The Backroom

To all you guys who complain about «nouvelle cuisine» being an excuse to serve portions the size of postage stamps, I HEAR YOU! Had dinner tonight at the Backroom at Moody’s Deli in Waltham with friends. Ordered the beef bourguignion because it was one of the few entrees under $ 25. (The ribeye steak was only $ 82.) You know what the average pair of dice looks like? That was the size and shape of the eight cubes of beef, 11 teeny tiny potato gnocchi and two half slices of carrot that I was given. But, giving credit where credit is due, it was served in a very large bowl… They would do better if they served magnifying glasses with their meals. Their wait staff needs to be told that you NEVER EVER clear dishes from the table while even one person is still eating. And, you shouldn’t have to ask for bread/​rolls. That’s really tacky. They only wanted $ 12 for a glass of the house red wine and $ 11 for a dish of ice cream. A loud bar and trendy atmosphere consisting of pieces of dead meat hanging from the rafters doesn’t give you an excuse to gouge your customers, even if they are gentrified yuppies! Give me a break!

Whoa! Like many other people I have been wanting to try this place for a while. I tried to make a reservation for a Saturday night but the next available table was at 9pm, so that wasnt going to work. We thought we would try during the middle of the week and settled on a Tuesday and of course I tried to make a reservation and the only time left was 8pm so I grabbed it! Once we arrived we were seated in the dining room along the windows. It was a cool atmosphere with the bar on the right but classy but casual décor.
We were recommended the charcuterie so we of course started with that: we ordered the pepperoni, landjager and didnt know a good cheese so we asked our waiter for a good pairing which was gouda (if i remember correctly). In addition to charcuterie we also ordered the meatballs. Delicious! They had a hint of spiciness and sweetness. Since they are never the same who knows what you’ll get next time.
For our entrees we ordered the Cassoulet and the smoked Wagyu brisket. Both were heavenly and highly recommended. The cassoulet comes in a mini dutch oven and is loaded. The brisket was perfectly cooked and came with charred broccoli. We were both stuffed by the end but one of the best meals in recent memory.
In addition to the great food, our server Jarrod was fantastic. He was helpful, friendly and had a great sense of humor. He came to check in on us a few times and was just so nice to us.
Highly recommend you go here now. The prices for the larger plates seem expensive but if you want high quality meat and large portions they are worth it. Splurge every now and then wont hurt. If you plan on going, definitely call ahead to make a reservation as this place always seems to be crowded. I will be back!

Been meaning to try this place for a while and finally made ressys on a whim for very early NYE din. Located In the room to the left of the deli is the Backroom. Beautifully decorated with a view to the kitchen area and a large bar in the center of the room.
First let me say that the service was impeccable. We loved our super nice server and his attentive, laid back style. Being our first time he was very helpful in selecting plates and meat/​cheeses and describing the preparations.
I love the little tidbits they give you liked complementary «meat flower» as my son called it, ha! And the little corn crunchy fried things. We picked the 3 item charcuterie and had our server pick it. We ended with a hot sopprasetta which was so spicy and flavorful, prosciutto-​like slices (forgot the name) And Gouda (soooo good) that came with a bunch of little goodies like bread, jam and pickled stuff.
We split the mussels which had a very yummy broth but sadly most of the mussels had sand in them. They offered to get something else which was nice, but we had already eaten through more than half so we just soaked up the remaining broth. The meatballs were super tender and flavorful and the shaved cheese on top made the dish. Steak frites perfectly cooked with a really tasty dipping sauce. We ended the meal splitting a hot apple baked dessert with green apple slices on top that were pretty and tasty. Wish it came with ice cream on top…
Overall I enjoyed our slow paced dining experience and the food presentation. Will definitely be back again soon!
Oh and the drinks were yummy and pretty too!

Here for New Years Eve dinner and it was amazing! The mussels and broth are so good. Definitely recommend the Shrimp Corzettti, it was delicious. St. GlinGlin Sauvignon Blanc $$ reasonably. Bread pudding was ok.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE BACKROOM
(1÷23÷16 update: Was just at The Backroom, and it turns out that the Sunday brunch I wrote about in this review ended up being a 1-​time only event, as they just don’t have the staff to handle this every week. Pity.)
We went to the 1^st ever Sunday brunch at Moody’s The Backroom today, and as expected it was excellent.
The only downside is that upon arriving for our 10:45AM reservation, we found out that they can’t legally serve alcohol before 11:30AM, by which time we were well into our meal and alcohol was a bit of an afterthought. Not sure if this is a Waltham-​specific thing, since I don’t think it is true in Boston proper.
One of my companions said the Eggs Benedict (with an interesting tomato-​hollandaise «Choron» sauce) was the best they’ve ever had.
Interesting to see «Pork Roll» on the breakfast flatbread, since pork roll is a very Jersey, not Boston thing, AFAIK. I gather it’s also part of their regular breakfast sandwich.
Excellent start to chilly Sunday morning. And parking in the off-​Moody Street public lots is free all day Sunday!
See my longer THE BACKROOM dinner review below.

