, all of us with a majority of the food ordered left uneaten on the plates. The bill came, as did our friend's glass of wine. Great timing. I'm not interested in returning, and will discourage my friends and others to stay away.
(1)
Corey L.

I've only had drinks here, but I like this place. They have interesting drinks, I've always sat at the bar and always liked the bar tenders. And I've always gone on to have good nights whenever we've visited this place - so it gets 4 stars. Try it for drinks, it'll give you good luck!
(4)
John M.

Bland, greasy, uninspired wings and dipping sauce. Soup came out luke warm the first time, without chorizo the second. Turkey burger itself was ok but the bun and toppings were run of the mill and sparse. Wedge cut fries were tasty but inconsistent (some crunchy, some mushy). Waitstaff didnt seem to care much about anything. Avoid this one.
(1)
Adam F.

Love this place. Always quick service and always good food. Been here 3 times and always a pleasure. Will be back soon!
(5)
Travis J.

Best burger. It was cooked a perfect medium. The Bloody Mary is to die for and Tom the server is probably the best we have ever had. Oh, did I mention the mayo?
(5)
Ryan O.

I stopped in one Sunday for a quick lunch. Having never tried it before, not sure what to expect. It was fine overall...would probably come back if in the neighborhood again. I had the monte cristo sandwich and a cup of tea...can't go to wrong with that. The service was slow...but leisurely.
(3)
Teresa C.

Our door man at our hotel suggested this place as a family friendly dinner option. He was right! We had an excellent server and the food was pretty tasty. I had the sausage and smash and then shared a smore dessert with my son that was made of chocolate graham crackers, hershey chocolate and peanut butter marshmallow. Yum!
(4)
Jayne B.

Slow service. We were seated right away by a welcoming and friendly hostess--off to a great start. It was peak dinner hour, but plenty of open tables. At the table waiting to order, we kept waiting, and waiting. The couple at the table next to us was getting bored waiting for their food so they started talking to the couple on their other side, who just received their order. When asked, they said what they ordered was good, but 'it took quite a while' to receive it. So all three tables were getting the same unbiased neglect. After what must have been ~25 minutes, our order arrived. The salmon cobb salad was ok, but needed more dressing. It was difficult to say what kind of dressing it had, because dressing was quite scarce. I would have asked for more dressing, but the server did not even once come by our table after the food was delivered. One glass of water was all we were allowed, I suppose. The salmon did not taste fresh but 'fishy', like it had been frozen. I mistakenly thought that in Boston, as it is so close to the Atlantic ocean, fresh fish would be common. Finally the server arrived much later when we were somewhat tired of waiting for the bill. I wish I had more positive moments to report. This place is in a great location, nice atmosphere, and has so much potential to be a great establishment if it had more attentive and professional staff (servers and in the kitchen).
(2)
Christine W.

This place has a great concept and the theme was consistent throughout the entire restaurant...even the bathroom. The food was fun and was a good portion. Service was good and atmosphere is great for groups.
(4)
Cullen F.

First visit. Chicken Wings are the best in the city. Marinade is not typical buffalo, but it's a delicious peppery butter infused, & falls of the bone. Staff is great, & not assumptive. Other team members knew our preferences from our server, and asked if things met our request. Definitely will go again.
(5)
Savanna R.

They "don't do sugared rims," despite it being your birthday and NO ONE being there at 10:00 on a Friday night. They won't even be nice about it. This may have just been one bartender, but he was a complete jerk and I'll never go back or recommend this place because of this experience.
(1)
Saige B.

As I've passed the Back Deck several times, I finally popped in for lunch on a blistery weekend afternoon. The atmosphere is slightly confusing as it has that "I'm almost like a back deck" with the "open kitchen, trendy" feel. Very odd. After looking at the menu, my anxiety kicked in that this new place in the downtown area was going to be another failed try at reviving the former red-light district. I was very wrong. The wings are probably the best non-buffalo/BBQ wings I have had in a long time. The chef was previously at another restaurant and used his spicy sauce on the wings. Job well done. These were delicious and for $8, completely satisfies the wallet as well as the taste buds. The french fries were fresh, warm and accompanied a just as fresh burger. I commend the wait staff as well because he explained their hopes of building the downtown area back up with neighboring hotels. DISCLAIMER: I cannot comment on the rest of the menu, as other reviewers haven't been too excited about this place.
(3)
Malyna K.

This place is solid. I thought the concept of bringing the outdoors inside was very cute. I bet it is very nice in the summer when they can open the huge windows! Service was standard, and I did feel like it took a bit for our food to come out. I ordered their signature drink back deck punch and it was very good. You could definitely taste the gin though (which I liked it), and I thought the grilled pear that came with it was a nice touch. I ordered the Asian inspired short rib special and the short ribs were tender. I thought they could have taken the Asian concept a bit further with the spicy cabbage garnish though. PS The fries are A+ - not your usual steak or shoestring or wedges.
(4)
Lesley H.

I've tried this place twice,and both times have been underwhelmed both by service and food. Both instances the waitstaff seemed to be out of it. Not able to answer questions about the menu properly and generally unhappy to be there. Just recently, I watched as our waitress took back the bill and tossed a fit as she seemed unhappy with her tip. She proceeded to head up to the hostess station and complain, then complain to the other waitress, and then to the bartender. She gave us quite the stare down as we left. I had cash to leave her on the table, but was so uncomfortable with the reaction that I didn't. As someone who worked in the industry for many years I tend to over tip, but this time I didn't feel bad only leaving 10%. The food is mediocre. I got the chicken wings based on another yelp review. They were flavored with spices but very greasy. I've also had the salmon salad which was fine. If you're desperate then this place is fine, but otherwise head across the street to papagayo.
(2)
Curtis V.

The Back Deck graciously seated us at 10:50 on a Friday, with their kitchen closing in only ten minutes. We didn't stay for long, but our server, Tayla, was attentive and super friendly, and didn't rush us to order despite how close they were to closing the kitchen. What really made this place stand out, though, was the amazing chickpea burger. Seriously, that thing was fan-fucking-tastic and I've been thinking about it for the rest of the weekend. One of the best non-meat patties I've eaten in a long time-- vegetarians take note. I'd definitely go back if I were in the neighborhood again.
(4)
Jack M.

It's a nice-looking place. Certainly very big and vibrant. They have some surprising beer selections here, and their "house" ale (beer tap is in the shape of a spatula - the "icon" of this place) is really really good. Never a lot of people here. I can't comment on the food as I haven't had it - yet. But there's never a crowd. Always lots of empty tables.... what does that say to you?
(3)
Marven A.

I went to this place with my friend and brother in July and it was awesome! I had the Hot Wings and Beef Burger which was perfect! The waiters were pretty chill too, I liked now they had the windows open so you can get that nice summer breeze. I'd totally recommend this place to everybody.
(4)
Patryk S.

Great experience. Open windows to the street Their micro-brew was tasty. Service was quick and friendly The overall atmosphere/ambiance was conducive to enjoying good times with friends and beer-drinking. The one negative experience was the aggressive homeless guy that wanted my knife.
(4)
Lindsay S.

Fantastic gluten-free menu. I've been twice and was pleased both times. The GF burger bun was definitely homemade and delicious. Just as exciting was the fact that all burgers could be turkey or veggie if you don't want beef! The mahi mahi tacos weren't as great as the burger I had the first time. They also have delicious iced fiesta tea which is berry flavored and unsweetened. The service was great both times, and the two different male servers I had were some of the best I've ever had. Definitely will return when I'm in the area again.
(4)
Michael Z.

I have gone to the back deck three times, and was completely satisfied with my experiences in this new, hip, backyard style grill. Cool layout, ambience makes you feel like you are sitting in upscale backyard house for a nice picnic or BBQ. Mural on the wall above the bar is really summery and gets you ready for some great BBQ. I have tried many different meals here at the Back Deck, and I am very satisfied with the quality of their food. Everything they have to order is fresh and delicious. I have tried the pork chops, steak, and chicken. Pork Chops were easily the best. I also had a mexicali burger which as the name should describe, was loaded with avocado and mexican spices. Amazing cheeseburger! Handcut fries are always a plus, and everything that isnt fried here at the Back Deck is thrown onto one of the many wood fire grill grates for toasting. I recommend getting a S'more for dessert because its probably the only place in the city that can offer this to you as a dessert. You really can't beat homemade graham crackers on top of marshmellows and chocolate. All of this stuff is great... but I feel as though the prices are a bit steep. If you are spending $13-14 on a cheeseburger, it better have won an award or two. Drink prices are also a bit steep.. Nonetheless, the bar area is a bit tight, but gets the job done. Bartenders are very knowledgable in drink making, and the staff is extremly friendly/helpful. Gansett' on tap is a huge plus because I love it, and so should you. All in all, if you make a little overtime this week, head on over to the Back Deck for some of their specialty drinks and foods. Its stuff that you guys can make in your back yard at home(except better tasting)...unless you live in town and don't have a back yard. The Back Deck should be your new BACK YARD!
(4)
Frank W.

Bottom line: A good after work spot for beers and bbq type fare. Dies quickly after that rush. Having walked by this place since it opened (i'm around DTX a lot) my friend and I figured it was high time to give it a shot. We grabbed a reservation for 7pm (good thing, as the restaurant was busy at that time) and got a few beers while they were working on the table. Bartender was friendly and let me try a beer without good commitment. Huzzah! That quickly came to and end and we were seated. Our waiter was fairly responsive, though I didn't think his suggestions were that helpful. We were able to chill out with a New Waldorf Salad to start (I didn't think it had much flavor.. just a very thick creamy dressing and apples.. meh). Our main entrees came (Steak and Salmon) which were both very good, though large in portion. The rice with the salmon was overly salty though I think that was to try to make it edible on its own. Live plant life, easy viewing of a television (important for those 7pm game times) and fairly good drinks. I'd actually come back here. It's one of the better joints in DTX.
(4)
Kei S.

First off, I RSVP for lunch... IT WAS MY WIFES B DAY!!!! yet we were told, "hold on, we are clearing the table now" You mean, you never held my table for me? -.- ok! Our server was way too high maintenance.. and his shirt was unbutton down to his chest.. WTF!!! this is a restaurant, i dont want your nipple hair all over my food... The service was horrible... the server scoff at us when we tried to flag him down... the food was mediocre at best.... for a downtown prime location and decent price food .. I WOULD AVOID STILL!!!!
(1)
Sean B.

We needed a quick spot to eat before a movie, and I don't know many places downtown. I took a shot at Back Deck, and was glad I did. The place was very quiet early on a Saturday. This is a nice place, warm, bright, comfortable decor and a pretty cool modern chandelier over the bar. All of the employees were wearing street clothes, which confused me a bit, but I confuse easy. I had a cheeseburger, as is my custom. It was very good and cooked perfectly, good sized but not huge. I got it with cheddar. It was one of the better burgers I've had lately. I chose the potato salad for a side instead of fries, it was good, but somewhat bland. All of the ingredients tasted very fresh. Alas, the pickle was quite disappointing. How can you claim to be a barbecue place and serve a disappointing pickle? My friend had some roast pork with polenta, it came with a spinach based stuffing and some roasted red peppers. The presentation on the plate was great, it came out looking like a picture in a magazine. The pork was a little dry, but the stuffing complemented it well. The polenta was the best part of the meal, it was very good, it was delicate and not dry at all. A+ for the polenta. We didn't ask much of the service, but they were quick, polite, and friendly. I didn't have a drink, but their beer selection looked very good, with a number of different craft brews available. Back Deck isn't the best place I've eaten, but the food was good and filling, and it has a nice, friendly, comfortable atmosphere. I imagine that it would be a great place to stop in the summer, when they can open the windows up and get more of an outdoorsy atmosphere. A pretty good downtown spot.
(3)
Jason P.

Ok, so full disclosure here, I didn't eat IN the restaurant. My gf was out w/friends from work (all who ate and liked it here) and she offered to bring me home something. Well I yelped it and said I would pass. She then texts me "It's on me". So I said, yeah, get me a burger... WOW!!! This was awesome. The burger, bun, fries (potatoe wedge-esque awesomeness by-the-way) we all very, very good and this was essentially taken home to Charlestown. Yeah I heated the burger and fries, but this was better than a lot of places in the restaurant. Some people even accuse me of being a little critical...but this place makes a mean burger. Given other peoples reviews, I either got lucky or they are getting better!!! Hopefully the latter.
(4)
Rachel K.

The food was great, but it was some of the worst service I've ever experienced. The waitresses were absolutely horrible and rude. This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had.
(1)
Greg N.

