John Harvard's Brew House

Doesn't Recommend

Alex Rosenzweig

Joined 4 years ago

A for effort, C for delivery. This was a last minute stop-over the weekend after exhaustive volleyball practice and parched me and the team were. Housed in the heart of Harvard square, JH's Brew House is the Boston Beer works for the Cantabrigians. The space is cavernous and a bit old school with dim lighting and brew house stills in plain sight. Food varies from your typical burgers and fries to more upscale entries salmon, chicken marsala, and steak. Opting for comfort food, most in my crew of 15 opted for burgers, though I spotted some salads topped with grilled chicken and an occasional fried calamari. Drinks were spot on and pitchers of various brews on tap came out promptly. The food didnt lag far behind. I ordered a 1/2 lb burger au poivre (was expecting a burger coated in crushed peppercorns) was strangely a regular burger topped with brined, whole green peppercorns. Though medium rare as requested, the patty was dry and cold and needed ample heaps of ketchup and mustard. Fries a la thick cut chips were way overcooked and so were my neighbors onion rings, which were crispy through and through, with the same dryness as the chips. I had to finish eating my burger with a knife and fork since the bun broke up with the condiments. I plan on being back with the team next weekend, though Im firmly sticking with non fried options.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Harvard Square's beloved subterranean brewpub delivers fresh beer and a lengthy, tasty food menu to an eclectic crowd.. The Scene
The destination of choice for area academics looking to unwind after a long day of classes. The large bar features plenty of seating for those stopping in for a quick pint, and the dining area offers dozens of tables, including a few large enough for student club meetings. With lots of dark wood, polished brass and dim lighting, patrons feel as if they're in a storied English pub, until they notice the stained-glass portrait of Jerry Garcia.

The Draw
Plain and simple, this is a dependable place for food and drink, and not a place to see or be seen (unless you're a Harvard student). Of the dozen-plus beers made on the premises, expect a rotating selection of six to be available at any time. The kitchen's endless menu of eclectic dishes like grilled meat loaf and mustard chicken will make you re-think the definition of pub fare.

Recommends

bbaw

Joined 7 years ago

Great Food Great Beers. I have been there a handfull of times and I have always enjoyed it. The food is great, the staff are polite and helpful, and they have a beer sampler at an awesome price. Weekends can create a loooong wait but well worth it. It is a great atmosphere to catch up with friends and just hang out.

Recommends

siula_grande

Joined 9 years ago

good beers and appetizers. Well, if you went on weekend, be prepared for a long wait. We're given an estimation of 1.5 hr wait, they're not kidding about it, we've waited 1.25 hr at the bar. Consequently we're generously rewarded by the gracious manager Tina :-)

The beers, appetizers and my order of the Mustard Chicken were great, but my friends back ribs were alittle burn and dry.

In general, this is a restaurant i'll most certainly dine again.

Recommends

central_sq_josh

Joined 9 years ago

now with great trivia!. I've been dropping in on John Harvard's for years and I've always enjoyed it but they recently added some really good trivia on monday nights. The highlights are categories like "Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson" and clever current-events inspired team names. It seems to draw a mixed crowd of locals and Harvard grad students. Fortunately there's a prize for the last place team as well.

Recommends

jpanderson_citysearch

Joined 11 years ago

good, classy hangout. all dark wood and cozy nooks, this is the best oldey-timey place in the square to get a beer. it's pretty dark down here--you've got to descend a staircase into the place--but it's a congenial crowd and a great place to retreat to. good house beers, good bar food.