…Yes…awesome…lots of meat. We had the charcuterie for the table with foie gras and fig pâté, sausage, cheese and added the vegetable pickles. So good. My son and I both had a past dish afterwards. I had the shrimp pasta… the pasta was awesome, but I have to say the shrimp was a bit mushy. My son had gnocchi with beef bourganion (spelling). OMG so good. Our other diners had Moody’s Cuban and Pulled Pork sandwiches. I would go here again and again because there were so many interesting things on the menu I would like to try more.

Wow! Great place to have a long, slow meal with a few cocktails. Cool modern décor. Great beer, wine and cocktail list with amazing bartenders. But the food here is the main event people and good lord it’s really something special.
The last time I was here I had appetizers and small plates. Each dish was better than the one before it.
The only criticism about this place (and I had to wrack my brain to come up with something) is the noise floor is kind of high here. If you want to have a quiet conversation with dinner — you’re in the wrong place. That said, raising your voice is well worth the price of an amazing meal, great drinks and superior service.

Solid food. Wonderful wine and cocktail list. Higher prices than average for a suburban location but worth it. Hospitable staff, wish this establishment the best.

Phenomenal! That is the word that I would use to describe this place. This is by far the best restaurant in Waltham. I have been to a lot of the establishments in Waltham and this place by far exceeded all of my expectations. The ambiance, service, and food were all 5 stars! The ambiance was perfect, from the simple place settings to the cement bar that runs across the right hand side of the «back room» when you first walk in. There is a wood burning stove and a wonderful smell that emits from the kitchen. We ordered the scallops with the creamy corn and sausage that had a little bite to it. It was delicious. I ordered the ribeye with the creamy /​cheesy grits and a side of veggies as I did not want the green beans that came with. They accommodated my request without issue. The ribeye was cooked to perfection, it was tender and flavorful. The grits were creamy and cheesy and very filling. The veggies were pan seared and tasty as well. The glass of Cava went well with my meal. The end it I ordered the peach cobbler with the sweet corn ice cream. It was truly an indulgence. I can honestly say that you will enjoy every step of your meal. Oh, and I forgot to mention that when we arrived we were given some corn truffle chips and some chacueritte to start, compliments of the chef they said. Either way, we loved it. This was definitely a place I will come to love and make a permanent part of my life. :) it was truly a delicious experience.

On a whim I popped into The Backroom (@ Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions) on Moody St. in Waltham the other night. I am so glad I did.
It was about 9:00 at night and I didn’t think I was even hungry having eaten a late lunch around 2:00. I just wanted a glass of wine. But while I was sipping on that wine (they have Stag’s Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass!) I had a peek at the menu. While I was doing that the people near me at the (comfortable) bar were taking delivery of some amazing looking /​smelling dishes. By now my mouth was watering and I decided to try a small plate.
It came down to the «NEVER THE SAME WAGYU MEATBALLS» vs the «GRILLED OCTOPUS» but I could not make up my mind, so I asked the barkeep what he would choose between the two. «Everyone raves about the meatballs…» he said and now I am too. They were amazing.
By the time I finished them I was still a little hungry (and figured I should have something «healthy») so I ordered the «CRISPY DUCK & FRISEE SALAD» It too was amazing.
Between the wine, the food, and the friendly staff I’d rate The Backroom 5-​stars. I’m dying to go back.

Been to the back room 4 times and it has lived up to all of the hype. Everything they do is quality and shows the care that they put in to it.
The best way to enjoy the menu is to go with a group and share a bunch of food. They have small plates, handmade pastas, interesting salads, charcuterie, and wood fired meats. When I take a look at the menu, I find just about everyone to be appealing. Standouts are the crispy duck frisée salad, never the same meatballs, smoked pork belly, and the flatbreads. Steaks were also cooked perfectly both times I ordered them.
Their house wines are on cask, and they have a good variety of beers and signature cocktails. Their wine list is pretty thoughtful as well with many interesting options available by glass or bottle.
Expect a sit down meal that will run about 2 hours start to finish. Because of this you should either call and make reservations or use open table online. The only time I was able to walk in without reservation was sitting at the bar which was quite comfortable, but also gets crowded early.

