Visiting Boston (Winter '13/'14 Edition)

[Auror]

Inspired by some other cities' threads, I decided to make a visitation guide for Boston (and port it over here from BA). So, if you plan to visit Boston this fall or beyond and want to drink good beer, this resource is for you. Boston residents, please add comments and suggestions.

General Boston Notes:
Massachusetts stores are not allowed to fill growlers or operate taprooms. Also, breweries are only able to fill their own branded growlers, so keep the cost or deposit of the growler in mind when estimating costs. It is also illegal to have happy hours in Boston, so don't bother searching for the best drink specials (although you can find food specials around).

On the subject of food, check out the Boston Chowhound board for any and all questions regarding that topic.

Parking is generally difficult city-wide, so you may want to plan for this if you do decide to drive into the city. Consider walking or renting bikes from the Hubway bike stations around town. Boston is a beautiful walking city, and is growing more bike friendly by the day (although still a little dangerous in spots).

The MBTA is Boston's public transportation system. By and large, it is decent and many (if not most) locals rely on it in lieu of a car (although we all love to complain about it). Google Maps has the "T", the sometimes above-ground subway, and bus lines integrated into its maps. It's fairly accurate, but for complete schedules go to MBTA.com.

The T shuts down around 1am, so overpriced taxis will be your only way to get home from bars, which mostly close at 2am. Boston city cabs are required to to take credit cards (but will often protest), but the same is not true for Cambridge and other surrounding towns. There are also taxi service apps (such as Uber, Lyft, or Sidecar), but use these at your own risk.

Map
This guide in mapform.

Breweries
Ordered loosely based on community visit preference. Be aware, some breweries have limited visitation or tour times.

MBTA Accessible
Cambridge Brewing Co. - Brewpub and growlers
Night Shift Brewery - Tours, samples, growlers, pints
Mystic Brewery - Tours, samples, growlers
Trillium Brewing Co. - Tours, samples, growlers
Idle Hands Craft Ales - Tours, samples, growlers
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall - Tours, samples, growlers, pints
Boston Beer Co. (Sam Adams) - Tours and samples
Boston Beer Works (Several locations)- Brewpub, tours, growlers
John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House (Several locations) - Brewpub and growlers

Driving
Jack’s Abby Brewing - Tours, samples, growlers, pints
The Tap - Brewpub, tours, growlers
Mayflower Brewing Co. - Tours, samples, growlers
Cape Ann Brewing Co. - Brewpub, tours, growlers
Newburyport Brewing Co. - Tours, samples, growlers

Bars / Restaurants
Ordered loosely based on community preference (but reasonable minds will always differ). Sam Adams and Harpoon have been a mainstay in almost every bar in Boston for a long time, but Boston has seen a tremendous increase over the last few years of craft tap and bottle lists at most restaurants, especially newer ones. You will probably find something decent at most places, however these are some (but definitely not all) restaurants and bars with a heavy craft emphasis. I limited this to Boston/Cambridge area just from sheer volume.

Cambridge / Somerville
Lord Hobo
Redbones
Cambridge Common
Atwood’s Tavern
Olde Magoun’s Saloon
Flatbread Company @ Sacco’s
Green Street Grill
The Asgard
Russell House Tavern
Meadhall
Bukowski Tavern

Allston / Brighton / Brookline
Publick House
Deep Ellum
Sunset Grill & Tap
The Avenue
The Abbey
Hops ‘n Scotch

Back Bay / Kenmore
Salty Pig
Parish Cafe
Eastern Standard
Lower Depths
Island Creek Oyster Bar
Yard House
Bukowski Tavern
Cornwall’s

Downtown / South End
Saus
Row 34
jm Curley
Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ales
Picco
Kinsale
Tip Tap Room
Coda
Local 149
Jacob Wirth

Jamaica Plain/West Roxbury
Canary Square
Brendan Behan Pub
Centre Street Sanctuary
Milky Way Lounge
Galway House
Vee Vee
James's Gate
Eugene O'Neill's
Porter Cafe

Stores
City stores are in alphabetical order, because I couldn't really get a good consensus on order. Each of these will carry a majority of what's available in distribution or have a nicely curated selection. Check the map above for closest to where you will be. Suburb stores are the ones most frequently recommended outside the city. Also note: Due to liquor store chain laws, some locations of large supermarket or convenience chains will carry alcohol and some will not.

