The Cambridge Queen’s Head

I came here for an event and had a very good time. The space is nice and attractive, there is a good selection of drinks (including Harvard’s own 1636 Ale, which I am told is brewed by Harpoon) and it wasn’t too crowded or loud, early evening. It’s in the bottom of Memorial Hall, the stunningly attractive church-​looking building between Harvard Yard and the Science Center.

Nice spot on campus if you’re a Harvard affiliate. The Queen’s Head is student run and a favorite spot for grad students, professors, and Harvard events. It’s student friendly so people under 21 can come in for trivia, music, and food. Wednesday is wing ($ 0.25 wings) and trivia night and there’s usually a live music night each week too. They have tons of large tables and are easy to work with for event booking and space reservations.
The catering menu is a steal. Seriously. I ordered 2 catering orders of Veritochos (tots covered in melted cheese and jalapenos, would highly recommend) the last time I went and it was an incredible mountain of tots on tots. They have several options for the types of wings too. I’d recommend the Honey Mustard and BBQ, though I’m naturally biased toward those. Also, the chicken tenders are massive! Solid spot if you need to host a Harvard event and don’t have endless funds for a spot in the Square.
Pro tip: you can pay with card, but tips need to be paid in cash (they can’t add tip to your bill). Make sure to bring some cash for the students!

Full disclaimer: I used to work at the Queen’s Head as an undergraduate. It is a student-​run bar with graduate and undergraduate student managers, and usually undergraduate Harvard student staff. The beer is fairly cheap ($ 4.50-$ 6 for a draft, $ 4.50-$ 5.25 for a bottle or can), and they have a rotating selection of drafts. The food is standard pub food and very average. They have a nice weekly schedule of events, such as $ 0.25 wing nights on Wednesdays, karaōke on Thursdays, and usually a live band performance at some point during the week. Harvard IDs are needed to get in, so it is mostly frequented by Harvard graduate students.
I came here for an event yesterday and was pretty disappointed (hence 3 stars instead of 4 stars, which I probably would have given if I had come on a regular night). The event was advertised as live music with free food starting at 10pm. I got there at 10:05pm and there was no food to be found. I asked the bartender and she didn’t seem to know what was going on; she mentioned that the food might have gone out already and offered to ask the kitchen (which never happened). I found it a little hard to believe that the food would be gone 5 minutes after the event started, but I guess I understand that since it is a student-​run bar the operations may not run as smoothly as at a restaurant or pub. We still enjoyed getting drinks there.
They also have a pool table and a small selection of games (Catan, Apples to Apples, and Jenga). The Jenga blocks have drinking game rules written on them which are pretty fun. We ended up playing two games.

Lovely staff, great selection of beers and wine, good service and décor, and really fun events!

Worst service I have ever had at a bar in Boston or Cambridge. I was here on a Thursday night for trivia (which was a joke by the way– the first category was about Greek life on their campus…) so granted it was a little busy but their two bar tenders literally stood around and just looked people in the eyes without helping them. The food took over one hour to come out and was mediocre at best. I will not be coming back.

Amazing 0.25¢ wing Weds. I like the buffalo flavor. Pretty friendly service — they were on top of my classic rock requests, I can’t sing their praises more. Other times on wing nights, they have live shows.
I come mainly for the 1636 brew, which you can’t get bottled or on tap anywhere else. Not bad for $ 4! I hear they don’t accept tips. Great, since a lot of the clientele are grad students.

$ 4 for a glass of Sam Adams and a great atmosphere, especially when they are hosting bands and events of all sorts. A cool place to hangout and grab a beer for students!

Dominated by grad students, the pub tends to get crowded on the weekends.
The Cambrige Queen’s head is located in the basement of Memorial Hall. It’s actually quite nice — with a lot of wood paneling and dark interior decorating. They have a pool table, darts, and a stage for live acts or karaōke. There are quite a few events on a weekly basis — karaōke nights, quiz bowl, etc.
They also have wing nights on Wednesdays, where you can get wings for 25 cents each!

Cheap beer, decent selection. Sometimes they have tons of free food out on Fridays.

Cheap beer, respectable selection, live music, pool, and darts all in the basement of historic Memorial Hall… enough said.
Actually not quite enough; the bar is run by Harvard College so there’s definitely a young feel to it (but if you’re in to that kind of thing…). In all honesty it actually is a decent place to grab a beer but I’d pick a night there isn’t a scheduled event or the place can get crowded. Fun fact: the pewter steins hanging on the back wall were sold when the pub opened but pretty much every one within an arm’s length reach of the bar has been swiped. Challenge, anyone?

