Thirsty Scholar Pub

This bar has some delicious food. The Football Menu offers sample platter that comes with a little bit of everything. It has wings, tenders, mozzarella sticks and steak egg rolls. The brussel sprouts with pork belly was okay. It was. About to salty and chewy. The deep fried brownie with ice cream was delicious. It is well a shot during game day

Fantastic blend of local pub, sports, trivia, music and atmosphere. The beer list is as long as the cocktail list and all are worth trying. With different daily deals, there is a new reason to go back every day. I for one love the free comedy shows and live music. This is the local watering hole that everyone is searching for.

Worst wings in ever. In par with food in the area, $14 for 6 tiny wings no sides. Take a look at the pic and tell me with a straight face that is worth $14.

Great cozy hangout in historic Cambridge MA with that old school Boston charm!! Green Bay Packer fans- if you are living, visiting, or trapped in MA, this is one of the two bars to visit for a Packer game!!

I wanna experience Facebook one scene of a movie with family, so food is good and the atmosphere is OK.

Nice local place, has a bean burger with guac , decent vegan option

Great trivia night on Sunday. Also decent menu with a few veg options. Some of the social network filmed here.

Tasty place in Somerville that's got great bites and a wonderful beer selection. Great for lunch. Great for beer. Casual and easy.

Stopped in with my wife and son for a quick bite. I'd heard about this place, but had never been there and wasn't sure what to expect. What we found was a cozy, neighborhood pub with solid food, an extensive beer selection, and very friendly service. For those of you who may remember 33 Dunster Street, the longtime restaurant icon in Harvard Square, this place has that vibe -- an inviting cozy environment with dark woods; a comfortable neighborhood joint. We visited on a Sunday night and it was pretty empty, so we paused wondering why, but we sat for dinner. We ordered a burger, veggie burger, and a Scholar Bowl. All were very tasty. Our server was the bartender and we anticipated a certain level (i.e. lack of) of service. What we received could not have been further from our expectations. (Will add name) was fantastic -- very knowledgeable in answering our questions regarding the menu and extremely knowledgeable about their beer selection (allowing for several samples to find the right brew.) He could not have been friendlier. If we lived closer, we'd make this one of our frequent haunts. We will definitely be back for the food and beer selection and, perhaps, for their Monday night Comedy Night. Be smart...hit the Scholar!

Overall rating: 2.5 Stars The comedy night was a let down Food: beers and finger foods We got nachos and some beer and went for their comedy night on a Monday. Price: $8-10 for draft beer is robbery. The nachos we got were messily served on a plate and had about 10 chips? Ambiance: Dimly lit with a few tvs, a bar area, and a makeshift stage for the comedians. There's a library feel to it with book decors and shelves. The whole entire bar area had a reservation tag on it meanwhile nobody sat there that night Service: our server look exhausted and gave us one word answers for everything, "how's the steak tips?" good. "do you have a recommended beer?" yeah. Bathrooms: downstairs has a men and womens Final comments: Vulgar comedians without a sense of humor, luckily the comedy is free. The price of the food and service is unjustified.

This bar has some delicious food. The Football Menu offers sample platter that comes with a little bit of everything. It has wings, tenders, mozzarella sticks and steak egg rolls. The brussel sprouts with pork belly was okay. It was. About to salty and chewy. The deep fried brownie with ice cream was delicious. It is well a shot during game day

Stopped by here on a Thursday evening for a drink and a quick bite to eat. The place wasn't too busy, but it seemed like there was only one server so getting the waitress's attention wasn't easy. She took our order quickly and the food came out fast, but asking for the check took a few times as she wasn't attentive to our table as much. Overall though she was efficient and did her best to appease everyone there. The drink and nachos tasted pretty good and was well worth their price, especially for the Camberville area. For a casual place to get a quick drink or just relax, I think this place would be good for that. I also saw that they do brunch so I'll be sure to be back to try that out one day too!

