Tavern On the Water

«Tavern on the Water,» is located off Pier 6, in an antiquated Bostonian town called Charlestown. Charlestown is best known for its Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, and due to its rich historical surroundings, there is an abundance of colonial architecture to be seen.
The restaurant is located next to the Charles River, and the smell of the salty water hits your nose as you immediately dive into a plate of calamari (topped with yellow banana peppers, super legit!) and dig yourself into a big bowl of guacamole and chips. Salt water actually makes any food taste better, it’s the #bombdotcomonetwopunchcombo. :)
As with most Irish pubs, they always have their bar stocked with my favorite… BLUE MOON! Of course, I asked for a slice of orange. Trust me, there’s nothing tastier than cutting through some of that bitterness with just a light zing of some fresh squeezed citrus. Happy times all around!
The food portions are huge! The prices are reasonable. The location is fab. What more could you ask for? Oh, that’s right… more beer!

After eating dinner with friends at the Tavern On the Water we all waited around over a few drinks by the bar upstairs. Not 10 minutes into our drinking time (and after a mediocre dinner) I saw something dart across the ground.
Not trying to draw attention to the situation I assumed it was my imagination until I saw it happen again! I was more than a little grossed out to see a mouse running around the upstairs bar and dining area. One of our friends claimed to see two mice. It wasn’t a rat thankfully but mice are just as nasty in a restaurant.
If you don’t mind a mouse or two and mediocre food with a good view of the city is your thing I’d definitely recommend the Tavern On the Water!

Pretty decent food and a good waiter. Slow service. Beers were not available that were on their menu, which tends to be something that happens quite often here. Food is overpriced for the quality.
Lots of potential with a great location, but needs a lot of work before I would consider going back.

I remember going to tavern on the water on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Upon arrival I was intercepted and questioned by a teenager dressed completely in black. Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, he was wearing a loose-​fitting robe and carrying a large scythe. He informed me that if I produced proper identification, I could enter the tavern and inquire about the wait time. Part of the terms, however, were that I could not bring my dining companion with me and that I must return within three minutes. Reluctantly, I made a deal with the devil and headed inside to speak with the hostess.
Once I returned, we were led to «the sand bar» — a dirty penitentiary of dreams deferred. There were a few tall tables with mismatched chairs, a large steroid-​enhanced bro tending bar and some coarse construction-​grade sand to fill my shoes.
Finally, our number was called! We were allowed to proceed together up a secret back staircase to join the premier guests.
Guac was recommended, ordered and consumed. Old men and tiny sundresses were everywhere. Nice view.

Cheap. Beer. Food. On the water. Nice.

We came here for a drink and lunch with some local friends and it was part of the best Memorial Day I’ve ever had.
We got to sit outside on the deck/​bar/​patio thing and enjoyed the view of the water and downtown.
The four of us had a mix of beer and wine, but we all chose the roasted pear salad for our lunch. It was FANTASTIC. And a perfect way to get in some food without feeling bloated and greasy.
Our server was polite and attentive, and you can’t beat the view. I’d definitely come back if I’m ever in the area again.

Needs five stars for the view of downtown Boston from acorss the inner harbor. We ate out on the outside upper level deck, which really made the visit here special.
The lobster role was ok, not a stand out. The swardfish cut was thinner than I am used to having, but it was cook well and was pretty good yet. The mixed drinks were very strong.

Come here for the view and not much else. I imagine the view is beautiful at night, but it wasn’t bad during the day either.
We go to school in Navy Yard. Had an hour and a half for lunch, decided to try this place out. Our (rather large) group got there around 11:40 and the place was pretty empty. While I’ll admit, there wasn’t really an official head count until we got to the restaurant, the hostess wasn’t very accommodating at seating our party, nor was she very friendly. You’d think she’d be happy that ~15 people were coming to eat.
The food was standard. Everyone at my table ordered sandwiches. I ordered a chicken sandwich. It had a name. Something iron? It had a rather thin piece of chicken, cold roasted peppers, pesto sauce, and cheese. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. The cold peppers were a little odd too, expected them to be hot. For $ 9, it wasn’t the worst deal, but it wasn’t great either. Drinks weren’t terribly expensive, and decently strong.
The place did pick up later as we were leaving, likely from people on their lunch break. The waitress was decent (though, like the hostess, not the friendliest woman I’ve ever met), but drinks were never refilled and they were a little slow to bring things we asked for (ketchup, the check). But they got us out in about an hour, so no complaints there.

