Brick & Mortar is a humble, almost speakeasy-like cocktail bar that is tucked away in the heart of Central Square, Cambridge. It is on the second floor of one of the complexes. A few friends and I went on a cold autumn day last year and remember it being dimly lit and quite hot inside, but it was a chill, rustic, and loud ambiance. They had us originally at a standing section next to the heater which was really hot and didn't originally sit us at the open table right by the stairs, which was strange. We moved over there eventually after 5-10 minutes of waiting for another party thinking it was reserved, and the staff didn't comment on it. Service was quick. I didn't try any of their cocktail selections but just got a beer, which was fine. Their cocktail menu did look quite extensive and creative though! read more

Really enjoyed the vibe at Brick & Mortar! The bartender was super nice and friendly, and the drinks were really good and pretty strong. The food was okay, but I'd definitely come back for the cocktails, atmosphere, and great service. read more

Somehow I had never popped into the spot in Central before. The aesthetic is the optimal dark and moody cocktail bar vibe. The drinks were creative and well balanced but stronggg. It was fun trying a good options, just plan on taking the red line home. The staff was super helpful making menu recommendations and as the bar cleared out toward the end of the night they were fun to hang out with. read more

We had a mixed experience at Brick & Mortar. Atmosphere? Elevated. Drinks? Creative. Staff? Unfortunately, pretty unkind and impatient. We were greeted by a very harsh hostess and ignored by the wait staff for a about 20 minutes until we went to the bar and asked to be seen by a waiter. My partner was bumped into by a hostess who turned around and glared at him afterwards. We loved the menu but will likely not be back due to how we were treated by staff. They seemed a bit despondent. read more

Love this place a lot! Been multiple times with friends for a casual night out for drinks and we've only had good experiences! The menu is enticing and leaves you wanting to try multiple of their house cocktails (all which have been really solid) and the staff is good at helping you decide what drink to get if you're unsure. Some of my favorites are the golden banana, what's new pussycat, and electric kool-aid acid test. Also their daiquiri time out (dto) is always a good option if you're looking for something to order for the table, to get the night started. The atmosphere is gives off speakeasy vibes, but is also very unpretentious. It's a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself without feeling out of place. From my experience, the crowd seems pretty young -- not necessarily college students but more like young professionals -- and it can get pretty lively when it's busy -- not overwhelming bar vibes, but more like a nice cocktail party / social event. This place remains a go-to spot when planning a night out in the Cambridge area! read more

Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Nice bartenders but they aren't chatty (we didn't try, so maybe they are!) One small tv screen, but that's fine given it's not a sports bar. It's more of a semi-speakeasy vibe; the entrance is hardly marked with a tiny plaque above the door, its dark inside and pretty quiet. But definitely not hidden like a classic speakeasy. Drinks: Apollo sunshine resembled a diluted apricot juice in a good way. The golden banana was strong on the banana, before mixing. Both were fairly strong. I'd return to try their other cocktails as they're pretty creative, but not necessarily for the vibe (we did go on a Monday so it was probably quieter than it normally would be, so maybe I'll take that back) read more

Brick & Mortar - Golden banana (left), Apollo sunshine (right) - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Came here the first time and a great spot for drinks. It's a good place for a group of small people. I got the what's new pussycat drink and it was pretty sweet with a hint of tanginess. For the second round I got the Texas tuxedo. I wasn't a big fan however the bartenders were lovely enough to change the drink for us with no charge. Had a great night read more

Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Lovely speakeasy vibe with delicious drinks. Only issue is that it is a bit small, and hard to hear conversations in large groups. Otherwise, great place to grab a fun drink. read more

Speakeasy located upstairs in central. Drinks are strong - we got one with a 2 per person limit and it had 3 types of liquor. Nice date night vibes inside, there is high top seating and a bar. read more

Brick & Mortar - Cocktail - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The drinks were good and the atmosphere was really nice. It was dark, moody, sort of loud to give the illusion of privacy. Unfortunately the staff were incredibly rude. Emotionally labile 24 year olds glaring at you as you walk in. If you want to be treated kindly and with respect then I probably would not recommend this place. read more

Great drinks. Sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly. He also gave us bar snacks. Great speakeasy vibes and the bar looks like a ship! read more

Great vesper martinis, which are not common. I enjoyed the tuna deviled eggs, and oysters, with fun vibes!

