Hops Test Kitchen & Raw Bar

This is my second review for Hops Test Kitchen. I went a year ago and had a «meh» experience. This time, everything was delicious! Complete 360 change. Brand new menu — I HIGHLY recommend their gnocchi. Their drinks were also fantastic! I love that you can sit right next to the window on warm days. We will definitely be heading back!

The first time I’ve stumbled upon Hops was a private session that my friends told me about. The special tasting occurs every other Sunday. And on that day, I had the pleasure of trying the Pig Roast prepared by chef Brian. The series of entrees emphasized various parts of the pig and he was able to prepare each dish so uniquely, deliciously, and creatively that it really left me wanting for more!
We subsequently stuck around for the drinks as they feature a wide selection of scotch which perfectly matched the scotch aficionados among our group, except for me cuz I’m a beer guy but was impressed with their selections as well. This place has been a hit ever since and we’ve made it a point to become one of the regulars.
Bravo five stars!

Came here Saturday evening w/​my boyfriend and we were promptly seated by a very friendly host. Love the atmosphere here — we got a table by the open window which looked out onto the street. We didn’t order that much, but the dishes we had were solid & left us wanting to order more the next visit. We had — the shrimp toast, caesar salad, a selection of the raw oysters, and two pasta dishes. I had the spaghetti & he had the sweet potato & bacon stuffed cannelloni. They had an impressive selection of beers & seemed to have cool events I want to check out — like Trivia Tuesdays & oyster happy hour where the oysters are half off.
One of the shining points at this resto is the service! Very attentive & prompt.

I don’t usually venture out to Cambridge, but when I do, it has to be somethings special.
The restaurant is pretty noticeable with their signage. Hops has a small lot behind it that is usually full. I usually don’t have a problem with parking (street parking, meters), but you may need to circle twice before you find a good spot.
I have not been to the Brookline location so I can’t compare. I know the Cambridge location is slightly different as they are a test kitchen and raw bar. I’ve heard wonderful things about the chef who specialize is a few cuisines, one of them being Italian! I obviously had to try Pasta Tuesdays. I brought my family for a dinner and we had a great time. They have great pasta deals on Tuesdays so we all tried a different dish along with a few apps. I had the pork belly pasta and it was delicious. I was told everything (food and juice drinks alike) are handmade. One thing that surprised me was how small the plate looked when it came out. It turned out to be a perfect size, because I was extremely full in the end. Portions of meat to pasta were good too.
We also had some amazing drinks and the staff was extremely helpful and friendly. They definitely knew their stuff when it came to their drink and food menu. I actually came back for birthday drinks that following weekend and everyone had a blast — great company, great food (truffle fries!!) and amazing drinks (maybe too amazing).
Thank you, Hops, for the amazing hospitality!
There is always room for improvement as they test out new dishes on the menu, but I definitely would recommend this place if you’re in the area and want to try something new and fun!

I had heard a lot of great things about Hops Test Kitchen, and it definitely lived up to the hype. My gf and I had dinner here last weekend and were really impressed with the food and service. We started off with a dozen raw oysters from Island Creek, which were fresh and perfectly sweet. For entrees we got the Maine Scallops and the Grilled Short Rib. The scallops were cooked perfectly and were complimented well by the pork belly. The short rib had a nice smokey flavor from the grill and was fall off the bone tender. Definitely check this place out when you’re in the area!

Food has definitely improved since our last visit, and the atmosphere and location is great as before. However the food is just not that amazing. The food is a bit too fancy and I think they would do better off with just some high quality simple dishes. A cool bar with great burgers and salads and such would be a needed hangout spot in the area. Also I do not appreciate that the pastas are considered «small plates» when they aren’t under the small plates section. Maybe they could offer two portions at different prices? Otherwise the vegetarian dinner options are very limited

This place is amazing. From the food and drinks to the service to the décor, I’ve had very positive experiences both times I’ve been here. I’ve only had a chance to try the truffle fries (which are super addicting by the way) and some of the other appetizers, but I’ve heard that their pasta is made in-​house and comparable if not better than the North End. All the staff here are incredibly friendly and attentive and they make solid drinks. I’ve heard of many pop up events at this test kitchen, but have not yet had the chance to attend any of them, but I look forward to dining here and trying more of their menu in the future.

