Tiny Urban Kitchen

Exploring Food from Boston to Hong Kong and Beyond

  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Godenya Hong Kong
      Godenya Hong Kong (revisited)
    • The Chairman Hong Kong
      The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star)
    • Hanu Wan Chai Hong Kong
      Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai
    • Always Joy Hong Kong
      Always Joy Hong Kong
    • Michael Chiarelli Ottimo Yountville California
      Bottega + Ottimo Yountville
    • Ciccio Yountville California
      Ciccio Yountville
    • Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
      Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
    • Cole’s Chop House Napa California
      Cole's Chop House Napa California
    • Compline Restaurant Napa California
      Compline Restaurant + Wine Shop Napa
    • Napa, California
      Thomas Keller's La Calenda: A Tribute {Now Closed}
    • Ad Hoc Thomas Keller Brunch Yountville California
      Thomas Keller Ad Hoc + Addendum + Bouchon Bakery
    • Mandalay San Francisco
      Mandalay San Francisco (Burmese Food)
    Home » US Travel » Boston » Cambridge » Harvard Square

    Tasty Burger (Harvard Square)

    Published: Sep 22, 2014 · Modified: Mar 19, 2015 by Jennifer Che

    _DSC8573.jpg
    Ask anyone who has the best burgers in Harvard Square and I guarantee you'll get different answers. It's a contentious topic, with different groups swearing by different burger places.The most famous and historic burger is probably Mr. Bartley's, a family-owned burger place that has been open for over fifty years. In the summer, there always seems to be a line out the door. Many locals swear by Flat Patties, while other obsess about Shake Shack.There are also several restaurants that serve pretty great burgers, like Alden & Harlow, whose burger made it into CNN's list of "10 Burgers you must eat this year", Russell House Tavern, who uses an English muffin bun, and many, many more.

    Tasty Burger, a local favorite who first opened in the Fenway area, opened its first non-Boston restaurant in Harvard Square about two years ago. We'd heard some good things, but I still had never tried it. One recent Saturday, when Bryan said "I feel like a burger," I chose to try Tasty Burger partly because I'd never had it before.
    _DSC8562.jpg
    Tasty Burger in Harvard pays homage to a storied restaurant in Harvard's past with a similar name, "The Tasty". The Tasty was a beloved local sandwich shop that was open from 1916 to 1997. One of Tasty Burger's co-owners David DuBois grew up in Cambridge and has fond memories of The Tasty from his childhood. A black and white photo of the original diner hangs inside the restaurant.
    _DSC8563.jpg
    The burgers at Tasty Burger are very reasonably priced ($5.75 for most burgers) and a great value for the quality. The beef is Certified Humane® (a certification given by the non-profit organization Humane Farm Animal Care). The steer are grass fed and finished on a grass and grain diet.

    The menu includes your basic burgers ($4.25 to $5.85) as well as a selection of more interesting burgers ($5.75), such as The Spicy Jalapeno (spicy cheese sauce, roasted jalapeno), Blue Collar (batter fried patty, sweet & spicy mustard pickle), and Rise and Shine Burger (cheese, fried egg, bacon, and ketchup).
    _DSC8565.jpg
    Founded at Fenway, it's no surprise that these burgers are the official burger of the Boston Red Sox.
    _DSC8569.jpg
    I ordered the simple Hamburger ($4.25), which comes with lettuce and tomatoes. The meat was only ⅓ pound, which I found to be a very manageable size. I really enjoyed my burger! The beef was flavorful and juicy, while all the other ingredients were fresh. For $4.25, it was an excellent value.
    _DSC8570.jpg
    Bryan got the Mushroom Burger, which had sauteed mushrooms, cheese, and Tasty 17 Steak Sauce. He also thought his burger was very satisfying, and totally hit the spot.
    _DSC8567.jpg
    We both really liked the fries and the onion rings. A side of 50/50 Fries and Rings only costs $4 and is a HUGE portion. We really didn't expect the box to be that big. The onions rings were pretty thin and very crispy. The fries reminded me of McDonald's fries, but had a bit more structure. They were both really good.

    Tasty Burger also has a liquor license, and offers a selection of 30-40 canned beers and 6-8 draft beers, as well as some wines.
    _DSC8571.jpg
    We ventured down to the basement just for a peek. The basement has a bar, table service, and a lot more seating. Their sign says that there is live music, trivia, and free pool down here.
    _DSC8572.jpg
    This downstairs area definitely makes Tasty Burger a bit different from most other casual burger joints.

    All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed my burger at Tasty Burger. It sort of reminds me of other casual places that make good burgers, like Five Guys, Shake Shack, or In and Out. We regularly frequent all of the above burger places, so I don't see why we wouldn't start adding Tasty Burger to our rotation. After all, it's only a 10 minute walk from our home!

    Tasty Burger
    Harvard Square
    40 Jfk St Cambridge, MA
    Tasty Burger on Urbanspoon

    ©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
    All Rights Reserved

    More Cambridge

    • Jen's Top Restaurants to visit in Boston - 2023 Update
    • Farewell Bergamot
    • Urban Hearth Cambridge - Cafe by day, Supper Club by night
    • (Partial) Solar Eclipse Fun! Solar Eclipse 2017

    Recent Posts

    • Godenya Hong Kong (revisited) June 12, 2025
    • The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star) June 6, 2025
    • Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai June 2, 2025
    • Always Joy Hong Kong May 29, 2025
    • Bottega + Ottimo Yountville May 14, 2025
    • Ciccio Yountville May 11, 2025
    • Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California May 8, 2025
    • Cole's Chop House Napa California May 5, 2025

    Trackbacks

    1. Jennifer Burger CSUB Journalism Prof. New Radio Station Interview - Clermont Country Internship says:
      April 6, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      […] is my interview with California State University of Bakersfield Journalism Professor, Prof. Jennifer Burger, about the new radio station being started at Cal State […]

      Log in to Reply
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • Boulettes Larder Ferry Building San Francisco
      Boulette Larder (Ferry Building) San Francisco
    • Bodega SF California (Vietnamese)
      Bodega SF (Modern Vietnamese)
    • Tselog Daly City California
      Tselogs (Filipino food) Daly City California
    • Mesa by José Avillez Macau
      Mesa by José Avillez Macau

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Support Tiny Urban Kitchen by making purchases on Amazon through our affiliate link:

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2024 Tiny Urban Kitchen