McGonagle’s

Biased but I went here when the Scots took over so the whole place was alive. The inside is huge…read morewith a large wrap around bar, a sit down room for food, and a back patio with a TV and plenty of seating. Less of a dive bar vibe but great place to go for a game Also tried their spice bag, chicken tenders, and irish soup and everything was great.

The Dubliner is a fun bar and it looks like a great meeting spot for the younger crowd early Friday…read morenight after work through 9ish. We had dinner there and to be honest the food was nothing special. I am still giving it 4 stars because it's a bar and not strictly a restaurant. If it was just about the food, it would get a 3. We ordered the sausage roll, fries, chicken mushroom pie and the fish and chips. As I said, food wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to write home about except for the chicken mushroom pie . That said, if I was to eat there again, the chicken mushroom pie was pretty delicious.

4.9 mi•Financial District

Chicken Tenders & Fries

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Kilkenny cream ale

Mr. Dooley's

4.1(581 reviews)

Absolutely everything a Boston Irish pub should be. No TVs in sight. Nice staff, great beer. Happy…read moreto have experienced it.

I love this place... great Irish pub with awesome atmosphere and good craft beers. The service…read morestaff were attentive and really friendly. They had love music playing as well. It's a spot to check out of you're in the downtown area

New England Clam Chowder

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Guinness appetizer. Delish.

A.T. O'Keeffe's

4.0(141 reviews)

4.7 mi•Back Bay

Welp welp welp, we came here to watch the Red Sox v Yankees game. I don't wanna talk about it…read more... But what I do want to talk about is A.T. O'Keefes! Although the game didn't end well, we had fun here. Lots of tvs throughout and a chill vibe overall. We ordered at the bar and the guy brought it over to us. I got a Sam Seasonal Oktoberfest and my boyfriend got a sun cruiser. I then ordered the steak and cheese with fries. It was really tasty but a little small. My boyfriend got the Honey Dripper crispy chicken sandwich. He was recommended this by the bartender--he loved it! Good recommendation!! Overall it was fun to be surrounded by sox fans to watch the game, and enjoy good food and drink. I loved all the neon signs and decor! I wish tvs were a little larger in size but it worked. I would come back!

Let me start by saying, the staff were friendly and positive, this review is aside from that…read more After stopping in one evening to watch the red sox game a few weeks ago, we simply wanted a few drinks and a snack. Throughout our 2-3 hours there, we ordered truffle fries and 2 pitchers of mich ultra, one of the lightest and cheapest beers sold at any bar. Much to our surprise, our total for those 3 simple items were in excess of $90+ (which for reference, the fries were $12). This means, EACH pitcher of mich ultra was anywhere from $38-$40. Needless to say, this pricing is egregious, and we were completely shocked to see it on the bill. This was after we were kindly offered to be checked out from the table, so the bartender took my card back to the back to run it before bringing it back and presenting us with this surprise. Now, I am not one to leave reviews in general, and usually if I leave any, they are positive - due to fantastic or above-average food/dining/service/hospitality etc. Unfortunately, this is not one of those times. I will say, for what we had food-wise, the fries were delicious - although, this incredibly high differential in cost we were charged, for one of the notoriously cheaper beers in any bar, left me no choice but to bring it to light. I'm aware this is Boston, and I know F&B is at a higher cost today than in times prior in most bars and restaurants. But - with comparisons for the same pitcher of beer around the area ranging between $22-$26 per pitcher, the obvious is left to be seen.

Chicken sandwich

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Emmets Irish Pub & Restaurant

4.0(562 reviews)

5.0 mi•Downtown

Simple review of Emmets excellent pub setting exactly how a pub should be. Everyone we interacted…read morewith was very professional and polite I highly recommend stopping in when you're in the area. Cheers to everyone at Emmets

I ate here with a couple friends on my recent trip to Boston and it was fine. Overall the food was…read moresolid - I had the Fish and Chips and also tried the clam chowder. The portion sizes were good and the Fish and Chips tasted really fresh. The restaurant definitely feels like an Irish Pub, from all the wall decor to the dark interior. The staff was okay. They were not overly friendly and we had to keep asking for refills to our water. Maybe we just caught them on a off day. They also did not have the wine I asked for from the menu. Overall our experience was not overly bad, but didn't blow me away either. I don't think this is a bad option if you are specifically looking for an irish pub to eat at as the menu had a lot of great options, but this also isn't the type of place I would go out of my way to eat at again.

