Green Street

Green StreetGreen Street
Green StreetGreen Street
Bar, Eatery

280 Green St
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139-3312
United States

(617) 876-1655 | map
greenstreetgrill.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.17
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
19
pDev:
6.47%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.6 by wc94wc from California

May 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.64 by considerTlobster from Massachusetts

Feb 01, 2019
Photo of Beric
Reviewed by Beric from Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.25
Vibe: On a super shady street, which makes you feel sort of dirty when you're standing outside of it. Looks a bit run down from the outside but then you step into this brilliant, dark pub with a cozy atmosphere and beautiful bar. Typically with some nice vinyl spinning on the turntable. Music can be a bit loud sometimes, but not always. Normally packed with 20 and 30 somethings.

Quality: Beer is not the main draw here by any means, but the food and cocktails are. The cocktails are top notch for the area- fantastic, high quality ingredients, a blend of old fashioned, boozy, herbal drinks and more modern fruity, fun colored ones. Cocktails are $8-10 which is a steal for the area, especially given the range of ingredients they use. Beer options typically range from 6-8 things on tap, including an IPA of the week and stout of the week. Often can get rare/higher quality beers in bottles. Beer runs on the expensive side, but unless you get a bottle, you always get a full 16oz pour. Food is fantastic, though very expensive for the area.

Service: Friendly wait staff every time I've been there. Often able to recommend drinks if you're having a hard time picking.

Selection: Small beer selection on tap, though a decent bottle list. Fantastic cocktail list.

Food: Very good food, though very expensive as well. Typical entrée runs north of $20. Appetizers can be small and run in the $12-15 range. That said, I've never been disappointed by any appetizer or entrée I've ordered from here. They have a small, rotating list and often have special creations from the kitchen that rotate on or off the menu or are available as specials only. You won't be disappointed by what you order, but be ready to pay a pretty penny.

Green Street is my favorite pub in Cambridge and is hands down the best spot for a cocktail in Central Square.
Mar 31, 2016
Photo of scxcrunner
Reviewed by scxcrunner from Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
has a great tap list and friendly staff. The only downside to our trip was that the place was jam packed when we went to ththough i can't imagine that is the norm.
Jan 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.59 by bostonbeans from Massachusetts

Aug 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Dicers from California

Feb 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by BKotch from Texas

Sep 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Mini4x from Massachusetts

Jul 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MattGrimley from Massachusetts

Jun 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by dubdrop from Vermont

Apr 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by thesarahfuller from Massachusetts

Mar 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BostonPhilly from Massachusetts

Feb 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by tegelaar from Massachusetts

Jan 29, 2014
Photo of FrankLloydMike
Reviewed by FrankLloydMike from Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
UPDATE (12/16/2011):
As anticipated in my original review, I moved to the Central area in fall 2009. Since then, I've been to Green Street many times, but hardly as often as I had anticipated. Part of that is that I'm not quite as close as I had thought I might be, and that I try to spend as much time as I can at the CBC.

Another reason, though, is that I was initially a little too optimistic about Green Street. It's still a great neighborhood bar that I enjoy visiting fairly regularly. I've since had the food, which is wonderful, and on BA taco nights, among the best deals in town.

The service is still good, though it's often so crowded in the bar that it's hard to get much personal attention, and the quality is always top-notch--only high-quality beers make it to the limited taplist and all the beers have tasted fresh and clean. The major drawback here, though, is that the beer prices run on the high side. As I mentioned, the taplist is short and it's very well curated, tending toward beers that tend to be more expensive to begin with, but I'd like to see a $5.50 or so beer make it into the mix more often.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (06-03-2009):
A: 4.0, Q: 5.0, S: 5.0, S: 4.5, F: n/a, $$
I'm planning to move to Cambridgeport in the fall, and was beginning to wonder what my usual haunt would be. There are some nice bars in the area, but nothing with a great beer list, nowhere where I saw myself saddling up a few times a week. That was until I happened upon this place!

The exterior of the building, including an old, dingy sign, evokes the feeling of a real, neighborhood dive from decades ago, but the beer list posted outside reveals something much more special. A long, but not huge list of fantastic bottle offerings accompanies a small, but well-chosen set of taps at the dimly-lit, cozy bar. The inside would be almost too sterile with its new drywall and Starbucks-style bar lights if it weren't for the darkness, and tchotchke decor, which seems to be another nod to the site's history as a neighborhood watering hole. The bartender was extremely friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. I didn't have any food, and though it's a bit pricey for a bar, it smelled great, so I'd like to try something in the future.

