They would get 4 stars, but the ice in my pint glass confused me....and the huge bottle of Cider that I ordered perplexed me. After a little while, though, I saw the usefulness in a double bottle. The ice...I still couldn't get my head around it. Either way, we had a send off party for a co-worker there and were able to squeeze a crapload of people into one of those booths. The waitress was mostly attentive and drinks were served quickly. I have no idea what the bill was because by that time I was already stumbling home hoping that the raccoons of Somerville weren't going to eat me on my walk back ;) read more

So, I had to change my review for Clery's. I somehow keep ending up at the place and it keeps getting better! I was there on Saturday and decided to venture downstairs. I had heard it was dirty and skanky. My 3 buddies and I walked down, and this really cute girl grabs me and starts dancing with me. I'm a little taken aback, but going with the flow. She starts grinding on me and playing grab ass. After a few songs, clery's killed the buzz by throwing on the lights at 1 am. *poof* - she melted away back to her friends, and my buddies and I took off. There is free love in clery's basement - just make sure you've got the girl you're going home with before 1 am or they all turn to dust. read more

Came here to meet up for a birthday party. The birthday girl warned us to get there by 9pm because after that there is a line. It was snowing and such outside, so my friend and I were thinking that it wouldn't be bad out that night. WRONG. We arrived around 10pm and wanted in line for AN HOUR AND A HALF... IN THE SNOW. Why did we do this? Because it was a birthday party... had it just been that we were going there to check it out, we would have dipped out immediately. The one saving grace of waiting in line is we were near some nice guys and we decided we would all take Jager shots together once we got into the joint. Once in, and post-shot taking... we had to wait in yet ANOTHER line to get down to the basement. Seriously? I need to wait in another line to check my coat? I understand the dancing is down there too, but that's not my problem - that's yours and your bad bad planning. IMO, nothing special. One of my roomies absolutely LOVES Clearys, so one day I'm sure I'll give it another chance... especially b/c now I have one of the bouncer's phone numbers, and so I will receive cut the line privileges. I love special treatments. :-) (Don't be a hater b/c you'll still have to wait in line... if you don't want to GET THERE EARLY ... even if it is a mini blizzard outside). ----------------------------- Edit: I upped this review by 1 star because I did go back... and use the bouncer's number... so since I didn't have to wait in line, and I went with a couple friends and just drank/danced the night away... it was a rockin good time. I still stand by my statement that the waiting in line part BLOWS so I'll either use the digits to cut the line, or get there early if/when I go again! read more

Clery's used to be a regular haunt. I have wasted more Saturday afternoons back in the early 00's than I would like to admit to, ponied up to the bar. A great place where locals and the new gentrifiers would all get together for pub grub, a few beers, and (when lucky) some open windows onto the South End activity. Then a few years ago, they expanded next door and did what many pubs did at the time. They thought themselves a fancy joint, and the sandwiches and burgers were replaced by 'fancy encrusted salmon fillet with haricots verts and' whatever else they looked up in the "How to double your menu prices" cookbook. Either the formula didn't work or they lost the cookbook, but the menu is back to primarily what is was back in the day - sandwiches, pizzas, steak tips..... As for the crowd? well, the kids, they like this place. freezing ass cold Friday, and they are lining up to get in the place. practically cheered, when my party of 6 left at 9 to move on to the next place. (or maybe they cheered that the old people left, because the crowd was young and hot - and, well, we're not) It's been a long time since I last visited, and I probably won't rush back because even steps away at Coda there's somewhere a bit more my scene. But if you are hankering for a burger, a few pints, and a bar stool's view of an "Ass Convention", this Friday evening might be your night. read more

