Cheap beer, respectable selection, live music, pool, and darts all in the basement of historic Memorial Hall...enough said.
Actually not quite enough; the bar is run by Harvard College so there's definitely a young feel to it (but if you're in to that kind of thing...). In all honesty it actually is a decent place to grab a beer but I'd pick a night there isn't a scheduled event or the place can get crowded. Fun fact: the pewter steins hanging on the back wall were sold when the pub opened but pretty much every one within an arm's length reach of the bar has been swiped. Challenge, anyone?
As far as I know, this is the only on-campus bar at Harvard. It's a bit hard to spot given its underground location but well worth the search. Apart from having a decent beer selection at the lowest prices in the area, Queen's Head usually has some sort of entertainment. For example, last Thursday had trivia night followed by a live band. (Not a great band, but the bar is big enough that you can largely avoid the music.) There's also a pool table and dart boards in the corner.
The bar also serves food, though I've never tried it. Queen's Head is usually fairly busy, though I've never seen it too crowded to find a seat. The only catch is that you need to be with someone who has a Harvard ID to get in. This place is for students.
They have really cheap beer and wine if you're on a low budget! Great atmosphere to chit chat with your friends and chill on their sofa! Don't expect to see a wide range of people...but only a majority of preppy Harvard students. This is a place where you come to get buzzed because it's convenient. It's right across Harvard's science building, and its a place to vent about how much you hate your classes. Also, don't expect good service. The bartenders suck.
Review Source:The Queenshead will always have a place in my heart. It's a bar run by students and for students, and I appreciate that. The food is not the best, and the service some times lacking, but it has been my saving grace for late night snacks and drinks on the cheap.
For those who are not Harvard students... Be warned - it's a bar on Harvard campus, for students - it really is meant to cater to students. Just sayin
I am a reasonable man. I rarely give out bad reviews, even more seldom do I give a one star.
This 'bar' was a complete failure. I went there on a Friday night and several things went wrong.
First of all they allow minors in the building. Â So that means you have to wear a bracelet as if you are going to a festival. If you are a bar or pub then be a bar or pub and check ID at the door. The bracelet idea is dumb.
Secondly, they ran out of beer....at least 6 or 7 taps ran empty on a Friday night. WTF? They finally had someone run out  grab some tall-boys of PBR.
The third and final strike was the service. 3 servers and over a hundred people trying to order. Boo. Fail.
There were other problems but i am not going to bother.
Oy to the mothafriggin' vey. As a dining establishment, this place was a HOT, HOT MESS. We came for the 25-cent wings, which had run out by 8:00, and ended up experiencing a dinner disaster. I don't even know why we thought it would be a good idea to come here primarily for food. They should have a huge sign at the front that says "WARNING: you will only have a good time if you are drinking and NOT EATING."
Basically, we waited over an hour and a half to get some shitty appetizers, the tiniest pencil-dick of a hot dog, a sub-par burger, and cold tomato soup from a can (trust me, I am well-versed in Campbell's and I -know- what canned soup tastes like), all at grossly inflated prices. I mean seriously, I shouldn't have to pay someone nine bucks to microwave what is essentially a TGI Friday's frozen meal that doesn't even consist of enough food to feed a small child.
If you ignore all that, the Queen's Head seems like a cool place to grab a drink. They have a nice selection of beers, all at very agreeable prices. There's also a TV, darts, pool, and shuffleboard (?) to keep you entertained. Seeing as everyone else seems to have posted a rave review, I clearly had an anomalous experience at the Queen's Head.
Food -10000/10
Service 1/10
Drink 10/10
Atmosphere 10/10
Oh hey Yelp, Its been a while. Maybe I just haven't been anywhere thats been an emotive spark plug for me recently. Â #sad...
Enough about me. I was ambivalent about reviewing this place because Queen's Head is a gem that should stay hidden, minus outside goonies (myself included) finding this place and tainting its preserved charisma. Â
Im all about sharing the experience though, this place is posh, a bit decadent, with a penchant for opulence. Definitely not a place to dress down. Have fun finding the bar. It's in the basement of a church..I think. Part of the charm.
Fun Food For Fodder:
They put a wristband on me (even though there's no cover...curious)
No mixed drinks, only beer (Old Chub!) and Wine. ( Cheap, which was refreshing)
Lots of interactive activities ( Pool, Darts, Shuffleboard)
Cool Decor (Christmas trees and a Library...we get it.)
