Meadhall

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 2.75 | selection: 3.75 | $$$

I really thought I was going to like this place when I did a little research online before visiting Boston but I have to say I was somewhat disappointed by the atmosphere - it honestly felt like I was in an Ikea catalogue with the minimalist light wood theme. The place was busy when we visited and there was a pleasant dim of noise from the other patrons, though that almost made it difficult to hear. Probably a little more hipster crowd than I would prefer.

The beers were fresh and really well poured.

I'm sure not all of the bartenders that work here are kind of snobby/douchey but the one we had certainly was... First off it took him forever to wait on us even though we had four people with seats at the bar - in fact, we was down the other end chatting with another bartender. Once he finally came to take our order he was a little condescending and tried to explain some very basic beer things to us - like "do you understand that a stout is a dark beer?" ... I mean, do they really get that many beer neophytes coming into the place???

There was a really large selection of beers on draft and several that I had not come across even with the other places in Boston that we visited on the trip but overall it was not an amazing selection (lots of stuff on draft was stuff that is easy to find all over Boston).

Did not try any food while we were at Meadhall - actually did not see anyone else eating while we were there but that might have been related to timing since it was late afternoon but just shy of when folks might start getting dinner.

Prices were OK though a touch higher than some of the other places we went - I think the average was like $7 a beer.

05-08-2013 13:46:36 | More by dbrauneis

BeRanger

Michigan

4.74/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25 | $$

First time, I had heard good things and it was right next to our hotel. It looks like I hit the jackpot with some leftovers from EBF. Our server, Matthew (on the receipt) was awesome. I was with some co-workers and explaining to them some good choices of beer and Matthew (as expected at a great beer bar) shared the beer enthusiam and helped guide everyone down the right direction.

Overall I was impressed, it was a more upscale beer bar but the prices were good. If only I could steal the keg of Vietnamese Coffee Stout from Left Hand from the backroom, it'd be straight 5's across the board.

02-25-2013 00:38:59 | More by BeRanger

JebediahScooter

North Carolina

2.19/5  rDev -46.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 2 | $$$

Cool looking place, great looking tap list when we sat down. We then proceeded to order 5 beers in a row that they did not have. Their menu hadn't been updated in week. What the hell? If a beer bar pays that little attention to their menu, my first thought is, "How do they treat their lines?" Got up and left instead of being disappointed a 6th attempt to order a beer.

02-17-2013 21:27:32 | More by JebediahScooter

beer4colin

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

After business meeting in area, so my 3:30 p.m. Experience may or may not be typical....

Nice room! BIG and roomy bar with a ton of taps. I can't figure out why, after being open for a long time now, they do not have an active website showing their offerings. bIG MINUS for this! I was in area but without an online presence I am not making this a destination. IN THE SHADOW OF MIT, NO LESS....c'mon folks, slip,a freshman a few bucks and and few beers and you're solid.

Always looking out for something new and exciting, I found little. Honestly, I find a better overall selection for surprises at UNION BREWHOUSE in Weymouth.

I did appreciate finding Pretty Things East India Porter tapped. A bit surprised that I had to explain the backstory of EIP to the bartender given that Pretty Things is a Cambridge brewer...(OK,OK...I know the bottle says it but it's not real).

The Portico Sett Seven was a surprise! Never had it before!

Kudos to MH for being a sponsoring bar for BA Extreme Beer Fest last weekend. Many, many taps were taken up by by extreme offerings. Too many for this boy to try befor driving.

Service at the bar was lacking. Maybe it was towards end of shift but I had to flag down a bartender, at an empty bar 2 times!

End of the story: Personally prefer Lord Hobo up the street, buttMead Hall is convenient. If I am in the area, I am there.

Get website running!!!

02-13-2013 23:02:16 | More by beer4colin

LeeMarvin

Massachusetts

4.73/5  rDev +16.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

A necessary destination for any serious beer drinker. This is the place I go to when I want a full range beer geek experience. I've been coveting craft beers and the bars that serve them since the early 90's, and Meadhall has provided some of my favorite moments of beer geekery.

The room is huge and non-claustrophobic. Even at 5:30 on a Thursday you can find a place to stand. The bar is a work of art, with deliberately short lines from barrel to tap and enough seating around it's serving area so that you can almost always find a seat. Correct glassware is strictly enforced. The waitstaff are friendly, actually know what they're talking about, and if you go there even a few times, they'll treat you like they know you. If you go there a lot they'll let you know what the must try stuff is once you're settled in. The food has become consistent and reasonably priced considering the location.

