I was there yesterday and really enjoyed their Risotto Fritters. The Marinara sauce was fantastic and my friends used the sauce for all of their appetizers, and they were sad to see it go. The French Dip was okay, and the waffle fries were nice, but I wish they were crispier. The waitress was nice and made sure that everything was alright.
Review Source:You smell like the bottom of a bathroom floor, your pizza tastes like frozen ellios and you gain one star for decent waffle fries. salads are subpar, food is constantly greasy & nachos could be improved. unless you get one of the prime window seats on a summer afternoon, spend your time down the block at bars that dont make you feel like you need to swim in a pool of hand sanitizer when you leave
Review Source:They need a beer/drink list. Â But the selection is good once the waitress rings them off for you. Â The chairs are comfortable and the crowd is usually pretty young. Â I'd avoid dinner there on Friday or Saturday night as it gets very loud and it's tough to move around.
I have 3 words. Â Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Â Â
AMAZING. Â My favorite BC Pizza in southie... and I've tried them all
The Thai Lettuce Wraps are also great!
Was here just over an hour ago and I cannot believe how much I spent on three sangrias and a plate of waffle fries doused with cheese and bacon ("the big dig"). First off, I don't get why a plate of waffle fries is called the big dig, since it wasn't that big and there was no dig to it. Second off, I still don't understand how three glasses of poorly made wine plus a freezer bag of fried potatoes can cost around 40 dollars. If it wasn't for my friend's birthday and her suggestion to go there, I would never have even visited this place.
Ambience-wise, it was nice, though I did have an issue with having five television screens playing different sports all at the same time in front of me all. Food-wise, I thought it was only subpar and that I could have made it better. Lastly, in terms of service, the girl was nice although she kept on hawking over us a bit since we were taking our time catching up.
Overall, I wouldn't come back to this place. The price is ridiculous and the food whatever. I would only come back just to visit the area around it
After a fun time at the Playwright down the street, we decided to see what was going on at the Beer Garden. Â While I can't comment on the food, this may be one of my new favorite places because they have Miller Lite on draft. Â I know, I know... I'm easy to please.
Anyway, it's a fun time for a Friday or Saturday night. Â The bartenders weren't the friendliest ones around, but they weren't terrible. Â And overall, we had a fun time. Â It was certainly a younger crowd -- mostly grad school students and young professionals. Â There weren't many meatheads and there weren't girls dressed as if they would be working a pole after the bars closed. Â
I'll put this on my list of places to return.
I've been a few times.  It should be a 3.5. The Sunday brunch experience or lower key Friday night  is what makes BBG worthwhile.
Service has never been an issue for me. Poor waitress service I can't defend. I concede that the prices are a little high but not unreasonable. With that being said--
Some people bashfully rub their credit cards and await the bartender to I-SPY their hinting in order to get a drink at the bar, or they complain that the bartender is deliberately not serving their side of the bar, but ultimately it's probably the customers fault, so I urge you to disregard some, certainly not all but some, people's service downgrades
If you cant get served at the bar, try stepping up and presenting yourself more as a ready and waiting customer. Â If you notice they're serving one side of the bar more...go to that side of the bar. Â If you're now on the new side of the bar that's receiving better service and you're still having trouble getting a drink...it's because you are perceived as unattractive or cheap or rude by the bartender, better luck tomorrow,. Â Change your clothes and be nicer.
+.5pt for laid back bouncers on the weekend
On a Sunday, the BBG offers a halo of flat screens and requested channel changing to spy your team getting their asses kicked. An identical layout to Davis Square's Joshua Tree, there's an unobstructed view from any spot in the house.
On a Sunday, you can order a decent (albeit overpriced) cheese steak to nurse that hangover. Our server was a peach, and überattentive to beverage levels. Never a wait for drinks, plus she promptly replaced a fallen pickle spear after noting the tears of unadulterated sullen loss streaming down my flawless face.
On a Sunday, you'll probably read the beer list (bottle and tap) over and over, wondering how an otherwise bland selection of American light lagers and regional everybrews gets this place a Beer Garden moniker. Shake away the confusion, and just keep your eyes on the TV. Sweet, sweet TV.
