My friends and I descended on this place yesterday after work. We were definitely the only non-regulars and we were pretty loud compared to the quiet mutterings of the surrounding middle-aged-ers... but we really liked it.
Strong pours on the gin and tonics and the whiskey sours were great. The bartender was patient with all of our drinks (making five mixed drinks in a row, twice, is probably annoying when all of your other patrons are chilling with wine and beer). Must be the cheapest drinks in the area as well.
I think only two beers were on tap, so that might be something to consider if you're on a hunt for beer. Stella and... something.
Perfectly nice little dive in the middle of wherever the heck this is.
The drinks are a little bit less cheap than I would prefer, but they are hardly un-cheap. And  anyhow, the jello shots are certainly jello-y and the pudding shots, while MIA for my visit, must certainly be worth the price of admission (Admission = $0.00)
Bar staff and bar patrons are just on the friendly side of old and gruff. My kind of people all together.
And not only can you bring pizza in, but there is actually very good pizza nearby owing to the location. Cool times.
I liked it.
I've always thought of the North End as a tough place to get away from the tourists and have a beer with friends. Â Corner Cafe really defies these thoughts about the North End.
Corner pub is the definition of a locals place, where the bar tender watches the big game with you and allows you to bring your own food in and then cleans up your food boxes so you wonder where they went. Â It's a fabulous spot to grab a drink with a couple friends and just relax. Â
I can absolutely see this as a spot to duck into during the summer saint's festivals for a cold beer. Â Just remember cash!
It took me more than two years to make it back to the Corner Cafe, but it's comforting to know that while some things (in the Corner Cafe) change, most things (in the Corner Cafe) stay the same.
The site of a recent Cheap Drinks & Bitch, we hit the Corner Cafe hard at about 6:30 on a Friday. Â Ray was still behind the bar, but they've upgraded to Erotic Photo Hunt, and the Internet jukebox was working just fine. Â Jello shots, pudding shots, and a big ol jar o' HOMEMADE SANGRIA (which was actually quite tasty!)
The bathroom is still nice and clean, and Ray is still serving up the coldest martinis in Boston. Â They encourage people to bring in food from nearby restaurants, which means REGINA! Just make sure there's plates and napkins, and that you clean up your mess afterwards.
I can't say enough good things about the Corner Cafe. Â We need more places like this in #obamasamerica.
This is a true dive bar! If you're one of those people that need a cold one before going home or need a simple, no-frills bar this is the place to go. We came here on a Tuesday evening and there were a few locals hanging about. We played a great game of name my ethnicity and caught a few laughs with this local who seemed to know everything about Boston. He even taught us about the Custom House Tower in Boston, MA! <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCustom_House_Tower&s=d872b7f2ec6b0e75b49aa0f9cb9842094b4f01284a412b804150154b41ba89e4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a> Some of the reviews are right in terms of the fact that they kind of sometimes do what they want. When we were drinking away our beers, a few guys came in asking for some food and the bartender's response was, "How long have you got? The grill isn't on." The guys were planning to go to a Celtics game so they left to find food somewhere else. The bartender didn't really seem to care and I could see why. On a slow weekday night, this place seems to be a place to have a simple beer or a standard mixed drink.
Review Source:Went to this place for the first time last night to meet up with some friends. The inside is very small (only about 6 tables that seat 2-4 people at each and some seats at the bar). The bartender was very friendly- he was pleasant to talk to and made some good jokes. We didn't order any food so I can't comment on that- I did notice that the menu was pretty limited, but I guess that's standard for a small bar. The one negative was that the beer selection was not so impressive. I only noticed Stella on draft and maybe 6 or 7 bottled beers. We did try the pudding shots and they were delicious:) I would definitely go back- I wish I had a place like this in my neighborhood... seems like somewhere you could become a regular.
Review Source:Cheap and simple drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.
Nothing fancy here, just a storefront with a few tables and a small bar. Easy to miss for those like me that are new to the area, but simple and no fuss. Don't go looking for a huge selection or high-end cocktails. Excellent end to a night of wandering the North End.
Cheap drinks! The bartender Joe only works during Mondays and Tuesdays so make sure to go those days. I ordered drinks that I found off the internet and he did his best to make them and he basically charged me half price because I ordered 4 drinks and it only cost me $15! If I ever find myself in Boston again I'm pretty sure that I'm going to drink in this bar again! And too bad they ran out of pudding shots because I really wanted to try them.
Review Source:I freaking LOVE this place.  The thing I love the most is when you walk through the door and the  bartenders give you that look of, "Crap....customers.  I don't like customers."   Or the "I f*cking hate you" look you get when you put money in the jukebox.  I enjoy giving that look when I'm behind my own bar, so I feel your pain, guys.  I've never tried the food here, but it's cooked by the bartender on a teeny griddle behind the bar so obvs it's going to cause pyrotechnics in my digestive system, which is fine with me as long as it doesn't last all day.
