Had dinner with a small group of friends at the ever busy 1640 Hart House over the weekend. Always the food and atmosphere was wonderful. I was appalled however at the way customers addressed host and waitstaff there. I overheard someone waiting to "hurry up and seat us, we've been waiting over an hour" to host. A spot did open up for them, and host apoligized for the long wait. I work at another busy restaurant and just wanted to put out there that is only dinner and not a wait for a heart transplant people.
This place continues to amaze me. After dining all over the North Shore these past few years, The 1640 Hart House is hands down THE BEST of the best. The atmosphere, the staff, and of course the food are consistently TOP NOTCH! In a struggling economy, this place is always packed (but worth the wait) and that says it all. Ask for Cathy as your waitress in The Tavern, she'll ensure you have a memorable dining experience. A solid 5 stars all around!
Posted by: Glenn at June 10, 2010 09:52 PM 
You can't get worse. The food was microwaved to a point were it was not edible, "according to the waitress". Twice the waitress added in a 20% percent tip because she was aware of unhappiness with the food. Another time I was short changed 10 dollars. When I complained to the owner, she replied "the bartender is not on her game". Like I said, you can't get worse.
Consistently wonderful. Good food and drink, friendly service, go out of their way to make every visit there special, and the atmosphere cannot be beat. It's our first choice whenever we want to give a party....or if we just want a quiet dinner together. They did a perfect job of remodelling while retaining the antiquity. They have opened several cozy rooms upstairs, any of which would be perfect for a smaller gathering. 6 stars!
I go there at least twice a month now, nothing on the North Shore can beat the 1640 Hart House. Great food, drinks and the atmosphere is simply unmatched.
And oh yeah, the service !!! Outstanding !
Ask for Kathy, she's the best waitress ever and no one can beat Barry the bartender.
i'm not sure if the last two reviews were about the 1640 hart house. every time my husband and i go there we always have a wonderful experience. the food is fantastic, and the servers are always helpful and friendly, and if we ever need to wait to be seated, having a drink at the bar is always pleasant, the bartenders are knowledgeable, friendly and make one hell of a cocktail. the only complaint i can think of is sometimes there tavern is so busy you have to wait up to an hour to sit, but it's always worth the wait. we would recommend the hart house for any occasion, it's our favorite place on the north shore.
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Posted by: Bill Widis at August 28, 2008 04:41 PM
I completely agree with one of the previous postings- I also wish that less then one star could be awarded. The food was absolutely terrible, as was the service, and the cleanliness of the glasswear and utensils left much to be desired. There were remnants of old food caked onto the wine glass that was given to me, as well as the silverware. The worst part of this experience was the owner's extremely rude behavior. I was told by the owner that the server "went out of her way" to bring oil and vinegar for the salad because the salad dressing originally provided was terrible. I do not know how this woman can operate a restaurant. I don't think she will be in business for very long with that attitude. If you are looking for good food and good service, I would not recommend this restaurant.
Posted by: cc at June 28, 2008 08:45 PM 
normally I like the Hart House food. But consistency is something that they don't have. I had one of the best Fried Haddock sandwiches ever and since then I have ordered again & again...and sadly disappointed! The bartenders are not friendly and the waitresses are just as "special". The atmosphere in the tavern is nice and cozy, great chairs! But the main room...ehhh.
Always busy because it is so good. The very place
to have a Guiness on tap and enjoy a great hamburger or salad in the bar!! The locals pack in early so
you have to come very early or late to find a quick
seat.
This is by far my favorite restaurant around. The food is always delicious and the waitstaff is excellent. They treat you the same-whether you eat a higher priced meal in the main restaurant or just get soup and salad in the tavern. I am so impressed with this place that I hope to hold my wedding reception there. That's the only thing missing from the reviews on here...on how they do weddings. However, I'm sure that they do an amazing job!!
Posted by: Kristin at February 20, 2008 07:11 PM
We eat out a lot and travel extensively throughout the country. We have not had many meals that compare the to meal we had at 1640 Hart house. On top of being historically significant and having an incredibly warm and intimate feel to it, the food was beyond our wildest expectations. I had the caeser salad and the rack of lamb. My wife had the Hart house chicken (artichoke, chicken, capers, pasta). The quality and quantity was excellent. Defenitely one of the best meals we have had in a long time. We cant wait till our next trip out there.
Posted by: mike at February 14, 2008 11:52 PM
I found the last review on the 1640 hart house to be very appalling, I have gone there many times, and 9 out of ten times you have to wait due to the high volume of customers.
The staff is always freidly and the owners run a nice comfortable environment, so it seems that the last post must not have his information right,or they were just not happy to begin with.
To have this amount of buisness day in and day out tells me that the owners know exactly what they are doing. As far as Im concerned there are not enough stars to give this establishment
Posted by: cathy at December 30, 2007 12:43 PM
I wish there was an option for no stars for this restaurant. I can't even begin to describe the poor service we received from the owner. She was the rudest, most impatient person I have ever encountered. How she owns a business is beyond me. My family and I didn't even have a chance to sit down, let alone eat before being driven out of the restaurant because of her awful attitude.
Posted by: J at December 9, 2007 05:30 PM
Truly one of our favorite places. We bring guests down from Maine to introduce them to Jim and the other chef's cooking. Kim and the friendly wait staff do a great job of making us feel special. They have done a wonderful rebirth of a local establishment. Beautiful presentations and lots of wonderful food. If we lived closer I think we'd be there once a week.
