The Publick House

mltobin

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -10.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

When I was in Boston, this was on my list of spots that I would like to check out. So, when my friend that I was staying with, said to me on the second night in town : "hey, I was thinking we could grab a couple drinks at this place called the Publick House in Brookline, whaddya say?"; I was happy. Not too surprisingly no outdoor seating was immediately available on a warm summer night, so our party of 3 went inside to a table. The tap selection was quite nice, with Two Gypsies and Sculpin among others on tap. A good bottle selection with many Belgians represented. We had a fairly helpful waitstaff, who did a pretty good job of keeping up with the Saturday rush. Food was pretty good, but should have been better for the prices. But, for the great beer and having a fun time with your crew, this spot does the trick.

08-19-2011 01:31:33 | More by mltobin

Mebuzzard

Colorado

2.91/5  rDev -34.3%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

I must say, this place disappointed. After making the trip from Denver (not only for this place, but it was on my list), I wish I never bothered. Got off the Green line and this place was closed until 5pm. Weird. No matter, I went across the street to the Abbey and had a nice meal and beer.

Publick house won't let you sit outside unless you're eating. What a pain! Why? Eff that, man. So, if you go for a beer be prepared to sit inside, which is dark and stinks a bit. And their "specialty" is Belgian beers, and a bit pricey at that.

No shots
No flights
No pitchers
The samples I got came in pint glasses. After two beers I had enough of this place. My server was friendly, but didn't know much about the beers. Oh well. I should've hit Sunset Grill instead of this one. Won't be back even if I lived in Boston area...it's just not worth it

08-18-2011 02:33:21 | More by Mebuzzard

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Thought there isn't a huge amount of beers on tap the selection is always high quality. Occasionally you will see a beer they have let age a bit before tapping. The bartenders are very knowledgable of all their beers and everything is served in the appropriate glassware. For bottled beers they always have some hard to get options you don't see at other bars. Also one of my favorite places for food! Great atmosphere, fairly dark(ish) and not overly crowded. Outside seating seating in the summer months is a plus.

08-01-2011 15:37:58 | More by s1ckboy

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I've been to the Publick House more times than I can count - well into double digits. There's not a lot of bad that can be said about it, aside from the crowd. It can get a little ugly at times... with a few too many drunk college kids, and people who occasionally take up tables that make you question what they're doing there (eating salad and drinking diet coke). Kind of sad that a beer bar of this caliber needs a bouncer checking ID's at 7:00 on a Saturday night.

Once you put that aside though, the place is nearly flawless. There's a decent number of tables so the wait is usually not too bad. The decor is awesome - breweriana (mostly Belgian) all over the place.

The beer list is always well thought out - 35 or so good taps, roughly half Belgian style and half non-Belgian. I will say they lean a bit much on the conservative side for my liking when it comes to their Belgian taps - mostly the more popular guys like Delerium, d'Achouffe, Dupont, etc. But there is the occasional Belgian gem, and their domestic tap list always has a couple of interesting rarities. Fairly deep bottle list, particularly with the Belgians, and always a page of "limited" bottles pulled up from the cellar.

Food is consistently good to great. Hearty Belgian food that is reasonably priced and you shouldn't leave hungry. For example, the $9 mussel app is plenty to split amongst two people to get you going, and is a must order every time I go.

Never had a real problem with service, though they do consistently get busy so they aren't always on top of your empty glass.

Definitely one of the Top 5 beer destinations in the Boston area, and a place I'll surely keep going back to over and over.

05-15-2011 19:00:11 | More by cbeer88

LittleDon

Texas

4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Eatery with a rathskeller feel where college students and young professionals meet to drink great beer and eat decent food.

Stopped by early on a Thursday night with a colleague. Parking was a bit of a challenge. There was already at a 30 minute wait for tables so we sat at the bar. Service was prompt and steady. Never had to ask for another. Selection was very good, maybe 50/50 Belgian style beers to non-Belgian style beers. Atmosphere was comfortable: friendly crowd and staff, dark wood, brass, lots of beer paraphernalia, very European. It was a bit on the loud side with people standing one deep at the bar. Food was good. I had the mussel appetizer. Mussels were excellent, but the broth was a bit bitter and heavy on the anise. Prices seemed in line with the rest of Boston. Worth a return trip.

03-26-2011 14:53:08 | More by LittleDon

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

The Publick House has a terrific atmosphere. It's reminiscent of an old castle or cathedral, just with lots and lots of beer paraphernalia pinned to the walls. It's the kind of place you could hang out in all day long.

The beer list is huge and well organized. It has a big Belgian beer selection, but other popular styles are not forgotten. Beers are also served in the proper glass and prices seemed fair. Although I thought some of the higher abv draft beers could have been poured in a larger glass.

I went for dinner on a busy Sunday night and thought the service was fair. I didn't interact too much with the staff other than placing orders, but they were no better or worse than other eating establishments.

The food was a bit of a disappointment. They have standard pub fare like burgers and fish & chips, plus a few specials and their famous mac & cheese. The quality was descent, but nothing you'd go out of your way to get. I got a grilled chicken sandwich and my wife had the mac & cheese, which was delicious. I wish I got that instead.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Publick House. It has a great atmosphere, awesome beer list and friendly staff. Prices were reasonable, but I thought the food could be better.

