For my money, the best downtown after work bar (so far). Yeah, it is crowded, but sometimes a bar is supposed to be. If you want old dudes sitting around in a quiet pub having a pint, this isn't the place. But if you're reading this you probably don't want that--at least I don't. If you're out after work looking to start the weekend's party, this is a great place. Cheap pitchers, fun bartenders, and non-"Fake Irish" decor. Can't think of another downtown after-workish place that has that. Plus, the likelihood that a 50-year-old in a suit is going to hit on you is pretty low--woohoo! If the place is too crowded, it's only because this type of bar is severely lacking in downtown Boston and everyone else who is young and wants to grab a drink with friends after work is going here. read more

Crowded, loud and cramped as all hell. Not a huge fan. The service was "in a hurry" and rude. The prices were average and the chicken wings that the people next to me ordered didn't look very good. Doubt I'd come back, ever... The only reason it gets one extra star is because it managed to find a niche in a usually pretty sophisticated, white collar area. The only dive bar for a mile around. read more

Update 2/1/08 BUDWEISER is served again... GOOD PLACE EVIL FEMALE STAFF I have been going to Sidebar since 2002 or 2003, and I don't mind the place :) The place is cheap and the people that go there are interesting...lol They recently stopped selling Bud light and Budweiser :( I have to now deal with Coors Light drafts for a buck, but I guess I cant complain too much about that. I don't like the 1 stall woman's bathroom situation they have going on so they lose points in that area. The food is good, but recently the prices went up. The only reason I am hesitant to go in sometimes is because all the female waitstaff and bartenders are all walking around with mean faces and please don't expect too much from them. So if you go in there, make them work for their tips, even if they are just pouring beer. read more

I don't remember what I spent, I went into the night with a certain sum of money for the three bars I went to that evening.. the next day what I had left, damn. I got wasted on 50-ish dollars and ate. Score. The cheese fries: Hello. Hi, how are you? Good and you? Great, yeah what was that in there? What do you mean? In the cheese fries? Oh yeah are you talking about the crack? Oh that was what that was? Yes. I'll be back, for sure. The staff was nice and I don't remember too much. That is an indication of the time I was having, I enjoyed myself quite a bit too much I think. I mean, I was hovered over the bar and mowing face on the cheese fries and beer. One stalled bathroom? Just wrong. read more

I will start this by quoting my friend's text to me when she first entered SideBar: "This place is so divey/bro-lifey that it's making my life right now" That pretty much sums up SideBar. It reminds me of the bars back home in NH- and I'm honestly not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. What IS a good thing are $7 pitchers of beeerrrr. Sure it's like, budlight, but hey. There are also quite a few creeps loitering around. My friend was constantly accosted by a guy everytime her boyfriend got up to go to the bathroom. But, this place is easy to get to and the drinks are cheap and sometimes, especially in Boston, that's enough! :) read more

I wish I had bad things to say about Sidebar, but I don't. I wish I was a pretentious bar snob, but really, I just like getting drunk. And, seeing as Sidebar is around the corner from my work, supplies me with ample, decent appetizers, and has Budzillas, I beg my coworkers to accompany me there after work at least once a week. (Though we almost never end up going). After pounding down a few Bud Lights from the approximately 14 1/2-beer Budzilla mini-keg (yes, one time we counted), I usually eat some onion rings, some chicken fingers, and I feel content, but also feel somewhat that I'm going to throw up. Basically, I can't see any reason why anyone would go to Sidebar unless they love beer. And I love beer. So, I guess I love Sidebar. read more

I have been to Sidebar several times and I have always had a pleasant experience for the following reasons: 1. Cheap Bud Lights 2. Really good onion rings 3. Pretty decent fries 4. It's a great place to meet strangers 5. You can follow one of the bartender's kidneys on Twitter 6. Cheap Bud Lights Go to Sidebar. Stay for awhile. Follow Katie's Kidney on Twitter. read more