I’ve passed by this place a few times and have been hearing great things from colleagues so finally decided to try it last night. I must say I was not disappointed one bit. We got the oysters and home made pasta, it was DELICIOUS! The ingredients were so fresh and was made well, its by far the best homemade pasta I’ve had in Cambridge (better than Northend, yes you read it right). The staff was friendly and service was great. The bar area is separate from the dinning area which I liked, you can enjoy your meal without it being loud. After dinner we had few friends join us at the bar to get drinks and I liked hanging out there as well. This place is so close to my house and I am sure I will come back for the food esp the pasta or to just hangout at the bar.

We had dinner with Mikayla as our server and the entire experience was amazing. The food was fantastic. We had asparagus, sweet potato pasta, halibut, short rib and scallops and everything was delicious.
Mikayla was attentive, friendly, and responsive to all our needs. I’d highly recommend her. Better yet, you can’t miss with the food. Check this place out asap.

Love the fact that this location is now a test kitchen and raw bar! The owner, David, plans to have more pop up events featuring local and out-​of-​state chefs and specialty courses. I hear a 7 to 9 dinner course featuring lobster is in the works! Definitely going to sign up for that one. He also plans to have a beauty brunch where patrons can get beauty tips and samples while enjoying brunch and drinking. Hops N Scotch is going to be the fun dining experience Boston/​Cambridge is lacking!
For the raw bar, they have oysters from Bagaduce (ME), Red Raiders (ME), Moon Rise (ME), and Duxbury (MA). The menu includes a short description of each one so you know exactly what you’re ordering. Can I tell you how much I love their oyster selection? All of them are briny with an ocean taste and that’s exactly what I look for in my oysters! I’m craving them as I write this, yummm! However, kind of wish they gave us horse radish…
For your meal, I highly recommend the pastas! They make all their pastas in house so you know they’re fresh. The Black Kale Pappardelle with braised beef. percorino, and walnut ($ 13) is absolutely delicious! I would come back and order this dish again and again. The beef is tender and seasoned well, the sauce is creamy but not overwhelmingly oily, the pappardelle is al dente and the kale adds a nice flavor, and the walnuts put a sweet finishing touch to the whole bite! LOVE! I’m going back and trying the other pasta dishes for sure.
PS: Justin, the manager, was super cool and came by to check on us often and Nisa was an excellent server!

