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- Nearest Transit:
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Harvard Ave - Westbound (Green Line)
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Harvard Ave @ Commonwealth Ave (66)
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Price Range:
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$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
137 reviews for The Avenue Bar & Grille
Review Highlights
"...and would be happy to get some dollar drafts once in awhile."
(in 10 reviews)
"Decent DJ's spinning mash ups Friday and Saturday night."
(in 6 reviews)
"25 cent wings from 4 to 7 pm everyday and all day sunday."
(in 3 reviews)
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137 reviews in English
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Review from Mike W.
Belmont, MA
1/15/2012
There was a five year period where The Ave. was my spot. My friends and I would come here two to three times a week.
The main attraction was the $1 draft beers. It turns a $20 evening into quite the blur. The food is surprisingly decent too... the appetizer sampler is great for all your favorite bar app needs. The real diamond in the rough was the steak & cheese. I suggest you order it with BBQ sauce and extra cheese, you won't regret it.
The staff is great as well... great sense of humor, laid back group that never let your glass go dry.
If I had a complaint about The Ave. it would have to be the calamari. Yes yes... why would one order calamari in a bar like this? Like I said above, there was a lot of blurry moments. -
Review from Herbert K.
Middlesex, MA
1/9/2012
Applause for the $1 burger... ground fresh daily, toasted bun, lettuce, tomato and sauce...
Good selection of $5 beers, some more, usually a $3 special...
Looks beneath me - You gonna complain about a $1 burger?
Srsly? -
Review from Katie C.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Don't be fooled by the exterior of the building. Sure, this place is nestled amongst the college crowd, but there is a lot of potential here. The neon bar signs and bright blue awning makes it stick out, but not necessarily in a great way. (It looks like something straight out of the 80s, so I wasn't sure if I needed acid washed jeans, a perm, and a boombox with an Eddie Money cassette). We came here to support two friends for their "Burger Meat-Up" in which we could sample burgers, drink a few beers, and hang out with friends.
The inside of the building is much bigger than what it looks on the outside. The exposed brick and gastropup-looking bar gives it a more sophisticated look. The beer is list is expansive and it's more than just your Bud and Natty Light lineup. Lots of microbrews, too.
We sampled a few of the burgers. The burgers were 4 oz. apiece and came on a toasted roll. I thought they were great. They are cooked quickly and they come out hot. I prefer the little 4 oz. patties (think In-n-Out) over the monstrous ones like many other restaurants. I tried the bacon cheeseburger and the animalized burger. The special sauce served with the animalized burger wasn't memorable, but not bad.
We shared a basket of sweet potato tots and fries at our table. I don't care if they are homemade or not, but they were cooked to perfection and not one fry was soggy.
I'll sum this review up with this last and final thought: maple-bacon ketchup. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. -
Review from laura W.
11/22/2011
Does $1 burgers on Mondays sound too good to be true?
Well, that's because it is. Never have I ever wanted to say, "No, it's cool- I'll pay more. Just make it taste like meat."
Seriously. Dry, overcooked "meat" with no flavor on a greasy bun with the saddest little sliver of lettuce you've ever seen, a limp tomato and "special sauce". For a $1 burger, I'd hate to find out what's in the special sauce.... **shudders**
But- HEY- it's a $1 burger, so I got what I paid for.
On with the less grizzle-y, the fries are only $1.50 and pretty good, run of the mill fries.
The beer list? The beer list is pretty, pretty, PRETTAAAY good. I'm talking Stone, Avery, Dogfish Head, Dark Horse, Pretty Things, etc- for $5-6. Really good beer. Really good prices.
Just don't pay more than $1 for a burger. -
Review from Megan Q.
ALLSTON, MA
1/11/2012
I've been here many times with my husband and we love it! Great atmosphere, awesome music and good food. The portions are not large which I appreciate because I don't feel like I need to lay down and sleep afterwards. Nachos are simple and yummy and the small burgers were cooked perfectly. Other than that I've only tried the wings (buffalo style and the garlic/parmesan) which were a great size for the cheap price and were delicious, I can't wait to try more of the menu items!