This speakeasy has great drinks, definitely great for afterwork or a cute date. The bartenders are very attentive and they have spicy pineapple. I wish that they had a wider selection of tapas. read more

This place was okay, the vibe did not really give me major speakeasy vibes. It does have a sign on the door, but not a major sign or anything. The upstairs is a normal bar, but super loud and not super romantic or anything. The drinks are very expensive, but they are good I will say. The service was kind which I liked. Overall, I'd recommend if you're in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

Fun speakeasy with a cool interior! The drinks were good, but all a bit too sweet. The inside was pretty loud so it was hard to converse. Service was friendly and helpful in choosing drinks. read more

Really great spot for cocktails in Cambridge. Very unassuming entrance, you may miss it! Very dark and intimate vibe. It's always busy so be prepared for a little wait on the weekends. Their cocktails are always innovative, delicious and pretty strong! Their menu changes every so often so you can always try something new or go for a classic it will always be delicious! read more

Brick & Mortar - left: the golden banana, right: trampling flower beds - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Ambiance was great! The entry part is a process especially if the place is full already. I didn't try the food but the cocktails were ok...took very long to get them though. Many in my party switched to normal drinks instead of the menu cocktails because we weren't impressed. Need to give it another try but overall good vibes read more

Awesome upstairs speakeasy style cocktail bar with a few apps. Gold rush, What's up pussycat, and Apollo Sundhine were fire. The boothby was bitter for my taste. Queso fondido with house chips and deviled eggs were great too. Service was quick and friendly. Look forward to trying other drinks. read more

Great spot to grab a drink with friends with cool vibes. Some times it can take a while to get seating even for 2 people but worth checking out, very unique! Highly recommend!! read more

I've been lucky enough to experience Brick and Mortar twice, and each time was an excellent experience! The staff is attentive and friendly and drinks are delicious. If you can, sit at the bar so you can see the cocktails being made- it's a true work of art. I recommend the "what's new pussycat?", especially if you are a lychee martini fan! read more

An superb quasi-speakeasy with truly excellent cocktails and food, perfectly curated music , beautiful environment , and extremely friendly and attentive service . Right in the heart of central square, but easy to miss bc if its purposefully modest entrance , this is a must- hit spot. Recommended to me and cannot recommend highly enough . read more

Best bar ever. Period. End of conversation. Big Bad bunny energy. This place has great service. read more

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Honestly, the first impression of this place was fantastic. The vibe was great and it seemed like a great place to grab a drink and hang with friends, but our server ended our night with a hint of rudeness and condescension which resulted us leaving. I won't be returning anytime soon, unfortunately. I came here with a party of 7 kind of early on a Friday evening. We were lucky to get a table in the back by the bathroom and at first, we were impressed and were looking forward to the drinks. We each ordered a drink and I got a mocktail, but I was served without a straw. Their mocktails are made to order based on what you like to drink and I said something citrusy. My first initial taste was literally just lime and seltzer water - there was nothing else and honestly, I was disappointed, especially since one of my party members got the same thing ans his tasted drastically different. I asked for them to add some flavor and they visibly just added lime juice which was a little underwhelming, but it's only when I got a straw for my drink did I realize it needed to be mixed. Everyone else had a straw in their drink and I had to go up to the bar myself to get one - maybe the bartenders were feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people, but overall that experience wasn't great. A little further into the night, our server asked if we needed anything else. We said we'd like some water and napkins, but then he clarified that he meant did we want more drinks and mentioned there was a long line at the front for people waiting for a table. We were a little taken aback by his rudeness as it seemed like he just wanted us out so we gladly just requested the check. Overall, the drinks were decent and the vibe was nice, but the service was really poor in terms of servers. The host was friendly and kind I will say, but ultimately our waiter's attitude and obvious distaste for us resulted in us leaving. Not sure what we did to offend him or push him to ask us to leave despite us being paying customers, but that's enough to say I won't be coming back. read more

Brick & Mortar - Mocktail - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Amazing drinks and food! We got the potato gaufrettes and buttermilk ranch and it was so so good! We also got three different drinks and the bartender Dennis helped us pick drinks specialized to our favorite tastes! The ambience is very chill, but would definitely recommend coming early as it does get packed! 10/10 and would come again!! read more

Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Fun spot in Cambridge! I came here with a friend on a Friday night and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. We both tried the cocktail with tequila (I can't remember the name) and it was so fresh and yummy! The music was super loud even though this is more of a sit down bar, but it was still a fun time and I would totally recommend it if you are in the mood for a fancy cocktail! read more

Menu: This is a great place for drinks - a pretty decent cocktail menu for those mix drink drinkers (they can also do classic drinks) and also beer options for those that prefer the hops. The food are mostly all apps/sharing potions, I wouldn't try to get full or have a proper dinner here. Atmosphere: dark and loud. Not necessarily bad if you don't mind shouting a bit or if you are tucked in a corner, you might not have to yell as much. Despite it looking like it was pretty busy, there was always someone that would come and check up on us for food or drink refills. Overall: I have frequented this place plenty of times, so definitely will be back mostly for the drinks though. read more

The drinks were amazing here! One was an earl grey based drink and another was a refreshing cucumber one. Great music and ambiance! The staff was patient and helpful too. We did not have to wait on a Saturday night read more

