5 stars for food and waitress service, a WTF? for phone service (which brings the overall rating to 4.5 stars). Today, we had the urge to go to brunch in a place with outdoor or open-window seating. Daedalus' roof deck is perfect for such an occasion, but everyone and their mother also knows this, so we called ahead only to hear that a wedding party would be on the roof deck. We went anyway to try to get a seat in the open-window portion of the restaurant. Upon arrival at 10:42 a.m., we went in the back entrance and were greeted by "how'd that happen?" from a surprised Daedalus employee. Daedalus opens at 11:00. Oops. After an 18-minute wandering through Harvard Square, we came back and immediately got seating on the supposedly full roof deck. Shortest wedding party ever, or most deluded phone answerer ever? Now for the food and drink: 1) We ordered orange juices and coffee, then became jealous of the neighboring table's mimosas. Our waitress, V.V., amiably complied with my request of "could you turn our OJ into mimosas?" Five stars for her before the food even arrived. 2) The Not Your Average Benedict consists of two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, smoked salmon, and avocado on an English muffin with home fries on the side. Five stars. The egg had the perfect amount of poachiness--solid enough on the outside and runny enough on the inside. read more

I had been to Daedalus several times before this one star experience. First, the two of us arrived upstairs and were confused as to the seating situation. We were not greeted by anyone. We only received a few blank stares from the bartender. The deck was full so we seated ourselves at one of the tables inside. Our waitress was quick to bring us water, but service was slow otherwise. The waitress brought my burger order to another table and I notified her that what she had given me was not my burger (which came with the incorrect side item). She asked if I had touched the one I'd been given and swapped it with my real order at a different table. My medium burger was well undercooked, and the bun was soggy due to the burger resting on the dressing of the side salad. Needless to say, the burger fell apart when I tried to eat it. Then, on the bill, we were charged $3 per soft drink, meaning NO FREE REFILLS. $3 for a soda is already outrageous, but these refill charges are egregious. Also, the refill cost is not stated on the menu, and our server did not inform us after we had ordered several refills that each one would cost more money. Of all of the restaurants I've been to in Harvard Square (I've lived here 4 years now), this is the worst service I've ever had. I will not be returning in the future. Felipe's rooftop is far superior! read more

I tried this place twice. Once on a busy Saturday and once just now on a quiet Tuesday night. Everyone's got great reviews but the truth must be told. The staff is only nice because they are naive. They have absolutely no knowledge of food or wine, and sadly no knowledge of service whatsoever. They wouldn't know that haddock is from the cod family. The server today had no idea what the Sauvignon Blanc tasted like vs the Chardonnay, and guessed that the Sauvignon Blanc would be more full-bodied, which is almost never the case. First time the salmon was overcooked past medium rare, and took over 30 minutes to come out (it was busy). The second time the salad came out in 20 minutes (it was dead). I was never offered salt or pepper. And you'll surely want it on the Cobb salad. I was more forgiving the first time, thinking these were young Harvard kids just trying to make some spare change. And there was one experienced server who was actually working her butt off, picking up after the kid servers' messes, like an incredibly angry guest at the table next to us. Yes, the first time, it was horrendous for someone else. The girl didn't know that as a server you serve, you don't try to manage a situation, and you definitely don't ignore it otherwise it will escalate, and it did. A big man yelling ain't pretty. Furthermore, that night there were about 4 people who lit up cigarettes around us - less than 2 feet away from our table, almost elbow to elbow. The server gave them permission, which then led to the table next to us lighting up. So much for enjoying a romantic rooftop dinner with the bf; we were inhaling cig smoke for half our dinner. We skipped dessert and skipped out on the bill. Jk, but we wanted to. So today I just didn't get any attention. Server only had me and a 2-top. Accidentally knocked over my glass of water, 10 minutes rolled by without her coming to clean it up, so I went inside and got a rag from the bartender myself and a new drink. It's too bad, this place is such a great location. I mean there's a rooftop - enjoy it while we can! They also have free wifi, just ask for the password. Hello and goodbye Daedalus! I'll let the Harvard peeps have you. read more

