I recently stumbled into Pagu on a particularly rainy day in Boston (you know, one of those sideway rainstorm days). Covered in mud, I snagged one of the last bar seats available. Opting for my usuals - roasted mushrooms and ramen - I paired them with a glass of wine and a good book, enjoying the restaurant's laid-back atmosphere. To my surprise, Chef/Owner Tracy Chang had hand delivered my dinner! Her radiant smile alone was enough to brighten up an otherwise atrocious day for me. Chang's innovative approach to dining shines through in every dish, prioritizing creativity and kindness - a sentiment echoed by the attentive staff at Pagu. It's no wonder that Pagu remains a cornerstone of Central Square.
Mia S.
fantastic service and great food! we loved the corn, cheesecake, and miso black cod. a must-try if you're in the area
Mark H
It looked promising as the menu was creative and different, but the food was just not that tasty and it was really expensive. We tried a lot of things: the hand rolls were just OK, nothing you couldn't get at a sushi place; the sucking pig which I was really looking forward to was quite disappointing; the salmon bowl was just a bunch of mushy rice; the pea bao looked good, but didn't try any. Nothing was all that tasty. It was extremely expensive, $72 for the pig tapas for 2 people. What really annoyed me was that they add a 4% 'kitchen appreciation' fee, which then gets taxed. They don't tell you about this and then all the tip suggestions start at 20,% and go up from there. A 4 person brunch was 350. I won't be going back here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Brice Callahan
Absolutely incredible food and staff. This is going to be a staple date night spot going forward!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Blake Edwards
We had the Pork Bao Buns, Katsu Chicken, Knife Cut Spicy Noodles, Fried Calamari, and Patatas Bravas. It was all incredible! 10/10 would recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cassi K.
This place was pretty disappointing. Supposed to be Japanese-Spanish cuisine so I was kind of assuming fusion but it was just one or the other. The food wasn't bad but just overpriced and it didn't blow my mind. The katsu was my favorite since the meat was marinated in spices as well. The knife cut noodles were also very good, we got them with meat and mushrooms (costs extra) but it wasn't spicy at all. The ambiance was nice but honestly a bit too bright for dinner. The service was very good however, and our server was knowledgeable about the menu. She did let us know if the dish only had 3 pieces and asked us if we wanted to make it four to fit our party.
Jordan Safer
Great atmosphere. Creative dishes that combine many different cuisines with great results. Portion sizes are very small, so this is a restaurant for trying foods, or for small appetites.Vegetarian options: There are vegetarian and vegan options, note that portions are small
Fish croquettes and jamón plate were outstanding. Interesting menu and I woukd like to try more items. Service at the bar was very friendly and informative. Overall atmosphere is a little sterile and overly lit for my preference.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Pork Belly Bao, Black Cod Croquetas
Rebekah Dale
Only giving this place a 4 star rating because I don't think it's quite at the 5 star level. I do think it's better than the 4.1 star average it currently has, but I don't think it quite lives up to the hype of being a James Beard award finalist. The food was good, but not overwhelmingly so (the pork belly bao buns were dry and lacked on the filling, although the Basque cheesecake was one of the best I've had). For the same price, I think Sarma or Tallulah are better options. The service here was also just okay, as were the drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu, Salmon Sashimi, Black Cod Croquetas
Joel M.
Came here for lunch to celebrate Lunar New Year and despite a nice atmosphere an entertaining Lion Dance performance, the food was underwhelming. We originally wanted to come to try the Sticky Rice Duck Meal. but it wasn't available so we ordered Spicy Knife Cut Noodles, Black Cod Croquetas, Shishito Peppers. Maybe we didn't order the right dishes, but it felt like the food leaned too hard on fusion elements and lacked a true identity (on top of being overpriced).
Overall an excellent meal with expert service and great atmosphere.Pork belly buns were average and the buns were a little hard. Salmons tartare, shishito peppers and the beets salad were also on the average side, we would not get it again.Things that stood out were the corn, fried katsu, hand cut noodles and the cod.Lots of dessert options as well but nothing stood out it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu
Tuli S.
