Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    J J Donovan's

    3.6 (69 reviews)
    ModerateDive Bars, Beer Bar
    Open 11:30 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)

    J J Donovan's Photos

    J J DONOVAN'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Quiet
    Juke Box

    You might also consider

    More like J J Donovan's

    Recommended Reviews - J J Donovan's

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kathleen R.

    snowy day in Boston. stopped in Donovans for a beer. nice quiet dive bar. good cold beer.

    WD S.

    Cold Smithwicks on draft. Wicked Good! Fun walking around a huge food court and stopping for a cold beer. It is your typical dive bar - Cash Only $$$

    Sam Adams Summer Ale in a Red Sox glass
    Lisa T.

    We stopped in here because it was hot outside and the sign said "$4.00 beers." Once inside we found out it was only Miller High Life that was $4.00. I had a Sam Adams Summer Ale & my husband had a Guinness. They were both cold and we didn't have to wait long to get served. It was kind of a dive bar, not much atmosphere, and the beers ended up being $9.00 each. (A little overpriced but not unheard of in a touristy area.). I used the bathroom while I was there and it was actually cleaner than I expected. I read some reviews complaining that it was cash only with little signage to warn customers; but we planned to pay with cash anyway, so not a problem. JJ Donovan's was a good place to escape the heat and have a cold beer; but I wouldn't make a special trip to go there.

    Donovan's is such a fun atmosphere and great dive bar feel! Higgins was an amazing bartender making us feel at home. If you're looking for a dive bar this is the best bar to go to

    Storefront of JJ Donovan's
    Shannen D.

    I hated this place. It was my first time going to a dive bar, so we started with one that I'd walked by a thousand times and is usually pretty empty. The whole time we were there, the guy wouldn't talk to anyone but the man in our group. There was no food and very few options for drinks. I ended up getting a coke, which was weirdly warm. The other guests (though there were just a handful of people) seemed like real old regulars. It was weird, like getting dragged to your 2nd cousin's dad's favorite bar. Like if Cheers was about a bunch of cranky old people from Southie. We only stayed long enough for my brother in law to finish his beer.

    Storefront
    Andres D.

    Donovan's has a dingy atmosphere somewhere between a dive bar and a sports bar. When a local team plays it will play here and have a more sports bar feel. Otherwise it'll be laugh jukebox music and a moodier vibe like a dive bar. The drinks selection isn't large but they've got one version of all the big beer categories and can make most basic well drinks. The place is cash only and a bit pricey for a vibe ($8 beer, $1 jukebox songs) unless you're taking advantage of the specials. Still, a pretty fun place to hang out with passably nice service and in a good location.

    the outside of a restaurant

    See all

    Photo of Andy K.
    370
    1064
    199

    18 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    21 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Cheapest beer in Fanieul Hall, really local-type place, but good atmosphere.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Greg S.
    3
    112
    80

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eric H.
    4
    139
    99

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jackie S.
    205
    79
    559

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sue Ann F.
    56
    96
    959

    11 years ago

    Great local joint. No food served but who cares. Grab a chowda across the way and come here for a beverage. Chat with the locals.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Love this place. When ever in town we stop for a few pints. Love the local atmosphere here. No frills a real old fashioned Boston Irish bar.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Linda M.
    48
    158
    18

    10 years ago

    Totally fun place. Didn't eat but drinks and atmosphere were superb. Even bought the shirt!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - J J Donovan's

    Review Highlights - J J Donovan's

    The service is wonderful and Higgins kept us laughing and attended to us like we were a "boss".

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Dive Bars 28,394 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Durty Nelly’s - Window table before moving to the bar

    Durty Nelly’s

    3.8(285 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    We stopped in at Durty Nellie's for a drink and a break from the heat. Durty Nellie's is an old…read morepolice bar and kind of divey, but it was comfortable and we enjoyed our visit. It wasn't particularly busy on a Sunday at 1pm, which was fine with us, and the other patrons were all middle aged (like us) or older; the youngest person was the bartender. The music wasn't blasting, there were hooks under the counter to hang your purse (which was much appreciated), and the gender neutral washroom was clean. The bar catered to beer drinkers, of course, and the only wine they offered was Pinot Grigio for $9 a glass, but it was nice and refreshing on such a hot day, and at least it wasn't something disgusting like Moscato. [Yelp collections: Boston, MA 2025]

    Cute little dive bar that is a favorite for locals. I popped in here as a tourist while I was on a…read morepub crawl tour and we were lucky enough to get a spot at the bar. It really is very tiny, so just be aware that seating is sometimes limited. They didn't have too much on draft, thought some of that was due to the Scottish being in town for the World Cup the week before. We went with lemon drop shots, and the bartender was very transparent about the fact that he was out of most of his supplies due to the Scottish. No fault at all to them for that because that was the situation at every bar we went to. Service was friendly, the shot was nice and strong, and it was a nice little spot. Beyond drinking, there isn't really much going on in the bar in terms of activities, but there were TVs. So, watching sports here is definitely an option. I'd definitely say that this spot is worth popping in if you are enjoying a night on the town, but that it probably shouldn't be the only spot you go to.

