Church

We LOVE this local place. I take people from out of town who are scared of "city food" (read anything raw or vaguely foreign). We went to a bourbon tasting dinner once which was a religious experience. Everything about the place is laid back. The mac and cheese with chorizo is fantastic! We've never had a problem with the food and the cocktails are really fun and generally strong. I don't have a problem with the price of the food for what they serve, the portions are edible in one seating but the quality is good.

OK, so my wife and I have been going to Church for a while. We live in the neighborhood and support the local establishments. The food has definitely gotten better since the start, but what's up with their SUCKY music (on the restaurant side)? We've been told the owner likes it, but it really takes away from the true ambiance of the place. Summary - you offer something unique in the Fenway. The restaurant (again, not the bar/club side)looks great, and the food has improved. LOSE the weird bluesy rock thing, and go with some cool lounge, ambient, or jazz. Seriously, the stuff you're playing does not mix with your decor at all, and is turning people off to the place. Play some cool music that accentuates the vibe your decor creates, and people will actually WANT to come there.

Went for the music, but the food sucked me in. Neighborhood-type restaurant with great food and a totally relaxing atmosphere. No pressure from servers and NO attitude. This place is chill. Check it out!

My friends and I decided to go to Church because we had been hearing great things about it. My friend called to make a reservation for us at 9pm. We were told that if we arrived around 8:45pm they might be able to seat us. We arrived at said time and not only could they not seat us, but they said they had lost our reservation that we had made hours ago. We waited at the bar, which was an overall positive experience and took away some of the frustration of having to wait nearly an hour for a table. The dining experience was a whole different thing all together. Our server was inattentive and painfully slow. The food was sub-par, and extremley overpriced for the quality. I ordered a burger, medium well. The burger was not cooked to the appropriate level and my fries were cold and uncooked. I understand Church is trying to be hip, but what use is my ketchup if you smear it decorativley on my plate? What am I supposed to do? Dip my burger in it? My friend ordered a side of mashed potatoes which were without a doubt the instant kind that comes from a box. The whole experience was absolutley dreadful, and a serious let-down from the rave reviews I had heard from critics and friends. There was no excuse for them to have lost our reservation or taken so long with our dinner, it was not that busy considering it was a Friday night. Perhaps we just caught them on an off-night, but I wouldn't go back nor would I recommend this place to anyone. The bar was the only redeeming quality, however, you can get a decent martini at most other places in the city without the pretentious atmosphere. If your looking for great food and a hip atmosphere in the Fenway, I suggest Eastern Standard over Church any day.