I went to Clery's on a Tuesday after work for drinks and a friend's birthday. She and her friends went there somewhat regularly. Actually, it seems everyone I know had been to Clery's but me: my cheap beer loving roommate, med school friend and various people I went to college with. They all say the downstairs is sketchy, but fun if you're in the mood for a "sweaty grindfest." Having gone on a Tuesday after work in June, the crowd seemed more professional than collegiate. We got a booth in one of the back rooms upstairs. They have Coors Light girls come in from 7-9pm we found out. Usually this is about as appealing as drinking stale bath water, but they bring with them Guitar Hero with a sweet custom guitar. We got our friend to try it and the reps were more friendly than pushy. They showed the Sox game on all the big screens, then astutely switched to the Celts in time for tip off. I'd go back on a weeknight drinks again. read more

I thought the reviews were all for the bar scene and gave this place a chance. We ate here on a Sat afternoon for lunch. My bf got wings that were meh and I got pulled pork nachos. I pictured awesome flavorful nachos, but instead got the biggest platter of chips I've ever seen (like an entire BAG) with maybe a cup of pork on top. The pork was good, but the nachos were too bland overall. I asked for some BBQ sauce on the side which helped a lot, but I only ate about 1/4 of the chips because the rest were just plain chips. The waitress asked if I wanted to wrap the rest up. Really? Do I want a plain bag of Tostitos? No thanks. read more

This is a great bar, which is always ridiculously crowded. There's often a line outside, and you may be better served by going to another place if all you want is a drink. If you come earlier for dinner, though, you will be rewarded by tasty burgers and a room filled with TV screens with every major sporting event on. read more

60 second walk from the back bay train station, big gorgeous windows, always packed. clery's has the potential to be a great bar -- but why make the effort? it's packed almost any night of the week as is. don't fix what ain't broke, right? the line gets me, but go early in the summer for a seat by the windows and you won't regret it. and, yes, the 'lower level' is like a frat house basement. but i met my boyfriend there so it holds a (very slightly) special place. read more

Everything about this bar is average. The food the drinks the service the people. Nothing stands out at all not to mention the multiple lines you have to wait in. If you can I would skip it and go somewhere else. read more

I have been here more than a handful of times. The food and service is average. On the weekends, the place is absolutely packed and disgustingly dirty. It is a better place to go to during the week for after work drinks. read more

Stopped for lunch today, sat at the bar, great service. Had chowder and a chicken caesar......chowder was surprisingly good, plenty of clams, some bacon, chunky taters and the broth was medium thick which is perfect.....if i wanted flour i would order bread. Salad was basic but fresh and good, chicken was the same, which made for a solid lunch. I will be back when in town on business. read more

I used to come here pretty much weekly when I lived across the street. The food is actually pretty good, and the prices are spot on for the drinks. My biggest issue with this place is the LINES. There is no reason for a line wrapping around the block at 10pm. Often times after waiting, I get inside and its not even crowded. If you want to come here for dancing (and the music is pretty good) get here early. Once you have waited in the never ending line outside, there is another line, through the whole dining room to get downstairs to the DJ and dance floor. Clerys is good for after works drinks and chilling with friends, there are far better bars in the area for dancing without insane lines and waits. read more

I heard about the basement being a more dance/night club environment but the line was ridiculous and the music wasn't very good at all. We waited in that line for about 30 min just to be downstairs for an hour before they close. Not worth it read more

As far as either neighborhood or after-work bars are concerned, Clery's is definitely top 3. This place is 99% attractive oung professionals, yet very laid back and unpretentious. Bring a pair of jeans to work with you on Thursday (or don't, for that matter) and head over to Clery's right after work for snacks and beers. Decent amount of seating is a nice bonus. read more

This is the best bar in Boston, hands down. I have resisted writing about it for a long time but it looks like the cat is out of the bag and everyone else now knows how good it is. If you don't get here by 10:00, you probably will not get in as the line is down the street. There is a downstairs where you can dance and and the ground floor is more like a pub environment. Its always a good crowd - the meatheads and metros have not discovered and ruined it, yet. As of late, however, I have noticed a few people wearing diamond stud earrings and rocking orange tans and blowouts so I am wondering if it is a matter of time until its completely infiltrated by db's. Hopefully those of us with actual jobs and non-MTV derived personalities can hold the fort as the young professional crowd is what makes this place so much fun. read more

Is this the worst place ever? No. Is it the best? Definitely not. The burgers were standard. Not exceptional in anyway. The meat was dry and lacked something special. Something.....unique to Clerys. They do have Woodchuck Cider, which is hard to come by. The wait staff was very friendly. The restaurant was also really hot, which makes for an uncomfortable eating experience. read more

I went here for trivia one night. The place was packed. They do have a great selection of all sorts of food on the menu so if you're going for dinner this place is a good choice. read more

Great place to grab a beer and watch the game.

