I love everything about this place--too bad its so far from Cambridge. Â If you have friends that play in a punk band you've probably been here before--though you might not remember it at all since the drinks are so cheap. Â Putting your blackouts aside, lets you and I journey down the path of drunken recall and piece together why this place is so awesome. Â First off, it's a dive. Â One hundred percent dive bar through and through, which means cheap drinks and a come as you are clientele. You probably shouldn't have ordered that last shot, maybe you would have remembered being here (n.b. you still wouldn't have remembered). Second, there is more live music than there isn't here, so regardless of your cover (usually $5), you're going to get your moneys worth of aural satisfaction. Â Pro Tip: If you come for the early shows on weekends you don't need to pay for that later shows, so if you have the constitution (which it would appear that you certainly don't, otherwise you'd remember being here) then you can have a music filled evening. Finally, and for me most importantly, the people watching here makes it worth it alone. Â I'm not saying I'm judging anyone negatively, I just like watching the human experience and this place is rife with it. Â Man brings baby to show with heavy duty earmuffs? I dig it and the kid loves it. Â Massive amounts of men marching in a circle then going into a crazy free for all? I'm not going to join but these guys certainly seem to be enjoying themselves. Musician jumps into the audience lays down and starts screaming while pelvic thrusting into the air? Â Sure...
Oh, that reminds me, what don't I like about this place: stink bombs. Â I'm not sure why someone would do this, or what possible benefit they might receive, but it seems like every time I go, someone throws a stink bomb and this place becomes unbearable for a good 10 minutes. Â I should mention that I barely have a sense of smell so if its rough for me, I can only imagine what it is like for other people.
Anyway, even with the occasional asshat who decides to try and ruin everyone's fun this place is awesome. Â Maybe one day you'll actually remember going here.
--Dan C (six drinks in and counting)
P.S. Remember Dan, you've actually been here.
I've spent tons of time at the Midway, both as a performer and a patron. I get that it's not everybody's cup of tea but I've never had a bad time here. The staff have always been super friendly, the drinks are inexpensive, and while it gets crowded, the crowd itself is generally friendly. I appreciate that the Midway is prepared to offer a home to events and bands in Boston that other venues might balk at for not drawing a big enough crowd.
It's a cool place to see visiting performers, fringe bands, or crazy queer performance art. I dig it and I'll keep coming back.
Today I'm reviewing places I frequent that are too obvious for me to review, apparently.
I don't frequent the Midway, but I've spent some time there. It's significantly uglier than any dive bar I've been to, but it's obvious that they know it (or they don't) and they own it. They have music and performance and queereoake just about every night of the week. They don't just have crappy beers, for less than you'd pay for crappy beers elsewhere. It's kind of nice in that respect.
What isn't there to love about this place? You can whine about not liking the bands, the bar being too dive-y, or the neighborhood being "sketchy," (Yes, a high school and a famous restaurant - so sketchy!) but if you feel so inclined, stop and re-evaluate what you're whining about.
This is an affordable bar that showcases live music every night. Stop and repeat that to yourself a few times, oh whiner, and realize what you've gotten yourself into.
Now quit whining and have fun.
Such a friendly staff and so often they put on good shows, it's hard to say there's anything wrong with Midway Cafe. However, I will point to the lack of any food items and the few special drink combinations takes this from a 5 star to a 4 star establishment. Still, if you're in the area, you should absolutely check out the Midway.
Review Source:On the one hand, I love the Midway. Cheap drinks, Smilin' and Seamus behind the bar, Dave being crazy. On the other hand... it's often an interesting experience. So, here we are with 3 stars.
As mentioned in a lot of other reviews - if you or someone you know is in a band, you've been to the Midway. I've seen a lot of great bands here and I've seen probably twice as many awful ones, but you have to give them credit for giving everyone a chance.
They have Magners and Allagash on tap, so I don't know what everyone's complaining about. Except for one time, I asked for a Magners and got a Madras (I think? It was... orangey-grey) and that was a little sad. (Don't let me fool you though; I drank it.)
Oh, also, they sometimes grill during the summer and will then walk through the bar with sizzling hot steak tips! How can you go wrong?
What does it take to get a drink in here? Pete stood on two sides of the bar before anyone came over to him. In fact, I think I might have yelled out "excuse me" to get the bar tender's attention. Of course an hour later there's 3 people tending bar, but it really seemed that all the people we received drinks from did not know how to bar tend.
