Dive Bars in Boston – Pt. 1

Dive bars are a relic in Boston. In 2020, these were some of the hardest hit establishments. Although some of our favorites didn’t make it, there are still plenty of great spots around Boston.

The definition of a dive bar is vague. Today, we have for you the “diviest of dive bars,” to some you may even want to take a date.

The Silhouette (Allston)

The Sil has so many endearing qualities we don’t even know where to begin. A good place is the “free hot dog for life policy” where if you get a Silhouette-related tattoo then you get one free hot dog every visit.

Walking into the Sil you get that true dive bar feel– from the creaky tables, to the sketchy bathroom and tap lines that could probably use a cleaning. In the back room you have pinball machines and a row of dart boards which you can play on for the low, low price of leaving your ID at the bar. With cheap pitchers of Narragansett you can spend a night on the boards with your friends. You can also catch local acts playing in the back room on Sundays and on various nights during the week.

Sil is a true bucket list venue if you ask us. If we could build our own ideal dive bar, we wouldn’t do it much differently than here.

The Quiet Few (East Boston)

The Silhouette is the purest form of a dive bar, whereas The Quiet Few is teetering on neighborhood tavern status. We have this on the list because it’s the ideal summer dive bar spot. Unlike most dive bars, which have very minimal windows to the outside, The Quiet Few has large glass windows in the front that let in that sweet summer air.

Another big W for The Quiet Few is the shuffleboard table, which has become a rarity around bars in Boston. For whiskey lovers there is a robust menu with over 100 different whiskey bottles for your drinking pleasure. Another strike against its dive bar status is the banging food menu– complete with smash burgers and fancy hot dogs as the star of the show.

Phoenix Landing (Cambridge)

One of the iconic soccer bars in Boston, Phoenix Landing is not only a great place to spend a Saturday morning watching the Premier League, it’s also a great place to enjoy the night with a pint.

Here you can get a pint of Guinness thats tastes as close to Ireland as you can get, or a crisp Carlsberg that’s totally crushable all night.

If theres a soccer game on, you can expect Phoenix Landing to have it playing (and if its Liverpool, you better get there early).