Pretty damn good music (self-explanatory)
Good place for a date, and if you're in earshot of any girls wearing wool, V-neck sweaters with Crimson scarves, or guys wearing Lands End, pull-over fleeces with pleated dockers; dial up the conversation content so you can fit in.
Ya know, I went to the Queen's Head wanting to flash my Harvard ID and feel all elitist, but they didn't even check it! Sad day.
It was pretty empty on a Saturday night, but that didn't keep us from grabbing beers and delving into a drunken philosophical conversation that one feels compelled to have when drinking on Harvard property. To be fair, I don't remember much, but I loved the atmosphere, the beer was good, and the bathrooms were clean. Besides, cheap beer and no tipping makes for a happy Lisa!
The menu is cheap. Period. It's the same bar food you get anywhere else...but less expensive. And the beer is $3.50 a pint. That speaks for itself. Order the 1636, which is a great Harpoon brew they keep on tap for a price you can't really argue with.
Play pool (for free), join the Harvard kids for trivia night, or just drink twice as much as you normally would somewhere else for the same bar tab.
Find me on Twitter: @onlyrandy
Came here from out of town with a friend who's in Harvard for grad school.
The bartenders/waitresses are super friendly and the ambiance is awesome. Very college pubby. Service is quick and attentive.
We came for the Wednesday chicken wing deal and what a great deal it is. $0.25 per wing! The two of us ordered ~ 30 wings with a variety of different sauces. I'll say that all of the different kinds of wings we got were good... except for the asian garlic (I think this is what it was called, but I don't fully recall). These wings were covered in a garlicky, peppery sriracha sauce that we got sick of after the first wing. Other than that, this place is the tops!
My friend also ordered me the Harpoon 1636 beer, delicious!
Three reasons I like this pub: 1) it's a block from my work so it's the easiest place to get a beer after a stressful day, 2) the booze is cheap as chips, and 3) there is always a place to sit, even on a Friday.
This is the closest thing I have found to a student union this side of the Atlantic. It's a student bar run by students, for students. The prices are wonderfully low - I bought a round of beers for 6 people and the total came in at under $20! My colleagues and I can be found there regularly on Fridays, drinking away the blues of the week. If we stay long enough, we sometimes sing terrible karaoke too (comes on after 10pm). Â
The food however, leaves a LOT to be desired. There are only two things that I will order from the menu: chicken strips and fries. Everything else is terrible - I had a salad there once and I swear, I could actually hear the limp leaves of lettuce whimpering from the plate. The service is fairly poor, and they never bring you cutlery or napkins with your food - perhaps students are just expected to chow down with there hands, or just put their face to the plate and chomp.....
I took out $40 and came home w/ a ton of money still in my pocket
b/c apparently that is a small fortune at this place.
What a pleasant surprise.
The beer selection is decent, especially for the price.
The bartenders are horrible.. idk what they are doing in a bar. It took me almost a half hour to get a beer (was there on a friday night). I'm not sure if it's b/c I'm short and no one saw me, or what.
I was meeting up w/ a harvard student, but no one checked to see if I was affiliated w/ harvard... and no one ID'd me either...other people had bracelets?
I would like to come back mainly b/c of how cheap it is.
I have never seen so many ralph lauren polo sweaters in my life.
Cheaaaap beer. Main (if not only) reason really to go here.
Trivia is pretty fun and the wings are ok. The pepperjack bacon fries are my greaseball of choice when tossing back a few harpoons. Only really found myself here if a group was meeting there or something...
Beaucoup bonus for taking crimson cash.
Am I the only one for whom it took forever to actually find this place??
Hidden away in the dungeons beneath Memorial Hall is an exclusive  Harry Potter-esque woodpaneled pub owned by Harvard University that serves Harvard students. I was hoping it would have retained more of the character of the building and felt a bit less reacently remodeled but the atmosphere is certainly cozy.
Thee food and beverages are inexpensive AND they take crimson cash. So really, they get high marks from me for being a place where I can use my laundry money to inexpensively buy myself a pint of Guinness.
Cheapest beers in the Square! (Asides, from just...you know, buying bottles of beer from the liquor store.) Huge beer selection. They have my favorite -- Magic Hat Number 9 -- and my second favorite -- Guinness! And they usually have 2 or 3 Harpoon drafts. Plus many more bottled! They have a rotating selection of beers too!! If you love beer, you'll love this place...cuz it don't got any other liquor.
