Esssential neighborhood hangouts

... I sat next to and talked with two two honest-to-god old school South End guys from the days of my youth. About 75, black, kind of weatherbeaten -- enjoying their meal at the bar; could have been musicians... or laborers... or MIT professors... who knows? Not many of those folks around any more.

Harp & Bard in Dorchester

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:29pm

Harp & Bard in Dorchester

O’Briens Pub in Allston. Best

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:31pm

O’Briens Pub in Allston. Best place to see local live music.

Great Scott as well

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:39pm

Great Scott as well

Pleasant Cafe

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:34pm

Pleasant Cafe
JJ Brannellys
Eire Pub
The Corrib

Anyone else

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:44pm

Pick up pizza from the Pleasant lately, it was terrible. Like inedible.

Hope it was a fluke, but three people I know had the same experience of recent.

In Davis Square

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:38pm

Mike's is an essential presence and meeting place

Also in Davis Square: The Burren

By Ron Newman
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 8:44pm

and if we go beyond just bars and restaurants: the Somerville Theatre.

THE TAM

By Coyote137
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:39pm

THE TAM

Also Galway House.

By Coyote137
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:44pm

And JJ Foley’s. And the Corner Pub. And Tavern at the End of the World.

So is this just a survey that

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:44pm

So is this just a survey that doesn't award the surveyed like they do on the internet?

Love this post

By CMac
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:45pm

East Boston: Eddie C's / Kelley Sq Pub / All of the Spanish Dives

Southie: Murphy's, Whitey's, L St. (Lincoln defines new Southie)

Dorchester: Hmm.. lot's disappearing. Eire Pub / Dot Tavern (not sure if it has reopened)

JP: Galway House / Brendan Behan

Charlestown: Sullivan's / Ironside

Westie: CORRIB / Kelleher's

Rozzi: JJ's / BKs

North End: Stanza

Allston/Brighton: Silhouette, Model's, Irish Village, Mary Ann's

Beacon Hill: Seven's Ale / Beacon Hill Pub / Sully's Tap

South End / Back Bay: Wally's, JJ Foley's, Bukowski, Pour House, McGreevy's

Downtown: The Tam, Beantown Pub, JJ Foley's, Biddy Early's, An Tain, Green Dragon/Bell n' Hand/Durty Nelly's

Fenway: Anything on or around Landsdowne

Looking at Charlestown on

By ToonieDave
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 11:40am

Looking at Charlestown on your list: Ironsides closed this summer. If you mean Old Sully's it closed a couple years ago and has been replaced by "luxury condos."

Better start getting used to

By Mediacrity
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 12:51pm

Better start getting used to Charlestown without Ironside ... https://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/2019/09/iro...

High five for the Durtys mention. :)

JP Licks

By Parkwayne
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:47pm

JP Licks in JP
Delfino + Pleasant Cafe in Roslindale
Behan in Hyde Square*

I tried to decide what it would be in Coolidge Corner but it's a toss-up between the Verizon Store, the ATT store, the Bank of America and the Citizens Bank.

* as a middle-aged white person. I'd guess if I was Latino I'd have a different answer.

Coolidge Corner?

By KellyJMF
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:43pm

I think of the movie theater and Brookline Booksmith

Not Boston

By BostonDog
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 4:21pm

If you include the nearby cities and towns a bunch of neighbors should be considered. Davis Sq still has class as does Ball Square and West Medford.

Independently owned restaurants seem to be the common factor for all of these spots, unsurprisingly. If Boston wanted to help they could offer grants and incentives for locally O/O restaurants with only a single location.

I was in Allston last night

By Marco
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 2:47pm

for a show at O'Briens Pub. I moved to Boston in 1999 and I NEVER thought that place would still be around 20 years out. So many great Allston bars/establishments have come and gone, and that hell-hole still keeps chugging along. They MUST own the building. Tiny bar, tiny capacity, only open from 8-12 every night, horrible sound, cramped, hot. Its a glorified basement show 7 nights a week, which while sort of amazing, it just perplexes me as to how no one has sold that place for it's liquor license. No one would miss it. Meanwhile the outer neighborhoods are dry as a bone.
Anyways my votes for Allston institutions we should never lose:
Silhouette
The Model Cafe
Twin Donuts

I've been to probably half a

By pizza eater
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 1:38pm

I've been to probably half a dozen shows at O'Brien's, a couple of great shows among them. I don't think the sound's that bad, it is very loud but those are the type of shows that are O'Brien's flavor. Also given the type of the music, sometimes the amps for bands later in the night take up a lot of space so limits floor space, but again NBD. So I for one, plus many others, would miss that place. The staff are nice, the beers are not expensive and the ticket is cheap, BYO earplugs. Viva la "glorified basement shows"

Del Frisco's in the Seaport District

By Milwaukee Mike
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:00pm

Because it so perfectly epitomizes the quirky local charm of the neighborhood.

