In the spirit of sightseeing, we knew we had to stop by L Street Tavern. My husband and I are fans of Good Will Hunting so we knew we had to add L Street to the itinerary. L Street Tavern is located in a nice neighborhood, but parking is hard to find since most of the spots are for residents only. We came later in the evening so there was only 1 other person there which was nice. Nothing about L Street Tavern really makes you think of the movie and I actually kind of like that. It is just a dive bar that you can tell is loved by it's locals. Lots of history can be seen and felt here for sure! We ordered 2 beers and a Red Bull Vodka - we drank our drinks and hit the road. Bartender did his job, but wasn't all that friendly. If you're looking for some place that is authentic Boston though - check out L Street Tavern! read more

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Great pub. Nice pours. Nice and real bartender, although I did miss him off, it was understandable. You can grab good food across the street and eat inside. read more

Came here the night before and on St. Patrick's day and had a great time. The space is small but mighty, and the bar tenders were very attentive and helpful. Spent $23 on 2 High Noons but hey, welcome to Boston! read more

L Street Tavern - Bar Area - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Kinda boring. Just movie hype. Tons of locals who stare at you and don't want you around. As my friend says either tourists or a bunch of pepole stuck in good old high school forever. read more

The staff is not so friendly and the flavors of beer are limited. Plus, there is few traits related to "Good will hanting", which was so disappointing for me as a fun. read more

When I heard this establishment was nearby, and given Good Will Hunting is a favorite of mine, I had to stop in. So glad a did. Great history and classic heritage here. No line, not too crowded, and my jack and coke was stellar. Was so happy to be there and can't wait to return. read more

L Street Tavern - people sitting at the bar - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Stopped here for the cinematic history. Its located in a nice neighborhood. The bartender shared the history of his family's ownership with us, which was a nice treat. Please note: They do not make fancy cocktails. They stick to shots or an alcohol paired with a juice or soda. read more

Quintessential Irish bar is what this is, stick to the beers & spirits, add one mixer to the spirits IF you must. Don't go and do something touristy and demanding like ordering a Mojito, smile. Great place, awesome atmosphere, lots of history, would recommend. Was a great Southie experience that I cherished. read more

L Street Tavern - Jan. 2024, Guinness was flowing. - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

10/10 authentic love this bar so much. If you want the actual Boston experience go here

Wow if you are visiting South Boston this is a must! Owner is a great guy, feels like you are walking into your neighborhood bar. Beer is cold and friendliest service we received while in town. read more

If you like apples you should come here, best apples in Boston. If you find it hard to hide the fact that you're gay, you can feel welcome here, because we don't care if you putt from the ruff. Sometimes in the bar ya start dancing and the music just owns ya like boom boom boom. read more

I visited the L Street Tavern a few weeks back. This is a drink review only. I was more than satisfied. I came to L Street on a pub crawl I made up with daughter to visit Southie dives and bars from movies made in Boston. The L was featured in Good Will Hunting - one of the best Boston movies ever! The bottom line for the L is no complaints and a solid choice for a drink or three. The atmosphere was typical of a bar of this type. The service was better than average and friendly. The beer was cold and the whiskey pour was spot on. I would be happy to have a drink again here anytime. read more

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Gum in my vodka soda. Disturbing. At least I think it's gum who even knows. And when I told the bartender he didn't even care. Got me another that was straight soda. Very disappointing read more

L Street Tavern - Gum in vodka soda - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great local bar. Even with it being known from outsiders because of Goodwill Hunting, locals still come by and hang. Generous pours during my visit & friendly conversation. Worth stopping by read more

L Street Tavern - Bar area - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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L Street Tavern is my home away from home. The best place in the world. They don't serve food but you can bring your own food or get food delivered there. And another plus is that For a dive bar, they accept credit cards and serve wine! Bartenders are always friendly, and so is the crowd. It can get packed on weekends, but you will never have a hard time getting a drink. read more

Bald bouncer pushed me onto the sidewalk and put his hands all over me. Spent the night in hospital due to injuries I sustained including a broken finger. See attached photos and bruises from his hands wrapped around my arm. owner saw this happen did not intervene. police report filed read more

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My favorite bar to visit when in Boston. Cozy atmosphere to enjoy the company of friends or catch the game on tv. Welcoming bartenders helped me have a good time even when visiting solo. True local tavern experience. Will always stop here when Im in town. read more