I did a double take one night while walking down Moody St when I noticed that one of my favorite deli’s seemed to have a larger space. I walked in and was totally surprised to find a cute little restaurant that was romantic, had a cool open space (despite being a bit small) and an interesting menu. Unfortunately it was also packed.
When we made our return, we sat at the bar. I am so glad we did! The bartender was not only friendly, but extremely helpful in offering up some advice on dishes and cheeses to try.
They offer a variety of charcuterie, cheeses, small plates and flatbreads. One of the tough parts about small plates restaurants is that they want you to order everything at one time. The bartender specifically pointed out that we could order what we wanted and then order more if would like. Enjoy the experience! Yesssssss.
We tried a little of everything and I enjoyed it all. Normally I’m meh about flatbreads, but this was just excellent.
We will definitely be back and I will remember to sit at the bar again!

Great atmosphere, eclectic menu, focused new world wine list, engaging service, and funky dark-​toned décor.
Even as a vegetarian, I really enjoyed what Moody’s had to offer. Started off with a nice salad and an excellent sampling from their cheese selection, highly recommend the 3yr Gouda, complex and delicious, and the Pave D’Affinois, delicate and beautifully smooth. Also had the ravioli, filled with red peppers and farmer’s cheese, there was a great balance of acidity and creaminess and the hazelnuts were an excellent addition for their texture and flavor. The price: QUALITY ratio of menu items seems perfectly fair.
The service was superb. We were there at open, and got almost undivided attention at the bar, and customers settling in as we were leaving reinforced our opinions. Thank you, Wesley.
The beverages are great. Really focused wine list, selective spirits, and a small list of promising cocktails (did not try one this time). I had the best new world Pinot that’s crossed my palate yet: ask for the Macphail Sonoma Coast.
The interior is excellent as well. Marble tables, comfortable chairs and plenty of space at the bar, grey tones, industrial, wooden, and stone accents… Super modern, I loved it.

Went here with my husband at 6pm on a Friday. We tried to go to the bar, but were told there is a waiting list for the bar. A little weird, but ok. However, there were 2 seats open at the bar. When we inquired about them we were promptly told that they are for the owner for whenever he feels like coming. How obnoxious. We asked if we could put our name in for dinner and were happy to wait but were told in a dismissive manner that no, there were no reservations available and there will be no open seats tonight. Are you kidding me? You’re really telling me you’re booked from 6pm on? This wasn’t Del Frisco’s on Valentine’s Day. The servers were rude. I walked into that place beyond excited to try it, and walked out vowing never to return.

I didn’t think it was that bad (3 stars), or at least any type of bad that can’t be fixed. My partner, however, said it was the saddest meal he had had in a long time and would rate it one star. So that’s where the 2 star rating came from.
We decided to eat here because my partner is a charcuterie aficionado and the last two fancy restaurants we dined at which had charcuterie on their menu, they each stated it came from Moody’s. So we came here specifically for the charcuterie.
First strike. The restaurant seating is primarily 2 seat tables that are between 3 to 6 inches apart. Easy to push together for groups of four. But once you’re seated, they are impossible to get out of without knocking over the next door table’s food. And forget about privacy. Essentially, they are squeezing people in like sardines and that is unacceptable, period, but particularly unacceptable at this price point.
Next issue — the waitstaff. The highlight of the menu here is of course charcuterie. You pick how many items you want from a large selection. We asked the waitress about different charcuterie options. She knew essentially nothing. She said «‘braseola’ is a muscle so it is sliced. It is excellent. The different varieties of salami come from muscle, so they are sliced. They are all excellent.» And then without waiting for a follow-​up question, she added ‘since you don’t know what you want, I’ll give you more time and come back’. My partner was so offended by her bad attitude and lack of knowledge at their signature dish, he decided to forgo charcuterie altogether.
The waitress did remember to give us her memorized spiel (which she repeated verbatim to everyone who sat near us). All dishes are intended to be shared and come out when they are ready, not in any other order.
Okay, so we ordered the Boston Lettuce Salad. They essentially take a head of Boston Lettuce. Don’t chop it. Just put salad dressing and prosciutto bits on it. It tasted fine. But it was impossible to share. We had to cut it up ourselves. Just completely unwieldy. If you’re going to require the waitress tell us everything is to be shared, then please make the food shareable.
My partner got a $ 16 pasta dish instead. I would say it came to 3 bites of pasta. He said it tasted fine but the portions were pathetic. I got the shrimp chorizo flatbread. It was filling. It was not that good though. He thought it was disgusting. I felt it wasn’t that bad. Again, faint praise. I wouldn’t order it again though. Actually, I’d probably run away if you tried to make me eat it. The ‘pizza’ was topped with a spicy aioli which tasted sour — either bad, or the spices were off or something. But there was no way to avoid it. That was really the problem with it.
We also ordered the Crispy Confit Potatoes, after asking the waitress about them. She said the potatoes were confited, then smashed and cooked under a broiler with pastrami and spices. Turns out, they were essentially the small yellow potatoes. Tasted boiled so they were mushy inside and then put under a broiler so they were warm and the skin was slightly crunchy. In other words, it tasted like a standard baked potato. For $ 8.
All around, really sad. Average tasting food. Tiny portions. Unknowledgeable staff. Cramped seating. Exorbitant prices.
Let me just add this. A few days ago we ate at Sarma which specializes in small plates to be shared. Ending up spending $ 120 without drinks. Sarma is amazing. Here we spent $ 60 and left annoyed, hungry and frankly angry.
One point though. The storefront for sandwiches looks beautiful. Not sure how they taste, but I could see myself coming back for sandwiches. As for the restaurant, no thank you.