Also. The Harpoon 1636 beer -- the beer they tell you they serve only at this very single location known as the Queen's Head Pub -- is just the Harpoon Munich Dark beer. The lovely fellow at Harpoon told me so, in fact, how their Munich Dark is often rebranded as the house dark. So, for those who really love it, there are actually plenty of places to get it.
I also love Wing Wednesdays. 25 cent wings! I also love their beer battered onion rings. Their nachos are underwhelming, along with their cheese and meat platter. But, with your board plus, you can buy $60 worth of food each semester! (Sorry, can't spend board plus on beer...I tried.)
The bad. Bar is always understaffed. I suppose it's reasonable given how cheap the food is. But, if you go on a really busy night, expect to wait a really long time.
I'm around for a multi-day conference whose organizers had the brilliant idea of treating us all to a couple of drinks at Queen's Head. Â Hey, this place is great! Â As I understand the story, there was an unpopular food court in this basement area until a very clever dean realized that alcohol and rock 'n' roll could turn things around. Â The Harpoon 1636 was delicious. Â I very much liked the ambiance and decor. Â On the other hand, I didn't much care for the snacks (mostly mini pizza bits and some chicken fingers).
As other yelpers have reported, the Queen's Head is open to the public: no Harvard ID is required. Â I'd come back here any time!
I really, really didn't want to like this place. An elite Harvard bar under the esteemed Memorial Hall? What could possibly be more pretentious?
But at $3.25 a beer, hot wings, fries, trivia, darts, and nachos, this place is anything but pretentious. On the contrary, this dim pub has a pretty casual and relaxed atmosphere. Frequented by everyone from groups of college seniors, to grad students, to University clubs and groups, to solo professors reading a book, the patrons are incredibly interesting and diverse. And you just can't beat those $3.25 beers.
I did. I tried to hate it, but this place pretty much rocks.
It's almost painful to admit that such a cliché Harvard College bar can be so fun, but with the beer for less than $4 and a huge space that carves out a karaoke corner with a pool table & shuffle board, it's hard not to love it.
I think Thursdays are actually one of their busiest nights though, so be prepared for the crowds. But if you're looking to go hit on some coeds, while winning them over by your ability to buy them so many (cheap) drinks, this might be the right place for you.
You have to love the Queen's Head. Â Their trivia is completely impossible, the place is filled with Harvard kids (and staff/faculty), and apparently they have karaoke...But the real kicker is the $3.25 beers and the fact that they have a brew that is only sold at this bar (I believe it's a Harpoon beer). Â Oh, and their fries are TO DIE FOR.
I've only hit this up during earlier hours with fellow Harvard staffers, so I can imagine it gets pretty loud late night.
This place is great.  Nice atmosphere, decent beer  and food selection, amazing prices. Â
Not your regular pick up joint, but that's fine with me. Â I like the decor as well as the entertainment....pool table, shuffle board, Karaoke night. Â And not to mention those 25cents wing nights. Â
Place is pretty clean and not too dark as well.
On the way in, you feel like you're line for a college cafeteria, since you get surrounded by tons of Harvard students.
Once you're inside, it's pretty interesting. Everyone's ID gets put on the wall and you get all sorts of cheap beer. Lots of cool random gear all over this place. Get a booth if you can - seating fills up fast in here.
I'm not gonna lie, it felt a bit pretentious/exclusive at times. Looking back, I'm not that surprised.
On the plus side, the toilet had this "up for #1 down for #2" sign which I had never seen before (or since) - way to conserve!
Queen's Head is a mixed blessing.
On the one hand, as many people have mentioned, it's ridiculously cheap, quality beer. Who can argue with that? And the food is also muy delicious.
On the other hand, it can get obscenely crowded and loud, making it not the most fun place to be.
At the end of the day, I'm glad my roommate is a Harvardian (is there a proper term that I don't know about?) because it means I know about this place and have an excuse to come here every once in a while. It's not somewhere I'd go out of my way to hit up, or somewhere I frequent, but it's a solid place to go.
And $3.25 for my beloved Magic Hat on tap? Yes, please!
I almost don't want to review this place because the word may get out that there is classy college bar serving gourmet beer (e.g. Harpoon 100 Barrel Series) on the cheap. Â It accurately captures a place where those who bleed crimson go to drink: mahogany, beer named after the year of establishment, and H-Y commemorative decorative gear. Â Yes, it's a bar, but it's civilized.
Which brings me to another point: technically, Queen's Head requires Harvard ID for entry, but it's sometimes open to the public. Â On those nights, avoid this place at all costs. Â It's packed wall-to-wall and the college students masquerading as bartenders become overwhelmed.