Another restaurant that I was introduced to through work. This past year we had our office holiday dinner there and it was great. The menu had good, diverse options (especially considering several of my coworkers have various food restrictions) and everyone was able to find something they liked. Our server was very attentive and the meal moved at a good pace. Its dark and basked in red hues which makes it feel cozy, especially on the rainy night we were there. We were seated upstairs near the green house like ceiling area and I enjoyed the pitter pat of the rain on the glass. read more

Having been here before and received wonderful service in their converted rooftop greenhouse, Today's lack of service tore my heart in two and completely embarrassed me Since I was trying to show a group of my out of town friends this place and talking it up. Should have turned right around when we walked into the EMPTY restaurant and no one greeted us at all, even when we initiated contact. They just stared at us as if we were aliens. We received confirmation that the restaurant was open. Fleeing from their unwanted gazes we headed up the stairs hoping to be seated. Upon entering the top floor into the greenhouse dining room, being welcomed by yet again confused stares from 3 waitresses (?). At this point we as customers were now very confused as to why we have yet to be spoken to or seated after 2 minutes of wandering around this restaurant!? When the staring contest was finally broken by one of the waitresses with the prize winning inquiry - "Wasn't there someone to seat you?". Now personal injection here- ah doesn't matter if that is someone else's job, when you have customers that obviously did not get stopped by anyone downstairs to be seated that is probably not the best way to greet a customer. 5 minutes of our lives wasted. We were seated! Whoo hoo right? NEGATORY!! Prepared to not let the first impressions define our experience, we sat down in a cozy corner. Unfortunately they continued their roll of inexcusable service in an EMPTY RESTAURANT. We then wasted another 10 minutes sitting here waiting for a waitress (there were 3?!). All of us were on a timeline, so we decided to flag down a waitress. The first verbal "Excuse me" was fallen on deaf ears. The second "Excuse me" was ignored. Oh did I mention the restaurant was EMPTY? Finally, one of us got up and walked over to the 3 waitresses (2 were seated and 1 was actually busy) to request service. Mind you that is the first time I had to ever physically wander over to waitress to request for service. What was the kicker was that too was ignored! Another personal insert- I think it's pretty hard to ignore a physical human there, but these 3 waitresses... So 20 minutes we ended up with a belly of water and made a unanimous decision to leave. I have never left a restaurant with such disdain. No one even tried to stop us, not apologize for the lack of service. If there was an option to rate a 0 on yelp - today's experience would have been the definition to use. read more

The service is terrible. And they charged me $2 PER shrimp (and they weren't even jumbo shrimp!). That would be fine had I agreed to it, but the slow and rude waitress never told me the price, she just nodded when I asked to have shrimp added on my salad. Then, instead of apologizing, this waitress became very rude when I politely asked if there had been a mistake with the price on my receipt. The manager was even ruder, so I see why the wait staff get away with it. My friend also hated the taste of her food, and she just ordered a basic pasta dish! I agree with Traveling B - it really is too bad that the service is so bad, otherwise it is a nice rooftop spot. But it's NOT worth putting up with the lack of service, the ridiculous pricing, and the bland food. read more

tl;dr: came on a busy-ish Friday night for dinner, but left after one drink. We asked to be seated on the roof deck, but there was a wait. The host suggested finding a seat upstairs and they'd call us when a table was ready, which was fine with us. However, before we'd had a chance to order, the server came and asked us to move because a party of six was going to be sitting at the next table (and apparently needed our booth as well?). The other table was marked reserved, but this one was not. Whatever. Not the end of the world. We moved to a table with less comfortable chairs and across the aisle from a booth of three young women, who were soon joined by three more friends, two of them large men. They couldn't all fit at a four top, so one of the men found a nearby chair and sat at the end of the table, with his back less than a foot from our table. I'm not claustrophobic, but this made me uncomfortable. They were also so loud that my friend and I could barely hear each other. The server was very solicitous to them (in fact, I believe he provided the chair); so much so, in fact, that he barely paid any attention to us. We considered waiting, but as we'd only been there fifteen minutes at that point, it seemed unlikely that we'd get outside anytime soon, and the only other free table was the one we'd already vacated, so we left to find somewhere else for dinner. Shame, as it was a beautiful night and I was looking forward to getting outside. read more