Clery's was a frequent destination when I was in college and a few former classmates and I decided to rendezvous there this weekend. Knowing that the lines here are ridiculous later in the evening, we thought we'd go for dinner first and then when it was time to shake our tailfeathers, we'd already be inside. Suckers! Our plan worked, thankfully, and after our meal we were able to head right down for some dancing. At 7:30 pm, the restaurant was empty except for us and one other party. Two of our revelers this evening had arrived early and were already seated. Unbeknownst to them, I had arrived with two addtional revelers, so we needed a table for five. We received mild attitude from the hostess when we said we'd actually be five. Whatever, chickie poo. There's nobody in the restaurant, so what do you care? Kind of weird that instead of moving us to a bigger table, she brought an extra chair and placed it on the outside of the booth. Meh! Anyways, after sourpuss hostess, our server for the evening was very nice. The food is pretty generic bar food--wings, nachos, burgers, sandwiches, a couple salads. If you're trying to eat remotely healthfully, look elsewhere. Since I was saving my calories for booze, I tried to be good and got the organic turkey burger and subbed out fries for a side salad for slight upcharge. The turkey burger was very dry, but I won't hold that against them too much. I mean, you have no choice but to cook turkey well done, so it can be a challenge to keep it at all moist. My friend who had less need to be health conscious (i.e., she's skinny) said her medium rare burger with extra cheese was oustanding. The cocktails are an interesting breed here. One dining companion got a cosmopolitan and remarked, "Oh, so this is what cranberry juice tastes like!" I tried it and yes, it was weak. Looking for something stronger, he ordered a vodka martini which tasted like nothing but vermouth. I stuck to red wine that evening and they pour a decent glass at a reasonable price. The wine list isn't extravangant, but I don't think this place exactly has a sommelier on staff. Moving on the booty-shaking portion of the evening, I love the basement dance area. If you plan on going down there, get there early to avoid the second line inside. The basement reaches capacity quickly and they have additional bouncers inside controlling access to the dancefloor. They play a good mix of current pop and songs that'll make you say, "Oh wow! I rememeber this song!" The crowd seems to be pretty much early 20's, but I didn't feel our group of late 20's to mid 30's people was terribly out of place. The bar area downstairs is a bitch to navigate, but remember that if you try to go upstairs to get a drink, you'll have to wait in line to get back down. Oh, and it gets HOT downstairs. The AC system does little to keep the majority of the room cool, but if you stake out a spot on the dance floor near the vents, it's not too bad. In summary, ok, but nothing special food, but a good place to reclaim your youth and dance like a fool. read more

Fun bar. Loved the open windows on a nice day. Ordered a sausage pizza which was really quite above par from a bar pizza standpoint! read more

Right in the heart of Boston, great to come to and get a burger, watch sports, and unwind after work.5/5 service, with someone always asking you if you need anything. 3/5 for the food. Nothing exceptionally special. Pizza, burgers, salad etc. read more

Clerys - Burger and beer! - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Clerys is a very large place with a basement and private room. That being said, you can still barely find breathing room if you go around happy hour on a nice day. The bar food is actually not terrible, but it is what it is. Clerys was actually one of the first places I went out at when I moved to Boston. The place is serviceable and I'll make my occasional visit, but there are better and less crowded places in the area. read more

Exploring the South End continues to be fun and Clerys was another spot that was on the list of places to check out. Came here with a larger group. The waitress was prompt and especially hospitable in dealing with such a great bunch of us. Was fantastic getting us our beers, my food order and even cashing us out one at a time. For food I had the short rib grilled cheese. I love how we have evolved from taking simple american dishes you learn when you are 8, slap the label "comfort food" on it, dress it up with high price ingredients and charge 5-8 times the price. Well, at Clerys, it works. The sandwich is juicy and delicious, the side of fries is a small, correct sized portion and perfectly crispy and the caramelized beer glazed onions are scrumptious. Everything you can wish you. On Wednesdays, Clerys hosts a trivia night, something I usually enjoy, however the acoustics are a bit overpowering. On a summer afternoon the windows are open which is great for a nice breeze. All in all a satisfying experience. Looking forward to more times at Clerys. read more

