Boston Bar Scene

Lulu's (near home) and Magoun's (near wife's work) are our go-to bars these days, with Bukowski a firm 2nd.

 

The NERAX website confirms that there will be no NERAX North in 2018. Dangnabit!

 

Thanks for the information. No offense, I can’t like your post.

It’s not exactly “North” but they can have it at my place in Somerville if they want.

 

Once upon a time, suburban beer lovers like myself would need to go to Boston or Camberville to get good beer. Thankfully with the proliferation of better beer, I can go nearly anywhere to grab a decent pint.

I certainly don’t miss the days of having to deal with Hipster a-holes (both behind & in front of the bar).

 

Somewhat on topic with a slight twist... what’s the best place to watch the Ohio State game today? We’re the Alumni website - Tony C’s in Fenway is the official OSU backer bar in Boston - is that correct?

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2163838787220142

 

I never really gave this much thought but I more or less never go out of my way to go to beer bars and don't find myself wishing I did either. Stoddards is something of an exception because they have such an interesting space/ambience combined with the eclectic beer that it feels like an 'experience' so I do make a point to go there whenever I'm in the area.

But the crowds, uninteresting spaces, and prices of places like Lord Hobo, Tip Tap Room (especially Tip Tap Room!) and Mead Hall just don't hold any charm for me. Some taprooms and pop ups can suffer from some or all of those things at times, but for me anyway there's usually value added from some combination of the local 'connection', the cool or interestingly DIY spaces, the opportunity to drink one offs and oddballs, etc. People can poo poo it all they want but I really like going to a place and seeing dogs, kids, families, and regular jabronis all coming together at a local spot to share some beer. And for all the talk of 'bad' beer, I think the list of places making beer that isn't at least decent is actually pretty small. Not every experience has to be about reaching for the pinnacle of best in style.

As far as the question of looking for things not brewed locally, I guess don't really do that. When I make a point to go out I'm usually looking to take advantage of something that's only available around here. If I want something from elsewhere I generally buy that at the store and enjoy it at home.

All that said, I'd probably be on the side of 'tides lifting all boats' since for whatever reason plenty of people appear to love paying $11 for a 10 ounce pour with barely enough room to move your arms at places like the Tip Tap room (did I mentioned I don't like the Tip Tap Room?). Different strokes.

I wonder if the 'high end' beer bars are having any impact at all on old school watering hole type places? Either in terms of what the old school places have on offer or in terms of having to fight for customers?

 

I moved from Boston to Washington state four years ago, and have not been back since.

One of the things I noticed right away out here was how much more local beers are featured in taplists. In Boston I would get frustrated by how formulaic the taplists were, with New England beers limited to 30 pct or less, and the balance given to out of region and foreign beers. Has this changed?

 

Yes, dramatically so in my opinion.

 

Haven't seen any mention of Publick House, so just wanted to put that our there. Lulu's used to be my go to, but they have taken price gouging to another level. Last time I went for example they were charging $11-$12 for an 8oz sample of an Equilibrium IPA. Publick is far more reasonable, from my experience at least, than Lulu's, Five Horses, and Tip Tap Room. Stoddard's is very solid and has the best food menu in Boston for beer bars in my opinion. Worden Hall, in southie, is also pricey but they sometimes have a strong beer list.

 

I don't find myself in that particular area often so I've only ever been a handful of times, but I agree that Public House has something to offer that makes it more like Stoddards than like the places many of us have been dishing on.

 

Lulu’s has come up in price a bit but I still find them to be quite reasonable relative to the other overpriced places already mentioned, including Worden Hall which is like the overpriced version of the already overpriced 5 Horses. To be honest, I’ll drink German beers at Deep Ellum and then eat tacos next door at Lone Star with whatever IPA they have on tap most times I’m out.

 

Last time I was out that way (which isn't often) I started at Publick House, then swung by Deep Ellum for my German fix, and then ended up Lu Lu's.

A nice easy loop with a good variety and different scene at each.

But I'm also the wrong person to ask about the best deals in Boston. I look at tap lists first, price second.

 

I am getting more and more fed up with pricing in Boston bars. It's really difficult to find anywhere that has a unique tap list plus good food and service as it is. Add in not wanting to feel taken advantage of, and there's hardly anywhere. I'm most content sticking with Cambridge Brewing Co.

 

I care less and less about American craft beer. When I go to beer bar I'm hoping for a couple European oddities on draft. It's harder and harder. Belgian beers being repalced with a bunch of lackluster sours or "Belgian Style". I've lucked out in recent months at Brewer's Fork and Lord Hobo. People like to gripe about Hobo, but they have a lot of new, younger staff that seem to give the place a new energy.

 

I see a lot of talk of Allston but no mention of Common Ground. They've had a great draft list for at least the last year or so.

Just having good beer isn't enough of a draw for bars anymore. We can just go to breweries for that. They need something else. Stoddards has good cocktails. Row 34 has great seafood. Picco has excellent pizza and ice cream. A4cade has videogames. Those are places I look forward to going back.

 

Headed back to Boston this weekend. This thread coupled with the Bs + Sox on Saturday might lead to my first brownout (possibly blackout?) in years.

 

For me personally it is. Most of the time I'll check a bars tap list before I go. Oftentimes I'll end up somewhere because I saw a specific beer or beers I want.

I always wanted to go to Lu Lu's because of their tap list. I regularly go to Five Horses for the tap list. I'll head to Deep Ellum or Row 34 because they'll often have rare imports I don't see elsewhere.

Sometimes I eat at these places too, but I typically don't go just for the food. Again, this is just me, you could be right given how many places have at least decent tap lists.

 

They could staff the place with actual hobos and it would probably be an improvement over the crew that’s been there over the years.

But look at this list and tell me it doesn’t piss you off? https://untappd.com/v/lord-hobo/2928

$9 for JA House Lager and Left hand Milk Stout? It’s clear he set the price for his own beers at whatever price he wanted ($8 floor) and then upcharged everything else so the house beers seem like a deal. Everything about it is awful.

 

You could walk down the street and buy six packs of a few of those for the price of one glass there. $9 for 16 oz of Notch Pils? GFY. Haven't been there in years now. Not missing anything.