I'll be honest. This place wasn't very high on my list of places I've been wanting to try, so I didn't go in here with particularly high expectations either. That being said, upon arrival, I really wanted to like this place. I thought the interior was very chic (with a couple of silly missteps like the weird mural above the bar) and comfortable. It was obvious they were going for a "back deck" theme... but I didn't feel like they were trying to beat you over the head with it. This place could have easily veered off into tiki-madness with astroturf everywhere, but it stayed fairly restrained. kudos! My boyfriend had a cocktail. It was cucumber and gin and rosemary. Despite the fact that it glowed green, it was quite tasty. The food was completely subpar. I ordered the lamb kabob small plate and a side of the green apple coleslaw. The kabobs were well-seasoned but inconsistent in their done-ness. A couple were well-done while another was pretty much rare. They were decently flavored, but had a yogurt sauce that could have been used more liberally. The coleslaw was completely lacking flavor and had not a single trace of green apple that I could find. It tasted like the chef had opened a 5 gallon bucket of Sysco coleslaw, mixed in a liberal dose of Elmer's School Paste, and scooped into a sad little bowl. Add to this a good 2 inches of watery liquid in the bottom of the bowl and it shapes up to be an unpleasant experience. The service was good, not great
(2)
Li N.

While walking into the place the hostess and one of the waiters took one look at us and looked the other way. Wasn't able to seat 7 people together while the entire restaurant was empty. They made us wait 15 min so we just left. Rude and didn't even serve us water! Bad customer service. Not worth it and overpriced. Just go across the street to Papagayo, friendly and fun.
(1)
Jenny M.

I went there for lunch with my friend who works down the street and I thought it looked awesome! It's clean and new inside with enough space between tables so you're not listening to other people's conversation. However, the food was okay (don't get the grilled cheese - you probably have better bread at home) and my friend was actually given the wrong burger (she asked for turkey, they brought over beef). The fries were okay but lukewarm although my friend said she liked her potato salad. I thought since this was a new place they would comp the drinks since they screwed up my friend's order AND her flatware was given to her dirty. They didn't - no big deal, it would have been a nice thing to do. Instead, the waiter took our credit cards, asked who belonged to which card, even though we would have been fine splitting the total, and then charged me for my friend's meal, which was more expensive. Why ask unless you know for sure who to charge? If this is a new place, it's going to have to do better than this to survive since I'm not likely to go back.
(2)
Lisa L.

Worst meal I have had in a long time; totally has potential w/ a cool atmosphere and in a great spot but just terrible food; management was great and gave me credit but never, never again
(1)
Charlie B.

This place was crap. First of all, they sat us and our water glasses were stuck to the table. Gross. We should have got up and left then, but just didn't want to search for a new spot to grab lunch. Second, they got my order wrong and brought me the wrong burger. They didn't seem to care when I told them. The food was subpar and the service was pretty bad.
(1)
Simon L.

Very cool setting. Good concept. Decent cocktails. Like the giant opening street level windows. Did not try grilling. Oversized patio furniture is used for all seats and tables. A large round bar in front of the grill with some flatscreens for game watching.
(3)
Cindy C.

Headed over for lunch since this place has now been around for a couple years and we decided to kick some tires since it has passed the initial "make or break" phase. Food, drinks, service, and staff were a major dissapointment! And don't even get me started on the bathrooms...There was one operating urinal for the whole restaurant and bar! My husband said he was thrown back when he opened the door (The stench was that bad). No one was really at the bar, despite the world cup. It took 20 minutes to even take our order on a Monday afternoon and they weren't that busy. I ordered a salad and my husband had a sandwich. They were just okay. There was practically no dressing on the salad (just a little smear at top), and a couple of fry "chips" came with the sandwich. The cornbread took 40 minutes, and came out like a blackened brick. The "back deck" lemonade was the worst part. It looked like someone dumped half a can of powder into a glass. Anyway, suffice to say, there are better options downtown.
(2)
M C.

Went here after the red sox parade - was very crowded and the hostess was not friendly or helpful but other staff was very nice. Food was decent ; loved eggplant spread and turkey burger was not bad. Fall sangria not amazing - couldn't taste fall flavors - decent option if in the area
(3)
Thomas N.

lunch recently, in town to check out all the stuff on the common....nice place, interesting selection of beers and of drinks, the drinks were very good, service was pleasant and kept the water filled, food was very good, mexican burger tasty and cooked as ordered although avocado does not want to stay on a burger, the chicken strawberry salad very good and the salmon cobb salad also very good....so a good experience..
(4)
Steven P.

Meh. The waitress got our order wrong and what food we got was drab and boring. We decided to order desert just to improve our mood. Chocolate cake always helps, right - but even that was a disappointment. It was awful. Can you imagine that the cake was so bad two men wouldn't finish one piece? I'd rather have eaten diner at Starbucks. The most entertaining part of the evening was watching other customers react to the same conditions. It's fairly obvious that the management hasn't eaten there in a while...things would surely be better if they had to choke down that cake.
(2)
Ai C.

Love this spot! As others have pointed out in their reviews, this place has great style in the dining room, but the food and drinks are what keep me coming back. The bartenders know their stuff and shake up some great drinks, and the service is fast while the food is fresh. Love the burgers and the wings are great, but their salad selections are also flavorful and filling without doing damage to your waistline.
(4)
Thomas L.

I've been sitting on this review for a few weeks now, hoping I would think of something positive to say about my experience here, but....no can do. If anything, I've become more jaded after reading other reviews for other 'new' establishments in/around Boston, and am left wondering why this place fell so short. The two good things I can say have to do with aesthetics; the location is great for an after work drink/snack or before/after the theater/movie. And, the interior is clean, as it is new. So, we opted to sit at the bar as we only wanted a couple of apps and a few drinks. Good atmosphere, helpful bartender, comfortable chairs, and ESPN on the overhead televisions. We went with an order of squid and an order of fries, and a couple of their signature cocktails. I kid you not when I tell you that the food came out before the drinks, even though we were sitting at the bar. Not a big concern you say? Sure, perhaps more folks were ordering drinks than food, or maybe the bartender was training, or maybe our cocktails were on the difficult side of making. Or, maybe the food was sitting in the back, already prepared, and simply shuffled around before being brought out to us. The squid was extremely fishy tasting, and the balsamic vinegar was gooey to the touch. The greens were a bit wilted and very far from fresh. The fries looked good at first glance, as they were roasted slices. It's too bad I wasn't just window shopping, because biting into each one was akin to biting a casino chip. Yes, they were that hard. And tasteless; I used half a bottle of ketchup. As for the drinks. Well, if you like Boston proper ice, this is the place for you! Our drinks were literally floating in ice. I should have expected this, as while we were eating our apps and waiting for the cocktails, I noticed a bartender preparing a large pitcher. I thought 'Cool, that would be fun to grab with a couple of coworkers'. But then, it was filled 7/8s with ice, and then with the liquid concoction. Then, the bartender prepared the four glasses that would accompany the pitcher, and these were filled to the top with ice. For shame! I really wish I had paid attention and observed the drinks being delivered and consumed, but to be honest, this had me concerned for my drink. I'm not going to try and remember what exactly I ordered, but it was summery and light and I was hoping it would be refreshing. I can tell you that it had a slight, far reaching sense of taste, even less alcohol, and an awful lot of ice. I wish I could give this place a pass for being new, etc., but the above shouldn't be attributed to a newly opened restaurant, as these aren't your common mistakes that will be fixed down the road. Honestly, it's experiences like this that make me wish that our dear site Yelp* offered zero stars.
(1)
Tom D.

This place just opened up downtown by my office so I thought I would give it a shot for lunch on a Friday. I came away feeling kind of unimpressed. The turkey burger and mashed potatoes I got were decent but for 12/13 bucks I was expecting something a little more than average. Drinks? They have some sort of pitcher that the loud annoying ladies next to me were gabbing about in between one upsmenship of whos child is better (Tommy got an A, well Billy scored 3 goals!....Die). But everything was pricer then expected For the summer this place has a pretty cool atmosphere: open windows with the feel that you are on a real back deck. For the winter? Not sure how their gonna swing it, the place isnt very big and the food probably wouldnt have me coming back.
(3)
Daniel W.

Extremely disappointing. Put simply, the service was slow and inattentive, and food was not as described and overall just plain bad. I order the Brick Chicken, which is described as: "Boned grill-roasted half chicken, pan juices, grilled croutons & hearty greens, pine nuts, black olives & golden raisins, creamy Dijon vinaigrette" What I received nowhere near resembled the description. The "Boned grill-roasted half chicken" was a soggy small drumstick along with a soggy small drummette with a chunk of thigh attached. When you tell me I am getting a half chicken, I expect half a chicken... where did the breast go? When you tell me it will be grilled, I expect crispy or at the very least, flavorful skin. I got neither. Let's continue with "pan juices, grilled croutons & hearty greens, pine nuts, black olives & golden raisins, creamy Dijon vinaigrette" Grilled Croutons: Rock-hard stale bread. It was grilled, but it honestly was not edible. Hearty Greens: It was wilted leaf lettuce, stewing in the aforementioned pan juices. Pine Nuts: Instead of pine nuts, they decided to throw whole almonds all over the plate. Black Olives: There were no black olives on the plate Golden Raisins: Finally, something was as described. Thank Goodness! Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette: I honestly don't know if this was on the plate, because the lettuce greens where sitting in a puddle of pan juices. If it was there, it just melted into the pan juices and was indiscernible. I generally do not get this worked up over a meal, but this was just plain bad and extremely disappointing. The only thing that kept me from sending the food back, was that I was out with 4 good friends and it wasn't worth the trouble of interrupting our time together to deal with it.
(1)
Chris M.

I'm shocked a restaurant this bad can exist in downtown Boston. Without a doubt, the worst meal I've had in the city. Instead of writing an essay of how bad it was, I'll just bulletpoint everything. -Walked in and stood around for 5 minutes before being greeted -Took waitress 10 minutes to come introduce herself (it wasn't busy) -Didn't have several menu items but weren't informed about it until after I tried to order them -Ordered wings but she never put the order in so we didn't get them -Asked for bacon on a chicken sandwich... didn't get any bacon -On the Mexicali burger, it's supposed to come with green chile salsa... however they put the OLIVE SALAD from the muffaletta on it instead. GROSS. -Asked for my burger medium rare and got medium well -Potato salad had zero flavor and it was made with nearly raw potatoes -The fries are just giant chunks of potatoes they throw in the fryer -Went the majority of the meal with no beverages because the waitress disappeared On a brighter note, the ambiance was nice. Nothing could save the disaster of a meal and service we got though. AVOID.
(1)
Jane L.

This place was a pleasant surprise for me. We went there for brunch and thought the food was quite good for the price. I enjoyed my Carolina egg brunch that came with pulled pork. The portion was generous and I didn't find the food to be greasy. My son ordered the pancake off the kid's menu and it was quite fluffy and tasty. I liked the atmosphere and the service. We will definitely make this a go to place for us in the future. I'd like to go back and try their dinner one day. I'm glad that I found a nice little place in my neighborhood.
(4)
Betty W.

We walked into this restaurant without any hesitation because of its interesting spatula decoration, also it is new to the neighborhood. Loved the idea of back yard settings, but not a big fan of the view after they opened the patio doors, there were few trash barrels across the street. Ordered the beer on tap, great selections although selections were limited. The chicken liver appetizer was amazingly good, the salad underneath was just prepared right with the dressing. Chicken wings were grilled to perfect! We also ordered the mix grill as entree, the lamb skewers were delicious! Duck sausage was unique, and portabella mushroom were just yummy! We left happy with a happy stomach! So, we went back again, second time wasn't as good as first. Grilled food needs to be served instantly, and the waitress was missing when we need her, and showed up when we do not need service. So, we had to wave at other servers for help. However, the grilled squid was delightfully tasty with the tangy sauce. Overall, the dining experience and enjoyment of food was still good regardless.
(4)
Mike B.

Great Fries!! The fries are really great! The food was well above average. The reason 3 stars? The service was oddly bad! This place has everything going for it except service. I really can't get over that - it's unacceptable to have such bad service.
(3)
Dhwani U.

The place is nice and new. The food wasn't that amazing tho. They only had one vegetarian option which tasted like eating air.
(3)
Jill G.

So cute inside! The best place downtown to bring kids- good kids menu and a setup inside that makes you feel like you're at an outdoor picnic/ grill! The sandwiches are delicious and they have a decent drink menu as well. Not too pricey. A great family spot.
(4)
Bob H.

My wife and I often go to the Brattle Book Store across the street from the Back Deck, so we decided to have a light lunch there. The restaurant is on the corner of Washington and West. We enjoyed the street activity while eating. My wife had the Cauliflower salad which was excellent ($10). I had the Grilled hot wings ($8) which were very good. We loved the outside deck dÃ©cor. Our waiter Michael was very informed and enthusiastic and the meal more enjoyable. Also, they had five or six draft beers, but they were all good choices.
(5)
Kenny K.

