I'm guessing most of you, Bostonites, have already heard about the recent renovation of the Charles Street jail and the Liberty Hotel. What you haven't heard is that it has an amazing lounge on the first floor. Cleverly named Alibi, the space was part of the old cell block with some of the original walls, cell bars and flooring still there. The decoration is nice and simple: you don't need much when you have amazing brick walls, with mugshots of famous people hanging everywhere (my favorite is Devine Brown...google it up!). I asked for a Gin&Tonic and got Gin with a splash of Tonic...can't beat that! It's newly opened, so they seem to be fine tuning their drink menu. Go! Check it out! ---------------------- SNAP SON! Those Truffle Oil and Parmesan Cheese Fries!!! read more

Hefty drinks, dark corners, prison chic appointments, and Frank Sinatra and Lindsay Lohan mugshots to stare you down. I need nothing else in a bar. The great thing about Alibi is that even if you wander in late you can always find a corner of a couch or a protruding rock wall with iron bars to keep you and your date well shielded. Occasional investment banker yah dooding here, but at a manageable level, mostly identifiable by orders of martinis with twists of lemon ("you know, with the paring knife so that it curls around, like I saw Giada DeLaurentis do that one time on that show I watched on my 62" plasma. Thanks, bro"). Table side bar service is an option if you are a high rolling diplomat, or simply out to impress and rack up Visa rewards. Food is standard bar fare, and I was once told it gets carted over from Harvard Gardens. Great outdoor spot in the summer and even better place to warm up in the winter. So put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty, and meet me tonight in Atlantic City via the Liberty Hotel. Actually, we'll see about that Atlantic City part as the night goes on. read more

Great space. I loved the prison sexiness of it. Im not sure if they added the jail bars and jail feel to it. It is in an old prison. When we first got to Alibi, we hunted a group of cougars down. They had prime real estate in the form of a comfy couch. As they left, we took over. The women in Alibi were, in general quite cute and dressed to the nines. This place was hopping for a Sunday on a holiday weekend. We started talking to a wannabe actress who was moving to Hollywood in 4 days. In typical hollywood style, she bailed on us for a dildo in a John Deere hat with a bunch of champagne at his table. Just to fuck with them, I bought a bottle of Veuve too and drank it next to them. $95 - whoops! I'll regret that in the... oh wait - it is the morning. Nah, I don't regret it. The guy got pissed and tried to hit the top of our bottle with the bottom of an empty one of his - frat boy style. The bouncer said tsk tsk and almost threw him out. Nice one. The woman behind the bar was a fantastic bartender. However, she wouldn't give me a kiss goodbye. Shocking! She did give John R. and me free shots though. None of the stupid clientele mattered. We had a blast at Alibi harassing the other patrons, drinking Beija cocktails and enjoying the "sexy space". I totally understand why there is ALWAYS a line out the door on friday and saturday. read more

Apart from the usual clientele, I find it hard to fault Alibi. It could be gimmicky, it could be up-it's-own-arse, it could be ridiculously over-hyped and overpriced but it really isn't. Instead it's the poster-boy for upmarket bars - great waitstaff, always a buzz going on and that feeling of being somewhere cool and unique. I think it's officially time to call the Liberty Hotel a massive success. You're lying if you said you weren't impressed when you first walked in and looked up at the old prison roof from inside. You're sterile if you didn't get a kick out of the celebrity mugshots adorning Alibi's walls and menus. And you're blind if it never occurred to you that the walls, bars and marks on the floor were all real and from the prison days - showing you just how small a room a confined man gets to share. I've been trying to get my Alibi fix on Sundays, away from the Thurs to Sat "scene and be seen" crowd - but increasingly the lines are forming every night. ESPN's Bill Simmons just called this THE bar to go to in Boston and noted that people line-up outside now just to get into the bar upstairs from Alibi, in the vague hope that they can somehow fall through the floor to be in the place to be in. read more

