Newtowne Grille Food & Spirits

 

8

101

John D.

San Diego, CA

How could you possibly beat Newtowne Grille? Cheap eats, fun waitstaff, and the cheap eats are awfully tasty too. Very casual, tons of different ages of people around, it's just a fun place to go at any time.

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Elite '08

48

147

Tracee D.

Boston, MA

more than just an awesome green & yellow (font) sign.  We had pitcher's of PBR & pizza for under $11 bucks (all together)! me loves it here. booths & the juke box represents the fate of mankind in the nicest light: Pixies, Cake, Ugly Kid Joe, Rolling Stones, TLC, you know- exactly what you need. good service and thankfully great company.

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2

43

Olivia L.

Cambridge, MA

Dive dive dive.  Aye, Captain!

I only ever came here because you could get a pitcher cheap, and a whole cheese pizza bubbling hot from the oven for an additional $2.50.  That's for the large pie.  That's for me.  You better get your own.  

But let's face it.  There's keno at the bar.  You have to be a contortionist to get out of the stalls in the women's room.  The Thursday trivia is popular, but has become overrun by Harvard grad + law students who are way too competitive.  But did I mention that the pizza is really good and only $2.50?  

Mike, the hot bartender, yeah.  It's his place.  He got it from his uncle.  The slip of a girl sitting at the bar (basically all the time), that's his girlfriend.  It's a family business.

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0

31

jim b.

Somerville, MA

After living in Davis/Porter Sq area for 5 years now, I can honestly say this is the only bar I really feel like going out to. Casual, a mix of age groups, good food for fair prices, real people.  The pizza and pitcher special is the best deal in town.  If you really like the snooty / yuppie / rich college kid places like Toad and Christophers, this probably isn't for you.  I've never had bad food, bad drinks, or a bad time here.

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2

45

Tinkerbell T.

Somerville, MA

For a pub/dive/pizza joint, I'll give it 4 stars! The chicken wings were amazing! The service was friendly and the crowd seemed like a bunch of townies, but as long as you go with your own group of friends you probably won't notice.

There's also Keno, a jukebox and lots of other crazy gadgets to entertain you and your posse. Yay Newtowne!

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Elite '08

12

58

Noelle J.

Dorchester, MA

YAY Newtowne!!! :-D

A dive bar with dignity. And by dignity, I mean good, CLEAN food.

This place has the yummiest pizza in the area and the large cheese only costs $3.00 if you get it with a pitcher of beer.  I'm a sucker for the PBR+ cheese pizza combo for $10.99.  The service is fantastic and the bathrooms, though strangely small, are always clean.

In respect for my friend's shallow wallets, I held my 22nd birthday gathering here last September and I've been coming back ever since.  The only time the place is crowded is when a huge game is being shown, and even then I can usually find a seat for my bum. To be honest, the pizza, beer and french fries are the only menu items I've tried but my friend's mom had a chicken caesar salad and she gave rave reviews.

After this past weekend, when my mom and I had dinner here, I can honestly say that it's been a family favorite for generations.  Without knowing before hand, I met my mom in Porter Square and took her to my favorite place in the area and it turns out it was hers and my father's favorite. 30 years ago.

Anyway, that's my cute Newtowne story. I hope ya' liked it.  If you like beer, pizza, watching the game, playing keno and/or buying lotto tickets, check it out. You'll be uber glad you did.

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9

111

Jeff G.

Cambridge, MA

Why bother going to Foxwoods when you can go to the Porter Sq Casino?

Go to the bar portion, wander towards the back, and sit yourself at the round table next to the scratch ticket vending machine.  Order several rounds of the "pizza and beer special" (pitcher of beer + a whole large cheese pizza for like $12), put money in the slot ma.....scratch ticket vending machine and away you go.

This is a real dive of a bar, but the food seems well done for a dive, the crowd seems relatively friendly, and you never know when you might win $1 million.

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1

18

Chris C.

Boston, MA

traveled out to porter square to watch a little football with some friends... the bar i was supposed to meet them at (tavern on the square) was at capacity because it was the almost super bowl game.  So having made the half hour trip there already, my lady and I began heading down Massachusetts Avenue looking for any establishment that would make room for us at the bar.  On the brink of admitting defeat we passed the Newtowne once and finally gave each other the "well if you don't mind, I certainly don't" look and doubled back and went in.  And the end of the story goes- it was an excellent time! Because of the quickness with which we downed our drinks my memories are best expressed in snippet-fashion from here on out:

Good wings, non HD televisions a crowd that spanned generations, if smoking was still allowed in here this place would be very smoky.  Would go back again if I was in the area.

