Atwood's Tavern

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

My wife and I went to the Smoke This Rib 2011 bbq street fest on Sunday. Afterwards, we went over to Atwood's to relax for a bit. When we walked in, the place was completely empty. There is seating near the front windows, a long bar to the left, and a small stage in the back. Nice looking inside, with lots of wood. Had that Irish pub feel to it. Service was above average. The female bartender greeted us, and when a keg kicked, she went downstairs to check if they had more. Selection was pretty stellar. They had a bunch of great New England beers on tap - CBC, Smuttynose, Mayflower, Wormtown, White Birch, Gritty, Pretty Things, and even Jack's Abby. They also had some nice other taps too, like The Bruery and Boulevard. I went with the Boulevard Tank 7 Saison, served in a Belgian goblet ($7). Prices were $6 or more for draft, so not a cheap place. My wife then recommended we head around back. Very cool...an outdoor enclosed patio. I had no idea. An private space with community tables and a little garden. A great spot to enjoy a beer in the unseasonable warmth. The waitress outside was also very smiley and cheery. We really liked Atwood's, and I can't believe it's taken me so many years to finally visit this place.

10-10-2011 23:23:08 | More by morebeergood

rousee

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I was really glad I decided to check this place out recently. Its located on Cambridge street kind of halfway between the galleria mall area and Inman square. It used to be the Overdraught I believe and it definitely looks a lot nicer from the street when walking or driving by.

We went at night so it was fairly dark when we went in and they definitely keep it dimly lit inside. The bar is off to the left as you walk in and it just looks like a lot of work went into fixing the place up. Lots of finished wood and a very clean feel to it. The owners seem to always be around to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Beer selection wasnt mindblowing but it certainly was far better than the average choices around town, They had a CBC one on which always earns points in my book. They also had Anderson Valley, Tuckermans, Smuttynose, Berkshire brewing, Allagash, DFH, so actually quite a good selection of craft beer. Reasonable prices on the beers too at 4.25 for most. The beers tasted plenty fresh and clean.

The food is quite good here too at very reasonable prices. We just had some munchies but they were definitely better than average and you have to like how they encourage you to make substitutions to your order so you enjoy it as much as possible. Just a nice attitude towards the patrons.

They also had a nice jazz band playing at just the right volume level with no cover charge either. The place was pretty busy and its easy to see why.I'm looking forward to my next visit to the Atwood. The Inman square area just keeps getting better and better.

01-20-2007 15:39:38 | More by rousee

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Thanks to Barry for suggesting this place.

A sort of unassuming place, for me, anyway. A nice, long, L-shaped wood bar with a pretty extensive tap list (seem to remember 25-30 beers).

Very friendly service and quite knowledgeable as well (always a plus). A nice selection of northeast/New England brewed beers, though I was disappointed that the one White Birch beer listed on the tap list was not available.

They also offer beers served in pints in 12 oz glasses for $4.50, which I thought was sort of cool.

10-04-2011 22:16:29 | More by womencantsail

Jason

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

This is like the underdog beer bar that is doing it right IMO.

They garner that real bar vibe, why? Because they are a real bar. Dark wood, full liquor license and a good looking food menu that I won't rate now until I have hit it up a few times.

Beer selection is very well chosen from light to dark, hoppy to malty, strong to moderate sized brews. A good portion of the beers are $5 a pint ... A shaker pint but a pint none the less. All of which is becoming a quick rarity in the Boston area. Atwood's is soon to become a mainstay in my rotation of places to hit.

09-28-2010 17:17:41 | More by Jason

bjohnson

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I had been wanting to give Atwood's a try for a couple of months and finally got around to it. Stopped in on a Saturday night for dinner and drinks with some friends. Immediately upon entering the place grows on you. Low lighting, low ceilings and a real "pub" vibe made me feel right at home and comfortable. The long wood bar is situated on the left hand side as you walk in with two different multi-faucet draft towers.

Some high bar tables and chairs are located at the front of the place, but most of the seating in located in the back or at the bar. The seating in the back is right near the stage so if you plan on getting a quiet meal during a show, that's not going to happen. Lucky for you the bands that shuffle through Atwood's are pretty damn good. We were seated relatively close to the stage, but could still converse.

A very decent tap selection with lots of local selections and some from other parts of the country. I would have liked to see more offerings from abroad, but what they had on tap was very solid (nothing that would wow the beer geek though). The menu is small with apps, sandwiches, and entrees, which I like, but the food is stellar. The chef's special pulled pork sandwich melted in the mouth--utterly delicious. The quality of the food and the beer was very good.

