Art House Grille

The art is… kitschy… all crooked and oddly displayed. But they are proud of it. The language and cultural disconnect with the staff makes for some curious interactions, but their brunch is bountiful, extremely well prepared and hunger pleasing. Inexpensive, clean. Sour cherry blinzes are everything you expect in a blinz. And the pancakes are larger than my son’s face! Just trying to get the staff to understand you, is endearing… and a tad frustrating — but don’t hold it against them, they want you to be happy, and will try their darnest! So don’t go in ready to change the menu with special requests. Just go in, order and enjoy, because the food is really good, and it won’t send you to the coal mines!

After reading the one star review I was worried. I feel bad for them, that was not my families experience.
First: this isn’t an «American Restaurant» they are all about talking and having you take your time (if you’ve been out of the states you”ll understand) so put your phone down and enjoy the company of the person sitting across the table. The manager stopped by our table at least three times to chat with us. He really cares about the success of this restaurant and I’mall about supporting the local place.
Live music tonight. They guy was good, played multiple instruments, and added to experience. Slightly loud but I can deal with that.
Food: I got the lamb (ordered medium rare, and they nailed it) They were very tasty and the sauce that comes with it made it even better. grilled vegetables were just enough and more than enough sweet potato fries. I was able to almost cut all of the lamb with my butter knife. My wife got the Salmon, she loved it. I’ll quote her: «best cooked salmon in a long time» and she orders a lot of salmon. Same sauce came with it with grilled vegetables. she got the rice it was good. We ordered the house soup for my daughter (can’t remember the name) it was a vegetarian soup (celery, onions, beets, carrots, dill) it was good. I would certainly order it again for myself. She didn’t really like it and ate my wife’s salmon. (which is also on the kids menu). Desert: we got the «Napoleon» basically custard and pastry stacked. super tasty. certainly will get that as a dinner closer. Coffee: hot and good. Wine: got a bottle of Chianti for $ 25. perfect.
Service: It was good. She was very good with my wife and children. Her English was a little off but we were able to work past that and had a good laugh or two. She got our order correct, was able to answer all of our needs, food was brought out hot and water glasses always had water in them. (that’s usually how I judge how good my service has been)
Overall, I’d say this is our new favorite restaurant in town. I’ll most likely try to work through their menu to see what other great things they have. We’ll be back to check out their Sunday Breakfast for sure!

We came here At 5pm since the advertised open was at that time. Doors were locked so they answered my phone call and came to unlock the door for us. Nice, clean space with lovely art on the walls and a setup area for entertainment. Son had the burger which he liked. I had the lamb kabob which was cooked perfectly. Side of sweet potato fries were good. Daughter had the crepes with salmon caviar and she liked it. We started with pierogies and mushroom crepes that were both fantastic. Overall the food was very tasty and I would have given 5 stars but the service was slow, perhaps because our server was the only one and was overwhelmed with other tables.

The atmosphere, music on the weekend and service were all very good. The appetizers were decent but the main dishes were very disappointing. My lamb kabobs which I ordered medium rare required a chain saw, It came with white rice and three grilled vegetables. Food was pricey. Stick to appetizers and vodka and enjoy the one man band.

Local family owned restaurant with good food, well cooked. Live music Friday and Saturday night. You are welcomed warmly, food is prepared to order. Borscht like Grandma used to make, grilled meat, grilled vegetables.

I had lunch with 2 friends. We all agreed that we would come back. I am hoping people will book holiday and office parties here to help a local restaurant. The location is a little out of the way, but parking is good and worth the trip. I am looking forward to going back for dinner with my family. The owner could not have been more accommodating !

