I recently ordered takeout from Tempo and was very happy with my meal! I have long been a fan of Tempo, but have always dined in--they have a perfect setting for date night or grabbing drinks after work and their staff is great! Due to the quarantine restrictions, dining in hasn't been an option, but my husband and I wanted to treat ourselves to a nice meal and we wanted to give Tempo some kind of support! We picked up the food from the restaurant and brought it home. It was 20-30 min from the time of pick up to eating. The food still hot and nothing was overcooked or mushy from condensation (that was a fear). My husband had the spicy shrimp dinner, which also came with some scallops and I had the heritage pork chop dinner. We were super impressed and had a lovely meal! I will always recommend Tempo for dine-in, but I can also now confidently recommend the take-out option too! read more

Tempo - $1 oysters on Tuesday, calamari, smoked old fashioned, froze - Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Came to Tempo for GFs birthday. The food is a bit pricey for the quality, but overall there were some tasty items on the menu. The waitress was able to light and present a 28 candle ice cream birthday cake that I bought outside of the establishment. There was no extra charge for this kind presentation and service. read more

I've been coming to Tempo since they opened. Like a fine wine they get better and better. I hadn't been for over a year due to Covid, and went two weeks ago for the first time and had a wonderful dinner. We went back tonight and they hit it out of the park. I had the Kansas City burnt ends and my friend had the lobster paella. Everything was spot on and the wait staff, specifically Colleen was on point. Thank you Erin, I'll be back..... read more

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If I could give them 10 stars I would. Tempo has been a favorite since they opened. They have become family to us. However, what they've done in 2020 has been nothing short of amazing. They have pivoted more times than you can comprehend. When you think it can't get better, they do something more amazing. Rarely can you say with confidence that you know you meal will be consistently amazing - but that is absolutely the case here. From creative and delicious drinks, to some of the best meals we've had, Tempo is leaps and bounds ahead of the pack. They've been a part of every special event in our lives and have made weekends in a pandemic something to look forward to. read more

Tempo - Bubbles and Bites NYE dinner - Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

During the last several months, we have enjoyed takeout meals on many occasions from Tempo. Going back to April, we had an amazing anniversary dinner (at home) as well as at least a half a dozen other great dinners. Every meal in addition to being excellent was abundant in portions. The Portuguese fish stew and the eggplant parmesan were so so good. When we look back at 2020 and the first part of 2021, Tempo takeout will be one of our best memories. We look forward to the day when we can actually sit at a table or at the bar and thank Erin and her great staff in person. Bob from Waltham read more

wow.. never have I ever had an employee of a business write such a nasty response to my not so great view.. considering the fact that we have been customers since Tempo opened and had a lousy experience with our time at the restaurant, Erin the business employee of Tempo told me we should maybe go to McDonalds instead. Considering the fact that our reservations were for 6:30 and by 7:00 they were out of bread and by 7:30 they were out of desserts was our complaint. Plus, we had to-ask another waiter to get our wine since our waiter completely forgot about us. Erin said in her response that maybe we would be better off going to McDonalds instead.. well, would probably get better service there compared to Tempo. So, Erin, don't worry, we won't ever be back.. read more

Great food and great service. The fisherman's seafood stew was delicious. I would totally recommend.

Lousy lousy food!! Had to wait 20 minutes for a cocktail. Food overcooked ... cold ... honestly lousy experience! read more

Great food but we were disappointed with the service. We only ordered one drink each and dinner entrées so we didn't expect that it would be two hours. My husband's draft cider did not appear until he was almost done with dinner. The place was busy and I understand that getting staff is hard so I hope for a better experience next time. We select the restaurant for the wider variety of gluten-free offerings. :) read more

The management and entrees were horrible. We ordered the risotto, scallops, steak, pork chops, and fisherman stew. ALL horrible. We ordered the small steak size, which turned out to be 1 1/2 pounds. The scallops and risotto did not have a good flavour and were not well prepared. The stew was way too spicy and also did not have a good flavour. The pork chop had a hair in it, which we asked them to take it back. When the manager came out to "apologize", she said that it couldn't be from the kitchen staff because they all had nets on. She blamed it on the waitress and us, saying it could've been an accident. It was blond hair, neither the waitress nor anyone in our group had blond hair. The only person that could have touched our food that had blond hair was the manager. Would not recommend it. Save your time and money. read more