In all seriousness, it IS a dive bar, so don't expect the bartenders to like you. Â But without a doubt the cheapest place for beers in the North End.
We were in the neighborhood looking for breakfast and wound up here (thank you yelp). Â Too bad for us. Â Most of the food was... edible; eggs cooked properly, home-fried potatoes were fine, but the corned beef hash MAY have actually been dog food... disgusting. Â I would NOT go here again for breakfast, but apparently it's a great little neighborhood bar in the evenings. Â Now we know.
Review Source:I am a big fan of neighborhood bars. I am a HUGE fan of dive bars. Due to a recent relocation, The Corner Cafe is both of these things.
The Corner Cafe is a cornucopia of awesomeness.
We've got TV's, a unisex bathroom, jello shots, pudding shots(!), super cute bartender, wasted octogenarians, Celine Dion, chicken fingers, cheap beer, and I think the bartenders have been instructed to never cut anyone off. Ever.
I swoon over this place. (Or the bartender, whatever).
It's a rainy Thursday night, I have no money, clean clothes, ambition or desire to speak to any other living soul. However, the long rainy work week inspires a strange grey ambition to get out of the apartment for a few beers. My two roommates, both in similar conditions, agree a public appearance is probably in our best interest. These culminating factors make for an easy decision, our inaugural visit to Corner Café.
As our mangy threesome entered the establishment we gave a friendly WUD UP? to the patrons at the bar. At this point one of the 3, seemingly deep in conversation, returned to the business side of the slab. It was the bartender "Ray", a good ole chap, immediately inquired what we fancied to drink. "Bud bottles" we unwittingly replied, not realizing they obviously had cheaper cans. Beers were delivered frosty, with a smile. Ray went back to conversing with the homely couple at the bar and we were left to sip suds while watching my degenerate friend loose a measly $25 dollars on the Packers/Saints NFL opener. The excitement of my pal's misery quickly stirred up my appetite so I beckoned Ray back over to describe the specials. "Well" he says, "I can cook you some chicken fingers or motzi sticks...". Although he was willing, I declined and he gave me the menu, a takeout slip from Dino's! This was perfect so I wasted no time dialing in a large steak bomb.
By the time I was through half of the monstrous submarine we were ready to call it a night. Ray had fulfilled our needs as a friendly bartender, lifting the spirits of 3 pathetic lads, when, what's this? Two Hot Babes*!!!... Walking in the door. I quickly hid the second half of my greasy sub in my pocket, Ray delivered another round and it wasn't long before the awkward conversation started to flow. Blah, Blah, Blah, six or so beers later we were still drooling over babe #1's figure while she droned on about her new found love for surfer bros. A number was had by one of the two single roommates but unsurprisingly nothing materialized. Enough already though, this is after all, a Yelp review on Corner Café.
To sum it up, this place gets 4 stars because it is exactly what it looks like, a dive and a pleasant one at that. Friendly cheap and easy. Ray got a $12 tip on a $39 dollar tab, partly because he was awesome and partly because he played wing man, wooing babe #2.
*Disclaimer: "babe #1" had a Kim Kardashian @ss stuffed into Kate Moss' jeans and a Kelly Kapowski shoulder less belly shirt. The other, "babe #2" was really only a 6
2 words... Pudding shot! Just do it and thank me later.
This neighborhood dive bar was just what I needed! Everyone was friendly, even to us outsiders.
If a local dive bar is where you'll have a good time this is the perfect spot!
We didn't eat but everything looked and smelled amazing.
What's up with the small bathrooms in this town though?
This is a place that will get higher ratings from its frequent patrons. It's not about quality so much as it is about familiarity, ease of access, and feeling as if you belong. In another life, I would spend a lot of money here & have no regrets. In this one, I am an infrequent visitor but am glad to have the Corner Cafe nearby.
Review Source:I don't have high standards for bars. This bar was revolting. The smell was horrendous, overpowering, and so nauseating I couldn't imagine myself drinking a beer there. I wouldn't have been able to keep it down. Imagine the worst body odor you have ever smelled and multiply it by ten. And they only take cash. I felt that was my out and when asked what I wanted I said I needed to go get cash and made my way to the door. The patrons made fun of me for leaving. I could hear them outside through the open windows yelling "goodbye" .. "so long..." and generally carrying on... If it's your bar and you live in the neighborhood, great... otherwise steer clear of this shit hole.
Review Source:I think I would be camping out here if I lived in the neighborhood. We ended up here because we had a two-hour wait for a table at Neptune Oyster down the street, and I am so glad we did.
We walked in to this charming corner bar and The Cure's Disintegration was playing. Talk about starting off on the right foot. It wasn't just a fluke- several selections from it played, then the music moved on to stuff from the most angst-y phases of my high school and college years, like Depeche Mode and the Cranberries. Someone had stolen my iPod, clearly. Needless to say, I felt right at home.