Crowded but I love dancing in the basement. If you show up before 11 and wait downstairs for an hour, you will have a fun night!

Place is huge, it is your best bet in the Back Bay area for large groups especially especially when you don't have a reservation. Lots of seating on the ground floor and has seating in the basement too. Service is decent, waitresses are pretty friendly. Portions are pretty big but everything feels a little bit too salty. Food is very average unfortunately but still a fun place to hang out at after work. read more

Not bad. Just a bar. Nothing special, nothing terrible. Okay prices, okay fries, okay service. What more can be said?

This bar...not so much. The couple of times I've been I had to stand outside in line, in the cold, by the time i got in i was desperate for a drink. Then shortly after I realize that this bar is not so great, it was insanely packed and the music was so loud I couldn't chit chat with anyone. Also, as a side note, a friend and I were admiring this girl's alfit in the bar, when she proceeded to give us death stares the rest of the night. But we knew if it came down to it....we could take her. Overall, mediocre experiences at Clerys. read more

Ugh! My coworkers dragged me here and, to be fair, I gave it two tries. Both times were a giant disappointment. The place was loud, filled with popped collars, and we waited way too long for crappy beers. Downstairs was a dancefloor where the DJ played the latest in hip-hop and r&b Top 40 (not my thing). All in all, an awful experience and I will never be back. read more

Good ol' clerys. I've always had a good time here! For a night out, or just for lunch, or after work-drinks. Stacy the bartender is a cool shit! She made us her own bubblegum shot invention with which I am quite impressed. if you see a cute blonde girl there, ask if her name is Stacy and ask her to make you her special bubble gum shots. MMMM read more

My friend and I love this place. The service is fantastic, the drinks or reasonably priced, it's a great atmosphere for young Bostonians. We always meet interesting and good people. The buffalo chicken pizza is highly recommended. Also fabulous music and dancing! Tip: get to Clearys before 9 or you'll have to wait in a ridiculous line. read more

clery's is a negihborhood style irish pub with a twist of downstairs dance club. i don't think i've every actually eaten a meal here, but i'd be wililng to bet it's your run of the mill irish bar style food. what's good about clery's is the bar service is generally snappy and they have more than one bar for those crowded nights. i do like their large windows that open to allow you to enjoy the weather (when it's nice) and the sounds of dartmouth street. while i haven't been to the downstairs in years and am not really even sure it's open anymore, i do like that they offer that option. some times you gotta shake your moneymaker. there's also some living room style seating in the back if you really wish you were at home but your friends dragged you out. it's also nice that it's only few blocks from my house, though i know that may not be pertinent to you... read more

Stumbled upon this place looking for somewhere to eat, and was very satisfied. I can't comment on the weekend or night time scene, but for lunch on a Monday, it was great. The service was good, all attractive waitresses with super friendly attitudes and speedy service. Between my group, we had nachos, clam chowder, fries, a hamburger, a turkey burger, and pasta, along with soft drinks and two mixed drinks. Our bill was about eighty bucks and everything was delicious. I definitely recommend stepping in if you are in the area. read more

This bar has everything you could want, gets pretty crazy on the weekends, never made it downstairs because there is a line to go down.

The female bartender downstairs is extremely rude and condescending towards customers.

Nice one for diner. Service was fine and we get our food quite fast. Pilsner is highly recommended for Europeans.

Sometimes this place is hoping and sometimes its a total dump. I'm sure it's all exponentially related to how many drinks I've had. And I'm talking about it as a bar that serves food, because it definitely doesn't work as a restaurant. Think uncomfortable, awkward seating, average food, and slow service. Yeah, you need a few amber, maroon, and clear ones to enjoy the Cleary's experience. The after work crowd can be large and fun, but that's only because of the damn convenient location. read more

I LOVE Clerys! Not only is it a great place to go on a Wed thru Saturday night but it always makes for an amazing time! The food is bar fare but it's really good. I'd recommend the turkey burger, sliders, and the pizza though everything is good! Everything is decently priced, especially considering that it is in the Back Bay/South End area surrounded by over-priced restaurants. The drinks are great with a lot of beers on tap and a good selection of liquor. And to top it all off, the staff is fun! And pretty attractive too!! Woo hoo! It always looks like they're having fun while they're working ... it makes me want to work there! Downstairs can be a bit sketchy but that's mostly due to the people. It's always fun to watch the drunks that have been there since right after work on a Friday night. Regardless it's always a good time down there...definitely worth the wait! Overall, I love this place and frequent it at least once a week. A great neigborhood spot perfect for a sports game and a great spot to hit up for a night out. read more