Excelent food and a menu filled with options. For starters we had the lobster rangoons and the piled high nachos with Yucatan style pulled pork. For the main course we tried the Roasted Beet and Herb Goat Cheese Salad and added scallops. Also the Berkshire Heritage Porterhouse Pork Chop with Five Cheese Mac N' Cheese, Brussels Sprouts, Bacon Onion Jam on a Cranberry Apple Reduction. And the Coq au Vin Shepherd's Pie with Red Wine Braised Chicken, Bacon, Lardons, Carrots, Mushrooms, Pearl Onions, Turnip, Leek & Mashed Potato Crust was incredible. But the best part of the service came from the bartenders. The Smoked Old Fashioned (Bourbon, Allspice Liqueur, Laphroaig, Ancho Reyes, Demerara, Angostura). The mixologists are worthy of the bartending challenge of the food Network. Certainly a neighborhood jewel. So drink up, responsibly, and enjoy the amazing menu. read more

Tempo is just another GREAT Moody street restaurant with a unique menu I had the bang bang shrimp and lobster Rangoons appetizers for my meal my wife has scallops which were delicious our friend's had burn ends from a beef brisket with truffle fries and they were off the chain. Their house drinks was a blueberry lemonade but I found it unfulfilling didn't taste any alcohol but other than that I loved the service and atmosphere definitely worth a try read more

We picked tempo for date night because it was on the list of restaurants that accepts Phantom Gourmet gift cards, which we had one of and needed to use! We easily made a reservation for a Saturday night and were excited. Street parking is a bit difficult so be prepared to spend some extra time finding parking. We enjoyed the unique and delicious cocktails (we got the spicy margarita and the darling Amelia) to start off our meal. The drinks were presented very nicely! For appetizers we got the Warm Burrata and Marinated Tomatoes and the Roasted Pumpkin Salad. The warm burrata and marinated tomatoes were a big soggy as the tomatoes had seeped out SO much juice it was a bit messy. But the pumpkin salad was flavorful and fun. For our entrees, we got the Butternut Squash, Cranberry and Sage Risotto and the mushroom ravioli special! Everything was so flavorful and yummy. Would definitely recommend this restaurant! We even convinced some family to try it and they liked it too. read more

As someone diagnosed with Celiac, I've been to this restaurant 3-4 times now. And the food is absolutely delicious and I love how clearly labeled the menu is. I'm usually apprehensive to dine out; it's usually either a burden on the staff or the people I'm with. I would have previously rated this place 4.5 or 5 stars. Until last Thursday. Boyfriend and I went in a bit late (50m-ish before they close) and told the host we were a party of two. Boyfriend asked for a celiac menu for me (he didn't remember the menus are all the same) and the host proceeded to make a joke(?) about being a "glutard." I was *visibly* uncomfortable. According to him, his friends use the term all the time and are okay with it. Uh, okay? That's cool when you're with your friends dude. I'm not your friend, and I found that rude as heck. I realize Celiac isn't the most extensive of chronic illnesses but I still don't exactly enjoy having it made fun of when I'm there to dine out. It sucks. We were hungry and I knew the food was good so we sat anyways. Only to have the server come back and let us know the kitchen had actually closed early as they had a slow night. He apologized profusely and repeatedly for not checking first before seating us. And honestly I had absolutely zero problem with the kitchen being closed or that he sat us without checking. It was a bit late, the staff are people, I'm sure they wanted to go home, like honestly 100% okay with it. What really bothered me was just how profusely he was apologizing about seating us, and didn't say a word of apology towards the "Glutard" comment. Just was salt in the wound that he could apologize - but not for the thing we were actually upset about. I doubt I'll be back to be honest. Eating out is already a challenge to find people who actually handle celiac like what it is, and not just a "trend." Contamination is a thing. To be made a spectacle when I'm out is the absolute last thing I want to experience. And despite not getting to eat I left with a horrible taste in my mouth. read more

