Mount Vernon at the Wharf

Not only is this place closed, but here is more information about WHY.
Restaurant Closure Has a Ripple Effect
September 21, 2011
By Seth Daniel
This sign, signaling ‘closed for business,’ greets people at the front door of Mt. Vernon at the Wharf Restaurant.
In the cover of night, the Mt. Vernon at the Wharf restaurant owners abruptly closed down their North Shore Road institution early last week, removing equipment and leaving a lot of angry people in their wake.
Food vendors from Revere and surrounding areas report being owed up to $ 100,000, and at this point, don’t see that money ever being re-​paid.
«This could literally put me out of business once I feel the effects of it after Christmas during the first part of next year,» said Joe Dusvitch of Revere’s Pines River Fish Market. «I just got out of a meeting with them and it was pretty much take the beating and be happy with it… I have a lawyer and I offered to take 40 cents on the dollar and work out a payment plan, but they have no intention of paying this and say they have no way to pay it. I think they believe they’re going to walk out of this smelling like roses and not pay anybody, not knowing that the little guy like me will be put out of business with this kind of hit. They’re low-​class people.»
News came quickly early last week that the Henry Family — owners of the Wharf and two other restaurants — had closed down without nary a word to employees, the City of Revere or vendors.
Rumor quickly became truth and building owner Victor Molle asked the City to get involved, and Inspectional Services Director Nick Catinazzo did investigate the situation.
The Revere location and the Lynnfield location did indeed close abruptly, but the Somerville Mt. Vernon Restaurant — the original location — did stay open.
Brett Henry, manager of the Revere location, could not be contacted by phone, and an e-​mail seeking comment was not returned in time for publication.
The Wharf building owner, Victor Molle, said during a License Commission hearing that he preferred not to comment on the matter — despite allegedly being owed several months rent on the Revere location.
Catinazzo said he looked into the matter last Tuesday, and issued a Cease and Desist order because the owners had removed and unhooked a gas stove without getting a permit.
Other than that, there wasn’t much the City could do.
«The owner of the building, Victor Molle, came in to see us and he informed me that the owners of the Mt. Vernon came in the middle of the night and removed all their equipment,» said Catinazzo. «We did get access to the building and were able to issue a Cease and Desist because of the situation with the gas stove. That was pretty much the end of our involvement because it was really a legal issue.»
Catinazzo said that while he was in the building, they did hear vendors calling to ask for money. He said conditions weren’t that bad inside, but it did look as if things had been moved quickly.
Last Thursday, at the License Commission meeting, members of the board put an item on their agenda to discuss the Mt. Vernon’s various licenses, which includes a coveted all alcohol restaurant license.
Without much discussion at all, the board voted unanimously to suspend all licenses at the establishment until further notice.
No one from the restaurant showed up at the hearing.
Meanwhile, jilted vendors have apparently been meeting with the owners at the Somerville location all week.
News has not been good, according to several sources.
Signs of trouble actually began showing up early this year when G/​J Towing — personal friends of the Henry family — erected a sign on their Rt. 1A property proclaiming in bold letters ‘Boycott the Wharf’ and that the Mt. Vernon doesn’t pay its bills.
The rift in that friendship, sources said, came when the owner of G/​J recommended vendors do business with the company, only later finding out that the vendors — who were also friends — had allegedly been stiffed by the restaurant.
…more…

It really takes a lot for me to give a place one star. Maybe there should be a level between «don’t go here» and «meh.» This place was definitely only a meh, but if there was a half star I’d give it a meh and a half.
Because really the experience was not so bad. I was with a large group and only ordered drinks and apps. The food was expensive and I couldn’t see that amount comfortably in my budget. As it was it was still an expensive night with just apps and drinks.
So I can’t comment on the lobsters or other seafood. The «view» is not really at all, its pretty industrial looking. Though it was nice to go outside and… watch people smoking.
The ambiance was pretty hilarious. Karaōke, dancing on a tiny floor, most of the crowd nearer to 60 than 25.
My Medical Assistant/​Phlebotomy instructor singing his kareoke face off? priceless!
They were very tolerant of the large group and I’m sure confusing orders, tons of drinks and loudness that ensues when people spend too much time in a classroom all summer. For that and the pure kitch factor of knowing exactly what you’re getting when you walk in the door, I’d give them the half.

