Looking for a place to go dancing after dinner. Wanted to try the Cantab again, had enjoyed it many years back. Friendly doorman, friendly service. Band was excellent, female vocalist also exceptional. We danced the night away. Thank you Cantab for a great evening! read more

Went to see Jeffrey Osborne at the Cantab last night - the show was phenomenal. The venue was great - I hadn't been in years. The bartenders were great. It was packed, but everyone was cool. Everything about the experience was awesome! Two thumbs up - highly recommend. Can't wait to go back! read more

Cantab Lounge - Jeffrey Osborne at the Cantab - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

What a fun spot to stop in for a couple and hear a band. The bartender and security staff were dutifully attentive, seemed to be having a fun time, while making sure ids were checked and glasses were full. Easy access by foot if local and the T of central. We scored a parking spot directly across the street. Staff was cool With us grabbing a pizza next door and bringing it in. Live music upstairs and a poetry slam downstairs. Visit if you're new to the area or revisit if you haven't been in a while. It will not disappoint. Except maybe the old school bar bathrooms! read more

I love this place. It's a great Dive Bar with Live Music Upstairs and Downstairs. A close friend of mine used to book great punk bands downstairs and Upstairs has fantastic Bluegrass bands. They don't push the envelope by mostly booking Cover Bands upstairs. I would love to see more daring bookings... And more effort to publicize their music calendar. But; also, the last time I went there , they didn't carry any dark beers like Guinness and I don't drink beer that looks and tastes like piss as Pilseners do. They would serve their customers better with more craft beer choices. That said; The Cantab is almost always a fun place with a good vibe and nice staff. read more

I dropped in here on a Saturday night for the live music. Expect to pay a cover get a mark on your hand to show you paid. The music here is great! And the lounge did not fill up until close to almost midnight, which to me is a plus. Cantab has a couple of taps but mostly offers bottles and liquor. Prices for the local beer were reasonable and I stuck with those. My goodness though the whole area around the bathroom stunk like pee. Anyway, Cantab is a great choice if you want no frills music and drinks. read more

Lots of fun here! Great artists, the right Vibe! Love Central sq. Dance floor. Friendly bartenders. My sister from Cali had a good time!!!! --- fun out on the town---- D Patnod. read more

Cantab Lounge - The band! - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Ah, the Cantab. A forever-standing dive in Central with a legacy as long as its Chicken Slacks performance roster. I've had many a memory - most still intact - of dancing my face off in a shoulder-to-shoulder room while someone is puking in the bathroom, and someone else is getting yelled at for leaving their $3 Gansett on the ice machine. Didn't you read the sign? The eclectic crowd makes for decent people watching and side convos with friends about how the hell the people in the group next to you know each other. Trust me, they're saying the same about your crew. My only beef is the carpet (drink pricing) doesn't match the divey drapes (permanent urine smell in the loo, grizzled bartenders, dusty bags of chips). But when the Slacks kick off their set, all is lost in a sweaty dancing tornado of Cantabrigians young and old. There's no place like home, Dorothy. read more

Cantab Lounge - Chicken Slacks - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I just like this place. Good people, good music, good stuff. Wouldn't go here expecting any fancy cocktails, but you'll enjoy your drinks in good company! read more

I've usually come to Cantab for shows in the basement which are always great but the other night was my first time being upstairs. Not really a true dive bar if I have to pay a cover and $5 for coat check but a fun bar nonetheless. The drinks are on the cheaper end than a typical bar in Cambridge. Both the band and the crowd were all 20-somethings and rowdy, which as part of that demographic I thought was fun lol. Towards the end of the night there were a couple of dogs that were wandering around the bar, which I assume were the owners'. I forgot my credit card there and they were nice to store it somewhere safe when I returned to get it back the following day. Will definitely return for future "Underground" shows and maybe pop upstairs again too. read more

I spent a summer in Kentucky, and ever since then I've had a strange appreciation for bluegrass music. So if I ever find myself in Central on a Tuesday night (which is surprisingly often), I make sure to stop by Cantab. It seems like many people have the same idea, as the dark, crowded space is definitely the place to be. There's no cover, affordable beer, and some solid foot-stomping music. Sounds like a good time to me. I recommend getting here on the early side (around 9) to grab a seat or standing space with a view of the stage. There's typically an opening act as well as a headliner, so the music continues until around 1 AM (although I've never stayed that long. It is a school night, after all). The night has a laid-back vibe and is the ideal intro for anyone who hasn't yet experienced this musical style. Although Boston is nowhere close to this music's motherland, the bands are often casually clad in jeans, beards, and flannel, giving the experience an authentic vibe. I'll admit, I've only ever been to Cantab Lounge on Tuesdays, so I can't comment on different nights. But if I can get a weekly dose of bluegrass on an otherwise uneventful night, I'm very happy. Thanks for spicing up my Tuesdays, Cantab! read more

Awesome music. Honestly nothing much to show for other than that, but they've got some really awesome music. Also, cash only.

