The Sinclair

Address:	52 Church St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Phone:	+1 617-547-5200
Site:	sinclaircambridge.com
Rating:	4.3
Working:	5PM–1AM 5PM–1AM 5PM–1AM 5PM–2AM 5PM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–1AM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 7

Matt Chier

One of the worst experiences Ive ever had at a club or concert venue. We went to see a concert and celebrate a friends birthday. About ten minutes after walking in, a member of our group is approached by a young woman working security who accuses him of smoking an e-cigarette. Neither he nor anybody in our group for that matter smoked or was in possession of e-cigarettes, vaporizers or any related paraphernalia. He was holding the drink that he got earlier at the bar, the only thing which couldve conceivably be mistaken for a vaporizer. Five minutes later my friend is escorted to the back of the venue, told to empty his pockets and patted down, of course they dont find an e-cigarette (since nobody was smoking!) and despite his calm and compliant behavior ( I do not know how he kept his cool), he is instantly kicked out of the venue! The staff involved here was extremely aggressive and unprofessional in handling the situation. We were a group of coherent and sober people, and despite our attempts to reason with the bouncers our friend was picked on and ROBBED of the 25$ entry price as well as a good concert experience, for absolutely NO REASON. There was a blatant lack of evidence, there were several witnesses (outside of our group, anyone in the crowd couldve testified). The behavior of the staff was criminal and everyone felt awful about how unjust the whole situation was. This was not a safety issue, the aggressiveness of the bouncers involved was completely unwarranted. Avoid this venue, Boston has much more to offer.

Rated by Hanna

Nestled in the heart of Harvard Square this medium sized venue is my perfect size for a concert. My friend and I attended the 7/16/15 Lenka concert and we had an excellent time with the affordable General Admission standing room! (We did not try the food or drinks there so this review is just on the concert venue.) We arrived a little before 7:30PM when the doors would open and a small line started forming. The security started letting us in promptly and we were able to scope out the best viewing areas. We naturally gravitated to the front of the stage, which was a bit high up so we had to tilt our necks back during the whole show. They also offer the option to stand on the second level and there were a few tables along the railings as well. I was not expecting anything fancy and the lights were just simple background additions. I was however, impressed with the acoustics of the place and unlike a lot of the other places Ive gone to, standing at the front row can be deafening. The sound volume was just right. Even though I had originally expected to finish the concert around 10:30-11PM we did not end up leaving until 11:40PM. We were worried we would miss the last train of the night so we hustled back to the T station. I would definitely want to come back here for another concert! I love the intimate feel of this place especially if you are able to get in the front row. Plus I prefer not to pay an arm and a leg for the live music experience.

Dan M

I understand that venues can not just always refund the cost of tix just because a person can not make it, but in a situation beyond a persons control the venue should have some consideration. We had 5 tix and 2 of the people that were supposed to attend the show could not due to how far out they lived, and the bad weather. The employees of the venue that I spoke to did not even care they just told me that we either attend or not. I know that this review may not stop anyone from attending events at The Sinclair, and ultimately will do nothing to its reputation, but it amazes me how little The Venue and the employees care, or will try to assist you, or look for ways to assist you. I am seriously so extremely disappointed! I do not even have words to express the level of disappointment I am experiencing. I am not originally from the New England area, but I keep experiencing more & more the really bad & negative attitude that people from New England have! I have seen better attitudes in foreign countries where people dont know you, and have very little to there names.

Nathaniel Gopen

The host staff is incredibly rude. I know its run by New Yorkers but we dont live in NY so dont treat us like crap. Ive been here a bunch of times. One time in particular the host told us we were NOT allowed to go upstairs to just check out the space and that we had to be accompanied...the place is a business with patrons every where...I dont need a chaperon to walk around, thanks. We decided we wanted to try the place so we asked to sit outside on the patio/deck. The hostess said no tables are available and we had just come down from there and saw a bunch and said that there are. She made us wait forever for a table she said would take 2 mins to clear off, 10+ mins later, still waiting. The server was nice, the food is interesting/weird/okay. The drinks are fine. The main floor is good for the bar at night but the place just left a bad taste in my mouth from the hostess - I really hope shes been replaced.

Aiden Rohwer-Nutter

I went here for brunch this morning, and while it wasnt horrible, I also dont know if I will be back. Even on a Sunday morning, the bar and restaurant are dark, and the music is just a little too loud. I sat at the bar, and the bartender was really nice. I tried the mimosa flight, which was yummy, and the Turkey Hash, which definitely had some issues. One egg was cooked perfectly over-easy, the other was definitely over-medium; not sure how there was such a huge discrepancy?? The turkey hash itself was light on the onion (which I prefer), but the turkey was under-seasoned and chewy. The breakfast potatoes were so overcooked that half of them were too hard to eat, although the edible ones were nice. Still, at $14 for the plate, I was pretty disappointed. I get that this is more concert venue/bar, but if a place is going to offer a brunch, I would hope for a slightly better performance.

Kristy Thibodeau

This venue is great, a cute restaurant that has a separate music hall. My friend and I went to the restaurant before seeing JohnnySwimm there. Politely full, but not overbearing. Delicious craft brews. The bar snacks were just that, small appetizers but enough for two people. We got the bar olives with blue cheese and buffalo cauliflower (delicious, but dont let it sit out too long or the sauce turns gelatinous). They had run out of the sliders and Im guessing it was because it was the only meat on the menu. After eating we could walk right in to the music hall just transitioning our beverages to plastic cups and was able to walk right up to about 2 rows back from front stage to watch our show. Conveniently located by the redline, we were able to make it home in now time after a Tuesday night concert.

Kaitlin M

A really great space for a show. I saw Delta Spirit here and the set up is really great, it feels like a mini House of Blues. Id say capacity is similar to Paradise--but there arent any visual obstructions, the ceilings are higher, the stage feels more like a legit stage, and the bar is a bit out of the way. Its all GA which is nice. The sound was great. Cocktails were tasty, there was a really long beer list (including local beers on tap), and Ive had good food at the restaurant here before, too (Brussels Sprouts, Mac and Cheese being the memorable dishes). Perfect for a bite before seeing a show. The location is super convenient--close the the Harvard Square stop on the red line (right near the Border Cafe).