Go city themed sports team! Wooo yeah! Let's take Dillon's, fill it with a bunch of irritated staff, but add in an obnoxious basement dance floor that reminds me way too much of Daisy Buchanan's (in the clausterphobia, the clientelle, and the terrible music) and you pretty much have Clery's. If you want to be completely mindless, Bud swilling-Jam'n 94.5 listening-get low-fun, well, this is your place. Forget about any drink better than a rum and coke, because you'll just be looked at funny. There are by far better places to go in the South End, but I suppose I should be thankful that Clery's exists and keeps them out of other, better locales. read more

Maybe a 3 because I've had better experiences here. I've been here a few times for post work happy hour. It's a very casual, fairly large bar down the street from Back Bay Station and Copley Mall. It's in a good location, but parking can be difficult - there's meters all around (look out for resident only parking signs) but it gets filled. There are also $10 evening garages you can park at for late nights out. Most recently, I went with a large birthday party of about 30-40 people. We were able to grab a table or two at the back end of the front bar (they have two rooms with a bar, a room for seating/dining) and an entire dance floor downstairs (still have not checked it out). Overall, it was a fun time - drinks are decently priced, food is available early in the night, the waitress that helped us was awesome and they let us provide our own birthday cake (they brought it out with our candles lit). I would only note one issue I had (besides the obnoxious guy sitting in our area that was being rude - not connected to Clerys establishment). At the end of the night, I noticed I forgot my credit card at the bar (I had bought a round of drinks early in the night and had to chase after the birthday girl so I must have left it with my signed receipt), so I went back to ask if it was there. They found my card charged with a drink - which I DEFINITELY didn't order (who orders a mimosa at night, especially when you love whisky and wine). Anyways, the "gentleman" at the bar was "nice" enough to cancel the extra order, but tossed my credit card toward me after and walked away. I try not to take things personally, but I think I would consider that bad service. read more

3 Stars - that ain't bad! M-F after work this place is a five-star hang out. Weekends it is utterly disappointing and is probably closer to a one-star cougar haven. So I decided to go smack dab in the middle with the generous three. I've been to this establishment during the week and on the weekends. Most recently I visited on the weekend. While I got there early enough to watch the Red Sox play, there is typically a line to get into Clery's on the weekend. I'm not really sure why? I've seen women take taxis to Clery's just to wait in line on a Friday and Saturday. I'm sorry but there are 100s of other bars in Boston, many of which are a lot better, nicer, and cheaper than this place. What's all the fuss about? The beers are fairly reasonably priced, but the crowd is so weird. I was buzzed at about 11:00pm when I decided to take a lap and see what the clientele looked like. They were predominantly older women dawning the putrid pink Red Sox hat. Maybe this was just a reflection of the night that I went. However, this dichotomy has existed since I was in college (weekday vs. weekend). Clery's I'm unimpressed with your weekend bar scene. I also can't tell what type of bar it is. Is it old school Irish saloon? Is it supposed to be a modern, dark, comfortable South End hang out? Is it supposed to be (gasp) a dance club? All I know is it was convenient to get to, from the place I was staying. I probably won't return. read more

Now you would never catch me dead here for a "night spot".... Why anyone would stand in a line reaching around the corner to go to Clery's is beyond me. However, as a restaurant it's good... the clam chowder is great, and their sandwiches are pretty good too! Great place for sunday lunch after a night of binge drinking. read more

Hilarious to see what this place has become....Food is OK, beer is beer, and the crowd is just uhmm...fratty and/or suburban. You know what I mean. I never thought I would see the day that there would be a LINE to get into this place. Maybe it's because some Sox players showed up there...Yay, woo... read more

I have been to Clerys many a time. Many. Far too many, actually, now that I stop and think about it. I can't put my finger on what I don't really like about this place. It was right down the street from that big glass building my office used to be in, so it was a pretty frequent Friday night after work destination. It just never struck me as a really good spot, it was just convenient. They have a decent beer selection, but their drafts are pretty much the same price as bottles, which I don't really get. And they pack way too many people in there on Friday nights. Also, if you have a waitress at your table, it takes FOREVER to get your drinks and the bill. Not so much convenient if you just want to grab a beer after work. All in all, there are plenty of other places to go in the neighborhood. I wish I branched out more when I worked over there. read more