The salmon was really flavorful and cooked well. I loved the atmosphere and it was in a really nice neighborhood. The service was slightly slow but the waiters were amicable. I was not from the area and was brought here by Boston University medical students. I would come back for the atmosphere and the food! read more

Clerys - Salmon and quinoa - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I've never been to Clery's really late at night, so I can't speak to its large late night or post work night gatherings, but it seems nice enough for what it is (a Copley/South End bar). Middays seem to be the least crazy. It doesn't really feel all that remarkable, but it's not too bad in the context of bars. It's relatively clean, they've got decent stuff available on the beer front, and the service is decent. read more

I've only ever come here for trivia. Our servers are surprisingly attentive given the fact that this place always has a full house (kudos to the staffing levels). Other notes: 1. The loaded tater tots are plentiful & appropriately cheesy & spicy, but the other dishes I've tried here aren't anything to write home about. 2. The crowd is very noisy, which interferes with trivia, but you can't fault people for having a good conversation at a bar. 3. There is an awkward step between the entrance & the seating area - it's not obvious & you should be careful. 4. Clerys is located about a block away from the Orange Line's Back Bay station; this is a great location for anyone who doesn't want to drink & drive. read more

My friend and I were essentially abandoned at our table for over 30 minutes. There was no checking in, or extra drink ordering to be had. The food was average, about what you would expect. The prices were okay for the area, definitely a bit cheaper than most places in the south end, the neighborhood it borders. I don't know if I would go back, not because it made a terrible impression-but because it hardly made an impression at all. read more

Went here with a friend to grab a quick lunch. We were seated right away but had to wait for a bit to get our order taken, which was a bit of a worry since we both had meetings at the end of the lunch hour. Anyways, we both ordered the border salad which also took a bit longer to come out than I expected. The salad itself was decent, but nothing to write home about. Overall, the service was friendly, but minimal and a bit too slow for a lunch break in my opinion. Decent food, though a bit pricey for what you get. read more

I live right around the corner from Clerys and love having it to go to for a quick drink or to watch a game. The food is great pub fare (love their Caesar salad with buffalo chicken added on top!) and it has the neighborhood bar vibe that is hard to find among all the new restaurants popping up. And the bar tenders learn your name if you go enough :) I also have hosted events at Clerys and can say nothing but great things about working with the Glynn group. There are a bunch of different spaces at Clerys for different group sizes and the event team is very easy to work with in planning logistics. I always think of Clerys when trying to plan a bar event in Back Bay. read more

Stopped by here on our walking tour through most of the city. Our group of seven wanted something hearty to eat, and they did not disappoint. The portions were enormous and everything was delicious. The service was a little slow, and we would have liked some refills a little more quickly, but it wasn't enough of a problem to take away from the rest of the meal. read more

I just went here for the bar and not for food. We went on a Friday night and we didn't have to stand in line and there was no cover. Unfortunately they didn't have a coat check. Beers were decently priced. A Miller Lite was $5.75 and they were 16oz cans. Bar tenders were all attentive and seemed friendly. Staff was all friendly. I was downstairs most of the time which was a little cramped, but then moved upstairs. Not a bad spot at all to have a gathering with a group of friends. read more

OK, here's the thing. I've only been into Clery's once after much walking by, and that was for food during the day, so the 4 stars are really for the food. I have no concept of the nightlife, except for what I've seen through a window. It's not as divey as I'd like, so I can't guarantee I'd enjoy being there for some nighttime drinking. However, I have to say that their food is great and cheap for a Back Bay restaurant. I went here with coworkers today for a going-away lunch (not mine!). I had a yummy and satisfying turkey club wrap with a mixed greens salad on the side for $7. Can't beat that. It's also very cozy in the winter, what with the wood decor and the fireplace. It wasn't too crowded, either, for lunch time. I'd come back here for a work lunch, but I can't say the same for bar-hopping. read more