Yall need a new booking manager. My band played here tonight and were immediately cut off after one song because the comedy show upstairs couldnt hear themselves. Set our whole night back way later than we were told. They booked one sound guy for all 3 simultaneous events so the next band didn't even have vocals til I walked over and ran the pa myself. I heard they even sent someone downstairs to complain about the other bands bad review so if u see this- send a freakin sound guy down here instead!!! read more

I am a Cantab regular and need to set some things straight. First, the doorman. His name is Mike and if you smile and say hi to him he will maybe smile and say hi back. Actually, this seems to work pretty much everywhere with everyone, you might want to try it. Next, the bathrooms. Yeah, the men's is gross and the women's is small. But the bar has been there since the 30's. Give it a break. Drinks are cheap. $4-$5 for a beer, $5-$7 for a cocktail/shot. Christine or Keri is your waitress, tip well and they won't forget where you are sitting and what you are drinking. Yeah, they only take cash. That is how drinks are cheap and covers are low. There is an ATM inside and 3 others within 2 blocks. As far as I know there are 4 beers on tap, they may have been out another night. And no, they do not serve food, but on a Weds or Sun you may get a piece of birthday cake if the regulars are having a party. And now for the music. Sundays and Wednesdays are jam nights and generally full of regulars. If you want to check out some cool local music in a more laid back vibe with the regulars who aren't alcoholics, this is the time to come. Friday and Saturday are Fatback Band nights and they are great. The crowd is college kids and up, you will even see my friend Larry who is 92 on the dance floor. The place is packed by 11pm, so get there early to stake out a table and spot on the dance floor. Thursday is the Chicken Slacks, similar vibe to the weekend with a higher cover. The Chicken Slacks are funky! Drunken regulars- come by after 10 and they will most likely not bug you. But none of them are scary and all of them are well meaning. The best thing about the Cantab is if you make the effort to be nice to the regulars and staff, they will remember you and return the favor. PS can't comment on the music Monday or Tuesday or downstairs. read more

Cantab Lounge - A typical jam night - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Can't believe this hasn't been reviewed by Yelppers yet. I'm honored to fix this injustice. This is a authentic music joint that is amazingly fun and unique...I'll explain. JOINT: It is a simple place...drinks served in plastic cups, old school plastic Mich Light tiffany lamps--I am not making this up--and has faint smell of sweat in the middle of the night--from everybody dancing. Oh the rest rooms...well their old school too with grime from the 70's. AMAZINGLY FUN: I have taken friends from Manhattan, SF, and Japan here and all have loved it and said things like, "the best time out that I can remember"--its the place, not me!!!--and 'I didn't know Boston could be this much fun." My friend from Japan was at first very leery Regular and fun weekly musical acts every night on the ground floor--Tues bluegrass, Thurs Funk/RB, Fri&Sat Jazz/Blues with talented Diane Blue. Amazing and mobbed poetry slam--tho cliquish regular crowd--on Wednesday nites in the basement. UNIQUE: I have been fortunate to travel a bit and this is that spot that's filled with local character (and characters) that I'm always desperate to find elsewhere. The crowd ranges from harvard/mit students--kind of a hook up bar for them--to blue collar neighborhood folks, to those who look like they haven't worked for a while--they're there early in the month. And they all dance. You will dance. And you will thank Ned for finally posting this blessed hotspot on Yelp! read more

Cantab Lounge - Prepare to Shake It! - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

WHAT IS WITH BOSTON AND DIVE BARS????? This place is utterly DISGUSTING. The place is so old and dirty is it falling apart. We paid $5 cover at 5pm and the only other people in the place were the local drunks!!!!! While we were there, there was the most rancid smell of raw sewage seeping through the bathroom walls. Everyone around was covering their nose and moving away from the bathroom area. I could not stay another minute. really Boston? really? read more

Cantab Lounge - TINY, disgusting bathroom - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Damn, as a local the charm of this place is completely gone. Popped in for a beer, yuppie crowd (ok fine, plenty of places have that). Bartender couldn't manage to serve people in order, people shoving in front to get served first. Pity, Cambridge has almost no good dives left. read more

