I was staying in the Hilton Garden Inn the weekend of 4/6 and had a terrible experience at the Punch Bowl. We decided to have drinks and appetizers at the Punch Bowl before going to dinner. We arrived at the bar about 6pm and ordered drinks. I gave the bartender my credit card and asked that he leave at tab open as other members of our party would be there shortly. We stayed at the bar until about 8:15 ordering drinks and appetizers. When I asked for the check and to close out the tab, the bartender handed me the check and asked how I wanted to pay. I told him I gave him my credit card and asked that he open a tab. He appeared to have no idea what I was talking about and told me I didn't give him my card. Then he said he gave it back to me which he didn't. The other members of my party were certain as well that he didn't give me my card back. My group was seated at a table directly across from the bar and we never left the table for the entire time we were there. He continued to insist he gave me the card back and did little to even look for it. This caused me to spend the next half hour canceling my card, being late for my dinner reservation and incurring the cost of an additional Uber. There was no manager present to assist at that point. Later a manager appeared and advised my family members he would look into it. Needless to say I never heard from anyone at the restaurant. The following morning I got a call from the hotel front desk that someone returned my card. The lack of customer service and concern that the bartender had lost my credit card that easily is very concerning. The bar was not crowded and there were about 5-7 people sitting there the whole night. I reached out to the manager/owner through the restaurant website on Monday and of course received no response.
B M.
I dined this evening at Punch Bowl after flying in and staying at the Hilton for a work trip, it's on property so I thought it was pretty convenient after a long flight. I sat alone and enjoyed some quiet time, it really is a beautiful location. However, I witnessed something very alarming that I can't help but mention. There was a server this evening who you could tell was of the LGBTQ community and she was doing a really lovely job with her tables, I want to point out that she was not serving me, but I happened to notice the chaos as I was sat closely to the kitchen. One of the managers, who I am pretty sure was the owner, would mock the server every single time the server came through the kitchen door and said 'corner.' The owner would mock back 'corner' in a high pitched voice. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing, I kept a close eye on every other servers that were coming from the kitchen saying 'corner' and the owner wouldn't mock them. It was very clear what was going on here and truly disturbing to witness. If this is how they are treating that poor employee in front of customers, imagine behind closed doors!?
Tara T.
Really underwhelming $18 continental breakfast with basically cereal, a few bagels, and some scrambled eggs (all bland looking). There's other breakfast places around here, and since Hilton didn't actually include breakfast I preferred to go to those. Same price better quality elsewhere.
Audrey S.
I had a bloody mary (flavor mediocre), shrimp cocktail (4 big fat shrimp), and two pizzas....pepperoni with mushrooms and sausage with tomatoes and onions. Best pizza and crust I've had in the last 30 years. Perfect, crispy crust, not too thick or thin. Honestly, I ate the whole sausage pizza myself. Mom scarffed the pepperoni up, and she's not a big eater.
StewartP
We went here for restaurant week/dine out Boston. It was two couples and we all came to the same conclusion just was subpar. The “nachos” was just a small open faced torta. The salad was over dressed for a Caesar salad but was tasty. My steak was actually cooked the way I asked but my friends was unevenly cooked. It's funny because he ordered his first and I said “the same thing please”. The butterscotch pudding dessert had NO FLAVOR. When we ordered drinks they came in one at a time. The drinks were decent. They need more staff that actually knows how to attend a table. We had missing silverware more than twice that and to be asked for. Definitely never coming back here.
Bob Zinsmeister
Only in a pinch. Breakfast buffet was $18 and worth much less. Sorry. Just being honest.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Sajani P.
I arrived at the restaurant around 5 PM, eager to explore their cocktail menu and wine selection. Although they don't have happy hour, I was impressed by their extensive list of red and white wines, as well as their specialty wines. To start, I ordered their Cup of Calm Chowder and Calamari. The chowder was soothing and comforting, while the calamari was incredibly fresh and delicious. I did notice that the seafood selection was a bit limited, but the overall menu was still impressive. I chose to sit at the bar, which was very spacious and could easily accommodate groups. The vibe was cozy and welcoming, with comfortable seating options at the bar. The service was impeccable - my food arrived promptly after ordering, and the bartender was both friendly and engaging. We had a great conversation while I enjoyed my appetizers. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant and would definitely recommend it to others.
Heather K
We hosted a business dinner for a conference. Everything was delicious and working with the Events team was a breeze!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
richie martinez
Wife had the black fish and loved it. Nicely prepared, crispy skin. Steak was very good medium Prepared. Would definitely do again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak
Peter Jelinek
Tried to get a drink at 945 pm and they basically had the bar all cleaned up and ready for closing. No friuts available for cocktails. What is the point of having a bar with no ingredients for drinks? More interested in shutting down early than serving customers I guess.