On a Sunday, you'll probably find the same crowd you would on a Friday, although remarkably tame and otherwise distracted from The Game, by the game. Cue SportsCenter theme.
On a Friday, stay the hell away.
This place sort of fails.
I fail at things sometimes so I understand a solid fail. Â Like the time I didn't know what a Rocky Mountain oyster was. Â Like the time I sent a girl to the hospital because of a high stick in hockey. Â Maybe the time I pinched my little brothers hand in a plier because I thought he was a doll. Â Yeah, those are fails.
I was sniffing around and was wondering if maybe I stepped in a puddle of pee. Â I had flashbacks of a fail when I ran across someones yard barefoot and stepped in dog poop. Â Anyways, I smelled pee. Â It smelled like it was ALL over me. Â Then I realized that the entire place smelled like pee. Â It was not actually on me. Â
I sat at the bar for a while and actually thought it was last call. Â It was around 11ish or so. Both bartenders completely ignored my side of the bar. This was also not a very busy night, maybe15 people max. Â I asked him if it was last call...and he informed me it was not and he was sorry for ignoring me for ten minutes. Â Another double fail...I also failed...I should have known a place like this wouldn't close that early, hence, pee smell.
The next fail is the "Beer Garden". Â There is no garden. Â I wish there was. Â Maybe then it wouldn't smell so bad. Â There is not a huge selection of beer either. Â They have Bud Light...
Every time I come here, I say that I am never coming back... BUT. Â Wifey won a gift certificate from someone who was probably laughing after she took it and we tried it one last time.
The only plus is a decent beer selection and other Yelpsters have adequately covered the douchery, surly staff and stench so you get the picture.
Add a meal that had a giant hair in it and a bathroom trip that makes a porto potty look clean and there you have it.
Next time, we give the gift back.
Every time I have been to this place, I have been disappointed. It seems like the type of joint that people who don't live in Southie think is a good idea. The guys here are hard core yuppies and not really the type of people I want to hang out with.
The service is god awful. One of the times I ate here my friend and I literally wondered if we said something offensive. Every question we asked was met with a rude stare.
The food is really not worth it.
As this place is an easy walk from my apartment, we thought we could stop in for a quick bite to eat - after 8:00pm - on a weeknight. Note - the place smells like a frat house which might not be the most helpful for inducing an appetite.
I ordered a Saranac Pomegranate Wheat beer...very yum. The waitress thumped it on the table in front of me and walked away. Didn't offer me a glass...and didn't bother coming back until it was time to deliver our food. She was a bit surly, that one.
We started with the Big Dig fries (waffle fries topped with cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and scallions). They went light on the cheese which made me sad because when it was all said and done...I really just ate waffle fries. While the waffle fries are tasty, they weren't worth $7.50. More cheese, please!!
For dinner I just went with the buffalo chicken salad. It was ok...the buffalo chicken was tough (I assume it was frozen, so that was kind of expected). The sauce made it blood red which was scary. It wasn't "bad" but it wasn't my favorite either.
I got about what I expected from the place in terms of food. The next night we stopped in while "crawling" the area with friends...and I immediately wanted to leave. Let's just say that the late-night clientel here isn't exactly what one could call "gentrified."
Great neighborhood pub. I would not make a special trip to southie to eat here but if you are in the neighborhood you should stop by. They have good bar food and it is a great place to watch a game, especially since they serve pitchers of beer.
There always seems to be a good looking young crowd here too!
Every restaurant owned by this company has the same issue: good atmosphere, decent food and beverage, SUCK SERVICE. Do not expect a tip when we've been sitting at the table ready to order for 20 minutes, and you are CHATTING WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT THE BAR, in clear view.
I thought the woman at the next table was going to punch our waitress, she was so bad.
Read my review of Tavern on the Square (Porter), and Joshua Tree (Davis).
I recommend NOT giving your money to any of these undeserving restaurants until they can whip up some decent staff:
Any of the Joshua Trees
Boston Beer Garden, Atlantic Beer Garden, Allston Beer Garden
Sanctuary
City Side Bar and Grille
The Playwright
Whatever other place they're opening this week.
