The north shore of Boston has a wide variety of movie theaters that show all the indie films not shown elsewhere. About once a week, my friend John and I go to the movies. Last night he suggested we go to one of his favorite restaurants; Mount Vernon Restaurant and Pub for dinner. It is in Somerville, on the north shore of Boston and a short drive from Kendall Square Cinema. I was hungry and took his recommendation. I was glad I did!

The Decor

Mount Vernon's looks like a club room. Dark green carpets are on the floor, and dark woods prevail in the booths and the tables. It is a small restaurant, and I could only see a handful of tables and restaurants. John told me that the restaurant actually is in three sections, and to our left was a lounge and a bar, but it was through a door. Large chandeliers that looked like inverted stained glass bowls were in the ceiling. In short, this is a nice looking restaurant that belies the name Pub. I didn't go into the pub section, so I can't comment on that.

The Service Service was good, if not great. Our waitress came over to take drink orders and give us menus. I thought she took a bit longer than necessary to bring over dessert or to clear the table, but not that long. She was friendly and perhaps the wait time was perceived by me as longer because I was quite hungry when we sat down to eat.

The Menu

Main courses I noticed an abundance of two items on the menu, although there were more than that. Lobster and Steak! Yes, you could get lobster, twin lobster, lobster casserole, stuffed lobster, salmon topped with lobster, or lobster bisque soup. You could also order steak from anywhere from hamburger to a large filet mignon. Baked stuffed shrimp was also on the menu, or a pair of pork chops or a traditional Irish dinner of steamed corn beef, cabbage and potatoes.

Appetizers A wide variety of great looking appetizers were listed, most in the $7-10.00 category such as shrimp cocktail, scallops wrapped in bacon, oysters on the half shell and the like. You could also get a soup or salad for $4.00 to 5.00 dollars.

Desserts There were not many dessert items listed, but most were priced quite reasonable, and when I saw blueberry pie listed, I stopped looking. Desserts were in the cake, pie, and ice cream categories.

Drinks You can get pretty much anything from beer and wine to mixed drinks here, it is a pub after all.

The Food

I had clam chowder for an appetizer, and our waitress brought me extra chowder crackers. I love my chowder crackers with clam chowder, and it was good clam chowder. The waitress also brought out popovers which were quite tasty. Later she brought out bread which was like an italian or a french bread.

I could not resist the special of that night. TWIN BOILED LOBSTERS for 10.99! They came out bright red, side by side. The special had no sides except a generous portion of drawn butter, but I didn't care. (although I was disappointed that I couldn't get a side of corn on the cob). The lobster meat was moist, and tasty. The waitress brought me a bib, lobster crackers and moist towlettes.

For dessert, I had an awesome piece of blueberry pie a la mode topped with whip cream. In short, my meal was delicious and I would gladly come back again. My friend John has eaten there many times, and said it was one of his favorite restaurants. I could easily see why. In fact, from over hearing one party when they left, it was apparent that they came here frequently.

Update - Steaks

Since I wrote my original review, about a year ago, I've gone back a couple times. Last time (about a week ago, Nov '07) I enjoyed a meal of marinated steak tips. The price was reasonable 12.99. I got the most delicious steak tips, they were marinated in a sauce that was slightly sweet, but not quite a barbeque sauce. It was an excellent tasting sauce. Each tip was tender with no fat or gristle. My meal was served with a large potato with plenty of sour cream and a side of carrots. For dessert, I again had blueberry pie with ice cream.

The Prices The range of prices here varies from incredibly reasonable to rather pricey. I signed up for their email list so I can receive coupons for discounts. I understand that they are always running a special on something or other, so you can get a good meal at a very good price. TWO 1 1/4 pound lobsters for 10.99! Other meals, such as twin baked lobster and the filet mignon were about 23 dollars. Many entrees were $20-$25.00, but I also saw several good looking entrees in the $10-15.00 price range.

Summary Mount Vernon is yet another restaurant that I have discovered that I really enjoyed. I love lobster, and I love steak, and this place has plenty of both. I have now been here a few times since my original review and based on my experience there for the first time and all times since, I gladly recommend it, and give it five stars.

Recommended: Yes

Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The lobsters were awesome! I would recommend blueberry pie for dessert.
Best Suited For: Friends