This bar is a classic dock bar, it is literally on stilts. It also may have the best view of the Boston skyline. The food is just ok, but you come here for the ambiance, summer scene, Coronas, city view & view of the Marina boats floating in the clam waters. Looking at the city view I always seem to notice the boaters having a great time, it always looks like they are having the time of their lives. Looks like some rock stars partying w/​models! I’d liked to be on that boat party:) In the mean time I will continue to live it up at the TOW, which isn’t too shabby
Also I almost forgot to mention the Sunday Bloody Mary bar is great. You can make your own & there is a wide spread of ingredients to choose from!

I would only come here if there was no other bar on earth and even then I’d consider not going. I did not like this place very much at all. Yes, it’s a decent view — but I think it’s a pain to get to and if you have a car you can fugeddabout pahkin it around these pahtz. It was a late summer day, September — the temperature was 89 degrees and HOT. Bright and sunny Sunday, blue sky, windows down. I wanted beer. I wanted to sit my ass outside and drink a beer. Drove to the waterfront. Nada. No parking. No dice. Nothing. Good luck, keep driving. We’re in the North End, same situation. Not a parking space to speak of, keep driving. We are in Charlestown, it’s nice where we are, except, you guessed it, no fucking parking.
We keep driving.
My fiancé said that he remembers there is a place on the water… where the eff is it? We keep driving. We find what we hope is the place and not a mirage. It’s hot. We find a parking lot and written on a cardboard sign in spraypaint it reads «No Tavern on the Water Parking». We keep driving.
We finally find a space. About 10 minutes away. We park. We walk. We are thirsty. I am hungry and have to pee.
We finally get up to Tavern on the Water. Before I even set foot in the general area, I could smell trash wafting by and since this place is big on the fried seafood, and there is a dumpster thisclose to where I was walking and their is an ocean breeze… well, let’s just say that I had a hard time not gagging.
We walk up some rickety stairs to this godforsaken place and some dude is chatting with another due in ill-​fitting plaid shorts. With the fly down. Not quite the «Good afternoon, and how many people are in your party?» kinda welcome I was anticipating. He was nice enough to stop yakking and said rather abruptly that there we NO seats out on the deck but we could sit inside. Fine. I just wanted to get away. We sit down at a semi-​dirty table that was quite sticky and sat on our bar stools. Ordered a mojito and a beer. Waitress came back with a mojito for me and a beer for my fiancé. One sip into my mojito and I traded with my fiancé. Should have went with the beer initally, but the mojito beckoned. I didn’t even see any mint in it. Which is the best part of a mojito (along with the rum). The nacho cheese dip was ordered and came out with lukewarm cheesey goo and greasy, yet stale chips.
I ordered the fish and chips and they were overpriced flavorless. Nary a flake of fish to be found and all breading. I like a good battery fish and chip, and this was neither batter nor fish.
Pricey though!
Ordered one more beer for good measure and got the bill. Left and will never return again. I also was kinda grossed out by our waitress who had very long hair — I would not want that going near my plate of food — no matter how unflavored my food was. I just don’t think Tavern on the Water is up to par with most places cleanliness wise. If it was a shithole bar, that would be fine. Shithole bars can be dirty but not disgusting.
This place ain’t for me.

