Cambridge Dining Guide
Best Burgers in Harvard Square
The 2 burgers restaurants in Harvard Square worth walking to — ranked, with addresses, hours, and T access. Curated by Guide to Cambridge.
The Cambridge burger scene is a study in contrasts — no-frills counters where the patty-to-bun ratio is the only thing that matters sit alongside gastropubs crafting burgers from grass-fed beef with house-made pickles and artisan cheese. What unites them is quality: this is a city that takes even casual food seriously.
Insider TipLunch is peak burger time in Cambridge. Many spots that are packed for dinner are pleasantly uncrowded at noon.
Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage
Burgers · 1246 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
Harvard Square legend since 1960. This is THE Cambridge burger. 7oz patties, creative toppings, burgers named after politicians and celebrities. Cash only (ATM inside). The frappes are incredible. Filmed in Good Will Hunting and The Social Network. You will wait, and it will be worth it.
Charlie's Kitchen
Burgers · 10 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Two-level Harvard Square institution: a diner downstairs and a college dive bar upstairs, with a beer garden added in recent years. Famous for the double cheeseburger and the unchanged fifties-meets-seventies décor.