Penguin Pizza

Penguin PizzaPenguin Pizza
Penguin PizzaPenguin Pizza
Bar, Eatery

735 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115-6304
United States

(617) 277-9200 | map
thepenguinpizza.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.95
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
48
pDev:
10.38%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by costanzo_mike:
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Rated by costanzo_mike from Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4

Jan 03, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.68 by jtk21351 from California

Feb 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by GarrettGus from Massachusetts

Feb 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by tim007007 from Illinois

Nov 15, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by benzalman from California

Nov 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.19 by trevorpost from Pennsylvania

Mar 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.28 by harsley from Massachusetts

Mar 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4.1 by WoostaBia from Massachusetts

Oct 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.4 by Jagaguar from Massachusetts

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by StrayteEDGE from Massachusetts

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Ken_P from Massachusetts

Sep 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mklisz from New Hampshire

Sep 08, 2014
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Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
First, let me state that the pizza is superb. The beer selection is extensive (particularly in bottles). There's also 30+/- beers on tap, although no nitro nor cask draws.

The location is about a mile west of the Northeastern campus on Huntington Avenue in the Longwood medical section of Boston. It's not near any touristy areas, so beer lovers will need to make this a go-to place. I'd place this in the top five beer bars of Boston.

For food, this is mainly a pizza place. There are also wings, salads, panini and wraps, but the pizza is so good, there's no need to go further. We're talking North End quality here.

Service was very good and attentive.

The beers are wide ranging. Unlike most Boston beer bars they don't try to hide their Buds, Coors Lite or Yuengling. They also don't venture too far into the weird: Sam, Sierra, Harpoon and Stone have multiple offerings. Yet there are plenty of samples from lesser known breweries.

This is a small (30-ish seats at tables and 10 bar stools) place. The walls are a drab yellow painted brick. On the Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, it was pretty empty, but I was pleased to see a couple of families enjoying the food. Since we are in the middle of several hospitals and colleges, I would imagine this was unusual.
May 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by TOH from New Jersey

Apr 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by dental from Massachusetts

Apr 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jwps214 from Massachusetts

Mar 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mcintire78 from Massachusetts

Oct 08, 2013
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Reviewed by Dicers from California

4.61/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Where to begin? Penguin is far and away my favorite bar in the city of Boston. I've been going there since I turned 21 and was a student at neighboring Northeastern. With their 20 cent wings on Monday and trivia on Saturday plus their frequent tap take overs by craft breweries it's always a fun place to go.

atmosphere: My favorite part of the establishment. When you walk into this relatively small bar you see the walls lined with 22oz mugs that have been engraved. In order to receive one of these mugs you must "endure" their penguin passport, a list of 335 beers that they carry on a regular basis. This list does unfortunately include some bad macro breweries like bud or coors, but with special rotating micro brews they're always willing to substitute for a good craft beer. I got through my passport in about a year and now am a mug clubber. They have about 35 taps all of which are clean and delicious. About 20 of them are always rotating with new and exciting brews.
If you come on any sort of regular basis you will see other mug clubbers icing (surprising someone with a smirnoff ice) other people close to receiving their mug. Also the staff and regulars are always willing to give beer recommendations to newbies who are intimidated by the large beer list.

quality/service: I may be biased because I am a regular but whenever I'm there even when the place is packed the staff is always attentive and although you may have to wait an extra minute or two it's well worth it. Everyone is friendly, the beer is served in correct glassware, and the food is delicious.

selection: With a list of 335 beers you're bound to find something you love and something you hate. A few beers are hit or miss and they don't always have in stock, but they always are adding and subtracting beers based on what people enjoy. If you can't find a beer here you'll be hard pressed to find one anywhere.

Food: The pizza is amazing! try the duck confit! all of it is good though and they've been rated best thin crust in Boston.

This place located in the mission hill section of boston is a hidden gem and a must for beer lovers
Mar 31, 2013
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Reviewed by Hopdaemon39 from New York

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I finally went to Penguin for the first time last night- I was very excited considering how many beers they are famed to have, but came away slightly disappointed. While they do have a large selection many of them were not beers I consider worth drinking (aka coors, other adjunct lagers) and many seemed quite overpriced to me. There was a pretty sharp divide between the prices of large scale American micro-brews (Sam Adams, Magic Hat, DFH 60) and better microbrews (Green Flash and others from out west) and imports. Also I think that some of their drafts were not kept properly- the Founders Centennial that I had was pretty flat as was a Flemish wild ale that my friend had (which shouldn't be anywhere NEAR flat).