So I came across this location following Stump trivia. Ben was the host for Stump, it was decent. My only complaint was that it was hard to articulate what he was saying. But in all fairness the noise from the bar made it hard to hear. Kelsie was our server. She was incredible. She was very accommodating and attentive. I had a glass of Malbec which if you're a wine drinker you can tell when it's been open to long. I addressed it offered to still pay for the glass but she gladly replaced it. While we were there because of the lack of hearing for trivia she let us move to a better table. She was the only server I saw for the whole bar yet we constantly had her attention. There is ton of street parking here and it's at a great location. The bar is decently sized and I have to say my fav part. I have never in my yelping life felt like this was a must add on to my review but I HAVE to say it......THE BATHROOM HERE SMELLS AMAZING. When I tell you AMAZING I mean it. I was so in love and wanted to stay in there. Cause as great as it smells is as clean as it is. So shout out to whomever is responsible for that! AMAZING

Apparently this is where they filmed the movie The Social Network. Cool. And that is about it. Not a fan of its draft beer options ($8 per serving) all written on the black board. Makes it hard to read and decide what you want. They do serve cocktails here as well. I guess since I don't live in this neighborhood, I don't have particular reasons to come back to fully appreciate this place. For now, it stands at 3 stars for me. I like the table arrangements here, and it is good to come either as a small or large group.

I was early for my dinner meeting so I stopped in to the Thirsty Scholar for a beer and a bit of their wifi. On a weeknight in the dead of winter, the place was a little empty. I'm sure it gets busier and crazier during the warmer times but tonight's peace was nice. Large bar, a little dark and a large chalkboard listing all of their beers on tap. I had one ($8!) and was done. Comfy for nearly an hour. I'll have to get back here when the weather is better.

We went there for soccer World Cup final and loved the place. Good food. The server was pretty good and attentive. Lovely environment.

this place used to be a decent place but some young punks decided that they thought they could run it better. They treat their customers they treat people that walking on the street they are a bunch of goddamn punks. They are low end and they wanna compete. They are a bunch of punks I feel sorry for them

Things I love about Cambridge: 1. Great beer. 2. Great neighborhood bars tucked away in walkable areas. 3. Jessie Eisenberg.* Thirsty Scholar scored a hat trick! I went here the other night to watch some playoff baseball at the bar. Great service, plenty of TVs, lots of beers on tap, and surprisingly good food as well. I got the fish tacos, they were really tasty without feeling greasy or heavy. I'll definitely come back for another game! *I have no idea where Jessie Eisenberg is actually from.

Great wing and specials. Awesome for sports and burgers. Brunch and football how can you go wrong.

Great service food and drinks. We had the nachos, chicken sandwich, chicken wings and fried dough and everything was delicious. Great beer selection and Jill bartender/ server gave us good feedback on the different kinds of beers to choose from. The service from Jill and Liam was outstanding. Definitely plan on going back for more.

All pubs have ample beer, but the quality and variety of said beer can be questionable. Fortunately, the Thirsty Scholar is a winner in this respect, and exactly what I was hoping for when searching the area for some pre-dinner pints. On the wall, you'll find a large list of draft selections, with beers that should satisfy most discerning tastes. Uber local is accounted for with breweries like Lamplighter and Nightshift, less local Mass beers are also to be found (I had a truly excellent pale from Exhibit A), and of course New England and beyond varieties. Prices were about what I expected given the caliber, but if you're expecting more traditional pub pint pricing you might be a little surprised. If you're of the disposition where a drink tastes better in the right surroundings, Thirsty Scholar has you covered there too. It's got an overall dark wooden vibe, with many books adorning the wall. Plenty of tables and seats abound, though my partner and I sat at the bar. I was pleased that this particular Sunday there was no crazy sports things going on, but imagine this can be a factor at times (they have several TVs throughout). All in all, we had a pleasant couple of rounds and look forward to coming back soon.

Great place, nice people, tasty food! The server and kitchen staff was so friendly and accommodating.

Nice casual spot to grab a beer and some food. I can only comment on the beer at this point - the list was extensive. Unfortunately it is only written on a board and kind of hard to read without going up to it, but besides that I love the idea and variety.

I came here with a group of friends for Sunday Stump Trivia and had a lot of fun. The trivia is well-run, though difficult to hear if you don't get here early enough to grab a table close to the trivia host. The beer selection is great, though I wish prices were written on the board as well. I ended up paying $8 for a beer. Had I known the price I might have chosen something else. We had a great waitress - super friendly and patient with our waves of arrivals as well as waiting for questions to be asked before interjecting.