Even though we had a reservation through Open Table (with a confirmation and everything!) there as no brunch at Punch Bowl. The server who was wrapping up breakfast told us there was no brunch, looked at us like we were crazy when we showed her the reservation messages and emails. So we had to go find someplace else to eat. Either this is a problem with Open table, or with Punch Bowl, but you should not allow people to make reservations for a meal tthat does not exist. Tghe Brunch menu is still up on the Punch Bowl website.
Maggie Moyers
Overall, Punch Bowl was a great experience. The service was 5 star and it was a really nice, low key atmosphere. The food was decent! The brussels sprouts were a little too well done and fried, not crispy as advertised. The nachos were more like mini fajitas than nachos and enough food for a meal! I’d recommend the calamari and the burger.Parking: A few spots on the street outside at a meter. Other meter spots across Brookline Ave.Kid-friendliness: We brought a 3 month old baby and she loved it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamburger Deluxe Cheeseburger with French Fries
noodlenoggin
This is the hotel restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn. I generally only eat at a hotel restaurant if I HAVE to for some reason, and it was raining to beat heck this night, so down to the Punch Bowl I went.Here's what I expect from a hotel restaurant: Business travelers bellied up to the bar; Limited menu selection; Frou-frou bourgeois dishes; High prices; Mediocre food.Here's what I GOT from the Punch Bowl: Business travelers bellied up to the bar; Limited menu selection; Frou-frou bourgeois dishes; High prices; GOOD food.Highest price on the dinner menu? 10oz sirloin for $39. A 10oz sirloin is not a $39 steak. There was not much to be had for under $20 that wasn't a side dish. And to be clear...I travel with an expense account, so it's not like I'm a pauper...but value is value.Anyway, I had a patty melt and a side of "crispy Brussels sprouts." I was pleasantly surprised by the food, overall. The sprouts had a flavor and texture more like potatoes, actually. Not the crispy roasted sprouts I was hoping for, but not bad on their own merits. The patty melt was legit tasty. Good quality ingredients, cooked well, I was impressed.And...I got to listen to the Boomers next to me rattle on about how most Uber drivers "are simple" but "nobody's above" driving for Uber, and how proud she was of the engineer driving at night to try to save up to buy a house, and how he was "living the American Dream," and had "accepted the equation," whatever that meant. So...dinner and an education.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Patty Melt
Ferdinand Hendriks
Parking: Expensive
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Burger with Umami Black Garlic Sauce, Small Clam Chowder
Maryellen Perugini
The continental breakfast had very little selection to charge $18 per person. We were told that we could not order Al cart menu.There was an additional $1.80 kitchen charge as well.The waitress was very rude and unapologetic.Disappointed ☹️
I was staying in the Hilton Garden Inn the weekend of 4/6 and had a terrible experience at the Punch Bowl. We decided to have drinks and appetizers at the Punch Bowl before going to dinner. We arrived at the bar about 6pm and ordered drinks. I gave the bartender my credit card and asked that he leave at tab open as other members of our party would be there shortly. We stayed at the bar until about 8:15 ordering drinks and appetizers. When I asked for the check and to close out the tab, the bartender handed me the check and asked how I wanted to pay. I told him I gave him my credit card and asked that he open a tab. He appeared to have no idea what I was talking about and told me I didn't give him my card. Then he said he gave it back to me which he didn't. The other members of my party were certain as well that he didn't give me my card back. My group was seated at a table directly across from the bar and we never left the table for the entire time we were there. He continued to insist he gave me the card back and did little to even look for it. This caused me to spend the next half hour canceling my card, being late for my dinner reservation and incurring the cost of an additional Uber. There was no manager present to assist at that point. Later a manager appeared and advised my family members he would look into it. Needless to say I never heard from anyone at the restaurant. The following morning I got a call from the hotel front desk that someone returned my card. The lack of customer service and concern that the bartender had lost my credit card that easily is very concerning. The bar was not crowded and there were about 5-7 people sitting there the whole night. I reached out to the manager/owner through the restaurant website on Monday and of course received no response.
I dined this evening at Punch Bowl after flying in and staying at the Hilton for a work trip, it's on property so I thought it was pretty convenient after a long flight. I sat alone and enjoyed some quiet time, it really is a beautiful location. However, I witnessed something very alarming that I can't help but mention. There was a server this evening who you could tell was of the LGBTQ community and she was doing a really lovely job with her tables, I want to point out that she was not serving me, but I happened to notice the chaos as I was sat closely to the kitchen. One of the managers, who I am pretty sure was the owner, would mock the server every single time the server came through the kitchen door and said 'corner.' The owner would mock back 'corner' in a high pitched voice. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing, I kept a close eye on every other servers that were coming from the kitchen saying 'corner' and the owner wouldn't mock them. It was very clear what was going on here and truly disturbing to witness. If this is how they are treating that poor employee in front of customers, imagine behind closed doors!?
