Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar

If you’re looking to be treated like scum, come to this joke of an establishment.
Walking in for dinner, the restaurant was relatively empty asides for a few people drinking. I asked the woman with a bob-​cut if i could have a menu.
20 minutes later, I sat there hungry and menu-​less. It’s not my responsibility to continuously request for a service that your business should automatically deliver.
On a Tuesday night, with minimum traffic, every customer’s patronage should be attended to. I suppose you’re content pissing people off.
Avoid this spot like the plague.
You’re better off going to any of the other restaurants/​bars in the area.
I’d rate them a negative 5 star, but Unilocal tries to be ‘politically correct’.

Astounding whiskey selection. Good burger and fries. It was full of I-​banker types though. Can’t win em all

I’ve been living in Boston for 3 years, and I have never had such a bad experience at a restaurant/​bar. Two of my friends and I grabbed seats at the bar for drinks and food on a Friday night. The bartenders were having multiple inappropriate conversations right in front of customers. Among other things, I heard «I hate pretentious girls» followed by a viewing of pictures on their cell phones, and «dude, they were all barely 19». No… just no.
Rewind. Prior to sitting at the bar, we were standing. A woman bumped into me multiple times, which is normal in a crowded bar so I didn’t think it was a big deal, but after the third time, I turned around to apologize (clearly I was in her way) and I realized she worked there! She proceeded to push past everyone to get around the restaurant the rest of the time we were there, with the dirtiest look on her face.
We figured since we were already there, we would give the food a try. Bad idea. We got a selection of «snacks» and appetizers that wouldn’t have been enough to feed a small child.
Needless to say, I will not be returning to Citizen.

Really good bar staff. Lucy –observant and good advice helpful getting a seat and super on target w our drink order
Really liked the St Germaine and Prosecco
Had crab/​corn fritters delicious
Busy Saturday night lots of people having a good time
Zippy music
Will recommend will return

Parsnip Bisque is my new favorite food. We loved our experience here. The food was interesting and delicious. The alcohol was even more interesting — our first whiskey flight. The staff was helpful and friendly.

My friends and I decided to try out the pig roast. Although it is a bit pricey, it was quite the treat. The pig isn’t the biggest I’ve ever seen but we could not finish it all in one sitting. The stuffing was delicious and the pig was cooked to perfection. The meant was moist and tender. The sides were excellent as well. If you and your friends want to enjoy a nice night out and feast on some pork, order the pig roast. You must order ahead of time btw. The bartenders were cool and quite knowledgeable. They made us some great cocktails.

We had a fabulous bartender. (Sunday, 11/​8, 2 PM) She was pleasant, chatty, accommodating, and happy to drop whatever she was doing to answer our questions, refill our beverages, or just check in to see how we were doing. Our burgers were great. I wish the full menu (as opposed to the brunch menu) had been available. I’ll be back when it is.

I just went to Citizen’s with my family yesterday. A majority of us got burgers while my brother got a fish sandwich.
My burger was great! They even have gluten free buns which was awesome. I love when places offer gluten free buns because I feel as though i don’t get to eat burgers often.
My only complaint is that they only had a brunch menu available. The burger (only one kind available at this time) and the fish sandwich were the only two options on there that weren’t «brunch-​like.» We went there at around 3:00 pm so none of us were in the mood for eggs at all. We all wanted a savory, hearty meal. The waitress informed us that they were only serving brunch until 5 pm. It was kind of a bummer.
Other than that, everything else was good. I would go back here.

good drinks. had the Manhattan.
food was meh. had ahi tuna burger, oysters. Cannot recommend.
ambiance was enjoyable at 7pm on a sunday. not too crowded

I had the citizen’s Benedict which had amazing tastes along with each bite and component.
I was with a group and it seemed like some dishes were disproportionately small – the pork belly special was such so I felt bad for the eater. Choose wisely.