Neighborhood club turned jumping nightspot on Fridays and Saturdays. To me, it's "Meh, I've experienced better" as a night life locations and a "Yay, I'm a fan" as my neighborhood spot to watch games. Good bar food, comfortably roomy during sunday football game hours and gets a good mix of locals and visitors. They even up the ante with some more "high brow" dinner specials and flat bread specials each weekend so you don't get too bored if you're a regular. The lack of a "bucket of wings" option, however, does keep it from flying very high on "perfect neighborhood bar" list. As a night out location, there's a dance area on the bottom floor. Last call is 12:30 or some ridiculous thing like that. There's almost always a gargantuan line which makes little to no sense to me. If you're looking to bump and grind and get beer spilled on you, this is your kind of spot. I'll wait till the weekend party goers leave to get my bar back. Thanks. read more

Stopped in for a few cold ones and some apps. Sat nite around 6 pm . The place is deceivingly big. A bar area on street side with another room in back along with a downstairs spot that I hear has bands on weekends. A decent beer menu ... we had the fried bologna sliders that brought me back to my childhood days ... seems like the current generation never had the enjoyment of frying up a few slices and slapping mustard on them . Buffalo wings were good. Typical pub style food. Place gets jammed on weekends ...by 930 you can't move .. all young kids in there 20s. We jumped over to the Brownstown for a few brews. Its a lot more relaxing and a slower pace than Clerys. read more

Mediocre, at best. This place is good because people can always agree on going there: it's a default bar, due mainly to its location. Does this make it a GREAT place to hang out? No. Does it make up for the irritated staff and annoying music? No. Sill, I come here a lot because two of my best friends live directly across the street. I can appreciate the line outside because they at least keep the place below Running-Of-The-Bulls-Experience capacity, but it ends there. And not that it matters, but the downstairs dance section usually has its own separate line inside. The tables out back actually make this place great for bigger groups. The music isn't so loud that you can't hear the person next to you, and drinks aren't overpriced and are actually brought to YOU, usually speedily, by wait staff. Also bonus points for not being located in the roided-and-guidoed-out-Fanueil-Hall area, sparing patrons the agony of douchebaggery on your night of partying. So if standing in line waiting to get into a place and get drinks so you can catch up with your friends is your idea of a great time, then you're in luck. Personally, I'd rather head over to Brownstone's until the wait dies down since neither place charges cover. read more

This place is really fun for happy hours. I have gone on the weekends where the line is out the door & down the block (seriously) for no reason. I have never understood it. I mean it's great they have no cover but really, a line when there's like nobody inside. Once you're in then you have to wait to get downstairs where the dj is. Their food is nothing to even mention, so I won't. This place has a fireplace which is neat during the winter time. This is definitely a hook up joint so expect to get hit on. Gotta get there early on the weekend or you'll get stuck outside looking through the window. read more

This place deserves 3 stars. It's not amazing and won't blow your socks off or even make you think twice but it'll definitely make you leave there with the meh it's ok feeling. Today for lunch I thought i'd find a pub and get pub food. Clery's being a pub i haven't eaten at (i've drank here when it's a dive bar basically at night). The service is what you'd expect at a regular pub. They come when the beer is gone. That said the food was fine. I got the southwest burger with fries. There's nothing really special about it. It's basically what you'd expect for 8 bucks. The burger tasted like a beef patty and the toppings were just normal toppings with what was actually thousand island dressing probably. Nothing homemade or special. The bun bread was not bad though. I also got a guiness to go with my burger. For the most part i was content. The service was as expected, the food was decent and filling, and the beer was just right. The head was poured just right. All in all, if you want pub food and want a pub experience clery's is clearly the place to go. But don't expect to be wow'd by anything. read more

Get here early on a Saturday Night. The line was already very long when I arrived at 10:15 and luckily my friend was already half way thru the line to jump in with. The bar upstairs is nice, they have $3 Moosehead beers that are good and the bartenders are attentive and quick to serve you right when you walk up to the bar. The music downstairs is good, I just didn't realize all the lights come on at 1am, which is weird since people don't get inside from the long line until about 12:30. Ok place to sip on a drink with friends. They gave us plates and forks for my friend's birthday cake and let us light her candles. I wouldn't go to meet new people. Everyone looks old, stuck up, and they all kind of look the same. read more

