low key. Cocktails legit. Off the Frame. Bar Guy Kenny COOLcat. Repeat Offender. during my Stay in MA read more

Brick & Mortar - Fried Oyster Po'Boy Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

For the drinks and the atmosphere, I would give this 5 stars. I had a great cocktail (Gualeguetza), as recommended in the Phoenix this week. But I have to knock it down to draw attention to the obnoxious, themed cocktail list. In addition to the regular list, they had an "Ivy League" special list, with special drinks for Harvard/Princeton/Yale, etc., for $10 each. Okay, fine. At the bottom of the list, they also offer a Bunker Hill Community College "cocktail," which is a $5 shot. Elitist and rude. I'm sure that there are some entitled local Ivy bros who get a kick out of this. But B&M should consider that they might have customers without the means to attend an Ivy who want to get a drink without being mocked by a cocktail menu in an upscale bar. A friend of mine chewed out the bartender who, to his credit, did not make the menu and understood its elitism (and mixed some delicious drinks). But management might not want to mock potential customers and appear any snootier than a fancy cocktail bar inherently is. I like the idea of themed cocktail lists, but do not support the obnoxious joke in this one. I will be returning to this place, because it's got a great vibe and I enjoy a good cocktail. Next time, though, I would rather not support classism. read more

10:30 pm-ish, the bouncer has to check to see if there is room for me and two of my friends. Now I'm thinking, wow, this place must be the new hotness. So glad my lipgloss is popping. Couldn't wait to get my bod up those stairs. Approaching the top of the staircase, I was haulted by the hostest who was now directing us to our designated stading area. Yes. You heard that correctly. The 'limited' space was due to the small amount of designated standing/sitting/looking pretty areas. FINALLY. A bar that sets rules so I don't have to carelessly wander and socialize. Suddenly I'm having flashbacks to third grade multiplication dances. I stood there waiting for someone in charge to tell me what I needed to do next. They replaced the character and energy of the Enormous Room with rules. Absurdly bizarre. I'm sure the food is good, so maybe ill go there to eat, but I'm devastated this is another late night hang out I need to kiss goodbye. Hey, you did a great job cleaning it up, but lose the stuffiness and bring back those good dj's and you'd be all the rage. Oh and slap some hard ciders on the menu for us gluten-tards. I'm not a cocktail kinda girl. Till then, I'll be elsewhere. Oh and as for the 1 star? That's for those few babesicles I saw around the bar. Too bad I was constrained to my designated drinking area. read more

Expensiveish but it's fine. It has a nice ambiance which is good for dates. Their mixed drinks are a little bit watered down but that comes with the territory at most bars. They can get extremely busy which is not fun because they actually don't have many tables. read more

A fun place to grab drinks! There's no sign outside, but it's located to the left of the graffiti wall--look for the guy with an ipad to put your name down. It took a little over an hour to get in, but there's a few other places in the area to hang out in the interim. I appreciated that it wasn't too crowded, and that there's plenty of space to relax--either at the main bar or around various tables. read more

Why is the music so loud? It is basically impossible to carry on a conversation even when your companion is sitting 3 inches away from you. Although I like the cool space (New American meets New England Gothic; also so dark that I felt it made me better-looking) and my Southside cocktail (gin, lemon, and mint) was really good, I wouldn't consider this to be a good socializing spot. I don't want to get a scratchy throat from screaming over some kind of Euro thrash metal playlist. read more

Serious about enjoying real cocktails and having a rad time? It's a wall to wall party the closer you come to last call. Drink here already. read more

Brick & Mortar - Rosita cocktail, courtesy of Matt the Magnificent. - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I feel like I should be damn near blown away by a place with no sign, but this didn't happen. I like to plant myself at a good bar and have some yummy cocktails and friendly conversation... But when I got here right at 5pm I was of course the first and only one but for some reason the bartender still poured a cocktail for me that came from a bottle, "pre-batched for when we get busy".... I said "what's in it?" "I can't really remember, I'm new here, but it's right here on the menu." This was after I asked him to make me something citrusy, expecting a cocktail from his brain, not a pre-made one that's one of like 7-8 cocktails on the menu. I wanted to be impressed... Were my hopes too high? Was I expecting to much? Am I wrong for thinking a bartender should be fully trained before he starts? None of the drinks I had or what I saw that went out (even made by the other bartender) had a garnish which I think would have helped. Overall, cute space, the chick who greeted me was friendly, the two cocktails I had before calling it quits were very tasty, but friendlier bartenders, a little flair, and some garnish might help. Oh, and if they do serve food I wasn't made aware of it even though I was hoping to eat while I was there. Underwhelming. read more

