The Alley Bar

I visited Boston from Houston, Texas. I wanted to try a LGBT bar. I found this bar on Google and had to go. This bar is very intimate. I went during the day, and the bartender was very attentive. It was a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. I had two drinks: an espresso martini and a spritz. I would definitely recommend this place for a drink during the day. I would love to see the atmosphere in the evening.

First gay bar Ive been to in about 23 years. Really looking for dinner after a late show. Pretty entertaining bar with really good karaoke singers. Food was pretty good. Burger would have gotten the 5 star if it werent for the bun. Not a fan of the cold dense bun. Burger was tasty though. My husband got the nachos, which were pretty. Bar tenders were busy but managed to give good service. 👍

Bartender was very friendly and a good pour. Was nice having a real gay bar walking distance to our hotel. Met some locals that directed us to some other fun spots.

Great bear bar for drinks and watching drag race. The drinks are cheap and very strong. Food was definitely better than expected for the place but dont be expected to be blown away its very basic pub food.

This place has always been a favorite of mine in terms of drinks and atmosphere. I have been skeptical of trying the food, until today. Good god, the mozzarella sticks were not only massive but full of flavor. Then the tenders were incredible. Potatoes skins were delicious and the truffle tots!!! Get the platter I promise you wot. Be disappointed.

Bartender was incredibly rude to our group.Forced us to pay cash because we were in a group even though the bar was completely empty. He also overcharged us for drinks, inflating the prices that were displayed on the wall, AND ADDITIONALLY, took a tip for himself without asking.He may as well have just asked us to leave right as we walked in because the treatment our group got really made us feel unwelcomed.The first and last time here without question - stay away!

The music sucks , they need to change the dj or put more modern songs. up stairs is so hot , please fix air conditioning , and the alcohol is super expensive.

Awesome place to get some great pub food and drink. Nice selection of beer on tap as well as some excellent cocktails. Today we just got some appetizers and drinks. Joe was our waiter/ bartender and as always he kept us laughing with his friendly and amusing conversation. I got a bourbon rocks with a Blue Moon on tap. My wife loves the Cosmos at The Alley. We got a dessert to share which was very good. There is street parking available after 6 weeknights and all day Sat and Sun. There’s also a garage above the bar and you can get your ticket validated by your bartender or waiter.

Seemed a little slow when I was there late on the 4th the people seemed nice and the drinks were strong and cheap! The bartender was nice

Horrible experience. My friend and I ordered a drink each. After enjoying our drinks for a while, a plate of food arrived in front of us that we had not ordered. Not even 10 seconds later, a gentleman arrived behind us and started chatting with us. He was clearly interested in us, be we politely made it clear we were not interested. After receiving our bill, we realized the food we had not ordered was listed on our tab. We questioned the bartender and he immediately insisted food was ordered by my friend. This was a straight lie and he knew it because he refused to make eye contact for the remainder of our stay. Funny enough, the gentleman whom had originally been interested in us came back over and started flirting with us again. I asked him if he had ordered the food for us, and he admitted he had. I called him out on the fact that the bartender said we had ordered the food, and he started acting really weird saying he owned the bar. He went back to his seat, and I called the bartender back over. I explained the guy had admitted to ordering the food on our behalf, and the bartender was immediately angered and said he would pull the video footage of us ordering the food. At this point we were uncomfortable and just wanted to leave. We closed our tab (with the cost of the food included) and left. As we were leaving the guy whom sent the food was watching us leave. The bartender continued to make no further eye contact.The whole experience was uncomfortable, and deceptive at best. The bartender was the younger of the two, and I regret not bringing the issue up with the older bartender or security. This whole ordeal happened on 4/12/23 around 9:00pm. I hope the younger bartender can be made accountable, the bar was otherwise okay.

My husband, a Mexican American, has never felt less than human before, until we finished our night in this bar, you people should be ashamed. The racial slurs used against him will never be forgotten. You are the problem with the northeast. We will never feel comfortable in Boston ever, ever again. I’m happy to provide my personal phone number to discuss further. But you should be mortified to consider yourself a safe place for members of the community. I’m embarrassed to have ever been inside your building.

What a great place to visit. We were here last Saturday and we had a very welcoming reception. The staff was fantastic, they offered us a place to sit at the bar, everything was perfect. While sitting at the bar we met some local guys, and a guy from Ireland, everyone was very welcoming, and easy to talk to. We laughed and had great conversations. It was our first time at The Ally Bar, can’t wait to go back.