Really underwhelming $18 continental breakfast with basically cereal, a few bagels, and some scrambled eggs (all bland looking). There's other breakfast places around here, and since Hilton didn't actually include breakfast I preferred to go to those. Same price better quality elsewhere.
I had a bloody mary (flavor mediocre), shrimp cocktail (4 big fat shrimp), and two pizzas....pepperoni with mushrooms and sausage with tomatoes and onions. Best pizza and crust I've had in the last 30 years. Perfect, crispy crust, not too thick or thin. Honestly, I ate the whole sausage pizza myself. Mom scarffed the pepperoni up, and she's not a big eater.
We went here for restaurant week/dine out Boston. It was two couples and we all came to the same conclusion just was subpar. The “nachos” was just a small open faced torta. The salad was over dressed for a Caesar salad but was tasty. My steak was actually cooked the way I asked but my friends was unevenly cooked. It's funny because he ordered his first and I said “the same thing please”. The butterscotch pudding dessert had NO FLAVOR. When we ordered drinks they came in one at a time. The drinks were decent. They need more staff that actually knows how to attend a table. We had missing silverware more than twice that and to be asked for. Definitely never coming back here.
Only in a pinch. Breakfast buffet was $18 and worth much less. Sorry. Just being honest.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
I arrived at the restaurant around 5 PM, eager to explore their cocktail menu and wine selection. Although they don't have happy hour, I was impressed by their extensive list of red and white wines, as well as their specialty wines. To start, I ordered their Cup of Calm Chowder and Calamari. The chowder was soothing and comforting, while the calamari was incredibly fresh and delicious. I did notice that the seafood selection was a bit limited, but the overall menu was still impressive. I chose to sit at the bar, which was very spacious and could easily accommodate groups. The vibe was cozy and welcoming, with comfortable seating options at the bar. The service was impeccable - my food arrived promptly after ordering, and the bartender was both friendly and engaging. We had a great conversation while I enjoyed my appetizers. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant and would definitely recommend it to others.
We hosted a business dinner for a conference. Everything was delicious and working with the Events team was a breeze!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wife had the black fish and loved it. Nicely prepared, crispy skin. Steak was very good medium Prepared. Would definitely do again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak
Tried to get a drink at 945 pm and they basically had the bar all cleaned up and ready for closing. No friuts available for cocktails. What is the point of having a bar with no ingredients for drinks? More interested in shutting down early than serving customers I guess.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Even though we had a reservation through Open Table (with a confirmation and everything!) there as no brunch at Punch Bowl. The server who was wrapping up breakfast told us there was no brunch, looked at us like we were crazy when we showed her the reservation messages and emails. So we had to go find someplace else to eat. Either this is a problem with Open table, or with Punch Bowl, but you should not allow people to make reservations for a meal tthat does not exist. Tghe Brunch menu is still up on the Punch Bowl website.
Overall, Punch Bowl was a great experience. The service was 5 star and it was a really nice, low key atmosphere. The food was decent! The brussels sprouts were a little too well done and fried, not crispy as advertised. The nachos were more like mini fajitas than nachos and enough food for a meal! I’d recommend the calamari and the burger.Parking: A few spots on the street outside at a meter. Other meter spots across Brookline Ave.Kid-friendliness: We brought a 3 month old baby and she loved it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamburger Deluxe Cheeseburger with French Fries
This is the hotel restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn. I generally only eat at a hotel restaurant if I HAVE to for some reason, and it was raining to beat heck this night, so down to the Punch Bowl I went.Here's what I expect from a hotel restaurant: Business travelers bellied up to the bar; Limited menu selection; Frou-frou bourgeois dishes; High prices; Mediocre food.Here's what I GOT from the Punch Bowl: Business travelers bellied up to the bar; Limited menu selection; Frou-frou bourgeois dishes; High prices; GOOD food.Highest price on the dinner menu? 10oz sirloin for $39. A 10oz sirloin is not a $39 steak. There was not much to be had for under $20 that wasn't a side dish. And to be clear...I travel with an expense account, so it's not like I'm a pauper...but value is value.Anyway, I had a patty melt and a side of "crispy Brussels sprouts." I was pleasantly surprised by the food, overall. The sprouts had a flavor and texture more like potatoes, actually. Not the crispy roasted sprouts I was hoping for, but not bad on their own merits. The patty melt was legit tasty. Good quality ingredients, cooked well, I was impressed.And...I got to listen to the Boomers next to me rattle on about how most Uber drivers "are simple" but "nobody's above" driving for Uber, and how proud she was of the engineer driving at night to try to save up to buy a house, and how he was "living the American Dream," and had "accepted the equation," whatever that meant. So...dinner and an education.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Patty Melt
Parking: Expensive
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Burger with Umami Black Garlic Sauce, Small Clam Chowder
The continental breakfast had very little selection to charge $18 per person. We were told that we could not order Al cart menu.There was an additional $1.80 kitchen charge as well.The waitress was very rude and unapologetic.Disappointed ☹️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 1