Banyan Bar & Refuge

I came here over the summer with friends, shortly after it’s opening. The patio was super cute, and I had read a nice write up on the place, so we were excited to dine. Our server was friendly, and tried to be helpful, but the plates he suggested were foods we did not care for. He was very pushy though, so ultimately we ordered one of his suggestions because he was very adamant.
We ordered a variety of plates, but honestly, they were all unsatisfying. The worst dish of all was some crispy rice dish that looked like a literal chicken patty from middle school. Also, their delivery was terrible. They would bring one plate at a time, so we each had a bite, and then you’d wait another 20 minutes for the next. They also ended up forgetting one of our dishes.
Maybe some of the kinks have been worked out at this point, but I don’t even want to bother giving it another shot.

We were in Boston for one night and were very pleased with our choice of dinner. Banyan’s food is creative AND delicious. We had the Fluke crudo, Roasted cauliflower, Pork belly bun, Fried chicken bun and Spicy beef tartare. The Fluke crudo was an interesting combination of fluke sashimi and oranges which yielded a light, creamy but fresh taste. The beef tatare was a highlight — the raw beef was dipped in hot mustard and rolled up in a piece of seaweed with a slice of watermelon radish, creating a meaty yet crispy, sweat yet salty flavor — very refreshing and enjoyable. The pork belly bun was great as expected — being an Asian restaurant and all. But the califlower was really the crème de la crème — I don’t know how they make the toasted yellow coconut curry, but it will change your opinion of what cauliflowers can taste like.
Dessert was cream puffs with sesame seeds and melted caramel — a bit too sweet for my taste.
The cocktail menu is really impressive, though — creative, playful and tasty. Had a Painkiller, was delicious.
Really liked the décor — large open space with expansive «tree branch» ceiling lamps and walls of logs all around in the back.
All in all, would definitely recommend Banyan to food-​venturers who like to be surprised.

Came for their first brunh service and couldn’t have had a better experience. Great cocktails (all three bloody’s), delicious starters, and inventive mains. I’d itemize what we got, but the 4 in our group each tried different things and they were all winners. Also, the staff was great. Very attentive and engaged. Definitively want to return for dinner.

I stopped by Rebecca Roth and her Gallows Group’s new restaurant, Banyan, in the old South End Boston Hammersley’s space last night with a date for some sake and to check out the space. Gorgeous interior and loved the «tree wall» in the back. Our bartender/​muse, Leia, did a lovely job keeping our group entertained and being knowledgeable about the sake options and Kirin beer foam.
We particularly enjoyed the Kirin beer served with icy beer foam on the top made by only 1 of 3 machines like it in the US: one in Dodger Stadium, one at Citi Field, and one at the restaurant. In Japan, Kirin girls with backpacks walk around the baseball stadiums and serve beer out of one hose and beer foam out of the other. Absolutely delicious and you won’t want beer any other way.
Terrific overall spot, the staff is friendly and professional, and a great experience.

Tried this place and found it to be subpar food-​wise. The ambience was great, good service. We tried the lobster bun, okra, pork ribs and pickled veggies. Pork was overcooked and a little dried out. Lobster was more of a lettuce bun with lobster accent bits, felt like a rip-​off for $ 15, since there wasn’t much lobster at all. Okra was decent. Hopefully they improve.

I desperately wanted to like this place, but I came away unimpressed. With the great location, the redesigned space, and prices to go with all of the above, Banyan needs a chef, not a selection of uncoordinated asian fusion dishes. Best of luck.

I don’t know how people say they liked this place!
The atmosphere was fun, but the food was Not that good and their «special» dessert was worse than horrible!!! Costco cream puffs with sesame and caramel syrup on top!!!
Very disappointing!