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Elite '08

96

114

Tarah H.

Boston, MA

(happy tom?)

Things I definitely did not want to do at Newtowne:
-order a beer
-tip on the beer I didn't want to order
-let my friend drink some water so she could sober up a bit to drive

Things I wanted to do at Newtowne:
-be ignored by the bartender
-wonder about the sketchiness of the ripping, pleather upholstered bar stools
-watch as others get served whilst still being ignored
-tip two dollars on a tiny plastic cup of water
-debate the possibility of domestic violence exacted and received by fellow patrons
-waste 20 minutes of my life

Thanks Newtowne and staff for being everything I hoped you could be and more!

That's right. No beer, 20 minutes of being ignored...even when we put down $2 to show that we'd tip. I appreciate dives, but I mean really. I think the floor even had carpeting, adding to the sceeve factor. I think a couple came in at sat at the bar while we sat at the bar. The girl had a black eye, so we enjoyed pondering how she got it. I think I forgot I was in Cambridge, not some back-woods watering hole for a little while. I swear the Tam never looked so good.

The second star is because the regulars seemed to be enjoying it.

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Elite '08

59

58

Katie H.

Vieques, PR

Oh hey, bartender lady. No, no, no. It's cool if you don't want to acknowledge we're sitting at the bar. I mean, really. I'm TOTALLY okay with my teeny cup of water. And believe you me, my friend that sat down within 3 seconds of when I did? She definitely doesn't want anything to drink. Because what we really want is to just sit at the bar. And quietly discuss whether the girl next to me with a huge shiner is a victim of abuse from her white trash boyfriend. At no point do we ever actually want to achieve eye contact with you. That money put down on the bar as an attempt to get your attention? Totally just kidding! I'm wicked glad we spent 20 minutes warming your seats. I'll be sending tons of my friends your way knowing that this is indeed the friendliest place in town.

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Elite '08

55

286

Deepa C.

East Watertown, MA

Came here to watch a game at the beginning of October (we won) and had a decent time. The place was all but empty (a handful of people watching the game at the bar on a Sunday afternoon) so my group of 5 grabbed a table and started ordering beers. Then beers turned to nachos. Nachos turned to pizza. Then we needed beer to wash it all down.

Plus one star: Good service. The waitress wasn't hard to track down. Great for our staggered orders.
Plus one star: Good food., The pizza wasn't stellar, they they split two different kinds onto one and it had cheese on it. Fine by me.
Plus one star: We has space to watch the game and breathe. I hate standing for four hours in a crowded bar hoping to get a glimpse of the screen. Yay to being an empty dive. Nice and relaxing.
Minus one stars: No real ambiance. Not even dive-y ambiance!
Minus one star: A wee bit overpriced for what it is. But just a tad.

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2

21

Tony W.

Somerville, MA

If you've read my review for Razzy's, then you probably realize that I heart dive bars.  This place is no exception, and it probably has the most 'authentic' regulars that I've ever seen in a city.  I think I've been here 4 times, and I've noticed a very unique blend of patrons which makes it an interesting place to spend an evening.

The food is pretty decent, although like other people have said, the pizza can be hit or miss.  I've had a great pesto and tomato pizza, and a lousy cheese pizza.  The have a great cheese pizza/PBR pitcher special, which I think is $11.  Check it out.

The ambience is questionable.  With Razzy's, I'm feelin it, for some reason.  With Newtowne, I'm not.  I still like it for a nice unpretentious place to chill in Porter, but it's not my favorite.  Although the broken urinal in the men's room (which, by the way, may be the sketchiest men's room in all of Boston) that has a masking tape 'X' over it with a sign that says 'do not use' or something similar is classic.

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3

25

Julia W.

Somerville, MA

Best pizza I've had in the area.  I've only had the cheese, an it varies depending on who the chef is that day, but when it is on, it is on.  Inexpensive makes it a good night, too.

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Elite '08

27

139

Sarah G.

Somerville, MA

I will concede that beer selection is lame and I would not come here to drink.  That said, wow, the food is good.  I did not expect this at all.  Pizza looked and smelled amazing (and is $3 for a large with a pitcher) but we went with sandwiches.  My eggplant parm was much better than I'd expect from divey bar food.  It was actually really good.  Steamed broccoli was cooked perfectly.  Boys said burgers were excellent.  Onion rings - outstanding.  Our petite friend who ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich (grilled, marinated, tempting even to a vegetarian) was almost trampled by the people at the table who wanted to try it.  3.5 stars for food quality, .5 stars for completely surprising me.