I've only had a burger and "fries" (in quotes, because I wouldn't consider them fries) at Back Deck, but was thoroughly unimpressed. The prices are too high, and the food quality is average at best.
(2)
Molly C.

I have been here a few times and have always had delicious food and awesome drinks! The staff is really friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxed. I LOVE the gazpacho and HOME MADE S'mores!!! so so so good. I haven't ever been disappointed. And did I mention cocktails?! I love them - and I am whoa-fully disappointed at many downtown establishments, but not here. I am a sucker for cucumber drinks and they have a gin based cucumber number that is right up my alley.
(5)
Elisabeth S.

The one star rating is directly for the Chef's attitude. My sister and I came in one evening for a snack after a movie. I had the corn chowder, she had a shrimp appetizer. We waited over 25 minutes for our food - it was a Tuesday night around 10pm and they were not busy, but we did not complain about the wait. When the food did come out, the chowder looked good and tasted great, but my sisters shrimp looked a little under cooked on only a few pieces. She asked me if it looked funny, I said to just eat the ones that looked fully cooked. We didn't say anything to the bartender or the chef, but the chef saw us talking and threw a fit in the kitchen! He started swearing and kept staring right at us, giving us the evil eye. Since he saw this exchange, I don't know why he wouldn't have walked up and checked on everything. Instead he threw a tantrum. The worst part: after we finished and paid - and didn't complain once - we walked out onto the street and that same chef was outside smoking and KEPT GLARING AT US! What a creep! Definitely will not be back.
(1)
Karl P.

The place was pretty nice for the most part. The food was alright but nothing special. The hostess that I had was rude and seemed as if she was working there as a punishment.I don't plan on returning.
(1)
Holly M.

I'm so sorry to give the two-star, because I'm thrilled with all these new downtown restaurants and I love Back Deck's big windows opening right onto the sidewalk, but, man, what an underwhelming dinner. Went here on Friday night because all other options had lines out the door and Back Deck had a table ready to go. Maybe we should've realized there was a reason for that. My salad with seared tuna was alright, but lacked any special kick or presentation to it. It seemed as if even the chef must've been unexcited about plating that thing. My boyfriend's burger was again, alright, but nothing special. The french fries were quartered potatoes that were dry, hard, and cold when they arrived. Service was pretty slow to boot (though not unfriendly). I wouldn't say we hated the place, it was just completely underwhelming, and not inexpensive for what you get. I wish them luck, though. I just think they need to rethink their approach if they are going to compete with some of the other the other fabulous downtown restaurants.
(2)
T. C.

The food at Back Deck was not bad at all. I had a burger and it was a pretty big one. The beef was a little overcooked, but consider the number of customers there, I can understand. It's acceptable. The environment does add points to food. The reason why I give this a 2-star is the service. It's busy all right, but this is not a take out restaurant, so you should still greet your customer, patiently take their order and give them the check at the end. Well, we didn't get any of those. The server who served our table was angry and bitter. When our food arrives, he "threw" it on the table, walked away and disappeared. At the end, we had to "find" him to get us the check. We had to ask for the check 2x. He even gave us an attitude when he saw that the tip was just 15% not over. I mean, how can you expect more when the service is like this?! I wouldn't go back to this place again.
(2)
Rebecca D.

We just stopped in for drinks. Summer sangria is delish! After his initial disappointment that our party of four wasn't eating, our waiter was very good.
(4)
Richard C.

To grill or not to grill, that is the question. At Back Deck, they rely heavily on the old standby, our good friend the grill. If the vibe is intended to look and feel like the prototypical "back deck" in most suburban houses, they've certainly succeeded. Picnic tables and a brightly lit interior set the scene, and the smoke of the grill is evident if not overwhelming. The aptly named "backyard burgers" offer three slightly intriguing choices; the Santa Fe burger (pepper jack, avocado, tomato salsa), the Muffaletta (provolone, Creole olive salad, garlic mayo) and the Mexicali (pepper jack, avocado, chipotle mayo and green chili salsa). Being a sucker for all things New Orleans, I opted for the Muffaletta burger, which rings in at $13. Arriving on a plastic and very picnic-y inspired plate, it looked like a very typical burger. Fully melted cheese and the usual toppings of raw red onion, a pile of lettuce and a slab of tomato compile the burger plate, most of which I quickly push aside to get to the meat of the matter. The burger is an ideal size, the Goldilocks of burgers if you will, featuring a wonderful meat to bun ratio and just large enough so you need two hands to hold it but it wont weigh you down either. The first few bites are a delight: juicy, pleasantly beefy and ever so bitter from the char of the grill. The beef doesn't appear to be a fussy blend, it's straightforward and effective but not exactly inspiring or avante garde. But sometimes that's okay; there's nothing better than a burger that knows its own limitations, as much as a burger can or should have personality, sometimes the hand of chef can make it too ambitious for it's own good. In other words, the simple beef deserves a simple approach, in this case a quick hit of the grill makes the difference in the end product because it matches the overall vibe of the restaurant itself. The seasoning is just fine, and the olive spread on top is borderline genius because it lends a natural saltiness to the burger that may or may not have been missing otherwise. Here the olives are the seasoning, and a hefty dose of the well prepared garlic mayo rounds out one very tasty burger. It's not completely perfectly cooked, however, like most backyard burgers it's more or less done depending on the bite, sometimes it's juicy, other times it's teetering on dry. The bun is fresh, soft and again, typical, but it's a smart choice for the burger and it works. The fries are little chips of sorts, more steak than French, but different enough to be noted; they need a touch of salt but are pretty delicious nonetheless. I wish they were more evenly cooked because some are crispy and some are soggy, but overall a good flavor profile and successful. Back Deck is not quite an original; it mostly feels like a been-there-done-that kind of place both in decor and menu. But it's just different enough to separate from some of its contemporaries in the local burger scene (Coda, Grafton Street, Post 390). It's a solid burger, somwhere in the good to very good range, if they can maintain consistency and improve on a few areas (cooking to temp, fries, seasoning) it could be a player in the Boston burger game. For $13 I can't complain too much, but I'd like it a hell of a lot more if were in that $10 range which it probably deserves to be.
(4)
Amit A.

I had the turkey burger for lunch, i would definitely get that again. They also have a good craft beer selection on draft and bottles. Service was good too...
(4)
Michael R.

The service was great. The mexicali burger is great, however, the basket it was served in was way to small making the meal awkward. The slaw also left something to be desired. But overall not a bad meal.
(3)
Kerry Q.

Met a friend for dinner last night at 5p. I hadn't been to the Back Deck before and liked it from the minute I walked in the door. The decor is comfy/casual and feels like you're outside but without the hassle of bugs. The drink menu looked great - I had lemonade that came with a free refill - and the food menu was really interesting with a strong emphasis on grilled food. My Caesar salad with chicken was great and he enjoyed the hell out of his burger. I would definitely go back to the Back Deck and try some other food options.
(3)
Julie M.

We were trying to find a restaurant that was laid back and affordable in the Theater district when we came across the Back Deck.....all of the waiters were flannel and there's good beer on tap! The burgers were delicious but I tried something else and it was nothing exceptional but for the price still good! Our waitress helped us handle a forgotten ticket situation by printing them out and we could not have been more appreciative! We'll definitely be back!
(4)
Janna B.

I made a Yelp reservation for six at Back Deck. They had our table ready even though we were a few minutes early. It was very busy and our server was assigned to at least ten tables and took quite a long time to take our drink and food orders. She was apologetic, however. I wanted to order the pear salad with seared tuna, but they were out of tuna. Al appreciate finding out what's out of stock when being seated but that did not happen, and I was scrambling at the last minute to select something else. When our food did arrive, my friend's burger that was supposed to have melted provolone did not. She sent it back and when they retuned with the plate, there was a hard piece of cheese plunked atop the burger. My salmon Cobb salad was ok with goat cheese, avocado, bacon, tomatoes, and cucumber. It definitely was not the best Cobb I've had, though. All in all, if you are in need of a restaurant after a show at the Boston Opera House that is within three minutes walk, and you have no foodies with you, Back Deck is a place you can live with.
(3)
Theresa M.

I've only ever been to the bar, so maybe I'm missing out on the"it needs work" aspect of the restaurant. Love the size of the bar. It's pretty small, but they can make what you want. They have Narragansett on tap, which made me happy, even if it's a mediocre beer. Love the vibe, and the fresh cut fries. Bar tenders are friendly and run a tight ship. New places can always have room for improvement, but my belief is that they'll be fine.
(4)
Michelle L.

Food was great! The cowboy steak was awesome. The restrooms needed cleaning though. :(
(4)
Teresa T.

The concept of Back Deck is a good one especially when taking in Boston's winters. However I wished the metal seats had cushions as it was cold to the touch when we sat down. I ordered an ice tea which tasted funny and the grilled tuscan chicken sandwich with fries. The sandwich was good - all components held together, wasn't sloppy or overly dressed - but the fries seemed more like home fries. Overall Back Deck is solid.
(3)
Rachel C.

It looks like a fun bar, but as I am reading the reviews I can see I am not the only one who was confused by the posted hours vs. when the restaurant just feels like closing. My friends and I had been out for restaurant week at Blu and were looking to get a night cap. We had planned to go to Max and Dylan's but they were pretty crowded and we liked the atmosphere and space at Back Deck as we had walked by so we turned around and walked in. Immediately we were turned away and were told the restaurant was closed. This was before 10 pm. If you aren't accepting patrons, lock your doors and adjust your posted hours. I also highly doubt that if a manager had seen the staff, who were all just hanging out at the bar, turn away 8 women looking to get drinks on a Monday night, they would have been too pleased.
(2)
Sheila S.

The feel and atmosphere is great here. A refreshing change to the many similarly styled Boston restaurants. Owned by a Babson grad who also owns another area restaurant. I have been twice and satisfied both times. The first was with a group for a fundraising event and they allowed us to use the whole top deck area which was perfect for us. Second was for dinner and the turkey burger and fries were delish! The fries are hand-cut potatoes, lightly salted, and clearly made to order. I knocked my rating down a star given the potato salad was overly creamy and the wooden deck style chairs could use cushions for long sitting.
(4)
MJ L.

This is an absolutely wonderful place to dine, especially in the summers when the floor to ceiling windows open out, and it actually feels like you are dining in someone's back deck. I also tried it recently, though, and it was also very cozy with the snow falling outside. I really liked the wings as apps. My friend ordered the chicken liver, which was average. I had the eggplant spread in the past, which was my favorite app. The baby back ribs were divine and incredibly filling. The dessert menu changes all the time. I just looked today, and they have S'mores, which I will definitely have to try next time! This is a great place to take a date right before heading to Lowes AMC for a movie (5 minute walk away!)
(3)
Sara G.

Bottom line for me is that on a semi-warm day, they open all the big garage-style walls and you get some fresh air. Given Boston spends 6 months a year being holed up due to freezing weather, when I find a place that doesn't stick me inside in the warmer months, I'm in love. I had the fish tacos. They were meh. The drinks, however, were good. I like the casual ambience, and the service was friendly.
(4)
Kevin M.

I do not recommend Back Deck. I went here with some work colleagues before a Red Sox game, thirteen of us in total. This was around 5pm on a Tuesday and the place was completely empty, no one there. We said we were getting drinks and a few appetizers, but the hostess refused to sit us and said we must all order entres as well. I reiterate, there was no one at this place, almost every table was open. And all 13 of us were planning on getting a few drinks as well as sharing appetizers. Yet that was not enough for them to be able to seat us. We were turned away and went to Max and Dylan's instead, where we were sat and racked up a decent bill. I dont blame the hostess at Back Deck, as it appears this is their bizarre policy. But I would recommend the ownership reconsider. No one in my office will go there now, and we work just around the corner. I give this place a year before it shuts down.
(1)
Mark G.

The food here was shockingly good. I say shockingly, because I didn't expect much by the time the food arrived. The concept of the restaurant is great -- it's an indoor-outdoor restaurant with huge windows that open onto the street. Unfortunately, they need to focus on cleaning the floors and general eating areas -- floors were greasy. Our server was polite, but forgot a round of drinks entirely -- once reminded she was happy to oblige. The drinks were generous; 23oz pilsner glass drafts for $7 -- I'll take that. I ordered the Brick Chicken -- while it was very good, what came out was not Brick Chicken. By definition, Brick Chicken should be butterflied and pressed flat on the grill/pan with a 'brick' or weighted iron press on top -- it should come out with crispy skin. What I got was a generous portion of juicy roasted chicken. Not at all bad in any way, but definitely not what I ordered. The Caesar salad was passable, chicken was well cooked. I should probably have listened to the reviews and stuck to beer bites and drafts. All in all, for a menu with mainly $20+ entrees, I typically expect better.
(2)
Holly M.

