Me and my friends went to get cash for the bar, and when we came back after the bouncer who didn't check our IDs the first time pulled us aside and said "we found a baggie when you dropped your cards" and pulled a bag of white substance from their podium. We wholeheartedly KNEW there was no baggies in our belongings and when we asked them to check any footage they had, they had no comment and said we were being irrational and they wouldn't let us in the bar. To be accused of having illegal substances when we have three witnesses to one is most certainly defamation of character. read more

We went to the bar for a friends bday and they had a cover, so we went to go get cash because they laughed at us and when we came back with cash the bouncers looked at us and accused us for having drugs and they pulled it out of their stash and all we did before was show them our IDs... they didn't want us in and they created a narrative against us read more

Great chicken curry dish. The pint is delicious and the music is great! Nice vibe and parking in lot out back.

The rudest staff I've experienced in all of Boston. While the food and drinks are decent, I have never felt more unsafe as a woman being in this restaurant! read more

We always amazed and never disappointed when we visit The Burren in Davis Square. The menu is quaint yet full of Irish staples like fish and chips, curry chicken, Guinness stew, and a full Irish breakfast. Today the fish was plentiful and the Burren is alway happy to replace the chips with salad which was savery and large. There is always an Irish session on Sunday's so if you like Irish music a trip to The Burren is a must. read more

There are plenty of things I like about the Burren and only a few things that I would change. What I like most are *some* of the cover bands, the mac n' cheese, and the Somervillian clientele, and especially the Irish band in front. Those guys shred, if that is a complimentary verb that can be given to an Irish band. What I would like to change are the other cover bands (the ones that play poor renditions of "Don't Stop Believing" and Jason Mraz and expect that everyone's going to be satisfied), most of the rest of the food, and some of the borderline discriminatory comments I've heard here. I could do without those. read more

Gf and I went last for dinner. Wasn't too busy so the service was great. I got the fish and chips. They were veey good. House made tarter sauce and coleslaw were good too. Gf got the chicken pesto sandwich She liked it. She also loved the thick cut fries. Only problem was a wobbly table by tge door. An easy fix. read more

The Burren - Fish and chips and chicken sandwich. - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The service was slow, the young ladies were sweet and polite, have clue on what they do as waitresses. My small party ordered the Fish and Chips, the Chips were crispy and Cole Slaw and Salad was good. The Fish was not cooked long enough, the outer batter was done the interior batter was doughy, uncooked. When brought to the attention of the waitress, she want to the manager and reported our compliant, she returned and expressed " I am sorry, but, there is nothing I can do, I can offer you another meals? " no thank you, was the our reply. We we're offered another beverage. My point is when food is undercooked at any restaurant that is upstanding, the manager would apologize and call that party a loss in revenue that afternoon. Never again on a trip to Somerville will I send anyone to your spot. read more

Proper pints, great music, fun friendly staff. Balsamic chicken is my go-to for dinner. If you don't like this place you have a stick up your arse. read more

I've been here a couple times, but not last Thursday, when I got a late afternoon text message from friend saying there would be FREE BEER from 6-7 pm there. Sadly, my dog has training classes on Thursdays and I could not attend to confirm or deny this rumor. Buuut, I've been to the Burren on Halloween (got proposed to on the street, booyah!) and for a friend's birthday. There's usually a cover because of the live music thing, which is lame, but I just make a friend pay, since I'm generally here because someone drags me out. They have some beer, and some mixed drinks, and are usually crowded with college kids and young professionals. It's mostly a standing room only type place, which isn't really my scene. It's not too dirty, but also not a location I'd really frequent on my own. I do dig the dim lighting, and when people buy me free drinks. read more

Great music spot. Free band in the front room. Back room has many top notch local and traveling bands. Corned beef and cabbage, beef stew super delicious!! read more

Great Irish pub, great music, great vibe. Unless you have the ability to time travel, don't order food. Guinness pours quickly but 1.5hrs(and counting) for a chicken sandwich seems a bit long to me..considering calling Domino's to see if it arrives faster. read more

