A perfectly poured pint
Nowhere else in the United States does Irish culture and pubs better than Boston. The confluence of both means the city is home to the best Irish pubs in the country. While it’s difficult to find a bad pub in Beantown, it helps to know a few of the best. Here are four of the city’s top Celtic watering holes.
The Burren (Somerville)
With a 20-year history in the Boston area, the Burren is an institution on the city’s Irish pub crawl scene. Any pub founded by two Irish musicians is virtually guaranteed to be a place worth grabbing a pint in. Both the main and back rooms of this cozy joint feature traditional Irish music (often simply called “trad”) every night, drawing solid local crowds all week.
The Brendan Behan Pub (Jamaica Plain)
Dark, unpretentious and cozy — that’s what makes a great Irish pub. Since 1988, Brendan Behan has displayed all three attributes in spades. The pub thankfully eschews televisions in favor of poetry readings and a simple, no-frills atmosphere that fosters good conversation. In addition to Guinness and Magners cider, it boasts an excellent craft beer menu and a relaxed bring-your-own-food policy.
The Druid (Cambridge)
The Druid is the newest watering hole on this list, but its location inside one of Cambridge’s oldest wooden buildings provides all the expected charm and atmosphere of a great Irish pub. In addition to traditional fare (the fish and chips are excellent!) and a cheery Irish staff, it offers a surprisingly well-culled list of craft beer on tap. Tip: Stop in Tuesdays and Saturdays for the pub’s trad music sessions.
Doyle’s Cafe (Jamaica Plain)
Doyle’s Cafe dates back to 1882, making it one of the oldest Irish pubs in Boston. Inside, the exhaustive collection of beer memorabilia provides a glimpse into the city’s rich past. Doyle’s is perhaps most notable as the first pub to put the now iconic Sam Adams Boston Lager on tap. It also happens to be located near the brewery, making it a convenient stop for post-brewery tour-goers.
With the massive following behind the Samuel Adams Brewery, Boston’s modern craft beer culture has grown exponentially since the ‘90s. For a real glimpse of the brewing and brewpub scene, go on a Boston Brewery Tour. Every tour includes roundtrip ground transportation to/from downtown Boston, lunch and 15-20 tastings at some of the city’s best-known beer spots.