Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage

MR. BARTLEY’S BURGER COTTAGE is another age-old Harvard Square institution (and relentless Best Readers’ Poll winner) that’s nearly impossible to get into. But its wait list is totally worth getting on. This tiny burger joint is rife with the tantalizing scents of grilled beef and crispy, fried onion rings — and packed with the carnivores who can’t get enough of either one. The walls are covered with kitschy memorabilia, but who has time to look? The menu’s a veritable who’s who of the political and entertainment worlds (one and the same, perhaps?), listing the Ted Kennedy and the Dick Cheney burgers among its bevy of beefy options. Order the Cheney at your own risk: as the menu notes, it’s “a heart beat away.”

MR. BARTLEY’S BURGER COTTAGE | 1246 Mass Ave, Harvard Square, Cambridge | 617.354.6559 | bartleysburgers.com