Boulevard Tavern

This evening I ordered crab cakes and my dining partner ordered mussels. The cake cake was microwaved from being frozen. The side items were lifeless and dull. The mussels were passable. The side of French fries were still cold in the center.
The management group still has not figured out that service is an important element of the dining experience. I truly can’t stand being referred to as «you guys» when we are not both gentlemen.
While the potential for success exists based on the location, the experience tells me the management team is unaware that serving a quality product and providing a service experience worth the price are keys to success.

I ordered the salmon salad. The salad had lots of flavor and the salmon was cooked to perfection. Service was excellent. I hope this place sticks around.

When Brasserie Beck came I have to say I was very excited. Food was awesome. Inexpensive for what you get. Lots of options. Incredible experiences. Wait staff wasn’t phenomenal, but they were getting it together. Friendly and willing, so I never left with any bad experiences.
Then they changed everything. Sadly, but understandably so.
The fries are still amazing. Food is still good. I wont comment too much there cause I was hit with a particular standard, and everything changed.
Fun hanging around at the bar, good specials.

I’ve been holding off on writing this update, as I wanted to cool off. Cooling off might be the wrong choice of words — I was just really disappointed this last time and have been for a while now. I do think I am a little picky — I want my food to be right, I want my service to be attentive (friendly is better, engaging is best), I want prices to be fair (doesn’t have to be a bargain, but I don’t want to feel I could get better of the aforementioned items for less). Before I go further, the manager (who recognized us as regulars) comped the entire bill. This isn’t typical, and certainly not something we wanted, but it gives some insight into how poor the kitchen/​service was this time.
The last time we went, was about a month ago. We were there about an hour and 15 minutes before we were finally served. Our waiter was attentive and apologize several times and explained that the kitchen was backed up. However, the restaurant was not particularly crowded this night AND there were other tables seated after us that were basically paying their bills. Further, on this night there were 1 or 2 tables that we noticed grumbling and walking out before getting served.
Regarding the food, My daughter wanted the filet and orders it MR. It came out much less than rare. My wife’s mussels were fine (high quality, as expected) but she *always* orders them with sweet potato fries. We always confirm with the waiter that she’ll be getting the SP fries. Without fail, she always gets the regular fries which we send back and then get the SP fries. However, this time we had been waiting so long, it just didn’t make sense to wait any more so we settled for what we didn’t want. I ordered the ribs — they were cold. Not sure what was going on, but something got really screwed up.
As I mentioned, the manager came over and apologized and asked us to give the restaurant another chance. I did not expect him to pick up the entire bill, but he did. But I did tell him that we’re taking a break from dining there for a while. Shame though, we can walk there from my house. But there are some good restaurants near by that are actually pretty good (Coastal Flats, Not Your Average Joes, and DEFINITELY Inferno!!)
Maybe it’s gotten better, try BT at your own risk right now…

Went for the first time. My wife enjoyed the bbq sandwich. I tried the St. Louis ribs, while they were meaty the rub was over powering and definitely not St. Louis style. I also went with the wings. They were meaty, cooked well, but again the rub was not appetizing and the dip was runny. The beer was delicious and service excellent. Having said all of that I will not be back!

Great appetizers! Really enjoy the happy hour on Saturdays! Nice staff who seem to be on the ball as well.

We almost didn’t stop here because of some of the reviews, but we are so glad we did! First, our server, Miles, brought us water as soon as we sat down. We haven’t been to a restaurant that doesn’t practically make you beg for water in years, so that was a nice touch. We ordered the Deviled Hen Eggs as an app, and they were delicious — not your typical deviled eggs! We split the baked trout and the seared ahi, and both were amazing. Dessert was pumpkin cheesecake with candied pumpkin seeds — so good! The service was great (ask for Miles!) and even though I worried we would be underdressed because we had just come from Lowes in our «home improvement clothes,» we didn’t feel out of place at all. We are adding this to our short list of places to eat in GBurg!

The food is so good here. I had loved Brasserie Beck and Largent’s. When I heard that Boulevard Tavern was going to pretty much duplicate Largent’s menu, I was sad that it meant one would close. Largent’s closed. I would have preferred to see both open, with Brasserie Beck doing a Belgian menu. But, I think Boulevard Tavern does the Largent’s menu much better. I had the tuna tartare, beet salad (both which were offered by Largent’s), the meatballs, the deviled eggs, and pumpkin cheesecake. All while drinking wine, and connected to wifi with my laptop. I have often tried to get a bar seat during the week, but I (happily) can’t due to it being packed. Sunday afternoon is going to be my BT time… Not crowded. Space for my laptop and any work. Overall, a nice experience.