I love the food at BBG, but as a bar I detest it. Â I'm not really a fan of bars in South Boston in general, and this is a pretty representative place of those bars. Â Call me crazy, but being surrounded by young, ridiculously drunk people is not my idea of a good time. Â It's not too different from places on Boylston Street or Fanueil Hall, but at least at those bars, you can get some good dance music. Â I'm a hip-hop girl through and through, so as long as I can enjoy some hip-hop/R&B, I can deal).
That being said, this place doesn't have good music and the crowd is very generic. Â I like diversity. Â And you can't find that in South Boston bars, in my experience. Â If such a place exists, let me know and I am more than willing to check it out.
The food here is really good, though, and I like going here for lunch or dinner. I went there for dinner with a friend last Friday night and we both had the steak tips, which were delish. Â And the pomegranate wheat beer I had was good too.
Walk past the door guy towards the hostess stand. The girl who is perpetually standing next to the hostess stand but performing no actual job function will be gossiping with the gigantic guy who is presumably the 2nd (extraneous) door guy. She will briefly stare at you, offering no greeting. He will do the same. They will continue to stand around chatting and blocking the hostess stand. You will have to awkwardly talk through them because there is, in fact, another girl who seems to be the actual hostess. This has happened the last three times I've been at the BBG.
I hate this place. And I keep going back because it's convenient and the food is acceptably mediocre. Mr. CR suggested that if we went down the street, got fake tans, took off anything that suggests he's a cyclist, popped his collar, and dressed me up like a trashy sorority girl, we MIGHT, maybe, possibly get friendlier point-of-contact service. It's not really worth the trouble.
A bar / restaurant in South Boston that tries too hard to be a singles club at night.
The interior of the bar is large, the front offering window seating and the back room offering tables and booths. Â The center is dominated by a large four-rail bar that creates unfortunately cramped spacing for bar-goers.
The food offerings are decent, the salads are actually good. Â Ironically, for a "beer garden" the selection of beer is quite plain and does not deviate from the average corner bar. Â Drink and food prices are decent ($12-14 entrees, sub $10 apps, beers are standard).
The front of the bar has window seating that's open air during warmer months. Â This is actually really nice for a lunch or dinner date and in my opinion, one of the few real appeals to this place.
The bar can get really crowded on Thursday through Saturday nights. Â The crowd is younger and its a bit of a singles scene, which can be a turn off if you're not out for that. Â Noise levels can also reach the point where having a conversation is an exercise in futility.
The Beer Garden has the potential to be a 4 star place if it stuck to being a beer garden. Â As a club, it's a 2 star joint and there are better places to go.
Arright Beer Garden. I'm upping your review. Came in here the day after New Years Eve with the boy and we were more than beside ourselves with hungover greatness so we stumbled in to get some food in our systems. We were seated right by the window in under ten minutes with a pretty full house there which was nice. The waitress was sweet and attentive enough and we were able to relax and take in the Winter Classic at our leisure.
He had the chicken parm and I had the turkey burger. Did it blow me out of the water? Hardly... But was it good enough for a lazy, hungover afternoon with my boyfriend? Sure was.
I like this place for a local hang out with decent food and people in South Boston. Â I've been here twice and both experiences were good. Â The first time I went, it was during the Celtics Playoff games, so my friend and I had a beer at the bar while waiting for our seats. Â We ate chili fries and mac and cheese, typical tasty bar food. Â We got a pitcher of bud light which was only $9, so then we got another to share :)
I also went again during the summer, my friend had a dog and they were very accommodating and let us sit in a window seat so we could watch the dog outside. Â The bouncer outside even kept a close eye on the dog so nothing happened to him. Â I had a burger, which was a little dry, but they had plenty of bbq sauce to put on it. It was still decent for bar food. Â This is a great hang out to go and meet people or just hang out with friends and watch the game.
Walked in last night and my friend immediately wanted to leave. She said it smelled like feet, which I didn't disagree with... but I was in desperate need of a drink and The Playwright up the street was too packed. So we stuck around and got a beer.