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Elite '08

13

184

alex e.

Cambridge, MA

I hadn't been here in ages until New Year's Eve. I'm happy to report that I don't think it's changed one bit in the time I've been away.
Strangely though, I didn't feel like drinking alcohol. This is not a problem I normally have, believe me. Does that sound like a Viagra ad?
Was it the absolutely awful DJ? He even managed to fuck up spinning cd's. Was it the cardboard Burger King crown he was wearing? Maybe it was his overly-tight turtleneck? Or was it the gaggle of 20-something Arlington townie chicks with the same hair, fake tan, cheap perfume, lower back tattoo and cleavage?
Maybe it was the Ya Dudes watching the Bowl games.
Now I'm not saying it's a bad joint, because the older, regular looking cientele holding down the end of the bar looked well marinated. Maybe it's just that I really hate New Year's Eve and its' forced revelry. That and the fact that this place could be the serious shit if they got some pinball and instituted a 30 and over age policy.

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Elite '08

13

38

Jen N.

Arlington, MA

Back in my single days, the Newtowne was my location of choice for first dates. Why, you may ask?
1. Keno: Nothing fills awkward first-date silence like a good game of Keno.
2. Drunk Horny Fat Old Men: Nothing shows a potential suitor's true colors quite like the manner in which he responds to watching you get hit on by Drunk Horny Fat Old Men.
3. Anonymity: It is very unlikely that you'll run into someone you know while first-dating at the Newtowne (unless it's a Thursday, which I'll get to in a moment.)
4. Sports: They typically have sports showing on at least 5 or 6 screens, so this can be a useful screening tool. If your date can't get through 2 hours without glancing over your shoulder to check the score, you probably know how the rest of your relationship's going to turn out.
5. Figuring Out Who Pays: WHO CARES! It only costs like 12 bucks for a pizza and a pitcher! (And let's face it, ladies, you should probably stick to one pitcher on the first date anyway, if you know what I'm saying.)

Although I'm no longer a swinging single, I still take my husband to the Newtowne on occasion, and most of the time he passes all of the tests. When I catch him paying too much attention to the football game, I just flirt a little with the DHFOMs and it usually does the trick.

One last note - Thursday is the most popular night at the Newtowne, and I urge you to avoid it like the plague. Alas, it's trivia night, and an obnoxious one at that. I like trivia nights as much as the next guy, but this one is close enough to Harvard that all of the competitive brainiacs come out and ruin the fun. It's also a good night to see the surly side of the wait staff - I don't think they like trivia night any more than I do. Consider yourselves warned.

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4

18

Foodie K.

MA

The Newtowne's pizza specials alone kept me sustained and fed during graduate school.  You really can't beat $10 pizza and beer special.  Not only that, I think I can honestly say that their pizza is the one of the best pizzas I've had in the Boston area -- the thin crust, the tomato sauce and cheese... something about it tastes so so good.  I'm still on the hunt for an equal.

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Elite '08

9

44

Rachel A.

Cambridge, MA

In Porter Square? Skip the chain Chicago Uno restaurant and loop around the corner to Newtowne Grille. My man stands by their fried foods (he's a connoisseur) and I of their great low-key attitude. Everytime I've visited, there's been about 10 people in the place (including the old local men hangin' at the bar).  Good beer. Beer is an important staple to successful bar-food dining. If the beer's good, even the nachos can't be THAT bad. Support Mom and Pop industry!

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2

3

matthew g.

Somerville, MA

Best chicken parm sub in town.  Get the large because the small will leave you wanting more (not because it's small, but because it just melts in your mouth).

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64

130

L D.

Montclair, NJ

I've driven by the Newtowne hundreds of times and, for some reason, never thought to stop in for a drink. Now I have and let me say, this might be my new favorite bar. The bar is lined with regulars, belly up to the bar, drinking 23 oz beers. I'd call it a total dive but they have food and we all know a proper dive has nothing more than a dusty old snack machine.

Beers are super cheap ($2-something for a High Life!) and apparently there's an Italian Dinner for Two Special for $19.95. I double dog dare you to try it! The ladies room is exactly what you would expect. I had a distinct nauseous feeling in there and was more than a little concerned about the absence of locks on the doors. Otherwise, the place is clean. From what I was told, the men's room had a few issues but I'll leave that story for someone else to tell.

In closing, Titty Hunt!!

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Elite '08

22

84

matt o.

