Alden & Harlow

After all the good things I heard about Alden & Harlow I was really hoping for more. We had rezzies but ended up scoring a seat at the bar because they were late in sitting us. We ended up getting a few drinks, all were mediocre. I really like more of a bite of the liquor in my drink.
To be honest, the spicy broccoli side was the best dish we had. It was yummy and served with some sort of hummus. Everything else, some pasta sides and other dishes weren’t memorable at all.
My date wanted a burger but they were sold out — frustrating — I never get why restaurants don’t keep up with supply and demand.
It wasn’t AWFUL but I probably won’t be back.

I really like the atmosphere of this place, firewood with modern environment. There is an open kitchen counter which gives an inviting feel~
The food was also very good! We had about a group of 8 and ordered 7 dishes; it was more than enough. Some of the fav was the kale salad (I usually don’t like kale that much), cornbread Pancake, and the braised pigtail. I like how the ingredients are matched, such as how the sweetness of the pancake was reduced by some bacon crumbs on top and a side of fruits with jam.
The dishes are a little oily, but it is great for a lazy yet wanna get slightly fancier brunch morning.
I say I enjoy this more than the usual brunch menu like pancakes and omelettes. All the dishes are meant to be shared btw.

They boast about their local and in-​house made food. The burger, which is purportedly the best in Boston area, was all out by 6:15, just 75 minutes after opening. There are only 40 burgers per night. We were very disappointed that we couldn’t get one. So, after ordering a drink we were obligated to stay for something else. I ordered the turkey which tasted fine but was nowhere near as filling as a burger. As a matter of fact, I had to have a second dinner elsewhere because a 400-​calorie dinner is not a dinner. Lastly, for the price going back is completely out of the question. $ 15 for what I would consider a tapas plate is unreasonable.
I’m sick of these so called upscale food places being rated so high. For what?!

And then, there’s Alden and Harlow.
It’s difficult to review this place, you just got to come here and eat and you’ll know what’s it’s all about
My new favorite place, great food perhaps, great atmosphere? It’s truly a foodies place and then take it two, three notches up.

Went here after a lecture that recommended it. Hands down I would too. Just make yourself a reservation unless you’re happy with the bar.
First, the staff is incredibly friendly & respectful.
Second, they make great recommendations. Ate the Heirloom eggs after every single staff person I interrogated said it was a winner. It was.
Third, I noticed that if you are a vegetarian, there are just as many interesting veggie options on this menu as there are meat-​eater friendly options. So, you can be an upscale eater & not be limited to just the salad. I ate the charred Broccoli & it paired in a heavenly way with the butternut squash. In addition, instead of bread, they give you picked veggies — that I think I ate up in no time.
Fourth, this place is HUGE! It was a weekday night the night I went – and maybe 9pm. The place was STILL crowded & could only seat me, at the bar.
Fifth, their beer & wine menu were so unique & adventuresome I took quite a bit to persuade me to select cocktail. But, man I was glad I did. Such flavor!

I haven’t been back to Cambridge/​Boston area since 2012. On a weekend, my bf and I decided to get away from NYC and we head up to Boston to visiting our friend. He took us here for brunch.
We came here around 11 and we saw a lot of empty tables. It was slightly «hidden» and upon entering, this place is a lot bigger then I thought. We thought we could get a table but apparently it was all booked and we had to sit at the bar, which was fine to me.
I ordered the kale toast and it’s absolutely amazing. The kale spread on the toasted toast was not overloaded, topped with egg and bacon, just perfect for me to have my carbs and protein in the morning but not too heavy.
My bf ordered the secret burger. The secret sauce is amazing and my bf really enjoyed it. I only took a bite. We both enjoyed our own dish more.
My friend ordered a pig in croissant. It came out to be so small but delicious. I did not try it but according to the waitress, that’s her favorite.
I love the atmosphere here as well, huge, warm, and cozy.

I met a friend for drinks at Alden and Harlow.
I really enjoyed the décor and set up of the restaurant. The bar area was just lit at the right level. The dinning area had more lighting but also at a good level.
I had a cocktail and dessert. The chocolate bread pudding was just ok.
However, the menu sounded amazing. I definitely need to go back to try their delicious sounding entrees!
The service was also good. They checked in with us from time to time and did not feel intrusive.
I’m giving the place 4 stars with an expectation of another once I have dinner there!

