The staff treat you like they don't want your business. They drop by to remind the whole pub at five minute intervals when they are close to closing (at 9:30?) and shame everybody into scooting out by 9:25. And it's not because they need to go home and study--the bartender wants you to hurry up and leave so he can go next door and play pool. read more

This is MIT's on-campus bar, and you need an MIT affiliation to come in. I was here over reunion weekend on a Saturday afternoon, and it was a great vibe - very chill, variety of seating, pretty space with lots of natural lighting. Drinks are cheap, and you need to pay in cash. We enjoyed our pitcher of cider. If you're part of the MIT community, the Muddy Charles is definitely worth a visit! read more

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The one star (or 0 stars) is for the manager at the Muddy. He's literally the worst. He's extremely aggressive and tries to intimidate people (Napoleon Complex much?). I've been coming to muddy for 5 years and he's refused to serve us, yelled at people for giving HUGS, and disallowed HAND MOVEMENTS. He's even pulled a drink directly out of my hand without saying a word. I don't know what's wrong with this guy but he really does not want anyone to enjoy their night. Not sure why MIT continues to employ him.... :(. The beer is soooo cheap so I still come here time to time. But I always have this guy on my radar. read more

The cheapest beer in Boston. Hands down. Not only that, but as a self-proclaimed nerd, I love coming here to pre-game at a level more social than sitting on my couch watching ESPN with my friends. I love this place almost as much as I love disjointed, debatably run-on sentences. Grab your friends and go get a few beers at this place before heading out somewhere else. Play Star Wars trivia or Yahtzee. Talk to other nerds. And tip your bartenders. read more

Came here pre-pandemic and appreciated the variety of drinks available - including local options. The prices are super reasonable and lots of MIT affiliates take advantage of this - note that you need to have or be with someone with an MIT ID to enter. They have pantry snacks (like bags of chips and candy) available, and you're free to order delivery (and many nearby restaurants will cater even larger events here, too) or bring food in. read more

I work at MIT and find myself drawn to the Muddy at least once a week. It's the perfect place to chill with co-workers or fellow students at the end of a long semester, week, day, morning, etc... The beer is dirty, dirt cheap. I generally get a pitcher of Bud for $6...you simply can't beat it. There's no hard liquor to be had, but the beer selection is actually pretty impressive. In addition, there is an often-changing selection of specialty beers brought in for various celebrations (ie: Chinese New Year, Cinco De Mayo, etc...) There is also an assortment of wine options too, but generally you don't go to the Muddy in search of a nice Pinot Grigio. There is a stack of menus at the bar for ordering food and just about every restaurant in the area is more than willing to deliver to the Muddy. All-in-all a great place with an atmosphere and vibe that is really one of a kind. It feels like you're drinking in your grandparent's den, but it's cool nonetheless. If you're in the area, definitely stop in for a pitcher. read more

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Favorite hangout spot for MIT graduate students. You need to show your driver license and MIT ID to get in but students can bring in 1-2 guests at a time. They serve cheap draft (from $6 for an entire pitcher) to local crafts like Downeast to seasonal stuff like pumpkin ale. I like the board game corner if you're looking for a chill social time with friends. There are informal pizza and chicken wing deliveries on Wednesday or Thursday at 7pm. It gets super busy on Thursdays and Fridays to the point where there are no free seats and it's sometimes even hard to find a place to stand. The bartenders are really nice and let you sample stuff. I also see the bar manager walking around every so often and managing the crowd if people get too rowdy. Overall for a monopoly bar in the neighborhood, they're doing a fantastic job catering to students. read more