Great place though have only been from 5-7pm time frame. I imagine it could get pretty crowded. Love places that care about their cocktails. Bartenders I've experienced always very nice and willing to make anything. Have had some finger foods which were also pretty good. The few beers on tap are usually interesting. In my rotation when drinking in this area. read more

Brick & Mortar is my new favorite date place. The vibe is exactly right -- cozy but not corny, dimlylit but not creepily so, young but not "To Catch a Predator" young. Glorious. I had four Sister Mary's when I was here (tequila, grapefruit, aperol, elderflower), and let me tell you friend, they were alllll delicious. I was in a *very* good mood when I traipsed home that evening. It's a cool spot. I'll definitely be back soon. read more

An acceptable replacement for the former Enormous Space, with a larger, coolly uplit bar at the back of the space, and lots more seating. Food is decent here [easy to mess up mussels...but you really have to not be paying attention], and the drink menu is diverse with some really good whiskey cocktails. The room is dark enough for a good first date impression, similar to the Enormous Room, in the heart of Central Square. read more

I love the space and the vibe here... brick interior, dark lighting, no sign, no TV, a slightly older crowd, reputation for great cocktails, interesting bar snacks menu, all of which screams "Kelly, you'll love it here!". With the reputation though, I expected a larger selection of cocktails, and was surprised that there was only a handful listed on the menu which limited my own choices (I'm personally a menu- or suggestion-reliant person, I like variety and specialities and don't have a backup standard go-to classic cocktail in my back pocket). I also was hoping to maybe get a Drink/backbar-ish experience of "what are you in the mood for, I can suggest or make you something in that vein", but the bartenders here- while perfectly appropriate- didn't exude that vibe at all as they seemed to be pretty busy. That being said, the cocktails I had were nice, with nothing technically wrong with them (perfect temperature, correct glassware, shaken/mixed/strained well)- but IMO, while the drinks here are perfectly servicable, they didn't blow me away like some others I've had around the city (backbar, Green Street, Hawthorne). Also, the music crept up louder and louder the later on Saturday night it got, so it got harder and harder to carry on a conversation. I found this a bit weird/annoying- this isn't really a dance-y place so there's no need to crank up the tunes so that you have to yell to be heard IMO. That all being said, this place has promise and I'd like to return on a quieter night- maybe the experience would be more what I'd been looking for? read more

I absolutely hated this bar. I would not go back. Their drink menu lacked so much. It was tiny. I got the Blood & Sand which wasn't bad, but not for the price, and it was mostly ice. I forget the name of the second drink I got, but it was horrible. I will definitely never be back! read more

Good strong drinks cool atmosphere BAD Hostess-/service So I am upset by the hostess that works there. the one with blonde hair who has the I am way cooler than everyone else atmosphere. here is the story. i go in with my wife and ask for a table for 6. We arrived first before the rest of the group. We were told that we could wait for a table. ok fine. then table opened up. we were moved there. So my friends are running late and end up walking by a few times because there is no sign outside seems to be a trend these days). The place was crowed and people kept trying to take seats near us so my wife and I put our coats to hold the seat. The hostess comes over and tells us we cant put our coats on chairs. chairs for our party. Ok. Then as our party is walking up the stairs she tells us that we have been there too long to hold the table. is 15 mins too long? She said yes they have a table of 9 coming so we had to move. Even though I already waited like 30 mins to get the table. So as my friends were walking in we got kicked out. So there we are all six of my friends and i waiting AGAIN. We watched the table of 9 that was really like 7 order one drink and leave. We were waiting to get drinks and food. After the hostess came back and said that we can go back to our table now with a rude glare we decided we had enough and went to a near by place a dropped over 400 bucks! We like to eat and drink! The bus women took a 3/4 full drink from me before I was finished. i let my waitress know (after 10 mins of trying to find her) and she brought back the drink. except it was the wrong drink. No problem right? After waiting another 10 mins i told her that the dink was wrong and she brought me the right one. Fine. inefficient but fine. here is the kicker. After we decided to leave (see above) i got the bill and was charged for the drink that was taken by the bus women and for the incorrect drink that was brought to me. So again i wait TOO long to get her and have her fix it. Overall my friends and I were going have a big night out. i left this place hungry, insuted, and overcharged. read more

