I feel like there is a lot of mystery surrounding Hogan's Run, and as someone who has been there once, seven years ago, who better to clear the air than myself, Matheus. Below are a number of myths that I shall either confirm or dispell about the fabled watering hole.
-Former USSR General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev destroyed an arcade version of NBA Jam in the fall of 1999. FALSE. While Gorbachev did visit H.R. once after a speaking engagement at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in 2002, it was actually former teen heartthrob Lee Norris (better known as Minkus from Boy Meets World) who battered the console for two hours with a billy club lent to him earlier in the night by a group of Chinese nationals in town to work on the later abandoned Purple Line.
-Hogan's run witnessed a record 11 weekends in a row with at least one homicide committed on the premise. TRUE. December 1989-February 1990 saw 19 murders occur at H.R. due to its location between warring Japanese Yakuza and The Naplese Gomorrah gangs.
-The line chef at Hogan's is a legally blind Korean War vet named Paul James Lupo. Lupo taught himself how to cook gourmet cusines after going blind from having bleach thrown in his eyes by a neighbor in an act of retribution for installing a smoke pit within three feet of their property line. The smoke pit did indeed violate state regulations, but the structure was well within the parameters set out by town ordinance. His neighbor's petition was therefore thrown out at a township hearing, and backlogged at the state level. The bleach attack occured on Christmas Eve, 1971. Lupo spent the better part of the next ten years battling alcoholism, losing his wife, home, and smoke pit in the process. He was arrested in 1980 for smashing a lobster-trap over the head of a stunning Golden Retriever after mistaking it for Yellow Labrador. The dog would make a full recovery, but Lupo was sentenced to two years in prison, of which he only served nine months. It was during his time at a Saugus halfway house, located next to a Little Ceasar's, that Lupo taught himself to cook. The detail about Little Ceasar's is irrelevant to Lupo's story, but notable in that Felix P. Alvarez, who's significance I will mention when I review Pawtucket Tire Ltd., was an assistant manager there. It's a small world.... In any event, Lupo eventually developed a relationship with fellow inhabitant Donna Seager. The couple eventually moved out of the halfway house and into Seager's sister's basement in Brookline. Four years later the couple wed in a small ceremony at Saint Joeseph's at Manchester By The Sea, which guests would later recall as modest, yet endearing. In the autumn of his life, Lupo made it a point to stay as active as he possibly could. He used to routinely walk 4.3 miles per day along the same route which incidentally passed Hogan's run. During one of these walks, Lupo apprehended a man fleeing the bar on foot who had just shot and killed a patron inside. Hank Hogan, then owner, overflushed with gratitude demanded that Lupo accept some sort of compensation. After two weeks of hemming and hawing, the two finally agreed that Lupo come on full time as a line chef. The rest, as they say, is history. FALSE. This story is not true. None of it. Except the part where the golden retreiver was smashed over the head with a lobster trap. But that happened in Nashua, NH in 2004. Tragic story with a plot twist that'll leave you stunned. PM me for details.
Hogan's Run is entirely insulated with dead bears. TRUE. You'll notice that this place is extra warm in the winter and keeps the AC air in during the warmer months. And that it smells like dead bears sometimes. When Hogan built this place, dead bear was cheaper than pink insulation.
To sum, Hogan's Run is the best. I love Hogan's Run. I will have my wedding here. I love it forever. All other bars are worst forever.
Hogans Run is my own personal Cheers. Everyone knows my name and I wouldn't have it any other way. Some of the clientele is a little rough around the edges at first glance but when you get to know them, it makes all the difference. I have better conversation in there than I do with some of my closest friends. Can't beat the cheap beers and drinks and the company. My favorite vote goes for the bartender Billy. He's been there since I've been coming for the past four years. He makes great drinks and loves to chat music. The others are nice but hes the only one that when I come in for just one beer, I stay for more more. He makes the place a little warmer. I highly recommend. Good juke box too. Though I do prefer the old Sopranos pinball machine to the current Rolling Stones one.
Review Source:If the term "It is what it is" ever applied to any place in Boston it would be Hogies. Â And by "it:" I mean one phenomenal dive bar. Â If youve never seen yelp or any other form of review and you walk in based on the looks of the place alone expecting anything else, shame on you!
The place is made for post softball gatherings. Â Keno, Buck Hunter, Juke Box, Pitchers. Â Im not sure what things look like on a typical Friday or Sat night so I cant 100% comment on that but its not exactly in a horrible neighborhood so I would think the fight comments are exaggerated but who knows maybe it is fight club from time to time. Â I havent seen it so Ill keep my 5 stars up there.
To me its a little slice of heaven in Brighton.
You gotta love a good dive... and that's what you got with Hogan's.
You can catch the usual suspects occupying barstools on most nights, bartenders with an expected surly personality, and even some local radio hosts getting post-show (or even pre-show) drinks... the stations are conveniently located right across the street. Â They also have a fenced in smokers patio, the cheap booze, and a jukebox makes for a decent local hangout.