Adorable. Seriously the decor is too cute. The floor is supposed to look like a deck, the table are wooden, and the general feel is outdoorsy...which is awesome on a cold winter day! I thought the food and prices were pretty good and we would live to try it again. The drinks were strong and tasty and I would certainly be willing to sit at the bar and have a few more. Cute interior, right in DTX, and reasonable prices.
(4)
Allie M.

Great food. Fun atmosphere. Good service. My boyfriend and I had a lovely time at the back deck. The Perfect Chicken was indeed perfect. We also had the butternut squash soup which was very tasty and a decent portion size. My boyfriend ordered the MexiCali burger which came in a small red basket that was overflowing with the burger and fries. For 14$, the burger was nothing special but still good. We also split a pitcher of the house punch which was good but a lot for the two of us to finish. They didn't hurry us out the door as we casually finished our drinks, which was very nice.
(4)
Lisa L.

Pretty good good, but not really the best experience. It was more casual than I thought and the service was poor. I would go back for a burger if I was in the area. Oh but the s'more dessert was awesome!
(3)
Craig H.

Service was good, but the food was pretty bad. My girlfriend ordered the grilled cheese and I ordered their signature burger. The grilled cheese wasn't even melted, in fact the middle layer was flat out cold. My burger was $12.99, and the patty was pretty tiny. The bun dwarfed the burger in fact. Overpriced place. Avoid.
(2)
Nora S.

This new restaurant in Downtown Crossing is off to a great start! We had a great time here before going off to a show at the Modern Theatre next door. The staff was friendly, didn't make us feel rushed but at the same time got us off to our play on time. The turkey burger was nothing special but their fries were surprisingly good and the Grilled Salmon Cobb Salad was excellent. I'm thrilled to see another stylish but reasonably priced dinner option in the neighborhood.
(4)
Guy A.

Upon sitting down, we informed the sever we are going to order beer and an apps he than proceeded to tell us he was going to have to force us to order food on because it was the night of a show. On the lighter side the beer selection is good and the food is decent. The wings are above average
(3)
John D.

Call it teething problems, but this place has a way to go before they perfect their act. A group of 5 of us went there for drinks and appetizers and (unlike another reviewer), we were not given the "you get a table only if you have dinner" spiel! The large bay windows give this place an open, spacious look. The furniture is new and dark wood. Overall, the color scheme of the place needs a better interior designer's input. The bartender/server we had seemed to know the menu, but not his scotches/whiskeys. Two of the people in our group had to walk with him and check out the list of options at his computer! The hot wings were hot (w.r.t. temperature), but the taste was bland, overly peppery and oily. Overall, it's a nice place at a very good location, but they would have to get their staff trained and their act together if they need to survive more than just on the basis of location, location, location!
(3)
Sean R.

Went last friday. The concept is interesting, but a bit confused. They're trying to recreate a back yard grill out, but seem to be lacking some necessary components. We didn't have trouble getting a table but otherwise service was slow and inattentive. Booze was a tad pricy, but this is downtown. I got a burger, it was good, but they definitely overcooked it from the medium rare I requested. If they're gonna be a back yard bbq sort of joint, they can't mess this up. It's brand new, so I might give it another shot, but a burger joint should mess up a burger order.
(2)
Ashley L.

Really wish I could give this place five stars but the value just wasn't there. Me and A.G. Shared a large plate after the waitress told us they were huge but it was actually small. We ordered the kabob plate and it was delicious but not worth the $18.
(2)
Amanda T.

Back Deck just opened a week ago, so I'm sure they are still working out the kinks. That being said, we did not have a good experience overall. We were a group of 7 and had not made reservations, but thinking that it was a Sunday night there would be a minimal wait. They told us it would be about 15 minutes...not a problem. We were seated about 40 minutes later. And the restaurant was barely half full. The specialty drink list doesn't make sense - a regular cocktail is about $8-10, while a pitcher of sangria which generously serves 3, barely serves 4, is $35. For three people, not a deal at all - for 4, just average pricing. The food was ok. Nothing special, but the prices ranged greatly, and were pretty expensive for the food we were getting. I had a Caesar salad with chicken for $11, and it was pretty small, just iceberg lettuce with a little dressing, cheese and croutons - kinda disappointing. The main entrees are in the $15-$25 range, which seems like a lot for what people got. Then came dessert. Three of us ordered the Snicker's sundae - and the ice cream arrived as soup. We complained and though the waiter apologized, he indicated that they were having trouble with their freezer and were working on it. So, in other words, he KNEW there would be a problem and didn't say anything when we ordered the desserts. No one offered to comp the desserts, nor did we ever see a manager at all. Someone else at the table ordered the chocolate cake, which she said was ok, but it was a tiny serving for the price. Our waiter was attentive, but unsure of himself, forgot things, and just generally seemed inexperienced. He will get better over time though. My experience at Back Deck deserves one star, but I gave it two because as I said, they just opened a week ago, so I attribute some of the issues to that and think the restaurant has potential to improve. I don't think I will be going back anytime soon however.
(2)
Jules H.

Tried this spot for the first time this week, and the service was awesome, the pitcher of arnold palmer cocktail (I forget the ingredients..) was strong and delicious, and the food was solid. The three stars is because the decor is a bit odd - my friend and I said it felt like they had tried to convert an upscale Burger King. And I also wish they had a vegetarian burger option - I know it's a grilling place, but it is pretty standard to have something other than just mixed griled veggies for the non meat eaters among us. But they're new, I think they'll improve.
(3)
Alison S.

We stopped in here before the ballet. Barbeque, casual ambiance, didn't exactly go with our fancier outfits but that was fine. My boyfriend got a Back Deck Manhattan, which he could not stop raving about. I got the Santa Fe Backyard Burger, with the veggie burger. Clearly a handmade veggie burger, which is nice to see - few places do that. It was a good size, but the burger was too soft and kept falling apart. Very messy but very tasty. The fries were great and I kept dipping them in the chipotle mayo, which, although spicy, I just could not stop eating! Perhaps a bit overpriced but not a bad little place.
(3)
Nancy F.

I came today for my second and last time. The bartender look annoyed when I ordered an spicy drink but said no when he offered a Bloody Mary. The fries that I ordered were not really that good. They better be great to put all that in my body. The margarita was not good whatsoever. Service was just ok.
(1)
A. G.

The food was delicious. The drinks was good but it is very overpriced. The waitress told us the large plate was big enough for two people... "Its HUGE", sadly it was a little more for one person. My friend and I left feeling broke and hungry. Also, the bread basket was awful. Cold rolls with no taste. Overall it was like everything in downtown, overpriced and not amazing. Best bet, go to Chinatown.
(3)
Kevin L.

Decent start on their first day. Overall, the food was good, but not great. The backyard theme feels just a little gimmicky and makes the space look less nice than it could. The drink menu is not particularly extensive, but does seem like it would work with the theme and food. The escarole and lentil soup was a solid start to the meal on a cooler than expected day. The cheeseburger was also solid, but not outstanding and cooked more med-rare than medium as requested. Our big complaint of the meal were the accompanying fries. Cut in semi circles, the fries seemed undercooked - more raw than just soggy. The porterhouse porkchop was very good, though the bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes could have been better seasoned and were a touch watery. We didn't try dessert, but thought the choices fit well. The service was pleasant and relatively prompt, and lacking in the frantic nature of other opening days. In summary, the food and experience were solid, but not amazing, with room to improve as they get more practice. It seemed like a strong start for a first day, and I will definitely come back later this summer to see how it evolves.
(3)
Elizabeth D.

We went here last night with our 3 kids and had an awesome experience. Love the teak tables and outdoor theme. The space is big and airy and light. Cocktail list was great. Kids food some of the best I've had in a while. Adult food excellent too. Not bar food-- really like what you would serve to guests in the yard. Fresh, light, well seasoned and carefully cooked. Mixed grill was great. My only complaint was the wine list. Too many local glasses...we are not known for our wine here in MA and it's Ok to just admit that! The smores was amazing, sundae less so as it came out melted already. Our server, Scott, was great too. Super energetic and devotedto the customer experience. We will be back-- congrats for doing it all right only 5 days in! Great for large parties, kids, a casual meal, drinks, good meat. Lots of dates happening when we were there too.
(5)
M D.

This is a great casual, quick place near the theater to grab a bite which does feel like you are sitting on the back deck. I call it kabab meets pub--i.e. classic burgers/beer but also has some more original items, i.e. eggplant "hummus"/spread, white bean bruschetta, lamb kabobs/pita etc. The pear-ginger sangria is really more just like sangria. Came here when they were very busy and though hostess was a little rough around edges, we sat in bar area. The service here was great and fairly quick and friendly. Large screen TV at bar to watch games. Again my second visit--first on a wk night before show and recently for lunch before matinee performance and overall food was good on both occasions
(3)
Charlotte K.

I've always like Paul Sussman's places (I still really miss Daddy-Os). Today at lunch was my first visit (lunch time) to Back Deck, so my jury is still out. The place is really attractive. Windows were wide open on a pleasant day but I assume they have AC for when it isn't so nice outside. I had a good glass of pinot noir. Ordered the chicken livers starter on salad with a creamy dressing, and an order of what they call fries, but are really very skillfully fried thick slices of potato. I thought the potatoes were superb, crispy and golden on the outside, hot & fluffy on the inside. The salad and dressing were tasty but the chicken livers weren't good. Disappointing because the chicken livers I remember from Daddy-Os all those years ago were so high quality and generous in serving. In this case I really think the livers themselves were at fault--they were cooked fine, pink in the middle, but they were small and not flavorful; but also I got 4 tiny livers. Chicken livers are cheap, there is no reason not to give a generous serving. A step up from my usual Downtown Crossing lunch and I will go back, but I hope it gets better. I was a bit disappointed. Also--my very YOUNG waiter kept calling me "Young Lady." I am 54 years old. Yeah, I look good ;-)) but it was absurd and actually even a little weird. Someone needs to stop him doing that. M'a'm or nothing at all will do just fine, thanks!
(3)
R A.

I was surprised to see such a low rating! I've been here twice and both times were fantastic. I love the atmosphere. Very relaxed and comfortable. It's great when it is nice out and all of the windows are open. I came both times at lunch and service was spot on. We didn't have to wait at all. Now the best part... the food. By far some of the best grilled cheese I've had in awhile. I started off with a side salad - which was delicious with the lemon-cumin vinaigrette. French fries were nice and crispy. Overall I will definitely come back!
(5)
Melisa C.

I came here with my boyfriend and his friend on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. I ordered the grilled cheese with french fries, both were very good. The food overall was great, but the service was a little off. Our waiter may have been new or just busy, but despite this I would go back to this place.
(3)
Michelle N.

I had been here for after-work drinks and found it to be pretty cool, and decided to try it out for dinner with my boyfriend. Um, not such a good idea. First off, the seating system is AWFUL. They have some system where they send you a text message when your table is ready. So we arrive, see multiple open tables, but are told it is a 25 minute wait. What?? So we wait, and wait, and wait. No one ever arrives to claim these tables, so they finally seat us. Annoying? Yes. So we look at the dinner menu -- very limited choices and the entrees (other than the burgers are all $20 and up -- which feels pricey for a casual place that is lacking ambiance). We both decide to stick with the turkey burgers. Our waitress tells us we got the last two turkey burgers they had (again, what??) and runs to the computer to put in our order before someone else takes the last turkey burgers (weird). I am not joking when I saw these were the most tasteless burgers, fries and pickle I have ever had in my life. The burger had no seasoning, ditto for the fries, and the pickle was so soggy and tasteless -- like it had come from the bottom of some giant pickle jar. I wouldn't recommend wasting your money here -- oh wait, it probably won't last so you don't have to worry about that!
(2)
Alyssa S.

2.5 stars My boyfriend and I popped into Back Deck before catching a movie at Loews. I haven't heard of this restaurant before; so I was curious about what to expect. We went in around the odd time of 4pm, and there was only one other party finishing up their lunch. Our server was very relaxed, but I don't think he picked up on the fact that we were trying to catch our movie...very friendly!-- but kept pressing for info about the movie we were seeing and what it was about. *oblivious* After waiting 25 minutes after we ordered our food, I'm pretty sure my boyfriend and I scarfed down our sandwiches in 3 minutes (to make our 4:35 movie). I had the Lamb Kefta Roll-up and the bf had the Mexicali Burger. My wrap was good (even though there was NO LAMB in it!)-- is that just the way it's supposed to be?! I was shocked. I'd be willing to return to the Back Deck, but I wish the service and wait were less spotty.
(3)
Katie S.

