Really 2.5 stars. Cambridge Common is a frequent destination for HLS students looking to grab a few drinks with a large crew – and occasionally some cheap eats. The food, although diverse, isn’t particularly special. There’s a lot to choose from and there are usually some specials – the portions are enormous.

The dimly lit restaurant is often crowded and somewhat tightly packed. There’s a large bar area for those who just want to drink and a handful of TVs perennially tuned to ESPN. Beer selection is plentiful and they serve fairly potent mixed drinks in a pint glass. At the very least it will probably make your food taste better!

Good selection of beers at low prices. I prefer t

Le’s used to be called Pho Pasteur but despite the name change I think it’s still the same restaurant. The menu is large with lots of staple selections of Vietnamese cuisine – Pho (vietnamese noodle soup), thin vermicelli noodle dishes, beef/chicken/pork/seafood entrees. The Pho is a great value – you get an enormous (unfinishable) bowl of soup for between $5 and $7. The flavors aren’t as rich as you can find at other restaurants – but for the money they’re charging I can’t complain.

Basta la Pasta is a tiny storefront restaurant that serves up pasta, risottos, pizza, burgers, and paninis. It’s no frills: you pay at the register and the seating is sparse. Outside of a few posters emphasizing the restaurant’s main staple, pasta, the decor isn’t anything to write home about.

But Basta serves up delicious, inexpensive food quickly. I prefer to stick with some of the more traditional pasta—bolognese, chicken parmigiana, alfredo. The gorgonzola & walnut sauce sounded good but was too watery for my taste.

The pizzas are also an excellent value—I had the buffalo chicken pizza and it was excellent. It’s a big pie and a better quality pizza than most of the delivery joints in this part of Cambridge.

It’s open really late. And if you’re drunk it’s a great destination for a heaping pile of sesame chicken and crab rangoons. If you’re craving greasy Chinese food this place will satisfy that craving. If you’re looking for something more, I’d keep looking.

Montien is a great value and has a number of dishes that you don’t find at most of the local Thai places. I’m a fiend for spicy food and rarely think anything is hot enough—but the Montien Jungle was amazingly spicy (which is a plus for me).