I went to B&M tonight and the guy at the front door checked my ID and my Macedonian friend's ID and then randomly was like, "You can't come in". There was no reason, we weren't drunk and our friends went in a minute before us. It was 11.29.2015 and he was a new bouncer - total dick. Clearly I'm not drunk since I wrote this review five minutes later - and he didn't say a word until he saw my friend's ID. Shame on you. read more

Not a good first impression. When I arrived there was a long line outside (so I thought wow this place must be so popular that not only is it packed to capacity but people are willing to wait in freezing cold to get in). Wrong! The bouncer was simply keeping a line to give the impression of popularity; when I finally got upstairs it was at about 60% capacity. The drinks menu is somewhat interesting and a couple of their beers are good. However this happened to both myself and my friend: We were both charged extra on tips. When i checked my credit card statement a couple of days later I had been charged an extra $3 for tip. Not very honest bartenders....... read more

The bouncer was nice, but this place was horrible. Difficult to find and expensive, the troubles start before you ever walk in the door and up the flight of stairs. Once you actually get there you're treated to incredibly bad music played at a volume I call "instant headache" with the sort of bass line guarenteed to make one sick to one's stomach, so that even you could afford a cocktail it would end up vomitted up by the time you'd been there 30 minutes. About 15 second in I was offered a menu, which was completely pointless because the lighting is so bad I couldn't read it anyways -- and the music's so loud the waitress probably would have been unable to hear my order anyways. If it had food, I hope they were small plates because someone would end up wearing whatever was served. All in all, it was less like a club or bar and more of a CIA blacksite for torturing suspected terrorists. read more

Just to get a sense, cntl+f (loud). In theory, I love this place for a date or night out with friends. The layout, decor, drinks, vibe, and music is all on point. But for some ungodly reason, the music is always cranked too loud, even on a weekday night. Friends have shared a similar sentiment and it's a deterrent to doing first dates here or even going on a weekend where you're going to lose your voice in 20 minutes. Please turn down the music, music, music so I can come back and give you 5 stars. read more

The place is just fine! I didn't find anything extraordinary there. Music was so loud that we had to scream all the time. The big advantage is tasty drinks, but nothing more. Atmosphere is ok just like everywhere else read more

Nice change of pace from the pubs in Harvard and Central Square - definitely classing it up. The door is unmarked - but it's right above Central Kitchen. Great place for a date or a very small group. I came recently with 4 other people on a Monday evening, and the best we could do was find 5 stools against the wall. It was in the corner, but still VERY difficult to hear each other. I came one other time on a weekend with a larger group, and we got super lucky with a big table in the back - it was a fun environment but still impossible to hear anyone not sitting right next to you. The drinks are delicious though, the servers are friendly and attentive and give good drink recommendations, like you'd expect from a place like this. Better than making the trek to Drink! read more

I love this place!! I have been here a couple times for a casual drink on a week night and have had a great time every time. My recent visit prompted me to review this gem because it was so wonderful! I celebrated my birthday here on a summery Sunday evening. I called in advance to reserve a table (for about 10 ppl) and the assistant manager who spoke to me on the phone was patient, attentive, and super nice. I got there and there was a corner reserved for us! My drink was served in a special bday cup, which was really nice and the drink itself was awesome! (I think the drink was called Temporary fix). My guests trickled in and our waitress never skipped a beat bringing over menus and glasses of water. I was worried because they serve the Central Kitchen menu on Sundays which I had never tried before. Their regular menu is wonderful but boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. We all ordered food that arrived quickly and was amazing!! I had the only vegetarian dish on the menu- vegetable maqluba and my only disappointment was that I couldn't finish it! From what I remember my friends had the steak frites, sauteed ramps, the french fries, and the steak tartar and raved about them all. Throughout the night the drinks and food were brought over quickly and with a smile. I brought my own cake- because they didn't offer a desert- and they brought it out with lit candles that they provided! I can't say enough about the staff, the food, the atmosphere, the decor, and ambiance- a true gem!! read more

