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[East] Thirsty for booze at the BCEC? Look no further
arsonisfun
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm lazy and steal subject lines for my own.
Consider this a placeholder, I'll likely need a day or two to start filling this out. In the meanwhile if there are any specific traits you want in a bar, ask away and I'll see what I can do
Cheap/Dive Bars (These places are all more downtown and typically packed at night)
Hub Pub - This bar is more downtown, but it's "The Friendliest Pub In The Hub"
The Purple Shamrock - This place gets packed, but they do $1.5 pints of High Life, $6 pitchers.
Paddy O's - $2 Dos Equis and Miller Lights
Places for a nice cocktail:
Drink - This is not where you go if you want to drink a rum and coke. There are no visible bottles and you're going to build a relationship with your bartender here. You ask for drinks based on the sort of flavors you like, or perhaps give them something abstract and let them fill in the blanks. It's amazing. It's expensive. It's hard to get a seat.
All-Purpose Drinking:
Whiskey Priest
Lucky's
Consider this a placeholder, I'll likely need a day or two to start filling this out. In the meanwhile if there are any specific traits you want in a bar, ask away and I'll see what I can do
Cheap/Dive Bars (These places are all more downtown and typically packed at night)
Hub Pub - This bar is more downtown, but it's "The Friendliest Pub In The Hub"
The Purple Shamrock - This place gets packed, but they do $1.5 pints of High Life, $6 pitchers.
Paddy O's - $2 Dos Equis and Miller Lights
Places for a nice cocktail:
Drink - This is not where you go if you want to drink a rum and coke. There are no visible bottles and you're going to build a relationship with your bartender here. You ask for drinks based on the sort of flavors you like, or perhaps give them something abstract and let them fill in the blanks. It's amazing. It's expensive. It's hard to get a seat.
All-Purpose Drinking:
Whiskey Priest
Lucky's
I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
arsonisfun on
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Anyone discover/know of any good watering holes in Boston? Hope this isn't a repost, but I didn't see anything.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
I don't know why we didn't think of a guide like this before, however fear not!
I've asked Boston Local and drinker extraordinaire Arsonisfun to write up a guide to bars and drinking close to the BCEC
Stay Tuned!
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
I'm 24. My GF is 19.
I've heard Boston is super strict with this whole drinking thang.
I'm looking for places (preferably places where PA people will be gathering in the evening) where I can get drunk with some nerds and not have to worry about leaving the lady in our hotel room.
Right outside the BCEC is a restaurant called Atlantic Beer Garden. She will definitely be able to hang out with you in there and eat and drink (soda) while you legal folks have some beers. There is a bar next door called The Whiskey Priest, and I'm fairly certain they were carding (checking ID's) at the door there. That's usually how Boston runs, if it's a restaurant, under age are allowed in, but if it's just a bar, no can do.
Another place that might be good (It opened recently, so I don't know how they run things) is the top floor of the brand new Legal Sea Foods 3 story monstrosity. It's also located right near the BCEC, and the top floor has a raw-bar ish menu of clams and appetizers and a full bar. They may be checking ID's to get up there, but it's worth a shot.
Edit!
I just scanned the Atlantic's website, and it's no persons under 21 after 9 pm.
But I'll be hitting the bars on Saturday probably, with PAX people too maybe.
Trade me pins! - https://pinnypals.com/pals/TheAggroCraig
A good approach is usually hotel room parties. Anybody have any experience with that last year? Are there people with open hospitality suites set up at the Westin or other nearby hotels?
Note: I'm not advocating crashing closed parties. Usually you have to be social and try to get to know people to find a hospitality suite that will be open to you.
What do you consider walking distance? I mean, there are a ton of options within 1mi of the con, including some options on the cheaper side.
Also, $7-8 for a cocktail is fairly average in Boston. The stuff right in the seaport is going to be more expensive as it's very much a traveler/tourist area.
Drink is in the $12-cocktail range, but it's also going to serve up some of the best drinks you can find and they do believe in buybacks/etc there.
Anyway, take this to the thread I made if you want to discuss - the info would be useful for some I imagine
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
19 years old and your 25? Pedobear icon proves useful yet again!
Joking aside - You'll have issues at most places unless they are a full-time restaurant (there are a lot of places that switch over to more of a bar mode after 8-10pm). The laws around serving underage people are quite strict - Places can lose their liquor license which, due to the artificial scarcity of the number issued in Boston, are valued at over $275,000.
