3.5 stars...
Don't let South Boston's (aka "Southie") reputation get to you too much, it's not really a bad or that rough an area, not anymore anyway. This is just a typical neighborhood bar, nothing outstanding about it other than it's lack of tourists or rich pretentious people. Beers were properly cheap (I think a Bud Light was $3) and the bartender I had was sweet and hot. The only complaint I can think of is that the bartender was playing music from an ipod (when someone wasn't using the jukebox) and the sound system for it was muffled and cheap (not the same speakers for the jukebox).
It's worth noting that if you're coming here because it's the "Good Will Hunting Bar", they have done a little renovating since the movie including laminating their bar tables with pictures and memorabilia from the movie. I thought this added interest but takes away from the authenticity. It's also worth noting that Anthony Bourdain came here for a segment on one of his shows (no mention of that here).
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this establishment. Sure, it's the Good Will Hunting bar, but it's not trendy at all. In fact, it's pretty much a dive, but clean and great service. I was here with some friends on the earlier side of a Saturday night, so the atmosphere was lively but not crazy. It seemed like after 9 or 10pm, it turns into a crazy place. I would come back for afternoon or early evening drinks.
My first impression upon entering the place? CROWDED. Oh, and I felt like a little person - at 5'4, I was definitely in the minority here in terms of height. My friends, at 6' and 6'1, respectively, even seemed a little short here.
Service was slow, but again, it was crowded. We managed to belly up to the bar and snag a seat, although it was right by the door so I froze, even with my jacket on. Drinks seemed reasonably priced.
We'll be back to give this place another shot!
Just a bar.
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I was here this past weekend. Â It's just a small bar. Â I guess it likes to think it's a local watering hole, but thanks to appearing in the Good Will Hunting movie, along with Anthony Bourdain's Boston episode of No Reservations, the establishment, along with it's clientele have become, well, CLEANER. Â You won't find many roughneck southies here. Â Mainly yuppies who have invaded the neighborhood wearing collared shirts.
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When I say "it's just a bar" I mean - that's it. Â It's a small place that serves booze. Â No band, no food, no nothing. Â At least they got a jukebox. Â I can't think I'd ever go back for any particular reason.
L Street - a great Southie spot! It's small, but has a very comfty vibe and the staff are awesome! It's not a place where you will feel out of place if you're not a "local" either. Too many spots like that in Southie. It's the kind of place you can go where eveyrone knows your name... No food.
Review Source:My husband and I love this place! It does not look like the same place as it was shown in Good Will Hunting but it is one dive bar you should check out. I keep hoping that I will run into Matt Damon but until then I just keep myself satisfied my looking at all the pictures they have in the bar from the movie.
Review Source:No where in South Boston is it more clear how much Southie hearts Ben and Matt. Â Well, Goodwill Hunting to be exact... and of course the L Street Tavern has this sentiment seeing as scenes from the movie were filmed within its (since refurbished) walls. Â
L Street was a nice place. Â Just enough space, nice long bar, friendly service, numerous regulars, decent prices... Goodwill Hunting posters...
It was all just good. Â Nothing to rave about. Â Nothing to bitch about.
If you are an avid Keno fan, it seemed to be a popular activity amongst most of the solo stool dwellers.
An impromptu Southie pub crawl was initiated this past Friday night and I found myself happily skipping along and enjoying some bars that I've never been to before. Â
L Street was our second stop and I really liked the vibe here. The dark wood, the table tops covered in Good Will Hunting memorabilia, and an ecclectic crowd of locals.
Very chill place to kick back and enjoy some people watching or a game on TV.
4 Guinness and a something-lite-beer for $21 ... deal !
Cozy little place, with a long narrow bar, dim lights and a real mix of salty old local men, yuppies, and college students ... it's all good in this neighborhood bar.
Some people belly up to the bar, groups of friends chat around the few tables or in little circles, and others try to start a little dance off in the back corner. Â The good thing here is everyone seemed to be enjoying themeselves ... I sure did ;)
My grandmother used to tell me that I had a "friendly face". It's the kind of face that upon meeting someone for the first time, they almost always say "I think we may have met before..." So maybe that's why I've never felt the you-are-not-wanted vibe here. Or maybe other people are hyper sensitive. Either way, I'm a fan of L St. This is where we go when we are too lazy to walk to one of the bars on Broadway. Or when we just want a beer without a scene. It's a teeny space with pretty limited seating, but more often than not we are offered a seat by a chivalrous gentleman upon entering. We usually end up in a random conversation here; again the tight quarters kind of mandate it. But even if I end up just chatting with the companions I came here with, I don't necessarily think that's weird. Are other people talking to every patron in every other bar they go to?
The TVs are at sort of weirdly high angles, so if you are watching a game, you may end up with a crink in your neck, but the ridiculously cheap drinks can probably solve that problem in no time. And the bartenders here are those regular pub pros that only need some quick eye contact to deliver up a speedy refill. I dig speedy refills.