After hearing so much about this place and walking by countless times, the boyfriend and I decided to check it out when my mom was in town. We had a reservation so we were able to be seated right away – which was good as the place was pretty crowded, even on a Tuesday night.
After getting a preview of the menu, we decided to order a bunch of dishes and share them.
Takoyaki (5 stars) – This dish wasn’t really on our radar until after it was explained to us. Not knowing what to expect, this ended up being one of our favorite dishes of the night as it was so creamy and flavorful – definitely worth ordering.
Beet poke (4 stars) – This dish was good, though I thought the flavor profile was pretty simple with beets and sesame. I didn’t really care for the apple in it, but the rice crisps provided a nice bite.
Roasted cauliflower (5 stars) – How can you go wrong with coconut curry and cauliflower? You really can’t and this dish is no exception. The flavors here paired nicely together – my only complaint is that I wish the cauliflower was a little more crispy.
Avocado (5 stars) – Despite the challenge of eating this dish, I really loved the combination of flavors and textures. I guess it is sort of fun to make your own toast and spread the avocado on it, but I feel like the current layout of the dish makes it pretty hard to eat.
Charred okra (5 stars) – This dish was probably the biggest surprise for me. The okra was so delicious and came in a generous portion. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re an okra fan.
House pork wontons (3 stars) – I thought that the sauce that was served with these wontons reminded me of some sort of Italian cheese sauce and the wonton itself was like a ravioli. Needless to say, this combination didn’t really work for me.
Rice bowl (3 stars) – This dish was probably our least favorite of the night. I am not quite sure what they were going for flavor-​wise, as it just seemed a bit bland and uninspired.
Marinated strip loin (3 stars) – This was another interesting combination of flavors that I felt weren’t quite a match for me. In addition, I thought that the meat could have been a bit more tender as it was a little hard to chew.
Pork ribs (4 stars) – The meat just fell off of the ribs and tasted very good – though I have to admit, there wasn’t much meat to go around.
Overall, this new place is already off to a strong start. I also love the atmosphere and look of this new place and am excited to see what else they bring to the menu in the next couple of months. Definitely a new spot worth checking out in the South End.

For my first dining experience in Boston I was actually very impressed with the 2 dishes I ordered for a late night meal!
I had the grilled avocado that was simply to die for! It was a perfect spread of avocado, garlic aioli, jalapeños and a couple of vegetables over grilled bread. It was several excellent flavors that meshed very well with every bite.
I also had the lobster bun with honey miso sauce and man oh man that was some of the best lobster ever! Once again a very flavorful dish that didn’t disappoint.
I took off one star because we asked the server for a good lager and instead of letting us know what was available he just brought the first thing back and whatever it was was a terribly bitter beer.
All in all excellent, quaint and cute place that I can’t wait to re-​visit next time I’m in Boston.

This place is just MEH. I guess I’m spoiled living in LA with access to a ton of Asian food. This place just didn’t cut it for me. Everything was really salty and the prices they were charging for mediocre dishes would make me not want to go back. We tried a ton of stuff on the menu and I wasn’t really impressed by anything. I would say my favorite dish was a tofu dish that I don’t even see on the menu anymore (and I was there maybe a month ago). This place is definitely a skip for me. Sorry.

When the soundtrack for the meal starts with The Offspring’s timeless wonder, Pretty Fly for a White Guy, and then transitions into Halsey’s New Americana, you can anticipate that like whatever wizard is orchestrating the acoustic arrangements, the food will also be a mix of highs and lows.
Was primed to like Banyan as I am a sucker for all things dimly lit and covered in artfully arranged branches — and while overall it was a lovely meal, at times it was more thorn than rose. If you happen to be dining with someone sups OCD abt meal structure, this is perhaps not the place for you — there is no method to the madness of how things come out — we attempted to start with lactinato kale salad (orange/​shallots/​tamarind/​pickled shrooms) and warm octo salad (delicata, chili lime vinaigrette, peanuts), but instead was first gifted Island Creek Oysters (w/​black vinegar horseradish mignonette) — $ 18 for 6 — the oysters were pretty decent, though the mignonette was for surrrrre just soy sauce, its aggressive salt masking the delicate brine of the sea inherent in all things bivalve.
Marching onward, we then received the fluke crudo (toasted chili oil, cashews, oranges, soy/​ging vinaigrette) — cashews added a nice richness to the relatively light fish — but overall, needed salt — as well as the lacinato salad — fresh, pickled shrooms a nice touch — segueing into the charred avo (garlic aioli, jalapeño, pickled carrots/​daikon, garlic toast) — and yes, I love almost anything avo, but this was a bit of a miss — the jalapenos dominating the show, the avo and garlic in a constant faceoff for dominance in my mouth — hectic rather than seductive. Finished with the japanese eggplant (thai basil, fish sauce caramel, shiitake crumble) and warm octo salad. Found the eggplant’s fish sauce caramel to be inedibly fishy, though the eggplant itself a pleasant mush — flavors unbalanced — but the end was redeemed by the octopus salad, which was chewy and lush in all the right ways.
If you’re in a meatier mood, the pulled pork bun (green cabbage, crispy shallots) is apparently strong (though small for the price) — and the table next to us was pretty down with their fried pig tails, smoked ribs, and salt/​pepper chicken wings.
They recommend 6ish small plates for 2 people, though if I was going with someone with a heartier appetite, I would probably say 7 – 8 would be more appropriate to satiate.
Prices aren’t on the online menu, so I can’t fully detail what this will run you, but I think the veg plates were $ 10 – 15, seafood $ 10 – 18 (exception, whole branzino for $ 36), buns/​dumplings/​rice $ 10 – 15, and meats around the same — expect to spend $ 90ish w/​o drinks for a light din for two. We didn’t order the buns/​dumplings or meat plates, so I can’t speak to these options, but the price to portion ratio of the veg and seafood is what I would expect — petite but not absurdly small — though if you’re looking for a real meal, be warned that the bill can get fairly steep in the bat of an eyelash. Overall, worth a nosh, but perhaps give them a bit more time to ease into it as they are yet to be fully ready for prime time.