I have very mixed feelings about this place. My wife and I came here for our anniversary on a Wednesday night. We had a reservation for 7:30 and were seated right away at a very tiny table, a little too close to our neighbors. Not ideal, but no big deal. It took about 15 minutes for our waitress to come over. She did a nice job of explaining the menu. We ordered drinks (Chardonnay for the Wife and IPA for myself) which came about a nother 15 minutes later. At this point we’ve had plenty of time to look at the menu, so we ordered an app (Never The Same Meatballs) and entrées (I had the ribeye, wife had the gnocchi) at the same time because we had come to the conclusion that service here is SLOW. Meat balls arrived! They were indeed very good, but so rich! I could only eat 1 ½ of them. They were very smokey. Something that I found a little strange in a meatball. Still enjoyed the flavors though. Our entrees arrived about 30 minutes after our app. My steak was very good. The pureed potato it came with was noting more than glorified mashed potatoes. Very tasty but nothing special. The asparagus was pretty basic grilled asparagus. Great meal, but for $ 40? Definitely not a good value. My wife was completely underwhelmed by the gnocchi. She said it was ok, and has definitely had better. This was a very expensive meal for what we had. My wife had 2 glasses of chardonnay and I had 2 beers. That alone came to $ 54! The total bill was $ 125 before tip. I really feel that we got raped on the drink prices. The atmosphere was nothing special. We would have had a much nicer and less expensive meal at Tempo or Red Bird. The service does indeed suck. It took us 2 hours from the start of our meal to the finish with no desert. Really not impressed. Maybe if they made some changes I’d try it again.
Had to revise this: My wife and my leftovers were all thrown in the same box together. Gross.

The mark-​up on wine here is just greedy. The glass is adequate, but the price is just a few dollars shy of the bottle cost at Dion’s. They’re not losing much product with that Coravin device up at the bar, either, so $ 16+ a glass seems pretty unnecessary.
The charcuterie, however, is a treat. I split a board with my dining companion, on which we sampled their bresaola, ‘Nduja, and Saucisson de Lyon. All three were exemplary, paired with cornichons, pimientos, and whole-​grain mustard, respectively. The ‘Nduja was my favorite of the three, since such traditional treats are hard to find in Boston. We also ordered a round of the «never the same meatballs», which make up for all the unsatisfying mystery meat that you’ve ever had in childhood.
There was some confusion up at the host stand, but our waitress was very nice and made sure to check up on us regularly. It does break my heart a little that I dined on the same hallowed ground as Wings Express, but Waltham does seem to be classing up a bit.

Best restaurant on Moody! Service is stellar, food is stellar, and drinks are stellar! It reminded me of a European restaurant where it takes a few hours, so plan on being there for a while.