We came here after the graduation and lots of wine as well as hefty portions of champagne with lots of friends. We wanted to check out good local music and we were amazed. Pineapple Jam played an amazing set while we enjoyed some great local brews on tap for very reasonable prices. The venue has two rooms for music and the $10 cover was extremely reasonable considering how good their drink prices are. The music was loud, the energy was way up there and everyone had a blast. If any of the other local bands that play through here sound anywhere near as good as this I would definitely recommend coming back any weekend. We were able to find parking at a lot around the block and the line to get in wasn't a long wait. read more

Cantab Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This is the definition of a dive. The bar was dark, horribly decorated, smelled like piss and cigarettes. They had your basic selection of beer and alcohol, but more than enough to make anyone happy. The live music was awesome, and everyone was just having a good time, there was zero hostility in the place, and everyone was friendly. If you are looking for a great night and interesting characters, this is the place. read more

One of the 3 venues to make my hall of shame (neck and neck with PAs and the Elks). I performed at a benefit show for a good cause for free there. The promoters and other artists were all excellent to work with. The guy that runs the downstairs on the other hand acted like he's in competition with the management at PAs Lounge for jackass of the year. First, he doesn't let anyone in to set up or sound check until after we are supposed to be let in. Note, he was in there playing jazz with the lights on, and just purposely not letting anyone for an extra long time. He was excessively rude and when we were staging gear so that sound checks could be done quickly, he gruffly tells me and others that everything needs to move off the floor. I ask him calmly where I should move my gear, his response was "you're gonna give me trouble? OK, you don't get to play. I'm kicking you out. SECURITY!!!" I struggled to bite my tongue and remember this was for a good cause and that this affected the other performers and promoter who was not responsible for this guy's behavior. I got through the night, although I skipped setting up gear for a good chunk of what I intended to do. We had a good show despite the management's efforts to sabotage the night, but, I will never book a show at this place again and would add it to PAs Lounge and the Cambridge Elk's Lodge as the worst venues to work with. I mean, this treatment once again was towards artists that are playing for free for a good cause. read more

My favorite place to hang out in Cambridge. The Cantab is one of the last bars in the area where you really get locals. No egos, no attitudes, no expensive drinks. Just a genuine feel for a dive bar. Don't miss little Joe Cook and the Thrillers on weekends with usually bluegrass during the week and other jazz bands. Downstairs you can find a dj or other lvie bands that can be playing completely different music than little Joe. Food isn't worth mentioning, pub grub but watching little Joe cook sit on his chair and hit on women while he sings is a good time. Checkout the Chickenslacks on Thursday nights! No cover and great soul/R&B band! read more

Cantab Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Look, Cantab is a total dive. And I love it. Cash only. Heavy handed on the booze. Go on Thursday evenings to watch the Chicken Slacks play. Everyone sits for the first two songs before they finally let loose and start to dance. GREAT funk music. Cover charge of $6. Watch out for the college-age kids with no sense of personal space. (Get there before 9pm if you want to claim seats.) Woman's bathroom is dive-bar gross. I'm not afraid to walk in there, but it's cramped and not the cleanest. This place looks like it hasn't been updated since it opened. You either love it or you hate it! read more

Pros: Location, sometimes good live music, easy for out of towners to find, sometimes more space to bring a whole bunch of friends to the bar with you. I have also had a few good interactions with nice bartenders here. Cons: not clean, not a great selection of beers, a place as seedy as that shouldn't serve bottles, sticky/stinky packed on a tuesday night?, not the type of place you can bring your purse into and expect it to be fine on the back of your seat, also the regulars just look creepy. I do not like this place. read more

This place was pure fucking magic! And i honestly hope it does not succumb to COVID so I can go back. Not many other places exist where you can dance and have an awesome time with everyone from all walks of life without a care in the world. The drink selection is lacking, sure, but that's not what you come for. It's the music. And yes it smells gross and yes there is nothing special about the actual space but perhaps that is why it can be what it is... An epic fucking place to dance, be happy and not care about any other bullshit. read more

Want to feel like you are in college again? Then this is your place. Thick sharpie lines drawn on your hands, drinks served in small plastic cups, old creepy guys stalking the crowd, random cover charge that changes with the time of night, cantab has it all. With that said, this is a fun place and the music on the night I went was awesome. It was a groove band and the lead singer had everyone 'dancing' on the floor. The music changes every night, so give their calendar a look to find what suites your fancy. I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone only visiting Boston for the weekend, but if you are a local looking to relive the glory days, this is your answer. read more

