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Categories: American (Traditional), Wine Bars, Pubs [Edit]
Neighborhood: Harvard SquareHarvard (Red)
Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
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Oh, Shay's. You delicious dive bar. Shay's usually isn't crowded, except on particularly gorgeous nights out on the patio. Otherwise, there are a handful of patrons sipping on beer or wine. I can't really find fault with the place; the only thing that comes close is the bar's subterranean location. There are pipes that stick out from the ceiling, causing anyone taller than 6'4" to duck occasionally. That's fairly annoying.
Prices are reasonable, bartenders are helpful, and the crowd isn't too collegey/vomity. Gotta love it.
People thought this was:
Definitely a great spot to hang out in. Being a nacho connoisseur, I immediately ordered the nachos with salsa, beans and jalapenos - good decision! It was absolutely delicious. =)
The wait staff is nice, which is actually pretty remarkable for Boston. The inside of Shay's feels cozy and clean; a little dark, but definitely not sticky, which bars in Boston seem to be by default.
The outside seating is great, and you will usually end up having really interesting, unusual people sitting around you. This helps conversation and spices up the place. One thing about the outside seating - it's not very spacious, so you will probably end up with a decent amount of second hand smoke making its way into your lungs. Apart from that, the porch is sweet.
Overall, I would rate this probably one of the top two places in Harvard Square to have a beer in.
RUDE RUDE RUDE Shays, you suck. Any place that has the nerve to be mean to someone on their birthday deserves 1 star...
And I do have to say that I am pretty shocked to see that this place as a 4 star average review...BUT for my experience, there is no way I would ever have given it more than 1 star.
We walk in and they have a small front patio which is nice for the harvard square area, and we sit down, and it is my 25th bday so of course I am a little birthday tipsy and i was loudly talking about how it was my birthday and how happy i was and joked about seeing if i could get a free drink with my friends...WHEN the meanest rudest waitress of all time bursts in and pops my happiness bubble with the sharpest of needles when she says, "Honey, at Shays you get NOTHING for free on birthday. We simply don't care" And then she whipped her pony tail back around as she walked into the bar.
RUDE RUDE RUDE! Bars should be excited for people to come there on their birthdays because that usually means a higher bill! And then after this! Our meanie pants waitress brought me flat cider!! FLAT! Flatter than apple juice and I don't even know how that is possible. And when I asked her to take it back to exchange it for a beer, she rolled her eyes! Even if it wasn't my birthday, no one deserves a flat hard cider. And there are even other reviews on here that say they got flat beers!! Any real bar shouldn't be serving flat beverages, so maybe Shay needs some new servers and new management...
Ughhhhh it makes me mad I wasted 40 minutes of my birthday at this place and money on a drink that should have been free for my birthday....
People thought this was:
Shay's is real neighborhoody in a good way. Its in a basement, small and cozy. Okay, maybe more cramped than cozy. But it has a kind of barebones home-iness that is refreshing in harvard square.
I haven't tried the food, so maybe i'm missing something, but to me this is a good bar and nothing more. I can't imagine getting psyched about coming here. The beer list is okay but not exciting. I don't drink wine, so again, i might be missing something. I like the basement location, but i do not like that there was a spider in a web hanging over my table.
We were there for an hour and only saw our waitress once, good thing we paid cash, but i wasn't bothered anyway since we weren't buying food and the bar was 3 feet from our table anyway. She seemed nice enough, and i didn't leave grumpy so the service can't have been too bad.
I'd come back here if my friends wanted to go, but i won't go out of my way for it. I don't think there's a TV but I could be wrong about that. Bring your own conversation. Worth a stop at least.
i really wanted to give this place a 4 except they served both of us flat beers (different types) and then looked at me like i was crazy when i told them. feel free to taste it if you don't believe me i told them, gross.
burger and fries here was good, real big burger with bacon and cheddar.