Oh, right. Beer. You may be wondering what they serve. The night we visited, it was Harp and Bass. The prices were reasonable. There was a tv to watch the Sox, naturally. There's one single-person bathroom for everybody, so don't expect a towel lady to greet you.
And despite the fact that we were tourists, we didn't feel like it here.
Long time listener, first time caller.
I'm mad at myself for waiting this long to stop at the bar which is literally a block away from my apartment.
I approached Corner last night and I got one of those feelings. You know the one, "Are they cash-only?" and of course, when you have to think about it, they always are. But the bartender was soooooo nice about it (Asian girl). Their ATM was not working, so I was going to go across the street to one, but she insisted on me enjoying my drinks first. I guess I don't look like the type of person who would run off without paying for my drinks, but I can assure you that it is the consumption of those drinks that would turn me into that type of person. It's a catch-22.
It's a dive bar, but now it's my dive bar.
(Probably wouldn't want to eat there though)
Corner Cafe is awesome for: low key drinks, getting bombed drinks, playing with their incredibly random juke box (they have Katherine McPhee but no Britney Spears...?), playing keno, taking shots with the owner (and general North End guys who have lived there forever). Never too crowded, always a lot of fun. Cash only, but they have an ATM.
Review Source:A word of warning. Â This ISN'T a cafe. Â No no. Â I didn't walk in expecting this to be a cafe -- I could tell from a mile away that this was a classic dive bar. Â But the Europeans who walked in when I was at the bar were in for a rude surprise. Â No cappuccino's here! Â
Now, I live in Brooklyn. Â And I'm from California with a California driver's license. Â This is the type of bar where the bartender looks you over. Â Looks at your ID...and well, you're an outsider. Â A foreigner. Â You're not from these here parts. Â Etc. Â
I came to Boston for my buddy's wedding. Â Decided to spend the day in North End. Â And what better way than to go to a dive bar in the middle of a weekday. Â Yup. Â Place was filled with locals on their lunch breaks. Â Yeah. Â Only 2 beers on tap from what I recall. Â Talked politics and current events with the bartender. Â An older gentleman. Â And he told some great stories from back in the day. Â Pretty much all you could ask from a bartender. Â And yes, the bartender actually said "get the fuck outta here" to everything. Â I've been living in Brooklyn for 3 years and not once did I hear anyone say the equivalent -- "fuggedaboutit." Â Great bar. Â Will return the next time I'm in Boston.
Service here is terrible and I think the TV setup is awful too. Â Also, they advertise discounted rates on Bud Light pitchers but charge more when you actually order them. Â I wish this place was more hospitable to locals, but every time I've been in here I've come away with a bad taste in my mouth. Â Don't waste your time here and spend your money in a place that actually might act like they appreciate the business. Â Ducali, North Street Grille, Sail Loft, Artu, Pushcart Cafe, and Billy Tse's are all local places I'd go to before going back to Corner Cafe.
Review Source:After last night, I'm dying to be a regular.
A group of three, we were one of about 7 total patrons at the bar. The tv's played the Bruins with sound. A cougar came in to hit on younger men, play keno and drink a cocktail. I sat with my $4 guinness and eavesdropped on a conversation on a local with a couple from my hometown. A man ordered pizza. I interrupted the conversation to talk about my hometown, St.Louis. The pizza came. The man who ordered it offered my table some. Free dinner. The man filled the juke-box with singalong classics. Wham! came on. We all sang. Full, joyful, buzzed.
Nice people, sports, beer and pizza for the masses. Everything a dive could aim to be.
Oh Corner Cafe, you will always hold a special place in my heart. Â You are no where near a five star institution, but you always get it right. Â
Come here in your pajamas, come here in your best duds, come here with your kitty cat (I did that once), come here with your buds. Â
Great low key place to grab a drink or end the night. Â Not some place you want to take a cab to but considering it's about 400 yards from where I live, it can't be beat as a neighborhood spot.
Oh doggy! Â I get first crack at the Corner??!?!
Such a great joint. Â Small neighborhood feel, and cheap beer. Â Pitchers, drafts, and a juke box. Â
This is where I watched the end of the World Cup championship game when ITALIA took home the hardware. Â Â I had just finished painting my dilapidated North End apartment, and made my way over here for some flava. Â You could barely move - it was the only place to be when they won it. Â Â We streamed out of there and proceeded to join the mosh pit on Hanover Street, complete with firecrackers, music, and complete chaos. Â Â I threw a water bottle at Bob Lobel while he was standing on top of Mike's Pastry, but it missed. Â Other than that, it was a glorious day.
Several trips to the Corner Cafe made my short stint in 02113 a pleasant one - especially for the affordability factor. Â No pretense, just a laid back bar that you should go to RIGHT NOW dammnit.
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