Service was amazing. The overall atmosphere of the place was great. Unfortunately the food was too expensive for the quality, I order the Pu Pu Plater for 32$ and for being so expensive it didn't fill me up nor did it taste that good, got chunks of just bread crumbs for the chicken. Luckily I also ordered this lovely sour dough bread loaf which tasted amazing for only 5$. I would rate 5/5 if food was priced to reasonably and actually got chicken instead of bread crumbs. read more

This place just feels sorta fine. Like im not mad about any of it but I am also not wowed. The portugese fish stew was good. My gf said the hawaii'n salmon was like a bit less than ok (weird lo-mein) atmosphere seems OK. Overall its fine. You could do worse but I'm not clamoring to come back. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night to grab dinner with colleagues. We started off with some brussels sprouts and fried calamari. I was really impressed by their brussels sprouts. It was probably by far the best brussels sprouts that I have ever had in my life. They definitely sprinkled some illegal substance on it because there is no way brussels sprouts can taste that delicious. Fried calamari was pretty damn good too. I can usually tell the difference between fresh and frozen seafood and I could tell this place definitely uses fresh seafood which is always a plus and also explains the high price point. I decided to try the Portuguese Fisherman's Stew and it was really delicious. It had a variety of seafood (shrimpe, scallop, clams, mussels, white fish) + chorizo, peppers, and onion. Stew was tomato based and had a very nice and strong kick/spice to it, and the portion was definitely worth the money. I was initially going to give 5 stars but given that their beer selections could definitely use some improvement and the fact that my director potentially might have gotten sick from his kale salad (not confirmed but he is convinced it was the kale salad), I had to deduct a star. Other than that, I had a really good experience and this place is definitely a must try if you live in Waltham! read more

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OUT-OF-STATE DINERS BEWARE. I'm sad to change my review from 5 stars to 1 star; today I went to Tempo with my girlfriend to celebrate her birthday. The server and manager refused to accept her out-of-state ID to order alcohol, even though she provided a debit card, credit card, and work ID with names and pictures matching her real, valid ID that indicated she was of legal age to drink alcohol. Furthermore one of the staff stared and scowled at my girlfriend and I while our server consulted him over my girlfriend's ID, making us uncomfortable. The server and manager told us that it was their policy to not accept out-of-state IDs, but nonetheless they (including the manager herself) have never had a problem accepting my out-of-state ID, or any of my friends' out of state IDs, over the numerous times I have visited in the last year. I'm sad that I've had this experience because up until now, Tempo has been my go-to for bringing my friends and family when they visit. Tempo has consistently provided some of the best food in Waltham, but I cannot risk embarrassing my guests and friends over the possibility that they will be denied service over clearly legitimate IDs. read more

Amazing food and even better wait staff - honestly the nicest people. Parking is a nightmare, but obviously not the fault of the restaurant. Would happily come back again. read more

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DO NOT EAT HERE. We had possibly the WORST dining experience of my life at this restaurant. My sister in law left in tears. After being very patient with our waiter (Will) who was not a regular staff member who kept getting drinks incorrect, telling us specials were available when they weren't, etc minor things.... One of our group ordered the flank steak which she found very tough she sent it back. The waiter took the steak and left. We all assumed a new steak was coming or a menu or something... by the time he came back and we asked where her steak was... he looked perplexed and said the kitchen was now closed. We could see that the kitchen staff was still there and there was definitely some sort of food they could scramble together so she didn't have to go home hungry. The waiter was so snotty and refused any sort of solution. We asked to speak to the manager, he said the manager had gone home so he in fact was the manager. The episode escalated into a yelling match! Who has ever heard of such a thing? The whole thing could have been so easily resolved... I just do not understand who is running that clown show over there. read more

Great food, great fun, great bar - the staff is always amazing - they have an amazing menu with many food options for your whole party - after dinner go see the amazing entertainment at the bak bar. Soooo much fun !!!! . read more