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Review from John H.
Boston, MA
1/2/2012
I've got to say I was disappointed in their "$1 burger" deal. Obviously I understand that you pay more for additional toppings, but the price I paid for our particular burgers were the same price as you would pay on any other day. I was more upset out of principle, because I would have been content just paying fifty cents less. Aside from that the burgers and tots were decent.
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Review from Sean B.
Boston, MA
10/2/2011
A good neighborhood bar, which is becoming a bit of a rarity in Allston. Beers are cheap enough, they have a good mix of microbrews and the old standards. Burgers are cheap and very good for the price, not the best in the neighborhood, but very good. The crowd is unpretentious and, like all good neighborhood bars, includes a few crazy people. Not scary-crazy, but "colorful" crazy, which is a nice change from the D-bag, texting crowd prominent in many other local places.
Oh, and the bartenders are great - friendly and efficiant.
What more can you ask for in a neighborhood place? -
Review from Richard C.
Boston, MA
9/29/2011
A wild card in the making, The Avenue in Allston should have no business being in the great burger discussion. Our memories of this place are not positive; a seedy bar overtaken by seedy college kids, cheap beer and darts are the name of the game, surely they are incapable of serving decent food. But a new ownership and a complete interior overhaul has done wonders, at least in the confines of a weekday afternoon, who knows what lies between the walls when the construction workers are swapped out for scantily clad co-eds. At least for the lunch shift, The Avenue serves up above-average burgers. The price is right too, unless you're ordering a turkey burger (and really, why would you do that?) all of the burgers cost less than $5. On Mondays, the Avenue Burger (lettuce, tomato, secret sauce) is only $1, extra toppings costing a mere .50 cents, you won't top out for more than $2 for a more than respectable burger.
The Avenue should be more popular based on my visit; they're serving better burgers than most of their contemporaries (ie Tasty Burger and UBurger) in a less than desirable location. Personally, I'll take the better product over the superior locale. Theese 4 ounce griddled patties are seasoned generously and cooked a perfect medium-rare, no easy feat for a burger this thin. It's a juicy burger, just not the juiciest, although the residual grease (especially if you have a burger with bacon) will fool you into thinking it has more than it should. And let's not disregard the fact that they are clearly doing their best In-N-Out impression, griddled is one thing, but calling one of your burgers "Animalized" is a clear shout-out to the much loved West Coast burger chain. The Animalized burger will get you grilled onions, American Cheese, pickles, and Secret Sauce. The sauce really just tasting of mayonnaise and cayenne, missing the opportunity to make it more Thousand Island/Russian Dressing than the burger it's trying to imitate. The cheese is fully melted on some of the burgers, but completely cold on others, and while the onions are fairly bland, the bacon is crispy and the buns the perfect size for the modestly proportioned patties.
Sea Salted Fries ($1.50) and Sweet Potato Tots ($2) come a la carte, both with a generous portion size. The fries, while not specifically tasting of sea salt, were hot, crispy and flavored well, despite being pale in color and possibly pre-frozen, they weren't awful for a cheap-o spot like this. The tots, also well seasoned, were far too perfect in size to be homemade, but again, tasting good enough to get by, and far superior to the abysmal tater tots at 5 Napkin. Both the fries and tots are just fine, not superb, but better than most. It remains to be seen whether or not The Avenue can be consistent with their burgers. Come on a Monday and give it a shot, two people can happily eat for a mere $10, and if that's not enough to make you want to try, the promise of a superior product to the much more popular Tasty Burger or UBurger should be good enough. -
Review from Stephanie W.
Brighton, MA
5/16/2011
I wouldn't give the new "Avenue" a star if I didn't have to... with nothing else to do on a Monday night my boyfriend and I decided to try out what was once our favorite place to go... little did we know. I only wish we had done what two patrons did upon seeing what had become and just left.
What was once a meeting point that all my friends could agree on, where we would gather for the home run derby, or the big game, or to just hang out eat some wings, drink some cheap beer, and have a laugh or two with the wait staff is all gone.
