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Interior - The Federal, Waltham, MA

The Federal

4.6 (1073)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
74 Tower Rd, Waltham, MA 02451-1022

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
  • Good for business meals
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.

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Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

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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
  • Website
    http://the-federalrestaurant.com/
  • 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.
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Location
    74 Tower Rd, Waltham, MA 02451-1022
  • Area
    Waltham
  • Cross Street
    Main Street
  • Parking Details
    Public Lot
  • Public transport
    Bus Route 70, Main Shopping Center @ Marshall's stop
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

Menu

This menu from The Federal.

Seasonal Dinner Menu. All steaks come with choice of one sauce or salt. Additional $2 each

Starters

  • CharcuterieUS$25.00

    Assorted Italian Meats, House Marinated Olives, Cornichons, Local Jam & Garlic Toast

    • Cheese BoardUS$25.00

      Hand Selected by Our Friends at Wasik's Cheese Shop

      • Crab CakesUS$21.00

        Remoulade & Lemon

        • Steak TartareUS$19.00

          Cognac Mustard, Capers, Onion, Parsley, Cornichons & Toasted Baguette

          • CarpaccioUS$18.00

            Pecorino Cheese, Arugula, Capers & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

            • RockefellerUS$27.00

              Six Oysters Baked with Spinach, Parmesan Cheese & Pernod Anise Liquor

              • Shrimp SkewersUS$17.00

                Brushed With Scampi Sauce

                • EscargotUS$19.00

                  Baked in garlic-parsley and Pernod anise liquor served with olive oil baguette

                  • Clams CasinoUS$18.00

                    Eight Littleneck Clams Baked w/ Bacon, Garlic & Parmesan Breadcrumbs

                    • CalamariUS$17.00

                      Cherry Peppers & Pomodoro Sauce

                      Raw Bar

                      Add 1 Shrimp $4, Add 1 Oyster $4, Add 1 Littleneck Clam $2

                      • Oysters (6)US$24.00

                        Cocktail Sauce & Champagne Mignonette

                        • Shrimp Cocktail (6)US$24.00

                          Cocktail Sauce & Fresh Lemon

                          • Tuna TartareUS$19.00

                            Cucumber, Avocado, Seaweed Salad & Citrus Vinaigrette

                            • Crabmeat CocktailUS$29.00

                              Jumbo Lump Crabmeat & English Mustard Sauce

                              • Chilled Lobster TailUS$35.00

                                Cocktail Sauce & Lemon

                                • Shellfish TowerUS$115.00

                                  Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Tails, Local Oysters, Littleneck Clams & Jumbo Lump Crabmeat

                                  • Littleneck Clams (8)US$16.00

                                    6 fresh shucked littleneck clams

                                    Salads & Soup

                                    • Onion SoupUS$11.00

                                      Classic French Onion Style Soup with Broiled Baguette and Cheese

                                      • ChowderUS$11.00

                                        • Caesar SaladUS$12.00

                                          White Anchovies, Garlic Croutons & Parmesan Cheese

                                          • Wedge SaladUS$13.00

                                            Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes & Blue Cheese

                                            • Mixed GreensUS$12.00

                                              Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Cucumber, Shredded Carrots, Radishes, Garlic Parmesan Crouton

                                              • Prosciutto & BurrataUS$22.00

                                                Sliced Prosciutto di Parma, Fresh Burrata, Red Wine Poached Pear, Arugula & EVOO

                                                • Beet & Goat CheeseUS$14.00

                                                  Red and Golden Beets, Fried Goat Cheese, Pistachio Nuts, Arugula, & Citrus Vinegarette

                                                  Entrees

                                                  • VongoleUS$25.00

                                                    Littleneck Clams, Garlic & White Wine

                                                    • BologneseUS$25.00

                                                      Veal & Wild Boar Ragu, Rigatoni & Parmesan Reggiano

                                                      • OrecchietteUS$27.00

                                                        Orecchiette Pasta, Sausage Crumble, Broccolini & Chili Flakes

                                                        • Genovese PrimaveraUS$24.00

                                                          Basil Fusilli Pasta & Seasonal Vegetables

                                                          • HaddockUS$36.00

                                                            Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes, Asparagus & Herb Lemon Butter