That being said, their pizza is excellent and reasonably priced (3.95 for a VERY large slice), they serve most of their beers in the appropriate glassware, and its a fun place to go with friends. I probably won't ever try to go there again but if I happen to end up there it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Feb 18, 2012
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Reviewed by Joezkl from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I have been going to Penguin when I am in the area for about five years now and I have watched the establishment grow from a dive-ish bar with great intentions that struggled with execution and keeping up with its demand, to a well-oiled machine that knows its strengths, its demographic, and its limitations.

The beer: When I discovered the Penguin, they had approx. 150 beers in house and approx. 10 draft lines. Now there are over 330 beers in stock and nearly 40 draft lines, which often rotate and the draft lines always taste clean (nothing worse than a great microbrew poured through a dirty line). They have recently added a Cask as well. The bartenders are knowledgable and good at reccomending a beer when the list is too intimidating. Beers are generally served in the proper glassware.

The Pizza: A very tasty thin crust that never disappoints. They have traditional run-of-the-mill selections and some interesting artisan creations as well. My personal favorites are the Ultimate Penguin, the honolulu, and the Bird. The menu (or “penu” as they refer to it) has recently been updated and now has even more unique (and delicious) pizza creations, like fig and prosciutto or “the great white”. They also have four daily slice options, if you are in a rush.

The atmosphere: I must admit, this is my favorite part of the Penguin. It is a small place with a decent sized bar and approximately 12-13 tables. The walls are covered in beer signs and the mugs of people that have completed the mug club. If you drink every beer they have in stock over the course of a year (they have “passports” to keep track) you receive your own personalized 22 oz. mug. Upon completion, you can get draft beer out of your mug for the same price as a regular 16 oz draft. This has led to a large group of regulars who frequent the bar, so if you go more than once or twice, you are bound to see familiar faces. It won’t be long until people begin to recognize you as well. I have met more than one friend through the Penguin.

The service: The service at Penguin is always friendly. In days past, when the place was busy the service would become slow because there were only two servers on hand. They have added a hostess and food runners to take some of the pressure off the servers and this has helped the consistency and quality of the service.

In short, this is a great neighborhood bar that is loved by Boston locals that live in the Mission Hill area. The beer selection is among the best in Boston, with some really hard to find beers, and the taps are rotated frequently and always clean. The food is solid pub fare, with pizza that will hold its own against any in Boston. There is a local, down to earth, almost dive atmosphere. There is a good mix of people, from college kids from surrounding Northeaster, Wentworth, and Mass Art (among others), as well as many doctors and nurses that come for a pint after work, and a few mission hill “townies” that have embraced this little gem since its inception.

The Penguin has something for everyone and is a must try if you are a beer lover, pizza enthusiast, a student just moving to mission hill, or a passerby that just happens to find yourself in the Brigham Hill section of Boston.
Aug 26, 2011
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Reviewed by IHC from Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +21.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Atmosphere- I must say this is fastly becoming my new favorite spot to go after work. The atmosphere is small hole in the wall type place. They have lots of beer signs every where. Every time i've been in this place its filled with younger people maybe college or in mid 20's but all drinking good craft beer.

Quality- All of the food and drinks I've had have been top notch, I've going there every day for the last week and its always been consistent.

Service- When its slow the staff is very nice and helpful and friendly. When its packed they still manage to be happy about it.

Selection- They have by far the biggest beer selection I've seen in the boston area. If you know of a place that has more beer than these guys please send me a message im dying to try it. They have 330+ beers some of which of course are on rotation in the draught lines. They also have a mug club, if you try all the beers you get your own mug engraved with your name or whatever you decide to put on it.

Food- Delicious pizza! phantom gourmet rated them #8 i believe in all new england.