I use to walk in, have a quick conversation with the bouncer, say hello to my favorite bar tenders, and be on my way to a good time. A place I use to be able to walk into with sweatpants a t-shirt and maybe a hoodie if it was cold and just hang out.
Not tonight. I felt under-dressed. I felt like I wasn't allowed to have a good time. The air was stiff... and they made us have coasters under our drinks (whattt!?) (Not to mention that a PBR is now $3) I didn't feel like I could relax and hang out or even talk at a volume louder than soft. I was too scared to put my feet up and watch the sox. As soon as I ordered, I wanted to leave.
The light was dim... weird music... I couldn't hear the game... and all the great sports memorabilia is gone and replaced with painted bare brown walls and a red bar top. The games I never played but loved to watch people play are gone. No more buck hunter, no more bar top game, and no more watching people pay a lot of money to win taped up porn from the claw.
If I wanted the feeling of a "classy" bar I'd go downtown. This use to be the first stop of my birthday bar crawl through Allston/Brighton... Definitely not this year. If new management is going to take over and change everything that was great... then have the decency to change the name and not put any sourness on "The Avenue". You've taken a favorite from the locals.
Goodbye Avenue... you were great. you're staff was great... and I'm going to miss everything about it. Rest in Peace. -
Review from Adam G.
Boston, MA
5/16/2011
Ryan is right... the avenue as we all used to know it is dead.
As soon as I walked in and heard soft jazz playing out of the blown out audio equipment that I've listened to countless Patriots and Bruins games through, I knew it was long gone. $3 bud light drafts? No pitchers? Tiny burgers not served with fries? (I guess you need to itemize your orders now...) and where did the great staff that used to work here go? And why are there only 4 TVs in the hole place? And why are we listening to shitty ass John Mayer instead of Jerry Remy telling us why Dice K is melting down?
The Avenue has changed. Everything that made it awesome is now gone.
I've been going here since 2003 back when they had $1 drafts, and I've stuck with them even when the dreaded $2 drafts hit (at least there were towers). I've watched the sox and celtics win championships here. I have a fantasy football league that was named after this place.
And now it's all gone. If you want to go chat softly while sitting in the re-upholstered tall bar stools while listening to shitty music while paying too much for drinks in a dive bar that got a paint job, this is your place.
But if you want to drink lots of cheap beer with your buddies while watchiing Boston sports on a gazillion big screen TVs while surrounded by like wise sports fans, you need to look elsewhere....
My fiance started crying on the way home when she realized that an era had come and gone. I'm now at home doing the same. Maybe some beer will help ease the pain... goodbye, old friend. -
Review from Jason R.
Allston, MA
The Avenue is under new management, and that is a good thing.
To all of the people who can't stop complaining about the change, allow me to retort:
Oh, I'm sorry, did you enjoy the relentless stream of D-Bags that accompany 2$ beers? Perhaps you are pissed that you have lost a place where popping your collar is considered the norm. Perhaps you miss the 5 or 6 early morning drunkards that take up the bar the entire day. Or maybe you miss the filth and scum that was never cleaned in the old place. Gee, that's just too bad, I guess you will have to find another spot where it is acceptable to bath in cologne, pop a collared paisly shirt, and try and mac dude's girlfriends when the gentlemen steps out to use the restroom.
The new Ave is a welcome change to the area. I, for one, do miss the cheap prices of beer of the old Ave, but are you seriously going to gripe about a 1$ change in price for Budweiser? If you are that kind of person, perhaps you should stay at home and drink PBR's. No one is going to miss you.
I stopped in here today to try some of their new food items and take a look at the place. WOW, this place is actually clean now! OK, I can admit, perhaps their paint job of the bar was a bad idea, but everything else seems to be looking up. I no longer have to sit at the bar wondering if the smell coming from behind it was cleaning products that didn't work as they were intended to, or dead rats festering under sinks.
