Decent experience here - a small bar that was dimly lit and mediocre service. Folks working were not the friendliest, but relatively quick with the food and drink. Their menu had a solid variety of drinks and bar food - we ended up getting some tots to share and they were okay, hit the spot and not bad with portion size. Overall, I probably would not come back as the vibe was just not my cup of tea, but if you're looking for a decent sports bar, this spot wasn't too bad. read more

Model Café - Tots - Dive Bars Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I have been going to the Model for years and tonight I had a truly disturbing experience and will not be going back. I was with a group of friends and, when we left, the bartender started to throw our tables and chairs around, flipping some of them over. As one of many women in our group, this was scary and confusing. This bartender proceeded to give us the middle finger. We called him out for his bizarre behavior, and he yelled at us, saying we wasted his time, despite the fact that we had bought many drinks and tipped. This behavior was completely unacceptable and violent for no reason. I will not be coming back to the model and will be telling all of my girl friends that I did not feel safe here. read more

Went to Model Cafe recently with some friends to watch a drag show called "Splash Zone". The bartenders were really nice and quick. Drink prices not bad. Drinks were really tasty and I appreciated the hospitality. The facility was also great -- super cute overall. Bathrooms were really cool with the graffiti and the circular build of the bar was unique. Also really appreciated the show -- some fantastic entertainers and I had a great time! Will probably be returning if more shows are held here. read more

Bar pizza- ordered laced and well done to go. One pepperoni, one linguica. Estimated 20 minutes. Done on time and piping hot! I opened the box and man did it look good! They have the good little cupped up peperoni's! Somehow the bottom had no crisp but the edged were cooked laced and well done. Not sure how they could get the bottom a little crisp but the bites were very chewy due to the dough and how it was cooked. It's not doughey just chewy. My husband commented it was salty but overall I like the flavor they are putting out here but I prefer a crisp on the undercarriage. read more

Model Café - a pepperoni pizza in a box - Dive Bars Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Surprisingly good pizza alert! The Model has been around forever but I found myself there for the first time a few months ago- looking for a no frills drink and curious about the sign that said 2 pizzas for $10 on Monday/Tuesday. I was quite surprised by the deliciousness of their "tavern-style" Pizza which was reminiscent of the pies I enjoyed while living in Wisconsin. The chill atmosphere (earlier in the week) and eclectic mix of people also fit my Midwest memories. Bottom-line, surprisingly good spot! And good things it's affordable prices because it a cash only... read more

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the perfect hole in the wall bar ! went on 9/18/24 after post malone and it was the peace and quiet we were looking for. the bartender was really nice. the people there seemed to be bar industry people. read more

Bartender, Chap. I was on my second drink, just dancing to Chappell Roan, and out of nowhere, he cuts me off. Guess dancing's not allowed there? If he's working next time, it's definitely gonna mess up the vibe. Thankfully, there are plenty of other spots. read more

Model cafe fucking rules if you don't like it get out Boston yuppies. The bartenders are the coolest & Sully's the man Any other bar in Allston is mid compared to the model Modelo w/ Lime & bar pizza all day 5/5 read more

Insanely rude bartender. Short. Bald woman, with a major attitude problem. Our group waited for the bar to die down so that we wouldn't put too much pressure on the bartender. We ordered six shots of WELL tequila. Which ended up costing $42. As our group is pooling money together to pay for the shots. We place it on the bar top to pay for it. Then we start getting money together to tip the bartender and she chimes in with "hey I should gratuity this for 20%, I don't do this for free". Firstly, extremely rude comment. Secondly. We're GETTING your tip ready for you. We hand her $20 for a tip (for awful service) and promptly leave the bar. Will not be returning. read more

Insane behavior from the bartender working 9/28 evening, to me and several others. "What the f**k do you want!" as I approached the bar for the first and last time, then he poured the wrong beer and refused to change it. And on an empty night...Strange. read more