Bar and Seating Area at Emmets

Guinness Beef Stew

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Irish Coffee

JJ Foleys Cafe

4.0(270 reviews)

4.1 mi•South End

Dive bar of dive bars. Might be family owned. Drinks were cheap, bartenders are attentive, place…read moresmells pretty bad but a solid spot to watch a game if you don't care about aesthetics. Food was cheap, got a fried platter for like $20 and poutine for $15

Made it to J.J. Foley's as they opened. Established 1909, and that history is stamped right into…read morethe brickwork out front -- you feel it the second you walk in. The Guinness pours here are done right: full head, clean settle, exactly what you want after a day of walking the North End and beyond. Primemutton was right - it's an absolute creamer! I also grabbed the beef & bean chili, loaded with melted cheddar, jalapeños, scallions, and diced tomato over tri-color tortilla chips -- hearty, well-spiced, and clearly made in-house rather than phoned in.

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Housemade Chilis - Beef & Bean Chili

Durty Nelly’s

3.8(285 reviews)

5.2 mi

•$

We stopped in at Durty Nellie's for a drink and a break from the heat. Durty Nellie's is an old…read morepolice bar and kind of divey, but it was comfortable and we enjoyed our visit. It wasn't particularly busy on a Sunday at 1pm, which was fine with us, and the other patrons were all middle aged (like us) or older; the youngest person was the bartender. The music wasn't blasting, there were hooks under the counter to hang your purse (which was much appreciated), and the gender neutral washroom was clean. The bar catered to beer drinkers, of course, and the only wine they offered was Pinot Grigio for $9 a glass, but it was nice and refreshing on such a hot day, and at least it wasn't something disgusting like Moscato. [Yelp collections: Boston, MA 2025]

Cute little dive bar that is a favorite for locals. I popped in here as a tourist while I was on a…read morepub crawl tour and we were lucky enough to get a spot at the bar. It really is very tiny, so just be aware that seating is sometimes limited. They didn't have too much on draft, thought some of that was due to the Scottish being in town for the World Cup the week before. We went with lemon drop shots, and the bartender was very transparent about the fact that he was out of most of his supplies due to the Scottish. No fault at all to them for that because that was the situation at every bar we went to. Service was friendly, the shot was nice and strong, and it was a nice little spot. Beyond drinking, there isn't really much going on in the bar in terms of activities, but there were TVs. So, watching sports here is definitely an option. I'd definitely say that this spot is worth popping in if you are enjoying a night on the town, but that it probably shouldn't be the only spot you go to.

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Welcome home!

The Druid

4.3(687 reviews)

6.6 mi•Inman Square

Great food, fast service, LARGE portions. The Fries are amazing. Irish pub atmosphere is delightful.read more

2026 Boston. Dinner review. Irish pub…read more Fish Chowder Smoked Salmon, Cod, Clams, Potato Druid Fish & Chips Battered Cod, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Hand Cut Fries Overall, somewhat unique thick batter on the fish. "I'm a fan."

Brews

Inside

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Specials

The Black Rose

3.5(1k reviews)

5.0 mi

Great local pub!! Great history here! Architecture was awesome!! Great vibe inside!…read more I had the Rueben sandwich with fries! Fire!!! Also ordered the pretzel with beer cheese. The Downeast cider on tap was awesome! Our server, Michelle was awesome!!

We were looking for a quick bite to eat after checking into our hotel across the street and the…read morefood here hit the spot! Fast and fresh food that exceeded typical pub quality. The lobster roll, tho overpriced as always, was delish, as were the more traditional selections at the table - a reuben and chicken strips. Both were served hot and tasty! Service could be improved through menu knowledge and more frequent check-ins. Great pub ambience. Live music was setting up, which is a treat for a weeknight!

4.5 mi•Leather District, Waterfront, South Boston

Indoors

Pretzel

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The Corner Pub

4.3(190 reviews)

The corner pub has some of the most sociable, real and caring employees I've ever had the pleasure…read moreof meeting. 8/5 stars for Madi and John

F this place. 10 TVs and stupid bartender wouldn't turn ONE to a different game than the one that…read morewas playing on all the televisions. Terrible. Hope the place burns down.