Let me begin this review by noting that I've know about pagu since it opened (I think 2016), and this was my first time visiting in 2024. I checked reviews time to time but it wasn't high on my list to visit. We ended up coming because we were in the area and thought we may be surprised, AND WE WERE. What a cute place, it really does have lovely ambiance. There is a table full of pug stuff when you walk in which is quite adorable. 0 complaints on service. Everyone was nice and helpful. Now onto the food, which was extremely disappointing. We ordered the following: Black Cod Croquettes - A bit fishy. Not what we expected. Hamachi -The fish quality was terrible. It was old and we couldn't eat it. Luckily our server noticed that we barely touched it and subbed in the patatas bravas Bone marrow - Fine but salty. Would not get this again. Patatas Bravas- The only item we enjoyed. They are crispy itty bitty potatoes almost sliced through with a little sauce on top. Mapo Tofu - I can honestly say we can make a better pork rice dish ourselves. Flavorless & the pork was not crispy. The execution here didn't make any sense on top of the food being underwhelming. Within 5 min of ordering we got the Mapo tofu (an entree), and then the hamachi & croquettes followed. Since the pork came out so fast it was obvious they did not just make it. Anyways we will not be returning. I'm surprised at the good ratings, we were very disappointed in the quality and taste of the food.
Johanna Cline
I will share the details of our experience in the style of 4 haikus:1. Lamps are for turtlesAmanda is on expoShe is doing great2. Peter is brand newYou always make us happyWe ordered the bao3. Kenia is so wiseShe brought me sparkling waterI dream in bubbles4. Water pours from highShining shimmering splendorThe glass is half full
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Pork Belly Bao, Green Pea Bao, Squid Ink Unagi Bao, Tempura String Beans, Black Cod Croquettes
Thuc Nhan Tran
The food was very delicious and we really enjoyed the creativity of the menu! (We are definitely coming back to try the other items on the menu!) We did have a little trouble with the reservation, but the friendly staff was able to make some adjustments even when there was a wedding dinner on the bottom floor!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Patatas Bravas, Squid Ink Oyster Bao
I recently stumbled into Pagu on a particularly rainy day in Boston (you know, one of those sideway rainstorm days). Covered in mud, I snagged one of the last bar seats available. Opting for my usuals - roasted mushrooms and ramen - I paired them with a glass of wine and a good book, enjoying the restaurant's laid-back atmosphere. To my surprise, Chef/Owner Tracy Chang had hand delivered my dinner! Her radiant smile alone was enough to brighten up an otherwise atrocious day for me. Chang's innovative approach to dining shines through in every dish, prioritizing creativity and kindness - a sentiment echoed by the attentive staff at Pagu. It's no wonder that Pagu remains a cornerstone of Central Square.
fantastic service and great food! we loved the corn, cheesecake, and miso black cod. a must-try if you're in the area
It looked promising as the menu was creative and different, but the food was just not that tasty and it was really expensive. We tried a lot of things: the hand rolls were just OK, nothing you couldn't get at a sushi place; the sucking pig which I was really looking forward to was quite disappointing; the salmon bowl was just a bunch of mushy rice; the pea bao looked good, but didn't try any. Nothing was all that tasty. It was extremely expensive, $72 for the pig tapas for 2 people. What really annoyed me was that they add a 4% 'kitchen appreciation' fee, which then gets taxed. They don't tell you about this and then all the tip suggestions start at 20,% and go up from there. A 4 person brunch was 350. I won't be going back here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Absolutely incredible food and staff. This is going to be a staple date night spot going forward!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the Pork Bao Buns, Katsu Chicken, Knife Cut Spicy Noodles, Fried Calamari, and Patatas Bravas. It was all incredible! 10/10 would recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was pretty disappointing. Supposed to be Japanese-Spanish cuisine so I was kind of assuming fusion but it was just one or the other. The food wasn't bad but just overpriced and it didn't blow my mind. The katsu was my favorite since the meat was marinated in spices as well. The knife cut noodles were also very good, we got them with meat and mushrooms (costs extra) but it wasn't spicy at all. The ambiance was nice but honestly a bit too bright for dinner. The service was very good however, and our server was knowledgeable about the menu. She did let us know if the dish only had 3 pieces and asked us if we wanted to make it four to fit our party.