Great food servers were still learning but good we went there for dinner before mammia Mia and then went back after for dessert great food would definitely go back
(5)
Justin L.

Ok clean, decor is fine. The food is awful! Nothing was seasoned. Greasy noodles, bland pork ribs (5 baby back ribs for $18). Strawberry salad too sweet. Chicken livers were eh...shrimp skewer was overly greasy. $16 for plain grilled veggies and no seasoning!! The only thing worth buying are the cocktails. They are strong. Though the Arnold Palmer lacked strong ginger flavor. The manhattan lacked any hint of fig or vanilla... So just buy it to get buzzed. That's about it there. Don't waste your money.
(1)
Vanki N.

Nice location and great views from the windows. One friend had a burger and liked it a lot. The rest of our party was not as happy with their meals (grilled chicken plate, butternut squash soup) and rated them as average. the service was average also. Overall, not great but not terrible either.
(3)
Kate S.

Needed a place close by to eat before seeing Wicked at the Opera with my mother. This place was decent, but nothing to rave about. They didn't give us ice with our water, which I found strange so I had to ask for it and for a lemon wedge. I got the salmon cobb salad and my salmon was rather dry and I think even a bit freezer burned. My mom got some specialty burger (I forget the name), but we believe she ended up just getting a regular beef though. She said the burger was still good though and it looked tasty too. Overall wasn't terrible, but next time I might opt to try something else like the panini place across the street
(2)
Joseph X.

Food was excellent. I had grilled wings that were okay. The potatoes were terrific! Also had a shish kebob plate that was tasty
(4)
Earl B.

Went there for a mid week lunch. Liked the atmosphere ... open, big windows, interesting concept, easy to talk with table mates. Good, moderately priced food. Grilled Salmon Cobb Salad (this most expensive thing on the lunch menu at $14) was really good. ..nicely presented and very fresh, not just a bowl full of stuff mixed together. Everyone else like their food. Good beer selection. They have pitchers, which brings it down to $5 a pint. Not bad for the city. I liked it. A nice change of pace from the usual pub grub that seems to be everywhere these days (not that I mind pub grub).
(4)
Sheila G.

Back in early July I was downtown taking care of some business and called my daughter to join me for lunch. We didn't have any particular place in mind when she happened upon a friend who recommended this place. It was a beautiful summer day and the first thing I noticed were the wide open windows to the outside. It gave the place an open, airy feel which was very nice. The inside was nice & clean and the dÃ©cor was okay. We were seated right away as there weren't very many people at the time we were there. The lunch menu wasn't that extensive but I knew I wanted to try something different so I ordered the Greek-Style Lamb Kefta Skewer with yogurt cucumber sauce and a green salad. Well, when they said small they meant small! I think I had 4 kabobs which were okay but nothing to rave about. Oh and the "salad"was a few sprigs of mixed greens. Come on Back Deck you can do better than that especially at $9.00 a plate. I would probably give them another shot but next time I would order a regular size lunch. For now the best thing going for Back Deck is the building!
(2)
Kristen P.

My friend and I went to Back Deck after work one day. We had a few drinks at the bar. The atmosphere was very clean and for a person that doesn't particularly love beer, I thought their house beer was the best I've ever had. The food that people around us ordered seemed alright but the menu was so limited. I was really hungry and couldn't find anything I'd want to eat on the menu.
(3)
Paul M.

Worst dining experience, ever. It took more that 10 minutes before anyone came to our table. Would have been longer but the couple sitting across from us sent their waitress over. It was another 5 minute before our waiter showed up. The waiter was drunk. We ordered 1 sparkling water with ice, 1 beer, and 1 bottle of wine. The waiter brought the sparkling water with no ice, and no other drinks. We asked again for the rest of the drinks, got the beer, but still no wine. Asked again. He brought 1 glass of wine, not the bottle. He then got really belligerent. We asked to see the manager. He said "NO". We asked the hostess for the manager. She sent the owner over. He was stoned. Didn't seem to care. We left. The couple across from us also walked out. It was awful. Never going back.
(1)
Amanda K.

Came here for brunch with a group of friends after wandering around the area for a while looking for a place to go into, and we were all very pleased. The server was fantastic, very friendly and helpful, and the brunch menu was creative. I had such a hard time deciding! My grilled cheese with guacamole was DELICIOUS as were the potato wedges that came with it, and the fresh squeezed lemonade that apparently takes ~20 lemons per batch to make. A friend ordered pulled pork and eggs and was slightly underwhelmed, mostly because the server had talked it up a lot (and not because it was the most expensive thing on the menu). I really liked the atmosphere and decorations. I plan to go back there for dinner someday and may bump it up to 5 stars if it does as well then!
(4)
Marisa C.

We tried this place tonight on a whim, my husband is gluten free and we'd been hopping around to restaurants in Boston all weekend, testing out dinner spots. It wasn't too crowded, but it was lively enough in there for a Saturday night in Downtown Crossing. My husband ordered the gluten free burger with cheese and fries. He got a gluten free bun (boo for charging an extra $1 for a g-free bun!) too. He said that the burger was awesome, and it was cooked the way he liked it. He is pretty picky, and he doesn't usually rave about food, so the fact that he gave the burger an "A" was a plus. I tried one of his fries and they were great! (thick steak fries that appear to be handcut) We also got the gluten free grilled veggies to share and while it was pretty basic, it was tasty. The Mahi Mahi, grilled corn, and avocado/sour cream drizzle was delicioussss! I got the Spiked Strawberry Lemonade and it was very well made. My husband got the Snicker's sundae for dessert, I got the black raspberry ice cream and we were happy with that. I gave this a 4 instead of a 5 for the following reasons: Service: the bartender took longer than I expected him to take to engage with us, once he did come over, he was very helpful and prompt, but I felt that he didn't really interact much with the patrons (maybe he was new?) He didn't check in on us during our meal, which is always a nice touch, he didn't ask me if I'd like another Spiked Lemonade, he just quietly took my glass away while I was eating, but never asked if I'd like another, he did however keep filling up our Cokes and Diet Cokes. Food: I got the Mahi Mahi tacos and I had a few issues about my dish; the jasmine rice seemed a bit overcooked and hard, the "black beans" was really "chili" and it wasn't very flavorful, the chili tasted like Amy's Organics vegetarian chili from the supermarket, the soft taco wrap was kind of stale, so I ended up just eating the filling of the second taco, after the first one cracked in my hand. Overall, I would say this is a hidden gem. I work nearby and I've passed by it multiple times, but have never been in. I didn't know that they had a gluten free menu, and we were psyched to learn there was lots of g-free stuff to try. I would give decor/atmosphere a 9 or a 10, it's not too loud in there, the music is upbeat (Motown-60's era rock), you really feel like you are eating in someone's back yard (a really cool HGTV deck). Lighting is calm, a bit dark, but there are cool lighting elements scattered throughout the restaurant. We liked the materials used (tile that looks like brick, dark wood, topiaries with lighting, etc.
(4)
Mark R.

I don't write many online reviews, but I need to alert people to concerns about this new-comer restaurant.... For a restaurant that's theme is "back deck" and they tout grilled meals, you'd expect the food to be cooked properly. Not in our experience, and as I read through the reviews below, it appears to be a theme - under-cooked meat that is, not "back deck".... We've been to this restaurant twice, but we won't go back - this evening we went and ordered the chicken kebabs from the appetizer menu and my wife pointed out a piece on one end didn't appear properly cooked - most of it was ok, but definitely that piece had redness in it! And then I ordered the beer-can chicken for my entree and when I pulled the leg off, it literally had blood coming out at the joint area! I told the waiter and he took it away and immediately sent the manager. He was very concerned about it and offered something else. I asked what was quick as we have two babies and had pretty much already burned the time we could spend without getting into melt-down territory. He didn't have a good alternative, but suggested he could expedite a burger since he was the manager and it would take 10 minutes even for medium well. So I ordered that and it was more like 15 minutes, so I had them box it and when I got home 5 minutes later (we live two blocks away), it was medium rare with blood running out of it! Not that this will make you sick like the under-cooked chicken, but again, they should live up to their theme and know how to grill meat!! They did comp that entree, but based on this experience (and frankly the underwhelming taste of the food in general on both visits), we won't return. Overall it seems like there is very little management experience in terms of running a restaurant here, which seems odd since it's owned by the same people who own Ritas and Fajitas. They'll need to brush up really quickly if they want to survive. There is no question, you're better off crossing West St and walking down three doors and going to Max & Dylans, or walking down Washington St five doors and going to Salvatores!
(1)
Alan T.

Great burger and nice atmosphere. Staff came off as a bit "funny" and maybe a bit green, but not a problem whatsoever. I'll be back!
(4)
I Y.

I came here with a group of my friends for a friend's bday. The overall dining experience wasn't bad. Our waitress was nice & checked in on us periodically. I had the mixed grill for dinner which came in a generous proportion and tasted good - meat was cooked just right and the flavors were balanced. I would definitely check this place out again.
(4)
Lisa F.

We had a large group, which they handled well. The food was very tasty, especially the cauliflower garlic soup. The desserts were messy and fun to share (s'mores).
(4)
Kathleen M.

I recently had dinner with my Mom at Back Deck and all I can say is WOW. The food was more than amazing. The Smoky Creamy Eggplant Spread was such a surprise that this one dish alone would bring me back! We both had the Santa Fe Burger which was also out of this world. I know I sound a little bit more than positive but it was just that good. Welcome to the neighboorhood Back Deck! See you soon! =)
(5)
Cherie E.

Went here yesterday for brunch and were pretty darn satisfied. Service - even with a guy who told us he was new - was really good. Food - an omelet for me and a grilled cheese for my honey - was tasty. French fries and home fries were yummy. I would say the best part of the experience was definitely the staff who were friendly and very helpful in terms of helping us find what we want in Boston.
(4)
Priscilla L.

The restaurant is beautiful inside -- comfortable booths, large windows opening out to the sidewalk, and clean lines in the gorgeous dark wood decor. I was at Back Deck for dinner yesterday. I went to the bar first where I sat for ten minutes. Neither of the two bartenders acknowledged my existence or even gave me a glance. I smiled and looked at them, hoping to catch someone's glance, but both never looked in my direction. So I thought, okay, maybe they are busy, or at least they were looking busy by wiping down the counters. No, I am giving them too much credit. They both had plenty of opportunities to just say hello and I'll be with you in a minute, or just drop off a menu. So after 10 minutes of being ignored at the bar, I left the bar, went to the front of the restaurant and asked for a table. The two female employees at the front were very friendly and helpful with getting a table for me in a few minutes. However, while I was waiting for the table, I noticed that after I left, a white male (customer?) went over to the same seat where I was, and one of the bartenders (Ritchie) immediately greeted him, and had a conversation with him for about 2 minutes. They were both standing during the conversation. I thought perhaps the male customer was a longtime customer and that is why the bartender acknowledged him so quickly. However, when I came to Yelp today to write this review, I discovered that this restaurant is brand new, so there wouldn't be any longtime customers yet. The male customer left after the conversation, and a white female customer sat down where I was sitting at the bar, and she was immediately greeted by Ritchie, and she was given a menu. The two bartenders are white males. I am not sure if the two bartenders didn't acknowledge me because I was not white, but these were my observations. There was nothing about my appearance that should have caused me to be ignored. I was happy and smiling, and looking forward to dinner at a new place. I had come to the restaurant directly from work, so I was dressed in business casual. At first, I had thought maybe because I came to the restaurant by myself, so the bartenders were more apt to ignore patrons dining alone, but then I saw how Ritchie was very quick to acknowledge the white male who was by himself, and then the white female who came by herself, and I eliminated the dining alone factor as a cause for their behavior. To be fair, it appears that the bar seat I was is Ritchie's area, not that of the other bartender, since it was Ritchie who appeared to wait on the patrons for that side of the bar. Lisa was my server at the table. She was fabulous -- warm, friendly, helpful, efficient, and thoughtful. She saved this rating from being a 1 star. I left a 25% tip for her. If I didn't have the experience that I had at the bar, I would have given this restaurant 4 stars. I had the Mexicali Burger, which was cooked perfectly. The burger came with two large slices of perfectly ripe avocado, chipotle mayo, and green chili salsa. However, the burger was pricey at $13 and it came in a small metal wire basket that made it difficult to pick up and eat, nevermind cutting in half. I also had the potato salad which I would say was barely passable -- the potatoes were slightly undercooked and hard. The potato salad was also tucked into the basket. There was a tissue on top of the basket, so the food was sitting on top of it. There was a small appetizer plate nearby, so I put the burger on the plate so I could cut it in half. I was in a great mood when I entered this restaurant, and I left with a sad feeling. For the rest of the evening even when I was at the engaging Anthony Rapp event at the Modern Theatre, I thought about the lack of service by the bartenders. I am never going back to this place and I wouldn't recommend it to any friend. I mean, there are plenty of restaurants in Boston that serve similar food and have better service overall. Why put up with bad service even if it is just one or two bad servers? Your money deserves to be treated well. So bothered was I by what I saw from the bartenders, that I went to bed last night telling myself to make sure to write a review on here.
(1)
Alexandra B.

