John Harvard's Brew House

Yesterday, Bryan and I took his parents to Harvard Square for some site seeing and shopping. It was a beautiful day and we worked up an appetite pretty quickly. Putzing around the streets, we happened upon John Harvard's Brew House and decided to try it out. I've been in Boston for almost ten years now and after our experience at John Harvard's, I am so annoyed at myself that I didn't go there sooner. John Harvard's serves traditional pub food along with a changing seasonal menu. John Harvard's beers are brewed naturally and are all unfiltered. I'm not sure if they are brewed on the premise or not but there is some brew equipment in the house, whether it's functional or not is another story.

We started our meal off with a seasonal beer that just screamed Boston/Cambridge. The Charles River 10 is a Belgian Saison beer that was: brewed with 10 provincial botanicals from the Charles River Watershed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Charles River Watershed Association's annual cleanup of the Charles River. The botanicals lend notes of Juniper and Rose Hips to the aroma and a sweet floral finish to this golden ale. The beer was fantastic. It was light and a bit sweet/floral tasting and definitely worth ordering. I only wish they served it year-round!

The meal started off with complimentary focaccia bread baked right on the premise with a pesto infused olive oil. The bread was light and so flavorful and just fantastic with the olive oil. We all agreed that it was some of the best focaccia bread we've ever had.

For our entrees: Bryan ordered the daily half-sandwich combo which consisted of half of a roast beef sandwich and salad or soup or fries. Bryan said it was good but I don't think it was anything totally incredible (not sure how much you can you do with a roast beef sandwich....).

I ordered a seasonal sandwich which had grilled chicken breast, Fuji apples, lettuce, onions, an infused mayonnaise sauce, and blue cheese on a homemade multi-grain bread. I think it was the best sandwich I have had in Boston. Much better than anything I've ever gotten at Parrish Cafe and the bread (again, homemade) was amazing. Another seasonal specialty I wished they served year round.

Russell got the fish and chips which came out as one big fish piece. Russell said it was delicious, the fish was nice and tender but was better with the malt vinegar than with the tarter sauce. Ellen got the curry chicken wrap which was a chicken curry salad with grapes. Another special of the day, Ellen thought it was great and would order it again.

The breads we had at John Harvard's seemed to really stick out in our minds as being of excellent quality and some of the brightest stars of our meal. The food, although simple sounding was extremely satisfying, had great flavor, and was of good value (most sandwiches were around $8). If you're in the area, swing by John Harvard's for lunch and a beer. I don't think you'll be disappointed.