beat brew hall

we loved beat hotel so much the first time, that we decided to go back again for another meal. we have the smoky chipotle ribs ($14) which were delicious as ever – the meat is so tender and the frozen grapes are a nice contrast.

beat brew hall is one of the better restaurants in harvard square, boston.

food highlights :: pickle plate, old bay popcorn

verdict ::
food :: 3.5/5
service :: 4/5
ambience :: 4.5/5
value for money :: 3/5
overall :: 4/5

beat brasserie was already a popular spot in harvard square, known for its live jazz music and drinks, accompanied by some great food. but recently, beat brasserie also opened its doors for lunch on weekdays, adding another great option for nearby workers and students to grab a bite during the day. the restaurant is much quieter during weekday lunches than during live jazz sessions, of course, which means it would be good for a working lunch as well.

i booked a reservation for my sisters birthday on sunday. we were seated and the waiter was prompt. aside from this, the main reason for my review is how the restaurant handled my case of food poisoning. i threw up twice that night in addition to the next morning. i had to call out from work. at 5pm on monday, i called the restaurant to report this and to see if there were other cases of sickness reported. i was transferred and explained my situation. he began asking me what i ordered, my receipt number and if i had a reservation there. i spent a pretty penny so for this treatment i was shocked. he told me he was going to call me back the next day after he "investigates the situation." he never called me back and i am surprised at the treatment of the customers by the beat brasserie. unless you want to spend about $150.00 on rice and beans and get mistreated by management, i would not waste your time here.

based on t-day dinner, this is the worst food, service and mens' room i have ever eaten at in my life-the mens' room has wooden sculted men and women in rear entry position with accurate wooden genetals while you're urinating....this is exactly what you're going to get eating and paying here-from behind!
    the waiter and sub staff are a circus carosel of making you guilty if you don't buy wine with thier every call.  the portions of turkey, shimp dishes were so small as to make turkey change its name from turkey, just to get away from the false frech esoteric fakery.  i get sick just thinking we paid $280 w. tipp for four people and barely had a lunch amount for food equal to what the harvard coop behind the walls fills their workers with....god, how can this place have a good rating,unless perhaps these enerprising do nothings write in reviews...no, it cannot be...."soylent brasserie beat isn't made of people"...but it might as well be!

what's better than a live music brunch to jazz up a sleepy sunday? extra points if it makes you feel super hip. cue beat hotel.

beat hotel is not a hotel at all. i know. crazy, right? misleading names are hip. as is the space. the funky interior decor of the large room features hemp. hip hemp. the stage is on the far end of the restaurant, so from where we were sitting the music wasn't too loud and provided a nice backdrop to our conversation. if you're more into the jazz part of jazz brunch, try to sit closer to the stage because i kept forgetting about the performers.

the waitress arrives and says she's here to "guide us through our brunch experience." we're pumped. every brunch should be an experience.

my buddies' bloody mary's are savory and spicey. they dig 'em. i order some tea, but for some reason the waitress brings a third bloody mary along with it. she's confused and asks if we want it.
"well... i don't really need another one. will it just be thrown in the trash if we don't take it?" asks my thirsty but broke friend ($10 for a b'mary - no matter how tasty - is no joke). 
"probably" is the only response my friend receives. we don't want to straight up ask our waitress if it would be free, but my friend assumes so and agrees to take it. i mean, we can drink it if we really have to.

and the food? also hip. classic brunch staples with a twist appear alongside more nontraditional offerings like bowls a la life alive in central. i opt for the inca bowl which features a nice mix of quinoa, avocado, greens, hominy, and other tasty morsels. you can pick your protein, and i opt for poached eggs. it's brunch, after all. the eggs were not runny at all, so i don't know what they think a poached egg is, but the mix of goodness was yummy, filling, and at least seemed healthy. a brunch slam dunk.

my other friend enjoyed her soy-based earth bowl, and my more traditional brunch copatriot dug into her american breakfast featuring truffled scrambled eggs, bacon, and skinny frites that rivaled mcd's in tastiness with far more class. triple hip.

