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Great selection of beers and a good atmosphere. I enjoy the Inman Square area despite some reviews about the "hipsters".
A nice place to be on a warm summer evening when they open the patio doors.
Okay, I get people's gripes about this place, I really do... but my love for it ignores all.
It's loud, so if you're going for an intimate date-I'd try some place else. Their beer selection is out of this world. It has everything you've ever wanted to try, and if you can't make up your mind then there is a big wheel you can spin that will decide for you!
The waitstaff isn't as angsty as people make them out to be. Tip your server and be polite and they are funny wonderful and charming.
Recently Buk's let us host a roast for my friend's 30th Birthday. It was a busy Sunday night and they gave us full control of the sound system and rip into our friend in true Friar's Club fashion. For that, I will love this place for the rest of my life.
Now... if I could only afford the mug club...
Inman is typically not my thang, but when a good friend is having a birthday, you just don't say no. Enter Bukowski (which is so often referred to as Bukowski's that they might as well change signage), where I'd never been and could've probably lived without. We got there around 10, a reasonable starting hour, and the place is wall-to-wall packed with douchey hipster types, who all seem to be SCREAMING at each other. Greaaat.
Anyway, the food was actually REALLY good, hence the 3 stars (had it just been beers, I might've gone with two). The fries, in particular, were uber crispy.
Not recommended for a birthday though, since by the time we got there it was so crowded we all ended up sitting separately. Bummer.
I can only stand going to Bukowski's for a few hours. The second I walk in the door, the timer begins, and it has nothing to do with the food, beer or waitstaff.
It's the noise. This place has terrible acoustics. They crank up music but the speakers must not be good, because all you hear is a wash of fuzzy noise. Even 20 people talking sounds like Grand Central Station in there. I always come away from Buk's at the end of the night with a ringing in my ears, and as a musician that is totally uncool.
But, Buk's gets 3 stars for the service, food and beer. My friend just had a birthday party there and they were quite kind about letting us take over a whole bunch of booths. They even let us use the sub-par sound system to "roast" my friend on his birthday. The waitresses brought us food and drink with minimal rudeness, despite our large, boisterous party.
The beer selection is not as large as a place like Sunset Grill and Tap but it's full of quality options, including local craft microbrews. Last night I tried a really awesome creme brulee stout. Dessert and beer all in one!
Even better, they have some veg options. A wonderful vegan meatball sub is on the menu right now and if you get it without cheese it is all vegan. Their sweet potato fries are good and they do a meatless chili. Back in the day they had a veggie reuben on the menu, so it's nice to know they are aware that animal lovers can like beer too.
It's dark in there and it's cash only, so go in prepared. Bring a flashlight to read the menu and some money.
All I wanted was nachos and beer, and my boyfriend and I went to Bukowski's and ordered just that. "I dunno," I said, "I'm just not feeling sated."
"No matter what, chili always makes chips soggy," he said, flicking a chip. "It always seems like a good idea, but the execution never works."
"What should we get now?" I asked.
We got the yuca chips with the pulled pork, and Oh My God, once I ate my first bite, I realized what I had needed. And my boyfriend must've felt the same:
"This," he said, "This. This is what I was missing tonight."
"Me too," I said.
"We should note this and order it again next time we're here," he replied. "And again when we come the time after that."
"Right," I said.
"And after that."
"Yeah."
"And after that."
So if you're at Bukowski's, I'd recommend the yuca chips with the pulled pork. Until you've tried it, you don't know what you're missing.
Bukowskis +/-
+ Recently added cocktail menu and ever-extensive beer selection
+ Pretty delicious bar food (including hot dogs! And the California burger -- avocado, bacon and cheddar cheese? Yum.)
+ Wheel o'Beer (for the indecisive)
+ Pretty large space with lots of tables, booths and plenty of seats at the bar
+ Solid service. The waitstaff has always been great, super friendly and all around good people.
- Cash only (this is really only a - 'cause I forgot and I didn't see the sign. fail.)
- Pretty sure this place does not have heat. Every time we've gone in the winter, it's FREEZING.
