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Hancock St @ Cottage Ave (215, 225, 230, 236, 238)
Hancock St @ Revere Rd (215, 225, 230, 236, 238)
1445 Hancock St (215, 225, 230, 236, 238)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Bad Abbotts
Review Highlights
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"I have always seen great cover bands here and is usually a..." In 3 reviews -
"Oh thank Heaven - Bad abbots has thrown off its fancy fare..." In 3 reviews -
"Bartenders = fast and efficient." In 3 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Cyndi C.
Quincy, MA
8/23/2010 5 Check-ins Here
My second favorite bar in Quincy Center, after Paddy Barry's. Laid back atmosphere, nice people, really nice bartenders, and good prices on pints.
They also have Radeburger on tap, and if you don't know what that is, well, you should try it. One of the bartenders is a Radeburger girl and got me hooked on the beer, which is strong, refreshing, and tasty, and are sometimes served in cool Radeburger glasses.
They also serve food, but I cannot comment on it as I've never eaten it.
On Friday nights and the weekends there are cover bands playing. I haven't actually heard one that i thought was all that good, but it still adds to the atmosphere.
If you go here enough times the bartenders are so good, they eventually know who you are, that's always a plus.
Overall, I'm a fan because it's quintessential Quincy to me, there's usually always an open seat, when you get there the bartender quickly asks what you're drinking, and I get a good sense of friendliness whenever I go, which can be hard in Quincy, since people usually look at me like I must've made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the wrong bar, because I look like I should be in the karaoke/sushi bar instead.
So if you head to Paddy Barry's, don't forget to stop in for another pint at Bad Abbotts too. -
Review from Eric K.
Dorchester, MA
1/23/2007
Oh thank Heaven - Bad abbots has thrown off its fancy fare and returned to great pub grub at its best.
First off - love the interior, watched the liverpool v. Manchester Utd. match there, and there were people from Derry, Dublin, Cavan, Kerry, Galway, London, and Glasgow - to name but a few, and the craic was mighty.
Second - the food here is absolutely incredible. Massive bang up breakfast for $10 - but trust me - this is the size that could feed a starving family of seven, HUGE altogether.
Third - proper Lyons cups of tea to wash down the smithwicks and Guinness - poured proper and tastes like the taps havent been washed with bleach! - Great atmosphere, loadsa people just having the laugh - if you are pretencious - feck off to Newbury st. if you are a person who enjoys a couple of bevvies with some fun-loving regular down to earth souls - then this is the place for you.
Love Bad Abbots. -
Review from Sarah d.
8/4/2010
What makes one dive stand out above another? I don't know. I do know that this place doesn't leave much of an impression on me, but I also know that they've done nothing wrong.
They've got darts and they do various game nights, it's a little too crowded for me to want to play but not crowded enough to to be real entertaining. The burgers are decent, served with steak fries and barely more expensive than a macdonald's value meal. Teryaki wings are mad salty. Beers pour clean, but the glasses are sometimes dirty. The staff seems friendly.
It's a low key place, it feels very neighborhood-y. I wouldn't hesitate to say yes if somebody invited me here, but I also wouldn't pick it myself. A-ok is right on the money. -
Review from Dawn E.
6/10/2008
This is a great little bar. This is the one I would get a snack at on my Quincy Pub Crawl... it's a little hidden (from Hancock) which makes it a local favorite.
I've had a decent burger and also steak tips here and they know how to pour their beer.
Service is perhaps not the quickest but is definitely friendly.
This place is one of the reasons I loved living in Quincy Center. -
Review from Josie G.
Boston, MA
7/4/2009
I trekked out to Bad Abbott's for a friend's birthday last Saturday night, and since I've never been to the bars in Quincy, I didn't know what to expect.
Door-men = super friendly.
Bartenders = fast and efficient
Waitresses = fast.. yet were super pushy and slightly rude. I used to cocktail waitress myself, and there's a way to move around people or tap them/put your hand on their back without making them feel like you're going to shove them in a wall.