How do I get my grad school to open one of these? But seriously, I'm jealous of these MIT kids who get to bask in the glory that is cheap beer in a convenient on-campus location. Of note, The Muddy is not open to the public-- you have to be a student or with a student to enter. But once you're in? Welcome to a laidback atmosphere with big tables, board games, and 6$ pitchers of miller high life. As long as you can lower your beer standards, almost anyone can be happy at this divey, on-campus bar, and I'm looking forward to going back the next time I visit MIT. While I didn't experience this personally, the loss of one star is due to the abrasive nature of the manager. I witnessed him aggressively yell at patrons for moving tables together when he simply could have explained that they were blocking the fire exit. Following this incident, I heard other less flattering stories about him during my visit which I will leave others who have personally interacted with him to tell. read more

This place is furnished like a nursing home cafeteria and smells like decades of very smart men who have wet themselves after drinking too many pitchers of Budweiser. If the walls could talk they would say "youuu are the my best friend...yer are such a great guys.... I mean....I love you man." This fantastic bar is best reserved for a bunch of dudes with nothing to do on a Friday morning. A classic bar with an excellent view of the Charles river and $6 pitchers. Add this to Bostons best values. read more

Decent beer selection for suuuuper cheap! Pitchers galore. Board games! Free tea, hot chocolate, spring water for the non-drinkers. Every once in a while the bar will randomly order food and let its patrons have at it for free. Sensing a trend here? Cheap and/or free! You can also order food and have it delivered to the pub. Make sure you have someone in your party with an MIT ID, or they may not let you in depending on the bouncer. read more

Subsidized by MIT, the Muddy makes a great watering hole for MIT affiliates and friends. Tucked into a small sitting room in Morss Hall (?) across from the EAPS (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences) building, the "bar" is understated--adorned with furniture from times past. The focal point of the room is a large fireplace, which provides a comfortable, radiant heat on those cold New England winter days. The beer and wine selection is adequate and cheap ($2-$4). Don't forget to tip the bartenders! They're MIT students so you know it goes to a good cause. Also, they are REQUIRED to check ID here for EVERYONE, so don't get all huffy, even if you look like you're 50 years old, when they ask. Side note, this is a great place to study as well. It's generally quiet and you get a great view of the Charles out the window. PRO TIP: You ARE allowed to bring in food from outside sources so don't hesitate to bring your own snacks. read more

Chill place tucked into the corner of the last place you'd find a local watering hole. Access only by MIT student/faculty/staff or accompanied by the aforementioned. $6 pitchers of Miller, plastic cups, board games and card games galore. If you're lucky to snag a table it's a great place to hang out. Bring your own food or snacks for the munchies, order up pizza, or head to Anna's before 11PM. Bathrooms are downstairs. read more

How would you feel if you were once a luminary at a major research university, the powers that be at the school named a room in your honor, and that room came complete with a a fireplace and mantle etched with aphorisms and the like? Then let's say that the room -- your room -- was converted into a somewhat makeshift student bar. How do you feel now? Patrons feel pretty great. When my band played on WMBR, the Muddy Charles is where we went to soothe our pre-air jitters. There's not a lot going on decor or menu wise, but it's pretty rad that a room formerly used as a classroom or somesuch is now a bar. read more

I've been here a few times, and I think "nerdy" and "boring" are the best ways to sum it up for me. It is full of MIT people, half of which are on their laptops and none of whom know how to talk to me, a girl. There is also NOTHING happening there. You just sit (if you can find a seat) and drink cheap $2 beer. I could drink cheap $2 beer in my own apartment and be more entertained. No music, or sports (except the TV), or any theme nights. Just you, a computer, and a cheap beer. However, I do see the draw for the nerdy crowd who want to congregate with their own species, and this would be the perfect place to do it. read more

I hate people who say this, but "it is what it is". The muddy feels like a campus rec room, with a thin layer of beer covering all surfaces. The customers are smart, the beer is good and cheap ($4 Fin du Monde, anyone?) and the free Wednesday wings have constituted dinner for me more than I'd like to admit. There is no music, no atmosphere, and i don't know anyone here. But I love it. Rock on, muddy. read more

