ACTIVITY ACTIVITY: So They Say It’s Your Birthday

The list of free things in expensive Cambridge seems as short as the line of people for Wyclef tickets: there’s the shuttle to the Quad and the mints in the dining hall. But a number of Square restaurants actually do offer free goodies to birthday boys and girls, so check out these establishments for dough-free desserts on your next special day.

John Harvard’s Brewhouse (33 Dunster St.)

John Harvard already provided a library and estate that spawned the most prestigious university in the world. Now, his eponymous restaurant gives Harvard students a dessert on the house after a birthday hullabaloo. The celebrant can pick from a menu that includes the classic butterscotch bread pudding and the stout mudslide pie.

Finale (30 Dunster St.)

In addition to causing fire safety concerns in Lamont, this den of dessert allows each individual server to have a different birthday specialty. So, pick your waitress wisely and with your tastebuds in mind, as you can end up with anything from the Crème Brulée to the thick Finale Cheesecake.

Ben and Jerry’s (36 JFK St.)

The only nationwide ice cream chain with a socially conscious mission statement gives the celebrant a free small cone of any of its large assortment of flavors, from the vintage Cherry Garcia (cherry ice cream with cherries and fudge flakes) to the epic Gobfather (chocolate ice cream with fudge covered almonds and a nougat swirl). No free hippies included.