Great local bar, broad range of beers, good food (including good gluten-free options) and open late (particularly helpful for a bite to eat after late pickups from Logan) read more

Had a pretty bad experience here tonight and honestly I rarely ever give low reviews. Just really bad service and mediocre food all around. We started with a pretzel and organic greens. The greens were lightly dressed which was nice but the flavors were just ok overall. The pretzel twist on the other hand was quite good and we were really into the jalapeño cheese sauce. I think that was my favorite dish of the night. Our waitress was fairly attentive until we received our entrees and then after that, she was MIA for a solid 20 mins. I ordered the chicken BLT which was mostly just bread and a little strip of chicken. I think the ratio threw off the tasting experience as the flavor was literally engulfed in bread and the bread quite frankly just wasn't very good. My boyfriend got the burger which was just ok. The peripheral staff were mostly amicable and attentive but unfortunately our waitress was not. By the time she came to check on us, my boyfriend was already done with his meal and I didn't even want to bother ordering anything else because I just wanted to leave (I did send back the chicken sandwich though). The restaurant did seem really busy and I'm unsure of the place is understaffed but I think I was just more disappointed at being ignored. I even ordered another cocktail and nothing came within 30 mins. It even took an additional 10-15mins to get the check after not even enjoying our entree and cancelling the drink (because it never came). The poor service was elevated by the fact that a major politician was sitting two tables away from us and you could tell the difference between impeccable service and barely any service. I think if we enjoyed our meal or our experience, I wouldn't rate it so low but it's the combination of bad food, poor service and a night of just waiting to be acknowledged. If you're going to go here, I'd maybe go on a less busy night, not bother ordering the chicken blt, and hope you're given a chance to order another round. read more

The Abbey - Truffle fries and one sad and empty cocktail never to be replenished - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Needed a quick bite late at night. Multiple people told me to try this restaurant. I was honestly so surprised at the service (bartender was extremely helpful) and the quality of the food! Would 10/10 go here again! Yum! read more

Great restaurant, service was great and the food is excellent. This place has a cozy vibe where you want to hang out and slowly enjoy each course. read more

The place offers quality ingredients. It's too bad they consistently over cook the fries. It's difficult to fry fresh-cut fries, but when you overcook them, they taste of brunt oil. I recommend the salads here. read more

I love The Abbey! Their food is significantly better than most of the other bars in the area. They offer a wide selection of drinks, and always have the Maine Beer Co Lunch IPA on draft (!!). The service is also incredibly friendly. The ambiance is perfect for just about any occasion - a night out with friends, an intimate date, or a casual dinner at the bar. Definitely my go to spot in the neighborhood. read more

Stopped in to get away from the brutal pre-snowstorm traffic. Glad I did. 1. They have Lunch on tap. 2. Sriracha deviled eggs are damn good. 3. Grilled caesar was very good. Fresh anchovies! Ambiance was great. Just the right temperature. Beer selection is solid. read more

During COVID I don't expect a lot in terms of service. The two gentlemen there today made every interaction genuine and kind. It almost felt normal. I only came because of the extensive gluten free menu and it did not disappoint, and I'll have to come back to try more items. It was so hard to choose! read more

I don't understand the negativity of some of the reviews after my experience at this cool spot last night. Flew in from LA and I was wiped - yeah flying is pure joy these days - and I just wanted something to eat close to my Porter square hotel and the Abbey was main option available at 9pm on a Monday. I sat at the bar where a very nice bartender greeted me and I ordered the Bison Bolognese with a glass of Pinot Noir. Wow was that Bison Bolognese packed with flavor and prepared the way I like pasta on the al dente side. The ambiance was chill with some nice folks sitting at the bar to chat with so once I completed my delicious meal I stayed for a couple more pinots then walked back to my hotel to crash. Anyway I'll be back the food, staff and ambiance made a long stressful day end nicely. read more

I've been here many times, especially since it's open late. The food has been hit or miss though. It's always been very good at night but earlier in the day it's been a little disappointing. We ordered some featured drinks. For $12 I think it would be worth the effort to at least take the seeds out of the lemon slices. Yesterday we ordered the Cuban sandwich, which was pretty good, and the bison bolognese. The bolognese was quite dry, too bad because the fresh pasta is quite nice. Decided to order panna cotta...what a disappointment. The cream fat was separated and ended up on the bottom of the plate, yuck. (Given that it has to be inverted to get out of the mold and the fat had risen as it cooled) I love going out, I cook for a living and there is just nothing more disappointing than getting mediocre food in a place that I've liked going to for a long time. I know businesses are understaffed right but let's try to keep good places good and avoid cutting corners. And out of this, out poor waitress had to navigate it all, not fair. We'll be back though, hope it was just a miss this time. I can't wait to give this place 5 stars. read more