I wanted this place to be great. I really did, but I feel like I was wildly disappointed.
To start, Hammersley’s was my absolute favorite restaurant in Boston, so you can imagine how heart broken I was when it closed last October. I think a lot of South End residents were anxious to know who would occupy the space and for the most part, I think we were all pretty psyched to hear that the genius (es) behind The Gallows and Blackbird Doughnuts would be opening up a new venture. Sigh.
Banyan has an Asian-​fusion flare. The food is a bit out there (pig tails!) and the menu is pretty intimidating with lots of ingredients that I’m not super familiar with.
To start, I tried the Painkiller (on the cocktail menu). This drink is heavenly (insert red heart emoji here), and it comes with a coconut foam with toasted coconut on top. Sadly, the Painkiller was the highlight of the evening.
My friend and I shared the Pork Wontons/​Dumplings to start. They were warm, not hot, not super flavorful, and just weren’t great. These come with fried jalepenos, which were probably the highlight of the dish, adding a bit of spice to some bland pork, with a thick and somewhat under-​cooked dumpling wrapper.
For our meal we decided to share the pulled pork bun, the fried oyster bun, and the roasted cauliflower. My friend had described the portion size of the buns perfectly — the size of her fist. They were tiny. You get one for $ 12. Womp! The pulled pork was the best food we had. It was tender and seasoned nicely, but the slaw on top was super salty. Weird, right? Put together, it was fine, but nothing that would stand out or make me want to run back for more. The fried oyster bun was bad. Real bad. Swing and a miss bad. This «slider» was super messy, greasy, and the sauce on it resembled something of a McDonald’s Big Mac, which I’d almost prefer over this. What a let down!
The last item we ordered was the roasted cauliflower. The vegetable was roasted perfectly, but the curry fell short. We also found this dish to be a little salty, but this was probably the 2^nd best dish we had of the evening.
With tip, we ended up paying ~$ 41 per person, which doesn’t seem worth it for the small portions. We left and went to Barcelona next door where we shared a pitcher of Sangria and 3 small plates for $ 25 per person (w/​tip), which was so much more satisfying.
If you’re looking for great drinks and a pretty cool atmosphere then I’d recommend Banyan, but to come here for dinner? Nah. I won’t be back. Shojo, in Chinatown, takes the cake for Asian fusion with much better food at a more reasonable price.

This is a chic place to bring your friends for drinks. The atmosphere is absolutely lovely, and their drink selection is quite nice. They have a few signature cocktails that are fun. Their drinks are a little pricey, but worth it. I did not eat here, but a local told me that the food is a bit over priced for what you get.

Let me start by saying I’m WILLING to throw down for good food. I’m used to it, having lived in the south end for 3+ years now. But this place went above and beyond in cheapness/​total ripoff-​ness.
If you’re on a diet or wanna like not eat or are willing to pay 50+ to walk out hungry– come here!!! Ridiculously tiny portions. But honestly the icing on the cake was the abundance of WATERED DOWN DRINKS!!! when I pay 12+ for a cocktail I expect it to have AT LEAST a shot’s worth. That wasn’t the case here.
Great ambiance, awesome vibe, fairly tasty food, horrible value. Tread carefully. ;)