A really friendly, welcoming bar that my Husband and I stumbled upon. Staff were very attentive, and the other customers were friendly and chatty. Good selection of beers on tap, and the prices were reasonable too! A great bar for LGBTQ+ travellers to Boston!

It was our first time in Boston and we decided to check this bar since it has the better reviews. We were not impressed but it was okay. There were a lot of people with very strange behaviour and style. Totally different from what we have seen in the different part of the world.

Ive not eaten there. I went for UnderBear. The space is too small and the crowd was not very friendly (Boston)

The barteneder jack was rude to me the last time i went and the manager Kortney is not a pleaseant person

The Alley Bar was a nice bar overall. Mixed crowd but primarily on the older side. Music was good, drinks were a bit pricey but you tend to expect that in Boston. Quite a bit of seating and definitely more of the bar vibe than the club vibe. There is some dancing upstairs and a pool table. Overall, a very clean establishment that I’d recommend visiting if you’re not looking for a wild night on the town per se.

This place was hard to find! No signs,flags or anything. It’s actually in the alley. So glad we found it. Was a great time and not really busy. Staff was so nice and welcoming since we were from out of town.

This is a fun place, definitely one of my favorite bars in Boston. Great for a drink after work and meet new people. New years eve is typically a lot of fun and dancing. Also it should be noted, their bathrooms are some of the cleanest in Boston.

The Alley Bar Boston is a warm and inviting place for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a bar that celebrates diversity and inclusion, creating a safe and friendly atmosphere for all. The staff is welcoming and accommodating, making sure everyone feels welcome and comfortable. Whether youre looking for a place to hang out with friends, dance, or just have a good time, The Alley Bar Boston is the perfect spot.

They served me pasta without salt and without flavor.

My two amazing friends brought me here on 8/29/19 on my first night in Boston of my trip. It was surely a positive experience once I walked in and knew this was the establishment to be at. Great patrons and everyone is so warm and welcoming. Couple of the guys smiled at me and there was one guy in particular who was so warm towards me, a cuddly bear who was wearing a white rainbow striped lined tank top, he was so nice and he was always smiling at me. Thats when I knew this was the establishment to be with friends. I Highly Recommend The Alley Bar where you can be yourself, meet awesome men, and have great drinks. Cheers!

Ordered drinks that took a little bit to arrive, and then ordered just tots and fries — 40 mins in and it still did not arrive. We decided to leave. Felt like host either forgot our order, did not put it in, or prioritized other patrons over us.

This place has been a lot of fun on a few occasions. The staff is very friendly and good humored. Ru Paul on Thursday nights is a riot. The upstairs has a second bar and dancing usually after 10 or 10:30, but it’s not always packed so I wouldn’t call this a dancing destination. The downstairs has a mix of tables, seating, and plenty of bar space. The restrooms are nice clean (well, they start off that way at least). Clientele appears to be mostly middle aged, with lots of bears, but there is a solid variety of folks on busy nights. Definitely recommended to try out on a Friday or Saturday night if you’ve never been.

The bar downstairs is nice enough for a drink and chat.The upstairs dance floor however is not. They play music that’s terrible to dance to and the lack of people dancing seems to me I’m right. The crowd is much older so come if that’s your thing.

Nasty, moody bartenders after the Pride Parade. Extremely busy bar and staffed with 1 bar back and 2 bartenders. Maybe they didnt realize it was Pride (?!) I only tipped because I wanted to be waited on for a second time and not be ignored. I witnessed a tattoo-covered bartender being rude to most customers he waited on. Went back in the evening and they had changed shifts and the new bartenders were excellent and smiling.

Ever since they opened the kitchen last year, the food here has been amazing. You may have to order something off the menu for the table, but its surely worthwhile to do so. Ive had the burger, chicken sangy and off-menu specials like the shrimp scampi which was literally perfect in every way. Good portion, al dente pasta, just enough sliced parmesan... I heard they were opening their kitchen for a long time; Im glad they took their time to perfect whatever it is they have going on back there. Well done.