I loved the craig, or live Irish music and I do have to say that there were a LOT of boys there, if you're trying to get your flirt on. Of course, a lot of them were the frat boy type, so that has to be your thing. It's also cool that though the live Irish band plays in the front, there is a big space in the back where cover bands can play popular music and you can DANCE. Definite plus. Another plus is that they serve crab cakes. We didn't order them though so I can't attest to their quality. And yet one more plus: Everyone is really friendly and into talking and making friends. I felt welcome as a visiting New Yorker =). The minuses are that it is really loud and crowded, so it's hard to carry on any kind of real conversation. I also usually against covers, and this one was $5. Not that I don't understand that they need to pay the entertainment. I'm not sure whether to put the next thing as a plus or a minus. To be honest, it added some spice to my night when we saw a bucking bronco of a guy get carried and thrown out of The Burren. He did try to fight it though, so it was quite entertaining. My friend and I literally had to jump into one of those quaint wooden table/bench deals (people play cards there and talk while guzzling beer) so we didn't get stampeded over by the bouncers/bronco man. I guess I could have used that occasion to chat it up with the preppy academic looking guy I surprised...but I didn't. Anyway, it seems like it'd be a great time if you were really tipsy and just wanted to make a night of it. read more

I've been to The Burren many times, and also many times to its twin, separated at birth, The Skellig in Waltham. I like The Burren for the acoustic music and for the very informal atmosphere. If you bring a group of friends for a Guinness and some conversation, it's not a bad spot. The food is better here than it once was, in combination with the live music maybe enough to push it up to 4 stars, but the place is kind of dirty and run down inside (not quite at the dive bar level, but just a notch above), there's not that many beers on tap, the dining tables are not comfortable for dining, the bathroom is kind of gross, and the service is only good when it isn't crowded. So is that 2 stars or 4? Let's split the difference and call it 3. The back room is normally a bar with a stage for live music, but on this day, and I guess once every month (maybe on the first Saturday), it is filled with a dozen or so local artists selling their wares. One of my pet peeves with The Burren is that the music they play on St. Patrick's day in the back room is not Irish music, which I expect of a place that wraps itself in the Irish flag (although they always have quieter acoustic music out front). read more

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My SO and I sat here for a late lunch on Saturday. We sat outside on a very lovely day and the ambiance was lovely. But this review is predominantly about the food. The buffalo wings were okay but the sauce was generally too salty. We ordered a steak and cheese sandwich which was decent, good ratios of veggies to meat to cheese and was a good sized sandwich. The meat was disproportionately placed- I shared it with my SO and I got far less meat. Actually could have been saltier. And then we got the roasted cauliflower and Asian broccoli sides and these were just awful. Go check out the photo. They were literally just each of those veggies steamed without any seasoning at all. The broccoli came with sauce on the side but it wasn't even very good. I had to dip the cauliflower in the leftover, salty wing sauce to give it any sort of flavor. Not impressed. On the other hand, the waitress was great. But I likely won't eat here again. I'll probably come back for the music and drinks though! read more

The Burren - The "roasted cauliflower" and "Asian style broccoli" is literally just steamed and awful. - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I was feeling pot roast/stew so I was looking around everywhere for it. Found this place with great reviews on their stew. I have to say the meal was not too pricey: $13.99; and it was a large portion. The stew was flavorful and hearty. It came with a side of bread, not sure what kind. It was fresh though. Happy with my choice! read more

