1. The Anchor

    1. The Anchor

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    Charlestown, MA

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    The Anchor

    2.7 (61 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Jo M.

    I visited this venue for a free TV show screening. It's a great location on the water, with a great view of the skyline at sunset. There isn't too much parking available, only some street spots a couple blocks away. They were selling food and drinks but the service was very slow, lines were long. There was a lot of seating offered, a mix of comfy couches and high barstools/tables. They were also giving out small free bags of popcorn which was nice. There were only porty potties for restrooms, that's the big negative.

    Hard slushy cocktail
    Alice Z.

    Nice seating but the drinks are pretty mid. They basically use Minute Maid alcohol mix and blend that with ice. The quality varies based on how long the employee wants to leave the blender running for.

    Two good beers
    Daniel C.

    The Anchor deserves five stars if you're looking for a vast outdoor beer garden/playground for adults on the Boston waterfront with stunning views of the north end and downtown. We came on a sunny September afternoon and insinuated ourselves into a mellow crowd vibing on 90s rock, corn hole games, and a bewildering array of seating options--all colored turquoise and spread around a large plaza with a wading pools and fountains. Beer-wise, I told the bartender that I like IPAs but not too bitter and he recommended The Town, billed as a "session India Pale Ale" and just right, 4% ABV, some mangoey notes. My wife, a lager fan, got the Bent Water premium lager which she liked. We didn't order any victuals so I can't comment on the quality of their pub food. But I can't imagine a better spot to while away a couple of hours on a sunny Boston afternoon.

    Outdoor drinks
    Kate C.

    Very fun outdoor spot in Charlestown. I started coming here during the pandemic because it's all outdoor seating and it felt like one of the safest places in town. You can enjoy a drink and snack while watching the boats on the harbor. They offer a handful of wines, beers, and mixed drinks. They also offer several different snack options. Definitely worth stopping by on a beautiful day!

    Bella P.

    BRING YOUR OWN FOOD I wondered why it was a Friday and this place was almost empty. Great views and ambiance but DONT come here for the food! The chicken tacos ($6) was a single flour tortilla with a little bit of iceberg lettuce and a SINGLE strip of cold chicken, no sauce. Mac and cheese bites reminded me of the ones you get from the frozen isle of the grocery store and was also cold, and their "gourmet" hot dogs was a plain normal hot dog with your choice of mustard, ketchup, or ranch.. lol Place has lots of potential though... Lots of cute swings and sitting area to view the sunset and hangout with friends. Just wish they would up their food game! They could make a loooot of money here!!

    a brick patio with tables and umbrellas
    Alison C.

    The concept of The Anchor, a sprawling outdoor bar with views of the marina, really appealed to me, and we decided to take the ferry out there. There was live music from a great guitarist, and the venue offered tons of comfortable seating, but we were otherwise unimpressed. The menu mainly included beers, wine, and frozen or canned cocktails. I ordered the Ohza Classic Bellini in a can, which was supposed to include 100% real peach juice, but was overly sweet and not enjoyable. It might have been because the place was rather empty when we were there, but we just did not find it worth the trip.

    "Inside" the beer garden - you can see the first and second floor
    Katherine W.

    I stumbled upon this beer garden while walking along the harbor in Charlestown. There's a limited beer and wine selection with some food (hot dogs, pretzels, etc.). Water costs $2 per bottle. The seating area itself is gorgeous. There are turquoise chairs and couches, and options to sit by the water, on the first floor, and on the second floor. This is such a dreamy place to watch the sunset and gaze at the city. Expect fairy lights, music, and a relaxed vibe. I definitely prefer this spacious beer garden to others in Boston.

    Outside
    Gianna I.

    The anchor is the perfect spot to hit this Summer! I came by here on a week day and had a great time! There are a ton of seating optionals available, you just walk right in and seat yourself. I recommend sitting upstairs where you have a great view of the city of Boston! I ordered the peach lemonade slushy and it was delicious, light, and refreshing. This is their only non alcoholic drink! The food and drinks are self serve, so go up to the booth when you're ready. They also seemed to have a pretty extensive wine and beer selection. In terms of COVID, the tables were spaced out nicely, and the staff was wearing masks and gloves. Not all of the seating options have shading so choose wisely. This is a hidden gem in Charlestown that is worth checking out!