Anddddd for the crowd? I saw someone older than my mom in a backless crocheted top and bangles all over her pants.. mini skirts on 40 years.. Interesting enough. I think we were definitely the youngest people there.
The night we went there was a cover band we'd seen in Southie before.. and it made for an even more interesting night since both the lead singer and a large woman took off their shirts...
Decent night... okay bar. -
Review from Jen F.
Newton, MA
3/7/2008
The first time I had dinner at Bad Abbot's, it was a solid 4 star experience - good food (especially the steak tips), good value, good atmosphere, and good service. My friends and I were prepared to add Bad Abbot's to the regular rotation of dinner/drinks spots.
Our enthusiasm was shortlived due to our last visit to Bad Abbot's. Service was extremely slow, due to fact that there was only one waitress for the whole dining room, and we were seated in the back corner. The waitress was very apologetic, but being sat in no man's land added a half an hour to our evening. As other reviewers noted, the crowd here skews a bit older (like my parents' age), but there were plenty of younger people there as well. With that being said, one of the other diners felt that my table was some sort of oddity (3 twentysomethings - 2 girls and 1 guy) and kept staring intensely at us, to the point where we were laughing hysterically (since we were in the back corner there wasn't anything else she could have been looking at).
The wheels completely fell off the evening with the food and beverages. My friend's Guinness (for which we waited a good 15 minutes) had an added garnish of a short, curly, dark hair floating on top of the foam. Ewwwwwwwww. I ordered the "Rodeo Ranch Nuggets" for dinner (a special of the day), which consisted of popcorn chicken with ranch dressing dumped on top; one of my dining companions had a buffalo chicken wrap that did not include the advertised bleu cheese, and the other had a turkey wrap that was pronounced "ok" until we noticed a small black bug crawling out the end (unfortunately this was the same person that had the tainted Guinness - it just wasn't her night). At that point we all stopped eating and got the check as fast as we can, leaving full plates and full drinks because we were so disgusted. Ewwwwwwww.
In short, we were ignored, stared at like zoo animals, and served various health violations. I'm counting this as zero stars, but averaged with my first experience, it's two stars. I'm not sure if it was the first visit or the second visit that was atypical, but I don't think I want to find out. -
Review from Tony B.
Boston, MA
1/15/2010
Although I have not been here in 6 or 7 months I think some people are being a too hard with their reviews. I'll need to pop in for a pint this weekend. I've been here hundreds of time since it opened.
First for those that say it is not a real Irish bar, I could not disagree more. I've had the opportunity to have a chat with the owner a few years back who is from Dublin (and her husband plays in one of the Irish bands in this place if I recall correctly), they are Irish and know about Irish pubs. There are so many cookie cutter Irish pubs in town I think people have lost touch with what an Irish pub really is.
Every time I go here I run into someone I have not seen for years, Many of whom I thought moved home years ago.
This is a great place to catch a match. If the Irish national team is playing the place will be packed with Irish.
Yes the crowd is older, mostly made up by the Irish that got stuck here in the early ninety's when it got too expensive to return home (damn euro) and those who decided they wanted to stay.
As for the young ones complaining about the way some of the people are dressed, I think it's an Irish thing. In any part of Ireland on a Saturday night it is not unusual to see a women in her mid 40s wearing black leather jeans or a short skirt. If they are comfortable with it then more power to them. This is not a place for the fashion police, it's an Irish pub where people come to drink and have a good time.
Anyway they have a very nice pint of Guinness, Curry Chips and Irish sausages. I can't ask for more from an Irish pub.
The food ranges from standard pub grub too very good. The problem is it is not consistent. It's never bad, but it's not always great. In the end I don't go to a pub for the food.
As for the music I do wish they would stick with Irish trad and ballads and maybe mix in a few covers. I do not like it when there is a cover band, it's just not my thing. The open mike night is a lot of fun the few times I have been there.
Considering the options in the area and the stupidity of the MBTA not running after the pubs close in town this is a good option for a local pub.Listed in: Good Guinness
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Review from David A.
5/2/2009
We came here for the drinks. A lot of my coworkers come here for nights out. Great for groups. We didn't go thirsty.
