Good Life

Where do I start? Well, I actually stumbled upon this place. I was recommended to go to "Howl at the moon", but it wasn't my vibe. I was looking for something with a little bit of culture, something my speed. Looked up some reviews and saw this good be the place for me.

This club was fire! You want culture come here. They played Latino music, afrobeats, hip hop, trap music, etc. I paid a $15 cover charge and got there around 11:45pm. Also, they have $5 mystery drinks (which is a plus)... You're also free to come and go as you please, they'll give you a stamp on your wrist.

So, why not 5 star? Although, it was lit and people were absolutely wonderful... people were wild bro. At some point I couldn't dance anymore because we were packed like sardines. Then, these fools started mosh pitting and I was ready to fight, lol. No one was keeping a check on these people. On a serious note: come to sweat, get drunk and have an good time.

As a bar/nightclub, this place sucks. I bought tickets online to an event hoping it would save me time, but I had to wait about half an hour just to get in.

There's two levels and both feel stuffy if it's crowded. The music was generic DJ music, nothing special.

As is the case with many buildings in Boston, this place is not accessible for people with mobility impairments. Restrooms are down a narrow staircase in a cramped basement and there's no elevator. Only one of the toilets in the ladies' room was working when I went so just about everyone had to use the men's room instead, which wasn't much better.

The drinks are watery and overpriced. I had a cocktail that probably had lower alcohol content than a light beer. No tap water available so you have to buy overpriced bottled water.

Will not return.

I remember going to Goodlife a lot a couple times mostly on Tuesdays for game night I until one day on December 5 2017 what are the female bartenders her name of Amanda Quinn reported me to one of bouncers, apparently I did something that made her feel uncomfortable what wasn't my intention the bouncer let off with a warning and I apologize to Amanda for what I did I, two weeks later I came back and I was told I was banned so it looks like The manager got a hold of what happened I decided to ban me from coming back I was told it was a permanent ban, then I came back in January of 2018 I believe to give them an apology letter but they refuse and threaten to get a restraining order against me if I ever came back, I talked to the manager on the phone to apologize and see if we could workout a deal but he says I'm still banned and when they ban people they ban them for life, for years I thought Goodlife was a horrible place with corrupt people in there it maybe in a sense it was so I dislike the place, in 2020 when the lockdown happened many places were affected Goodlife being one of them and had to close down when I heard I thought it was funny at first, then they slowly open back up in late 2021 I believe but later on in 2022 things weren't going well for them and they had to close down and they Closed down on December 17 2022 which was my 31th birthday my brother says karma hurts and maybe it is karma to be honest but I'm not sure how I feel but in the end it is what it is folks, today as I'm posting this review it's December 17 2023 my 32th birthday and a whole year Goodlife has been closed down, looks like the people who work there are out of a job or are at other places now, I do wonder what Amanda is up to I did thought she was pretty, oh well sucks for them.

Great spot to pop in for lunch, dinner, drinks, etc! During the day it was filled with people having lunch and enjoying each other's company, which is always nice.

The wings were delicious, the Mac and cheese was simple but tasty, and the short rib sandwich was a nice flavor. The tuna poke bowl was really delicious. Not the traditional poke bowl, but really filling yet light none the less.

Drinks are definitely on the stronger side, and cocktails are $12.

Service was great, attentive without being overwhelming.

Overall, a good spot to stop in for a bite and some good company!

It draws an eclectic crowd, which is nice. There are three areas to float to, so you never get board. The staff is friendly. It was quality service from the music to the staff. It's always a good time.

Good Life is no good.

He said he knew this place, kinda cool, an after-work thing, so I said yes. I know the area -- it's on the same street as what used to be Kingston Station, and down the street from Central Bistro -- but I had never even heard of Good Life. Part of me wondered if it was related to Life is Good, that charity and purveyor of good feeling, which had me mildly excited. Who doesn't love discovering something new in the old? Like finding a portal in the wardrobe, I thought I might be on the brink of something!

Well, brink it was. I arrived around six on a Tuesday evening. As expected, the afterwork crowd was there, but it was mostly 20somethings. The bare floors and rough wood furniture give it a college bar feeling, the kind of place where beer is cheap and plentiful and the bouncer doesn't check ID. It was chilly, too, with really high ceilings and brick and nothing warm or soft to negate the bluster outside. The bathroom is small and awkwardly situated down a weird sorta stairway. So no points for ambiance or decor or atmosphere or basic creature comforts. But not everybody needs those things all the time, even me. Some of the best dive bars around have similar decor. (But this isn't a dive bar, on accident or purpose.)

Date sat in the booth by the front, which was way too big for two people, and (again) awkward with the lamp hanging down like a police interrogation room. ("Where were you on Tuesday night?") I can envision six or eight drunk college kids cramming into the space, so, again, if that's what you're looking for, get ye to Good Life.