The panoramic views are five stars; if the weather is nice, I suggest you sit on the patio and admire the Navy Yard to one side and the skyline to the other. Definitely worth it. (Parking sitch sucks, by the way, as does sitting inside. The interior is a bit tired-​looking. I think there is carpeting. I don’t remember due to the following paragraph.)
Drinks are okay. The sangria is expensive at $ 25/​pitcher and tastes a bit more like watery fruit punch than it does red wine. (Mea culpa, mea culpa. My fault for ordering sangria.) However, a Dark ‘n Stormy here packs a lot more wallop; they are refreshing, strong, and cold, although $ 9 for something served out of a plastic cup? MEH. More about the drink list: it is a little bit lame. By a little bit, I mean super lame. There is Popsicletini on the menu that contains Blue Pucker and, of all things, Bacardi Razz. Since you probably used to make those for yourself in your college dorm, you can see why Tavern’s drink list might disappoint those with a palate more mature than a 20-year-old’s.
On that note, the food is nothing special. The lobster roll was skimpy on lobster and the hot dog roll was absolutely 100% stale. A grilled pear salad came soaking in a somewhat-​sweet lemon vinaigrette; nothing busts my chops quite like overdressed greens. But the fries and most apps are good, with surprisingly decent seared scallops. Overall, everything tastes merely okay.
But come here at sunset or later, when the city will be all a-​sparkle. Order a plate of fries. Then add a pitcher of something strong from the right-​hand side of the bev menu while avoiding the raspberry death-​rum. Mix well, garnish with a skyline and serve.

Came back to Tavern on The Water this past weekend. It is really tempting in the summer because of its closeness to the water and the great views.
But after trying it a second time around I had to update this review. We ordered the guacamole appetizer and it was awful. Completely fake guacamole that tasted more like a paste than avocados. It came with pretty stale chips too. What makes it even worse is that they charge 9 bucks for this app!
My last suggestion — only come here for a beer and a good view.

I forgot how much a really dislike this place. Back in college it seemed like such a scene… and you can’t take away from the fact that they have great views… but honestly… it’s kinda gross. Carpeting? Really? We stopped in here very hungry and were told that full menu is only served upstairs but a limited menu is served downstairs. Well, we liked our spot downstairs so we chose to stay.
Everything that came to us was clearly out of a jar or can and was served on plastic plates. I understand that the close proxemity to the water influences what you can and cannot do, but don’t even bother serving that kind of stuff if you can’t make it nice.
I won’t lie — I’ll eat queso dip from a jar. I’ve done it before. But I do that in the privacy of my own home and only paid $ 3.99 for it. No inflation on my queso!

I would love to give Tavern on The Water all 5 stars, if only for the views, and the ambiance.
I almost get the feeling they know the location more then makes up for the mediocre food, and lack luster service. The customer service is what knocks them down 2 stars.
We arrived on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and drinks. We wanted to sit up stairs, and we were told «Down stairs would be more our scene» So we went downstairs, where the waiter actually seemed confused and unsure of whether or not they served food. Back up stairs we went where I almost had to argue to be sat upstairs so we could order. Again, had the ambiance not been so great, I would have left.
I will never again bother with food, too much hassel, and not that great (Which is too bad, such potential!) but I will definitely return for drinks.
An added bonus, take the ferry from the aquarium for $ 1.60 each way!

I hadn’t been out to the Tavern on the Water in ten years. On a whim I signed up for a raffle for a ticket into a celebrity poker tournament and won, so I got to spend a night playing cards with Gary Guyton, Rob Gronkowski, Cedric Maxwell, Dana Barrows, etc.
It was a lot of fun. The food highlight (which I hope is on the regular menu) was the sashimi tacos. Sashimi, spicy sauce and some scallions. I think my friend Tim and I took down about twenty of them. Good times!