3.5 stars... Don't let South Boston's (aka "Southie") reputation get to you too much, it's not really a bad or that rough an area, not anymore anyway. This is just a typical neighborhood bar, nothing outstanding about it other than it's lack of tourists or rich pretentious people. Beers were properly cheap (I think a Bud Light was $3) and the bartender I had was sweet and hot. The only complaint I can think of is that the bartender was playing music from an ipod (when someone wasn't using the jukebox) and the sound system for it was muffled and cheap (not the same speakers for the jukebox). It's worth noting that if you're coming here because it's the "Good Will Hunting Bar", they have done a little renovating since the movie including laminating their bar tables with pictures and memorabilia from the movie. I thought this added interest but takes away from the authenticity. It's also worth noting that Anthony Bourdain came here for a segment on one of his shows (no mention of that here). read more

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Too Busy I just can't get myself to like this bar. Every time I go I find myself fighting for a spot to stand and fighting to get a drink. Then I look at the people I'm with and we say, "Why did we come here?" I can't answer the question and then we leave. Southside has a bunch of cool divey bars and L Street just doesn't fit that bill anymore. The sad part is that I never got to experience the good ole days. If you want a cool neighborhood place go to Touchie's right down the street. Thanks read more

My wife and I swung by on the movie tour, which was pretty cool. The bar is very small, but the bartender was cool. A fun Boston South Side small bar. If I lived here, a couple of beers would be fun. read more

We are neighbors of L Street Tavern, and love it here. Yes we get bothered by people leaving the bar late at night but that's not really something they can control. It's a down to earth place (which is rare in Southie these days) and the prices are still low. But truthfully my favorite part of being their neighbor is their chalkboard sign out front :) I pass that sign every day and it's ALWAYS a positive or fun message, and never offensive. That means a lot in this world and I truly appreciate that they don't have to resort to negative humor to get people in their door. They are just regular nice people and I think that should be recognized more often. read more

Wonderful last night in Boston at the L Tavern! It is a must see if you really want to experience Boston life. This little gem is clearly home to the neighborhood - I'm sure it is a local favourite! Everyone was so friendly and Liam was a world of wisdom who socializes with everyone who walks in. Couldn't have been happier to be in his company to cap off a fantastic week in this beautiful city. Thank you Liam for your hospitality - if ever in Vancouver, look us up Barb & Faith read more

My grandmother used to tell me that I had a "friendly face". It's the kind of face that upon meeting someone for the first time, they almost always say "I think we may have met before..." So maybe that's why I've never felt the you-are-not-wanted vibe here. Or maybe other people are hyper sensitive. Either way, I'm a fan of L St. This is where we go when we are too lazy to walk to one of the bars on Broadway. Or when we just want a beer without a scene. It's a teeny space with pretty limited seating, but more often than not we are offered a seat by a chivalrous gentleman upon entering. We usually end up in a random conversation here; again the tight quarters kind of mandate it. But even if I end up just chatting with the companions I came here with, I don't necessarily think that's weird. Are other people talking to every patron in every other bar they go to? The TVs are at sort of weirdly high angles, so if you are watching a game, you may end up with a crink in your neck, but the ridiculously cheap drinks can probably solve that problem in no time. And the bartenders here are those regular pub pros that only need some quick eye contact to deliver up a speedy refill. I dig speedy refills. To clear up some of the confusion, there is no food here. There IS food at the L St Diner, which is a few blocks down the street. There is also a pizza place right across the street, and yes, they will let you bring it in if you want. But I prefer my carbs to be liquid based. Classy. read more

Based off my experiences alone for bars and what I like in a bar, I give L Street Tavern 5-stars. It's a small bar in Southie. Southie seems to be gearing itself towards the large bars and a younger crew. But this is also why I love this bar. It's small enough where it doesn't get too over-packed because of it's quaint size. I've never had a problem getting a seat or table if you wait 15-20 minutes and grab a beer in the meantime. The bartenders are wicked nice and the crowd around always seems to be having a good time. The drink prices and service are great. They have KENO which is a huge selling factor for me. The best part is that the JukeBox is a Touch Tunes and you can control what music is getting played. Most of the larger bars will shut down that option once it becomes later in the night, but at L Street you can control the music whenever you want. This is a typical meetup spot for my friends who live in Southie and it's never disappointed. read more

4 Guinness and a something-lite-beer for $21 ... deal ! Cozy little place, with a long narrow bar, dim lights and a real mix of salty old local men, yuppies, and college students ... it's all good in this neighborhood bar. Some people belly up to the bar, groups of friends chat around the few tables or in little circles, and others try to start a little dance off in the back corner. The good thing here is everyone seemed to be enjoying themeselves ... I sure did ;) read more

I like L Street. Their house brew is three bucks a glass and generally the bar is exactly what it should be. Like it's not a club, it's a neighborhood bar, you know? I'm a fan. Plus my roommate swears by their steak tips. read more