The Burren - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I have primarily been here as a vendor during The Burren's Saturday Local Artist Market, with my brand, Hieropice. But as I've spent 4-6 hours there at a time over a couple of years, I've gotten to know the place pretty well! It has a cozy Irish bar vibe, with a performance space (where the SLAM markets take place) in the back. The performance space is kind of dark and goth, but it has a pretty impressive bar, and the place transforms well for the markets. I just have to rave about the fish in chips, because it might be the best I've ever had. I think it's beer-battered, but unlike most beer-battered varieties doesn't have that gluey, weirdly-separate coating that makes the fish unpleasant. The Burren's variety is perfectly-seasoned, crispy, and light, and the fish is really fresh. Love that it's served with steak fries, and they're real, actual potatoes, and taste like it (not some reconstituted potato-paste weirdness). Also included are cole slaw and tartar, both of which include bell pepper which I usually hate but theirs actually tastes fantastic. All of this for $7.44! Can't beat it. Others nearby ordered the chowder, grilled chicken sandwich, and soup, all of which looked (and smelled) fantastic. The Burren also has an impressive selection of beers and ciders, also at great prices. The live bands I've witnessed were great; very talented performers playing traditional Irish music. The major issue I have with them are the inconsistency of the staff. You might get a pleasant waiter/waitress, or you might get an inexplicably cranky one who barks at you for not discernible reason. Some of them seem to take issue with the SLAMs, (which they should really just get over!) and even the nice ones are a bit slow to get things done. I highly recommend The Burren, and make sure to come on a Saturday, and check out the SLAM! read more

The Burren - Amazing fish and chips. $7.44! - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

My friend and I were having a lunch reunion and I actually felt embarrassed about choosing The Burren. I was always happy with the service and the food in the past, but today made me wonder what has happened to this place? There were some issues that were too poor to ignore. It seemed as though our waitress/bartender was 'new' or inexperienced I should say and was left to do everything alone. First off, we stood in front waiting to be seated for way too long. When we got seated, the booth seating was covered with carved graffiti and the table was worn and looked like the finish was gone from it. We had to ask for a menu, to which the reply came that we could scan it with the code that was taped to the table. Ugh. She then brought over a crumpled paper menu which seemed to have a limited selection of choices. The food we picked was sub par and not anything like I remembered from past visits. We even had to ask for plates...um, hello? The mushroom fritters or whatever they were called, were overcooked and the ingredients on the Margarita flat bread pizza was chewy. Not a good kind of chewy, but 'what the heck is this?' kind of chewy. I saved the side salad for later and when I got to it, there was mushy gross old lettuce in it. This place has gone downhill. Don't settle people. Upscale your expectations and opt for a better dining experience. read more

Very unfortunate that I was harassed for being black by a drunk off duty bouncer at this bar last night. While we were quietly enjoying the band scattershot, the drunk employee walked over to me, harassed me for being a person of color and began to follow me around the dance floor, cursing at me, telling me that he has a problem with "my people." He was trying to provoke me into a physical altercation in order to make a reason to get hostile with me, but I refused to give in to his provocations. After walking away from him multiple times and asking him to leave me alone, I was forced to ask another bouncer to assist. When I asked for help he told me "What do you want me to do? Just go to the outside bar." He then turned away and ignored me when I told him that the guy was being racist and that he was following me! He said that to me even though the drunk bouncer was drunkingly harassing me and cursing at me right in front of him!!! My non black friends had to go outside and get the front door bouncer. When he came, they told us there was nothing they could do because he worked there. Then when they finally bounced him after 30 minutes, they apologized to my white friends and not me. Never going back there again if that is how this business handles issues with staff harassing customers. Shocked that they were supporting his bigoted behavior. read more

I've been here a few times now and it's always a fun experience. My last visit was awesome, the weather was perfect and we got to sit outside. Me and my friend both ordered the burger and fries, both were outstanding. Mine was cooked perfectly medium and talk about juicy!! It's handsdown one of the best burgers you can get in the surrounding Boston area. I had my first pint of Sam summer of the season, icy cold and delicious! Our waitress was super friendly, on point and had a killer Irish accent. They had local musicians playing Irish folk music inside and that day they also had a local artist fair in the back room where I scored some sweet new water color paintings by Joshua Porterfield. The Burren is a great place to go with friends to enjoy good food, good music and good company. read more

The Burren - Burger and steak fries with a Sam summer. Perfection. - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The Burren used to be one of my favorite pre-covid bars to go to so I am happy they made it through. We went last night and sat on the back patio which was a great experience. The food was what you expect for an Irish pub and the drinks were great. They are starting live music again and had the back room open last night. Can never go wrong with a night at the Burren. read more