I was taken to Mt. Vernon on the Wharf in Revere for a Father’s Day Dinner but not on Fathers Day, by my son and his girlfriend and I had an outstanding, fantastic time. The hostess was very pleasant and was able to seat us on the outside deck immediately with terrific music, very enjoyable.
We ate outside at about 6:30P on a Sunday evening and our waitstaff Jackie was SUPER. The Restaurant brought over 4 popovers as a complimentary hors d’œuvre. We took advantage of the Twin Lobster Special at $ 13.99, I requested the lobsters to be steamed instead of boiled and they were very accomondating. My guest ordered Ipswich clams and they were the freshest I have tasted. Steak Tips and Scallops were all cooked perfectly for my son and his girlfriend, very flavorful Scallops !
I requested a special call drink called the «Nutty Colonel» and their mixologist, given the proper instructions made the drink to order.
After reading some of the previous reviews I am confused because my experience was very positive, the food was sumptous, the atmosphere was terrific and the service by Jackie was OUTSTANDING ! If you are in the business for about 20 years generally. .. YOU ARE MORE CRITICAL in your reviews (see Marlene A. 5÷13÷2009 review below), further if you are in the business YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER, Shame on you for taking YOUR MOM OUT ON A MOTHERS DAY TO A RESTAURANT ! Even after a brunch.
However, having said that…I did not see anything referencing to you speaking to management and getting the name of the person you voiced your opinion too, if not you missed an opportunity to allow the restaurant to prove they are better than your review, and as you said…everyone does have an off day, let the management prove they are worthy of your patronage OR I will SUPPORT EVERY COMMENT YOU MADE ! Additionally I hope you left the appropriate gratuity that commensurates with the type of service you received WHICH WOULD BE .01 Cent ! If you gave a gratuity greater than this amount YOU FAILED TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE RESTAURANT and as you said being in the business for 20 years, you should know better !
I would hope any previous negative experience reviewers left their contact information with management or for the owner since most owners or General Managers would want you to come back and have a positive experience and give them a second chance if you had a bad experience, or do you habitually see the glass ½ empty instead of ½ Full with your reviews!
I am recommending this location to my friends and I am anxious to try their other two locations in Somerville and at the Ship on Route 1 Southbound in Lynnfield, MA. .. .. .there are lessons to be learned here.

The twin lobby special is a delight and well worth the fare, Simple yet filling and tasty. I was eating lobby like a pro. Finished with a messy sundae and all is sweet.
Simple ambience with no frills, pleasant waitstaff, quick service. A-​OK in my book Thanks!

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I had a bad experience last July at this «establishment» but was willing to give it another chance since it was Mother’s Day we made reservations. I’ll list my complaints chronlogically so I don’t miss anything 1) Reservations were made but we weren’t on the list. On the plus side, we were seated within 10 minutes, that should have been a sign2) I noticed a buffet station lined up but weren’t offered this option when we called for reservation3) surprise surprise a «special» holiday” menu4) my waiter appeared to be about 15 and stoned, would you like menus? No let me guess what you have, moron. 4) The prices were comparable to high-​end like Mortons, Capital Grille, Mt. Vernon you’re aiming too high try competing with Applebees 5) Asked for bread, we were given cold croissants from the brunch buffet, saw other people getting popovers asked the waiter who was missing a lot of the time and told they were all gone and went too quick.6) given wrong appetizer 7) I cannot repeat this enough prices were ridiculous and the wait continued. I agree with Marlene A. The haddock at 25??? you must be on crack. finally it dawned on the waiter to get the manager who explained there was a breakdown in service when they transitioned from Brunch to dinner. He was apologetic but when we started to give more examples of poor service his patience started to wain. In additon he had told me there was an automotic 18% gratuity added to partys of any number??? In the end, we were given coupons for free appetizers, comped $ 20 and an appetizer though I will never set foot in there again. I gave it 1 star because at least they recogzize the poor service. My wife even told me she heard the Maitre’d comment this was a real cluster*uck. Bottom Line keep headed north to Swampscott and the Red Rock Bistro. The prices are still overblown but at least you wont need an antacid once you leave. Final note: I just reheated ground beef I made tacos with on Wednesday and was much more satisfied than what they attempted to pass for fine dining. I would only suggest going here if you are dieting or bulimic

Go for the lobsters, and only the lobsters. Well mabye a couple of beers.
We showed up early on a Tuesday with the intention of getting the $ 9.99 twin lobster special. The lobsters were very fresh and cooked perfectly. Everything was very sub par.
The popovers instead of dinner rolls were a nice change.
We shared an appetizer of Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites. They were ok nothing special, but the chicken gravy that they were served with was very bland and took away from the flavor of the ham and cheese in the chicken.
They charge an extra $ 3 per lobster if you want it baked stuffed, I would gladly pay $ 5 or $ 7 if the stuffing had more flavor.
My friend ordered a side of asparagus, I would guess the asparagus had been delivered 8 – 10 days earlier, it was wilted and brownish in color and the side order only came with 3 pieces.
Next time I go I am only going to order the lobster special and a few beers, no appetizers or sides.

