Whitney’s Cafe

A haven in the annoying Harvard Square area. Real people, and people who like real people. Students and hipsters, stay out!

so this is a harvard bah
beer not that cheap, $ 6 sam pint but a quiet retreat from the cold
local patrons stool up to watch family feud talk dude stuff and blow off steam late afternoon
imagine a pre bar scene come nite time or post class post work crowd

They’ve got several TVs, including one tuned to Red Zone, for proper football-​watching on Sundays. A trip there during the Pats bye week on Sunday revealed a much-​deserted Whitney’s but all is changed during a Pats game. This is a good spot to have many beers during the games. Bring some pocket dogs, though.

Not only did I have to tell the bartender how to make a proper margarita (sorry, no sour mix), he ignored me for 20 minutes following my drink when capacity was less than half full. Avoid at all costs.

Favorite bar in Harvard Square, hands down.
Somehow this bar generally escapes the college kid crowd (sometimes there are college kids, I will admit, but it’s not as bad as some of the other bars in the square), and has a healthy smattering of local alcoholics that play poker at the bar. There’s a great juke box that’s almost always blasting classic rock, Big Buck Hunter, darts, Sox & B’s on tv, and my personal fav, nudie photo hunt. I’ve spent many an hour drinking Bud Heavies and feeding dollars into the photo hunt machine. The bartenders are friendly, funny, and sometimes will let you teach them to play a new card game (taught them my old favorite Asshole) and close out the bar with them.
Another perk: right down the street from Pinocchio’s. get your drink on at the Whit, get your pizza on at Pinocchio’s.

Great low key neighborhood bar — one of the few places I can stand to drink a beer in Harvard Square.
Whitney’s appears to welcome all sorts of folks, but is mercifully free of hipsters and attitude.
It’s a beer bar, and in no way is it a café. Friendly barkeep, eclectic patrons and a laid back atmosphere await.

Whitneys for NEW YEARS EVE!!!
Yes…we had a New Years Eve party at Whitneys and it was a BLAST!!!
Awesome drinks, great music, great company and the perfect way to ring in the new year.
I would highly recommend this spot for private parties that are quirky and fun without a massive price tag… bring a crowd and have fun all night long.

Come for the Big Buck Hunter, stay for the reasonably-​priced drinks. Or maybe it’s the other way around… Either way, Whitney’s is a great little bar (NOT a café) that’s holding down the dive-​bar scene in Harvard Square.
I came to Whitney’s with a pal to drink some beers and play Big Buck Hunter, and after pumping $ 5 into that machine for the full campaign adventure, we drank and shot and shot and drank, and had a marvelous time.
The second time I went was after a show, and we wanted a cheapish place to have a beer before heading home, and maybe squeeze in a few round of Big Buck Hunter. Alas, the game was out of order! Noooooooooo! The bartender said it almost never happens, so I think we just had bad timing. Instead, we pulled up to the bar and watched some baseball on the TV behind the bar, and we ended up having a great time.
So, that’s 2 out of 2 great experiences for Whitney’s. Just go in with your expectations straight and you’ll have a great time too!

Absolutely love this place, my only gripe is that I don’t live close enough to make it my regular stop! I was seeing a band at The Sinclair and stopped in with a friend to get a brew before the show. Definitely a dive bar, but a fantastic one! Great beer specials, great beers on tap, great atmosphere, wonderful bartender! Next time I find myself in Harvard Square and need to quench my thirst, Whitney’s it is!

Good place to grab a pint for a pub crawl. My friends told me that Whitney’s was a dive, but I thought it was pretty nice… does that call my standards into question? Friendly bartenders, and a good time

I agree with the other reviewers that the «café» part of the name is hilarious. If Whitney’s is a café, then McDonald’s is a sushi restaurant and the Central T station is an airport.
The point is that Whitney’s is the ultimate dive bar, at least by Harvard Square standards. Generally you’ll find a mix of students and locals here, and there’s a good darts board in the back. Worth a look if you’re into cheap drinks and you want something a little bit different from the standard area offerings.

I’m not sure where ‘café’ comes in…
My friend and I were drawn in by the PBR specials ($ 3.25 on draft!).
We were pleasantly surprised when the place went from an old man dive bar to a campus hot spot around 10 PM on Thursday. Seems like the essential college town gross-​yet-​oh-​so-​cool-​until-​everyone-​discovers-​it bar.

