My husband and I went out to Public Kitchen last night (Friday). We arrived around 4:45 and it wasn't too busy, we got a high top table right away. I ordered a no vacancy to start ( cold river blueberry vodka, lemon, and basil) and the husband ordered a house margarita. They have recently changed up the menu and added several new options including duck, swordfish, salmon and more. My drink was great, it's a very simple but yet refreshing drink and my husband said his was great too. Our server was nice and friendly as well, even though she was serving multiple other tables that I could see. For an appetizer, I asked if we could get half and half, Korean bbq and sweet chili garlic. Our server said they could do plain wings with a side of both sauces, which I agreed to. The wings were crunch on the outside, but still moist on the inside which I love. The sauces both taste amazing without being too heavy. For dinner- I ordered the salmon dish- salmon with a blue crab and artichoke crust, fregota raisin salad, crispy artichoke heart, charred scallions, roasted grape tomato and burre blanc. The salmon was cooked to about medium and was very tasty. It was a huge portion, and I ended up taking half of it home. My husband ordered the spicy peanut butter burger- onion roll, grilled 8oz burger, aged cheddar, smooth house peanut butter, bacon, avocado, shredded cabbage, kimchi sauce with fries. Peanut butter does sound like a weird combination for a burger, but all the flavors in this meld nicely. The fries that came with the burger were good as I did sample a few. They were thinly cut, and crunchy. I ordered another drink off their to go cocktail menu- coconut banana creme- it was very refreshing and reminded me of a pina colada. My husband had a maple smoked old fashioned- maple bark, flag hill bourbon, orange maple syrup, and black walnut bitters. He enjoyed his drink as well. We have been other times and this drink was overall sweet, not this time. It was very busy when we left around 6:30, with some customers waiting outside in the snow, and some just inside the doorway, which shows how awesome this restaurant is. I highly recommend! read more

See all

Service was amazing . Spicy margarita was phenomenal. Food was above average but definitely not the best around. Will be back.

Super busy, super loud spot for all the locals. I don't drink but this place seems to be all about craft beer. Despite all that I really enjoyed this place. The menu was very interesting with lots of great looking offerings. I ultimately tried the Poutine appetizer and the Cauliflower Fried Rice with salmon entrée. Both were excellent and filling. I recommend you try this place if ever in the area. read more

Public Kitchen - Cauliflower Fried Rice with salmon - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

See all

Food was very good, nice ambience... so far we've been here four times and never had a complaint. The service is great and the staff is very friendly. read more

Always amazing food, beers are ever changing and drinks are spectacular!! The vibe is always spot on and unbelievable atmosphere!!

Great place honestly. The atmosphere is good and I would consider this a great place to do big meetups with friends and family. Also one of the bar tenders, I don't remember her name, but she actually knows me and my mother somewhat well and she's very kind. My only issue is that after a while, this place can get boring. read more

Absolute Star bartender, Mercedes, made a fantastic customer experience for me. She is super experienced, with stellar people skills and great heads-up awareness. She handled a busy bar with professionalism and grace. 10 out of 10. I will definitely visit again thanks to Mercedes. P.S. Skylar was also great. read more

This is my favorite! Amazing staff, incredible food, hot cocktails and a revolving craft beer selection. Love it!

Everything here was great! Short rib tacos, haddock sandwhich and the Mac and cheese along with the Irish flatbread. Everything was delicious fresh and flavorful. Prices seemed high but the portions were all massive! Service was quick and friendly and even their to go containers were nice! Will be back! read more

Public Kitchen - Short rib tacos - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

100%. Go here with the family. Good drinks, great food, and even better staff. I have more to share but not enough time.