When you first walk in you think "wow - this is a small bar" THEN you realize there are two sides to this lovely sidebar! This comes in handy on nights such as karaoke night, so grumpy killjoys that hate karaoke and fun can go to the other bar. Very affordable basic beers. Really efficient staff (turning out pitchers like nobody's business) - one of the staff memebrs also has a really kickbutt voice. PLUS you can apparently follow one of the bartender's kidneys on Twitter - which is cool, I guess. Food all looked good, only tried some of their small wings. They were very tasty. Good People + Cheap Beer + Karaoke = Love read more

Yelp couldn't have said it better - "Meh. I've experienced better". Can't speak for the food though. In general, I'm not a fan of dark, dingy, run down-looking furniture types of bars. Clientele at a 5pm on Wednesday afternoon appeared like they might be...er...unemployed individuals. Our group of 10 got our drinks fairly quickly, but not without some attitude. There was only 1 bartender and she made it clear on her face that she wasn't pleased to have 10 20-somethings on a Wednesday afternoon. $6 gets you a pint of sangria or raspberry margarita (not the freeze kind) and the lots of beers on tap. The "special" drinks tasted fine but honestly, I felt like we shoulda gone to Fajita + Rita's and gotten a couple $12 jugs of frozen mango margaritas. In short, don't come here on a Wednesday afternoon when there are only 3 unemployed individuals sitting at the bar with no other interest but to drink and watch your party. Unless that's your thing, of course. read more

Three things: 1. $7 pitchers of beer 2. $3 Tequila shots 3. Wing special -- 50 cents, I think? I can't remember because I got shlammered. On a Monday night even. (See 1 & 2) And that, folks, is why you go to Sidebar: To get sloppy drunk with your pals, watch whatever sports game is on the overheads, and then stumble to the T station completely unaware of what time it is, if you've missed the last train, and if you zipped up your pants after taking your goodbye piss. This is the kind of bar where I would be embarrassed to order a Stella, because it would make me feel like a pretentious douchebag. Sidebar is definitely for a Sam Adams/Bud Light crowd. And that's... okay. The service was a little on the slow side, so if you are in some huge rush and not just hanging out indefinitely, you might want to mention that up front. The girls working the bar were super nice, and probably would not spit in your food. Food -- kind of MEH. Standard bar food. Nothing I would write home about, but basically exists to absorb alcohol. I was pretty jazzed that they had mac n'cheese bites on the menu, but they weren't as tasty as The Cambridge Common's. Also, watch those stairs down to the restrooms. Again, please reference numbers 1 & 2. read more

Maybe I'm being to rough. Ya its super cheap. Ya, it doesn't feel clean. And the guy at the bar is really a nice guy. They have 10 cent wings. Are they really wings though? I eat them because I'm drinking and hungry after work (okay, okay I'm always hungry). Getting back to the wings - there is much meat on those wings and I've had 10 cent wings that actually have meat on them - just not there. read more

Rolling through my college glory days, I never was of legal drinking age and thus never went through a bud light/karaoke/meeting men at bars phase, but I've seen a few college movies and boast an extensive knowledge of what said college-bar-experience is like, and SideBar is it. Know what I did do in college? Go to frat parties. This is like a frat party: plastic cups, loud drunks, filthy bathroom, snobby women and all the bud light you can handle (don't forget the beer bong!) Oh, there is one difference though. The frat boys at this frat party are old. Redeeming star for great wings on the cheap! read more

Stumbling to his local bar on a whim. Just wanted a beer and it had a decent turnout for a Wednesday night so popped in. I fell in love with the prices! $2 bud pints and $7 bud pitchers! You call it's for $5 as well (and yes, it's well drinks). There is actually two bars adjacent to each other so there is plentiful seating. It gets incredibly loud when work gets off and on the weekends because of the price point. But it's a welcoming to find a place with college priced booze in a city that costs so damn much already. Watch your ID's here if you have an out of state. They bend it back and forth to make sure it's not fake and I thought they were going to snap it in two (not even exaggerating) read more