Also annoying... walking into the ladies' room and I see a dude peeing? You have your own bathroom... thanks.
The neighborhood is kind of sketchy too.
Their tap beers are pretty good though..... Probably won't be back, unless the show is amazing.
I met some friends here on a Friday night. They said there were good bands that played here. We must have chosen the wrong night. This place was a fun dive bar but the band was horrible. We had to wait in the snow while they had a one in one out policy, but the guy at the door would ask the people leaving if they were coming back. If they were going to have a smoke, their place inside was saved. It took us a really long time to get in because of this. Every other one in one out rule I've encountered included smokers and they would have to wait to get back in. After we got in, it wasn't even packed.
The band was crap. They set up for 15 minutes and then warmed up for almost another 15. Then the lead singer did a horrible stand up routine introducing all 6 people in the band. Then they proceeded to do the most piss poor cover songs. It made drunken rock band by college kid sound like Grammy award nominees. The backup singers were off key and they had ear splitting instrumentals. Not cool.
Their bar is cash only, so bring your dough in paper. Cover is around $ 10. All I can say is that after taking 30 minutes to get there by the T and then not even lasting longer than that is bad. Perhaps I will try it again after doing research and making sure the band is solid before I trek down there again, but this is definitely not on the top of my venues for musical entertainment.
UPDATE: The co-owner actually contacted me and spoke to me at the Midway after I originally posted this review, and he assured me that steps were taken to ensure that Dave would be out on the floor much less and not bugging people anymore. Super polite, nice guy. And it's true, I haven't seen Dave since.
My friend's band played here and I've never heard them sound better live. They had what looked like two or three sound guys running around perfecting everything, and they did a fantastic job.
This place rules.
------------------------------------------------
The doorman/owner completely ruins the experience. Seriously.
So Dave the doorman (and apparently the owner now?) is really loud and obnoxious. Normally this wouldn't be an issue in a dive bar with a music stage, but whenever he gets bored or concerned that he isn't the center of attention anymore, he'll start screaming random words or heckling the band, making everybody in the bar extremely uncomfortable.
The dude thinks he's hilarious and charming, but he's really just a big sad man-child. For example, somebody spilled a drink, which prompted Dave to start screaming "CLEAN-UP ON AISLE TWO!!" about twelve times, to make sure everybody in the bar heard just how hilarious and witty he is. We get it, dude. It wasn't funny the first time. Can we stop paying attention to you now? Imagine if Michael Scott was a doorman.
Incredibly disrespectful to the bands and patrons. When a band he clearly doesn't care for is playing and asks for a tweak on the sound board, he'll basically tell them to fuck off and make a big scene of mock-adjusting the knobs on the sound board. Seriously? This accomplishes nothing but making everybody is the bar feel very on edge, awkward, and uncomfortable.
The bar itself is cool enough; good atmosphere, good crowd, good bands. But I would avoid any place that has a loud awkward man-baby storming around the place making everybody sad. Wouldn't you?
I swear the door guy has been off his face whenever I've gone, which means that he's friendly, giggly, loud, and offers you half-eaten pizzas and I think some kind of chip dip. Â For Free! Â
Seriously though, the drinks are cheap (ca$h only) but strong and the bands are entertaining for the cover. Â A-OK is right!
I have not been hear in about 6 years and was shocked to see
it is the same! The same great bands, the same annoying posers ( that i could care less about now 6 yrs later) good beer and cheer.
I guess the main ingredient that has kept it the same is the part owners Dave's enthusiasm and good customer service! I showed up with 3 folks right after the band had left and had a great time with Dave and the regulars. We were starving and the surrounding food places were closed! Dave to the rescue - he ordered Chinese from Roslindale and shared with us! I love a local place when it survives!
My friend Nate Graham (yes, this is a plug) the musician, was staying with me. He had booked a gig at the Midway Cafe. I had also developed a mean cold, but figured hell, why not go anyway. Well, when your body is telling you something, you should probably listen.
I went to the Midway Cafe, stepped inside and looked around. It was a hole in the wall with some locals lining the bar. They seemed pretty friendly because when I got there, Nate had already schmoozed with all of them.