Absolutely awful experience! only come here if you want to be screamed at and verbally harassed. I don't know if he was a manager or just staff but whoever he was he was screaming and swearing at us. carrying stuff and no free hands And he was so rude that we were standing by the door. we left right away. Clearly no one important reads these reviews though because nothings being done about this. read more

Extremely rude bartender, yelled at me for not tipping him while I was counting out money to hand him, all he did was open a single bottle of beer. Cheap drinks and great atmosphere but not worth the terrible bartender. read more

Extremely rude bartenders. Will shout at you for not tipping even if you're counting out money to give to them. Ridiculous. Never going back. read more

Nothing really against the model but more so with one bartender in general. Deshay is their name. I've been really on the fence about going back or not because of their service. One night on a Sunday I went and it was dead aside from the few people that were there. Also this was my first time going since 2021 and I asked for a 'thirsty' which was what I would usually order prior. Unbeknownst to me they didn't have it or she couldn't make it which is fine but their response was, " why don't you be a real man and order a real drink." At that point I thought I was like okay I guess I'll just ask for something else whatever, I'm not going to take things personally. Sometime after that night, I came back and Deshay was bartending this time I asked if I could get a Jameson ginger something simple and all they did was ignore me and talk to their friends who were already seated at the other end of the bar. Until someone else came and served me. I'm not trying to be best friends with every bartender or everybody that's there, I just want to have a decent drink and go about my night. Although to my dismay it's hard for me to comeback to this establishment when Deshay just gives me bad looks and is completely unprofessional. I'm just trying to get a drink and go about my day and it sucks because im a local and I like going whenever I get a chance. However, im not going to go if the people behind the counter have bad vibes. Deshay you suck. read more

I'll start with this - don't waste your time at this bar. If you want to stand around in a dark, smelly excuse for a bar and be treated like shit and that's the vibe for your night, then yeah this is the spot. As far as dive bars go, The Model is trash. read more

Something Missing Sadly this place has all of the makings to be one of the best dive bars in the area. I have a feeling 20 years ago it probably was. Now, it's a bland, dry, and overpriced. An overpriced "dive" bar. What a sin. They Model has a great sign outside, the interior is still pretty beat up, and so are the bathrooms. All of this should lead to a good rating, but the bartender, server, and patrons were just duds. I see no reason to ever go back in this place. This is a bold statement from a person like myself who truly enjoys a real dive bar. Thanks read more

First of all, cash only bar, which sucks. The bartender was rude af. He got triggered because I didn't immediately tip because I dealing with something at the moment and when he said that, it reminded me to tip and he refunded it . Fucking clown lamenting over not being tipped and then refusing one. I usually tip at the end of the night when it's cash only since I'm so used to adding a tip to a credit card purchase and I planned to get 3+ more drinks. He played himself because I obviously wasn't going to order any more after that. I would never not tip a bartender. read more

Always awesome, place to go after work. Late hour dive and cheap drinks. Special on Tuesdays

Sometimes they have chili for the hot dogs but you have to be brave enough to ask. I love this place, it opens around 7:30pm and stays alive until 2am. There is a DJ who rocks the place, and will always play Nirvana for me when I'm depressed. I like the owner, he's a Boston native with some cool stories about how Allston was always a College Ghetto so when some dumb bullies come around on a Tuesday he can set them straight that the gentrification isn't from the people but from the institutional growth. read more

Kenny the bartender rules. The door guy is really rude and if he is going to work in customer service industries he should learn some manners. They have good inexpensive beer and good personal pizzas. read more

Amazing dive bar, completely unidentifiable from the outside, unclear why they are called Model Café but that's part of the charm!!! definitely check out open mic night on Wednesdays it's hilarious. they have a full bar menu but they've run out of half of it, cash only! great first date spot. It's perfect. parking is scarce so be prepared to take a tour of the neighborhood and pro tip: don't try and park and read street signs simultaneously :D read more

If you know you know! $10 pizza on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the best staff in Allston (other than Obriens pub of course).

