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Russell House Tavern, Cambridge, MA

Russell House Tavern

4.6
4.6
2830 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 58 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Good for groups
  • Neighbourhood gem
A New American Tavern, Russell House Tavern is a comfortable gathering spot for every occasion-from casual lunch breaks on the patio to after-work cocktails in the upstairs tavern to functions in the private dining room and everything in between. Russell House Tavern delivers a seasonally-inspired menu of modern interpretations of American classics, including signatures like the R. House Burger, a selection of Tavern Pizzas and Steak Frites among other dishes. To complement the menu, Russell House Tavern serves an interesting collection of all-star American wines, and a locally-driven craft beer selection. The cocktail menu strikes a balance between familiar classics and modern hand-crafted recipes using only fresh juices, homemade syrups and infusions.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Gastro Pub, Pizza Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Bar Mon 11:00–23:00 Tue–Thu 11:00–00:00 Fri 11:00–01:00 Sat 10:00–01:00 Sun 10:00–23:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–16:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–17:00 Sat, Sun 16:00–17:00 Dinner Mon, Sun 17:00–22:00 Tue–Thu 17:00–23:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–00:00
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    We offer a $2 validation for the Harvard Square Parking Garage located at 20 Eliot Street.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Nemo Bolin
  • Delivery & takeout

Experiences

  • Dinner & A Show

    Multiple dates available
    Heading to a show at The Sinclair or catching a performance at the A.R.T.? Make Russell House Tavern your go-to spot for the perfect pre-show dinner—right in the heart of Harvard Square. And when the curtain falls or the encore ends, keep the night going with some $1 oysters—served every night after 10PM. Whether you’re winding down from the show or just getting started, there’s no better way to end the evening than with fresh oysters and a perfectly crafted cocktail. Located in the center of Harvard Square—just steps from the action. Dinner before the show. Oysters after. See you at Russell House Tavern!
    Dinner & A Show photo

Private dining

What 2,830 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Russell House Tavern, nestled in Harvard Square, offers a charming ambiance with "great service" and a diverse menu catering to different tastes. Diners rave about the "delicious food," especially the burgers and seafood. While some mention noise levels, the "friendly and attentive staff" consistently enhance the dining experience.

2,830 Reviews
  1. Chris

    Greater Boston17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Was a big fan of this retuarant group's Temple Bar which closed much to my disappointment a while back making a visit to Russell House very much anticipated. This restarant didnt disapoint. I arrived early and enjoyed a few drinks at the bar. The bar had an exccellent selection of cocktails, craft beers and high end liquors not found everywhere (Pappy Van Winckle). The bar is upstairs and once we finished and hit our reservation time slot we went downstairs for dinner. The menu was creative, the portions modest and the food very good. We had a few appetizers then our main course. The staff was attentive and the atmosphere was vibrant but not excessively loud. I very much enjoyed the experience and look forward to a return.

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  2. TedS

    Greater Boston3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a good time, spent two hours and didn’t feel rushed. Service was lovely. My only complaint was that my shakshuka had no eggs, which are essential to shakshuka, unless the tough skin on top of the tomato sauce had once been the eggs.

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  3. Lisa

    San Francisco6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Excellent wedge salad and very good burgers. The pizza was meh. Hard to believe that a restaurant like this would be out of Guinness, so that was surprising. The restaurant is very dark. very nice weight staff .

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  4. Jim

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 4 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was good, reasonably priced and the waiter was outstanding.

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  5. Leslie VIP

    Greater Boston104 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 23 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Was hoping for more lunch food than brunch food. Was disappointed with the menu

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing. Best oysters and cocktails around, servers and staff are just amazing.

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  7. Kathleen

    Edinburgh1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious and fun but pretty loud. If you want quiet, go to the downstairs level.

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  8. michael VIP

    Greater Boston1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 17 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    They claim to have brunch during the week days but they don’t. That is a lie.

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  9. Jill

    Greater Boston3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Fabulous meal. The calamari appetizer was the best I have ever had. The salmon was amazing. The cocktails were very good and our server was fun and knowledgeable!

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  10. Kathleen

    Greater Boston25 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 14 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Really appreciated the server's/establishments flexibility on a busy night. I had a root canal that morning, so had to ask for my meal (classic burger) with everything on the side (bacon, cheese, carmemlized onion, etc). They did it with a smile and I really appreciated it.

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FAQs

Russell House Tavern offers delivery in partnership with Chow Now. Russell House Tavern also offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 500-3055.

Russell House Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 2830 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 58 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Russell House Tavern

14 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Gastro Pub, Pizza Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Bar Mon 11:00–23:00 Tue–Thu 11:00–00:00 Fri 11:00–01:00 Sat 10:00–01:00 Sun 10:00–23:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–16:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–17:00 Sat, Sun 16:00–17:00 Dinner Mon, Sun 17:00–22:00 Tue–Thu 17:00–23:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–00:00
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    We offer a $2 validation for the Harvard Square Parking Garage located at 20 Eliot Street.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Nemo Bolin
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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