But the beer is what you go there for, and they usually have at least three or four things on the menu worth making the trip for. Just make sure you get at least two in your head before ordering, because the really good stuff always move fast at Meadhall, and they're still grappling with the list maintenance issues typical of popular beer bars.

Of course this tasty beer and excellent experience comes with a price. If you're looking for white whales, this place will set you back (make sure you read the pour amounts!). However, a careful survey of the beer list will always reveal the best-bang-for-the-buck beers of the moment. Start with something exotic and finish with some sessions.

The only other caveat to the place is that it's absolutely slammed after the work day ends. If you want the best experience, the best time is Saturday or Sunday afternoons, when the bar is easier to navigate and the bartenders have time to talk beer with you.

11-28-2012 16:22:04 | More by LeeMarvin

Czechxpress

4.09/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Great bar with over 100 craft beers on tap. Its right by the MIT campus in Cambridge so the place was full of good looking college girls who were hot and smart! Good woodsy atmosphere, clean with central oval bar on first level. Its close to the metro stop as well.

A definite do not miss if your looking for a great selection of craft beer in Boston.

I tried:

Fall Summit- Peak Organic- C

Wolaver's Brown-Wolaver's Organic- D

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel-Lexington Brewing and Distillary- A+

Mayflower Imperial Stout- Mayflower Brewing Co.- B+

Bourbon Black- Allagash Brewing- A++++

Jack D'or- Pretty things and Ale project- A

10-11-2012 14:34:34 | More by Czechxpress

maltyhops

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Since it is so close to Canbridge Brewing Co ( my favorite) I never saw the need to try it out - I'm glad I did. The bar area is oversized so you don't feel crowded. Neat layout for the taps (over 100 by my count). Sitting at the bar you can see all the taps - very cool. Menu was better than I thought it would be. Love the location - was able to find metered parking within 20 steps of the door and there were more spaces available. Not ready to put it ahead of CBC (CBC Hefe and pulled pork mac & cheese is hard to beat) but it will make friday lunch decisions more difficult. I gave it a reasonable on Value - it was a little pricey but totally worth it

10-05-2012 19:15:31 | More by maltyhops

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.06/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

I stopped in here today on a Sunday afternoon for the Mystic Brewing 1st anniversary party. Coming from out of town the first challenge is parking. There's a garage around the corner and while convenient it is pricy. The bar itself is on the ground floor of what looks like a large office building not far from Cambridge brewing company. A large circular bar greats you in middle of the space surrounded by chairs and on the outskirts tables and high tops. Tall ceilings and a loft the restrooms, a couple of couches a satellite bar and some TV's. The large chalkboard on the wall to the far right holds the info to the 100+ taps available for pour. There are also paper menus with the beer selection which outline style, price and size of pour. Our waitstaff was attentive and handy for our visit, we didn't have any food, but what we saw looked tasty. Two oddities about this place: They will only serve the beer in its brewery logo'd glass which poses a problem when everyone is there for a brewery event and they are out of glasses. The beer menu is arranged by style which is hard to get used to. All in all we enjoyed our stay and will end up back here again, probably to eat as well.

09-09-2012 22:04:01 | More by johnnnniee

Larrydoherty

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Meadhall, located in Cambridge's Kendall Square, is yet another great location in the Boston neighborhood for people looking for a great beer selection.

The giant bar area offers plenty of room for large groups. Expert bartenders offer great suggestions for anyone overwhelmed by the large beer selection.

The food is good, but the real star of Meadhall is the beer menu. The selection is easily read from the giant chalkboard that hangs in the main bar area.

Lots of unique beers, not offered in the greater Boston area. Meadhall.

08-16-2012 18:25:01 | More by Larrydoherty

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Meadhall is located on the Boston side of Kendall Square. The selection of beers on top is remarkable. The selection spans the spectrum of local, national and international (with an emphasis on Belgian's) choices. I was able to find three beers I had never had previously--I'm sure there were more I was impressed with how they seemed to have a glass that matched the brewery (or the beer style) for each beer ordered.

The place is large and open, occupying the first two floors of an office building. The main bar takes up most of the center of the room. There are large windows along the sidewalk. Otherwise, there isn't much decor. It's obvious that this place is all about the beer.

The food selection was limited. My daughter loved her burger. My wife had a salmon salad, which she liked. My Buffalo wings were dry and not very spicy. Service was fine, particularly since the bar wasn't very busy on a Sunday afternoon. I know this place is hopping during the work week with all of the office buildings nearby, but it was nice to see the place at a slower time.

07-15-2012 22:03:18 | More by smcolw