Yummy food, great atmosphere. Love the two-tiered thing going on. I got the fish and chips, and it was *nearly* as good as the fish n' chips I've eaten in London. Crisped pita bread with a sundried tomato hummus instead of the typical bread basket, which I found refreshing and very tasty. And the fries! Dear god. They are clearly fresh, hand-cut, fantastic-tasting goodness. Perfect fries, and from a fry maven such as myself, that is high praise. My date had the Daedalus Burger, and couldn't stop raving about it. So that was quite good as well. So, to recap: atmosphere- great. Food - good. More specifically, fries - Ohmygod. So. Good. Portions - good, on the largeish side, I'd say. Prices - mid-range. I'd recommend it as a nice date place, or as a place to just get some good, tasty food in a nicely-atmosphered environment. read more

I really enjoy Daedalus. As a local grad student I'm lucky that it hasn't been overplayed in my social circle and unlike having a song on repeat, I can still evaluate it objectively. First, I am never, ever, disappointed with the food. Not only does it taste great, the presentation is also very nice. A favorite is the Spicy Steak Salad but I've ordered a number of other things (and tried friend's) and I think everything is very well done. The Spicy Steak Salad is great because the greens are high quality and the steak is flavorful and does have a kick. Blue cheese is a pretty standard steak pairing and the salsa doesn't overwhelm the simplicity of the salad. I would also recommend the Calamari and Bruschetta appetizers. Second, Daedalus is a pretty great drink spot. I find that the drinks are reasonably priced (wine, vodka soda, etc.) and I especially enjoy the roof deck when the weather is nice enough to sit outside. Additionally, when the weather is iffy they put out heaters, which is much appreciated! read more

If you are a fitted-cashmere-sweater-wearing HBS or Harvard law student, this is your place.

The roof deck is about the only thing this place has going for it. I work nearby and we only go to eat here for lunch when it's a slow day and we have plenty of time to wait on the extremely slow waiters. I'm actually writing this review because of my most recent experience here. We were told repeatedly by the hostess and waitress that we would be booted off the deck whenever they felt it was necessary because we weren't ordering food. We actually ended up ordering food just to get them off our backs. I understand this is how the roof at Daedalus works, but they are extremely rude about it. The waitress even brought us our check before we asked for it, even though we had gone over $100 in drinks in an hour. If you drink heavily enough you can ignore the bad service, but I wouldn't recommend it. The bartender who usually works downstairs is the only guy at Daedalus who is worth a flip.. read more

Upstairs bar had a fun, coctail hour ambiance. Wife had special duck breast with risotto. The duck was perfectly cooked and not gamie. I had the flanked steak with mashed potato and asparagus. Steak was deep in flavor (sweet and slightly salty) and tender, potato and asparagus was ordinary. Food was good but was expensive for the price. Try the mix drink here. read more

Best thing about this place is: the roof deck. period. Everything on their main course menu is made with cream or stuffed with something, i.e. "we don't know how to cook anything, so we'll just stuff it with butter or cream." And then....we'll charge you $20 for it. My fiance and I could barely bring ourselves to finish our meal. Never again. read more

I come to this place pretty often on a night out. Tom the bartender on the second floor is wonderful! Last time I didn't know what to get and he made me this ginger beer/cucumber cocktail that was absolutely delicious! On a cold night, their hot cider is also delicious. There's also an outdoor deck thats awesome for hanging on in warmer weather. There's heating lamps installed over the outdoor area so it would be fine in spring/early fall weather. I've never been here during the day/tried their food, but at least for an evening hang out spot this place is great! The atmosphere is really good, I think partially due to the layout of the venue - not too small but not so spacious as to seem empty. And everyone is just chilling from my experience :) read more