I can never really decide what Brick & Mortar wants to be. Cool, hip speakeasy or pretentious club. I have a friend who loves it here and always suggests it on a Saturday night. The whole speakeasy thing is a great concept and one I usually love but it just doesn't work here. The music is SO loud that you can barely have a conversation with the person next to you, while yelling directly into their ear. Yet, there's no dance area to actually dance to the incredibly loud music they play. I think they try to play to both crowds- those who enjoy a nice cocktail and conversation and those who want to get super wasted and move their shoulders back and forth to the music. I don't really think you can have it both ways. Additionally, I've found that the service is never great. If you're lucky enough to get a table the wait staff is usually fairly good. But the people behind the bar aren't as good (I get it gets crowded). I've waited over 20 minutes to be served before. read more

Cool atmosphere. Great beer and cocktail selection- and the bartender makes an excellent old fashioned.

Brick & Mortar has a very good cocktail program and their food is pretty good as well. I've had some small bites here and had a number of their cocktails. They make a really good Old Fashioned and it is usually my go to drink here. The staff has always been great, if not a bit eclectic (think Newbury Comics). There can be lines here on the weekends, on the other hand they do a good job with crowd control, as They don't jam people in here so it is still manageable to walk to the bar or see your server. read more

Came here for cocktails on a Sunday night with a friend. The vibe is pretty cool in this upstairs bar/speakeasy. There is seating at the bar as well as tables on the side that are first come first serve. There is also room for standing if you can't get a seat. It was busy on a Sunday night and seats were hard to come by. The reason for my 3 star review comes down the quality of the cocktails. The menu is constantly changing and the bar tenders are knowledgeable enough to go off menu. My drink was a whiskey based cocktail with pear and fall/winter spices. I felt that the cocktail was missing a lot of the spice notes I was expecting and was a bit abrasive to the taste. My friend ordered a tall cocktail that had vodka/raspberry base to it. It was also ok, but was a bit too sour and lacked the subtleties that make a great cocktail. Service was very good overall. In general, this is a cool place in Central Square that makes good cocktails. From my one time experience, I think there are places that offer much more interesting and well-made cocktails in the Boston/Cambridge area (e.g. Hawthorne, Eastern Standard, Gold Bar, etc.) read more

Great spot for a small event. Had my daughter's wedding shower there. Food and cocktails were awesome. Every person attending said it was the best shower ever. Thanks to Jenna and the bar-tending staff. Could not have asked for a better day or venue. read more

Long wait. Cacophonous environment. Nasty Drinks. Unfriendly Staff. Super late service. "Meh" is a far better expression for this experience. The waitress spilled drinks all over (that's OK, things happen) and did not even offer a napkin or an apologetic expression. I am never going there again. Just stick to the Central Kitchen and get out of there. read more

My girlfriends and I had an amazing time here for post Central Kitchen drinks. We ordered a bottle of champagne, and the best bartender ever, Matt accommodated a make shift cooler for us. Then followed up with delicious off the menu cocktails. GREAT service and fun music!! Go Matt! read more

This is a very chill, relaxed bar located on top of Central Kitchen (there will be a bouncer standing outside the door to Central Kitchen, so you just go to him and he will check your ID). We arrived around nine on Saturday night and were the last two able to walk right in, so that worked out well! Inside there are some tables, a wrap around bar with high chairs, and some bars along the walls for standing. The place is very dark with subdued lighting around the edges. It's loud inside because of all the talking and music, but it isn't an issue, you just get swept up in the vibe! Their playlist is great, with a mix of the latest music as well as commonly popular songs. When you walk up the stairs, the hostess will direct you where to go and provide you with a menu that has small plates and snacks on one side and the cocktail, beer, and shot menu on the other. It's a nice menu and has some fancier foods (duck confit, truffle, oysters), which makes the bar feel more classy. There was an array of people, some dressed up and some more on the casual side. It looked like a lot of dates were happening! The have about ten cocktails to choose from, each using different liquors. They are a bit pricey ($12), but the atmosphere and unique liquor used in the cocktails is what you're paying for. We did not try any food, so I can't comment on that. The service was great and the smaller space made it very easy to flag our waiter when we wanted the check. There is a parking lot around the corner from the bar, which is paid parking and is pretty cheap. read more