I ordered a Bud, some wings, and one of their burgers with bacon and cheddar. Their beer prices are now clearly marked on a big board to eliminate the guess work for money minded folks. Guess what, Bud is 3$. That isn't bad if you are going to sip some beers while watching a game. The burger was a 4 ounce handmade patty, with thick apple wood smoked bacon, and equally thick cheddar, served on a toasted roll. The fries, which costs 1$ to add them, were crispy, and well seasoned. I think the burger and french fry combo sets you back about 5 bucks. This wasn't too bad, I felt great after finishing it, and I didn't miss the lethargic feeling that you often get after eating too much. If you go to Sunset, you have to pay to add fries to your burger too, and in the end, it ends up costing you around 9$. So stop your belly whining people!
The wings were in a class of their own in my opinion. I gave the "Mind Eraser" wings a shot, being that they were supposed to be the hottest they had. Well, my mind wasn't erased, but that is perfectly acceptable. The flavor was great, a perfect amount of bite, with a cooling sweetness, and of course a great crisp. The wings were plentiful and meaty. I have no complaints there.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, it was 12 in the afternoon and I have yet to see what happenings go on at night. I didn't see any of the table taps that they used to have, but in reality, those were a novelty more than anything else. Our bartender was spot on, and noticed immediately when my beer needed to be refilled. This is a welcome change from the last crew that they had, where they would stand on the end of the bar talking to the trashiest drunk Allston girls all night, conveniently forgetting about the people sitting at their bar who were going to actually buy stuff and end up tipping them.
So to all you nay-sayers out there, I say deal with it. Most of the people complaining are the exact type of people that I would not like to sit next to while watching a game anyway. And if your girlfriend and you cry about a change in a bar's management, perhaps you should seek therapy, that isn't normal. -
Review from Stephen L.
San Rafael, CA
8/27/2011
pretty solid bar. Back in the day they used to have dollar draft nights so that was freaking awesome for those tight money times. The food aint that bad either, I mean Gordon Ramsey isnt going to be chowing down next to you unless your in an episode of kitchen nightmares but, heck it's a bar.
They also have a golden tee machine and that sir is topps in my book. -
Review from Mark B.
Westwood, MA
11/9/2011
This place is decent. If you're looking for cheap eats and good prices on beers then you've found your spot.
Mondays (All Day) $1 burgers. They end up costing $4-5 each after you get toppings etc. on them. Pretty good though. They offer "Animal Style" which they likely stole from In N' Out burger out in Cali.
Tuesdays $0.25 wings. They are pretty solid too, I would recommend the sweet and sours and the Teriyaki. The buff aren't anything worth yelping about.
Overall, this place is okay, usually not too crowded. -
Review from Will L.
Brighton, MA
5/20/2011
Sheesh, do you people want some cheese with your whine? You're really shedding a tear for a place that had rancid draft beers and a trivia night that was written in five minutes?
The price points are in line with other Allston bars ($1-2 was a pipe dream that you all got to enjoy a lot longer than you should have), the burgers are still a great deal, and the employees are very nice and professional (and good friends.)
Fun is what you make it. Dick's Last Resort is still in business if you want to visit a cheesy novelty bar. -
Review from Marion C.
West Roxbury, MA
Updated - 5/21/2011
stump trivia Will is totally clueless to what normal people want. Asking him what a sports bar should be like is the same as asking Ellen DeGeneres what it's like to be with a man. The same rambling stutter would be quite apparent. Take your talents to South Beach,... or East Boston. Enough is enough.
Once The Innovator of Violence left, place went downhill. (circa 2007)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/17/2011
The Ave is an institution that should be praised and cherished before the complete pussification of… Read more »
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Review from Matt C.
Boston, MA
7/17/2011
Let's start with the beer selection: It's good...damn good, in fact. They have taps lining the walls (unusual, but cool), and they have many of your standard domestics and imports while also offering a few rare domestic craft brews at any given time.
The wings we ordered as an appetizer were on-point. Not overly saucy but tender and moist at the same time. Delicious.