Located in Quincy center. Easy parking at the garage across the street and inexpensive. -
Review from Kristin N.
Boston, MA
8/12/2008
I utilize Bad Abbots as a 2 drink max stop on my stumbly Quincy pub crawl. If you're able to push your way through the door and the tiny walk way between the bar and lingering drunk people, you will find some place to mingle in the back. I have always seen great cover bands here and is usually a place to see someone you know. The small dining room in the back confuses me every time I go because I want to sit and have a drink but the people sitting at the tables seem to want to eat...at 10:45 at night.
The bathrooms are decent...you may have to wait a minute for a beer because the bartenders always seem flustered.
HOWEVER....it's 50/50 with this place because sometimes they'll have a full house and you'll get turned away or they'll have a cover charge and I'll turn myself away. Cover bands aren't worth $10. -
Review from Lester H.
Saint Leonard, MD
2/20/2007
This is a good place for good pub food.
As for nightlife, I'm not really down with Abbot. The crowd just isn't my cup of tea. -
Review from Patrick M.
Weymouth, MA
11/9/2009
This place sucks. Plain and simple... The only times I ever head to this place is when a friend's band plays there or there is some sort of function there. Overall I hate the crowd... hate the energy and it seems like they have an identity crisis.
At times they are a full on Irish bar... full of dudes straight from Cork Ireland that I have trouble understanding. Other times they have some horrible band playing that can't get a gig anywhere else because they suck. Overall I have walked into this place about 15 times and turned and walked right out for 13 of them. The only reason I keep walking back in is because I am walking around Quincy center bar hopping and hoping that something will have changed since he last time I walked by. -
Review from Randy J.
Riverside, CA
Updated - 1/16/2011
Leaving this up as a memorial to Bad Abbot's. Owner and band player was older. When he called it a career - the place probably did too.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/1/2009
"it's a little hidden (from Hancock) which makes it a local favorite." --that's true. I aint a… Read more »
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Review from J ..
Weymouth, MA
7/1/2005
First off, if you're looking for Bad Abbot's ON Hancock Street, you're not going to find it. Instead, walk down the alley by Payless Shoes and Gentle Dental, and you'll find Bad Abbot's BEHIND Hancock Street. Once you're there, it's a great place. Big bar, separate dining room, great music on the weekends. Food is your standard irish fare (Guinness Beef Stew, Beer Battered Bangers, Shepherd's Pie) and American standards (Potato Skins, Buffalo Chicken Fingers, Burgers). Prices are very reasonable, staff is very friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere is great for relaxing and enjoying a good meal and/or drink with your friends. If there's soccer on, it will be on here, as are other big sporting events. Parking is plentiful in the City lot right next to the restaurant, and is free after 7.
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Review from Bradford M.
Portland, OR
7/17/2008
I liked this place (and I dig the name). The servers were very friendly and attentive, a step up from your average Irish pub. The decor was Irish-flavored-pubish, with clean tables and floors. There's a ton of parking, and it's a quick walk from the Quincy Center stop on the Red Line, so it's easy to get to (even if not terribly close to me). They have pub trivia nights, open mic nights, a house band who performs some nights, and a standard bar food menu. I've only tried the chicken fingers, but they were hot, crunchy and good with a tasty honey mustard dip on the side. The patrons were also friendly, not something you'd necessarily expect in a standard Irish pub. In all, a very positive pub experience.
Listed in: Karaoke spots
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Review from Kristin G.
Quincy, MA
2/28/2008
3 stars for being a good place to go to catch a game during the day- but I'm not down with the nighttime crowd there.
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Review from H L.
Duxbury, MA
8/29/2008
I am a fan. Not because their food is spectacular or because they make fantastic drinks. I like Bad Abbots because it is a simple, no frills pub that does not pretend to be anymore than it is. The menu is good pub fare; I really like their curry chips. The bangers 'n mash and shepherd's pie are also good. I usually don't stray from the "Irish" menu items. Stick with the beers since this is not a hip bar/lounge so mixed drinks can be spotty. Lots of regulars here, and if you are a soccer fan, you will be in very good company.
