Craigie on Main

It was Ok. My expectatives were higher. The main dish took too long and it wasn’t the best. The pasta was my favorite.

Celebrating our wedding anniversary at Craigie has become an annual tradition for us, and this was no exception. We were greeted warmly and noticed the "happy anniversary" card at our table. No complimentary champagne like years past, but that's ok. Our waitress was prompt and friendly. We were disappointed to hear that the tasting menu was no longer being offered, but that if we did not want to do the four-course menu, the kitchen would put together a tasting menu for us. Nice offer, but we decided to order from the menu. I do think Craigie could have done a better job informing guests about the tasting menu change, even if just a note of the website. Courses 1-3 were quite excellent, with the exception of an heirloom tomato dish that seemed a little unimaginative, and did not appear to include the advertised feta. The dessert menu was a little unusual in the sense that the choices were all pretty unconventional. My wife had the olive oil chocolate mousse (which was a little firmer and crispier than she would have liked), while I had a shortcake with anise ice cream (would have preferred a simple vanilla option). Our less than outstanding assessment of food quality was related specifically to the desserts. Our wait staff were very good. Only concern was that about halfway through our meal, the restaurant had started to get much busier, and our initial server vanished to other tables (never to return) and we were left in the hands of another server who we had not previously met. Not bad, just simply not as smooth flowing as we are used to. We will definitely be back next year, though we will likely try to come on a weekend so we can enjoy the "surprise" factor of the tasting menu.

We had the chef's whim menu, which was a decent value and delicious, provided you are willing to commit to mystery with respect to what's coming. They offer pescatarian and vegetarian options, so it isn't a deal breaker for those who care about such things. The wine list is pricey, but the selections good. Our particular table was pretty hectic -- close to the open kitchen, which was interesting, but heavily trafficked and noisy, which did not align well with the high dining we were doing. Craigie is clearly one of the finest, most consistent restaurants in the area, but there is no question you pay for the privilege. Oddly, we weren't offered coffee or tea at the end of our meal.

The food was by and large delicious. The overall flavor profile was bitter, but that was ok, the dishes were balanced enough and that was the intent. The value, though, just wasn’t there, mostly due to portion size. We are not big eaters, but the plates for the chef’s three course dinner were ridiculously small and the bill very large.

Not the Craigie I used to know: ( So many issues, that added up to an expensive and very unsatisfying experience. Especially when I hand-picked this restaurant for a foodie friend coming in from out of town.

Food was the tiniest bit too salty for all dishes. We had a lovely time regardless.

Good as ever! Somehow I come to this place with higher and higher expectations each time and it never fails to impress. Amazing food. Superb wine. Wonderful scene. This is the best restaurant in Boston.

Fantastic meal, service was outstanding-we never waited for anything. The menu had too many good choices so it was hard to pick, which is a nice problem to have! Every course had a wonderful mix of flavors and textures that complimented each other without crowding too much in to one dish. The room handled a full crowd well in that we could still hear each other fine despite the noise. And the hostess treated us like family from the moment we walked in until we walked out. Can't recommend this place enough and will be back!

Good dinner but not exceptional

We had some of the best food we ever tasted. Interesting combinations with lots of surprises. We plan to go back on special occasions and when we want to impress friends.

I've wanted to try this restaurant for a while now after having read many outstanding reviews. My husband and I picked our anniversary to give it a try. What we liked about the restaurant were a perfect ambience and excellent service. The lighting and music were absolutely perfect. Our waiter was exceptional. Now for the food. We started with a ceviche which I thought was one of the worst I've eaten in Boston. We had fried clams which were well-prepared, but were served with a completely tasteless squid ink aioli. My husband ordered a pork confit, and it was dry, hard and salty. I ordered a flank steak, which in my opinion, was only OK. Iggy's bread, however, was exceptional as always. I was really hoping to be blown away by the evening; instead, I left feeling like it was an expensive disappointment. Needless to say, we won't be back.

We have been to Cragie on Main several times in the past few months and each time the service has been impeccable. We have tried everything from the tasting menu to the famous Cragie Burger- I look forward to returning!

Keep up the amazing work!!

