The Sevens
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Beacon Hill77 Charles Street
(between Mount Vernon St & Pinckney St)
Boston, MA 02114 (617) 523-9074
- Nearest Transit:
Charles/mgh (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Late Night
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
35 Reviews for The Sevens
I am torn regarding the Sevens. I have had some great evening's here. Good place for dinner, snacks, beer, hanging out.
On the other hand, I stopped here with a group for lunch time this past weekend, and after sitting for 20 minutes without drinks or menus, we went up to our server and asked if we could grab a menu. She would not give us a menu, but said she would get to us when she had time. Then, after being ignored for a while longer, we left.
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We stumbled upon this bar cruising around Boston..stopped in for a cold one. A dive, yes...but I'm all about dives..and this one has character. The area is gorgeous (the 7-11 looks like a 5 star restaurant from the outside) and a good buzz was crucial for all the walking we did.
So not a fan of this place. They only serve beer and wine, and have a very limited food menu. It's dirty, and the crowd can be sketchy at times. I witnessed a 50-something businessman chug an entire beer with no hands, if you can picture that (mouth clamped on glass, so not safe). He then congratulated me for staying and watching him do that, because everyone else "ran away". Freaking plaaaaastered. Won't find me here again.
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Back in my day, The Sevens and the Green Dragon were my two favorite bars in Boston. Now, I'm old and out of place at the Green Dragon. Instead of being one of those unique, out of the way places like it was back then, it has turned into the Bell in Hand Part Two (a.k.a. every other bar in Faneuil Hall).
But, The Sevens. The Sevens hasn't changed. I can still go there. It was the perfect place to meet a friend last night for a few pints, and a grilled reuben for her and nachos for me. Good food, good beer, good staff, and overall good crowd. Sure, it's in Beacon Hill but I didn't even see one Vera Bradely bag while I was there last night.
And, although it was St. Patrick's Day, you would have never known it, if not for the sign advertising the Corned Beef & Cabbage special. It was exactly the kind of low key place we wanted to be in last night.
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This place is a dive with an eclectic character. There really is no decor, just a bunch of old signs and some TV's with a pool table towards the back, but the beer, service, and food make it worth visiting. Lily was our server and she was great, quirky and little spacey, but very friendly and proficient. We had the chowder which was very good and then 2 sandwiches that were both ok - not blow your mind, but yum this is just want I ordered. Portions were fair, but the potato salad was blah, not something we would get again. As far as beer goes, try the Sevens brew it is tasty and bitter with a high percent of alcohol, delish! We also had the Harpoon IPA and the Magic Hat, both were quite unique and flavorful. Each time we visit The Sevens we have an above average experience and our expectations are met.
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What can I say? It's a pub. Friendly service, TVs everywhere, dartboards in the back. Bathrooms surprisingly clean.
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A big 5 stars for the great vibe and the cool crowd that frequents this establishment. The Sevens is a narrow place with a bar on one side and tables on the other...and bathrooms and dartboards in the back. The bartenders are personable and friendly, the waitress can be a bit short depending on the crowd...the menu is very basic, and the food is sub-par in my opinion. The big thing about this place is that it has NO BOOZE - meaning it's beer and wine only (which is fine for me, but prolly no so good for the high maintenance types). As far as the crowd goes, it is unique, the kind you're not really sure who the person standing next to you really is - a local, millionaire, gold digger, student, tourist etc. I think that's what I like about it.
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This is one of my favorite places to sit around with friends and have some beers. Somehow this gem has managed to keep out the pretentiousness of Beacon Hill and maintain a friendly, local bar atmosphere. Wooden tables and benches give this place a cozy feel. Dartboard in the back, decent jukebox, and clean bathrooms make this a comfortable place to be.
They serve up beer and wine (no fancy drinks here) and some pretty tasty bar food. I typically stick with the clam chowder or the reuben sandwich, but the other things I have tried have been tasty as well. One of the things I really like is that your choice of sides with each sandwich is either potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, or potato chips. I switch back and forth between the potato salad and the beans because both are damned tasty. Parked ourselves here for St. Patty's day last year and had the corned beef and cabbage special they were serving up--really good and under $10 (can't remember the exact price, but I can't remember a lot of things that happened that day...).
