Choose your location
Sat / Apr 10
After Work / Arcade Games / DJ
Party Earth Review An Tain’s name may refer to a famous tale of Irish mythology, but fierce bloody battles and royal courtship are a far cry from what patrons find at this Boston dive – though the beer prices may well be worth an epic poem or two. Located on the fringe of the Financial District, the small venue sees a line of young execs ... more
31 India Street
Boston, MA 02110
Alternative Country / Artsy
Party Earth Review Tucked away in a residential area, Trina’s Starlite Lounge is a laid-back spot with a touch of punkish zing. The ultra-chill hipsters and art students filing past the basic black-and-brick exterior will find a lively front room, where helpful bartenders behind the stainless steel bar mix up innovative cocktails with names ... more
3 Beacon Street
Somerville, MA 02143
Anything goes / Bar Food / Beer
Party Earth Review Named after America’s literary “laureate of the lowlife,” Bukowski Tavern is a great combination of sloshy dive bar and beer aficionado’s paradise that attracts students, hipsters, and blue-collar types alike. Dimly lit and featuring the requisite details of any good dive – namely, walls lined in beer bottles, blaring rock ... more
50 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02115
20s / 30s / 40s / Blue Collar / Blues
Party Earth Review Featuring local rock, blues, and soul musicians every night, Cantab Lounge’s upstairs/downstairs set-up attracts an eclectic cross-section of pub crawlers, college kids, and music lovers. Early in the week, patrons will find a pretty chill atmosphere as a laid-back crowd of blue-collar regulars congregates at the ground ... more
738 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
20s / Arcade Games / Cash Only
Party Earth Review Despite its upscale Charles Street address, Beacon Hill Pub goes for the dive bar vibe, stoking its gregarious, fratty atmosphere by offering some of the cheapest pints in Beantown. A magnet for the local college crowds and twenty-somethings looking to get plastered, the large bar serves its drinks in plastic pint ... more
149 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
30s / 40s / After Work / Bar Food
Party Earth Review Since the early 1960s, Eire Pub has been serving up cheap eats and pints of Guinness to generations of unhurried blue-collar locals and even a few past presidents. Originally a gentlemen’s prestige bar – ladies were not allowed – the unassuming watering hole has since discarded its old rules, although the green marquee ... more
795 Adams Street
Boston, MA 02124
80s Music / Artists / Bar Food
Party Earth Review A neighborhood institution for over forty years, Charlie’s Kitchen is a laid-back hangout that’s hard to miss and always happening. An extensive beer list, burgers and fries, and a cheerful atmosphere draw a loyal clientele of locals, blue-collar workers, and funky young professionals, who all pack into the bright and bustling ... more
10 Eliot Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
20s / 30s / Anything goes / Casual
Party Earth Review With its inflation-resistant beer prices, delightfully tacky décor, and homey low-key interior, it’s easy to see why the Silhouette Cocktail Lounge has become an Allston institution where college students, blue-collar workers, and local hipsters can mix freely in an unpretentious, come-as-you-are environment. A bit rough ... more
200 Brighton Avenue
Boston, MA 02134
There are few better cities in the US than Boston when it comes to stellar dive bars. Everywhere you turn there’s a rundown watering hole that’s been loved by loyal regulars and bargain-hunters for countless years. So if you’re looking for great Boston dive bars, you’ve come to the right place!
Starting off, there are some timeless classics strewn throughout the city. First there’s Charlie’s Kitchen in Cambridge. This hole-in-the-wall dive has been a neighborhood institution for over 40 years and continues to serve up empty-pocketed students cheap beer and live music. Another Cambridge favorite is Cantab Lounge, which features more live music and a mix of blue-collar Joes and students from MIT and Harvard.
Across the river in Back Bay is Bukowski Tavern, which was named after the great writer and drinker Charles himself. This cash only hovel is within walking distance of Fenway Park and features a “beer wheel” where drinkers can leave their poison of choice entirely up to fate.
Downtown only has one great classic dive bar and that’s T.C.’s Lounge. This kitsch-filled dive heaven pours endless amounts of PBR and also has arcade games, a punching bag, and a sex toy crane machine.
There are tons of other dive bars in Boston so picking and choosing is never a problem. Just remember that your feet might stick to the floor and the paint may be peeling off the walls, but the drinks will be dirt cheap and the clientele will be one of a kind.