John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

John Harvard's Brewery & Ale HouseJohn Harvard's Brewery & Ale House
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale HouseJohn Harvard's Brewery & Ale House
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

33 Dunster St
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
United States

// CLOSED //

Closed on May 30, 2019.
BEER STATS
Average:
3.56
Beers:
187
Ratings:
944
Master Beer Listing
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.62
Reviews:
82
Ratings:
110
pDev:
12.98%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Doomcifer:
Photo of Doomcifer
Rated by Doomcifer from Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

Aug 10, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.95 by FannYu from Taiwan

Mar 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.9 by jcoleMA66 from Massachusetts

Jan 21, 2018
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
A neat basement bar near Harvard with a full bar, a couple house beers and 4 or 5 guest taps. There is decent food and a good selection of styles on their limited taps (at least when I was there). Good vibe, cool stained glass, beer.
Dec 11, 2017
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.25
Large open dining room one floor below street level. Only had 2 of their own beers on tap. 6 or so local craft guest taps. Friendly service. Food was reasonable priced, but nothing to write home about.
Dec 09, 2017
 
Rated: 2 by HurryItsJacob from Massachusetts

Jun 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by sbuchert from Massachusetts

Feb 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by flek from Massachusetts

Sep 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.33 by MilaMila from Massachusetts

May 11, 2016
 
Rated: 2.86 by mothman from Minnesota

Apr 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by jeanphoenix from Massachusetts

Feb 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.78 by scxcrunner from Massachusetts

Feb 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.91 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Jun 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.55 by fastestmanalive from Florida

May 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by costanzo_mike from Massachusetts

Apr 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by Dicers from California

Feb 24, 2015
Photo of WheelsPSU
Reviewed by WheelsPSU from New Jersey

3.41/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.25
Stopped here before Harvard's home opener v Holy Cross in September. It was average. They had a beer from most styles on the menu and my wife and I both chose to go with the all seasonal harvest ale. Food was average. Cant go wrong with a burger but nothing to write home about.
Jan 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.55 by TrilliumFan from Massachusetts

Dec 23, 2014
Photo of Sludgeman
Rated by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
Visited in the 90's and have a pint glass to prove it
Nov 16, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by dabarton from Virginia

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ricp215 from Massachusetts

Nov 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by bluehende from Delaware

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by tikk from Canada (YT)

Oct 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by harsley from Massachusetts

Oct 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by CAMay from New Hampshire

Sep 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by TheAnk from Massachusetts

Sep 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by kevintaraross from Maryland

Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Mini4x from Massachusetts

Jul 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bckayaalp from New York

Jan 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by MJSawyer from Minnesota

Dec 03, 2013
Photo of skepticus
Reviewed by skepticus from Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
I didn't read all the reviews, but IMHO it is very important to mention that John Harvard's (nee 33 Dunster St) was the _first_ (and still the only) brewpub in Harvard Square. It may have been the first brewpub in the state of Massachusetts for all I know. Like many other chains, the Harvard Square location was the first. (Au Bon Pain, Steve's, Herrell's, the Coop, etc....) So, I guess the question is, did they start this trend? Maybe. It might just be that the Cambridge Brewing Company would not have happened if John Harvard's had failed.

And it continues, as a reliable, albeit too busy, brewpub destination in the heart of Harvard Square, if bitten somewhat by the 'family-friendly' label.
Aug 08, 2013
Photo of orangesol
Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

3.66/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Stopped in here for brunch after a bit of sight seeing over the weekend. Decent atmosphere with a large space. Long bar looking into the brewhouse with some TV's above it, a large dining area behind you. Quality was decent enough but nothing over the top. Selection was a good variety but nothing overly amazing. Service was ok, he forgot a few things I asked for but he seemed to have an ok beer knowledge. Since I was there for brunch I went with their platter. Eggs were not the greatest, I only finished about half of them, and their in house sausage was quite dry and rather bland. Decent pricing on the beer and food for the area. I had a cask ESB with my food, it was ok but it tasted a little dull. Overall an ok stop but I doubt I would return with so many other places in the area.
May 29, 2013
Photo of FightingEntropy
Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
I've been to the JHBH in DC and wasn't very impressed, but the location right by mythic Harvard is a much better pub. Showed up right when they opened after touring (lurking about, actually) the campus and had a very nice stop. The bartender was chatty and informed, providing great conversation to go along with the samples.

The Demon DPA (Double Pale Ale) was the best--clean and hoppy with a resiny spine to hold it together. Very strong beer to compliment the rest of the line up, including one cask. Surprisingly, the Harvard Square Helles was my next favorite, in spite of not really being fan of the style. Very clean and balanced beer that I'm sure is popular with students, but nothing to shy away from as a beer geek. Always a good sign when a pub can do a light beer so clean. I didn't check out the eats in order to save room for a more vegetarian friendly restaurant later in the day. Overall, a surprisingly pleasant stop.
Jul 07, 2011
Photo of beenitty
Reviewed by beenitty from New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
This was one of the first places I truly started to appreciate beer.

