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The Federal, Waltham, MA

The Federal

4.7
4.7
964 Reviews
$50 and over
Steakhouse

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
  • Good for business meals
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
The Federal is an exciting seafood and chophouse with scratch-made, chef driven modern Italian inspired food. The restaurant is upscale, affordable, comfortable, and relaxed.

Come and explore our wine list where new age and old world meet. Our wine list is curated by co-owner/managing partner David Alphonse and features wines from around the world with a focus on Italian and old world selections. We have a great selection of new world wines as well.

We feature two adjoining private dining rooms and a seasonal covered patio.

Located in Waltham, MA in the Market Basket Plaza, we look forward to serving you soon.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Steakhouse, Italian, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri 11:30 am–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (781) 373-1245
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Joel Portillo
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact Erika@the-federalrestaurant.com regarding any private events! We have plenty of versatile indoor and outdoor space available for parties of all sizes.
  • Neighborhood
    Waltham
  • Cross street
    Main Street
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Bus Route 70, Main Shopping Center @ Marshall's stop
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 964 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Greater Boston

    Steakhouse

  • Boston

    Steakhouse

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Federal is a culinary gem just outside Boston, known for its "great food" and "excellent service." Guests rave about the diverse menu, featuring standout dishes like the "amazing swordfish" and "delicious baked stuffed shrimp." The atmosphere is lively, making it perfect for special occasions.

964 Reviews
  1. Rita

    Greater Boston

    249 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    249 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious! The steak tartare was perfect! Superb escargot. Loved my veal tortelloni. Jeff, our server was so happy to be there, enthusiastic about the menu and very helpful. A tad pricey but worth it. Meal was flawless

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  2. Karim

    Cleveland

    20 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    20 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Our traditional place for Thanksgiving dinner. Outstanding food. Fun and tasty cocktails. My daughter and I especially love their steaks that are always the highest quality and cooked to perfection. My wife had their Thanksgiving special and really enjoyed it (again)- a very large plate of good traditional Thanksgiving fare to satisfy anyone’s Thanksgiving appetite. Historically the service has been excellent - this year’s server was less enthusiastic and a bit slow to follow-up with the table. Still a great meal and experience. Looking forward to next year’s meal!

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  3. Kymberley

    New Orleans

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really enjoy the Federal and very happy with my experience on Thanksgiving the food was excellent!

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  4. Heather

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went for Thanksgiving and they were wonderful. Huge dinner and the food was amazing.

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  5. Alyson

    Greater Boston

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Service and food are usually top notch. We did go right before Thanksgiving and it was a slow night at the restaurant. Our server was not responsive enough. Usually the portions are quite large. However, my son’s bolognese was not. In addition, the ratio of pasta to sauce was not right. When the pasta was gone, he still had half a bowl of sauce. The cheese plate was nicely presented. However, it was expensive for the size of the appetizer. The cheese portions were skimpy. Everything else we ordered was very good and the greeting by staff when we arrived and left was very welcoming.

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  6. Emily

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Such a fun night for my fiancé’s birthday! Food was outstanding and they surprised us with champagne and cannoli’s with a candle. Thanks Julie & everyone at The Federal!

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  7. Darshna

    Greater Boston

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I'm going to start this review by saying that I know that the federal is a steak house. And the steak, beef Wellington and appetizer dishes are amazing! But I do expect high quality from the other dishes on the menu. The single vegetarian entree on the menu is a vegetable pasta (pasta Genovese), and it was terrible. Flavorless and swimming in an oily sauce. I usually don't expect variety in vegetarian food at a steakhouse, but I don't expect to not be able to actually eat the dish.

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  8. ZITA

    Greater Boston

    298 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    298 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The Federal has an extensive menu that would please any palate. We enjoy the swordfish which is done to perfection as well as the boneless duck breast with a delicious cherry sauce! Their baked stuffed shrimp is so tasty. The cocktails are excellent! What makes for a very pleasant dining experience are the servers. Amanda was great, she had extensive knowledge of the menu, she is attentive and so friendly. Lastly, the hostess staff at the desk is always gracious and welcoming.

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  9. Alan

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Swordfish entree was amazing. Amanda is an exceptional server and was very helpful in helping us with food and wine selections.

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  10. david

    Toronto

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was our anniversary dinner and Geoffrey, our server, was very knowledgeable and friendly. He welcomed us and wished us a happy anniversary once we were seated. He made some good recommendations for food and wine. I love that the menu is more than steak and there are a lot of delicious options to choose from. I had the short rib ragu with a Barolo wine and my wife had the orecchiette with a Super Tuscan. Bread and olive oil arrived first, then our wine, then our meals. Both were well prepared with a nice presentation and very delicious. After dinner I ordered an Old Fitzgerald 10yr and Tiramisu. The bourbon came first and then to our surprise Geoffrey brought us 2 cannolis with a happy anniversary chocolate banner and again wished us well. Then came a huge piece of very delicious tiramisu. Needless to say to say, we went home well fed with leftovers. The federal made it a special anniversary and we will be back.

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FAQs

The Federal offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (781) 373-1245.

The Federal is rated 4.7 stars by 964 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Federal

74 Tower Rd, Waltham, MA 02451-1022

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Main Street
  • Neighborhood
    Waltham
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri 11:30 am–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Steakhouse, Italian, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Bus Route 70, Main Shopping Center @ Marshall's stop
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Joel Portillo
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (781) 373-1245
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact Erika@the-federalrestaurant.com regarding any private events! We have plenty of versatile indoor and outdoor space available for parties of all sizes.
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