I want to give this place more stars, but i think the reason for that is just that i've had some nice times here. I really like bukowski's, but more for the fact that it's a convenient location for my friends and I than for its own merits.
The beer selection is pretty good. There are usually 2 or 3 things on tap at a given time that i haven't had. They also have a big book of bottled choices, but i've tried most of those and their bottled beers are wayyyyy overpriced. In fact, beer in general there is a little pricier than it should be.
The food is mediocre but often necessary once you've delved into their beer list. Hot dogs are a cheap and dependable option, they make a puny hotdog but the vegetarian chili is kind of nice on it. Burgers have dwindled in size in the 2 years or so i've been coming here. They used to be a good deal, now they seem almost like a rip-off. Grilled cheese is good. The apps all seem pre-made/frozen and i have not tried the entrees. It's a small menu, pretty much good only for staving off extreme drunkenness. It gets crowded at night on most weekends but tables seem to open up pretty quickly, and there are a couple big tables near the back, i've been there with some larger groups with no problem.
complaints about the service i've read here seem to be more about the reviewers' being self-conscious. i am a nerdy fat chick and the waitstaff/bartenders have never been anything but helpful and friendly to me. i don't think they care at all if you are as hip as they are as long as you tip well. it is dark and loud in there but who cares, thats better than too quiet and too light in my opinion. i don't go to bars to study.
you will probably be surprised at the weight of the bill when all is said and done, but you'll probably be back anyway.
Good place to sample a wide, wide selection of beers. I started off with a Dogfish Head 90 Min. IPA. I'm not a huge fan of IPAs but this one was pretty tasty. I was about to spin the Wheel of Beer when I saw PBR on tap. I ended up drinking that the rest of the night. Simple pleasures....
Good time and excellent service. Our waiter made sure we always had beer in front of us. Can't ask for more than that.
Make sure you bring greenbacks with you. Bukowski is cash-only.
I used to be a regular at the Boston location from '98 - '03. I was in Inman Square last night and took my friends to the Cambridge location. The space here is better but the service sucks ass.
The bartender hates her job and was a bitch. No "hellos" or smiles. I first asked for a beer menu and she gave me the tap menu. The Boston location has a book of categorized beers with descriptions (that may not be her fault). I asked for a Dos Equis and said I wanted the Regular kind. She gave me the Amber so I told her that I asked for the Regular one. She said that was it - I showed her the "Amber" on the label. She bitchingly said that that is all they serve so therefore it is the "Regular". As a beertender at Bukowski's, she should know that there is a "Regular" version of the 2 X's lager.
Later I ordered a Tecate which came out to four bucks and change. I gave her a 5-spot and held a 1-spot for her tip. She kept my change. That's wrong...don't care how much change it is. So I kept my $1.
Other than that, the music is great (alternative and punk rock) and the beer selection is more than impressive.
Much better experience here than the Bukowski on Dalton. Great craft beer selection with a normal, wide seating area. Service was polite and prompt, and the noise level was tolerable compared to the other location. This is a nice area for the beer lover too because the Druid & Atwoods are both nearby as well.
no notice in the window that informs you that they only take cash, then points you to an ATM which forces you to pay a fee to take money out.
waitstaff forgets that that they took your order, takes forever to bring drinks and completely forgot one of our drinks altogether. on the bright side of things the hamburger was nice and the french toast was delicious.
if you are wondering where your tip went, its in that fee from the ATM.
Go to Bukowski's with your friends, not a date. It is cash only, which always screws me because I am a debit card slut. The service never astounds but the beer selection is good and the food is ok. If you want a cheap night out, go here for dinner and get a hobo special and a $2 cheeseburger, or 2 hobo specials. The hobo special is a 40 and a hot dog for $7. I'm usually here once a week, but mostly because it's one of the better places I can walk to that's nearby my apartment.
Went to bed and didn't see why every day turns out to be a little bit more like Bukowski, and yeah, I know, he's a pretty good read... but god, who'd wanna be, god who'd wanna be such an asshole?
