The place is very welcoming, with very friendly staff and the food was also delicious! I had a Green, Eggs and Ham pizza and an Always Sunny drink. Both the food and drink were delicious and I'd definitely recommend the place to anyone trying to have a chilled dinner with friends!
Best burger in Harvard Square. Ask about secret burger. Get the fries and greens half and half.
Good beer selection, excellent bartenders. We just had drinks, so I can't speak to anything else.
My daughter took me to Russell House for lunch and it is a standout. First and foremost COVID protocols are in place both inside and out. Tables are separated by plexiglass and your can't move in the place without a mask. Kudo's to their team for providing an enjoyable yet safe environment.
The atmosphere is just what one would expect from a Harvard Square location. Historical yet with a young vibe. We ate downstairs and it had that old world tavern feel with brass and dark woods.
They have a nice selection to pick from although it caters towards the brunch set, at least on this visit. I had the Corn Beef Hash which was oh so good. Fresh made in-house with just the right spices, tender and flavorful. My daughter had the Vegetable omelet that was big enough for two people. Great taste and presentation.
For libations she had a Mimosa and I had a nice beer (i.e. Captains Daughter). Both were very nice.
The Russell House Tavern is surely well known amongst the Boston locals, but if visiting the area take the time to stop in for just a beverage or maybe a meal . . . you wont' be disappointed.
Heard a lot about this place so decided to take a roll here. Very friendly staff, food is delicious and great ambience inside compliments it even more. Worth the time and money.
Disappointing.
Our brunch toast came dry. When we asked for jelly, we were told only a house-made concoction was available & it cost $2. When we asked for honey instead, they brought us a watery cupful. That may be fine in a cup of tea, but didn't work at all as a spread on toast.
I went here around Christmas time while visiting from Florida and it was great. My cousin is a foodie and invited me to go. The food was great, we had a cow tongue appetizer that I was unsure about when ordered, but to my surprise I write enjoyed. For entree, I had the pork trio which was delicious. The pork belly was my favorite abd the grits were dynamite. We also shared a trio of sides including, brussel sprouts, pomme frits, and creamed kale. The sides were great and the garlic aioli served with the pomme frits could have been eaten with a spoon. Our waitress Katie was wonderful, she had a great personality, good recommendations, and cool jewelry. I was back in Boston this past week and ate here again and it was just as delicious as the first time.
Good service and a nice place for working/catching up with a friend over food
A great dinner while in town before the Boston Marathon. Seated right at our reservation time, food was great and delivered in a timely manner even though the restaurant was packed. Server Sarah F. gets high marks for attentive service, bright disposition and food recommendations. Ivd definitely go back!
Beautiful bar downstairs with a huge selection of beers and ciders. Nice devilled eggs and poutine
Delicious cocktails, fantastic atmosphere, good food.
Fantastic service and the burger was pretty decent too.
Much larger than it looks from the outside! We had a delightful brunch, the food was excellent as was the service! A creative menu and we enjoyed every meal. We we able to get a same day reservation for a party of eight. Great experience!
Great service, and fantastic crab cakes! We sat on the street patio and had a lovely time! Would absolutely return!
Dined here with 10 of my mates or so. We were in a rush and needed to eat quick. They sat us at tables beside each other. Our waitress Darah quickly got us our food and helped us out with deciding what to eat (the half and half option for sandwiches was a win!). Will definitely come back
Leek and mushroom pizza was delicious! Cute little outdoor patio area. Friendly staff.
Food was good. Volume was conducive to conversations.
Food was excellent but pricy. They make their own ginger beer which I greatly appreciated.
Definitely one of the nicer restaurants in Harvard Square. Place is surprisingly large with the downstairs seating AND outdoor space. A bit on the pricey side with only okay food. Definitely would recommend just coming here for some unique drinks! Bartenders are always friendly and fast with service. Keep in mind it is Harvard Square so there is VERY limited parking.