It is highly unusual for me to write a review about a restaurant that has virtually no redeeming qualities. This is one of those restaurants where if you go once, I promise you that you will not be back. Obviously there are three critical areas to talk about when you go to a restaurant.
1) The food. Because of the reviews that I had read on Unilocal,I ordered the calamari, which was definitively frozen and hard as rocks. They give you Russian dressing to dip it into. It was absolutely terrible.
We also ordered the meat blintzes. When we cut them open, they literally smelled like Alpo dog food. They were absolutely horrendous. These should not be served in any restaurant anywhere at anytime.
In addition to that, we ordered the lamb chops. They were dry and oversalted even though we ordered them medium rare. Again, they were poorly prepared and barely edible. Having said that, they were the best part of my meal.
Because my wife is a vegan, she ordered a salad. Apparently the borscht was not available that night and they were serving something with chicken stock so she could not have it. The salad came with virtually no dressing on it and was probably better than anything my son and I had.
We asked them for a drink menu and they brought to us a list of liquors that they had available. It had no drinks. It’s simply listed the various alcohols that they had on the menu. It did not even have a list of their beers. Again, it was incredible to me that this place is even in business.
All in all, the food was terrible and is nowhere near a standard acceptable by most people. A fast food restaurant serves better food
2) The Ambience or Atmosphere: if you want to experience a truly Russian, Czechoslovakian, Ukrainian, or Polish restaurant, Then you should go to those countries. Having said that, I have been to those countries and experienced a more country and simple restaurant with significantly better food. This restaurant looks like it was truly located somewhere out in the country and away from any metropolitan area. They had a lounge singer who was just simply sad to listen to. The lighting is absolutely archaic and felt as though you were sitting in a Denny’s or a poorly lit Friendly’s. Again, the Decour was simply sad and underwhelming. This is not exactly the type of place you would want to bring someone on a date. And if you did, it would probably be the last date that you ever had with that person. Come to think of it, it would be a great place to break up with someone. Neither one of you would feel bad after experiencing this place. You would be so grateful just to get out of this environment, that the break up would seem like a blessing.
3.) The Service: OK… OK. The service was reasonable and adequate. Having said that I have left out a little part of the story. when we first sat down I had ordered some appetizers. The calamari and the meat blintzes. When they came and took our order for the rest of the meal. I ordered the lamb chops and my son said to make that two. Somehow they managed to translate that into two orders of calamari two orders of meat blintzes, and two orders of lamb chops. When they brought over the two appetizers, there were four plates or double of our order. When I told the waitress of the mistake that was made, rather than simply remove one of the orders or one calamari and one meet blintz, she simply stated that we could certainly take it home in a doggy bag, but actually had zero intention of making it right. After all, isn’t the customer always wrong. When was the last time that you were at a restaurant and told them that they had made a mistake or that you had made a mistake and that you really only wanted one order of appetizers and not two, only to have the restaurant make you take both orders and refuse to take them back. For me… it has been… And oh I don’t know… Never!!!
The meal cost us $ 120 and was probably worth $ 10 as long as you really didn’t want to eat anything that day. I welcome anybody else go to this restaurant and have dinner and to refute what I have said here. Because if you actually have food that you find to be tasty and acceptable, I would be happy to buy your meal.
There is no possibility that this restaurant is in business for a very long time. But don’t worry, don’t rush out and try to experience it unless of course you’re looking for the worst dining experience that you can possibly have.

We’ve been to this place a total of 6 times now, 3 for breakfast and 3 for dinner. I have yet to be disappointed. When ordering, stick to the Eastern European fare, of which there is quite a bit. For breakfasts, I have been mostly getting the stuffed crepes. Although they say «(blintzes)» they twice served them as rolled crepes, and only once as actual folded blintzes. The blintz style was much better, but I enjoyed them both ways. I think it would add something to the menu if they gave the option to the customer. When my wife and I have gone in for dinner we like to mix it up with several apps and an entrée. The apps are great. They have a mushroom stuffed blitz that is amazing, and some really good perogies. The kabobs are excellent, and cooked perfectly to your asking. The desserts are nothing special. I would love to see some Eastern European desserts, or a variety of dessert crepes (chocolate chip blintzes with a bit of chocolate syrup?). You have something special here with your Eastern European fare. Concentrate on that. People want something different, and this is what I love about the place. Finally, if you like good Russian vodka, I had a shot or 3 (4?). It was not your sterile Grey Goose or Kettle One. Vodka use to taste like something. This was wonderful. We’ll be back again by the weekend!
One caveat… The venue does not have the air of a fine dining restaurant, so if you are expecting that it may detract from your experience. But this is not needed to fully enjoy the fare. Go on Fridays or Saturdays, and the musician more than makes up for it!
Thanks!