I really don't know where to begin.... A group of five of us came to Alibi last night, it was my first time there. You can't beat the location, and you definitely can't beat the space that they have set up. Jail cell bars, mugshots, nice wooden furniture and the perfect amount of lighting. We got there around 8PM, so no problem getting in, big plus. I had always heard that the cocktails are great, so the $12-$13 price range didn't throw me off at all. I'm perfectly willing to pay top dollar for top cocktails or top beers, that's how it goes. I was excited when we sat down to finally get to try some of them. A waitress immediately came over and asked us the usual, I noticed she was attractive, cool. Then I started to notice that all the other waitresses were also attractive, and that they were all female and I thought, "uh-oh." I was curious as to how this was going to play out the entire night. We ordered our first round of drinks, I got the Sanchez, which is essentially a margarita. All the drinks came pretty quickly and they all tasted fine and they were all made with a heavy hand which was great. I didn't really have a problem with my drink, but it was a margarita. Don't call it anything else...Tequila+lime+Orange is a margarita, not a Sanchez. Throw a chilli pepper in there and rim it with some smoked salt and you have something that would deserve the name Sanchez. We started the people watching, and it was pretty clear what this place was. Trendy, sure? Mid-30s to 50s, fine. This is the niche that Alibi is filling, this is what they are trying to be, and they succeed. Rich socialites of all different breeds come here to have sex with each other. There is no other way about it. The females are attractive, enhanced and not. The men are rich, dress well, and also decently attractive. This is a place to be seen and to have an affair. This is all fine and dandy, this is their market, they fill it, and they do a damn good job. Our waitress checked in on us a good amount, not too much, not too little. We got some waters, and ordered another drink. "Moscow Mule, please." What's that? Muskrat Mole? Are you shitting me, really? You don't know what a Moscow Mule is? You seemingly pride yourselves on your cocktails, but your waitress doesn't know what one of the most common and simple drinks ever is? OK, that's fine...tell the bartender, they'll know. My "Moscow Mule" comes back, it seems that the bartender knew what it was, great! Oh wait, lemon and lemon juice. Not lime and lime juice. Le sigh....everything is so apparent. Alibi staffs waitresses only, all attractive, to get a buck out of their clients. They give the impression that they know what they are doing when it comes to cocktails, they do not. Alibi is a "swanky" place for the beautiful people of Boston and beyond to see and be seen. I wish the cocktails were better, service was fine, up until the bill came. Gratuity included automatically? What? We look at the menu, which indicates that 20% is added to parties of 6 or more....uh we came here with 5 people. Please learn to count, we don't care about adding 20%, we would have anyway, but be a little bit more aware of things like that. Overall, two stars. I've had better. read more

By a wide margin, Alibi is the best lounge in Boston. My friends and I have been to a lot of places around here- Tunnel, Royale, Brahmin, Sissy K's, Daedalus in Cambridge... Alibi wins by a mile. Cool interior with a DJ spinning great tunes, and an awesome outdoor patio. Beautiful guys, beautiful girls, great drinks, nice ambience, mostly great vibes from everyone. Apparently, this used to be a city jail, and parts of it still remain, which is kind of cool. Also, they have mugshots of celebs on the walls which is a nice touch. I'm not saying this club is 5 stars every night. I'm saying that on Saturday August 2nd 2014, it was. read more

Went there for drinks with friends on a Monday, so was not part of the meat market douchebaggery scene this place is known for. What a disaster of a place! This place is overhyped and way overpriced. Only reason this place gets 2 stars is purely because of the bartender. #1 advice, if you have to go there - skip the food! McDonalds will serve you a better burger. Fries were freaking cold and they forgot the avocado. Burger meat was dry like Sahara sand. Kebabs were rubery. The kitchen staff has to be the laziest and dumbest in whole Northeast! Lean Cuisine out of microwave tastes better than crap they put out. read more

A friend had his going away party at Alibi last Monday night, and I was surprised at how much I liked the place! The Yelp reviews are peppered with adjectives like "hip," "trendy," "fancy," "pretentious," etc., which is...the opposite of what I'm about. I mean, if I had my way, every bar would be a quiet but welcoming pub with ample seating, and the patrons would all wear Snuggies. I checked the "Attire" section of Alibi's Yelp profile: "Dressy." Crap! No Snuggie tonight. But by the time I found my friends, sat down, and received my drink, I was kind of digging the trendy ambiance and jailhouse theme. I ordered the Jailbait, a delicious pomegranate mojito, and the Rehab, a citrusy little number made with Stoli Ohranj, St. Germain, and Prosecco, which set me back $12 each. Almost everything on their cocktail menu looked delicious, and if I weren't so poor (and driving later that night), I would have tried one or two more. This is a 3.5 star review. I enjoyed myself, but it's difficult to accurately judge a hot bar like this one by a single Monday night visit...I'd be more comfortable bumping it up to four stars if I had the same experience on a Saturday night. read more