Cheap Beer, Friendly, Laid Back One of the best places to grab a pitcher with friends after work. Usually not too crowded, except on Wednesday (Free Wings) and Friday. $6 pitchers of Bud always hard to pass up, but reasonable prices all around. A neat mix of locals, grad students, and the occasional inappropriate MIT faculty member. Simply put, a truly functional pub executed perfectly. What else would you expect from MIT? read more

Inexpensive subsidized beer, solid weekly rotating selection - they consistently have interesting IPAs, sours, pale ales, for about $3-5, plus your usual college beers (Coors Light anyone?) for $2-3. Bartenders are attentive and will let you taste new beers. The manager Mike is great, also super attentive and cares about people's enjoyment. (Yes, if you're being rude, refusing to give an ID, or blocking an exit, he will clear you out. It's Mike's place - don't mess with him, he won't mess with you.) You need to be 21 to get in, and have an MIT ID or be a guest of someone with an MIT ID (every patron with an ID gets one guest). Only food options available are 50-cent Cheez-Its, Doritos, goldfish, pretzels, or Veggie Straws, but you can order food in. They have board games and broadcast big events (presidential debates, Sox playoff games, etc.) on tv. The fireplace burns during the winter, nice and cozy. When possible they bring in free food from on-campus events. Great after-work spot for burned out lab techs and grad students. Thanks Mike! read more

Get yourself a job or convince a friend with a job at MIT to take you to here. Head over anytime after 2PM. Curl up in the foyer with a view of the river - get some work done. Or, show up later on in the evening, have a cheap pitcher of beer, order in any local eatery, and enjoy. read more

This place is great for what it is: a place to get cheap beer and a nice place for grad students and postdocs to hang out with friends. If that's all you're looking for, you'll probably be happy there. Note that the pub is not open to the general public...you have to be 21+ and an MIT student/staff/faculty member or the guest of an MIT student/staff/faculty member to get in. The bar is also cash only. read more

If you are looking for a break from the typical Boston bar scene and just looking to shoot the breeze with a few friends over some suds this is the place to go. Great service, laid back atmosphere and the bartender looked like Moby. read more

Any bar that has a singer singing Oro, Se Do Bheatha 'Bhaile the day BEFORE St Patrick's Day is a special one. Followed by a cover of Britney's Hit Me Baby One More Time? It was successfully ironic enough to be enjoyable. I don't know if it's a California thing, a middle class thing, or a public university deal but MY school never had a pub in it. Not that we weren't adequately resourceful at the time , but still I was a bit envious. The staff was friendly and the prices were set to fit a student budget. And if you are no longer a student like myself, then it is a steal! Wahahaaa. read more

Somehow the concept of being inebriated amongst geniuses is well captured by the Muddy Charles pub. Located in the heart of MIT, this pub caters to professors, students, and sometimes a local adult softball teams. The prices are insanely low, and they always have two decent beers on tap (Note: they have three taps, but one of the options is Budweiser). The atmosphere is great for conversations with large groups of friends. They also have octagonal tables which is perfect for a game of Texas Hold'em. Bottled beers are listed on a solar panel; what more could you ask for in a college bar? read more

