I would have to say that Paddy Barry's is one of my favorite places. Â Although I haven't been able to get out there in quite a while, I still consider Paddy's my "home away from home". Â It's a long drive for me to get out there, and I don't usually stray too far from home on work nights, but when I do get out, I usually head straight for the Best Little Pub in Quincy.
Order a pint of Guinness once you get there. Â I don't normally drink Guinness (I was spoiled by awesome Guinness in Ireland and most American bartenders don't know how to pull a pint correctly, so it tastes awful) but the Guinness at Paddy's reminds me of being back in Cork, so that's my drink of choice when I get there. Â The bartenders know the regulars really well, if not by name than by drink. Â There's no kitchen (Where would they put it?) but there are plenty of take-out places around if you get a case of the munchies.
Most nights at Paddy's feature some kind of music. Â There is an open jam on Sunday nights, where musicians can come in and have a crack at singing and playing while enjoying the craic (hey, it's an Irish pub). Â There's also an open mic every Wednesday night which is a lot of fun and usually will draw a huge crowd. Â Thursday nights tend to feature "new" musicians (or open mic regulars) and solo acts or bands usually perform on Friday and Saturday nights. Â No matter when you go, there is usually something fun going on and the regulars (well, the musicians and their friends) are very warm and friendly. Â (Some of the non-musician regulars come from Ireland and, while a few are pretty nice, some have tried asking me out and can't seem to take "no", "you're too old for me", or "get away from me, you drunk" for an answer.)
Paddy's is a very, very tiny place (literally a "hole in the wall"), which is fine most nights, but some nights (when they have popular artists or bands) are insane and if you're claustrophobic and arrive late; you may have to pass up on going in and keep walking until you find a less crowded pub. Â I went to see the Irish group Na Fianna back in October (they were performing at the Irish Festival in Dorchester the next day) and by 10 that night, the place was filled almost to capacity. Â That is rare. Â Most nights are busy, but not crazy.
So, if you happen to be in Quincy and are looking for a great pint of Guinness, awesome music, and good craic, go to Paddy's.
I feel obligated to drink Guinness in here, even though I don't usually.
Paddy's is just unpretentious, easy going and fun. There's live music most nights, and a very relaxed crowd who always make the best of the teensy weensy space that we all have to share as fellow patrons.
Thanks for the hooks under the bar on which to hang my coat. SO useful, and, by my estimation, the measure of a bar.
All I have say is Guinness!! Yummy, frothy, chilled, chocolate brown Guinness. Paddy Barry serves a perfect pint of Guinness, just perfect!
It's a great little Irish pub tucked away at the top of Hancock street. If you aren't looking for it you're likely to walk right past, but it's a gem not to be passed! Irish paraphernalia and old pictures of Quincy "back in the day" are plastered on all the walls. My friends and I even found a few Irish fight songs and poems framed as well! They don't have food but you can bring whatever food you want in, which is nice depending on what you're in the mood for.
Great place for:
- playing darts, either for fun or in many tournaments always occurring
- live music. Great cover bands or foot stomping Irish music always seems to be pumping out of Paddy Barrys
- watching some football. The long bar and comfy stools make it perfect for catching up on some games.
- seeing old friends or meeting new ones. Def has a local crowd, but everyone is so friendly you almost feel like a regular the moment you walk in.
- drinking Guinness while you do any of the above!!
Great little pub. Bartender (owner?) is really sweet and makes a mean drink. Great live Irish folk music make it a great place to have fun on a Saturday night. Parking is hard, not many spaces nearby, so carpooling or using the T is a must. Â Not a lot of room to move and mingle, so find a corner and stick to it.
Review Source:An outstanding little pub. I would come here after work for a couple pints and the hold this place had on me almost had me considering moving to Quincy so that I may be closer.
But then, I lost my job...oops. Unfortunately I have not ventured forth since as it is a 90 minute train ride from where I currently reside.
My last experience there had me involved in a dart tournament that I had not previously been awares and was a complete stranger to everyone there. This tiny bar is so welcoming that a random midwest kid who hadn't lived in Boston more than a few months was invited to play darts and partake in their festivities. Thinking about it now, it would be worth the 3 total hours of commuting.
Certainly, if I had a visitor I would take them on a bar crawl that would make its way out to Paddy Barry's and back. It would take all day, but it would be worth it.
Oh, Paddy Barry's, how I love you. In fact, I love you so much that I shouldn't give you such a glowing review, as I never want to see your hole in the wall, "best kept secret" kind of charm ruined by a bunch of new patrons! BUT I have to be fair and share the love.