Belmont, MA

I was in here last night which happened to be trivia night, pretty full and actually pretty fun, GO MATHLETICS GO, you cant beat the pitcher of pbr and a pizza for 9.99, we had quite a few pitchers and 2 pizza's and the bill was 42 dollars, you cant go wrong.  Dive bar with a great deal. I never play keno but feel the need to play it when i'm in there.

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5

10

Mara J.

Arlington, MA

Generally it has not been very crowded when I've come to this bar/restaurant and I have enjoyed it very much the few times I've been.  The mixed drinks are typically VERY strong and pretty inexpensive.  Something that seems hard to find in Cambridge and in the city.  The restaurant is inexpensive to moderately priced.  You can get filling meals for two people with drinks for $30-40, including tip.  The service is good as well.  It seems like the waitresses/bartenders who serve you either own the place or are closely related to the owner.  It is clear most have been working at Newtown for a while and care about your business and satisfaction.  

If you're looking for a nice family-run neighborhood (sports) bar without pretension I strongly recommend this place, but if you're looking for something a bit more upscale/hip/classy you probably won't like it.

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Elite '08

24

36

Jessica M.

Cambridge, MA

This place provides the perfect contrast to my high-maintenance martini nights. Sometimes I just feel like a low key beer in jeans and a sweatshirt... this is where I'd go.

A great hometown dive with nice service and great prices! I haven't tried the food yet, but the menu looks like it has a lot to offer.

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Elite '08

40

240

Julia F.

Cambridge, MA

Wicked dive. But I used to go and enjoy totally greasy pizza and pitcher upon pitcher of cheap beers to watch the game. This place is amazingly cheap. I can drink a pitcher for what two drinks cost elsewhere? Or less, probably less. I love it. I wouldn't have this place be any other way. It's a hilariously disgusting staple of Porter Square. I hope, even though things look like they are going more posh in that block that Newtowne stays the same as it ever was.

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Elite '08

7

85

Kathleen M.

Cambridge, MA

This place is a real gem amongst the often overpriced places in Cambridge and Boston (not that I don't love many of those places, too...). A true "neighborhood bar" feel right in the heart of Porter Square. You can't find a deal like their pitcher of beer plus a large cheese pizza for $10 anywhere else. And the pizza is actually quite tasty! This is a great place to go with a large group and park yourselves with several pitchers of PBR (or Bud, if you feel like splurging). Keno and a jukebox with lots of "blast from the past" music choices are just icing on the cake. For a fun time that won't break the bank, hit the Newtowne!

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6

53

David P.

Cambridge, MA

It's hard to know how many stars to give this place.

The bar is a mellow old dive.   The best thing going for it is the prices.  Specials like 10 dollars for pizza and a pitcher of beer are the main attraction.

Historical note:  This bar played a minor role in sordid Cambridge history.   More than 15 years ago a regular returned to his home on Elm Street from the bar to find his wife brutally murdered in what appeared to be a bungled robbery. Horrified,  he called the cops.  Later, a different story emerged - the man had allegedly snuck out of the bar, killed his wife, snuck back in and had a few drinks, chatted with other regulars and then and then returned home and feigned horror and bereavement..   So as you enjoy your pitcher, you can eyeball the regulars and wonder what they've been up to earlier in the evening.

The restaurant food is decent.  The guys who work the take out and the counter are great and I wish I could say the same for the pizza - but its really average and when you get veggie toppings, the crust can get pretty soggy.  The pasta and some of the specials are usually better.  When I was working on remodeling my house and had no functioning kitchen, I found the subs to be really reliable.

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Elite '08

44

179

Josh O.

Somerville, MA

After reading the reviews here (and walking past several times) I had high hopes for this place. It didn't disappoint. We stopped there last night on our way home from gorging ourselves on delicious pig ( http://www.joshourisma... ) for a couple beers. Granted it was a Wednesday night, but basically it seemed like pretty much the perfect bar for me. Plus the regulars seemed like an interesting group of guys.

Of course I'm the kind of guy that's happiest sitting in a dark, possibly dirty bar drinking cheap beer. And at $2.25 for a PBR, this place certainly fits the bill. (Oh how I miss my Ivy Room with the $3 Anchor Steams. http://www.yelp.com/bi... )

I recently tried their pizza special for the first time. Get a pitcher of beer, and a cheese pizza is only $3. How can you go wrong? On top of that their pizza actually turned out to be extremely good. Some of the best I've had since moving to Boston. Color me surprised! All told, 3 pitchers of beer and a pizza only cost us about $25.

I wished there were more stars I could give this place!

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59

1064

lothari o.