The draft beer selection is a bit peculiar... very different but refreshingly so. Don't expect your typical midwestern domestics. The bartenders are alert, and actually pretty darned friendly. But the crowd there can be a bit of a downer. I've been here ~5 times, and I generally like to think that I'm an un-assuming kind of guy. Usually friendly, never angry on a nice weekend night... but everytime I go here I get someone that isn't happy, or too drunk, or just not having a good night up in my face and letting me know how upset they are. It's not me, I think. . . I go to the last drop and don't get any trouble, or even the draft in allston and never have had the kind of flack I get here. Generally the people here are great! But I always seem to find that one bad egg around closing, I guess?
So I'm going to have to downgrade it as I'd like to give it a good rating due to the bartenders and the general atmosphere that I dig (outdoor seating is super sweet!). I guess I just might have horrible luck here. Ce la vie.
People thought this was:
I love this place. I can't wait to move to H Sq so I can frequent it.
This, to me, despite the fact that it's sometimes a complete show in the summertime, is a neighborhood bar thru and thru. I immediately feel comfortable there, and both times I've been there it's been alone, so that's important (more on this later). I love that it's not only a dive bar, but one with a decent wine list (my bev of choice) and yummy nosh.
So I am here waiting for the bf last weekend, alone with my thoughts, a glass of prosecco, and some hummus. The place fills up over time, and I'm fine, just chilling, when all of a sudden this chic sits down across from me. I'm like 'eh'? She proceeds to inform me the guys she is with think I am cute and they were all wondering what I was doing alone with some bubbly. I laughed and thanked them, and we chatted for the next 15 min or so, during which our Small Small World was revealed once again after we found out we all went to Michigan. Funny! It felt nice to chat with strangers, and this is definitely the kind of place that it's not out of the ordinary at all.
The bf arrived and we order food, the star of that adventure being the potato wedges that came w/his burger...unique and delish! It's no Cellar Rosemary Fries, but still notable.
One final note I feel is necessary is the service. I am so impressed at how spot on the waitress was, refilling stuff, coming over and asking how things were going, catching us for another round just in time, and doing this same thing with what seemed like everrry single table in the place. The icing on the cake... while I'm not sure how often I'll eat here, I can say for certain my Shays Days have just begun...
Went here for a dinner/drinks combo night on a friend's suggestion following a great review in some publication. It was an awesome-weather night so the outside was flooded with people who spilled out onto the sidewalks - we chose a table inside.
This really seemed like a chill post-work spot with some cool decent pub fair. The menu wasn't really expansive by any means, but we each got a burger and had no complaints. The beer menu was pretty solid with even a few random ones mixed in (a drink that was half Sam Summer, half hard cider).
No complaints at all about this joint at all - as someone else noted, despite being a grad student at a near-to-this-establishment university, I'm not huge on the college-aged crowd and this was more of a working crowd dive. Was cool for some eats and drinks for sure.
Got love for dive bars and pub grub? Locals with dreads sipping craft brews, college kids smoking cool on the patio, Harvard grads chowing down on burgers and house-made fries, waxing poetic about their glory days on the Crimson Chess Team?
Alright so I made that last part up. But that's the Shay's vibe. A collective of Cambridge characters, gathered together under one roof (or on one sweet al fresco concrete) eating simple food, sipping on suds from a sweet selection. Everyone just chillin.
Packed at 8pm on a Thursday night, a table is hard to find and the service, though friendly, is Sunday-morning-stroller slow. But don't let that deter you from stopping into Shay's. Come when you've got no agenda, a few friends to tag along and an empty belly. The portions are cheap and generous. For $8 you can gorge on a few pounds of nachos and wash them down with a Brooklyn Pennant Ale or a Black Fly Stout.
Lemme act smart for a second. If you can visualize a Venn diagram, where circle A = dive bar, circle B = great pub grub, and circle C = quintessential local spot, Shay's is that sweet spot called the intersection, where all the spots overlap. Yes, after stuffing myself here and downing a few beers, I consider that example smart.
People thought this was:
Yes, you will like this place.
Even if you don't drink.
