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    Oak Bistro

    4.7 (130 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

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    Seared Sea Scallops
    Claire C.

    All the food we had was good. I got the scallops and they were fresh and cooked perfectly, and the butternut squash purée was so good to pair with scallops. The arugula salad was a refreshing start, i liked the citricy of the dressing. Overall, good food, but the staff served us that day was not so friendly.

    Short rib pasta
    Regina L.

    We came here for lunch/brunch on a Saturday and it wasn't too crowded so we got seated right away. The service was pretty fast and the food was good. We split the clam chowder, which is so good on a cold day. The steak sandwich was alright, I would have preferred steak slices rather than shaved steak. I enjoyed the short rib pasta.

    Salmon
    Lizzie K.

    Wow this place was fantastic. Best cocktail I've ever had! The place inside was gorgeous and the servers were incredibly kind!

    Seared scallops, steak, pappardelle with short rib
    Caroline M.

    The food was incredibly fresh and absolutely DELICIOUS!!! The service was excellent. Staff is friendly and attentive. I appreciated that they fit us in on a very busy Easter Sunday for my daughter's birthday. We will certainly be back the next time we are visiting my daughter at college.

    French toast
    Kayla L.

    Came on a Saturday brunch with with a reservation. They are so sweet as they have made placeholder names on our tables which is a nice touch. The service is attentive and very friendly. We got French toast and the egg Benedict. I have to said I'm super impressed by the French toast, it's so delicious! Same for the egg Benedict and the potato pieces are chunky and crunchy -personal preference to have it smaller but it's still good! Love the decoration and it's very cozy to come here with a big group of friends or a date!

    Dil S.

    Exceptional restaurant, perfect for a date. Friendly service and incredibly tasty bites of croquette, potato pave, risotto, and steak sandwich. Great creative fall cocktails as well.

    Short Ribs Eggs Benedict.
    Emma G.

    This was a Boston highlight for me this time around. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I stopped by last Saturday for brunch after a very nippy walk on the other side of Cambridge. I required warmth and sustenance, both of which were delivered in droves. It was pretty packed when we came in around 2ish but we were immediately seated at a high-top table near the bar to begin increasing our body temperatures and consuming calories. In what's becoming a bit of a trip tradition, we decided to go a little bougie and get an edgy mimosa situation. Oak Bistro had a flight option in the $55 range where you got a bottle of champagne and I think three or four juice options to mix it with. Not a bad deal. Based on what we sampled, I don't see a reason for them to get too creative here - dance with the one you brought, right? In this case, orange juice. There was a berry-flavored one that wasn't bad but both of us kept relying on the mainstay orange juice. One of them was a cider that just didn't hit at all, and I'd remove that from the flight options. It flat out doesn't jive with the champagne. But honestly, that cider was the only miss of the adventure in my book. I'd built up an appetite braving the New England wind gusts, so it felt appropriate to go straight to the Benedict section. It's one of my favorite brunch entrees but I especially like it when it's not the dictionary definition version, aka with Canadian bacon. This was a very solid alternative, featuring short rib. Delicious and really hit the spot. The short ribs themselves were a LITTLE dry but I think it cancelled out with the hollandaise sauce. The home fries were great too, perfectly cooked and seasoned. A very solid dish in my view. My chum was tepid on them, but we will respectfully agree to disagree. The service was fine from what I recall. We were in a "good" area in that respect, in that we were pretty visible and not tucked away in a corner, so our waitress came by fairly regularly. We weren't on the clock so if the visits were more on the infrequent side, it wasn't noticed. The high-top tables ARE a little small especially given the plate sizes - we had two entrees and a mimosa flight and it was a very tight squeeze. If they have the ability to replace those with ones that provide more space to play around with, I'd do it. Was this mind-blowing/off the charts? No, but it was very solid and you take that as a win.

    Cocktails
    Rachel O.