I had a whiskey sour for only 5 buckaroos, which is totally decent. Then the most TERRIFYING thing happened! An individual whom worked at the M.C. picked up a mouse. WITH HIS BARE HANDS. MOUSE IN HANDS! He proceeded to walk by, asking everyone what he should do. I didn't realize that it was a live mouse until he was about a yard away and noticed the mouse wriggling in his fingers. Mind you I hate mice, I start jetting towards the door, and realize I have a glass in hand. I slam it down on the bar, and BOOK IT OUTSIDE! I bust through the door and my trusted friend Nate is wondering why I am I babbling about a mouse and why I had just sprinted outtside.
When I got back inside, the whole crowd turned to me and had a good laugh. It felt like we had all experienced something crazy together and while we'll all remain strangers were united in a moment.
I was ready to leave, but then I discovered one of those MegaTouch games. I can't help but become like a kid on Christmas morning when I play some PhotoHunt. There's only one thing better than PhotoHunt and that's "Erotic" PhotoHunt (For the record it's the same level of nudity as cable TV but with moaning sounds when you get the right answer). 'Tis the game of PhotoHunt that is sole reason I gave this Midway Cafe 2 stars. It was the insane experience that is utterly unforgettable.
I went in here on my 21st birthday because it was one of the only places open in my neighborhood on a sunday night past midnight. The bartender wished me a happy birthday and served me my first legal drink. Despite not being able to order my ID-less girlfriend a courtesy drink on behalf of my birthday, I thought everything was going fine until I paid for the drink. I accidentally handed her a dime along with some quarters and she handed it back to me, saying quite angrily that I had insulted her. It took me a moment to realize she was not kidding and that she thought the dime was her tip. Nevertheless, there was no reason for her to be so rude about it. I explained to her what had happened and she explained to me what the "customary" tip is.
...
Also, they didn't have coke, so my first legal drink had to be a gin and tonic rather than my standard j&c.. sigh. I won't be coming in again unless I'm really desperate for a drink on another Sunday night.
It's loud. Â It's a dive. Â It's very tiny and has questionable bathrooms. Â It charges a cover on band nights that are sometimes just a bit too steep but the drinks are cheap so knock a few back and you'll forget about it in minutes. Â
Crappy bartender? Â Don't worry. Â They'll probably get fired during their shift. Â It's happened.
The staff are surly and friendly but that's what make them so damn fun.
There is some pretty great music too. Â But WHY must it be in JP when I live in Somerville?! Â At least street parking is free right across the way.
Considering the fact that I come here several times per week, giving the Midway anything less than five stars seems dishonest. Take that as you will.
The Midway is definitely the best place to see live music in Jamaica Plain. Even if the bands are horrible. The small, dark venue often books great bands, and the schedule is always packed with a diverse array of acts, from bluegrass to punk to burlesque. The bartenders are down-to-earth, efficient, and pour stiff drinks; and and there's a great variety of beers and booze, from the cheap ($2.50) to the, well, cheap ($5.50). The place is sort of a dive, but in the best way possible. And, despite what others might say, I've always found the bathroom strangely okay.
The Midway has a helpful website, so take a look. The bar is walking distance from the the Forest Hills or Green Street T-stop on the orange line, so it's totally accessible.
Cash only, so come prepared. You won't be sorry.
Alright. So I love the Midway. I consider the neighborhood joint. Mainly because I live right down the street. The Midway is one of those places that either you love or hate. It's definitely a dive bar. It's small and dark. But nothing beats the drink prices. I mean, there's not many places in Boston where the cheapest beer is 2.50. (Usually you're workin with 5.00.) The crowd itself varies. I only frequent during Queeraoke, and that crowd is pretty set. Mostly hipster kids and females of course. But I would prefer the Midway with bad karaoke and funny smellin kids over the gay clubs. It's just a place to relax, kick back a few beers and take it easy.
Review Source:My only visit here was for a Boston Boylesque show I was in... but I liked it okay. As a performer, the basement was a great "green room"/dressing room and the stage is at a pretty nice level for burlesquing, as it is high enough to be seen over heads.
It may be awkward for a band, because the stage is almost at chest level for the front row.
The owner and managers seem pretty cool, considering they let gay boys take off their clothes at a pretty stereotypical dive bar. Oddly enough, I think we won over a lot of dive-regulars.
Oh good, the server at work is down, so I can write a review or two...