It took us far too long to venture into Paddy Barry's, as it's the type of place that always has a couple of rough looking dudes out front smoking. However, once you get past them (and they're usually really nice guys), you enter into the most authentic pub this side of Ireland. It's small, dimly lit, and you're surrounded by die-hard regulars, many of which are directly from Ireland. There's live music most nights, and the bar will be totally packed when some of the more popular bands play - packed to the point that the owner is at the door with a clicker, and won't let new people in until others leave. The maximum capacity is somewhere around 60 people, and when you have that many in Paddy Barry's, you are crammed in with no personal space to think of. But it's fun, friendly, and you're always going to have a drink in your hand.
The bartenders are fantastic. They know their regulars - maybe not all of their names, but they know what you drink. They also recognize their regulars even when it's been 2 years since your last visit - seriously. This was our almost every weekend haunt when we lived in Quincy, and we HAD to stop back in when we were in Boston in December. Not only were we remembered, we were invited to one of "our" bartenders' birthday party! Paddy Barry's is just that kind of place. And happily, it hasn't changed a bit since we've been away.
As with any good Irish pub, Paddy Barry's isn't the fanciest sort of place. I've seen some rough characters, some real overindulging, some bad bands (but mostly good ones, and no cover!!), and the like. I've also been blatantly hit on with my husband sitting right next to me, had random people buy me drinks, and bought random people drinks. If you're a stranger going into the bar, you're not going to be a stranger when you leave.
There's no food, but if you're starving, you can bring in whatever you like from the takeout place next door (or wherever). If you're in Quincy, say "Hey" to the guys outside having a smoke, and go in to Paddy Barry's. I guarantee that if you like Irish pubs, you've just found your new favorite place.
Sundays are especially good days for the high stool. Â Can't put my finger on it, maybe its because the pressure of making something special and fantastic happen on a Friday and Saturday night has fallen away, leaving in its wake is a desperate need for the cure and to catch up with your friends about what trouble you got into over the weekend. Your probably tired and hangover and dreading Monday. Your not expecting anything especially fun and exciting to happen then there you find yourself, Sunday afternoon back up on the high stool and miraculously having a great time.
Paddy Barry's is a particularly good spot to make this happen. On a Sunday in the late afternoon/ early evening it's not too crowded, its small and cozy and easy to find a space to sit around with friends gossiping. Â There is usually a good mix of characters and because it is so small it's easy to get chatting to strangers and meet new people. Â By the end of the night the live band starts the place fills up and before you know it your completely shitfaced and loving every minute of it.
Love this bar. Feels like Dublin, authentic atmosphere, nice people, friendly bartenders, good pints of Smithwicks and Guinness. Best bar and probably my favorite bar in Quincy center. Highly recommend you stop in for a pint or four.
Would get four stars if they served food, but you can get take-out from any of the numerous places on Hancock and bring it in.
Awesome. Took friends for a tour around Quincy today and one of the visitors from California wanted to make sure she went into a real Boston-area Irish pub. This was perfection. Most of the main barstools were full at 5pm on a Sunday. Half of the accents in the air were Irish. The walls are covered with Irish sport clippings (seems the proprietors are partial to Cork's hurling team).
The bartender was pleasant and the other patrons were fast-friends. An Irish band slowly formed as we sat and drank, gaining members every 20 minutes or so. My only complaint is that the shot glasses trick you with their thick concavity, making you think you got a more generous pour of, in this case, Black Bush than you really did.
Hands down great experience.
Listen! The truth is that you have to go to experience Paddy's for yourself. This is not a bar but a "Pub" in the real sense of the word. The people that come to this establishment have been doing so for some time now. The clients are pretty much "off the boat" Irish, but you get all kinds here. Â The owner is from Cork, Ireland so that should give you some idea what to expect. The place is small but almost always packed.
The majority of the music performed at Paddys is acoustic and free of charge which you almost never get anywhere else. The talent is some of the best  around. The acts include traditional Irish music, rock, country and just about anything else you can think of.
Starting on Wednesday you have an open Mic hosted by a very talented musician by the name of Matt. On Thursday, twice a month, you can see Scott Bowzer who may be one of the most talented one man shows around. This guy has the greatest vocals and guitar skills I've seen in a long time. He sometimes plays on weekends as well. The remaing Thursdays are split up by local talent such as Suzanne Mcneil ( <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.suzannemcneil.com%2Fmusic.html&s=a859fc7d8ca55c116bd463d37c3f79d5a45f500de9380e025ae949a25cf28d4c" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.suzannemcneil…</a>). Visit the website because she's extremely talented and you can see for yourself. She also plays a duet with a fellow musician Tim Mahoney, who is also very talented.
If I sound a bit biased well that's because I'm also one of the frequent customers who was lucky enough to discover this little gem of a pub!
This is an Irish bar. Â I mean, an I-just-got-off-the-feckin'-boat Irish bar. Â And it's always packed. Â And the folks are friendly.
To sum it up... the last time I was here there was an Irishman (with a heavy accent) playing guitar (amped loudly into the street) and what was he playing? Â Marley. Â Nothin' like hearin' an Irishman sing Buffalo Soldier... Â I have no comment on the political correctness...