This place is hard to describe (and hard to rate too), but in a few words I would say it was an old school, run-down lounge with live music and semi-cheap drinks. So in other words, it was pretty awesome! They don't get five stars because the music was too loud for the small lounge area--and although I thought the music was EXCELLENT, I had to scream to talk to my friends. We wanted some place cool like that, but also, somewhere we could talk. They also didn't have pitchers, which really blows--so that knocks them down another star (my new rule: bars without pitchers=minus one star). The one server was very nice and attentive. I say the "one server" because there was just one for the whole bar area (weird!) but like I said, she did great. Nice lady! The live music turned into "jam sessions" which really seemed to be like karaoke and/or instruments. There was a sign-up sheet and everything. So bring your harmonicas. =)~ But overall, it was pretty cool, and I enjoyed the very unique and charismatic participants. And there were definitely some real "characters" at this place. I will return again, since I like these sorts of places, but this place is definitely not for the pretentious and/or uptight. read more

A pure 3 star place. Pros: Friendly bar tender, quick service even at 5pm. Cons: Small beer selection, sparsely decorated, no food. Not a bad place to stop with the guys for a drink on your way home form work our out before heading out somewhere else. However, at 5 bucks for a draft, I wouldn't come here unless I was looking for a quite place. They either need to up the ante with the decor and selection, or drop the prices. The fun of a dive bar is that you walk out wasted with a few bucks in your wallet. read more

Discovered this place in college... This BLUES BAR is the real deal! Come hear authentic, live music, done well, by the musicians who love it so dearly! *smile* read more

Came here for Meredith's birthday party. We were pretty much treated like royalty since she knew all the bartenders. Awesome bar. Cheap drinks, fun people, and great live music. Very walkable from the train station at Central. read more

Many good weekday nights have been spent here. It's hard to have a bad time. You won't feel like you're doing something amazing that you want to go crazy and twitter about but once you're there you just kind of enjoy yourself and get out of the mainstream nighttime mindset. read more

What a dreadful place. Even though smoking was banned in bars way back in 2004, this place still reeks of deeply embedded nicotine. There's no airflow and evidently no air conditioning. It's downright suffocating. It's a cash bar, which makes perfect sense. If this place had to pay taxes on its transactions, it'd be out of business in a month. read more

Dont mind the place. Its small and dark but ive been worse. Plus musics always amazing. My issue was a rude bar tender. She cut my friend off after 3 drinks with no explanation and just seemed to have an attitude all night. read more

Easily the nicest bar in the greater Boston area. Perfect for a sit-down, fine dining experience. Bring your date, bring your kids, bring your wife. 10/10 would highly recommend. read more

Super fun!! Great live music upstairs and dj downstairs. Medium priced drinks. Wasn't too crowded on a Friday night so there was room to dance. read more

I have never heard about this place until yesterday when a friend suggested it. I got there about 9 pm. Apparently tuesdays are open mic and bluegrass night. As the night went on, it got good to great. They had several great bands that night. The crowd was a mix of college students to old people. Everyone was having a great time. The beers were 5 bucks so we had a few. I would love to visit this place again. read more

Cantab Lounge - Bluegrass night - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Avoid the Cantab Lounge if you don't want to get verbally assaulted by the staff on your night out! I was here on Tuesday's Bluegrass Night with my boyfriend and a friend, both of whom are musicians and have performed and jammed at the Cantab many times. Geoff, the guy who runs Bluegrass Night came around with a collection hat for the band (also friends of ours). My boyfriend generally is the one carrying cash, so he dropped money into the hat, as did our friend. Geoff shoved the hat at me and started aggressively telling me to put money into it. I apologetically said that I didn't have cash (the truth!), to which he leaned across my boyfriend, into my face and begin swearing and spitting at me. He yelled and swore at a guy standing behind me who didn't put money in as well, and when he finally started to walk off, he turned around and screamed 'FUCK YOU' at us across the bar. We were all speechless and appalled. I have never in my life been treated by someone like that, especially with so little provocation. When Geoff was confronted about his outburst, he was still aggressive, rude, and righteous. I will never go back and I urge others to stay away as well. You can read other reviews here on Yelp describing despicable customer service and completely out of line behavior by the people who run this dump. The Cantab is only popular because of the outside talent it brings in...which it doesn't even pay! If Geoff felt so strongly about the band getting money, he should be advocating for them to get paid by the actual venue. This is a horrible, bad-smelling bar that takes advantage of its musicians and abuses its patrons. Supporting our local talent in Boston is important...just please don't do it here. You're supporting the awful people that run this place and risking the chance of being mistreated yourself. read more