Love Clerys! Great for Wednesday Night Trivia (although the night gets a big long..) and after work drinks. Also, on weekend the bar is usually packed and downstairs turns into a mini- club which is pretty hilarious. The staff is friendly and they never charge cover which is great, especially for Boston! read more

I've been here a couple of times, back in the day in Freshman and Sophomore year. Had a pretty good time. I could easily get in here just by someone knowing the bouncers and I got in fast through the VIP line. As for the overall atmosphere, typical full bar on the upstairs, and a kind of small dancefloor in the basement. There is an additional bar in the basement as well, so I didn't mind that. The bar can get a little crowded at times, with people hovering over it. You have to yell to get your drinks sometimes, which can be frustrating. Okay music, kind of a lot of sketchballs/creepers roaming around- but hey, what bar or club doesn't have them? Me and my friend got kicked out a couple of times for "causing a ruckus" but hey it is what it is. Not the classiest bar, but if you're just looking for a good time out w/ friends and want to get wasted, this place will probably satisfy you. read more

Disclaimer: I have not eaten here! I've now been here twice (within 3 days) for drinks with some friends. The crowd is good (a nice mix of people). The bartenders are attentive and friendly. Definitely a fun place to go for some drinks if you're not looking for a dive bar but also nothing really fancy. read more

Best grilled cheese I've ever had hands down... Our waitress Meghan was very attentive as well... I didn't expect to like this place as much as I do... Can't wait to come back for more! read more

Fish tacos were tasty! Granted we went on the day after Thanksgiving, but we had to wait several minutes for any of the staff to welcome us. Then our waitress seemed very unhappy to be at work. Food was great; staff: awful! read more

Great after work place to grab a drink with co-workers or friends. The front collapses so you can look outside. You will always find the red sox game on here. The beer on tap is always the best. read more

Not a fan. I was here on a friday night. It was nearly midnight and the bar's empty, outside there's a line. go figure. The crowd was less than stellar. I felt like telling half the patrons that high school ended 10 years ago. Pluses: - The drinks were decent. - The bouncers let us sneak in to a half empty bar and skip the ridiculous line (there was no way we were waiting). read more

This is a great place if your looking to get in a brawl with drunk college kids. If it wasn't for the non-existent service, bland food, and overpriced, watered down drinks this place could have easily received a solid 2 star review. Please let me know why people line up around the corner to get into this bar on the weekends. I just don't get it. read more

I like Clerys a lot because I like to dance but it's not as uppity as gypsy bar and not as trashy as liquor store. Its a nice mix between a normal chill bar and fun dance scene. It's always an interesting crowd too. Lots of different types of people. And no cover!!! (that's the best part). I'd say it's a bit more of an older scene compared to Joshua tree which is nice. It's like a better Joshua Tree (bigger, nicer, chiller, older). And no cover, so I'd def recommend it. However, all the dancing is downstairs and there's usually a line. Upstairs is fun too, though, so going downstairs is not always necessary. And another good thing (for girls) is that you can be casual or dress up all cute and you will fit in the crowd either way! read more

I went to Clery's this past weekend on Saturday. It was my first night out in Boston since being 21, and it was pretty fun. I had a long wait (about 30 minutes) to get inside the bar, but once I was inside there was no wait to get downstairs like most people say. There was no cover charge which is a plus for me. Getting to the bar downstairs was a little bit of trouble, but nothing too major. The music was pretty good for the most part. They have reasonably priced and STRONG drinks (just what a new 21 year old is looking for) the bartender I had was very pleasant and knew her sh*t. All in all, I had a pretty good time there! read more

I've only been here for lunch so I can't speak to the bar scene at night. The food was good for what it is: above average upscale bar food. Loved the philly finger rolls - I think they were hand made there and not just pulled out of a freezer bag like most places. Also liked the pretzels and cheese dip. Burgers are good as well. As far as negatives - The music selection was atrocious. At one point they played the theme song from Deliverance followed by "Is There Anybody Out There" from The Wall. Didn't really bring the level of energy up in the place. Everyone just sort of stared into their drinks waiting for the misery to end. Footloose followed Pink Floyd and I don't think I've seen a group of people so happy to hear Kenny Loggins. Also - the service wasn't too hot. It took our waitress 20 minutes to bring us our first round of drinks and when she finally got there she brought us the wrong order. Overall, an above average bar/restaurant with some flaws that didn't ruin the experience but that could certainly be worked on. read more

Nice place to catch an after work drink or dinner with friends. The bar menu is pretty standard American, like tater tots, wings, nachos, mac & cheese, etc. I had the panko chicken fingers and they were pretty tasty. What most impressed me was the amount of space packed into this restaurant. Looks like there is a fairly large dining area with lounge type seating available, a bar area and a private room for parties. Downstairs is a basement with a bar, which can be rented out for functions. I would come back if I am in the back bay area and want to meet up with friends after work. read more