Sometime during my wild youth, with days spent scouring Berkeley's farmer's markets for only the freshest of rainbow chards and nights spent doing G-d knows what, but it probably involved sweat pants and Bravo, I decided that I should start working at San Quentin State Prison, as in, the men's prison perched just across the bridge from our house in Berkeley - so yes, I am familiar with a good jump suit (though, quelle horreur, they are not orange IRL, but more a of denim on denim ensemble) and getting down on the ground for an emergency drill when a fight breaks out in the Yard - and as I had been alerted that Alibi is in an old jailhouse, I put on my game face and got ready to get down. As expected, when I arrived and was immediately made aware that the average age is 23, matching heel height is 4.5in, and the approximate dress size is "handkerchief that barely covers one's tush", I knew that no amnt of time spent at SQSP would have prepared me for this night. Scene is dungeony meets hotel bar, with lady patrons skewing a bit young and their male escorts hitting the low-mid thirties mark - mix of guests staying at the hotel and bros who'd wandered down from their Beacon Hill abodes. It's an effing madhouse. Unless you have a table or are a 10/10 hottie, you'll probs get turned away or made to wait in line. As I'm a lady I'm unclear how much these "table" things cost - all I know is that we had one and it allowed me to waltz in and out at my leisure. Do it. If you're looking to dance, this isn't the place - space is tight, and while you can kind of grind up on each other, it's still more of a lounge than anything. Also, if you have a burning desire to have a heart to heart w someone, now is not the time as noise approaches earsplitting levels even quite early in the evening. Apparently the old cells weren't build w acoustics in mind, which is weird. Drinks are $15ish, I think? Nothing will blow your mind w flavor explosions, but I don't think that's why anyone is here. Prepare yourself to get agro to get a drink - ppl stack 2-4 deep around the bar and it can get to be a bit much. Overall, it's not a bad place to spend a night, but if I was bankrolling it, I'd probs be less excited by the value proposition - though it's much more enjoyable than its rivals downtown. Also, awarded countless bonus points for being the locale where a man I had been politely chatting with for literally no more than 5m tried to put his face on my face, which was met with what I can only describe as confusion and terror on mine, though per T, this was my fault, as realistically my dress was tiny and my hair was "on fleek," which I guess indicates I'm open for business? Men. Things I will never understand. read more

I wish I could give a place zero stars, because this place is so horrible I never even managed to get my foot in the door. Oh wait - the prick of a doorman let me go inside to use the bathroom after I promised I would come back out. Don't worry, buddy, I came out and I'll NEVER GO BACK AGAIN. I'm sorry, but there is no place that can make waiting in line for nearly 2 hours worth it. A friend chose this place for birthday drinks on a Saturday night. We were in line by 8:20 - a few folks were there a bit earlier than that. By 9:45, they'd only let in 10 of our group of 15 (and forget about the additional folks that were 20 people back in the line, they'd left already to get drinks somewhere else!). The birthday girl popped back out at last twice saying that the place was plenty empty enough for them to let the last five of us in, yet the doorman continued to tell us "I don't know when you'll get it - it depends on when people leave", even when his buddy was giving accurate estimates to those that asked about when they would be let in to go to the Clink upstairs. We watched plenty of hooch walk right by him without waiting in line or being on his list of reservations, and we watched at least one guy pay him off. The kicker? I got all the way home to Dorchester Lower Mills (at least 30-40 minutes), and the whole group had left because the other three my boyfriend and I had been waiting with STILL hadn't gotten in. I find it really hard to believe that there is any bar worth waiting that long for. read more

We liked this place. The walls were filled with actual mugshots of celebrities which was fun and the drinks were very good. Definitely worth a stop by for atmosphere and drinks. We didn't eat there but there were some people eating at the bar. read more

Scene:Boutique like semi industrial feeling Hotel bar. A flurry of late 20 early 30 somethings holding their cocktails and glasses of wine.........no one is being too loud, no one is dancing too much-or at all............very chill.....Gorgeous chandeliers, dim lighting and pretty people wait staff...........Celebrity mug shots adorn the walls and there are even bricks and jail bars from the cells of the Old Charles Street Jail.... I feel something......an omen........someone coming closer. Oh no. It was the little geeky guy who was starring at me across the bar....one of times he looked at me and SLOWLY Licked his upper teeth/lip...(I swear) EEEK! Screech look a like with MGH badge still on: "Hey there sexy....I love your sweater (starring at chest) Question:Do you know why Hugh Grant was arrested?" Me: (trying to figure out if he was a dr or a nurse-where did this confidence sprout from?) "Was it for using bad pick up lines on awesome women?" Screech look a like with MGH badge still on: "Well you know.......I......." Me:"I would have been more intrigued if you asked me if I knew why Sinatra was arrested." (as I pointed to his mug shot on the wall) Screech look a like with MGH badge still on: "well...." Me: (cuts off) "Even though I am enjoying the music and the lights are dim........ I can still see and hear enough of your bull to know you completely suck at life." Screech look a like with MGH badge still on: "Well, I just wanted to know if........" Me: "So go park yourself back up against the brick wall over by the jail bars, while I go sit over on this lovely red leather sofa and drink my awesome Doing Thyme cocktail." Screech look a like with MGH badge still on: "Uh.....no........well...........you see" Me: "OK, than, so why? Why was he arrested." (I knew) Screech look a like with MGH badge still on: (He forgot his punchline......so he resorted to) " Well for picking up a hooker-that was a man" Me: (Got up and hovered over him a good 3 inches and mind you, I am only 5' 2" 1/2, than slowly raised my hand with clutch held tightly as weapon, I started counting backwards) "5..........4...........you have three seconds to run........3................2............" (he was gone by one) I kicked myself after I thought about all the Prescription drugs I possibly missed out on and than realized, after meeting one of his co-workers, he was only in billing. Point is, the bar is kitschy. Go there once to check it out, I guess. For me it is not my scene. Mostly after work people in turtle necks and younger people checkin it out. They just don't mesh well....and everyone was either looking around at everyone else like at a high school dance or tappin their drinks. (-3) Which, by the way were excellent (+1) Disclaimer: This is based on a true story __________________________________________________ read more