I was really disappointed with the service at Cantab Lounge and for respect of the other patrons there at the time, I took to Yelp and mailed a hand-written letter. So it was my first night back home from Afghanistan and I decided to go out to town. Cantab has had some buzz with the poetry scene so I figured-hey why not! Downstairs was a nice grungy setup and the staff was friendly (downstairs). I paid my cover and ordered 2 cokes (I don't drink). After spending most of the night downstairs, I went upstairs to catch a breath and a bartender came up to me and it went like this: Bartender: What are you having? Me: Im all set for now. Bartender: Are you sure? Me: Yea, Im fine for now but thanks. Bartender: Well, you gotta order something, you can't just be hanging out here. This is a business. Are you serious? It's pretty obvious that it's a business, don't insult my intelligence....so my cover fee and 2 non-alcoholic drinks doesn't tickle your fancy? On a Wednesday with less than half a crowd? Mind you, I wasn't even sitting at the bar. What if I was the DD out of a group of friends? Or if I downed a couple of brews downstairs beforehand? I asked the doorman who the manager was to inform him/her of the establishment's lack of customer service. Come to find out, the manager was actually the SAME bartender! I had high expectations but now, I will never spend a cent there and I'll make sure none of my peers do either. If you keep reading the reviews, there are others with similar experiences to mine at this inconsiderate, incompetent-in-basic-service place. read more

I'm not sure why people feel the need to write extensive negative reviews about the Cantab. Give it 5 stars for chrissakes. It is a dive bar, and it is really good at being a dive bar. It's like complaining that a Chinese restaurant isn't properly stocked with gourmet pizza. How stupid are you? Piss? Yes, probably. Everyone drunk? Yes, probably. No credit cards? Uh-huh, yep. Who cares? Live music, open mic and beer. If you want someplace shiny, go someplace shiny...it does what it does, and it does it well. read more

I had an extremely bad time there. I was there for a band's live show, ordering a bottle of beer and listening. When I was about to leave, I asked a man working there what I should do with the rest half bottle of beer. He was sitting outside the gate so I walked outside to ask him. After I asked:" Can I take this bottle away?" He was pretty rude and yelled something like" you are in FUCKING America!" He yelled so crazily that his saliva splinted on my left eye. I didn't know what he meant so I went back and asked the guy in the bar how I would deal with that bottle, then I was told that I should give the bottle back to him. I felt really violated and sad so I talked about this with my Lyft driver. The driver thought that guy was rude, too, and he comforted me that most American would never act like this. Then, he told me that in bars, beer bottles can not be allowed taking away from bars. I am surprisingly angry that even a driver could tell me this rule gently, a guy working for the bar failed to do that. Instead, he yelled to me with his saliva on my eye. I got a very bad time in the bar and I will never go there again. Even if I don't want to sue the guy of his violence and racial discrimination coz it would take me a lot of time, I think he should be fired. read more

Cantab Lounge - Really tough time there. - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I love the Cantab Lounge! As a former resident of Central Square I will fully admit the joy I have from seeing Little Joe Cook and the Thrillers! The top 10 classics sang over and over and over again. The hits: Peanut (featured in a Sopranos episode) Sexy Lady from the Beauty Shop Ramblings by Little Joe For an 82 year old pushing his cd's, Little Joe sure rocks the house Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Through out the rest of the week there are blues jams and open mic nights. The drinks are reasonably priced --- CASH ONLY! --- Which is fine by me... The food is decent. It surely has a dive bar feel. The bathrooms are tiny and reek of urine older than Little Joe himself. The DJ if there at all is located in the downstairs section. It reminds me of being at a junior high school dance if I had ever gone to one. Over all good times at the Cantab. Bring a date or try to hook up with a bar fly. read more

I find that Cantab is a bit schizophrenic. The beginning of the night was awful, but my friend Jill made a suggestion that we come back after a few drinks. Cantab Sober: The door guy barked at us for our IDs. The crowd was kind of annoying. If you tried to get around anyone they would just pretend they didn't see you. The couple grinding behind me could have cared less that they nearly trampled me during two songs. I also got a dirty look as I walked past them to leave, thanks! The beer was...beer. Nothing really to say there. So we took off and hit up a few other bars and then came back.... Cantab smashed: High-five from the door guy as we make our triumphant return, yes! At this point I don't think we even got drinks but went straight for the tiny dance floor. The band was awesome and some guy made me dance with him. This was a little awkward, but whatever! So the Cantab is probably a blast if you've pre-gamed with a bunch of friends and are just ready to let loose. read more