Came here for the first time…
Pro’s:
+Friendly and attentive staff
+Kid friendly menu
+Only came for brunch but offered various choices
+Quiet atmosphere not a lot of people for brunch
+Offers reservations
+Mussels were at a great price and offered a huge portion. Spicy Thai Curry wasn’t spicy at all however the flavor was excellent.
+Pecan Rum French Toast put my husband to sleep. I think that really should be a con ;-)
+Offers patio seating
+Live bands on certain evenings
Con’s:
–Had the burger, ordered medium but more on the well side :-(
–Wish the place was a bit more lively. seemed a bit dead
–Other guests said the food was good but wouldn’t go out of their way to visit again
–Bloody Mary wasn’t up to par on taste
I think I have to return for dinner to see how the food and service is. Will return.

My second time eating at the Gaithersburg location Very disappointed in our mussels Smaller quantity and very hard to find mussels, mostly broth.
Probably will not return. Such a shame since there are so few good restaurants in the area

Birthday party of nine. They seemed uncertain of the reservation that I’d confirmed earlier in the day, but we were seated quickly enough, and orders were efficiently taken. Everyone loved their burgers, and the tots, the beet salad, and the onion soups were excellent. Too bad that we had to ask them to turn down/​off the loud sports news in the room that we had to ourselves (without a tv), and too bad they couldn’t put a little music on instead.
The little cakes that we ordered for desert were great, but too bad that they didn’t offer to do/​comp anything for Crystal’s birthday, and it was a little annoying that it was so hard to get our waiter’s attention for the check after we were done and had had such a good time. We’ll be back, but a little more attention and would have been appreciated.

Mitch is a class act. First time in Boulevard Tavern and first impressions are the ultimate and that is why I am taking time to write this, well deserved review. Mitch is classy, professional, prompt and deserving of this review. …my first time meeting this gentleman and he made us feel like the only customers he was serving (special) will definitely be back. The restaurant is clean the mussels where great drinks arrived perfect, as ordered. The music and atmosphere is great, however again, service is key. Mitch you are awesome never change your style dude!

Sat at the bar for dinner. Service on a Thursday night around 8pm was a little lacking. We had the deviled eggs with bacon, peppers and onions, which were tasty but a little over dressed. We substituted almond green beans instead of the fries on our NY stop entrée which is a $ 3 up charge. The steak was cooked perfectly medium and totally satisfying. The sunflower salad was also over dressed but the green beans were cooked just right. Wish the bartender had split our entrée into two plates because we did say we were sharing but I guess u cannot expect that kind of service at the bar unless your at Clydes at Tower Oaks (bar service there is superb).

I’m kind of really liking the revamped Blvd Tavern… The owners saw Brasserie Beck wasn’t working and made some smart changes… other than the interior, which they didn’t touch, everything else is working!
The menu, is more American, and feels like it has more choices… it may just be that there are more items I like on it now, I’m not sure… and it’s just less expensive enough that I don’t mind returning often… I think that is what they were going for.
The food is consistently pretty outstanding… The fries are worth stopping in alone, and the happy hour is a good deal for some better than average HH food! The meat balls are some of the best I’ve had in a long time.
I don’t love the wine selection, but there is something on there for everyone… and the interior is terrible… Just makes me feel like I’m at Red Lobster… not that there’s anything wrong with that!

A few of us came for brunch to check out the new menu. Brasserie Beck is now Boulevard Tavern.
They have a great patio here but it was a bit warm outside so we sat in the dining room. There was one other party in the dining room with us.
Everything seemed to be on delay. Our server lacked any sense of urgency to take our order or bring us water. Our appetizer (crab dip — tasty but a small portion) came out in a reasonable time but the entrees were quite delayed. Our server never followed up to apologize for the delay and seeing as how there was only one other table there it was hard for a table of hungry people to be understanding…
Even after asking another employee if he could find our server, she still took several minutes to appear.
The food was decent but boring. We ordered the Tavern and Brisket burgers. They were bland and not memorable but at least were cooked to order.
They lost a bit of credibility with me when we asked for a side of mayo. The server gave us a side of garlic aioli. She informed us that this was the ooooonly mayo they had because they are a from scratch kitchen. This was a big point she made, telling us about how they make everything fresh. So we asked if the orange juice was made fresh. Nope. Then the manager comes over with a side of mayo that he says he «got from the jar himself». Hmmmm. From scratch, eh?
So if I end up coming back, its only to check out their happy hour. They have it on the patio too. Gotta love a deal… and it’s easier to deal with being ignored when I have a drink in hand.

