Harvard Gardens

Despite its name – and the calls from backyard gardeners asking whether certain flowers or plants are in stock – Harvard Gardens at 316 Cambridge Street has never offered landscaping advice of any sort in its almost 100 years of operations. Current manager Mike Minchoff laughs at the number of times he has had to send the planting set elsewhere. “The best way I can describe Harvard Gardens is this: we are a true neighborhood bar. We’re a place where you can come and enjoy yourself, whether you’re in a suit, casual attire, or you’re in scrubs.”

“Our main pillars are great food, great drinks, great service, and an excellent atmosphere. We want it to be a place where you come in and somebody knows you and says, ‘Hey, how are you?’”

Of particular importance to the 10-year “Gardens” veteran is the role his establishment often plays for those across the street, at Mass General (MGH) and Mass Eye and Ear (MEEI) hospitals. “We understand that there are a lot of emotions that come to us from the hospitals, whether it’s a visitor or a patient or a doctor....for them, we want to be that oasis, that fun place where they’re not thinking about what’s going on across the street right now.”