Drifter's Tale

Name: Drifter's Tale
Address: 1281 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA, United States, 02139
Telephone: (617) 714-5712
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.1

4.1 (14)

$31 to $50

Gastro Pub

1281 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

About this restaurant

Innovative
Neighborhood gem
Great for outdoor dining

This globe-trotting menu, created by Executive Chef Scott McCarthy, offers comfort classics and dishes inspired by flavors from around the world, as well as an impressive list of local beer and thoughtful craft cocktails.

Although the atmosphere is very comfortable and casual, there are no details spared. From the sausage made in the Drifter’s scratch kitchen to the playful cocktail names (i.e. ‘Resting Spritz Face’), the team works to create a neighborhood environment without compromising the quality.

Located conveniently on Cambridge St. in Inman Square, in between Harvard Sq. and Kendall Sq.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, Tapas / Small Plates
Hours of operation
Wed–Fri 4:00 pm–11:30 pm Sat 4:00 pm–12:30 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Bar Wed–Fri 4:00 pm–11:30 pm Sat 4:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:45 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:45 pm
Phone number
(617) 714-5712
Website
https://www.drifterstale.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Scott McCarthy

Location
1281 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

White Bean Dip$10.00
olive & artichoke tapenade, pita chips
Chicken Wings$13.00
buffalo & blue cheese, BBQ dry rub, or garlic parmesan
Chickpea Fritters$10.00
spicy avocado piccalilli sauce
Crispy Cauliflower$9.00
sour cream & charred onion dip, chives
Blackened Fish Tacos*$14.00
quick pickled red cabbage, thai chili aioli, radish, cilantro & lime
Argentinian Empanadas$13.00
painted hills beef, olives, egg, chimichurri, red pepper crema
Poutine$11.00
queso fonduta, pan roasted mushrooms, aleppo chili, scallions
French Dip Pigs in a Blanket$12.00
brisket, caramelized onion, frank & puff pastry, mustard jus
Drifter's Nachos$12.00
cheddar cheese sauce, pinto beans al pastor, napa cabbage, pickled jalapeno & onion, pico de gallo, smoked chili crema

Flatbreads

BBQ Braised Chicken$14.00
BBQ sauce, cheddar, shaved red onion, scallions, fried onions
Spinach & Goat Cheese$12.00
crispy artichokes, parmesan cream, fried garlic, lemon

Salads & Sandwiches

Baby Greens$10.00
radish, green goddess dressing, pumpkin seeds, crispy puffed rice
Mushroom & Quinoa Salad$13.00
spinach, pear, parmesan, pecans, mustard vin
Brisket Grilled Cheese$16.00
onion marmalade, swiss & cheddar, whole grain mustard
Eggplant Reuben$14.00
pastrami spiced eggplant, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, russian dressing
Tale Burger*$18.00
painted hills beef, cheddar, crispy onions, bibb lettuce, roasted garlic aioli

Entrees

Shrimp & Grits*$22.00
marinated shrimp, cheesy grits, mushrooms, bacon, scallion & cilantro
Roasted Pork Loin*$24.00
dijon herb crust, crispy smashed potatoes, braised cabbage, apple butter
Steak Frites*$28.00
8 oz bavette steak, mustard herb butter, fries, arugula & radish salad

Sides

Fries or Truffle Fries$7.00
Crispy Brussels Sprouts$10.00
chili flake, lemon zest & parm
Cheesy Cheddar Grits$7.00
scallions

Sweets

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich$8.00
milk chocolate dipped w/ cookie dough ice cream
Apple Bread Pudding$10.00
peanut butter whiskey caramel

What 14 people are saying

Drifter's Tale reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.1

4.1 based on all time ratings

4.1Food
4.2Service
4.1Ambience
4.0Value

Noise • Moderate

14 Reviews

J
Jason VIP
Greater Boston23 reviews
3.0
Dined on May 13, 2022
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Burger was good but the roll was old. Fries needed to be cooked more. Friend’s medium steak frites was 1/4 rate. Server was really nice but then she disappeared then another guy said he was our server but then she came back so? It was ok. Really busy and very loud.
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J
Jess VIP
Greater Boston59 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 16, 2022
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, terrific staff, and a fun vibe.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City2 reviews
3.0
Dined on February 13, 2022
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
The music is too loud, the lights are too bright, it is not cozy at all. The food is good but overpriced.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined on January 16, 2022
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, great service!
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P
Pickymom
Greater Boston34 reviews
4.0
Dined on December 27, 2021
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Food was good and interesting choices. I wish they had more vegetarian options. I got vegetarian pot stickers and they were quite good. Drinks were interesting and good It was right after Christmas and it was pretty empty and kind of cold. I would have liked it to be a little warmer inside. The service was spotty. Nice enough, just for being kind of empty, not super attentive. Overall nice meal
1 person found this helpful
KM
KateM
Greater Boston8 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 11, 2021
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Not sure how this place ended up in Eater. Food was good, cocktails were terrible (like, college-bar level sweetness and quality). Lots of TVs, just your average neighborhood bar - wouldn’t call it a “gastropub”.
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TA
TATOT VIP
Greater Boston6 reviews
4.0
Dined on November 14, 2021
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Nice little place. Very good staff. Bit too loud.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco Bay Area14 reviews
5.0
Dined on November 13, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Very casual ambience with simple food done well. Loved the paella (takes 25 minutes so be warned; we were in no hurry). Also loved sausage flatbread. Very pleasant waitstaff.
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LS
LiaS
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined on October 23, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Good food, the waitress's suggestions were excellent. Service was great , attentive but not overbearing.
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MA
MAry
Greater Boston2 reviews
1.0
Dined on October 22, 2021
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
We ordered wings as an appetizer that took 30 minutes to come to the table. Our waitress didn’t check on us once and we had to ask a different waitress to check on our food. I ordered a margarita that took 20 minutes to come. The paella was good aside from the mussels which were nearly inedible because they tasted like sewage.
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FAQs

Drifter's Tale offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 714-5712.

Drifter's Tale is rated 4.1 stars by 14 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

1281 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Additional information

Neighborhood
Cambridge
Hours of operation
Wed–Fri 4:00 pm–11:30 pm Sat 4:00 pm–12:30 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Bar Wed–Fri 4:00 pm–11:30 pm Sat 4:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:45 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:45 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, Tapas / Small Plates
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Scott McCarthy
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.drifterstale.com/
Phone number
(617) 714-5712

Drifter's Tale

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Shared Plates

White Bean Dip$10.00

Chicken Wings$13.00

Chickpea Fritters$10.00

Crispy Cauliflower$9.00

Blackened Fish Tacos*$14.00

Argentinian Empanadas$13.00

Poutine$11.00

French Dip Pigs in a Blanket$12.00

Drifter's Nachos$12.00

Flatbreads

BBQ Braised Chicken$14.00

Spinach & Goat Cheese$12.00

Salads & Sandwiches

Baby Greens$10.00

Mushroom & Quinoa Salad$13.00

Brisket Grilled Cheese$16.00

Eggplant Reuben$14.00

Tale Burger*$18.00

Entrees

Shrimp & Grits*$22.00

Roasted Pork Loin*$24.00

Steak Frites*$28.00

Sides

Fries or Truffle Fries$7.00

Crispy Brussels Sprouts$10.00

Cheesy Cheddar Grits$7.00

Sweets

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich$8.00

Apple Bread Pudding$10.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does Drifter's Tale offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Drifter's Tale restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information