    Upstairs seating
    Ivanna S.

    What a cute little spot in Charlestown! Great place to grab a beer or glass of wine with friends and enjoy a great view. The Anchor opened up last year but this was my first time visiting. Upon arrival they had seats everywhere and it was a seat yourself style (in groups of 6 or less of-course). We found a shady table and sat down. They had some small bites that you could order like sandwiches as well as beer/wine/non-alcoholic drinks from different vendors in the area. It seemed that they focused on staying local with options like Bent Water, and Downeast. They also had a Frozen Peach Lemonade which I highly recommend. It was super refreshing on a hot summer day.

    Cindy N.

    They have a decent set up and location being all outdoors and right off the water. We tried to make a pit stop there after our bike. Decent amount of people there but still had a lot of empty tables at 3pm on a Saturday - there's just a lot of seating space. Decorated nicely for Halloween as well, and dog friendly which is a plus. The only downside is that we were informed EACH person had to buy an entree in order to be served drinks. Fries and small sides don't count (which ok fair) but each person would have to get an entree. I understand what they're trying to do with COVID but I feel like enforcing that each person has to get food is a lot, especially as no other restaurant does that.

    Lower seating area

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    18 days ago

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    1 month ago

    Listen to the reviews. Overpriced and understaffed with low quality food and drink options.

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    6 years ago

    Foods terrible. Overpriced drinks. Only thing that's nice is the view and it's a public park so you can see that anywhere.

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    Ask the Community - The Anchor

    Review Highlights - The Anchor

    Love this place, it's been our go to for World Cup game watching parties.

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    The Brewer's Fork

    The Brewer's Fork

    4.4(565 reviews)
    0.3 miCharlestown
    $$

    Everything was outstanding. I'm a cheese fanatic wand was thoroughly impressed with their cheese…read moreboard. Their pickled vegetables were perfectly done and plentiful, and it was surely enough food to go around. Ambience is rather loud, it looks like a pub. I took my parents here and we still had a great time. Note: not a lot of parking. They do have outdoor space though! Service is very good. Food was incredible, the blue cheese pizza had a RIDICULOUS amount of blue cheese on it. My mom thought it was too strong, I reheated it at home with an extra slice of bread. The muffin was fantastic and th burger was great too. All in all we had a wonderful time.

    I smelled my neighbor's takeout from this place and briefly considered committing a crime. Instead,…read moreI chose peace and went myself. Cozy little spot with a pizza oven and an open kitchen (elite combo). Plenty of seating. I went for a weekday dinner and was served instantly. Started with the oyster bombs ($17 for 3) because oyster + tuna is a power couple. Fresh, creamy, perfectly seasoned with mayo and chives...gone in 30 seconds. My server convinced me to get the spicy clam, and it was devoured so fast. It was gone before he filled my water! Packed with clam meat, drowning in tomato sauce, and it actually had heat --not that "we waved a chili at it" kind of spicy. I fully intended to have some for the next day and then aggressively did not. Final verdict: cozy vibes, bold flavors, zero self-control, and I will absolutely be back.

    Photos
    The Brewer's Fork
    The Brewer's Fork - Wood Roasted Mussels

    Wood Roasted Mussels

    The Brewer's Fork

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    Harpoon Beer Garden

    Harpoon Beer Garden

    4.5(6 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    I've walked past the Harpoon beer garden all the time and always thought it was worth checking out…read moreas a summertime post-work activity. As a non-beer drinker, all I can say is they have a number of Harpoon beers on tap, as well as a hard cider that I am fond of, and for sustenance, they have a taco truck that I kept seeing people carry away nachos from. The one downside is that it is super LOUD from the performance stage at one end of the seating area. I am begging whoever organizes the performances to turn down the mic just a little. At some point, the live performances switched to a DJ which made the volume a bit more tolerable but my watch was still picking up dangerous decibel levels. We grabbed a table that was the furthest from the stage and I was still hoarse at the end of the night from shouting at my friend across the table. They have some reserved/standing only tables closer to the beer/food at the other end that might be quieter but we came on a Thursday and of course everything was packed. If you're looking to have a semi-quiet conversation, definitely go elsewhere in the park. But this pop up is a good choice if you just want to hang with friends, drink beer, and eat tacos. If you need to use a restroom, pro tip to use the AMC across the street.