Same old, same old in this place. You would think the owners of each JTree or Beer Garden would try and diversify each place... they all look the same.
That being said, when needing a casual place to grab a beer and watch some sports, this place did deliver.
It's just nothing special.
Southie brunch..This place was generally icky..
I used to live near the Brighton Beer Garden and had been there a few times so knew what to expect. The menu is the same. Looks the same inside. This experience was a star less then the Brighton location.
I was with 2 other people for brunch/lunch. I decided to go with the eggs benny. Bf got a cowboy burger. Friend got a salad. Service was slow. The waitress seemed a little hungover. Food took a while to arrive. Finally. It was blah. My eggs benny was just ok, for $6.99 at a beer garden I wasn't expecting to be blown away. They added a third portion of it to the plate. It was kind of annoying cause the last thing I wanted to do was eat 3 eggs bennys. I didn't even want the temptation but it was there for whatever reason. Maybe they thought it was for a bro. The homefries were blah. They tasted mass produced and greasy. Lots of ketchup helped. BF had the burger which he liked. Friend had the salad. The first dressing that came out with it was terrible so she asked for another. Luckily she requested it advance on the side.
The crowd was the typical "bro" brothers and yappy "do I look hot" girls. The inside could use a wipedown. The booth I sat on was sticky. Not planning to return.
This has to be the only bar in all of Boston that, in the freezing cold, won't let a single (and admittedly cute) young lady in ahead of the line. It's clearly not packed. Everyone on the line can reasonably fit inside the bar, times two, and then some dude comes out to have a cigarette shouting "I am kicking all ya'all the fuck out of here." No he did not work there. Yes, he was pretty representative of the general patronage.
Once inside, you realize how not-worth-it the wait is. Maybe if you lived around here and could walk home. Maybe if you didn't mind people grinding and bumping into you every two seconds, despite the fact that the bar is NOT really crowded.
Though it was a relatively short wait time to grab a beer and they were relatively cheap ($5 for a Sam Winter)...
Never. Again.
Improvement noted.
When it's not glaringly bright,
When it's not a fashion show,
When it's not a fight to move along the sides,
When it's not overflowing in the bathroom,
I like it.
When I can get a cheeseburger,
When the Sam Seasonal's on point,
When I can sit and enjoy the sunny tables,
When my old friend- Liam's managing,
When I don't have "yeah-bros" at my elbow,
I like it.
Ah, the Bro Garden, how I love and hate you..... let me count the ways....
I love you because:
1. You have a pretty decent beer selection.
2. Your staff is great. Â The hosts/hostesses, waitstaff and bartenders are super friendly and attentive even when it gets crazy busy.
3. You are clean
4. Your food is super tasty. Especially the Thai Lettuce Wraps and the Turkey and Artichoke sammy.
5. You open your tall front windows so that I can sit at a pub table, people watch and smell the salty air in the summer.
I hate you because:
1. Â Your crowd is a bit frat-tastic. Â Is the double-popped collar necessary? Â The minidress from Tello's? Really?!
2. Your oversized bar leaves me looking for awkward nooks to stand without being in anyone's way. Â Unless you've got a team of Staypuffs behind the bar I don't see why the tenders need so much space.
I don't get it. Why the big crowd at 6pm on a gorgeous Saturday in September? It IS Southie but....
It can't be:
a. the bad design / super mondo over sized bar
b. the hideously loud sound blaring over all the big screen TV's
c. the nice tables up front near the open 1/2 wall of windows - everyone was gathered in the middle, near the bar, shouting
d. the decent food - but they forgot two side orders
e. the sloppy crowd
f. the trek all the way to the back and down into the basement to reach the bathroom
No need to rush back. I would have been just as happy getting my pre-concert calories at the Pavillion, with their yummy Pizzeria Regina slices, a beer or three, some Ben & Jerry's and the great harbor view.
2.5 stars, really, but I can't bring myself to bump it up to three...so 2 stars it is.
