Central Kitchen

Nothing really wrong with this place, but it's just not worthy the price. We had dinner here on a Wednesday night. We waited for 15 minutes at the bar, which was fine. Sangria was quite good; unfortunately they ran out after 1 glass. We had mussels for appetizer that is about $11, but tasted pretty good. The main courses were somewhat disappointing, though. The $25 lamb I had was tiny and full of fat, hardly had any real meat. My friends $24 salmon was a decent size, but taste just about average, no amazing sides either. The place was also quite casual for the price. We had a baby at the next table. So, my suggestion is that use this place for a drink or appetizer, and thats it. Pros: Good location, Hip, Good drinks more

I was walking down Mass ave the other day looking for a quick and decent lunch, which as I approached Central Square seemed less and less likely. Then I saw a long flag saying ""lunch"" outside Central Kitchen. I love this place at night and I was surprised they were open, but there were no waitresses just some chefs behind the bar serving sandwiches, soups and salads. I got a carrot soup and a roast beef sandwich, both excellent, with a glass of red wine. The roast beef had a roasted pepper relish on top which was delish. It is european/deli style, no pressure from waitstaff, just get your food and sit down. I think they do take out too. Great alternative to other places in the area! Pros: great food, fast, nice service more

I've been on a quest for the best steak frites in Cambridge for a while now and somebody had recommended that I try the one at Central Kitchen. What a disappointment. The food was at most average and way overpriced. Les frites were not julienne cut and were more like something you find in a bag of McCain fries. The steak, although very tender and cooked to my liking, was not a cut that suits a dish of this kind. and it also lacked a bit of imagination; very plain. Last but not least, what is wrong with their liquor prices? It's more expensive than bars that are directly in Harvard Square. I wouldnt mind if the portions werent also 30% less. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone unless you have a burning desire to waste your money. Pros: Trendy, Good bar next door, Nice ambiance Cons: Expensive, Average food, Slow service more

I took my girlfriend here for Valentine's day. The decor is cool, with wine bottles and equations adorning the walls. However, as soon as we sat down, I wondered how anyone could consider this place ""romantic."" The music was too loud, as were the other patrons. The waitstaff was indifferent and the food was mediocre to say the least. We split a grilled octopus appetizer, and got the lamb shank and coussinet (sp?) as entrees. We were both ravenous at the start of the meal, but wound up not finishing any of the 3 dishes. When I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to stay for dessert or go to Toscanini's, she said ""Tosci's--I don't really trust this place."" On the bright side, they do seem to have an excellent wine selection. However, if you're looking for a nice place around MIT, try the Blue Room or Legal Seafoods instead. Pros: decor, laidback atmosphere Cons: food, service, price more

I would definitely recommend Central Kitchen. The food, wine, and atmosphere surpass expectations. more

Great food, great service and great atmosphere. Good for dates and for a group of friends. more

We ordered the cheese plate, a special, and it far overshadowed our entrees. The cheese plate consisted of roasted potatos with a heady muenster melted over them served with watercress in a lemon and oil dressing, dainty pickles, a hard-boiled egg with an exotic paprika, fresh mustard and toast. It seemed that lot of thought had been put into selecting these items to be served together. What came next was a disappointment relative to the appetizer. We ordered the lamb shank and the steak frites. While the polenta was creamy and tasty especially with the roasted garlic that accompanied it, the lamb itself was bland. It had lost all of its gamey flavor that defines lamb. While the steak was perfect: crust on the outside, juicy and rare on the inside, the frites looked like they could have come from Applebees. more

They've changed the menu at CK - more expensive and they are unable to execute. The roast chicken was limp, the salmon tasted like sweat and the appetizer of shrimp and grilled octopus had only one prawn. With main plates all now hovering at $20, this place becomes an $80-$100 dinner with wine. Which is just too much given how poorly the food tasted. Pros: Decent setting, Cool water bottles Cons: Bad food, Indifferent service, Expensive more

Title says its all! A number of the staff dont understand the concept of service. Terrible shame, food is good (arguably great) and prices are reasonable. But when you have staff like that it just detracts from the whole evening. I'm not going to gamble the quality of my evening on the hope of getting the right wait person. Pros: Food, Reasonable Prices Cons: Staff more