The menu is odd, though. They serve burgers that fall in size somewhere between a slider and a normal-sized burger, and they offer several different varieties. I'm not sure if this a good thing or a bad thing, but mine was overcooked and on the dry side (they only make them one way: medium).
Regardless, it's a solid option to chill, have a few beers, and munch on some decent food. The service could have been better, but hey--it IS a bar in Allston (just sayin'...). -
Review from Matt T.
Boston, MA
Updated - 7/1/2011
So, the Avenue changed management and went completely under the radar for a week. I heard the rumor and went with a buddy the week before and flat out asked if they were closing. We were assured that was not the case.
Well, one week later the claw game where you try and fetch the porn DVDs was out on the sidewalk and all the windows had the brown paper in them... So, yeah... The Avenue was done for a bit.
They re-opened it, and it's a whole ball game. My understanding is they were trying to get rid of some of the usuals, who may not have been the classiest bunch, but come on, they really added some flavor to the place!
One of the things I loved best about the Ave was the giant menu to go along with cheap wings & cheaper beer. Through my three years in Allston, I watch the price of their beers go from $1, to $1.50, to $2 and finally up to $3 with the new look.
The place does look MUCH better inside, and they got rid of a good chuck of the TVs and re-painted. A good amount is still the same, but the biggest change is the menu reduction. They basically have burgers and what feels like 10 other options, and that's it. I did try the burger with 2 friends having other options as well. I'll say that it was very good, but I was always a huge fan of the classic Crown Burger, which featured pastrami on top of a chunk of meat. Now, that was a classic.
The Ave is gone, and I'm not sure if they'll do a total overhaul, but the new place isn't bad, I'm just going to miss the chili, BBQ/Buff mix wings and the bitchy waitress.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/16/2011
I kept telling myself I couldn't give this place a 5 star rating, but I just couldn't help it. The… Read more »
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Review from robbie r.
Cambridge, MA
9/16/2010
I hit up The Ave last night before a hip-hop show with the main goal of getting some cheap grub and a buzz off cheap beer. They definitely have the cheap beer, as I got 2 or 3 huge mugs of it (the size of 2 pints) for only $3.50 a pop, but what surprised me the most (and this isn't the first time, which is why I am finally writing this review) is how good their food is!
I had the steak quesadilla last night. Holy crap. HUGE quesadilla with perfectly melted cheese, crispy-fried tortillas, huge chunks off steak, peppers, onions, salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo OMGGGGG. And lots of beans rice on the side.
And I've tried their other food too and it's all really good. Add in a gift certificate from http://restaurant.com and you may just have yourself the best deal in Allston... -
Review from Daisy C.
Boston, MA
8/19/2010
Parking can be such a pain! Ok, got that out of my system. So my friends decide to come here to meet up with some friends. Fine, we got nachos and they pack it up with too much beans and not enough cheese or meat. I got a fruity margarita for $9. Now, I don't know about you but I'm cheap and I've had the same thing for a lot less and it brings a lot more juice for your buck!
The crowd consist of mostly college students who are watching whatever sport is on. The waitresses are too busy to notice you and the price and food sucks. I've been to better ones... -
Review from Kristine R.
Cambridge, MA
8/6/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I've been here twice and the food is ok - your typical bar food. Though on Sundays they have $.35 wings, which are pretty good - my friend and I ordered 12 wings and entrees, after eating 6 I was already full. Haha, I guess my appetite is getting smaller. I've ordered the steak sandwich and a burger both were good. I do like the fact they have cheese fries. YUM.
It's your typical sports bar with tvs all around and arcade type games.
They also have drink specials, but I'm not sure of what they are.
Anyway, ok place for drinks and bar food. -
Review from matt m.
Allston-Brighton, MA
6/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Had such high hopes for the new management- great atmosphere and beers but the burgers were so salty they were inedible. Still gonna give this place another try.
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Review from Austin P.
ALLSTON, MA
8/9/2011
I have to be honest. When i first moved up here it was still Roggies and it was great. Always some kind of sick beer for like 2 or 3 dollars draft. The food was great. But i went there one time when it was the Avenue and i didn't share the same amount of enthusiasm. Ok place to watch a game, but definitely went down hill. The food was more of a i'm drunk and drinking so lets get this, kind of thing.
