When a beloved, gritty pub goes in for a makeover, the natural reactions are skepticism and fear. Will they raise the price of a pint? Will the peanut dispenser by the bar survive?

But The Plough & Stars, the Cambridge institution of live bands and fresh Guinness, hasn’t gone all hoity-toity on us. In fact, the biggest change around there is the new menu.

Dinner will now be served nightly (except Sundays), and you may find yourself fending off forks for chef Brendan Curtis’s pan-seared striped bass. His pressed Cuban sandwich is revelatory — a fresh roll loaded with smoked ham, roasted pork, gruyere, pickles, and smoked pepper aioli.

It’s been nine months since The Plough closed, and crowds are clamoring back in. They’ll be relieved to find that pints are still $5 and that the soccer posters haven’t come down.

Alas, the peanut dispenser has been retired.

Some sacrifices to progress just had to be made.

The Plough & Stars, 912 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square, Cambridge (617-576-0032 or ploughandstars.com).