Your basic dive bar and it gets the job done. Â There was a group of folks I assume are regulars there. Â They were playing the video lottery. Â They have a couple of TVs tuned into sports. Â The prices are not bad for a basic beer. Â I noticed they serve hotdog and whatnot. Â I'm not sure I'd have one.
Review Source:Best dive bar I've ever been to!
I will admit it's a little scary from the outside but it's calm and nice on the inside. It's an all wood bar with pool table, darts, lottery ticket machine, tv's and a juke box. They also have a little bit of everything to drink-with beers, single serve wines and a top shelf alcohol selection. They even have root beer liquer and a Jager shot machine. This is the exact bar I want in my back yard!
I have been wanting to go to this bar for years and finally today it happened, and I must say I was not disappointed. Â Â I went during the day on a weekday so it was not busy, there were a few regulars who were friendly. Â They have a pool table, a jukebox, scratch tickets, keno and that cartoon horse racing, plus beer, really what else do you want or need?
Review Source:This is a 100% townie bar, most of the patrons know each other.
The owner Tom was present and was a very nice gentleman.
Some of the characters later were rough around the edges. Gave you a bukowski vibe. Prices were decent. Bathroom was passable played country on the jukebox's!.... thumbs up for pool!
I'D GO AGAIN.
this is one of the best bars in boston. if you're looking for someplace to hang out with your friends with their striped button down shirts and fancy-boy hair then you aren't gonna like this place. same goes if you wanna put on your new dress and heels and dance and prance around and be seen.
HOWEVER, if you want some place to chill and watch the sox and shoot a game of pool over some cheap beer this is the SPOT. they also have a juke box with mostly country and classic rock (awesome), pinball, darts, and a "see how hard you can punch" machine (which i spent $8 on and still couldn't beat my friend who only went once and has never been in a fight in his life. i think it's rigged).
definitely seems like a spot with a lot of cliquey regulars, but everyone who i talked to, including the bartender, was cool. if you're pretentious or obnoxious then i could definitely see you leavin with a black eye and a lesson in minding your manners, but i didn't feel at all unwelcome at any point. i, along with my quite normal female friend who i went wtih, decided as we were leaving that we had to become regulars and i have every intention to follow through on that.
I am only giving it 4 stars because it is for sale, and hopefully whoever buys it opens a less scary, more upscale establishment.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fre.boston.com%2Fsales%2FView_Ulisting.asp%3Flid%3D4900-70839614&s=1a88f6c4f0e224ce696bb03aa12fe4d830ad6d454fdd0b2035ed9c5fbca638cd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://re.boston.com/sal…</a>
I can't help but feel sad that this is some people's main Friday night plan: to hit Hogan's Run.
But different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I've never actually bought a beer here. My boyfriend's soccer team goes here after games for cheap pitchers of Bud Light. (The fields are behind HR and, trust me, proximity is the only draw.) I usually politely decline the communal pitchers of Bud Light and dusty plastic cups for an Oktoberfest which is always cold and under $4.
The music here varies. Last week was pretty great with some Van Halen and Journey and the like.
There is pool, a dartboard and two large tables. The bar itself is pretty short so there is a good chance you will find yourself standing between some righteous babe with crispy bangs and a Stetson-wearing old dude.
Whatever.
Listen, nobody loves a dive more than me, and I have seen my share.  It's like another world in there.  And there are very few things I am morally opposed to  - but when a dive bar rasies its prices to the level of a nice place - what's the point in going there? Â
Well, there's the opportunity to see Brighton's underbelly, I guess. Â And the bartender is always nice. Â
The sign says "Hogan's Run Bar and Grille".  Not sure what the "Grille" refers to, unless it's Olde English for  "here's the phone and the number of the local pizza joint".
Voted most likely bar to see a fight in Boston. Â Well, by me.
It seems the main draw here is that you will see mayhem occur within a short time. Â I have a few subs that love coming here; so I come along, as Good Will is Gold, when working with Subs.
Please do yourself a favor. Â Don't come in here as a stranger and order anything but a draft. Â Don't Look weird, or say anything to the denizens that could even be construed as a taunt. Â Keep you hands to yourself, and speak quietly. Â Don't act scared.
Don't ever pull the "You've been Yelped" card. Â Not the place, darling.
Never, ever, come in here wearing a Yankees cap. Â You are just asking for a beat-down. Â Every Fall some Jackass from NY comes in, and gets a beat-down. Â No, the bartender does not call the cops. Â That sorry soul is on his own.
I think my Hogan's experience is best summed up by what my friend said to me when he took me there:
"Let me show you the secret cubby hole where you can hide when the fist fights get going."
Yeeeah.
Still, the staff is nice and the jukebox is good.
EDIT: Â No more drinking on the back patio, kiddies. Â Alas. Â You can still smoke.
