Boston Nightlife Tips by Ewingjr98

Boston Beer Works has always been one of my favorite spots in the Boston area. With locations at Fenway Park, the Fleet Center, and Salem, they are always close to the action in town. The original location at Fenway opened in 1992 and has been making Bostonians happy ever since. With about 40 different brews rotating on the tap, you can always try something new, or stick with old favorites such as their award winning Allston Mild, Back Bay IPA, Bay State ESB, Centennial Alt, Muddy River Porter, Red October, and others. The girls in the group always seem to like their fruity "Bluebeery" Ale -- which has a handful of floating blueberries -- or the "raspbeery" ale.

Beer Works offers a huge variety of food that all seems to be pretty good (after a few beers, anything tastes good!). From burgers, sandwiches and pizzas to pasta, steak and ribs there is something for everyone. Their only limiting factor is seafood... they have just a few appetizers such as clam chowder, fried calamari, and their unique skewered shark.

I have been fortunate enough to visit all three locations and have never been disappointed. The Salem Beer Works is tailored to its home with beer and food name reflecting the local history such as the witch trials and ghosts and goblins. The Fleet Center location on Canal Street has always been my favorite as it is within easy walking distance of Faneuil Hall and the the dozens of other area bars. The Fenway location is obviously a great pre- or post-game spot, but there is a good amount of nightlife clustered in this area as well.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: 617.536.BEER
Address: 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston
Directions: Canal Street Location
112 Canal Street
Boston, MA 02114
Near North Station

Historic Salem Location
278 Derby Street
Salem, MA 01970
In Historic Salem
Website: http://www.beerworks.net/#
Other Contact: info@beerworks.net

The Point is a newer bar in the Faneuil Hall area. It is just across the street from The Green Dragon Bar, the "Birthplace of the American Revolution". The Point has a good mix of customers from blue-collar workers to sports fans and tourists. They also have a good selection of draft beers, including local favorites Sam Adams & Harpoon.

I like their huge open windows along the street that allow you to really take in the historic Boston neighborhood as you sip your pint. During the day the par can be pretty quiet with just a few folks swilling beer, but at night they often have a live band in the corner and people crowd in until there is barely a place to stand, and ordering a beer at the bar becomes a chore.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (610) 527-0988
Address: 147 Hanover St
Directions: Just north of Fanieul Hall along Union Street

The Bell in Hand has always been one of my favorite spots in the Faneuil Hall area. During the day, you can sit by the large open windows and enjoy a fine summers day. At night they usually have a live band and a huge crowd to keep the place rocking. Nothing fancy, but the Bell in Hand claims to be America's oldest bar, in operation since 1795. Today, due to the prime location, you get a great mix of locals and tourists that always make an evening entertaining.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (617) 227-2098
Address: 45-55 Union St

Always one of my favorite pubs to go with a small group, grab a table along the wall, drink a beer and chat. It's usually a pretty quiet little bar, but its location under Quincy Market ensures a steady stream of customers. It does a good job of keeping a blue-collar feel in the middle of the tourist and financial areas of Boston.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking

This is my favorite restaurant in Salem, and it is always worth a visit even if to only grab a pint of their great beer! They usually have about 15 beers on tap, most with unique names playing off local history and attractions such as Devils Mark Porter, Pumpkinhead Ale, and Seven Gables Golden.

Though the beer is excellent, the food is also worth trying. They have the usual pub food, as well as many unique specialties such as pumpkin ravioli...

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (978) 745-2337
Address: 278 Derby Street

I have been coming to the Emerald Rose since back in the year 2000. It was just a few miles from work, so Friday afternoons we'd show up around 3:30pm, beating the crowd, and we'd relax at the bar for hours over some tasty Irish beers as the Friday crowd rolled in. Those were the days! This is without a doubt, my favorite bar within 5 or 10 miles of my old apartment in Billerica.

The Emerald Rose has always had a nice, clean, open, and inviting interior, particular the half of the building that houses the bar. The other side of the building is the restaurant, but I never ventured here except to use the restrooms. They also have a small outdoor patio and a good-sized parking lot.

This is a nightlife tip, so I'll focus on the bar. As I mentioned, the large bar area takes up almost half of the building. It features a huge square bar with seating for 25-30 guests, plus numerous other tables around the walls, mostly high-tops. They have a good selection of Irish and local beers on tap like Smithwicks, Guinness, and Harpoon. They often have live bands set up near the entrance on weekends, and the place gets packed.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: (978) 667-0500
Address: 785 Boston Rd, Billerica, MA 01821
Website: www.theemeraldrose.com/

Mickee's Sports Bar has a beautiful location overlooking the blue water of Nuttings Lake. They have 13 TVs with constant sports coverage via satellite. The bar is big and popular, with a good selection of beers, and the restaurant has an outdoor patio and a function room. Besides sports find entertainment with Keno, pool, and other entertainment:

Friday and Saturday nights - Live Bands.
Wednesday and Sundays - Karaoke 9:00pm - 12:30am.
Thursdays - D.J. 8:30pm - 12:30am

Mickees also has a full menu and very reasonable prices. They have a number of wraps and sandwiches ($5 to $6); a handful of simple beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood entrees ($4 to $11); pizzas ($5 to $14); a nice pub menu; and a kids menu.

Parking can be tough, so arrive early!

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Phone: 978-667-1157
Address: 512 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica MA
Directions: Located at Nuttings Lake, Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica. MA.
Website: http://www.mickees.4mg.com/