I'm not entirely sure how I never wrote a review about this place! I live close and it's a regular go-to. I can't go on the weekends because the place magically turns into a douchebag bar complete with a ridiculous wait in line, but it's a friendly neighborhood joint during the week to either come and meet friends or make some new ones. It's really grown on me and here's why: 1. Magner's for $6 - the big bottle, big kid kind 2. Friendly staff, bartenders and waitstaff a like 3. Space - there's something for everyone if you want to get a table at a booth, hang out by the bar or chill in the back room, it's not one of those places you'll feel yourself constantly getting knocked 4. Good crowd - mostly just after-work types and people in the neighborhood looking to have a good time. 5. Decent pub fare - mmmmm 6. I don't know, but it's just so fun. I'm knocking off a star because I'm a trivia fiend and I can't say I'll play here again after trying twice. It gets SO LOUD I can't hear the questions and I just get pissed off. I'm serious about my trivia. Still, all in all, a solid establishment! read more

Clerys delivers in the 3 phases of the game: casual dinner, sports bar(#MyPLmornings), and college party-esque basement. The basement may not be for everybody but it certainly was a great place to celebrate the 2018 World Series. It's about time for Clerys to get the respect it deserves in the food game. The Clerys tots are absurdly good. Pair that with the spinach salad or the chicken sandwich (wayne Gretzky sauce ever heard of it?) and that's all you need. 8.8/10 pint of Guinness to boot. Can't go wrong any night of the week, good craic all around. read more

When I first started coming here, I really liked it. Now, you couldn't pay me to stand in line at this place on a weekend... it's not worth the wait. The bathrooms are gross, the bouncers are mean, and it's laid out as a bunch of different rooms, it's like a maze. What was I thinking when I used to want to come here? read more

I was at Clery's last night and had a great time. It's a case of It Is What It Is. Is it super classy? No. Is it a meat market? Oh yeah. Is it a totally fun, sketchy time? Absolutely. Watching the Olympics with the people was fun. I normally couldn't give a crap but swimming was on and Michael Phelps is a beast. There was this guy there that looked just like Flava Flav, he was just missing the clock neclace. He was wearing his sunglasses which is obviously necessary to enjoy the Olympics. Anyway, the drinks weren't really amazing, unless you enjoy flat diet coke with way too much syrup, but whatever. I came to get down, and the dancefloor was delightfully sketchy. It was also 1,000 degrees but the downstairs bar area had AC so we migrated over there. But the drinks were cheap and the music was just the kind of cheesy hip hop that makes for a good night. This couple that was having sex on the dancefloor also figured out the bar area was cooler, so we got a free show. Now I don't know if they were actually having sex or just simulating it, and i didn't really feel like verifying that. But Clery's gets points for ambiance, clearly. Oh, and Bo's mom gave me a free poonanie shot. read more

We stumbled across Clerys not for drinks but to get a drink and do dinner. Ok, we got one of those alternative nights that they don't advertise but everyone that shows up was, let's just say odd. Yes, we're odd but these people were beyond us and truly worth people watching. The gay men that brought their elderly mother out and she had no clue her son was gay. The tables upon tables that seemed like blind date night or "we've never met before in real life, just on the internet, let's meet at Clerys". Just an ODD mix of people. I usually find this a plus when dining and tonight wasn't that far off. That's what the 1 star is for. The other blank spots are for the lousy service, the horrid food and for the ungodly price they charged me for that food. Over fried food, tasteless salad and thin crispy over cooked chicken on top and tasteless dressing. I won't be stumbling in here again anytime soon. read more

Pros: no cover, fun dancing, relatively inexpensive drinks, easy T access, relatively spacious Cons: if you get here too late there's a line, if you wait too long to go downstairs there's a line So if you can get to Clery's early enough or don't mind waiting in a line, you'll probably have a good time. read more

Saturday night I was out with friends for some dinner/drinks. We had planned to eat at CODA - which has a great vibe, tasty cocktails, and delicious food. That all took a u-turn when the guys were hungry and there was a wait at CODA. Next thing you know we are sitting in Clery's freezing our asses off b/c either they have no heat, or people have no idea how to close the door - with a bunch of college kids high fiving each other and spilling beer. The last time I was here was for my 10 year high school reunion. I won't mention how many years ago that was, but it's been more than 5. So we order some beers and food. The beers were fine (although one person in our party had to send back a draft & get another kind because it was flat). Now onto the food. Hmm what can I say? I almost threw up eating my burger because I bit into a bunch of hard pieces. It was like those nasty hard pieces you used to find in your burger in the "hot lunch" at school. In fact that is what it reminded me of - the hot lunch at school. Thankfully the boys I was with got cold enough and bored enough with the scene (and line around the block WTF who waits in line for *this* place?) and we moved on to better digs more my scene: Cambridge Common back on my side of the river. read more

