Middlesex Lounge

I used to love the occasional visit to Middlesex, when I felt like dressing up a little and sipping a mojito with a diverse crowd. \r After this past Saturday, I will never return. With a friend from CA in town for a visit, I gathered a group of 6 well-primped ladies and gents. \r I was happy to discover there was no line at 10:30, and after all of us paid cover, we cruised right in. Once inside, we discovered that it was not only pitch black, but at LEAST 110 degrees. We had not been informed that there was NO POWER- and hence no soda/bubbly drinks, no AC, and no lights. My friends decided not to stay right away, so I cordially approached the bouncers witha request for a refund. They were brusque in their refusal, so I asked for the manager. I could not have been more shocked at the reception of the general manager. I calmly, respectfully asked for a refund, given that we were not told anything about the state of things inside the club, and he flatly refused, telling me, verbatim ""cover is how we make our money"". I told him that cover was paid with the expectation of a certain level of service- at minimum, a bearable environment!! He was incredibly rude, only agreeing to give HALF of our $30 cover back, even when I flatly told him that without a full refund, none of us would EVER be returning to this establishment, ever. For $15, he was willing to throw away all future business of mine, my friends, and everyone I could tell about this experience. As a marketing professional, this blew my mind. \r Upon returning outside, I felt the duty to inform people in line of the situation. The bouncer yelled at me, recommending that I ""go online"" to report it. Well, Mr Bouncer, here I am. Cons: rude staff!! more

I used to love the occasional visit to Middlesex, when I felt like dressing up a little and sipping a mojito with a diverse crowd. After this past Saturday, I will never return. With a friend from CA in town for a visit, I gathered a group of 6 well-primped ladies and gents. I was happy to discover there was no line at 10:30, and after all of us paid cover, we cruised right in. Once inside, we discovered that it was not only pitch black, but at LEAST 110 degrees. We had not been informed that there was NO POWER- and hence no soda/bubbly drinks, no AC, and no lights. My friends decided not to stay right away, so I cordially approached the bouncers witha request for a refund. They were brusque in their refusal, so I asked for the manager. I could not have been more shocked at the reception of the general manager. I calmly, respectfully asked for a refund, given that we were not told anything about the state of things inside the club, and he flatly refused, telling me, verbatim "cover is how we make our money". I told him that cover was paid with the expectation of a certain level of service- at minimum, a bearable environment!! He was incredibly rude, only agreeing to give HALF of our $30 cover back, even when I flatly told him that without a full refund, none of us would EVER be returning to this establishment, ever. For $15, he was willing to throw away all future business of mine, my friends, and everyone I could tell about this experience. As a marketing professional, this blew my mind. Upon returning outside, I felt the duty to inform people in line of the situation. The bouncer yelled at me, recommending that I "go online" to report it. Well, Mr Bouncer, here I am. Cons: rude staff!! more

i've been there a like 3 or 4 times, always on a saturday, i have to say that i see a very diverse crowd, all nationalities. the dj is always different so u never know what to expect. i've never waited in line. i'd recommend it to friends. more

i've been there a like 3 or 4 times, always on a saturday, i have to say that i see a very diverse crowd, all nationalities. the dj is always different so u never know what to expect. i've never waited in line. i'd recommend it to friends. more

I went on a Thursday. It was pretty crowded. The music was thechno. It was a just a strange place. The beer selection is terrible, so stick with a cocktail. The people seemed kind of pretentious, but not "cool" (but really what does "cool" mean). I forget if there was a cover. If you want to have a FUN. Go to Phoenix Landing more

I went on a Thursday. It was pretty crowded. The music was thechno. It was a just a strange place. The beer selection is terrible, so stick with a cocktail. The people seemed kind of pretentious, but not ""cool"" (but really what does ""cool"" mean). I forget if there was a cover. \r \r If you want to have a FUN. Go to Phoenix Landing more