Bukowski's beer selection rivals most any beer bar in Boston, but the draft selections can be hit or… Read more »
Mmmm, vegetarian bar food. I'm a meat guy, but my wife does not partake, and so Buk's here is valuable for their spread of veggie-friendly pub snacks, in particular the vegetarian version of the Mad Dog, a deliciously sloppy chili cheese dog. They've also got a solid selection of beers.
So, why only three stars? Well, I like this place for lunch. At night, however, things change. It gets dark, but they never really turn the lights on. At all. So good luck reading the menu, much less seeing the person across the table from you. Also, they like to turn the music up to deafening levels, so if you go there for dinner you might just end up unable to see or speak to the friends you're with. Really chaps my hide. If they'd just turn the lights up to 20% brightness and turn the music down to only a few zillion decibels, I'd give them a higher score for sure.
First of all, to those reviews citing poor quality in the $3 burgers: it's a freaking $3 burger. What did you expect, the ritz? You get what you pay for. Second, to those reviews citing their "no credit cards:" LRN 2 READ. Says it on the door when you walk in, says it on their menus.
I really wanted to give this place 4 stars, but just couldn't justify it after my meal. When you walk in, take a seat anywhere that strikes your fancy. Mine is somewhat by the window, as I can people watch in two directions as well as keep an eye on the sports on TV (go Nuggets!). Presently a server will be along to get you drinks and food. You won't be able to tell who's a server when you walk in, as the only thing that really differentiates them from local patrons is the fact that they're moving around more. Take that time to read through the beer list in their book - it's extensive, and gives a description of how all the different types of beers are made and what their flavors are like - also good reading while waiting for food, if you're there alone.
(Side rant: Why the hell is alcohol so damn expensive in Boston? Is it some weird east-coast thing? Forgive a Colorado boy, but drinks here are about $2-3 more than I'm used to paying, which is bad because a) I therefore drink less, and b) being from a high altitude, it takes more alcohol to get me drunk at sea level. Losses all the way around.)
The food is decent, burgers at least are nothing really special. To be honest, I found it a bit overpriced: a beer + a cheeseburger with fries (and not many of them at that) + tip came to about $19. That's too much for what the food was. I ordered the burger medium, but it seemed to come medium-well or well; I couldn't really tell due to the poor lighting at night. Luckily, I was raised on well-done, so it still tasted delicious, but it just seemed there wasn't enough of it. One pickle slice? Come on.
So why the 3 stars? If the food and beer are worth two, then the atmosphere surely deserves at least one more. It's a great local hangout place, packed with interesting people and their conversations, pleasant and with good music - it can get a bit loud but at least it's good. Servers were friendly. Will probably be back again, if only to try their sweet potato fries, fried plantains, and "white trash cheese dip:" how can anyone resist that? I mean, really?
+ PLUS one star- for the decent beer selection.
+ PLUS one star for the cheap food (a $1 burger is exactly what one would expect)
- MINUS one star for the fact that the cheese on the $1 burger costs as much as the burger itself and they conveniently fail to mention that as well as the fact that the fries they sneak onto your plate are another $2.
- MINUS another star for getting the worst service I have EVER gotten at a restaurant. The waitress was rude and snappy - god forbid with the heinous music in the background that a customer DARE ask her to repeat herself.
-MINUS another star for.... Here's the kicker- tipping said awful waitress 10% on the bill due to heinous service with too much of a heaping serving of attitude. Anddd having her ask TO MY FACE why the tip was so small.... As if she didn't already know!!! I've never tipped a waitress that low in my entire life. I then congratulated her for being the worst waitress I have ever dealt with. Beware of the service here!!!
if only there were another star i could take away another for NOT ACCEPTING CREDIT/DEBIT! cash only? excuse me? what year are we in 1960? get with it!
Likes - the wheel o'beer, lucking out and getting a delicious Ephemere(?) after spinning the wheel o'beer, nice laidback atmosphere, clean bathrooms, good music
Dislikes - beers being odd prices (like $7.80), one of my friends spinning the wheel o'beer and ending up with a $15 beer that she felt obligated to purchase, feeling like our group of 10 was an annoyance on a Tuesday night due to the rather unfriendly staff
Am I going to go back? Yes, since I like beer and cheap burgers.
Beer selection is great!
People are friendly is always a plus!!