I wish I could give even fewer stars. This was topped off by the worst white trash restaurant manager ever!
We went for brunch. I called and asked what time brunch started and was told they start at 9:30. We arrived at 10 and there was nothing hot on the buffet yet. They had some muffins that felt like they had just been thawed, but that was it. Ten minutes later some items began appearing from the kitchen. I am still not sure if that was a good thing or not.
The food was BAD at best. The eggs were not nearly as good as what is served at Guantanamo Bay to the inmates. They were beyond dry and tasted a little burnt.
I tried some eggs benedict and the completely soggy english muffin tasted like it had been dipped in a bucket of water before being served.
There was some chicken, ziti and broccoli. The chicken was as dry as a bone and the sauce was bland and watery.
I think the only decent items on the buffet were the waffles. They were good, I think. Maybe they just seemed better compared to everything else.
During the whole time we could not get a server to refill our coffee. They were all huddled at the station talking loudly and enjoying their coffee.
And now the really bad part…
So, we had a gift certificate for $ 50. The bill for the food was $ 59. I put in the GC and $ 24. That included the $ 9 that the gift certificate did not cover and the tax and then gave the server generous gratuity. The manager claimed — and this is an exact quote…
«The $ 50 gift certificate is not really worth $ 50 because you have to take the tax off of it.»
What?! I tried to explain several times but she kept interrupting me and getting so loud that three waitresses came over. So, now I am trying to quietly explain her mistake and she keeps getting louder and all of these servers are rolling their eyes at me! I finally told her to do whatever she wanted with the money but that was what I was leaving.
All in all, this was a terrible experience. The food is gross and the service is crap. Add on to that some manager trying to embarrass you in front of other diners and this place is junk!
SKIP IT!

Ran into their lobster special that they run Monday through Wednesday. Place was mobbed but we still got an outside deck table. Live entertainment was good. Hot popovers showed up right away. I had the swordfish special that was outstanding (very inventive presentation. Very upbeat, fun place with a great staff. Check it out!

Let me start with I am in the food business (waitress for over 20 yrs) and tend to cut more slack for mistakes then anyone I know. It is a tough business, and everyone has an off day. That being said this is possibly the WORSE dinning experience EVER.
I was part of a party of five for Mother ‘s Day dinner. We waited until after 3 pm so as not to be bothered with buffet menu. We prefer to pay a little more, and enjoy ordering made to order food, instead of food cooked for the masses usually served at buffets.
Service was EXTREMELY slow, despite the lack of people. Our waiter ONLY had 4 tables. I know this as we were there when the other 3 tables were empty and being assigned to him. Our waiter was unable to work the register, forgot items we had ordered, delivered wrong item (we ordered onion rings, and received fries, and wrong salad dressing, forgot chowder until reminded). Several people who came in after us (seated @ tables in a section with seasoned severs), were finished and leaving before we had even received our entrees!
The when we finally received the meals they were AWFUL! I mean I couldn’t even choke it down, it was that bad. And at $ 24.99 for a dried out over cooked piece of Haddock, oh please. I have to wonder if they were sent out of the kitchen lousy or if the entrees had to be reheated a.k.a microwave, because they were left sitting in Que on the line, as our waiter was so poor at his job. Or if the kitchen was being manned by ex-​cons who don’t care what they dish out to paying customers.
So I figured what the hell, it is Mother’s day make the best of it. Yes, it is poor service, and lousy over priced food, well at LEAST we have THE VIEW of the water to enjoy… NOT! At that exact moment they closed the blinds!!! I can only assume to save $$$ on A/​C, because people were complaining it was stuffy & hot inside the dinning room. C’mon people, when service is terrible, and food is worse, you should never ever lose the one «pro» people associate with the wharf, THE VIEW! I have gift certificate I received over the holidays to the wharf, thought about selling on e-​bay. But alas, after this Mother’s day experience I did not want to inflict this dinning pain on anyone else. So it ended up in the shredder, even the mere thought of a meal there makes my skin crawl, even if it already paid for via gift certificate. I am SUPER surprised that the Mt. Vernon allows its name to be associated with such a shabby run place. Not that Mt. Vernon is know for upscale dinning, but at least their food is consistant. RUN don’t walk away, from anyone suggesting this place. YUCK!

