Flat Top Johnny's

College dive bar vibes with pool tables, arcade games, and a heavy MIT crowd. Stopped by with a friend from MIT who lives nearby. Right next to the grad dorms, so the place was packed with students and researchers. It felt more like a post-lab hangout than a typical bar with groups huddled around the bar. Still, the pool room and arcade area had a livelier energy: definitely the more social side of the space. Food was surprisingly solid for a Kendall Square bar, and reasonably priced. We grabbed the Old Bay wings and a couple of hot dogs. I’d only had Old Bay on fries before, but it worked really well on wings too. The hot dogs were chicken dogs, but the buns were toasted with plenty of butter, and they were generous with the relish or onions. Nothing fancy, but no complaints. If you’re drinking, stick with beer. Cocktails weren’t expensive, but the fruity cocktail I tried was mediocre. Not necessarily sweet, but it tasted vaguely like a diluted version of a generic fruit cocktail.

Great local hot spot in Cambridge. Tucked on a side street. Parking is difficult as its paid meters but easy for bus/train commuters. Super busy, can get tight depending on how busy it is and can be hard to have a conversation. But it has a great vibe, free board games and pool & decent food. Great local hot spot if big crowds and louder spaces dont matter.

This was a great place to meet.We had an event there for networking.

If you’re unlucky, you might find two aggressive bouncers behind the bar instead of bartenders. They act like they’re starring in a low-budget Wild West remake, waiting for Billy the Kid to walk in. Embarrassing. The place itself is fine, but management should be more careful with their hiring.

Solid place. Good music, competitive prices, and quick service (not sure why so many bad reviews in terms of service, but we had no issues). There were plenty of pool tables and they were pretty nice, but were definitely worn a bit/a little dirty (could use a vacuum). Some of the pool cues were broken but there was an ample amount. A trendy and moderately priced place overall, and would certainly recommend. The game was $20/hour for two people, but no timers at tables so make sure you keep track of how long you have been playing.

I don’t usually leave reviews, but this place was unbelievably bad. The pool tables were filthy, most of the cues are broken. the whole place smelled like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. The staff was just as terrible rude, unbothered, and acting like customers were an inconvenience. When we asked for help, they rolled their eyes and ignored us. Food took forever and came out cold, and the server had an attitude when we pointed it out. The worst of it is all this on a slow day. Definitely the worst pool and restaurant experience I’ve ever had. Save your money and go literally anywhere else.

Horrible service, very disrespectful staff. Came in, and my buddy realized he forgot his ID. Granted that is his fault, but we all make mistakes. They said he can’t be in here without, mind you the group i’m in we’re all 24+. I ask the guy politely like he can’t be in here, it’s 32 degrees out it’s cold in december in massachusetts. The worker followed up with a "he’s a grown man he can do whatever he wants" while his coworkers followed up with "yeah a grown man wouldn’t forget his ID". Horrible atmosphere and horrible servers, don’t come here