Dillon's Restaurant and Bar

The bouncers & doormen are there for a reason. It's not their job to mingle with or make the customer feel welcome. Their job is to make sure that inebriated, misbehaving, patrons do not ruin the night for the rest of us & to make sure customers feel safe/protected from any hostile encounters or unwanted attention. They are not there to make friends, that is the job of the hosts, bartenders, & waitstaff. It benefits the restaurant & makes their job easier if they walk around with scowls on their faces. It sends a clear message to those who are looking for trouble & a reassuring message to those who want to avoid trouble. If you're establishment attracts a young crowd, a crowd of college students mixed with locals, many who happen to be young men from inner city Boston, then you better make sure you have a very capable staff of bouncers & doormen who can handle a situation before it turns into absolute chaos. And don't be ridiculous, of course I do not work there or have any stake in the place's success. more

I went here with a party of 9!! I have celiac disease and when I asked if they had anything Gluten Free they looked at me like I was I just asked the most impossible thing in the world.. She told me that I Should know what I can eat and got me the head chef.. He also said no and that he can't do through all of his ingredients because there are too many!! and lastly, the other worker who was just watching this adds, ""so I guess you can't have anything!"" So rude I spent the entire night crying and didn't eat a thing thanks to this staff who couldn't be accomodating at all and make a dish for me ! They are ignorant and that is there JOB to know this information! Don't go here for dinner! Cons: RUDE more

Fun atmosphere, has a very stylish look without a stuffy feel to it. The food is great and affordable. Filling salads, large and very tasty pizzas, amazing burgers. Service was good; bartenders are very talkative and knowledgeable about their craft and the wait staff are always friendly. Great place to go for lunch, dinner, or an evening drink, but can get pretty packed with a late night college scene. If you don't stay there too late on Fridays or Saturdays you can avoid seeing the array of ridiculous drunk young adults making fools of themselves. Pros: Food, service, atmosphere Cons: Parking, weekend night's young/drunk crowd more

This place is always over crowded, the lower-level area stinks, you will encounter most abnoxious and ill-mannered bartenders/hostesses and the bouncers are so hostile who always look for fight with customers. On my list of restuarants and bars this one makes the bottom most entry! more

The outdoor patio (while not the biggest) is a great place to unwind after work. Dillon's has a great selection of specialty drinks and lots of good apps that are big enough to share. There is usually a good mix of young professionals, students (with credit cards) and locals. The atmosphere is a lot nicer than some of the other bars on Boylston, without being stuffy. Service can be spotty, but as long as you're not in a rush, usually works out fine. Pros: Outdoor seating, attractive crowd Cons: Parking more

On the recomendation of a friend, my husband and I went to Dillon's last night. I read the on line reviews and wasn't expecting such great food and attentive service. Starting with the calamari that was crispy and tasty with a very nice red sauce to dip into, followed by their excellent scallop and pear salad, I couldn't have been more delighted. My husband opted for traditional fish and chips and was also very happy with his choice. My 16 year old son accompanied us and his BBQ chicken pizza was surprisingly tasty and his coke glass was never empty as our server brought a new one as soon as his glass got low. Though I could have brought the salad home for another whole meal, my son and husband finished it off for me....even after their rather large portions! The wine was delicious and though we were offered coffee and dessert, we had our fill. I don't know what some of you are talking about. This was a dining experience I would repeat. The serving staff was incredibly friendly and attentive and the food was outstanding. The prices were quite good as well. Pros: food, service, price Cons: parking more

I agree with last few posts - the people here who gave Dillon's an above average rating clearly work for the place. First off starting at the door, the bouncers were ridiculously rude with the people ahead of me in line, pretty much to the point of being bigoted. One of the people in the group had a foreign ID and the bouncer told him he couldn't get in and told him to go back to his own country - I was pretty surprised to hear this in Boston. That should have been a sign for us to stay away but once we were seated, it was another 15 minutes before someone came around to help us, and then 45 minutes for our meals to come out even though there weren't many people seated for dinner. Food, well the burgers were overcooked, pizza was bland and mushy...and the pasta all three (overcooked, bland and mushy). The crowd was 3/4 guys and I can't imagine the average age was any higher than 22...so if you're looking for a frat party crowd you may enjoy this, but we didn't. Anyways, I just can't even think of a single reason I would even consider going back. Pros: Can't think of a single one Cons: Service, attitude, food. College frat boy crowd. more

When I first walked in I thought Dillon's had potential...boy was I wrong. Red Sox/Yankees game aside I was appalled at the attitude of the waitstaff, there complete lack of care, and the general attitude the staff used in interacting with customers. We had been sitting at a table for about 20 minutes with staff walking by us constantly, never asking about orders or anything (we'd be standing before) so when people were ready for drinks again someone went over to the bar to order. A whilel later a waiter came by, told us we weren't allowed to order at the bar, but didn't offer to take an order, and when my friend came back with beers the waiter walked by and made a face at us. Does the staff not understand if you don't offer people drinks that they'll get them on there own? It was my first time there, and I can say I will not go back. The crowds and service at other Boylston St bars are FAR better!!!!! After we left I was walking down Boylston and tempted to go back and tell everyone in line that other bars didn't have a line and to go elsewhere! Cons: Service, staff, crowd more

