Daedalus

11/13/08

Favorite Place in Cambridge!!!

by nikmik5 at Citysearch

I love Daedalus! They have perfected their menu, but also offer daily specials. The lower level is cozy and intimate, and the upstairs is fun, and perfect for big groups. Gorgeous rooftop patio, away from pedestrians and cars with great views. And on top of it all, the waiters and bartenders are so nice and helpful.

10/27/08

Good location, but quality has declined...

by Harvard02 at Citysearch

I have lived in Harvard Sq for nearly 8 years now, and I remember when Daedalus first opened - it was a welcome addition to the few bars in Harvard Sq with good, cheap wine and decently OK American food. However, I went for dinner there about a week ago and noticed some furry critters scurrying across the floor. We were seated upstairs on the patio, and informed our waiter who said "oh, yeah them..." (as if it were not a problem) and continued (paraphrasing) "I think that they come through the wall of the place next door, but do not worry - they are not in our kitchen." Regardless of where they came from, they were running across the floor of the restaurant! I absolutely cannot recommend an eating establishment that whose staff seems to think that it is not an issue even as multiple customers complained about the critters running underneath their tables. I imagine that any decent proprietor (or health inspector) would deem this unacceptable. Definitely did not make me feel like continuing with my meal.

• Pros: Great location, good bar food, nice roof patio

10/12/08

Great atmosphere, frustrating service, good wine, AWFUL side dish

by krycek at Citysearch

The first visit was quite enjoyable. Patio was fantastic, great wine, nice service.

The second visit still had great scenery and wine... but we felt like we had to beg for attention.. and for the first time in my history of dining out, I ate mashed potatoes that I refused to finish. I could not comprehend how a nice restaurant could screw up such an easy important side dish. And the worst part... my boyfriend and I were CONVINCED they were from a box. There is no way they served us real potatoes. Looking at the bill was so depressing after eating potatoes from a box.. I wish I had said something but the waitress was never really around or attentive.

• Pros: atmosphere
• Cons: service and food

07/11/08

Attitude, and not in a good way

by blueeyedgirl2 at Citysearch

Ah, sadly, I have been a frequent customer of Daedalus for a while now. I always excused the somewhat vapid waitstaff and the completely ignorant host/hostess because they do have some great bartenders (how they earned one star), but it has gone too far.

They act elitist and entitled, like they're the gatekeepers to something amazing. The food is okay, the drinks depend on the bartender. The patio is beautiful but only if you pass their test to be seated out there. I'd love to teach the hosts a simple lesson - people who only order appetizers because they want to have four or five drinks each end up making you WAY more money than the people who order the meal and drink water.

I'm tired of being looked down upon by their smug employees who can't comprehend how to treat people who are there often, who have money to spend, and who tip well.

The only bright spot would be the bartenders, who actually get it...but because of the attitude of the rest of the staff, the place has changed so much and draws a like crowd - who then talk down to the kind bartenders.

This place used to be a gem, now even the patio isn't enough to get me there.

• Pros: convenient, great bartenders, nice patio
• Cons: attitude, elitism, ignorance

04/28/08

Horribly overpriced and poor, rude service.

by restaurant123 at Citysearch

I went to this restuarant when I first moved to Harvard Square back in early 2004. At the time it was a decent restaurant and I felt like I was getting what I paid for. All of that has changed. I think it has changed so much that the postive reviews below should have to be removed because they are giving an unfair impression of the establishment as it now stands. After a short wait at the bar, the host took us to a table upstairs. As he was escorting us to a table outside, a member of the waitstaff stopped us and told rather rudely that we were using the wrong door and that we had to go around the bar to the other door. The host had to step in and explain that he was personally taking us out to the deck, even though we were all walking together and it should have been obvious he was taking us. The food was terrible. I got a rib-eye special and ordered it medium-rare. When it came it was very well done and very poor quality meat. There were also so many carmelized onions and globs of blue cheese on it that I could not taste the meat. Even after I wiped all of the toppiongs off the steak it was still all I could taste. The mashed potatoes did not taste like they were real potatoes and the brocolli was drenched in oil and salt. I would have been dissapointed by this meal at a chain restaurant if I had paid $12 for it, so the $23 price tag was offensive. My fiance ordered the trout special, which said it was grilled on the menu, but was fried when it came out. It was covered in a salsa of avocado and corn, but the avocado was not ripe and was actually quite hard. I gave no hesitation to giving this restaurant one star. If you try it you will be very dissapointed by the extremely overpriced food and poor service.

• Pros: The deck outside is nice
• Cons: Everything from food to service to noise level.