Been here a few times over the years, and I think it's pretty solid. They have an excellent tap list with nice and attentive bartenders, and their pub grub isn't anything special or fancy but it'll totally hit the spot and fill you up.

My partner and I were walking down Beacon St a couple Sundays ago and passed the on&off shuttered Thirsty Scholar. Through the window we noticed people having drinks. Could the Scholar really be back? We stepped in and I am pleased to report after a pandemic-induced absence, they are indeed back and as good as ever. I've been going to the scholar since almost 2000. I remember it from before the Social Network thing and have had countless meals and beers with friends there thru the years. The place looks more or less the same, which is great. The dark wooden tables and walls are still there as is the bookcase and big chalkboard listing the beer selection. The table layout hasn't changed either, with a good mix of tables, booths, and several high tops by the long bar in the back. The semi-private room by the entrance is there too. The wall décor has been updated and for the better imo - The Social Network posters are gone - the picture of Jesse Eisneberg's Mark Zuckerberg leering over my shoulder never helped my digestion and is thankfully no more. The overall look and feel should appeal to long time patrons and newer folks too. The updated menu was the real standout though. I like hanging out at pubs but I'm also a foodie. The Thirst Scholar had great food from about 2005-2010 as I recall, before taking a bit of downturn the last several years. It was never bad or anything, it had just meandered over towards average Irish pub fair more than anything. The new menu has fixed that. It has been slimmed down and seems to have adopted the strategy of doing a few things well rather than having a so-so menu that tries to please everyone. I had the Fish & Chips. The IPA beer batter was superb and the fries crispy. It was best of fish & chips have had in long while. My partner had the burger which was also excellent and came back medium-rare as ordered. The pimento spread gave the burger an upscale taste, far better than one would expect from the average pub. We ordered a few local beers off the large selection on the chalkboard to round out the excellent dinner. I am extremely happy to see the Scholar back. I'm looking forward to this spring when it warms up a bit and getting a table by the huge windows that open up to Beacon street when the weather is nice.

I really liked this local neighborhood bar/restaurant. The service was good and so was the food. I had a burger and fries so kind of hard to screw that up. The people in my party also liked the food. Lots of beers on tap as well!

Neat little Pub and based on what I've tried, they have excellent buffalo chicken tenders, burgers, Caesar salad, nachos and drinks! This place is not huge, but it is local, welcoming, dark and swanky, which I love! They don't skimp on the "pour" either. I come here about once every other month to catch up with friends and unwind with a cock or two after work... That's cocktail of course... Lol! The female bartender with the blonde hair is very personable and she makes good recommendations on food and drinks. The TV's are always on and the place always seems full yet your conversations are completely audible and you don't have to scream at one another. Prices are a bit steep so I'm not interested in becoming too regular, but again...a pretty good pour if you're drinking. I took away a star due to the sketchy guy with dreads. He walks back and forth from the door to somewhere in the back. He kept giving us a "side eye" each time he walked by our table, but never a smile or a greeting. Made us feel like he thought we were going to steal the salt shaker or something. Maybe he is Pub security or something weird like that?! If he's a host, say something like, "good evening" or "are you enjoying your time with us" or at the very least, SMILE! Anyway, the last few times I visited we sat at the bar. This way if he showed up we would not be subjected to the "stared down" that he gives to the folks sitting at tables.

My wife and I met our son and nephew here on Sunday, Father's Day, to watch the US women play soccer. It was steady but not real busy. We got there at noon. My wife had the veggie Benedict which she said was good. My son had the Irish breakfast which was plentiful and he said was ok. I tried a bite of it and it seemed good to me. I think he was unfamiliar with some of the items on the plate like rashers and white pudding. I had a couple of IPAs and wings. Both were excellent. The beers are listed on a blackboard, I'm sure because they rotate. This was fine as it was easy to read. I don't understand the complaints on that. The impressive part to me was that there was only one girl working both the bar and waiting all the tables. She was very attentive and pleasant throughout our time there. She was great and as far as I could tell every table was satisfied with the service. I personally liked the feel of the place, classic American version of an Irish pub, which I kind of like. I'll try and get back here soon.