I have to say, though, that the best part of this place is John. He makes you feel welcome every time you walk in the place. Staff in general are great, but John is definitely the star!
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Relaxed friendly atmosphere, good beer and you're never going to have to refuse a jager bomb or wonder what color martini you'll be ordering. I imagine if you're a local, it's exactly the kind of place you'd seek out and plant your ass down at the bar where they'd actually remember your name.
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When I'm out with friends and a bartender who sides more on the grizzled-but-good than pretty-but-useless joins our conversations and eventually tells us, "I like you. You know why? Because you're not a bunch of pretentious fucks," then proceeds to buy every third Smithwicks, you know you've found the antichrist of Beacon Hill's elite.
That was my one and only experience at the Sevens. You better believe I'm heading back.
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Small, friendly, old and handsome. With numerous "Best-of" certificates posted behind the bar that go all the way back to the 70's and the alternative weekly REAL PAPER (anybody remember?), this is someplace special. Mind you, the only adult beverages offered are beer and wine. But you didn't come here for a flirtini.
Food is prepared right behind the bar. Simple and good. Sandwiches, salads, chowder, nacho's... the BLT is the house specialty. Recently added four great HDTV's. Internet connected juke box.
From Rev. John to Buddy, some of the best bar staff around. Come by and make yourself at home.
A friend from Boston first introduced me to The Sevens, he said "you have to visit The Sevens. It's a landmark in Beacon Hill and one that I will always remember". Having visited pubs and taverns around the globe, I felt it was my duty to check it out. There are not many places that I have frequented that convey the "local" neighborhood flavor as The Sevens. The Sevens is a small, friendly neighborhood tavern where people congregate to meet people. Having been born in Boston, but never having the opportunity to live there as an adult, I must say that The Sevens left a positive impression on me about what I have been missing. The cold/fresh beer, chowder/reuben and warm, welcoming atmosphere is what The Sevens is all about. If you have recently moved to Boston and looking for the "neighborhood" feel and engaging friendships, visit The Sevens. BTW, the beer is really fresh and clean and the food impeccable!
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Fun place!
The other night, a friend and I decided we wanted to play some darts. He lives in the North End, I in Eastie, so we figured we'd try for something not too far out of each other's ways.
For a town full of cranky Irish drunks, it's hard to find a good place to throw pointy objects at the wall while drinking alcohol! We searched a few internet resources before finding this place. I'd never been there before, but I went to Suffolk U. and Charles Street is pretty nice, so what the hell, right?
The Sevens is a somewhat narrow, dark but inviting bar/pub that reeks of "local". Despite its place on Charles Street, it does not soak in the pretentiousness that stalks the rest of the street like a....great...stalking thing. Anyway. We ordered some beers and sat waiting for the dartboard to be free.
The waiter we had was covering the entire bar, and it was full of off-duty cops and fireman, who had been attending a ceremony at the state house, so it was a bit of a wait for the beers, but that's understandable.
The dartboard (there was just one, sadly) was right at the back of the place, just underneath a HUGE plasma tv, so watching the Sox while we played was totally feasible. Noice! To make matters cooler, they had an electronic scoreboard! No messy chalk. Even noicer!
We ended up staying the whole night, and playing three-corner darts with another local patron, nice guy, beat the tar out of us. The bartender bought us a couple of beers, and we made sure to take care of everyone.
Seriously - if you're looking for a low-key place to watch the sox, play some darts or just have a session with some good fresh beer, then put on your jeans and t-shirt, don't ask for Perrier and make sure you drop your "R"s...you'll fit right in at this friendly townie place.
Slainte!
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Small space... Strict older waitress... Spotty carpeted floor... Wailing juke box... Beer only....
