A Great, I mean GREAT Burger!
Mr Bartley's Burger Cottage
1246 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
(617) 354-6559

Surprisingly, I loved the atmosphere at Bartley's Burger Cottage. I am a self-admitted snob, and my idea of a Friday night dinner usually involves my boyfriend, a cocktail, three-course meal and a bottle of red wine. So, when I was expected to go to what my roommate affectionately called, “A Burger Joint,” I felt a little skeptical. Condiments, including sliced onions and homemade sweet relish, decorated the tables in lieu of the single flower and flickering candle that I am used to. Instead of paintings or art prints on the walls, we were bombarded with bumper stickers, beer posters, celebrities and one very scary Hilary Rodham Clinton in bondage gear. The wait staff was courteous, attentive and smiley; the pretension that I grown accustomed to is absent at Mr. Bartley’s. Completely out of my element, I felt unexpectedly at home.

Waitresses yell your order out across the room, using that classic 50's diner lingo and it is truly amazing that you get what you ordered. A hilarious menu tantalizes the taste buds of beef lovers! Burger’s named after Teresa Heinz, John Kerry and even Saddam “Insane” fill a menu that not only tempts the palette, but tickles the funny bone. A roast beef sandwich, free of fat, is named after Britney Spears and promises that the diner will become a slave for it. Several other ‘celebrity’ sandwiches provide alternatives to ground beef.

In and out, we completed the whole dining experience in under 30 minutes – a completely different feel from my typical two hour meals. I still had a whole evening to partake in, but not the money to do so. Fifty dollars for a burger, two sandwiches, a milkshake, onion rings and tip seemed a bit steep. I paid my bill to the cashier at the door and walked to the car. On that walk, as I grabbed my temporary gut and let my belt out a few notches, I realized that while the prices were not as low as a typical “burger joint,” the quality of the food and overall experience were worth the price. Go back to Bartley’s for a greasy escape, butgo with the knowledge that you are paying for more than just fast food. You pay not only to eat great burgers, but to get that old fashioned and nostalgic feel that eludes almost every downtown eatery.

Bartley's allows you to let loose, pig out and just relax. At least once in a while you've got to drop those socialite airs. Forget the fancy Newbury St gallery scene and Back Bay restaurants and sneak over to Cambridge and eat at Bartley's. Put on those big sunglasses and a scarf if you must....