Rob M. put it perfectly. The locals own this bar and if ANYONE else comes in they hate you, even if you live down the street. Non- lifers not allowed!!!! The bartender was super rude and everyone there does not emit a friendliness by any matter of means! I'm a reg pub-goer and this one lacks any authenticity of a pub an the attitude doesn't help read more

Cheap drinks. Dive bar. They have done a little revamping, cool. There is still some odd smell here. No want to be hipters here. Straight up cool people all wanting to hang out and drink on the cheap. A real welcoming family. You might get a few local girls pissed that you are invading their turf.....but they are cool after their third shot. I have been here three times. Twice, there was a major brawl and at the time, I was scared. Right after the fight, they were hugging each other and saying "I love you man"..............yup....neighborhood bar alright. read more

An impromptu Southie pub crawl was initiated this past Friday night and I found myself happily skipping along and enjoying some bars that I've never been to before. L Street was our second stop and I really liked the vibe here. The dark wood, the table tops covered in Good Will Hunting memorabilia, and an ecclectic crowd of locals. Very chill place to kick back and enjoy some people watching or a game on TV. read more

No where in South Boston is it more clear how much Southie hearts Ben and Matt. Well, Goodwill Hunting to be exact... and of course the L Street Tavern has this sentiment seeing as scenes from the movie were filmed within its (since refurbished) walls. L Street was a nice place. Just enough space, nice long bar, friendly service, numerous regulars, decent prices... Goodwill Hunting posters... It was all just good. Nothing to rave about. Nothing to bitch about. If you are an avid Keno fan, it seemed to be a popular activity amongst most of the solo stool dwellers. read more

3.5 stars I really enjoyed this establishment. Sure, it's the Good Will Hunting bar, but it's not trendy at all. In fact, it's pretty much a dive, but clean and great service. I was here with some friends on the earlier side of a Saturday night, so the atmosphere was lively but not crazy. It seemed like after 9 or 10pm, it turns into a crazy place. I would come back for afternoon or early evening drinks. read more

L street is a great spot. Easy to grab a drink and reasonably priced.

This is a great local neighborhood bar which is tough to find in Southie. The drinks are good and affordable. It's a casual bar but it gets busy as the night goes on. They have a touch tunes system which allows customers to play and select songs which is definetly a great benefit. read more

The L is a great southie bar. It's small, dark, loud usually, and filled with south boston characters. I used to go here all the time and meet my buddy for a drink. He moved, and now I have very little reason to make the trek. It's too bad, it's a spectacular neighborhood bar. read more

This place is great. Very authentic Boston tavern with old school feel. Love coming here with friends and family.

This place wasn't bad at all. Small little neighborhood southie bar, with a TON of TV's. I forget how many there were, but enough so no matter where you were seated or looking in the bar, you were able to have your eye on at least one TV. I don't know why some people don't feel welcome here. I almost felt like I should have seen more tourists here with the way it's set up and has all of the Good Will Hunting memorabilia around. The bartender was super nice, and my friend and I didn't really talk to the other patrons, but we were not given a hard time at all... and my friend is German. The woman's bathroom is just to the right of the bar, and can be a little tricky to see. All in all I think this is a good neighborhood spot. No food, to my knowledge... just drinks - so eat before you come. Just one minor gripe for those not living in the neighborhood - no parking except for street... and during the week after 6pm that parking is for residents only. If you're lucky, you can find some parking on E Broadway, and it's not too far of a walk. read more

Just a bar. - I was here this past weekend. It's just a small bar. I guess it likes to think it's a local watering hole, but thanks to appearing in the Good Will Hunting movie, along with Anthony Bourdain's Boston episode of No Reservations, the establishment, along with it's clientele have become, well, CLEANER. You won't find many roughneck southies here. Mainly yuppies who have invaded the neighborhood wearing collared shirts. - When I say "it's just a bar" I mean - that's it. It's a small place that serves booze. No band, no food, no nothing. At least they got a jukebox. I can't think I'd ever go back for any particular reason. read more

Great brunch. Food was delicious. Staff was attentive and pleasant. So, much food!! All you can eat buffet at a great price. Prime Rib that melts in your mouth, really, you don't even need a steak knife!! You gotta check it out. I'm going back next week. read more

Instantly brought back nostalgia from Good Will Hunting, even 20 years later. The bar has been remodeled and it looks different, although all the Good Will Hunting poster and pictures is still there. Drinks were average, nothing stood out, typical tavern. read more

If you get lucky enough you'll get Kevin, the bartender. Needless to say he is a down to earth good guy, with great ideas of places to see in Boston, with also an awesome Boston accent. He is born and raised South Boston boy! All persons there were super friendly and gave a great recommendation for Sicilian food across the road! read more