Greater City
Ball Square Fine Wines & Liquor
Bauer Wine & Spirits
Bay State Foods
Blanchard's of Allston
Boston Wine Exchange
Charles Street Liquors
DownTown Wine & Spirits
Federal Wine & Spirits
Liquor World
Marty’s Fine Wines
Social Wines
Streetcar Wine & Beer
Urban Grape

Suburbs
Craft Beer Cellar
Julio’s Liquors
Gordon’s Fine Wines & Liquors
Redstone Liquors
Yankee Spirits - Attleboro
Acton Wine & Spirit Co.
Berman’s Wine & Spirits
Granite Liquors - Weymouth

 

[Aaron from the Wood]

Stores under "greater city" should include Urban Grape and Bees Knees Supply Co.

 

[CharlieMurphy1]

So do any of you massholes actually believe entropy is worth $37?!

 

[tehzachatak]

So do any of you massholes actually believe entropy is worth $37?!

I've heard it's pretty friggin phenomenal when it's on point. Have not yet had the pleasure myself.

 

[bramsdell]

So do any of you massholes actually believe entropy is worth $37?!

I've had it on draft at the brewery and from the first batch of bottles (obviously mine didn't explode). It's very, very good, but I can't name many beers I would feel good about spending $37. This wouldn't be one of them.

 

[Auror]

Trillium now offers samples! Huzzah!

 

[Auror]

Will add Row 34 with next update. Any other Restaurants/Bars I should add?

 

[tehzachatak]

Will add Row 34 with next update. Any other Restaurants/Bars I should add?

You can add that Jack's Abby will be able to serve pints shortly

 

[BrianTheBrewer30]

Throw Acton Wine & Spirits in their in Acton MA. Better selection over Colonial.

 

[Dicers]

Penguin pizza in Mission Hill

 

[shelf_turd_ferguson]

Does anyone know how Jack D'Or holds up? I think I have a bottle from the first half of 2012.
I'll also throw in that I had some burger at Deep Ellum in Allston and they used a different type of cheese that made the burger very good and different.

 

[housepants]

Does anyone know how Jack D'Or holds up? I think I have a bottle from the first half of 2012.
I'll also throw in that I had some burger at Deep Ellum in Allston and they used a different type of cheese that made the burger very good and different.

Aged VT cheddar?

 

[shelf_turd_ferguson]

Aged VT cheddar?

That's what the menu says now, but when I was there it was more tangy like Havarti. I'm no cheese expert though, perhaps the aging of cheddar makes it more tangy.

 

[bearsonacid1]

Reuben and poutine all day at Deep Ellum. Unless it's brunch then you order the country fried steak and eggs.

 

[Auror]

Penguin pizza in Mission Hill

Can't add any more links due to space.


Community at large: Which place should be removed to add Penguin Pizza?

 

[tehzachatak]

Can't add any more links due to space.


Community at large: Which place should be removed to add Penguin Pizza?

Well, I got thrown out of Hops 'n Scotch for arguing with staff after having a beer and a half last time I was in there because the bartender thought my friend was drunk and cut him off at like, 11 PM, so I'm gonna go with that out of spite.

 

[Dicers]

Hops and Scotch is also over priced in my opinion

 

[tehzachatak]

Hops and Scotch is also over priced in my opinion

Agree. Trying to look it it without bias from my last visit, I'm generally not a fan anyway (would never have gone there if it was not convenient to a friend's), and don't plan to ever return again now.

 

[bearsonacid1]

Should it even be added? Was Mission Hill gentrified and turned into a tourist destination or something?

 

[Aaron from the Wood]

I wouldn't bother adding it...the service is always horrible at Penguin. You're better off going down the street to the Squealing Pig.