Advice? Show up early and camp out, might allow for your gf to stick around. Also, as previously mentioned, consider hotel parties/etc. There are some clubs downtown that allow sub-21 (they wristband people) but I'm not sure if that'd be what you wanted ... If you want, I can check into it further for you
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Drink sounds amazing. *_* I'm definitely going to try to have a cocktail (maybe a meal) there. I'm afraid there's going to be too many awesome places and things to do, and too little time.
NOW I KNOW.
I enjoyed Russell House Tavern in Cambridge however. Very reasonable and delicious.
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$12 each for patron shots..and i bought 4 as well...HOLY MOLY! But it was worth it :]
Team [E]
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Last year I went to a hotel party at the Westin with the crew of the nVidia booth, it took approximately 15 minutes for the hotel manager to come along with 2 security guards and throw us all out. Apparently there were non-PaXers in the next room over and they complained. So hotel room parties at the Westin are probably a hit or miss kinda thing depending on the guests around your room.
Thanks all for the tips!
Wristbandy clubs you say? That may work if any PAX people will go to them. I may have to leave her behind for 1 night though... The Pokecrawl sounds too good to pass up. My liver is prepared. Speaking of which, still no thread up for that? I WANT DEETS.
my crew and i hit up the pour house and the other places near where the first East was. and boston does have weird drinking laws. i ordered a double whiskey coke no ice and a beer. the bartender serves it to me, thinking one drink was for my water drinking girlfriend. when he found out it was for me, he scolded me for ordering three drinks, as the double is two drinks. i laughed, tipped him and drank that and then more. what's up with that, boston?
Expect a thread in March. Atlus whined about not having any free time once he puts up the thread ...
2 drink maximum per person, another one of the laws here ...
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
I live near Boston. Boston is pretty strict about bars. She should be fine at a place that is mostly a restaraunt that serves alcohol, but most places that are primarily bars will probably be carding and not admit her after a certain time (8pm, I think).
Make sure you have ID at all times. It may seem obvios, but I can't tell you how many times a good night out was ruined because one member of my group forgot ID.
thank you for re-writing what I already posted above
If you're in the Boston area you should join the Boston Area PAX fb group and perhaps attend our board game nights some time
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Not true, unfortunately. I asked in this topic if those who are over 18 but not 21 could get into MJ O'Connor's, and they basically said no. Which is a shame, because while I don't drink, I feel like I've missed out on a couple huge PAX Community events because of my age. le sigh.
That's a different MJ O'Connors. There's one that is actually IN the Westin, that might be different. You can always call to find out.
Ah, well in that case, you should be fine. I was able to eat there later at night last year.
if you DO want to drink a rum and coke (or whiskey and coke, preferably) and you're more dive than upscale, my recommendations would be cantab lounge in central square and charlie's kitchen in harvard square (both in cambridge, on the red line). charlie's served me my first legal drink at 21, and i once heard a guy playing ramones and clash songs on ukelele at the cantab. both places usually have cheap drinks and cool/weird stuff going on. decent diner food at charlie's, too.
Boston is a heavy drinking town. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting some sort of bar or package store. That said, any dedicated bar will not let underage people be present. Best bet is to find a restaurant/bar combo with a good bar scene, and hang there.
OMG, that's fantastic.
The Beehive in the SOuth End is a good spot -- very laidback but not divey, good drinks and food. They used to do a good jazz brunch -- not sure if that's a weekly thing anymore.
The Atlantic Beer Garden (A-B-G) and Whiskey Priest are located on Seaport Blvd. Both cater to the 21 - late 30's crowd. Watch out ladies there are a also a few creepy 45-late 60's clowns in the bar who will attempt to hit on you but they are minimal for a crowd that typically stands at 300+ (depending on the weather both will open the roof decks and in which case the capacity increases to much larger crowds I believe. There is also a Jerry Remys on Seaport Blvd. which is a sports bar. It is a great spot to drink.Also there is a harpoon brewery on Seaport Blvd and they do tours for anyone who is interested (I suggest it if your into that type of thing I enjoyed it. I am also going to their St. Patrick's Festival this weekend!)
After that the bars in the area get VERY expensive. There are two legal sea foods establishments. One is a flagship three story spot and the other its called the Legal Test Kitchen (L-T-K). They are great for dinner but don't expect cheap cause nothing else in that immediate area is. The steak houses and all really expensive.
