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This place always looks packed and the food that people are eating out on the patio looked delicious, so I decided to make a reservation and finally try it. I made a reservation for 8:30PM for three people. At 8:20PM, my two friends and I walk in and check in. The hostess tells me they won't seat me until the time of my reservation. I thought they were joking. They were making me wait 10 minutes when I could clearly see plenty of open tables. Well, I waited until 8:35PM and asked why we were not yet being seated and why so many people were being seated before us and she said, we don't seat incomplete parties. We all came in and checked in together, and that was a sorry excuse for not giving us a table. They made me wait 20 more minutes before giving me a table meant for only two people. The chair one person was seated in was backed up to the person behind him and every minute the waiter was asking her to slide closer to the table so he could pass. We asked to be moved because we didn't want our dinner to be interrupted every minute by a waiter trying to squeeze through and were told that we couldn't get another table for another 15 minutes! Finally we were seated at a rickety table that sloshed our water glasses every time someone put their elbows on the table. To top it off, we didn't even have any bread and assumed the restaurant did not have a bread basket until we left and saw every table with a bread basket. The food is okay. It's not spectacular. For that price I would have expected more.

We had rushed service two weekend evenings in a row. On both evenings, the waitstaff persisted in taking our order a couple of times before we had a chance to sip our wine or look at the menu. The entrees came out before we finished our appetizers. Staff looked to clear dishes before we were finished. The two signature dishes can be written off. The meatloaf was mushy, sogg yand, salty, while the mac and cheese was bland and tasteless. The food and service do not live up to the trendy atmosphere. I've had more refined service in a diner.

I ordered the grilled veggie sandwich (came with mixed greens salad) and my husband ordered the grilled cheese with french fries. Both were really good but Stephanie's is a little over priced for what it is. The portions were large and the staff were really nice. I have a nut allergy and they didn't mind at all when I had to switch the bread on my sandwich. One small thing - when my husband asked if he could "switch" the potato chips that were supposed to come with his salad for fries, the waitress said no problem and didn't mention that there would be a fee of several dollars for that.

A trip to Stephanie's is worth if for the Irish soda bread to me but I also enjoyed the Open Faced Thanksgiving Sandwich! The atmosphere was very nice, especially after a long day walking around Boston in November. The service was quick and polite. We had a late lunch and were fortunate to find the restaurant not overly crowded but I can imagine it would be a great place for dinner as well if you like the crowds. The food portions were huge and the price seemed on par with what one would expect to pay in Boston for a nice lunch. Certainly somewhere I'd dine again.

Came to Boston for a long weekend and was told by some friends this is a great place to go for brunch. They hit the nail on the head. Although there was a long wait, it was worth it. Great bloody marys and generous portions. Will absolutly return if I am ever in the Boston area again.

I came here on a date and one thing that stuck out: this place is not what it is hyped up to be. When I walk by, so many people are always there but I believe it's more of a place to eat and be seen. It's a cute place to get some food but I wasn't impressed by the flavors of the meal...it seemed a bit bland. Overall, this place is just ok...if you can't figure out another place to go on Newbury Str.

Stephanie's is the exception on Newbury, where there seems to be a general lack of very good restaurants. Stephanie's has an extensive menu, so there's something for everyone. The food is very good and the prices are reasonable, especially for the area. Long lines on the weekends are the biggest draw back.