Beat Brew Hall (formerly Beat Brasserie) is a hip and one of a kind restaurant that is perfect for urban city weddings! My favorite thing about Beat Brew Hall (besides the amazing atmosphere) would have to be the food. (Photos by Dagny Kream Photography)
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It used to be high quality food when it was call the beat brasserie. Now this has changed so much. The drinks are fine. The food quantity is low for a clearly overpriced tab. I will never set foot again there and will prefer other Harvard square restaurants.
This place never gets old. The atmosphere is what will bring you in. But the food will make you stay. Their unique approach to wine service guarantees an enormous by the glass selection with zero freshness concerns. They serve directly from barrels, which means the wine is never exposed to the air.
The location is also a plus. The heart of Harvard Square and much the cooler for it.
I broke Easter Tradition and took the family to Cambridge for a brunch and some Jazz. We called The Beehive in Boston and they were booked, so they suggested Beat Brasserie. I'm assuming it's the same owner. We made reservations for five on Easter Sunday at 11. They had a set, three course brunch menu for $45. The evening prior, we called BB and asked if we could squeeze two more people in on our reservation and they said they were booked and unfortunately could not accommodate two more. We showed up at 11 and were seated at a table with eight seats. Why they said they could not take more than the five of us, does not make sense. My wife even asked if other people were sitting with us, and they said no. Not to mention, the entire time we were there, we saw at least 40 open seats.
I'm not going to get into the all the specifics of the meal, but of the three courses, one of them was scones and bread that we shared. The other two were appetizers and entrees, where you picked one of each as your meal. Just to show how ridiculously over prices this was, I got a small bowl, in fact it was half of a small bowl of a curry carrot soup. It was good, but nothing to write home about. My entree was eggs Benedict with Ham, which was below par. The ham tasted like any cured ham you'd buy at a Market Basket. The eggs, well they were poached and tasted like eggs; nothing special. I could have made this exact meal at home for about $5.
It is true, the restaurant has a nice ambiance and there was live music. The music was a 3 piece Jazz band they took a 20 minute break right in the middle of our meal. Also, our seat were so far away that we had a hard time seeing and hearing them. Two of the five of us had our backs to the band.
The drinks were expensive and the bill came to a little under $400. The waitress was wonderful. I tipped her over 20% and never complained to her. I waited on tables while in college and know what it's like. It wasn't her fault and she looked like she was having a good day, which was great.
I have to say I feel ripped off. I eat out all the time and frankly, I have never felt as disappointed about a restaurant as I did this place. I really hope they can take their food up a notch as well as their drinks.
Who can complain about truffle fries that melt in your mouth and yet stay crunchy for 20 minutes? Casual food, casual place. All good. The staff is well versed in their primary raison d'etre which is beer. They still serve a great variety of eclectia for food. Serve is the one star that is missing from this review. Once the food is down, there isn't a lot of follow through. Still a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Great wine selection with interesting things to try. You can sample or get a full glass. Lots of wine on tap! Food is pretty great too! I like the buffalo cauliflower and the fries
Not a great experience. Went for Jazz Brunch Sunday morning. They were out of several things, and already had a super limited menu (5 items), although the Bacon Benedict ended up being fine. It was too expensive for the portions and service quality. They wouldn't serve me a drink despite looking old and being with other old people who remembered their IDs (although that is common in Boston).
I came here with friends on a Friday night for drinks and apps. Very unique that they have 36 wines on tap. It was very busy and crowded but we were able to fit a spot to stand near the bar. Overall a fun, populated place, good for an energized night out. The appetizers were good and easy to share. The place wasn't my style but good service for a crowded bar.
I loved this place!! My first visit blew me away - I'll definitely return for great cocktails and amazing live music. The drinks were affordable, especially for Boston; I'd recommend the tequila-based Spiced Paloma and the gin-based take on More
Love the vibes/decor, love the location, love the food, and even though I've yet to catch a performance here I'm sure I will love that too when I finally do.
Spacious and perfectly-lit... great dinner spot for just about any occasion.
If you're into a jazzy, maybe slightly-hippy scene, you've got to check this place out.
This a great chill, bohemian spot. Great cool lighting and tasteful yet colorful and vibrant art. Fun drinks and delicious food. Wonderful live music. Happy and chill crowd
Very solid place to hang out with friends! I love their long tables and vibe. For food, I've tried the chicken sliders (awesome), chili dog (decent), and buffalo cauliflower (a bit soggy). I'd say their drinks are the highlight with my favorite being the Frozen Ricky Boggy.
My experience at Beat Brasserie was fantastic until... I played there with my band. The whole club experience was top notch. Everyone we dealt with there was friendly and wonderfully professional. The sound was exquisite. When it came time to load our gear out, I left my van at the back door walked inside to gather some things and returned to my van to find it on the back of a tow truck! Had to pay the guy 100 bucks to leave me alone. Not the club's fault, just part of my experience.