In a previous life, I spent more time at Hogan's than I'd like to admit to. Â It's the Cambridgeport Saloon of Brighton. Â It's dirty, it's cheap, and it attracts the same crowd.
It is generally not busy, and you'll have space to play pool at the one table, play darts at the board (league night is Tuesday), or queue up some songs on their Internet connected jukebox. Â If you like lotto, you'll find many a kindred spirit there. Â
They have a paved area in back of the bar that allows you to bring out your drink and smoke. Â It's something of a ghetto patio, but it works. Â They have three tv's inside, and can be counted on to watch any game you'd like to.
Be warned: Â this is not a date bar. Â This is not a pickup bar. Â This is a dirty, drunken old man's bar. Â I loved it for a while, but am too tired of it at this point. Â The service is spotty, but very entertaining, and some of the patrons are really great people. Â You have a mix of working class Allston / Brighton people and Irishmen. Â It's more a club of regulars than a bar, but that doesn't mean that you won't be welcome.
If you're looking to get drunk fast and cheap and escape for a while, you'll like it. Â If you're looking to sit down and have a quiet evening alone at the bar, you're out of luck. Â Don't say I didn't warn you!
I'm not anti-dive bars, but Hogan's run is too much for even me. Â The few times I've gone there (my husband used to frequent the joint), I was the only woman in there aside from one or two cougars at the bar. Â You go around 7 PM and you can tell some of the people had been sitting there since 1 PM and have no intent to leave until 1 AM. Â It's not even amusing, just sad. The stench is overwhelmingly disgusting.
Review Source:My favorite dive by far. Cheap beer, foosball, hot sweaty boys coming off the field from the BSSC, getting hit on by unintelligible Irish men, consequently having all your drinks bought by unintelligible Irish men, being able to dump your drunk friend who loves debating politics on a couple of old men at the bar, and a cooler of $1 drinks that no one else would ever buy.
But if you get intimidated by the type of bar that when you walk in, EVERYONE turns to stare at you and judge you, I wouldn't recommend showing up here.
Wow, this place makes all the other dive bars that you've been to look like the freakin Ritz! Â Unclassy, almost scary, and often desolate...this place is run down. Â It is, however, where we used to go after softball games and I gotta say that it was fine with me. Â If you are not down with trashy, this is not the place for you.
Review Source:I love this place. Just a regular old dive, nothing more, but the place does have some nice charm to it. Can be a bit intimidating at first, but you'll find it full of friendly people comprised mostly of what appear to be regulars, but they are friendly to new folks as well. Â
Plus the booze is very, very cheap.
I came here with a 300lb black guy and we thought he was going to be lynched when we walked in.......I do love this place though. It has less class than my basement, but hell, my basement doesn't have sweet refreshing naragansett on tap! And I thought they took that stuff off the market for blinding the homeless. This place is alot of fun to hang out with friends, or chat with locals. I like it.....I like dives! check it out....if you're not scared!
Review Source:Hogan's is the sort of bar that makes a lot of people who SAY they love dive bars think twice. From the outside it's not much to look at. Inside isn't much better. It reminds me of a basement rec. room with some patio furniture and a random  table hewn from a giant pine (?) tree. The beer is really cheap and there's usually a special of some sort. Definitely eat before you go unless you like nuts from vending machines. I've tried them before and haven't gotten ill yet. They've let me order pizza in the past and everyone seems cool with it. Tip the bartender a slice and all is good.
The regulars there are all good guys. (Mostly guys.) You can get into a conversation about just about anything. Just remember to mind your P's and Q's. Â I've seen it get a little rough in there on a hot summer night when everyone is feeling frisky.
I am a huge fan of Hogan's Run. It is definitely a bit sketchy from the outside...on a lonely corner near the highway. Â However, the patrons (mostly keno-playing old guys) are always friendly and eager to butt into your conversations. Â "Jimmy Nation", the bartender, is a cheerful and big-hearted dude who lets you get away with things like human pyramids and bar stool acrobatics. Â Just don't ask him about his website unless you are prepared for an earful.
The beer is cheap, a private courtyard offers convenience for smokers, and a juke box allows you to dominate the music selection. What's really great about this place is that it's usually empty! You can come in with a hoard of friends and it's like your own private clubhouse! Â The abundance of bar games like darts, pool, Â megatouch and (the best) big buck hunter will keep you entertained.
P.S. despite all the pros, this is really NOT a good place if you are looking for a date.
A divey bar located at the corner of Lincoln and Market Street, its a good place for a cheap beer. Â Grab some friends and relax - the bar rarely is crowded and mostly filled with locals. Â There is a jukebox with the usual music, a pool table and some games. Â If you live near by, hanging out there is pretty fun.
Update - they somehow thought it would be great to paint Hogan's maroon and yellow and took away 'big buck hunter'. Â I was sad.
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