Sit outside on the patio, with a friend.
Sit outside on the patio, with a stranger.
It don't matter.
Just enjoy the patio.
With a burger and fries.
And a beverage of your choosing.
Service is good!
Melissa is happy!
People thought this was:
Give me a small divey bar and I'm happy.
Give that bar fun, friendly staff and I'm happier.
Add an awesome beer selection and I'm really happy.
Throw in some outdoor seating with great people watching opportunity and I'm all kinds of happy.
People thought this was:
Pretty solid option for a low key spot for drinking some pints. My one real complaint is that it has the ability to fill up easily, at which point I *hate* coming here. But the food options are tasty enough, their beer list is interesting enough and their wine list is reportedly good as well.
I don't understand the "dive bar" comments though, I don't feel that it is a dive at all. OTOH, many threads on Talk about dive bars have led me to feel that a lot of folks these days think that any bar that doesn't have leather couches and serve appletinis must be a "dive".
People thought this was:
I may or may not be the first person to declare that Shay's is not a dive bar. (I'm just to lazy to read through the reviews to see if anyone else agrees with me) Casual, yes; dive, no. In my opinion, any bar that serves $60 bottles of champagne and has a hummus/veggie platter on the menu isn't a dive, sorry kids.
It is however a nice *casual* bar; if you're going out with a polarized beer/wine crowd, this is a great bet. They have a decent selection of both, and you don't feel like you're at a wine bar or Sunset. They even have non-bootleg tea. Service was slow, but our waitress was pretty friendly, which fits with my new genre of "casual bar". Don't be expectin' to eat and run here.
The patio is definitely packed in nice weather, but hello, show me a bar in this city where that's not the case. The crowd is laid back, and surprisingly not overrun with Haahvard kids. Plus one star.
I'd give it a bottom line of 3.5 stars, but decided to round up for the jasmine tea.
People thought this was:
Good stuff! Sit outside, drink a nice glass of wine for $5-6 or a pint of beer for $5, munch on a tasty burger - I went last night with a friend and even on a cool spring night with temperatures in the upper 50s, it was a great place to hang out.
Prices could be dive-bar-ier, I guess, but for the location -- it's a bargain.
Probably cooler if you smoke -- if you're sitting outside, be sure you don't mind being around smokers.
People thought this was:
My favorite first date spot. It's the perfect cozy, dimly lit little nook to grab a pint and not have your conversation be overwhelmed by music or a noisy crowd.
And though I do love my dive bars, I don't consider Shay's to be in that realm. Great for some good beer and friendly conversation, take your date here and they're sure to swoon!
I had a pint of what Brendan Behan called "me mudder's milk" some onion soup and chicken wings. It wasn't crowded. I liked the vibe the food was decent.
Lame review I know many others said it better:
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Greg F
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
"They never did anything but I still remember it." The "deets" on "Rick" and Greg's Aunt from London
Kirs P
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
"I actually prefer Shay's in the winter months." sitting outside is way over rated.
Bill H
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Cautions it's not safe for "tallies".
Scott B
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
"For refund, insert baby here ----" Likes the bathroom graffiti and the PBR
Tyler B
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Likes written directions to bathroom (it's not the kitchen) and the wine.
Kerri O
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
"It's that sort of place."
Peter A
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
"The only bar in Harvard Square that matters"
Greg M
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
"True story: I saw a lady piss herself at Shay's."
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Ok I had two pints.
People thought this was:
I had a well-seasoned, perfectly textured veggie burger and some of their house fries. They're more like wedges, really. Yum! Despite being busy, I got plenty of water refills, which always scores points in my book.
Shay's is an amaaaazing place.
Going out for dinner in Harvard Square? Afterward, mosey on down to Shay's. The atmosphere is everything you've ever wanted in a small tunnel of a bar... including the uninsulated pipe that runs hot water along the length of the room. It's an intimate place, with an amiable staff. The beer & wine selection is plentiful... and you can even grab a decent meal if you haven't eaten yet.