The service here is extraordinarily terrible. The waitress Olivia, we had on the patio on Thursday night was extremely rude and unattentive. She came off very annoyed when we asked her anything! For a drink for some food, we got a bad attitude and resting bitch face the entire time. We were just out to enjoy the weather and have a few drinks, which she put a damper on pretty quickly. The poor excuse of a manager walking around in a collared shirt and glasses was not overseeing his staff at all as they were all rude to all the patrons. We complained about her twice and he also had an attitude and treated the situation very unprofessionally. No apologies, just a "I'll have a talk with her". No offer to take off the auto-gratuity, which is bullshit because we ordered appetizers and 2 entrees for a party of 7. The service did not even deserve 5 percent. The food and drink options here are not all that bad but the service is atrocious and the staff are way under experienced. We will never come back here. Worst 400 dollars ever spent. read more

Had a very nice Calamari and Seafood Risotto just last week. It was excellent. Calamari was not chewy at all and seafood was very fresh. Very nice place for a date. (I wasn't there for a date, mind you) read more

My wife and I ate here for a friend's birthday party. At first, we were quite impressed with the atmosphere and how quickly we were seated. We had reservations for a party of 12 and a nice group of tables set up for us. Things seemed to be going smoothly and then...we met our waitress. I'm not going to beat around the bush here, I'm just going to come right out and say that our waitress was an absolute BITCH. There, I said it. You would think that she'd be cheery because a table of 12 means a big tip, but she was just miserable. In addition to her horrible attitude, she screwed up our orders and did not put in a meal, so our friend had to wait 10 minutes after everyone else had gotten their food. And at the end, when we were all sitting around after our $555 meal, she came over and said "is there anything else you need or do you want the check", and she said it such a rude manner that she should have just said "Please get out of here I am tired of you". Moving along...aside from our bitchy waitress, all of the other staff were friendly and attentive. The food was very good, but OVER-PRICED. This restaurant has the audacity to charge an extra $2.00 for everything on the menu for the "outdoor patio" seating. I'm not getting more food, why should I pay more money? The Thai Mussels (appetizer) were delicious, my meal (grilled pork chop with excellent bbq sauce, mashed potatoes, and asparagus) was very good, but small and expensive. My wife had a seafood risotto, which was good, but also a small and expensive portion. Overall, I would have given this place 3 stars, but our rude waitress brought the rating down to 2. It's a cool place to hang out, have some (over-priced) drinks, and socialize. But, if you want to spend over $60 on a dinner for 2, there are better restaurants around. My wife and I will not return to Daedalus, unless of course we have to go to another party, but hopefully none of our friends choose this place again. read more

Living just around the corner, Daedalus is one of my regular hang-outs in Harvard Square. I would not go for the food or just the bar. Daedalus is more than that: it is a place where you run into your fellows from grad school all the time. Plus: I really like the rooftop in the summer which has a fantastic view, and the burger is better than I expected it to be. Great quality! Minus: The service is pretty slow and not the most attentive and friendliest one in the world. Thus: definitely not the place for a first date or a nice dinner, but great to casually meet your people. read more

I'm guessing that either this restaurant is closed or is going to close soon - the web site is dead, no one answers the phone (or checks voicemail, because the box is full), the email I sent to their address bounced back as undeliverable, _and_ Daedalus is conspicuously absent from anyplace online that takes reservations. Hopefully another restauranteur will snap up this location and it won't become another bank? read more

I saw mice running all over the tables outside!! Is it not the job of the store to keep rodents from running all over the tables? Guess if you go outside- don't touch anything!!! read more

We had a great dining experience, but the hostess was very rude and extremely inhospitable. She rolled her eyes at customers, acted rudely, and was overall extremely condescending. I would absolute go back for the food and the atmosphere of she was not working there. read more

Kelly, that is funny! we meet that guy too in Harvard sweatpants at this bar! he was from Holland? I was in Boston with the other girls before we go to Cape Cod for a photo shoot and we stayed in Harvard Square. we had some drinks at Daedalus, it is a very good bar. We drank maybe a little too much and the Dutch guy was so funny, very charming, he made us laugh for all night long. the other girl and I invite him back to our hotel for the jacuzzi, but he didn't understand, I think he drinks too much, so we go to the hotel just with us. it was a fun night! read more

Definitely try the crab cake sandwich! What it lacks in extraordinary, it makes up for in consistency and it's a worthwhile addition to anyone's lunch rotation. Make sure you have time to spare though because service can be on the slow side. Also, if you're in need of some natural sunlight, the upstairs has a skylight. read more

