The Cambridge

Cool spot that I have passed numerous times and wanted to try. Showed up post– brunch elsewhere. Lovely atmosphere especially when the weather is nice and the large front windows are open. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a number of drinks. Fantastic bloody Mary’s and good beer selection. Some of the food from the brunch menu that came by makes me think that I need to add this to my «to visit» brunch spots. I will have to follow up on this review when I can taste the brunch or dinner menus.

OUTDOOR SEATING?
a short poem
Good outdoor seating.
Do not bring large parties here.
Nice beer selection.

This review is going to be for the bar experience, I haven’t had the chance to try anything off their menu yet. The menu does look interesting mind you, plus it gives me another reason to come back.
The Bar Scene… and go.
The Cambridge has some great crafts on tap that would satisfy the libation gods. What I also like about The Cambridge is their line up up crafts. The Cambridge does a line up, showing what is next in line once a certain craft has run out. I love the line up card, it’s almost like they implement a sporting mind frame. If you are unsure of what I mean by that, it is just in case one goes down, this is their back up. Did I mention I love their craft selections? Any craft aficionado would appreciate a pint or bottle from here.
Now just in case you are not into the whole craft scene, they do provide some awesome cocktails. The concoctions alone will raise an eyebrow, most likely both eyebrows. If were to rock out a cocktail I have had some that were just refreshingly awesome. Try their Cambridge Cup, Main Line Affair, and for good measure their Dark and Stormy. Just saying, if you wanted to venture off into the mixed spirits scene.
The staff are all attentive, hustling to get you your drinks if your sitting at a table. The bartenders are also awesome as they do their thing, keeping everyone well hydrated with a full house. It does get packed at times seeing this is one of the hot spots on South St. .
In all this is a great spot to just escape and enjoy a drink, catch a game, and even a meal. I know I’ll be back to try out their menu, they have a few items that caught my eye.

It’s hard to be impressed until a bar carries your favorite beer! Cambridge had my Gueuze Cuvée René! Amen. In general the beer selection is wonderful, despite my spirited soulmate. The environment is classy, warm and comfortable. It doesn’t get much better than this, except with noise level. The noise was mind shattering, contradicting the warm and comfortable atmosphere, this is probably because of the tight space. As far as I can see the brunch grub is up there with Honeys and other great brunch places, still have to try! Be back soon!

3.5 stars because they have that sweet patio out back and also the fried chicken sandwich is delish– the bun is more like cornbread and I love that you can get it with a side of greens to pretend you’re healthy.
The beer selection is pretty good and I appreciate that the menu is organized by beer size (aka you can steer away from beers that come in those stupid small chalice glasses if you’re so inclined).
Staff has always been on the friendly side in my experience so no complaints there.
Now that I’ve outlined the good, let’s talk about the weird. The wings. They come naked. With a side of hot sauce. Just waiting to be drenched. They just seem a little sad when they come. Like they’re waiting for someone to help them reach their full potential. Dunno if it’s just me but I feel like I can never do as good of a job at drenching the wings myself. They’re also served with a carrot and cucumber salad instead of the traditional carrots and celery which lets face it, just isn’t the same. Good in its own way but some things are better left un-​messed with, and wings is one of em.
Apparently I felt like rambling today, but bottom line, definitely worth a visit– particularly on a nice sunny day

I went to the Cambridge for restaurant week and found it lackluster — another pub trying to be something fancier than what was actually served. However, when I recently went for brunch, I found it to be a wonderful experience. We were a party of 6 and we were seated within the wait time that they gave us. Our service was very good as well. We ordered a bottle of champagne and were also given a glass of orange juice to make mimosas with.
I ordered the layered breakfast tostadas and they were DELICIOUS. They come in a bowl that begins with Mexican potatoes, three bean sauce, eggs over easy topped with avocado, Ranchero sauce, lime crema, pepperjack and crispy corn tortillas.
We had a great meal and I would not mind going back for brunch again.

The Cambridge continues to be a go-​to for pub grub done well. The service is consistently pleasant with a nice (if sometimes noisy) atmosphere. It also serves a mean brunch with an omelette that zings with diced, spicy, pickled jalapenos and well-​seasoned potatoes.