Food is great. Space is great. Service was good. It was a busy Saturday night. So, they were probably just busy. It's a great place though and I'll make myself a regular whenever I'm in Cambridge read more

Great food. The service was amazing. Loved that Jason the bartender stopped at our table to chat a bit. Highly recommend.

Very nice, casual but original enough and healthy but classic menu in a very cozy setting.

The food, service, and ambiance were all amazing. Will definitely be revisiting before leaving Boston on this trip.

The Abbey is my favorite neighborhood storefront restaurant in Cambridge! Great staff and excellent Guinness. Imaginative menu. It's terrific for inviting friends or making new ones. read more

I can't believe I live so close but had never tried The Abbey up until this past week! I went in on a Saturday night to beat the dinner rush at around 5 p.m., just enough time to get seated right away without any sort of wait! I highly suggest making a reservation otherwise, this restaurant is small. The food was great, I had the steak fries, fish and chips, truffle fries, and garlicky broccolini with a friend. All tasted very fresh and flavorful, great flavors and textures. My fried fish was HUGE, absolutely massive atop cajun fries... and while it was delicious, I could only eat a fourth of it having inhaled their delicious truffle fries as a kick starter. Good fries are hard to come across, so I gotta note that they do 'em right here. Crispy fries that aren't too thin or thick with a good aioli, yeah that's a way to my heart. The staff was extremely friendly and kept a close eye on my table throughout the night to make sure our water glasses were full. Great atmosphere, nice and intimate for a romantic date night! read more

Accommodating for people with food allergies. Have a separate gluten free menu, and the GF burger bun is very delicious!

New to the area and found this place while wondering around Porter Square. Several places were closed, but this one was open! I had the local greens with chicken. This salad was spot on. The staff was friendly and prompt. This place will be in my normal rotation. I highly recommend! read more

Really bad service. We were intentionally ignored. Waiters misplaced our order, which would have been ok but they were really rude and made faces when we asked for the correct item. I asked if the spinach Gnocchi had dairy, and the waiter said no. But the Gnocchi was covered in butter and cheese. read more

What an amazing experience I'm so impressed by the quality of food and service! The bartender Tito was absolutely fantastic. He made me feel like I was a regular and knew me for years from the moment I sat down. I wish I didn't live so far because I would definitely be a regular! This was my first visit and definitely not my last! read more

Daily special was yellow corn soup with crab and it has a delicious kick and balances flavor - 5/5 Mozzarella stick with tomato jam - they have a fancy version of mozzarella sticks that are incredible. Crispy, cheesy with amazing sauce - 5/5 Our server was the bartender and he was great. Provided good recommendations, very friendly, realized we had to rush to leave and prioritized our check On the not as good side, nothing wrong but really quite standard on the burger (3/5) and sangria (3/5). read more

My favorite restaurant by far. Love the food, great costumer service and great atmosphere. Chef Robi is amazing. My favorite plates are Bison bolognese, Hanger steak and of course the famous Grass-fed Burger. Also the Prime Short Rib is out of this world. Definitely give a try. read more

Love this place! Great spot before Covid and even better during the pandemic. Really nice ambience and good pub food and cocktails. The service couldn't be much better! read more

Couldn't help feeling being rushed to order drinks/food, finish the meal and pay for the check when the restaurant wasn't busy and had plenty of empty tables. It was a stressful dining experience. (1) Our sever came several times asked for drink order when we told her we would wait until everyone arrived at the very first time she asked. (2) We ordered 2 entree for sharing (after several apps), sever collected 3 out of 4 of our individual plates when the 2 entree clearly not done and 1 of us were still eating. (3) We were having our dessert, the server put the check down without any single word. (4) Personally, I don't appreciate someone keep checking how I like my apps, small plates and entree. 3 checks in a row is too much. It's probably just me. The server did a great job on refilling our water glasses 3-4 times throughout our meal though. As for the food, it wasn't bad. read more