The general dearth of solid beer lists in Cambridge outside Inman Square, the Cambridge Brewing Company, and the far-flung bars near Porter certainly makes Green Street worth seeking out in the area, but it deserves merit in its own right.
Dec 16, 2011
Photo of BeerMaverick
Reviewed by BeerMaverick from Connecticut

4.14/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Went here this past weekend with a friend that said he had heard great thing about this place. Pretty good selection of beer...about 10 taps with great choices from popular breweries such as Port and Allagash. Much bigger bottle selection ranging from $3 Miller Lite to $21 Hoppin' Frog BORIS and DORIS probably around 30-40 beers in all.

I had the Port Midnight Session Black Lager (draft) and Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe DIPA (bottle) and both were fantastic. The bartender was very nice and seemed to know his stuff and served the beers in the proper glassware, snifter and tulip, respectively. I did not try the food, but from what I observed it seemed very good. Overall, worth going to!
May 23, 2011
Photo of juzy
Reviewed by juzy from Alaska

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
One of the stops on our tour of Cambridge while with friends in Boston at the end of July.

Dive-ish looking from the outside, but in is a different story. Very hip, clean and inviting.

Our service was fantastic, but then our friends were well known to the staff, I always think that plays a role.

The beer selection is not huge, but it is good. And I suspect changes frequently so check their website for the latest updates.

We just had apps here: the cheese plate and the curried mussels. All were delish!

I'd like to try this place again. it seems like a cool place for a romantic get away, definitely has that sort of vibe to it.
Aug 14, 2010
Photo of SunDevilBeer
Reviewed by SunDevilBeer from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Went for a meal with the wife on a recent night.

Place looks like a real dive from the outside and is located in the sketchy underbelly of eclectic Central Square. There is a bus stop across the street and several colorful characters were circulating in the vicinity. :0)

Upon entering though, it's an oasis from the chaos surrounding it. Very comfortable, clean, recently remodeled space. Not the usual skinny jean Cambridge hipster crowd - mixed group of old and young, couples and singles. Liked the vibe of this place alot.

Menu is somewhat tight - 5 or 6 apps, 6 entrees, a few specials. Split the mussels to start - very tasty. Wife had the scallops (tasty, but at a price tag of $24 there weren't enough) and I had the swordfish over couscous with cucumber sauce (satisfying in taste and portion).

Service was attentive and quick - almost too quick, as we were done within an hour. Headed to the bar for some drinks after.

During the evening, had a $7 Jack D'Or, a $6.50 snifter of Smutty Imperial Stout and a $6 Founders Rye. Good selection of craft brews which I assume rotate quite often. Service at the bar was great, as the 'keeps were busy and seemed to be making some killer cocktails too.

I liked this place, I will come back again.
Aug 10, 2010
Photo of morebeergood
Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Stopped by here for drinks after work with friends. From the outside, place looks like a real dive. But the inside has a very comfortable feel. Dim lighting, wood and brick, minimal decorations. Service was very good. Both bartenders were friendly and were on top of things when beers needed a refill. Selection was pretty good. There were 6 taps and about 20 bottles on the menu. Last night's tap list included: Allagash White, Pretty Things Jack D'Or, Stone IPA, Troegs Hopback, Gritty's Black Fly. Most pints were $5 or $6. Bottles ranged from High Life for $3 to bombers of nice craft brews for around $18. I had a pint of Troegs, and bottles ($4.50 each) of Acadia London Porter and Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale. All beers were quality offering, no crap on the menu. Wed is $4 taco night, and a friend ordered one and she liked it. Knowing what other kinds of bars are in the Central Sq area, this easily jumps to the top of the list of craft beer bars.
Mar 26, 2009
Photo of MugOfGoodness
Reviewed by MugOfGoodness from New Hampshire

4.36/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Went last week - in search of Founder's Breakfast Stout - they had it - great beer. Emily (formerly of Deep Ellum) was pouring the tasty dark goodness. They had 8 taps rolling and room for 4 more - all the beer on tap was decent (I didn't remember to make a list) - but Founders on tap, Victory Prima Pils on tap, etc.

We jumped into their bottles to keep out stout festival alive with a Allagash Black and a Hopping Frog Boris - both great values at $10-14 per bottle.

It's a quiet place, but great parking ($2) right next store - Cambridge public garage - and great crowd. I would recommend it for some good beer - next time we will try the food and post a review.
Dec 15, 2008
Green Street in Cambridge, MA
Place rating: 4.17 out of 5 with 19 ratings