Drunk former frat boys looking for girls who are DTF? check Twice-divorced corporate pervs leering at peroxide blondes? check These are the largest demographics at Cleary's. The food is not bad. It is riding the "I've had better and I've had much worst" fence. I have to wait in line to go dancing? Whatever. But if you're looking for top-forty music you can swing your hips to while holding on to a bottle of Bud, get there early and you may not have to wait too long before they let you down in the basement. read more

My experience at Clery's was very frustrating and ultimately unsatisfactory. After waiting in a line that nearly wrapped around the building only to walk into a half-empty bar, I walked into the downstairs dance and area and ordered a drink. After walking back up, down again, and then back up, I was told I could not retrieve my newly purchased fresh drink waiting with my friends downstairs and that I would have to wait in another line. There was no reasoning with anyone - everyone was extremely rude. Nothing special about Clery's except that it is definitely the most unwelcoming poorly run facility I've ever visited. Someone called it a professional crowd? Try GHETTO. read more

One of my favorite bars in Boston (though that's not saying much...the nightlife here is basically non-existent). It's great for those who want to dance AND those who don't got no rhythm. Shout to my Single ladies: There's a decent number of respectable men here...usually in their mid to late 20s...willing to buy you drinks and take you out to dinner. The one thing I will say is they need to figure out a way to remedy their line situation. On weekends, there is always a huge line to get into the bar and an even bigger one to get downstairs in order to unleash your inner freak. No dress code, but I usually like to strap on a pair of heels before heading here. Trust me ladies, it's in your best interest. Drinks are relatively well priced. read more

Great burger and patty melt. This is a pretty classic bar/restaurant setting with moderately priced food and drinks (Boston is a city, so city prices are expected). After a long day of touring, we wanted to stick with someplace casual and close to our hotel and we were not disappointed. It was a relatively quiet weeknight, and the food hit the spot. We got a pair of burgers and the Clerys tots appetizer. No complaints here. read more

Clerys - South End Paddy Melt - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Read a number of (mixed) reviews for the joint WHILE WAITING ON LINE to get in. Cannot understand the draw of this overhyped, overwhelming downtown Boston bar. Waited no less than 1/2 hour to get in the front door, then (if you REALLY need to) contend with a second line just to get downstairs once you've already wasted a good portion of your night. Never would have waited on line (as exiting customers suggested) had I not been with friends trying to get in to someone's bday celebration. I'm sure this place is happening for the afterwork crowd but I suggest you find alternative locales your time once the hour goes double-digit. read more

I'd give Clery's 3.5 stars if I could. Fun and laid-back atmosphere, but often too loud for my liking on busy Friday and Saturday nights. If you're already two sheets you likely won't even notice. Weave yourself through the meat market crowd and try to find a seat at one of the front tables, near the window. I've run into b!tchy waitstaff from time-to-time -- major attitude, even towards a nice 'ol Midwestern girl like myself. :) They do, however, almost make up for it with their mad martini skillz. If you're there for apps, try the pizza with salad on top. Very dee-lish! read more

Solid place to go for the weekend. Definitely got crowded at around 10pm (good luck getting a seat at the bar) but clears the hell out at around 1130 because apparently the downstairs turns into a club. Seriously. We were the only two people at the upstairs bar. The downstairs part is free though and you wait to get in inside so you don't have to stand in the cold! Kind of awkward that the line wraps around the whole dining area though. Also we left at 1230, maybe later, and there were still people waiting online. Music was really good though (upstairs but I assume its the same downstairs) and the drinks are cheap! Gin and tonic and a sex on the beach for $7 each. Basically a beer, awesome. Kind of a bro and biddies scene though, if you're into that. read more

