Best Boston Bars Near Fenway Park

Beer, cheers, games, and fun in Boston sports bars!

Coming to a Red Sox game?  Then you may be wondering . . . where are the best Boston bars near Fenway for pre- and post-game celebrations (or, gulp, recovering from a loss)?

Don't be misled by all our museums, universities, culture, etc. . . . Boston is a fun-loving town!  As you explore the Boston sports bars, nightlife, and other fun things to do in Boston's Fenway neighborhood, you'll understand why. 

In fact, you'll find so many top Boston bars with big hi-def screens around Fenway Park that you can't possibly get to them all in a night, or even in a week. 

So where to begin? 

We'll take you on a quick tour of what you'll find, and then a few tips about the best ways to enjoy it all.  Get ready to have some fun!

Boston Red Sox schedule and ticket information

Bleacher Bar

Bleacher Bar is Boston's ultimate sports bar - a bar right inside Fenway Park's Green Monster.

Yes, you are right on the field - well, at least on the Warning Track - and you're on field level.  Look right across center field, and you'll see home plate.

The place is small and gets crowded at game time, but no matter.  It's the best view in town. 

You look out a garage door onto the field.  Except for when a game is underway or the weather is cold, the garage door is open.  You'll feel the breeze, smell the grass.  During the game, a glass pane covers the opening so that you can still look out but the players can't see in.

You'll be pleasantly surprised by the reasonable beer and food prices.  Get ready to enjoy peanut shells on the floor, Sam Adams in plastic cups, and basic bar food - fries, fried pickles, sliders, nachos, sandwiches, salads, burgers.  Even cookies.  No designer beer or gourmet dining, but hey, it's a bar - and you're here for the view.

And speaking of view . . . remember that you're on view, too - so be sure to wear your Red Sox clothing . . . or at least a Red Sox hat. 

Bleacher Bar opened in 2008, and still occupies "best kept secret" territory among Boston bars near Fenway, although that's changing.  It's open year around, and it's actually a cool place to come during non-game times.  You get a great view of Fenway Park, with or without players.  Who knows, maybe you'll even get to see them warming up?

Details and Directions for Bleacher Bar

Address:  82 Lansdowne (enter through a service door), Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
For more information:  617-262-2424; website

Boston Beer Works

This large brewery/restaurant right across from Fenway Park is one of 3 Boston Beer Works in the Boston area. 

And if you're a fan of sports bars, Boston Beer Works serves up big screens as well.

Started by 2 brothers, Joe and Steve Slesar, back in 1990, the brewery expanded to admit customers a couple of years later and has enjoyed popularity and success ever since.

First and foremost, this is a real brewery - you'll smell the hops, see the beer-making equipment, and of course, taste and enjoy the results.  The micro-brewery creates about 50 hand-crafted ales, lagers, stouts, and pilsners each year, and you'll find about 15 on tap at any one time.

The food is good, too.  Along with great renditions of tasty Boston bar food - giant nachos, New England clam chowder, and knock-out chili, you can get fish and chips, panko chicken, a ginger-sesame stir-fry, BBQed baby back ribs, and of course, all kinds of burgers. 

For something really unique, though, get the salmon.  It's sprinkled with malt and then pan-roasted - out of this world!  You'll be begging to waiter to let you buy some malt so that you can try it at home.

Since this is one of Boston's top sports bars, just a short pitch away from where the Red Sox are playing, you'll find plenty of high definition screens for game-viewing.  In fact, on game days, it's sometimes so crowded that the line of people waiting to get in goes out the door and around the block.  But with excellent food and great beer, Boston Beer Works is a worthwhile stop at any time.

Details and Directions for Boston Beer Works

Address:  61 Brookline Ave, Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
For more information:  617-536-2337; website

Boston Billiard Club

Plenty of pool tables, foosball, air hockey, beer, decent pub food, and music.  Boston Billiards is one of the most popular Boston bars near Fenway with college students and pool fans. 

This can be a faster place than some other the others in the area to grab a quick pre-game beer.  On other nights, come to play pool, socialize, have a beer, hang out, have fun, and listen to the music.

Boston Billiard Club has several other locations in Massachusetts and New England.

Details and Directions for Boston Billiard Club

Address:  126 Brookline Avenue, Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
For more information:  617-536-7665; website

Cask'n Flagon

Cask'n Flagon is a true sports bar.  You'll find tons of flat screens for game viewing, plenty of cold Sam Adams, and two large rooms with walls covered with Red Sox memorabilia as a reminder that Boston is Red Sox Nation.  Lots of fans gather here on home game days, and even on non-game days, Cask'n Flagon is popular with both local and tourists.

Once upon a time, Cask'n Flagon began as "Oliver's" in the psychodelic '60s, featuring live music 7 nights a week.  Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, and Boston (the band) all performed here, back in the days when it was small, dark, smoke-filled, and grungy.

Now, a small nightclub amid the other Boston bars near Fenway, "Oliver's," has opened within Cask'n Flagon and features a 400 square foot dance floor, lights, huge hi def screens, and live music.  Check their website for the performance schedule and 21+ admission requirements.

Details and Directions for Cask'n Flagon

Address:  62 Brookline Avenue, Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
For more information:  617-536-4840; website

Copperfield's Bar and Down Under Pub

This neighborhood bar harkens back to the days when the area around Fenway was filled with dim, smoky bars offering a couple of beers on draft and maybe some chips or popcorn to munch on. 

Copperfield's now offers a wider drink selection as well as hi def screens - but Copperfield's remains a comfortable local Boston bar, a bit off the tourist path despite its Brookline Ave location.