I said I’d come back, and I did, this time for brunch. It was dynamite.
Torched fruit: Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and banana, sprinkled with a little sugar, some mint, and then slightly torched. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or eaten more perfect berries. I typically would never order a plate of fruit at a restaurant, but I’m super glad I got this.
Benton’s bacon: Self-​explanatory. If you don’t know why this stuff is the best, google it. Then go order some.
Croissant pain perdu: Think of the most delicious french toast you’ve ever had. This is that times 1000. Crispy, puffy bread. Honey. Maple ginger yogurt. Cranberry compote. It sounds super sweet, and it was, but it wasn’t overly rich or heavy. In fact, it was surprisingly light.
Secret burger: People have gone crazy over this burger. They make around 40 per day and when they’re out, they’re out. That’s why I came to Alden & Harlow at 10:30 AM to get one. It was great. The beef itself was smoky and juicy. The greens, onions, and pickles, were awesome, and the cheese crisp and secret sauce are the «special» ingredients that make it unique. This burger looks fairly normal. It tastes really different than it looks, however. Good charring on the bread, smoky beef, the sharpness of cheddar, the salty cheesiness of the secret sauce… it all combines to create an umami-​bomb of flavor that is kept in check by the brightness of the pickles and salted onions.
Brunch was a definite win today and helped cement Alden & Harlow as one of the great restaurants in Boston, in my humble opinion.

The best vegetarian dishes out there. I would recommend those over their more popular secret burger or other meaty choices.
They suggest ordering a couple of dishes per person (tapas style) but their portions are pretty generous. The staff at times have been a little uptight to new comers but that was only once of the three times I’ve been.
Also the drinks !! They had this wonderful coffee bourbon drink over the winter — the drinks are rotated in and out it seems and although I wasn’t able to find that bourbon drink again, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with their cocktail list.
Sure, it’s quite pricey, but will definitely go back for their unique culinary taste

Had dinner here last week and it was an overall awesome experience. From the moment we walked in and were graciously greeted by the host all the way through dessert. I see what all the hype is about with Alden and Harlow in Harvard Sq.
The best part about the dining experience was definitely our server, who’s name I cannot remember right now, but he was a cool cat that happily explained items on the drink, food, and dessert menus all while offering solid recommendations from each. Big ups!
I had read many reviews about the secret burger so I came to A&H that night with tunnel vision for having that meal. Unfortunately, the kitchen was 86’d of those so I will go back. Please note that we asked about reserving a few secret burgers as soon as we sat down but they were already out by 7:15 PM, on a Tuesday! Got yo’ girl in Alden and Harlow and she choosy, club going up…
Will update this review once I try the secret burger because that’s happening. Soon.

I’ve been wanting to go to Alden & Harlow for awhile, but haven’t been able to get it together for dinner, but got to enjoy brunch yesterday. It was spectacular, so often brunch is just boring, even at places where other meals are more interesting.
We started with the ‘sparkler’ special cocktail which was delicious, then shared a few plates. The corn pancakes, the latkes with pumpkin relish and porky belly, and the toad in the hole, with red eye gravy. They were all delicious and unique, and now I really can’t wait to try dinner.

Poor customer service and hygiene!
We got tempted from the dessert and sadly they offer the desserts ONLY FOR DINNER ;(
Customer service/​hygiene: ¹⁄₅
Starting from a glass of water. We asked our waiter to change the water because there is dust and he did changed the water but not the glass. The glass surface is all dusty! In addition, the napkin is full of dust as well. In addition, he is not enthusiastic.
Croissant toad in the hole: ⁴⁄₅
The croissant itself is actually a toasted bread. It has pretty delicious combination of glazed meat with poached egg and gravy though.
Pickle Corn pancake: ³⁄₅
Is very small 3 pancakes. The pickle is arranged on top of one pancake only. The pancake is naturally sweet because of the corn. It is pretty good but not worth the price.
Secret burger: ¹⁄₅
Seriously nothing special, but there is no secret about this burger. The burger has poor arrangement: starting with bread, veggies, meat, bread. The bottom bread was overly moist due to the juice of the meat.
Overall: meh

Look, I’m a parent of a young kid. I don’t get out much, and intimate dinners with me and the missus are few and far between. But for our anniversary, I researched Unilocal thoroughly and decided that Alden & Harlow was the place to spend our precious anniversary date night.
I made a reservation and noted that it was our anniversary. This helped us get a lovely spot in the restaurant and alerted our server that we would be staring into each other’s eyes lovingly all night.
The food was all excellent. The service was lovely — attentive without being overly present.
We opted not to get dessert, as we were trying to make a show at the ART. When our server found out, she brought us some complimentary post-​dinner digestifs! Really sweet and totally helped us feel special.
Looking forward to going back!

