Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage

"Mr. Bartley’s is a burger experience - a throw-back Harvard Square place with political humor on the menu, seats allegedly graced by Johnny Cash and Al Pacino, and what we’re convinced is pot smoke that’s been lingering there since 1972. There are over 30 burgers on the menu, and most of them frequently change their name (we’ve had the fried egg and bacon burger when it was called the Howard Schultz, the RuPaul, and the Caitlynn Jenner). When you’re at a greasy, sloppy place like this, you need a greasy, sloppy burger, and that’s the Triple D, a giant mess of a double cheeseburger with bacon, barbecue sauce, and fried onions that was blessed buy and then named after the god of clogged arteries and bowling shirts himself, Guy Fieri." - dan secatore

"Mr. Bartley’s, which has been around for so long that it probably went to Woodstock, is the greasy college burger joint that all other greasy college burger joints aspire to. The burger selection is massive, the menu is filled with topical political humor, and the place is worn-in like your pair of jeans with the outline of a cell phone in the front pocket. It doesn’t have a bathroom and it doesn’t have beer, but other than those minor inconveniences, it’s just about perfect." - dan secatore

"The menu constantly changes at Mr. Bartley’s - not because it’s a seasonal place that tells you the name of the farmer that picked your kale, but because the burgers at this greasy spoon place are given jokey topical names. So if you’re looking for a throwback to the dirty, quirky Harvard Square of the ’70s - or if you only eat burgers named after Celtics' players - this is your place. " - dan secatore

"Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage — which opened its doors in 1960 — is for sale. Owner Bill Bartley told Eater the decision to sell wasn’t precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic but rather by a desire to get out of the restaurant business before he gets too old. “I’m 60 years old now,” said Bartley. “My parents started the business 60 years ago, and I’ve been working in the business for 46 years...I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 70. I’ve seen what that looks like, and it’s not pretty,” he continued, laughing. Bartley told Eater he’s never loved the business side of the job and described himself as a great line cook and a carnival barker. “I want my last day on the job to be cooking on the line,” he said. The burger boss also told Eater that he won’t be selling the business to any buyer that is unwilling to continue operating the restaurant as Mr. Bartley’s. “My staff is super important to me,” said Bartley. “Everyone is younger than I am, and my key people need work for another 10 or 15 more years.” Bartley said he can’t put in another 10 or 15 more years but hopes to find a buyer who can ensure job security for his employees. Mr. Bartley’s began humbly when Joan and Joe Bartley bought the Harvard Spa, a convenience store, and transformed it into a burger restaurant that also sold paper goods. As the years passed, Mr. Bartley’s menu grew and grew, eventually boasting more than a dozen decadent burgers. Mr. Bartley’s is on the market for $475,000, according to a listing on the Boston Restaurant Group website. Bartley told Eater that there are people with money and people with talent, and that selling his business is about finding someone who possesses both things. “It’s such an iconic space,” said Bartley. “It’s a perfect opportunity for someone who wants to operate a profitable and iconic restaurant...I think a buyer will appear right away.”" - Terrence Doyle

"The menu constantly changes at Mr. Bartley’s - not because it’s a seasonal place that tells you the name of the farmer that picked your kale, but because the burgers at this greasy spoon place are given jokey topical names that mock right wing political figures. So if you’re looking for a throwback to the dirty, quirky Harvard Square of the ’70s - or if you only eat burgers named after Brexit supporters - this is your place. Our current favorite is the Government Shutdown, which comes with jalapeno and hot sauce." - Dan Secatore