Definitely a hidden gem in Central Sq and Boston. The place has a speakeasy kind of vibe. If you aren't looking, it is pretty hard to spot the place as it only has a small placard for its signage. It has a very moody and yet relaxed ambiance tailored for drinking classic and contemporary cocktails. The place does offer small finger foods but you really come here for the drinks. Not a big place but they do have a standing room where you can order drinks while waiting for your seat at the bar. All the bartenders are very polite and friendly as well as attentive to your needs! The drinks are solid here with no skimping on the alcohol content as well as creativity. Would definitely come back for another night cap or hang with friends to wind down with a cool drink! read more

Brick & Mortar - Lion's Tail (left) and Kool Aid (right) - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Been coming here for years, the drinks are to die for. My favorite is her majesty's secret service. The food is also fabulous and great portions. Easy to share the food. read more

This was a nice spot. I didn't care for the bar bites, but the vibe is nice. The drinks are good and the service is spot on! read more

Brick & Mortar - two plates of food on a table - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

These drinks were so good. We also ordered some fries that were solid. We got there around 7:45 and there was no line but had to wait 30min for a table. By the time we left, the wait must have been hours... If you don't care about sitting, they have decent counter space you can use. Otherwise you'll want to show up earlish read more

Brick & Mortar - a glass with a plant in it - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Popped in for a cocktail after dinner and for catching up with a friend. We appreciated the option for standing space, with a speak easy kind of feel Brick and Mortar is trendy and popular yet intimate and welcoming. The menu offers a short list of cocktails that are batch mixed but they are open to build anything per request which is nice. I went for a classic whiskey sour based on rye with egg whites and was pleased - the whiskey tones stood out, bitters appropriately complimented and the sour was not overpowering. I'll definitely return! read more

My good friend was giving me recommendations when he learned I'd be in town. He knows I like a good cocktail because it's in my Twitter bio. Anyways my first drink here was a whiskey one with Allspice dram. It was tasty, mellow, interesting. My second drink I ordered was an off menu drink called a Brandy Alexander. It took the bar staff a little bit to find the bottles necessary but they did it. And well! One of the guys next to me so me order the drink and ask what it was and I told him and he ordered one as well. The vibe of this bar is hipster cocktail den which is my aesthetic. read more

Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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We casually strolled in on a Saturday evening. We got a table for 6. Nice service. They brought out water the minute we sat down. Impressed! Started with the crush on stripper shots - flavorful citrus y and tequila maybe?? They change t everyday apparently. I ordered the white Mercedes something - again, it was quite good. It's a gin based cocktail with citrus y stuff. Coconut. Weird stufff but delicious. The French fries were really good. Pleasantly happy. This place has good music. Not crowded. Definitely coming back. read more

Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We went just for drinks and I thought the cocktails were delicious! (We got the one one thousand, mexican radio, and 4-5-6.) I'm giving this place 4 stars for being so dark it's basically impossible to read the menu (although to be fair, everyone has a smart phone with a flashlight feature so maybe that's not such a huge deal). The door to get inside the bar is unmarked which some might find exciting, I thought it was kitschy (idk sometimes I like kitschy though).. Overall, a good experience! read more

Brick & Mortar - Mostly finished, mexican radio (delicious!!) Menu in the back - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This place is fantastic. Amazing, well balanced cocktails and the service is unbelievable. Would recommend the East Bound and Down for a drink and if you're looking for a snack the mushroom tartine. read more

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I had an incident of a creepy guy hitting on me and the bartender immediately recognized the situation and addressed it with style and ease. cannot recommend this place enough for women. Besides that, amazing cocktails, ok bites to eat. read more

Best cocktail and service experience I've had in a long time! It's an intimate setting and was perfect for the small group I was with. As soon as we sat in the bar we were given some incredible complementary pineapple with tajin seasoning, so simple but so good. The Mexican radio drink I had was incredibly refreshing and the bartender was accommodating in making the next one I had even better by adding some spice. I will definitely be back here and would recommend to anyone looking for an intimidate cocktail experience in the Boston area! read more

Brick & Mortar - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Solid 3 star spot for cocktails. The drinks are good but the service is extremely SLOW! Even when it isn't that crowded if you wait on the waiter to get you a drink it takes about 20 minutes which is extremely frustrating for a bar - so order early and every time the server comes to the table if you don't want to wait. Dark lighting, good music, bar stool type seating with small tables. It is a good spot to go in central square if you are looking to avoid super long lines or cover charges. The drinks aren't too pricey and the burger at the bar is good - comes with deliciously crispy fries! read more

Brick & Mortar - The botanist ($12) - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

When I first arrived, I wasn't sure where to go. A nice employee in the back parking lot guided me upstairs. The vibe in the place was cool, but it was very loud and hard to hear. I felt a bit like I was in a speakeasy. The cocktails were good, but nothing too special. Does the trick for a solid spot in Central Square. read more