Fodor's Expert Review Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers

It may be perfect cuisine for the student metabolism: a huge variety of variously garnished thick burgers with sassy names (many of them after celebrities, like the Marcus Smart, the POTUS Biden, or the Megan Thee Stallion), deliciously crispy regular and sweet-potato fries, award-winning onion rings, and toppings like an egg or mac and cheese. There's also a competent veggie burger, along with comforting dinner fare like baked meat loaf, fried chicken, and franks and beans. Soda fountain favorites include thick frappes in funky flavors (try the popular Elvis with chocolate, Reese's, and banana topped with bacon) and the nonalcoholic "raspberry lime rickey," made with fresh limes, raspberry juice, sweetener, and soda water. Tiny tables in a crowded space make eavesdropping unavoidable at this Harvard Square institution. During busy times employees sometimes hand out menus and take orders outside on the sidewalk.