Russell House Tavern - FINALLY!

This is one of those places Nick and I have been meaning to try from a long time - people have been singing its praises for awhile now.  However, it being ALL the way across the river we had to plan ahead.  Lucky for us two of my cousins were coming to town and I thought this would be a perfect time to test out the Russell House Tavern.

I was surprised at how big the restaurant was.  We were seated at a big table on the bottom floor that was a nice open space, though it seemed a bit loud at first.  However, after a couple of cocktails from their nice drink menu, that stopped bothering me :)

The menu had a good mix of foods, including pizza, a raw bar, small plates and more traditional entrees.  Our group decided to pass on appetizers and dive right into main courses.  One of these was Roasted Giannone Farm chicken, served with mashed potatoes, thyme roasted carrots and smothered with pan drippings.

Roasted Chicken

When I saw there was a burger on the menu I had to give it a try.  This wasn't your traditional burger - this was a grass fed burger with P.T. Farms Vermont Beef, bacon, cheddar, and charcoal onions, all on a griddled English Muffin.

Grass Fed Burger

To be honest, I was VERY suspect of the English Muffin instead of a roll of some sort, but this totally changed my mind!  It is a flavorful bread that takes a bit more effort to get soaked through with juices but is thin, so it not only does it not overpower the beef, but also makes biting into the sandwich easier!

The burger itself was delicious.  The beef was tender and seasoned well and cooked to perfection.  The bacon was thin and crispy while the onions and Cheddar added a nice texture and supporting flavor.  This burger ranks right up there with Back Bay Social Club and Mooo...(I really need to try Mooo's burger again soon to "refresh my memory").

What made the burger even better were the fries!  They were out of this world.  I love my fries to be borderline overcooked - a deep golden brown and crispy.  These rode that line perfectly.  If I wasn't too busy attempting to eat the whole burger, I would have cleaned the whole plate of them!

For a fish entree they have a special each day.  However, it is always served with a fennel and orange salad and green herb aioli, which didn't grab me.  This past Saturday night it was a Red Fish caught off the coast of the Carolinas.  The server described it as the next step up from a bottom feeder, as in it sits and eats the vegetation in the water.  After learning about its habitat, we then found out that it is really a thick white fish, almost like swordfish.

Red Fish Special

Two people (including Nick) ordered the fish and all gave it rave reviews.  Literally, there was nothing left on either of the plates - the sauce was completely gone!

Last but certainly not least was the Brandt's steak frites, which came with the delicious crispy fries, garlic aioli and a red wine demi.

Steak Frites

The fries (as I explained above) were fantastic, but the meat was tasty and cooked perfectly as well - another cleaned plate!

We were all so full by the time dessert rolled around but managed to split the chocolate cheese cake six ways.

Chocolate Cheese Cake

I wish I had saved more room because it was delicious!

Russell House Tavern totally lived up to the high expectations we had for it, with an amazing burger to boot!  I would love to go back and try some of their smaller plates, but if the entrees are any indication, the whole menu will be great.  You really can tell each item is well analyzed and thought out long before it ever hits the plate.  Its totally worth the trip across the river - and if you live in Cambridge, what are you waiting for?