This place is great, A bit pricey but not for what it is. You get what you pay for.
They have a couple of beers on draught and a few cans that I can see. But this place specializes in wine it seems. With a great selection of affordable and some impressive (not-​affordable) bottles and by the glass servings, they have something for everyone. Not exactly a sommelier myself, my girlfriend relied on the bartender, who knew his stuff and managed to quickly pick out something that was right for her.
The décor of the bar is dark and warm. a little industrial. We sat at the bar, which is very wide open. It features a wine pouring system on the back bar, overhead exposed liquor storage and deli slicers right in the middle of the bar. While we were their the Chef (owner? not sure) was out talking to a few people. The place was very busy and although we didn’t have a reservation we managed to get a seat at the bar with a short wait. While waiting you are in the other side of the business «Moody’s Delicatessen and Provisions» This place is heavy if you are a carnivore. Cured meats hanging over the deli counter, available frozen packaged meets, soups, and sauces. They also have some seating in the deli for lunch and dinner. This is the heart of the place, even when sitting in the bar you can look right into the deli with a pass-​through so the bartenders can serve fresh charcuterie and other things from the meat cutters.
Star of this place is the food for sure, we got Charcuterie of course. Some of it on the bartenders recommendation, some of it blind based on what he thought we’d like. We got the meat balls, the Agnolotti, and dessert. Very very high quality meats and foods. They have everything from satisfying small plates, to flatbreads, to a 32oz steak if you want to shell out the $ 70 for it. I was tempted but no way after what we had would I have been able to eat it. however someone next to us got it, it’s served on a large cutting block and looked amazing.
Louder fun classy vibe. don’t expect romantic setting unless you are there on a slow night… which I’m not sure if they even have, as new as they are.
But if you have the money to spend and want something high quality and you like cured meats, good wine, and good food… here’s your place.

We made a reservation via Open Table for a Friday night at 7:00pm. We arrived at 7pm but still had to wait a few minutes before being seated.
Unfortunately we were sat in the worst possible table in the entire restaurant. When you first come into the dining room, on your left the first table sticks out way too much from the other tables and is in the way of high foot traffic. You can tell that this table should not be there as my poor date got a few things spilled on him and was bumped into several times by servers or customers. My poor table neighbors also had to have my butt in their face for a few seconds as I made my to and from my seat. The tables are just really tight! I also just want to mention that if you are sitting in the tables along the windows (the two top tables), the AC vents are right above you. Bring a jacket because you will be freezing! The staff was more than happy to turn down the AC as the night went on since everyone was still wearing their jackets.
We as well as our poor table neighbors laughed off the night as newer parties arrived and stuck their butts in others faces and complained about the tight space along the windows. But (haha)… I’m happy to report that the tight space is worth the food you are about to consume!
We started with the never the same meatballs; you receive three good sized meatballs loaded with meat, cheese and marinara sauce. The meatballs were excellent! The blend of the meat, cheese, herbs and breadcrumbs were incredible. We were also given a basket of bread with fresh butter. The butter was incredible! It was perfectly creamy and salty, the bread although fresh and hearty was cold.
For our main meals we got; Caramelized onion soup, the wedge salad and the wood grilled skirt steak. The onion soup was great, it was everything you would want your french onion soup to be. It was loaded with onions, bread and cheese! The wedge salad went along with my soup to round out my meal and was great. The best thing about this salad was the ultra thick cut bacon on top of the salad. You could just tell how fresh and homemade the bacon was. The wood grilled skirt steak meal was very large and impressive. The steak was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. The staff was super nice and brought out some hush puppies for the wait and issues with the small space. That was very nice of them and the hush puppies were very good!
I was very impressed with the wine list and cocktail menu. They really did have a great variety of items to choose from. I also thought that the pricing for bottles was a good deal. We ended up getting a bottle of Artemis, which was the cheapest I’ve ever seen it in a restaurant. Normally a bottle of this Cabernet will run you about $ 100 – 130 in a restaurant, The Backroom was selling it for $ 80.
The staff is very nice here, the front desk definitely needs some help though. When just waiting to check in for our reservation, we had to still wait about 10 minutes before talking to anyone. The hostess was on the phone for about 5 minutes taking a take out order or just making several reservations. Another man in front of us was very aggravated as he just wanted to pick up his sandwich order he already called in. After the hostess got off the phone and rang him up, we looked like we were about 10 minutes late but that was not the case. They definitely need two people up front to help with the takeout, phones and reservations.
Our server was lovely and very attentive, we had a great experience with her and our meals.
I do want to come back and sit at the bar, the bar looked so relaxed and the seats looked so comfortable.
Note: Even if you have a reservation you may get seated in the deli section of the establishment. You may want to request sitting in the main dining room if possible, as I think this is really what the «backroom» experience is about.
Also if you have a party of 3,4 or more the tables for the larger parties appear to have a little more room than the two tops.