Value- Prices are reasonable.
Jan 20, 2011
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Reviewed by DrinkingDrake from Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
On a tight corner in Mission Hill. A narrow place with a good beer selection. Right at the end of the bar they keep the bottle selection in a large soda cooler so you can see everything available. They also have a brew club with your own mug.Good Luck. When its quite the staff is really friendly and like holding a conversation with you. However, when it gets a little crowded just expect abrupt service.If your from the area your used to this type of treatment so it should not alter your judgment, so get to know them.
Some damn good and interesting pizza. Prosciutto on a meatlovers, my girlfriend loves the veggie and they had no problem splitting it up anyway you wanted.
If you are visiting I also highly suggest stopping by for at least one beer because they serve Sam Adam's Brick Red. It's a red ale they brew at the Jamaica Plane brewery and only sell to Boston Bars. However Yard House in Dedham, right outside of Boston, has it. I think they have an inside source.
Dec 28, 2010
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Reviewed by Deingeist from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
This is a small place at brigham circle on mission hill. It's not much larger than a hole in the wall, but it's a hole in the wall with a whole lot of beer and some interesting food choices. It reminds me of a small italian/swiss restaurant. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a "destination" restaurant, but it's great for lunch if you're in the area because of school or visiting the MFA.

The quality is overall quite good. They use fresh ingredients in all of their food, and I've never had a skunked beer there in the many times I've visited.

Service is good once you get past the disorganization at the door, it's unclear as to whether you're supposed to seat yourself or not (you're not... i think...) but the bartenders and waitresses/waiters are all friendly enough and seem to know what they're talking about.

The selection is really good for such a small place. 30 beers on tap, 15 permanents and 15 rotating, mostly locals, almost all domestic, a couple imports. 200+ bottled beers. This place turned me on to craft/micro and imports and is pretty much the reason I only drink crafts and imports.

As said above the food is well made. You can get soups, sandwiches, some plated dinner meals or pizza (their main thing). It's not always the absolute best food but it's made with quality ingredients and it's interesting/eclectic. They have pretty good pizza with a variety of traditional and strange toppings. It's a good place if you're looking for interesting options or to try new things.
Apr 22, 2010
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Reviewed by maybrick from Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -19%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Was there the evening of 04/16/2010 around 10:30. Nice bottle line up and approximately 16 taps. All taps were craft with none being among the "Big Three." It is smaller place that can accomodate around 50 or so people. The bottle selection is decent - I belive in excess of 200 and the taps selections were seasonal. Mostly new Engalnd (Magic Hat, Cisco, Harpoon) but also had offereings from Troegs of PA and Stone of CA. We had the Hawaiian pizza which was good. I'd recommend this place as a stop on a good pub crawl but not as a destination.

Cheers!
Apr 17, 2010
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Reviewed by bsend from Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Penguin Pizza, a local favorite for so many reasons.

Atmosphere: This place is great to come and sit back. Bright enough during the day for lunch, they turn the lights down around 8pm and it becomes 21+. There can be some loud music, but it comes from Ipods rather than the usual bar music (better than the usual one Journey song, and host of other over played singles). Small negative is the heat in the summer. This place can make it feel like you are down south rather than in Boston.

Quality: Nice pub style atmosphere with clean tables and openly priced beer menu. Everything is up to par.

Service: Where it gets hard, to love penguin. The waiters are usually very friendly, and up to date with beer knowledge. The problem however, is that you may be forgotten and your glass goes empty longer than it should.

Selection: Currently around 30 taps, and planning to get rid of their half liquor license in favor of even more taps (room for 5-10 more). 15 standards, with some of those standards being Dogfish Head 60min, BBC Steel Rale, Sam Seasonal, Brooklyn Lager, Harpoon IPA, Allagash White and Stone IPA. They have 15 rotating taps that have included Six Star Cream, Dogfish Head Black & Blue, Hobgoblin, Affligem Blonde, an import Oktoberfest and many others. The rotating line rotates frequently making it worthwhile to keep going. They also have a variety of bottles around 200. They have a "Penguin Passport" were they check off beers from their list as you drink them. Finish the 200+ list and get a personalized mug to keep at the store for larger fills.

Food: Their pizza is gourmet, big, and cheap. One slice for $3 is roughly a quarter of a larger pizza. They have the usual culprits but also duck, cajun shrimp, and lots of cool vegetarian options. Their menu also includes more than just pizza (sandwiches, paninis, pasta, appetizers etc).