I had a wonderful new experience in an area I have always enjoyed. My crowd was treated like we belonged even when more people came in there was no loss for quality or service. I'll be sure to come back for my next visit. read more

Such an interesting place. On weekends they often have groups of fiddlers. Their food is really good, their bangers and mash have been my favorite so far. On weekend nights it turns into a full-out bar, often with live music, and the back room is packed to the brim. The bartenders and staff are always really friendly and it's always a good atmosphere. read more

The Burren is an Irish Pub in Davis Square that offers live music, decent bar food, and fun atmosphere. On this occasion, the 4 of us went straight to The Backroom for an informal, intimate concert hosted by WGBH Brian O'Donovan. My husband and I are huge fans of Brian. He does A Celtic Sojourn every Saturday afternoons on the radio and he brings in these great traditional Irish musicians to perform here at The Backroom. That night we went to see a sold out concert of accordionist/fiddler Sharon Shannon. What a fun night it was to listen to traditional Irish music. The Backroom was packed and we only saw 2 servers working the event. We got there pretty early and was able to secure a 4-top adjacent to the stage. We ordered drinks and food. We didn't expect too much in regards to the food since this is a bar, but was pleasantly surprised on how decent the food was. We ordered 2 sets of Buffalo Wings and they had just the right kick to them. Then my husband and I split a Steak & Cheese sandwich. Good thing we did because it was humongous! I haven't had Steak & Cheese in years and this was pretty darn good. Sloppy as heck, but boy was it good. Our friends had their Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Both said it was just okay. They said the chicken was on the dry side. Our server was busy, but she did a great job serving us before the concert started. During the concert, she was in & out so quick, clearing the empty plates and moved on to other tables. We couldn't get her attention for another round of drinks. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose because maybe they don't want you talking during the live session? Maybe. We don't know. Our friend ended up going to the bar to get drinks. The pour was more generous when our friend came back. Parking sucks. What do you expect in Somerville? Just Uber it. By the way, if you are into traditional Irish music, check out The Backroom music schedule. If you see Sharon Shannon on the schedule, hurry and buy those tickets! Brian O'Donovan visited our table and chatted a bit with us. I love listening to him in person and on the radio. Boy did I feel special when he sat next to me ;-) And as we headed out, the front room was rocking it with a different live Irish band. Good times! read more

My fiancé and I came in for lunch on a quiet Saturday and were excited to try new local options as we just moved to the area. When we walked in we were both excited and looking forward to a nice pint, but once we sat down, the gnats were almost intolerable. I understand that the bar business is tough, but it's important to keep your bar clean enough to avoid this. I would recommend a quick clean to avoid this! Looking forward to trying again. read more

I've been turning up hear a bit lately. I have to say, the thursday night cover band concerts are actually a bit of fun. Way too loud for what it is, but you can't help but have a good time. My gripes of late have been with the erratic cover charges. Last time I was there at 9ish, and wasn't charged. Before that, we showed up at 8:30 and where charged because of live music that didn't go on for 2 hours after we got there and where about to leave. But I digress, since they do put on a good show. read more

I am visiting some friends from my university from Boston. I am 21 years old and am from Maine. However the bouncer gave me a unbearable time saying my ID is fake. He said " every ID I have ever seen from the state of Maine is fake and they are all scum" although I am 21 years of age I did not get into the bar that night and My friends and I had to Uber home. Ridiculous service and no respect from the bouncers at "the burren" read more

MAC N CHEESE. So good. I wish it was an entree. Or not, because then I'd eat too much of it. The other food (onion rings and calamari) that I got was great too. Lots of beer selection, but the staff didn't seem to know it (she was Irish and I think freshly here, so European service might be what you expect--nice but not knowledgeable, but totally willing to go check) The bands were great, and I usually don't think Irish bands are (after living in Ireland for 2 years and just getting tired of it). read more

