Boston 14-17 May: Your top 10 places to go?

Hi All

Never been to Boston before and I’ve checked out the Places section obviously, but I would really be interested in the latest info and what are people’s top 10 places to visit? I’m in town to watch baseball, but need to fill in the gaps. So looking for bars near the ballpark too.

Cheers
Ian

Not too far from Beers of Europe… oh, wait, did you mean New Boston out in the colonies? :wink:

Hope you have a good trip Ian, and hope you have time to do one of your famous running commentaries.

I used to live there when I was in college (when I started my beer rating career). That said, I didn’t have the money to go out too much. I have been back a bunch though. Near Fenway, there is Beerworks, which I was at once, and Cheeky Monkey which I haven’t been to. During the games they will be packed. Lower Depths is close by in Kenmore and has a solid selection. Down the street on the T trolley is Sunset Bar and Grille, which is cheesy but has hundreds of veers.

I assume you are visiting at least one Trillium location… Mystic Brewing, Cambridge Brewing Co, and Argonaut are all worth a stop. Lord Hobo in Cambridge is also good. Brewer’s Fork in Charlestown is good. Tip Tap Room in government center is also solid. Publick House in Brookline is quite nice as well.

I would also recommend going out to Framingham to visit Jack’s Abby.

Thanks, I’ll check those places out.

It’s been a few years since I was last in Boston so things might have moved on but mansquito seems to have most of the angles covered.

The thing to remember is that the centre is rather thin on decent beer spots (although the Tip Tap Room, which must have opened since I last visited, looks pretty solid). There’s another branch of Beerworks (not all the same beers as the Fenway one but beware they rebadge some beers to make the names location-specific) which would be handy if you were in town for hockey or basketball. There’s a Rock Bottom which is nothing to get too excited about. Bukowski’s is on the way to Fenway if you’re on foor. Some people think it’s a bit scuzzy but I liked it. The good thing in the centre is that pretty much every bar will have Harpoon and Sam Adams so you’re rarely going to be reduced to drinking out & out macro swill, wherever you go.

Near Fenway there’s also the Yard House, which has a lot of taps (and will also be packed when there’s a game on).

In Cambridge. as well as Lord Hobo & Cambridge Brewing Co, there’s also Meadhall, Attwoods Tavern & Bukowski’s Inman Square branch (different beers), all of which are solid, plus a brewpub - Lamplighter - which is new since I was last there. That makes for a decent crawl. Get the T to Kendal or just walk over the bridge, depending where you’re coming from, and let your feet do the rest. There’s also a couple of breweries that are new since I last visited - Aeronaut & Slumbrew - that are not too far off-piste in that general area.

If you’re going a little further out to have a mooch around Harvard (free tours given by students if that floats your boat), Cambridge Common is your best best for a beer. There’s also a John Harvards brewpub which is so-so.

Sunset Grill appears to be out of business! Deep Ellum is close to where it used to be and not a million miles from Publick House Brookline, although the T is not terribly helpful for getting between the two. Both will be jam-packed in the evenings and at weekends.

If you’re going to Mystic Brewing, there’s a clutch of brewery taprooms on that side of the Mystic River - Down The Road, Bone Up, Night Shift & Idle Hands. All are new since I last visited so I don’t know what they’re like or how easy it is to get between them.

Thanks Chris.
I am staying near the Paul Revere House so pretty central to everything.

Cambridge/Harvard is definitely a day out I am looking to do

I am considering the train to Framingham for Jack’s Abby and a few other places for a day

Mystic and Night Shift are definitely on the radar especially if I can add some of those others you mentioned.

Cheers.

Looks like things have moved on a bit since I was there. At the time there was just John Harvards (which is a fair way from the station) and a very rudimentary setup, primarily for off-sales, at Jack’s Abby. Pay close attention to the train timetables. Although Boston, on the face of it, has a fairly well-developed suburban rail network, trains are not exactly frequent. Like every two hours or some such nonsense.

To be honest there has turned up so many places to go in the few days I am there that I’m not going to have to stretch out too far. I must remember that I can’t drink every beer…

Especially as you won’t be getting small pours like a third of a pint in too many bars.

Will most bars do sampler trays though?

Not in my experience.

Lord Hobo definitely does, but only of its own beers as I remember.

Am I missing a New England/Boston/MS forum? Or are they not active enough to have their own regional forum?

There used to be one but I guess it got axed due to underuse. There was zero activity on that forum (and zero active RB members) when I was in Boston. Note that yespr and I are the top raters for Boston Beer Works, and have been for many years, to get a feel for the RB presence in the area.

Go there. One of the best places in the greater Boston now I think. They do samplers, the food is delicious and unless some special event is on it is sure to have available seating.

Trillium Canton is the best location to sample lots on site, downtown is take away only no samples. Right next to the downtown location is Row 34, a rather pricey seafood place that has a pretty awesome taplist.

Recommend Mystic & Lord Hobo as well.

Thanks. Row 34 is already highlighted. Do you have to eat there? Is there a bar you can sit at instead?

Yes you can just drink at the bar, I’ve done so multiple times.

That is true and is sad. You are in beer advocate country. Onky NY down to VA have regional forums leaving whole northeast and southeast without one which I think is mistake even though not active not sure how to gain members without. Especially since some of most sought after breweries in US are in these areas

Does anyone have any tips for getting beers to take away from Trillium Fort Point? I’m going to be in Boston for a Sunday and Monday morning, when would be the best time to go? I note the opening hours are quite limited, is it crazy busy on Sundays?

Also, is FP the best place to pick up Trillium or are there other places in the city that sell it?