Los Angeles, CA

Heh. Well... After scanning the poor drafts, I asked the bartender for the "beer list." This was dumb of me. He says, "We have EVERYTHING," which, for us clueless snobs, means "Bud, Bud Lite, Miller, Miller Lite, Coors, Coors Lite, Heineken, Heineken Lite (didn't even know this existed), PBR ...."  

So I ended up drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest on draft, which tastes like sugarwater with a hint of hops. I ordered the angel hair with shrimp. I actually enjoyed this. Granted, it's hard to mess up angel hair pasta with tomato sauce, but the shrimp were decent quality, which I was surprised by. The iceberg lettuce salad wasn't awful.

I liked the TVs and the fact they had the entire NFL package. I liked the local feel. I would give 2.5 stars. 3 stars for just a couple of decent beers (c'mon, Sierra Nevada at least).

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Elite '08

59

71

Vanessa C.

Jamaica Plain, MA

it may just be bar food, but tuesdays are half price burger nights! (after 7 pm)

I remembered this last night wandering around porter square after being forced out of my house by the horrible smell of whatever papers/documents my neighbors were burning in their backyard. (tax season is over so really I have no clue...)

anyway, the place is very unpretentious but not quite a dive bar. the half-lit budweiser & miller lite signs everywhere lead me to think the drinks are cheap. there are a couple of tvs (is there actually a 24 hour red sox channel? I wonder...) the people that work there are nice and hey - not a bad burger for just $3!

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1

13

Srikanth S.

Cambridge, MA

They have the NFL package.  And because they don't advertise that they have the NFL package (unlike Spirit across the street), its a great place to watch a game on Sunday -- not packed and you can get the game you want on a tv in reasonable viewing distance.

Or college on Saturday if you don't have a tv.

Outside of those merits, a lot of people getting drunk early in the day, which can be awkward.  Food isn't 1/2 bad.

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15

119

Peter P.

Cambridge, MA

Do not bring a date here, unless she is the kinda gal that would beg you to stop at the Harley Davidson store on the way to dinner. There isn't much to say about the Newtowne, it's been in Cambridge forever, and well, its great. Yes, it IS a dive. Cheap beer, and keno, who needs more. When I go out i expect to spend $4 on a beer $1 for a tip, and leave happy, at the Newtowne I spend $2 on a beer, $1 on a tip, $1 on the lottery, I'm still $1 ahead, but I could win hundreds! $12 buckets of domestic beer, $15 for the few imported selections, and half price apps all day sunday, who can complain about $4 for 12 buffalo wings?  This is the one place that you can ALWAYS find me on a sunday! Also, the owners are great very down to earth people, my challenge for you is try and get shut off....it's the one place where you can always have "just one last drink....i swear"

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8

109

Phil D.

Oakland, CA

I love Socrates' Newtowne. It will always hold a special place in my heart. $9.99 pitcher and pizza cannot be beat, even if the pizza is totally mediocre. This is a place for serious drinkers, and if you're coming in after work on a Thursday...well beware of the trivia that takes place on Thursday nights.

But on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday you should be totally trashed by 8:00--it's the Newtowne way!

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15

44

Jamie O.

Somerville, MA

Ahh my neighborhood dive bar. Actually they have been cleaning up the place, but it still retains that divey feel. Great place to grab a cheap beer and watch the game, or play some golden T.  Great drink specials and food specials. Seasoned bar staff that does not F-around. Seasoned townies that also do not f-around.

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Elite '08

101

422

laura a.

Boston, MA

if you like to mingle with 40something alcoholics who are already drunk at eight o'clock on a tuesday night, this is the place for you! seriously, this is the diviest bar i've encountered around my 'hood yet, and it's awesome. you may not have hipster 20somethings to chat with, but they have a huge tv to watch the red sox on, $8 pbr pitchers that have weird crud on them (try not to look), sticky tables, booths that sink down a foot or so when you sit down in them, and badass menopausal bartenders. just look out for the lottery scratch-off machine, otherwise you may find yourself feeding dollar after dollar into it for the joy of scratching off & losing over & over!

ETA holy shit, this place is like a whole nother world on trivia night (thursday nights). it starts at 8 but this place is PACKED by 7. like, no-seats packed! and this is the newtowne we're talking about! and they have waitresses coming to the tables at the bar! how crazy is that!

a pitcher of PBR is $8 and they have a "pizza and beer special" that's any pizza + the pitcher for $10, so really it's a $2 pizza. good deal.

i can't believe people here are reviewing the food. it's BAR FOOD. all bar food is like 2 star quality. newtowne is what it is (a dive) and the food is drunk food. give me a break. give it 5 stars for the respect it deserves or go home!

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