Somehow, it’s already here. The sidewalks of Commonwealth Avenue will once again become a battlefield, the T will be inundated with helpless yet inconsiderate noobs sporting backpacks, and your favorite dive for slinging cheap pitchers and playing rounds of Big Buck Hunter will overflow with shovey and overeager patrons who are likely using their older siblings’ IDs to get in.
That’s right: the college students are back in town.
But for now, those 18- to 22-year-olds who breathe youthful spirit, and oftentimes innovation, into the city are still making more trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond than they are to the bar. The time is nigh to get your butt into a stool at your no-frills watering hole of choice and swig all the Yuengling (or, fine, Narragansett) you can. Before you know it, there will be a line down the sidewalk, and you’re not that undignified.
Hong Kong Harvard Square
Karaoke, scorpion bowls, and chicken on a stick? You’ve arrived at the Harvard Square Hong Kong, one of the go-to bars for Harvard bros. (Not to be confused with the Faneuil Hall Hong Kong, the go-to bar for BostInno bros.) While things can get sloppy at Hong Kong as Saturday night wears on, it’s a perfect summer spot for shamelessly shared drinks and even more shameless karaoke. Get there while you can to belt your best rendition of Bonnie Raitt – but maybe steer clear of the chicken sticks year round.
White Horse Tavern
Find yourself in Allston? White Horse Tavern on Brighton Avenue fills to the brim with BU students during the school year, but in the off season, you’ll find plenty of space, a decent draft list and food specials, along with two pool tables and a Pop-a-Shot game. While the stench of stale beer that’s seeped its way into the wooden tabletops might be an initial turn off, don’t worry: you won’t even smell it after a few minutes. And the best part about White Horse in the summer? The patio out back.
Sweetwater Tavern
To find Sweetwater, tucked away in Emerson’s shadow, empty on a Friday night is a wonderful thing. Grab your friends for an impromptu dance party on the weekend, head to their trivia night on Tuesday, or grab a spot on the patio during the day, a cozy hideaway thanks to the bar’s location in an off-the-main-road alley. Sweetwater’s also got a decent selection of bar food: we recommend ordering the fried pickles to help soak up those Bud Light pitchers.
The Tam
Don’t let The Tam’s intimidating bouncers deter you, at least not in the summer, when they get a break from fending off wide-eyed freshmen and their fakes. The Tam, which sits within Emerson students’ easy reach, truly defines a dive: cash only, sticky floors, cheap drinks, no food, dedicated regulars and decidedly surly bartenders. Get your night started before the college students weasel their way back in and flood the spot. How else are you going to get a turn at the Ms. Pacman machine?
Conor Larkin’s
A neighbor to Northeastern’s campus, this bar was recently named one of Thrillist’s best college bars, meaning the incoming students are bound to flock here after seeing something associated with the same name on their brand new NU hoodies. While they still get settled in, though, pay a visit for cheap brunch and $3 mimosas in a subterranean, Irish pub setting.
The Model
It’s hard to say this Allston dive is only hoppin’ during the school year, as its appeal reaches out of the college demo to the Allston lifers and overgrown hipsters. But, with BU students headed back to the neighborhood, the line outside on a Saturday night is only going to get worse. We suggest you arrive early to avoid the wait and play a few rounds of pinball over several cheap (but stiff) mixed drinks, until the crowd floods in and gets the dance floor (soundtracked by a DJ who spins something other than the Top 40) on the other side of the bar going. At the very least, the red velvet-lined booths are great for people watching.
Mary Ann’s
Just kidding. Never go inside Mary Ann’s.
Image via Sweetwater Tavern/Facebook