Love this place! Cheap beer ( $7 FULL bud light pitchers!) , great service ( hot, friendly bartenders!), and great food. Not your typical, simple bar menu. Killer burgers. Try the Greek or the Cuban burger. Wraps, veggie or the BLT. Awesome bar pizza, and they have a ton of different flavored wings and tenders. Try the garlic butter tenders. I work in the area and try to get in there for lunch at least a couple of times a week. Haven't made it in for a Friday or Saturday night yet but I hear its a good time. I've never had a bad experience at The Side Bar. Food, service, or otherwise. Great place. read more

This is an A-OK place. Nothing spectacular, nothing horrendous. There are two entrances which can be a bit confusing when you're meeting someone. I hear the pitchers are cheap... I was here for a happy hour and didn't pay, nor did I drink the beer. Beer isn't my fav... but I did have a little sample of the boneless wings. Not too shabby. I think the flavors that they got were Buffalo and Honey something or other. Both tasty, both an OK size. This place seems like it'd be a chill spot to meet after work with a friend and just unwind for a little bit. The crowd was mixed, mostly older, and the staff was really nice. I read the reviews saying there was a game machine with Photo Hunt... I'm glad I didn't find that... that is trouble for me... I LOVE photo hunt! It's so addicting! read more

Oh sidebar, I love you. As a graduate of Suffolk Law School, I've been here more times than I would like to admit. The $7 beer pitchers keep drawing me in. Also, the food is some of the best bar food I've ever had... period. It's also pretty cheap. This isn't an upscale place and it's often crowded... but I will never stray from my one true love, SideBar. read more

This place is delightfully sketchy. A couple of times, meeting people here I walked in on the wrong side and felt like I was going to be pounced on by the townie dudes sitting at the bar, looking at me like I was a gourmet TGIF steak (yes, the irony is purposeful). The drinks are cheap and not very good, and they have really cheap, weasely little "chicken wings" that are still okay in my book because they are covered in Frank's Red Hot, which is a food group as far as I'm concerned. Last time I was there, there was this old dude listening to an iPod that looked like a much hippier and more alive George Carlin staring at me like he wanted to chop me up and put me in his freezer. For like a good 10 mins. I switched seats with someone and the So, minus 2 stars for fearing for my life here, but I love sketchiness like a fat kid loves cake, and so I will be back. read more

I was spoiled by $10 pitchers of Noble Pils. I'm sure it was due to the event, and not the regular. These guys know how to throw down a Cappyoke event, though. The bartender gal was really nice and helpful. The bar backs are great, and I gave one a hug by accident. I ordered an appetizer of boneless Buffalo Wings. Just saying, the portion was huge, and my nose watered from the spices. Sweet! One niggling thing: don't ignore paying customers so the Staff can have a turn. It happened like 5 times for one guy. 3 I get, because he could sing, but 5? The sign up list was long, and some folks didn't get a turn, even. read more

I've been to Sidebar a bunch of times for lunch with co-workers. I do have to admit that their steak and chicken salads are really good. But other than that, there's no reason to go to Sidebar. The service is bad, they take forever to get everyone's food out (on my recent, and hopefully last, trip to SideBar it took 45 minutes for everyone to get there food and it all came out at different times) and, with the exception of the salads, the food is mediocre. Never get the "fresh" turkey sandwich: it wasn't only pressed deli turkey, but it was probably the worst deli turkey I've had. As far as ambiance: It's a mix of everyone from the area (interesting to people watch and seems like a low-key crowd). I agree with another reviewer on the new design..."The [new] booths look nicer, but it was a bit easier to hang out in a large group with the old tables." Overall, there are much better options for lunch Downtown. read more

I just left sidebar (Tuesday, December 10 at 6pm) and witnessed the bouncer charging 2 patrons $100 for their IDs back. As a bouncer, you should either confiscate or give back IDs you deem fake or not you. I don't think it's very professional to hint at "the police department gives me $___ for IDs I turn in". I will not be returning to this bar, the bouncer makes me feel uncomfortable (I am of age). Please do not support this bouncer/bar's unprofessional and frankly entitled behavior. Update: just witnessed the bouncer taking $100 for the ID. Appalled read more

$7 domestic pitchers, in a great part of town that is otherwise exponentially more expensive. What more do you need?