Savage.

By Scratchie
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 6:31pm

Savage.

Touchie’s

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:02pm

Shamrock Pub on H Street in Southie.

Best karaoke also

By anon
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 4:20pm

when Lady Gaga sings.

It's Too Late The City Is Dead

By BlackKat
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:04pm

The Channel and The Rathskeller

Delihaus :(

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:43pm

Delihaus :(

honorable mention

By mrotown
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 6:08pm

Deli Haus

Fireside Tavern - JP

By mangycougar
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:13pm

Fireside Tavern - JP

Pleasant Cafe - Roslindale

Jacques Cabaret - South End

Model Cafe - Allston

The Banshee

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:18pm

The Banshee

Not the answer they are looking for exactly

By downtown-anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:19pm

Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill Pub
You weren't expecting me to say
Cheers or the Bull and Finch were you?

If I were to answer the question about Beacon Hill I might say the Paramount, but it is about breakfast there.

Beacon Hill

By Bob Leponge
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 7:14pm

I'd go with Charles Street Supply (hardware store) or Gary Drug (One of the last independent pharmacies around).

You love your local independent businesses? Vote with your wallet. Yeah, light bulbs might be a little cheaper at Home Depot, and CVS might have shaving cream on sale. Consider the price difference a small fee you're paying to keep your neighbor employed.

Beacon Hill Pub

By downtown-anon
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 11:11am

I put this in as a joke and then I read that the Beacon Hill Pub is being converted to fine-dining.

Say it ain't so!

By Bob Leponge
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 10:47pm

Last time I was in there I was underage and the bouncer scared the shit out of me. Now my friend's kid works there as a bouncer.

Neighborhood Hangouts

By plt3012
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:20pm

Here in fashionable South Boston, many of the old places have given way to some really great places to have a White Claw!

Junction....

By Doug1001
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 6:12pm

Great spot.

Aga's Highland Tap

By O-FISH-L
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:25pm

Aga's Highland Tap in ~~Dudley~~ Nubian Square, not just for surviving 72 years but for forcing city father's to permit a strip club that they couldn't get their paws on.

Translation

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:41pm

Translation: We kind of like this business in the area we currently live so let's destroy the property value of it for the owner who might have spent a lifetime building it.

Boston Bowl in Dorchester/Neponset?

By DonovanCyn
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:42pm

I haven't been there in decades --- but it is one of the few gathering places of my youth still in business.

Chez Vous

By Waquiot
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 8:20pm

I did misread your comment, but much like you, my youth did not involved going to Chez Vous. However, my aunt used to go there all the time before getting married, having a kid, and moving back to Ireland. It blew my mind when she asked after it a while ago. I'd say that overall, the 50+ years of service to the community qualifies it as an essential neighborhood hangout.

Oh, and my son went there this summer. Not a fan of roller skating. Says he likes ice skating better, and he can't ice skate to save his life.

I hope I don't jinx these

By HGS138
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:48pm

I hope I don't jinx these places

Dali Restaurant (Somerville)
Brattle Theatre
Charlie's Kitchen (when people aren't playing bullshit on the jukebox)
Cambridge Elks (hardcore/punk institution, probably not interesting to most others)
Frank's Steakhouse

+1 to Brattle

By anon
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 6:00am

+1 to Brattle

Naked i

By anon
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:51pm

Naked i

Naked I

By Peter McNamara
Mon, 09/30/2019 - 10:22pm

Gone but not forgotten

Hasn't been around that long, but

By Adam
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 3:55pm

Ashmont Grill

Eastie

By thomas
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 4:11pm

Eastie

Eddie C
La hacienda
Kelly’s
Quiet few
Maverick cafe

Beg to differ

By Travis Stets
Thu, 09/26/2019 - 4:22pm

Quiet Few & Maverick Cafe are not "staples" in Eastie, not even close. Quiet Few's been there for about 6 months. I agree on Eddies, Kelley's, & Hacienda, though.