Value: You can spend tons of money on beer here, or go cheap with $3 pizza or 10 cent wings on Mondays. The average cost of a pint is $5 with a decent pour. Most beers come with proper glassware.

Final Thoughts - I love Penguin pizza. For locals, its the place to always stop off at and grab a beer. Good selection, right prices, and a decent staff make this worth coming too.
Apr 30, 2009
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Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Finally made the schlep to the threshold of Mission Hill at Brigham Circle to check this place out on a blistering cold Friday afternoon off. The bar is to the left - about 8-10 seats, with about 20 or so taps and a cooler of bottles to the far left. Tables straight back in the center of the place and a sort of open kitchen behind it. Since I was flying solo I sat at the bar.

Let's see - what was on tap. Berkshire Steel Rail, DFH 60, Sixpoint Sweet Action...Boddington's, Allagash White, Brooklyn Lager...and quite a few more. Big bottle list in the hundreds. I saw the Stone IPA tap handle and was stoked until I noticed that it was unfortunately out at the moment. No worries - I had a Sixpoint Sweet Action instead.

The bartender (from previous reviews I guessed that this was Pam) was courteous, helpful and friendly...asking about what kinds of beers I enjoyed and so forth. Pam and her trusty assistant Dave (first day there, I think) were very welcoming to a new visitor and were quite prompt and efficient, too. The Sixpoint Sweet Action was smooth, as was the Brooklyn Lager towards the end of lunch. Oh yeah...lunch...

I had a medium straight pepperoni pizza. Solid - had that pub pizza feel to it - smaller with a mid-range chewy thin crust - not overly toasted and crispy. The sauce was solid, though - not very sweet as some pub pizzas often go - this one had plenty of onions and garlic in it to provide some poignancy. Since I had neither dinner the previous night nor breakfast this morning, I can't believe I ate the whole thing.

$8.99 is a reasonable price for the pizza. Some of their more exotic creations (duck confit, jerk, etc.) will run a few $ higher. Pints were each around $5 and they were damn fine pours. It's a hike from my neighborhood but I'll definitely be back.
Jan 18, 2009
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Reviewed by trbergman from England

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I saw an ad in last month's BA magazine and decided to check it out after viewing the menu online. My girlfriend and I visited last night with a couple of friends. All of us were impressed.

The place has a bit of a dive-y feel, at least when first entering, but everything is clean and the aesthetic works pretty well. Not many tables, but on a Tuesday night, we had no trouble getting a spot. The beer list is very good, although the draft selection is nowhere near the quality of the bottles. About half are rotating taps and the only way to figure out the current selection is to ask the waitstaff, who were otherwise very helpful but couldn't remember the new things on tap.

Their pizza is delicious. We shared the Jerk Shrimp and the Seasonal, which was butternut squash sauce, goat cheese, and leek. While the beer prices are pretty standard for Boston, the pizza is a steal - $8.99 for a pretty generously sized medium.

Other than the trouble with the rotating taps I already addressed, the staff were generally helpful and service was reasonably quick. After paying the bill, we took our time leaving and no one gave us a hard time.

I'd definitely go again, although the Brigham Circle area is off the beaten path for me, so I'm not sure when I'll realistically get the chance. If you live or work nearby, you have to check it out - and it's worth the occasional detour even if you don't.
Dec 17, 2008
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Reviewed by dananabanana from Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -22%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
A good local "dive" bar. When I worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital across the street, I went there often. This place has a lot of regulars.

Their pizza is great, with some really inventive selections (try the Seasonal or the Duck Confit).

The beer list is one of the best within walking distance of the Brigham Circle area. They also have a beer club, where if you finish 100 specific beers, you earn a glass and a lifetime discount on their on-tap beers.

They have the slowest service I have ever experienced at a restaurant. The good news is, they get to recognize the regulars very well, and will get to you faster once they know you.

This place is great after work or on a Saturday afternoon. At night, it becomes overcrowded and turns the music up way too loud.

And yes, I have seen rats here.
Oct 07, 2008
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -12.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I didn't have a very good time at the Penguin, but that's mainly due to one individual, and really not much of anything else. However, as he was an employee - or even an owner (?) - that makes a real difference!

