Lord Hobo

merc7186

New York

4.58/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

Visited on 7/21/12. I came here on recommendations from a friend and many BA members (and our waitress at CBC).

A: The place doesn't look like much from the exterior other than a corner bar. The interior has a very dark motive, almost gothic feel to it.

Q: These guys don't screw around with their beer selection as they were solid across the board, nothing rare but no bullshit either.

S: Service was great, went on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't more than half full but our server was cool, very knowledgable and attentive.

S: Solid Selection, great array of styles, regions across the entire menu.

V: Between the 4 of us, 6 beers came to about 50 bucks. Reasonable for the great beers we were drinking.

Overall, the highlight of my entire weekend in Boston. A Must Stop.

07-26-2012 13:46:48 | More by merc7186

rjp217

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.75 | $$$

I love Lord Hobo. They have an outstanding draft and bottle selection and their servers are very informative and attentive. The food menu is small but I think that's what makes it so good. They nail each and every dish. This is a great spot to hang at the bar and drink or get a table and eat. Easily one of my favorite spots to go to for craft beer and good food in the Boston area.

05-09-2013 12:42:38 | More by rjp217

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.54/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

When we first entered this place, I had an immediate impression that I was not going to be a huge fan of the vibe at this bar but I was totally wrong. It was dark inside, perhaps a little darker than I would like as I wanted to review the beers that I was getting there but I found a seat at the bar close to a light so I guess I was OK... It looked like it was going to be hipster snobby but it was not - everyone seemed friendly, even some folks around us at the bar offering suggestions to brews we should try if we had not before (it was really chill).

Beers were great - took a little longer than a couple of the other places but the pours were worth it... Perfect amount of head, served at the correct temperature, in the proper glassware, and without any spillage on the outside of the glass (I think the bartender wiped it clean before serving it).

Bartender was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and someone I would probably be happy to sit down and enjoy a couple of beers with... Our party all thought he did a great job of giving proper pours across all of the different styles we ordered.

Not a huge selection but a really good selection - I even came across a couple of offerings I have never seen on tap which was cool. Several limited (brewed once, not a huge amount available) beers were there.

Did not get any food when we visited.

I thought the prices were a touch high but considering the quality of beers that I was able to find, I did not mind paying.

05-08-2013 13:46:27 | More by dbrauneis

Andrew041180

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I met a fellow BA here for a few drinks one day and was shocked by their draft selection. I had never seen some of the Stones, Bear Republics, Ballast Point, etc offerings on draft anywhere (granted I haven't been to THAT many craft beer bars in the Boston area). If you have some extra cash to sling around I highly recommend stopping in here.

05-07-2013 16:40:21 | More by Andrew041180

BarrelAgedBrian

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

I went to Lord Hobo on recommendation of a college friend of mine, who stops here whenever he is in Boston for a beer festival or event. Another friend who is a craft beer fan and I went for brunch the week after Extreme Beer Fest.

Lord Hobo is unassuming on the outside, but what's inside is what counts. We sat at a spacious table during the quieter hours of the day. The first thing to note is their beer list. It has a good amount of selection and everything on the list is quality. My friend and I were particularly interested in the Half Acre Big Hugs which they only had on tap because the brewery had been in town for the beer fest. The only food we had was the Duck Two Ways (baked duck egg with duck confit hash), which was very tasty, and their truffle fries. The truffle fries were fantastic: french fries cooked in truffle oil to a crisp with shaved parmesan on top. So simple, but such amazing flavor and I would definitely come back just for the fries!

The one downside I experienced was the service. Considering how quiet it was in Lord Hobo when we went, I felt like our waiter wasn't all that attentive to us. We requested samples of a couple other Half Acre beers they had on tap and didn't receive them until 10 minutes later. When we asked about what other bottles they have that weren't on their bottled beer list, he didn't appear too knowledgeable.

The service may have been a little blip; I would go back to try new beers on their ever-rotating list and dive in to more of their food options.

03-31-2013 21:24:08 | More by BarrelAgedBrian

LittleDon

Texas

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Pros: Great draft selection. Decent food. Easy parking.
Cons: So loud my ears hurt. Not many bottles (but really, who cares with the draft list).

