Flat Top Johnny’s

So glad to have this place back! If you liked the old Flat Tops, you’ll love what they’ve done with the renovation. It still has the same vibe and the same great people with a ton of welcome improvements:
1) New equipment. There are fewer tables, but the revamped layout makes playing on them much more comfortable.
2) An awesome new menu. In my opinion, one of the best improvements. The menu has been given a total overhaul: more options, more variety, and everything I’ve tried so far has been delicious.
3) A new layout and design facelift. The bar area is more spacious, and is perfectly positioned for spectators.
4) A much improved FLATIO. One of my favorite things about Flat Tops is the patio in the summer time. It’s always been the perfect place to have a beer outside (whether you’re waiting for a game or not), but it’s even better now with the planters and the new patio furniture.
There really is no place in the city quite like it. Go check it out!

I used to come here prior to the fire. A friend told me they recently re-​opened after the fire and had a new menu and new pool tables, etc…
I want to first off say that I am by far a «good» pool player, but I do know how to play decently well and have been playing off and on casually for over 15 years. I consider myself a social player and love a night out with friends over some games of pool. The new look wooden floor is very nice looking and the slight menu changes are pretty slick. However, the reason I gave this place only two stars is because of the following:
The tables are worse now than they used to be! They may look «new» but they appear to be showroom tables, like something someone would buy for a home table or something… also, who in this day and age would buy an olhausen table when you can probably get a standard Brunswick gold crown or diamond table for the same price or even less! The non-​sense continues with the fact that not one but both tables that I played on with my friends have horrendous table rolls! I’m thinking, «are you kidding me!?» I guess I’m really confused as to what kind of table mechanic would install a brand new table and not bother to level it??? Especially on a brand new wooden floor, and it wasn’t just one, but both tables had really bad rolls! I can understand If it’s just one, but two?! Maybe with my luck I just happened to play on the two worst tables there… Still, it’s quite mind numbing to think that a professional table mechanic with any integrity put these tables in. It clearly appears to me the ownership was trying to save money and probably hired some Bobby the handyman to install these tables! How else does several brand new tables on and brand new wooden floor become so un-​leveled so quickly?! I also noticed they decided to go with 8 tables instead of 10 or 12 that they had before and continue to use balls from 1980 that are not even official size and rented weight anymore I’m sure! Slow felt, terrible conditions, what is going on here?! I can only see this as a tremendously silly move, because as far as I know there aren’t any other pool rooms in the area and if done right, this place could be a really hot commodity ! However, it makes no sense to me why they would leave all that un-​used open space between tables… I guess they want us to feel more comfortable? I think patrons would rather actually have a table to play on than stand around waiting for a while to get a table to play on! I also want to point out to people that I got extremely frustrated numerous times having stupid wooden poles in the way on half of the room… so now I’m confused as to why they cut down the number of tables if there is still several things in the way, does that make any sense? Not to me… after being frustrated over the ridiculous table rolls, and not being able to shoot from the corners because of a lack of short stick, I decided to just stop playing and go to the bar for a beer…
It gets worse… the place only has 2 or 3 tvs, and the tv by the bar is so awkwardly placed that if I’m not sitting at the pinnacle of the bar «boomerang», then I wouldn’t have been able to even see the tv screen easily! Not to mention that it’s mounted so high up that I had to order an extra drink just to ease the pre-​emptive pain my neck will have to endure the following day from trying to stretch back to watch the game there! Lol. I also noticed some silly medieval light fixtures randomly hanging over the bar area that also provide, what you may think, perfectly strategically placed television obstructions… I was so disgusted in the poor planning, layout and execution of this new 2.0 place, that I had to give my 2.0 cents so that maybe someone that cares about the place will actually try and see how it looks from a paying customers’ viewpoint and do something about these pretty stupid mistakes…
Good luck to whomever is contemplating becoming a competitor to flat top johnny’s! It shouldn’t be too hard to compete against something that has this many faults in their 2.0 release…

While I liked the interior with the pool tables and bar and high seating, the service was just confusing and slow. Or rather: there was no service. The bar tender was the only staff available to talk to really, and putting in our food orders took forever. Either they were short staffed tonight (Memorial day evening), or it is a structural problem. The food was decent. Sweet and normal fries were tasty, pulled pork sandwich as well. The veggie burger was a little bland according to my wife. Not sure we’d come back. Pool tables look tempting though…

Awful service, no respect for patrons, and involved gang activity. Lots of fights that nobody wants to be involved in. Plenty of other opportunities for drinking, pool, and fun. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

This place rules. Super great service, prices and beer list. Not to mention a game of thrones pinball game

The bartenders were completely disrespectful and discriminated against us. We were playing pool and they tried to kick us off the table while all the other tables were playing.
They were extremely rude, and I will never come here again. I discourage anyone from coming to drink at this establishment. Such as scam. Poor service. Horrible people. Do not waste your time and money. There are so many better places in Boston and Cambridge.