This place oozes sex. Not in the handy-in-the-bathroom sort of way, but "hey, well dressed guy. I noticed you and your good-smelling man cologne. I let you buy me a drink. Now let me return the favor because I've been taking Total Body Sculpt for months now and want to show off the goods." You know, give or take some details. Drinks really are fantastic, albeit pricey. Music is kept at a comfortable level. I could hear it, but did not have to yell at my friend. Yelling at lounges is weird, you're almost always saying something you don't want others to hear. I mean, am I right? Our waitress was adorable and sweet and I was digging her hot dress and converses. Only issue was that she had no idea what my polenta fries came with. Le sad. The crowd here is always ALWAYS good looking. So unless you don't plan on (ahem) catchin' D, come well dressed. Keep the heels on. Don't bring flats. No one will want you that way. read more

Alibi is one of those places I don't know why more guys don't frequent. There were SO many groups of cute girls there. And like, no guys. Well, there was one in an AFFLICTION T-SHIRT.BARF. And of course, old hotel guests (myself included?) Our server had so many tables but she juggled them like a champ and checked in with us often. She was super fun and nice and deserves a medal. For a place like this, I would: Drink: One of their signature cocktails, which are strong and very good. I had one with watermelon. Not too sweet. Eat: We didn't eat here but I think they share a kitchen with either Scampo or Clink, both of which have decent food. Wear: Short, tight dresses with a peplum. That seemed to be the outfit du jour. Go with: Your best wingmen, dudes. This place is teeming with girls looking around hoping to get hit on. read more

Considering I went with a friend who couldn't exactly handle her alcohol and the unusual amount of old foreign men hitting on my friend and I; I still managed to have an amazing time here. This may or may not be attributed to the cute bartenders and massive amounts of tequila I consumed - but I can foresee me coming back again and again for more = trouble. This bar is reminiscent of somewhere I would have went when I lived in Hollywood, so for that i give it 4 stars. read more

We stopped in for casual conversation with a friend on a Saturday afternoon. The outdoor area seems like the place to be during summer time so definitely make a reservation if you're there for the whole "see and be seen" thing. We stuck to the quieter indoors for food and drink. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, never overbearing but always available. I noticed she kept an eye on our table every time she walked by -- love that! And she held readily held conversation as we waited for our friend to pick out food. For food, I'd definitely recommend getting some fries and any of the pizzas. They're delightfully thin and well seasoned. Can't wait to come back! read more

I really wanted to like this bar. I went with a group of 5 guys/girls and we were very excited to try it out! We went on a Friday night to the outdoor patio but we managed to beat the rush. The place was not busy, yet, it took 45 minuted for out waitress to bring us the wrong drinks. Even longer for our appetizers, which included an extra appetizer that we did not order. When we politely (yes it was polite) tried to tell her that we did not order this, she flatly stated we did and looked extremely annoyed and disgusted when we argued. Once upon a time, I was a waitress, and my friends are very polite. So we were by no means the obnoxious table, but the staff seemed to have better things to do than pay attention. The entire waitstaff was very non existent throughout our experience. If it were busy, I would cut them some slack. But the entire experience was absolutely horrible. I could never imagine bringing a group of friends here for a special occasion! read more

The cat-eyes are roaming, the perfume is flowing, the drinks are pink with a twist of fate. The ladies of Alibi never fail to represent as Boston's finest talent. And yet, the place reminds me more of a of a third grade recess than anything... girls at some tables, guys at others. It took me a while before I realized that the guys here sorta tip the scale on the douchey side. Don't think I've ever seen so many 30-40 y/o's pretending they are 25-30. Drinks are pricey, but not the worst in town. Place is small, but alright. And I have a lot of respect for the staff - they work hard and have always been fast and attentive. So yah, 4 stars for sure. Best Thursday night scene in Boston. read more