Did some christmas shopping in downtown Boston and stumbled upon this place. It was surprisingly quiet for the evening. Good, simple bar food and a decent selection of beer as well. I didn't catch the bartenders name but she was very friendly & attentive. I'll definitely come back when i'm in the area again. read more

It is what it is. It's a traditional bar in Boston geared towards the dive-bar feel. I'm not sure if that's by choice of if that's what it's come to be. I tasted the chicken tenders and they were cooked well and you get to order with 1lb or 2lb. Bud drafts during the day were $2 while a bottle of miller lite (spelled different because it's brewed different) was $5. Bar tender on the small bar in the front was very friendly. Back bar is long and has much more space with a few more TV's to catch a game. read more

Cheap pitchers, wicked awesome bartenders -- a great place to grab drinks with coworkers! Always have a great time at sidebar.

The first time I was at Side Bar, I stumbled upon Monday night trivia by accident with a friend. We were the only two person team, and after a couple plates of those 50-cent wings and the $7 pitchers, we didn't care we were in last place. Now, in my constant search for a replacement for Razzy's, I went to karaoke at Side Bar this past Saturday to celebrate Cappy's ascension into senior citizen-hood. It was epic to say the least; they have an incredibly up-to-date book so we had people jamming away to the latest Cee-Lo hit whose name I cannot type on Yelp, as well as the lovely classics such as "Baby It's Cold Outside". The set-up is a little awkward, with the two separate long and narrow rooms, and the dangerous stairs to the bathroom. And only one stall in the ladies'? Come on boys, you know we need to go in groups! read more

Was at Sidebar on Saturday for the first time. I have walked by MANY times and had heard good things about their cheap beer and good "comfort" food. This was the case. They had reasonably priced beer and a good selection of options for dinner. I was impressed with the options for vegetarians. Often it is hard to find a few options on bar menus. Sidebar had a veggie option in each category as well as entrees that probably could be made into vegetarian options. The service was good, bartender was friendly and the crowd was fun. read more

Food isn't that great. Beer is cheap compared to most places in Boston. 7$ for a pitcher, can't go wrong. Plenty of places charge that much just for a draught. The bar tender is usually pretty hot also, which is a plus. Overall, go here to get drunk and then get some food somewhere else. The chicken wings must actually be pigeon wings based on the size and quality, but the price is incredibly reasonable and after 3 or 4 pitchers to the head they are edible. read more

Situated in Downtown Crossing, directly between my work and home, is this little hole-in-the-wall called the Sidebar. Some have claimed that this establishment is haunted, or that it harbors meta-natural powers. Intrigued, I decided to find out for myself. As I walked along Bromfield Street, totally intent on going home directly after work, a dark vortex emerged from the Sidebar. With tremendous force and fury, I was plucked from the sidewalk and spit into a seat at the bar. I'd been thrown OUT of many a bar in my day, but this was the first bar I had ever been thrown INTO! It was at that moment that I realized the only way out...the only way to counter this bar's nefarious powers...was to drink! The Sidebar WANTS you to drink! Why do I like this dark, dank, sketchy place? To be completely honest, it's the beer prices, which are some of the cheapest in all of Boston. We're talking $2 domestic drafts, $7 domestic pitchers, and buffalo wings that cost around $0.15 each. Where else can you and a few of your co-workers go out after work for less than $30? Beyond the after work beer and wings, the Sidebar is a great choice for lunch or dinner. One of my favorite meals is the Sidebar salad -- a heaping mound of mixed baby greens topped with roasted peppers, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a grilled or fried chicken cutlet. Their lunches are fast and affordable, so you can get in and out in less than an hour with your wallet intact. The Sidebar is actually two bars in one...two separate sides, two separate bars. One, with a very long bar and numerous flat screen televisions. The other, with a much smaller bar, fewer televisions, video games (Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee, etc.), and a jukebox. Don't despair if you are supposed to meet your friends at the Sidebar, but when you arrive they are no where to be found. They are probably on the "other" side. Or perhaps they are still trapped in the vortex? While the Sidebar could be nicer, cleaner, and not look like it was decorated by a 19 year old frat boy, it still continues to draw me in. The staff and patrons are friendly, and the prices are oh so right. Check it out, but be forewarned...the Sidebar WANTS you to drink! read more