Don't order food here. I ended up leaving after 1.5 hours of waiting because the cook hadn't even started making my pizza. At least I got a refund. I know the place is a dive bar, but the bathrooms were disgusting, which makes me wonder how clean the kitchen and bar are. read more

I i f*cking love this place so much. pizza is 10/10 Tots 10/10 Staff!!! 10/10 (love you guys i can't wait to come back) I'm so happy we found this place read more

I used to attend this club as frequently as of last weekend. I had a friend visiting from states away, and as I tried to enter the bar I was denied entry and she was allowed! Neither of us has any alcohol this evening but I was being told "I had too much" and was denied entry. She (my Caucasian friend) later tried to enter, having been fairly visibly intoxicated and gained entry without question!! I'm begging you to consider the systematic racism that is obviously at work in this business. It's heartbreaking because I truly did enjoy this bar. read more

This is the best bar in Boston! You have to try the "thirsty" aka vodka pineapple. Great spot to bring a friend who likes to hang out in the smoking section. I always meet cool people here, be on the lookout for married men though! read more

Bouncers picked a fight with my friend after he complained about why he wasn't being allowed in even though large groups of people were leaving and called him a fa**ot (because he was gay). staff is wildly unfriendly and rude. It's crazy how awful the language was. Not only were they rude but they threatened to beat him up after calling him slurs. This used to be my favorite bar, I've spent a lot of money here but NEVER again. So extremely disappointed (Also the bouncer was a young blonde guy) read more

I've had some great times at the Model. The staff is still awesome,they put up with drunk BS until 2am and make stiff drinks/ cups of cheap beer. My main problems are the changes in atmosphere: Gone is the awkwardly placed pool table. Gone are the people that have anything interesting to say. They been replaced with a DJ that will make it impossible to have a conversation with anyone and people that will tend yell over the crappy music with the most inane and self important drivel that you could ever hope to avoid hearing. I'll be back after having a few at the Sil and I bet I'll regret it almost immediately . read more

Model Café - a group of people sitting outside at night - Dive Bars Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I love the vibe of this place but the DJ plays the same playlist every single time. Have been coming here for 4 years. SWITCH IT UP

Remember when there was a cold war on for who could be the punkiest, the most metal, the hardest hardcore kid around? Well the winners of that cold war have grown up to be sad examples of people who went so far to live up to an imaginary self-image that going back now would send them into a spiraling identity crisis. So they suck it up- and plow forward with more tattoos, still listening to the same genre of music at 26 as they were at 16 even if their coming of age rebellious phase should have long burned out. Maybe they long for the days of Rocco and Birdsie on WAAF. Its a depressing mix of the above mentioned and lofty thrift store shoppers who could be in grad school or working on their Hopper meets Beckmann art project that they talk about but looks like crap, just like their journalism that never seems to show up in any publications. People who are more interested in showing off their knowledge of a niche scene then they are in actually holding a sincere interest anything. Its akin to when you meet a girl who plays World of Warcraft- its immediately apparent she has no interest in technology or video games, but needs a conduit with which to be a dork whore and collect a group of erect socially deficient males to compete with one another for her attention as she leads them on just by the virtue of having various slots they hope to one day put their penis in. At the Model you can meet women who are much the same only instead of World of Warcraft (to fulfill your fantasy induced by all the Liz Vicious/Suicide Girls prono you watch) they use a combination of vintage or torn clothing, dyed hair, possibly long socks, maybe some leather if they're a little older.. The kind of women who say things like "best - xxxxx - EVAR" or have an on going predilection for pirates/ninjas because they feel its cute, makes men smile at them, allows them to be 'girl who like stupid thing A B or C' and once again gets them attention. The guys range from grungy to suburban hip, from snooty to over the top aggressive/sloppy. The kind of men who wear those stupid looking slip on sneakers that seem to be the rage in Boston- and as previously mentioned will attempt to seduce and impress women with their ability to name drop. Its a living breathing case study in the way the American society is drawing out childhood to last into your late 20's early 30's. It reminds me of a lamer version of a hip NYC bar except at the Model the t-shirts are all bands you've heard of already. People who think they are an embodiment of some unrealistic image or especially hip when in reality they come across as trendy and desperate for social acceptance. Its a bunch of kids, no, adults- who play make believe while they get drunk and every time I go there I feel like i'm the only person who realizes it. That being said- the beer is cheap, bathrooms dive dirty, they got some big stuffed game fish on the walls. The place isnt too bad on a weekday, its mostly just some local drunks and a few 20 somethings playing pool. It's composed of two halves, one side on your right if your looking at the building that contains the bar and pool table. Off to the left is a room of tables and booths. There is an older lady who waitresses the second half, and an older man who bartends the right. The staff seems to be gruff but cordial, as are the doormen. I've never seen a cover here although I hear they have bands occasionally and i've never gone to see music. They are open till 2am, so its a great squeeze in one more hour place. It is a fun place if your just looking to get trashed and fuck around- but I do feel that the crowd is judgmental. A Malaysian friend of mine who dresses in expensively bright orange and white colored clothing once complained that he had trouble getting served, and was passed by a few times before anyone gave him a beer. But that adds to the fun of the place, you can take friends who clearly wont fit in, pretend like you dont know them once you get there, and talk lots of shit about them to everyone else at their own discomfort. Its the White Horse for a different breed of steed. read more