Thank goodness the bartender (who clearly was some sort of manager or something) had sense to tell the hostess that we could be seated up on the roofdeck even if all of us were not ordering food. It was the middle of the day on a weekday! And there were a few tables open up there, so why wouldn't you seat us there??? It is just common sense since if you seat us there we will spend money ha After that mini debate downstairs, we were seated in their roof deck area and it is pretty nice, I do have to say. I wish more places had roof decks. And the food here (the bites I stole from Espie B that is) was actually way better than I thought it would be! I'd heard mixed things about this place, but her crab cake sandwich was pretty tasty, and Natalie's fish and chips you could tell were made with fresh fresh fish and they weren't even overly battered and fried either. The fries are just fries, and of course you want to eat them when they are sitting there. But the fish and chips came with this coleslaw that was pretty refreshing. Not sure what they put in it, but that cilantro and that sauce with a hint of sweetness was really nice. On a sunny day though I would have liked more water offered and I wish that some of the food items and cocktails were a little more affordable. Massachusetts really needs a happy hour!!!!! Or at least my wallet does ha Overall this place is a pretty nice place--but beware for men using the unisex bathrooms who don't lock the door! Awkward walk-ins may have happened here during my visit! But that has nothing to do with the restaurant itself, so consider this a 3.5 star review. read more

Dear Daedalus, food is yummy, patio is beautiful. Until today have always had really wonderful waitstaff. Until tonight. Caitlin on the patio, was openly disdainful of us, which feels like the best public forum word to use to not be inappropriate (we were a small party, no odd orders, friendly). Clearly had no desire to provide good service and basically prompted us to leave. I will gladly return since I enjoy your establishment. However, if she is my waitstaff again I will quickly turn around and walk out. read more

Terrible service and food. Crab cake had almost no crab in it. Waitress was afraid of the bee on the outdoor patio meaning, I had fetch my own water, and ask for additional drinks and service. All around rude service and mediocre food. Not worth the cost or wait. Plus is, the patio is beautiful. read more

A great place to get drinks at Harvard Square when everything closes down. Perhaps the best bar close to the river. However, the food is at best mediocre and the cocktails are fairly standard. The staff is friendly and the place has a great vibe. They even have an outdoor patio. read more

The food is nothing more than average. The premium prices are definitely for the open atmosphere and patio..but damn worth it!

This restaurant is very overpriced. It cost over $20 for pasta that didn't even fill us up. It does have a nice ambiance but overall, I thought the meal was average. read more

5 stars for the roof deck. 3 stars for the food, evens out to 4. I have a good friend that lives close by so this becomes an old stand by. Based on her opinion the food is eh, with a few dishes that are good. I would really recommend going here for a drink to enjoy the new roof deck. But with the short supply of outdoor eating areas it gets pretty busy for dinner, so show up around 10 for a light meal and some drinks. I love the thai mussels. read more

Live around the corner, go here regularly, most recently this morning: Pluses: + Generally solid food + Beautiful roof deck, love being out there whenever I possibly can. Seriously, SIT ON THE ROOF DECK. I think it's the best outdoor seating in Harvard Square. + Saturday brunch! And what's more--usually really easy to get a table for brunch, whether it's Saturday or Sunday! Minuses: - Uninspired cocktails. I don't expect every place to be Drink or Craigie in terms of mixology, but I feel like Daedalus is aspiring to gastropubittude, and it falls pretty far short. - Kitchen closes at 10:30. So much for your late night bar snacks. - Food is not always quite reliable--I've been in parties with "rare" steaks that were cooked through, and "poached" eggs that were closer to hard boiled. - Weirdly, they always (and only) have strawberry jam for your english muffin, and it's in those little packets that remind me of diners. Huh. Overall, I like going here, and I would recommend the Not-Your-Average-Benedict. The roof deck is a wonderful place to hang out on. It's not expensive for Harvard Square, and the service is generally nice, if not overwhelming. But don't expect more than a fun neighborhood restaurant. read more