This place is a hole in the wall type of bar. Despite its Harvard square location, it tends to draw more from the townie population than the students. People either love this place or hate it. I love it as its super chill, they have a digital jukebox, and have big buck hunter. As you would expect, it tends to draw more of a male crowd so don’t come here looking to pick up girls. Also, be sure to hit the ATM before you come as it’s a cash only.

I still love you Whitney’s. You provide everything I want from a dive bar: darts, cool bartenders, comfortable bar stools, EROTIC PHOTO HUNT, and wacky patrons who make for good stories.
Whenever any friend wants to meet in Harvard Square for drinks, I suggest this bar. It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with other bars in the area… it’s just that they aren’t Whitney’s.

Whitney’s is a solid dive bar. Strong drinks, fast service and some assorted arcade games (and darts!). This is our go to when we’re just out for a drink and not looking to fight the crowds. Also with a couple big screen TVs its a nice place to watch the game.

There are two reasons, and two reasons only, to go to Whitney’s:
1. You want (or need) to get a drink for less than five bucks in Harvard Sq.
2. You want to go to a bar where people occasionally talk to the other patrons.
Now, the drinks aren’t very good. They’re not even very cheap, if you’re someone who has experienced drink prices outside of the Boston/​Cambridge area. Still, they’re a little cheaper than you’ll find elsewhere in the Square. Also, the people who will talk you are going to be scummy, alcoholic, creepers. They may offer to buy you a drink, then look at you dumbly when it comes because they conveniently forgot they drank through the entire contents of their wallets already. Then they’ll slink away, only going far enough to try the same thing on your friend who’s sitting right next to you.
Once in a while, though, when you’re nearly broke, or desperate for human contact, or if you don’t want to go home without a story about being propositioned by a 60-​year-​old alkie– stop by Whitney’s. You won’t be disappointed. Or, you will be, but in a very specific way which ought to have been exactly what you were expecting.

No frills. Terribly great attitude. Go when the owners not there. Real darts and a golf arcade game. A couple tvs and the prices have gone up a lot, like double, over last year, bud light will now run you $ 3.75 but that depends on who’s serving and if they think your from Harvard or not.

The full name of this place is seriously Whitney’s *CAFE*? Seriously? Café it is not, that’s for sure.
My coworkers love coming here, mostly because of the cheap drinks and amazing jukebox choices. The first time I came, my one coworker told me it was a «locals dive bar». Locals dive bar? In Harvard Square? Impossible.
Actually, quite possible. All the other patrons are sorry excuses for adult human beings. They are all chummy with each other and shoot you dirty looks when you invade their space. Whatever, I don’t give a rats ass what a 50 year old grody alcoholic thinks. Just as long as the drinks are strong, which they are.
The funny thing is that no two drinks cost the same, even if you order the same thing throughout the night. $ 5, $ 5.50, $ 4.50…whatever…as long as my $ 20 bill gets me 4 drinks. Since this place is cash only and I never carry cash, I usually only ever have a $ 20 fresh from the ATM when I come in.
Of course, last time I was in here, I had used a $ 20 bill to buy my first drink and left the change on the bar for the bartender to peel from as he served me. At one point, I got up to talk to one of my buddies on the other side of our group, without my eyes ever leaving my pile of singles. On cue, one of the grody alcoholics walked right over and took $ 5. So with no subtlety I told him to give me back my money, buy me a drink, or take an ass whooping. He ran out of the bar like a pussy and the bartender gave me a free drink to prevent me from chasing him down.
Wow dude, you just stole $ 5. KLASSY.
Got to love this place.

Witney’s is probably the diviest bar in Harvard sq (even more so than Charlie’s, sorry purists) and that is a good thing.
If you disagree I’ll fight you –at darts– in the pub. And then I’ll buy you a drink unless I win.
By reading this you have agreed to our wager. Got Ya!

I realized I have never reviewed this place, yet it is nearly always the last-​stop on the Harvard Square Hot Mess train. And, well, why wouldn’t it be?
It’s divey, it’s crowded, it’s dirty, it’s got buck hunter, and I may have, on more than one occasion, poured a week’s salary into the jukebox just to make the bar listen to Meatloaf for hours at a time. WORTH IT. If you’re ever there and notice 2+ Meatloaf songs come on in a row, scan the bar for me. I’ll be the one laughing maniacally in the corner.
Seriously, no frills, cash-​only, and they’re a stickler for carding (at least whenever I go… I don’t think I look under 30, but whatever). Bring your cash money, bring your ID, and wear your best dirty-​chic attire.