Brian Miller, the chef at HNS, crafted an elegant and unique dining experience for the restaurant’s 2^nd Pop Up Dinner. It was a remarkable ensemble featuring a six course meal made out of a suckling pig — aka Henry, poor Henry — and a beer pairing option. Everything was $ 55 per person and $ 20 extra for the pairing. There was only one sitting at 6pm on Sunday, April 3^rd. Lucky us! Accompanying the chef was the manager and two waiters (one who had a killer mohawk ‘do).
I believe the capacity of the entire restaurant is 90 – 100 people to give you a rough idea of the space. The restaurant is split up to two sections. If you walk in from the front entrance (Cambridge St) the bar section is to your left. It’s a well stocked bar of your favorite scotch, whiskey, and bourbons. There are two large TVs, so this would be a great place to catch a sports game. There are some seating options along the window and bar area. On the far right of the restaurant is the dining area. The dining area appears privately sectioned off, which is nice and gives it an intimate feeling if you don’t want to be near the bar. There is limited free parking for HNS patrons in the back of the restaurant, so your best bet is to find metered parking on Cambridge St.
Brian started the night off with giving us a background on where he was from, where Henry was from, and how he prepped for the six course meal. With every meal he provided a brief description on what part of the big was included and why he chose the specific beer pairing.
#1 Croquette: sauce romesco, almonds, mint.
the romesco sauce had a little heat to it and the mint gave it a nice balance. the pairing was dogfish head indian brown, which complimented the almonds. the croquette was made from a mixture of the pig.
#2 Graisse Porcelet: braised asparagus, hollandaise, egg, brown butter.
the asparagus was braised in pork fat and then chilled. the hollandaise was made from pork fat as well. i thought the pork fat in the hollandaise was a little overpowering and it was a bit salty. note: this dish was not included in the original menu that was posted on their facebook, but chef said he had a lot of pork fat leftover he didn’t want to waste and some fresh asparagus ready to use. pretty creative for being last minute! the beer pairing was also the dogfish head indian brown
#3 Tete de Cochon: pickles, radish, pumpernickel, chive mayo
this was paired captain lawrence apricot sour. Chef said he selected this option to compliment the pickles and radish. I would say this dish, which was prepared cold, was plated very beautifully *picture!*. the dish itself was full of different textures. the pig portion itself was made out of different parts of the pigs head (cheek, tongue, etc). it looked like a pâté, but wasn’t a creamy consistency. i really like the idea of the pureed pumpernickel. the chive mayo was a great touch and i can definitely picture that on a sandwich!
#4 Belly and Ravioli: wild spring onion, young garlic
paired with singlecut belgian olympic white. this was by far my favorite dish. the meal came out at room temperature. the pork belly was so fatty and MELT-​IN-​YO-​MOUTH goodness. hallelujah to the pig gods and thank you, Henry. the ravioli was prepped with a pork filling and the dough was actually made in-​house using some of the onions. the spring onion and garlic were grilled it provided so much more flavor. HNS should make this an item on their menu.
#5 Grilled Loin Roulade: favas, morels, potato, jus
paired with stony creek «cranky» ipa. Yummy yummy! this was my second favorite. the roulade was so tasty and i think it was my first time trying something that was prepped like it. loved the pork with the fried pig skin. and the potato mash bedding was just the perfect amount.
***at this point i was pretty full! it was probably from the bread prior to the tasting meal along with their home made buttahhhhh!
#6 Dessert! Savory and Sweet: fudge, preserved lemon, chicharone, candied bacon
paired with maui brewing coConut porter. every single part of this meal was made from Henry. yes, including the fudge and ice cream. the lemon from the ice cream really gave it the refreshing element. the chicharone was fried pork as the dish topper. overall, the dish was too sweet for my liking (i prefer savory over sweet). majority of the diners finished theirs though!
thank you, Brian, for prepping a great meal! i can’t wait to try the regular menu.

Absolutely. Amazing. Great experience!
I was a little skeptical at first to try it based on the 3.5 stars, but thought the Gilt City deal was too good to pass up. Food AND drink? Yes please! I read through reviews and noticed that most of the bad reviews were from a long time ago. They re-​branded this location from Hops N Scotch to Hops Test Kitchen and Raw Bar when they hired a new chef in February. (This is what the manager told me)
I made reservations, mentioned the Gilt deal, and when I arrived, I got seated right away at my reservation time. The food was incredible! I got the braised beef arancini and grilled short rib, both which literally made my mouth water when I saw it, and it did not disappoint one bit. A lot of flavors and both was cooked perfectly. My friend got the caesar salad and chicken roulade and absolutely loved it.
To top it all off, the chef, Brian Miller, actually came out to check on us to see if we enjoyed the meal. That table-​touch was what really made the whole experience amazing. He clearly cares about his food and his customers. I don’t normally write reviews, but felt the need to after this experience. Also, the server told us that Brian competed in the show ‘Beat Bobby Flay’. What?! No way! I really hope he wins when it airs during the summer. Definitely catching that episode.
There was a wide selection of beer and scotch /​whiskey. As I am writing this review, I kind of regret getting my usual gin and tonic. I should have explored their dark liquor.
I will definitely come back again very soon to try their drinks and try their full raw bar when it goes live in a couple of weeks.