According to my favorite online dictionary, Alibi, in Latin, is an adverb meaning "in or at another place." When used as an informal verb, it means to give an excuse; offer a defense. Sometimes when at Alibi, I wish I was "in or at another place" while other times, I seek excuses to go there! To the former, the crowded nights with hardly any room to stand make me want to bounce on outta there. The layout isn't conducive to any sort of crowd flow. The outdoor patio is nice on a hot summer night, but the view of the construction and traffic to the bridge and the Charles/MGH T stop isn't exactly sexy. Having to exit the bar to use the ladies room is, well, inefficient. Who wants to leave their drink behind and stumble into a brightly lit lobby of a swank hotel all bleary-eyed and hiccuping? Not this lady, that's for sure! To the latter, I do seem to have fun here! Perhaps that has something to do with my being a bit on the tipsy side or the company I keep, but something about chilln' with some cocktails in an old jail cell is kinda cool. Like, what if someone got shanked in the very same spot where I'm sippin on my scotch? AWESOME! read more

I am writing this review while in a post-surgery Percocet haze, so don't expect it to be useful, funny or cool. In fact, don't even expect it to make sense. I can't believe it took me so long to actually get to the Liberty Hotel! It had been on my list forever but it took a friend's birthday party at Alibi to get me there the other night. My friend had reserved the side room (the one with Hugh Grant's mug shot) for a party and it was a great space. The doors were open to the outdoor patio and it was a great night outside (until the downpour brought everyone running in). Had we not been in a sectioned off room, I think the place would have been too crowded for me, but luckily we were. I loved the atmosphere and the service was terrific but they ran out of Prosecco at about 9:00 on a Saturday night?! The hotel is beautiful and I would certainly go back to Alibi for drinks, but definitely on the early side again. I saw a line forming later in the night when I made a trip to the bathroom (I agree with Leighann, it's in a bad location) and I would never wait in that line. I'm not patient enough for lines. The outdoor patio is beautiful and I'd like to pretend it's overlooking someplace gorgeous, like South Beach (instead of the street). The valet service was fast and efficient (and yeah, it was $20 but on a rainy night, it's totally worth it). Though it's a gorgeous building, there was something a little perverse about having such a great time in a former jail that was shut down for inhumane treatment. I was telling my parents about he place on Mother's Day and my dad was all "My friend Tommy did time there." read more

I want to work in a bar where the waitstaff get an automatic 20% tip for coming around once every 45 minutes. I can't believe they required us to pay a 20% tip even though we waited so long for the waitress to come around that we finally just went up to the bar and ordered there. Our waitress still put 20% tip on the bar-ordered bill, which was paid for separately, because it was going to folks at her table and then kind of stumbled through "I'll bring these over to you". Yeah... thanks. 18% is a standard large-group tip, and you have to still earn that. It's a very nice bar, and the drinks are fantastic. The crowd is not my usual scene but fine for once in a while. How do they not have Frangelico, though? read more

This is the weakest lounge I've been to since I've been in Boston. Definitely not my scene!! The crowd was wack-- nasty people with dated wardrobes, stank faces & ratchet attitudes. Not to mention HELLA disgusting guys prowling with thirsty ass females... uhmmm.. no thanks! yuckk! Then there were the drinks... they sucked. Had 3 jameson and gingerale from 3 different bartenders. Only 1 was made right. I ordered a freaking Jameson gingerale, how do you get that wrong??! Maybe its better on other nights... but def not returning to find out.... Throwing up the deuces to Alibi.... read more

can you say poseur? The place was filled with 20-something women, 30 something men that all thought they were very special. While the bar is cute, it is incredibly small. The drinks were ok, not watery as some critics have stated here. But then, I was drinking simple Bacardi and diet. It appeared to me that they were keeping way too many people in line just to make them think this place is ultra exclusive. We scammed our way in by telling the bouncer we were guests.( I guess we are old enough to believably look like patrons of the hotel our age, compared to the patrons of the club?) If you are over 40 or approaching 40, Alibi is not for you. The tables and seating are all reserved. Be prepared to stand if you don't reserve a table (yes, there's a minimum). It's small. The staff seems bothered by having to work. The crowd is young. Unless you want to go rub elbows with eurotrash and 20 something girls, I would avoid Alibi. There was nothing at this bar that made me want to go back. Even the music was unimpressive. Maybe it's just my age, or maybe everyone is just trying to hard to be cool. read more

The food here was a solids 3 star. Very mediocre... for the price and location. The only thing stood out was the lobster pizza. There were also mice... prison theme- check read more

Definitely not a place to lounge since the seats are not that comfie. Came in for a quick drink before dinner. I wouldn't stay for more than one since the seat i was in had no back rest and no seat cushion. Typical hotel prices of dishing out 13 bucks for a drink. I wish I was Paris Hilton so I can go to all these Boston swanky joints! read more

