Raider Tavern

Stopped in and wasn’t expecting much. Was happily surprised — dinner was great! Both my mom and I had seafood and it was very fresh. Definitely coming back!

I love this place. The food is decent and drinks are strong :) The atmosphere is pretty nice as well and it’s always clean (including the bathrooms). The staff is always super friendly. They have booths as well as the bar area. It’s a 2 minute walk for me so that makes it all even better. You should really check this place out.

Love Raider Tavern! Food is always delicious and staff is extremely friendly and welcoming. Always have a nice time when I’m there.

My wife and I live in Belmont and have been lamenting the lack of a solid local pub. We had our hopes up for Raider Tavern after seeing the positive reviews. Unfortunately, we were let down.
I had a burger, which is my litmus test for a good pub. The burger was solidly below average. It looked and tasted like it was from a pack of frozen burgers. I was disappointed that it wasn’t made from fresh-​ground beef.
Very weak beer selection: three types of Sam Adams and a variety of other bland domestics. Only one IPA (Harpoon). Could really use some better beer choices, if only in bottles.
My wife’s entrée, Haddock with green beans and mash, was surprisingly good. The staff were attentive and pleasant. I would like to give more than two stars, but the food and drink needs improving.

So glad to have a place like this nearby! Clean, crisp interior, modern, and friendly. Steak tips are perfect, burgers (including the veggie) are excellent. Salmon is a bit dry and way too salty (our only complaint, really). This is a neighborhood bar, but far from a dive! Just what was needed!

If you’re ever looking for a new /​clean /​upscale version of a good old fashioned neighborhood dive bar in/​near Watertown, I highly recommend Raider Tavern.
From the outside, you wouldn’t know Raider is clean & new on the inside — it looks like a not-​so-​new classic neighborhood dive bar. But step inside and you’ll see «new & improved» every where you look (it opened in July 2014 after the space was totally gutted and rebuilt). And what dive bar has a granite bar?
Raider is just down the road from me. And I’ve been meaning to stop in and give the place to try ever since it opened. I finally did last night. I arrived early (5:00) and the place was empty. But that would change very quickly. I learned it’s become a popular neighborhood spot. I can see why.
Being a hot summer day I decided to try the «Watermelon Cooler» drink special after confirming with the bartender that it wasn’t going to be overly sweet. It was so good I had another after finishing the first.
After the cocktails I switched to one of the IPAs they had on tap. Not a big selection of tap beers here, but I liked most of what they had. They also have a wide range of spirits (and on this night, a knowledgeable bartender). I’m sure she could mix up just about anything you might like.
It turns out Wednesday night is «Wings Nite» (and I was here on a Wed.), so I started with half a dozen 50¢ buffalo wings. I’m very picky about my buffalo wings, and these were very good.
But it was the main course that blew me away. I ordered the «Victory Burger» with a side of onion rings. The burger was generously portioned and delicious. And the onion rings were amazing. I think they may be the best onion rings I’ve have ever had.
Raider is an easy half mile walk from my house… I suspect I’m going to become one of their regulars.

My girlfriends and I recently found this bar/​restaurant in Watertown. It is close to home, has great food and the drinks are always cold. Love it here.

I’m giving the place credit for how great it looks and how awesome it could be with a few tweaks. I love the space and I loved that they’ve got 10 beers on tap in a local, off-​the-​beaten-​path location. That’s hard to find. The food has always been good, not great and the prices are a bit steep. I’ve been there with my wife and it costs us nearly $ 50 for a couple of burgers and a few beers. I also wish they had better hours, the place would be fantastic for lunch or afternoons beers on the weekend — especially during a Red Sox game. The lack of Sunday hours — especially during the football season — almost feels like blasphemy. I dig the atmosphere and would love to see the place make a few changes and I’d be there all the time.

Tuesday fish tacso are a very tasty deal. Rockin tonight — busy on a Wednesday night. Come in for the food and drinks, come back for the company!

What a great surprise! Great neighborhood place, our first time in, very friendly, food was great! Try this place!

Really nice cozy tavern and atmosphere inside. Everything has been renovated inside and you could really tell the attention to detail. We went a few Fridays ago around 8pm and it wasn’t too busy at all. Decent enough beer selection and they had Pumpkinseed for $ 2.50 I think on draft — that was awesome! The Raider Burger was delicious as well. Next time we are out there, we will definitely stop by again.

Great little pub in west Watertown. The place is newly renovated and immaculate, food is very good. Try the burger, wings and meatball sliders. Glad I found this new place in the neighborhood and can’t wait to go back.

Great burgers, cold beer, and good mixed drinks! The raider burger was so juicy and the bourbon bbq sauce is out of this world. The french fries were cooked to perfection with just enough sea salt. It’s my new favorite local pub!

Forget about the Local, my new fave hangout is Raiders! Food is outstanding and the staff is welcoming and friendly. The drink prices are very fair. This place rocks!

This was my first stop in to the Tavern. I was looking for a bite to eat with a friend last night, and thought we’d give it a try. It was mid-​week and peak summer vacation time, so the bar wasn’t too crowded (we were told weekends are quite a bit busier). We sat at the bar, had great service and the bartender was attentive and very personable. We ordered burgers, which were very good although like most casual restaurants my «medium rare» was closer to «medium well». I wish the Red Sox mattered more right now because we had a great view of two good sized TV’s (maybe next year). I’m definitely adding the Tavern to my rotation for casual «dinner and a beer».

This place went into the old OPG venue and it’s been a gut re-​do. Food was very good, atmosphere bright and cheerful. Went with watitress recommendations — pomegranite martini and steak tips. Very good. We shared buffalo wings first, also very good. and my buddy had a burger that he raved about.
A couple drinks each, two meals and one appetizer about $ 60. I recommend it. Nice addition to the neighborhood.

Towny pub. Brand new renovated interior from top to bottom.
Pros: Decent drinks and burger. Beer choice limited but fairly priced. We had the Raider Burger which was served with amazing BBQ sauce. It was a Thursday night and the place was pretty packed… no seats left at the bar. We saw the owner waking around talking to lots of customers. It’s definitely a local pub where everyone knows everyone.
Cons: The bread rolls are really good but we were given some that we’re not fully cooked yet.