As far as I know, this is the only on-​campus bar at Harvard. It’s a bit hard to spot given its underground location but well worth the search. Apart from having a decent beer selection at the lowest prices in the area, Queen’s Head usually has some sort of entertainment. For example, last Thursday had trivia night followed by a live band. (Not a great band, but the bar is big enough that you can largely avoid the music.) There’s also a pool table and dart boards in the corner.
The bar also serves food, though I’ve never tried it. Queen’s Head is usually fairly busy, though I’ve never seen it too crowded to find a seat. The only catch is that you need to be with someone who has a Harvard ID to get in. This place is for students.

They have really cheap beer and wine if you’re on a low budget! Great atmosphere to chit chat with your friends and chill on their sofa! Don’t expect to see a wide range of people… but only a majority of preppy Harvard students. This is a place where you come to get buzzed because it’s convenient. It’s right across Harvard’s science building, and its a place to vent about how much you hate your classes. Also, don’t expect good service. The bartenders suck.

The Queenshead will always have a place in my heart. It’s a bar run by students and for students, and I appreciate that. The food is not the best, and the service some times lacking, but it has been my saving grace for late night snacks and drinks on the cheap.
For those who are not Harvard students… Be warned — it’s a bar on Harvard campus, for students — it really is meant to cater to students. Just sayin

I am a reasonable man. I rarely give out bad reviews, even more seldom do I give a one star.
This ‘bar’ was a complete failure. I went there on a Friday night and several things went wrong.
First of all they allow minors in the building. So that means you have to wear a bracelet as if you are going to a festival. If you are a bar or pub then be a bar or pub and check ID at the door. The bracelet idea is dumb.
Secondly, they ran out of beer… at least 6 or 7 taps ran empty on a Friday night. WTF? They finally had someone run out grab some tall-​boys of PBR.
The third and final strike was the service. 3 servers and over a hundred people trying to order. Boo. Fail.
There were other problems but i am not going to bother.

Oy to the mothafriggin’ vey. As a dining establishment, this place was a HOT, HOT MESS. We came for the 25-​cent wings, which had run out by 8:00, and ended up experiencing a dinner disaster. I don’t even know why we thought it would be a good idea to come here primarily for food. They should have a huge sign at the front that says «WARNING: you will only have a good time if you are drinking and NOT EATING.»
Basically, we waited over an hour and a half to get some shitty appetizers, the tiniest pencil-​dick of a hot dog, a sub-​par burger, and cold tomato soup from a can (trust me, I am well-​versed in Campbell’s and I –know– what canned soup tastes like), all at grossly inflated prices. I mean seriously, I shouldn’t have to pay someone nine bucks to microwave what is essentially a TGI Friday’s frozen meal that doesn’t even consist of enough food to feed a small child.
If you ignore all that, the Queen’s Head seems like a cool place to grab a drink. They have a nice selection of beers, all at very agreeable prices. There’s also a TV, darts, pool, and shuffleboard (?) to keep you entertained. Seeing as everyone else seems to have posted a rave review, I clearly had an anomalous experience at the Queen’s Head.
Food –10 ⁰⁰⁰⁄₁₀
Service ¹⁄₁₀
Drink ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Atmosphere ¹⁰⁄₁₀

Oh hey Unilocal,Its been a while. Maybe I just haven’t been anywhere thats been an emotive spark plug for me recently. #sad…
Enough about me. I was ambivalent about reviewing this place because Queen’s Head is a gem that should stay hidden, minus outside goonies (myself included) finding this place and tainting its preserved charisma.
Im all about sharing the experience though, this place is posh, a bit decadent, with a penchant for opulence. Definitely not a place to dress down. Have fun finding the bar. It’s in the basement of a church. I think. Part of the charm.
Fun Food For Fodder:
They put a wristband on me (even though there’s no cover… curious)
No mixed drinks, only beer (Old Chub!) and Wine. (Cheap, which was refreshing)
Lots of interactive activities (Pool, Darts, Shuffleboard)
Cool Décor (Christmas trees and a Library… we get it.)
Pretty damn good music (self-​explanatory)
Good place for a date, and if you’re in earshot of any girls wearing wool, V-​neck sweaters with Crimson scarves, or guys wearing Lands End, pull-​over fleeces with pleated dockers; dial up the conversation content so you can fit in.

Ya know, I went to the Queen’s Head wanting to flash my Harvard ID and feel all elitist, but they didn’t even check it! Sad day.
It was pretty empty on a Saturday night, but that didn’t keep us from grabbing beers and delving into a drunken philosophical conversation that one feels compelled to have when drinking on Harvard property. To be fair, I don’t remember much, but I loved the atmosphere, the beer was good, and the bathrooms were clean. Besides, cheap beer and no tipping makes for a happy Lisa!