Alibi was exactly what I expected it to be. We went with a group on a Saturday night and got there early (7:30) to stake out a spot. Good thing, because by 9, it was packed. You can reserve a table, but to do so, you need to get bottle service which will run you at least $300. Anyways, pretty standard stuff for this new-ish hotel hotspot. Mostly douchey crowd, dark and cool atmosphere, and pricey drinks ($12-$14 for their signature cocktails, $9+ for regular mixed drinks). I will say that the service was good, but the drinks were some of the most watered down I've had. I sent back what was supposed to be a vodka cranberry, but was really just a $10 glass of juice, and the waitress didn't give me any attitude about doing so. That said, I'd stick to beer and wine here if you want your money's worth. The mixed drinks all around were terrible and may as well have been virgin. And although the food comes in from Harvard Gardens (not totally sure why), I defy you to not order the truffle french fries once you pick up the scent coming from another table. This place is now crossed off of the list. Probably no need to return for a while, if ever. Oh, and I see 5 "no" votes for a coat check. Not sure why that is. There is a coat check on the second floor in the lobby of the hotel. Maybe it's just not well marked, but it's definitely there. read more

Nothing better than being with a group of friends and work-folk in the drink tank of an old prison. Not to mention this place gets props for its name (my cat's named Alibi and yes, I'm a cat lady....damn you). So here's the skinny: dark and comfortable, jail and bars and celeb mug shots, you know this, over-priced drinks and stuff. Here's what I recommend: do not buy their "signature" cocktails. These are, indeed, overpriced and frankly, not that good. Stick with your good old fashion standbys (I like jolly ranchers myself - $8, not bad) and DO NOT order the food on the menu!! That is a warning. Seriously. Go to Wendy's or BK or freakin' Whole Foods up the street - but do not eat here. You will get screwed without either a name or phone number or even the courtesy of a hand shake. Don't believe me?? My friends and I ordered the kobe beef sliders ($16) and the steak and cheese egg rolls ($14). We only got four sliders, which were smaller than White Castle burgers, and greasier than an IHOP griddle at noon. And the steak and cheese egg rolls, though yummy, we're about the size of a pinkie but cut in half. That's enough to make you want to shank somebody!! read more

You know how everyone's all, "Go early"? Well, believe it. Showed up at Alibi for after-work drinks on a Thursday at 6 pm, so I wasn't surprised to see the outdoor patio packed on a beautiful, summer evening. I was, however, surprised to find most of the indoor seating taken, too! Luckily we scored one of the low booth/table combos near the entrance. Our waitress was both hot and nice -- call me a hater, but at a trendy, popular place like Alibi, I expect the hot waitresses to be unfriendly to female clientele. I was happy to be wrong, and we made sure to positively reinforce her friendliness by leaving her a big tip. Place isn't cheap: four martinis and a plate of edamame (which could have done without the dousing in sesame oil) ran us $60, but we knew what we were getting into. I brought my out-of-town friend here because a) she likes fun, trendy places and b) i wanted to show her something a little different. It's gimmicky, but it's fun and unique. And folks, it is what it is. If you're turned off by "it" spots, then Alibi is probably not for you. It was exactly what I expected and wanted it to be, and in that way it absolutely worked. Final note: that lychee martini was pretty amazing. read more

I'm torn. I really, really want to like Alibi. I love the setting with all the brick, bars and mugshots. It's one of the few places where the bouncers were actually friendly at the door. But I think that's as much as I can say on the plus side. Maybe I just went on an off night. Well, maybe not an off night, but the wrong night. Maybe I should wait for summer to roll around so the infamous patio area is open and there's a little more wiggle room. Maybe I shouldn't go at 10pm on a Saturday night. Well, I did, in fact, go around 10pm on a Saturday night with Barbara S. and every few minutes we'd look at each other, as if to ask "What the hell?" And for some inexplicable reason, the coat check was closed? We were told there was a coat check...but it was closed. In the middle of winter. At peak bar hours. God only knows I love carrying around a bulky coat with me while I'm trying to balance a drink and dodge creepers at the same time... Drinks aren't necessarily overpriced but you'll be lucky to get what you ordered in the chaos of the bar area. Out of 6 drinks ordered, 3 were wrong but we couldn't correct it because the bartenders were completely overwhelmed with people. Oh, and the people... Maybe it was douchebag night. Did I miss the memo? Creepers everywhere. One guy poked me through a set of iron bars and asked if we could make out between the bars. Um, no thanks. Please go away. And when is it EVER acceptable to insult someone as they walk by? Again, MUST have missed the memo that it was douchebag night at Alibi. Serves us right for wanting to go out somewhere other than a dive bar on a Saturday night! All in all, I'm not sure I'd write it off entirely. I like the setting too much and the people who worked there were surprisingly nice. So, here's my plan: 1) get a larger group of people together, 2) try to reserve a couch area or nook to claim as our own for the evening, 3) show up earlier than peak party hour and 4) go on a night other than Friday or Saturday. Once that happens, I may be able to update my review. In the meantime, can someone please let me know if that douchebag memo goes out again? I'll need to prepare myself... read more

