Everybody needs a great dive bar -- this is it! The Tam is everything a classic dive should be: a long, well-worn bar with comfy stools, plenty of standing room, and that no-frills Boston charm that makes you feel instantly at home. The drink selection is limited (in the best way) -- no need to overthink your order here. The bartenders are pros who've seen it all; they're friendly, fast, and take zero nonsense. Service is efficient, the crowd's laid-back, and the prices are unbelievably good for downtown Boston. It's the kind of place that doesn't try too hard -- because it doesn't have to. I love everything about this bar. A true Boston classic. read more

This is a place that is considered a local fave... or maybe a tourist trap with bartenders that don't know what the hell they're doing. I was in for a drink (Boston sour) and out as soon as I could finish it. Should be 3 main ingredients... whiskey, sour mix, and frothed egg white. It was heavily flavored sour mix. And cheap at that. No shaking (or even stirring) this cocktail. They seemed annoyed that even ordered it. And for $11- NO THANK YOU!!!! If you're visiting Boston-- don't waste your time. I'm glad I got out after 1 drink, and wish I didn't even waste my time or money. read more

The Tam - Bar back - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Every time I go the tam is great. Service is actually very very good. The bartender let me sample an Irish cider for st Patrick's day, which was kind of him considering they had been open since 8 am. The place is small and clean but still has dive bar vibes and prices. Great spot. read more

Don't listen to a single review under five stars. Every night after class, there was a rallying cry: 'Let's hit The Tam!' It's a wonderfully authentic dive bar where--yes--everyone actually knows your name. Grab a drink, have a smoke, hit The Tam. read more

Discrimination from the bartender. I was friendly, presented my valid ID, ordered a *non-alcoholic beer* (I am six years sober) and he refused me service. He said he had a gut instinct I had been drinking too much. I'm trans. You put it together. He also jokingly said he was trans too when I asked him if he was refusing me service because I'm trans. read more

Boo. Walked through the cold wind to get here. Rude staff, no music. Not worth the effort.

Nice relaxing place for a noon beverage with good music!!! Very nostalgic environment

Went here for afters and it was one of the worst bar experiences I've had in Boston. My friends and I were standing by the bar and were rudely yelled at by the fat bald bouncer for simply standing in the way of the cellar door. I understand drunk people can be annoying, but a) there was nowhere else to stand, and b) he lashed out unprompted and without any prior warning, calling us "f*cking annoying" as if he had asked us to move twice prior (he hadn't). Terrible service and would never come back here. read more

Ultra friendly and welcoming with excellent service. Bartender was awesome! Everything you'd expect to find in a dive bar

Good ambience, crowded on a Tuesday, overall great time! We had so much fun after our concert at royale read more

The Tam - Vibe - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Little dive bar in the heart of Boston. Irish vibes and cheap beer. Was quiet and chill on a Sunday evening read more

The Tam - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great bar if you can snag a place to sit. Small, but cozy. Christmas Eve visit and there was only one bartender! I don't know how he managed, but we still got our drinks and even shots in a timely manner. Try the Irish cider if you're into ciders. It was yummy. I had a good time there. We were staying at the courtyard down the road so it was such a perfect spot for a few drinks before bed. read more

Good place for drinks with friends. Prices are the best around. Very basic atmosphere. Staff is friendly. There isn't any food, however there is a pizza place next door. There are several large TVs to watch sports. read more

It is what it is. A dive bar that's got good prices. The reviews that say it smells like piss or complain about the "service" do not understand the concept of dive bars ... respectfully read more

This place smelled like pee. Period that's all that needs to be said. We were so grossed out I could not finish my beer.

Owned by Tam Impala and the setting for the Tam-ing of the Shrew. This is a lovely but rough and edgy Irish Pub right next to a popular pizza shop and this spot gets really packed on Fridays and Saturdays, when it's open super late. One of many Irish pubs in the Boston area, this is definitely the one where you are most likely to see a fight - as I've done several times either inside, or out on the street - often involving very big Irish guys and very big Irish cops. It's cool though - and while the drinks aren't cheap, they're pretty decent. Just be prepared for a rough night. read more

The Tam - Tam as it ever was - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

$9 for a margarita? Those aren't dive bar prices! But can a true dive bar even make a margarita? The grittier dive bars I've been to only served beers and well drinks. I'm convinced there isn't a legitimate dive in all of Boston. Disagree? Give me a recommendation because I'm dying to know. I digress. Despite previous reviews, they DO accept cards here. The bartenders are friendly and the service is speedy. And that margarita was pretty darn good. The music is a bit all over the place though, as is the volume. Last, the bathroom is tiny and cramped but it's clean. Location wise, it's about 1 block away from the orange line at Downtown Crossing. The crowd seemed to be locals and people just getting off work. The Tam's outward appearance feels like a dive bar, but I don't know, it's missing character. YELP'S 2019 REVIEW CHALLENGE: #23 read more

The Tam - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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one of the best dives in the city. cheap drinks, friendly staff, good music. always a good time.