The food, service and atmosphere were all excellent. We had lunch for 45 people after our mother's funeral there and the owner was more than accommodating. She contacted us several times so make sure everything was perfect. read more

Dishes were not as advertised on the menu and one app was on the cold Side. Service was slow but they were probably understaffed. read more

Public Kitchen - Menu said there was cheese Whiz and jalapeños on my flat bread but it came without cheese Whiz and no jalapeños. - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

I'll preface this review by saying I'm sympathetic to the disruptions/circumstances COVID has brought upon the food industry as a whole. That being said, we are 2 years into it at this point. We've all learned to deal. I went here Saturday afternoon around 2pm, place was busier than I would have expected. The person we were meeting had been sat without any acknowledgment for 10 mins before my guest and I arrived. We waited an additional 15-20 mins to be acknowledged. We finally had to go ask the host for someone to come to our table. We ordered drinks, first 2 beers I tried to order were no longer on rotation. To order you have to scan the QR code on the table, no hard copy menus. I get the whole no hard copy menu thing, but if that's the case, please make sure your menus are up to date. I was told I could look at the blackboard that was against a random wall for up to date selections. Maybe have the list directly behind the bar where people could see? Either way, I don't want to have to go walk around and hover over people or get in servers way to order a beer. My 2 friends ordered cocktails - it took about 20 mins for those to come because the bar was busy. Drinks and food arrived at the same time for context. I had the black bean burger, it was okay. Certainly not worth the whole process to finally get it. Like I said earlier, I get that places are short staffed. But if that's the case, and you don't have enough help to tend to all the tables - maybe you should cut back. I personally wouldn't seat people at tables you know you can barely serve. It would be better to operate at half capacity instead of pushing yourselves to a limit where your staff and patrons are disgruntled. We would have stuck around and had more drinks, but seeing as it took so long to get the single drinks we ordered and food, we decided to continue our afternoon elsewhere. I don't fault the servers for that, they are doing their best to handle what they were dealt. Shame on management/the owners. This is coming from a customer who also has a small family business and has had to deal with COVID hardships. read more

Having dined here multiple times in the past, the food was delicious. Previous servers were very accommodating of a gluten sensitivity and the food always arrived hot and delicious. Today I recommended a friend and I revisit Public Kitchen because of how good everything usually is. We sat around for 20 minutes, made eye contact with many staff members, and watched a family walk in, be seated and greeted. After they had water poured and menu items explained I had enough and decided to walk out. The only difference between our party and the family's was outward appearance. I guess the Kitchen now only serves certain members of the Public. read more

Great food, great service. Plus love Wakefield! Nice selection of drinks too, and nice atmosphere

Great food and staff. Good vegetarian and Gluten Free choices. Very open and welcoming restaurant. read more

First time going to this place and from the looks of the bar and crowd, we expected a great experience. Unfortunately that was not the case. The bartender was attentive and they had a great selection on tap, but once we were seated at our table it went down hill. We were nit given a menu and when we asked for one, we were told to use the bar code. The problem was the bar code was missing from the table. I ordered the spicy peanut butter burger. The burger was cooked correctly, but the toppings were on the side, as they had fallen off between the kitchen and our table. My French fries looked hand cut, but they were also cold and soggy. They had obviously been made earlier and probably kept under a salamander to keep warm. My wife ordered a Cobb Salad without onions. It came with what looked like extra onions, waitress just said "sorry" When it was pointed out. I doubt we will be back read more

Public Kitchen - Spicy Peanut Butter Burger - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

See all

My husband and I were in the area visiting and decided to stop here. Boy are we glad we did! They have a great selection of craft, drafts, bottled beers, a full bar, and crafty mixed drinks! The strawberry shortcake martini was delicious! The food was amazing! I got the lamb burger, it was juicy, cooked just right, and the flavors or the goat cheese and caramelized onions was scrumptious! My husband got the fish tacos which were fresh and had great flavors! The bartenders were great! I didn't feel we waiting long like other reviews but if you want a quick in and out then I'd suggest calling ahead and picking up your order. They had a ton takeout orders that we observed going out which that tell me people enjoy their food here. Value was great for what we got. We would come here again if we are ever in the area d would definitely recommend! read more

I love public kitchen. My favorite part is the service; the bartenders and the servers are always so friendly! They also have some limited outdoor seating (weather permitting), which is great with the weather is nice. It's conveniently located right in downtown Wakefield, and there is plenty of street parking as well as the side street parking. They don't have the largest menu, but their food is great! They have a really good drink menu, and some really fun drinks! It's a great place to come to meet up with friends, it's casual, and a nice atmosphere. I would highly recommend this place! read more