03-15-2011 16:25:40 | More by WanderingFool

kbanks13

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

Having gone to the Publick House for the second time tonight, I feel that a review is in order. The atmosphere is great, the staff is welcoming and friendly while the restaurant plays great music and the noise is at a level where you can still hear your company talking. Cool beer ads and barware/collectibles from Belgium speckle the walls of the dim, but not dark, interior which looks like an old pub should. The service is attentive and very helpful. When informed that the keg of what I asked for had kicked, they quickly informed me of what they would serve in its place. In short, they are all knowledgeable and willing to make sure you leave happy. There is a pretty large selection, large enough to warrant a trip from downtown for the beer menu alone. The menu includes hearty Belgian fare with a twist but also includes grilled sandwiches and some vegetarian options. The food is incredibly delicious, I recommend the braised short rib and the Trappist meatloaf. Considering the portion size, which is ample, and the selection and quality of food and beers I would say prices are very reasonable. You will not leave disappointed if you come here, I can promise that with all certainty. Just beware, they do not take reservations and it can get quite busy. Just more of an excuse to sit and have a drink at the bar before your meal.

01-31-2011 04:31:42 | More by kbanks13

henkster

New York

4.6/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I went to the Publick House last week for the first time in about a year. Before our move to Brooklyn two years ago, we lived in Brookline for many years, and went to the Publick House at least once a week. Shame on me for not writing a review earlier. The Publick House hasn't missed a beat since my last visit. The selection is still top notch - both bottles and drafts are plentiful and thoughtfully selected. The pours are always fresh, and served in the correct glassware. In addition to the Belgian-leaning selection, there is always a variety of great New England beers (including the ever-present selection of Allagash). For a top-notch beer bar, the food nearly matches the great quality/selection of the beer. The mussels are great (although I never stray from the Schlenkerla choice), and there is always an interesting selection of cheeses. The mac and cheese (with your choice of additions) is so good, I get it nearly every time....although the meatloaf is also delicious.

They draw a crowd every night of the week (although weekends are even busier). Like other extremely popular restaurants, occasionally the service can be a little slow (but that's the exception). However, I have always found the bartenders and servers to be friendly and knowledgeable.

Definitely a must for any visit to Boston...and with its sister restaurant, American Craft, just up the street, you could make a whole afternoon/night of the trip to Brookline.

Regarding the value, for Boston, I think it is relatively reasonable.

01-29-2011 20:11:03 | More by henkster

Jason

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I've been going to this establishment since it was called Anam Cara, seen the break of out the Monk's Cell and have seen them evolve into of the best beer bars / Belgian eateries in the US.

Staff is knowledgeable of nearly every beer that is on and if they don't know they'll find out. They are great on giving recommendations if you don't know what you are looking for. The food is amazing, mussels kick some major ass. Frites, can't go there without ordering them.

Heavy Belgian focus for the beer list, you can order any beer on the list no matter where you are. The rest of the selection keeps up with a smattering of seasonals, new releases and solid stand-bys. Proper glassware really makes this place shine with a proper pour to boot.

If you are in the Boston area it is a must visit, if you live in the area and never have been you have been missing out.

01-24-2011 22:00:30 | More by Jason

micmillon18

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

Ah the famed Publick House. I have been here on a number of occasions, usually after a large beer haul and I feel I need to celebrate my conquest. Lets get on with the details...

The place is usually relatively busy, both on week nights and ends. Its designed to look similar to the Belgian beer bars and it presents itself with a fun and homely atmosphere. There are essentially three different areas to the restaurant itself. To the far left is a room with its own bar with plenty of bar tables and stools. The center area houses the main bar along with various different areas to eat. Finally to the right is the main dining area, full of tables of all sizes.

Unfortunately they don't do reservations (even for large parties), as I usually go there for dinner. Therefore, you should expect a longer wait the later you decide to go. However, the hostess staff is quite good and receptive. I've been told I'd wait 45 minutes for a table but then am pleasantly surprised to be seated within 20 minutes. They do a pretty good job on coordinating the seating situation.

Now to the important stuff. The beer selection is incredible; easily the best menu I've ever seen. Belgian styles are abound (both imported and domestic). Organized by style, the menu is very easily read. There are a number of beers for each style possible. My friend became a huge fan of Flanders red ales, a style which he was totally unaware of, because of the Publick house. Another great thing about the Publick House is that each beer is served in its own glass, specific to the brewery. This place has a true respect for beer.

The food is quite good, especially the mac and cheese and the fish and chips. Definitely get the cheese platters; they give you four or five different cheeses and it can be really fun to pair them with your beer.

The beer prices were on par with most bars, though your getting better beer here so you have to expect to pay more than most places. Food was slighty pricey but the portions were large and filling.

The waiting staff is great and responsive. Many of them are very knowledgeable on the beers and happy to discuss them with you. Waiters are quick and always pleasant. I havent had a poor one yet.

Overall, a great place with an awesome beer selection and pretty damn good food. I'd recommend it to any aspiring beer consieur or full fledged beer snob!

01-08-2011 00:50:03 | More by micmillon18