    We loooooved this lil bistro. What a delicious surprise in Camrbidge. Here's my grade: Drinks: - Quetzal (Montelobos Espadin, kiwi cucumber fresca, orange liqueur, lime, spicy salt, thai chili) - B - Don Augustin (Brown butter washed Monkey Shoulder, Punt e Mes, Frangelico, hickory smoke) - B+ Food: - Thousand-layer crispy potato pave (Pecorino cheese, bravas sauce, chives, gluten-free) - A+ - Special risotto (Pecorino cheese, mushrooms, duck confit, gluten-free) - A Server: - Naomi - A+ Vibes: - Tasteful, hip, smart layout, but not trying too hard. They installed a thick curtain at the door to stop chilly winter air from blasting in to the dining area. Not too bright, but also not too dark. Perfectly lit. A+ I would absolutely come back if I was in the area! In fact, I'd seek out a reason to go to Cambridge just so that I could have dinner here again. I still dream about that thousand-layer potato dish. The prices were a little high, but I think they mostly aligned with the area, the quality of food, & the great service.

    gnocchi
    Colleen C.

    This place is sooo yummy. We called around 6pm on a Saturday with no reservations and they were able to get us seats. Food highlights: Fried burrata - really delicious and large portion. big enough for 4 people to split Berry Farm Roasted Beet Salad - maybe the highlight of the entire meal. perfectly dressed, the pear was melt in your mouth good and toasted pecans were a good touch. wish we had more! Ricotta Gnocchi (asked for vegetarian) - this was the perfect portion and some of the most well cooked gnocchi I've had. really yummy Pappardelle short rib ragu - so good, fresh tasting pasta. not super saucy but in a way that made it taste light (for a pasta dish). large portion, enough for left overs! banana beignets - surprisingly "light". very fluffy but a tiny bit dense compared to my idea of a beignet. the caramel sauce was really good for dipping. it definitely needs that to not taste too dry. drinks: loved autumn in inman - not too sweet but just sweet enough. easy to drink taste like home - very pretty drink, a bit sweet but perfect if you like that I would definitely return here. the service was fast, nice and the ambiance of the restaurant is great for a date night!

    Farm to table Burger
    Hussain L.

    Ordered takeout for dinner via the website and the service was fast and easy! Had to try the burger, it was tender and juicy, very simple steak seasoning. The ricotta and Sweet potato fritters were delicious, I personally did not like the taste of the sauce very much even though it does bring out some of the flavors. I've never had a restaurant write a beautiful message on my to-go bag for me, that was special! Ambiance on the inside is intimate and classy, great for a special night out.

    Barbie and Ken Valentine's Day cocktail
    Molly A.

    What a fun place! My fiancé and I visited Oak Bistro for Valentine's Day after making a reservation. They had a special drink and food menu for the occasion, and can attest that cocktails were delicious! Standout dishes were the croquettes, potato pave, and the special chocolate mousse. I also wanted to add that the staff went above and beyond for Valentine's Day, even coming by and taking Polaroids of us to keep! Looking forward to returning soon!

    Mushroom risotto
    Kathy T.

    Came here with my team of 10 and had a really amazing meal. Apps especially-layered potatoes, truffle fries, short rib croquettes, citrus salad, peach burrata salad, Brussels- rave reviews from everyone on those. Entrees were all good but reviews more mixed on enthusiasm. Scallops were as good as the apps, as was the mushroom risotto and chicken. Gnocchi was a little bland and short rib pasta good. Ambience is fun, server friendly and competent, cocktails and beer enjoyed by those who imbibed. Highly recommend!

    Kitty C.

    Dee's artichoke cakes were great! Enjoyed the vegan options and the staff were very friendly. Cute and cozy, we look forward to visiting again.

    Farm to table burger

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    Great experience from service to food. Comfortable environment and quiet enough for conversation

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    Hi Bri, thanks for your review! Hope to see you again soon!

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    Black Ruby - Khao Soi Burger

    Black Ruby

    (101 reviews)

    Porter Square

    Full Blog: https://tantorski.com/f/black-ruby…read more Friday nights in Cambridge have a great energy, and Black Ruby fully leans into it. The restaurant was buzzing when we arrived, but we were seated right away at the last available table. The space felt both lively and cozy, perfect for a date night. Service started a bit slow, but once it picked up, the pacing was excellent. Our server was more hands off, which worked well, letting us settle in and enjoy the night without feeling rushed. We started with the Larb Pork Dumplings, which were beautifully presented with chili lime mayo, fresh herbs, and crispy greens. They were fried perfectly, packed with bright Thai flavors, and the added crunch from the greens made the dish even better. With five dumplings, it was a great portion to share. For dinner, we ordered the Crispy Basil Burger and the Thai Garlic Burger, both cooked medium and full of flavor, with Thai seasoning adding a unique twist to the beef.