It's just so...AVERAGE!! Â It's your average bar -- over-crowded and mediocre! Â I went on a Friday night and there was barely room to move and I could not hear myself think. Â The boring guys in their polo shirts and the girls over-dressed...zzzzz.
Not worth going out of your way for, that's for sure.
Growing up, my mother always encouraged me to really give something a chance before writing it off for good. Â This usually involved tears, screaming "I don't WANNA", and ultimately, a pro/con list with a cookie bribe. Â As I've gotten older, my tastes and horizons have expanded, but there are still a few people, places, and things that automatically threaten to trigger a toddler-esque temper tantrum. Â The Beer Garden is at the top of that list.
Now, part of me wants to be believe that it really can't be THAT bad. Â I mean, it's always packed, and I have some friends that seem to dig it, so maybe I'm just being stubborn? Â So I've vowed to do my mom proud and create a fair and unbiased pro/con list to give Beer Garden a chance. Â And follow it with a cocktail bribe.
PRO Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CON
* It's bright                      * You're now forced to actually see
                               the guy talking to you. Â
                               And the beer stain he just left on
                               your shoe.  Thanks.
* It's a nice open space           * They can fit more people in. Â
                                People in jorts.
* Tvs that can be used to distract  * The guy chatting you up
 the guy chatting you up.         Â
* They serve food                * They serve food
* Bathrooms up AND downstairs  * Vomit outside the bathrooms. Â
                                  And in the bathrooms. Â
                                  And, uh, on the ceiling?
* My friends are here             * I'll end up telling one of the jorts
                                 wearers that they're single and
                                 looking for love. Â
                                 Which I think is a fair trade off for
                                 dragging me here.
Well. Â Ok. Â So now I have a headache, an irrational fear of denim, and a craving for a cookie. Â Damn you Beer Garden! Â Damn you and the John Cena you rode in on!
Meh. I've had good nights at the BG and I've had bad nights at the BG. They've re-done their menu and I usually get a burger which is pretty good. I also like the Mediterranean wrap (grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and goat cheese) which is yummy. The fries are good too.
But here are the bad parts. The lay out is pretty terrible. Whose idea was it to put a gigantic bar in the MIDDLE of the place? If they just put that on one side it would really open up the bar area. Instead, there are 2 narrow corridors on each side of the bar....which is ps, usually packed with people on thurs, fri, and sat nights. It's annoying. It also gets really hot in there. Pump up on the AC people!
Also...the staff is just ok. Sometimes the bartenders will be very attentive and help you right away. Then some other times it feels like you're waiting an eternity for a drink.
The best times I've had here were 1. just eating a weekend lunch on the front platform with the windows open or 2. being drunk enough to not care about the ridiculous set up of the place and laugh at the bartenders because they look like little rodents going in circles around their bar area.
Six words: Â stuffed burger with sweet potato fries. Â That's all it took for me to claim this place as one of my top 5 favorite bars. Â Add a Harpoon IPA into the mix, and it's a shocker that I didn't close the place out tonight. Â Damn work getting in the way.
So I'm on the road now in Boston, and one of my favorite beers is Harpoon IPA (only found in the New England area). Â While looking up places to watch the game and drink my beer, I discover the Boston Beer Garden within a 15 minute walk of the new Boston Convention Center. Â While walking in, I notice a huge bar in the center of the place with more large screen TVs than I can count. Â I find an empty seat and immediately order a Harpoon and ask for the menu.
I don't remember the last time I spent so much time looking at the menu trying to decide what I wanted to eat. Â They had so much good food here it was really tough to decide on one thing. Â Buffalo chicken nachos; BLT pizza; chili; apple & goat cheese salad; chicken, brie and pear sandwich; turkey tips; etc. Â How is one to decide? Â I ended up settling on the stuffed burger: Â hamburger stuffed with bacon and cheese, topped off w/ BBQ sauce and a slice of cheese. Â Spend the extra buck for the sweet potato fries, and you are talking heaven.