Extremely friendly and polite staff, brought me a backpack I had left behind at the bar. The classy downstairs area will definitely have me coming back for a creative cocktail or two
My wife and I really enjoyed this little underground tavern. On a busy Sunday with no reservations they found a table quickly for us and our guests. The staff was very courteous and quick and the feel of an old fashioned, dimly lit pub was very relaxing.
Steak doesn t deserve even 1 star:( I was very hungry but didn t finish it...
Salmon the same..
Fries, mushrooms, corn were 5+
It's a cozy and nice place to drink and have dinner. If you are around Harvard square definitely consider this place.
Just an ok place in the Square. Food is over priced and pretty standard
Russell House is your classic Burger, Beer, Cocktail gastropub.
It may be the best burger in Boston, I always try burgers wherever I go, but I keep coming back here. Fresh Ground Beef, sharp cheddar, smoked bacon, caramelized onion all on top of a English muffin (crazy, I know) and then add some fresh cut fries on the side and you got yourself a meal. They also have hidden burgers (ask), but frankly the burger on the menu is the best.
They usually have a solid beer selection, but their cocktails are damn solid as well. They make a mean orange Manhattan....respect.
Swanky is the name of the game with the Harvard elite. This is a fun place to rub elbows with the future lawyers and doctors of America! Their food is very good, and the service is also exemplary. Their cocktails are also tres yummy!!!!!!!
Decent spot for lunch or dinner. Has two bars one on street level, but another huge one in the basement. Overall a good place to meet friends and gave a drink. Food can be hit or miss.
Love this place. Excellent for a quick drink or a light snack. The food is delicious and the menu is well thought out. Love love love this place.
Really great place to eat or just have a drink at the bar.
As a Neapolitan, I can say that I ate an excellent Margherita pizza, certainly different from ours but good to eat. The fries were burned, but he noted that this is a feature of all American restaurants.
Pretty new establishment in the heart of Harvard Sq offers a fantastic cocktail menu and some amazing eats. Sophisticated New American cuisine with at least one well known off-menu item (hint: it's a burger). In the evenings it's typically packed but the owners have yet to recognize that you need to maintain a certain ratio of waitstaff-to-customer so the service can be slow.
Try the Sacriledge drink and the lobster slider.
It was really bad the taste was not that good but the ambience was good. Not that many options for veg and all are worst.
We came here before Boston Calling - got seats right away at the bar. Bartenders were attentative. Wait staff forgot one of our entrees and it came out in the middle of everyone finishing their meals so I got it for free! Nutella French toast was sooo good! I also got the farmstand omelette and the homefries were perfect!
Great beer selection and a unique menu. Although it's a little pricier it makes up for it with it's great atmosphere both downstairs and upstairs.
Okay, let me start off by saying that this 2-star review is from the perspective of someone with a gluten allergy. I went here with my family and they LOVED what they ordered for brunch. Unfortunately, brunch is very disappointing for someone who is GF. The staff was very friendly about my allergy but there were not many options to choose from. As someone who loves brunch, it is always disappointing for my options to either be a salad or something that I could make at home (aka eggs, sausage, and bacon). Also, the eggs and bacon were mediocre at best.
I don't recommend coming here if you have a gluten allergy until they update their menu. Someone on the phone told me that the chef wants to start adding gluten-free bread to the menu but they don't have a timeline for that addition.
Great service, good pizza, loved 5/6 cocktails. Desert wasn't worth it.
Great food not overpriced, friendly staff. I had a really bad date there once and the bartender save the night.
We went there for mother's day brunch and it was spectacular!! Or waiter was super hospitable and friendly and they served us perfectly.
Fantastic brunch. Warm, welcoming environment downstairs. Friendly helpful staff.
Interesting menu with lots of vegetarian choices. The butternut squash and apple pizza was really good.
Great atmosphere. Upstairs and downstairs seating are both swanky looking and there's outdoor seating (with space heaters) in a quaint courtyard for nice days.
Very good food. Great service. Dog friendly. Highly reccomend.
Excellent oysters. Friendly staff, pleasant tavern environment.
Local pub food right in Harvard Square. They have some seating for larger groups and it's often not too busy. The burger is highly recommended.
