Restaurant & Bar
89 Winthrop St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Open every day 11:30am-1am for indoor or outdoor seating
Half Price Hours 5pm-7:30pm
In 2021, Grendel’s Den celebrates 50 years in Harvard Square. Grendel’s has always been a meeting place for the denizens of Cambridge to mingle with travelers, artists, professors and politicians. We’ve seen a huge cultural shift in the square since 1971 and a lot of businesses have come and gone.
This year more than ever we have come to realize the importance of togetherness and how hard it is to live without it. In this time, when each day feels like another poignant historical moment, we could easily let this anniversary slip by in the endless churning sea of headlines, but we realized it’s a pretty big accomplishment to still be here, serving our community, 50 years later. Especially during a time when we’ve seen so many restaurants close their doors. We know we would never have made it to 50 years without the support of our community.
So, we have decided to celebrate and honor this historic milestone by creating an entire year of special projects to engage with and support our creative community.
The Podcast
“Decades in the Den: A people’s history of food & drink in Harvard Square”, a podcast mini-series hosted by Daniel Berger-Jones (Cambridge Historical Tours, Sh*tfaced Shakespeare), featuring stories and wild tales from owners, employees, and regulars from each of the decades we’ve been in business. If you’ve ever worked at Grendel’s, dined at Grendel’s, or been kicked out of Grendel’s only to show up a few weeks later and be forgiven, this podcast will have you rolling on the floor with laughter or grabbing the tissues from sheer nostalgia.
The Album
Bringing you on a sonic journey back to the beginning, Grendel’s and ONCE Somerville are teaming up to produce a solid gold compilation of the songs from 1971. Classics such as "Ain't No Sunshine", "Gypsies Tramps & Thieves" , "Brown Sugar" are sent through a musical time warp by a some of Boston’s best bands to make these songs sound as fresh as they did the day Grendel’s Den opened its doors on Winthrop Street.
The Patreon
“How are they going to do all of this?” you may be wondering. Well, that’s where you come in! Help us tell the story by joining our Patreon and you’ll be a part of this historic milestone. There’s perks like a VIP pin that gets you extra special privileges, tiers that unlock exclusive experiences and private bookings, and even a high level perk that gets your name painted on a brick in our Archway of Fame. That’s right, you can be a permanent part of Grendel’s Den! Head to www.patreon.com/grendelsden to take part in some amazing members-only perks like exclusive content, cocktail classes, discounts, access to private bookings, collectible merchandise and more.