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Review from Malcolm M.
Cambridge, MA
8/4/2011
Great beer selection. 30 taps, 26 of them top notch craft beer. Great but small burger, damn good wings. Unsure if it considers itself a sports bar or a nouveau dive bar trying to please the hipsters, someone must be able to bridge the gap between the two crowds. Why not here?
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Review from Zach B.
ALLSTON, MA
9/23/2011
The new ownership cleaned the flavor and character right out of The Avenue. I still go by very occasionally but it is just not the same. My friend and I were there the other day for our usual favorite only to find to our horror, the chicken nachos, are suddenly TERRIBLE. They literally went from a 9 or 10 to a "I don't want this anymore". My friend said straight up - wow these are terrible what changed? I think the guy said something like "yeah well they're cheaper now" - oh really so by that standard why not keep the beer cheap... your signature? Sounds more like an excuse. I actually like some of the new beers there. It is hard to get past the evaporated character and the constant feeling that something just isn't right with the new "scene" (which is nothing). The Avenue, you decided to be every other mediocre bar in the city. Goodbye Avenue. It was a good run! You had your niche but now there is nothing special that separates you from, well, anything, except that you are below average bar with no character and the distinct feeling of lost laughs and ghosts in the empty seats. R.I.P.
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Review from Nathan H.
Jamaica Plain, MA
4/21/2011
This is just a good all around bar. It has become a go to for me and some friends to watch the Celtics games, but I would imagine it's good for other sports too. Just about an ideal place to get some cheap drinks, but they have a respectable beer list too, get cheap apps, and watch a game with friends. Service can be slow sometimes which is the only real downside I can think of.
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Review from Nik B.
5/31/2010
If I must go to a sports bar, I wouldn't mind coming to The Avenue. I came here for the Celtics winning eastern conference game and really enjoyed myself. You can tell the location brings in all sorts of people, and is definitely a great place to randomly mingle.
The atmosphere is divey and comforting. The tap system is pretty good, it looks like it wouldn't actually dispense beer, but...it does. It's essentially a bunch of taps on a large grid. And yes, Dogfishhead 60 minute IPA is on tap.The bartenders were nice, and did a great job of remembering everyones drinks for 2nd rounds.
I had a bite of my friends chicken "fingers" were while delicious, were more like entire chicken breasts battered and friend and then lathered in buffalo sauce. It makes for large, tender servings, but needs a new moniker.
I definitely prefer a more managable environment like this, than the craze at more crowded places like Grand Canal. Might I'll return here for some of the upcoming finals... -
Review from Charoline D.
Greenwich, CT
3/19/2007
Me being the pretentious jerk that I am....I apologize for some of the comments I am about to make with regard to the atmosphere of this place.
Just a blocks walk from the Harvard Ave. stop off the B Line, I wound up here for St.Patricks day on account of the $1 drafts. I despise Budweiser in all forms, but on a holiday when beer is due to be consumed in large quantities, I simply cannot afford to over indulge on the higher quality brews I've come to adore. Our waitress Andrea, was awesome. Beers came quick, and we got free kamakaze shots for being such pleasant, fun people to serve. A+ for service. They ran out of green coloring, so the green beer eventually ran dry. Sad, but true. You wouldn't believe how quickly this girl was able to bring rounds of 10 beers to our table. Phenom.
The atmosphere here isn't really my bag. It's mostly big screen tv's and swamp donkeys. If you're not familiar with the term swamp donkey, see half the male population of the tri-county area surrounding Boston as a reference. Sorry guys, the whole arguing over the Red Sox with your friend Murph and talking about fixing up your '87 camaro is kind of a turn off. *Refer to above disclaimer about me being a jerk.
The appetizer sampler = top notch. We had 3. Case & Point. -
Review from Cheeba H.