We had such a great experience at Hops n Scotch! We split the tasting menu and enjoyed what was basically a nine-​course meal from the chef, Brian Miller: bread, pepper crackers with trout, beef weygu tartare, roasted cauliflower, raw oyster with strawberry flavoring, duck, agnolotti pasta with potato filling, pot au crème with blueberries and coconut ice cream, and chocolate balls with strawberry dust. We would recommend Hops N Scotch to any couple looking for a unique and delicious date night experience.

I came here for their Valentine’s Day special. 4 course meal with complimentary champagne for $ 55. I read the Unilocal reviews that the food was overpriced so I was a little worried. But $ 55 for 4 courses is def. stretching the dollar, esp after tasting the food the price is very reasonable for the quality of ingredients they are using. I started off with the foie gras and it was absolutely rich and delicate — I honestly contemplated ordering a second helping of it — but that set the tone for the rest of my dinner and I was not disappointed.
A pretty nice space, with a large bar area — to reach the hostess stand you have to walk through the bar — a little awkward and it threw me off a little coming in. The staff was very friendly, the chef even came to our table to see how we enjoyed the food. The chef mentioned he was new and that he would be redoing the whole menu. PSA: I heard truffle fries would be making their way onto the menu. Yes, I will be back to try them.

Excellent selection of beer, food is overpriced. My friends had to return their $ 24 steak since they felt ripped off. Thankfully the staff responded professionally and brought them delicious cheeseburgers instead that they enjoyed.
For $ 14 my meal was delicious but so not worth the price given how small it was.
The service was friendly so I will be back, most likely for drinks only.

Sweet potato puffs were SO good. The grilled cheese and tomatoes soup were delicious and the Spicy Shirmp was mediocre, not super spicy but still tasty. Wait staff was very nice and not overly attentive. Came for my favorite Cider, stayed for dinner and dessert. The brownie was so fudgy and perfectly cooked. Overall, I’d come back again, maybe not often but def every once in a while.

This place surpassed my expectations! I Unilocal everything to make sure I understand the atmosphere I’m getting myself into, but the food here was way more than I expected. The pesto fritters were delightful, melted in your mouth and such flavor; the Orange flavor in the chicken was fantastic; and the ribs fell right off the bone.
The atmosphere was up to par, with low lights, beautiful wood, and a welcoming open bar area.
The staff was on point, and incredibly friendly. Everyone seemed to really enjoy being there and seemed vested in the restaurant.
Every Thursday they roll out new food, and I for one am excited to become a regular here!

If 3.5 was an option Hops N Scotch would be getting that. But its not, so i’m rounding up, what can I say, I feel charitable today.
They have a solid beer list. Grimm, Dogfish, Local Options and flights. Well done on the hops. I have yet to try the scotch but am quite interested in trying a flight, some day, when I am feeling wealthy and important.
The service was fine. The décor and general ambiance. Also fine.
Kudos on the food. I had an acorn squash dish that surprised me in its flavor and creativity. A place like this I would usually expect a much poorer vegetarian option. The fried pickles were good, but I’ve had better.
tl;dr come for the hops (and perhaps the scotch?) but its not a «cool» or «hip» bar. The food seems good too. Thank you and goodnight.

The perfect spot to enjoy great beer, fantastic food, and a relaxed and friendly environment.
The staff here are super friendly and make you feel right at home, I had a hard time deciding on which beer to order and the bartender was so helpful in picking out the perfect beer (hobo)
The food was delicious, we had a few apps and the poutine all yummy and very uniquely prepared.
For dinner I got the roasted beet salad with grilled shrimp, it was very fresh and the shrimp were perfectly cooked and the portions were very generous.
Very comfy and cozy atmosphere if you are looking for a delicious relaxed evening.

Solid 3 star place, although they really did NOT want to give me the biscuit side that comes with brunch — something about they decided to only serve biscuits with the sandwiches?! I’m a southerner though so you better believe I fought tooth and nail to get that biscuit, which was good.
+ Open air in the warm weather
+ NFL specials ($ 8 for beer and flatbread, $ 6 for beer and wings)
The Brookline location is much nicer and feels much more upscale than this location for some reason.