One of those «safe» places you can go to with your mom, your spouse, your friends, your kids or yourself and feel like it was the perfect choice every time. This is not to say it’s boring or run of the mill it’s to say this is a place fit fr every situation that keeps the food and atmosphere just interesting enough to keep you coming back.
I’ve truly enjoyed everything I’ve tried here; from the secret burger (don’t underestimate the loads of homemade chips that come with these — they are some of the best I’ve ever had) to the kale salad to various brunch items to Ellen’s Berry Buckle (get it as a dessert, not an app). It’s all good, it’s all fun and it’s all served in a cool space right in the middle of Harvard.
Only negative? The booze is a little pricey. Most beers $ 8+, wines $ 13+ and cocktails $ 12. Obviously not egregious but if I had a couple more $ 5 – 7 beers I might never leave.

Adding to the review after trying more dishes! Decided to be more adventurous this time —
We really liked the Lamb Tongue, which was flavorful and reminiscent of an elevated, tomato sauce-​based meatloaf. The Duck Breast was also good, nicely seared to a pink medium. I was expecting a bit more flavor but still liked it.
The Bone Marrow… wow. I wasn’t expecting it to come in the form of three huge bones with a pile of cilantro on top, but the presentation was pretty awesome. The taste was slightly disappointing — the marrow was bland and very oily, also messy to eat. not a good first date dish lol. But still cool, would try it for the novelty!
Service was great as always, fantastic ambience, still a 5-​star experience!

Boo brought me here on a fancy date night. We were pretty excited – we’ve been looking forward to trying AH since it opened.
The space is beautiful and surprisingly enormous. Seriously, I had no idea the vast expanse of this place. The décor is gorgeous with a shade of country whimsy, and I definitely dug it.
Our server asked the usual «Have you been here before?» and after we answered in the negatory, she recommended that two plates each would be enough. She explained that the menu goes left to right, with light foods on the left, heavy on the right. That in mind, we ordered two from the middle, one from the second to right, and one from the right. Somehow, we both still left hungry.
The cocktails looked more complex than they tasted. Bae got the one with hops-​infused something, but neither of us could taste anything but mezcal. I think we may be spoiled by the best bartenders in town over at backbar, but still
Did we do it wrong? I really don’t know. Our server certainly didn’t make any comments like, «that might not be enough» or «are you still hungry?» The food we had was good (although honestly, having the bone marrow on the heavy side surprised me considering how little we got), but after four fairly slow courses, I couldn’t justify spending another $ 30 – 50 and hoping it would fill us up. We politely paid our tab and went for a slice of ‘za.

A good deal of positive reviews about this place, so sets the bar kind of high, especially for a foodie town like Cambridge. We had a great experience, and a great meal. The place was packed on this Wednesday evening, so make a reservation. We squeezed in to the bar without reservations. So that worked out well. Service was really good. Interesting fall themed bar menu, so I had a nice vodka martini drink with a nice hint of maple. I am usually not one for maple in my drinks, but this worked for me. From there we did a variety of dishes, small plates, tapas style, which gave us a nice variety. The food was really good, chicken liver pâté, a roasted bone marrow, and a braised Lamb tongue (yes, really!)
Try it all!

I came here on a weekend date night and I was pretty excited based on the reviews. I called ahead for reservations, and I’m glad that I did because when we arrived, there seemed to be a significant wait. As we walked through the restaurant into the main dining area, we were quickly overwhelmed by two things: a strong aroma of broccoli and a humidity and heat as if we were in the Caribbean! Honestly, with each step we took, we felt that we were walking deeper and deeper into Dante’s ‘Inferno.’
Our hostess sat us at our table, and I quickly began to pour buckets of sweat. I looked frantically for our server, who eventually came. She seemed curt and hurried, so when she handed us the drink menu, I quickly chose a concoction. I have to say, it was easy to narrow down the list of items because the drink menu has a fair selection of drinks with pureed foods… a little too weird, even for me. The server soon poured us water, and I felt like I was trapped in a bad dream… no ice???
When the server came back with our drinks (which were pretty average) we placed orders for a few of their plates. Most of the menu seems to be shared plates, which I was pretty happy with – I love to try lots of different things! Clearly, because of all of the reviews, we had to order the chips and three onion dip. It definitely lived up to it’s reputation! It was amazing. We also ordered the charred broccoli (I know where the smell was coming from when we arrived), the bean succotash, and the corn pancakes. I have to say that the food was overall delicious. The corn pancakes, as others have commented, were a little bit strange… but good. They came with a delicious sauce and were garnished with popcorn.
Overall, the food was great. I would have given this place a solid four stars based on their food. The heat and unfriendly service though just left a bad taste in my mouth though, and I’m still undecided about the next time that I’ll return.