The place seemed filled with locals, and in talking with the bartender he mentioned this place is all about the locals coming in for a beer or three after work and then everyone walks home together. Â My kinda place. Â The bar service was great, the rest of the restaurant staff was very cute, and the whole place just gave off a "you want to stay here all night drinking some good beer and chatting it up with good people" vibe. Â I plan on heading back as soon as I can.
I don't like clicks.
This place is not a great bar but its OK. My main problem is that I feel like I'm back in junior high with all the clicks that go on. I mean its not  bad but I wouldn't call it good either. At the very best its average. I recommend you go there already drunk because everything is way more fun when your already drunk.
I needed a quick fix one day in Southie: Fish'n Chips!
But to my dismay, my experience at the Beer Garden made my cravings worse.
The customer service was abysmal (it took the waitresses about 15 minutes to serve us water), and they never refilled the water after that. The waitresses seemed more interested in the Sox game than getting their tips. Â I would give this place a 1 star if the fish'n chips weren't good, but they were actually decent.
I enjoy Southie... Â I really do. Â If I thought of moving anywhere outside of my current 'hood, Southie would be it! Â And Beer Garden is great for me. Â When other places are way too packed (read: Playwright) this place is awesome. Â The big open windows, plenty of seating for eating a late dinner on a weekend night, a huge rectangular bar, a jukebox, and swell bartenders. Â Seriously, the people that work there are great! Â I often have trouble getting drinks at bars...due to my lack of height...and had no trouble at all here. Â Sweet! Â The dinner was quite tasty. Â Sweet potato fries sell me every time...and the apple and goat cheese salad was perfect. Â
I can't wait to go back.
Parking was a bit tricky, but so worth it.
Boston Beer Garden seems to be soliciting some meh reviews, but I will boldly state that I think this bar is above average. How can you hate on a place that plays "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie?
This bar is no Junction (which I love, PS) but there is definitely potential to have a good time. The crowd was just large enough, and even with such a huge bar, service was prompt. Â The projector screen may be a bit much, but is ideal for game watching.
Though there was a sizeable crowd, there was plenty of room to stand and socialize. If you are there to catch up with friends rather than meet new people, grabbing a table by the front is key, and it wasn't hard to do around 11ish on a Saturday.
Maybe I would be inclined to demote to a 3 star review if I'd had a bad food experience, buuuuut I didn't so I won't. Check out the Beer Garden as an occasional alternative to the Junction.
The Boston Beer Garden is one of Southie's more newer establishments, and it shows.
The food is excellent. Â Best burger ever!!! And the menu for the BBG is pretty much consistent too!! The bar has a wide selection to choose from. The service is outstanding as well!! If you are looking for a place to go after this is it. Â The crowd consist of mostly 20 - 30 year old, business type. Â You know, the ones that have recently began to invade Southie (Yuppies). It can be a set back for someone who spent all their time in Southie growing up.
In the evening this restaurant turns into a bar for the 20s and 30s professional crowd. It gets packed!!!! You will find yourself being shoulder to shoulder here, if you don't have any friends... your bound to make some here. Â Seating is very limited, with the tables only for people who are eating and the stools around the bar going fast, be prepared to stand when you are here!!!
Parking can be tricky, and has to be found on the street. Don't think that you are being smart by parking in Brook's, you will get yourself towed.
----------------------------------------------ÂEDIT----------------------------------------------Â------------------
Oh Boston beer garden, I have to drop a star from you because when I went last time I asked for the Bacon and Bleu Burger med/well... one would think that  it would come with bacon but to my surprise, mine did not... that's not my gripe though. A medium well burger should be cooked all the way through.. but when I took a bite my burger was completely pink. Upset with it, I sent it back... and the second time around my burger was cooked the same way, pink throughout (and still lacking bacon.) Why BBG, WHY!!??
Where the "new" Southie residents frequent, the Boston Beer Garden has been a total disappointment to me, considering the hype that it receives.
On a Friday night when I last went, it was packed wall to wall with all sorts of yuppie-types more interested in people-watching than watching the Bruins game that was on the TV. A plus was the Boston 375 on tap - limited time only. However for someone working on their feet all day long, a stool down the street at the L St. Tavern was the ultimate destination for me that night.
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