The Federal

Review summary

1. S

   Susan

   Greater Boston

   37 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   37 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had dinner out to catch up with a friend. Nice vibe- there was Christmas music playing. Our first time dining here- beautiful restaurant. Decorated Christmas tree near the hostess stand. Energetic bar area. The server and other staff we interacted with were friendly and attentive- lots of refills on our waters without having to ask. We always appreciate that. My friend had a beautiful beet salad and grilled shrimp skewers that she said were excellent. The rainy weather had me ordering onion au gratin soup and then the bolognese. Both were very good and I’d order again. We enjoyed lemon sorbet and cannoli (4 per serving) for dessert. Will definitely be back. Looking forward to trying Stazione (sister restaurant).
   

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2. A

   Anthony

   Greater Boston

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   First time dining here and was excited to try it for some time now. Overall definitely let down. Food was good but everything else was sub par. Waiter dropped off our warm martinis and didn’t check back with us for at least 15 minutes for us to tell him that we needed a side of ice or just re shaken. Not a huge deal but was never asked if we dined there before, if we were celebrating an occasion, or anything else. Definitely felt a little rushed ordering, then when I did order they were out of New York strips at 7:15 on a Saturday night which is kind of wild. Overall attentiveness wasn’t there from the waitstaff and a table behind us was super loud and aggressive with profanity, which again, is whatever but definitely hindered our overall experience.
   

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3. K

   Karen

   Greater Boston

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 30 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was delicious…steaks on point! Our server Amanda was amazing! She was informative, offered suggestions without being pushy, was very attentive without being overbearing….she was awesome!!!! Our first time there to celebrate my husband’s birthday and will absolutely return….
   

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4. R

   Rita

   Greater Boston

   250 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   250 reviews

   Dined on 28 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious! The steak tartare was perfect! Superb escargot. Loved my veal tortelloni. Jeff, our server was so happy to be there, enthusiastic about the menu and very helpful. A tad pricey but worth it. Meal was flawless
   

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5. K

   Karim

   Cleveland

   20 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   20 reviews

   Dined on 28 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Our traditional place for Thanksgiving dinner. Outstanding food. Fun and tasty cocktails. My daughter and I especially love their steaks that are always the highest quality and cooked to perfection. My wife had their Thanksgiving special and really enjoyed it (again)- a very large plate of good traditional Thanksgiving fare to satisfy anyone’s Thanksgiving appetite. Historically the service has been excellent - this year’s server was less enthusiastic and a bit slow to follow-up with the table. Still a great meal and experience. Looking forward to next year’s meal!
   

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6. K

   Kymberley

   New Orleans

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 28 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Really enjoy the Federal and very happy with my experience on Thanksgiving the food was excellent!
   

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7. H

   Heather

   Greater Boston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 28 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Went for Thanksgiving and they were wonderful. Huge dinner and the food was amazing.
   

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8. A

   Alyson

   Greater Boston

   2 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 27 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Service and food are usually top notch. We did go right before Thanksgiving and it was a slow night at the restaurant. Our server was not responsive enough. Usually the portions are quite large. However, my son’s bolognese was not. In addition, the ratio of pasta to sauce was not right. When the pasta was gone, he still had half a bowl of sauce. The cheese plate was nicely presented. However, it was expensive for the size of the appetizer. The cheese portions were skimpy. Everything else we ordered was very good and the greeting by staff when we arrived and left was very welcoming.
   

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9. E

   Emily

   Greater Boston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 24 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Such a fun night for my fiancé’s birthday! Food was outstanding and they surprised us with champagne and cannoli’s with a candle. Thanks Julie & everyone at The Federal!
   

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10. D

    Darshna

    Greater Boston

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    I'm going to start this review by saying that I know that the federal is a steak house. And the steak, beef Wellington and appetizer dishes are amazing! But I do expect high quality from the other dishes on the menu. The single vegetarian entree on the menu is a vegetable pasta (pasta Genovese), and it was terrible. Flavorless and swimming in an oily sauce. I usually don't expect variety in vegetarian food at a steakhouse, but I don't expect to not be able to actually eat the dish.
    

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