Allston, MA
5/23/2006
I love cheap beer. I'd almost say I love it more than the woman who tore my heart out and destroyed my naivete, innocence and optimistic world view, the family that disowned me, the college I went to four years that taught me to hate pointless sports affiliations, the God I never found-
But The Avenue really drains me. Its a wood paneled rectangular place with a small square dining room attached to the front with one half of the perimeter of the dining area glass to see the T go by.
The crowd just blows (a combo of college kids, college grads who miss hanging out with college kids, sports loving people who never went to college, maybe a few decent older couples or guys), the bar tenders are unfriendly and uninterested in you unless you got a cute face and some nice "titays", the waitress are quite nice though.
The cover is usually low if existent (3-5 dollars) and all bud products really are just one single dollar (making up for the cover quickly).
The food is the standard sports bar fare.
The bathroom is a single lockable door so if your friends drag you there and your into illicit drug use to alleviate social situations that dont fit into you own paradigm I guess you have that option.
Although, if you get there early in the day and just want to pre-game for a few, go for it. But it does start filling up in the afternoons..
Its also rather small, so when it is packed, its really packed. My rule of thumb is if you cant find a stool at the bar, you've showed up too late. -
Review from Emily G.
7/10/2009
This is the type of bar that you don't want to pick up your future spouse at, because it probably means they are cheap and slightly unsanitary, albeit easy to please.
They now have $1.50 drafts which doesn't have the same ring to it, but there is a variety of choices at this price point so that's not too bad. $3 shots are delicious and dangerous, but only if it's the kamikazes. Do not - I repeat - DO NOT go for the red-headed sluts, they are nauseating at best.
Clearly the Avenue is not a high-falutin' drinking establishment, it doesn't even have a dive bar atmosphere to it. The patrons are popped collar yah doods straight from BC looking for a chick to bang. One time I was here and I saw a guy wearing a white t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off to show his tattoo down his bicep reading "BRO". I wish I was kidding.
This will never be my first choice when going out, but the price is right and I can usually convince The Supreme Lord of the Televisions to flip on the baseball game of my choice, so it's not the worst thing that could happen to my weekend.Listed in: Can I have four beers?
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Review from Brendan M.
San Francisco, CA
6/19/2009
If The Ave had kept the dollar beers, they would have made me think twice about giving them another star. Having bumped bud and bud light up to $1.50 (still not bad), I can't pretend that this bar is any more than a dive.
I've had the wings. they're fine and you can get them for 25 cents from 5-7 during the week. Not a bad little happy hour for cheap. Also a good place to pre-game and get ready to upgrade to a better bar as your main destination.
Know that this place closes at 1, so many of the last-callers wind up going down the street to Our House or around the corner to Wonder Bar, depending on the scene they're looking for.
Also, there is a $15 minimum on cards, so get ready to crush some beers if you start a tab. Oh and it's virtually impossible to pick girls up here. It's a long narrow corridor and usually a sausage fest. I could see watching a game here or taking advantage of the deals, but that's about it. -
Review from Andy B.
Boston, MA
4/11/2009
ONE DOLLAR DRAFTS ARE NOW ONE-FIFTY.
THANKS,
The Management -
Review from Dan S.
Boston, MA
1/30/2007
$1 beers meets the worst atmosphere and crowd in the world. What will win out?
The $1 beers, of course.
The Avenue is a great place to be in the middle of the day when it's empty. On a crowded Friday evening, I don't think that FREE beer would make it worthwhile. -
Review from Kathleen D.
Cambridge, MA
7/24/2008
$1 drafts! 30cent wings on Wednesdays! Done.
It is a younger-than-me crowd. They are randomly strict about having more than 4 chairs at a high top.
The waitresses are really on top of their shit. Lot of TVs for all the sports. -
Review from Sandra G.
Allston, MA
10/10/2008
This is my go to bar for drink or food. Both are great! You can't beat the dollar drafts or the 30 cent chicken wings (all day sun, 4-7 any other day)! Sure it's a little grimy in there, but that's how you know people go there and DRINK! ...they should do something about the back room walls though; it looks like a waxy ear canal!