I have been here before, and I have liked it. This last time really was very sad.
I would like to start by saying that I really like the location, and the patio, and since I'm only 5'6", I don't feel wicked claustrophobic in there with the pipes so low you could knock yourself out if you weren't careful. I like most of the beers they have on tap, and feel comfortable choosing many of the wines knowing odds are in my favor to like them. Later in the night it seems to be cool with the bouncer to bring food in with you too - a tradition I like to have with going to pubs.
This past time, the waitress seemed like it was the first time she had ever worked a bar. We waited and waited for-ever for her to show, and then she was not incredibly nice when she did. I was hugely disappointed with her.
When our food finally came - the grilled cheese was a HUGE disappointment, I could make a better sangwich any day of the week. The fries turned up about 20 minutes later, they were cold, but even more disappointing than that, they were UNDERcooked?! After all that waiting? Also they give you like 4.5 fries to a serving.
The bouncer tried to card me every time I went to smoke a cigarette, which was difficult as I had left my bag with the non-smokers at our table every time, argh... Focus. Meh, I'll probably be back. I just hope it's a better time.
People thought this was:
I wanted to like Shay's, and I think under other circumstances I would have. The food was great, there was a good drink selection and fairly decent prices, and the atmosphere was dive bar without the gross.
The problem was, I had come with a large group, including a couple who were underage. They knew this, and realized they were designated drivers. We expected to get kicked out at 10:30 and were okay with this.
They saw one 20 year old take a sip of her boyfriend's beer to conclude that, yes, the glass had soap still in it. They handed us the check. Again, kind of sucks, but totally reasonable. Plus at that point, it was almost 10:30. We were finishing up our drinks, and while we were paying, two of our party went to the bathroom.
Once they got our money, they started being a lot more aggressive. They made us hand back glasses that were unfinished and leave to wait in the rain for our two other members. During that time, most of the party went to the Boba place next door, but we were waiting for my brother's girlfriend. Without any real reason, the doorman started taunting my brother, trying to get him to fight him and just generally insulting him. Once he found out it was a girlfriend we were waiting for, he commented on my brother's ability to have a girlfriend, etc. Totally unprofessional and totally uncalled for. I had to hold my brother back, which was quite obviously the reaction this skinny white bouncer was going for.
We went from having a great time to having a shitty time in nothing flat. There were many ways that the situation could've been handled better. Our DD was in tears, my brother was seething, and people were just overall rained on. I'd like to go back, but I just have a really bad taste in my mouth about it now.
Here's the deal: I kind of hate Shay's. Their draught list is terrible, and while their outdoor seating area is fantastic, it's highly unlikely you'll ever find a spot there. But...if you do, it's quite possibly the best seating in Harvard Square (including people-watching of course!) Tough call. Three stars.
If you like Charlie's but can't handle the crowds, trek on over to Shay's. They have outdoor and indoor seating and it's usually less crowded and easy to get a table. They have a great wine-by-the-glass list, with some excellent $5 options, and a lot of beers on tap. Also, the food is solid -- I had a bacon & turkey sandwich with chipotle mayo that was delicious and my vegetarian friends swear by the grilled cheese.
People thought this was:
"For refund, insert baby here ----"
It says this on the condom machine in the bathroom... Funny, I know.
If I was to walk into a corner pub in London... this is what I imagine I'd see. Shay's eminates that old-fashioned pub essence, while offering a modern experience.
The bartenders were attentive and friendly. The eclectic mix of folk and alternative music was satisfying, and the patrons were atypical of Harvard Square.
Things I've heard: The outdoor seating makes this place even better (imagine 6 Stars). And, the burgers are awesome (I'll have to give them a try next time).
Things I know: I'll be back, and next time I'm getting the PBR in a bottle... that's a rarety.
People thought this was:
I always enjoy coming here. It can get pretty busy during patio season, but the patio is my favorite reason for going. Tightly packed and noisy, it's a great time on warm summer nights. When it's chilly outside, I like to come for a glass of wine and grab a table to talk with friends. Definitely a favorite place of mine in Harvard Square.
