Boston brewpub review #2

Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC).

CBC is a fine brewing company. They brew beer that is excellent and make food that is very good. If ever in the Boston area, I suggest stopping by.

When I got to the brewpub, I was worried because there was a mass of people around the bar and nary one bar stool open. When I am out on my own I prefer to sit at the bar. It's just a personal preference. I did discover one seat open and grabbed it. I found the large group was apparently there to celebrate the graduation from MIT of an individual in some financial/economics area.

What intrigued me more about the CBC was that beer was served not just in pitchers but in towers! These 3 liter towers of happiness were hard to miss. While I was there the graduation group ordered at least 8 of these towers. I was impressed.


At first, I was really annoyed because the service was AWFULLLL. Seriously, it took almost an hour for me to order one beer and food. I will give the bartender a break since she was the only one behind the bar with a million people in the bar. As the evening unfolded, it became obvious she was not a total jerk, and in fact not a jerk in the least (just over worked).

First the food: I ordered the blackened pub steak. This was awesome. I wish I could have this everyday. It was excellent. I ordered medium rare but it came out medium, but that's the only criticism. The creme brulee I had for desert was tops. From my experience, the food at CBC is unsurpassed.

Now, the beer:
I first ordered one of their special brews. This was called something like "le amour de jour." I wrote the name of the beer in the copy of C&EN I was reading at the time[1], but I cannot find where I wrote it!!!! I must rely on my worthless memory. Anyways, it was Belgium styled beer that did not interest me at all. I didn't like it. I was not a typical brewpub style, but the brewers didn't pretend that it was. In the beer menu they indicated that it was something of an unusual beer. I agree. It was a quality product, but one I didn't really prefer.

I next tried the porter. This was excellent. This was a bit of a departure from the traditional porter. It didn't have the same bite, but I liked it.. a lot. A very good beer. The steak I ate was covered in a sauce made from a porter reduction. Very good.

I also tried the barelywine. I only had a sample of this 13% ABV drink, but it was very yummy.

The seasonal IPA they had was excellent as well. I could drink this all night.

In the end, the CBC proved to be an excellent provider of beer and food. The service was lousy at first, but improved as the demands on the bartender lessened.

If you are ever in Boston (especially the MIT or Harvard area) check this place out.

[1] Remember, I am a nerd and I read Chemical and Engineering News at bars when I am waiting for food.