    Fall is here!! Walked through for a quick drink and got to try the pumpkin cider. I was a little…read morehesitant on the pumpkin but you could barely taste it, was like a normal cider- and that's how I like it! Beautiful day, wonderful bartenders and a great time!

    Photos
    Harpoon Beer Garden
    Harpoon Beer Garden
    Harpoon Beer Garden

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    Night Shift Brewing - Lovejoy Wharf - Baked Potato Detroit Style Pizza

    Night Shift Brewing - Lovejoy Wharf

    4.1(269 reviews)
    0.6 miNorth End
    $$

    Really nice brewery right by TD garden! They have a large space inside and about 5 tables outside…read more We were able to sit outside with our dog. On the particular day we visited, they were understaffed and were only offering bar service which was fine with us. We got a few of their beers which were all excellent. The Belgian Waffles truly had an end taste of maple syrup. The lemon shandy is very dry and slightly sour. We got the arancini which were SO good. We also got the truffle fries which were great. We got the Shifty, Forager, and blazin bird pizzas. All of them were really good in their own ways. The Blazin Bird was a popular one at the table.

    Brewery #409…read more Nightshift brewing is a cool place along the wharf just across the street from The Garden to get a few beers and a bite to eat. I ordered my usual flight, but they were out of stickers :( They had some unique beers amongst them one called Belgian Waffles which is a blonde ale with maple syrup and cinnamon. This was dessert or breakfast, depending on your perspective, in a glass. I also got a hazy IPA, a peanut butter stout, and a hefe. All were really good. For lunch I got some honey jerk wings. These were cooked to perfection. Crisp skin and juicy meat. The problem was the flavor. They had the honey but no jerk. There was no spice at all. They were still good, but they could have been great. Anyway, give me stickers and spice and I will give you that 5th star.

    Photos
    Night Shift Brewing - Lovejoy Wharf - Cool interior views.

    Cool interior views.

    Night Shift Brewing - Lovejoy Wharf - Delicious pizza

    Delicious pizza

    Night Shift Brewing - Lovejoy Wharf

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    Paulaner Bier Garden

    Paulaner Bier Garden

    3.7(10 reviews)
    0.8 miWest End
    $$

    This is an acceptable enough place to go to for a drink if you are waiting for a delayed train or…read moretrying to kill some time before a game (it is directly in the train station area). Having said that, if you have anything more than ~20 minutes to spare, you're better off going to an actual nearby pub, where the atmosphere will have a bit more to offer you than the sounds of incoming trains and frantic commuters. Service here is quick, and (as long as it isn't game night) it's typically easy enough to grab a table or a seat at the bar. Be warned that if it is wintertime, you will absolutely feel the cold Boston air blow across your face every time one of the doors out to the train platform opens (which is going to be pretty much all the time). This is not a place you go out of your way to visit, but it is the most convenient option for a drink if you're stuck for a while at North Station.

    As far as train station bars go, this is a pretty decent one. It's literally in the waiting area of…read moreNorth Station. The bar itself is fenced in with a limited number of seats at the bar and ample standing area around the fence. I travel back and forth between Boston and Portland, ME quite often, but this was the first time I'd ever stopped in at Paulaner to grab a beer before hopping on the train. The service was friendly, I looked like a crazy bag lady carting all my stuff into the bar but he greeted me promptly and asked if I knew what I wanted. I didn't recognize any of the beers on top (total shocker, since I love beer) so I asked what he recommended. He gave me a rundown of the full list of beers and which ones were dark, which ones were hoppy, which ones were wheat, etc. I settled with a hefe because you can never gone wrong with a hefe. The price was reasonable for Boston, $6 for a beer. The only thing I didn't like was that it was served in a plastic cup. I'm at a bar, not a frat party, give me a glass--I promise I won't drop it! It was also pretty cold, but given that the doors are constantly opening and closing and it was a pretty cold day in Boston, I was expecting this. Just had to keep my gloves and eskimo hat on while enjoying my beer.

    Photos
    Paulaner Bier Garden - A fairly decent beer selection for a train station bar.

    A fairly decent beer selection for a train station bar.

    Paulaner Bier Garden

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    The Anchor - beergardens - Updated July 2026

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