After going to the Midway for the first time last night, I have to say I rather like the self-proclaimed "best venue for live music in boston". They seem to embody that inclusive "whatever your deal is, we've seen it a million times and its fine by us" kinda vibe, and boast queer kareoke nights, dance nights, local and travelling bands of seemingly every and any genre....
It reminded me of a smaller Freddy's Back Room back in Brooklyn, which is awesome. If you are looking for a fun neighborhood dive bar-cum-safe haven for social misfit types, and want to hear random live music, the Midway is a top notch spot. The beer selection was really good. The bartender was pleasant and quick with my drinks.
If you're new in the area and have never frequented the Midway on it's infamous Queereoke night (the only night I've attended, besides the Neighborhood), you may need a primer for dress and attitude:
* Peg legged denim or corduroy pants that narrow toward an impossibly tight ankle (regardless of whether this flatters your figure). Such pants are preferably bought at Boomerangs. CHECK
*Dirty bandana, even though you are not from the Midwest and could not explain, if asked, why someone besides a bank robber wears a bandana. CHECK
*A pouch for your hand-rolled tobacco, which you fashion into a cigarette with effortless flair. CHECK
*A semi-vacant stare. CHECK
*A desire to applaud any boozehound friend who sings "Come to My Window" CHECK
Do I say this with judgment? Of course not (except for the bandana comment, because I was sporting my red Kansas neckrag while most of JP dykes were still in fanny packs). And if I had a pouch for my Bali Blonde Shag, I would certainly sport it.
Granted, the Midway can be a bit of scene, but I'm fairly convinced that the hipsters are legitimate. The Midway has grit, and that makes it feel real--dirty, scummy, with bathrooms that require WetNaps, but nonetheless real. When I'm at school in Long Island and I make it back during a break or holiday, the Midway feels...cozy. A happy scene, full of silly queers gleefully being themselves.
Cover and drink prices are reasonable ($3 cover, 3.50-4.50 drinks), and while you sometimes wait way too long for a beer, it's not because the 'tenders are pokey. The room gets crowded fast, and dancing efforts usually involve rubbing up against a lot of people besides your dance partner (and getting whacked by arms, shoulder and asses), because you're trying not to fall onto that suspiciously sticky floor. Tuck some hand sanitizer into that bandana (because no girl is gonna let you anywhere near the fun spot with unidentifiable Midway "gunk" on your hands) and be prepped for a good time, a random makeout, or at least one blazing rendition of "Come to My Window".
First off, I read the review of the "really nice ladies room" and had to laugh. Â I wouldn't know if it is or isn't. Â It probably is nice, but I was here this past Saturday in the men's room standing in a 1/4"-1/2" of piss/PBR when I was in the men's room. Â Whatever, it wasn't a shock for that bar or anything for me. Â
Anyway, I've been here a couple of times and it's been entertaining each time. Â I ended up there this past Saturday at "Nerd Night" where they have kids get up and dork out on their favorite topics, such as Ham Radio. Â Anyway, entertaining shit. Â Also, I've been for the karaoke/dance night thing on Thursday. Â It's fun and you actually don't HAVE to be a lesbian to attend, just don't be a douche and you'll be fine.
It's cheap, zany and fun.
I admit it, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Midway. Maybe because I've been going there since I was 18 (er, 23. My name was Katie, I was 5'8", from central NJ and had lovely angular features). Nowadays, I get to be 5'3" and a real JP-er. The Thursday nights are still fun, but the Sundays are even better when it's the Neighborhood (every 3rd or something?). Wall to wall queers, heck yeah. Generally the crowd is fun too, friendly enough drunks peppered with the occasional assy art school kid who judges you because they're so insecure.
The best parts- cheap, strong drinks and cheap, strong ladies.
Small, tight. Loaded with lesbians to see 5 Funny Females - an all vajay stand-up comedy extravaganza. A bartender that poured drinks stiffer than Kanye's mom (first to review?) and only $4.50 a pop! Tables, or something. 12 stools at the bar, I believe.
There's nothing remarkable about the night I went but the place itself had a most excellent feel. I respect that. Too far for me to go back but a solid nook for JP natives. Recognize.
This review pertains exclusively to the THURSDAY night, QUEEREOKE.