Fantastic food and great dinning environment. Look over the chef station while dinning was a remarkable experience.

Amazing meal. The food is inspirational. My only compliant is the poor lighting detracts from the presentation of the food.

A terrific experience. Our server was fantastic and yes, the burgers were that good! I will be back!

Love the food,brave flavor combinations, amazing experience!

The staff was very attentive and helped with a special request.
Please note that there are only (18) of the Bar Burgers made per day so they do run out.

They have the best burger I've ever had, and the ambience, service etc are superb

Disappointing compared to the time I visited four years ago. Great service and wine selection, though.

Great food and service

Fantastic chef-selected meal. Everything was wonderful.

The food was exquisite. Everything as described. We both had the $85 four courses. The fried oysters were the best I had ever eaten and my his and’s monkfish was excellent. Our waiter Phil was understated and fun. A real treat!

Told them I had a date coming to meet me and they really took care of us. Gave us a nice table in a back corner that the hostess said some regulars always used on their date. They even brought us a free appetizer that was awesome. So I think I owe them this review for helping get me a 2nd date!

All the food was amazing. Literally everything. Go here. Eat.

Amazing! Treated like royalty!

Fantastic tasting menu! Went here for our anniversary and the service was great!

The food was delicious and service was impeccable. The kitchen staff is on point - everything was beautifully plated and to our table in an incredibly timely manner; one course was cleared and the next course was ready. The only downside was the high top table at which we were seated. It was difficult to get comfortable. However that could easily be resolved at future visits with a quick call to the hostess.

We had 1 night in Cambridge and were so happy to be able to dine here, it was a perfect choice to end our 2 week holiday in New England. Every member of the staff was welcoming, professional and helpful and we want to give a special thanks to Ruben who took care of us at the bar. He walked us through all the wonderful dishes and helped us make great choices. The local blue fin crudo is wonderful, as were the Essex clams that are local and seasonal. We also enjoyed two seasonal pastas and the mussels which were exceptional.

If you are in the area, this place is a must!

This is my third time at Craigie on Main, and it always delivers. The menu has several creative and interesting choices - it's often hard for me to choose. The food consistently makes me stop mid-conversation, and thankfully the people I dine with are happy to try bites of one another's dishes. The service this time was a bit slower than I'd have liked, but they are also happy to let you sit and socialize for as long as you wish which is nice. My one knock is that every time I've tried a custard type dessert it's not as set as I'd like - the panna cotta at my last visit gave way instantly (not even a smidge of a bend as you put your spoon into it), and the bread pudding on this visit was legitimately liquid. However, the squid ink pasta with shrimp was the best thing I've eaten all year, so it's definitely a restaurant that is worth the experience / expense.

Food was insanely good. Going back there to try the burger

The chef's whim was spectacularly good. This is food that is complex, delicious, unusual. The service was friendly and warm. Overall a truly wonderful dining experience.

We SO enjoyed Craigie on Main! The meal was absolutely outstanding--delicious, creative and memorable! The entire experience was over-the-top wonderful! We will be back the next time we are in Boston/Cambridge area!

One of the top three restaurant meals I've ever had.

Very special restaurant.
Attention to detail, exceptional.
Burger special...........special!
Our waiter Eddie, absolutely the best.

The crude of fresh fluke was paired with a buttermilk vinaigrette that enhanced the fluke. Under the pork confit was a layer of chopped turnip greens, and, maybe chunks of parsnip, though I though turnip, but a good foil for the pork and altogether an good take on a tasty dish including some tender pork sausage. If you're big and hungry these two dishes might not fill you up, but for me, small and hungry, they were a wonderful treat.

The service was impeccable as well as every part of our meal. It wasn't just a meal, but a positive dining experience. So glad we chose this location to dine!

Outstanding food and service. The fried clams were the best I've ever had.

In Boston for the first time, and this place did not disappoint!

Had a great dining experience. Service was perfect and all of the courses were very well crafted and delicious.

Glad we came back. Food was outstanding and service well done.

We came here shortly after getting engaged, and they took amazing care of us! Brought out special snacks for us, sat us at a nicer table than I requested, and were overall very attentive. Fabulous experience. Juan is outstanding.