The Abbey - Coconut Flan - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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"Ma'am we're having significant wait right now and I'll have to ask you to leave." This happened yesterday when I caught up with a friend that I haven't seen for month and we were forced to leave before 6 pm. You could've said it nicely with some smile. You could've give us an early notice. You could've apologize before you kick us out. NOTHING. I'm really disappointed at this place especially during these difficult times when social interaction is so valued and when everyone else is trying to be NICER. read more

I fell in love with The Abbey at its first location in Brookline years ago when I was in grad school. It was the only place with a kitchen open late enough for us to grab a bite after studio. Please do yourself a huge favor and indulge in some truffle fries and bison bolognese. You will not be sorry! At this particular location, they have a downstairs bar, which is great if your future SIL has a book signing event down the street and needs a place for her throngs of fans to meet afterwards. I called ahead and ended up speaking to one of the owners, who was extremely nice and accommodating. They reserved a couple high tops for us and we ended up taking a third lower table as well, it worked out perfectly - the service was on point and I'm so grateful for the last-minute help! Never ever close! I LOVE YOU! read more

Food: 3 Stars Service: 4 Stars This place just opened up earlier in 2014 and my girlfriend and I wanted to check it out during the summer. The decor was really nice and service was great. Food was mediocre though. I ordered the Grilled organic chicken sandwich which came with french fries and my girlfriend ordered the spicy tomato bisque & grilled cheese panini. I thought my burger was on par with other places I've been to so nothing too special. On the other hand, I tried the gf's tomato bisque and grilled panini. If you can tell from the picture below, the panini is tiny and the soup is rather large. The bisque was also a little bit too salty and sour; not exactly, the ideal mix of flavors to consume in large quantities. Perhaps, I was expecting something more like cream of tomato soup. I was impressed by the service, the server came over frequently to check in on us and make sure that we were enjoying the meal. Im' sure the bar and drinks menu also pretty impressive judging from the people who were sitting at the bar during the day. Solid joint for burgers and typical American fare, but nothing special at least at lunch. We'll try for dinner! read more

The Abbey - Tomato Bisque and Cheese Panini - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I came in the middle of the afternoon after dropping my car off for an oil change down the street at Mass Ave Gulf, so it wasn't crowded. The waitress was really sweet and attentive and 'up-sold' me on the white pizza with veggies along with my sausage egg roll served on a bed of greens. The food was DELISH! and I was definitely craving more of that egg roll. The pizza has a wonderfully creamy white sauce that's a nice contrast to the crispy crust (it was a bit on the burnt side but nothing too serious). I wasn't able to finish it abd took the left overs home. Surprisingly, it was just as good cold later. I didn't have any drinks but I will definitely be visiting again to do so. read more

The Abbey - White pizza & sausage egg roll - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Specials tonight were totally on point. Lobster gnocchi was heaven and the spring roll app was flavorful and crispy. One star lost because you cannot get a table unless you order real food. I understand this policy (saving space for customers that pay the big bucks, I guess), but it's inconvenient to be forced to sit at the bar just because you're ordering apps and/or drinks. Fortunately, we did end up ordering food. Arrived around 6 pm on a Wednesday night and the place was pretty empty. Traffic picks up later in the evening. read more

POC BEWARE. ZERO decorum. The waiter was very rude, very nasty. Felt profiled from the second I walked in. Not coming back and I recommend you don't either. read more

YUM! the Cuban panini is fantastic! The wait staff is super friendly and LOVE the cocktails which change seasonally. Definitely recommend!!!

Came three times and each time was staff was hostile and extremely rude with no provocation! Never setting foot in here again. Drinks were mid too. Didn't get service for 30 mins two of the times read more

We went here just for an after-dinner drink. It was awesome. Standard priced cocktail. The chai special was an amazing hot drink to beat the cold, and the lime tequila drink was awesome as well. read more