I went there for Valentine’s Day with some friends and thought it was great. I loved the steamers. They had a special of $ 99 for two people with 2 entrees, 2 champange glasses, two entrees and two desserts. The only thing that I could say negative was the service is kinda slow, but that could have been because there were so many people and it was Valentine’s Day. We were there for 3 hours of dinner LOL Great food though (had steak)!

I’ve been here a couple times for dinner with my boyfriend. I’m not a fan of the bread they bring out but I’ve always have a good meal here. I remember I got the steak one time which was great, but I dont remember what I ordered any other time. My boyfriend didnt care for the lobster because it was a female lobster filled with babies and junk (YUCK) … but hey its lobster. I do feel its over priced but it’s still not a bad place to eat.
I avoid the bar when I go in, not because theres anything wrong it, but because I perfer to eat at a dinner table.

No thanks.
Aside from the twin lobster special, this place is not only expensive, but so not worth it. I took my parents here for the lobsters and my mother was ready to cancel the order and storm out once she saw the prices for the appetizers. We waited forever — it was the longest dining experience I’ve had in a long time. The bar scene here is very scary: lesbian bus drivers and guys chewing OC’s like they are chiclets. This is wild nightlife in Revere at its worst. Just say no…

.- Choose Your Own Adventure -.
After leaving Nahant Beach, sunburnt and stahvin, you notice your parking stub offers $ 2 off an Entrée or Appetizer at Mt Vernon at the Wharf.
– If you decide to give it a shot, because, hey, $ 2 almost pays for your parking, go to @.
– If you see it as a desperate plea for biz, go to XXX.
@ Aw shi! The inside shows quasi-​elegance in the service uniforms, real silver on the tables and bubble gum oldies creating musical ambience. The outside has deck tables sitting on the Wharf (it ain’t just the name), a full service bar and set up for live music.
– If you take a seat inside, go to $$
– If you sit outside, go to ()().
()() The frazzled server takes a while to welcome you, brings the beer bucket special (two featured imports, any combo of 6 for $ 12.99) ten minutes later and without a bottle opener, complains the kitchen ran out of ice and says «No offense to the people, but I hate this place.»
– If you see where this is going and start eyeing the sharpness of the butter knife to the convenient proximity of your eye socket, go to XXX.
– If you understand these things happen and proceed with the food order, go to …
!!! Hey! She brings a bottle opener. You kick back refreshing brews and give your food order — Scallops wrapped in bacon on crostini to start. For din, Steak and Shrimp: a 14oz cut of prime sirloin and seven shrimp, lightly coated and fried. Your choice of potato and salad or soup. Suddenly, the live music starts up and ruthlessly clashes with the oldies blaring from the outside speakers.
– If you ask the place to turn down the doowap in favor of Captain Carl and the Wailing Seamen, go to %.
– If you’d rather just move inside and avoid complaining, go to $$.
% Situation resolved. The Cap and his Seamen are spewing all over you. Scallops are served, wrapped in barely cooked bacon and sitting on a soggy piece of wheat bread. Voila! You share a laugh with your dinner date and wonder what’s to come.
– If you cancel your entrees and order two more beer buckets, go to XXX.
– If you bank on a better main course, go to &&&.
&&& Thirty minutes later, entrees arrive. Your time spent eavesdropping on neighboring tables pitting Ponzi lingerie sales women up against New Jersey’s Barbie and Ken equipped with designer rhinestone caps and tan-​in-​a-​can skin is capped by the following presentation: a fatty, decrepit, overcooked «steak» you’d find under eggs at Bickfords and seven cold, rubbery shrimp skewered below a blanket of Old Bay. Completely inedible.
– If you request something ANYTHING else, go to ???
– If you eat the crap just to get out of there, go to the other Mount Auburn, have your stomach pumped, then go to ???
??? A manager half-​heartedly apologizes, claiming a typo on the menu and brings a bland lobster bisque and fairly tasty chicken cordon bleu nuggets as a substitute. Hot, tired and sand-​blasted, you pay too much for too little. And head towards the door.
– If you think to yourself, it was probably an off night. Maybe I’ll come back for the Twin Lobster special, go to @.
– If you mentally recite «what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger» again and again while lugging your exhausted, battle-​worn girl back to your car and out of this hell, go to XXX.
$$ You’re a dork. Who sits inside when there’s a wharf and live music? Go back to @ or find an internet café and meet up with your guild on WoW.
XXX — Good idea. Never go back.