Cool place and always stop here when staying at the Liberty Hotel. The interior is clean and very cool, modern and definitely has the old prison accents. The service is always awesome and plenty of staff. On weekends they have DJ which is always packed and fun for dancing. It can get pretty packed if you don't like packed but I enjoy it and why I go. read more

This place's whopping two stars are coming from the fact that is used to be a Suffolk County jail house and how cool it really is inside. The atmosphere - I'll give it to Alibi/Clink/Liberty Bar. It is a nice place. It is a well decorated, comfortable, very cool spot. Upscale, sophisticated and classy. I really enjoyed being inside the building, lots to catch the eye and occupy the imagination. Dark colors, contrasting wall hangings, dim, warm lighting casts a faint glow around you. You can almost hear the prisoners of an era gone by walking down the hall, their chains "clinking" with them. Now, if it weren't for all the damn people inside... The bartenders - jerks who only pay attention to the fat business type flopping his Rolex-claden wrist / the squealing girl whose boobs are about to pop straight outta that top onto the counter in front of you. The drinks - over priced and under mixed. They throw a fistful of ice into a small glass, splash a little liquor in there and top if off with a shot of juice. Horrible, horrible mixed drinks. Do not do it. And the beers, normal beer, but way over priced. Why the hell am I standing here paying 6 + for a beer to stand around with a bunch of lame ass people who all think they are the star of the evening? Puh-leez. The patrons - douche bag bartenders, the douche bag patrons aren't far behind. These people are all trying so hard to be hollywood and big business that it almost feels like someone held a costume party and the invitation said: "Dress like THAT guy". Ew. And yes, one night, I was a part of that douce bag crowd. That's because I wanted to see what this place was all about and i didn't read the Yelp reviews first. Shame on me. Anyways, check it out for the thrill of being inside an old jail house. Just be sure to throw on your Jolex, roll up the sleeve on that blazer and slap your Jackson-clutching hand onto that damn bar. Don't miss the trashy-trying-to-be-classy girls in too-tight mini dresses sipping on over priced ice-water on the other side of the bar. Don't worry, they're DTF and probably can't see how ugly you really are through all that mascara anyways. read more

Went here Friday night and most of the reviews below were right on. It is a great change of pace to your run of the mill bar. I am looking forward to going back in the summer when they open up their outdoor area. We had a waitress who was very attentive and I was able to order more drinks when ever our party was looking for one. If you haven't been here, I would definitely suggest checking it out. It is easy to find, right across the street from MGH Redline stop. read more

Alibi is definitely one thing, impressive. In order to get to the bar you have to walk through the main entrance to the Liberty Hotel.... WOW! Because the review is for the bar and not the hotel I won't go into details about the lovely woodwork, open ceiling and the art intense escalators.... back to Alibi..... This bar is beautifully done! You walk into the bar through a big wooden sliding door that must have separated cell blocks back in the day. The bar still smells of new leather from the high back carmel leather chairs and stools. We actually sat in a cell while we had drinks. The dark wood and candles provide an intensely warm environment that complements your favorite cold drink. Speaking of drinks, they were good. When we went they only had one bar on tap, Guinness, but they had a variety in the bottle. My martinis were perfect. Served in a very large glass so I couldn't spill on myself. I agree with Malena, I love the mugshots! We are going to try to come back soon before the bar gets too popular. I foresee a wait in the future. read more

Alibi's a pretty trendy spot in Boston--interesting decor (used to be a prison), with dim lighting and bars everywhere. It's kind of funny, I feel like this is one of those places where old guys come to pick up pretty young things. And pretty young things come here to find sugar daddies. Not sure if that's the case, but that's just the vibe I get when I'm here and look around... I spotted Kid Rock here once, with his massive entourage of big old guys. In a big blue hat, he sat in a corner while his bodyguards shoo'd people away. Then he left, slews of girls asked for photos with him and he refused. I dunno, kinda douchey, in my opinion (esp when you have about 3 fans left in the world), but I guess celebs will be celebs. If you want to go to a pretty lounge with friends, this is a pretty good place to go. Every Thursday there's a fashion show upstairs in the hotel lobby, so it's something cool to watch. read more