Great looking place, cool atmosphere. Drinks were interesting, food was on point.
This place is awesome. Loved the cocktails, and the apps especially: lamb's belly crostini with walnuts, pig's tail pierogis, beef knuckles, beef tongue meatballs with this AMAZING sauce and lots of melty talleggio. Also had the scallops, which were just fine -- but the sweet corn underneath was a standout, delicate and delicious. Sadly, the burrata was not up to my standards: it was too dense, and the veggie slaw on the side was far too salty. We had no room for dessert so I can't comment on that -- but the service was exceptional, the manager came out to speak to us three separate times, and the waitress was very nice. I'll definitely be back. Thanks to the ladies of @GoogleBoston for showing me around!
Whether you're here for the epic cocktail list or the inventive, palate-pleasing menu, anyone you bring here will find something they like. Classic dishes like Steak Frites (cooked to absolute perfection) have earned high praise from my less-adventurous friends, while small dishes like Foie Gras and Laphroig Terrine delight the foodies. My last visit included a Swordfish steak among the best I've ever tasted.
For a quieter dinner, sit downstairs; I also prefer the downstairs bar, as it's less busy and has a warmer atmosphere. The bar staff is attentive, personable (hilarious, actually) and talented at their craft. For the cocktail connoisseur, try the Burgundy Nights (Cherry Infused Macchu Pisco, Creme de Cacao, Lime Juice, Peychaud s Bitters) it's my favorite.
If I've got a friend visiting from out of town, reservations are always immediately made at Russell House.
Great drinks, great apetizers, good ambiance and friendly professional service.
It is a perfect option after walking down the beautiful Harvard!
Tried and recommend:
Becky's Battle, La chiflada and Distract and Confuse ;)
I didn't know this place before my friend recommended to me. I highly recommend to you.
Good pub in Harvard square. Atmosphere is great with a good street view of Harvard. House burger had quality meat, but was a little over cooked and dry. It could have used a sauce. Other entrees visually looked good. Would go back for food and/or drinks
Just walked in at 120pm to grab drinks. Only table by the bar open was apparently the Only one reserved. The hostess came and told us we can't sit there and made no reasonable effort to help us. Walked in, walked out.
Our waiter was meh... at best, but a second waiter? Not sure if he was or not, took over because he noticed we weren't too happy with our current waiter.
When I want to treat myself, this place comes to mind.
Go downstairs, if you haven't been.
Great cocktails, great food. Definitely sit outside if you can, inside can get a bit loud, but outside is beautiful.
Really great drinks and very good food, but kind of pricey.
Nice bourbon selection, creative oyster dressings, steaks that never disappoint.
The alley dining area is quite nice. Lights, located off the beaten path/sidewalk, and all the staff are quite polite. The area is quite busy on weekends, reservation recommended.
Food and drinks were underwhelming. Waitress was not that friendly. Nice atmosphere and location
I typically enjoy Russell House. However, we placed a to go order to be picked up, we were instructed to arrive in 20 mins, showed up slightly later and they never placed the order. Instead of communicating that, they placed the order as we waited about 30 minutes for it to now be cooked. They also incorrectly prepared our order. They did not apologize, or even offer to comp half or any part of our order. I was highly disappointed. I ordered the Russell Burger w/o bacon and it came with bacon as did the chicken sandwich I ordered. Had there been food aversions, the meal couldn't have been consumed.
Great service. A bit pricey but delicious food. Quaint atmosphere.
The food was a little disappointing, but the ambiance was good.
What is the fuss. Okay it's a pretty good restaurant but I did not get why there is such popularity. I had an average salmon dish I could have gotten in any other restaurant cooked okay prepared well but I would not expect anything extraordinary here. There must be something more exciting although I'm not sure what or where it is as I'm just a tourist here like I think most people are
It is a great cozy atmosphere. Had a salad that was very tasty, one thing was that the brussel sprouts in the salad had not been trimmed enough. I like ruffage but this was tough to eat, literally. Would go back again.
Food and service are always good here. Atmosphere is excellent. Mixed drinks are particularly good.
russellhousecambridge.com