Very nice people works there that makes you feel comfortable! :)
Go have some beer or two after dinner or eat there and drink!
The best selection of beer I've come across. When looking at the menu there is a story of origin and brewing method for EVERY BEER they serve. If you ever wonder what exactly you're ordering, this is the answer. Servers were very friendly and helpful. Plenty of room inside.
You go here for the beer on tap which is seasonal and rotates often. Sometimes you'll get a list of 10 great brews for a reasonable price other times it can be a little hit or miss. Mingling isn't all that welcome because the seating is mainly booth style. Good place to get a beer you cannot find at other places.
I really really want this place to be awesome. Its got a great location, decent and well priced food, great selection of beers, great sidewalk people watching but I have rarely gotten good service here. I just don't quite get why, do they need more wait staff? Is it the management?
If the service improved even a bit I would be here all the time. As it stands I'll grab a beer here but unless I've got an excess of time and patience I don't eat here.
Hello, sweet potato fries and beer beer beer.
Fun atmosphere with a good beer selection but can get VERY crowded some nights. Plus, they only take cash!
After a dozen visits, Bukowski still has the WORST service ever. But the BEST brew selection, burgers and sweet potato fries!
In general, I think the food is excellent. Ive had their banana pancakes, potato salad, hot dogs...you name it. Always a sasitfying meal.
With horrible service. A trade off, I guess. But as long as you know that going in, all should be fine :)
Of drinking, Charles Bukowski once said, "There was nothing really as glorious as a good beer shit - I mean after drinking twenty or twenty-five beers the night before. The odor of a beer shit like that spread all around and stayed for a good hour-and-a-half. It made you realize that you were really alive."
If he were still alive, I think the Bukowski Tavern would be right up Hank's alley--he certainly would've been able to find enough beer, given their fairly extensive selection.
On top of that, the atmosphere seemed suiting. The walls are adorned with paintings commemorating Bukowski--the man's life and his work. Also, it was dimly lit, and some sad country music--I think it was Emmylou Harris--was playing, which contributed to an air of finding solace in one's drink.
I can't comment on their food, since when I went, it was simply to excessively consume alcohol and nothing more. But when you go to a place named after Bukowski, isn't that kind of expected?
So, if you want to go out to drink with friends, or drink alone, the Bukowski Tavern is a great place to build up a "good beer shit."
Ah the wonders that come with having gigantic garage doors in the front of a bar, like when a rusted out car parks outside and starts hemmoraging fuel from the gas tank. The odorous tendrils snake out and fill your nostrils with their powerful perfume. It's just enough to distract you temporarily from your kroenbourg 1664. Moments later you will remember that you were about to order another on and thrill at the fact that they have it on tap. Perhaps you will get a small chuckle later on when you realize that they do have table service and the only reason why you and yours were being ignored is because some of your friends had already closed their tab.
Also don't frett if your not a 1664 fan they have a more than respectable beer selection with quick notations on alcohol content to guide you to drunk as quickly as possible.
Bukowski is dead already so give it up.....
Love or hate the man you can't argue that he was the original barfly. I was in the neighborhood and wanted to give this place a try. This tavern, mmm, actually this tavern that used to be a garage has a mural of Bukowski peering over the patrons as they find solace in their drink. It is was chilly in here but brightly lit. I am pretty sure Bukowski would have preferred it dark.
The bartender was pretty laid back and casual. I decided to try a cream ale on tap. It was served to me in a clean glass. That is really impressive to me since most places miss the most obvious component to a good pour- a clean glass. The beer was smooth and tasty which was the high mark. I can say I have had better burgers. I asked for medium and it came out overdone. The fries were overcooked which was a bummer. The lettuce, onion and tomato were a pretty poor excuse for garnish. I guess I can say I went to Bukowski's Tavern but cannot say that I will not be dragging anyone there soon.
Where to start...
First off, $2 burgers before 8pm during the week, I believe is the deal. Though I don't really do that cuz when you order something for $2 at a sit-down restaurant, you get the eye-roll of terror that screams 'you cheapskate!' It is a decent burger, though...
