Fire at Bartleys Shuts Down Famed Burger Joint, Hong Kong

At approximately 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, a fire broke out in the cooking area of Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, the famed Harvard Square burger joint.

A two block section of Mass. Ave. was closed as heavy smoke caused by grease in the hood of the stove filled the streets.

Bartley's general manager, Billy Bartley, said it was the first significant fire in the 48 years that the restaurant has been open.

He estimated the fire caused about $10,000 in damage.

"We'll be back ASAP, bigger and better than ever," he said, pausing before he added "not bigger, just better."

No one was injured, but residents of the building and workers at the neighboring Hong Kong restaurant were asked to evacuate. Neither Bartley's nor the Hong Kong had yet opened for the day at the time of the fire.

Graduate school students who live above Bartley's said that the fire alarm did not sound.

Whitney J. Gosden, a Harvard Business School student, said that neighbors pounding on her door alerted her to the incident.

"I was asleep, I thought I was dreaming, so I went back to sleep," she said.

Fire fighters gained access to the building through the apartments on the second and third floors.

Gosden mentioned that she has been evacuated four or five times in the past two years for fire drills, but this was the first time the threat was real.

The Cambridge Fire Department classified the incident as a "working fire"—more than one alarm, less than two. Seven firetrucks were on site.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Steven G. Leonard, in most restaurants the hood vent should release smoke from the roof, which is not the case at Bartley's.

"Inspectional services will have to see," he added.

The Harvard Square landmark is expected to open by Tuesday at the latest.

"Its a matter of working with the city and working with the contractors," Bartley said. "I think people want us back."

—Staff writer Alexandra Perloff-Giles can be reached at aperloff@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Abby D. Phillip can be reached at adphill@fas.harvard.edu.