by m. m. on This review is just for the restaurant - I don't know anything about the nightclub. I've passed this place a bunch of times on my way to places in the neighborhood and been curious about it. The decor is very nice and it seemed like a welcoming place from outside. Recently I had the opportunity to come here for an event reception and dinner. I thought the choice of hors d'oeuvres was a little weird as they were serving some huge hunks of meat - I seem to recall it was lambchops? that you were supposed to grab by the bone, dip and eat. A few of the guys braved it but really, dressed-up people trying to talk with other people they don't know very well don't want to chomp on a giant chop and look like some kind of greasy Flintstone, so a lot of us skipped those. The rest of the appetizers were more conventional. When we made our way into the eating area, I felt like the space was too small for the number of people they'd booked (even given that maybe about 10 people who'd RSVP'ed yes didn't show up last minute). I was practically sitting on top of the person next to me, and even so it was loud and hard to hear. The wait staff had a hard time moving in and out of the space to serve folks - at one point we had to move a whole table with about 10 people at it to make more space for the servers. This was a weeknight and it didn't seem like there was anyone else in the restaurant so I couldn't understand why they hadn't utilized additional space instead of basically cramming the whole group into two small rooms. The menu was decent, and the food tasted good. I especially liked a chicken and fruit sauce type entree - but the food wasn't particularly exciting. I will grant that it was some kind of prix fixe event menu so the choices were limited, and I'm sure they have some more exciting choices on the regular menu. Weirdest part of the evening for me was seeing some guy who seemed to be a manager, as he was giving directions to the wait staff, schlepping around our gathering in jeans and a checked shirt. This wasn't any sort of fashionable outfit - he looked more like a waiter who'd just shown up to work late and given that he was the only person in the room who wasn't dressed up, he really stood out like a sore thumb. I liked the reproductions of old paintings on the ceiling of the dining area. I would consider going back when there's less of a crowd because this seems like the type of place that's more suited to an intimate dinner than a party, although the other reviews seem to suggest this is a party-central place so maybe it's not possible to have a quiet time there.
by Josh G. on There's a fantastic scene in The Man Who Fell To Earth where David Bowie is in an American church. As a welcoming gesture, the entire congregation sings "Jerusalem", England's national hymn. Since Bowie's character is actually an alien, he doesn't know the words. It's subtle, but very funny. That's the impression I get from Boston's "upscale" clubs and lounges. It's as if they've been concocted by aliens to mimic New York poshness. At first glance, Underbar does indeed swank. But on closer inspection, the illusion crumbles. While other reviewers think the high entry price keeps out the riffraff, the truth is that cover charges can't achieve that goal. All you get is a better-dressed breed of douchebag. And they're out in force at Underbar. The bartenders are pleasant, and cute in that vulgar dressed-for-tips way, but the drinks are a joke. If I go somewhere really nice, I am happy to pay $100 for a few drinks. Splurging on occasion is fun. But when I fork over my hard-earned cash, I expect value for money. The only reason the drinks at Underbar are so expensive is so that wankers can prove they're "ballers". Your drinks are half the price and twice as well made at the Middlesex Lounge, The Good Life, etc. Any place where the management takes pride in abilities other than fleecing their clientele. I have no complaints about the sound system. The main room doesn't have much dancing space, but the times I've been here, some serious DJs have laid down chest-compressing bass that still sounded fantastic. Save your money and go someplace cheap with a bit of soul or character. Boston has them in spades. What it doesn't have is a large upscale club worth the time and effort. Then again, if you like Mantra, Gypsy, and the Alley clubs, check out Underbar. To each his own.
by Modesto Bargeron on This review is only for the dining experience at Yoshi's for I didn't get a chance to check out the jazz show. Great decor and a lot larger than I had anticipated (Oakland one is small). I waited for my friends to arrive at the bar where the bartender recommended a light Chardonnay to me. They have an open bar area that is like an open kitchen where you get to watch bartenders make drinks for the jazz audience - pretty cool. They also have a bar lounge area upstairs from the dining room with glass windows for you to look down into the dining room and kitchen. We had a party of 12 of we got to sit in this private glass area right by the kitchen. The kitchen was an open area so we got to see the cooks doing their thang. Pre-fixe menu for our group - 4 courses which I thought was like traditional pre-fixe where you choose one out of the list given. NO they actually brought out ALL the items (at least 3 per course) for us all to share and try - pretty cool! As with any group meal and being a $$$ place our dinner with drinks was not cheap (about $100) but the experience was good. Ohhh eye candies - two of the managers were quite yummy to look at!!! Definitely want to come back with a smaller group to order off the normal dinner menu ... and a jazz show of course.
