A little rough around the edges, but with a charm all its own

Liam, a burly teddy bear of a bartender at Atwood's Tavern, comes with a disclaimer on the restaurant's website. "Most 'Ask Liam' material is inappropriate for most audiences."

Well, that's truth in advertisting. You're encouraged to ask Liam questions, anything from fashion advice to matters of the heart. He'll answer them all in a gruff, uncensored manner .

We mention Liam because he loomed large when we visited Atwood's earlier this week. In a T-shirt that read "What the Fluff" (a gift from his mother), he tended the bar, and called out at least twice, "I don't mind eating the leftovers!" to patrons who didn't finish their plates. Liam perfectly embodies the spirit of Atwood's: lovable, townie, a little rough around the edges, and not quite ready for prime time. (We mean that lovingly, Liam.)

It's the kind of place that can divide a party, depending on what ambience you desire. One of us felt at home straight away ("I love this place already!" she enthused); another hated his chilled (!) red wine at the bar and thought the service was too creaky for a nine-month-old establishment.

Nestled on Cambridge Street, on a long stretch of Portuguese restaurants, Atwood's does feel quite cozy and inviting. As we perused the menu, twangy country music played (it was the Jody Grind, which happens to be playing live tonight at 10).

It's the perfect neighborhood haunt, with a popular trivia night on Wednesdays and an entertainment lineup that's a who's who of local roots-music superstars (including Dennis Brennan, Eilen Jewell, and Michael Tarbox).

But no matter how ambitious the menu gets, Atwood's is not a haute boite. In fact, don't even think of uttering the word boite upon entering this place. It has its own charms, of course. At heart, it's a burger joint with just two burgers on the menu: your standard Angus variety and a black-bean one. Other pub-grub classics have made the cut, too, including a BLT sandwich, a quarter-pound hot dog, and meatloaf.

Going slightly upscale, we started with a quesadilla filled with chicken, duck, and black beans; light on the cheese, it was a hearty first course. There was nothing light about the chicken hash tart, though. A mound of barbecued shredded chicken atop a pot-pie crust and smothered in cheddar, it could have passed for a chicken Sloppy Joe.

Having just stepped out of 10-degree weather, we couldn't resist the appetizer of tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. The menu said it was homemade, but its creaminess made us wonder aloud if Campbell's might have been involved. We decided to give Atwood's the benefit of the doubt: maybe Trader Joe's? Regardless, it was slurped up to the last drop.

When the entrees arrived, Atwood's felt a little out of its league. The mac and cheese was fine, but a kebab with Jamaican jerk pork tenderloin had been overcooked on its pillow of cider-stewed lentils, which cut the saltiness of the pork but nearly gave us a cavity. A deep-fried chicken cutlet should have been renamed chicken fried chicken. The proof was in the jalapeno-studded sausage gravy.

The real turkey, though, was the meatloaf, dry meat with flavor to rival that of a rice cake.

For dessert, we decided on tea and sorbet and ice cream from nearby Christina's. The sorbet's texture was off, inadvertently making it the evening's most unlikely finger food. The tea came piping hot in large beer mugs.

Wait a minute. What were we doing ordering Earl Grey and blood-orange sorbet at this place? Cue the country music, get out the trivia cards, and bring on the burgers. That's what we wanted, and it's what Atwood's does best.

Atwood's Tavern , 877 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-864-2792. atwoodstavern.com. Appetizers: $3.95-$8.95. Entrees: $9.95-$13.95.