Best Neighborhood Bars: Kendall Square in Cambridge

The safety, security and comfort of having one's own "neighborhood bar" should never be underestimated. There's just something to be said about having a place to call home after the work day is done, or on the weekends with some good friends. Luckily for Bostonians, there are plenty of joints that fit the bill in nearly every neighborhood––spots where folks of all shapes and sizes can enjoy simply being oneself. Here are five neighborhood bars in the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, where everyone knows your name.

The Muddy Charles Pub at MIT
142 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 253-2086
web.mit.edu

Boasting a beautiful view of the Charles River, the aptly named Muddy Charles Pub-located within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Kendall Square-offers a very particular, fuzzy legged bonus: it's dog friendly. Yes, you're as welcome to bring man's (or woman's) best friend within the friendly walls of Muddy Charles as you are some grad school chums or flatmates. This is a place where cheap beers and good times await all who enter. The Muddy Charles services the college crowd and post-grad alike, with many students choosing the bar's affordable prices and den-like atmosphere for their prime unwinding time. Stop on by sometime and find out for yourself why the Muddy Charles is a cure for the afternoon blues.

Related: Boston's Best Lobster Shacks

Cuchi Cuchi
795 Main St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 864-2929
www.cuchicuchi.cc

Attitude and atmosphere are two qualities which are immediately embraced by the staff behind Cuchi Cuchi; a lounge where food and drink take you on a whirlwind tour of the world––all within the span of an hour or two. The staff takes great pride in dressing up in period piece clothing from the Roaring Twenties, and make their clientele feel immediately at home with a warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Great for wine and cocktail drink fans, Cuchi Cuchi also brings together the vegetarian crowd via their expansive, tapas-styled appetizer menu. Plus, with a motto like "Come See Us for 2 Kisses and a Hug," you just know that Cuchi Cuchi means some friendly business. Oh, and for your information, they hold true to said motto, as well!

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

A craft beer selection a mile long––now that's a welcoming sight for sore eyes. At Lord Hobo, however, it's a given, and practically tied together with gift ribbon in the form of Hobo's affordable pricing and spacious interior. The Hobo also tends to attract its fair share of oddball clientele, providing a left-of-center vibe which becomes surprisingly infectious, particularly once you engage in any of the bar's boisterous storytelling or even more excitable arguments. Conversation is the name of the game here at Lord Hobo, and it's something you're bound to become proficient at, if you end up being a regular at this neighborhood joint.

Related: Boston's Best Bloody Marys

Meadhall
4 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 714-4372
themeadhall.com

While this bar's moniker of Meadhall may evoke brutal, Norse images of viking plunder or something out of Marvel's "Thor" movie, this Kendall Square corner spot embodies excess only within its expansive beer selection, of which there are more than 200 different varieties on tap. Sounds like a good time? Of course it does, and the Meadhall staff know it, welcoming in a busy bustle of patrons on a nightly basis. Good friends, good brew and a quick nosh are all elements to Meadhall's success, with all three elements living in sync and harmony within the walls of this welcoming establishment.

George Pacheco has been writing professionally about arts and entertainment for over a decade. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, George currently resides in a humble New England home with his wife, cat and massive music and film collection. His work can be found at Examiner.com.