04/25/08

Worst service and bad food

by kapitankool at Citysearch

When I see the good reviews from 2003, I can only imagine that the management has changed for the worse. We were to have a 10 min wait, so we went to the bar. The bartender took 15 mins to mix 2 drinks. I have never seen a slower bartender on my life. The wait extended to 30 mins and only after the pointing out an empty table to the spaced out waiter, we got our table. All the waiters seem fresh out of high school, with no training at all and high on dope. Our waiter had no idea what the specials were. He did bother to ask me how I wanted my steak. After I told him medium, he proceeded to get me an extra well-done piece of meat. They get my oysters which were not chilled and without the coctail sauce, and was not sure what cocktail sauce was. The tables are set real close to each other. The lady on the next table asked one of the food servers for another glass of wine, and he was short with her, saying you have to ask the waiter as he is not allowed to handle alcohol. Huh! I guess dope is fine. Anyways this is such a waste of a beautiful deck. I cannot see why people go there inspite of the bad service. If they stay away, maybe this place will go bankrupt and a decent one will take its place.

• Pros: Great Deck
• Cons: Poor service by untrained wait staff

09/24/07

WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE - BEWARE! Deadalus Does Not Care about it's Customers

by scotter11 at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I arrived at Daedalus went upstairs but it was (per usual) way too crowded and loud so we went downstairs. I wasn?t to the end of the stairs when the hostesses were practically screaming ?goodnight? ?have a good evening? basically ushering us out the door. We sat at the bar for ten minutes with no bar tender in sight. He finally sauntered out; he was balding, average height, medium build with an accent. I ordered a captain & coke, water, and a menu. My boyfriend ordered a vodka tonic. The bartender placed my drink on the bar. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the hostess whispering to the bartender. I checked out her dress (as girls often do!) as it was quite unique. She was wearing a black sheath dress fully covered w/ sequins a brightly primary colored geometric pattern. I?m looking at it and the next thing I know the bartender grabs my drink and dumps it out yelling ?I don?t know what?s going on here (pointing back and forth between the hostess and myself) but I?m not going to serve you!? He repeated this again and again in a hostile voice practically shaking with anger. He then turned to my boyfriend and asked him if he still wanted his vodka tonic my boyfriend calmly asked what the problem was and the bartender raised his voice and yelled ?DO YOU WANT A VODKA TONIC?? It was clear that his goal was to humiliate/punish us, for what? I have no idea? We had come from a movie, neither of us had consumed a drop of alcohol. The bartender seemed enraged and on a power trip. I don?t know if he is dating the hostess and thought I was giving her a bad look but even if I was (which I wasn?t!) that doesn?t award him the authority to refuse to serve me. I?ve never written a review like this in my life but the experience just floored me. I don?t know how a business can survive with employees like that. I don?t plan on ever returning. DON?T go unless you want horrible service, over priced drinks, and to deal with staff on a total ego trip. BEWARE.

• Pros: NONE!
• Cons: Rude Condescending Staff, Overpriced Drinks, No parking, Poor Management, Overcrowded

05/25/07

Worst customer service ever. We were practically thrown out!

by frsc at Citysearch

Just had dinner at Daedalus tonight. We were three and had a great time initially. After less than two hours and shortly after ordering the 3rd bottle of wine we were told there was a time limit! (of no more than two hours) on the table and we should please move to the bar. The intervals between the reminders to please leave the table were around every 5-10 minutes. If they don't want customers to enjoy dinner and a glass of wine (or two) they should let you know upfront. This was ridiculous and one of the worst experiences in Harvard Sq. in 6 years! Never going back!!!

• Pros: Nice Roofside porch
• Cons: Rude stuff asked us to leave our table weven though we were by no means finished

05/31/06

Congenial Harvard Square pub with reputable food, hearty pints and a clubby touch of class.

by Eric Grossman at Citysearch

The Scene
Search no further for the proverbial "clean, well-lighted place." Huge front windows (swung wide in warm weather) and a greenhouse roof on the second level flood the pub with daylight; an amber glow radiates at night. Downstairs splits into a convivial bar and a narrow dining room. The upstairs lounge sprawls around the stairwell with a second bar, a scattering of tables and cozy couches along the walls. Those who come solely for drinks are rewarded with a solid beer selection and personable bartenders.

The Food
Best buys are the refined bar food--fish and chips, sandwiches, burgers--from the "late lunch" menu. More ambitious entrees like sea scallops with oyster mushrooms, bacon and potatoes are executed with finesse. The menu has all the current culinary-college touches (chickpea fries, braised greens, baby artichokes, Cuban spices) without the preciousness. Desserts are gooey, satisfying and familiar--fallen chocolate souffle, creme brulee, fruit cobbler.

05/11/05

shithole

by kellynicol at Citysearch

so, daedelus maintains one of the rudest, meanest bartenders in the united states. i hate this restaurant/bar, and I promise that harvard students will all eventually realize how crappy it is.

• Pros: christmas tree lights
• Cons: terrible service, mean people, nasty atmosphere