Very disappointed We were celebrating my husband birthday. I made a reservation two weeks before and asked for a nice table. They squeezed us between tables. Nice tables close to window was empty. No lunch menu on Sunday. Food is TOO spicy. Dark environment. read more

Good food , great service. Best Tuna poke bowl. Fish was fresh and serving was generous , the wontons were really fresh & crispy. Not a fan of poke bowls but this was really delicious. Staff were friendly & attentive. read more

Public Kitchen - Tuna poke bowl, fried pickles - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

The ambiance is nice and modern, their outside seating is a good option when the weather permits, and the craft beer selection is fun to explore. However, the food (the most important part!) is just ok. Most of it sounds much better on paper than it is in actuality. Reading the menu gets my saliva glands gushing, but then I end up disappointed. Things I really expected to like but won't order again: tuna poke nachos (over salted), the short rib grilled cheese (short rib was dry), and the poutine (soggy - so much gravy). I've been there 4 times so far. What we did like: my wife's mahi mahi, and we've had a good salad there. We will go again because we have friends in Wakefield and there are limited options; but with much lower expectations. It may take a few tries to find something really good. read more

This is a very family friendly restaurant. My husband and I had lunch here with our 3 small children. It's plenty loud enough that their noises didn't stand out. Our server was Brittany. She was very present and friendly. The draft beer list has a nice selection. There are also plenty of kids menu options. Both kids very much appreciated the ice cream cup that comes with the kids meals. I had the massive, but delicious short rib and mozzarella grilled cheese. It was a little on the greasy side. The French fries are nice and crispy. My husband enjoyed the maple donut baconator, although there was an excessive amount of bacon. read more

Public Kitchen - Short rib & mozz stick grilled cheese - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

See all

Great local place to grab a bite to eat! They usually are pretty busy so I recommend calling ahead to see the wait time! Their appetizers are great and they usually introduce a new menu every so often! read more

See all

Great local place to eat. Located in Wakefield Center. Plenty of public parking. Get in early it fills up fast. Nice menu.

Outrageously good drinks. Good is over the top good comfort food with a good mix of some outside the box combos. If I'm in Wakefield, this place is always going to be a draw. read more

Been here a few times but won't go back. Sat at the bar, ordered a salad and glass of wine. The wineglass was chipped so I brought it to the bartender's attention, she offered to replace it and I declined. Didn't comp it on the bill and I'm pretty sure she put it in the dishwasher to go back into circulation. And all the bartenders are slow and inattentive, given that they're mostly just pulling beers. read more

Great pub food. I shared poutine and cocktails with a friend and I had a cob salad. I love the food and atmosphere whenever I go to this place. This time, Saturday, August 19th, we had a fantastic server. Jackie was friendly, fun, and attentive. She helped us out with our menu questions and was so happy and upbeat. I think the servers make the most of a restaurant. If you go out for a meal and the food it good but the service is not it really takes away from the experience. I hope you get Jackie if you go! read more

Public Kitchen - WHITE TRASH 75 *made with Empress Gin, Lemon Simple Syrup , High Noon, Watermelon - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

Recently tried an order to go, got the new NY Strip Steak with loaded mashed potato and was very disappointed. Asked for medium rare and steak was overcooked, dry and tough as shoe leather. Loaded mash potatoes were gross, had a tough outer skin as they seemed reheated and overcooked. My wife got the Ahi seared tuna and asked that tuna to be cooked rare, only way Ahi Tuna should be cooked, but was way overcooked and dry as tuna was ruined. This particular cook had serious problem with degree of doneness on both entrees. Just when I think this place looking up I get two abject disaster entrees that chase me away for foreseeable future read more

Awesome local spot to watch a game, meet friends, have drinks and eat some elevated pub food. Bartenders are the best and they know everyone by name. read more

I do not understand why some people whine, cry, and complain about service at busy restaurants on busy Saturday and Friday nights. As a patron, if you can't handle the weekend, then stay home and eat out of your can of baked beans and smell your own farts. I have received nothing but good service from Lauren and everyone else here. Gift cards now available for Xmas. And no I am not related to the owners, I just don't like people who complain for no good reason. The Yelpmaster General is back. read more

Great customer service from the hostess, to the server, to the bartender. I got the steak tip salad and it was excellent. The drinks were great as well. read more

Great local restaurant with a creative menu and fun drinks options. Service is good with a nice vibe.