On non-game nights, music is the big attraction in Copperfield's 300 person capacity upstairs bar and 140 capacity downstairs pub.  . . . specifically, local rock bands that are just starting out as well as those that are better known.  For this reason, it's one of the most popular Boston college bars in the area, especially with students from nearby Boston University and the nearby Fenway Colleges (Wheelock, Emmanuel, Simmons).  You never know if you'll hear a group that's truly fantastic and destined for bigger venues.

Check Copperfield's website for the performance schedule and the cover charge, if any.

Details and Directions for Copperfield's

Address:  98 Brookline Avenue, Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
Credit cards: Not accepted
For more information:  617- 247-8605; website

Game On!  

If you want to almost feel like you're on the field with the players, Game On! is the place to come.  Although it's considered one of the very best sports bars in Boston, Game On! could also win some serious video and sound awards for excellence as a multimedia entertainment center. 

Not that food and drink are overlooked.  You can get all the typical Boston bar food like wings and burgers, better prepared than usual.  Standout items include pulled pork with cornbread, BBQed ribs, nicely cooked popcorn shrimp with onion rings, a very good bistro steak, and a variety of fresh salads.  Plus, of course, plenty of beers and ale.

Like lots of the Boston bars near Fenway, Game On! is large - in fact, somewhat cavernous - and loud.  Baseball is big, but other sports get their fair share of broadcast time.  You may even run into, or at least spot, some players here. 

If you missed getting game tickets, Game On! is the place to come if you want to feel like you're almost in the stadium.  Or if you go for a Fenway Park tour, stop by Game On! afterwards for a burger and brew.

Details and Directions for Game On!

Address:  82 Lansdowne Street, Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
For more information:  617-351-7001; www.gameonboston.com

House of Blues Boston

A family-friendly music club (in the space once occupied by the Avalon and Axis) rather than a bar, House of Blues brings blues, R&B, jazz, gospel, and even rock to Fenway.  The Sunday Gospel Brunches . . .

More about House of Blues Boston

Jillian's

Hmm . . . is Jillian's a sports bar, or a playground for grown-ups? 

Jillian's 70,000 square feet stretched over 3 floors include 2 restaurants, a bowling alley, 30 billiards tables, ping pong and other games, 7 bars, and with more hi def flat screens than anyone can count, plenty of sports-viewing. 

This is a place for some serious entertainment, as well as celebrity-spotting - everyone from Red Sox and other sports favorites to actors to a U.S. Senator (hey, he's a local - why shouldn't he get to play when he's in town?). 

Although the food is probably not what you've come for, it's pretty good. Try Tequila Rain, the Southwestern themed bar and restaurant, or try some of the cheese bites with your choice of sauces, the Asian chicken salad, or the flank steak toasted sandwich.

Of course, with 7 bars, you'll find plenty to drink. Jillian's is a Boston bar on steroids.

Details and Directions for Jillian's

Dress and behavior code: Check Jillian's website for details
Minimum age after 8pm: 18+ Sunday - Thursday; 21+ Friday and Saturday
Address:  145 Ipswich, Fenway; Green Line/Kenmore
For more information:  617-437-0300; website

McGreevy's 3rd Base Saloon

Begun in 1894 by baseball fanatic Michael "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, the original Roxbury bar was a favorite watering hole of local politicians, baseball players, and fans.  Considered by many to be where the Red Sox Nation was born, McGreevy's fell victim to Prohibition in 1920. 

But now, this venerable saloon has new life as a popular Boston bar near Fenway, thanks to a partnership between 2 more Red Sox fanatics, including a founding member of the Dropkick Murphys, a Boston celtic punk group.  The new McGreevy's doubles as a sports bar and an Irish pub. 

More about McGreevy's

Yawkey Way

Bars, small eateries, and sports shops line this short street across from Fenway park.  These can be the best places go grab a quick beer, BBQ, and best of all, a Fenway Park hot dog. 

On game days and nights, these places are mobbed, since they are literally steps away from the park.

Part of the charm of Fenway Park is its small size and its convenience to public transportation.  That means, though, that streets are filled with fans on foot.

Needless to say, all of the bars across from Fenway are equipped with big screens, so that fans without tickets get to see the game, beer in hand.  If you enjoy a group experience of drinking and cheering, these places are a great option if you don't have a ticket.  If you prefer an experience that's slightly more sedate, you may want to try one of the other nearby Boston bars.

Details and Directions for Yawkey Way

Location:  Next to Fenway Park; Green Line/Kenmore

Map Showing Boston bars near Fenway

Wondering what's around Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox?  Use this map of the Fenway area to find locations for local bars, closest T (subway) stops, and nearby streets. 

Top 6 Tips for Enjoying Boston Bars Near Fenway

1. Assess your tolerance for large, exuberant crowds.  If that's what you love, and you love to be making part of the noise, come on a Red Sox home game day when all of these Fenway bars get packed.  If you prefer a quieter experience, come at another time.  Or if you're here on a game day, head to a Fenway restaurant that emphasizes dining rather than carousing.

2.  Prepare to part with some money.  A good time at many of these places doesn't come cheap.  Of course, how much you spend also depends on how much you drink, play, and eat - so you do have some control over the damage to your wallet.  And most happy locals and tourists who come back again and again feel that visiting these sports bars is one of the top things to do in Boston and the money is well-spent.

3.  If you're under 21, check with the bar ahead of time to understand their age requirements.  Some places admit only 21+ on at least some nights of the week.

4.  Don't drink too much. 

5.  Avoid driving if possible.  Come on foot, by T, or by train.

6.  If you do drink too much, call a cab.

Boston Red Sox schedule and ticket information