It is not easy, as lovers of good music know, to find a place that plays great hip hop/r&b/fun dance music, in Boston and Cambridge. So I was very excited to find that this place has awesome music from a good mix of DJ's. As a dedicated partier and clubber, I have to admit that these DJ's are on their game: they know how to read the crowd and play a good range of music, and they also all seem to really enjoy what they do. A lot of times in Boston you get an older in-house DJ who has been on the scene for too long, knows the owner, is out of touch, and plays ""Hypnotize"" 5x a night. We all have been there, no? So the DJ's at Middlesex definitely have their hands on the current pulse of music, and they are great mixing it up, you are not going to hear too much of the the same type of music, or too many whole songs, in one night, which is very refreshing.\r That being said, the MAJOR downside, and it is MAJOR, are the bouncers outside. As others have mentioned, they treat the patrons like UNWANTED CRIMINALS. You have to wait outside for what can be hours, and if you want to get in you have to get there at 9:30pm on the dot. This is ridiculous. This is CAMBRIDGE, not NEW YORK!! It is extremely frustrating. To wait outside for a bit is perhaps expected, a super-long, often UNWARRANTED wait [the place is pretty empty inside], is NOT, and even worse, the attitude of the bouncers detracts from your vibe. I think the owners and bouncers should realize that it is the PATRONS that are paying for their jobs and rents and treat them with respect. Sure, Middlesex is hot now, but as we all know, things can change fast, and patrons will be less likely to be loyal to a place that does NOT engender loyalty. I love the DJ's and would follow them to any other clubs, but as to the the club itself, it is a shell for the spirit of the DJ's. more

It is not easy, as lovers of good music know, to find a place that plays great hip hop/r&b/fun dance music, in Boston and Cambridge. So I was very excited to find that this place has awesome music from a good mix of DJ's. As a dedicated partier and clubber, I have to admit that these DJ's are on their game: they know how to read the crowd and play a good range of music, and they also all seem to really enjoy what they do. A lot of times in Boston you get an older in-house DJ who has been on the scene for too long, knows the owner, is out of touch, and plays "Hypnotize" 5x a night. We all have been there, no? So the DJ's at Middlesex definitely have their hands on the current pulse of music, and they are great mixing it up, you are not going to hear too much of the the same type of music, or too many whole songs, in one night, which is very refreshing. That being said, the MAJOR downside, and it is MAJOR, are the bouncers outside. As others have mentioned, they treat the patrons like UNWANTED CRIMINALS. You have to wait outside for what can be hours, and if you want to get in you have to get there at 9:30pm on the dot. This is ridiculous. This is CAMBRIDGE, not NEW YORK!! It is extremely frustrating. To wait outside for a bit is perhaps expected, a super-long, often UNWARRANTED wait [the place is pretty empty inside], is NOT, and even worse, the attitude of the bouncers detracts from your vibe. I think the owners and bouncers should realize that it is the PATRONS that are paying for their jobs and rents and treat them with respect. Sure, Middlesex is hot now, but as we all know, things can change fast, and patrons will be less likely to be loyal to a place that does NOT engender loyalty. I love the DJ's and would follow them to any other clubs, but as to the the club itself, it is a shell for the spirit of the DJ's. more

Hmm... Couple of weeks ago bartender yelled at me for reminding about my drink:( i haven't come to a bartender this rude before.... Anyways I decided to give it another shot yesterday. First, I thought that they were making a movie there - you know those terrible, fake club scenes in the movies:)) Great, great music!!! and no motion at the beginning but after couple of shots of Jaeger i didnt pay attention to all the "trendy" people and just danced and enjoyed music - The music was worth it! Pros: Music! Cons: Service, crowd! more

Hmm... Couple of weeks ago bartender yelled at me for reminding about my drink:( i haven't come to a bartender this rude before.... Anyways I decided to give it another shot yesterday. First, I thought that they were making a movie there - you know those terrible, fake club scenes in the movies:)) Great, great music!!! and no motion at the beginning but after couple of shots of Jaeger i didnt pay attention to all the ""trendy"" people and just danced and enjoyed music - The music was worth it! Pros: Music! Cons: Service, crowd! more

iddlesex is appropriately in the middle. Located between Boston and Central, its personality is caught in between. It's a hybrid of Cambridge bars and your typical Boston lounge -- think Whiskey Park. Here minimalism is executed in a way that's tasteful and functional, yet not overly pretentious. The bartenders and wait staff are the sort you'll usually find in Cambridge helpful, laid back, sans attitude, and appropriately clothed. These elements along with the patrons give Middlesex its hip down to earth vibe, making it unique. However, on Saturdays expect to pay cover, wait in line indefinitely with donated hand warmers, and come upon bouncers that fail to bridge the gap to Boston chic. More than hand warmers, opening the door for men and women patrons alike would be nice. External staff serve as an unconscious introduction to the flavor of what's to come and in Middlesex's case they're misleading. more

iddlesex is appropriately in the middle. Located between Boston and Central, its personality is caught in between. It's a hybrid of Cambridge bars and your typical Boston lounge -- think Whiskey Park. Here minimalism is executed in a way that's tasteful and functional, yet not overly pretentious. The bartenders and wait staff are the sort you'll usually find in Cambridge helpful, laid back, sans attitude, and appropriately clothed. These elements along with the patrons give Middlesex its hip down to earth vibe, making it unique. However, on Saturdays expect to pay cover, wait in line indefinitely with donated hand warmers, and come upon bouncers that fail to bridge the gap to Boston chic. More than hand warmers, opening the door for men and women patrons alike would be nice. External staff serve as an unconscious introduction to the flavor of what's to come and in Middlesex's case they're misleading. more