The Abbey - Lime tequila drink - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I went to the Abbey with a big group of friends on a busy Saturday night. They easily accommodated our large group. Our server Michael brought us several free apps (Caesar salad, pimento fried cheese sticks) because he felt like the service had been slow due to our group's size. In truth, the service was perfect! We wanted to spend time and relax and in no way did we feel rushed. The food came out all at once which can be hard to execute for a large group. In short, we got freebies and didn't feel slighted in the least! The food was really good - well seasoned, flavorful, and plenty of things to choose from. I tried a bit of the free cheese sticks and they were awesome! I ordered the burger with Swiss cheese and the truffle fries, and everything was delicious. My only complaint is that maybe the food was a bit salty. I didn't mind/notice in the moment but the next day I was seriously dehydrated! The cocktail menu had plenty of nice choices as well. I opted for the winter sangria and it was strong and flavorful. Overall, the Abbey was a great spot to spend a Saturday night, and I'll return next time I'm in Cambridge. read more

The Abbey - A deconstructed Caesar salad - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Wonderful place. Wonderful company. Wonderful food. Wonderful drinks. Wonderful service. This place has 5-star potential. Where is the 5th star? Quite a few menu items were not available. Exactly the ones that we picked. Nevertheless, the Gnocchi special with wild mushrooms was heavenly. The sword fish was excellent. The truffle fries are addictive. Cauliflower tasty. Nice creme brûlée. But no espresso. read more

After a long flight from Texas, I went to The Abbey late last night for a bite. I am a vegetarian and I don't drink. There were two seats at the bar and I politely asked the bartender if they serve food. The bartender in a high pitched voice said YES, and started yelling at me to sit. While I was trying to sit he yelled at me again asking me to sit and to pull the chair away from a vacant seat next to me. I was trying to process the situation and said "I had a long flight and I'm here to have a bite and that he's yelling at me". The bartender retorted saying, he doesn't like me after that comment and refused to serve me and asked me to leave. I felt hurt and left the abbey immediately and went home hungry. I spent all night and day processing what happened last night and thought maybe I said something wrong. This person humiliated me for nothing and I felt l need to report this issue, Bullies exist only because we fail to report. I don't want to sit and contemplate the what ifs. All I want to say is nobody has a right to humiliate another person and especially in the service industry. I am deeply hurt and disappointed. read more

Our local spot; my wife and I love going here. Staff is super friendly and the food is great. I love being able to get a really good burger -- always cooked as I asked and their fries are awesome. My wife is a pescatarian and between the seafood and other veg options she's always satisfied with her meal. Menu changes seasonally and the specials are always creative and tasty. Great beer selection too with some awesome beer on tap and a good selection of cans and bottles, delicious cocktails as well. It's an excellent casual spot for a satisfying meal and a drink. Thanks Abbey! read more

A quaint spot, good for something more than casual, less than formal. Tasty drinks and tasty meals, some plates feel a little small, depends on what you order! My partner got an appetizer as a dish and was more full than me who spent more money on a entree! Nevertheless it was all really tasty and I'd come back for the drinks! read more

The Abbey - "A Picture of Nectar" and "Smash Ketchum" cocktails - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Overall, really liked coming back here for 3rd time. Food: Yummy! I had the cod - perfectly cooked! The waitress also threw in an extra side, since I had an allergy that affected my original order. My partner had the fish and chips special, which he loved! (And, I've also had the steak tops previously, which were a little salty but overall very good.) Service: Excellent. Very attentive waitress. Very accommodating. Strongly suggest making reservation for weekend evening. Ambiance: Cozy! Noise gets a little loud when the place is full, but it was a great date spot. Really enjoyed my experience here, and since it's in the neighborhood, I'll be back! read more

Before venturing to The Abbey for the first time, my boss told me that the food was good, "but a bit on the salty side." And, although The Abbey represents a very welcome addition to the Cambridge food scene, the kitchen is a bit heavy handed on the salt. Alas - I am certain the salt on the food will work its way out as they gain a better control of the food line. All-in-all, the food is really decent and the menu carries enough variety that a table of four or five can create a tapas-like meal from the appetizers and sides for friendly sharing. Equally compelling is the broad range of draft beers and bar preparations. One dish sticks out in my mind - the shaved Brussels sprouts. Really well done. Flavorful and a delightful texture. A great accompaniment to a burger and fries. One thing - we went for a late night meeting/meal. As many places in the Cambridge area close at 10 or 11 pm, we hoped that The Abbey would be open later - because of its gastropub designation. They do stay open later in the upstairs bar - but the "restaurant" (downstairs) part of The Abbey closes at 11 pm. This makes it tough to carry a late night meeting - as the upstairs bar area is really loud. A word about service - the team is fantastic. They are friendly, courteous and a genuinely nice group of hosts. read more