Stopped in at about 6 on a Thursday and the crowd that was to be had not arrived. Great location, no need to hunt for parking. Neighborhood bar meets gastropub. The small bottle list was not an issue as what was on draft was more than enough, including eight to ten brews from Short's due to the snow attenuated Extreme Beer Fest. Good service: attentive without being clingy, knowledgeable. Fair offering of smaller plates (more room for beer) with slightly better than average preparation. Gnocchi with beef hearts had a nice flavor, though a bit heavy and cooked slightly too long. Truffle fries could have been a bit hotter, but tasty nonetheless. Prices seemed in line with other similar places in town. Deafening loudness by the time I left around 8.

02-16-2013 16:12:30 | More by LittleDon

LeeMarvin

Massachusetts

4.73/5  rDev +8.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Lord Hobo is one of Boston's prime destination beer bars. It's very unique in its layout and I love the design of the bar, with its dark woods and intimate yet roomy placement. The music is almost always good here, and if you like sports, they usually have the TVs tuned on whatever game is important that day.

Others have already touched on the fact they have some of the best beer and food offerings in the city, but it bears repeating. It's a beer bar that caters to beer geeks, and it's nice to sit down in a place where the language of craft beer is spoken. The waitstaff are some of the best in the city--very professional, friendly and informative.

I've had some great conversations with fellow beer geeks at this bar as well as some lonely visits where I feel I'm surrounded by high-tech hipsters absorbed in their i-devices. This may just be a side effect of its physical location or the younger generation that dominate the area, but it can make the place a bit formal at times. Craft beer is just as much about the community that supports it as the beer itself. Which is probably why I tend to treat Lord Hobo like a rare beer, respectfully savoring it with friends on special occasions.

11-28-2012 21:24:42 | More by LeeMarvin

flexabull

California

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped in here on a late Saturday afternoon after walking all around Boston/Cambridge.

Small dark little corner bar, plenty of seating for how small this place is, one TV playing the Sox game, and some 80s music playing.

Quality was very good, saw lots of great Belgians, quite a few California beers, Founders, and some local craft as well.

Service was fine. Our server was quiet, but she smiled, and was speedy.

Selection was great, about 30+ taps with lots of variety, tons of bottles too.

Food was really good, my wife and I both commented about how tasty our meals were.

Prices were a bit spendy, but overall this is an excellent beer bar, I'd come here often if I was a local.

09-23-2012 00:55:33 | More by flexabull

nickmantia

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +13.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Lord Hobo is at the top of my list for beer bars to visit in the Cambridge/Somerville/Boston area. There are a ton of restaurants and bars out there trying to do the Craft Beer thing -- this place actually does it right.

For starters, the atmosphere inside fits the vibe they are looking for. It's not shiny, fancy, etc; rather it's comforting, on the darker side and the temperature is usually perfect for the time of year (warm in winter; cool in summer).

In terms of selection, I've never been disappointed with the beers on the menu. They have rotating taps that are switched up quite frequently - I went two consecutive Saturdays and there were different beers on the menu. There's a great variety of beer types as well, which makes it nice for people that enjoy different types of beer (IPA, Stout, Saison, BPA, etc).

The drinks are served in appropriate glassware and the bartenders are very knowledgeable and can recommend something based on what you like if you can't find something that jumps out at you.

The food is delicious as well -- I've had the burger, pulled pork, mac & cheese with bacon and the cheese/meat plate. All of the food dishes were excellent. I agree with the other poster that it can be a little loud at times, but for the most part, it's usually manageable.

If you're in the Cambridge are looking for a great place to have a beer, this should absolutely be on your list of places to visit.

09-19-2012 18:38:52 | More by nickmantia

Larrydoherty

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Lord Hobo has quickly become one of my favorite spots in Cambridge for great food and a great beer selection.

The service was great. Beer is presented in proper glassware depending on your purchase. The bartender was able to make some great recommendations based on a short conversation with my wife and I. The cheeseburger is a must, one of the best in Boston. Great beer selection and great burger, it's a no-brainer.

Skip Harvard Square and seek out Lord Hobo, it will be well worth the visit.

08-16-2012 17:11:37 | More by Larrydoherty