The Thirsty has long been a go to for group sessions of sports watching for obvious reasons (it doesn't suck, beers are cheap-ish, there's food, and a ton of televisions), so we chose it as the congregation point for opening night against the Yankees. What a disappointment. Thirsty Scholar, I am ashamed of you! Our waitress was nice enough but completely unsuited for her job (didn't know the price of the beer or what NESN was, etc.). Additionally, they had the game on but wouldn't turn on the sound because trivia was going on. So we were treated to a yelling MC and channel changes. Needless to say, we booked it for an alternate location. I should have checked their site and I usually like the Thirsty so I don't to rag on them too hard but really? It's opening day against the Yankees and you're a sports bar. Come on.

Location is pretty accesible walk from Inman Sq, Harvard or even Central Square. The busses are annoying to use, but if you live in the area its a great bar to go to! Come here for the killer atmosphere. I usually come here during games because I loved being boo'd as a NY fan... but it riles me up! I love the apps here, their potato skins, nachos, and calamari. They have wonderful bar food. During the weekdays, depending on their specials they have deals like $5 martinis, and similar amazing-ness. The bartenders are great, and make their drinks strong. Bang for your buck for sure. Their dinner food is delicious, they make a mean burger, not the best in town, but its fairly good. I've heard good things about their salads and sandwiches from friends who I've eaten with. Their close-knit bar feel is the one thing I love. One thing to note: 50cents for each item you take-out! Not that its a huge cost, but I've never heard of that before. Come early to grab a table before the game or during happy hour! Enjoy :)

I take my kids out to dinner at the Thirsty Scholar at least once a month. Thanks to the loud atmosphere, no one seems to notice just how loud my kids are. There isn't a kids menu, but we just make the kids share a Scholar Burger with fries (which looks really delicious). I've eaten many of the dishes here, and I think the food here is better than your average bar food. The portions are larger than many other bars as well. I usually order a salad. I like the ever changing Scholar Salad, and I'll sometimes order the Arugula Salad topped with chicken. The soups here are yummy, too. The beer menu is not the most extensive, but it's good enough for me (not a beer connoisseur). The cocktails I've had are run of the mill. But again, for me the important thing is that the food is good, and my kids aren't bothering other patrons.

"The Thirsty Scholar" is a great name for a bar, IMO, so I'm often disappointed that this bar is so typical. It's spacious, which is a plus, but quite loud. The bartenders are competent, the prices are unexceptional, the selection of drinks is pretty wide, the food ranges between okay and good. Still, it's my neighborhood bar (basically across the street from my house), so I pop in to The Scholar quite a bit.

I haven't gone to trivia here. I haven't gone with friends. I haven't gone at night in ages. So, I probably have only seen a small bit of what this place can offer. The last time I was here I was doing some good old-fashioned day drinking with my dad and one of his highschool buddies. It was quiet, a good place to catch up. The waitress was pretty much MIA the whole time, which makes me worry for when and if it gets busy.

A very cool bar. Great ambiance with dark lighting and exposed brick. Good beer selection, great by Boston/Cambridge standards. Reasonable prices. Nice service. Nothing not to love. But the place was a little empty and could be more fun with more people maybe which brought it down a star.

Food is good and lots of beer choices but it's to dark in this bar. Can't see your hand in front of your face. Turn on a light!

Oh, Thirsty Scholar...how thou hast separated me so vastly from my money. If there is ever a watering hole in Somerville/Cambridge, that is unique and just a cool place to crash with friends or co-workers for a drink, this is it. I have been in the establishment so much, that they are ready to bring in ghost hunters to remove me. Thirsty Scholar has good service, good selection of brews, mixed drinks, crafted beers, etc. Next, the food is truly great and a wonderful experience. Thirsty Scholar has a cheeseburger that would make Bill Clinton happy, and the atmosphere was very inviting. They also have Christmas lights inside, which are a winner for me. Extra points there. And now for the downside...parking. In all the time that I have been going to the Thirsty Scholar, I have had problems with parking. Which is why, now, I usually walk there if I am to go for an extended period of time. But that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a great place to go, and a great place to go with friends. Excellent spot for the center of Inman Square.

This bar has great pub food, music selection is on point, and also has a very good draft beer list. It's a nice cozy neighborhood spot. Great place to chill or watch a game!