Some jack-ass named Joe was sitting at the bar talking to the Irish lass behind the bar, and when my food arrived I thanked the server but he didn't hear me, and then said loudly "Thank you" as if to correct me. Knowing that he's at least in some way associated with the place, and was obviously acting that way because of it, I found it off-putting. Any regular-Joe at the bar rail can say whatever he wants and I couldn't care less, but when you're part of the venture I find it holds more weight with me. He then proceeded to say under his breath, but still audible to me as I ate... "Go on, slurp it on down" implying that I was some repulsive non-mannered swine. How rude!!! I don't care if you're F'ng Prince Charles, judgemental people don't do well in my book!

That said, I have to slam them on service as the server was also quite unattentive due to her chat, and seemed to block me out to talk to Joe about the sand they were bringing in for some kind of special party.

The pizza was very good, and the beer selection was excellent with well over 100 bottles! They offer 28 taps including Left Hand JuJu, Allagash White, Smutty Brown Dog, Krusovice, Narraganset, Harpoon IPA and Sam Adams (of course!), Wachusett's Blueberry, Stone IPA, DFH 60 Min., and Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale complete with the "buy the ceramic stein" promo. There's even a Penguin Ale that I was completely assured is made just for them by Budweiser!

The full menu impressed me, and I only went with the pizza because, well, it is Penguin PIZZA! I thought the prices were reasonable, and even bordering on "inexpensive" for Boston, with soup at $4, tostadas at $7, wraps for $6, pastas in the $8 to $10 range (except for shrimp scampi... $11), and apps and salads in the $5 to $8 range. And beers are reasonably priced at roughly $5 a pint as well.

So overall, this is a pretty decent little pizza place with a VERY good selection of beers! Worth trying. Comfortable and casual.
Jun 17, 2008
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Reviewed by Lothore from California

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I really dug penguin pizza more as a place to hang out with friends than a beer bar. The atmosphere was pretty good, your average pizza joint with a bar, a bit small. The pizza was tasty and large for being so cheap. Service was a bit slow but the place was jam packed so I didn't ding them too much for that. The selection was large but even so I found only a few beers I was interested in trying, I think bigger isn't always necessarily better. Overall I had an excellent time there eating with some friends from boston and enjoyed a couple good brews.
Jan 13, 2008
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Reviewed by WillieMoe from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
This is a quaint little place in the Brigham Circle area of Beantown. Went there on a Friday night and it was busy, but not crowded. We were there around 11pm and were able to find a table without any trouble. Will be a place I'd like to go back to in the afternoon to really sort of drink it in.

The pizza was tasty, but wasn't "blow your hair back" phenomenal. Of course we just had a pepperoni, so maybe their specialty pizzas are what really stand out. Wouldn't mind trying the Hawaiian stayl, but my lady, doesn't enjoy pineapple on her pizza pies. The quality of beer was outstanding, I thought. They seem to give you the appropriate glass for whatever brew you happen to get.

I thought the service was above average, just because one woman was both bartender and waitress, and thought she did good job considering. Initially it took like ten minutes to get the first beers, but got better as the night progressed. No worse than any other popular watering hole on a Friday night.