    Photos
    Durty Nelly’s
    Durty Nelly’s
    Durty Nelly’s - Welcome home!

    See all

    Welcome home!

    Bricco

    Bricco

    4.0(1.6k reviews)
    0.2 miNorth End
    $$$

    Decent, not bad, so many options here in Boston, this was a rec from the rental car guy haha…read more Espresso martini was bomb probably best thing we got 9/10 strong and flavorful Berry cocktail was ok, 7/10 prob would skip next time Ricotta pillows were good! Wish it had more protein solid 8.5/10 Filet minon valid, 8.5/10 Oysters were yummy wish they gave more haha 8.5/10 Fries were delicious and crispy Cheesecake was ok! The food took SO LONG. I won't lie. We got here around 7:45/8 and didn't get our food until like 9pm. Parking is TERRIBLE after 6pm omg. Permits or $40+ valet only, their website has parking garage suggestion tho so we did that!!! Overshoot your time to avoid a late fee

    Bricco missed several marks and will not be added to my list of locations to return to…read more We made a reservation for later in the evening knowing that we wanted to experience the "must try" espresso martinis and notated in the comments that we were coming for drinks. When we pulled up our reservation to confirm the time, we found that it had been cancelled without any communication at all. After calling the restaurant to see if something had happened, the host commented that the manager decided to cancel because we had notated we were coming in for drinks. No where on the website or OpenTable app does it say this is not allowed. Nor did the manager reach out via text or call to confirm or follow up before cancelling. We had already decided we would be getting appetizers and possible dinner as well so they did allow us to rebook when we called to inquire. The waiter was attentive and the waters were kept filled which we appreciated. It is worth notating that the Ceaser salad is not a traditional salad and their version just shows you why it's a classic for a reason. The bibb lettuce was wilted and the heavy pour/toss of dressing did nothing but weigh the salad down and make it slimy. The "crispy ricotta polpettes" while great in theory, missed the mark of complimenting the salad and instead seemed like a cold hush puppy that was more cornmeal forward than ricotta. The real reason we came, the espresso martini still held our attention and we were hoping that the best was yet to come. We each ordered an espresso martini and while our preferences range when it comes to the perfect cocktail, we all agreed this was not the way to do it. This is more reminiscent of a liquid mudslide than an espresso martini (calling it that, is taking very creative liberty). Despite the glass being rimmed with espresso powder, the cocktail lacked the espresso profile we were looking for and the different alcohols used were all fighting to be tasted above the other. A disappointing experience and lack of professionalism by the manager.

    Photos
    Bricco
    Bricco
    Bricco

    See all

    Bostonia Public House - Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich ...

    Bostonia Public House

    4.2(2.3k reviews)
    0.1 miFinancial District
    $$$

    Great meal to end the upper US marathon vacation!!…read more We had no idea where we may end up eating but the trusty Yelp app led us to another victory dance!! Yay for Yelp!! We had just cruised the nearby mall center thingy and were hungry on our last night in Boston. We saw the sites and did the things. Boston is a one of a kind place for sure. This was the choice. It was a great choice! Beautifully decorated and oh so chill inside. We have a thing that we do at places with great appetizers. We just order a bunch of those and feast. That's what we did here! We started with some raw oysters. They were very nice indeed. Island Creek Oysters from Duxbury MA. is where they came from. We love the little local Junts a lot and had them all over the northeast while we were there. We also had Crab Rangoon Dip. Very good, lots of fresh lump crabmeat, with a house chili crisp, scallions, and wonton chips. Loved it! They we had some fantastic mussels to close the deal! The flavor was amazing! I wish I could have them every single day! We also had a bowl of BPH Clam Chowder. CC is one of my favorite things and this place did not disappoint in any way! Delicious!! The server was great. She took great care and made our last night in Boston an unforgettable experience. If you are near, you should go right now! Why aren't you there yet? '26 - 108

    Ate here for breakfast. My friend accidentally insulted the waitress by criticizing her opinion of…read more"the best thing on the menu". Not only did she not kick us out, she proceeded to help him understand how a bloody mary should be constructed. She might have thought he was special. Stern, but fair.

    Photos
    Bostonia Public House - Seating by the Bar

    Seating by the Bar

    Bostonia Public House - BPH Clam Chowder

    BPH Clam Chowder

    Bostonia Public House - Spiked Matcha Latte

    See all

    Spiked Matcha Latte

    J J Donovan's - divebars - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...