Damn, this is one fantastic pub. I came here late on a Saturday night and it was less than half full - not surprising for a summer night in a college town. Beer: They have a great selection of beer on draft, I enjoyed some familiar Californian favorites (Ballast Point, Green Flash) and even tried some local varieties at the bartender's suggestion (Thanks Rick!). They have a chalkboard menu, so it seems that they are updating quite frequently. People: The regulars and staff were super friendly and didn't tear my heart out when my hometown team beat the Sox (Go Angels!). The bartender along with his son and daughter-in-law were happy to give me all kinds of suggestions for good eats and experiences in the area. Ambience: I've seen the Irish Pub theme time and time again on the West Coast - but they really pull it off at the Thirsty Scholar. There's a private booth by the entrance that looks beyond badass and all kinds of seating (bar, high tables, low tables, half booths). The bathrooms were pristine and the bar itself was clean and well kept. Food: I liked this place so much I came back the next day (Sunday) to grab lunch. I had a cup of chili and some EPIC bangers and fries. Not those little toaster oven reheat sausages either, they were full on Irish sausages - flavorful and packed tight. I'm really glad that I live a couple blocks from this spot - I definitely foresee many future visits here.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday. Yeah, I know the song is about a massacre, but somehow for me I always makes me think about how shit Sunday evenings are. Work tomorrow. Nothing good on the telly. Hangover(s) still lurking. Guilty conscious from weekend festivities... Well, when I first got to Boston the Thirsty Scholar came to my rescue and took me away from Bono's dulcet tones. Sunday night at the Scholar - quiz night. So the love affair began. Religiously a number above one and below 7 of us would turn up here each Sunday and pit our wits against the Stump!-meister and clans of Harvard and MIT brainboxes who cheer "Science!" upon the mere mention of that fair discipline. We even won one week. It was fun, relaxed, friendly and put some well-needed routine into that end of the week malaise. Heck, I always even had the same thing - The Scholar Burger and Guinness. Often it was my first meal of the day at 9pm. Nothing tastes better. But then the affair started going wayward. Every few weeks, we started to be greeted with "Sorry - Pats game tonight, no quiz" (made me hate the Pats) and this then escalated to "Sorry - private function" and finally the last straw "No quiz til after the superbowl". Where was the love? And where had the Scholar Burger gone? This is not my beautiful menu, this is not my beautiful menu! So now I'm back to Sunday, Bloody Sunday. I loved ye Thirsty Scholar. Will you returneth the quiz and Scholar Burger back to it's September 2006 best? Please...

Everything closes pretty early on weekdays in Cambridge. Bars usually close around 1-2am. After that, you won't find liquor stores or bars that stay open. I initially wanted to go to People's Republik - but of course, it was closed. After wandering around a bit, asking random people and stores where we might find any place that's open.. we found ourselves at the Thirsty Scholar. They were 20 minutes away from closing, but my friend talked to the bartender and explained that 1.) We had just been through a traumatizing experience - we were held up at the subway station waiting for firefighters and an ambulance in Cambridge when a girl jumped down onto the tracks.. (It was really quite awful.) 2.) I was visiting from Indonesia and she from Oklahoma City, and we only had one night in Cambridge. (This was before I moved to the US.) The bartender was STELLAR. He allowed us to stay an hour after closing while he cleaned up the bar.. and I found myself in the middle of a fascinating conversation with some of the most brilliant-minded individuals I'd met in a while. The drinks were cheap and plenty, the crowd fun, and the bartender very sweet. Glad I ended up at Thirsty Scholar!

