Brick & Mortar
Beer from $6
Brick & Mortar is a Central Square cocktail bar at 567 Massachusetts Ave. It is just as hard to find as the Enormous Room before it. Inside, a giant horseshoe-shaped bar takes up the room.
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Basement clubs, brick bars and breweries, three squares apart on the Red Line.
Cambridge after dark is a string of squares along the Red Line, not one downtown: Central for live music and Harvard for folk and a date-night drink, both Red Line stops, and Inman, a walk from any station, for the quiet one. In our hours pull, the latest sourced close here is 2 AM, at Grafton Street Pub & Grill and 2 others.
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Cambridge Common
Typical beer $6.95
Cambridge Common is a pub at 1667 Massachusetts Ave where Time Out recommends the fried pickles or tater tots. Its listing counts 31 beers on tap that rotate frequently. Down the stairs, the Lizard Lounge offers live music nightly.
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Porter · about 11 min walk (estimate)
- On the stretch of Mass Ave between Harvard and Porter Squares (Time Out) source
- Be sure to order the fried pickles or tater tots (Time Out) source
- 31 beers on tap rotate frequently (Time Out) source
- Massive beer list with regular cask ales on tap (Boston magazine, 2013) source
- Lizard Lounge offers live music nightly (Time Out) source
Club Passim
Club Passim on Palmer Street in Harvard Square was once Club 47, where Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Donovan played. Time Out calls it a premier venue for intimate folk and world music. The site lists live music seven nights a week.
Felipe's Taqueria
Felipe's Taqueria at 21 Brattle St is a Mexican spot in Harvard Square where everything in the house is made from scratch. Expect a line, since it is almost always packed. In summer the Brattle Street roof deck draws more fans.
Flat Top Johnny's
Flat Top Johnny's pairs pool, pinball, pub fare and drinks in Kendall Square. The current room sits a few blocks from its original location. The pool hall first opened in 1993, per Boston.com.
Grafton Street Pub & Grill
Typical beer $9Closes 1 AM-2 AMHours on the venue's site
Grafton Street, a pub and grill at 59 JFK St, pairs an Irish pub's warmth with a contemporary full-service restaurant. It first opened in October 1996. It moved to lower JFK Street in March 2022, steps from the Red Line stop and the Charles River.
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Hours on the venue's site: Fri 4 PM-2 AM; Sat 10 AM-2 AM; Thu 4 PM-1 AM
Harvard · about 4 min walk (estimate)
- Originally opened in October of 1996 (Harvard Square Business Association) source
- Relocated in March of 2022 to lower JFK Street, steps from the Red Line stop and the Charles River source
- Traditional Irish pub's warmth with a contemporary full-service restaurant source
- New-school Irish pub; brunch and late night bites (Time Out) source
Grendel's Den
Grendel's Den is an unpretentious little basement bar that Time Out counts among the few old-school hangouts left in Harvard Square. Its food is half price from 5 to 7:30pm every evening, with a $4 minimum drink purchase, a draw for students. Time Out adds the deal is only for people sitting inside, not patio tables or takeout.
Havana Club
Havana Club runs salsa and bachata nights in Central Square and bills them as Boston's biggest dance parties. The club says beginners are welcome and no partner is required. It sits between Harvard and MIT, a short walk from the Red Line.
Lamplighter Brewing Co.
Lamplighter's taproom at 284 Broadway sits near Central Square. Time Out says the beer focus is New England IPAs and barrel-aged sours. Seating is split between a bright front room, the back and a patio.
Little Donkey
Little Donkey has been plating global tapas in Central Square, since 2016. The kitchen has only one rule: no rules. The list includes a full raw bar plus vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Lizard Lounge
Bands at Lizard Lounge, a basement bar a short walk from Harvard Square, play on a worn rug. For Time Out, the beauty of the place is that there is no stage at all. The club's own site promises a subterranean room, red lighting and a friendly staff.
Middlesex Lounge
Middlesex Lounge in Central Square is an unpretentious lounge for underground dance music. The focus is house, techno and underground. The calendar includes electronic nights and queer dance parties.
Miracle of Science Bar + Grill
Beer from $9
Miracle of Science, a bar and grill at 321 Massachusetts Avenue, has a menu laid out like the periodic table. Time Out adds that many MIT students frequent the place. The kitchen serves food daily until 11 PM.
Paddy's Lunch
Paddy's Lunch has poured since 1934 as the oldest family owned pub in Cambridge. It won the 2012 Improper Bostonian award for best dive bar. Three generations of women from one family have run it, and the owners pitch a game and some darts.
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Hours on the venue's site: Sun-Wed 10 AM-1 AM; Thu-Sat 10 AM-2 AM (own site)
Porter · about 16 min walk (estimate)
Phoenix Landing
Phoenix Landing, a hybrid pub and club at 512 Massachusetts Avenue, pulls off the pub-club mix by pairing deep house with Guinness. It is also a popular soccer bar that fills with supporters on weekend mornings. The no-frills look suits the underground sound.
Russell House Tavern
Typical beer $10Closes 12 AM-1 AMHours on the venue's site
Russell House Tavern is on JFK Street in Harvard Square. A tavern room is upstairs, with a subterranean dining space below. Oysters are shucked daily during late-night shucking hours.
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Sonia
Sonia occupies the former home of T.T. the Bear's in Central Square. Its stage is 22 feet wide and 16 feet deep, per WBUR. The Middle East's contact page lists a room capacity of 350.
The Abbey
Typical beer $10
The Abbey, a pub and restaurant at 1755 Massachusetts Ave, is spread across two floors with a bar on each. A 2014 Globe review says it opened in May just outside Porter Square, in the former Addis Red Sea space. The review found the dishes comfortable yet far from boring.
