Best beer bars in Boston?

Hit up the places part of the site, tons of info there. Also, search the New England forum, as there is a great, all encompassing thread on the Boston area.

That due diligence done, Boston is a small, very walkable city. Being from Chicago, you'll be used to the weather! In your "immediate" area of Beacon Hill, Stoddard's, JM Curley's, The Tip Tap Room, and The Kinsale will all have local beers worth trying. I'd jump on the Red Line branch of the "T", and hit up The Cambridge Brewing Company, Lord Hobo, MeadHall, and maybe the Asgard in the Kendall Sq/Central Sq area of Cambridge.

That should be enough for a weekend!

 

If you want to have a kinda weird fun place to go, try Durty Nellie's, 108 Blackstone in Haymarket Square area.
Great beer. Ask them for a deep fried hot dog. Tell them Nellie sent you. It's an easy walk from your hotel.
You could also go to The Union Oyster house nearby. It's one of the oldest restaurants in the country.
Great food. Second option is Durgin Park restaurant in Quincy Market another great experience while in Boston.
Both my sons are living in Chicago. One lives across the street from Revolution, the other near a different
Durty Nellie's near Schaumburg. Enjoy Boston and try to get to Cambridge too on the Green Line.

 

This might be irrelevant and I have never done it myself, but I plan on Using Uber to get around when I go to Boston in a few weeks.

 

Unless you mean the singular stop of Lechmere, the Green Line definitely does not go to Cambridge.

 

Start here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-boston-summer-13-edition.99268/

 

Definitely go to the the tip tap room if youre staying in beacon hill, nick has put together a great list there.

I know there are previous threads for this, but no one mentions the publick house (brookline, best beer bar in boston without a doubt)? or deep ellum? he said beer bars. Row 34 in fort point also has one of the best beer lists in the city right now

 

The Tip Tap Room, Kinsale, and Stoddard's are nice suggestions. Although, unless you know someone, you are unlikely to get a seat at Stoddard's after 5. In Boston proper, you'll meet some nice people and have some nice conversation. As an outsider, I'd stay away from Cambridge/Sommerville, only because the people there are snooty/clannish/clicky; however, they do have some nice beer and decent food. If you must goto Cambridge, the Hungry Mother has superb food and decent beer.

 

Anyone hear about/been to the new bar on franklin st, "the merchant". I walked by it and noticed it for the first time yesterday. Beer list seems pretty legit.

 

The problem is the Publick House is a haul and a half from Beacon Hill. And who wants to go to Boston for the weekend and spend time in Brookline?

 

Very strong beer list, and the kitchen has an excellent pedigree with alums of Craigie and Sycamore (in Newton, my favorite restaurant outside of the city/Cambridge). I was in for lunch earlier this week (no drinky for me) and was not particularly blown away by the fried chicken sandwich or the steak frites, but I will definitely be back for some beers and hopefully some more adventurous food. The interior is like a mash-up of Stoddard's and Scholars, to compare two nearby establishments. I hope they succeed.

As for the recs here, I simply can't agree with recommending Union Oyster House or Durgin Park these days - they basically define the term "Tourist Trap" in my mind. Also no reason to bash the good people of Cambridge or Somerville - they have some fine restaurants and are no less welcoming than folks in Boston proper, but it is true you will not find as many tourists on the north side of the Charles. Best beer bars for my money are Row 34 (Fort Point), Stoddard's (Downtown Crossing), Lord Hobo (Cambridge/Kendall Square), and Deep Ellum (Allston). Row 34 has the best food of that group, and also is next door to Trillium brewery, which is well worth a visit.

 

I love how often this thread comes up without someone answering Sunset. Sure, it doesn't have the atmosphere of some of the other places, but it's near guaranteed to have one of the best tap lists in the city any time you go. That they don't yet have Trillium is really the only knock I can say against their beer.

Sunset - Greatest quantity of good stuff by far
Row 34, Deep Ellum - Most interesting/hard to find elsewhere
Publick House, Lord Hobo - Very solid

 

Sunset gets passed over because their food is a substantial step down from most places, their prices aren't great, the atmosphere is college-y, and their have a higher than average rate of mishandled tap lines/kegs. And they often let good kegs run dry and don't bother replacing them during service.

I dunno--once you go to a place with 100 taps a few times you realize that you can still only drink a handful of beers in a session, regardless of how many taps they have. And given how easy it is to cross off scores of options at Sunset because they're thoroughly pedestrian, there's little reason to go there rather than Deep Ellum, which has a smaller but better-curated tap list.