One of a few local gay bars in Boston. Always a good crowd that leans more toward the bear type. The main floor has a good size bar and pool table. Several TVs around have anything from sports to news playing. The atmosphere and decor are not the cleanest around. Forget the five second rule here if you drop something on the floor. Bathrooms have a funky smell that sometimes reached out to the bar area. The bathrooms are also in need of some major repairs. A second floor is opened on weekends later in the evening that has another pool table and bars. A small dance area with DJ are also up here. You are likely to go here for the crowd not the atmosphere or decor.

The bathroom has a urinal in the womens bathroom. I thought that was amazing and progressive. Very inclusive. Also the drinks were strong af. Go here. Do it. You will not regret.

Lively downtown gay bar with mixed crowd. Downstairs had bar bites type food. Upstairs had a pool table and VJ dance/pop music in a cozy space. Good energy and cheap drinks.

Very local oriented gay bar. Solid group of customers and workers. I received great service and good food and beverage. Highly suggest Karoke on Sunday nights!

Nice space , clean, and friendly environment. Lovely bartender, really cold beer - I loved ❤️ it! - and a great chicken wings full of taste! Thank God I didn’t meet any of those grumpy people mentioned here. I was wondering, are they for real of it was just one or two fellas who were not having a good day ? Who knows ?! PS. I’ve met Edd, Peter and Jake - three very polite fellas and very receptive! I cannot picture those guys treating anyone bad !

This great off-the-beaten path bar and gay landmark is a great place to grab a drink and relax a bit. You can check their facebook for special event nights during your visit. Open til 2am every night which is nice. The scene is focused on bears but all seem welcome .

Came here after PAX East 2020 and it was a great experience. There were games playing on the TVs and a lively but chill dance floor upstairs. Great mix of people and friendly staff. Be aware that its cash only.

Nice place to hang out for a drink. Its CASH ONLY and their ATM is probably ripping you off, but prices are on the low side which is nice. They have a big floor upstairs but I havent been up there. Older crowd typically though, it seems.

Great bar, Rocco bar tender top of his class. All Bar Tenders should take a page from this guys play book, if your straight or gay he will give you a lesson in life, respect, and love of his customers and entertainer of the the year. Rocco you carry on as you and keep the Alley top notch... you friends from California Jeff and Caren the only lady you bought flowers for from California. CLASS ACT ROCCO.

Maybe a good bar, but because I could not show any ID, entrance was denied. Im 59 years old, so dont see any need for walking around with ID. why? Im from Europe, so maybe there is something I dont understand. I was last night in the Eagle, ID not required..11:16 pm : Thanks for your quick reply. Im still in the area. I Will put the Alley on my to-do list for tomorrow, Sunday./Kim Kristensen, Copenhagen

Amazing service and lots of fun

We were made to feel very welcome by all the star on our trip.Great food and friendly service, we loved it and would recommend a visitThanks to Jerry and Patrick for looking after us

Black unfriendly bar. A bunch of conservative white men with transphobic attitudes. Micro aggressions and discriminatory language amongst patrons. Myself and another Black American patron who descend from the people who built this country clearly were not welcomed.

The music was horrible, drinks even worse, no place to sit, a lot of white people. No trap music, no twerking music, just whack vibes all around. The fries were good tho.

The service here is good the staff is very polite and cordial kind of hard to find but overall fun gay bar

Walked up and was instantly turned away. I was with two straight friends. Yes, I am Masc, but was instantly turned away. Screw the rest of the gay community... and we wonder why people disrespect us. Show respect to get respect! Never will I ever recommend this place ever!

The new cocktail options and the Sunday bar staff made for a comfortable and fun experience. Much better than previous visits where the staff can make you feel less than welcome.

As the number of gay bars shrinks in Boston, the Alley still seems to be going strong. It has a basic friendly bearish crowd. The best times are 4-8pm on Fridays, Saturday night after 9 and Sunday beareoke after 6ish.

The Alley Bar is the most Bear Bar in town, holding their very popular Bear Central every Saturday night, great karaoke on Sunday nights, all the games on their huge screen, numerous special events, community fundraisers, leather club nights, and The Alley is where the MASS BAY BEARS host the annual Mr. New England Bear & Cub Contest. Oh, and on top of all of that they have discounted parking in the garage next door, a great thing in Boston.

Excellent service. The guys working were so friendly and attentive. The restaurant was also very clean. And as far as the food the Buffalo chicken wings I ordered were delicious.

The change over time has been awesome. And Rocking Joe on Friday and Saturday nights will give you spme awesome drinks as well as the other bartenders during the work week when ypu want to unwind before heading home.