I completely fell in love with this place on New Years Eve. I just wish I still lived in the Boston area so I could come back!! We showed up with a group of 6 or 7 people and stayed for maybe 3 hours sipping on delicious cocktails I had never tried before and nibbling on some very gourmet delicious snacks. The atmosphere was super chill and laid back, even on a very hyped up night light NYE. No one was being super crazy or obnoxious, the music was pleasant and interesting. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, but not overbearing and we all just had a lovely evening. Favorite Drink: Sister Mary Favorite food: Devils on Horseback (dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon!!) read more

Loved the scene at 5pm on a Sunday - empty & quiet :) Just me + a couple friends, patiently made / delicious cocktails, and great conversation. I fear the vibe would be completely ruined for me during a popular time, but my one experience so far is a solid one. Enter through unmarked door next to Central Kitchen. read more

My favorite bar in central square!!! I love that it's a little hidden and the drinks are so good! The menu also changes around a little bit depending on the time of year. I love coming here to hang out and have a few rounds of drinks. Sometimes the music can get a little too loud but overall an awesome place! read more

When you miss the B-side, love Central Kitchen (and their new Firebrand Saints), Brick and Mortar is a no-brainer. Went there last Saturday before meeting up with friends at Green Street and we were nothing short of impressed. More importantly, we were truly welcomed to what is sure to become a regular haunt. We got there early and had a couple of drinks each and some food. Don't let the small menu fool you- they aren't offering anything that won't make you feel like somehow divine intervention killed the Enormous Room and replaced it with the type of bar you wish you could have. The food is changing all the time but I beg of them to keep the cheesy polenta fries- I could have bathed in that deliciousness. We also ordered the steak sandwich and the duck hash - that's when we knew it was no joke that the guys downstairs had a part I have the menu- killed it from the first bite. Our service was awesome. So great in fact that when we left to go to Green Street and encountered a santa pub crawl with it's load of rude, drunken, vapid elves...we hightailed it back to B&M and slid in just before it got really busy. Of course, the kickass staff remembered us and made my friend so happy (and promised no drunken santas). The entire time we were there, they were super attentive but just in that way your cool friend is when you're at their place and they're a good host. More food, drinks, and shots, and everyone was raving. For a place that just opened, it gets busy though and this place isn't going to be a secret for long. read more

Lovely at 5:30 on a Monday. If the food menu had anything vegan and GF, then it would be perfect..

Grownup cocktails with interesting ingredients. Music can be too loud, but generally good playlists. Crowd can be a bit hipster/trendy.

A nice speakeasy bar in Central square... Pros: Awesome cocktails and small plates. French Fries With Crispy Duck Confit is delicious. Cons. The place gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights and loses its charm. Weekday evenings would be a good time to experience this place for its true speakeasy bar character. read more

We had two awful female bartenders tonight. They forget my party's order and didn't care at all about it when we had to place the order a second time around. Came off egregiously rude to the men in my group without warrant. They also threw away something I had on the bar tonight thinking it was trash but it was a prize I won at the bar. Alex, a male bartender, eventually came around and was very attentive. I told him how bad our experience had been and he couldn't muster up anything to say to salvage the experience. Prefer other spots in the area if you decide to come up to Central Sq on a Saturday night. read more

Place was comfortable only thing is that it was really dark drinks were good and not to pricey had a lot of people was maxed out and it was only around 9pm. read more

We went to Brick and Mortar for last minute drinks on a weekday night, since Green Street had a longer wait than anticipated. The ambience is great -- it is a really lovely space -- and we ordered the Take Off Your Top and Ryan Gosling. Both of them were good at first...except for the small mountain of ice on the former. So much surface area that the ice was easily melting into my drink. At some point it really felt like I was drinking strangely flavored water... read more

I love the return of speakeasy style bars. Unmarked, take the stairs over Central Kitchen. They offer a number of house cocktails and all the classics. I ask for a Rob Roy, which not only did they know how to make, but they made a good one. The Old Fashioned was also nicely done. They have a beer and wine for those not into spirits. Lively crowd with an average age of 30 or so. Nice to get away from the student crowd in Cambridge. read more