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The Hourly Oyster House, Cambridge, MA

The Hourly Oyster House

4.7
4.7
1460 Reviews
$30 and under
Seafood

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 51 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
  • Lively
The Hourly Oyster House is a vibrant and welcoming neighborhood outpost in the heart of Harvard Square, where guests can enjoy thoughtfully sourced and playfully prepared seafood and oysters from New England and beyond, as well as a carefully crafted selection of signature cocktails, beer and wine. With a focus on seafood, The Hourly serves up New England classics in a dynamic and airy space.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Oyster Bar, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Bar Daily 11:00–23:00 Lunch Daily 11:00–16:00 Dinner Daily 16:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    (617) 765-2342
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Julmeus St. Luc
  • Private party facilities
    From intimate dinner parties to festive cocktail receptions, the events team at The Hourly Oyster House awaits your next private function. Our contemporary yet casual atmosphere in the heart of Harvard Square is the perfect backdrop for any special occasion. Please email us at events@thehourlycambridge.com or visit our website for more information thehourlycambridge.com.
  • Area
    Cambridge
  • Cross Street
    Massachusetts Avenue
  • Parking details
    Parking is available at the Smith Center Garage, directly across the street from the restaurant at 11 Holyoke Street. There is also on street metered parking directly in front of the restaurant on Dunster Street.
  • Public transit
    Just steps away from the Harvard Square T-stop on the Redline.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,460 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Hourly Oyster House shines with its "fantastic service," delightful atmosphere, and "delicious food." Guests rave about the "fresh oysters," creative cocktails, and diverse seafood offerings, including the "lobster roll" and "scallop risotto." The ambiance is lively yet accommodating, making it "a neighborhood gem" in bustling Harvard Square.

1,460 Reviews
  1. Kelly VIP

    Seattle2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Awful service and mediocre food that is overpriced. We had multiple servers assigned to us that did not provide good service. I ordered a wine pairing that came w 3 wines, 1 of which I was unable to even get, and 2 that came after the course had already been served and eaten. Shellfish was undercooked and they bring half eaten food into the kitchen and served it back to me after they tampered with it. There are obviously Food Safety Concerns - Once food has been exposed to saliva and potentially contaminated, it's no longer considered safe to be handled and served again. This restaurant should have had policies in place to prevent the re-serving of food that has been on a plate. Bringing potentially contaminated food back into the kitchen area could lead to cross-contamination and pose a risk to other food items.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I have visited Hourly a number of times, never fails to impress!

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  3. Oscar VIP

    Richmond56 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Back again and same deal: great food and terrific service!

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  4. Carlos Enrique

    Mexico City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I come to the Hourly every time I come back to campus. It is for me the best restauranr around, in terms of food, atmosphere, and prices.

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  5. Jenny Boom Boom

    Greater Boston4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A very lovely and fun place. Great oysters and other choices. All wait staff are very cordial and helpful. This sounds like a generic review..... we have been 3 xs Love this place!!!

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  6. Joe

    New York City7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server wasn't too attentive, maybe it was Saturday night that restaurant was bit too busy. Besides, everything else was excellent. We started with tale of two oysters, great presentation and assortment of the day. This is the reason why we visited restaurant, but few of oysters had cracked shells inside, and wasn't really tasty, all were quite fresh. Moving on to entree, we ordered lobster roll and icelandic cod. Cod cooked to perfection, it was one of the best fish I've had in a long time. Lobster roll was really good as well. For $34, it had lots of "really good lobster meats." I can't not end this review without commenting french fries. yum yum. If I return, I would definitely order the same. I would hope for little better oyster for my taste bud, but that's a crapshoot. Besides, awesome cooked food, you can tell the chef was someone who knows a thing or two. I am sure every cooked menu is top notch.

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  7. Michael VIP

    Richmond46 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 28 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Second visit. Parking garage across street, validated,, but plenty of on street spots. Amazing in Harvard Square. Excellent, friendly servers. Delicious food. Our party of three split 18 oysters, enjoyed entrees and dessert. Warm vibe. Casual. Don't miss!

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  8. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 27 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Oscar our server was a pleasure. Always a delicious meal at the Hourly.

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  9. Thatmomdotcom VIP

    Orlando14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 27 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic dinner, excellent service. I felt compelled to order the lobster roll and it was worth every cent, huge pieces of lobster tail meat in a perfectly griddled bun. My companion (my 17 year old son in town to tour Harvard) had the half tale of daily oysters and enjoyed them all, as well as the bisque. Wonderful dinner. And they called me to let me know I left my car key behind, I appreciated that!

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  10. Al

    Tampa3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 24 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    The prices would be ok if the food had the taste to match, however this is overpriced, and lacking in flavor. The shellfish are fine but overpriced. The shuckers need to work on not letting so many shell fragments stay behind in the oyster cups. The shuckers also need to learn that the bottom half of the clam shell on which the raw clam is presented, should be separated from the clam so it is easier to remove in one forkful. Speaking of forks, it was odd to have to request a cocktail fork for the $125 seafood tower. On this tower, the small halves of lobster tail were overcooked, and the tuna and hamachi lacked a needed addition of salt/seasoning. The overall service was friendly, but sometimes inattentive. Servers should also know more details about the dishes and types of shellfish in a restaurant of this caliber. The clam chowder was too small for $10, and had almost no actual clams in it - it was mostly a tasty cream based soup with some potatoes. Even the mignonette for the oysters had barely a noticeable piece of minced shallot. The biggest disappointment was a halibut entree in which the fish was mushy and the flavor was so neutral that it was bland. Overall, this is a big letdown in a metro area known for some stellar oyster bars.

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FAQs

The Hourly Oyster House offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 765-2342.

The Hourly Oyster House is rated 4.7 stars by 1460 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 51 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Hourly Oyster House

15 Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Massachusetts Avenue
  • Area
    Cambridge
  • Hours of Operation
    Bar Daily 11:00–23:00 Lunch Daily 11:00–16:00 Dinner Daily 16:00–22:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Oyster Bar, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking is available at the Smith Center Garage, directly across the street from the restaurant at 11 Holyoke Street. There is also on street metered parking directly in front of the restaurant on Dunster Street.
  • Public transit
    Just steps away from the Harvard Square T-stop on the Redline.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Julmeus St. Luc
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (617) 765-2342
  • Private party facilities
    From intimate dinner parties to festive cocktail receptions, the events team at The Hourly Oyster House awaits your next private function. Our contemporary yet casual atmosphere in the heart of Harvard Square is the perfect backdrop for any special occasion. Please email us at events@thehourlycambridge.com or visit our website for more information thehourlycambridge.com.
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