Tater tots are really good! Nachos were good as well. It does get kind of loud in there, but it's a bar, what else do you expect? The atmosphere was cool. A lot of young professionals go here. I would just go back for the tots! read more

NOM truffle tots!! Love those things. With a minty mayo dipping sauce. I could eat them all day. We came here to watch the Brazil Columbia world cup game, and so did everyone else in the bar on Friday. They have plenty of TV screens, so viewing is great and everyone is so passionate about the game. We also got a bottle of white wine, for $27; but they would not allow us to take the half-full bottle home. Not sure if this is some kind of MA law, but it was pretty annoying. We left the bottle with the bar and I felt we had just wasted money, as they probably just threw the rest away. read more

We go here to catch a bulldogs game every fall! We love coming to watch college football. They do game specials and even do some southern cooking (fried chicken, boiled peanuts) this place is also usually load and crowded but good for watching games. Bartenders and waitress are always on the ball and keep you filled. read more

I hate Clery's. Ok, I thought I hated Clery's. What I really hate is the downstairs bar area of Clery's. You know the sketchy little basement that opens at 11 and closes around 2am? That's the part of Clery's I've discovered I don't like. There are just better places in Boston to dance. The upstairs bar area of Clery's is actually really nice. I came here with coworkers on Friday and the place had a really good vibe going on. Loud and full but not so loud you had to scream. Drinks are nice and strong and employees were friendly. I've never had the food. read more

Back when I was in grad school, I had two things in mind: school and anything but school. Clerys often filled the void of the latter. Although not perfect, Clerys will always have a special place in my liver since I've had so many good memories (that I can remember) at this place. It was actually the first bar in Boston I've ever been in and made it my last bar for my moving-away celebration. So I HAVE to leave a note for the clueless grad students that will follow my lowly footsteps. Succinctly put, this isn't for the bougie-at-heart, it's a bar. -Drinks are typical of Boston pubs/bars. What else is new? -Three bar areas (2 street level, 1 basement level) to get hydrated to your liver's delight! -Expect to line up past 11 on a weekend night. Calm down, it's a tolerable 5 min wait. -No cover to worry about. Your student loan money can at least take a breather. -Sweaty, basement dance floor to get your robot on like a reckless undergrad -A perfect place to get your creep on if you're into that. I don't condone that, of course. If they somehow managed since I moved away to control or get rid of the line to go to downstairs on weekends, then Clerys would be PERFECT. Until then, I miss you very much Clerys. read more

I got dragged here last weekend reluctantly by a friend. It's a typical bar, but the crowd is not the typical downtown Boston crowd, meaning it's not all crazy college kids. Definitely an older crowd, maybe late 20s early 30s. The place is decent for a bar, and downstairs there's a dance floor. If you don't get there early though you end up having to wait in a line inside the bar to get downstairs. My friend loves this place, but she's also a little older than I am. I felt uncomfortable, I guess because I'm a little younger and felt the crowd was just a little too old for me? I'm in that awkward post-grad stage right now. I guess I'd come back...but only if my friend made me. read more

We stopped here before dinner to watch the World Cup game. The atmosphere was great. Very laid back. We sat at one of the bar tables since we just wanted an app and some beers. Their selection of beers was great. We also ordered the lobster quesadilla. It was great! One complaint is they seemed a bit short handed for a holiday and the day of a game. Our waitress tried her best but I often felt forgotten about and she was a bit slow. read more