Best BBQ chicken wings ever, baked oysters, Mac & cheese, & pulled pork sandwhich are really yummy! A little bit of an older crowd but who cares. I’d much rather be around class than a young/​dumb I can’t handle drinking crowd.
Happy hour is pretty good, $ 5 apps & a few drink specials. Service is decent for the most part but we have only sat outside on the patio or at the bar whenever we have come here; so I can’t speak for the dining room.

We came at 10:30 for a beer on a Friday night, not dinner. So no review on the food. They had a live band which drew us in, but they just ended at 10:40. This place should be cool, but it’s lacking.
If you’ve ever thought: «I’m old enough that my kids don’t need a babysitter, so I’m gonna go out, but not too late…» This is your place. The parking lot is full of mid-​life crisis sports cars and the smell of a bad 80s smoking habit is in the air.
Not our crowd.

[I had originally posted this review on the old Brasserie Beck page on July 3, prior to the creation of the new Boulevard Tavern Unilocal listing, so just moving it over here so it’s in the right place.]
We visited Brasserie Beck in Gaithersburg — or at least we thought we were going to be visiting Brasserie Beck in Gaithersburg when we made our reservations through that other site whose name we won’t mention here. When we got there, the old Brasserie Beck signage was all gone (although you could still see the vestiges of it on the awnings), with the restaurant proclaiming a new brand: ‘Boulevard Tavern’. We figured we were already there, so why not try it out?
The Brasserie Beck logos still adorned the floor in the entryway, and the bar still had that same Belgian Brasserie Beck look, which I find inviting. (We shied away from the dining room, since it really didn’t look like a space I wanted to spend much time in.)
Our servers (plural), while a bit awkward at times, were always quite friendly and accommodating, recommending their favorites from the menu, including the shrimp and ham macaroni and cheese. I’ve never heard of a mac-​and-​cheese with shrimp in it, so I decided to go for it, and was glad that I did. It was served in a sizable Le Creuset-​type pot, and the creamy goodness was waiting inside (see picture). What I liked about this mac-​and-​cheese was that it wasn’t overly heavy, with the fontina and gruyère being more sauce-​like than gooey-​thick, and you could easily make your way through this large portion and not feel like you’d need someone to get you to your car in a wheelbarrow. My friend had a very nice-​looking grilled chicken, which he said was nicely prepared and quite tasty.
The new menu (and price point) seems better-​suited to this location, and while this might not be a ‘go out of your way’ destination for me, we’d definitely try the new Boulevard Tavern again when we’re in this neck of the woods.

Food, is OK, biggest reason to go here, go on a Friday or Saturday night when there is music, the people watching is like reality TV.
Its THE place to be for the 55+ single scene and they let it all hang out,
Fake tans abound, skimpy clothing with loose skin is in fashion.
What did your grandparents look like when they were full on making out, you’ll see that here. Are you a balding man but still like to grow your hair into a ponytail, you’re home.
Old enough to know better, but desperate enough not to care.
Somebody needs to start filming this.

Brasserie Beck was rebranded into Boulevard Tavern :(The restaurant had an American style cuisine as opposed to a Belgian fare.
Last Friday night, we came to celebrate Josh’s 26^th birthday. Since I forgot to make a reservation and there was a bit of a wait, we proceeded to the bar area where we sat at the end of a long table. We were surrounded by friendly group of patrons. We waited awhile before a waiter came to take our food and drink order. My friends ordered beers on tap and I’d recommend the Rexx Honey Lemon Saison! I ordered an iced water with lemon but it never came.
We ordered the following:
(1) French Onion Soup, which consisted of salty beef broth and melted gruyère cheese topped with spring onion and crispy onions
(2) Classic Caesar Salad, which consisted of two pieces of romaine wedge topped with homemade Caesar dressing, roasted garlic ‘cornbread’ croutons, shaved parmesan, and white anchovies. There was no sign of hard cooked egg in its menu description. It was a classy way to serve it but it wasn’t worth $ 7.
(3) Classic White Wine Mussels, which consisted of half portion of mussels prepared and cooked in a creamy, white wine sauce with parsley and roasted garlic. I recommend ordering the House Cut Fries for additional $ 1. These fries are served with creamy malt vinegar aioli, Harissa aioli, and ancho chile ketchup. I also recommend ordering a basket of italian white bread to go with it as it is perfect for dipping into that delicious pan of mussels.
(4) St. Louis Ribs, which consisted of half rack of tender and fatty pork ribs that hand rubbed, slow smoked, homemade sweet and tangy BBQ sauce and served with baked beans, lighter version of typical cole slaw, and cornbread muffin.