Always a great time! Wonderful staff, stunning new space and low key chill vibe. Best place to hang out, snag a beer, play Pool or spend the evening with friends!

Yes!!! Flat Top’s is back! The renovated bar design is beautiful with spacious seating indoors, but I’m mostly excited to have the large patio back in time for summer! Bring on the crispy veggie burgers, onion rings, and beer-​drinking in the sunshine!

This place is awesome! After being damaged from a fire they recently reopened and the place looks better than ever. Perfect place to bring some friends for a fun Friday or Saturday night. Good food, strong cocktails, and local beer. We’re not huge pool people, but the pinball and skeeball machines are super fun and we’ve definitely spent some major time on those. Check it out!

This is definitely my favorite spot in Kendall Square. Great comfort food (those waffle fries are delightful!), friendly staff, and a sweet new set up complete with new pool tables and bar! I’m so psyched that they reopened!

The renovation of Flat Top Johnny’s is beautiful with new pool tables, floors, a revamped bar but still with the same hospitality and friendly vibe. So excited they are open again. One of my favorite hangouts for a fun night with friends.

Flat Top Johnny’s is back and better than ever. Brand new pool tables, bigger bar area and even a new Game of Thrones pinball machine. Great place to wind down after work…

So glad my favorite hangout has reopened. They closed for a few months due to a fire in an adjacent restaurant and had to renovate. They managed to keep the hip vibe they always had while also giving it a fresh update.
Reasons to go:
Fresh new pool tables
Bigger bar, with better access to bartenders
Good /​diverse music
Always a good /​friendly crowd
Outdoor patio
Good prices
Reasons to not go:
You dislike fun times
Authenticity just isn’t your thing
Its Friday, so you feel obligated to go to TGIFridays
Seriously, this is a solid institution in Cambridge. They’ve been around for years, and the owner is a big supporter of all sorts of community groups and often makes contributions to local establishments /​non-​profits. Every time I spend a few bucks there, I know that a bit of my cash spent of a fun night out will end up making Boston and Cambridge a better place to live.

Back after a long rebuild, Flat Tops did it right! Check it out.

I don’t know who said this place had great music, but I beg to differ. The atmosphere is definitely cool – the new space is wide open and the rounded bar is a nice change. This definitely adds to the original feeling of being a «pool hall» but also gives it a sense of modernity. The only real complaint I have is about the tune selection. I’m sorry, but if I’m going to shoot some pool, the last thing I want to be listening to is Taylor Swift and pop country all night long. Maybe I’m being too picky, but this really ruined it for me. Especially when I asked the bartender if there was any chance to alter the music selection and he got extremely annoyed that I would even suggest such a thing. Get a grip, kid. Anyways, I’d go if you’re looking for a good place to replace KINGS, but if you’re trying to find a unique and inviting atmosphere, I’d keep looking elsewhere.

I noticed on Twitter that they are planning on reopening on April 16^th 2016. New pool tables and the rickety old floor should be replaced as well (tables were often not completely level with the old floors).

This place was a few years ago a really good pool hall.
I can’t quite place what is going on there, but is not quite as good as it once was. Pool halls in general may be going through a rough patch.

Old pool tables that are heavily abused, but they have a lot of them, and the food and beer is decent. We love the regular staff!
NOTE: currently closed for repair of water damage from building fire on Aug 31 2015. Looks like it might be some months before it reopens.

Such a fun place! Great atmosphere and way more than just pool. Love to play darts when I am with a gang of folks but I skeeball and video golf is good for when I stop by impromptu. Texas nachos and regular nachos are must haves. Super friendly to the bicycle crowd too!

This place seems to be going through an awful transition. With that said, the new GM has fired some of good people that have worked at FTJs for years. Unsure behind the reasoning and all but all the regulars who come to this place are fairly upset with recent ‘purge’ of beloved bartenders that have made that place iconic.
The plus side is that they added more benches outside, the crappy side is that this place still attracts the low-​end crowd from Cambridge. You know the ones that roll in packs of 10 – 15 people, take up 3 tables and only order cheap beers like Coors & PBR? Yeah, the crowd that’s constantly being loud and barely spending any money at FTJs.
Why not raise the prices and get rid of hipster cheap booze that attracts the stingiest of customers? You got a great location, learn to use it if you care about business development.

