West Side Lounge

Great value. The quality of the food and ambiance is way above the price point. Their steak frites are especially good (as are their burgers).

solid food, delicious desserts and creative drinks! one of my favs

Love this place! Very convenient location and friendly staff. Also great drink menu. They change up some of the drinks every once in a while. Usually go with friends for drinks and appetizers. The Parmesan truffle fries are addictive plus it’s plenty to share with 3 – 4 people.

Surprisingly fancy looking and delicious food for such a place. Nice special options for drinks. Service was generally fast but my waiter seemed to be more busy talking to other staff members rather than taking care of the clients.

Burgers should only be made with manchego cheese, one of the best burgers I’ve had in the area and the fries were awesome. More than anything else, we really enjoyed the music and the vibe when we came on a Friday night.

Shrimp taco, burger, brownie sundae dessert – all decent. Discussing Bieber and Adele in the same breath as Ancient Mesopotamian Music making its way back to Tehran after 4000 years – only in Cambridge, MA! One of the Mesopotamian lecturers (i.e. Sounds from the Past) looks just like Camille Pissaro – I kid you not, beard and all. But very much admire the scholarly passion, to be clear. Good times…

Good burger but tonight i ordered the fish tacos. I had hoped for a dish similar to Grafton Street’s. Instead, I received a few pieces of frozen fish, mounds of rice, avocado mixture and slaw. Terrible presentation and very unsatisfying. Instead of crispy shells I got 3 soggy wraps. Just not up to par.
Although the waitress was very attentive, the good service just could’t compensate for the bad food.

Came here on a Saturday night. Decided to start with appetizers (truffle fries and the brussels sprouts with manchego). Both needed salt, brussels sprouts were super oily. Waitress was rude. Thoroughly underwhelmed by the entire experience. Will not be back.

3.5 stars — had the sesame-​encrusted tuna. Overall an interesting dish with wasabi mashed potatoes, carrots and seared tuna. Would have been 4 stars if they didn’t overcook my tuna (ordered a medium).

Where to begin.
The food. Consistently delicious. Their specials are fresh and lively. Prices are reasonable, everything’s fresh, and they have the best calamari appetizer anywhere in the city.
Cocktails. Whoa. Cocktails. What? Cocktails. Bam. Cocktails.
The service. Relaxed but professional. What more could you want?
The coolest art and music of any restaurant I’ve ever been to. Eclectic and warm.
Funky and hip in the perfect dose. Get here quick y’all.

Came here on a Thursday night, not too crowded, but not too empty either. Great balance.
Ordered the shrimp tacos to begin with. Really great presentation, and served with actual shells rather than wraps that tacos are sadly progressing to. Copious amount of shrimp in the taco, and the sauce was great. Perfect balance. I think this might’ve been the first taco I finished in a while.
Got the chicken confit as main course. The chicken was cooked extremely well, but was too salty for my taste. The mash it was served on was great, with cheese that went really well with the meat.
Overall, great dinner place, not a wow amazing, but if you are in the area, I’d drop in and try something from their specials.

This is our local standby and so it pains me to say how disappointed we were with our meal last night. The waitstaff was overly attentive («how are those first couple bites?») and the food was really not up to par. Why isn’t the same delicious bread they serve in the bread basket also on the panzanella salad? And that bread should be slightly toasted and dressed, not tossed on top. There was argula in panzanella (the only green), and as garnish on our two apps, and in the Summer Linguine. All of it tasted like it was out of a bag from the grocery store. It’s summer let’s use local ingredients!
Maybe it was an off night. Let’s hope this isn’t the trend.

I’ve been going here for years. They remember my name,
and the service is stellar.
The food is superb, as are the drinks.
Great atmosphere, and changing art exhibits by local
artists.
This place a real winner, and a great part of the community.

Went here the other night for dinner with friends and were seated promptly. Our waiter took a little bit of time to come over, but was very friendly when he did. We ordered and then waited and waited. Turns out, they were having some technical difficulties in the kitchen with the hood turning off, but no one came to explain why it was taking over 30 minutes for our appetizers. They eventually did, but there was nothing more than an apology which kinda annoyed me.
The food, once it did come, though was delicious. I especially enjoyed their dessert of donuts and maple bourbon butter. So good and made fresh. I could have eaten like, 4 orders of those.
So, we might be back… but hope for quicker service when we do.

Food was fresh and very good fare. I was with a large party and sampled quite a few dishes. Scallops and mushroom risotto was an overwhelmingly favorite. Cod was good, but scallops and tuna were better. Bourbon balls with maple butter were absolutely delicious. If you get dessert, I would highly recommend.
Atmosphere is fun, youthful, hip. Tables are hightops with stools (no backs). Though some of the seating is booth style against the wall. We had a senior that had a hard time getting up on the seating, but staff were kind enough to make a makeshift stool out of a crate.
Service was good, friendly, and attentive.

Bubbly but not too noisy ambience — check.
Delicious but not too pricey food — check. (though I would say the portion for some dishes is kind of problematic.)
Close to school but with a relatively low possibility of sitting by someone you know — check.
What else can you ask for?