Next up, people around here tend to crap themselves whenever they see sweet potato fries on a menu, and they do that here. Also, they do free wings at midnight, though that never drew me to go there for it.
Beer: they have it. A lot of it. You'll want to stick to the taps to avoid being ripped off by the crazy prices on the bottled beer. You can get the same stuff for far less at the beer store across the street.
Additionally, the crowd is usually cool, but not necessarily the ideal pick-up bar. Better to bring your own friends and hang out.
So usually off the t= dead to me, one of the reasons I don't frequent Inman Sq. However, I found myself at Bukowskis the other night and I am glad I made it out there. It's much bigger than the Buk's in Boston and has windows that open up to make it seem like you're almost drinking outside. More importantly, the rumors are true- they DO have $1.69 burgers before 8pm! They're not on the menu so you feel extra awesome ordering them. And they are delicious. AND they offset the cost of ordering a 'nice' beer rather than that PBR you were shamefully considering....
A friend suggested this place for lunch, and we sat by the large windows in front, which was nice. No mimosas or bloody marys but lots to drink at noon otherwise - over 100 beers, including a label I've seen only in Williamsburg, NY: Black Label.
Anyway, the french toast was fine. They had a peanut butter burger, which was creative, and lots of types of 'dogs. Our waitress was chill and cool, but it took forever for our food to come out.
We stayed a long time and were probably too loud, but it was a good place to meet up and eat a leisurely brunch on the weekend.
You know you are a townie, when you know about the DOLLAR BURGERS here. They do not put them on the menu, and they do no advertise them, you just have to say can I get the dollar burger. Whats the catch? Cheese is an extra dollar, and so are fries. But you can get out of here having eaten dinner for under 5 dollars.
They also have a 2dollar veggie option which is not listed either, and without cheese it is vegan.
But go early because they stop the dollar burgers at 8pm. They also have Brubaker beer which is a love of mine.
Its a bar, and its a damn good bar. I think everyone can agree their beer list is top notch. The food is definitely bar food, but it is a bar so that seems to make sense to me. I rate places based on what their scheme is. Is this a place to go for a romantic dinner no. But they are not trying to be an romantic restaurant, they are trying to be a bar. I go there sometimes just to get a plate of the french fries because they are the absolute best fries I have ever had. Burgers, wings, white trash cheese dip, hot dogs all perfect with a beer of after a few beers. The service on the floor is either awesome or 'I'd rather be somewhere else" which is my biggest pet peeve. Begin rant: If you are a server and you'd rather be somewhere else they go there and give someone who needs to work the money, end rant. My advice, sit at the bar, you will have good service. Sitting in the windows on a nice day is by far one of my favorite past times so I deal with the spotty service. Come the bad weather I am happy to limp back to the bar and the bartenders are always understanding and welcome me back.
P.S. Great job with the flat screens
My night at Bukowski's was mostly unremarkable (veggie meatball sub was fine (it was the only thing I could eat because they were out of mac and cheese on a Saturday night? what gives?), cash only policy is annoying, music was a little heavy on the interpol and interpol sound-alikes) but then it changed with one simple decision...I decided to try the Southern Tier Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout.
I knew this was a crazy choice when I asked our lovely server for a creme brulee beer and she said "If you don't mind, I'm going to bring you a sample first because a lot of people don't care for this one." So she brought a sample over...honest to god, this beer smells like straight up creme brulee. The burnt sugar/butterscotch note is super intense, and you can smell the beer (even a teeny sample) from several feet away. I ordered a full glass immediately. And the taste? It's like a sweet coffee/chocolate/beer/alcohol/caramel hybrid. This beer floored me (and at 10% alcohol content, it almost literally floored me). Thanks, Bukowski's, for expanding my horizons.
I brought my beer snob boyfriend here and he just about died of joy. They have *everything*. The beer menu is divided by category, which is handy, and the bartenders can offer recommendations if you're not sure what to get.
White trash cheese dip is addictive.
The space is large, with a long bar and lots of tables and booths. It's a good place for a group or casual date, but it gets crowded on the weekends.
And be advised: it's cash only.