To clear up some of the confusion, there is no food here. There IS food at the L St Diner, which is a few blocks down the street. There is also a pizza place right across the street, and yes, they will let you bring it in if you want. But I prefer my carbs to be liquid based. Classy.
I like this bar. Although they don't serve any food, I believe a bartender once told me that I was free to bring some food from either pizzerias across the street. I don't tend to go here too often because it isn't very big, and when I am with a large group of friends, it's usually easier to just head to Broadway. The bartenders have always been extremely friendly and knowledgeable from what I have seen. The patrons are generally pretty laid back, and you get a real smattering of different people which varies depending on what time of the day you go there. It doesn't hurt that I live so close, but generally a good place to meet someone for a couple of drinks.
Review Source:This place wasn't bad at all. Small little neighborhood southie bar, with a TON of TV's. I forget how many there were, but enough so no matter where you were seated or looking in the bar, you were able to have your eye on at least one TV.
I don't know why some people don't feel welcome here. I almost felt like I should have seen more tourists here with the way it's set up and has all of the Good Will Hunting memorabilia around. The bartender was super nice, and my friend and I didn't really talk to the other patrons, but we were not given a hard time at all... and my friend is German.
The woman's bathroom is just to the right of the bar, and can be a little tricky to see. All in all I think this is a good neighborhood spot. No food, to my knowledge... just drinks - so eat before you come. Just one minor gripe for those not living in the neighborhood - no parking except for street... and during the week after 6pm that parking is for residents only. If you're lucky, you can find some parking on E Broadway, and it's not too far of a walk.
This is one of the reasons why I visited Boston. I am a huge "Good Will Hunting" fan, and I really wanted to see the place where it all started. I was totally stoked walking through "Southie" waiting to see this bar. When I got to the bar, a sign outside said the home of GOOD WILL HUNTING. Smaller than I thought it was. From the movie it seemed as if the bar was much bigger, but not at all. The entire inside is dedicated to Good Will Hunting, pictures, memorabilia, etc. It was nice to see it. A table where we sat was dedicated to the movie also, and this table had the original invitations to the Academy Award party at L St Tavern.
Now that I have my Good Will Hunting talk out of the way, let's move on to the actual bar aspect of it. The drinks are relatively cheap. In Boston the same beer would be $6 where it is $3 at L St Tavern. We had an old time bartender, Ralph, who was tending on us. I love seeing 70 year old men still working at the bar. Cool stuff. Even though they have remodeled since the beginning (GOOD WILL HUNTING), it still is a good local hangout. They do not serve food, but they allow you to bring food in from across the street (pizza place). And for those who say that the people there are mean, I would have to differ. They are not mean, they are just indifferent to tourist. I struck up a conversation with a guy and he bought my beers the entire night, saying that he would not let a college kid buy beers in his bar. Good times.
Rob M. put it perfectly. The locals own this bar and if ANYONE else comes in they hate you, even if you live down the street. Non- lifers not allowed!!!! The bartender was super rude and everyone there does not emit a friendliness by any matter of means!
I'm a reg pub-goer and this one lacks any authenticity of a pub an the attitude doesn't help
Been going here for years (well I do live right across the street) and love going here to enjoy some good company, play some Keno and have a nice cold beer. Not too long ago they put in lots of flat screens which has been a HUGE plus. I'll go here on a weekend afternoon, friday night, or random weekday night just to get out of the house and enjoy a cheap drink and watch the news. They don't serve food but you can bring in whatever you like. I've enjoyed many meals from Mirasola's across the street here at the bar. It has been amazing to watch the transformation of this place, especially on the weekends. Used to pretty much recognize most people but now there are constantly new faces. Doesn't bother me though, everyone is still treated well.
and oh yea, the jukebox there is the best!!
My girl and I really wanted to check this place out when we went to Boston from LA this last summer. We spent two nights there and were treated like family after we let our guard down about being the "out of towners" in the bar.
Needless to say, this place was our best experience in Boston.
Cheap drinks. Dive bar. They have done a little revamping, cool. There is still some odd smell here.
No want to be hipters here. Straight up cool people all wanting to hang out and drink on the cheap. A real welcoming family.
You might get a few local girls pissed that you are invading their turf.....but they are cool after their third shot.
I have been here three times. Twice, there was a major brawl and at the time, I was scared. Right after the fight, they were hugging each other and saying "I love you man"..............yup....neighborhood bar alright.
I only set foot in this bar b/c I happened to be down the street and my friend insisted we go see "where Good Will Hunting" was filmed...my curiousity got the better of me---well, in spite of the vomit smell tainting the bar's interior, making it difficult for me to sip my Guiness, the L Street has all the trapping of a regular neighborhood dive bar. Â Don't know that it'd be worth coming to again, but, hey, at least I have a good story out of the trip...
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