Go elsewhere! In short: the service is awful, the food mediocre. If you go anyway, stay away from the waiter Seth. Ask to be moved or given another waiter. This guy started sweet, but then brought me the wrong drink. I kindly objected, and he insisted it was what I ordered. I persisted, politely, and he snapped back, telling me to never-ever talk to him like that. My co-diners and me froze... I dine out 2-3 times a week, in Boston and around the world, but this is something I never heard in my life! My friends suggested we leave, but I didn't want to have the evening ruined over this. We called the manager and asked for a different waiter. She listened, but her apology was luke-warm and not sincere. But she replaced my drink. And more: it started badly when we, a party of two "mature" couples, with a reservation, and clearly intent on spending money there on a Friday night, were seated in the back corner, with two of the chairs blocking a doorway that was being used. We asked for a better table (there were enough) and we were moved. The food: my oysters appetizer were ok, but came without a fresh lemon wedge. I was so shook-up from the incident with the drink and the lecture on behavior that I said noting... The kale caesar salad looked ok, but I was told was tasteless. For entrées, the stake and the haddock I was told were good, but two orders of scallops (mine and another) came cold. Well prepared, but clearly had been waiting on a counter to be picked up. They also had much too much oregano. We had coffee, espresso, and deserts, all very unremarkable. When the bill came, (we left there about $240 with tip) they comped our cheapest item, one $8 piece of chocolate cake. I'll NEVER return. Interesting: On the menu they invite you to reach out to the manager if you are not happy, and not to the social media. This tells me they have enough such occurrences to print it on the menu... We did that, and got a better waiter, but no satisfaction. So this is why I'm sharing my experience. read more

The addition of bid back bar and music is awesome!!!! Best place in area for good music. Hip crowd too!

I had dinner last night at Tempoe. The short ribs were excellent and our server was very good. Also the decor was very nice The only negative was upon checking in being told we had to be out by 8 since someone else had the table then. This should have been communicated up front. It turned out we stayed a little later but not as late as we normally would have read more

UPDATE- 12/26/2020. I am changing my review reflecting a response from the manager to my post. She apologized, and everyone is entitled to oversights or mistakes. My review was harsh, mostly out of frustration of saving up money to treat myself to a nice holiday dinner while being unemployed the last six months. The pandemic has affected everyone is so many different ways. I can't give it more than 3 stars right now because I haven't eaten there. From what I have read, it probably deserves a much higher rating. 12/24/2020-Their website says NOTHING about being closed for Christmas Eve. It allowed me to place an order and even charged my credit card. It gave me an order number and time of delivery. After 50 minutes of waiting, I called. There was no mention on their voice mail that they were closed. I drove down to the restaurant and they were closed. If they were closed, they should have said that on the phone message or on their website. read more

The food was decent but the service on Saturday night was horrendous . We waited over an hour for our food. I might be able to tolerate the wait if a manager came by and apologized for the kitchen being backed up. Maybe offer to comp a desert? They should consider reducing the enormous outdoor seating if they can't provide good service. Update - the manager did come over and explain they had some issues with our meals getting prepared and did comp both our meals. Nice touch read more

Very good food. Friendly staff. Hostesses on this visit were friendly but "dizzy" as in had no idea how to greet or do their job. Wait staff fab. Drinks seemed delicious and creative. Wines... meh... I think they should step that up a bit. read more

I love the liveliness of this place but also the low key back room that is a total vibe of whatever themed night

We have lived in Waltham for a few years but are embarrassed to say we only came to Tempo recently. We are very glad we finally did! Tempo is a nice spot with great service. The main reason I give them five stars is the fact that they are *extremely* accommodating with allergies. My partner has quite a few food allergies, and few places are able to accommodate them all. The hardest one is corn--lots of gluten free foods have corn in them, so it's tough for my wife who has both a corn and wheat allergy. At Tempo, it was no problem. Amazingly, they were able to make fried foods that are corn/wheat allergy safe. I know how to make fried foods for her at home with potato starch (common in Asian fried foods), but it is very rare to find at an American restaurant. I'll be honest, the entree's not "out of this world," but the fact we can get good food, with great service, combined with their amazing flexibility with allergies, makes it an important place for us. They also have great drinks! Frightened Inmate #2 is an incredible cocktail. read more