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Review from Nate H.
Quincy, MA
4/18/2009
Love Bad Abbotts... my favorite spot in Quincy for a pint. Bar staff is friendly and food isn't bad either. Laid back Irish pub atmosphere with lots of regulars.
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Review from Alfredo A.
Quincy, MA
7/2/2009
You know I don't normally go to Abotts but when I do it's for the music rather than the food. The food isn't that bad but it's not top quality since this is more of a Pub rather a restaurant. The music is pretty good and they have some fantastic cover bands that perform there. On the weekends they always seem busy so be prepared to be a bit crowded. Overall though it not that bad and the Guiness is pretty good on tap.
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Review from Jean B.
Quincy, MA
9/19/2009
We'd been in here before, two days before St. Patrick's day at about 5PM before the place got crowded. Sat at the bar, got Irish stew and Corned Beef and Cabbage and pints. It was the best Black & Tan I've had in Boston or anywhere. Every year, I hunt down Corned Beef and cabbage for St. Pat's and this was as good as any; lean meat and generous portions. For the naysayers, it's a pub, folks, not a nightspot for trendy self-conscious youngsters. We are "old" and were still a bit of an oddity, maybe because we weren't regulars. There were young guys and ladies in the bar, the fellows watching Irish football and the girls chatting. We were stared at somewhat by some old duffers both times, but we aren't regulars and who knows, maybe it was the lesbian factor. It is Quincy, after all, not JP. Still, we were treated repsectfully and would go back. I bet the place gets woolly late at night; we'll probably never find that out.
As for the atmosphere, I would say, it certainly is a real an Irish pub, not a wannabe one. The owners are actually from Ireland, not Southie, or something. We felt like we'd stepped into a real Irish pub, unlike when you go to someplace like The British Beer Company which is basically a decent chain restaurant with a Union Jack on the wall.
Today, we went there for breakfast at their new "Hungry Monk" and was greeted by the owner. This space was separate from the bar area and was cheery and clean and the breakfast quite excellent and affordable. I had eggs and Irish bacon and the portion of bacon was generous. Coffee despite being early afternoon was fresh and the toast was fresh as well.
Maybe it depends on what you're looking for. I'd go for breakfast or a pint after work again in a heartbeat and if I had some pals who wanted to, I'd check out the music at nights. But yeah, I'd want male escorts as cover, maybe. They're doing a good job at Bad Abbott's. -
Review from patricia g.
Milton, MA
3/15/2008
We went to Bad Abbot's to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend.
I ordered the corn beef dinner, which was very disappointing. It was steamed, had no flavor, the beef was tough, and the vegetables were mushy. Not what I'd expect from an Irish Pub on St. Patrick's Day weekend. Very disappointing and not cheap. -
Review from Rick S.
Foxboro, MA
6/18/2009
I would emphasize the Bad In Bad Abbot's. I was there and the place was busy and found the waitress was totally lost. She got my order wrong and I don't know I think a note pad may have been a good idea? The food was decent but was obviously pre-cooked and not very fresh. Settling on a bill was impossible and then they refuse credit cards for less than $20 which besides being a pain is a rule they enforce sporadically and violates VISA rules.
It's a fake Irish bar and like most in Quincy is weak, hard to find and has terrible parking. -
Review from Jessica W.
Quincy, MA
5/16/2008
Walked in, it reeked of cigarettes. Ordered 2 beers, both were flat. Had to ask for a menu, which then in turn had maybe 10 options total on it. Older crowd that was struggling to talk over the folk band that was just starting up. Quickly paid and left.
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Review from Paul F.
Quincy, MA
5/28/2009
a Regular stop for footie fans (open by 7:30am Saturdays during the English football season). Pretty standard to slightly above average Irish Breakfast. good weekend lunch options... and the build a lovely pint of Guinness -- watch the prices though. in the last two months, I've paid $4 (Friday before 9pm) $4.50 (same night, but after 9pm was told "the raise prices after 9 so they don't have to charge a cover") and $4.25 (Sunday afternoon) I get around this by paying $5 for each one... so they only hurt their own tips.