The food here is amazing! It's pretty pricey but the natural bowl was one of the tastiest dishes I ever had. Also the entire menu has many healthy options
Fun, great food, beer and drinks though the portions of food are small and a tad pricey for run of the mill college students ($10+ beers are the norm).
$6 for a 4 once pour?! I thought it was a taster when my friend ordered it. Avg $13 for a 10 ounce pour? Cmon. To top it off when we paid the bill our party of 9 had the gratuity automatically added, it was a joy when the waiter showed us the tip button on his fancy iPad when paying. We told him, thanks but the tip was included. Should have reported him to management but that wouldn't have mattered. Worst place I have ever been in Boston. Will never return.
Beat Brew Hall has everything a Harvard Square eatery should have a Rathskeller feel and a college atmosphere, enough sports-tuned TVs to keep everyone happy, great selection of beers, a sufficient wine list, competent mixed drinks, a professional but fun wait staff, enough fried foods to satisfy those cravings, and even funky and fun bathrooms. The restaurant offers both low- and high-top seating, although the tables are a little bit close together (which, at our visit, was fine, because we really enjoyed chatting with the people at the next table).
Great food here, also good for folks with dietary restrictions as they have vegetarian/vegan options available. I'd consider it casual fine dining. A gorgeous, whimsical but comfortable space! Great for a group celebration or a nice date.
Awesome restaurant to grab a beer and listen to local musicians with a friend or on a date. Food choices were decent and the waiter was fast and efficient, even when it got super busy. Definitely was not rushed to leave while listening to the band's play.
Misleading menu. I was very disappointed with the proportion of the size between the taco vs bowl. Waitress made it seem like it was a similar plate and in the end I overpaid for two tiny tacos, while my friend got a huge bowl. They should write their menus more clear at least, or otherwise it seems they re being dishonest. Manager didn t seem to care when I explained.
Brazilian night on Wednesday s are the best, I feel like home. Live music is so good, the singer rocks. Flatbreads are delicious and they have caipirinhas
I've had some great experiences here -- the wine list is second to none, and the service is usually excellent -- but lately it seems as if the quality (and quantity) of the food has seriously gone downhill, and on my last visit, my group of two had to wait half an hour on a Thursday night for a table we'd already reserved. I know the Beat Brasserie can do better.
Redid the Beat hotel, still a fun place that holds more people now. More about beers than cocktails but the cocktails look pretty good. Extensive beer menu.
Very knowledgeable staff, made great recommendations. Great atmosphere, real low key/ relaxing music when I came in., Interesting food options (I tried the buffalo cauliflower, 8.5/10.) I recommend trying it out.
Disappointing. Used to love Beat Brasserie, this new place doesn't even come close. Very poor vegetarian options, overpriced food, atmosphere feels more like a college dive bar but way to expensive for what it is. Ordered the quesadilla to share ("For the Table" on the menu), came with only 2 pieces. Not very sharing friendly.
My family had Thanksgiving here and we all had a good time! Super friendly waitress (believe her name was Kat) and food was delicious. We typically go to the beehive in Boston but this place was just as great being it's sister company! Cheers all around!
Great staff and atmosphere. The hummus plate is an outstanding starter. A also think they make the best cheeseburger in Harvard Square. I take burgers very seriously.
An excellent place to cool off on a hot afternoon walking around Harvard. Very good food from the pizza to the salad. We even had a great vegetarian(no eggs or any meat) dish. The service is very courteous and quick. The beer and drinks refreshing. We stopped for lunch because of the good reviews and heard music being played by a band from Venezuela and a Colombian singer helped us enjoy lunch on a hot humid Sunday.
Super fun place, a little loud and busy for me, and the food was hit or miss for my table, but love the beer selection and our server was very attentive despite the very busy time. I'll definitely return.
It's a cool atmosphere and good food, but I found the prices for dinner a little high for veggie food when there are similar options around town for far less. That said, they seemed to have a decent menu - pretty meat heavy, and it felt like a big draw was the live music.
I've also had brunch here and that was great! I usually make a reservation to be on the safe side.
The place has a great beer selection on the draft and also cocktails and wine .
The live music takes place in the further section of the Beat Brew Hall and starts late at night around 9pm .
I did not order any food during my first couple times I went there. I will likely do my next visit.
I highly recommend this place to hangout with Friends at the bar or dinning on a table..and then, join the crowd on the dance floor and enjoy the music band later
Came the other night for drinks and dinner. My flight was $21 because I didn't read the menu carefully. We also got the "quesadilla" which were two small taco sized cheese things. It is essentially a taco lined with cheese (hard shell). While I liked the atmosphere, waitress, and the drink selection, I would NEVER come back here for food.
Don't go to this place. The staff is extremely rude and unprofessional. They berated me for putting my head too close to the tables after a long day of work before I even had a drink
A bit on the pricy side, but that's to be expected at a nice establishment such as this. Cool vibe on the inside. I like that it's a mellow bar during day/early evening hours and mode of a lively setting as it gets later in the night. Good drink selection.