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More than 100 freshmen have gathered every Tuesday to sample food and vote for their favorite Harvard Square restaurants at the Dean of Students Office’s premier event, Taste of Harvard Square.
The event, which started on the first day of classes this semester and will conclude Oct. 7, seeks to bring freshmen together at the Cambridge Queen’s Head space and familiarize them with some of Harvard Square’s notable food venues.
Ella M. Williamson ’29 said the event has been “a really cool way to get first-years familiar with the food landscape in Harvard Square.”
“It’s a really awesome idea, and I’m really glad they’re doing it,” Williamson added.
Beyond exploring general venues, students also have said they found the event a great way to solidify their venue preferences.
“This is gonna be a blind taste-test for me,” Landon B. Resendes ’29, who was in line to try J.P. Lick’s and Lizzy’s ice cream, said.
“I have not heard of either. I’ve heard good stuff about Lick’s though, so about to put that to the test,” he added.
“I'm never gonna say no to free ice cream,” Tayveon J. Moore ’29 said. “I've never had Lizzy's before.”
Lily Castro, the director of residential programs in the DSO, wrote that she hopes the event will not only help freshmen “meet new people, but also introduce them to the establishments that surround our community.”
“Part of what enriches the academic experience at Harvard is being in the square and being in Cambridge,” Nickoll Garcia, the graduate assistant for residential programs in the DSO who has been planning this event since July, said.
“This gives them an opportunity to explore Harvard Square while still being literally in Annenberg,” Garcia added.
Following the closure of the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub during the Covid-19 pandemic, the pub reopened in 2023, before being converted to a gathering venue for freshmen and other Harvard-affiliated student groups in late 2024.
“The space truly is so versatile,” Sophia Sokoloski, residential programs coordinator with the DSO, said. “We’ve been able to host such a wide range of events with our students.”
According to Sokoloski, organizations have reserved the space for activities ranging from performances to end-of-year banquets.
At the Taste of Harvard Square event, many of the freshmen expressed their appreciation for the space.
“I’ve never been in this place before, and it’s really cool,” Noa S. Suk ’29 said.
“I like this downstairs location. I came here for Visitas, the first day I stepped on campus, so it’s kind of near and dear to me,” Jose A. Garcia ’29 said.
This past Tuesday’s rendition of the event, which featured a particularly popular competition between El Jefe’s Tacqueria and Felipe’s, saw a line of around 160 students leading out of Memorial Hall.
Though food was finished within the first 20 minutes, students recognized the way the event brings first-years together.
“It’s a cool opportunity to just run into familiar faces here,” Sophia G. Heinrich ’29 said. “Being able to say ‘Do you want to come to this food-tasting event with me?’ is a nice way to build a relationship.”
—Staff writer Christie E. Beckley can be reached at christie.beckley@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @cbeckley22.
—Staff writer Adrian Z. Yin can be reached at adrian.yin@thecrimson.com.