Aside from the fact that I seem to hit my head off of most every surface in the place - pipes, ledges, door jams, other patrons etc. I pretty much love everything about this little comfortable place to drink a beer.
I often come to Shay's on Friday evenings after a long week of work. I find it is the perfect place to have some surprisingly good food and a few (too many, too often) beers. I also recently discovered how enjoyable this place is for a nice relaxing bit of day drinking - feel free to go by yourself you are guaranteed to meet someone interesting.
During the summer the patio draws a crowd being one of the inexplicably few places in Boston that offers one of life's great joys - outdoor drinking.
I would say that really the appeal of this place lies in its laid-back neighborhood feel, the very nice people, great beer and wine selection and the very good bar food.
I like Shay's, definitely a good casual place to go on a warm summer night and sit out on the patio. I went here with a friend who I hadn't seen in a while, and the patio seating area was the perfect place to sit and have a conversation. It's definitely more of a pub than a wine bar though. Put it this way, when I picture what a wine bar should look like, I certainly don't think of Shay's. Just thought I'd mention that in case anyone was looking for more of a wine bar atmosphere.
This place is decent. Surely, with Boddington's on tap you can't really go wrong.
I love Shay's. I've been going here for almost 20 years. It's a no-attitude place and doesn't tend to get drunk obnoxious people there. You can go by yourself or with friends and feel comfortable. The patio is great in the good weather, but it can be tough to get a seat. I go there for the drinks rather than the food, but if you need something to wash down your Pauliner, the brie platter with almonds and grapes is pretty tasty and they make a hearty chicken quesadilla. I always get a chuckle out of the bathroom grafitti on the condom machine which says, "For refund, insert baby."
This place makes a great burger and fries, nicely seasoned and hits just the spot. The beer is cold and the wine is flowing. It get's pretty packed in the evenings and it's hard to find a table outside at that time, but they serve lunch and it makes for a good people-watching place to sit outside and have a few drinks.
Is it bad that this place makes me want Pabst, even though it's a "pub and wine bar" with an extensive wine and beer list, and even though I love good beer? It just brings out the side of me that wants to sit outside, drink beer til I drop, and not spend a fortune on it. I've swaggered out of here many times...
Come for the beer! Stay for the wine! Fight for a table! And those burgers smell good, plus there's pretty good veggie ones for us vegematarians. Seriously, if you can get a seat on that patio, snag it and stay for the night. From what I remember (...) it's a whole lotta hazy fun.
People thought this was:
There's nothing quite like an afternoon or evening at Shay's. In the summer, you can sit outside, drink yourself stupid, and chainsmoke until you wanna puke. In the winter, Shay's has a comfortable, homey ambiance filled with the scents of their fantastic burgers and hand-cut fries.
Shay's is great for first dates, get togethers with small groups of friends, and solitary glasses of beer and wine post-work over a copy of The Weekly Dig.
Like I said, the food is fantastic and reasonably priced. The service is stellar, quick, and friendly. The clientele is likely to chat you up or, better yet, completely ignore you as your vision blurs and your speech skills deteriorate into a mindless, boozy haze.
I highly recommend becoming a regular at Shay's, and clearly, I really like getting shitfaced on Wednesday afternoons.
People thought this was:
Shay's patio in the summer can't be beat. But in the winter it is still a nice dive bar. By dive I mean no frills, kind of dark, exposed pipes and bricks, floors a bit sticky. I've also seen an actual bar fight there one night which was kind of exciting. But for the most part its a chill place to meet for drinks.
Beer and wine only but a good selection of both.
People thought this was:
I've been dying to visit this place and am so glad I finally did. This is a great walk-down bar with a patio (good luck getting a seat outside) with a nice chill vibe. Good bar food and great beer and wine selection. The bathrooms were definitely gross, but I wasn't surprised. My only gripe is that there was only one server on during a busy Friday night. Maybe one of these days I'll be lucky enough to grab a patio seat.