Came here from out of town with a friend who’s in Harvard for grad school.
The bartenders/​waitresses are super friendly and the ambiance is awesome. Very college pubby. Service is quick and attentive.
We came for the Wednesday chicken wing deal and what a great deal it is. $ 0.25 per wing! The two of us ordered ~ 30 wings with a variety of different sauces. I’ll say that all of the different kinds of wings we got were good… except for the asian garlic (I think this is what it was called, but I don’t fully recall). These wings were covered in a garlicky, peppery sriracha sauce that we got sick of after the first wing. Other than that, this place is the tops!
My friend also ordered me the Harpoon 1636 beer, delicious!

Three reasons I like this pub: 1) it’s a block from my work so it’s the easiest place to get a beer after a stressful day, 2) the booze is cheap as chips, and 3) there is always a place to sit, even on a Friday.
This is the closest thing I have found to a student union this side of the Atlantic. It’s a student bar run by students, for students. The prices are wonderfully low — I bought a round of beers for 6 people and the total came in at under $ 20! My colleagues and I can be found there regularly on Fridays, drinking away the blues of the week. If we stay long enough, we sometimes sing terrible karaōke too (comes on after 10pm).
The food however, leaves a LOT to be desired. There are only two things that I will order from the menu: chicken strips and fries. Everything else is terrible — I had a salad there once and I swear, I could actually hear the limp leaves of lettuce whimpering from the plate. The service is fairly poor, and they never bring you cutlery or napkins with your food — perhaps students are just expected to chow down with there hands, or just put their face to the plate and chomp…

I took out $ 40 and came home w/​a ton of money still in my pocket
b/​c apparently that is a small fortune at this place.
What a pleasant surprise.
The beer selection is decent, especially for the price.
The bartenders are horrible. idk what they are doing in a bar. It took me almost a half hour to get a beer (was there on a friday night). I’m not sure if it’s b/​c I’m short and no one saw me, or what.
I was meeting up w/​a harvard student, but no one checked to see if I was affiliated w/​harvard… and no one ID’d me either… other people had bracelets?
I would like to come back mainly b/​c of how cheap it is.
I have never seen so many ralph lauren polo sweaters in my life.

I’m around for a multi-​day conference whose organizers had the brilliant idea of treating us all to a couple of drinks at Queen’s Head. Hey, this place is great! As I understand the story, there was an unpopular food court in this basement area until a very clever dean realized that alcohol and rock ‘n’ roll could turn things around. The Harpoon 1636 was delicious. I very much liked the ambiance and décor. On the other hand, I didn’t much care for the snacks (mostly mini pizza bits and some chicken fingers).
As other Unilocalers have reported, the Queen’s Head is open to the public: no Harvard ID is required. I’d come back here any time!

$ 3.25 for good beers on tap??? Meaning not PBR! Sign me up!!!
Ya gotta toss your hat up in the air for Harvard having their own bar on campus in a somewhat unmarked location underneath what kind of resembles a church ha ha Plus they even have their own beer that they’ve started brewing recently here, which is maybe just another way for Harvard to be elitist, but hey, that brew is actually pretty tasty!
This bar of course has books and random equations written on walls in order to create that whole smart sensation of harvard throughout the bar, and even in the women’s bathrooms there are chalkboards on the walls which I can only see as being used by students when they have some mathematical equation aha moment and absolutely have to write it down somewhere (and I’m sure for girls that happens all the time while they’re in the bathroom, right? The funny thing is, that they don’t have chalkboards in the boy’s bathrooms, so I guess even though men claim the toilet is their thinking throne, they don’t think enough in the bathroom at queenshead to deserve a chalkboard!!!)
You will definitely feel like a college kid here though. Even though a lot of grad students come here, overall, especially on certain nights, that typical college bump and grind music is blasted over the speakers, and if you do happen to feel a bit too old for the crowd, there is no hard alcohol here to help you get over that feeling heh.

Yeah, okay, so I’m not in college anymore. But I still went to Harvard’s college bar. And apparently I stumbled upon hot wings night. For $.25 cents a wing, I was in college boy heaven.
You have to order a minimum of 10 wings and $ 2 extra if you want bleu cheese dressing and celery. They come in a variety of flavors but I went with the classic buffalo wings. The teriyaki ones smelled really like soysauce and I could smell ‘em from halfway across the room.
I also tried out the Red Brick beer from Sam Adams, available on tap exclusively in Boston.
Wings. Beer. Boys. Yeah, what a night!