I just stopped by Daedalus this evening to have a drink with a good friend. The beer selection was good and the tomato bisque was really delicious. I also enjoyed the general atmosphere. However, what made this a three star as opposed to a four, was our service. My friend was sitting at the bar when I arrived so naturally I sat next to him. The bartender seemed very put-off and not really friendly. Also, when I asked for a menu he did not seem to happy either. But what really made this experience not the greatest was our bartender was discussing with a guest next to use about how a neighboring restaurant was not good and trash talking the establishment and the staff. Other than the fact I am very fond of this restaurant and find that in its entirety it is a great neighborhood restaurant, I found this very unprofessional of the bar tender to do this so openly. I have been in the industry for a while and I find this disrespectful and not showing great character. I may give Daedalus another shot, but the chances are unlikely. read more

I am a frequent patron of Daedalus and normally have an excellent customer experience whether I'm having lunch on the patio during the day or attending a party at night. Tonight, there was a bartender who refused to serve me due to my license being expired but as soon as the manager caught word of this, he let me know that my license was not a problem and he personally served me drinks the rest of my time there this evening. I was so impressed and it cemented my loyalty to this bar. read more

I will never be able to spell the name of this restaurant, but that doesn't discourage me from taking an hour+ lunch break to eat on their roof deck. Maybe it's the Vitamin D, but I am always in high spirits soaking in the rays eating their Irish/American style food. The service can be a little slow, but it's hard to blame them when everyone and their mom's office arrives at exactly noon and all orders at the same time. I definitely recommend their soup/salad special if it's appealing or the turkey Reuben sandwich. Also, do mentally give yourself an additional 30 minutes before you expect to eat- and stroll in at 11:30 to get the pick of the rooftop tables. read more

I went last night for dinner and drinks with my partner. The service was slow, it took us more than 45 minutes after order to get our food. I had the pasta special, and the seafood was over cooked and very chewy. Hardy any seasoning, very bland. Cocktails were mostly ice and not very good. Paid about $80 for a meal that felt like it was worth maybe $30. Overall, won't return. read more

A favorite for a few drinks with friends when I want to actually be able to have a conversation and hear what we are talking about. The cocktails are good, and I love the bartender downstairs. A regular haunt for HBS students, but I love it all the same. read more

I asked a friend of mine for a recommendation of a nice, comfy quiet place to get drinks and catch up with some friends. He said, go to Daedalus. We had a very nice time here. It had rained in the afternoon, so the roof deck was open, but for drinks only, so we just got a table upstairs. My virgin mojitio was very good, and the complimentary hummus and pita was amazing! Some of the best hummus I've ever had. I had eaten earlier that night and didn't get anything to eat. I did share a chocolate dessert with my friend, that was so awesome, nice and warm, with some gooey chocolate business in the middle. Service was very nice an accommodating. Overall a very cute and comfy place! I will be back, and I'll be sure to try some food next time. read more

Great food and service in Cambridge. Loved the fish tacos and the jambalayaThe chocolate explosion dessert was wonderful. Share it!!

So the bar at this place is not bad at all. They have a variety of beers on tap, their bartenders are very nice and fast with drinks, and they make a killer mojito! However in the overall scheme of things, the only thing going for this place is the roof top deck. It's a great atmosphere for bringing a group of people, relaxing and catching up with your friends, but that's about it. The drinks are ok, moderately priced (nothing absurd), but the food is god awful. I've tried this place over and over again hoping that something decent will come out of the kitchen and quite frankly I'd rather starve. Since this place is considered a restaurant & pub, I'm rating a 2-star based on the overall performance and I can say with certainty that I've experienced better. I've recently changed this rating to a 3 stary bc I don't want people to get the wrong idea. For it's location, drink prices, and roof deck..it's a nice place to go and meet up and they have a ton of TVs so definitely a good time when games are going on. read more

Nice waiter and hostess. Food - pricey, barely average. Drinks - also pricey [$12 for a Mai Tai]. Went in the afternoon. With the place well lit, the rugs showed major stains and the walls are in major need of paint, etc. Portabello sandwich had very rubbery sun-dried tomatoes. The bread and fries were less than average and plain. An over-priced disappointment in the food quality department. But a nice spacious location with good service, a mid-80's solarium look, and in nice weather, the option to sit outside on a second-floor deck. read more