    Once I tried Black Ruby, it immediately became one of my favorite restaurants in Cambridge. The…read morecocktails are creative and delicious--I love the Thai Tea Martini--and the food is fantastic as well. The Khao Soi burger is my go-to. It has all of the flavors and textures of Khao Soi, with pickled mustard greens for acid, crispy noodles for a crunchy flair, and just the right amount of spice. I find myself craving it often! The one and only bone I have to pick with Black Ruby is that the service, while very attentive, is almost TOO fast. I get that they want to turn tables over efficiently, but the last couple of times I've come, I kind of felt like they were rushing me out. I came here to catch up with a couple friends and our food came almost instantly, before our drinks, and the waitress seemed eager to keep us moving. I think our entire meal was less than 50 minutes. While I'll definitely be back, I think it won't be somewhere I'd bring friends anymore since it's just not enough time for a full conversation.

    Josephine - Cacio nara pizza

    Josephine

    (142 reviews)

    For dinner and drinks, this is a great restaurant in the neighborhood. The ambiance for a cocktail…read moreparty was great, and the hamburger sliders and cocktails were top notch. In particular, there was an orange mezcal cocktail I loved. For brunch, it was good but not great. The pancakes were good, but the eggs Benedict wasn't as good as I hoped. It was trying to be too many things. I think it would be better if the veg was on the side and not on the egg, and the Benedict sauce could benefit from having more flavor, maybe a little more spice. The coffee and cappuccino was also mediocre. The service was friendly and the location convenient, right next to the Cambria hotel with an indoor entrance between the two. Recommend for dinner and drinks!

    Let me preface this with I'm a SAVORY GIRL! My favorite foods are lemon, garlic and salt. This…read moreplace made everything the exact way I would want it if I could always have everything my way One of the best meals I've had in a while. I got a martini with the blue cheese olives, the smoked blue cheese in the olive was so unique and CREAMY and salty I'd be happy to back just for the olives alone. Shrimp cocktail came with half a lemon with OLD BAY seasoning!! Genius! Big shrimp, two sauces were great too, horse radish cream sauce and a classic cocktail sauce which was a tad sweet for me but I'll get over it because I'm all about the lemon and old bay. Cesar salad! Big salad! Wish we shared one. Big garlic croutons with a bit of rosemary and you could taste good olive oil on those. Dressing was very lemony and there was a hefty amount of cheese. I'd say even if you're someone who prefers a creamy Cesar you'd probably still like this because there's a lot of cheese which added great texture. Came with a big grilled lemon which is an A++ move in my book. Husband added grilled chicken to his and said it was great. Next time we'll share a Cesar and I can't wait to go back and try the fried artichokes.

    Rosebud Bar & Kitchen - Tikka tater tots

    Rosebud Bar & Kitchen

    (798 reviews)

    $$

    Davis Square

    I was impressed with this place once I overcame my surprise this is not a stand alone diner car…read more I ordered the bacon cheeseburger since it is a signature dish. It was tasty, greasy (in a good way), and the spiced fries were a nice change up. My wife and I ordered a bottle of wine which was priced quite reasonably. This place has a stealthy good selection of craft beers on tap. Look forward to returning here again.

