More Fun Than Problem Sets

The hordes of students who showed up for Harvard Pub Night’s dollar drafts this past Friday proved what FM has always suspected: Harvard students, like all normal human beings, like cheap beer. But Zac Corker can’t sustain our social lives all the time, so we present the best bars in the area that’ll get you drunk but won’t break the bank—one for every weekday night. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.

SUNDAY

One House West

1277 Commonwealth Ave.,

Brighton

617-782-3228

On the day of rest, all you want to do is hang out at home. But does your dorm room have a selection of great board games and mismatched cushions reeking of stale beer? Perhaps the latter, but certainly not the former. Made up to look like that guy’s basement where you used to drink PBR throughout high school, the rooms at One House are sprinkled with foosball tables, a comfy couch, TV, a pool table, and stacks of board games, including Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and—for the really wild—Parcheesi.

MONDAY

Common Ground

85 Harvard Ave., Allston/Brighton

617-783-2071

Can you think of a better way to start the week than by displaying your Simpsons knowledge and then embarrassing yourself onstage? If you’re stumped on this one, then check out Common Ground on a Monday night, where they have Simpsons Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. and then Karaoke from 9:30 p.m. to midnight. It’s the perfect place for those seeking out fellow Simpsons connoisseurs, for those itching to be the next (drunken) American Idol, or for those who just want to sit back, relax, and laugh at their friends. There’s no cover, so no excuses.

TUESDAY

Beacon Hill Pub

149 Charles St., Boston

617-555-1212

Tuesdays—or really any night—are perfect for the Beacon Hill Pub, a total dive bar that somehow managed to land itself a spot on the right side of the tracks. Sitting right in the middle of Boston’s most stately neighborhood, the Beacon Hill Pub proudly displays a clipping from a local newspaper’s “Best Of” contest that rated the bar the worst and strangest establishment in all of Boston. But with Buds for $1.55 on any night of the week, you really can’t complain.

WEDNESDAY

The Kells

161 Brighton Ave., Allston

617-782-9082

One of the classier establishments on this list, The Kells was recently redone with mahogany paneling and modern-looking circular tables. But with dollar drafts on Wednesdays and a huge dance floor with great tunes, no one’s expecting you to keep your dignity. Right down the street, Great Scott’s used to be another Wednesday night hot spot, but after being shut down multiple times in the past year for its tendency to let in underagers, the Kells is probably a better bet.

THURSDAY

The Pour House

909 Boylston St., Boston

617-236-1767

Get yourself back into your parents’ good graces. Tell them you’re spending the first night of your weekend at the Pour House. Make sure not to tell them that the Pour House is a bar in Boston, and that you’re going for Caribbean night. Reps from Malibu and Sauza buy patrons drinks from 9 to 10 p.m., and don’t miss the all-night buffet with authentic Caribbean fare. With a weekly free trip giveaway to somewhere warm and sunny, rest assured you’ve found the hottest spot around.