The Other Side Café

The Other Side CaféThe Other Side Café
The Other Side CaféThe Other Side Café
Bar, Eatery

407 Newbury St.
Boston, Massachusetts, 02136
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.78
Reviews:
33
Ratings:
33
pDev:
9.26%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by FightingEntropy:
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Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Great little veggie/vegan bar around the corner from the Hynes stop on the green line. Tried for dinner on a Friday night because it was close to our hotel, veggie and good beer friendly. Odd, we waited outside for a bit since they said they had reached their occupant capacity, but it seemed quite empty inside when we were seated. Too bad, but others had left because of the short wait and the full patio. Too bad they are losing business for a seemingly confusing rule.

Great atmosphere--for us--alternative, punk, dive-not sure what you call it. A relief since we were staying at the Sheraton down the street. Friendly and open atmosphere, though the service was a bit slow. They seem to have a wide range of clientele with the draft list ranging from PBR to Stone Ruination. Food was good, and, as always, it's refreshing to have choice between more than two items on a meat-centric menu. Reminds me a lot of Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, another favorite of ours.

So, skip the touristy bars and restaurants on Boylston St, and give your business to a nice local bar.
Jul 09, 2011
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by Hopdaemon39 from New York

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Great beer bar in the back bay area- unfortunately they are closing on April 28th so go before then! I've been a few times in the past couple weeks- had Haverhill IDK IPA from a cask, jacks Abby Baltic porter, Stillwater mikkeller saison, CBC spring training, Avery/Russian River collab strong ale and wormtown/CBC imperial rye PA. Excellent brews at a reasonable price in a nice atmosphere. Bartenders are generally pretty knowledgeable and they change beers all the time. I'll be going back a few tones before the 28th. Cheers!
Apr 14, 2012
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Reviewed by kinopio from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Perhaps the best beer bar in Back Bay and definitely the most hipster-friendly beer bar in Boston.

Always something interesting on tap. Usually the best place other than CBC itself to get something from Cambridge Brewing Company, and not just one of their 4 house beers. Pretty Things is well represented. They had their one-off pale ale Magnifico on tap last time I was there. A good place for out of towners to come and get good New England brews on tap that they can't get back home. Usually one or two imports, most recently the delicious Duchess de Bourgogne on draft.

Young crowd. Nice open feel with high ceilings downstairs. Wu Tang or Indie rock playing. Mostly vegetarian food. Laid back service. Decent sized patio on a loud, busy intersection.

There aren't a ton of good beer destinations in downtown and Back Bay, but this one is definitely worth a stop.
Aug 25, 2011
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Reviewed by Duhast500 from Rhode Island

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The day I stopped in was a cold February night. There was a nice sized crowd for Saturday and I was surprised and happy to be able to walk right in and find two stools at the bar. It was great to not have to search through a beer list filled with macro beers to find the beers that I'd like. There a dozen or so beers that looked good and I wanted to try. Some really great Cambridge brewing beers were on tap that I enjoyed and there were also some great bottled beers available. The service was one of a kind. Friendly and pretty unique, the wait staff looked like members of a heavy metal band that added to the college rock club feel. The food was really good and everything was priced quite well. This is a place that I will be visiting again the near future.
Feb 08, 2010
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Reviewed by MaxBrews from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
I'm reviewing this too my own taste perhaps, but I'm really freaking impressed with this place.

I've stopped by in before I was 21 about a year ago and found the food good but the service slow. I wasn't even aware they served a lot of beer.

I went here for a pre NYEs party dinner because I'm vegan and well the menu is pretty vegan/veggie friendly. But the beer and the prices are what really got me off.

Taps included Allagash, PBR, Cambridge Brewing Company, Pretty Things, Racer 5 Guinesses and few other crafts. Bottle list was pretty impressive too Chimay, Duvel, Unibroue, and others. Prices are ridiculously cheap compared to what I'm used too. Since when have you seen Duvel for $3, my beers averaged to be $3.50, Pretty Things and Cambridge Big Man.

The food, well I'm a vegan and since are there good beer bars with much in the way of vegan foods. Where else is the brunch menu on at 2pm, for some scrambled tofu, vegan sausage links and hash browns?

The atmosphere is kind of a more upscale dive. Rundown tables graffitti in the bathroom, but relaxed. The service is made up of very hipster looking youth, but the attitudes weren't there and they were helpful, serving the beer in the proper glasses and actually knowing a bit about it. Cyclist friendly too as theres a large bike rack right out front.

Love this place, went there twice over the weekend. Will be back again anytime I'm in boston. If you're vegan/veg and love beer go there. If your not and are interested in healthier foods and good beer, hit it up.
Jan 03, 2010
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Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

3.2/5  rDev -15.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Convenient location if heading to Fenway or doing shopping in the Newberry area. Inside layout is interesting with the stairway and upper seating.

Small but good selection of regional craft beer, including a cask offering from Allagash (the Curieux). A few import craft beers were available also.

Menu is vegan/vegetarian focused, which is fine with me, but the food taste wasn't anything spectacular.

I'm not sure if "the other side" has a double meaning, but I started to think I had accidentally found myself inside the Blue Oyster Bar (not that there's anything wrong with that). Very granola-vegan-hippie feel.
Oct 07, 2009
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Reviewed by jwheeler85 from New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
This is one of my favorite bars in Boston. The atmosphere is super laid back and I never feel like I'm in the way (that tends to happen and other places). Maybe my only negative comment is that there aren't any tvs... so when I go there alone it can be a little weird... maybe read a paper or look out the window... or talk to random people depending on my level of drunkenness.

Aside from that, it's pretty much awesome. Good music, friendly staff (although sometimes it takes a few minutes to get served because they have to deal with food prep at the same time), and cool ambiance. There is a nice patio, table seating on the first floor, and more tables upstairs. Usually not too busy right after work, so that's cool.

Beer is always great. They have about 10 things on draft that get rotated... but they always seem to have things from Stone, Allagash White, PBR, and Old Rasputin. I opt of the Rasputin because it's tasty, strong, and cheap considering that it's an imperial stout (I think it's usually around $5.50 for a pint). They tend to serve their beer at better temps than most bars (it's not ice cold off of the tap) which I really appreciate. Less time waiting for it to warm up so I can get all the smells and flavors from it.

Haven't tried the food, but it looks healthy, home made-ish, and tasty. I've noticed that they also have a display case with desserts or something. I think you can get take out from there.

Thumbs up.
Jul 28, 2009
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Reviewed by NolanGTI from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +12.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
not your typical beer bar, this is hipster doofus heaven. I think my buddy and I were the only two without our arms fully tatted. That would be fine if we also weren't the only two taking advantage of the killer beer list. Lots of PBR and High Life were being drunk by kids who were discussing their newest band.

Worth going to. great location and a really solid list. The guys behind the bar were very attentive and friendly. Not my place to go for a meal nescessarily, but plenty of great west coast ipa's and belgian's on tap when i was there.
May 18, 2009
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Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This place has really turned around, not that it was ever bad though it did lose its way in a beer sense. The bottle list is varied and extensive, tap list is always great with something dark or hoppy or Belgian. I can always count on either a Stone, Green Flash or Bear Rep. to quench my hop addiction.

Food has changed a little bit but the focus is still on "healthy" which is fine, different is good. Service is a lot better than it used to be in previous year, less "hipster" attitude and more being "real".

Not only is it worth a visit but it is on my top five list of hangouts that serve great beer.

Review from 09-17-2002:
This place is for wannabe cruncies and pseudo-punks. To hell with the 90 tattoos and piercings up the wazoo. Other than that it is a good dive to get some crunchy health food wraps, solid sandwiches and soup ... oh yeah, and beer.

As for the beer they always have some oddities that the usual places around town don't carry. McNeil's, Unibroue and what not. The service can be slow and but they are all good people ... if they have Paulaner Hefeweizen on tap it is the best. About 12 beers on tap and a score in the bottle.
May 08, 2009
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Reviewed by jongullotti from Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Visited 5/6/09 at 4:30pm before a Red Sox game. Funky hipster place, very laid back staff and clientele. I walked in and saw 11 tables on an outdoor patio with people eating some pretty good-looking sandwiches and drinking beer out of what appeared to be the appropriate glassware - good start. Small inside with only 8 tables inside and only 7 barstools. I didn't go upstairs but it looked like there were a good amount of tables up there.

Immediate service when I sat down. Must have been 15 employees running around, all performing all of the functions of bartender, waiter, whatever. Nice beer list on the chalkboard - about 50 bottles of belgian, german, and craft beers including Ayinger, Schneider, Sam Smith, Delerium, Achel, Duvel, Piraat, De ranke, Unibroue, Avery, Rogue, Cambridge, Stone, Victory, Spaten, etc. Another 15 quality crafts and imports on tap. I got a Pretty Things draft and the bartender brought me a glass of water to go with it.

I didn't order food but it all looked like good quality stuff and generous portions. Menu is mostly sandwiches, salads, soups, some apps, full breakfast menu all day, smoothies, & desserts. Good selection for vegetarians and vegans.

Apparently Wed is movie night. This month is Bill Murray month. Prices very reasonable considering the portions.
Overall a great experience. 10 minute walk to fenway park is nice. I'll visit next time too.
May 07, 2009
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Reviewed by Trailmix242 from Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
The Other Side Cafe is an interesting place in the generally more upscale Newbury area. Definitely has a hipster vibe which is taken to the extremes by the staff and there weird ask anyone for service policy. The beer selection has always been pretty good but has improved significantly as of late. Usually a good selection of New England craft brews and some other interesting selections. Food is a cafe selection of mostly good sandwiches and breakfast items. They do have movie nights once a week where they show some old movie and have a theme for the movies for the month. I have never made it out for one of these nights but sounds like fun. The other real issue is it does not have much of a bar feel where I do not feel I can sit around and have a couple of beers. But...despite its limitations if I am looking to grab a beer and want some selection I find myself heading to The Other Side Cafe especially since the prices are significantly more reasonable than Bukowski's
May 02, 2009
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Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
I've heard about this place and finally ended up here after Opening Day.

Cool, open area with lots of chalkboards for beer lists and menus. A little on the earthy-funky side, creating a more grungy juxtaposition to the other side of Newbury Street. Pretty cool, actually.

There are lots of decent local craft brews available - two we had were CBC Sgt. Pepper and Pretty Things Jack D'Or. Much more regional and national craft stuff, too. Nice breadth and depth.

Service was friendly and relaxed while still being prompt and efficient. No airs or snobbiness; they just made it a cool experience.

Didn't get the food this time around. Maybe next time.

(edit) Went there for dinner last night - food selections are limited and roll towards the vegan side but their hummus plate and lettuce wraps were tasty.

Prices seem to be reasonable for the area.

Overall a solid place and a fun experience. I'll try to get back there again soon.
Apr 08, 2009
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Reviewed by TrevorGW from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Been to this place many times. It has had its problems, but they have worked through most of them.

Great beer selection. Berkshire, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn, Mayflower. The lack of Harpoon and Sam Adams is a conscious choice and one that I appreciate since it leaves room for some oddities.

The menu is interesting and cafe-ish. The brunch items are mostly delicious and the Nachos are great. The vegetarian chili is worth a try and the savory pies are an interesting choice also.

The service has been a problem in the past, but has gotten better. They finally realized that they are an actual restaurant and not just a coffee house.

Great place to stop in and grab a pint and a snack.
Dec 03, 2008
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Reviewed by ZappaCat from Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Perhaps Boston's yupster mecca of beer bars, take care not to trip over that Timbuk2 bag on your way back from the bathroom. The option to sit on the patio is sweet, despite its decidedly un-idyllic view of the Mass Pike. Some of the seating out there is covered by heating lamps so you can be drinking outdoors as early as March/April and as late as October/November, depending on your tolerance for the chill. Indoor seating has two levels, with the upstairs being a bit more intimate and better suited for slightly larger groups of friends.

Atmosphere is dim but attractive, the walls upstairs being adorned with local art. The wait staff is mostly of the grungy-hipster variety, and service tends to be a mixed bag (in my experiences). On some visits I feel like I'm royalty, while other times it seems as though the staff couldn't give a goddamn whether or not I want another drink. The menu proclaims that it's fine to flag down any old waiter once you're seated, which is a plus. Chances are if your primary server sucks, you can just grab another that will be much nicer.

Music is of the staff ipod/CD variety, which of course means more My Bloody Valentine than most sane people care for. I can't honestly say I've ever heard anything I genuinely like in there, but chalk that up to personal taste. Again, if you subscribe to the tight pants cult of the hip, you'll likely be entertained by the tunes.

The Beer is why I come here. Being far more reasonably priced than other nearby beer bars (Bukowski and Lower Depths) makes it hard not to stop in after work. For the location it's surprising to find Rapscallion and CBC running for $4.50 to $4.75 per pint. Best of all, on my last visit they had a NON-nitro tap of BBC Coffee Haus, which I haven't seen in over a year (Nirto-tap Coffee Haus tastes weird and wrong). Pitchers are also available and if my math is correct ends up generally pricing out to be something like: buy 3 pints, get 1 free. Certainly a deal. Also you get free chips and salsa (which are DELICIOUS) for buying one. Oddly, PBR is sickeningly high at 10 dollars a pitcher (especially when it's available right across the Pike at Crazy Doughs for 4). Such a high price for such a shoddy beer would seemingly drive away the Other Side's target clientèle. One final note about the beer is that they usually have a good variety of non-hop bombs, which is big in my eyes. Sometimes it's tough at a Boston beer bar to find more than one or two local/regional brews that don't melt your face off with hop resin. Thumbs up to that.

Haven't had excessive experience with the food, although it always looks appetizing. Browsing prices on the menu, it doesn't really seem worth what they're charging, but I'm sure everything is organic/natural and locally bought, when possible. They have lots of desserts too, which look awesome.

Overall, this is a great place for a reasonably priced pint of ale, but I'm not sure it's the right kind of bar for everyone. I still prefer more than anything to just sit on the patio and read a book while enjoying a drink. Coming in here late at night generally just makes me want to go to Bukowski instead.
Apr 28, 2008
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Reviewed by BattleRoadBrewer from Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3
I think this is the only place in Boston to get a shot of wheatgrass juice and a pint of beer.

Very laid back staff, friendly, helpful, but don't expect them to be organized. Very responsive, you can wave anybody down and several servers are usually in sight--unlike most places where you get stuck with one server who makes him- or herself scarce.

Good variety of food on the menu, something for everybody, plenty of vegan stuff and meaty stuff. I didn't try anything because I was just stopping in for a drink.

Four of the taps were sans beer, out of all the CBC offerings, bummed I couldn't get a coffee porter. I had a Sierra Nevada ESB instead, it was fantastic.

It's a cool place with a small bar, a good count of tables, at the edge of an interesting neighborhood. Prices are a deal. I'll definitely be back.
Mar 24, 2008
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.14/5  rDev -16.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
Stopped in here last week after work for a drink. I've been here a couple times for the food, but it's not my style. So I wanted to see what the beer scene was like in here. The joint has a hipster vibe to it, with art on the walls, some good rock music playing, and dressed down staff and customers. There are only 5 seats at the bar, so you have to grab a table. Service was pretty good, unlike other posts, the girl who waited on me seemed to remember I was there. There were 7 taps, but two were out, so I moved on to the bottle list. They had about roughly 40, which were grouped nicely by style on the menu. I ordered an Old Peculiar. She served it to me with a juice glass, which was peculiar. Overall, this is a cool place, but not a place I'd seek out on a regular basis for the food or the beer.
Nov 26, 2007
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Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
Located off of a T-stop on the 'other side' of the more upscale Newbury St. area. The decor mildly reminds me of Eli Cannon's in Middletown, CT with punk sticker-lamenated napkin holders and portions of the establishment itself. The patio located in front of the cafe seats about ten to fifteen tables, and there are about five more tables in the front of the establishment itself, to the left of the bar/register. Additional seating is available to the back and upstairs. According to the events menu, they match specific movies with beer specials including a showing of Harold and Maude paired with discounted Maudite, etc. I counted eight taps including: Anderson Valley's summer solstice, Allagash White, Guinness, Sam's Summer, BBC's X Pale, etc. The bottle list is far more impressive with upwards of 50+ including selections from Rogue (brutal, dead guy, shakespeare), Stone (Arrogant Bastard), Unibroue (maudite, ephemere), Foret, etc. The service was slow; as expected, for a gorgeous early summer Saturday. A funky little hole in the wall with a surprising list of bottles for the area. A place I wouldn't plan on going back to, but if I'm in the area with time to kill, it's good for a few pints.
Jul 01, 2007
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Reviewed by FrankLloydMike from Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 5
The real appeal of the Other Side (which for some unknown reason sometimes includes the word "Cosmic" in its name) will be the sandwiches... namely the chicken salad... namely the grape chicken salad. If you're into vegan or vegetarian food, this place has a great selection, and if you're not, you can eat all your animal products and benefit from the good produce enjoyed by our herbivore friends. Weekend brunch and desserts are also great. The Other Side does also have a very nice selection of beers, including ones from just across the river on tap, which is nice. It's also a really nice space inside, especially up in the mezzanine, which has a nice, low ceiling. The deck outside also looks nice, though I've never sat there. The one problem with the atmosphere is that the music can sometimes be quite loud, and sometimes be quite obnoxious, but it's also quite often very nice. While I think Hermesch is right about the waitstaff sometimes having way too much of a snotty, "too cool for school" urban hipster attitude (and are really probably all trust fund brats), many of the raggy, flannel-clad servers are exceptionally friendly and prompt. They also, collectively through their sign and menu comments and individually usually, have a good sense of humor and I take them as being very tongue-in-cheek about their hipness usually. Still, there are some real douche bags on staff here sometimes... so stiff em on the tip and enjoy the beer and killer sandwiches anwyay. The food can be a bit pricey for food, though I remember beer being pretty average or maybe slightly over, but it's a nice place to enjoy every once in awhile. And seriously, the grape chicken salad sandwich on sourdough is to die for, and if there's a Cambridge Amber Ale on tap, I couldn't care less how douchey my server could be.
Mar 27, 2007
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Reviewed by bjohnson from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Stopped in for lunch today. I'm not sure why I hadn't been here yet. Upon walking in you see two floors of restaurant space. Many tables empty (not a bad thing at lunch), about 10 bar stools, and loud music blaring. Took a seat up stairs out of the way in a dimly lit section. Pretty funky looking place with the "kitchen" being right behind the counter, though they don't really cook much besides bacon.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw on the beer menu. Friends of mine have been here for drinks before and said that had a pretty darn good selection...guess you don't believe things until you try them. 12 taps on when I arrived, including Stoudt's Impy Oatmeal Stout, Brooklyn Black Choc. Stout, Stone Smoked Porter, Blue Point Toasted Lager, CBC Big Man ale, DFH 60, and a few others. Decent bottle selection of around 50 or more including Delirium, Chimay, Smuttynose, Berkshire, Avery, Boulder, Rouge, Otter Creek, Long Trail, Ipswich. Pitchers are key here--$16-18 with most being the higher end. Very happy to see places are pouring good quality beer in pitchers.

The waitress was pretty accommodating and prompt, even when she made a mistake. Food was decent--good place if you're looking to get full, but not feel like crap afterwards. Hipster vege type deals with mostly wraps, sandwiches, salads, and soups. Damn tasty Potato leek soup of the day! The "advanced" BLT was also tasty. Though they could use more items on the menu--only about 10 or so offerings with all of them veering to the healthy/light side.

I wish I ventured here earlier as it's definitely a pretty decent place for brews. They seem to have good offerings, more to the seasonal side, on tap. I'll be back.
Dec 22, 2006
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Reviewed by Sycodrummer from Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Literally on the "other side" of Newbury the cafe has two floors. I went at nearly 10:30 on a Saturday night. Moderately busy with a definite "Newbury/hippy" vibe. Service was quick and the beer selection is quite noteworthy especially given the rather beer devoid area (save Buk's). Selections from Stone, Harpoon, Sam, big German and Belgian imports, and a few more abscure offereings too. Only tried the nachos for food and they were good, I'll reserve comment on food until I try something more substantial. One downer: absolutley horrible bathrooms. If you really gotta go, wait until you get to an alley and go there: it will be cleaner. This was a good spot, but nothing I would intentionally go outta my way to go to, if in the area, tho, I'll be back.
Jul 14, 2006
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Reviewed by bkett01 from Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Stopped in on a weekday night after work to see the beer selection and grab some food. Very open area when you walk in with a high ceiling and a staircase to a second floor. The tap selection was decent with a nice variety for average ($4-$5) prices per pint. I had a hop devil which tasted great, but my roomates' Guinness tasted off for some reason. Had almost a metallic hint in the flavor.

As for the food, it doesn't have the kitched I expected. Food is prepared at a sanwich bar behind the bar. I had a tuna melt which was good, but not exactly the dinner I had in mind. Their beer fridge faces patrons at the bar and was well stocked with a nice variety of craft beers. The place has a lot of potential, and I would have stayed longer or even considered going back if it wasn't for one thing.... (and i'm not even nitpicking here). The music was loud, obnoxious, and horrible. I don't even know how to classify it, just throbbing bothersome noises which gave me a headache and made me stop after just one pint. Might give it another try at some point, but if that music is typical, forget it.
May 10, 2006
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Reviewed by bignick from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Visited 4/2/06 on a beautiful sunday evening. Sat outside then soon moved inside as it cooled down.

This is so far from your run-of-the-mill place that it's ridiculous. Whatever you want to call it--punk, funky, alternative, etc--it is definitely a pretty chill place to grab a beer or two and a bite to eat. Outdoor seating is a big plus. This place is on Newbury Street, but is is the opposite oof the Newbury Street Crowd. It is just past Mass Ave where the street becomes a collection of small apartment/office buildings and parking garages. Pretty much across the street from Virgin Megastore and only a couple of blocks from Buaer and Bukowski's, there is usually ample parking along the street.

As I said before, there are about 8-10 tables on a little porch overlooking the street, which makes it a nice place to spend a spring or summer afternoon. The interior of the restaurant is very open with seating on the floor and on balconies up above. There are about ten taps. On my visit, the taps included Stone IPA, Hop Devil, Rapscallion Creation, and others. The only big beer represented was PBR, which is there for the crowd looking for a bargain. The beers were available in both pints ($4-$4.50) and pitchers ($16-$18). There were also upwards of a hundred bottles. It seemed, forwhatever reason, that almost everyone in the cafe was ordering bottles of Hefes. I guess that this is due to the weather.

We tried to order a pitcher of Rapscallion, but were informed by our server that they were out of it ("busy weekend", he shrugged). He inferred that we were looking for a "strong" beer, and offerred us other suggestions based on those lines. We humored him, and each got pints of Hop Devil. After waiting about five minutes, another server came over and tried to take our order, and we informed him we were already being served. The original server came over about five minutes after this and asked if we had placed our order. I suspect that both waiters were high, but despite these snaffus, I appreciated the laid-back and easygoing demeanor of the waitstaff. The Hop Devils finally arrived in imperial pint glasses to make up for the wait. They were fresh and delicious.

We alsoi ordered a hummus plate which was very good. It was served with a heaping platter of fresh vegetables, and was very satisfying.
Apr 03, 2006
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Reviewed by ctreardon85 from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
One of my favorite places in Boston to go on a day to day basis.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and is a great place to stop in and have a great lunch or snack, and kick a few back.

No full course meals. Dimly lit. Two Floors. Comfortable seating. Cook is behind the bar on the first floor, so you can see your food being made.

Have a good selection of beers for a cafe and the waiters seem to know their stuff. Fruit and Cheese Platter is to die for and they have the best homemade Chili I've ever tasted. On top of the overall respect I have for this place, a wide selection of their food is Organic and ofcourse I love the BEER.
Feb 15, 2006
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Reviewed by vitesse from Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
stopped in here on a recent monday afternoon.
they were serving about 10-12 draughts and another 30 or more bottles, including all kinds of good local micros and imports.
had a stone ipa on draught.
the food menu isn't real long and varied, but they serve a variety of good sandwiches, soups, salads and smoothies. very vegetarian-centric. prices were good, too. sandwiches are only in the $6-7 range.
the atmosphere is very, very indie-rock/emo/hipster.... like so much of boston. they were playing some godawful over-ly emotional white-guy rock on the jukebox. overall, it's funky enough to be interesting.
my only real problem with the place is the service. our server screwed up our order and just acted like he wanted to be somewhere else. i don't ask for waiters to rush around like maniancs, but at least show us a li'l something!
definitely a spot worth checking out when your girl makes you go shopping for 3 hours on newbury st.
Jul 27, 2005
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Reviewed by commie from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
I am not going to comment on the quality of the food because I don't eat that kind of stuff, but it is one of those places that has a lot of the things that vegetarians and other people that drink grass juice like. They have recently fixed up the place, and it doesn't stink as bad as it used to, but it still is rather drab looking, even with the fresh coat of paint. The upstairs is open again. It is more of an alternative type restaurant than a beer bar, but they have some good beers, and they are fresh tasting too. They do waste space for Stella and some other swill. There is usually a spot at the bar for me because most of their customers prefer to sit outside and smoke. Their regular at the bar, Abe, is fun to chat with. The people that hang out there don't look conventional, so they might make people with country-club and middle-American sensibilities uncomfortable. Some of the people that work there like to chat about beer and know which ones to recommend. They usually carry something on tap that nobody else has. They don't have a regular bartender, so sometimes I have to wait for one of them to become free to get a beer, but they are good natured about it. If you sit at a table, then you will probably receive better service than I did. They don't have AC, but they do have fans, so I wouldn't go there on a hot day until after sundown. I like the music, and they usually play something that I have never heard before, but towards the end of the night they raise the volume to facilitate cleaning and moving the customers out.
Jul 11, 2005
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Reviewed by rousee from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Let me say the first time I went here I got a Burgerbrau Roggenbier and it was awful. It had tons of huge chunky floaties in it. I am sure this is not the way it should be served. So I went back last night-2/7/05 and had the Wolaver IPA and a Stoudt's APA--both were excellent. The prices on their beers are a fair markup. The place is kind of dirty. The staff do seem to work fairly hard at keeping the place clean but they are trying to do too many things at once. The music is quite loud and fairly obnoxious but the staff seemed to enjoy it that way. They seeemed like a bunch of nice kids to me.

I do need to give this place a 3rd try when the seating is available outdoors to give it the truest review. The place is a real skateboarder's heaven. Very veggie, crunchy, granola, patchouli, punksters. Lots of excellent beers at reasonable markup. I did have some veggie chili and it was quite good.

Update from recent visit on July 4, 2005:
I met up with SoCal BA drewbage here before we did our trek out to Allston. It was about 1pm and the weather was perfect. About 85 degrees but not too humid and as luck would have it, there were tables on the deck outside that were available. No problem that we weren't eating either. The staff was cool with us just having a beer and hanging out there. Prices and selection remain good. I got a Paulaner hefe on-tap and my friend got an Otter Creek porter. Mine was good. He said his was too and it was time to move on. I have to say that the deck is the way to go for this place as the atmosphere is much better outside than it is in.

Overall, generally speaking--not my type of place inside but its nice when you sit outside. The beer selection is probably better than Buk's and better prices. I believe they accept credit cards too.
Jul 10, 2005
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Reviewed by Hibernator from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
The Other Side Cafe is located on Newbury Street on "the other side" of Mass. Ave. The entrance has a great wooden ramp to enter. The feel upon entering reminded me of a coffee shop.

There was a good amount of staff working while I was there and they appeared to work very well as a team. Service was really good during my time there. Wait staff was friendly, responsive and attentive. Some punk or indie music was blaring from the speakers. The overall vibe had a bohemian feel to it. Its a comforting place with a couple of levels. Seating is open to tables, booths and a bar up front.

I noticed about 8 or so beers on tap. All very respectable options including Smuttynose IPA, Chimay, Franziskaner and Rogue Chocolate Stout. There is also a massive bottle selection with around 65 or so options. The bottle selections are noteworthy with some great beers available. This place is also aware of the importance of proper glassware. There is a shelf behind the bar with a nice collection of different glassware for their beers. This is always nice to see.

The food menu appears to focus on healthy food and dishes. There were some interesting dishes on the menu. One interesting plate that they have is a dish with apples, pears, bananas, assorted cheeses (including brie), fresh rolls and a honey yogurt dipping sauce. The vegetarian chili looked really good as well. The food selections are certainly vegetarian friendly, but anyone should be able to find something appealing to it here. They also offer a variety of teas, coffees, espresso, smoothies, etc. Great to see a wheat grass available too.

When was the last time you went to a place and could have a shot of wheat grass and a fine craft beer in the same sitting? I really like the feel and vibe at this place. Everything here is reasonably priced too. Some awesome draught selections are $4 or so. Any other place in Boston or Cambridge would be higher. I'll definitely be back soon.
Feb 13, 2005
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Reviewed by Truh from New Hampshire

3.2/5  rDev -15.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
“My tax dollars better not be paying for those fucking shrubberies,” Jim exclaimed pointing at the flowers hanging from all of the lampposts on Boylston Street. It was true, the city was gussying up for the DNC, but Jim probably didn’t know the difference between a 1040-EZ and a 420 IPA. Nevertheless, I didn’t point that out to him.

The walk to the Other Side from Bukowski’s lasted all of five minutes, but it could have been a lifetime. Jim was busting Kumar’s balls.
“So, when you fill that card up at Buk’s, what, do you get a fucking plaque or something,” he needled Kumar. Luckily, it was still early in the day, about 1:45 p.m. or so, and Kumar didn’t take the bait. Instead, Kumar ignored Jim and asked me, “You ever been to this place before?” I had to admit that I hadn’t, but that I’d heard good things about it. As we approached the fronting, I noted the deck outside with a bunch of plastic tables and chairs. A number of bicycles rested pell-mell against the iron railing that lined the deck and stairs of the place, most of them stripped down and altered in some way by the bicycle messengers who owned them and claimed the Other Side as their own personal fiefdom. As we entered, it was abundantly clear that we were not members of the tribe as none of us sported tats or piercings. Still, we were all brethren of the brew, and with that we sat down at the unoccupied bar stools and made ourselves at home.

I examined the chalkboard behind the bar and saw that they professed 63 bottles on hand, including a “reserve” beer list that had Orval, Boon Geuze, and Aventinus Eisbock among its wares. Ten draughts were on, including a Dogfish offering, Maudite, and PBR for the faux proles. I went with a bottled selection, an Allagash Double, while the other two chose draughts of some kind. As we waited for our drinks, I noticed that the blue-painted interior was a true chaos theory of eclectic bric-a-brac: a dying flower arrangement to Kumar’s right; Kaiju Big Battel stickers on every surface, salt and pepper shakers included; napkin and sugar holders scrawled and hand-painted, no doubt by staff; and a crisps rack just below the single television with rabbit ears, reception worse than that at Bukowski’s. Along with humus, there were a number of other vegetarian offerings on the menu, but the scene that played out in front of us put me off the idea of ordering anything.

A grating, shredding sound erupted from immediately in front of where Kumar was sitting at the bar. As if in slow motion, Jim grabbed his pint, nimble like a frisbee dog, and held it protectively to his barrel-chest, making sure he had not spilled a drop of the elixir, moving backwards. At the same time, Kumar, tendons on his neck stretched to breaking, imploded away from the bar, also with ale in hand, making like a kite, tight against a biting wind. I simply froze, caught off guard, Double to my lips. The sound’s source was a large juicer machine immediately in front of us. Shredded carrot, stringy bits of celery, and other assorted bits of vegetarianism flew about us, a veritable shrapnel of the earth’s green bounty. I clamped a hand on top of my pour protectively, while Jim simply staggered back until his ass hit a nearby table that was populated by a bevy of coeds, clearly out of their usual environs. Kumar stared wildly at the juicer.
“Holy shit,” he stammered.

Had we been prepared for such an event, the outcome would have likely been different. That is, we would have all laughed knowingly, pointing at the juicer, and clinked glasses together, bits of ripped radish jamming everywhere, happy knowing that there was a bar that served good ale and juice drinks at the same time. Instead, I found myself examining my immediate surroundings with a fine-toothed comb, coming to the conclusion that Inspectional Services would likely have a hay-day with this place were they to visit unannounced. Kumar sluiced his ale quickly down his gullet, while Jim, having apparently forgotten the gunfight at the juicer corral, was menacingly bobbing his head to Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” a glazed look to his eyes. The coeds whose nachos that Jim’s backside had rested in made a wise decision in not alerting him to his melted cheese mishap. Kumar was already out the door and back out in the afternoon haze by the time I downed my Double quickly, a weary eye on the juicer. Jim noted that he was holding up the cannonball run and polished off his pint, joining us, arms wrapped around shoulders, bits of salsa sticking to his cargo shorts, on the walk to the Beer Works, Fenway location.
Jul 25, 2004
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Reviewed by Todd from Finland

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Despite this being a haven for the area's lost youth / lost adults trying to remain youthful, this is a very interesting, different and funky place to hang.

Beer? Around 9 or so on-tap and around 70 in the bottle, with a focus on serving beers that you might not get elsewhere. Tap beers are all around $4 a pint or $14 for a proper pitcher (regardless of the beer). They also have a "vintage" beer list and have plans to continue to expand and better their bottle selection. Most impressive selection of local, classics and imports. Big focus on craft and quality beer. And the prices ... the cheapest in town, often times being anywhere from a buck to half less other beers bars in Boston, which is absolutely amazing and worth the trip alone.

Food? I love the food here. A great selection of healthy eats and unusual smoothies that cater to vegetarians/vegans and meat eaters, but tend to lean heavily toward the veggie side. All of the bread is local and all of the food is *very* fresh. I love their roast beef and boursin cheese sandwich and a cup of veggie chili. And the Fruit, Cheese and Bread Plate is to die for. Perfect for munchin' on with some brews.

Atmosphere? Very open establishment, with seats at the bar and bottom floor, with an upstairs featuring sky lights, booths, couches and chairs to lounge about it. Walls, including the bathrooms, are covered in original artwork and local artist showcases. Music is an eclectic mix with a volume that allows you to enjoy the tunes, without making you have to shout to talk. Nice, original vibe. Between this, the selection of beers, cheap prices and food I can hang for hours and be very content.

Service? Could be viewed as "poor," however after reflection I found that it's simply very European, laid back and casual. They stay out of your hair and allow you to enjoy your visit. If you need service, someone will eventually come around, or quit your crying and simply flag one of the kids down. Overall the service is friendly and helpful.

Definitely give this place a try ... just keep in mind that it's different, and sometimes that's a refreshing thing.
Jan 03, 2004
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Reviewed by HonestWeightBeer from Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -14%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 4
o.k.,

i'll admit, reading a few of the other BA reviews made me crack up...hippy radar, hipper than thou, etc. also the thing about mcniells on tap really got to me. (boo hoo, no more) I hadn't been here in a while, but stopped in a couple days ago, hoping for a bucksnort (McN barleywine) but ended up with a Rogue Morimoto Soba 22 oz., see review elsewhere.
Its all true, ultra hip waitstaff, clientele, etc. but the beer selection is good the food is fresh, and if you go with friends, you'll never notice the vibe..

overall. food = good, beer = good, scowling waitstaff = bad...
Oct 08, 2003
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Reviewed by PatandDavid from Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Used to go here a couple of times a year, when they had about 4-5 McNeill's on tap. We'd sit at the counter, drink McNeill's, have a sandwich..very pleasant.

Then earlier this year we came in and no more McNeill's on tap. Now nothing wrong with what they do have on tap (offbeat Micros), but well, I guess we thought it was a place we could count on.

Ok, it's a very young crowd that hangs here. Very funky meets hippie. Nothing wrong with that, just that: that's the crowd, not a lot of diversity. You have to wonder if the servers are old enough to serve the beer...

The beer is still good however, the micros were a more varied set than what you can get around the corner at Buks. I've never had a bad beer here. I've only ever gotten tap offerings, although they do have a decent bottle list (nothign like Buks, however).

I would go, hang out, have a fresh prepared sandwich or something, drink some decently poured micros, and reminise about ones younger days of rebellion.
Sep 06, 2003
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Reviewed by UncleJimbo from Massachusetts

3.66/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4
Located on Newbury St., west of Mass. Ave. (towards Fenway). Very near to the Hynes stop on the Green Line.

This place is pretty aptly named. It is not so much a bar as a cafe. The decor on the main level is diner-esque, but there is an upstairs loft that looks a bit more dark and lounge-like. The bathrooms are painted in psychedelic colors. There is some seating outside on a small deck at the entrance.

Along with food and fresh bakery items, they sell beer. They have 12 taps and 24 bottles listed. All of the tap beers are available as pitchers for reasonable prices. The beer selection is good. For example, they had some Stoudt's lager and at least one Wachusett beer on tap.

You are going to see a lot of tattoos, piercings, and black clothing in this place, but if you are unafraid, you will be rewarded with some good beer.
Sep 01, 2003
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Reviewed by BillyBrew from Maine

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
The best spot to relax in noise.

Great food for the health conscious and or vegetarians. Although limited in selection, the food is just straight good. I eat meat, but the veggie chili is great (get the extra jalapenos). One of my favorite burritos. The cost, food and drink, is inexpensive to competiitive, but always worthwhile. The selection of McNeill's is very nice. Many nice tap and bottle options. I have nver dipped into the "reserve beer" menu, as it rightfully costs more than my budget. Summer on the porch is always packed with tall Paulaner Hefes. Although to porch is tough to get on in the summer, I have never had to wait for a seat.

My picks: PBR and Fruit, Bread and Cheese! I have had it a million times (give or take). Or, a McNeill's Amber and a burrito or wrap. Enjoy. Cheers!
Nov 30, 2002
The Other Side Café in Boston, MA
Place rating: 3.78 out of 5 with 33 ratings