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Porter · about 6 min walk (estimate)
The Druid
The Druid, at 1357 Cambridge Street in Inman Square, is what Time Out calls an archetypal Irish pub with Wednesday trivia. It pours a well-poured Guinness. The music can turn into a multi-generational jam of Irish folk tunes.
The Lilypad
Time Out calls The Lilypad, on Cambridge St in Inman Square, an award-winning venue that dates back to 2005. It is described as a primary home for avant-garde music and art in the Boston area. Guests can order beer, wine, cider and soft drinks.
The Longfellow Bar at Alden & Harlow
Beer from $6Closes 12 AM-1 AMHours on the venue's site
The Longfellow Bar is in the historic Café Algiers space on Brattle Street in Harvard Square. It sits atop Alden & Harlow. The award-winning burger is available here any time, not in limited quantities as downstairs.
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Hours on the venue's site: Thu-Sat 5 PM-1 AM; Sun-Wed 5 PM-12 AM
Harvard · about 2 min walk (estimate)
The Middle East
A Central Square rock club and Middle Eastern restaurant that spreads across several storefronts on Mass Ave. The music dates to the mid-1980s, in the smaller upper room. The calendar also lists a Corner/Bakery room.
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Hours on the venue's site: Thu-Sat 5 PM-2 AM; Sun & Tue-Wed 5 PM-1 AM (restaurant/club hours listed on page)
Central · about 4 min walk (estimate)
The Plough and Stars
Time Out calls The Plough and Stars, an Irish pub on Massachusetts Avenue, the spiritual forefather of Greater Boston's Irish pub business. By day, it says, the kitchen serves the best pub grub in town. At night the small room becomes a hotbed of elbows and live music.
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Central · about 8 min walk (estimate)
The Sinclair
Time Out calls The Sinclair, a music venue at 52 Church St, “the music hall that Harvard Square deserves.” Booking comes from the Bowery Presents, and indie acts have played there since opening. The venue has a restaurant up front serving American comfort fare.
Wusong Road
Wusong Road is a tiki bar and restaurant at 112 Mt Auburn Street in Harvard Square, in the historic Conductor's Building. The drinks include mai tais, painkillers, zombies and scorpion bowls. The restaurant says it holds the largest rum collection in New England.
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Map: venues and train lines
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap. Lines and stations: MBTA. Venues without a confirmed address match are not pinned.
About Cambridge
Where to start
Central Square, for live music. The Middle East takes up multiple storefronts along Mass Ave. The corner stage in the restaurant never has a cover charge. The calendar marks some shows All Ages, so check each date before you bring anyone under 21.
Brick & Mortar is the cocktail stop before or after a show, open 3pm to 1am Thursday and Friday. Roxy's Arcade hides behind a freezer door at Roxy's Grilled Cheese. It lets in patrons 18 and over, noon to 7pm on Saturdays.
Mass Ave pubs and basements. The Plough and Stars is the old Mass Ave pub, a neighborhood staple for 50-plus years. Music starts 10:30 pm, Monday to Saturday.
Lizard Lounge is a short walk from Harvard Square. Time Out notes there is no stage, so expect to be close to the band. Doors open an hour before the performance.
Harvard Square and Inman. The Longfellow Bar at Alden & Harlow sits above Alden & Harlow, a pick for date night. The Sinclair is a music hall with its own restaurant up front. Club Passim was at the vanguard of 1960s folk, so go for singer-songwriters.
The Lilypad in Inman calls itself a music venue and event space. Inman Square lies north of Central Square.
Getting there and home
The Red Line is the spine, and all four of these stops are in Cambridge.
- Harvard is the Harvard Square stop.
- Central is the Central Square stop.
- Kendall/MIT is between Central and Charles/MGH.
- Porter also has commuter rail.
For the Middle East, Time Out says take the Red Line to Central. For the Sinclair, it says Red line to Harvard Square. For Inman, plan a walk or a bus from Central. Check Last Train and the MBTA Trip Planner before you commit.
Late food
Kitchens close well before the bars do. Lizard Lounge serves food until 11PM. The Longfellow Bar's award-winning burger is on the menu anytime it is open. See Eat Late for 24-hour options across the city.
History and background
Harvard Square is centered on Massachusetts Avenue and Brattle Street, and Mass Ave carries on through Central Square and past Porter.
Cannabis
Adults 21 and over only. The Cannabis Index tracks 10 licensed stores for Cambridge, where an eighth runs about $25 (half of the shops charge $25 to $26). See the Cannabis Index. Data: Glass (glassintel.xyz). Consume only on private property where it is allowed, and do not drive afterward.
Getting around
The Red Line serves Harvard, Central, Kendall/MIT and Porter stations, which cover most of the venues here. Porter also has commuter rail on the Fitchburg Line. Inman Square does not have a Red Line station, so expect a walk or a bus for that end of the city. Use the Last Train page and the MBTA Trip Planner on the night before you commit to a late finish.
Sources for this page
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Square
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inman_Square
- https://www.timeout.com/boston/music/the-middle-east
- https://mideastclub.com/
- https://www.brickmortarltd.com/location/brick-mortar/
- https://www.timeout.com/boston/bars/best-boston-speakeasies
- https://www.ploughandstars.com
- https://www.timeout.com/boston/music/lizard-lounge
- https://lizardloungeclub.com/
- https://longfellowharvard.com/
- https://www.timeout.com/boston/music/the-sinclair
- https://www.timeout.com/boston/music/club-passim
- https://www.lilypadinman.com
- https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-harsq
- https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-cntsq
- https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-knncl
- https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-portr
- https://www.mbta.com/trip-planner
- https://www.timeout.com/boston/bars/the-longfellow-bar-at-alden-harlow