Note: You should read Cheeba H's review of this place. That's a long version of why I thought it was awesome. This quote about a girl who plays WOW because she: "needs a conduit with which to be a dork whore and collect a group of erect socially deficient males to compete with one another for her attention as she leads them on just by the virtue of having various slots they hope to one day put their penis in." I can't say it better, so I quoted it, sorry Cheeba! Yeah, it's like the "im a drunk hipster ur a drunk hipster lets go have skinny sex" bar. GOOD TIMES!! I went here Sunday night after the Silhouette closed, and it was fun. My girlfriend got served a lot faster than me, so I let her order for both of us. We were here with a group of people who hang out there regularly, and it seemed like they had their own "spots." Hilarious. It seems there was quite a bit of social hierarchy going on, but who cares? Just enjoy your cheap beer, decent drinks and have fun with your friends. Cash only. I give it 4* because the atmosphere was much to my liking (dark, jukebox with indie tunes, pool tables) and the drinking was quality. It doesn't get 5* because I can only take so much douchery. read more

below in the picture is the bar tender prime time George and the models top hit playing dj aka "DJ DAVID". he tears the friggen club up with his hot fire jams like DMX Rihanna major lazer and the list goes on and on. I can literally not get enough of this dream team George and David, they work so well together it's like they've been friends forever and they totally act like it too!!!! great chemistry!!! I went once on a cool breezy September Saturday night. this bar was packed with hot chicks and good looking dudes. everyone offering to buy everyone else's drinks it was the best time ever!!!! I texted my mom and told her to not wait up cuz I was out partying all fricken night!!!! tore the club up!!!! one time I thought that I might have had one beer too many...but don't fret cuz they have a sweet friggen hot dog cooker in the bar with hot dogs in it!!! at least one night a month you can get yourself a sweet but savory steamed dog! delish! George is a prime time bar tender and I would bet on him in a fight with any other bar tenders in the area dude is straight RIPPED. sully the door man is a legend. biceps outta this world! always greats you with a smile and is never in a bad mood (unless the Bruins lose hehe) but the Bruins never lose cuz we're from Boston baby!!! best city in the GD world!!!!!!! i would suggest drinking here every night for the rest of your life until you die! it's worth it!!! see you there!!!! buy me a drink! DJ DAVID plays only good music too so bring all your hot chick friends and good looking dude friends and come to the dance floor and STEP UP....you'll GET SERVED!!!!! read more