Come for the beer, stay for the... beer. And bring friends unless you're already rocking multiple piercings, skinny jeans and a hair color that doesn't occur in nature, in which case you'll find plenty of your brethren.
The staff fits in quite well with quirky, hipster-izing Inman Square and is incredibly friendly and enthusiastic, not to mention educated on the astonishing beer menu. Aside from 20 brews on tap (and constantly changing), they have a menu maybe 10 pages long with their bottled selections (though heavy on the imports, and at $14 for a Lambic I'd rather buy my own). You could drink here all day, and I'm sure plenty of people do. Particularly in good weather, the giant windows open up like garage doors facing the street - but the front area gets kinda drafty come wintertime.
Food covers bar basics better than average, but it's not the reason to come here. Pick the pesto burger over the peanut butter (yes, peanut butter). The music definitely gets turned up louder (not a good thing) as it gets darker outside - but you can always step out for a Christina's break next door.
any bar that serves La Fin Du Monde in its own signature Unibroue glass earns massive points with me. The friendly staff and sweet tables by the window make the fact that the music selection is sometimes questionable easily forgivable.
And it's a stone's throw from my apt so it's allllll good.
Oh, boo! The fire has died. The spark is no more. I'm nothin but bummed about my last couple of visits here. I mean, please! Sure, your beer list is great but what of it? I can get a tasty brew many places these days.
Service-- total crap these days. My waitress the other night was so rude to us that I even considered lowering my set-in-stone 20%+ tip down a bit... it was just that bad. She seemed annoyed that we hadn't made our beer choices after being seated literally less than a minute or two (hello! the freakin beer menu is like 8 pages long!), and then certainly was not in so much of a rush to bring them out to us once we ordered.
Ambiance-- WTF is up with the craptastic Top 40? And this wasn't even like funny, ironic, we-all -secretly-like-it it style Top 40 (think: Britney), this was the real deal. Gag.
Food-- still in love with that vegan meatball sub!
I guess I'm just underwhelmed and feel like they've gotten lazy and too full of themselves. Unfortunately, this beer snob might seek libations elsewhere from now on. *sigh*
Ahhh beer snobs! You'll find the most pretentious ones of all right here. But can you really blame… Read more »
I didn't really want to like the white trash cheese dip so much considering it likely contains processed cheese ingredients which I tend to be against on principle. Maybe it's because I'm related to a lot of white trash, and nature is stronger than nurture in this particular case, but I thought it was sort of delicious.
Plus, I have to hand it to a place that, when I tell the waiter I want my burger "as rare as you can cook it," delivers. I took one bite, and my friend looked at it and said "my God, is that even cooked?" They have an assortment of creative toppings - I don't specifically remember which one I got because there were so many that enticed me, but regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was, however, annoyed that they kicked the Shipyard Pumpkin right before I got there, because Shipyard Pumpkin is one of my all-time favorite seasonals. Luckily they had plenty of other, only slightly less desirable options to choose from.
I do also think the cash only thing is lame, but whatever...
I don't really drink so yes I pretty much went there for the food. And I hated it. Of course nobody ever goes to a pub for the food but it's often the best place for onion rings, fries, burgers and the like. Not this one. The food looked nauseating. There was a goopy orange-colored sauce on top of the soggy chicken nuggets. The burger was stiff and tasteless. The restrooms were not very clean.
I wish I drank so I could get drunk and not care!
Late night food. Random-ass beer selections. Open-air seating.
That about sums up Bukowski's for me. A regular stop on my way home from work, which is always at night, which is always late, which is always following a long day, which requires some nourishment (in the form of greasy food and booze) and a chill spot to chatter with coworkers who've worked the same chaotic shift and need to plant their butts on a bar stool and lick their wounds.
Bukowski's a notorious local spot, serving food at ungodly hours well past midnight, offering beers that are 10% alcohol, locally brewed and will set you back only $6.75 (specifically, the CBC "Love my Stout"). This item appears on the same menu as the $45 beer and many selection that range from $13 to $25.
What Green Street is to cocktails, Bukowski's is to beer.
Appreciate with caution.
Boston, MA
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Inman Square
Category: Pubs
Somerville, MA
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Central Square
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Pubs
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