I went to Clery's on a Saturday night and was warned that there might be a line to get in. There wasn't, thank God, cos the place doesn't merit a line. There's nothing inherently wrong with the bar. The clientele is a bit frat-ish, but not as bad as other places I've been in Boston. The drinks are normally priced ($5 - 7 for a beer). We had no problem getting a table big enough to seat the seven people in our party. We even ended up with a really friendly waitress, which was a surprise (not that she was nice but rather that she was able to help us in a timely manner on a busy night). The only drawback is that if you want to dance, you're probably S.O.S. Apparently the dance floor is super tiny, as evidenced by the line that snakes upstairs for your turn. I never even got in line but a couple friends and I shook our rumps for about five minutes near the line before deciding we weren't THAT drunk. But no cover, a satisfying if not wonderful beer selection, and a lively crowd that's not TOO loud makes for a fine night, if not particularly exciting. read more

Awkwardly bad. Saturday night, maybe 730? We stopped by for a drink and a bite before a friend's choir concert, and legit the worst service I could have imagined. They weren't busy, but gave us a table in a practically empty room towards the back of the place. We ordered 3 apps and drinks, it took almost a half hour to get to us. Our drinks sat empty, and watching the hosts mess around with our server, who clearly could have cared less, was super irritating. One of our apps was lukewarm, all of them were grossly greasy, but our server didn't bother checking in until she dropped the check, at which point we were almost an hour late. The best part? I was def supposed to be evaluating the place for a large party for my graduating class, to be part of our commencement... Um, def not. I doubt anyone wants nasty food, and terrible service, and I'd feel gross for bringing anyone here. read more

This review is for their nightlife/bar scene! We waited in line for about 40 minutes before we were let in, and another 20 minutes once indoors for the dance floor that is in the basement. There is no cover, which might explain the line. The crowd here was well-dressed, mostly in their mid-20s to 30s and above average in looks. I was impressed by the dance floor in the basement and how fun it was. As usual, there were creepers in the outer perimeter, but it shouldn't matter if you come with a good group who is ready to dance and drink the night away! The wait was worth it, but I'm not sure if I'll always feel this way. There is a coat check downstairs for a few dollars so you can wear your winter jacket while waiting outside. read more

Horrible place. If I could give it less than one star I would. Have a fabulous business event a year ago in the basement. Decided this would be a fun chiller spot for my friends and I. Waited in line with one friend, completely sober mind you-and the bouncer bent my REAL mass ID. telling me over and over again that I'm not of age, when I'm not just over 21-I'm almost 25. Management had to come out, never apologized. Hands down I would NEVER recommend this place. After finally being let inside, it was an absolute trash bar. Not sure if it's gone under new management, but based off of my experience I would never spend a single dime here. read more

Interesting place. Full of grown white men in shorts and loafers. The music was great but the lights were too harsh for the environment. My friend and I ordered the blueberry cocktail (sorry I can't remember the name) which was super weak, practically virgin, very unfortunate. read more

We went to Clery's on a Saturday night for a friend's bachelorette, and even though they were not busy at all (around 10), the general manager said that because one of our friends was walking down the street hand in hand with her two other friends, we could not come in. We explained that she was just with her friends and we were fine (most of us were). We hadn't had that much to drink at that point but it was clear he didn't want to cater to a bachelorette party. Not recommended if you want a good time and no BS. read more

Great place to host an event. The space is beautiful, and the event management staff was flexible, communicative, and professional (make sure to ask for Katie!). I put together a high school reunion and didn't have a final headcount, wasn't sure what kind of tab/open bar we needed, or how to handle the audio set up. The Clerys event staff had my back the whole way and gave me guidance where I needed it. As things changed, Katie was flexible and let me change the plan along with it. I actually created a Yelp account because I was so pleased with the experience and how it worked out. Really surprised to see some of the low reviews on here, but looking into them it seems like a lot of small interpersonal gripes that are kind of classic for the restaurant/bar industries. Its too bad people only seem to review bad experiences instead of the good ones. read more

I love Clery's Wednesday night Trivia! I go after work with a group of girl friends and we order dinner and drinks. I like the steak tips!! They have Hoegaarden on tap now which is fabulous! Clery's is also great if you are planning a party because you can rent the back room! read more

Had a great breakfast at clerys with my family of four. We each had some different breakfast items, All of which were good. The restaurant was fairly empty but the service was great. I would come back here again for breakfast for sure. read more