It would be hard for anyone to complain about the selection. They have about 200 or so beers available, from breweries all over the world. I was even pleasantly surprised to find Middle Ages Wailing Wench,which was an old favorite from Syracuse. There's maybe 20 on draft, but that's to be expected. It seems to have something for everyone. I had a Stone IPA, which is a fan favorite, and then went local with a Berkshire Lost Sailor IPA, and then a Endurance Glacier Gold. Want to see how often they change the brews, and I will, because this will be a frequent stop for yours truly.
Jan 12, 2008
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Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I thought I was stepping into a normal pizza joint for lunch after I toured the Sam Adams brewery. Well, they do have good pizza; I ate an entire 14 inch pizza by myself, but this isn't called "Pizza Advocate", now is it. Cut and paste the taps and bottle quanitity from other Boston establishments and put it here, over a dozen taps and lots of bottles. Some of the offerings they had were Steel Rail, Zywiec Porter, Mackeson XXX, St. Peter's, Magic Hat, and Lagunitas. The parlor even sells their own house brew. Different beer glassware sits behind the bar for the different beer styles offered. Along the right wall as you walk is a display of mugs called the "Mug Club", with membership at over 300 strong. What I really like about the beer ofeering is they offer more Baltic Porters than other places, which scores points with me. If you're really hungry for pizza, Penguin Pizza and their beer offerings should satisy your needs.
Dec 27, 2007
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Stopped in this past Saturday for a late lunch. Decent crowd for a Saturday, and we grabbed a seat at a table near the windows. They open up and let a nice breeze come in to our table. The woman bartender was also the only waitress I saw, so it took some time for her to take our order. The ambiance was a cross between a local pub and a pizza parlor, and I liked it. They have a very impressive beer list for a pizza place. I would estimate 20+ on tap and about 100 in bottles. Some bottles were a bit exotic too, coming from such unusual locales as Israel, India, and Portugal. There were about 10 different pizzas to order. We tried the Duck Confit pizza, which was well priced, surprising large, and very tasty. I grabbed a take-out menu for the future. I tried a Left Hand JuJu Ginger beer on draft, and a Clipper City Imp Stout bottle. Both were great, plus with most beers priced around $4, made them taste better. I would come back here in a heartbeat for a pizza and some beers. One of my favorite new finds around Boston.
Aug 20, 2007
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Reviewed by FrankLloydMike from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Penguin is the second best place to get a beer in the Brigham Circle area--second only to the Pig of course, which I believe used to or perhaps still has some sort of affiliation with Penguin. It's a nice place, though it can get a bit crowded and is not large at all inside. The bar is nice, located in the front window, and lit much differently than any of the other bars in the area, which gives it a totally different feel. There's also a nice alcove next to the bar for stealing away when it's particularly busy. The pizza is phenomenal, and my personal favorite is the Seasonal, which I'm pretty sure is not actually seasonal, but really they're all fantastic and priced great by the slice or pie. The beer selection is also extremely good, including quite a few taps (recently expanded), but what is truly impressive is the very long list of bottled beers. Both tap and bottles include a wide range of international and local micros, though the list isn't too different than what you'll find at the Pig or the Mission. The bartenders will always serve the beer in the proper glass, as well, which is nice. The only two real drawbacks with this place are how crowded it can get certain nights, and as a result how slow the service can get. Other than that, Penguin is great and no matter how crowded or slow, it's so much better than the Mission!
Mar 27, 2007
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Reviewed by rousee from Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -32.9%
vibe: 1 | quality: 2 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2
I had debated whether or not to do a beerfly on the Penguin for a couple months and I have determined it would be a disservice to the BA community if I did not tell the truth about my experience here.

Ok--standard funky pizza kitchen look to the place with a small bar on the left when you walk in. Pizza ovens in the back with small tables throughout. Like the Mission across the street, the bottle selection is far better than the draught, but to me a bar's selection should really be judged more by its on-tap offerings rather than the bottles it carries.

So I'm hanging out with my buddy who works at the hospital next door to the place and we're chatting, having a beer or 2 and I notice a cockroach on the back of the bar. A few minutes later, I notice another one on the wall near the chalkboards where the pizza menus are written. So enough is enough--we pay and leave. The service was fine and the pizza tasted okay but I cant help but be disturbed by seeing this. My friend who works next door told me he had been back once since that day with his mother and he saw more of them running around the place that day too. He hasnt been back since and I am not likely to visit this place again either.
Jan 17, 2007
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Reviewed by jbart from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Penguin Pizza is a great place for beer and cheap, tasty (and huge) pizza slices. I went there the other night after having been away about a month. I was surprised that they had doubled the amount of drafts. Many of them are local like Harppon, but not all. I was sad to see that there was no more Hoegaarden on tap, but there are plenty of other great beers--especially in bottle.

The prices aren't as good as somewhere like Linwood, but you can still get some great deals on fantastic beers. My boyfriend especially enjoyed the Clipper City Pegleg Porter.