Visiting Boston came here with some family and friends. The ambience is really cool. Reminded me of LA. We had Kate as our server who was very kind, attentive, and extremely knowledgable which is always good when trying a new place.
Literally every item we ordered was delicious and we ordered quite a few. Highlights were the pancakes, pâté, steak, oysters. Everything was reallllly good. Highly recommended.
Everything here is served family tapas/​family style so you can taste a bit of everything.
Great experience and great food.

Brunch du dimanche matin à Boston? Mission acceptée.
Sur les conseils d’un ami, nous nous rendons dans ce restaurant sont les locaux sont clairement superbes.
C’est grand et extrêmement bien décoré. On n’est pas collé aux voisins, et le service est sympa.
La carte est bien remplie pour le brunch, mais soyons honnêtes, c’est cher,
Alors même si mon burger était bon, quand il coûte 16 $, je m’attends à ce qu’il soit accompagné d’autre chose que des chips…
On aurait bien goûté d’autres choses à la carte, mais il n’y avait pas grand chose dans les assiettes pour un prix élevé.
Une adresse sympa donc, mais qui s’y croit un peu trop.

So instead of a Unilocal event on a Wednesday night, I was dealt with a semi-​last minute postponement and my plus one not being able to make it to the new date (no thanks to you, Committee). I felt pretty terrible about my plus one opening up a Wednesday evening, only to be disappointed in not being able to attend this event.
Presented with these options:
a) Nervously stumble through words to my plus one, «Ummmm… heheheh… oh well, peace out!» *runs away*
or
b) Make the now-​free evening worthwhile like the good friend that I accidentally try to be?
I’ve really wanted to try this restaurant for the longest time. But Alden & Harlow, a place that doesn’t really care for this website and its users?
Which brought up a few lines from that 80’s movie The Rock wants to remake to his likely folly, «Big Trouble In Little China»:
Jack Burton: Ah, you know what ol’ Jack Burton always says at a time like this?
Thunder: Who???
Jack Burton: Jack Burton! Me!
[Chinese guy comes somersaulting in air, prepared to fight alongside Burton]
Jack Burton: Ol’ Jack always says, «What the hell?»
We started with chips and three-​onion dip; something easy and basic. There was a strong onion flavor to the dip while the chips were fried nicely but unspectacular otherwise.
The pickled green bean complimentary starter was decent. There was enough bite to the green bean in terms of tartness and texture.
We had a tough time picking out a vegetable, but ended up with grilled spring onions with tahini and muscat grapes. The green part of the onion was charred while the bulb was soft. I guess the burnt flavor of the green contrasted with the sweetness of the bulb. The grapes were an interesting accompaniment, for when I think muscat grapes, I think of wine or Japanese gummy candy. The dish was inventive, to be sure. I don’t think I’d go for it again, but props for its creativity.
The pork belly was something I wanted before coming in, and I’m glad it worked out. The pork was tender and flavorful, with a nice crispy skin. The grits were a good match, along with the… onions? Grapes? Apples? I thought the accompaniment would be apples but they became onions.
Another pre-​determined selection was the smoked chocolate bread pudding. I definitely liked the smokiness of the bread pudding. The texture of the bread itself was warm and the noticeable chocolate flavor did not make the bread too cloy. The salt ice cream was perhaps… a little too salty. However, I did like its creaminess.
This is definitely an intimate establishment, one that can be characterized as a date spot. It’s rather dark inside and my friend needed to ask for additional illumination. Though it was interesting to see a family with young children eating beside us. I seemed to have missed the kids-​sized portion of carpaccio on the menu. :-P
Service was excellent, as the main server was attentive, patient, and congenial. He was descriptive with his details of the menu choices. Everyone else was quick to clear plates and refill water.
Considering the reports from that Unilocal event that I missed out, I apparently dodged a bullet, Neo-​style. That’s because I know kung fu.

Belle place cachée dans un demi sous-​sol de Cambridge, à Harvard Square. Nous sommes allés bruncher au Alden & Harlow un samedi. Superbe découverte! L’ambiance est jeune, dynamique et fancy. Les matériaux utilisés pour les murs, tables et bars, entre autres, sont bruts ou de couleurs terres/​noires/​bruns. C’est vraiment agréable. Lumières tamisées. Nous avons mangé des croques-​monsieurs et croques-​madames, lesquels étaient exquis. Seule exception: la salade de roquette en accompagnement. Nous étions ravis d’un peu de verdure dans notre assiette, sauf que la salade était HYPER salée et acide (citron). Pas mangeable. Mais, j’y retournerait pour l’apéro!