We went for the burgers and were not disappointed. We got the regular burger and the porker burger. The porker burger was on the spicy side which I loved but if it’s not your thing be warned. Fries were hot and fresh. Fast service.

B.R.U.N.C.H. was on point.
I am always amazed when a bar does a good brunch and this place gave me one of the most satisfying brunches I’ve had in recent memory.
I loved the bowl presentation of many of the egg dishes. Potatoes on the bottom and eggy goodness on top with veggies. Great formula.
The scramble was fantastic – loved the kale and onion combo. Eggs and veggies were perfectly cooked and seasoned and the dish was just melt in your mouth yumz. Garlic hot sauce on the side is my new reason for living.
Also – ask for the garlic hot sauce on the side with everything. It comes with the scramble dish, but it was so good on basically everything: chicken n waffles, eggs, omelettes, etc.
Service was friendly and great. This would be one of my go to spots for weekends. Surprisingly, it was not that crowded. (It was easy to get a table for 5 at around 10:30 am, with no wait).
We had some vegetarians in our group and didn’t have any issues.

Stopped in for a few drinks after a disappointing happy hour at Tio Flores last night. Loved the beer menu! There was a lot of variety. We went with two of the «Pizza Boy» beers — the «Farmhouse» one was deemed the best and I think overall we ended up having 6 or 8 of those. The prices are extremely fair. I saw some other beers on the menu that I’d love to try another time.
We sat at the bar — two seats had just opened up as we walked in so we snagged them. For St. Patrick’s Day, it was not overly packed at all unless maybe they all left before we arrived around 7:30−8pm, so I think it would be a nice «quiet» place on South Street to go to a Happy Hour after work.
The only reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars yet is because we didn’t eat any food, but I fully intend on coming back and giving it a try!

We came here for a quick drink because we were waiting for REX next door to open. I got a gin and soda (my usual), and It tasted like ALL water. The service was nice but I think the alcohol was a little skimp. Maybe I should revisit to get a second try, but so far it was meh.

Food is great. I love the nachos, wings, beers, pork burger and most of the staff. Collin (spelling) is always hospitable and friendly. This is a great bar.

I’ve been here a few times now for drinks and recently tried the calamari and short rib mac & cheese last weekend. I enjoyed their take on calamari with a thai chili sauce. The mac & cheese sounded so good on the menu, but in reality I thought it was just ok. Melt some cheese on almost anything and it’ll be good so it had that going for it, but the dish wasn’t held together well and just didn’t compare to mac & cheese I’ve had elsewhere.
I’ll be back for drinks and looking to try some other menu items the next time around.

Really loving The Cambridge lately. Last Saturday we stopped in and shared some appetizers for dinner — the poutine and the short rib mac and cheese — and of course we had some beers. The apps were large portions, very delicious, and left us feeling satisfied and happy.
Today we went for brunch around noon, we sat at the bar. I had the chicken biscuit sandwich which was huge; very flavorful and filling, I enjoyed it very much. Ben had the quesadilla which was exactly what he was craving. Lots of beers on the draft list were crossed out today — probably after a busy Friday and Saturday night– but there were plenty of great beers to choose from. It was consistently crowded, but the bartenders checked in on everyone frequently enough. We will be back again soon, I see the Cambridge becoming part of our usual rotation.

When a place that you cherished and held in high regard comes to close, you might find yourself hesitant to come and try out the new business that takes over due to the nostalgia kick that the old one yielded. Such was the case for me with Cambridge since I loved going to Tritone for its quirky dive bar atmosphere, fun live music nights, gumbo of the day, and fried candy bars.
But with it being a beer bar owned by the people behind Hawthorne’s, touting a decadent sounding brunch menu, and featuring an intriguing and rustic design layout that was completely different from what Tritone had to offer, Cambridge had me intrigued. Visitng from outside during a couple Bloktoberfests and stopping in for a late night libation had me intrigued enough to come back for brunch. And despite the staff being a bit overwhelmed, it led to my cousin and I enjoying an incredible outdoor courtyard brunch.
Between bottomless cups of coffee from One Village, and an incredible Vietnamese coffee containing Speedway Stout from Alesmith, we were very well caffeinated. With short rib poutine, pork belly sliders, chick & waffles, sausage gravy, and then some its very easy to put meat on your plate. But there’s also plenty of salads and a cauliflower «cheesesteak» for the vegetarians. My cousin was hooked on the breakfast mac & cheese that was fully loaded with bacon, cheddar, and sunny side eggs. And the Cambridge Omelet with broocoli raabe, hot cherry peppers, and sharp provolone that I added chorizo to was a winner by my book. And with food and libations this good its safe to say that I’m able to step in again.