I was coordinating a conference in Newton last week and we shuttled our attendees over to Moody St. Thursday evening for dinner. I was still on the clock but I wanted to grab a bite to eat. I went up and down the street and Tempo's menu caught my attention. VEGAN LASAGNA! umm yum!! How cool is that. What's even cooler is the fact that the default lasagna is vegan but you can make it vegetarian by adding cheese. Not the other way around. In this instance, vegan is the default choice! The vegan version comes with a soy based cheese sauce and on top of the veggie lasagna is little arugula lettuce. The noodles were different - I couldn't figure out what they were made of, but the whole thing was delicious. It was a pretty big portion so I ate 1/2 of it and saved the rest for the next day. Also on Thursday nights you get a free appetizer if you buy a cocktail drink. Or check in on with your Yelp App on your phone and a deal pops up for a free appetizer if you purchase an entree. Cool my first Yelp deal pop-up. I got an appetizer - there are about 6-8 to choose from. They are a little different from the regular appetizers on the menu. Choices that I remember are mussels in a spicy red sauce, polenta fries, etc. For dessert the people sitting next to me (I was all by myself) ordered sorbet and it looked so good so I had to get it too! It was a trio of sorbet - lemon, mango, and raspberry (?). It was very good - I ate it all! I got a red sangria to drink. Unfortunately like most places around here it didn't have that soaking fruit that I'm still looking for. It just came with an orange peel. They said they go through it so fast they don't have time to soak any fruit. Alas, if only I could find a proper sangria! I sat at the bar because the place was super busy. The bartenders (3 of them) are funny and have a good work atmosphere. Only wish the British Open golf tournament wasn't on the TV in front of me - BORING! My only complaint was that my bread didn't come out till almost 30 mins of me being seated at the bar. They were making more - it was in the oven. But that was frustrating since I wanted the bread to dip my sauce in. Vegans should definitely support this lasagna! Jessica read more

Tempo - Vegan lasagna - Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Amazing dinner! We had an excellent server - he was knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. Our meals were also excellent - we had the short rib entree and the mahi mahi. Both were beautifully presented and perfectly seasoned. We shared the key lime pie for dessert and it was the perfect ending - the crust was just delicious! We will definitely be back soon! read more

I came for my 13th anniversary. It also happened to be $1 oyster Tuesday! I scored. The atmosphere was great. A very nice ambience, nice and cozy, great for a light lit dinner. It's a good spot for groups, a date or just a nice dinner with good company. The restaurant definitely has a city vibe, I felt like I was in downtown Boston. We were greeted and seated immediately at 7PM (I did RSVP). The place was already filled with people in the dining and bar areas. The waiter came by and told us about the oysters and bought out the bread. The bread were more like biscuits.. it comes with a tomato butter. They were good. For drinks, I got the old fashioned. They had 2 versions, smoked, the original one and sensual, which is a little sweeter. I went for smoked. I also had the smashing pumpkin. It comes with pumpkin seeds. They were both strong.. great for the price. $11 each I believe and so worth it. We started off with the oysters; they were bigger than most I've had yet very tasty and smooth but it didn't come out with the tiny forks? It's not a big deal though. We skipped apps and went straight for the entrees. I had shrimp and scallop plated. You can choose the spice level you want... I choose medium and there was a bit of heat to it which I love. It comes with sautéed Spanish over rice with a red sauce. My fiancé had the short rib, comes with mushroom risotto and aparagus. I thought it was great but he wanted it a bit more sticky and sweet. It wad tender and moist. The mushroom risotto was creamy. It had the perfect amount of thickness to it without being overpowering or just soggy. We ended the night with the fudge brownie sundae. This is nothing too crazy. It's regular but nonetheless tasty. Thumbs up! Great staff and service. I wish I explored this gem sooner. We will definitely be back. I wish I could capture better pictures! read more