I am a current grad student at MIT (congrats to me). I went to the Muddy (not to be confused with "The Muddies", which is not a bar, but a side effect of MIT's cafeteria food) to get a drink on a Friday evening after classes --what was I thinking? That I could simply come to a happy hour and leave actually happy -- tuh! This is MIT, well known for the slogan "IHTFP" (I hate this f*cking place), this place, and it's manager Mike, were going to make sure I understood this reputation was well earned. When I arrived, I went up to the person letting people in, a harmless student just trying to earn a honest bitcoin I'm sure, but she was sitting at the check-in table with a HIGH CHAIR, which I mean for an MIT student in a literally powerless position, might as well have been a loaded weapon and the shiniest of badges. Anyway, so the madam captain informed me that they were at capacity, and thus following a one-in-one-out policy, and that there was one person ahead of me. I considered a "that's what she said" joke, but realized we're in a sensitive era, so I maturely ( and painfully) withheld. I stood to the side, and waited to be let in. After about 5 minutes, other people started to come, and began to form a line on their own accord, while I was still waiting on the side. Now to this, is it really my fault society has innately and "naturally" developed an inclination to legibility and structure? I knew who was in front of and behind me, a line truly wasn't necessary for this simple process, but again, this is MIT, where "simple" is just an acronym for specialized inputs for massively lackluster experiences. So they formed a line, while I waited aside until the first person was admitted, and then I came up and reminded sergeant grandmaster that it was my turn. She gave me a direct order to the back of the line. To which I retorted, "for why". Now I know what you're all thinking, how dare I even respond with such a tone to an outranking officer in regards to this life and death matter. My only response is; seriously who cares? Anyway, long story less long, the manager, Mike, who outside of this, I think is probably a great guy, but today he decided to disrespectfully scream at the wrong dude. He had no idea how much spare time I have, and how many twitter wormholes I've fallen into, to be inspired to pen this most pointless of rants. However, while I write this with a heavy air of jest, Mike was seriously a jerk about the entire experience, and the student lacked some very seriously necessary people skills. There's a reason this institution is joked about for being as socially awkward as it is, it's because individuals here often create and enforce a culture of socially ineptitude that rubs regular people the wrong way. If these people, and this institution ever wants to actually change the world, or at the very least make someone's day, they need to get off their high chairs, take off their bifocals, and engage in the world not as a simulation, but as a place with real people who would love them to show their humanity and act with care and concern, and not rule, authority, and callousness. read more

Wed. night free wings and cheap drinks. Need I say more?

The only reason it is getting 3 stars is because I feel guily for not having gone there. I've lived literally 300 yards away from it for almost five years and never went. For that I feel bad, and these are guilt stars. On the other hand, here's why this establishment won't be getting five. They don't have any light beers. None. Zero. Nada. Keine. Auncunes. They have a pretty decent selection other than that, even featuring a Belgian import that has over 8% alcohol known as "La Fin Du Monde". They don't serve any kind of food but welcome you to order some and have it delivered there. Some guys were getting dominos delivered earlier. They have a giant projector where the Red Sox game was playing, that's always nice and they have a lot of seating / tables. Overall it's a nice effort to run a bar but the bottom line is, they aren't using their liquor license properly. I feel like they could and should utilize it better by having more beers available, especially light ones. Other than that, it's mostly the nerdy MIT crowd that hangs out there. A few people were playing poker in a dark corner on the right, others doing a bit of homework. Not bad, but I've seen better. On the upside, prices aren't too bad. read more

Super-cheap beer, a decent selection, and an awesome, Tolkien-esque vibe. The only con is that the place is STUFFED. It always gets crazy crowded, and your only seating options are these big tables that cater to big-ish groups. If it's just you+1, it can really suck. Also, an old dude once seriously creeped on me. Sigh. Only open for MIT affils, students, staff, etc. too, though you can bring in your non-MIT friends. Or I did, at least. read more

Summary: cheap beer, cheap "regular" old bums, MIT students Big selection of beers for $1.50-$4 explain why nearly homeless old bums drink at the bar here. Intended for students, it also serves the public. read more

http://web.mit.edu/muddy/index.html One word: Tennis. read more

Cheap beer, cool location, chill out. Gotta be the cheapest beer around, but it's not a lively happening pick-up join but I'm cool with that cause sometime I just want to chill and drink a big cheap bottle of Pilsner and pizza ordered from Stefani's. The interior is a little grungy and it is a campus bar so set your expectations, beer & wine, cash only. But how much money do you need when a pitcher of Bud is $6? read more