We stopped at another bar/restaurant to have dinner and were told they weren't serving food on Sundays. Which worked out for the best for us because we ended up having a great time and awesome food at the Side Bar. Ambiance is pretty laid back, clean and well kept. Crowd was a mix of age and they had the football games on when we stopped in. We sat at the bar, and the bartender was really fun from the start. He was friendly and attentive. We ordered the fried pickles, BBQ chicken pizza, and bleu burger with a side salad. The burger was perfectly cooked and the pizza was awesome. The pizza had a slight sweetness to it. They also offer $2 draft Bud/Bud Light. Can't beat that! read more

Great medicine for you if you're sick of Lunches That Also Involve Brews Sticker Shock. $7 for a pitcher, around the same for a burger or sandwich. Great afterwork spot, doesn't get too too crowded usually....although it can depending on the alignment of Pluto (which will ALWAYS be a planet to me) and whether or not a law school crew just let out of an exam. Don't understand the gripes about the food, I think the burgers and sangos are solid. Wings too - small but tasty and at a dime a piece, use them to throw at your budzos if you don't like the taste. Don't understand the service gripes either. The asian chica who bartends is very friendly, and knows how to pour 3 pitchers at a time. Great jukebox too. What the eff is there not to like??!??!!?!!!!! Cheer up. Go to the sidebar and leave your sourpuss face at the office!!!! read more

$7 pitchers are the only thing that brings me here Service is usually poor, with bartenders who seem very annoyed to have to hustle, and are less than knowledgeable about mixing cocktails. You should stick with beer. It is cramped, like super cramped, pretty much all the time. Buck Hunter and Golden Tee, but try to find some room to play them. Crowd is after work polo shirts who in my opinion should tone down their sports enthusiasm. Its red sox game 10 of the season, I do not need your drunk ass screaming in my ear about it. But, they have $7 pitchers of Bud and Bud Light, so I go back. read more

2$ drafts, excellent and friendly bar staff, the music is good too! My favorite bar downtown

Scenario: 4/23/09 at about 5:15pm...about 8 other people in the bar upon entry.... This was my first visit to Sidebar. I work in the Downtown area and have frequented many of the bars/pubs etc in the area. Upon entering the Sidebar (not sure which one I was actually in) but I wasn't sure if we were supposed to just sit down, go up to the bar or. So we sat down, and after 5 minutes of receiving no service of any kind, my gf got up to get some menus from the bartender. At that time the bartender asked if she wanted a drink and she ordered a diet coke. My gf came back to the table with the menus and about 5-10 minutes later the bartender came over with the diet coke, set it down and completely ignored my presence, didn't ask if I would like anything to drink or if we were ready to order. Nothing, set it down and walked away. So after another 5ish minutes I got up and went up to the bar to order our food and a drink for myself. The bartender acted as if she had some problem with me ordering food/soda instead of beer. The food came out and it was delicious. This was the only reason I gave it a 1-star...for the food. After finishing our meal I went up to pay the tab. I paid cash...total was $21 and change, I gave her $22 and simply waited for the change.....she rang it up, gave me a dirty look that I was still standing there, and said "Here's your $.50" and plopped it down on the bar. I didn't get why she was giving me attitude, as I was simply waiting for the change.....I was going to leave a tip on the table once we were ready to leave...I'm not going to tip someone only $.50 regardless of the service...yet she seemed angry I was taking the $.50. My gf got up to use the restroom before we left, and during that time another member of the staff (the only time anyone else working there seemed to do anything) was on his way over to clean off the table....the bartender went out of her way (this one and only time) to step in to clear the table...at which point she said "You know next time don't take the fact that there's no table service out on the bartender" in a very bitchy tone. She was basically accusing me of not leaving her a tip when I hadn't even had the opportunity to. I am a new customer and I don't know that there's no table service or that I'm expected to order everything at the bar. And the bartender certainly did nothing to help that matter out. After her snide remark I left nothing for a tip, because you get what you pay for....I didn't get ANY good service so I'm not paying for it... -First time Only Time read more