I’ve gone a few times so far, and plan to continue!
Do go, and do order the Russian dishes… they’re amazing. The best beet borscht I’ve ever had! The pierogies were perfection with a caramelized onion garnish. The lamb kabobs were delicious and cooked perfectly. Dipping sauce was wonderful and really complemented the lamb.
For breakfast, the farmer’s cheese and sour cherry crepes (3 of them!) were fabulous and had sour cream on the side; the challah french toast was tasty — didn’t even need syrup with a lovely powdered sugar finish. I’d order any of these things again, and would recommend them all!
The tableware is elegant — pristine white interestingly-​shaped plates, tall thin glassware that just feel good in your hand, and nice hefty quality silverware. The inside is nicely done over. I don’t drink, but the bar looked well-​stocked. The musician that was playing one night was great — he seemed to have an endless number of instruments, all of which he played beautifully.
It needs to be busier, because the food is great!
As a new restaurant, they’re still working out the kinks with timing of the service, but the place is so pleasant and the staff so nice, it makes for a lovely leisurely breakfast or dinner. Definitely a spot to go with friends so you can chat, or take the newspaper to breakfast.

Being a vegetarian, i am really not the best person to write a review of a restaurant that specializes in Russian food, but what i tried was very good: crepes with ‘farm cheese’ (I am sure that there is some Russian word that is more descriptive) and sour cherries and other fruit. It was a unique and yummy breakfast, and i can recommend it. Nicely presented, attentive and very pleasant wait staff. Art for sale on the wall (hence the name) means that there aren’t too many windows and it can be darker inside than the usual restaurant, if that is an issue for you.

There is no need to travel far to have a traditional Russian banquet. Art House Grille hosted our banquet for 30 people. The staff was very courteous and attentive to our requests. The courses were served with due breaks (not over 30 min like in other place we had a party). The chef and the waiting staff worked as a friendly and honest team. The musician provided great live music ranging from Russian chanson to instrumental compositions. He also look a lead in setting the mood on the dance floor. We burn a lot of calories which was later compensated by sumptuous meals that would surprise your non-​Russian guests and will be definitely appreciated by the Russian-​speaking crowd of any age.

Excellent breakfast. European feel. Waiter was very polite. Food was fast. Generous portions. Big variety. Best breakfast in town. Thank you!

We waited a long time to finally check this place out. It’s pretty good.
There was NOBODY there. We dined alone for half our meal, and then one more couple came in. That was a little nice, but mostly disconcerting. When we got home, we opened up Valpak to a coupon (figures). Go in and try them!
The rolls and butter were nice. The Caesar salad was excellent. The Lamb Burger was divine. They listened when we asked to make the french fries well done.
We were able to get a nice beer and glass of wine. They don’t have Captain Morgan’s, just a small sign that they think they know what people want, but don’t quite yet.
Prices were fair, not great, but it’s not the 99. Art on the wall was forgettable. We were not offered coffee or dessert. Don’t know if they have it.
They need a buffet night and a half-​off burger nite to entice locals to come in. Then they will have a chance to make it.

