Ups N Downs

Reviews & Tips

• 0

  If you find this bar scary go to the mall and rediscover the joys of chillis. It's a legitimate dive bar in Dorchester for christ's sake. What it isn't is a bar masquerading as a dive catering to skinny jean wearing hipsters. Granted, bad stuff happens there and Friday and Saturday can get rough but say it with me; dive bar in Dorchester. I lived a half mile from this place and worked 100 yards away for years. Chris the bartender is the man and it was my regular watering hole. Never had a problem. If this place makes you uncomfortable stay away from the real boston and take a cab to Quincy market, you'll fit in nicely at trinity.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.22.12 C C.

  • Report
• 0

  Ups n' Rapes

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.10.12 Matthew K.

  • Report
• 0

  So yeah, everyone knows the reputation of this place and against my better judgement I decied to check it out with some friends since all the bars in Quincy were closing and they got the Boston liquor license. Needless to say it lived up to its reputation.
  I love a great dive bar but this place is just plain sketchy. Pure bad vibes as soon as we all got hustled for a cover and walked in the front door. On the plus side I guess we were all lucky that none of us got stabed (which I read in the paper a few months after we had gone). Ehhh so yeah just avoid this place. Its amazing they are still open for business considering all the shit that goes down here on a regular basis.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.27.12 Deeds D.

  • Report
• 0

  Sigh....I don't know why this place gets such horrible reviews.   I've taken my brother, co-workers, boyfriends, and friends here--pretty much anyone of importance to me has been dragged here by moi.  Some of them have hated it and some have loved it.   I guess the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I'm not a crack-head, I certainly have all of my teeth, and I wouldn't consider myself low-class.  I do enjoy uppity venues like the Ritz Carlton for occasions such as my college graduation. But there's a time and place for everything.  
  
  I grew up in Newton and lived in Quincy for about 4 years. It was only when I moved to Quincy that I discovered this place and it quickly became my favorite destination.  I've now been living in Europe for almost the past two years, and this is still my favorite bar to-date.  I don't even know how I stumbled upon it but all I remember is that is was love at first sight.  During a portion of the time I was living in Quincy, my brother was living in Dorchester so we always tried to find an equal median re: places to meet up with our friends.  We visited several bars on W. Broadway and a couple in Dorchester, but I think the thing that appealed to me about Ups N Downs was the ease in both parking and getting home.  Getting there was somehow never an easy task, mainly because my friends and I always got disorientated around the Neponset Bridge. That's besides the point, though.
  
  I'm posting this review now because my friends and family have sent me articles regarding the recent "happenings" at Ups N Downs.  At the risk of sounding pathetic, I would be devastated if this place closed. I've been to this bar so many times and nothing bad has ever happened.  In fact, those times have been some of the best.  At other bars I've been to (i.e. Aria and the Greatest Bar) I've been robbed, lost my wallet, credit cards, hundreds in cash (yes, shame on me, for carrying my entire wallet with me...but lesson learned) and roofied.  Ups N Downs became kind of like my safe haven.  When I got ditched on NYE, this is where I came.  When my friends and I were decked out in Halloween costumes, this is where we came.  When I was home during Christmas vacation in 2010, this is the bar that I visited.  And the greatest thing about it is that on all three of those occasions, the people that I loved seeing there WERE there.  There's this amazing sense of consistency.  The doormen, the recurrent guests, and the bartenders are always so friendly.  Plus, the bathroom is always clean.  
  
  I've probably only been upstairs twice in my life.  I preferred staying downstairs because I liked the video machine (on the left side of the bar....nothing wrong with the right side, but I was just smitten with the left side), bartenders, jukebox and pretty much just about everything down there. I read that it's Sinatra-like downstairs but that's not quite how I would describe it.  On the jukebox, I always played hit songs...and last time I was there they had songs from "Now That's What I Call Music."
  
  Regarding the shadiness, cover charge, and "rape arena" I never found the area to be all that shady.  Can't say I ever payed a cover charge.  I used to avoid going into certain Boston bars because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of parking or would fear that something would happen to my car. Perhaps that's why I frequented Ups N Downs....here, I knew that my car would always be safe.
  
  I haven't been to many bars in Quincy, but I have been to several in Southie and downtown Boston, but for me, Ups N Downs will always be my favorite.  If you are in search of meeting substantial life-long partners, then Ups N Downs is likely not the place for you. However, for me, I was more interested in going to a bar where I could hang out with my friends and relax.  That's why I loved this place.  People didn't hit on you, they're friendly, and they always had Pinot Grigio.  Plus, they used to have great food.  I don't know what happened because the last couple of times I was there, there was no menu.   That was slightly disappointing, considering they used to have the best coleslaw ever.
  
