Shay's Pub & Wine Bar

Doesn't Recommend

Ethan D.

Joined 2 years ago

Rude service. I actually enjoyed the food and the beer and planned on coming back. The problem was the service. My wife and friend and I went there for drinks and dinner after work. The service was not noteworthy in terms of being particularly bad or good. Our check was 64, my friend threw in 20 for her 16, and my wife tipped 8 on the remaining 44. Our server came up and said that wasn't enough money, then told us we couldn't do math, then said we would remember this the next day and regret it. Well I do, and I'm writing this review. We normally always tip 20% on top of taxes, we inadvertently tipped 13-15% depending on if you include taxes or not because of the way the bill was broken down. Either way, I thought our waitress's self-righteous indignation and demand for more money rude and highly inappropriate. Even if we tipped lower than we meant to, we didn't need to be insulted and been made out to look like we were cheap in front of other tables. 10%, or less than 10% sure throw it in our faces, but we technically tipped 15% exactly. If our server wants to throw our money back in our faces so be it. There's plenty of other alternatives in the area that won't demean their customers.

Oh, BTW, we ended up leaving another $4 dollars before we left. But NOT because we should have--either in terms of service or etiquette.

And I'll never go back--which is a shame because I normally always tip 20% on top of taxes. Did I mention I actually lost sleep last night thinking about this? Talk about dining and drinking pleasure.

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urbantemp

Joined 7 years ago

Grab a seat outdoors!. Shay's is a great, no-frills bar with an excellent beer selection. Has a warm, cozy feeling in its "underground" spot and a good mix of students and locals in the harvard square area...just make sure you grab a spot on the front patio as it fills up fast!!! but, it's small size and limited staff give it that charm most other local bars lack.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A low-key Harvard Square watering hole for fans of beers and vino.. The Scene
Shay's dark bar and small outdoor seating area attract an eclectic mix of graduate student-types and area professionals. The social outdoor patio gets packed to the gills most nights. With a hip, contemporary soundtrack playing at a reasonable volume, the bar is a good place to catch up with a friend over a drink.

The Draw
The expansive beer and wine lists should satisfy any and all tastes. The 16 wines by the glass change from time to time, including the usual (California chardonnay) and not so usual (Chilean cabernet). Brief, colorful descriptions are listed with the wines. With only a single bartender and waitress most nights, you might have to wait a little while to place a drink order. The food menu is a step above that of similar bars; more than burgers and nachos are available.