Dive bar (n.) place that serves you cheap booze. Do they serve food? No. Dive bar. Can I get in without ID? No. Dive bar. Do they have fancy cocktails and single malts? No. Dive bar. Is the bathroom clean? No. Dive bar. Do they have table service? No. Dive bar. Is there even a menu? No. Dive bar. Will they have the hockey game on? Yes. Will they turn the sound on for the hockey game? Yes, but it will sound terrible. read more

The Tam - a bar with people sitting at the bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Nice dive bar. Don't have the greatest beers but the location keeps it lively. It is too close to Chinatown and AmC. Came here for a night with friends and the beers were just 5$ from tap. read more

The Tam - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I can to Tam the day of may 10 and I was not able to give a tip. I walked in the next day willing to give a tip because I now had cash. This lady in the photo decided to ignore me and tell me I stiffed her on a tip yesterday so she was giving me the service I paid for. She kept on going about how I didn't give her a tip and my point of returning was to do what I did not do yesterday because I had no tip to give. I swear she did this because I was black. She was rude and I don't think anyone should come here. read more

The Tam - The lady who was being rude at Tam....... - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

They don't take card, so make sure you come with cash. If not, there is an atm in the bar that you can withdraw cash from. That's one thing I learned about bars in Boston. Many of them are divey and they don't accept cards. It was kind of a hassle cause we were so use to paying with card and keeping a tab open, but I guess anything to avoid an extra charge? Maybe? Idk the true reason for a no card policy. This is a great place to just go grab a drink in the city and chill with everyone. If get tipsy enough there is a pizza joint next door that will satisfy your drunk cravings. The bartender is friendly. And let me tell you they aren't afraid to yell here. But it's still a friendly yell. I think the music player was resetting and someone was trying to get it work. The bartender told them that they would need to wait. The crowd here is also very fun. Most of them are minding their own business chatting with each other, others are dancing and having fun. It was a fun experience read more

The Tam - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Service was goood. Beer was 6 bucks. Drank a Sam Adam's at an Irish Pub in Boston. Check.

Holy shit. Never in the history of my life have I had to write a bad review about any place, specially a bar, but tonight I totally felt the need. Reviews here show a good local following and I have no doubt this place probably normally has good help, but tonight I got to witness the worst of the worst. Walk in at about 9:45 at night hoping to catch the end of a Monday night football game. Walk in, one bouncer, one bar tender and music blasting full volume w all your favorite N-word and expletive filled selections. You would have never though this was an Irish bar if it wasn't for the name out front. We attempt to make an initial order of drinks with the bartender who fails to acknowledge any customers or people waving him down. Finally get his attention and notice the bartender clearly appears to be intoxicated/high/drunk/or hasn't slept in 3 weeks. He was belligerent, could not understand our initial order of two beers which we were pointing at right in front of him. He finally acknowledges our order, walks away and forgets. We stood around for a few minutes, realized he was pretty out of it and we went back to our seats to figure out what to do next. We proceeded to go next door to at least get some sodas as we had already walked in with some pizzas from there, we let the bouncer know we were unsuccessful at trying to get a drink order at the bar and he made an attempt to help out. We came back, struggled to get his attention again (extra loud music wasn't helping) and ordered just a single beer this time. Watched the Bartender pour the wrong drink and tried to tell me it was what I ordered. I didn't bother to challenge him as it was evident he was not all there. We decided to stay at least through the end of the game but watching so many things unfold right in front of us we decided to bail after just one drink. Even while paying we had to keep a close eye on the bartender as he walked around with our card for a while and lost track of who it belonged to.. he even charged the wrong thing but again we didn't bother to challenge. We commend the bouncer for making an attempt to pick up on his buddies slack and picking up all the empty glasses from around the bar, but seeing them pile up in the bar area just made it an even more unpleasant experience. I understand businesses are probably struggling with good help or even trying to have additional workers on staff to help run a smooth operation, but being at a nice downtown location you have certain expectations of service and cleanliness that was clearly nonexistent on this day. I just hope more people don't get to experience this and the owners work having qualified, competent help to provide the customer experience that they want their business to represent. Probably not coming back... read more