Food. The fish and chips was awful. Gummy and poorly cooked. But not cheap. It's not like I ordered a cheap-ass loss-leader app and then complained. This was on the higher side for fish and chips at a bar -- about $15 -- and not good, not in quantity nor quality. (And as I write this, I think they should just totally change their focus. Do the total dive bar thing. They won't have to change a thing except the menu and the pretense.)

Drink. I got that new hoppy Sam on draft, Hopscape, but it tasted almost watery. In that it was my first time trying the Hopscape, I couldn't tell if it it was the beer or the service. Maybe it's the kind of place where everybody drinks Coors light and so the Sam had been sitting awhile? Bad lines? Wet glasses?

Service. The bright spot in the whole experience. Our server was smart and good, from start to finish. She's the reason for the second star.

tl.dr: don't get the food; don't get the drink.

Overall, my experience here was a good one. A quick rundown of the pros:

1 - Very pleasant waitress (...receipt said her name was Deirdre).

2 - Deirdre brought me a refill without me even having to ask.

3 - Food was, overall, very good.

4 - Great location.

On my lunch break, I came in dying for a good burger and fries, but I didn't wanna do McDonalds, Burger King, or Five Guys... and since this place is so close to my work, I figured it was worth a shot.

Not gonna lie: The sticker shock was a bit much. The three top burgers they offer were either $14 or $15. For a burger and some fries. Yeah, seemed kinda excessive.

I ordered the GL Burger sans oignon; the GL standing for GOOD LIFE. Their other initialed burgers (CT Burger and MK Burger) are, apparently, named after the owners of the place.

I HAD desired to open with a Caesar salad, but even THAT was gonna run me $12 and I'm sorry, but unless it's being served by Scarlett Johansson who then sits on my lap while I eat it, I'm not paying twelve bucks for a salad.

The fries were piping hot, a bit on the greasy side, and not entirely devoid of skin, but they were decent enough. They gave me a small tin container of ketchup, but Deirdre was very accommodating when I asked if I could have more, so no problem there.

The burger itself was a little rarer than I'd ordered it, but it was still quite good; seasoned well; and just the right size for me.

If I were to make suggestions to this place, I'd suggest they invest in cushions for their seats. I've sat in park benches that were cozier.

That.... and.... for the love of all things, lower the prices of your burgers and sandwiches to something a little more reasonable. By the time my diet Coke was factored in, I ended up with a bill for $19.30. Even shaving two bucks off would be a great improvement.

I'm reviewing solely based on ordering lunch from here via the Ritual app. I searched Ritual for tuna poke because, well, I love fresh tuna and could eat it for every meal. Imagine my surprise when Good Life popped up on the list for tuna poke bowls. I was a little reticent to order it, but I really wanted some tuna poke and I decided to give it a try. It may have also been 5x the points on Ritual and I'll do almost anything for a free meal...so there's that.

Guys - this was really good! My only complaint is that the rice is often a tad crunchy. I can't tell if it's underdone or maybe even a tad overdone. I've ordered this dish a few times now and I keep coming back because honestly the tuna is super fresh and the sriracha mayo they serve with it is addictive. There are delicious slices of avocado and mango and it's all super fresh. Seriously, wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is.

A downside, it's $15.00 and that's pretty steep for a lunch...even in downtown Boston. However, the price point hasn't stopped me from ordering this dish multiple times.

To be black in Boston is to find it VERY difficult to find clubs or bars to cater to you. This being said:

The food is good bar food and I often go with my friends to grab a bite after work. Depending on when you go, they have a cover of $0-$15.

This is as close as it will get to basement vibe parties. If you remember going to house parties where it was dark and you could have fun and dance, this is for you. I would go online and check to see if they have a guest DJ which did happen once and it was the worst night. This was an isolated event though. There is a bar in each room. There are two rooms on the first floor and one room in the basement. The first floor is always playing throwbacks and major hits that anyone can enjoy. The basement plays top 40, afrobeats, reggae, hip-hop, r&b, etc. There is something for almost everyone.

You can show up dressed in pretty much anything so I've gone dressed up or dressed down. You can get in with sneakers! I have definitely sat for a late dinner and then sat around to talk while they cleared out the tables to start off the night. I got tired of having to dress up for disappointing Boston nightclubs but this is just a comfortable outing.

They always have $5 mystery drinks that are my go-to!

Normally come to the Good Life for club or bar events, but I recently had a chance to try their food menu, and it was extremely delicious!

First off, it's a great area - right in the middle of the Financial District & Downtown Crossing. The staff is amazing, attentive, and courteous.

Their bar bites are an amazing deal - $2.5 dollars on Thursdays from 5-7PM! We had the zucchini rollatini, the fried mozzarella, the jalapeno poppers, and the chicken taquitos. All of them were delicious, especially the taquitos! I wish I'd ordered another order of them.

The drinks are also great - again, used to their club drinks, so it was refreshing to see they had a more sophisticated menu with different drink options.

I'd love to try their breakfast sandwiches (this is a brand new promotion for them!)

Overall, great spot - where else can you get dinner AND party at the same location?