World Of Beer

It was my birthday so how could I resist an invitation from World Of Beer, the new spot at Cambridgeside Galleria, that features over 560 beers!  I had never heard of this chain but when I mentioned online that I was going I heard from my cousin in Florida who said he just returned from WOB and loved it.  It's in the space where the old California Pizza was which I have to say had grown tired.  This place is much more fun and the time to go was definitely Friday night.  There were tables full of people who were clearly friends or coworkers celebrating the start of the weekend by exploring beer!

All of the choices make for difficult decisions. We wanted to try everything!  And the very best way to do that is with a flight of beers.  I went with seasonal while my dining and drinking companion went with local brews.  Sam Adam's Summer was a taste I was familiar with.  I especially liked the Narragansett Del's Shandy and Harpoon's Camp Wannamango. We sipped right along with the lively group.

Servers here are especially knowledgeable. They must have to pass a course or something. They also provide you with a tablet that can help guide you through the choices based on your preferences.  You can select such options as color, imports and alcohol content.  Of course, we had already done this online beforehand to get an idea of the array.

Local brews included Wachusett Blueberry and Harpoon White IPO.  The Jack's Abby Smoke And Dagger was a fave here.  The signature appetizer is the giant pretzel served with a great beer cheese.  Carb overload, yes, but, hey, I was celebrating.  Plus, you are close enough to the Charles River for a summer evening stroll afterwards to help work off the calories.

Not one to drink on a totally empty stomach, we ordered an entree each but the real fun, let's face it, was the beer.  Is it fine dining? No but it's certainly as good as it is at any other beer hall or beer garden type situation.

I went with the salmon (no surprise there) which was actually quite good.  In fact, I brought what I couldn't finish home with me.  The best part was that I told our server that she could choose the beer to pair with my meal.  I was very impressed that she chose the Erdinger Hefeweizen, a brew I noted on my "must try" list when looking at the website earlier.  Great choice!

The best fun was when they actually let me take control of the board and rearrange a few beers to my own liking.  Great fun!  I will certainly be back and likely with an even larger group of beer-loving friends.  WOB is open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

World Of Beer
Cambridgeside Galleria
100 Cambridgeside Place
Cambridge, MA  02141
Telephone:  617.945.5107

Twitters:
@wob_cambridge
@TheBostonFoodie