the check comes around, and y'all this place ain't exactly cheap. we're disappointed to see that that extra bloody mary was in fact charged. not hip. we were deciding whether we should be annoying and ask about it, when a manager comes up to our table saying that she heard us say something was "obnoxious" and wanted to see if it was something to do with the restaurant. the walls have ears! embarrassing. we then explain the bloody mary mishap, and she agrees that it shouldn't have been charged. it was so nice of them to go out of their way to make sure we were pleased with our experience (albeit a little creepy that they were listening to our conversations.. who knows what else they heard)!

a nontraditional, hip brunch experience is waiting for you at beat hotel. the mixture of delectable food, funky ambiance, and soothing live music makes me wish it actually were a hotel so i could stay longer.

their menu also offers interesting “earthy delight bowls” which can simply be a salad bowl or something a little different like the bowl aztec with spiced quinoa and hippie bowl with chickpeas and raisins.

low key and mellow, beat brasserie gives its customers that relaxed, laid back, leisurely brunch we sometimes really crave.

oh lord! where do i start? first, i have been intrigued by how beautiful the people in this state are. we were greeted and seated within seconds. the restaurant is a work of art inside and the eclectic decor just make it a really cool spot to hang out in harvard square. i wish there was a 10 point option to rate this restaurant, i will give it a 20! the food was amazing 😍 we shared an aztec bowl with salmon, oysters, soft skin crab, tuna rolls and the banana bread pudding. the bowl was not as flavorful but the rest was orgasmic. the cocktails are amazing, i order a mix of champagne and citrus rum and i ended up drinking 4 of them i think 😁 great selection of beers, wine, cocktails. i even liked their sparkling water! i will def come back when in cambridge!

their live music and funky decor were always intriguing, as was the menu which changes seasonally, something i always appreciate... i was able to hobble in at a snail’s pace for a delicious, lazy sunday brunch.

delightful venue w/great bar n music! great appetizer silky clam chowder w lobster. skip the caesar salad appetizer, stalks of romaine hardly dressed w 4 radish slices, unusual.

in love with the beat hotel!. from being greeted at the street level and having the staff downstairs already waiting for us to the eclectic/romantic vibe and live music, beat hotel "wowed" me. i can not be more pleased with my experience. making reservations probably helped a ton, since the restaurant quickly picked up speed around 8pm. the noise level was moderate, just enough music to whisk you away into your evening, but not too much that you can't have a conversation. the environment and decor was phenomenal - probably one of my favorite parts. also, for being a high end restaurant, the food portions were decent and i was pleasantly surprised. the waitstaff was attentive and prompt. this is a must go if you are in the boston/cambridge area - dinner or just drinks!

neat atmosphere, friendly staff and cool music. but the service was slow and the prices for drinks were high and an overall pricey meal!!

funked eklectic kool. walked in and instantly got the vibe of this place, one word. cool. staff is professional but chill, service on their game and atmosphere is upbeat even when the music is downtempo. food is served timely, gourmet presentation and everything my party ordered tasted not just delicious but exactly as it was described by our waiter and menus.

adorned with psychedelic murals, tie-dye curtains and a giant neon peace sign, the restaurant’s hippie-chic vibe pays tribute to the infamous parisian hotel of the same name, and is quickly establishing its own identity in the square. beat hotel is a haven for live music, which plays nightly, and is one of cambridge’s new favorite spots to unwind with a drink. notably, the bar (actually, there are two bars) boasts an impressive list of two dozen wines on tap, crafted by small batch u.s. winemakers. they also feature a full cocktail menu. with a dinner menu that attracts both meat lovers and vegetarians, there’s plenty of variety to keep a range of tastes satisfied while taking in the sounds from the stage. for large groups, the platters to share are an easy choice. for a hearty main course

great venue for music and food. this club is the real deal. funky jazz with brian thomas, jarod simms and paradigm shift. the food was innovative and delicious. i can't say enough about the staff - helpful, smiling and competent. the attention to detail was surprising in such a busy, fast-paced place. the interior is lovely and eclectic. a must for a fun night out.