So yeah, the food here is just all right. Sometimes even good, but nothing hugely special. Similarly, mixed drinks at the bar are mostly okay. Not quite strong enough, and I wouldn’t order anything more complicated than a margarita.
But you know what? When it’s a 9:00 pm on a Thursday in summer and the thermometer is still sizzling at 80 degrees — there are very few other places that I would rather be than leaning against a railing on the downstairs deck soaking in the ocean breeze and breathtaking skyline views at Tavern on the Water. Yes, it’s been said, but it can’t be said enough. Absolutely breathtaking.
You should join me on the deck here sometime, just remember to bring a sweater or light jacket, that aforementioned breeze can really kick up as the evening winds on. Ladies, this is territory for flats or wedges, you don’t want to experience the embarrassment of face planting because your stiletto got caught between wooden decking slats. Trust me. Really, trust me.
A designated driver is a must whenever trekking to Charlestown for drinks. And maybe I just have amazing parking karma, but I’m always able to find a spot on 1^st Ave, within a block or six. The mere fact that you’re heading off to Charlestown for an evening of drinking also sets you up for a preordained interesting evening. Residents of this area have some pretty unique flavor, and TotW is a huge draw for big local crowds in the summer. It’s also a destination spot, and with a single glimpse of the panorama you’ll understand why.
You can up the ‘adventure’ factor in few ways during an evening here. The first is by attempting to find the facilities located on the lower level. By which I mean unlit port-​a-​potties. Yes, for real. If the place is (relatively) quiet go around front and walk up to the second level where the real bathrooms are located. If the place is hopping (as in, there’s a line), AND you’re truly intrepid, you can always hover and wait for a waiter to come down the stairwell in the middle of the deck, and sneak up before the door closes behind him. Wait, I didn’t really suggest that, I would *never*…
If you’re out for the MOST adventurous evening of all, you can stick around long enough to close down the place, at midnight in the summer, and then talk your way onto an after-​hours boat party in the adjoining shipyard. Extra bonus points for the geeky crowd if you can talk yourself onto Norm Abrams trawler.
Tavern on the Water. The good, the bad, the ugly and the obscure.

I have come here a few times mostly to drink, once to eat… really fun location with tons of great patio area. I hear some of the food is really great, and what I had last year was solid (some chicken thai/​rice thing).
They have tons of tv’s so it’s a great spot to catch a game and the waterfront view is one of the main highlights.

Stellar views, solid drinks, good service, meh food.
As a Navy Yard resident, I have a soft spot for the Tav. I love that a bar with the best views of Boston, friendly bartenders, and a freaking make your own bloody-​mary bar (!!!) is literally steps outside my door. As an outdoor summer bar, it beats Tia’s hands down.
I would really love for them to step up their game in the food department. Even with the expectation of «bar food» — I have sampled far more misses than hits. The «fresh guacamole» has the taste and texture of store-​bought, at a $ 9 price point. The Ahi napoleon is small and under-​seasoned, and none of the fish dishes taste particularly fresh.
So yeah, come here for a bucket of beers with friends and take in the spectacular view. Just maybe eat elsewhere first!

One of the few places that makes working in East Bum (aka CNY) worth it. During the summertime, I can neither confirm nor deny the rumor that a certain department tends to blow off the rest of the afternoon after a fire drill to come here, drink delicious Sam Summer, and take in some of the best views of downtown anywhere as the sun wanes and another day comes to a close. It’s times like this I think to myself, «Damn I love this city.» Sigh…
Er, or I would if this rumor were actually true…
Skip the food though, overpriced and underwhelming.

A cute bar and restaurant with an expensive menu for pub seafood. I suppose the glorious views in some way should make the menu prices worth it but as I sipped my $ 8.00 mojito out of a plastic cup and enjoyed my $ 14.50 oyster appetizer on a bunch of paper plates, I wasn’t quite convinced (even though those items, as well as the lobster mac and cheese I shared, were all quite tasty.) When a glass fell from one of the higher levels onto a table below (with two unsuspecting customers narrowly missed by the broken glass) I started to really dig the plasticware.
The location is obviously beautiful and I doubt I could find a complaint with the food, but I am not always willing to spend upwards of $ 50 for myself for lunch and a drink when it isn’t a little more upscale. But I hear Josh Beckett lives mere steps away, so there’s that!