I'm dehydrated, parched, and there's a really heavy nonfiction book in my bag which just topped the NY Times Best of the Year list. Where else to go for lunch but The Thirsty Scholar? Located just a couple of blocks from Inman Square, it's easy to get to and a bit infamous now that it has been featured in The Social Network. Thirsty Scholar meet The Thirsty Scholar. While we may have similar attributes, we have our subtle differences, too. I like my salad dressing put on the top of the salad, then quickly tossed (or served on the side), not in a massive, murky pond of oil and vinegar sitting on the bottom of the bowl. This is the first indication that everything is huge around here. Clearly, the mammoth amount of salad dressing has gone into the salad bowl before my warm spinach salad, which makes the dregs of the dish very saturated. The bowl is enormous and could easily feed two as a side dish, but I had it as my meal. I did order mine with no bacon. And no goat cheese. And yes, they charged the same amount, $9, despite pulling out the two featured players. Just a quibble, but it's annoying. Lots and lots of beer, chicken and meat dishes for the very hungry, but I am usually dieting and looking for lighter fare. The next time I come back, I ignore the diet and order sweet potato fries for my lunch. They are served in a Mount Everest looking mound, piping hot and crispy, but at $7, they are costly. They are dry, salty and starchy, perfect for a carb infusion overload. A third time I gravitate to the veggie burger which is just huge and served on an equally huge bun. I tasted more bread than burger. They offer fish and chips, bangers and mash, nachos, sandwiches and paninis for my non dieting companions....a nice assortment of comfort food, really. The atmosphere is dark and pubby, with an old, familiar feeling. Service is casual and informal, which in a way, suits this place. They have a horrible web site, which I can recommend avoiding. If you go to it, turn the volume all the way down, please. Note that I have only been here for lunch. And it is very quiet at lunch. It is also very dark, so if you are also a thirsty scholar, bring a reading lamp or sit near the window. Happy reading.

A few years ago, I lived near the Thirsty Scholar. I'd go in for a bite to eat or to play dominoes a few times a month. They had a big screen that they pulled down for soccer matches and a TV or two above the bar. Now it looks like frickin' 1984 with all the telescreens hanging every which way. Did you ever see that X-files episode where all the electronic screens keep flashing subliminal messages saying, KILL HIM and MURDER TIME and THE GUN IS OVER THERE IN THAT SCHOOL BUS? Well, it feels like that at the Scholar these days. I was just there with a bunch of non-sports-fans and we all found ourselves talking about the 1990 Miami Dolphins because a Dolphins player was on the screen, and we didn't figure it out for a few minutes. Just THINK what could happen if the wrong hands took over...

I've never been here when it's been busy, so this Friday night let me see The Thirsty Scholar in a whole new light. We were able to snag a four top, but got there after table service was discontinued for the evening. Hubby went to the bar to order drinks, but the male bar tenders were pretty behind serving the hotties, so hubby was over-looked. I heaved my huge pregnant belly up and in between two gentlemen at the bar, hid the belly, and got the bartender's attention immediately. I ordered 3 beers and a sprite with cranberry, and on of the guys on the stools says, "Sprite and cranberry? What's up with that?" so I started to laugh and giggle, then turned and exposed my giant bump. It was awesome. He didn't want any part of that! I think the exact quote was, "You're like, 6 and a half months pregnant, right? My wife looked like that when she was 6 and a half months pregnant." I laughed all the way back to the table, told my party, and we all had a huge giggle. Then later, some random dude was eyeballin' me (belly concealed under table top), and he walked over and asked where I worked because he "knew me". Hubby was in the bathroom, so being the opportunist I am, I hid my belly and flirted and smiled, tra la la. The giant reveal was much like the reveals on Extreme Home Makeover or The Swan (remember that freaky plastic surgery show?), and once again I freaked an innocent man out. I'm going back next weekend, but I'm gonna wear a Hannah Montana wig so those two guys don't recognize me. The Thirsty Scholar is great for pregnant chicks needing self esteem boosts. Plus, the little baby liked the noise, and was flipping around with the intelligent conversations and smarmy tunes. Ten points to me for already taking my baby to a bar.

I dig the Scholar. 1) This bar is the only place where I've asked for Sex with Aliens (Bacardi Limon, Midori, sour mix and sprite typically given by me as a birthday shot) without receiving weird looks or commentary in return. 2) Burgers are pretty solid, though my medium burger did not have a hint of pink in it. Lack of pinkness was forgiven because of being starving and grateful for a kitchen that was open at 11p.m. 3) They also serve yards of beer in crazy-looking dispensers. I have not tried this type of beverage dispensing method, but imagine that it is more efficient than the yards of beer which have to sit on the ground.

I had the corned beef hash and eggs for the first time this weekend... if I wanted Hormel hash from the can, I would've stayed home and made it my damn self. I am, however, giving this place one more star if only because hanging out in the nook (when you can get it) is awesome. So is the Seattle Stout (Guinness with Starbucks liqueur added in). So are their burgers and everything else about this place. Just never order the corned beef hash. Ever. As long as I stick to the Irish breakfast on Sundays, we're golden.