I had never tried either of MIT's pubs til this week. Muddy is literally next to my dorm, so I decided to go on Wednesday for the free wings and the cheap beer. I missed the wings, but the beer is super cheap. This is the sort of place to come with a crowd, though, so don't come and try to meet people because it probably isn't going to happen as easily as in other bars. But you can't beat a cheap bar less than a minute away. read more

Cheap beer at a great location with a view of the Charles. What more do you need? $3-$5 glasses of beer $7-$11 pitchers of beer some seasonal beers are available. they allow you to bring in your own food (pizza, etc.) read more

This is a fantastic place to just shoot the shit with your friends and drink some cheap beer ($6 pitcher of Bud), especially in summer when they open the windows all night. Selection is small, but if you're feeling beer-snobby when you come in, you're probably not in the optimal frame of mind for the Muddy anyway. Definitely a one-of-a-kind place, even among campus bars - there's a mix of grad students chilling, older guys telling stories and laughing, and people quietly working on their laptops drinking really slowly. One of the only unqualifiedly good things about MIT (except when people from the Sloan school take it over and act like assholes) read more

Bar with the world's highest average IQ? (Or bar actively killing the best braincells) read more

I'll be going to school here from this fall, so I am already staking out the places I like. This place is cheap and while not a great selection of beers and wine, it does have some other things going for it. - Weekly Wednesdays: Chicken wings on the house from 8 pm onwards. - Muddy Mondays: International student groups sponsor the night, with cuisine from their home. Check website before going. read more

Want free wings on a Wednesday night? Look no more. This place reminds me of a mess hall. Either way it's tough to find a better deal when you get to eat wings for free and draws of beer are between $1.50 and $2.50. Not much selection, but that probably isn't the reason to come to this place. The crowds are friendly, but obviously a bit too smart for a guy like me(don't worry it's not the first establishment I have said that about). You really can't go wrong on a Wednesday night. Plus if Mikie is the bartender ridicule him to no end...he may or may not be my roomate...treat him as yours! read more

I've only been here a few times: pre-gaming on the 4th, a birthday party for a friend's father, etc. All of the times I've gone, I've loved the cheap, cheap beer (even pitchers of Sam whatever are really cheap). The atmosphere is non-existant, but since it's mostly a place I'd only go to if my friends were there, that works for me since we all just cluster around each other anyway. We're not very social. Oh, and you're supposed to be affiliated with MIT in some way to get in, but I usually just breeze by the befuddled door person, if there even is one. read more

The Muddy Charles is not your ordinary bar, because it is located in an academic building: a huge white, Dorian-column edifice on the MIT campus (what I guess MIT folks call "Walker Memorial.") Don't worry, you're not in the wrong place. Just walk up those huge imposing steps and take a right once you're inside. Another thing: it's pretty bright inside. You know, like regular-institution lighting as opposed to bar lighting. This actually seems to make it easier to talk to strangers than usual, and when my friend and I needed to pick a dinner place, half the bar leaned over and put in their two cents. And, the best-known and best-loved differentiator: *shockingly cheap.* Definitely worth a visit if you're in the MIT area. read more

$2.50 for a Sierra Nevada??!? Damn this place is sweet. Reminds me of the Grad Lounge at my Alma Matter, UMass Amherst. On a Tuesday night it was super-laid back, a great place to grab a few beers before stumbling home. I'll be heading there tonight between work and. . . well, work. read more

I love the muddy. Its only for MIT students and affiliates and thats what makes it AWESOME. They are so chill and the atmosphere is very low key. Its a great place to swing by after class to grab a beer or cider. My friends and I will even come here and buy bottles of cheap champagne sometimes to celebrate (~$12-15)--cheaper than anywhere else around. Its a really great, down-to-earth place, run by students, so its dirt cheap. read more

I like having beer here with my bf in the afternoon of weekdays after spending some hours (sometimes painful) in the library. Doesn't feel as guilty as having beer at a usual bar thanks to the cheap price and the academic ambience of the pub. Wish it was open every day for longer hours and sold more finger food! read more