If all you want is to grab some pitchers of beer with friends and play some pool, this is your place. If you want food, I’d go somewhere else first and then come here. We ordered a bunch of appetizers (all standard, greasy bar fare) and it was all okay (not great, but standard). The chicken tenders were kind of dry, but that’s no big deal. The only thing that really lost them a star here is my burger was burnt (as was everyone else’s). And by burnt I mean pretty much inedible even after our pitchers of beer were gone!
That being said, if I ignored the burger fiasco and rated it on atmosphere and prices alone it would get 3 stars. Definitely a lot of pool tables, a decently fun atmosphere, and reasonably priced pitchers of good beers. I’ll be back — just not for food!

I have been shooting pool at Flat Top Johnny’s since the mid-​nineties. The beer selection is always good, and the staff is always friendly. However, my sole complaint is kind of a major one:
YOU ARE A POOL HALL. PURCHASE MORE POOL STICKS.
We almost had to leave mid-​game last night because someone grabbed our pool stick while one of us used the bathroom & the other put in a drink order. The funny thing is, there was still one vacant table & the other customers did not seem to be hogging the cues.
There just aren’t enough pool sticks. Good thing we aren’t shy about approaching other folks to ask if they ‘accidentally took our stick’ and the person who did was kind enough to give it back rather than argue about it. He actually gave my husband a ‘bro-​hug’ when we gave him our stick when we left.
Good beer. Good crowd. But for the love of gawd — get more pool cues, please

Nice place to come play games (pool, darts, pinball), drink beer and mingle! I really like the standing-​around-​while-​watching pool games vibe, as well as the excellent service they have here.
Food– is awesome! Very well taken care of, and the burgers are delicious. I love it here.
Drinks– $ ⁶⁄₇ for IPAs and local beers. Nice selection.
Transportation: close to Kendall and Central.
Place to come and have fun!

Best pool tables in the area with a pretty decent hourly rate before 6p. Beer selection is o-​kay. Seems to be one or two guaranteed decent craft beers on tap at all times. The music is definitely chill. The food is TERRIBLE — Eat elsewhere either before or after.

I’ve been there a number of times and it’s always the same.
If you’re hungry, don’t go. It takes a long time to get your food. However, the Maple Donut Burger is amazing.
The bartenders are more concerned with keeping the bar clean, instead of getting you a drink. From drink 1 to the last, you feel like you are an inconvenience to the bar staff.
The pool tables are excellent for a group of friends. Not the best kept, but you can’t beat $ 12 and hour. On a Friday, you will have to wait awhile. But, that’s anywhere.
Do go, to check out the donut burger (exclusively available on Friday Nights), if you want a place to hang out with a couple buddies, other places are closed.
Don’t go, on a first date, with a group of people unsure of their intentions, want to talk without yelling, you’re hungry and need food asap.

The place is huge and comfy and the staff are friendly too. The best part is that they have so many pool tables AND Dart boards (Wohoooo!!!) I was so glad to find this place in Cambridge. However, it is a bit expensive and the pool tables were really dirty. There was dirt on each tables. They need to clean the pool tables and maintain them!

Nice vibe
Varied crowd
Good music
Friendly people
Pool tables!
Darts!
Pinball!
Fun :)

An awesome after-​work spot that is conveniently located off of the red line.
FTJ offers a variety of fun things to do, including their hallmark pool area, pinball machines, and arcade games.
It’s a comfortable space that caters to a wide range of people. You’ll see a mixture of young working professionals, hipster types, punk rockers, and older folks all in the same space.
The welcoming atmosphere and diversity are refreshing.
The food is largely hit-​or-​miss — but the expectation should be set at standard bar fare.
The service is nothing to complain about, nothing to write home about either.
Be careful — we booked an event as a group and we found that the bill included several extras that we didn’t order.
Aside from the error in billing (which was later fixed by management), staff were prepared to handle our group. The food was already laid out when we got there; and staff were friendly and helpful in taking drink orders.
The only major complaint is that pool cues are in short supply during peak hours. This is something that rarely happens at other venues, such as Jillian’s. Our group ended up sharing pool cues. Not a big deal but it’s also something that should be addressed.
The bar area gets really crowded during peak hours, and it’s an obstacle course to get to the restrooms.
This is awesome for large groups of friends or corporate events.
I definitely plan to go back!

It is a great place for pay pool but it’s encouraged to book /​reserve ahead of time. However, I didn’t like how they cranked up the music at around 8pm. We felt like we were at a live concert and it gave me a headache. They also have a nice drink list! They offer Down East Cider on draft and in can :)

I like the place.
We go there every Friday and play some pool and have some beer.
Have not tried the food.
It is a nice place.
Music is rock-​ish
People are nice.

Cheap-​ish beer and an okay price on tables. The staff is friendly and the customers are nice to people new to the area. I liked that the bar also has an area to play darts when you are waiting for a table. The food isn’t great, but that’s okay for a no-​frills bar.

This place is great. Loses one star for having usually just one waitress. Understandably she’s very busy sometimes.
Great tables, very nice place!