I actually really like the food here especially since they have gluten free buns for their burgers but the service is atrocious. I went with 9 other people and I ordered the Cobb Salad with the dressing on the side. The salad came out with the dressing on it. I sent it back and when it returned there was olive oil on the greens, so I sent it back for a third time. The waiter was apologetic, kind of. The best part was the end of the meal when I got the check. Nothing was comped and the gratuity was added. I would've tipped far less than the 18% that was listed. I talked to the waiter on the way out about the situation and he said the manager/owner was aware and decided not to do anything about it. He also mentioned I could write a letter If I really wanted to. Worst customer service ever. If you don't mind just ordering whats on the menu and nobody caring if they screw it up, this restaurant is your place. I give this restaurant a year based on the way the "owner" treats his customers.
(1)
Amanda T.

Went to see Sister Act at the Opera House and stopped here for dinner. Service was very friendly but slow. We both got burgers. Burgers were tasty, fries were unique (sliced more like large homefries) but not great. Atmosphere was cute. I wanted to love it, but it wasn't quite as good as it could be. Good location and decent food if you're headed to the Opera House.
(3)
Parson H.

Don't sit near the open windows. Friends and I were there last night and a mugger reached into the window and grabbed her purse pulling my friend and her chair out her window where she fell several feet onto the sidewalk (her purse was under her chair and she was holding onto the straps and we all saw this sketchy-looking dude, but no one imagined he'd reach into the window, through her legs and grab her). Granted, a restaurant can't anticipate that it's open windows would be like gold for street criminals; however, their response is what makes it a 1 star for me. No management ever came by to address what happened. We got a waiter who said things like "wow, this has never happened," "let me bring you some water" and my favorite "hope you'll come back again." Are you kidding me? We were just sitting, having dinner, about to close out the check when our friend was grabbed out of the restaurant and thrown onto the street and you think bringing back a bill with $20.00 taken off makes this okay? Terrible. Terrible. Terrible customer service. She could have been seriously injured and we 4 women were traumatized.
(1)
Smrits S.

Sat at the bar, got tasty drinks. Decided to split a burger. The burger arrived already cut in half on separate dishes, with our slaw side also already split. I was surprised and very pleased. The burger was juicy and delicious. Service was quick and friendly.
(4)
NH d.

Cool place. Love the home made s'mores. They actually make the marshmallows and graham crackers here. Fair prices. Dinner was delicious.
(5)
I L.

Swiss burger and side salad were sampled - better than your average bar food and good value for the price. I like the big open windows that create a outdoor, yet shaded, dining experience.
(3)
Kevin R.

SKIMPY ON THE WINE & FOOD PORTIONS, MOLDY ROLLS & THE MANAGER COULD TAKE A REFRESHER COURSE ON CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1. Ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio (nothing special - domestic brand) was given a bit less than 6 ounces in a large wine glass. I told the server that I was not paying $9 for this small amount of non-special Pinot Grigio and asked to either have the bartender add more or cancel the wine order. The manager then stopped by the table to tell us that they serve the "standard" 6 ounces for every wine order and he was sorry but he would not "add" any more to the 6 ounces. Now this is a new restaurant and, if I were the manager, I would would want my new customers to think that my bartender has a "heavy hand" so that they would tell their friends & relatives so that the restaurant becomes known as a good value for after work or before a show drinks. I decided to just stick with the water and didn't order another cocktail before ordering. 2. We asked our server about certain menu selections and placed our orders. My dinner companion ordered the chicken liver appetizer and lamb kabobs which I ordered also and skipped ordering an appetizer since the server wasn't very enthusiastic or certain about how many of them were prepared or size. The chicken livers arrived. There were about 4-5 very small pieces of chicken liver skewered served on a "bed" of iceberg lettuce with no dressing (which was supposed to be a "hardy greens with a creamy garlic dressing" as described on the menu). Chicken livers are very inexpensive and paying $10 for this small, plain and very unappetizing appetizer was a big disappointment. 3. Before the appetizer was delivered a basket of rolls and butter were placed on the table. Since I didn't order an appetizer, I decided to eat a roll. As I was finishing the roll I noticed a green spot on the last piece as I was about to put it in my mouth. It was mold. My dinner companion then inspected the remaining piece of his roll and noticed mold on his roll also. There were 2 more rolls left in the basket on the table and those were also pocked with mold spots. The couple at the table next to us overheard us and they inspected the uneaten rolls remaining in their basket (after each had eaten a roll also) and their rolls also were covered in mold spots. We asked to speak with the manager and told him about the moldy rolls. He said they have their bread delivered daily & he couldn't understand how such a thing could happen and blamed the moldy rolls on their bread supplier. 3. The lamb kabobs were described as skewered "Lamb Kefta" with a "yogurt-cucumber sauce" served on a "green salad". We asked the server what Kefta was & if the portion size was sufficient as a meal. We were told Kefta was an old, Greek style, spiced lamb and that the portion size was definitely a "meal-typed" size. When our lamb kabobs arrived there were 4 small "Swedish-meatball-sized" lamb-meatballs skewered on a bed of iceberg lettuce with a barely detectable, very unappetizing looking, white substance "dribbled" over the supposed lamb kabobs. We were expecting a healthy portion of spiced, pieces of lamb kabobs, not skewered, ground lamb, meatballs that were dry and overcooked! We again asked to speak with the manager regarding the menu / server description of the lamb kabobs not measuring-up to what had been served. 4. I do have to say that the server was very gracious under the circumstances and was very apologetic and she tried to make things better by suggesting other options (she is the reason this review received one star instead of zero stars). The manager should take some cues from our waitress regarding customer service skills. The end-result was that the manager told us we did not have to pay for the "meal", so we left the server an appropriate tip for what the "meal" would have cost. 5. We went to our show but were still hungry after the show due to the skimpy portions served at the Back Deck that we went to another restaurant, Rock Bottom, for some healthy-sized appetizers and glasses of wine that were very moderately priced. Unless big changes are made at the Back Deck restaurant, we will be frequenting the many other downtown / theater area restaurants / bars after work or before shows. The only thing positive I can say about our experience at the Back Deck is that our server was very sympathetic towards us which was much appreciated.
(1)
M C.

The fantastic new addition to downtown exceeded my expectations. The very fresh, tasty food will make this a favorite of the residents in the area. Quality food at a good price is always welcome. My husband especially enjoyed the Sam Adams seasonal...he was impressed that it was served ice cold! The windows that open to the street added some additional interest. Great that there were no TVs! Can't wait to try it again, this time for lunch.
(5)
Lisa S.

This was a weird experience bar night. My friends and I (group of 6) were looking for a place to grab a drink after seeing a movie. It was probably around 9:30 and Stoddard's waas too busy. We popped into Back Deck, thinking, oh, there's tables, let's sit down for drinks. Many empty tables. So we go in and ask the hostess if we can sit at a table for drinks. She says not without ordering food. We then tell her that if they need the tables we will happily move to the bar if it gets busy. Again, no. Apparently they were waiting for the shows to get out. So we go to the bar. It was ok but we would have preferred to sit down. Finally, after we've been there an hour, people come in to fill the many empty tables. This is about when we are paying our check. Very annoying. Wouldn't go back. If you're packed, fine, keep the order food rule to sit at a table. But otherwise, especially if people offer to move if the table is needed, it's nice to let people sit.
(1)
Mariza B.

Their food is absolutely delicious & they are conveniently located in the heart of the theater district. I had their burger & mashed potatoes. The burger was deliciously flavorful & the mashed potatoes made with real red skin potatoes. It was just amazing. For dessert we had the s'mores...it was worth every little amazingly delicious calorie. I will definitely come back here.
(5)
Dave M.

the place is large, clean and well designed. it has a homey and comfortable design and they have the those huge windows they leave open on good days. the hostess and waitress were all friendly and the service was generally good. the burgers were pretty good and their fries are unique. the bellissimo burger was pretty good ($14). i bit into a piece of the paper, the ones used to separate frozen patties. a small mistake. and the beef kebab was good ($10) but the medium rare i requested for the kebab came out rare and chewy. it's nothing particularly special but it's not a bad place to try.
(3)
Tristan B.

A thoroughly mediocre experience, but it's Downtown Crossing, what do you expect? I was propelled here recently in a group outing of indecision and hunger, as the area is pretty awful for a seating area. Back Deck seemed like an okay idea for our party of five, and we were seated promptly in the back on the amusingly cute area. The amount of light for a cold February day in DTX was impressive. The food, however, was a total buzzkill. It came out extremely fast (within 5-7 minutes of ordering), which rang off some alarms for everyone in my party. I got the Mexicali burger (aka the burger with avocado) and it was a sad affair of a grisly mid-well cooked patty (that I had asked cooked mid rare), and the additional flavors of salsa/avocado was bland tasting and overwhelmed the burger so it was difficult to eat. A mayo "spicy" sauce was included to help crank up some sort of flavor, but the base ingredients just didn't have it going together. The "fries" were more like baked potatoes, which can be done right (See Miracle of Science), but in this case, half of them were undercooked and half were burnt and cold. My girlfriend got some eggs/pulled pork, and those same potatoes, and it was "okay" at best. Same story on the potatoes. It sucks that DTX is DYING for some good restaurants.
(2)
Julene C.

The food at back deck was below average at best! The beer menu was ABOVE average but it didn't make up for the tasteless and poor quality of the food! The grilled chicken wings were mushy and bland. The lamb skewers were gritty and the beef on the skewers was chewy and over cooked! The fries which were really more like fried potato halves were cold and needed salt! The best thing we had was the corn on cob. Not good! The chef needs to taste the food before serving it! There are too many wonderful places to eat in Boston. Don't waste your time or $$$ here!
(2)
Levinia T.

Stopped at Back Deck when I first got into Boston. A couple friends and I stopped there since it was the first stop off the subway. It was pretty slow for a Friday night, I thought. I ordered a burger with avocado and green chili. It was pretty good. The service was good and the beer selection was plentiful. One thing I really liked was their Caesar salad! The dressing was homemade and garlic-y... it was delicious!
(3)
Brandy L.

The food was ok. Grilled wings had no flavor. My Salmon Cobb Salad was ok. The lettuce was wilted because food was four on it when it was hot. I saw my waitress twice: once to take my order and the other to bring me my check. Never asked if I wanted anything else; never came to check on the food. I'm from out of town, but I probably wouldn't recommend it or come back.
(2)
Whitney F.

Tried to get drinks and small plates with my fiancÃ© at this place. After waiting for 5 mins for the server to take our drink order, he informs us that they are supposedly only offering "full dinner" service because they were on a wait. But they weren't on a wait at all. There were no waiting parties at the door or at the bar. News flash rude server: 2-4 $9+ drinks plus 2 $9 small plates is the same price as a full dinner. Get over yourself Back Deck.
(1)
Jenet S.

Just ate here tonight. The service was excellent! But that's pretty much it. The host was very presentable & our waitress was wicked attentive. The food was just "blah". It could be so much better than it is because they have a nice location & theme, plus decor is lovely. The pork chop was way too dry, not much taste. They could've marinated it longer. Pet peeve is having things dry & overcooked. Same went for their fries. Not seasoned, bland & way too dry. Not crispy I don't know just tasted like old fries that have been sitting out for awhile. The green beans was cooked in too much oil or butter it overtook the flavor. Would've been better to just use a lil salt/pepper or garlic salt. The sweet potatoes were pretty good though but they were also cooked in that oil/butter. Whatever it was that they cooked it with, it wasn't good. I really hope that they could pay more attention to the food because like I said everything else was nice but you do go to a restaurant to eat & enjoy your meal. Front of the house is great. Focus more on the actual flavors of the food being served.
(3)
Christopher D.