That's not to say that Sunset it bad, or that I'd turn down a chance to go. But I really don't see why you'd go there instead of Deep Ellum unless you're looking for a specific beer.

 

In the South End, check out Picco for awesome pizza and a solid, rotating tap list. Salty Pig and Coda (very close to the Back Bay T stop) also have very solid beer lists and great food. Coda is also next to the Urban Grape if you're looking for bottles/cans. Enjoy your visit.

 

If you're looking to have a nice date-night kind of dinner, I'd recommend "Mooo..." Its right in the area and is the best steak joint I've been to in the city. (Full Disclosure: not a beer bar and very pricey, just adding to the list of options.) Top Of The Hub is pretty cool also. Its a restaurant at the top of the Prudential Building, so you get an awesome view of the city.

 

If you're in the Downtown Crossing area it is worth going since the options in that immediate area are somewhat limited. The place has a good atmosphere and a solid beer list (want to say 20 taps) but fills up very quickly around 5:00, usually with business suits. While the food is good, I've never quite found it to be worth the downtown Boston markup and be warned that the beers on their website aren't always up to date. Don't get me wrong, I do like the place but sometimes find it to be a bit of a hassle.

I honestly find the Cambridge beer scene much more happening than that of Boston proper and the people are equally "friendly" wherever you go. As for the rest, ommegoodness put it together quite nicely.

 

Stoddards has been updating their list lately. They tweeted out an updated one 2 days ago. And I think their prices are pretty good for downtown Boston. Plenty of nice stuff for around $6.
http://stoddardsfoodandale.com/index2.php?action=2&section=1&menu=3

If you are staying in Beacon Hill then you should be near a red line stop(probably Charles MGH) so definitely take the short ride into Cambridge for Cambridge Brewing Company first and foremost and Lord Hobo or Meadhall if you have time. There are tons of good restaurants in the Kendall Square area and almost all of them have good beer available.

 

Mostly reiteration, but here's my take:

From Beacon Hill, there are a number of good places nearby that weren't there just a couple years ago. I'd especially recommend:

• Stoddard's: it can get packed, but I've never had a long wait for a table or seat at the bar, and the food is very good with a very solid and reasonably priced taplist)
• Row 34: haven't been yet, but I've heard only excellent things; there are surprisingly few good seafood places in Boston and none with this kind of beer list
• Trillium: they do samples and growlers (which you'll have to hang onto if you buy one) from their brewery in Fort Point; and their beers are regularly on tap at Lord Hobo & often at Stoddard's, among other places

I've lived in Cambridge for four years and I've never noticed a difference in the friendliness of the people from when I lived in Boston. Get on the Red Line and get to Cambridge for some serious excellent beer and food:

• Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC): a must-hit; probably my favorite brewpub in the country, with excellent and far-ranging beers, solid food, and a very laid-back vibe. Plus a firepit outside on Fri & Sat nights.
• Lord Hobo: stellar taplist & very good food a short walk from the CBC
• Atwood's: cool vibe, solid beer list & food, and good music (sometimes a cover), a short walk from Lord Hobo

From Beacon Hill, it's really not that much of a haul to get out to Brookline/Allston. I'd prioritize Cambridge, but if you have the time, take the Green Line out to Washington Square (C Branch) & Allston St (B Branch + a short walk):

• Publick House: one of my favorite bars, with a great atmosphere & very good beer list (strong on Belgians)
• Deep Ellum: excellent beer plus cheap hot dogs

It's a bit farther afield, but Davis Square in Somerville (Red Line) is a cool area and home to one of my favorite places:

• Flatbread: excellent pizza & very good taplist focusing on local beers (I especially recommend Wormtown's Be Hoppy IPA), all at very reasonable prices

Enjoy your visit!

 

one point of clarification...we have just started bottling (a little) of our year rounds, so for people who prefer that format (ie. out of town visitors) we have our pot&kettle oatmeal porter and our flagship, trillium (farmhouse ale) in 750ml bottles.
we just updated the list of our draft accounts, too:
http://www.trilliumbrewing.com/wordpress_blog/beers/find-trillium-2/

cheers, JC

 

Row 34 has great food but it's mainly seafood.

Deep Ellum/Lone Star's food is still a step above most with a Rueben that I would order as last meal.