I have been a big fan of the Russian Supermarket on Rt 9 and followed the opening of Art house grill so we made the quick ride to Saxonville last night and were transported to Eastern Europe both with the food and the atmosphere.
First, the atmosphere — There was a one man band performer who was skilled but just a bit too loud for dinner conversation. Perhaps wait till later in the night next time. The room is serviceable and comfortable. The servers are so friendly and willing to help out with decisions .
We started with Vodka premium shots to fête the night. Followed soon by Russian crepes with Caviar which was a bit too salty, pierogies with sour cream, pelmeni with meat, Stuffed cabbage as our starters. The pelmeni and the stuffed cabbage were the hits. Oh and I can’t forget to mention the Georgian red wine, a steal at 35 bucks a btl.
We shared Lamb kebobs and Chicken tabaka with fries and mushrooms as the mains. Huge fan of the Tabaka, crisp skin, great flavor. the mushrooms were deeply flavored but thefries were a bit soggy. The lamb kabobs were medium, nicely marinated.
Would definitely return and try the burgers next time.
It was a bit slow for a saturday with only one other big table in the restaurant. Time for all the Metro west foodies to try out a new cuisine.

Great Place for A family dinner, party of just a date. I recommend chicken «Tabaka», if you ever tried one before you will absolutely love this one. My kids had hamburgers and loved them so much that the next day my oldest one brought his whole wrestling team in. The art grill fries are out of this world. Oh yea,… they have art hanging on the walls painted by the local artists that you can purchase as well.

It’s incredible and very friendly place, fellas, wonderful food! Caucasian meat, crepes with caviar are so delicious! Thanks for everything! Big hello from Brighton Beach! We absolutely will be here again!

That was pleasantly unexpected!
My wife and I were in the Framingham area coming back from our friends house and wanted to grab a quick dinner. This place came up on Unilocal as new to us, so we decided to try it. The place needs a little work from the outside, but inside it has a nice inviting atmosphere.
I ordered the lamb kebob which was perfectly marinated, spiced and cooked to desired temperature. It wasn’t your typical Greek Style kebob. I asked the waiter and he said it was the recipe from the Caucus Mountain region. I had it with grilled vegetables, and sweet potato fries. The sweet fries were crispy, which means that they use very clean oil to prepare them.
My wife ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, which was a nice surprise as I didn’t expect a Mediterranean style type of restaurant to carry a Chilean Sea bass dish. I tried hers and it is equivalent to Chilean Sea Bass you may find at Skipjack’s (which is also very good).
For appetizers we had meat and mushroom blintzes. All were very delicious.
I’m looking forward to trying the Sea Bass next time and other items from the menu.
Good job, we’ll be back again soon!
P. S. They also have a small bar with a pretty good selection of European beer, wine, and hard liquor.

Really nice Russian/​European restaurant. The food tastes like home cooking, not restaurant food (e.g not excessively salted). Try the tomato/​mozz salad and hanger steak. Worth the trip.

We ordered take out and the gentleman taking the order was pleasant and comprehensive. He repeated everything to make sure it was the correct information. He told me 15 to 20 minutes. I arrived 20 minutes to the restaurant and the food was just coming out of the kitchen. I paid for the orders and was happy that the bags were brown paper with handles. Makes everything feel clean. Arrived the office and my husband was starving. I was a bit afraid that the food was not enough but I was wrong. I ordered the Caprese salad and it was perfection. The buffalo cheese fresh and plentiful, the tomatoes perfect and the dressing magnificent. I wish the greens had more basil, but they were fine regardless. My husband had the caesar salad with grilled chicken. It was delicious. The chicken tasty and tender.
We wanted to try the sides, so we ordered the sweet potato fries, yummy! We also tried the sauteed mushrooms. Again, very tasty and will certainly order both again.
The take-​out containers are good quality with lids fitting nice and tight.
We hope this restaurant will survive because this type of cuisine is needed in our neighborhood.
Will check out the live music on Friday and Saturday as well!

This place is located where Taj used to be, and it still has some kinks to work out (our food took 30 minutes), but if you like Russian food, it is really good. We had the borsht, lamb kebab, and chicken tabaka, and everything was excellent (especially the chicken). They also serve American specialties like hamburgers, lamburgers, and fries.
It’s a real coup for the Pinefield area, and hopefully enough people find it to keep it open.