Pretty lame. I've always wanted to try this place ever since it opened. Today was the day. The decor is great. It feels like you really are on the back deck. Service was excellent as well. That's where it all ended. My wife had the spiked strawberry lemonade and I had The Ginger Arnold Palmer. Neither of us bothered finishing our drinks. We had the cornbread to start and it was actually pretty good. The serving of maple butter was kind of small. My wife had the chicken and pasta. The chicken was pretty fatty. The pasta was al dente (like rubber bandy squeaky al dente). I had the cheeseburger with fries.The cheeseburger itself was unremarkable. The fries were cold. Again, the service was very good. I'd definitely pass on this place.
(1)
Landon C.

We came here after a post-work event this past Friday. It was great for an average "where is the closest place" kind of spot. Other than that, it wasn't exactly spectacular. Service was average, space around the bar was below average, overall impression is... average. I'd say come here if you don't know of any other places and it will do fine, but it's not the place you go if you know the area.
(3)
Aaron B.

Back Deck is a pretty solid choice if you're in the area. Its not my first choice but they pulled through with decent service and pretty good food. The first time I went here I got a burger and the second I went for a marinated chicken, mashed potatoes, and grilled zucchini dish. The chicken was okay but it's deff more of a burger spot. I also recommend getting the grilled shrimp appetizer--it's amazing. They also make some mean drinks for not being a craft cocktail spot. I had their house manhattan and they did it right. Super good take on a classic cocktail. Also, did I mentioned they sat 20 of us in 5 minutes? Hats off to Back Deck for that.
(4)
Natassya B.

Was looking for dinner while my brother was in town visiting. Stumbled across Back Deck- and was happy we did! Found that the atmosphere was classier than a regular "pub/bar" scene, but cozy enough that you didn't feel you had to be too dressed up. Good over all vibe and decor. The food was good and they offered a great variety of options but unfortunately it just took a long time to actually get our food---which had us pretty hungry and antsy. They had apparently missed our entree order when they processed our appetizers, but that didn't make for expedited efforts to get the food out. The waiter was kind and attentive and apologetic of the wait--but overall it was just a little longer than you're hoping to wait when you're looking for dinner. That said- would consider going back to give them another try. Things happen, and their location is great, and a nice alternative to the bar food scene that's around.
(3)
Dayshawn S.

Came in on a Monday right when it opened and was seated immediately (sometimes there can be a wait if the staff isn't ready yet). The place definitely has that back deck atmosphere. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful since it was my first time visiting. My particular waiter went above and beyond with helping me learn the area as I had only be in town for a week. He wrote down some suggestions of places for me to visit along with which T stations were nearby. The burger I order was good (Mexicali burger), but the potato wedges were hot on the outside, but a bit cold on the inside. Other than that, no complaints. The menu has a decent food and drink selection. What was most impressive was the table across from me that was in a rush and asked the waiter to help keep them on schedule. The waiter was not annoyed by this and made sure their food was out quickly and that they got the check quickly. He was super helpful - wish I remembered his name. Good service is hard to come by - I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)
Sabrina N.

I had dinner here a few nights ago. The service and drinks were both good but the food wasn't that great. I had a turkey burger and it was like eating cardboard. I won't be back.
(1)
Rohit K.

Never again. No words. Removed good review from Google. Putting in extra effort to rate on yelp.
(1)
Alexandra M.

Funny staff and great drinks. They have 888 vodka from Nantucket, which not everywhere has and is a great vodka. I got a drink with that of 'my own' creation and Berkshire Summer which has cucumber juice that they make which was great, not too chunky. I didn't get food but my friend did and the fries were fantastic. Great sauce too, creamy and kind of spicy.
(5)
Mike N.

Went in here hungry to eat good food with 3 friends. Came out hungry. Let's not pretend that a restaurant is anything other than a place that lets you eat good food in a timley manner. This place was neither. sh%tty service, might as well shut it down and do something more valuable in life, you are clearly not interested in your core competency. You guys ruined my Boston experience. Congratulations!
(1)
Stacy M.

Ate lunch at this restaurant on 08/04/15. The hostess and server were great! My coworker and I both ordered the salad with salmon and the lemonade. Our food was pretty good. However, when we asked for refills on our lemonade we were told we would have to pay for it. One glass already costs $4.00, so they wanted $8.00 for two small sized lemonades. When I asked why the waiter told us it is because the lemonade is fresh squeezed. Then the staff needs to squeeze more lemons! I am thankful the server told us before charging us twice. Overall, I may come back here again, but with so many new choices in the area Back Deck needs to "get it together" and refill the $4.00 lemonade. #squeezemorelemons
(2)
Rebecca C.

As soon as you walk In the bar is to your left hand side. I got there at 5:40 to meet with my two friends for dinner. I thought about getting a drink before hand, but the bar was so packed that it didn't seem worth it. I asked if there was a wait and was told I had to wait till my party was there before we could get sat which I totally get because why take up space if it would be like an hour before my group got there. Luckily, my friend arrived within 5 minutes and my second within 10. We sat down at our table and were greeted by our server tommy. He seemed like a nice chap. We ordered a pitcher on their sangria which had Riesling, lemonchello, and a strawberry purÃ©e. The sangria was interesting. Very light at first with a burst of citrus at the end of each sip. Our drinks were garnished with half a strawberry. We the ordered an order of wings to start off with. It was so good. They were served with celery and a Gorgonzola dressing for dipping. Next our main courses came. My friend ordered a burger which was average and served with what seemed to be thinner home fries but these were considered fries there. My other friend ordered a lobster roll and it was delightful. The roll was buttery and slightly crisped. I couldn't decide what I wanted so I ordered the avocado and cucumber gazpacho. It tasted of lime. Not my cup of tea. I also ordered their small plate of andouille sausage and mashed potatoes. The sausage was burnt along the top, the spinach (or whatever every the greens may be) tasted like you would buy it at a store and wasn't fresh. The best part of the dish was the mashed potatoes. They were so good!!!! I highly recommend these. Our server tommy was very busy but was sure to come check on us to make sure we were getting by just fine. I'm giving the place only three stars because in wouldn't go out of my way for it. My food was meh. The chef was an older gentleman in a white coat and was not wearing anything to keep his hair from going in the food and not a single host smiled at me which was kind of a bummer on how to start it all off. Overall I won't be rushing back here, but I'm glad I at least gave it a second chance from the past horrible experience I had.
(3)
Dawn E.

The outdoors is now indoors. Which is fun. The cocktails are lovely but pricey and the food is just okay. I had some tomato bisque which was palatable and a then shared a bellisimo burger and a caesar salad with a friend. Without having to ask, these things came out already split on shared plates for us. I don't much remember what they tasted like and that says a lot. Our service was tremendous. We never waited for drinks. We never got any guff about a trailing member of our party. Our check came when we were ready but we were never rushed out. Overall... A-OK
(3)
Tracy B.

Went here for a work event & being the Yelper that I am I had scoped out the place long before... We get there and the place is cute, like the outdoor*ish type seating with the large open windows... Our group for work was 57 people - we had the entire top section and a few tables by the open windows on the Washington Street Side. As soon as we sat down our server was right there... Drinks immediately came out - The iced tea was awkward and tasted Minty Mojito ish... Then we got Lemonade & that was PURE Lemon Juice, not like fresh lemon juice, like the little yellow lemon you get in the produce section from Concentrate... We had a preset menu and we ordered several things and all shared. The Corn Chowder was decent - thin chowder broth with just tons of corn & potatoes in it... The Gazpacho (which I had preread here was like watered down Guac) I was told tasted JUST LIKE THAT and my coworker returned it for a salad. I got a Mixed Green Salad to start & that was 1 pepper and 3 leaves of lettuce, Im 9 Mos prego here I WANTED TO EAT! Entrees we got the Flank Steak, Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Platter The Garlicky Gravy on my grilled chicken might have been the best thing I EVER ATE - It was soooo delish. The Steak was decent, the Roasted Potatoes with the steak were tasty & everyone raved about the Cole Slaw. Lemon Pound Cake Desert was just as any Pound Cake would taste, Nothing extraordinary. Last night with the set menu was ok, Would def go back when not Prego so I could order a drink from the menu (they had some nifty ones) and would try other options... Just in one of those Majorly inconveinent locations... Otherwise a decent time.
(3)
Kelly W.

This is a great little place. It has a 'back deck' atmosphere and the decor and setting really does make it feel like you're on someone's (very nice) back deck. The menu includes kids options, a HUGE gluten free menu, and a fun 'back deck' menu of items like burgers, tacos, and more. Prices are decent, but a little on the high side for a moderate place. We chose the shrimp and watermelon salad (delicious according the my husband), the cubano pork tacos (soooo yummy), and the kids had a PB&J and a salad with a side of fries. I also ordered an elderflower margarita which was yummy, and not sweet at all (which I loved). Our server was extremely attentive, personable, and looked after us well. I would definitely recommend it if you're in the area and looking for delicious casual fare. If you're looking for a gluten-free place in the area their gluten free menu is extensive, and they have special accommodations (separate grill, etc.) for those with celiac disease.
(5)
Xerxes N.

I dig it. After walking through the city for a bit I built up an appetite and wanted something that I didn't have to go digging on Yelp to find. Whatever looked cool, sanitary and somewhat busy (as a sign that they're popular) was where I was going. Wide window doors that let the fresh outside air into the restaurant. So I can high five folks as they walk by while eating my lunch. Cool enough. Swanky, modern, sleek and clean decor. Check. Lots of people. Check. Table for two, please. Instead of a full meal I ordered the chicken liver and lamb kabob dishes. Both were fantastic and served on a small bed of lettuce that almost made each appetizer/small dish on itself enough for someone with a mediocre appetite. Delicious sauces accompanied each dish and I found that each bite was tender and flavorful. Add in the cool ambiance, friendly service and the open windows on a beautiful late spring day along with good tasting food. The verdict? Yay! I'm a fan.
(4)
Taj K.

Randomly decided to check out this place for brunch, and it was a pleasant meal. First of all the decor is great! The furniture, the servers outfits, the wide open windows truly made me feel like I was hanging out on a friend's back deck. I went with the BLTEC, which is basically their version of a breakfast sandwich. I was told the eggs would be cooked over medium but they were a little bit more done than that. My husband had the pulled pork burrito, which was their version of a breakfast burrito. The pulled pork tasted great but the burrito could have used something like salsa, beans or pico de gallo sauce within the burrito. I think it would be fun to go back but I don't think back deck would be my first choice for brunch.
(4)
Damian A.

Enjoyed our meal here. Chickpea burger was a little dry but daughter had regular meat burger and was great! Fresh tasting food and friendly and polite male server. Atmosphere was great based on your backyard only complaint would be wood backed booths get a little hard.
(4)
Thanh L.

We were in a snacky mood after the movies and stopped by this place. We ordered the sausage and mash and pasta primavera from under the small plates menu. For supposedly small plates, the portions were comparable to normal sized entrees in Europe - a good thing! Maybe we'd all be down a notch in our belt buckles if we ate more reasonable portions in this country. Anyway, that's the positive for the evening along with the fun decor of the space. The food itself was so so. The salty sausage was unceremoniously wedged in between a pile of spinach and mashed potatoes. Not a terrible tasting dish but not mindblowing either. The pasta primavera was fine. I can't really add much meat to this review because there's really not much to say about the food - it was just...fine. I'm surprised by all the comments about great service because that was a huge pitfall for the evening - service moves like molasses here! When we walked in, the place was about 40% full. Hostess wasn't too friendly and it also took us a few minutes to be seated even though there were tons of empty tables. It took 7 minutes or so for us to get waters when we sat down and for us to put our order in. Our server didn't check in on us after our plates arrived and we had to flag him down 15 minutes later to inform him our fries hadn't been delivered. Tried to be understanding that he didn't check in since he looked like he was constantly moving - checking up on other tables, delivering bills to other tables, setting up other tables. Understanding attitude totally gone when he failed to show up for the rest of the evening period. He just disappeared for the night!! We noticed this after he didn't show up loooooooooong after we finished our meal....so we had to flag someone else down for the bill and for more water. Still no water, Just the bill came, so we flagged a third server down for the water - I needed hydration badly, I was so parched from finishing all the house fries...we sat there so long I eventually finished the damn thing. Not diggin the place, there are so many other places to check out in this city.
(1)
Shauna L.

Only giving 3 stars because the placement of the bar right next to the door and where people gather to wait for tables....... First it's friggin cold every other second when someone comes in or stands there with the door open and second you have people standing literally breathing down your neck.. I personally hate people on my back. So my husband and I moved slightly over to the middle of the bar. Other than that the food was yummy! I had an adult grilled ham and cheese. Loved it! My husband had a delicious Ruben with the thickest cuts of meat I have ever seen! Menu looked wonderful and we will be going back there again. Casual, yummy, friendly staff and love looking to the kitchen from the bar. Plus it's not over the top pricy for when we go to the ballet. Food gets 4.5 stars!!!!!
(3)
Gauravi P.