Posted by: Lucy at September 27, 2007 09:36 AM 
Great food and atmosphere. The room we were in was a bit on the noisy side however. Nice place, would go back.
Top notch !
Never a disappointment here. It has atmosphere, value, quality, service, excellent food and can't forget those fireplaces.
This has been added to my once a month list as well.
The new tavern section is awesome.
Posted by: Glenn at August 15, 2007 04:36 PMThis is my favorite restaurant! The food is excellent, the staff are wonderful and very friendly (ask for Rose), and the decor is homey and quaint. I eat here at least once a month, if not twice.
As a frequenting customer I especially love the selected seasonal menu changes. Ranging from the apps. and entrees to the desserts. It makes for a refreshingly exciting dining experience. It's like having a personal chef.
My husband, brother, & I had thanksgiving dinner at the 1640 Hart House this year, and it was superb. Waitress staff was great and the food was authentic new england, just what we wanted for that day. I especially appreciated the indian pudding for dessert, on of my favorites in winter. My husband & I enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much, we returned for a romantic dinner on my birthday in december. We will be freqenting this restaurant often.
Christine:Magnolia, Ma
I am proud to say that I had my entire wedding at the 1640 Hart House in August of this year. The owner was more than accommodating, and answered any and all questions I had- and with her help the day was absolutely perfect. She took care of everything with professionalism and a smile, and it turned out exactly the way I had hoped it would! The waitstaff was quick and friendly, and no one had to wait long to get a drink refill or an extra appetizer or two. And the food was just as good as the service- from the appetizers, to the main course, to drinks and desserts, I'd give it an A+ all across the board. If you're looking for good old-fashioned American food that leaves you full, satisfied and warm, the 1640 Hart House is the place to go. A few recommendations are the Chicken Sate appetizer, Prime Rib w/warm popovers, the Citrus Scallops and the Spring Pasta- and definitely leave room for the Apple Crisp dessert! As for the decor, the atomosphere is absolutely charming- when you walk into the restaurant it's like walking into a timewarp- they kept the decor classic and sophisticated, and you feel cozy and comfortable while you eat. If you're looking for a romantic night out, or a nice dinner with friends and/or family, the 1640 Hart House is exactly what you're looking for.
Posted by: Melissa at December 22, 2005 10:45 AM
My wife and I were fortunate enough to find this restaurant while we were looking for a wedding/reception hall. As soon as we saw it we both fell in love with it and decided on the spot that this is where we were to be married.
If you like older buildings with a lot of character, the atmosphere for dining is wonderful. That, together with their delicious food and very friendly wait-staff, leaves this as one of our favorite places to dine. If you get a chance, be sure to check it out on a cold night when they have their fireplaces lit!
I'm not sure why there are entries here that criticize the wait-staff; we have had nothing but a great and fun with them every time we go. In fact, we especially enjoy the "older" wait-staff because we always end up engaged in an interesting conversation with them. Oh well, to each his own, I guess.
We haven't had all their appetizers, but we highly recommend their stuffed quahogs for a warm-up. We were lucky enough last night to try a special appetizer, Eggplant Napolean, which was truly out of this world.
Posted by: Steve & Wendy Seymour at July 16, 2005 05:53 PM
Terrific menu in the pub. My friends and I come regularly for the best pot roast and the 1640 Salad
is always tasty for a light dinner. Keep the Guinness
on tap as well. So glad this historic restaurant is in
our town.
fresh, hot, homemade potato chips served as bar snacks!! who could ask for anyting more?! and you can order from the bar or dinner menu while seated at the bar. perfect!
i've seen nothing but improvements since the new owners took over. the floral arrangements are outstanding and the food is wonderful and consistant. i'll be having all my family parties hosted by the hart house!
i had the hart house chicken and it was so bland. very disappointed.
The restaurant, atmosphere, owners, waitresses, and food are wonderful. However, the male bartenders are boring and dumb. Some of those sassy waitresses should be behind the bar! :)
the steak is bangin!!!!
I agree with the last comment on the older waitstaff. We had an older woman who seemed miserable and made it an akward experience for my wife and I. However the food and atmosphere is enough to go back. I just hope I get a different waitress or waiter.
Absolutely wonderful. The new owners are doing an incredible job. I had a lovely waitress and bus-girl but some of the older waitresses are real crabby. Those new owners should hire more young kids and get rid of the others. But the most important thing is the food...and its fantastic!
Posted by: Kerry Foley at February 22, 2005 04:11 PM
We tried the 1640 Hart House last Wednesday. I don't know if they were just having an off night, but we won't be going back to find out. The room had a terrible smell. (The restroom was located nearby, but I'm not sure if that was the problem.) Our dinner rolls were horribly stale. My husband and I both had shrimp scampi. Although the sauce was flavorful enough to make the pasta tasty, the shrimp, while large, had no taste whatsoever. On top of that, we were using a coupon, and the waitress took it upon herself to add an 18% tip to our check. We fully intended to tip based on the pre-coupon value of our meal, and thought it was rude of her to assume we wouldn't. There was nothing on the coupon or menu to indicate that a tip would be automatically added.
Went there years ago, food was good, I am going to try it again soon. I wonder if it is haunted? When I was there last, I felt a strange presence in the room and saw a shadow go up the stairs. Maybe I will go closer to Halloween, lol.
Posted by: mary at August 10, 2004 02:22 PM
The food is excelent, and the building is especially interesting. The original building was built in 1640. The bar has pannels from the "tea party" era, carved eagles, and has 4 beers on tap.
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