Passing by a drunk and napping homeless dude at 1:00 pm on a sunny Sunday afternoon just makes me hungry. Hey, let's go someplace we haven't been and get fat on steak and eggs and Irish breakfast. Pass some more hobos. Why are there so many hobos? Keep walking. Get hungrier. Ah, right - I'm heading into the depths of Inman Square. Mmmmm smell that meth lab cooking away! What's that sign on the horizon? Finally, the Thirsty Scholar. Large windows open, pink hatted Red Sox ladies lazily sticking their feet out the window, seemingly well fed people becoming one with their surroundings. Let us in! And they did. The place is pretty great on the inside, dank, hard wood, lots of musty, smiling local representatives and just enough diners to make me feel like I didn't fuck up by coming here. I noticed a small interrogation booth, wait, private dining room that looks like it would be fun for a small group, remind me to come back with sideshow midget freak friends. And then a server showed up, she sort of sucked, but brought up steaming plates of steak tips, over medium eggs, Irish bread, strange 'pudding' sausage things and pints for some and caffeine for others. The steak was sort of tasting like whatever was on the grill last night, but was fresh and actually cooked to order. The plates of Irish grub went empty fast. Good enough. So leave the joint, fat and happy, walk past them bums again (they're still asleep) and get the hell out of Cambridge - that's enough Sunday for me.

Considering how close this bar is it is to my house it is surprising I am not there often. It's you're typical pub. Its got some foods that aren't bad, its got an OK selection of beer at a price that isn't anything to write home about. The service is pretty on point. It's a little tacky to have so much reference to the social network. Yes this bar was in that movie. No its not that interesting that it was. No I didn't really think the movie was that great. You're embarrassing yourself Thirsty Scholar selling out like that. Stop it.

Ended up here for an impromptu Sunday brunch/lunch. It was delicious. Fiance got a big-ass plate of an Irish Breakfast. I got a big-ass plate of French toast and two big-ass mimosas. Our waitress, Violette was very nice and helpful. Their bathrooms are not for big-ass people. I had to pee and thought of just leaving the door open so I could do so without shutting it on my kneecaps but I somehow managed. The bathroom for the ladies room is precariously close to the bar. Two women were sitting on those bar stools. They must not have strong sense of smell. The bathroom seemed clean and the soap was present and the water was hot. BONUS. The prices were not bad and they had a good amount of things on the menu. I liked that my two big-ass mimosas were strong and I think seven bucks. I shall return for another brunch soon with big-ass french toast and big-ass mimosas and I will make sure I have a driver. See you again, The Thirsty Scholar. I will be back.

Me: I'll have the corn beef and hash with scrambled eggs. Deepa: I'll have two eggs and (something else I forgot..lol.. Sorry Deepa!) Billie: I'll have corn beef and hash with eggs over easy. Ligaya: I'll have corn beef and hash with eggs over medium. Doris: I'll have corn beef and hash with eggs over hard. Then there was a scramble for juices and mimosas and tea. The food here was great. The corn beef totally hit the spot on the cold Sunday we went for Book Club. There weren't many people when we got there so it was easy to find a table for the group. Definitely a classic pub atmosphere. We all ordered off the brunch menu and the food came quickly. Our waitress was awesome. We threw a lot of "do you think you could"s at her and she handled them with ease. Minus a star because Ligaya got more hash than me. heh.. FYI, during the spring/summer they open the windows. This is a good basic brunch place if you actually want to hear the other person talk while eating. We were there from 12 to about 2(?).. and it still wasn't very crowded when we left. It's also one of the cheaper brunches I've had. Doris was right about the small bathroom. Yeesh.. I don't see more than one person fitting in there at a time. I was afraid I wacked someone! The location is convenient for me. The 83 bus stops pretty dang close to the pub. It's located just outside Inman Square and so it's a bit of a walk from Central, Harvard, and Porter. I actually walked from Davis in less than 40 minutes. Hmm.. brisk winter air! I'll definitely be back for din din sometime. Check back soon. ;)