Not the extreme beer geek's place of choice but if you want solid offerings and great food then this is your place. The good thing about JH is that they're always brewing different beers for every season.

Lots of different types of styles but most of their beers are ABV less than 8%. Thats not a criteria for good beer, but it adds to the variety of the offerings. Good thing about low ABV is that all their beers are super sessionable!

The food is really really good. Their menu doesn't really change from year to year but the food is solid. Definitely not your average bar food, good and affordable.

Not close to Cambridge Brewing Co., but a solid place to stop in and have a few pints.
May 05, 2011
Photo of Brad007
Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
I hadn't planned on stopping here but since I got bad directions to another place (thanks Google Maps! Morons), I decided to wander into Cambridge and discovered this place.

The atmosphere isn't quite what I like but its tolerable. A bit warm and dank smelling place with lots of drab wood (perhaps a bit of stain would go a long way in brightening it up?). The smell bugs me as it reminds me of the basement at my parents house.

Beer quality is decent. I liked the pale ale. Selection is limited but that's ok because some places have too many beers to choose from. Solid examples of tried and true styles are what they seem to do best (and that's hardly a bad thing in the age of extreme beer).

Bartender was quick to take my order as the waitress seemed distracted. Forgivable as long as they acknowledge my presence. They were quick at first, which shows that they care.

Talking about selection, the beer list isn't much but they seem to have a decent grub menu balanced with a few foodie items. I'm sick of burgers so I ordered a spent-grain pizza instead.

Speaking of which, pizza was delicious. Honest and tasty with spent grains. Price was good too, which is a plus. If I wasn't so sick of burgers, I would have gone with one instead. A pleasant surprise.

Value? Pint prices are slightly cheaper and ditto on the food. The beer isn't really a draw though and that hurts the appeal. Still, if you want a break from the hectic Boston grind, it'll do.
Mar 13, 2011
Photo of mymadeline99
Reviewed by mymadeline99 from Virginia

2.11/5  rDev -41.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 1.5 | service: 4 | selection: 1
Stopped in for a quick one before a dinner reservation during my first visit to Boston. The place was dark and had a bit of a bad odor. They offer around six brews, but unfortunately, nothing for the IPA lover :( I had a pale ale and it was just okay. Kind of pricey too at $5 per pint. While their styles are pretty true to form, they are nothing special. I would not recommend this place to anyone who is a hop head because they have nothing to offer. I won't be back and would say to pass on this one.
Nov 08, 2010
Photo of FrankLloydMike
Reviewed by FrankLloydMike from Massachusetts

3.56/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
I had gotten dinner here with my dad and brother several years ago, but only recently returned on a Wednesday night. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the atmosphere, which embraces its location in a basement with no windows. The place is large, but successfully divided into different areas with plenty of intimate nooks to keep it all interesting. Overall, the feel is of an old tavern, which is cozy and warm. Unfortunately, the bar table area (not the bar itself) began to fill up with a somewhat rowdy crowd more befitting a college frat bar than a brewpub. This is more what I had expected, perhaps unfairly, and makes me weary of returning on a busier night.

The quality of the brews was solid without being amazing. I had the ESB on cask, which was good but a little empty feeling. The range of styles on tap gave a lot of options, which was nice. Overall, the beers were a bit cheaper than most pints nearby and were available as full or half pints, which I always appreciate.

Perhaps because of the growing crowd, the service wasn't great. Our server didn't seem very knowledgeable about the beers and took forever to come by to ask if we wanted another round (we did when we finished our first, but by then we had changed our minds). She dropped the check and we put cash out but were waiting for change. When she never returned, we simply left the appropriate tip (not stiffing by any means, but less than we would have if we had change).

Overall, I really enjoy the space here and the convenience of its location. The beers were appropriately priced for their quality, and I'd like to come back, but it probably won't be a priority.
Sep 28, 2010
Photo of Pittsburgh
Reviewed by Pittsburgh from Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
I always liked this place when I was younger, this was pre beer Nirvana when I discovered what good beer was, but they always had a good selection, and the beer was pretty decent, not a bad atmosphere, food was ok, but a fun place to go with rotating beers being brewed. Service was ok, not the best. Usually easy to get a seat. I'd start with the sampler and then move on to whatever was tasting the best. Menu was changing alot as well, so it kept it interesting. Not the best beer in the world but serviceable for a brew pub.
Jun 12, 2010
Photo of jrallen34
Reviewed by jrallen34 from Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I went here for lunch while visiting Harvard.

The atmosphere was ok, nothing special. It was basement like, very spacious and nice seats but pretty boring scene.

The beer was all brewed there but not a huge selection, maybe only 6-8, I did not see what other beers they had.

I had the sampler and got beers picked by the brewer. In general they were pretty good and arranged appropriatley.

The food was typical bar food, ok but nothing special. The bread they serve is oustanding and they have some really good fries.

The service was kind of lacking, the waitress was drab and not very beer knowledgeable.
Feb 22, 2010
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House in Cambridge, MA
Brewery rating: 3.56 out of 5 with 944 ratings