A solid service: solid.
Food: solid.
Atmosphere: solid.
Price: solid.
Steak frites ($ 17.95) arrive prepared perfect medium rare with an pan sauce slightly salty, slightly sweet; it is a compliment to the rich flavor of the beef. Substitute the truffle fries to boot and a meal you have.
Favorite Chicken ($ 16.95) is the awkward ²⁄₃ cut of a half chicken that is the skin on breast with part of the wing still attached. Prepared using the brick method, a crisp skin enwraps the juicy meat. Creamy mashed potatoes are enriched further by a thick mushroom cream sauce. Artichokes are soft but slightly too acrid for this otherwise well assembled plate.
Chicken wings ($ 4.95) to begin were a surprising favorite and use an chili base to give these black ended babies a kick. 5 wings for under $ 5 bucks is also a deal, too.
The bacon wrapped scallops ($ 9.95) deliver two oversized scallops wrapped in thin slices of bacon that are tender and sweet. However, the deal on the chicken wings is offset here at $ 5 a scallop.
Excellent beverages and good service.

Okay, I must confess something to my constant readers. I’ve been hiding a secret from the world. I know it’s a terrible thing I have done, but I just didn’t want the news to get out about this little gem of a restaurant called, West Side Lounge. I wanted it to remain my secret, but I can’t hold back any longer. I must share my absolute love of this place.
Picture a dimly lit restaurant, beautiful décor, local artist’s works hanging from the walls, a menu that doesn’t have one bad item on it, and a staff that treats you like you’re part of the family. That’s West Side Lounge.
My most recent visit was no exception. The waiter, sometimes bartender, sometimes host, Jeff greeted us with a warm smile and a handshake. He’s one of the reason’s I keep coming back. He’s a sweetie! I ordered my usual margarita and they know just how I like it, silver tequila, straight up, and no salt. This night, I ordered the Edamame Fritters and Favorite Chicken Ever (that’s the name of the dish, and there’s a reason why it’s call this). The chicken is always juicy and cooked to perfection. It’s sitting on a large bed of goat cheese whipped potatoes, which is sitting in this warm, silky gravy with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. It really doesn’t get any better than this.
In all my years of traveling and eating at restaurants, I have never come across a place like West Side Lounge. The food, the cocktails, the service is always spot on, never changing. You know what to expect when you walk in the door. There are a lot of place in Cambridge in Boston to get great food, but it usually comes with attitude, arrogance, and a price. But not here at West Side Lounge, it’s some of the best food Cambridge has to offer with none of the pretension. And when you go, say hi to my buddy Jeff. He’ll treat you right.
My rating…5 Paws
With love from my dog bowl to yours… Happy eating.
Shatasdogbowl

There is something to be said for a place that knows, is comfortable with and embraces what it is. In the case of WSL, that’s a neighborhood joint – the kind of place where you can have a nice dinner, or just as easily watch the game on one of the two small and unobtrusive TVs, with consistently good food, good drinks and great service.
The prices are eminently reasonable, especially for the quality you get in return. Not only have I never had anything less than an above average meal there — and I eat there frequently — the presentation doesn’t hold back. These plates look terrific when they’re placed in front of you. And if you want to snack, the selection of small plates and appetizers is great, too. But again, WSL doesn’t really try hard at being trendy or hip, although in a Taoist sort of way, by not trying, they are.
Cozy might be the best word — nice cocktails and beautiful plating aside, it always feels homey in WSL, which brings me to the reason they get five stars: The staff. Every interaction, from hostesses to waiters to bartenders, is warm and welcoming. These people truly appear to enjoy their work. My girlfriend moved to Porter a year and a half ago, and WSL quickly became our go-​to neighborhood spot. We even spent New Year’s Eve there, because we knew we’d get great quality and excellent service in a comfortable, laid-​back atmosphere. Every neighborhood spot should aspire to be like this.

Went there on Saturday night. waited on the bar for a table !
Drinks were great and they have great quality of alcohol and organic too (like Crop Cucumber Organic Vodka that i love)…
We decided to eat different small plates… We started with fried plantains and wilton’s zucchini. Very tasty and hot ! The plantains were on guacamole sauce!
The third plate was meatballs… It was chewy and not good at all. We told the waiter and he apologize about that… Last plate was the shrimp tacos… It comes late with the excuse of the manager and it was on the house! That was a nice surprise ! And it was so tasty!
Nice environment, friendly staff. Would go back!

Great place for late night food and drinks. The food is consistently good, just like the service. We usually order a few appetizers to share, along with a round or two of beer or cocktails. In total, we’ve tried the following:
Fried plantains w/​house guac
House tater tots with sriracha ketchup
Chicken wings
Edamame fritters
Whipped goat cheese
Classic Caesar Salad
Fresh veggie spring rolls
Parmesan truffle fries
Favorite chicken ever
Steak frites
West side burger
I also once tried a special lettuce wrap with haloumi cheese and some spicy spread, without realizing the level of spice was akin to ghost pepper. Aside from feeling like my mouth was on fire, it was very tasty! I would order any of the above again, but I feel like I can trust trying new things on the menu before repeating.

Guacamole and Plantains — NAILED IT!
Shrimp Tacos — YES YES!
Burger — (wasn’t the one eating it). but ALSO NAILED IT!
Brussel Sprouts — mmm mmm mmmmm!
Truffel Fries — holy guacamole (see above) in other words. NAILED IT! :)
Stop by before hearing my friend’s band across the street and this was such a great surprise! I don’t know if I was like overly excited that night or what but the food really tasted so good. I would order everything I listed above again.
The place was super small and casual but swanky if that makes sense. Our waitress was really helpful telling us drinks that were good and not so good. Thanks waitress! I don’t really go to this area enough but I would to go back. I see brunch in my future here too…