Flat Top Johnny’s was an overall very odd but not terrible experience.
To start we went on a Friday evening around 8 with a group of 6. It was packed, fair, it’s a Friday night and you have pool of course everyone wants to be there. Upon arrival you check in at the front desk to put your name in at a table. Since it’s first come first serve for the tables there is no set time estimate for when a table will become available. Also fair, I understand that you can’t really kick people off tables once they start playing. Cool we’ll get drinks and wait.
To the bar…
The poor bartenders here. They had one bartender and one barback/​food runner behind the bar. The wait for a drink was a while… I wasn’t timing it or anything, but to put it in perspective in the time it took my friend to get a round I had time to go the bathroom and take a phone call.
And while we are on it, let’s talk about the bathrooms…
Since the bar is in an office building they share the lobby/​bathrooms with the building. This means you exit the bar and walk down the white tile florescent lighting hallway to the bathrooms while the office security guards stare you down. Positive side, the bathrooms are clean, but this is an overall a delightfully sobering experience.
Anyways, back to the bar…
The bartenders were hustling and friendly so no fault with them, and we did eventually get our drinks. Also we took a chance on ordering poutine, and despite no discernible way for the food runner to find tables we did get our food. And it was as good as cheese fries can be, but a warning to any poutine snobs it is more of a cheese fry nacho dish than actual poutine.
And in this time we get called for a table, horay!
Wait no, they called our number and passed over us… even though we were sitting literally right in front of the pool host’s area. But it’s ok, there is another table, whoo! That was close. But we get to the table and they had no pool cues left… I went to the front desk to ask if there was a secret stash only to be informed they were on back order and I should ask other tables. But it’s ok, I asked a kindly table to share and they gave me a cue, victory?
Let the games have commenced! Once at the tables with a cue secured, it was all the fun one can expect with a game of pool. The game area also had a waitress to come around for drink orders which was cool and convenient AND she had a touch screen ordering system that let you split the bill nicely when it was time to pay up, super convenient for a group.
Although fun was had by all at the end of the night, I would not come running back. And given the fact that the place was packed, I’m pretty sure they really care if I do or not. I would overall recommend this place if you are in your early twenties, don’t mind a crowd, and don’t want anything fancy. Otherwise, proceed with caution on the weekends, and maybe more reckless abandon on the weekdays.

What a great spot!
Recently I was tasked with setting up a work celebration for my team (about 30 people). After looking around the area near the office, Flat Top Johnny’s seemed to be a perfect spot. I called, and the staff was friendly and more than happy to help me set up this little event. I was able to reserve several pool tables, pre-​order some appetizers to be ready for the team as well as set up a bar tab for the team to draw from.
The pool tables really take center stage at FTJ’s. They are well maintained and there was no lacking for pool cues nor chalk.
The bar staff was friendly and never too far or busy to make sure my team’s thirst was quenched. There were many beer selections on tap as well as a full bar — I’m confident there’s something for every taste here.
Now for my favorite part — the food. We ordered some onion rings, buffalo tenders, jalapeño poppers, hummus and texas nachos. Each dish was great and were quickly consumed by myself and my team… but I feel I must draw attention to the texas nachos. This is a wonderfully glorious pile of french fries, melted cheese, pulled pork and a sweet BBQ sauce.
If this were not a team event, I have no doubt i’d have eaten the entire plate of texas nachos myself. In fact, as I type this, i’m trying to figure out how to get a plate of these in front of me ASAP.

oh man! i didn’t even know I haven’t reviewed flat top johnny’s! I love this place. I went on a s. a. t. u. r… d. a. y. night (saturday night) and about half the tables were open. The music was great, a lot of mumford and sons, the ataris, what sounded like some incubus. It was great. I felt like my ipod was the DJ.
Nothing super fancy about this place, I love the layout. The pool cues aren’t wicked warped.
Adjacent parking garage is only $ 5 on the weekend, super convenient.
want to go? I need to shoot pool again!

Things you will love:
— The décor & lighting. There is an awesome full wall mural at the back with a Roy Lichtenstein looking piece that is refreshing and so hip. The lighting is sultry and their tables just got re-​upholstered with a fresh, fresh RED.
— The music. They don’t play crap hip-​hop or Taylor Swift, guys. Think more like Muse & Radiohead. Nothing like a good song to deceive you into thinking you are much better at pool than you actually are.
— The drinks. Their beer selection isn’t limited to crap and they have a cider that is to die for. The food’s not bad either! $ 5 gets you like… a BUCKET of french fries.
But most importantly, you will love the service. A few minutes past your hourly rate? No biggie, there’s a 15 minute grace period. Your burger took longer than usual to make? Its on the house. Small mistake on your bill? A full refund for your entire 2 hours worth of pool.
Stop reading this. Go play pool.