Best Beer Bars in Cambridge

Love good, specialty beer but don't want to travel to the other side of the Charles to find it? Check out these Cambridge pubs and restaurants that pride themselves on providing beer drinkers with a varied and uncommon selection of ales, lagers and stouts.

Cambridge Common

1667 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 547-1228
www.cambridgecommonrestaurant.com

Cambridge Common is a cozy restaurant with a great beer selection. They have 31 taps in all, 15 permanent and 16 rotating. Among the rotating draughts is a cask beer that changes weekly. Many of the options are local microbrews and there's always something organic on hand. Cambridge Common also carries nearly 30 bottled beers, including many specialty brews. Take advantage of their samplers and taste several beers without fear of commitment.

Bukowski's Tavern

1281 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 497-7077

Located in Inman Square, Bukowski's Tavern is roomier and devoid of the tourists that crowd its Back Bay counterpart. What it does have is the same extensive beer list that made its first location so popular. Bukowski's boasts 99 bottles and 16 taps. A description of each beer type in the menu is helpful, but if you still can't decide, the knowledgeable bartenders and servers are happy to offer a suggestion.

Lord Hobo

92 Hampshire St
Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 250-8454
www.lordhobo.com

Lord Hobo is a must visit for every beer aficionado. There are 40 beers just on draught and nearly as many bottles. Each draught has a specific pour, from 12-ounces to half a liter. The menu offers a very brief description of the flavors incorporated into each beer, similar to what you might see on a wine list. Sip slowly and savor the complex fruits, florals and hops that make up many of the specialty brews. And with an alcohol content ranging anywhere from 5-11 percent, sipping slowly is probably a good idea.

Atwood's Tavern

877 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 864-2792
www.atwoodstavern.com

This local neighborhood pub may not have the largest selection around, but with over 30 options, it's nothing to scoff at. Twenty-five taps pour cold, fresh beer from all over the U.S and Europe. They even rotate local beers brewed by the Cambridge Brewing Company. Stop by for some drinks and live music. Another plus: the food's great too.