Is this place for real???? From the outside it just looks like a regular ol' sports bar....except the line wraps around the building. Once you get in, there is ANOTHER line to get to the dance floor down stairs. And that line is just as long as the line outside. Totally underwhelmed with the place. It was kinda fun watching the Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend. The drinks are pretty cheap. But this place just isnt my scene. No one should have to work this hard to get into any joint. And to make things more fun...too many douchey frat boys. NO THANKS read more

I came here recently with a big group of friends. Dancing was moderately fun - an unimaginative deejay, but played a lot of entertaining songs. On the other hand, I can't give more than one star to any bar/club that has literal PUDDLES of spilled drinks, or god knows what, on the ground. As in, not just a wet floor, but actual standing water - deep enough that it got my feet all wet and discolored the skin-color high-heel sandals I was wearing. That's just disgusting. read more

Great local spot for American food, beers, watching a game, trivia or a weekend night out. Can have a really long line on the weekend so you need to come early. The only bad thing about Clerys is that once you get in, there's another line you have to wait in to go downstairs where the dancing is! Otherwise good spot for an after work drink a food! read more

The spinach dip was cold, and watery--it reeked of dirty wet mop in there. the waitress practically rushed us out, and the bartender kept staring at us like he did not want us there. It was late afternoon so there were only two other diners in there so I did not understand why they were trying to make us feel uncomfortable. Got a bad vibe from this place, hope the waitress enjoyed the penny tip I left her--she didn't even deserve that. read more

Got the Clery's tots... They were fried on the outside, but still frozen inside -- swallowed one before my brain alerted me this might be a problem. We let the (very kindly apologetic) server know, and they were sent for another round of frying which just made them taste weird. I would have appreciated if they had comped them, or at the very least started a new batch rather than recooking the original. Most of all, I would have appreciated not having the horrible bout of food poisoning that night. read more

Great Scene!! Just get there before 10pm and you will have a great night. Such a great mix of people, reasonable prices on drinks, good music and the option to dance or not :) i LOVE this place!! read more

A great spot. Has been there for long time and it's great to see it still thriving. Food and drinks are great. A fun bar scene as well.

We had our company holiday party here. We were crammed into a tight corner, but they kept the drinks and food coming so I can't complain. Word of caution: If your female boss decides to use the men's room. Make sure you guard the door for her and don't let any guys in, opps. We really wanted to dance, but there was no dancing going on. : ( read more

Say what you will about Clery's, but it's always fun when I've been there. It gets packed and it's loud. But you know that going into it! It's a popular bar. And I'm Irish. This place is a good match for me. Great for big or small groups. It's actually possible to find a place to sit if you'd like. I like how upstairs is kind of a chill zone whereas downstairs has more of club feel. That somewhat-hidden bar in the back is kind of funky... Just get there early and you won't have an issue! Any time after 9:30 you'll find yourself waiting outside. The only thing that could make Clery's better would be live music of some sort. read more

I have a really hard time deciding how to rate this place. Pros: Trivia is great, but get there before 7 if you want a table, otherwise you run the risk of playing "Standing Trivia," which is just no fun for anyone. But the guy who runs it plays good music, and the competition is always fierce. The food isn't too bad - Chicken Pesto Panini, BBQ chicken Pizza and French Onion soup are great, the nachos are pretty good. The Haddock sandwich just kind of mushed though. If you're in, and you've been drinking, and it's not too crowded it's a fun place to hang out with friends. The boomboom room downstairs can also be a good time, though it can also be tremendously sketchy. Cons: The fricking line. When it gets crowded here I want to shoot myself, and it's so not worth standing outside for 2 hours just to go inside and get jostled by sweaty bankers and pay 5$ for Miller Lite. So I guess, the moral of the story is, for weeknights only. Otherwise head to Brownstone next door. It's a huge step up, and there's never ever a line, even when the one at Clery's stretches to Columbus. read more

Mediocre drinks. There should be some alcohol in your alcoholic drink, right? Tasteless food. I ordered the shepards pie, which was burned on the top and undercooked on the bottom. When I complained to the waitress, she brought me a complimentary beer. I dont drink beer, Im hungry. No apology whatsoever. Horrible service. Had to wait for everything. There weren't that many people there, but it was quite obvious, they were understaffed. Patrons are low live drunks who dont know how to get drunk. They are loud, unsophisticated and cant even keep their alcohol to themselves. Avoid this place. read more