$3.25 for good beers on tap??? Meaning not PBR! Sign me up!!!
Ya gotta toss your hat up in the air for Harvard having their own bar on campus in a somewhat unmarked location underneath what kind of resembles a church ha ha Plus they even have their own beer that they've started brewing recently here, which is maybe just another way for Harvard to be elitist, but hey, that brew is actually pretty tasty!!
This bar of course has books and random equations written on walls in order to create that whole smart sensation of harvard throughout the bar, and even in the women's bathrooms there are chalkboards on the walls which I can only see as being used by students when they have some mathematical equation aha moment and absolutely have to write it down somewhere (and I'm sure for girls that happens all the time while they're in the bathroom, right?? The funny thing is, that they don't have chalkboards in the boy's bathrooms, so I guess even though men claim the toilet is their thinking throne, they don't think enough in the bathroom at queenshead to deserve a chalkboard!!!)
You will definitely feel like a college kid here though. Even though a lot of grad students come here, overall, especially on certain nights, that typical college bump and grind music is blasted over the speakers, and if you do happen to feel a bit too old for the crowd, there is no hard alcohol here to help you get over that feeling heh.
Yeah, okay, so I'm not in college anymore. But I still went to Harvard's college bar. And apparently I stumbled upon hot wings night. For $.25 cents a wing, I was in college boy heaven.
You have to order a minimum of 10 wings and $2 extra if you want bleu cheese dressing and celery. They come in a variety of flavors but I went with the classic buffalo wings. The teriyaki ones smelled really like soysauce and I could smell 'em from halfway across the room.
I also tried out the Red Brick beer from Sam Adams, available on tap exclusively in Boston.
Wings. Beer. Boys. Yeah, what a night!
Solid college bar - swankier than one would expect. Seems as though they could run as a legit bar with comfy seating, flat screen tv and darts and pool. The beers are cheap $5, plus it gets busy on Thursdays.
If you happen to be visiting your buddy, a good place to grab a drink. Didn't really touch the free seasoned popcorn on the bar (flu season and all). Good lively scene although the bartenders still seem too distracted than needed.
Can anyone tell me who's  numbered mugs are hung behind the bar? Seems like they could be for previous alum who are now long and dead. The bartenders didn't have a clue.
I went again, I just wanted to dock the review a star because the service is ridiculously, ridiculously slow. Â So slow. Â You can count on ten minute beers when there are just a couple people at the bar.
Also, Queen's Head gets super crowded on Thursdays. Â Wednesdays are better -- less people, and karaoke!
Me, I like my beers cheap and my women to be coeds. Â If those were my only requirements then this place would be the best. Â Okay, so that is more or less my metric, but I have to knock off a couple points for blandness of the bartenders. Â One of the nice things about college bars are the eccentric bar tenders--the guy with a tattoo on his face, the girl that you're not sure if she is actually the guy with a tattoo on his face, etc,. Â With so many people behind the bar at the Queen's Head, you would think they had time for conversation, or at least wouldn't always be in such a rush. Â The service can be a little slow, so don't feel bad about flagging down a waitress.
Usually college bars aspire to be dive bars. Â The Queen's Head, on the other hand, tries to be a legit bar--swanky booths, large space, flat screen TV, darts, and pool table. Â The draft selection may be a little limited, but a majority of them are classy, esoteric beers. Â This place doesn't stack liquor, so it is beer or wine, and you should never drink wine at a bar. Â The food here is your classic bar fare, so don't expect to be wowed, but it will get the job done. Â While not as wild as BC or BU hangouts, things can get interesting here especially on Halloween. Â
Bottom Line: Want to go to a college bar? Go here. Â Just don't blame me if they call you a pederasts.
Where did they find the f*cking retards working here? Â Service here is ABYSMAL and ruins the experience. Â These kids got into Harvard and don;t know how to make change? Â GIve me a break! Â All the employees that work here treat their job as a hobby...If they worked at any legitimate bar, they would be fired in a heartbeat.
Beer is chep and choices abound. Â Food is ok. Â PLEASE GET RID OF THE IDIOTS WORKING HERE AND SAVE OUR BAR.
25 cent wings on Wednesdays!
Also, they have a decent, relatively eclectic beer selection. I got a burger that was a little too much bread, and the fries were undercooked. However, the atmosphere here is really warm, friendly. The bar tenders are nice. It's set up in a way to have individual spaces that really almost feel like you're at your own bar.