Regardless of the long line that is usually outside the door, all you need to do is bribe the bouncer and he will let anyone in, regardless of their age or how fake their ID. I had flashbacks from college watching the bouncer as he allowed a herd of clearly underage patrons with fake IDs walk right in after paying the bouncer 100 bucks. A friend of mine was there on Saturday night and the police actually showed up to randomly ID the patrons in the bar, so apparently this a recurring problem.\r The staff was beyond rude to us. If I had been as poorly raised as the people who work at that bar, I would have ingnored proper protocol and not tipped a single server. Additionally, the female manager was talking very disrespectfully about another patron right in front of her and her friends. \r If I were the investors in this bar, I would cut my losses and run! Pros: nothing Cons: staff is so rude including the manager more

Whomever wrote the above reviews rating this bar anywhere above ""Below Average"" clearly worked for Dillon's and was making a weak attempt to draw in some business. The staff at Dillon's, especially the weekend manager, was so rude to our friends that people actually left early from my husband's birthday party. \r From the bouncers at the door insisting that we pay him under the table to allow our friends to by pass the line, to the bar tender who added his own tip to his tab when the guest had decided not to tip him due to his appalling rude behavior, to the waitress who spilled an entire tray full of drinks on our guests and still charged us for the drinks without apologizing for soaking our guests with alcohol.\r We recently moved here from Chicago where renting a section of a bar for a private party means the bar will reserve the section of the bar for your guests, not book two other parties and seat people for dinner. The experience was so bad that our friends threw my husband a second birthday party at their home just to make up for the horrible experience we had at that bar. \r I do not reccomend this bar to ANYONE. The staff behaved as if we should feel lucky that they allowed us into the bar and the bar tenders added/increased their own tip to people's tabs. (Our friends disputed the charges with their credit card companies and they were removed). \r Pros: close to home Cons: The staff is beyond rude. more

good food, great drinks, excellent service... a fun stop on your way home from work or shopping. Try the portobello and goat cheese quesadillas!! more

Dillon's is a pleasant break from the uppity Boylston St. You won't blow your shopping budget having a good meal & drinks. Some snack are only $3! I prefer to sit @ the front bar. The waitresses come by frequently & are pleasant. I've been there when it's been jammed packed (Marathon Monday) and on a quieter Tues night. As well as, I've taken out of town friends there. I've had nothing but good experiences. It a regular, normal place. A few steps downstairs leads into a dining area with a view of the open kitchen & most important, another bar Here's a secret: Dillon's has a sunken outdoor patio/bar just off of the main bar. Lots of fun in the summer. Pros: bar, outdoor bar, food more

I went to Dillon's to meet a few girlfriends for some drinks and little did I know what a great place it is! I arrived late not planning on ordering food but after seeing what my friends were eating and how much they liked it I couldn't resist. The salads and the tapas are wonderful. I also really like how there is both a bar and a lounge/table area providing two totally different atmospheres. Make it a point to visit Dillon's or you will miss out! Pros: Food, Seating areas more

The weekend nights at Dillon's have been unbelievable. Its a great place for young professionals to come down to after work grad some tapas and some drinks and relax. The best part of Dillons is its patio. Pros: The service was amazing, personal and fun yet prompt Cons: there is always a line more

Went here in a group of about 15 on a weeknight, thank goodness the place was nearly empty. We found the ambiance pleasant, the service amiable and patient, and the food delicious. We were disappointed by the portions of the tapas, however most of them were pretty cheap so we made up for it by ordering a second round of food. Drinks were pricy and nothing special. Overall a good experience. Pros: good food, service Cons: portions more

Dillon's has a comfortable and inviting atmosphere, so it's a shame that the food lacks flavor and the service lacks any sense of urgency. We order tapas and appetizers, which came in small portions and were average at best. The spinach artichoke dip was the worst I've had. Someone had the misguided idea of adding tomato sauce to it. The service was terrible. We had to wait 10-15 minutes to get a waiter and the same amount of time to get served. There are many better spots nearby. Pros: Ambiance Cons: Food, Service more

wow, I used to like Barcode quite a bit. Truth be told, Dillon's looks quite a bit the same. However, I couldn't believe how different the drinks were. Its probably just bad look but my fiancee had the worst apple martini of her life. Really, undrinkable. Myself, I had a flat, flavorless Dark & Stormy. How do you screw up ginger beer and rum? The topper was the surly bartender who I wish I hadn't tipped. more

Resturaunt did not return several phone messages when attempting to make a reservation - Finally got through to someone and made a reservation for 20 people. I called to confirm the reservation on the day of the dinner, but no reservation had been written down. They did not have a problem accomodating a reservation for 20 on a Saturday night at 7:00 PM if that gives you some idea of how busy they are. Food was average, service was poor. The bar seemed to be more the reason to go to Barcode - It was filling up when we were leaving around 9PM. Pros: Bar Atmosphere Cons: Service, Food more

This is a fantastic place for 30-somethings, who want to hang out at a very nice, modern and elegant place that is not too trendy, euro, but not too stuffy or college-bar like. It starts to get fairly crowded by 10, and there are a fair amount of people-watching to be had. A very easy place to meet new people, given its intimate and rather dark setting...but it's not uncomfortably crowded by any stretch of imagination. The food is absolutely great, as well are their martini. The food is probably one of the best among Boston bars. Pros: Atmosphere, Food Cons: Hard parking more

This is a small bar setting. Lots of early thirty-year-olds. Not too good for the college crowd. It has a classy feel and an excellent wine list. It is a nice social up-scale bar. It gets extremely crowded. Cons: crowded, expensive, hard to park more