  In conclusion, this review will likely be "filtered" by Yelp, considering that's what they tend to do with all my reviews which I give 5 stars to.  I haven't written a review in oh...a couple of years, and I felt the need to do it because it saddens me to think that this place is currently closed pending the review board.  I graduated law school and am quite aware of laws and regulations, but the doormen here pat you down, check your ID, watch the capacity, and the bar always closes promptly at 2 a.m.  What more can you ask them to do?   I always said that Up N Downs feels like "my Cheers" where everybody knows your name and you're always glad you came.  I wish I could articulate what I love about this place...but I simply cannot.  It's just one of those hidden wonders.  Many will not appreciate it, but I sure do.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.19.12 Emma B.

  • Report
• 0

  Beware: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston.com%2FBoston%2Fmetrodesk%2F2012%2F02%2Fdoorman-stabbed-six-others-injured-early-morning-altercation-inside-dorchester-bar%2FBrQUVU5ZMFqjwU6O5sPamL%2Findex.html%3Fp1%3DNews_links&s=3a54785b0dec22750fa4f7525e4e9bff7cb86d626bc7b34372d8ec91055fd30a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.boston.com/Bo…</a>.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.18.12 Erica M.

  • Report
• 0

  A great hook-up spot for single men.  I met wife number three here, in the parking lot.  My dad met my stepmom here.  This place is historic, it's been serving great beer and bar food for over fifty years.
  
  You can find me nearly every weekend at this place.  There is no better Saturday  night spot than Ups N Downs  - a guaranteed fun time.  On Sundays, I like to roll up to the bar and watch Tom Brady and the Patriots. The 26-inch Plasma TVs are pretty awesome.  Plus, there's free food!  It doesn't look great, but I've never gotten sick.
  
  I'm just taking one star off because this place closes.  I wish it never did.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.25.10 Nat P.

  • Report
• 0

  To keep a long story short its an ok place for a quick drink but other then that wouldnt be a place i would go to for a night out on the town and pushy bouncers and ID checkers

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.06.10 Eric S.

  • Report
• 0

  One time I made a poor life decision and wound up here.  I wasn't even in the door and my hate crime-o-meter was glowing neon pink.
  
  My first thought on walking in was, "This is how I die."
  
  I wanted to turn and run back to my car, but remembered it was parked under some bridge where prostitutes, trolls, and Lil' Kim live.
  
  This is hands down the scariest place I have EVER been to in my life.  I'm glad I lived to tell the tale.
  
  (Note to owner - have you considered a name change and re-swizzle to Tops N Bottoms?  Think about it.)

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.19.10 Robert B.

  • Report
• 0

  Seriously.
  
  I grew up on the South Shore. I lived in Dorchester, over by the Circle, for about 3 years. I know what I'm talking about.
  
  I found myself in this neighborhood, and decided I had to come back in and see if Ups Downs had changed at all.
  
  Nope.
  
  You still park your car in the rape arena, underneath the highway. You still dodge broken crap falling from the highway above. There's still a massive cover to get in anytime after 11, collected by the same fat turd who's been doing it for years.
  
  The crowd is the same blend of crusty townies, white trash in wife beaters, 'burb rats trying to build street cred, and normal people who are there ironically. Oh and hookers.
  
  Downstairs is pretty tame, just some tables and a lot of people drinking the Budweiser.  Upstairs they have karaoke sometimes, or a crappy DJ sometimes, usually a lot of nasty shit going on. Lots of guys in shiny pants and sideways ball caps posing and looking shifty at one another.
  
  They get one star for this: every bar you drink at in your life after Ups Downs will be an improvement.  I can definitely say that I have been in shitty bars, looked around, shrugged, taken a shot and said,
  
  "Well, at least I'm not at Ups Downs."

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.10.09 Jason B.

  • Report
• 0

  Formally known as "The Pony Room", My friends and I started going here 2 years ago because one of them knew the bartender from working in the liqueur industry.  For about a year we would end up here after already getting drunk because it's open sometimes later than 2 am. In fact, that's when this bar seems to get most of their business, after all others have closed.
  If you go after 10, you'll run into Steve, and he charges you a 3 dollar cover. The bar owner, Chris, is one the coolest people I know. He makes the best Soco in Lime I've ever had.
  On the weekend there is dancing upstairs. Girls need to be careful, two guys almost shoved me into the Men's room one time. I would only go if you're with a guy that will watch out for you. If you're drunk enough if pretty fun.
  Downstairs are usually just old drunks that have been going there for years.
  I'm the only person that suggests to go here anymore, the rest of my friends got burnt out on it.
  All in all this bar is defiantly a dive. But if you can appreciate that kind of thing then go check this place out. It's a lot of fun.
  
  Just make sure you lock your car up before you go in.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.14.08 Mimi H.

  • Report