Comeon! Now you gotta go just to see that! -
Review from Devon R.
Arlington, MA
8/31/2007
I give this a three star just because of $1 drafts, it's not really a good all night bar. The music gets way too loud for the space, they play music like it's a dance club, but there's certainly no room to dance. I actually never got why they have a DJ, no one dances and people are they for the cheap beer.
All that aside though, it's fun to go here with a group of friends and have a cheap night out. -
Review from Bena K.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2006
Look !!
the people that go here don't go for ambiance ....they are here for 99 cents drafts. Basically, you get what you pay for!!!! It may not be my cup of tea but I have my days when my wallet sends me here for a cheap meal and drink.
I repeat : I do not go here to see or be seen or for that great 'customer service' but for cheap eats and drinks and maybe to watch a game. -
Review from Julia F.
5/31/2007
Probably the best thing I've seen where girls who should have probably just gone straight to Wonder Bar, start trying to open up space in the middle of the floor at The Ave to have a dance floor. Did they not notice how friggin small that place is? Hysterical.
The food is so-so. The bathroom is downright frightening. The waitresses look coked out, and act it as well. The DJ is just ok, and the guys who run the doors seem like they are trying to prove how big they really are... If you catch my meaning.Listed in: pizza... pizza, Dive right in!
-
Review from Justin G.
Brighton, MA
9/22/2010
One thing that I really love about living in Allston is the diversity. I mean, people think of this as just a college town where if you are 24 and still live there than you must have a mental disorder. *For the record my mental disorder is not why I still live here.* Seriously though, you can find almost anything you are looking for here. Great Thai food, great Indian Food, great live music, and with the Avenue there is even a great place to go if you wanted to wait in line or get punched in the face.
Now most clubs where you find a higher instance of assult and battery might try to class the joint up a little with a chandeleir...or perhaps some fancy wrought iron. The avenue takes a different approach. They have a fantastic beer list. However, the bartender won't understand what you are asking for and just give you a bud light anyways. That is unless you are standing too close to a waitress in which case he will call you an A*hole and tell you step away from the bar.
Which...in case you were wondering....yeah...why wasn't she taking any orders from customers? Also...if you can't order at the bar...where do you order? Not from the waitress it would seem.
I mean...this is not the kind of place you go wearing a scarf...and order a class of Chardonnay...as I am want to do.
This is the kind of place you go to if you want to get groped. It's probably the best place in Allston to get groped actually now that the Kell's closed.
Guys...are you looknig for the right place to take your lady where you can simulatenously impressive her by fighting a bouncer and slipping a roofie in her vodka tonic(knowing the bartenders it's probably just a bud light actually)?
Then hey...take her on down to The Avenue! -
Review from Nicole E.
Somerville, MA
12/9/2008
There are certain things I love in life. A surprise rainbow on an otherwise dreary day, the T actually getting me to work on time, and getting a good deal on crap I buy anyway- food, household items, clothes, and most importantly, beer. That's where the Avenue came in. I had heard all the hype but given my feelings toward the area in general, I avoided the joint. The B line basically makes me want to pull my hair out. There are only so many OMG!s and like-ya-knows I can handle.
I eventually succombed to the enticing idea of $1 drafts. Believe me, I've paid up to $7 or $10 for a beer in this city. Bud Light is not, I repeat, NOT worth that much. But $1? I'm in heaven. Even with the $5 cover, it evens out and you really do get a better deal. It turned out to be a fantastic night. The crowd wasn't too awful and I think because of the $5 cover, it helps with crowd control. I've even gone back and will continue to do so. I simply can't hate on the Avenue any longer! The food is typical pub food and after 10, things become very cheap. The bathroom was kind of scary but I've seen worse. Much worse. Ie Pour House. All in all a fun night. -
Review from Amy Z.
Boston, MA
9/2/2010
Hot, crispy wings with blue cheese (12 for $4.99), a couple of beer towers and a bunch of crazy, fun guys = an awesome Thursday night.
Based on standards for bars near college campuses, The Avenue is a pretty sweet deal.