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Well, I don't think I've ever really been here on a weekend night, so it's nice and empty when I go with people playing pinocle or doing crosswords. I guess all the undesirables go on the weekday nights (hey!). But the clientele at those times always seems to be the kind that have something to say to you and won't leave you alone. Maybe I just have a face that screams "Speak to me! I need company!" Seriously. One time this guy was telling me about how he builds custom guitars and he gave me his card. Who does that? I have business cards, but I only use them for those "eat lunch for free" fishbowls. This other guy was some postal worker that told me everything about his route. This other guy looked like he just got off his job at the bank and was talking to me about Feist and some other BS like that--like he's trying to be down with the kids. And then this other guy's all like "you ladies have been playing pool a long time" and I'm all like "What of it?" and he's all "Daaaaaaamn" and I'm all "Yep." Going here makes me realize what a snob I've become. Or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety. Cause when I was younger, I didn't really give a shit about bathrooms and the like and now I'm all putting paper on the seat and opening doors with paper towels. But this bar kind of makes me feel like I'm dying. read more

I'm trying this new thing: let people be who they are. Yes, that means if tight jeans, PBRs and bad hair make hipsters happy, then let the good times roll. And if you want to make a hipster happy, take them to the Model. I dig the soul music on the weekends (and even the DJ that occasionally plays a triangle in an ironic way) and the merriment and the cheap gin. Totally low key, pretty big so good for a group and the people watching is among the best. Dive on in. read more

Why did I give this unwashed hipster Allston dive 4 stars, well, it's exactly what it is--a divey, unwashed Allston hipster bar and if you're looking to find a place to beard-watch, this is the place for you. They have a full-bar, are packed Friday nights around midnight, and you're pretty much promised to see some bike messenger you know from somewhere or one of the bag boys from Trader Joes. I just felt extremely comfortable here. The outside of the door is completely filled by cigarette smoke and if you come with someone who frequents the bar every other weekend--they know everyone, which is what I did. There are plenty of tables to sit and chill with your friends, places to throw down your drink while talking with your hands. The beer is cheap. The booze is cheap. The jukebox rocks. Don't dress up for this one. Just wear your jeans, mess your hair and walk on in. This is for drinks, talk. Just straight up hang, man. read more

I like to think that I deal with bad days in healthy ways. When things get lousy, it's good to take a run, listen to music (dancing in your underwear is the only way to do it), or soak in a hot bath. Sometimes though, there's no cure for a crappy day but getting shitfaced. There's an art to it. Save it for your worst days, pick your poison, and do it neatly (amateurs need not attempt). And if you need a little help, there is the Model. I had one of these days a while ago, and feeling cranky and likely to snarl, I took a walk to the Model. I'm not a regular here. I can't comment on the scene, really. I can't really write about the music, or even the patrons, I guess. What I can say is that the bartender pretty much left me to my own devices (which is exactly what I wanted), except the times when he offered me more whiskey (which was just often enough). Others seemed to know him, and he greeted them pleasantly and by their first names. When I was done and had accomplished my goal and was in just the right place of having-a-full-conversation-with-myself-drunk (and not falling-over-shouting-Wooooo!-drunk, not that I ever say "wooo," 'cuz that's not how I roll), I swam home. During my inebriated chat with myself on the walk home, I actually figured out some fixes for problems that sprung up earlier in the day. So as it goes, the Model did it's job. It did it well, and without hassle. Four stars for the Model and its remarkable fix for a horrid day. read more

The Model Cafe is a place you go to if you are already shit-hammered beyond belief. Preferably around 12:30 or 1am. It is by no means the best bar in Boston and if you think that way you probably haven't been to many bars. Saying The Model Cafe is best bar in Boston is like saying Limp Bizkit saved heavy metal. Here's the real deal: Eclectic mix of crowds comes here. You wont find frat-boys and dude-bros or any uptight 'pretty broads' who spend entirely too much time making sure they look good. This is good on a comfort level as the crowd is not all too pretentious but you're still dealing with hipsters and art-school dropout snobs. With that said, the crowd is band-guys who are in their mid 30s and still haven't made it, punk-chicks (many of them are stupidly skinny and have boy-ish bodies with no feminine curves.) and lots of shady characters. The bathrooms at this place are quite possibly the worst in the world. The fact that some people have sex in them is stupifying to accept no matter how messed up you are. Bring cash as this place operates like its the early 70s and simply remember one thing. If you end up at The Model Cafe at middle of the night it is only because you have completely stopped caring about your life. :-) Do not come here sober. That's the main rule along with bringing cash. read more