    Walked in on day after thanksgiving for brunch, and this place was relatively quiet. We got an…read moreamazing booth seating, but really wanted their fancy bus seating which gives a classic diner feel to the restaurant. TL;DR - if you are from Bombay, are craving that specific Bombay Chinese food taste, and Vada Pav - look no further - this is the place. Most of their staff are fellow Mumbaikars - shout out to Shiv, Dhvani, and Ronak! Shiv, our server was friendly and our hungry table got straight to ordering which included a flavor packed and well priced Lychee Martini ($10), Masala Chai Hot Toddy ($12), and Spicy 'Lil Rita ($12) - being the best one! Food included some well name dishes like Kashmiri Deviled Eggs ($12), Vada Pav ($12), Rasam Risotto ($15), Butter Chicken Pot Pie ($20), Chicken Steak with Makhani Sauce ($18), Street Fried Noodles ($16), and Penne Pasta with Chicken for the kiddos. Food just hits the right spots and is very flavorful, extremely well seasoned, and perfectly spiced. Interiors and their bar is very inviting. Noise levels during our stay were on the lower end. Service was excellent. What was refreshing was they didn't charge us any automatic gratuity even for our large group - but absolutely deserved a generous one! Highly highly recommend if flavorful food is your thing!

    Mr Bartley's Burger Cottage

    Mr Bartley's Burger Cottage

    (1.4k reviews)

    $$

    Harvard Square

    No one needs this review because this place is old as dirt and has over 1,000 reviews ... but here…read moreI go. I have not been here in years. I mean like since the 70s. My middle son wanted to try it out and I thought why not - it is a Monday, day after a bad Super Bowl loss, and frigid - should be quiet. I was right so no wait and very quiet. This was the best burger I have had in a while. I have all but given up on eating burgers out but this one was ... chef's kiss. I got a build your own - The bun was toasted just right and held up to a juicy burger, the meat was tasty (not mushy like the place down the street), the tomato was flavorful (how in winter, I don't know), the pickle to burger ratio was perfect, and the fried onion straws made the combo complete. Bonus points for the raspberry lime Rickey - Also something I gave up getting at restaurants because it is usually too sweet. This was the right combo and you could tell they squeezed a fresh lime and not just added syrup.

    I'll be honest, I had high hopes for this place. After seeing it online and just how it's an old…read moreschool vibe, been open for a long time. I was impressed upon arrival, seeing the cool menu and interior. Knowing that many celebrities had eaten here! But then the food came out and we were a little disappointed. I ordered the D-Luxe and my boyfriend got the Bill Burr. We also started with soups, clam chowder and chili. The soups were good. Fries were really good! The burgers looked good, but then we took a bite. We both got medium, but usually that means pink...not raw. I'm not even lying my burger felt like I was eating raw meat. The meat was still super soft and shredded like. I get pink, but not raw. I was nervous I'd be sick after to be honest. I hate seeing pictures of people's bitten into food online but I felt the need to post it for reference... It's too bad because the vibes were great and everything, and maybe next time it'll be better, but I'd definitely say medium or medium well...

    Alden & Harlow - Secret Burger

    Alden & Harlow

    (1.6k reviews)

    $$$

    Harvard Square

    I came here with a big group for brunch over the summer, where we each picked our own entree and…read moreshared a couple dishes. Like other reviewers have mentioned before, some of the dishes arrive faster than others, so I think selecting a few dishes to share family-style among the group might be the best. This is also because I got the milk bread monte cristo ($18) which I thought was tasty, but quickly became too greasy to fully enjoy. It was a big portion which could be easily shared among a group. I also tried their zucchini and spring onion latkes ($18) and seasonal donuts ($12), both of which were excellent. The zucchini latkes were super soft but seasoned perfectly and had a nice aroma of charred onions. I highly recommend the seasonal donuts which are fluffy and not too sweet.

    Alden & Harlow is the perfect place to share delicious food with a good friend. While the space is…read morea nice mix of classy-casual, the food was all class! The menu is full of tempting options so it was hard to choose. We shared the grilled rosemary focaccia, grilled broccoli, roasted cauliflower cesar, and Thai sausage pierogi (with lime, mint yogurt) All were excellent. The grilled rosemary focaccia with fresh, warm, and fluffy and came with a honey whipped ricotta! The grilled broccoli was served on top of heavenly butternut squash hummus and covered nutty-crunchy goodness. The cauliflower cesar and pierogi were also very good; although, I'd probably try something else next time. It was more than enough food for a party of 2. We could have easily only gotten three options, which might have left room for dessert - although maybe not - they are generous portions. Anwho - All in all - great experience all around.

    Oak Bistro - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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