Pleasant. Beary. Friendly stuff. Strong cocktails. Worth a visit. Entrance hidden during daytime, but easy to find when opened.

Great place but be afraid to say NO to a drink! Even if you have medical conditions.. Fate one .. If not consuming YOU ARE OUT! As I told him, you do no understand yet - You Are Exercising The Bartender ... Cant serve when Told NO to another beer ...

Just left because the guy serving the tables was helping everyone but us. He kept saying hi to my friend and I and walking away… I have no idea why he didn’t ask to serve us but it would’ve been nice if he had…

Pretty good place to have a drink and interact with a very mixed crowd. However, whatever you are going to eat, do not order burgers, those are pretty gross :/

Really is my first time in Boston and I hear good thing about thos bar but the black guy to taking care of the stairs was so rude man that is insane

Nice bar, but very grouchy and unwelcoming old bartenders! Don’t waste time. Will not come back :)

Really nice places just sit down have a drink hang out with people you dont really get to see a lot of gay bars in Massachusetts as much

Ignorant old man at the door accusing me and my bf of being under 21 (both over 25 with scannable id’s) barely any seating and an overall terrible atmosphere

SUPER IMPORTANT UPDATE: They fixed the spelling on their sign, so as promised, heres that fifth star. Stay awesome, Palms Car Wash! Amazing .

Fun place. Nice bar staff and great mixed crowd. Big plus for the beer selection on draught! Great place in Boston!

Had a good time at the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars viewing!!

It only takes a couple of minutes to change your website to the correct hours to show that you are closed during this time. I walked here 15 minutes in the rain to find out that your website was mistaken. Very unprofessional I’ll never be back

This club has a little of everything, but most of all very friendly, many different drinks on specially a selection of draft beers and very organized and clean.

I wouldnt necessarily call it a bar. Its more of a club. Fun atmosphere but they need better music or a new DJ.

Was amaizing, excelte ambient, which by the way at that time had not done my eye surgery yet, and I forgot my glasses in the bathroom but thanks to Pedro the bartender I got them back

Good local gay bar. Tends to be a bit on the older side, and definitely more bear-ish, but everyone is welcome. Drinks are STRONG.

Great place. nice to know that my alley can get filled and getting it by the judges all week in lowell district court. thankfully my two partners dont know what i do. lol

Love love love the Alley bar but wouldn’t it be better to be closed on a Tuesday than on a Sunday when there is absolutely nothing to do in the city 😱

Nice bear-ey cave. Cash only. Fun peeps. The remodel helped, but it lost some of its dirty appeal.

Good bar and welcomed me... Straight guy. It was a chill happy hour.

Great local hangout. Friendly bartenders, excellent food all for under $20.

The bar tenders were ABSOLUTELY amazing and made my experience such an enjoyable one!

So great. If youre cool dont miss it. If youre lame, get lost.

Pretty basic and pointless to come to during COVID. Had the same experience as visiting my local Applebee’s

I LOVE THE ALLEY....GREAT FOOD,SERVICE AND DRINKS....UNWIND AND THEN GO UPSTAIRS AND DANCE .

Very cool place!

The place is well kept and beautiful,but the staff needs a little help.

Always a great time. My favorite bar in Boston, hands down.

Great people behind the bar and in the bar never seen any trouble in the bar.

Lovely place !

Nice place to hangout with friends during the week, and great place to party during weekend

Not my crowd, but if your a gaymer you will call this place home.

Always a great time here, one of my favorite hangouts

Stumbled across this place. Super quiet and knowlegable staff on Sunday.

The food is good,not frienly oeoble i. This place.

Highly Recommended place! if you are in town you should totally visit this place!

This is a good place to have couple driks Very welcoming and friendly staff..

Overall good fun, Winston and Rocco are great

Super friendly gay bear bar!

Fun place, stiff drinks

Always a friendly crowd and great management!

Shity placeThe worst gay bar ever

Good food. Good drinks.

Great place to go bear hunting

The best!

2017 and still CASH ONLY?!WTF?! 😡😡😡

Great gay bar; i should know.

Very nice

Crowded and hot (heat)

The garlic bread is a must

Horrible

I was racially profiled

Rough

Awesome

Friendly men !

Beautiful people.

Secrets

I am a bballfool

A retro bar in the city, order dinner and drinks

👎👎👎👎