BUT: no line, no cover, no velvet rope and no dickhead bouncer, no rules about where you may stand or sit, or tables "reserved" for someone better than you. That's so unusual, that I'll take it.
Recipe for a good time on a Friday night? Depends on who you're with. I'd go back.
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A great neighborhood pub serving only wine and beer. I have heard some of my Boston friends call it a "dive"* bar but it is actually a relaxing community pub that is great for a small group of friends to go talk.
They serve 7's Ale from Harpoon Brewery and it can only be bought at the 7's pub. It is easily one of Harpoons best beers. Apparently the 7's was one of Harpoons first distributors so Harpoon will only make that particular ale for them. Don't go too crazy though, its dark enough to be accompanied by a hangover after 3-4 pints. I have not tried the food.
The table service is friendly and they will actually open a tab without requiring a credit card as if to say "I have enough faith left in humanity to believe that you will not rob me." I love that. The bar tenders are a little reserved but accommodating and efficient. The crowd is an eccentric mix but everyone minds their own business and is pretty friendly. Generally, the place is quiet enough to have a conversation but it can get packed.....in which case it is still alot of fun.
*Dive: The word dive is overused in my opinion especially in places like Boston. That is probably because I am from Spokane, WA and most bars are actual dives. Litzes in Spokane, for instance, is a windowless, square building made of cinder block and surrounded by two vacant lots just off of Division Street. Drunks pass out in abandoned cars in the parking lot when the place closes at 2:00 a.m and resume drinking as soon it opens in the morning. Also, they have pull tabs. Therefore, the 7s on Beacon hill is Buckingham Palace.
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Good find in the midst of pop collars, old money, and brick sidewalks. Excellent French Dip sandwich. No liquor, which is nice, because there are no annoying people drinking cosmos. Pretty decent service. Good beer selection. Limited food menu -- nothing fancy...an excellent oasis in a sea of snobbery.
A really fun neighborhood dive!
The lack of hard liquor does weed out a lot of yuppies, which is very nice, especially in Beacon Hill! I love how relaxed everything is and their bar menu is actually surprisingly tasty!
Also, I am a sucker for a juke box! The service is good and I must admit that I love the atmosphere: a dark place you can hole up!
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I love this bar because it's just that...a bar. It's not pretentious, has decent priced pitchers or sierra nevada and a jukebox. What more do you need? This is just a great place to hang out. It's small but again, that's part of what makes it great
I just wandered in here today and I'm a big fan. My bf & I were wandering down Charles looking for Upper Crust (whoops! missed it) and hanger (hungry anger) was starting to set in so we swung into Seven's. There was only one waitress working the bar & tables, so service was a bit slow but she make sure that we got our drinks asap. I had a french dip that was really good and my bf enjoyed his sandwich too.
The tunes on the jukebox were really good - classic rock which fit the mood of the bar perfectly. Loved the random stuff on the walls... not the TGI Fridays variety, but pics of peoples' kids and some Boston paraphernalia. Good stuff. It also looks like the pitchers are pretty cheap, which is always a good thing.
I'm not giving it 5 stars because the service was pretty slow and the sandwiches could have been a tad cheaper. But I liked it enough that I'll be back and I'll go out of my way to get there.
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This is THE neighborhood bar for Beacon Hill as far as I am concerned.
Pluses:
1. Beer and Wine (no liquor). Meaning you don't have to wade through some lame ass super popular martini crowd to get to the bar (yes, they might still come here occasionally, but not to swill their white-hot-chocalate-Godiva maritinis).
2. Some really cool staff.
3. Expanded menu.
4. Dart board. I don't play, but some of my friends do. And some of the people there are pretty good.
5. New jukebox where you can get most any song and inflict it upon others (yes, if you were there and winced at my playing Bjork, it was me. no apologies).
6. The Sevens Ale. Dunno who makes it, but damn good.
7. Not a pick-up scene (at least when I've been there). Yes, that can actually be a good thing.
Just one minus that I can recall (mind you, alcohol impairs your ability to form memories):
1. There's the crotchety skinny drunk dude that tried to pick a fight with me that one time (no, I won't fight over stupid shit like that, no matter what he calls me).