                                                            • SalmonUS$29.00

                                                              Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini & Pinot Noir Sauce

                                                              • Baked Stuffed ShrimpUS$40.00

                                                                Five Baked Crab Stuffed Shrimp, Drawn Butter, Lemon & Aparagus

                                                                • TunaUS$42.00

                                                                  Sweet Potato Puree, Gingered Bok Choy & Wasabi Aioli

                                                                  • SwordfishUS$36.00

                                                                    Shrimp, Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Scampi Sauce

                                                                    • HalibutUS$45.00

                                                                      Herb Lemon Butter Sauce, Basil Fusilli, & Cherry Tomatoes

                                                                      • Brick ChickenUS$28.00

                                                                        Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus & Arneis Beurre Blanc

                                                                        • Pork ChopUS$38.00

                                                                          Soft Polenta, Red Wine Poached Pear & Pork Jus

                                                                          • Skirt Steak FritesUS$38.00

                                                                            Garlic Butter & Parm French Fries

                                                                            • Vegan PlateUS$26.00

                                                                              Portobello, Black Bean Salad, Grilled Tomato, Seasonal Vegetables, Broccolini & Asparagus

                                                                              Chops

                                                                              • 8oz FiletUS$48.00

                                                                                • NY SirloinUS$55.00

                                                                                  • Au Poivre NYUS$57.00

                                                                                    • Dry Aged Bone-InUS$58.00

                                                                                      16oz Bone-In NY Sirloin (will be rarer towards bone, consider Boneless Sirloin if ordering over Medium temperature)

                                                                                      • DelmonicoUS$55.00

                                                                                        • CowboyUS$58.00

                                                                                          Sides

                                                                                          • Zucchini & Summer SquashUS$10.00

                                                                                            • Roasted Fingerling PotatoesUS$9.00

                                                                                              • Sautéed BroccoliniUS$12.00

                                                                                                Garlic Butter, Chili Flakes & Sea Salt

                                                                                                • Sautéed Wild MushroomsUS$13.00

                                                                                                  Roasted Cipollini Onions & Herb Oil

                                                                                                  • Grilled AsparagusUS$12.00

                                                                                                    Sea Salt & Olive Oil

                                                                                                    • Parmesan PolentaUS$10.00

                                                                                                      Soft White Polenta with Cream & Parmesan

                                                                                                      • Creamed SpinachUS$12.00

                                                                                                        Parmesan Croutons

                                                                                                        • Yukon Mashed PotatoesUS$9.00

                                                                                                          Garlic Confit & Chive Butter

                                                                                                          • Kennebec French FriesUS$7.00

                                                                                                            • Kennebec Truffle FriesUS$9.00

                                                                                                              Fries w/ Parmesan Cheese and Black Truffle Oil

                                                                                                              • Bone MarrowUS$11.00

                                                                                                                Additional Sauces

                                                                                                                • Armagnac SauceUS$2.00

                                                                                                                  • BéarnaiseUS$2.00

                                                                                                                    • Demi-GlaceUS$2.00

                                                                                                                      • Horseradish CremaUS$2.00

                                                                                                                        • Lemon Rosemary Sea SaltUS$2.00

                                                                                                                          • Maitre d'ButterUS$2.00

                                                                                                                            Herbed Garlic Butter

                                                                                                                            • Steak SauceUS$2.00

                                                                                                                              • Truffle Sea SaltUS$2.00

                                                                                                                                Chef's Specials

                                                                                                                                • Friday: Catch of the DayUS$46.00

                                                                                                                                  • Friday: Beef WellingtonUS$55.00

                                                                                                                                    Friday Special - Individual Puff Pastry Wrapped Filet w/ Liver and Mushroom Duxelle. Medium Rare Only

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                                                                                                                                    Reviews

                                                                                                                                    OpenTable reviews from verified diners

                                                                                                                                    Reviews from people who have dined at The Federal.

                                                                                                                                    4.6

                                                                                                                                    4.6
                                                                                                                                    (1073)
                                                                                                                                    • 4.6Food
                                                                                                                                    • 4.7Service
                                                                                                                                    • 4.5Ambience
                                                                                                                                    • 4.2Value

                                                                                                                                    Noise • Moderate

                                                                                                                                    1,073 Reviews

                                                                                                                                    1. Robert Gold

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston29 reviews

                                                                                                                                      5.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 28 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 5
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 5
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 4
                                                                                                                                      Excellent restaurant for special occasions. Expensive, but the quality of dishes and the service make it worth it. The Wellfleet oysters were outstanding, and we loved their caesar salad. And the steak frites and filet mignon were all cooked perfectly. Service by Stacey was friendly and never rushed.

