The Tavern in the Square--Lots of TVs and Physics Defying French Fries

You could get lost in the Tavern in the Square. Like a distracted child in a toy store, we wandered aimlessly confused by the plethora of televisions all competing with different sporting events for the luxury of our eyeballs. We were like, wow man, there a lot of TVs in here, and we decided that all these televisions were very fitting, considering that the Tavern is an American Bar. What is more American than huge televisions, gargantuan sized nachos and beer, yes, lots of beer? We accept this stereotype like a proud boy scout getting his merit badge. We don't need no stinking Foie Gras!

Tavern is a big place and reminded us of its half blooded cousin down the street. It was cavernous but despite its size, it always seems to be full of people. One could write this off to the weekday play time that eager excited adults attend to forget about grownup life (ie Trivia night, karaoke night), yet there is something that draws us back again. Good feng shui? Decent food? A bit of both maybe.

The food at the Tavern ranges from traditional favorites (burgers and such) to the more exotic (risotto fritters) to the more eclectic (fried pickles for appetizers and fried snickers for dessert). So many options, we ruminated, so we ordered beers and took our sweet time. Tavern's got a decent beer selection with lots of stuff on tap. On the excellent recommendation of our waitress we ordered a dead Guy and a Mayflower porter, good beers for pondering over the long menu.

Good Brews

The salads were all very intriguing. We felt the best dish ordered was the marinated feta and avocado salad (9.99). A large heaping pile of greens, strewn with an assembly of white beans, fresh avocado and chunks of feta. The best part were the pistacios which added a nice crunch and the tangy mustard citrus dressing. It was so good, it was actually the second time our guest reviewer (you know who you are) had ordered it.

So good, we ordered it twice

The reuben sandwich and side salad ($10.99) was a disappointment. As John Stewart would say, Tavern, could you meet me at camera three? When you advertise a Reuben to be 'piled high', you better put your corned beef where your mouth is. Some of us have been to Carnegie deli and have expectations.... Not only was it a dismal serving of meat, but the whole blasted sandwich was soggy and mushy. The only redeeming part was the side salad, which was surprisingly large and diverse.

Soggy and dissappointing

Our last entree was the Chicken and Pear sandwich with waffle fries (10.99). A more eclectic sandwich with its slabs of roasted pear, thick chicken breast, melted brie cheese, herb mayonnaise, all on a crunchy french roll. The sandwich hit the spot, but what truly titillated us were the waffle fries. Why are waffle fries so good? We decided because they defy the laws of french fry physics, duh.

Waffle Fries......

A good fun scene and a nice place to bring a lot of friends or casual date, just stopping in to have a beer is a enough sometimes.

Tavern In the Square‎
720 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA‎ - (617) 868-8800‎
Cambridge Restaurant Review