Moving towards South Boston, (come out of the BCEC and take a left (this is still summer Street) We have a few options. Murphy's Law is over the bridge Where Murphy's law is starts L Street. This is a tough looking bar and is generally empty until 1AM. It is open till like 4AM (probably the latest last call in the city by and far, its illegal but for some reason everyone looks the other way and it goes) Its always filled with young well put-together ladies so have at it fellas. Continue up the street and you reach East Broadway. Take your right and you have a few of the local spots. The Boston Beer Garden (B-B-G) which is a great bar. Further up the street is the Playwright which is another popular bar. Its great for a sit down dinner. I wouldn't say it is cheap but it is not insane either. And keep on going up the street. There are a few other bars that are much more "Townie" Tom Englishes is one of them. Avoid it unless you want to get in a bar fight. Also East Broadway becomes West Broadway at this point. Up the hill and down. When you reach the West Broadway/Dorchester Street interesction there are two more bars that are very popular in the scene (You can actually get here faster from the BCEC by taking a right on D Street and a left once you get to West 1st Street and a right on Dorchester Street. I suggest a GPS as it looks industrial but its not a bad area. AVOID THE D STREET PROJECTS ITS NOT THE BEST AREA BUT YOU WILL NOT GET MURDRED) STATS is the most popular bar in Southie. It will be packed and you may have to wait a few minutes to get in. Easily the most popular of all the bars though. The Junction is another popular bar at this intersection. Also Blackthorn Pub is there which is a good little Irish bar. The scene really goes either way though sometimes its trash sometimes its not. Trash being if you're not from there they will look to start a fight with you. Further down the street is Shenanagan's Pub which is another good place. (I know someone asked about Sam Adams brews basically all of these bars have most of the popular brews on tap.) The "L Street Tavern" is the bar from good will hunting and it is very nice inside. Great little bar if you are into that type of thing its on L Street past the East Broadway/L Street intersection.
I guess the next area I should discuss is Quincy Market Place/Fanuiel Hall area which is in the financial district. Basically if you come out of the BCEC and take a left and head over the bridge towards the high rises. There is a Hard Rock Cafe, no need to explain this place is AWFUL IMO but if that's what you want it is there. Also there is a Dick's Last Resort. Place is more for groups (their claim to fame is treating the customer like crap and making you wear Trojan hats etc.) not really my type of place either.The rest of the places expect a cover. Ned Devine's is a tad bit overpriced for what it is and you MUST dress up or they will not let you in. Trinity bar is a clean bar decent enough but I get a feeling that EVERY girl in the bar is no older than 20. Sissy K's is a good spot dancing on the second floor cheap drafts. McFaddens is decent they give away a lot of free stuff and there are some good looking girls there. Clarke's at Faneuil Hall is a great bar but beers are not cheap. This is a real Pub setting and I always have a great time. Don't expect it to be cheap but its the cleanest bar in this area to be honest (I take clients here for lunch a few times a week) Kitty O'Shea's is a good time too. The purple shamrock is decent and the Tap is basically the same thing. My only notice to everyone about this area is that it is Ed Harty/Meat head central in Faneuil Hall. I think it's mostly Men who grew up in the Burroughs that are in their 20's and 30's who never moved out and hold awful jobs. They are basically all looking for a fight after midnight from roid rage. I personally stay in Southie because only on the rare occasion is there an issue. Fanuiel Hall you're asking to view issues. There are a ton of other bars in the area if you're thinking of one and want to know about it ask I will try to answer.
(Sorry if my thoughts just kind of ramble)
None that I can promise, but about 50% of the bars in boston have it- it's a boston-area only beer, specifically, and only available on tap anyway.
I know most of the bars around Downtown Crossing have it.
Silvertones is a pretty high-class, reasonably priced bar with good food, but man it's tiny, and hard to find if you don't know where it is. It is also always packed.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
If you're into this scene, there's also No. 9 Park in downtown, their bar is spectacular and is where the concept of Drink originated. Some cheaper places but farther away from the BCEC is Green St Grill and Brick & Mortar in Central Sq Cambridge, Eastern Standard and Hawthorne in Kenmore Sq, and BackBar in Somerville.
Regular pub scenes around the area are the already mentioned Whiskey Priest and ABG, but you definitely will get the Jersey Shore type people coming in from Southie and East Boston. Lucky's has live music, and there's the couple of bars in the Westin.
Craft beer aficionados can check out Meadhall, Cambridge Brewing Company, or Lord Hobo in Kendall Sq.
Mobi listed tons of bars in Fanuiel Hall, all these bars are used to and welcome tourists.
If you want to check out clubs, Estate and Gypsy Bar are popular, and Wonder Bar in Allston for a more college scene.
I'll check back here if people have any questions or are looking for a particular niche drinking scene.
Just stay away from the novelty shit, especially the buckets.