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Cheers

3.5(1.4k reviews)

5.0 mi•Beacon Hill

I was so excited on my first trip to Boston to check out Cheers. Bull & Funch Pub was the original…read morename and it opened in 1969. But was renamed to Cheers in 2002 after the exterior was used in the TV show. We rode the Old Town Trolley and this was one of the stops. We got off the bus at roughly 10:45 AM, and there was a line to the street corner of folks waiting to get in as it didn't open until 11:00. We got in shortly after the doors opened and found a seat at the bar downstairs. I had a 20 oz blueberry hefeweizen. It was refreshing and yummy! Lisa took great care of us. She was the only bartender and did an excellent job serving the crowd! The upstairs bar is a smaller replica of the bar on the show. There were lots of photo opportunities upstairs as they had a huge wall mural with all the Cheers characters as well as other lifesize cutouts outside the gift shop. If you grew up watching Cheers like me I highly recommend you stop by for a cold one and say hi to Norm for me;)

Being that I am a Bostonian, Cheers was always on my bucket list but never need the top of it. But…read moreafter a long walk around Boston, we ended up on the steps of the Cheers, my boyfriend and I looked at each other and said why not. It was a chilly evening right at the beginning of fall so we wanted something cozy to warm up in. I actually didn't realize the replica bar upstairs wouldn't be open, although I think sometimes it is because I've seen pictures where there's people sitting in it, but I think mostly they use it for show. We saw people coming from downstairs so we decided to check it out. When we got inside the place was packed. The bar had no seats whatsoever so we stood by the countertop right behind the bar. We got a downeast hard cider on draft, which was really good. Luckily seats opened up at the counter. The bartender let us know that we could purchase the mugs if we wanted to bring them home. I decided not to as we were walking and taking the train home, but I might come back to get one so I can have the memorabilia. The downstairs bar is very cozy. It's sort of centers the room and around it our tables where you could eat at. I overhead the staff say the tables are just for food and drink -- I think because it's so busy. When you continue on past the bar, you get to a mini gift shop right before the bathrooms, they also had name tags where you could write your name on, which was cool. My boyfriend surprised me with a magnet because he knows I collect them, which was cute. Next to the bathrooms are stairs to go visit the replica bar from the show. This is also where they have the main gift shop with plenty of things you could take home, including shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, magnets, and other cool stuff too. Honestly working in the hospitality industry I will recommend this bar to tourists and to locals. Even though it is very touristy, there is quality behind it so it works well. I will be back to try a cuppa chowder!

The TV set bar replica

BLT Wedge Salad 1/2

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Gift shop

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3 reviews that are not currently recommended

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American W.

5 months ago

Came on a very busy day. Although I couldn't get a seat at the bar I was still served drinks promptly (as quick as you want a Guinness anyway, any quicker and they wouldn't get 5 stars lol) Definitely the Best Guinness I have had in Dorchester. I believe the best Guinness in Boston is at the Dubliner right now but I cannot honestly say it is not as good at Mcgonnigles. And when I finally got a seat and ordered food The Fish and Chips were the best I have had in a while. And the portion was great also. Kudos to whoever is running this place, they know what they are doing and wished I worked in an establishment half as great as this one. read more

Rob C.

11 months ago

Update regarding the McGonigle's business manager's reply to my review. Thanks for showing your true colors. Classy. read more

Kristina G.

2 years ago

Music matters! but we still love you Paul . . .

McGonagle’s - irish_pubs - Updated October 2026

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We pre-gamed at the bar for a Monday night game in early April. The bartender was fantastic and the…read moreservice was great. They ambiance of the whiskey bar and the sound of the ice can't get any better. There are so many bottles that I haven't seen or heard of up there behind the sliding ladder. We ordered a couple of craft cocktails with the olives. The olives came out warm and they were garnished with cardamom, citrus, and olive oil. They were tremendous. I ordered the lamb shoulder and was very impressed. Super tender, fall off the bone, and flavorful. Great for a cold day! The gravy was done perfectly, just wish there was some mashed potatoes to go with it. It came with carrot and cabbage. You could tell it was cooking for several hours with love. Definitely worth it! The Bigoni Carbonara was very rich made with thick homemade spaghettoni. It was very guanciale forward in flavor. We added pepper as we ate it. There was none left on the plate at the end, but I would not order it again.

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