Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers

It's been a tumultuous two years for the Harvard Square staple that has been serving up political slander and pop-culture worship along with its killer burgers since 1960.

A grease fire on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 forced the owners of Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers to close down the popular Harvard Square hot spot for the first time in almost 50 years. The iconic Mass. Ave restaurant caught on fire after a buildup of grease in the grill's hood became combustible.

Soon after reopening in October ’08, the host of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," Guy Fieri, pulled up in his infamous red 1967 Chevy Camaro Super Sport and filmed a segment for his show last July. The episode aired last November.

Inside, the restaurant's decor is Cambridge-centric with a large MBTA Red Line sign on its main wall heralding the nearby "Harvard/Brattle" T stop.

Bartley's is famous for spotlighting celebs and politicos with tasty burgers named after folks like Boston Pop’s conductor Keith Lockhart whose honorary sandwich boasts a “melody of flavors” including sauerkraut and there's the Barack Obama burger smothered with feta cheese. 

They also have fun with pop culture honoring a certain Harvard dropout (ahem, Mark Zuckerberg) who launched a social media empire with a sandwich called "The Facebook" and there’s the "American Idol" burger with bacon and mushrooms that supposedly even curmudgeon Simon Cowell would love.

If you're feeling up to the challenge, the restaurant also serves up frappes to complement their gut-busting burgers and onion rings.  And, for all of Harvard Square’s herbivores there’s a great selection of salads and wraps.

HelloMetro Tip:  It’s elbow-to-elbow seating inside. If possible, snag a table outside. During the warmer months, the restaurant opens up tables on the Massachusetts Avenue sidewalk with Harvard’s ivy-covered walls across the street. Can’t stand the crowds? Take out is also available.

- by Sam Baltrusis, Boston Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Sam Baltrusis

Sam Baltrusis has worked for WHDH.com, Spike-TV, VH1, Independent News, Seventeen, Newsweek, and as a regional stringer for The New York Times. He's currently a full-time freelance editor and writer in Boston, where he's an instructor for Mediabistro.com and contributes to various regional publications including Boston Spirit Magazine. Sam also publishes a successful pop culture site, LoadedGunBoston.com, and was recently featured on WCVB-TV's "Chronicle" and Boston's NPR affiliate WBUR.