People thought this was:
Shay's is a true hidden gem. It has a real underground, European feel to it, the food is great, the staff is friendly, and if you chat up the bartender about 90s grunge music he just may let you play one of your CDs on the stereo. I always meet somebody new when I go there. Slightly off the beaten path and a refuge from the usual Eurotrashy/college scene. The only thing that kind of blows is how crowded it can get in the summer.
Solid food, unique beer selections, and a delightfully "whatever" attitude from the waitress left me completely satisfied after a recent weeknight visit.
I see no reason whatsoever ever to go back to John Harvard's. For the best basement-bound burger and beer experience in town, head to Shay's.
This place is pretty awesome!! The wine/beer are all very reasonably priced. It's a little small and very low key but charming and perfect for a small group of friends. It's pretty quiet so it's a good place to chat.
People thought this was:
I really like this place actually. You wouldn't really expect it to be anything fantastic honestly...but it's cozy, the service is great, and the food isn't bad at all...it's a great "lets have a beer and have a casual chat" place...
I'd say overall, it's definitely worth your time:)
People thought this was:
What is it that us Brits like so much about Shay's? Does the pub style remind of me British pubs? No, not really - it's too dark and small, more of an Irish bar. Is the beer and food selection very British? No, again not really - just typical Boston pub stuff. So what can it be?
Well, I think it's two or three things... Firstly, as Rina says, it's laid back and this is what we like in British pubs, somewhere to go relax and spend the day without needing to make anything special out of it. And secondly as many of the rest of the reviewers here point out, it has the huge draw of outdoor seating and us Brits really miss being able to drink on the streets when we're here in the USA. Nothing beats an afternoon relaxing with beers by the sidewalk and watching the world go by whilst you put the world to right with your conversation.
And the third draw? It's just where Brits go, so more will follow. I noticed this one afternoon in November when it dawned upon me that along with my two visitors from London, all the other strangers around us were also British. Turned out one of these strangers had even got into a fight with my visitor when they were at school together. An awkward but surprising coincidence indeed.
People thought this was:
This is one of the few places where you don't have to tell them what a black velvet is (it's on the menu!). However, they are really stingy on the Guiness and really heavy on the cider. The bartenders/waitstaff are friendly and always seem to remember you.
The worst part about this bar is that parking in front of it is for only one hour. By then, I'm usually too lit to even care. Apparently, I don't like money.
Bathrooms are in the back and they are NOT in the kitchen. Rather they're the two doors, one on the left and one on the right (I'm really bad at finding bathrooms but good at finding kitchens).
Some newspaper took a picture of my boyfriend and I casually conversing [the topic was cutting up the photographer and making soup of him and using his bones as a xylophone] when we went there recently and didn't use it for the story. Instead they use this vanilla couple that was near us. I blame it on the sun! Boo!!
People thought this was:
Lets not kid ourselves. Shay's is a 'dive bar.' Now, I've actually heard of the Franklin Cafe referred to as a 'dive bar' (with $22 entrees I think that is categorically impossible) but this is just a lie. Take it from someone who grew up in the Midwest. Shay's is a NICE 'dive bar.' The telltale signs?
1) There is a gas pipe that is EXACTLY 6' 1" off the floor running across the entire bar (careful if you haven't been there in a while, because they put new tiles in, which raises the floor, thereby slightly lowering the bar. Ha... lowering the bar... thats kind of funny)
2) There are instructions at the bar and on this site describing where the bathroom is and specifically mentioning that it IS NOT the kitchen.
3) The flood of people on the unstable patio. I was once hit on by a rather homely 40 year old woman and her friends who were smoking Newport's. Not the typical clientele, but it happened.
So... why should you go to Shay's? AWESOME WINE! Seriously. Its the only 'dive bar' I know of that has decent stemware. They also have a great selection of half bottles. "Keep 'em coming!" I always yell. Oh - grab the warm Brie plate for late night munching.
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Pubs
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