Went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was not too crowded around 8:30pm, so we were seated right away.
To start off the meal we ordered a couple of meatball sliders. We were pretty hungry, so these were not the most amazing meatballs we had ever had, but they hit the spot.
We also ordered their kale caesar salad special, which was probably my favorite dish of the night – though I thought it lacked a little size, considering it rang in at $ 9 and didn’t have anything other than kale and croutons.
For the main course, we were very excited to try the chicken, but unfortunately they had run out. We elected to go with the steak frites and the pan-​seared cod special. Because so many Unilocalers talked about the sweet potato relleno, I switched that for the potato purée in the cod dish.
The steak frites was pretty good. The meat was cooked perfectly and went well with the butter it was served with. The frites were decent, but were not substantial enough and ended up being pretty soggy by the time we got the plate.
The cod was also decent, but the real winner on the plate was the greens it was served with. They were cooked well and had some garlic and chorizo added that really heightened their flavor.
The relleno was also very good – definitely on the spicier side, so it’s perfect for those that like a nice spicy bite. Our waiter let us know that there would be an uncharge for the relleno over the potato purée – which was fine – but it would have been nicer if they just cut that cost considering we weren’t able to order the one entrée that included the sweet potato relleno.
We finished the meal with their bread pudding dessert which we both enjoyed, but would have been two times better served with some sort of vanilla ice cream on top.
Overall, this place was very hit and miss with the dishes. Though we enjoyed most of the food, it definitely missed the highest marks in our books. Also, our waiter must have been newish, since he seemed a tad awkward at points throughout the night and lacked some table side manner. Otherwise, it was a good meal and the food came out extremely fast.

This is one place that I loved far beyond the reviews. It has a very cool wooden bar. The bartender was super friendly and made an outstanding old-​fashioned. The music was perfect… it literally felt like they were playing my iPhone (ok so that may not be a good thing for some of you. but only the ones who don’t like awesome music… I kid). The fried pickles were the best I’ve ever had in my life. The burger was excellent. Honestly, this place did not miss one single mark and I’d be there all of the time if I lived in that area.

This place is a safe heaven for great food, drinks and conversation! If you despise social life, go to the Himalayas instead. This is place is fantastic! Ask for Salavatore! Salvatore will guide you through the interesting list of cocktail concessions and lead you through the fresh selections of shellfish appetizers of the day. Ask Salvatore for advice on the kitchens selection of American specialities from suckling pig, organic half chicken, to the humble but desirable burger.
In sum, my wife and I had an extraordinary evening of delicious food and lively drinks over here. We may safely say that our experience was exhilarating, joyful and merry. And again, ask for Salvatore! He is the best server in Boston and he will go to extremes to make sure you have a delightful moment. His personalized attention and eagerness to do the best, is indisputable and makes you feel as if you are with a treasured friend! Thank you Salvatore and the Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar!

My wonderful sister decides that her son’s post HS graduation dinner was going to be here. They had a suckling pig roast fit for 10 people or more (we only had 9 in our group). The most unfortunate thing about this evening was that we caught the restaurant post Red Sox game so plenty of HH revelers after seeing the game.
It was so loud, we couldn’t hear most of the descriptions regarding our wonderful roasted pig. That was a shame but we did have my nephew follow tradition and kiss the head (slight peck). My nephew is always game for eating new food and was not afraid to taste every piece offered of the whole pig. The head was taken away after the presentation for further dissection (other parts to sum up, eat the whole hog).
The seafood cocktail was good but might have not been sufficient for a group that was hungry (and getting hungrier). The noise probably made us more so. I had the Moscow mule drinks which was pretty good and strong.
Overall, I might visit the place again but will make sure to check the schedule (any Boston team playing that night) before making reservations or dropping by.
If you are into eating a whole suckling pig, get 9 of your friends or more together and make reservations!

Came here after catching a Red Sox game because it was so conveniently located so close to the stadium. The place is small and most of the space is taken up by the bar. The food is good and well prepared.
We started with the seafood feast for 2 and it came with oysters, clams, mussels and shrimp cocktail. It was delicious but will set you back $ 45.
They have several specials daily and be sure to check out the several whiskey flights they offer. This is a great place to stop by before or after the game to satisfy your palate

I came here awhile back and just getting around to a review now. I actually came to try this place because I received a deal from some promotion affiliated with Über; it was for $ 1 oysters and I was like «why not?»
I got there and I loved the feel of the place. The rows of oysters on display made me know I was in the right place to give them a go. The hostess was pleasant and got us a seat at the bar. I ordered a cocktail which was made well and I told them I was going to try the oysters first since I had a coupon for them. The server, who was very pleasant, told me he had no idea what coupon I was talking about. I proceeded to show him the email I had with the info and location to which he said he «Would check with the head chef» because he probably was just «not informed» about it. I wasn’t that surprised since it was the first day of the special.
The server returned and said the head chef knew nothing about the special. Working in the industry myself I didn’t stomp my feet or get pissy over it, because that’s just not what you do with a server with no say in the matter. I ended up getting the burger which was delicious and accurately described as such around the city. Had it not been for the issue with the coupon I’d easily be giving this place 4 – 5 stars. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for good food and drinks.

