Five Hidden Gems in Boston

Effort Required: Show up early if you don’t want to ask ‘Where’s the beef?’

Craigie on Main has been touted in major magazines from the get-go, with critics across the country – and loads of hungry Bostonians – raving about chef/owner Tony Maws’ “nose to tail” culinary style. Maws makes use of just about everything in the animals he cooks up, from crispy pig tails to grilled bellies, but his signature Craigie Burger may have been the most popular item on the menu. Supplied by Hardwick Beef, a small but highly regarded farm in eastern Massachusetts, the very patties followed the Maws style, combining multiple ingredients like brisket, bone marrow, and miso paste. They became so popular that Hardwick nearly ran out, forcing the restaurant to pull them from the menu. But that doesn’t mean the Craigie has gone extinct. You can STILL try one if you go early, but you gotta ask for it, and you have to remember that only about twenty of them are prepared each day. 

Effort Required: You might have to take a quiz.

Normally we don’t like being told what to do, but we’ll make an exception seeing as Drink makes it easy to do exactly what its name tells you to. Although hidden in a tiny unassuming basement, the place is still very popular, and you’re likely to find a line out the door come the weekends. But the vibe inside is festive and ever-lively, with boisterous birthday groups and packs of happy cocktailers filling the place with loud conversation. There’s a Top Ten menu of drinks, but most patrons prefer to be quizzed about their likes and dislikes by the bartenders, and then watch as they weave together a unique specialty drink just for them.

Effort Required: Don’t OD on Oxycontin.

A dive in all the best senses of the word (including the sense of smell), T.C.’s Lounge is easy to miss thanks to its barely noticeable entrance on tiny Haviland Street. The place is kitschy as hell, but the kitsch is all on purpose, with walls virtually hidden behind 1950s pinups, raggedy bumper stickers, and faded Polaroids of past patrons. The $10 pitchers are a big draw, but so is the classic crane game stocked with sex toys instead of stuffed animals (though trust us when we say picking up a vibrator is WAY harder than a teddy bear). There’s a big party scene here on weekends thanks to the barebones prices and powerful signature cocktails like the Oxycontin and Blackout, but it stays pretty low-key during the week, so you can drop in and shovel quarters into the crane or play the nude photo hunt game without anyone noticing. 

Effort Required: You don’t HAVE to be a Sox fan…but watch yourself if you ain’t!

Every Boston baseball fan already knows about Bleacher Bar. Hell, every Boston baseball fan has probably been to Bleacher Bar, especially on days when they couldn’t score a ticket to the game. That’s because this cozy mecca of sports bar awesomeness is literally in Fenway Park, built into a room that used to serve as a batting cage. Patrons don’t use the Fenway entrance to get inside, but massive windows in the main dining area – and smaller windows in the men’s bathroom – all face the field, so you can drink and watch all the action live or come in during the off-season and just drink. Keep in mind that there’s a limit of forty-five minutes at the window tables, but that’s a lot better than missing the whole game.

Effort Required: You may lose a little hearing.

Toad is for people who love tiny, very divey music venues. If that sort of place isn’t your cup of tea, this inconspicuous club is definitely not for you. Unless, of course, you want a cover-free chance to check out some stellar up-and-coming bands and ogle a roster of past performers that includes Tracy Chapman, G Love & Special Sauce, and one hey-maybe-you’ve-heard-of-him Eddie Vedder. Things usually start out pretty chill with the varied acts that take up each night, but it’s not long before the barebones red-paneled walls are pulsing with everything from impromptu jazz to punk to hard-stomping rockabilly. You won’t have any deep conversations at Toad (unless you know sign language) but if your feet aren’t tired and your wallet's still full at the end of the night, you’re doing it wrong.