Pub Crawls

The first bar sets the tone of any good pub-crawl. The Newtowne Grille fits that purpose to a T: Get in, get trashed and get out. The looks from the locals ask, “what you doin’ here, Harvard?” And the correct answer is “I’m here for the large pizza and 60oz. pitcher of beer for $9.95 please, oh wait, I found 2 dollars in quarters, make it a pitcher of Sam Adams.” You aren’t going to find better in the Square.

2::Christopher’s

Dark wood, red bricks and a stocked bar. Food, apps, yada yada. BEERS, 24 to be precise, on tap from $3.50 to $2.50 a pint. Christopher’s has an extensive Martini and frozen drinks menu but if you’re not careful your crawl will fall off its training wheels. You’re only at #2, freshman.

3::Toad

“Never a cover, live music seven nights a week.” No more than 20 feet wide, Toad is all business. There’s a bar, some seats, a small stage and alcohol. The Improper Bostonian named it one of Boston’s Best in 2000, writing “a honeycomb hideout for the hipster and those in the know.” Now you do.

4::Metro: Brasserie Bar Bistro

Bright, friendly and French, Metro bends the buck of the humble crawler. For $8.50 have a Metropolitan with Grey Goose or sample any number of beers which are unpronounceable while even sober. Wine, pastries and a bottle of Dom for $179—“If you have the means, I highly recommend it.” (From Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. If you didn’t recognize it, watch it again.)

5::Temple Bar

A scene, to be seen. Deep, dark leather booths, soft light and a bar that will make you cry. All drafts are four bucks and the extensive wine list runs from six to eight dollars a glass. Cocktails are stiff, monetary and otherwise, ranging from $5.75 to $8.

6::Forrest Cafe

“No hablo español.” But they don’t either. An eclectic mix of pseudo-Mexican tapestries and veterans’ paraphernalia that only a crawler could appreciate. Throw a $2.50 bottle of Bud back to make your sixth.

7::West Side Lounge

All the class without the price, the West Side Lounge serves up authentic cocktails, such as the Hemingway Daiquiri and Mississippi Mule, hailing from the days of prohibition and bathtub gin when you had to do everything to cover up the taste. Fortunately, West Side will serve you a real cosmopolitan with Absolute Citron for six bucks or slow your roll with a four-dollar draft. FM note: don’t throw up here.

8::Cambridge Common

A huge wooden bar beckons from the center of the pub like a lighthouse in the fog. Amidst the fog, a sampler (four beers for $4.50) might not be the right choice, but picking one of the 24 options could make your head spin (if the alcohol isn’t doing the trick already). Beer is cheap, $2.95 for a Harpoon, and it’s probably time for a snack, say the giant grilled chicken quesadillas for $6.95.

9::Lizard Lounge

Lack of motor control seems to make people think they can dance. The Lizard provides. Feast on live tunes and tasty brew, all located beneath the Common.