Pub in Jamaica Plain where I was a trivia regular for 2017-2020 and would stop by on a occasion after I moved to Cambridge. They don't have trivia anymore but its a nice place to have a couple beers with some friends in a down to earth environment. They had cheap PBR/'Gansett/Yuengling and a good selection of new england craft beers like Proclamation/Maine Beer Company/Fiddlehead (before it was widely distributed). It is dark, has a homey wood interior and a slow to warm but sweet bartender named Jess. They play good music like classic soul and the Smiths. One time a barback that looked like Billy Joe Armstrong played Beach House for like an hour. Overall, everything you want out of a neighborhood bar.
Apr 26, 2024
Related Recs
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There are so many, but here are my faves:
Cambridge:
Grendel's Den - Right in Harvard Square. It's been there for 50+ years and the vibe is it's a bar that has been there for 50+ years. Something about that is very charming to me. A plus is that Pinocchio's Pizza is pretty much across the street, so you can get a late night slice or three after drinks.
Plough & Stars - A favorite of many. A very cozy vibe and great live music.
State Park - 70s basement vibes. Wood paneling, a bunch of cool/weird neon signs and vintage lamps, and great food. Also pool and I think shuffleboard
Daedalus - Maybe more of a restaurant, but I love it. Also in Harvard Square
Somerville:
Highland Kitchen - Incredible food and a small bar. Mostly a sit-down place, but they have good drinks too.
The Burren - One of the best places in the Boston area and maybe my favorite. The best live music around. There are usually some Irish/folk/instrumental bands playing in the front room and some larger acts in the back room.
Saloon - A speakeasy, so to speak. Great drinks.
Olde Magoun's Saloon - Great spot for food/drink if you're near Magoun Square
Bronwyn - German bierhall with great food
Apr 12, 2024
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one of the best bars
May 18, 2025
It’s an Irish pub somehow located in the interior plaza of a FiDi housing complex. The blinds are down; the red vinyl booths are empty. There’s an octagonal painting of the Twin Towers; Tiffany lampshades; a dim back room with stained glass windows; an ancient waiter who wears a suit; a horrific porcelain leprechaun. The wings are pretty good.One of the few bars in the vicinity to predate 9/11, Byrnes is a holdout against the mass extinction of normal places for normal people to get a drink in the city. For every haunt like Forlini’s that closes we’re treated to half a dozen new TikTok-bait establishments called, like, Ghosted & Fried that serve TUNA POKE WONTON TACOS and MEXICAN STREET CORN RAVIOLI (real menu items at Beauty & Essex) to Syracuse marketing majors in Allbirds. And don’t get me started on the neon signs…Even more insidious are the places like Bernie’s that mimic suburban taverns in order to sell homesick creative directors a plate of five mozzarella sticks for $17. Skip all that, go to Byrnes.
Jun 28, 2022
Top Recs from @buck_mcgraw
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Just because I see a window to get across the street doesn’t mean you don’t have to look both ways. I’ve been on the other side of that though…
May 11, 2025
I met Erin (@RIOTGRRRL) and Jake (@SLOWDAZZLE) last year after I started using PI.FYI—we organized a meetup before a Jonathan Richman show and immediately clicked over our shared taste in music and similar sensibilities. We started hanging out a lot and had some great times together. I’ve also gotten to know many of their friends, who are all really cool. Erin and Jake started dating a couple of months after the three of us became friends, but our group chat still pops off. Their friendship has meant a lot to me, especially since moving to NYC in 2023, and I really appreciate having them in my life.
May 16, 2025
Come hang with some PI.FYI folks at Franklin Park in Crown Heights in Brooklyn on 7/19 @ 6:30. riotgrrrl and slowdazzle will be there too! Link is the Partiful invited!
Jun 22, 2024