At the risk of repeating the praise of previous posters (how's that for alliteration?), I have to agree that this is an awesome bar. Â I actually find myself not going out in Cambridge very much because most of the places are a little too college. Â The Kong? Â No thanks. Â Tommy Doyles? Â I think I'm busy that night. Â The Queen's Head? Â Abso-friggin-lutely.
The prices are good in general and phenomenally good for a Cambridge pub. Â Plus they have a nice selection of beers and they even frequently have my favorite dessert beer: Â Young's Double Chocolate.
I've been here at different times and it's normally pretty accessible but it seems like it occasionally fills up for Harvard-specific events. Â And of course you need the student ID or a student friend to get in.
By the way, the coolest part of this bar is that it is in the basement of Memorial Hall, which is a sweet old church. Â I would definitely still attend church regularly if they had a great selection of cheap beers to get you through mass. Â This pub is as good as it gets for Harvard bars.
Just fabulous, Chauncy, FAAAAAAB-ulous.
Beers: $3.25. Soda for pregnant chicks: $1.25. Awesome nachos: $7.75. Ambiance: Priceless. After 4 hours of sitting on comfortable leather couches and chairs, surrounded by novels and books from days past, hubby and I were shocked that our tab only came to $27. The tab for our entire group only came to $110. I'm telling you, it seems impossible, and I know you're asking, "Vanilla, did you guys time warp back to the early 90's when beer prices weren't rivaling prices for donated kidneys?" NO -- we just went to Queen's Head.
The restrooms are their own little (but spacious) rooms with extremely secure little locks, perfect for a quiet retreat or a romantic moment. Plus they were clean, and all the plumbing and dryers were eco-friendly: the toilets had two different water flow flushes (push up the handle for liquids, push down for the solids). That kept me entertained for a good 5 minutes. I wonder if Queen's Head actually uses more water from hicks like me testing the differences...
Supposedly you have to be Harvard affiliated to get in here and enjoy. I think that's just to scare people away from mobbing this place and making it less radical. The Queen's Head Pub seems like the perfect place to go on a rainy Friday night, or after a walking tour of Harvard with your mom and dad. Love it. It's absolutely fabulous.
Barring the fact that this place is swarming with college kids (which, I suppose, is to be expected since it is apparently a Harvard-owned bar), I have taken a liking to it. It has ridiculously cheap beer, a no-tipping rule, a laid-back atmosphere, and is quite spacious, which makes it a great place to grab a few drinks with friends to just chit-chat and relax. I can't quite comment on their regular food menu, as they were only serving a $7 Irish smorgasboard of corned beef, Irish mashed potatoes, turnips, soda bread, and Bailey's and Guinness ice cream in honor of St. Patrick's Day (which were surprisingly pretty good).
The place loses a few points, though, in regards to the fact that they attach a bracelet to your wrist with your full name imprinted on it at the door after you show them your ID -- I suppose it's some kind of campus rule or precaution or something, but it did make me feel like my privacy was a bit violated.
:: more yelping of a place attended with Elaine M. :: :)
I dig the Queen's Head. Â $3 beer is a dime a dozen in Virginia, where happy hours are legal and the beer flows freely. Â In Puritan Massachusetts, beers regularly go for more than twice that. Â That makes me a sad panda. Â The Queen's Head makes me a happy panda because of its $3.25 pints and no-tipping rule. Â The spaciousness was a pleasant surprise--more churches should be turned into bars! Â I would totally go here instead of John Harvard's.
I was looking forward to trying the fries (which are supposedly delightful), but instead had the $7 St. Patrick's Day special of corned beef, colcannon, yellow turnips, soda bread, Bailey's ice cream and Guinness ice cream. Â I wish I'd ordered more ice cream to dump into my Guinness and create a beer float. Â
I felt like a baby being tagged in a hospital ward when I received my wristband at the door. Â They check both your Harvard ID and license, then print out a wristband with your name on it. Â I continued to feel baby-like when perched on a tall chair...the only thing missing was a bib!
I love this place! Â I like loungey places that don't get too packed so Wednesday and Thursdays at the Queen's Head is awesome. Â The food and drinks are way cheap ($3.25 beers) and you're not supposed to tip the bar. Â There fries are awesome too; onion rings not so much. Â There's a pool table, dart board, and shuffle board thing. Â It's pretty big and well maintained. Â It's not open Sunday through Tuesday (?) but otherwise it's awesome.
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