Bukowski Tavern

Doesn't Recommend

dmac02215

Joined 6 years ago

worst bar in Boston. overpriced beer, inedible food, terrible music, rude/moronic batenders - this place is not a dive bar, it's a tourist trap...

Recommends

ladyhawke78

Joined 6 years ago

Bukowski's: It's got what Beer Lovers crave.... Speaking as an out of towner (from Eastern Pennsylvania, actually...) I'll not hesitate in saying that whenever I come to the city of Boston, I consider Bukowski's Tavern to be "my Local Dive."

As a long-time beer enthusiast, I can say for a fact that the beer selection at Bukowski's tavern is one of the finest I've seen. (Right up there with Brickskellars' in downtown D.C.) I have encountered a lot of unique beers here that I had never had the pleasure of tasting before, and I have turned my friends on to Bukowski's "unique" menu items-- such as Peanut Butter Burgers. Trust me on this one. It is a very good thing.

As a veteran Staff member of a 'certain' large Japanese art and culture convention held annually at the Hynes Convention Center, I am happy to crown Bukowski's Tavern as our Staff's "unofficial hangout bar." You guys have helped us battle many post-staff-meeting jitters, and have kept us company on those long nights during the convention. Thanks to all of the Bukowski's staff ro being friendly and welcoming. I always look forward to coming back when I'm in Baaah-stin. See you again in a few weeks!

Doesn't Recommend

kara13

Joined 6 years ago

Excrutiating Experience. I've never felt less welcome at a bar. True they have an excellent beer selection and you can get a burger for a $1 (of course you will make up the difference in what you pay for your beer), but the bartenders were so rude and the music was painfully loud. There was the obscene wannabe hipster attitude and my group of about 30 people were being shot dirty looks (from the staff). Instead of appreciating the business, they were doing their best to get us out of there and it worked. I will not be going back.

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Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

One of Boston's most unique--and satisfying--bars packs a lot of action (and beer) into a small space.. The Scene
In a city full of Irish pubs and characterless pickup spots, locals cherish colorful, eclectic spots like this one. Upon entering the narrow bar, it's easy to see why. Visitors squeeze through a diverse crowd (usually seen nodding along to a unique soundtrack) to reach the bar, which serves one of the area's lengthiest beer menus. The atmosphere is completed by prints and murals of counterculture literary types (Charles Bukowski, Gertrude Stein and Anais Nin), as well as funny, friendly bartenders.

The Draw
The majority of patrons come here to choose from the imposing beer menu entitled "99 bottles of beer on the wall"--and that's what you'll find. There's also a list of 15 rotating varieties on tap, including a few hard-to-find microbrews. The food menu is just as colorful--regulars nosh on "white trash cheese dip" and the juicy, eight-ounce peanut butter burger, which comes topped with chunky style, not creamy.

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happyfundave

Joined 7 years ago

My new favorite bar. While this is probably one of the smallest bar in the area they know how to make the most out of a small spot. 120 beers to choose from and that doesn't even include the constantly changing tap menu. Can't choose what you want, let one of the amazing bartenders spin the wheel of indecision for you, the only rule is you must drink what it lands on. Sounds easy but with so many beers you are eventually going to get something you really don't want to finish.

Overall you owe it to yourself to go to the best little hole in the wall in boston

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truk

Joined 7 years ago

Henry Chinaski Thumbs Up. Absolutely one of the best pubs in Boston. If you miss it, you must be too drunk to see their sign. OK, look, if you actually would like to get the best local beer at its freshest point, check out Bukowskis. If you don't know who Henry Chinaski is and have never read "Post Office", try another bar. Appleby's is right around the corner...

For those still with us, the real surprise here is the kitchen. You will probably find it a challenge not to order 2 or 3 items from their menu. Go with any menu item in Spanish, and you won't go wrong.

The beer is simply fantastic, one of the top 4 pubs in town. The tap lines are cleaned with every keg change, and the bartenders always take the extra time to tell you what is the freshest. Chuck with would be blushing if he could see this place. While the decor is something out of "Post Office" the beer is Nirvana. Don't let the the Hendrix 2-hour box set playing in the background throw you, these folks are serious about their beer.

Doesn't Recommend

a_nonny_mess

Joined 8 years ago

A Place for Beer and Beer Alone. This spot is a true dive, but an excellent place for the true beer connoisseur to sample some of Bostons best beer choices at the hands of some skilled bartenders. Unless youve traveled extensively in former Soviet-bloc countries, Id avoid the food. In fact, the burgers have the same squashy, flavorless bread and sub-standard tasting meat as I found on my travels. But the point is not to eat the food or to soak in the atmosphere: the point is to drink the best beers in the world. So, ignore the rickety chairs and dubiously clean tables obviously dredged up from some aging church basement, sit at the bar and even give the Wheel of Beer a whirl. Pay no attention to the silly, pretentious literary theme. This is a dive and nothing more, but it is what separates the true beer lovers from the trendy bar crowd.

Doesn't Recommend

jp_chick

Joined 8 years ago

Excellent beer, but don't eat the food!!. If you're just looking for a place to get great beer, this is the place to go. However, eat before you go because the food is perhaps the worst in Boston. The burgers are thoroughly disgusting and let's just say they do not use the highest quality meats. The fried are flavorless but passable in a pinch and the sandwiches are always soggy and oddly seasoned. I brave this place despite the terrible service and loathsome food because, quite frankly, there is no place like it for beer. The bartenders are some of the best in the city and they truly know how to pour. Their knowledge of beer is peerless!!!! Just eat first, ignore the silly music students and enjoy the best selection of beer in Eastern Mass!!

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178131

Joined 11 years ago

Yummy Burgers. The burgers here are sooooo good. They even have burgers of the veggie variety. They are perfect and tasy ans the fries are perfectly salty and tender. Service tends to be slow at lunch, but it's a great value.

Doesn't Recommend

beerbabe76

Joined 10 years ago

Well... it's cheap.... Cheap is the operative word here. The food is definately sub-standard (avoid any meat product at all costs), but the beer selection is outstanding. The bartender is an expert at pouring beer. That beinbg said, the place is none-too-clean, the music way too loud and the atmosphere lacking. The pretentious "dead author" motif is dated and overly precious and there is never enough seating.