Cambridge is a city jam packed with a lavish selection of fine eateries from corner to corner. As…read morewith options this vast, it can be daunting making a decision on where first to embark. Luckily for us, my bestie and her hubby were our unofficial tour guides for the evening, as we ventured on a casual double date night at none other than Grafton Street.
It's as every bit as street level as its exterior decorum exudes. Incidentally enough, we discovered that the best time to arrive on a Friday night is anytime before 7:30, because that's when the crowd decided to show up. That having been said, it's important to note this place can become very noisy very quickly. It is a bar after all. And the lushes were afoot on this most boisterous Friday night.
So anyways, we started the night off with two apps..
Spinach and Artichoke Dip: My bestie highly recommended this app and her palate was most spot-on with this one. Creamy as hell with large Artichokes throughout. And the homemade chips add a much appreciated rustic touch to the whole thing. Though, I do wish there were an option to add a protein like shrimp or even lobster meat or something. 9 out of 10, would recommend!
Steak Tartare: What's the best way to put this? I think....misleading sums it up. I'd even go as far to say this felt like a fake tartare. For one thing, it didn't even look the right color. And that's likely because it was doused in some kind of dressing that gave the whole thing an unusual taste. Now, we've had our fair share of tartare apps in the past; the carpaccio from Proper Chophouse at the Nash Casino being among the best. But this one had a strange flavor with a bizarre, chewy texture that just didn't sit right with us. Not only was the beef unrefined, it was also underseasoned. Needless to say, we ended up sending this one back after only one bite each and swapped it out for the artichoke dip. 1 out of 10, this one just didn't work.
Onto the mains..
Shepherd's Pie: From what I gather, the wifey was quite pleased with this one. She just needed to add her copious amounts of salt as she does because she's the salt queen. After which, she thoroughly enjoyed it. We also appreciate the fact this is a REAL Shepherd's Pie and not merely cosplaying as many other restaurants do by making theirs with beef. Nay. Nothing but lamb in this legit dish.
Grilled Pork Chop: Okay. I need to start this out by stating how elated I was to finally try a properly cooked pork chop in a restaurant. So, a little background story - growing up in the 80s, I was fooled into believing pork chop was simply something I pretended to enjoy, since it was always a thin cut, overcooked, dry as hell slab of anemically seasoned pork. Ch'yeah...my uncle really cooked like a donkey sometimes.
Anywho, fast forward to 2026 and I'm presented with this gorgeous cut of freshly grilled pork. Right away, I can tell that it is WELL seasoned! A lot. Like...salty. VERY salty. Salty like the sea.
Chat, the pork was overseasoned. And I can't even believe I'm saying that! But allow me to elaborate.
It wasn't overseasoned to the point of being inedible. But JUST over the mark. And I've NEVER had that happen in a restaurant setting before. Usually, you'll hear me complain about food being quite the reverse. This is so rare, in fact, that I initially had a tough time admitting it to myself. After bite number 7 or 8, I thought, "Wow! This is the saltiest piece of meat I've ever tasted inside restaurant walls!" The insides of my mouth felt drier than Pakistan. I felt as if the Special Forces were about to start conducting maneuvers inside my mouth-hole imminently. But, I digress.
This one was OKAY, but I don't think I'd get it again. 7 out 10, not sure if they'll take requests for reduced sodium, but....be sure to drink a tall glass of water with this one.
Side note on the potato salad: it was good. Not quite as good as the one I make at home. Though, I can appreciate the fact they use Yukon Gold potatoes, same as me. This one was served warm, however; possibly due to the hot pork chop sitting atop of it.
All things considered, we would certainly return. The vibe is contemporary, as is its decorum. And wouldn't you know it? They actually have tap-to-pay courtesy of their mobile POS systems! That was an unexpected, considering normally only casual chain dine-in restaurants have that sort of thing. Next time around, I'd be willing to try a burger or even the fish n' chips, if the mood so fits. Taking into account their potential, aside from their one-off faux pas, I'm gonna give Grafton Street 4 savory pork chops hot off the grill out of 5.