A group of friends and I stopped here on the 4th of July on our way to the river to see the fireworks. This was my first time here as it was suggested by someone in our group to stop in. It was pretty empty (it was about 6pm). We sat in the back room. There were a few plasmas on the walls that had various baseball games on (not high def tho?!). Here is what I thought of this experience: -Service: Not bad. A little sluggish for how dead the place was, but it was ok since we were in no rush. -Food quality: Average to below average. We had drinks and appetizers. They were the standard bar fare, but not very tasty. -Atmosphere: It was a cool looking place with alot of dark wood. comfortable chairs. Bathrooms were not the cleanest and smelled not-so-nice. The music was not super loud so we were able to hold conversations. 3 stars because it was just an OK place. I would probably go back again if someone else wanted to go. read more

Went there with some colleagues after work. My coworker loves a good cobb salad. I haven't had many cobb salads in my life. He swore that a cobb salad would be good, and that I can throw it at his face if it wasn't good. I ordered it, ate it, loved it, and my coworker's face remained salad-free. An overall comfortable and nice place for a low-key evening. I say a 3.5 stars would be appropriate. read more

We were starting our night off right when we walked into this place. The first thing that caught our eye was the fireplace, lounge seats and amazing staff. The food itself was not bad either. When I went to this place they had their St. Patrick's Day menu out but we declined to eat that food due to having it earlier in the day. So I decided to go with the fried buffalo chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. First of all, let me tell you this - those fries were the single best sweet potato fries I have ever had. This is why this restaurant received four stars from me instead of three. We had an amazing waitress, Lauren, whom we nicknamed Strawberry. She took our banter like a pro and even suggested a couple of bars that we could go pub crawling to. It was because of her that the place received four stars. All in all a great place to eat dinner or lunch. Highly recommended. read more

Bartenders where very friendly. I'm giving 2 stars because the owner wants to charge 8.50 for a fake pint of Guinness. 16 ounce bs

In my college days - Clerys was my go to spot for my girls and I. Unfortunately, over the years I've become more and more disappointed in this place. I've had three separate incidents were I was racially discriminated against and targeted because, of who I am. On one occasion I was even shoved and threatened by a bouncer, when I was just trying to find a table with a friend. Honestly, I only got the Yelp App to write this review because, it's bothered me for years that I was treated this way. Clerys - your management team and staff MUST do better. Make everyone feel welcome and if you don't like your profession then move along because, every time a friend ask 'Hey, let's just go to Clerys!' The only thing that comes to mind is HATE. Sincerely - A Local Bostonian read more

If you go early, get a window stool, have a few, get some nachos or a burger. It is kind of fun. The staff can be very friendly. I get out before dark so I have no clue what the rest of you will go through during rush hours. -update-September- -Beer was just OK. The Blue Moon Pumpkin had zero pumpkin flavor. Is it because it's stale? Maybe. The waitress was kind of sour, but the crappy music was so too loud I don't blame her for acting weird. I hate sitting on those low stools. Those are for dwarves, not six foot men. read more

This bar sucks. First there is a huge line outside if you don't get there early enough, then once you're inside they make you wait in ANOTHER line to get downstairs to the dance floor. Last time I was there I got there early enough to not wait in line to get downstairs, only to have the downstairs closed while I was there because a couple fights broke out. Fine, so when I go upstairs someone rips my overpriced beer out of my hand and says I have to leave despite not having anything to do with the fights. read more

I have never been one to review a place but I finally have found the need to. A group of my coworkers and I headed to Clery's to host a goodbye dinner for one of my coworkers. We were a table of 12 so automatically the waitress gets a pretty decent tip. I guess that explains the bad service and the long wait to get food and drinks(drinks that were watered down and shots that came in tiny plastic cups). Normally, the ambience at Clery's is that it is chill and it's loud. But apparently, the manager had to come over and tell us to be quiet because we are not at a bar but at restaurant so we should behave as such and that we caused a group to leave even though you normally can't hear anybody else while dining at Clery's. I definitely would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Great cocktails & awesome nachos. Blonde Amanda was awesome! She Made some great drinks, was fun, and engaging - she had a lot of great suggestions for drinks on the menu & made a mean super fruit mimosa. read more

Clerys - Highly recommend Superfruit Mimosa. - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts