Sunset Grill & Tap

Jason

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

The glassware has been slightly upgraded; tulip glasses for the Belgians, half liter mugs for German style and the like and all new pint glasses. All of the glassware is clean and nearly every beer I have tried off of the 110+ tap list has been decent to fresh. I suggest to work on the freshly tapped list first. Note that they have a heavy amount of nitro in their gas blend which does alter some beers not to my liking. Sometimes you are better off ordering a bottle here.

The food is what I call creative pub grub, flavorful yet portioned to handle the several beers you will be quaffing. The service is quick and mostly knowledgeable about beer and what they have on ... that can't be an easy task. Lots of brewerania too look at with that American pub feel to it as well. Certainly worth a long visit to comb through the beer list.

As of recent their prices have gone up, some beers are know to go for $7-9 for a 13oz pour.

01-24-2011 22:03:34 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $

I've been critical of the Sunset in the past, but Marc Kaddish is currently doing an awesome job. And with over 100 taps and around 400 in the bottle, the selection is one of the best in America. You name it, chances are you'll find it (if he can get it in MA). Huge focus on craft beer here, with lots of respect for the local brewing scene, and quality - lines are kept clean and dates are checked. Marc's prices are also the cheapest in the Boston area, which makes the Sunset the most approachable and affordable beer bar in the area - which I think is key to spreading the good word of better beer.

The bar is split into two, each providing a slightly different vibe, with some downstairs seating as well. Marc also has plans to knock the walls down and take over the first floor of Big City, and then install a massive new bar and provide a lot more capacity for drinking and dinning - much needed as this place is very popular.

Food-wise, the menu is massive. Eclectic, big portioned and very affordable. While the items might not wow you, they are at least solid and hit the spot - their pot-stickers are great. Service-wise, never had bad service. Everyone is very attentive and very friendly, and you get the feeling that everyone actually cares about beer or at the very least shows some interest.

One of my favorite destinations for a pint, and a must for anyone visiting the area.

04-07-2005 01:54:35 | More by Todd

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75 | $$

Here's an update from a review I made many years ago.

The selection remains superior. I found several untasted beers on tap. The service was far more attentive. The food far more enjoyable.

It seems that things have improved considerably since the last time I came.

---

I went on a Saturday late afternoon with the family. The beer list is the best in Boston with 110 taps and over 300 different bottles. We were seated in the front section which turned out to be very noisy. I enjoyed the beer paraphenelia on the walls.

All four of us enjoyed an early dinner. The wings, onion soup and ribs were very good (although they were supposed to be baby backs rather than spares). It took some time to get the food. Our server also took off before the entrees came--the result was the tasting of only two beers during a two hour meal.

OK, perhaps it was a bad day (which is why I loathe to rate service) but I'm not inclined to return with the fam. Perhaps I'd go back if I were with my buds loading up on suds--I do not know of a more complete beer bar!

05-27-2013 20:36:16 | More by smcolw

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.36/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 2 | $$

Atmosphere
Depending on when you come in, the restaurant will be loud or quite but still bearable either way. the restaurant is pretty dark and the lighting is fairly low but it gives it that nice dive bar feel. The decorations are advertisements for old breweries and pretty interesting.

Quality
An interesting restaurant and fairly good quality.

Service
Superb. The staff was friendly and attentive as they were inked (very). Overall, they were great people.

Selection
300+ beers from around the world. The Tap has some of the more common beers and well-known breweries such as Lagunitas, Stone, etc.

Food
Come for the beer, stay for the beer. Skip the food if you can. Personally, I found the food a little too greasy for my taste and wasn't really anything to write home about.

Value
If you stick to beer, then the price is worth the extensive selection but skip the food unless you're really desperate and hungry.

05-21-2013 22:01:36 | More by HattedClassic

HawkIPA

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 2.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 2.75 | $$

Sunset has an outstanding selection of beers. The tap list is enormous, well chosen, and often offers exciting beers. The bottle list is very extensive. One thing that's clear about Sunset--you're guaranteed to find many outstanding beers here in all styles.

