Tavern in the Square

Tavern in the SquareTavern in the Square
Tavern in the SquareTavern in the Square
Bar, Eatery

161 Brighton Ave
Allston, Massachusetts, 02134-2003
United States

(617) 782-8100 | map
taverninthesquare.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
2.97
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
9
pDev:
28.62%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of Judb7676
Rated by Judb7676

1/5  rDev -66.3%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1 | food: 1
Terrible service very homophobic transphobic and sexist
Nov 11, 2021
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.61/5  rDev +21.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.75
This is a sports bar first and foremost. I estimate 30 televisions in here showing at least four different sporting events. There are over 30 beers on tap. Most are conventional or from the more popular craft selections (I.e. One won't find anything funky or hard to find here.). Still, one week likely find something that will satisfy.

It's a Memorial Day Sunday, after most schools have had their graduations. So the place is understandably slow. I ordered a burger which was done well. I didn't see too many others eating.

The service was nicely attentive but not very knowledgeable. "What are your seasonal offerings?"

"They are all the summer ones."
May 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.14 by Shellynix from Massachusetts

Mar 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.39 by Dicers from California

Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

Oct 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by StrayteEDGE from Massachusetts

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by ZDSmith87 from Massachusetts

Aug 07, 2014
Photo of coachdonovan
Reviewed by coachdonovan from Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev +22.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The Kells has been reborn as Tavern in the Square, and while the line to get in still goes down the block on a Saturday night, the vibe inside is a bit more mature. It's hard to find a place that has more TVs than here, and the booths each feature their own private screen with channel control.

The menu is all encompassing, and while I wasn't blown away by any dish, everyone in my group seemed to enjoy what he/she ate. The classic nachos are very plain and not much more than chips+cheese, but you get a ton for $8. Most sandwiches are around ten bucks, and while I could have used a bigger piece of fish on my "Cape Codder" both the sandwich and the side salad seemed fairly fresh.

My biggest complaint about the beer menu is that no prices are included, but you can order any draft by the pitcher or small/large glass. The small looked to be a 12-14oz pour and I'm guessing the large is 20-22oz. I had Sixpoint Righteous Rye, Kona Pipeline Porter, Prima Pils, Guinness, Dale's PA, and a milk stout, all in 22oz and I think they were about 9 dollars each. There was a very good representation of MA/local beer as well as spring seasonals, so you'd like to think most of it was fresh. The beer list includes all the standard BMC choices (gotta keep those college kids happy) but there are enough craft options for everyone. The beer menu is divided by style and was correctly done so, as far as I could tell.

The space here is huge, but it does fill up after dinner, so if you're in the neighborhood you probably want to make this one of your first stops instead of last. It's a great option for lunch or just afternoon beers at the bar, especially if the roofdeck is available in warmer weather.
Apr 06, 2011
Photo of morebeergood
Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +17.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Stopped in here Saturday night with my wife to check it out for dinner. This used to be the Kells Pub and also Privus Lounge, but now it's been combined into one huge space. Very open concept inside, much more spacious. This place is a huge sports bar. There are televisions everywhere. Very nice wooden tables and booths surround the huge bar in the center. I like the look of the place, as you can tell they put some money into the remodel. We took a booth seat on the windows side of the bar. Our waitress was good, but seemed very young and inexperienced. Our food came and for the most part it was pretty bland. My chicken sandwich was barely passable, but my wife did not enjoy her turkey wrap at all. Our onion rings were tasteless. On the other hand, the beer selection was much better than expected. There are probably 50-60 beers on tap here, and a good majority are craft. All the major plays in the craft beer scene seemed to have a tap here. My wife had a pint of the Avery Old Jubilation ($5.50) and I had a pint of the Weihenstephaner Korbinian ($6). Food and beer prices were reasonable enough. I would probably not return here for a meal, but I think this place should be my new hangout to watch a big game and have some beers. The combination of tons of TVs and loads of good beer on tap will be a big hit in Allston.
Dec 05, 2010
Tavern in the Square in Allston, MA
Place rating: 2.97 out of 5 with 9 ratings