I am currently holding a pretty bad memory from this place becuase of the obnoxiously drunk mid 30s married couples that try to sexually harass my friends and I last time I visited --a very disgusting and outrangeously annoying experience. Apart from that, I am fond of the Liberty Hotel--the exterior, interrior and most of other things about it. However, Alibi has always made me feel extremely uncomfortable, like being interrogated by authority to provide an Alibi to prove innocence- that is uncomfortable. I think it might be because of the interrior designs, I haven't been able to think of what else, that bothers me so much about the place. The drinks here aren't too bad, but they are on the expensive side, and the alcohol content is not always what you expected at the price level. However, the bar-tenders are usually very friendly and very willing to adjust your drinks to your likings. I am not a fan of the food menu, not much to there, and the food is delivered from some other restaurant, sort of a strange idea. Thus when you ask for any condiments, the staff have to search it elsewhere in the hotel in order to bring you some mayonnaise, which took about 30 mins and concluded with "unable to deliver". The crowd here is usually quite a mix, I've seen mid-age businessmen/women, elderly couples, young professionals, and occasionally students. Depending on the night you go, it can be completely quite (empty) or it can be vibrant. read more

I loved Alibi. The people were attractive, the space was charming, the bartenders were awesome.. Definitely was key that we got a seat at the bar, as a lot of the tables were reserved for later arriving parties, but I can't wait to go here again. It was just the right mix of people, NONE of which included disgusting college kids. Update: If you find that there are a lot of creepy older men walking around who seem to be at the bar ALONE (yes alone.. just .. being creepy..), make your way up to the bar where, as I've recently discovered his name to be, JUSTIN, the bartender may just be walking his unbelievable hotness back and forth.. back and forth... backkkk..., ohh.. did I just drool? Yea.. it's that good. Takes the edge of the scary old men. For shures. read more

Awesome decor, but definitely a lounge, not the cool cocktail spot I was hoping for. I am absolutely in love with The Liberty Hotel and would give it six stars if I could, so after touring the grounds, I was excited for the prohibition-style cocktails I assumed I would get at Alibi. Well, the surroundings were as beautiful as the rest of the hotel, but I was really disappointed that instead of having a cocktail lovingly prepared by a mixologist, the young woman in the tight black dress behind the bar quickly threw together a $13 martini like she was making a rum and Coke. It seems as though the owners are going for flash and turnover rather than quality. (I will say that the bathrooms were spectacular!) I really hope I was there on a bad night because I really, really want this place to succeed! read more

This bar has the potential to be an awesome place to get cocktails after work with some coworkers. However, my girls and I experienced a very strange night out here on Friday night. We came after eating dinner at Clink upstairs, and expected the outdoor area to be enjoyable considering the weather was beautiful. The bouncer would not let us out on the patio though because they were at capacity. I asked him if he could let us know when we could go out, as we waited right by the door at a table. After 30 minutes, we saw crowds of people going in and finally confronted him about it until another bouncer said it was okay. The patio was nothing spectacular. There are a lot of guys wearing suits here and it just seemed to pretentious for me. The special drinks are expensive, but if you just get a regular cocktail they are not too bad ($10). My first Jameson/coke tasted like coke though, but then my next one tasted like straight up whiskey. There didn't seem to be any consistency amongst the boob-baring bartenders. I also feel like my friend got a bunch of creepy guys spewing out horrible pick-up lines at her. I don't think I will ever be back here because it just wasn't fun for us. The music had some good throwbacks, but other than that there was nothing particular about this bar that I liked. read more

I don't understand how anybody could hate this place. I absolutely LOVED it, and I've been to pretty much every bar/club/lounge in this city. This is the best of the best. My girlfriends and I went here after work on a Friday night, and we had a fantastic time. The decor is really fun. I loved the jail bars accenting the walls, and the framed pictures of celebrity mugshots were a nice touch. I didn't find it pretentious or stuffy. It was a cool bar, and the staff was really attentive and friendly. Our waitress was wonderful. She was always smiling, and she made the 3 of us feel comfortable and was always close by, ready to grab us more drinks. The cocktails are $12 a pop, so if you're looking for a cheap night out, this isn't the place for you. Faneuil Hall bars might be more your speed. As far as I'm concerned, you get what you pay for. I could hang out in a shit hole bar in the city and pay $5 a drink, or I could go to this place, which has everything going for it, and pay $12. I'd rather pay the extra money. I highly recommend the Suffragette City cocktail. It's the house Cosmo. Delicious, fruity, but not too sweet and didn't taste like rubbing alcohol either. I can't wait to go back when it gets warmer to take advantage of the outdoor patio. I wish there were more places in the city like this. The hotel itself is beyond gorgeous. I was pretty blown away by how beautiful it was. Those circular windows were simply amazing. read more

I felt like I was back in LA. Drinks were like $12 a piece and you had to look fancy to get in. The ambiance was nice and it wasn't too hard to get a drink. A good place but I expect a little more when I'm paying so much for drinks. read more