Menus and phone numbers for nearby and takeout restaurants
Bars
Kendall Square
Cambridge Brewing Company - near Kendall Square. Home of the UberTower.
Flat Top Johnny's is a nice pool place in Kendall Square, that also serves food. Pretty much the only place to find food late at night in Kendall, outside of delivery.
>> google maps link to kendall square
Central Square (one T stop from summit)
Classicirish - Irish Pub that looks and feels like a fake Irish Pub
The Field - One of the best Irish Pubs in Cambridge The All Asia - Asian Food and Bar, usually live bands but often a cover charge
The Enormous Room - Central Kitchen downstairs has good food and a local hangout for the posh urbanites of Cambridge
The Green Street Grill - Average to high prices, but excellent quality food and the beer is pretty cheap. The place looks shady from the outside but isn't really.
We went in 2008 and had two cocktails and 4 different appetizers for around $50. Best meal of our entire trip. -- JasonClinton
The Middle East - Good food and drinks, with 3 different adjacent places. Prices are average to high, but quality is good. Get the Mojito from Zu Zu, it's good.
River Gods - Small intimate scene usually has a DJ spinning each night. Food is decent, get the fries.
The Cantab Lounge - Great place. Live music every night, Folk, Bluegrass, and Blues bar.
Harvard Square (two T stops from summit)
Grendel's Den Harvard grad student hangout, good beer selection, nice atmosphere (aka you can hear yourself talk.) Decent bar food as well for reasonable-ish prices. (Enjoy their liquor license! They had to go to the Supreme Court to get it!)
Elsewhere
Bukowski's - 1281 Cambridge St. in Inman Square. About a 15 minute walk from the summit. Also one in Boston at 50 Dalton St., near the Hynes Convention Center T stop.
Good Food
Kendall Square
Legal Sea Foods - right in Kendall Square, or in other Boston locations. Expensive.
Emma's - 40 Hampshire St. Gourmet pizza. Try the smoked chicken sandwich. Here is some more info
The Black Sheep is a nice small restaurant in the Kendall Hotel at 350 Main St.
Boca Grande - I've only been to the one on First Street (across from the Galleria), but the prices are cheap and the food is good.
Helmand - Afghan place semi-expensive, across the street from the Galleria
Central Square (one T stop from summit)
Royal East is the best value in chinese food around. Big banquets there have ended up costing around $10 per person. Very close to MIT (easier to walk than take the T). Surprisingly elegant atmosphere, low prices, great food, personable wait staff. They also have fresh lobster, crabs, fish, and eel. Try the shrimp-stuffed eggplant or soft-shell crab. (Much better than Mary Chung's, IMHO, and slightly closer)
Mary Chung - Chinese. Normal prices. More computer science has been developed here than in any other restaurant, and the only known restaurant to sell the Annals of Improbable Research.
Asmara - Ethiopian
Falafel Palace - small place near the corner of Prospect and Western with great wraps, cheap prices
Toscanini's Ice Cream- great ice cream for post-dinner snacking. Also a Tosci's in Harvard Square.
Harvard Square (two T stops from summit)
Bartley's Good old fashioned American Burgers and milkshakes. Go there and learn how to Embody American Values, just like DaveCamp.
Pinocchio's has great, cheap pizza- probably best, cheapest food in Harvard Square.
L.A. Burdick has great coffee, chocolate, and pastries.
Fire-Ice Improvisational do-it-yourself grill
Chinatown
Ocean City - Seafood. Expensive, but good for groups ("Seafood Delight for Ten!")
Ginza - Japanese. Expensive.
Chinatown eatery - Inexpensive, large variety of food.
North End
Daily Catch - Exceedingly excellent sea food. No cards - cash only.
Cafe Vittorio- The best coffee and pastries
Elsewhere in Boston
Naked Fish - Near Government Center. Expensive.
La Famiglia Giorgio's - In the North End. Normal prices. (North End in general is a place you can get off the train, wander around at random, and bump into an Italian place every other storefront, generally good but a touch overpriced.) (There is also a "La Famiglia Giorgio" on Newbury St. It's next to Tapeo, the tapas place.)
El Pelon - Mexican fast food in Fenway.
Addis Red Sea - Ethiopian food, South End
Oishii - Some of the best Sushi. One in Sudbury and one in Chestnut Hill. They're small: seats about 14 people, so be prepared to wait. They don't take reservations.
- 199 Clarendon Street - Boston Near Copley Plaza This is my new favorite seafood restaurant
- 34 Columbus Avenue - Boston In the Park Plaza Hotel This is a pretty big chain around the country, but they know how to do fish right. Nice setting, too.
- 581 Boylston Street - Boston Faces Copley Plaza A favorite Sushi place in Downtown Boston.
- 651 Boylston Street - Boston This is my favorite thai restaurant in the region. The steamed shu-mai is incredible, and so is the gaprow beef. (sometimes known as kra-pow, means basil and peppers i think) It is also in a nice location on Bolyston. Ask to sit in the front window.
- 161 Berkeley Street - Boston Hands down the best steak in Boston. Their seafood is also top notch. They are pricy (like Ruth Chris pricing) but worth every penny a couple of times a year! Same day weeknight reservations can usually be had if you call early in the day, but weekends are kind of tough without a week lead time.
- 647 Tremont - Super cool food and super cool people. Plus, a super cool chef! Chilean Sea Bass steamed in Banana leaf. Can it get any better than that?
- Still the best rack of lamb I've ever had in Boston. Plus, an extremely eclectic clientele. Jamie Mammano rules!
Elsewhere in Cambridge
The Cheesecake Factory - Galleria Mall. Good ribs, plenty of cheesecakes, a bit expensive but huge plates.
Tu Y Yo - Mexican food off in Davis Square