A Harvard Square Landmark for Burgers?
Today, I went to Mr. Barley’s Burger Cottage for the first time in Harvard Square. The place has been there since 1960 and it is still going strong. We got there around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, planning that it wouldn’t be crowded at such an awkward time, but the place was packed. We had to wait outside in the fairly long line that formed. We got menus outside and ordered before we even got into the door.
Once inside, the place was packed with people, with barely any room to move. We had to share a small table with another party and there wasn’t any extra room to speak of. It was a little too crowded and people were a little too close for comfort for me.
The place is fun and quirky inside, sporting many of the same decorations that it had when it opened, including the original menu. All of the burgers are named after famous people. They are reasonable in price from about $8.50 to $13.00. I got the Barack Obama. It was a juicy burger topped with feta cheese, tomato, red onion, and lettuce. Although the burger was good, I was expecting something better considering all the hype surrounding this restaurant. I was a little bit disappointed, but the prices were pretty cheap and the food was good so there wasn’t too much to complain about. I also tried the “world famous” sweet potato fries, which I didn’t think quite live up to their name. Two of my friends who also got burgers were not very impressed either.
But, on the positive side, a friend of mine got the macaroni and cheese which was very creamy and tasty. They also have frappes with all sorts of mix-ins and flavors which were extremely good.
So, although the place is called a burger cottage and is supposed to be a jewel in the burger business, I found that Mr. Bartley does his best work in a plate of mac and cheese and milkshakes.
Check out their website for their menu and directions! > http://www.mrbartley.com/