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                                                                                                                                    2. Susan Gold

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston7 reviews

                                                                                                                                      1.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 28 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 1
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 4
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 1
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 1
                                                                                                                                      We were seated with two couples with two very young children. They were jumping in the seats. . Ran up and down the whole restaurant. We told the waitress it was noisy she nodded. I went to the manager who asked do you want to move. We were half way through dinner. Very disappointed with the ambiance and non response from the waitress. She told me on the way out you should have spoken up. Not acceptable

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                                                                                                                                    3. Ann Marie

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston1 review

                                                                                                                                      5.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 28 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 5
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 5
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                                                                                                      Everything was top notch here. The only small detail I would tweak is the temperature of the dining room. It was cold. I saw others keeping their coats on. Not sure why they want it that cool.

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                                                                                                                                    4. Jerome Gold

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston17 reviews

                                                                                                                                      2.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 21 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 2
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 4
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 1
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 3
                                                                                                                                      Slow service and very unpersonal and room was very cold

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                                                                                                                                    5. Richard

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston5 reviews

                                                                                                                                      5.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 20 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 5
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 5
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                                                                                                      I have been to the Federal several times. I am always completely happy with the service, drink and food. They make great bar drinks, esp. gin martinis. We all loved our hors d'oevres. I had a great salad, as per usual. I had Beef Wellington, one of their specialties (and hard to find elsewhere), as well as one of my guests. Great wine list! Wonderful desserts. It's just a great place, very reliably so!

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                                                                                                                                    6. Pennie

                                                                                                                                      Orange County1 review

                                                                                                                                      5.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 18 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 5
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 4
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                                                                                                      The menu choices are excellent. The food and the service are amazing. Look forward to going back and trying something different on the menu

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                                                                                                                                    7. Kristen

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston4 reviews

                                                                                                                                      5.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 12 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 5
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 5
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                                                                                                      We will definitely be back to the Federal. The server was helpful and thoughtful. The food was delicious and generous.

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                                                                                                                                    8. Linda

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston1 review

                                                                                                                                      3.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 12 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 3
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 4
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 3
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 4
                                                                                                                                      The Federal was out of 3 main dishes and waitress never told us until we went to order and they were dishes I wanted

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                                                                                                                                    9. Eric Gold

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston68 reviews

                                                                                                                                      3.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 11 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 3
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 2
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 5
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 4
                                                                                                                                      Service was very good - friendly and courteous My swordfish was not very good - did not taste fresh Glass of wine was too expensive

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                                                                                                                                    10. Lauren

                                                                                                                                      Greater Boston14 reviews

                                                                                                                                      5.0

                                                                                                                                      Dined on 5 March 2026

                                                                                                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                                                                                                      2. Food 5
                                                                                                                                      3. Service 5
                                                                                                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                                                                                                      The service was great, our waitress was attentive and friendly. The food was amazing, seafood tower, Delmonico, broccolini, and fingerlings all were to die for. The dirty martini was perfect!

                                                                                                                                      Is this helpful?

                                                                                                                                    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
                                                                                                                                    • Website
                                                                                                                                      http://the-federalrestaurant.com/
                                                                                                                                    • 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.
                                                                                                                                    • Delivery & takeout
                                                                                                                                      Order direct
                                                                                                                                    • Location
                                                                                                                                      74 Tower Rd, Waltham, MA 02451-1022
                                                                                                                                    • Area
                                                                                                                                      Waltham
                                                                                                                                    • Cross Street
                                                                                                                                      Main Street
                                                                                                                                    • Parking Details
                                                                                                                                      Public Lot
                                                                                                                                    • Public transport
                                                                                                                                      Bus Route 70, Main Shopping Center @ Marshall's stop
                                                                                                                                    • Additional
                                                                                                                                      Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
                                                                                                                                    1. Home
                                                                                                                                    2. United States
                                                                                                                                    3. Greater Boston
                                                                                                                                    4. Boston
                                                                                                                                    5. Waltham

                                                                                                                                    Not available on OpenTable

                                                                                                                                    Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

                                                                                                                                    Is this your restaurant?
                                                                                                                                    Claim this listing
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