A mostly lesbian, gender-queer night always jam-packed with interesting folks. This is the place to drag your skinny jean wearing, vintage T rockin', bandana doning, hipster ass to meet all of those similarly-minded dykes on a Thursday night. Plus, Queereoke tends to be hilarious after a few beers!
The bartenders are attentive and friendly. Though I must warn you, the bar is CASH ONLY. Also, there's a $2 cover.
The Midway rules for live little shows. And its right in my backyard.
Everyone's a little straight, so why aren't you a little queer?
I used to go see crust punk bands here, ahh The classic Glamorous Stunt Cocks, The Enemy Myself, Superpower, etcetera ecdrunkengoodtimes cetera.
In more recent years its the noise band--Neptune.
Ah and I have seen Pagan Kennedy, local author, and old indie scenster, read here, yes the Midway has literary events.
I have been to the Queerioke and it can be a great dance party and gets packed.
Then there's Musk on Wednesday with some punky metally electric crunk. Come see for yourself, Dave's the man.
I've been to Nerd Night, where you can heckle people why they read their thesis aloud, or get down with some palindromes, and Vulvapalooza, where--- -well I can't quite discuss that in polite society.
And the beat goes on. No cards accepted but you can go to Doyles next store and give the generic ATM a big fat tip.
Don't be afraid of getting beat up by some tough old neighborhood broads.
Just dive in.
A staple for queer kids in JP this dive bar has been around since I needed to show an ID to get in! I don't go as often as I used to but Thursday night Queeraoke is really fun and a good way to meet people outside of the clubs. Â There is even a stage to perform on, though my poor vocals prevent such dreams from coming true.
The place is small but makes dancing more fun and intimate rather then crowded and sweaty. Â Usually there is a small cover around $5 so not bad. Â My only negative is that the bar does not take credit cards which just kills me at any establishment!
I went here once to see a friend of mine perform as part of a burlesque show - which was hilarious and amazing. It's extremely small though and gets loud fast. So go here if  you just want to drink and get rowdy. It is PERFECT for that. They always have interesting shows of all spectrums going on. I reccomend you just drop in one night to see whats up.
Review Source:A killer dive bar that embraces the grunge, but washes its hands. We'll look past the misnomer. Wicked nice bartenders. Thanks for the shot, Dickey! And a chill place to have a brew to yourself and a buddy on a Monday or Tuesday. The collage art here is amazing too. I like the pair of felines behind the stage, inspiring work. Have yet to come when it's crackin' but I'm open to the madness. I'm jealous of JP.
Review Source:This place has a nice bathroom for the ladies....spacious compared to other dive bars I've been in and the waiting line is inside the bathroom...no having to wait outside...you can busy yourself in the mirror, fixing your eye make-up or wiping away the blood while you wait for the stall.
I go on Wednesday nights to MUSK, organized by a super sweet guy, and it is a very fun dance night...sometimes there are bands before the DJ sets and sometimes there aren't. The cover is $0 - $5, varies from week-to-week....a bit more expensive when the fun Varietae preforms (a cabaret-like revue of old songs-with-twists/plot lines/recurring characters, etc.)....if you appreciate creativity, good music, fun people it's a good time.
The Midway is always a loud crazy time. Â Playing there is really really fun...there is no sound guy so you are pretty much on your own as far as that goes...but it all works out in the end.
Small, dark, loud, and divey, the Midway is on par with the old O'Brien's...before the closing and renovation. Â Decent beer and lively regulars. Â Way the hell out in JP but you can't stay in Boston proper and Cambridge all the time!
Miss R., I agree with you. May I just add that: Wednesday is usually a fun dance night called MUSK; Thursday is Queeraoke night (mostly lesbians, not too many guys) with lil dance party thrown in and always a blast; and my favourite local band Neptune plays here quite a lot. I tend not to come here just to drink, more for a quick social night out on a weeknight and usually no cover or very cheap. Just please note that the drinks are cheap and the bartender friendly, the place is tiny, (I found a dartboard on the back door-whoa!), the bathroom is fine, and they only take cash.
Review Source:A great bar and music venue in JP - which features a lot of local bands (not always my taste, but def. always interesting and worth listening to). The vibe there is very frantic - Matt R. made a good point  - this is not the place to go for a conversation and drinks with your friends.
Go hear to listen to crazy loud, thumping music when you need to cut loose.
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