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Tempo is a home away from home. I have met so many wonderful people and can always expect to see a friendly face when I walk in. The food is AMAZING and I love that they allow you to switch out sides to other things with no up charge or issues. They basically let you make your own meal. Everyone knows it has been hard to get staff during and after covid. These people work hard and I've never seen a bartending staff bust their ass as much as they do. It will not always be perfect and you may have to wait a little longer on busy nights but if you're not a dick about it, it's all worth it. Erin and Nate are the most caring owners I've ever met. Opening up a whole back room DURING COVID was bold and crazy and they pulled it off with style. It continues to get better and it's great to have a local place with live music. They take pride in what they do and it shows. This place has it all!! Great food, killer cocktails, live music and great staff. Give Tempo a chance, you won't be disappointed! read more

This restaurant open only at night. Since I don't really eat dinner, it took me a while to actually try this place. It is like a bar. I book marked it because 1.it is expensive 2.it has ribs. However when I finally ordered the ribs, I can't imagine it is any kind of rib. The waiter said the is not going to be any bone attached to it, but other than that it is the same. I specifically asked if it was baby back ribs and he said yes. What I actually got was a whole piece of pork, like the stow pork from Gestazo. The decoration was decent and server was nice. They do put rice in lots of dishes though. I don't want to jump to the conclude that MA restaurant don't know how to make ribs, so wish me find one! read more

Tempo - So called ribs.... - Bars Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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My fiance and I went to Tempo last night for a delicious meal. I have to admit that I was skeptical after reading some of the Yelp reviews, but our experience was nothing but pleasant. We were seated at a booth near the bar and our waitress came over promptly to grab drink orders. We ordered the potstickers (which were so yummy and came with 2 great dipping sauces), and my fiance ordered several oysters since Tuesdays are $1 oyster night!! For dinner, I really wanted the short rib but am not a fan of mushrooms (and it comes with mushroom risotto). Our waitress let me know that I could sub the mushroom risotto for a different risotto on the menu with cranberries and squash - both were DELICIOUS. My fiance also got a salmon dish which he really liked. Texted several of my friends who live locally to tell them about Tempo - we will definitely be back! read more

Went to celebrate my mother's birthday (with wife and two teenage boys.) Loved the atmosphere and the vibe -- cozy and warm with good energy. We hoped to have the food match the first impression. Alas...a few notes and suggestions (management, please take note): 1) Pear salad: greens were tired and gorgonzola was a small, hard, dry (ugh) chunk. Easy fixes. Please make them! 2) Short rib entrée: short rib was fatty and seemed not to have not been cooked enough to render down the fat, or perhaps just not a good piece of meat. My older son and I both experienced this and would have sent these back were we not already halfway through when this became clearly evident. Mushroom risotto was good. This may sound strange, but the steamed broccoli was the best thing on the plate (well cooked and well seasoned. I know, I am reviewing broccoli.) 3) Swordfish chop: too big and thick and not really appealing to the eye (one would think it would be.) 86 the chop and go for a simple sword steak! 4) Scallops and shrimp entrée: wife liked it a lot! 5) Desserts: They were OK, but could have been really good with a little extra effort and care. Apple cobbler was tasty, but topping was doughy and leaden. However, cayenne cinnamon ice cream that accompanied it was unique. Peanut butter cheesecake - just OK. 6) Our server (Gabriella??): Not tremendously warm and friendly, but very efficient and accommodating. 7) Prices: a bit on the high side, we felt, for the quality we received. Management: now hear this! We want to come back! We want to LOVE this place! Please read above, make some tweaks, be a little more critical and detailed with your food. read more

Love Tempo! We go here often for the fantastic scallop dishes. The best anywhere. And the service is always outstanding. I can't say this about too many places... Shout out to Coleen. read more

Great wine choices. Loved our scallops and pork chop. Can't wait to come back! Fun to eat outside and they had heaters to keep us toasty.

Strong drinks and amazing appetizer options. I had a few oysters, calamari, and tuna/salmon tartar. Phone didn't eat first this time sorry no pictures. You're gonna have to trust me on this one. This place is awesome! read more

Grilled Brussel sprouts appetizer, Kale Caesar and Hanger steak were excellent. 2 apps, 2 salad and 3 entrees for me and my buddies along with drinks $150!! Great. Ryan our server was terrific. Thanks for a great experience. read more