The Thirsty Scholar used to be one of the best bars around. Laid-back atmosphere with a nice dark-wood Irish pub vibe, great beer selection and an amazing jukebox full of Britpop and Irish rock. The food was always ok at best, but it was never the draw. The beer selection is still decent, but you see less of the unusual brews they used to offer. The jukebox was converted over to one of those internet ones years ago, and as a result there's always some idiot playing Bon Jovi or Jimmy Buffett whereas in the past your choices were limited to a bunch of cool British bands or a shitload of U2 and Van Morrison. Over the years, the Scholar has been transformed into a local sports bar, full of huge TV's playing sporting events nobody cares about. Let's all go down to the pub and watch some.... poker? A couple of TV's are fine, but a place like this that's obviously been fashioned to resemble a semi-authentic Irish bar (complete with a snug) is done a dis-service when you make it look like the Joshua Tree. Apparently the scholars are still thirsty, but thanks to this bar, the yah-dudes of the neighborhood have had their thirst quenched.

Hey Thirsty Scholar! Did you know we share a wall together? Maybe this makes our relationship more intimate than the average patron, I don't know. I do know this--over the past few months I've heard but a peep coming from you on the other side of that wall. A testament to your low-key vibe? Or is our shared wall really that thick? Either way, it pleases me. Any noise complaints from my side of the wall? Maybe some yelling during Giants games? If so, I'm sorry. Good walls make good neighbors. You probably don't know this, but, despite our shared wall, it actually took me a few months to wander the 10 steps over to your front door to grab a drink. I did it for football. I'm glad that's why I did it. You love football almost as much as I do--and for the same reasons! I love your plentiful TVs, and the fact that you never feel like a sports bar. Even my girlfriend likes watching games with you (and she hates football). Your surprisingly good beer list makes me smile. The fact that you're rarely crowded is a big plus. Your sweet potato tater tots put me over the edge. Certain days--and I'm still not 100% sure when--you have specials like $3 burgers and cheap wings. I know you've had them on Mondays in the past. Is it every Monday? I should knock on our wall and ask. Sometimes, mostly on weekend nights, your customers make the corner of my living room smell like cigarettes. I know this isn't really your fault, and I know your patrons have nowhere else to toke besides the sidewalk in front of your door. But it's still a minor issue... nothing a free drink won't remedy.

You guys only get 1 star because the waitress forgot to put the order in for our app- then blamed the kitchen, no big deal- we just canceled the app.. THEN, we get the bill...$144 for 3 people! We were charged for extra rounds- she charged us for 20 oz beers, but they ran out and she served us 12 oz. and double charged us for a couple rounds. When we disputed the bill with her- she said "well I took the appetizer off your bill" Oh- the one we never got and subsequently canceled? WOW. Anyway- she said we had to go find the mgr ourselves to dispute the bill!! He was no where to be found. The kicker is- GRATUITY was included for our party of 3 and it wasn't mentioned! So- although we have spent many Pat's games as loyal Thirsty Scholar patrons- we hang up our hats and move on to more honest pastures. To that waitress who swindled...hope you get caught.

I feel a tiny pang of nostalgia every time I pass this place, as it reminds me it was the first bar I went to after sealing the deal on my Inman Square digs, and carries that "sweet, there are bars in my neighborhood" excitement. Hey, moving to the city from the 'burbs was an exciting deal, okay? Not bad to grab a quick beer or cocktail, and definitely worthy of a stop on the Inman pub crawl, but go to start your night(so it gets better) or at the end(so you don't remember if it was bad).

They have Boddingtons, what more do you need? Nice student hang out with good greasy bar food.

This is the type of bar I've been looking for in Cambridge. Wood paneling, high ceilings, intimate and open spaces, cheap beer. (Don't miss the $2 special!) I only wish I lived closer :(

Before I start my review I would like to clarify that I heard a lot about The Thirsty Scholar Pub before moving to Cambridge, MA from Providence, RI. So much, that I thought it was going to be all that and a bag of chips with sour cream and onion dip. On a recent visit there I admit that I left satisfied, but I was not blown away. In other words, the Thirsty Scholar didn't knock my socks off. Here's why: 1) It was perhaps over-hyped by friends, BUT this was my bias going in, so my fault. 2) I found the on-tap and bottled beer list a little lame, and by no means "scholarly." 3) The food was mediocre for pub fair. Good, but not erudite. Summary: would I return? Heck yes! Would it be my first choice? Hard to say.