Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4 The Bar Scene
Bostonians had some quibbles with the TV show
Cheers,
but no one complained that
the concept of a neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name was implausi-
ble. This tends to be a fairly insular scene—as a stranger, don't assume that you'll get
a warm welcome. This is one area where you can and probably should judge a book
by its cover: If you peek in and see people who look like you and your friends, give it
a whirl.
BARS & LOUNGES
The Beehive
A funky two-level space beneath the Boston Center for the Arts
(p. 221), this restaurant and lounge was all the buzz in summer 2007 and has since set-
tled down a bit. The Beehive schedules live music, usually jazz, every night. Early in
the week, the crowd tends toward laid-back and local; weekends are more of a see-and-
be-seen scene for suburbanites.
541 Tremont St.
&
617/423-0069.
www.beehiveboston.com.
T: Orange Line to Back Bay.
Casablanca
Students and professors jam this legendary Harvard Square water-
ing hole, especially on weekends. You'll find excellent food (p. 130), an excellent juke-
box, and excellent eavesdropping.
40 Brattle St., Cambridge.
&
617/876-0999.
T: Red Line to
Harvard.
Cask 'n Flagon
A long fly ball away from Fenway Park, “the Cask,” which
opened in 1969, is one of the best-known sports bars in this sports-mad city. It's much
bigger than it looks from Brookline Avenue, but lines on game days are still comically
long. The crowds watching major events on numerous TVs in the memorabilia-
drenched bar are large and enthusiastic year-round.
62 Brookline Ave.
&
617/536-4840.
www.casknflagon.com. T: Green Line B, C, or D to Kenmore.
Cheers (Beacon Hill)
If you're out to impersonate a native, try not to be shocked
when you enter “the
Cheers
bar” and the inside looks nothing like the bar on the TV
show. (A spin-off in Faneuil Hall Marketplace fills that niche—see the listing below.)
Formerly the Bull & Finch Pub, this really is a neighborhood bar, but it's far better
known for attracting legions of out-of-towners, who find good pub grub and plenty
of souvenirs. There's food from 11am until late evening and a kids' menu ($4-$5).
84
Beacon St.
&
617/227-9605.
www.cheersboston.com. T: Green Line to Arlington.
Cheers (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)
Blatantly but good-naturedly courting fans
of the sitcom, this bar's interior is an exact replica of the
Cheers
TV set. It serves pub
fare starting at 11am and schedules live entertainment on weekend nights. Memora-
bilia on display includes Sam Malone's Red Sox jacket. Bring a camera.
Quincy Market
Building, South Canopy, Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
&
617/227-0150.
www.cheersboston.com. T: Green
or Blue Line to Government Center, or Orange Line to Haymarket.
DeLux Cafe
One of the coolest places in the increasingly yuppified South End,
the DeLux is the epitome of a classy dive. The funky decor, selection of microbrews,
and veggie-friendly ethnic menu attract a cross-section of the neighborhood. Part of
the appeal is the decor, a scrapbook of 20th-century pop culture (posters, photos,
postcards, and such)—check out the Elvis shrine.
100 Chandler St.
&
617/338-5258.
T: Orange Line to Back Bay.
The Fours
One of Boston's best and best-known sports bars—
Sports Illustrated
says it's the best in the
country
—the Fours is about one football field away from the