Everything else about Sunset misses the mark for me though. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a sports bar, and the food is forgettable. My advice on Sunset is to go if you know they're tapping something awesome, but if you want good food and a nice atmosphere with your beer, there are better options.

05-15-2013 20:09:49 | More by HawkIPA

Davepoolesque

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75 | $$$

Beer selection is second to none here. I find the prices to be a bit on the high side, but I usually do most of my drinking at home. Food and servers are both pretty good, but inconsistent. The only real criticism I have is I just never know how old some of their beer selections are, like IPAs.

05-14-2013 17:48:35 | More by Davepoolesque

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25 | $$

The place was pretty laid back on a Saturday afternoon and we sat at one of the bars. Decor had a lot of breweriana. If I lived in the area, this would be a place I visited regularly.

Beers were very well poured in appropriate glassware and at the proper temperature.

The bartender was awesome, offering some helpful suggestions to the people in our party that were unsure of what they wanted as well as offering samples of draft beers that were under consideration. She was very attentive and even provided some backstory on a couple of the local beers.

The selection at this place was great - 112 taps and 350+ bottles and tons of great stuff that you are unlikely to find at other places. I found several beers that I had been wanting to try - I actually had a hard time making choices. Tons of different styles.

Food was really good - had some appetizer special for Cinco de Mayo weekend and had some really enjoyable deep fried fresh jalapeño slices with shrimp. I enjoyed all of the foods we tried.

Prices are very reasonable here.

Overall, this was my favorite place that I visited on my trip to Boston - I could have been happy just stopping in here.

05-08-2013 02:26:15 | More by dbrauneis

shigg85

Japan

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Great selection of beer on tap and in bottles (perhaps one of the biggest regular selections i've ever seen). Parking out on the street is tough, but hey, it's Boston -- what did you expect?! Service is decent although the servers can be lazy and inattentive sometimes, standing around just chatting with each other instead of focusing on the customers. A nice big place with lots of seating around. One of my go-to places in Boston for great beer and awesome bar food (especially the Mexican-style grub).

03-28-2013 21:46:34 | More by shigg85

BigOldOaf

Massachusetts

4.49/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25 | $$

I've been living in the Boston area for six months now, and ever since November I've been going to Sunset to grab a fresh beer at least every couple weeks. The beer list is very extensive, covering many styles and variations from different brewers. I always find myself laboring over what to drink because there are so many great options. The food is very tasty and fairly priced. I would suggest grabbing a burger; both the turkey meat and ground beef are equally enjoyable. The Santa Fe and Buffalo toppings are both excellent choices. I've also ordered a pulled pork sandwich, duck quesadilla, chicken club, portabello sandwich, and a brat, and have never been disappointed. The bartenders always make good suggestions and are willing to pour relatively generous samples at your request. They always have good music playing, it never gets obscenely crowded, and the beer-centric decor makes for a very warm atmosphere. Overall, a very enjoyable establishment with a lot to offer.

03-24-2013 22:11:37 | More by BigOldOaf

DerekMorgan

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I've lived in Allston/Brighton for 6 years now and Sunset has been a staple of my beer experience near home. The selection is unmatched in the area simply by the number of beers available plus they rotate very quickly so they are always fresh. If you sit at the bar the managers and bartenders are excellent at helping you decide on a beer off their extensive menu and most of the wait staff is decent but I recommend sitting at the bar. It really isn't their fault especially if they're new because there are 300+ bottles and 100+ taps so it isn't easy to remember them all. The food is always good, I like something light when I'm trying new beers so the chips/salsa/guacamole appetizer is great to break up the drinking and cleanse the palate - the mango salsa is excellent. If you're looking for something heavier I suggest the ranch fried chicken sandwich or for the vegetarian the veggie quesadilla. Whether you're going for a few beers of dinner and drinks this place definitely has what you're looking for. Really the only downfall is that it takes so long to decide which beer you want from the 400+ on the list.

03-15-2013 04:50:41 | More by DerekMorgan