Great atmosphere. Creative dishes that combine many different cuisines with great results. Portion sizes are very small, so this is a restaurant for trying foods, or for small appetites.Vegetarian options: There are vegetarian and vegan options, note that portions are small
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu, Bao, Matcha Cookie, Tempura String Beans
Fish croquettes and jamón plate were outstanding. Interesting menu and I woukd like to try more items. Service at the bar was very friendly and informative. Overall atmosphere is a little sterile and overly lit for my preference.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Pork Belly Bao, Black Cod Croquetas
Only giving this place a 4 star rating because I don't think it's quite at the 5 star level. I do think it's better than the 4.1 star average it currently has, but I don't think it quite lives up to the hype of being a James Beard award finalist. The food was good, but not overwhelmingly so (the pork belly bao buns were dry and lacked on the filling, although the Basque cheesecake was one of the best I've had). For the same price, I think Sarma or Tallulah are better options. The service here was also just okay, as were the drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu, Salmon Sashimi, Black Cod Croquetas
Came here for lunch to celebrate Lunar New Year and despite a nice atmosphere an entertaining Lion Dance performance, the food was underwhelming. We originally wanted to come to try the Sticky Rice Duck Meal. but it wasn't available so we ordered Spicy Knife Cut Noodles, Black Cod Croquetas, Shishito Peppers. Maybe we didn't order the right dishes, but it felt like the food leaned too hard on fusion elements and lacked a true identity (on top of being overpriced).
Restaurantji Recommends
Our meal was sublime! Delish
Overall an excellent meal with expert service and great atmosphere.Pork belly buns were average and the buns were a little hard. Salmons tartare, shishito peppers and the beets salad were also on the average side, we would not get it again.Things that stood out were the corn, fried katsu, hand cut noodles and the cod.Lots of dessert options as well but nothing stood out it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu
Let me begin this review by noting that I've know about pagu since it opened (I think 2016), and this was my first time visiting in 2024. I checked reviews time to time but it wasn't high on my list to visit. We ended up coming because we were in the area and thought we may be surprised, AND WE WERE. What a cute place, it really does have lovely ambiance. There is a table full of pug stuff when you walk in which is quite adorable. 0 complaints on service. Everyone was nice and helpful. Now onto the food, which was extremely disappointing. We ordered the following: Black Cod Croquettes - A bit fishy. Not what we expected. Hamachi -The fish quality was terrible. It was old and we couldn't eat it. Luckily our server noticed that we barely touched it and subbed in the patatas bravas Bone marrow - Fine but salty. Would not get this again. Patatas Bravas- The only item we enjoyed. They are crispy itty bitty potatoes almost sliced through with a little sauce on top. Mapo Tofu - I can honestly say we can make a better pork rice dish ourselves. Flavorless & the pork was not crispy. The execution here didn't make any sense on top of the food being underwhelming. Within 5 min of ordering we got the Mapo tofu (an entree), and then the hamachi & croquettes followed. Since the pork came out so fast it was obvious they did not just make it. Anyways we will not be returning. I'm surprised at the good ratings, we were very disappointed in the quality and taste of the food.
I will share the details of our experience in the style of 4 haikus:1. Lamps are for turtlesAmanda is on expoShe is doing great2. Peter is brand newYou always make us happyWe ordered the bao3. Kenia is so wiseShe brought me sparkling waterI dream in bubbles4. Water pours from highShining shimmering splendorThe glass is half full
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Braised Pork Belly Bao, Green Pea Bao, Squid Ink Unagi Bao, Tempura String Beans, Black Cod Croquettes
The food was very delicious and we really enjoyed the creativity of the menu! (We are definitely coming back to try the other items on the menu!) We did have a little trouble with the reservation, but the friendly staff was able to make some adjustments even when there was a wedding dinner on the bottom floor!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Patatas Bravas, Squid Ink Oyster Bao