Cheers,
-p
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IT IS WHAT IT IS, nothing more, nothing less.
The Sevens is practically an institution on the Hill and for great reasons:
- Great staff, often near lifers so you'll always be remembered
- Delicious pup-grub served until 11 pm (simple and good, think burgers, chicken salad sandwiches grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos etc...)
- Inexpensive- the sandwiches, which come with sides of salad, potato salad, chips or coleslaw and a pickle- cost $5-$6 one of the best lunch values on the street (where most places charge $9 for just a sandwich, and it's usually of no better quality and with less meat)
- Consistent.
Keep in mind that it only serves beer and wine and that this is a casual neighborhood place.
If you're in the area, definitely check it out!
I love Beacon Hill, and that makes me very critical of places there. Seven's is awesome! It's got a great neighborhood pub feel with good drinks and seating to accommodate groups. Very excellent.
Great place to play darts. Watch out for dart night though, I think it's Thursdays, because you won't get a board.
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It does the job... Beers on tap, not too crowded, not too expensive... Nothing to write home about but a very chill place to catch up with friends. The floors are a bit sticky, but as long as you're fine with that, Seven's is a fine place to hang out.
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Great place to go during anytime of the day. They have really good spinach & artickoke dip that the make themselves & amazing loaded nachos. The people who work there are really friendly and cool. I definitely reccommend it
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Ew. I went here on a weeknight for food. On the menu, it said that the burger i wanted to order was served with mayonnaise. i HATEHATEHATEHATE mayonnaise. So when i ordered the burger, i made a point of saying NO mayonnaise. 5 million years later, our food arrived. My burger had mayonnaise...but no worries, I thought I'd just wait for the waitress to come by again and ask her for another burger.
The waitress came by 20 minutes later. I told her about the mayonnaise. I didn't expect her to give me a free meal or anything, but the woman didn't even apologize. she didn't acknowledge that she had made the mistake, and brought back a cold burger 15 minutes later.
can i add something else? the crowd in seven's was SO ODD. there werent many people there, but most of them were sketchy. i'll admit, though, that you can stay away from the usual beacon hill richies if you go here.
there are lots of bars in boston, and--gasp--some of them even have good food and service! go to those places instead.
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A super neighborhood bar that one of my friends got me hooked on. Good luck trying to find room at the bar or a table to sit
Small place, but on a cold winter's day it's the perfect spot for a meal and a beer. Definitely a nice place to hang out, but don't bother waiting in a line to get in - people hardly ever leave!
I agree with the rest of the Yelpers on this one: you could definitely do worse than The Sevens, but don't bother making it a destination. There's nothing particularly bad about it, there's just not anything particulary outstanding about it either.
Nothing too spectacular, just a local pub on Charles St in Beacon Hill with good brews, good music, and darts. When I was in town this place became my hangout spot for evening fun.
Great neighborhood bar that is perfect for a game of darts or a few pints., It is usually filled with some local residents, or a nice mix of college kids and young professionals.
have gone here a few times w/ friends, alway a good friendly ambiance in the evenings..
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I'll agree with most reviewers in that this is just an average neighborhood haunt, good for a few drinks on a weeknight. Doesn't take many people to make this place crowded. Closet-sized bar area. Seven's Ale tastes suspiciously like Harpoon Munich Dark.
don't get why everyone thinks this place is so hot - atmosphere's lacking and they don't serve hard alcohol.... the people make the place, but honestly ther are fun people at better places too.
pretty good place to go if you live in or near beacon hill. my fiance and i live in the back bay and walk over to sevens every so often when we get tired of boylston street bars. also, he loves darts and it's hard to find bars with darts in the back bay other than the last drop.
laid back crowd, a little older than college aged which can be nice if you're looking for a less-than-rowdy night out. it can get really, really crowded though since it's so small. in which case i'd rather go somewhere with more space.
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