While in Boston on a work trip I looking for a Saturday night (March 12th, 2011) out that had some cheap beer, food, and karaoke as a bonus. Sidebar seemed to deliver on all of the above. I was shocked at the low low prices for food, and the large portion size and the food was actually GOOD. It's your standard pub grub but I had a chicken wrap and it there was a lot of chicken in it and not that much filler, and it was very tasty... plus the 15 cent wing deal is pretty awesome! Pitchers of Bud & Bud Light are $7 each, which makes it only @4 a pint, an unbelievable price. The rest of the taps range over the $17 mark... The bar is split right down the middle, with a large wall in between, so while Karaoke was going crazy on one side, the other was perfect for a casual conversation. The karaoke DJ was great, very friendly and although the crowd was a little 'sports bar douchey' to start the night as it made it's way towards the midnight hour it got a little more friendly. My only issue was the karaoke stopped at 1am, and the bar hoofed us out by 1:30am... seemed like an early Saturday night to me. Overall, great experience and if I'm ever in Boston again, I'm going back for sure! read more

I don't know whether I should up it one star or take it down one star for the bartender who interpreted, "Give me a thing of Bud Light" as "give me a pitcher" instead of "give me a pint." Either way, I'm not exactly about to cry over a $7 pitcher on a Saturday night. Food was pricey though. $5 for fries? Even on my worst hangover days i wouldn't be able to stomach that. read more

I never write reviews, but seriously...this place is the worst. Waited for over an hour for a VEGGIE WRAP. When I got my food the onion rings were cold. read more

Sidebar Boston - American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What else is there to say about this place other than "what you see is what you get". Rowdy downtown dive bar, filled with students and recent college grads (and some who think they still fit this description), swilling down dirt cheap beer and braving the risk of indigestion by eating the pub grub fare that is anything but edible. The upside is that they have Buckhunter; they also have (as I have previously mentioned) the cheapest beer in the area, but if you plan on being here more than an hour and you're over 25 you may want to plan on getting trashed, because the only way to embrace the atmosphere is to implore the age old philosophy "When in Rome". read more

I've been here plenty of times and have always loved it. It does have an awkward dance floor, but overall a good place. The drinks are cheap and strong. For a while there was a girl who made the leprechaun shots from McMurphy's. The food isn't bad, you can't really mess up bar food. And they have mac and cheese balls. Pretty much this is the bar that Umass people go to to live their old Umass days. For a full meal and drinks, I paid 20 bucks. You can't get a ton of beer for cheap as well. Make sure to stop by! The easiest way to find it is to walk up the street facing Tj Maxx downtown where the old City Sports is. read more

This bar is strange in that it has two separate sections with two separate entrances. The two sides of the bar are connected by a small hallway that makes you feel like you're walking through to Narnia- especially since one side is wayyyy cooler than the other. The first time I came we were on the "bad side", cramped into tiny tables with unfriendly bartender service- AND they ran out of pitchers! WTF! The second time, we accidently discovered the other side of the bar and it was like a whole new world. Open and cheerful, it has friendly bar service and entertaining games (buck hunter, etc) The food is really good (order at the bar) and you can't beat the prices- pitchers are only $7! Great place to pregame. If you're facing the outside of SideBar, the right side is where it's at. Trust me. read more

This bar is a little piece of heaven on earth. I live in central MA and I can't even buy a beer for $2 out her but RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BOSTON YOU CAN GET $2 PINTS OF BUDWISER AND BUD LIGHT???? $7 pitchers of beer.... and the foood is amazing!!!! Stop in and enjoy the great food and service! read more