This last weekend I was at Harvard on business and went to the classic Cambridge burger joint on Mass Ave, Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage, which Joan and Joe Bartley debuted in 1960. It’s a big noisy crowded place (people jammed together on long tables) with the waiters screaming their orders. It’s total cacophony. The burgers are great – real high quality sirloin, grilled to perfection. Their French fries were a disappointment though – limp coated things that belied what they do with their superb fried onions. This is a burger worth traveling for. They are also famous for their frappes, which my colleague had and loved.
I don’t think there’s much more to add except that Mr. Bartley’s has dozens of variations of named burgers (even Obama and McCain burgers) with various toppings. I took mine “straight” which is known as a simple “Bun and Burger.”
FYI:
Barack Obama – burger topped with pineapple and blue cheese
John McCain – burger topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese
Blog Comments
Alice Duffy
April 23, 2009 at 7:53 AM
I ordered a medium burger, it arrived rare, sent it back and the next burger wasn’t much of an improvement. I couldn’t eat it. The french fries were awful. We were placed under a vent, it was windy and cold. Our waitress looked harassed. I hated this place. AND I was charged for food I couldn’t eat.
Alice.
Geoff
November 18, 2008 at 3:03 AM
I lived 400 feet from Bartley’s in the early 80’s. Later, it was one of my first stops when visiting Boston, but now that I live in LA I’m pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to excellent burgers.