Came here for a drink on a Friday night with a friend and thought it was a good English pub style spot which made it a little different from the other pubs in Philly. They have an extensive beer menu, and the waitress was courteous in recommending me something that I would like based on my tastes. My friend tried the alcoholic root beer (ask about it) which was really cool — had 6% alcohol but tasted exactly like regular root beer.
Can’t speak for the food but definitely a great beer spot.

Just wrapped up brunch here with my two girlfriends and none of us really enjoyed our experience. We had to sit at the bar facing the wall which was unfortunate because we missed out on the best thing about the Cambridge, the décor! No one cleaned off the bar so we were sitting next to used napkins and cups for a long time. Our food took forever to come out, and when it did, it was truly unappetizing. So much so that I had to send some of my meal back (I NEVER do that) and I had to spit out a bite into my napkin because otherwise it would have come back up…
Bottom line: avoid the chicken and waffles. The chicken was extremely greasy and overdone. The batter was so thick and tough it was like eating through leather. Impossible. The manager noticed this and removed it from my plate and brought me a new piece of chicken (nice touch) but unfortunately it was still unappealing. Someone needs to get in that kitchen and show them how to fry a bird! The sweet potato waffle was okay, but so soft and mushy it made me kinda nauseous. My friends chicken and waffles were the same way, so avoid avoid avoid. Our server and hostess were very friendly, and the décor is gorgeous, hence the 2 stars. I definitely will not come back here for food, maybe for a cocktail.

I never knew they had a patio out back here. It’s very nice. Lights strung overhead, it seems like a quieter place back there. The patio also closes earlier than the bar, which is a shame. I would have spent the rest of the night back there.
By my count, this is a beer bar. I have found a couple of interesting brews here, and some things that I haven’t previously tried. I was impressed with the Horchata Ale by Cigar City Brewing that I tried in my most recent visit. It was a cream ale, very drinkable, and you can taste all of the flavor that you would expect from horchata in the finish.
Staff was friendly and fast. We weren’t waiting long for a round.

For some reason, I apparently only ever make it to the Cambridge when there’s a beer event going on. First, Bloktoberfest in the neighborhood. More recently — Cigar City/​Due South, Ballast Point and «Dark, Dark Night» during Philly Beer Week. Yep, three visits in a week!
Least enjoyable experience: Hovering by the bar while the place was packed and attempting to get a beer while not bumping into anyone. Surprise, surprise.
Best experience: Their back patio. Sat there most recently. It closes at midnight so visit before then. Comfortable and mellow on summer nights. Great service too!
As for food, I’ve only had the mac and cheese personally. It was pretty good. Not my favorite. I’ve heard better things about other dishes, though.
Nice spot overall. I’d probably visit more often if it was closer to my apartment.

I really like this place. So much so that I actually came here two days in a row! And, thankfully, the first night we discovered their awesome backyard patio!
My friends and I came here for 2 separate Philly Beer Week Events. One event featured dark beers and the other had drafts from Ballast Point Brewery. They had very extensive beer lists for both events, and we tried several each. I loved all the beer I ordered (and most of my friends’ beers that I tasted), and our servers both nights helped answer questions we had about the different rare brews. Some of the beers I ordered came in tiny 6 oz glasses which was kind of annoying, but I’m at least glad I got to try those tasty beers.
One of the nights, I also ordered nachos that were really good. They are topped with 3 types of cheese, pico, salsa, vegetarian chili, citrus crème (which is a fancy version of sour cream), and pickled jalapeños, yum! The portion was generous, and I was able to share. I also ordered a side of guac, which was also delicious.
The backyard patio is the place to be when the weather is nice! It has a handful of tables with pretty lights strung above it. There are also a few benches in the back of the patio if you want to come back here during dinner hours but don’t want to order food.