The Tam - Dirty cups piling up next to the beer taps.. - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Small hole in the wall pub. I walked in and I was met with a smile and a hello. Some gal started singing ....... You want to go where everyone knows your name!!!! read more

A gas chamber of homeless piss and vape exhaust. I asked the bartender for a cherry for my Roy Rodger's and she said to "blow me". The bathroom is a great place to bring your date or a a slice of pizza. read more

CASH ONLY ! If you want beer and sports, this dive bar is the place. If you want craft beer, your options are more limited, but we found a couple that worked. I understand that they have cocktails. I give them five stars for doing what they claim to do. read more

The Tam - Signage sample - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

WARNING: I absolutely freaking love dive bars. I love their character, their hardcore "I just don't care" attitude, their neighborly-ness, and their prices. I must say The Tam was pure enjoyment for me. We were there on a Wednesday night (we stopped in before going to a concert at The Royale). The service was quick and friendly. We weren't in the door for 60 seconds and shots were lined up for our party of nine! The music was fantastic! An eclectic mix of classic and alternative rock from the 80s and 90s was in rotation while we were there. One of the best parts of the super kitschy decor was the coasters hanging everywhere featuring rhebus-type riddles that were great fun to try and solve. The prices were very good, especially for Boston. It wasn't the cleanest of places (especially the bathroom, which is why it's not a five star experience); but if clean is what you are looking for, then a dive bar isn't the wisest choice. There is so much patina in the bar that you can't help but feel like you are visiting a spot that's bigger than it appears. I am a fan and will definitely be back. read more

The Tam - Celebrating a birthday!! - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Walked by this place on the way to the hotel upon arrival and thought 'that bar is either great or terrible..' Happy to report it's the former. Super friendly service for a later in the night drink at a cost I hadn't (and still haven't) seen in downtown Boston. They played mostly sports on the TV and the music was a bit loud but it was a fun and friendly place to be. Centrally located for your drinking needs. read more

A no-nonsense dive bar. We went in on a Friday night. It was crowded (expected). Most drinks we ordered were great except for LIT which had a lot of syrup (don't know why?). The bartender lady got offended when we told them it was not strong enough. Overall good place, go have some fun! read more

Came here for the first time before a show at the Wilbur. Drinks were standard. We got a beer and cider on draft, both $5 each. Considering it's a dive bar, it's well lit and generally clean inside. Nice atmosphere, filled with loud chatty people on a Friday night. read more

It is what it is...a good local "dive" bar. You're not going to impress anyone bringing them here, but I still like this place for its simplicity. Gets pretty rowdy if Boston is playing anywhere, or on trivia night. read more

Asked for jack daniels on the rocks and they filled up a shot glass with ice and gave me half a shot of whiskey, to top it off the place smelt like piss. read more

If you don't give the Tam 5 stars you don't get it. Friendly, loud, cheap. Clean enough. I guess it's owned by a corporate overlord now but but they seem to love it. read more

Stopped into Tam last night with coworkers while in Boston. Classic dive bar, it was exactly as it appeared to be. Cheap drinks and service was good. read more

What a great place to enjoy a beer and some popcorn. The atmosphere is fun and enjoyable. And you can call this your Hometown bar. God bless the Tam. read more

The Tam - A lovely well poured Black & Tan at "the TAM" or a Sam & Guinness and for you European folks a Half & Half.... Bottoms up Mate. - Dive Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is the kind of place that is going to have a different vibe depending on when you go in. I was there in the middle of the day and I loved the feel of the place. Good solid dive bar. read more

Went here in the pandemic and we sat indoors. We sat in a group. They separated out the seats, but honestly I didnt feel very safe. The bartender was very sweet. We had some shots, beers, and popcorn. Was fun but will be more fun after the pandemic is over so I can enjoy without worrying about covid. read more

This review is long overdue! The Tam is a fun, cheap, local dive-bar pub with lots of energy. Doyle was our bartender and he took care of me and my friends all night! So fun! Lots of laughing and joking with him and his crew about what we were seeing on the bar floor. He kept the shots coming all night and he and his crew joined in on a few. read more

Easily my favorite dive bar in Boston. This place is a local treasure. It's old and full of character. There's a decent draft list. The drinks are solid and cheap. There always seems to be a table available right when we walk in. The bartenders are fast, and it's not impossible to get their attention. It has a bathroom that isn't completely disgusting. The music isn't too loud or obnoxious. It's just a fun, unpretentious place to get together with my co-workers every week in an area full of pretentious places. I worry about it now due to the pandemic because places like this are what make this city great. Actually, come to think of it, this was the last place my friends and I all got together at before the lockdown started. I hope it survives and continues to exist for Bostonians for years to come. read more