The Black Rose

Live music, good food, friendly staff.  I was less than impressed by the selection of beer, especially for an "Irish Pub".  As one would expect, the mashed potatoes were incredible!  The bar staff were very quick and nice.  The whiskey selection was less than I expected but this seems to be the way in Boston (many Irish Pubs have sub-par selections).  Prices were in line with the rest of the slightly overpriced bars in downtown Boston.  The men's restroom was unbelievably small and hot.  The size is expensive to fix but the ventilation is not.  It would go a long way toward making the customers happy.

With a lovely, old world feel, this pub was a welcome delight from the standard fare. Our wait lass was first-gen Irish with a delightful accent. The drinks were quickly served and the food came shortly thereafter. Tasty, with good presentation, we would go again if we ever visit historic Boston again.

All I had here was a Diet Coke so I can't comment on the food. I am happy to tell you about the ambiance and service, though :) I came in with 3 friends around 3p on a Saturday, and they were pretty busy. We sat downstairs, where we got to enjoy some live music - but LOUD live music. If you've had enough of your dining companions and just want to sit in companionable silence while enjoying some tunes, sit downstairs. If you actually want to hear your neighbor, sit upstairs! Service was friendly but slow. I sat with an empty Diet Coke for quite a while before our waitress noticed and brought me a refill. The upside of this was that we stayed quite a while at our table with only half of us ordering food and one round of drinks, and there was absolutely no pressure to clear out. Prices seemed reasonable and the menu had lots of variety. We had all kinds seated around us - high schoolers on their own, large-ish families from toddlers through grandparents, and couples clearly on dates. My guess is that the crowd runs a bit tourist-heavy, given the area.