Banyan is a welcome edition to the plethora of New American and French restaurants lining Tremont St.
With soft stringed lights lining its edges, the patio is a romantic, chill spot to unwind and enjoy a meal. There’s ample space between tables, so you really can kick back and not feel like you’re sitting in your neighbor’s lap.
Service was friendly and knowledgable. Our waiter advised us to add another to dish to balance out the meal (e.g. so that we would be full). A lot of people had issues with feeling full from what I read on prior reviews, so the take-​home message is, if your waiter is concerned about you being full, listen to him.
In terms of libations, the Painkiller is a refreshing, juice-​driven, tropical drink that gets plus ten points in my book for having toasted coconut and cream as garnish. Just the right amount of sweetness without being over the top and cloying.
For food, the okra and cauliflower was a standout — a smoky, acidic, savory dish that pairs well with the cool, mild flavors of peach and eggy noodles in the cold egg noodle dish (fun fact– the noodles are hand-​pulled here). The beef tongue bun was intriguing especially with the mayo-​kimchi accompaniment, perhaps not one that I enjoyed but worth trying. The miso-​honey butter in the lobster bun is the subtle tweak that elevates the lobster bun from just plain old lobster on bread to a decadent, savory, drippy pocket of goodness.
I am happy that Banyan exists here amidst a plethora of French and New American joints that while I do appreciate, am growing tired of. While not everyone may appreciate some of the strong flavors of the dishes here, the service and ambiance are truly enjoyable and will entice even the most grumpy to return.

Officially my new favorite restaurant in the South End. Came here for outdoor seating and got a 7pm reservation just half an hour in advance. Their cocktails are amazing (LOVEDDDD the coconut milk lime and vodka one) and the rosemary, grapefruit and gin one was fucking awesome.
The dishes are so innovative and delicious. Service is great, people are nice, and I love the patio. I recommend:
+lobster sandwhich (warm, and so good!)
+the okra
+the thai prawns/​shrimp with thai curry sauce
+the scallops with the crispy won ton things.
so great. can’t wait to come back holy shit this place is like asian sex.

Delicious beverages and small plates! I’ve been here twice now and this place does not disappoint. The gin drinks (I had one with watermelon and one with grapefruit) are refreshing and just sweet enough to balance the other flavors but not cloying like some fruity cocktails. This time, my boyfriend and I ordered the potato chips, fluke crudo, broccoli rabe, and pulled pork slider. It was the perfect amount of food for 2 people and everything was incredible. Creative and flavorful and beautifully presented. I recommend ordering 2 things, enjoying those, then ordering 2 more so everything doesn’t come out all at once and your meal is over in 15 minutes! I’ve only sat at the bar, and it’s a good spot for attentive service and good people watching through the window to the patio.

Banyan Bar & Refuge was a disappointment. It is not clear which plates are expected to be shared and which serve as entrees, and you have to ask the waitstaff to clarify. It seems most efforts were put into the physical space as opposed to the actual food. The food theme was also somewhat confusing; i.e., there are many Asian fusion items (noodles, bahn mi), as well as fried chicken and then a Germanic grilled sausage platter.
Perhaps once the menu has been tweaked a bit it will be worth a return visit. Some dishes were tasty and easy to share (grilled sausage, oysters, crispy rice), whereas other dishes were ridiculous — i.e., 1 bahn mi for $ 10? This may be a good spot for drinks and sharing apps but not necessarily a full meal.

Interesting concept, generally tasty food, but wayyyyy overpriced.
To start, cocktails were tasty but were on the small side. The «Kirin slushy» was an interesting concept and cool presentation, but pretty disgusting-​tasting IMO.
For food, the waiter suggested getting one or two large plates and a few small plates to share, so between three of us we tried a few different dishes. Upon recommendation, we ordered the large plate fried chicken, which was nicely executed but way too expensive for what it was– 4 nicely fried, nicely flavored, boneless chicken thighs (aka one of the cheaper cuts) and a large scoop of just-​OK mayo-​ed potato salad with a touch of seaweed, for $ 28.
Next up was the small plate of corn, which was essentially a tasty coconutty (vegan) version of elote/​Spanish street corn, 2 half ears for $~8… fine but not worth the price. The small plate kale salad was OK but again, not worth it for the price (~$ 10?). Last up was small plate roasted potatoes with ground lamb for ~$ 15, which was yet again way overpriced, and had some good flavors but weren’t incorporated enough IMO (each ingredient– lamb, potatoes, yogurt, spices, pomegranate seeds– felt like it was added to the plate completely seperately, and it was only if you made sure to have each item in the same bite that the dish really came together and popped).
On the plus side, they have a nice patio, cool interior, and attentive service. But the price point and portion size means I’m not eager to return.

Wow. What beautiful décor and delicious food. The place has a chill yet intimate vibe. There are spaces for group seatings for a fun night out with friends and there is also a lot of two-​seaters for a date night out.
Love that it’s Asian fusion cuisine. There isn’t anything similar to it in the neighborhood. The chef does a great job blending different textures and tastes into the dishes. And they have super fun drinks! Can’t wait to try more items of their menu — we will definitely be back soon!
Congrats Rebecca & Seth on a great new addition to the South End!