First visit – snow blizzard— went here for a quick bite during brunch. Group ordered the donut hole special with raspberry filling— excellent choice. Ordered the fried oyster po’ boy with a finger-​licking remoulade and perfectly acidic pickled green tomatoes. Plenty of oysters on the sandwich as well with a great crust on them. A friend ordered the burger (double-​cheese burger) which they enjoyed.
The real purpose for this review was when we went back for the GiltCity 5 course tasting menu with wine/​whiskey pairing. Our night started out rough – we arrived with a reservation (arrived early cause we respectful like that) and no host in sight – all the staff were running around, no one greeted or gave us any info/​direction. 5 – 10 minutes later we were seated— we weren’t sure how this tasting worked so we waited – another 5 – 10 minutes until a server was assigned after my husband went up and asked what the deal was. Thankfully, the server we had the rest of the night was fantastic – saved yourselves there Citizen. First course was oysters with hollandaise and bacon – dreamy-​paired with a sauv Blanc which was crisp and lovely. Second course was littleneck clams with butter and jalapeños paired with a chardonnay – server owned that menu— gave insight into where ingredients were sourced and knew the wines and how to describe them (we love wine but you could really just make up a description and we would go with it). Third course was a really spectacular lobster risotto – all ingredients cooked to perfection – with a red (sorry can’t remember which but was great). Fourth was a leg and breast of duck which the chef brought out. He was adorable– giddy and excited to share it with us which was awesome to see. Duck was divine-​executed perfectly and very flavorful. This was paired with a full-​bodied malbec. Last course was a house whiskey – excellent— very strong with a toffee pudding with cream – mouthwatering— we finished this course with a strong cup of coffee. Giltcity deal is only for Sunday-​Thursday which at first you may think, bummer but it breaks up the week especially with all this snow and made for a fantastic night. Overall great night, service reputation was redeemed and food was ON-​POINT! Also – wine pours were quite generous – never know what you may get at a tasting.

Validated parking, potent drinks, fantastic service, and a pig roast to boot — what’s not to like about Citizen Public House?
We arrived early for a friend’s birthday and gathered ourselves around the bar for some custom cocktails. A few whiskey– and vodka-​based cocktails to warm the belly and we were ready to go for dinner.
First course — raw bar! I was so happy to see fresh oysters, clams, and jumbo shrimp on the table. Next course was the seafood chowder appetizer — the bacon bits were a nice touch to the corn-​based chowder. The main event arrived soon after (roasted and stuffed southern style), with family-​style sides of glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese.
Tradition has it that the guest of honor kisses the pig prior to it being chopped up for serving. We found ourselves chanting «Kiss the pig! Kiss the pig!» to egg on the birthday lady … and she shamelessly kissed the snout for all to see! The pig was then brought back to the kitchen for prep, returned on silver platters in bite-​sized pieces. After gorging ourselves on crispy skin and tender meat, our servers prepared the pig’s head for the table, complete with sweetbreads, ears, eyes, and snout. YUM.
Our ever-​attentive and friendly servers made sure to keep our water glasses full and remove the dishes as soon as they were empty. We even had a decent group photo taken!
I wish we’d been warned about how tasty the starches were — I would have tried to save some room for more pork. I also wish that parking was cheaper, but I guess that’s tougher to negotiate in the city. Lesson learned — eat more pig, save the mac & cheese for later, and carpool into the city.

It kind of makes me sad that this restaurant doesn’t have 5 stars. The service here is AWESOME. My company has done 2 pig roasts here and both have been a great success with our clients.
When I got to the restaurant last night I was feeling a little nauseous from a terrible cab experience and our waitress, Kayla, was quick to provide ginger ale and crackers (crostini) to settle my stomach and even brought out Tylenol for my coworker’s headache. Talk about going above and beyond for the customer!
My company hosted a Pig Roast for 24 people and Kayla was our only waitress for the table. I was a little nervous for her, but she handled the volume really well and was quick to refill drinks and monitoring if anything else was needed at the table.
The Pig Roast is an experience in itself. I’m not a pork fan at all, but it was so fun! The chef presents the pig to the table and talks through preparation and what will be served. We did the regular Pig Roast (there are also BBQ and Asian options) and everything was delicious — including the sides. I will forever dream about those mashed sweet potatoes!
My company owes many, many thank you’s to Citizen Public House for hosting such a wonderful event with exceptional service. I think it’s safe to say we’ll continue to come back!

Awesome pig roast! Oysters, clams, and shrimp cocktail to start. Different parts of the pig was then served with asian vegetables (family style). The pig was roasted beautifully and the vegetables were better cooked than the ones in Chinatown. Very impressed and exceeded my expectations.
They validate parking next door for up to 3 hours ($ 4).