Stool Restaurant Review

A neighborhood pub all dressed up

The Globe Bar and Café
565 Boylston Street
Back Bay, Boston

Maybe there is some kind of zoning policy that requires restaurants near Newbury Street to maintain a certain level of affectation. Because the Globe Bar and Grill seems like it wants to be a cozy neighborhood pub, but it’s dressed up with all the style of a place where people say uber and wear those big, furry moccasin boots.

The central location in the middle of Copley square promised convenience from the office, perfect for the first stop after work to grab a drink on a Friday, when a long delay in eating or drinking is completely unacceptable. The location also makes it a good jumping off point to wet the whistle and fill up a stomach for the night that awaits.

The walls are paneled in lacquered wood, with small mirrors interspersed. The small spiral light fixtures are contemporary, and the black leather booths could be from Shaft. The high ceilings and set up give it a modern, open air.

I met my girlfriend there and we sank down into one of the booths, quite literally since “overstuffed” understates the cushioning provided; on contact your butt drops about six inches into the bench. The high backs of the booths create a sense of privacy and intimacy; you can carry on a conversation and not worry that your neighbor will lean over and throw their two cents in. At the same time, a good sized collection of cubicle escapees were enjoying drinks in the bar area and the noise and commotion made the place lively.

The bar sports area has four or five plasma TV’s, which were showing college basketball and kick boxing, which was great because after a long week my girlfriend had lots of work stories to tell me.

The soundtrack featured U2 and some other rock that made it seem like people were getting ready to party. Upstairs (a space that can be rented out for private parties) the stained glass Map sets the tone, of cool, classy and upscale.

The menu was very simple, a change from the last time I went there, during the restaurant’s former incarnation as The White Star Tavern when there were a number of interesting and creative dishes. Now there are probably 8-10 choices for appetizers, sandwiches and entrees.

With a place called the Globe you might imagine a menu composed of wildly varying exotic cuisines. You might envision a smorgasbord of ethnic specialties, but instead it’s devoted exclusively to bar room staples. Given the sophisticated and hip appearance, the food options were disappointingly run of the mill. Choices run the gamut all the way from Hamburgers to beef stew, with Mac and Cheese for the truly adventurous. The choices were limited to say the least.

I got the Cesar Salad for an appetizer; it was a full plate ($6.95). The dressing was heavy but not fishy, which is just how I like it. The portion was large and the ingredients seemed fresh. I washed it down with a Red Hook IPA, one of a decent collection of taps and bottles they offer ($4.95 a pint).

For dinner I had the steak tips, medium rare ($9.95). The portion was a reasonable size and I ordered and received medium rare. But the tips weren’t marinated and lacked flavor. I requested sauce to spice things up but they didn’t have it. It came with some great steak fries and some sautéed vegetables, which were kind of like eating wet cardboard. Soft, flavorless, and fundamentally unsatisfying.

My girl got the green salad ($6.95) and the chicken skewers ($7.95). When I asked how it was she answered with a shrug.

In short, this food was exactly what you expect from a typical pub, nothing to match the cool atmosphere and nothing to go out of your way for. Of course, the restaurant is located right in the heart of Boston, so you really don’t need to go out of the way. The place had a good atmosphere for a few friends out drinking or a date. And if the food wasn’t great, at least the prices at least reflected the quality, being remarkable reasonable for the area. Entrees ran around $10-$12 and sandwiches for $6-$8.

The service was friendly and prompt. They accommodated our seating requests and when we got into a conversation and hadn’t really looked at the menu for 15 minutes our waitress, Rose, gave an understanding smile and patience.

After dinner we sampled some of the high-end cocktails advertised in a special drink menu on the table. I had a Makers Mark Manhattan ($8.00) and my date ordered the Apple Martini ($7.50). They were made very well, though they aren’t for the faint of heart.