Tavern in the Square

Reason for going out
I headed to the Tavern with two guy friends on a Wednesday night to watch the Sox tool on the Yankees for a 6-5 win to take a one game lead in the division.

Atmosphere
The decor of the Tavern reminds me of a Medieval setting. Everything is pretty dark. The place is lit with low lying, small lantern looking fixtures and the windows don't offer much natural light. The tables are really high, jet black, and bolted to the floor. The two bars in the place are the same color and height as the tables. However, unlike the Medieval times this place was spotless. The plasma screens and alcohol setup give the place a clean, modern look. The dining area is tucked away from the two bars, giving the tamer crowd a place of escape from the booze hounds in the front.

Drinks
The Tavern seemed to offer the normal spread of hard alcohol and about a half dozen of the standard draft beers. They do offer pitchers, which was a plus. But nothing special beyond that.

Menu Category: Classy Bar
Not the usual bar food, which was cool. No one in my party ate, but other patrons seemed to be enjoying everything from super nachos to burgers to pasta.

Service: Mediocre
The bar wench was a bit slow to refill the pitchers, but was friendly and talkative.

Personality: Prepster
Definitely a 25-30 year old crowd there on a Wednesday night. Crowd was fairly preppy and professional and not at all interested in the game.

Cash Monies: Medium
Each pitcher ran us $11. Pretty standard Boston drink prices.

Chick Talent: Low
This place did not attract a large amount of women, and not many I would write home to mom about.

Chick Friendliness: Medium
The two women who sat next to us at the bar were friendly and enjoyed the game with us. Beyond that everyone else kept to themselves.

Group Friendliness: Medium
A couple who sat next to us participated in some light banter. Other groups kept to themselves.

Would I bring a date here?: No
The tavern offers no qualities that would impress a date. It's an average place with loud music that left me talking like Mickey Rourke the next day.

Would I hang out here with my guy friends?: Yes
It wouldn't be my first choice, but it could get the job done. There are plenty of Plasmas for watching a game, even if the rest of the crowd is more interested in laying out their thesis plans. Also, the bar is fully stocked with plenty of vomit inducing shot options. This might be a great place to start or end the night, but the majority of your night's shenanigans would be better spent elsewhere.

Would I hang out here with my lady friends?: No
No room for dancing, no enticing drink specials, bring the ladies somewhere else.

BLUF
Overall, the Tavern is an ok place to go for drinks. It isn't the quietest place to hang out with friends for a relaxed night, but it doesn't lend itself to an all night bender with Blue and Frank "The Tank" Ricard. (So what do you guys like better, Nurse or Cheerleader?) The place is best suited for a quick stop before or after the night's main event.

Did I have fun?: Yes

Central Square
780 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 868-8800
www.taverninthesquare.com