Ever since PK opened it has been the BEST place to go to!! Great for a quick meal, a great drink or just to hang out and enjoy a Sunday Funday! Great service and very attentive staff! read more

Public Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

It's still Covid time so when 3 other places were only doing takeout and we were looking for a dine in establishment, this looked like it'd be the best shot. No workers wearing masks or any signs of needing to wear them to tables or otherwise, but not sure what the specific details behind masking and vax policies are in the area. Service was good, they did use a QR code menu but did offer a paper version when one member in our party had trouble pulling it up on their phone. Why the need for this kind of menu when surface transmission of Covid isn't really a factor is kind of questionable. Our party had the fish and chips, sausage pizza, and a beet salad with added shrimp. The fish and salad were delights, the shrimp had a nice chargrilled flavor and beets were plentiful. A tad heavy on the dressing, but that's personal preference. The pizza was a real letdown. It looked good coming out, but the crust tasted more like toasted bread, toppings were nothing special and sauce lacked flavor. I felt like it really paled compared to the other dishes. I can't be too critical of just the one dish, though I'd just remove it from the menu since there are plenty of other options that would probably go over better with customers. read more

Oh where to start. We went on a Sunday for late lunch. We sat at the bar because we wanted to watch the game. The ambience was fun and the bartender super funny and friendly. She recommended us to try the cauliflower buffalo wings. Ahh these were amazing, you can't barely tell you are eating cauliflower. So def a must try!! I ordered the Gorgonzola steak salad, dude, it had 3 huge pieces of steak. I have never seen anything like this in all my years of eating salad. The steak was perfectly cooked and blended amazingly with the figs and the Gorgonzola. Also a must try!! My friend had the crab cakes, they came with fried tomatoes and were amazing. I do recommend this place if you are in the area! read more

See all

Stopped by close around 9pm and glad I did. Was recommended the mussels and crab cake and they were great! Mussels came out first and there was a healthy amount along with two pieces of bread for dipping. Been cutting out a lot of carbs but could not resist with such a good broth! The crab cakes came atop fried green tomatoes and they complimented each other nicely! Crab cakes were fresh and had good "lumps" in them. The crisp all came from the fried green tomatoes which were fried just right. Topped everything off with some whisky and Called it a night. Great service and food wish I was closer to try some more food! Oh I did get a piece of a steak tip from a local named Sean and it was fantastic! Thanks! read more

Public Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Wakefield, Massachusetts

See all

Never in a million years would I have ever considered peanut butter on a burger...boy am I glad the powers that be at Public Kitchen did. The Spicy Peanut Butter Burger is a MUST try! I actually questioned my server whether to try it, she removed any hesitation I had...and thankful she did. Sorry folks...no picture as I really had zero expectations of writing a review...one bite into the burger made a believer out of me. By the time I came up for air...the burger was gone. This burger was so good I never even stopped to reach for a fry until the burger was gone. That good... Very impressive cocktails and service from Emma. read more

Stopped in on a Saturday as I'd heard some great things .. there were all true! Waitress was was friendly and nice.. accommodating to switching order around and making it a different one as I have some allergies and kind of picky . The Nashville hot chicken sandwich was amazing and huge! Come hungry as it's the size of your face. the sauce were so good I had to steal my bf's honey mustard and I don't even like it normally! They were just starting to get more busy from a festival nearby but so accommodating and food came out quickly . We'll definitely be back soon to try more things as everything coming out looked so good!! read more

Service is excellent but the food is so-so. Nachos were good. But the salmon cake appetizer special was probably the worst salmon cake I've had. Made with mashed potatoes. Mushy texture and no flavor. Fries are greasy and limp. Very disappointing. read more