Relatively inexpensive for both food and drink. There was only one waitress working the night we were there so it was a bit slow, but she was friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging. Check out their online tap list as it's pretty up to date. Wednesday nights are trivia nights--best of Boston supposedly. Very nice neighborhood pub--only knock is that it's not really in a T accessible location--you can get there by bus, but not by train.

04-28-2008 20:43:21 | More by bjohnson

FrankLloydMike

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

This is one of my favorite finds in Boston, but a bit out-of-the-way. I went here one night last winter with some friends after our first time in Inman Square. After checking out Bukowski's, we walked ten minutes down the road to this place. All of us agreed that the extremely dimly lit, narrow space was great. The beer selection was more limited than Bukowski's, but much more agreeably priced and just as well-considered. All the beers available were of good quality, and the bartender was helpful in explaining them and offering samples of the changing lineup. We just had a snack, but it was delicious and the other food all looked great. To top it off, there was a band playing Appalachian music in the back of the bar, that really lent the place a nice ambiance. This is one of my favorite places to head back to, and one of the things that makes me want to consider moving across the river.

12-30-2008 04:44:03 | More by FrankLloydMike

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

4/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

This is straight up a good bar. There is nothing crazy going on here, just a place creating a nice neighborhood feel. Lots of wood and darkness. Attentive and personable staff. Very good beer selection. Tasty food. Easy walking distance to my brother's apartment. What more could you ask for? Had plenty of good local beers during the night, as well as a Chouffe (whoops). The food was quite good, especially the cheese board. Our server was a cool dude. Knew plenty about beer and was there whenever we needed another round. I have been seeking out more places like this. No pretense. No amazing interior design or complicated philosophy (although both those things have their time and place and I like them as well). This was just simplicity. Something to strive for in these days.

03-18-2009 21:37:37 | More by GreatPondBrewer

taez555

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -9.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$

Atwoods is located on the long strip of Cambridge Street in Cambridge, between Lechmere and Inman Square.

The Interior is a neat mix of old school Irish bar but without that faux broken-in irish bar feel which actually makes it even more inviting. An L shaped room with a bar on the left that stretches to the back where there are tables to sit down and eat or watch the entertainment. Clean bright un-aged tan woods and a fireplace up front make it all very warm and inviting.

Beer selection is interesting. Two dozen taps with a bit smaller bottle selection. For the most part it’s Boston Basic but up a notch. Sam, Harpoon, Sierra Nevada, Guinness, Ipswich, BBC, CBC, etc. I was really impressed that they had DFH 90 minute IPA on tap and that it was served in the correct DFH snifter. All beers were served in the correct glassware and were very fresh and tasty with no off flavors.

Food selection was standard pub grub: Appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, some larger entrees, Irish breakfast for the brunch crowd, etc. Good stuff and very hearty but I honestly wasn’t overly impressed by anything we ordered.

They have live music 4 days a week which I really need to come out for that one of these days. As I live in the area I could see this becoming a decent local watering hole, I can’t stop thinking about the fresh snifters of 90 minute IPA. Although, I wish their website would tell they’re operating hours, the menu includes brunch, but doesn’t say when. Overall pretty cool, I’d come back.

12-20-2006 20:51:06 | More by taez555

joedon

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Located in a mostly blue-collar neighborhood in Cambridge. Not a single Harvard professor or student in sight. The interior decoration was sort of plain and didn't work for me. However all the staff and customers were friendly and the overall feel was quite comfortable.

Well-chosen selection of tap beers and no macros in sight. A lot of New England choices but also Guinness, La Chouffe and Dogfish. I had the Smuttynose IPA and a Dogfish 90 which were both excellent.

The food menu was what you might expect but still well prepared and presented. I had a very good cheeseburger.

Prices were quite reasonable. $5.00 domestic pints.

08-16-2009 19:23:35 | More by joedon

fitzy84

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$

After yet another job interview, I stopped here for lunch. Right on the street, this place seemed like a friendly neighborhood tavern, but it was much more than that. Heavy on the wood and classical New England feel, I felt very cozy and comfortable in this place. A stage in the back for live music, many, many wooden tables and an inviting fireplace lined the area. Long, long bar with many, many taps. Pretty expansive beer and liquor menu that was quite appetizing. As for food, I felt the lunch menu was wicked small though good in quality (my burger was excellent). Service was good but the bartender was handling everyone in the tavern for lunch (luckily it was not too busy). I would love to try that place on a weekend or an evening. Definitely a nice place in Cambridge to go for a bite and a pint.

09-27-2008 17:33:48 | More by fitzy84