Lordy. The Model. No matter how you decide to pronounce it, it is where grungy drunk hipsters go to get laid. Honestly, I haven't been to the Model in years -- but really what is going to change? If I was still frequenting this place I'd feel like Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused, "... I keep getting older, but the mod lookin' hipster chicks stay the same age..." And that'd be no good. They probably still have the cheap bottles of PBR and Miller High Life there, the pool table with it's two sides a foot away from walls, the ancient waitress you kind of feel sorry for, and the jukebox you can only hear if you're in the front section of the place. It did have a good selection of music on it though. Under 30 and feelin' frisky? Check out the Model. There's lonely guy/girl with a white belt and greasy hair waiting for you with a Pabst and a dollar in the jukebox. I think David Bowie is coming on next so get to it. read more

So I didn't check over all my reviews to verify it, but I think this is my first 1-star review. The Model is an f-ing sh*thole. That would be fine since it has cheap beer if it weren't for the ridiculously snotty hipsters and b*tch waitresses. I'm not a hipster, you'd probably say I fall on the side of preppy, though really I just don't care how I look. Being someone who frequents places like Great Scott I've never been the victim of preppy discrimination at the hands of obnoxious hipsters...until the Model, that is. My friends and I went in here last Friday, grabbed drinks from the bartender and plunked down at a table. We moved one of the other tall tables over so we could all sit together. Our waitress, who managed to NEVER be there when we wanted drinks, promptly came over to inform us that the tables were too close together and we were "violating the fire code!" Not wanting to be @ssholes we moved them apart some. Needless to say this wasn't good enough, we had to move the table back to where it came from. We kept the stools though, and of course we were still violating the "fire code" bc we had too many stools. BTW the table next to us had more..."fire code" my ass. In short, the Model attracts the worst of what the hipster world has to offer and seems to hire it too. Personally I think everyone should boycott this place for having such an @sshole mentality. read more

Oh what a wonderful world it is to pay nearly nothing for shit beer and boozey drinks! Here at The Model you'll rub shoulders with both the hipster elite (lame) to aging leather clad biker dudes (way rad...and they sport ZZ top beards too!). This is the type of place where you DON'T go for the conversation and pleasant ambiance. This is a place you DO go for cheap gross drinks, sticky floors, James Brown, and the young people! The staff at the model is so awesome, even the bouncers! I've even been thrown out by them, and they could be sweeter about it all. Er...I retract that statement as they threw out someone I was with and they alerted me about the situation. The music isn't what you'd find at the trendy joints like the genital grinding "Wonder Bar" or the indie flair of "The Great Scott." The music here is all types of cool. I'm talking about James Brown and Abba...yes Abba! The DJ's are wonderfully good about playing old tunes for people who want to "Get down on it" on the teeny tiny dance floor. Will you jawed in the face by some dude who's dancing like a fiend...yes...will you love it? Yes! Provided you're the type of person that doesn't get put off by dive bars and odd smells. A word to the wise to the ladies...there is one ladies room. Here's a tip...screw gender roles. We gotta pee! There's always a line for the bathroom, and so don't be afraid to say..."I'M A DUDE" and just use the Men's room or the gender neutral bathroom. Remember you gotta Pee and those Bike Hipster ladies are too busy making out in there to let you pee....So just do what you gotta. The dance floor is tiny, and when it get's going fording through the river of sweet, crazy dancing and hopping, and rain of beer down your dress might be tough. It's a small place, but I love it because it's terrible, it smells and the bouncers are wonderfully witty. You go to the model to drink and dance. That it....lovely. Oh p.s. the bar is cash only! They do have an ATM there....god golly they think of everything. There's a line on Friday nights, so get there early annnnd hey no cover charge! read more