 

[Dicers]

I've always had impeccable service at penguin... I will admit I was a Northeastern regular for about 3 years before now just dropping in sporadically but i have always enjoyed the food and beer. It is close to the MFA and Bringham and Womens which have plenty of people

 

[Aaron from the Wood]

I've always had impeccable service at penguin... I will admit I was a Northeastern regular for about 3 years before now just dropping in sporadically but i have always enjoyed the food and beer. It is close to the MFA and Bringham and Womens which have plenty of people

Hello fellow Northeasterner! Food and beer is great but my experiences have always involved extremely slow and inattentive service.

 

[Dicers]

Hello fellow Northeasterner! Food and beer is great but my experiences have always involved extremely slow and inattentive service.

Yeah whenever the owner comes in I'm a mug clubber so he'll buy me anything on tap. it's been a great place

 

[bramsdell]

Just hit Row 34 on Tuesday. Got there ~4:30 (was going to a show at the Paradise later), had a couple beers with the gf, chowder and some oysters. Service was impeccable, tap selection was top-notch and interesting and we were wholly satisfied by the food.

Headed to Sunset afterwards and had some BCBS and the pulled pork nachos. Always a win.

 

[Auror]

I made it to Row 34 last weekend. I went with a large group later in the evening with a reservation, but didn't get seated until over an hour after our reservation time, despite arriving slightly early and having set up the reservation with a floor manager and having it confirmed via telephone earlier in the day. Apparently the people they needed to leave just wouldn't, despite being stood over by the staff. They brought us some Shrimp sliders on the house to tide us over, which were delicious, and we just drank standing in the bar area. Probably would have liked something additional comped considering it was a large party and one of my guests had to leave before the meal even started due to wait and we ended up mostly cancelling other plans for the rest of the evening, but I'm not one to push things (and this way I can passive aggressively ***** on the internet).

That all being said, everything else was great. Tap list wasn't as good as other times I've seen it, but they had Enjoy By, Boulevard IS, Petrus Aged Pale (which a few neophyte sour fans I was with fell in love with... I remember those days), a good number of other random sours, and Trillium Pot & Kettle. A little disappointed they didn't have Fort Point on, but the brewery had just put it back on tap that day. Also had Spencer by the bottle, which they were happy to bring with a few taster glasses.

They hit it out of the ballpark with their decor. Elegant industrial (somehow not an oxymoron). Loved the way they did the taplist on the wall, too.

Service was flawless despite it being late (ordering pushing kitchen close), and us being mostly inexperienced oyster eaters. Food highlights: Seafood special Red Snapper whole fish (w/ head)- This was incredible; Perfectly cooked and seasoned, one of the best fish dishes I've tried. Don't hesitate on the daily whole fish special. Clam chowder- heavy on the bacon, but so tasty. Oysters- I preferred the Row 34 to the 2 other kinds we got. Just a hint of brineyness and no grit. Love that you can order ala carte individually or however you want. Fried clams- Delicately breaded, but fried just the way I like it. Very tasty. Shrimp sliders- Mentioned these earlier. Bread- Table bread comes out warm and is baked with red pepper. A big hit at the table.

Nothing was bad, but my warm buttered lobster roll was merely "good". Seemed kinda plain, but a fair lobster to price ratio and bread was grilled authentically.

Definitely recommend and would go again with a smaller party (or just hope for better luck with people leaving). Take it as a good sign that people won't leave.

 

[Auror]

I made it to Row 34 last weekend....
Nothing was bad, but my warm buttered lobster roll was merely "good". Seemed kinda plain, but a fair lobster to price ratio and bread was grilled authentically...

Update after this past weekend's trip. Girlfriend got the warm buttered lobster roll and it was better than my previous experience. Bread was cooked perfectly and that's the key for the style. Lots of lobster as expected for the price.

Also, do yourself a favor and get the Daily Whole Fish special.

 

[bearsonacid1]

Row 34 ruined my childhood nostolgia for clam shacks. I'll have to bring fried clams from there when I go to the beach.