When we arrived at the Middlesex Lounge on a Friday night around 10:30pm, there were maybe 3 people dancing; everyone else was sitting around looking painfully self-conscious and awkward. The music was really awesome (DJ Mark Estrada) but most everyone there was too lame to appreciate it. People didn't start dancing until around midnight, but even then it was barely kicking. The music was really hot--it was mostly hip hop, but unfortunately, it did nothing to save the atmosphere. The clientele was the biggest turn-off: awkward yuppies and people who were trying hard to be trendy and cool. Do not come here expecting any good dancing. There really is nothing cool about the Middlesex save the DJ. Pros: music Cons: clientele, atmosphere, lame dancing more

When we arrived at the Middlesex Lounge on a Friday night around 10:30pm, there were maybe 3 people dancing; everyone else was sitting around looking painfully self-conscious and awkward. The music was really awesome (DJ Mark Estrada) but most everyone there was too lame to appreciate it. People didn't start dancing until around midnight, but even then it was barely kicking. The music was really hot--it was mostly hip hop, but unfortunately, it did nothing to save the atmosphere. The clientele was the biggest turn-off: awkward yuppies and people who were trying hard to be trendy and cool. Do not come here expecting any good dancing. There really is nothing cool about the Middlesex save the DJ. Pros: music Cons: clientele, atmosphere, lame dancing more

Do you want to wait in line for no reason? Do you want to pay a cover to get a chance to see nothing in particular? Do you want to hang out at a place in Middle Cambridge that is pretending to be downtown Boston? Then this is the place for you! Come waste your time at this lame bar where drinks are expensive and everyone is pretending to be somewhere more fun, more cool, and more worthwhile. Pros: I left., Has bathrooms., Has alcohol. Cons: Ambience., Bouncers, Prices more

Do you want to wait in line for no reason? Do you want to pay a cover to get a chance to see nothing in particular? Do you want to hang out at a place in Middle Cambridge that is pretending to be downtown Boston? Then this is the place for you! Come waste your time at this lame bar where drinks are expensive and everyone is pretending to be somewhere more fun, more cool, and more worthwhile. Pros: I left., Has bathrooms., Has alcohol. Cons: Ambience., Bouncers, Prices more

This is the first place I've been to in Boston that I thought was really on par with the beautiful places in other big cities. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of bars here that the owners have obviously thrown a lot of money into, but I haven't been anywhere else with the elegant, modern interior, great, danceable music (not top 40 garbage, don't come here looking for Lil' Jon) and modern furnishings. The only thing that would make this place better is if they turned down the lights a little bit. Pros: Music, Decor, Parking more

This is the first place I've been to in Boston that I thought was really on par with the beautiful places in other big cities. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of bars here that the owners have obviously thrown a lot of money into, but I haven't been anywhere else with the elegant, modern interior, great, danceable music (not top 40 garbage, don't come here looking for Lil' Jon) and modern furnishings. The only thing that would make this place better is if they turned down the lights a little bit. Pros: Music, Decor, Parking more

If only every so-called lounge in this area could learn from Middlesex. It's actually a place you WANT to dress-up to go to. It is the complete opposite from the sticky floor bars that tend to run rampant in Boston and Cambridge. It attracts a nice crowd. The drinks are adequately priced and the food menu, while not extensive is inexpensive and worthwhile enough. The bar staff is great and the music is UNBELIEVABLE! What a magnificent gem hiding at the tail edge of Central Square. RUN, don't walk to Middlesex! It's even worth going on a weeknight! But beware on the weekends, go early if you want to get in. The line is extra serious on a Sat. nite. Have fun! Pros: Great decor, AWESOME MUSIC!, nice vibe more

If only every so-called lounge in this area could learn from Middlesex. It's actually a place you WANT to dress-up to go to. It is the complete opposite from the sticky floor bars that tend to run rampant in Boston and Cambridge. It attracts a nice crowd. The drinks are adequately priced and the food menu, while not extensive is inexpensive and worthwhile enough. The bar staff is great and the music is UNBELIEVABLE! What a magnificent gem hiding at the tail edge of Central Square. RUN, don't walk to Middlesex! It's even worth going on a weeknight! But beware on the weekends, go early if you want to get in. The line is extra serious on a Sat. nite. Have fun! Pros: Great decor, AWESOME MUSIC!, nice vibe more