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Want to escape the typical cityscapes of Boston or even escape to another time period - The Burren does all that and then some! You walk in and it just looks, feels, smells, sounds, and most importantly tastes like authenticity. Often, they have live music or even Irish dancing lessons. I, unfortunately, didn't get to experience either BUT the food was everything I wanted out of a true pub and I'll most definitely be coming back. We had the Bangers and Mash and Coconut Chicken. So much comfort in these dishes. Bangers and Mash?! Really?! When is the last time you saw this at a restaurant? It's just pure awesomeness. It's not only the fact that they serve up authentic Irish food - it's all cooked to tender perfection and every bite feels more comforting and warm than the last. If you're ever in Davis Square, definetly check this place out! read more

The Burren - Bangers and Mash. Accidentally forgot to take a photo before eating. It looked too good to resist. - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Stopped in for lunch. Great menu, huge, yummy portions, reasonable prices, attentive service. Sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful day.

Despite being an actual 23 year old Maine resident, I was given trouble for my out of state ID. Eventually after a long argument with the bouncer I was allowed it, but I really wish I hadn't been. The "live music" advertised on the website was actually just one instrumental to the song Barracuda and nothing else. The vodka soda I drank was half vodka and half soda. The bouncer denounced me as I left the bar later that night. I would advise my fellow Maine residents to avoid this abomination at all cost. read more

love coming here with friends for a night out!! the bands are always great and energetic, it can get very crowded, so if you don't like being shoulder to shoulder with people i wouldn't recommend coming here on a friday/saturday night. great vibes and friendly staff read more

What a great bar and live music venue! I've been here a couple times to get plastered and once for a sit down dinner. They ALWAYS have live music, so if you are looking for a quiet place to eat this is not the spot. But if you're in the mood for some entertainment, really heavy comfort food, and a decent selection of beers this is the spot to go. Also a great place to go out on a Friday or Saturday night and crush beers till you can barely get in the uber. 10/10. read more

The Burren - American Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I have only been here for drinks and apps, but the Burren is overall a nice environment. If you're not into drunk, white, twenty-somethings, don't come here after dinner. If you are a drunk and white twenty-something-- this is your place. Good beers on tap and good music as well. read more

Great service and great food! The beef stew is amazing especially for a cold night. Great selection of drinks and great atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

Great food, atmosphere, and service. My favorite thing about this place is the legendary "Burren Dip". To the unenlightened, this secret menu item consists of one burger and one Guinness beef stew. The burger is meant to be dipped into the stew before both meals are consumed. It is a wonderfully tasty experience that is a must at this restaurant. read more

I went to "this establishment" two days ago and I've gone to this restaurant for three years. As a brown person I went here was told there was no seating then was called a sand ***** then was given the middle finger as I walked out with my friend. I encourage anybody and especially any minority From coming here just on the racist attitudes I experienced read more

Went there on 1/5/19.. Place was busy, staff very busy ... waitress did a phenomenal job. Live local entertainment was great. Food was good, we went to see Jeffrey Gains , the show was great, staff was again phenomenal in the "Backroom". Drinks were good and served very quickly. This was the first time there... It will not be the last. Thanks to the Burren for a fantastic night. Thanks to Jeffrey Gains for a show second to None. Doug read more

Who would've guessed that an Irish pub would have such great veg*n food options? Certainly not me. Well I came w/ a friend & ended up getting some really great tasty food & drinks. They have a nice selection of cocktails. The winter wonderland was the cocktail calling my name. Getting the vegetable pot pie was different than what I would have expected, but still delicious. I came again a few months later w/ another friend, got the veg*n lentil stew & holy geez was that tasty as hell, that just fills you up to the core. So damn good. So you really can't go wrong coming here. The service is great & nice to get recommendations from them too. I know they have music in the back room which I had come to before many years back. read more

Update #3: Was here last night again, and the same rude, crappy bartender was doing his same old thing, so obviously nothing has changed. I even overheard him say to I think it was a busser or something: "I'm looking for some titties tonight." Thankfully the other bartender (had an Irish accent) that was there with him was super nice and quick and was friendly. read more