The food here was mediocre at best. Mu have this restaurant three stars for the good service and lively atmosphere. We came here for brunch. I ordered the Eggs Diablo, which had absolutely no flavor to it. I even had to add hot sauce to the dish to actually feel like I was eating something with taste. It was just so bland. My father in law ordered the Mexican burger which he seemed to enjoy so that was a plus.
(3)
Sean R.

I ordered the scallops over penne and was underwhelmed. The pesto penne lacked flavor and the scallops were overcooked. The highlight of my meal was my drink. My personal favorite was the Ginger Arnold Palmer. Maybe next time I'll just visit the bar.
(3)
Rae Lynn K.

Three stars for a somewhat convenient location to nearby shopping and also for cool ambiance and tables near the open walls. Other than that food is average and service is practically non-existent. Took 20 mins to get my servers attention to the bring the bill. No beverage refill. Food was brought out and then they forgot about us. Oh and on top of that there are maybe 6 other tables here so the place is practically empty. No reason the service should be this slow other than they seem to just not care about the patrons. Won't be back.
(3)
Shaye Lee C.

Really nice place as far as the atmosphere and decor. The food has been good. Good sandwiches. I've been here three times and the service just wasn't up to par.
(3)
Jay W.

Back Deck is a solid choice. Good menu, friendly service and unique drinks. As a tourist in Boston, I have found you really have to look hard for good food here. They've got a lot of pubs and drinking, but for a city like this, a little to be desired on the food front. As such, I'm constantly checking Yelp! for decent reviews. Happened upon this place looking for a good place for lunch. Ended up finding out that since it was Saturday it was brunch. Boom. No way this place is 3 star. Service was very friendly and sat quickly. Brunch menu options were awesome. I couldn't decide. Went with the Deluxe Benedict Burger and my companions had French Toast and the Pulled pork sandwich. Nothing was left on the plates. My favorite was the cocktail menu. Spiked Strawberry lemonade was tasty and not too heavy. This wasn't he most amazing or original place I've ever been too. Of course, I travel a lot for fun and business and have been exposed to more than most. But this place was on point and I have no complaints.
(4)
Craig T.

To start off the name back deck is interesting. I'm not quite sure if it's the most appropriate name for somewhat high end restaurant. The reason why I mention that is cuz I'm a marketing major and I'm curious what the marketing strategy was behind the name. It was a small simple menu and a little expensive for mid twenties children. I ended up getting a nice meaty juicy cheeseburger. Overall I thought the burger was pretty good nothing over the top. The one thing that was interesting was the waitress seemed like she has a stick up her butt. Overall my fellow amigos had a fun night and soild drinks that got me a lil tipsy. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars even though my review seems like a two and three fourths to a three and a half star type rating.
(4)
Stephanie S.

OK. I really liked this place. Last night was my first time there. The service was friendly and my boyfriend and I both enjoyed what we ate. HOWEVER, all of this means nothing because of the following: my boyfriend was in the bathroom the same time as the chef (by the way, the kitchen is partially exposed in the bar area, so you can see who's cooking)...the chef was on his cell phone while at the urinal and then finished his call and after peeing DID NOT WASH HIS HANDS!!! As we were leaving, we passed Chef Dirty Hands outside smoking and I couldn't help but wonder how many times he's going in and out to do that and not washing his hands after touching the dirty door? Also, there was a huge jar of mayo left out by the kitchen the entire time we were there (about 90 minutes) so I'm wondering how good that is now. It's too bad because this was a nice place with an interesting menu and close to the movies, Park St., and Downtown Crossing.
(1)
Monica F.

Excellent atmosphere. Service was nothing really special to talk about. The food was good but what I decided to get wasn't so great. I went with the porterhouse pork chop with mashed potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. First off the pork chop was brined and had some spices that most likely could be found in curry powder or masala. Did not really enjoy that. On the other hand my boyfriend's plate was delicious he had the steak tips. Perfectly seasoned and the portions are generous. As for desert we got the flourless chocolate brownie with honey vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. The presentation was very simple and cute. I usually don't eat desert but this was really fresh and not overly sweet. Overall I would come back to this place.
(4)
Jennifer L.

We stopped in on a whim because we were hungry and wanted a lunch that wouldn't break the bank. The restaurant itself is very nice- clean, nicely decorated, and plenty of seating. We ordered a lamb kefta roll-up and a salmon Caesar salad. My fiance liked his lamb roll-up well enough, but said he wished it had more lamb. My salad was underwhelming. The dressing was tangy and left an odd aftertaste and the salmon was tasteless, like they forgot to season it. The prices weren't bad and our server was friendly, although he seemed much more interested in checking on the two girls sitting next to us than checking on us. There are better restaurants in Boston I would be willing to try before giving this one another chance.
(2)
Jay G.

Mediocre food which is slightly over priced because of the location. Food is not distasteful, neither is the ambience bad, but only if the taste of food were to be improved it would become a go to spot for me in that area. For now, going there once is more than enough
(3)
Amanda L.

Eh. This place was fine. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday before going to the Drink Craft Beer Summerfest to make sure we had something to soak up the booze. We shared the beef skewers, lamb meatballs, corn and cornbread. The beef skewers were great and didn't need the sauce. The meat was tender and flavorful and the skewers sat on top of a delicious kale salad with cranberries. We both found the meatballs to be a bit dry along with the pita that came with the dish. These were also skewed and sat on top of a tasty orzo salad with crunchy veggies and yummy feta cheese. The corn was fine, but doesn't hold a candle to the corn at Toro and Lolita - which are made similarly but executed WAY better. Lastly, the cornbread was also fine, running on the dryer side, but the grill marks on the bread added something new to the classic dish. The portion of cornbread is HUGE and can easily feed 4. Service was fine. I think if we had ordered drinks or a dessert then our waiter would have been a bit friendlier, but he was pretty quick with taking our orders and bringing the check - possibly rushing to shoo us out as quickly as possible and get the next table in. The overall experience was fine but I won't be back since nothing wowed me.
(3)
Patrick M.

fantastic for brunch! really cool vibes, chill staff, awesome food, good drinks, and reasonably priced. Even though I'm not into french toast, I personally recommend their french toast with the bananas soaked in bourbon its A++
(5)
Danae K.

This is a nice place close to most train lines (Park st., Downtown crossing) right by Chinatown. Ambiance is nice, with large tables, large windows, and big screen TV's around the bar area. Servers are knowledgeable of the menu and are happy to help! Reason it's a 3/5 is due to the quality of the food. Burger was a bit too greasy, and the fries were colder than I would have liked them to be. All in all, nice place to enjoy another persons company over a few casual drinks.
(3)
Brenda W.

I thought the decor, menu, prices, and food were good but the service was a bit lacking when we were waiting to pay. On this particular Sunday around 2:30pm, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich which came with slaw on top and the bbq sauce on the side and I ordered a side of potato salad. The pulled pork was grand -- moist and tasty and I did appreciate the sauce being on the side so I could control just how messy I wanted it to become. The potato salad was really good but highly unusual. It had peas in it. Never witnessed that addition before and I'm not really a fan of peas but it was good, nonetheless. The price for my sandwich and side was 10.00, a very fair price. Our server was prompt when we first sat down and attention was prompt until we needed our bill. We had to flag her down in the end to pay. Other than that, I was completely satisfied with our dining experience.
(4)
Ryan H.

Friendly staff. Food compares to an airport bar or motel breakfast. Cool greasy bacon, cool toast, cool home fries. Eggs are fine. It was...fine
(2)
Aamina M.

Ordered the chickpea Mexicali burger, which was worth the $15 ($13 plus tax)- burger was bigger than my face and the chipotle mayo was spicy and delicious. I really liked it. The fries were decent, and I would've given this place 4 stars except some of my friend's fries were burnt and hard. Otherwise, good service and ambience.
(3)
Jared W.

Weak. Just weak. Everything of note in China town was closed because it was a Monday early afternoon. So we walked starving into back deck. We were feeling anything for food really, honestly the place had great ambiance but a very small and limited menu and wicked expensive. Seriously 30 bucks for a 10 Oz sirloin steak? and that's the only option besides sirloin tips for a steak on the menu. No, it's not a porterhouse or a ribeye/delmonico or a filet....it's a stinking 10 oz crap cut of sirloin. That right there turned me off. If you're going to screw me at least pay for dinner. You'd have to be stupid to pay for that when capital grill or many many high end restaurants around Boston are that price point for a well known delicious steak (not a sirloin) and I can buy a sirloin 10 Oz cut for 9 bucks and guaranteed cook it to my liking better, especially seeing how they cook to order on on a simple thing like a burger... but we will get to that. .. So we realized we'd be screwed because the burgers were 16+ bucks (and the menu didn't specify organic ground kobe grass fed beef, so unjustified pricing) but we're hungry and the wife has a gluten allergy so that limits things a bit, and we just bit the bullet and ordered burgers. She ordered mexicali burger gluten free medium and I ordered matterhorn burger not gluten free medium rare and we both got fries. They had "gourmet fries" not sure if they call it that there but we do because we used to work a restaurant that called it that. They are basically either fried or baked potato wedges. These ones seemed fried. They were pretty good but beware...if you're not into home fries or steak fry type...thicker potatoes..you won't like these most likely. The burgers came out pretty quick. Size was fine. We are the quality over quantity folks anyhow. But...definitely nothing to write home about. Bacon was over baked on mine. Overcooked patties. Almost no flavor at all. Apparently they ran out of seasonings? She didn't even finish hers and we both didn't finish the "fries" which were good as I said, but just not our style (too starchy not enough crisp). I appreciate how unique they were. Now, we both have restaurant/industry and cooking backgrounds and always appreciate constructive criticisms and compliments alike. So when she told the waitress, who nicely asked if things were okay, "please tell the chef that they overcooked the burgers. Both were well done" we were not expecting a comp. We wanted them to know basically that they screwed up 30+ bucks worth of the simplest thing to cook. On a slow Monday. That's exemplary of a garbage chef in my opinion. Maybe I'm expecting too much out of a "high end" burger joint but I don't think I am. There are places like these popping up like BRGR etc that have classy and excellent takes on classic staples The waitress first said "oh. Okay well why wouldn't you tell me, I would have had them make you another" Sorry, but most people don't go to a restaurant before they get hungry. They go when they are hungry. This was a late lunch of around 3 o'clock. So...we didn't want to wait 20 minutes and then another 20 minutes for something 90% of the world's establishments can do better quicker and for much less, and cook it correctly the first time within 15 minutes. So she basically just said sorry and can I get you anything else. We said no. And that Was it. Guaranteed she didn't tell the chef because if they can't make a burger correctly on a slow, pre-dinner service weekday in Boston at a "high end" restaurant, I'm sure the chef hears it all the time and just would shrug it off, get defensive and be a jerk like so many chefs can be towards their underlings. Trust us....we know. The wife hires them as part of her job. I don't blame her for not saying anything. But she shouldn't tell the chef anyways really that's just the polite way of suggesting she tell the KM or whatever....it was probably someone on the line anyhow. It was handled poorly and it was 80 bucks for unremarkable gin drinks and awful food. See my reviews on red Robin. Their service sucks but they make better priced and delicious gourmet burgers with bottomless fries OR salads. End. Do not recommend, clearly.
(1)
Na S.

Fast and yummy with vegetarians options. My mom and I were freezing and looking for something to eat before go back to our hotel and end up in here. It wasn't really crowded so it was quiet and the food came really fast. We both ordered the Penne primavera and it was reaally good, not small at all (it was in the small plates section). The menu wasn't really big but I love that you can order any burger with chickpea burger!
(5)
Ariana Z.

Looking from the outside in was what first drew me to Back Deck- the clever use of a spatula flipper for sign was very creative. The whole concept of homey in-your-own-back-yard feel made me feel right at home. Service was wonderful, everyone was friendly and offered the right amount of service without being over bearing. The food was also tasty- I had the roasted cauliflower and bacon salad and my friend had the classic ceasar. We both enjoyed our salads and they were actually pretty filling. Over all we really liked it and would definitely come back again.
(4)

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Address : 2 West St
Boston, MA, 02111
Phone (617) 670-0320
Website https://www.backdeckboston.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Garage, Validated
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : No

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Burgers

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Back Deck

2 West St, Boston, MA, 02111

Back Deck Menu

Dessert

Coffee and Tea

Beverages

Kids Menu-Salads

Kids Menu-Fruit and Veggies

Kids Menu-Small Plates

Healthy Meal suggestions for Back Deck

Dessert

Coffee and Tea

Beverages

Kids Menu-Salads

Kids Menu-Fruit and Veggies

Kids Menu-Small Plates

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