The general vibe at Penguin is relaxed. The staff is always friendly. You can't go wrong hanging out at the Penguin.
Nov 05, 2006
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Reviewed by BlueHammer from Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I went here for pizza and a few beers the other night. I wasn't completely impressed, but not totally unimpressed either. The atmosphere is that of a typical pizza joint. It has an open kitchen (which was not so fabulous when one irate customer went to complain to the cook). There were a lot of neon lights! The beer selection was large but not exhaustive. In many cases only the *company* and not the *actual* specific brew was listed. That somewhat perplexed me! I ended up going with something I had before since that was just easier than asking. The waitress seemed to be having a bad day but she was friendly and courteous and attentive, pretty much until right before we left. The pizza was good, thin crust and pretty tasty - $12.50 for a large cheese so not outrageously priced either. Of course, being an original New Yorker, I compare all pizza to NY pizza, but this was pretty good! I'd be curious to try some of their specialty pizzas. All the beers were about $4-$6. I'd head back if I'm in the area again.
Sep 05, 2006
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Reviewed by Gregorious from California

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This palce is usually teeming with young professionals and nearby college students in for a bite or a quick brew. The penguin is usually bumping but not too overwhelmingly loud...can definately have a conversation with your buddy or date. There's also a jukebox so you can serranade whomever you're with.

The beer selection is up there. They have all the usual suspects as well as some micro brews and a good number of bottles from all over the place to suit you. Dogfish 60min, Stone IPA, Delirium Tremens, and La Fin du Monde...to name a few.

The service can be a little bad at times. Though this is because sometimes they only have 1 waitress working the bar as well as the floor.

Food is great...pizza toppings are fresh and delicious. They have ingredients ranging from usuals like pepperoni and mushrooms to weird ones like duck confit and proscuitto.

This place also has a beer club, where you have to drink every beer they have there to get a 22oz mug. It'll run you a good hole in your pocket drinking the 100+ beers but then you can have your mug filled by draught beers for the regular price. Meaning you get 22oz of beer and you pay for 16oz.

I reccommend this place to anyone...good pizza, good beer, good times.
Jul 12, 2006
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Reviewed by bkett01 from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This place was a very pleasant suprise from what I expected going in. While not all Boston bars have lived up to their BA hype for me personally, this one went above and beyond it's modest review history. Boasting an extensive bottle collection and 10 taps (of which only one was being wasted on PBR), the Penguin made good use of the tap lineup ranging from the regulars: Sam Adams/Guinness/Stella Artois to some impressive crafts: Stone IPA/ Endurance Pale Ale (1st I'd ever seen of it on tap), and some Berkshire Brewing Company offerings. They offer a "beer club" of sorts where if you can get through every bottle and tap they offer (I was told this would run around $400), then you get a personalized 22oz mug that hangs above the bar and you get any draught beer in it at the 16oz price. One downside.... you have to drink miller light, pbr, coors, even smirnoff ice to get through the list....

The pizza was enormous and delicious. Went great with the beers. The extensive pizza menu even had some sort of duck pizza. Overall, I was very impressed with the atmosphere, prices, food & drink. Only complaint: The place seemed to hover around 90-100 degrees (not even sure if i'm exaggerating or not) the whole time I was there. Poor ventilation, alleged "air-conditioning" which went unnoticed, and pizza ovens. I would recommend this place to any of you out there. Definitely one of the top Boston beer spots.
Jun 02, 2006
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Reviewed by dbalsock from Vermont

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I finally made it here after passing by countless times on the 39 bus. Ciderfaerie and I took the trip after work to have some highly reviewed pizza and a brew for me. The tap selection isn't amazing, but it's still ok, albeit small. The bottle selection, like others have said, is fantastic. After finding myself in a beer wanting conundrum, I decided to make a safe bet and ignore the bottles, instead going for a wonderful Berkshire IPA. It tasted awesomely fresh and hit the spot. A few of the bottles seemed a little overpriced, but others seemed to be right around average for boston. The service was quite slow, frustratingly slow because the place was near empty, but the servers were still cheerful and there were no disasters. The pizza was pretty yummy, but I wouldn't call it the best. However, it wasn't as greasy as most pizza places in this city, and that's a huge bonus. If I could give it a 1 1/2 $ for price I would, because it doesn't need to be expensive and is better than a lot of Boston places. If I was planning on staying in Boston, I'd probably go back once in awhile, and if I lived in Brigham Circle, I would be there all the time, but it's not a place I'm going to go out of my way for.
Apr 15, 2006
Penguin Pizza in Boston, MA
Place rating: 3.95 out of 5 with 48 ratings