The Best Places For Cheap Cocktails In Boston

Drink prices in Boston can make you do a spit-take – except you wouldn’t want to lose a drop of your overpriced beverage. Fortunately, a few Boston bars and restaurants still serve up cheap cocktails – if you know where to look. Here, Culture Trip has listed the best places in the city for an affordable night out. Just don’t look for happy hours – they’re illegal in the state of Massachusetts.

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

Croke Park

Nicknamed ‘Whitey’s’ by the locals, this South Boston bar is a true dive. Behind a hard-to-spot unmarked entrance, you’ll find cheap drinks, a free pool, and walls covered in graffiti from the patrons. This spot is one of the few remaining old-school Boston holdouts in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Make sure you bring cash, as Croke Park is cash-only. Don’t expect fancy cocktails or gourmet meals here, but you can get a round of beers for less than $10, and you can bring in your own food.

It’s always Christmas at Delux Cafe, where festive lights and other assorted kitsch adorn the bar year round. Drinks range from beer costing $4 a bottle to cheap craft cocktails made with fresh fruit purée. Pair your beverage with one of the fine-dining options on the menu, such as a roasted half chicken or hipster grilled cheese made with Gruyère and wild mushrooms.

Charlie’s Kitchen

Harvard Square may be changing, but Charlie’s Kitchen has steadfastly remained the same since it was founded in the 1950s. This sprawling bar has plenty of space both indoors and out to accommodate a big group. The large beer garden can’t be beat on a nice summer’s day – and neither can the drink prices, which are by far the cheapest in the area. For the most bang for your buck, order Reagan’s Revenge – a Budweiser tallboy served with a shot of Jameson.

Paddy’s Lunch

Don’t let the name mislead you – you’re not coming to Paddy’s Lunch (which doesn’t serve food aside from a few bags of chips) for a midday meal. You’re coming for cheap drinks and good conversation with the friendly Cambridge locals. Paddy’s has been around since it was founded by Irish immigrants in 1934, and it seems like prices have barely changed since then.

Biddy Early’s

Hidden on a quiet corner of Downtown Boston, Biddy Early’s is easy to miss – but a true dive bar doesn’t advertise. This low-key pub has bargain-priced pitchers of beer, strong drinks and darts. It can get packed on weekdays with the after-work crowd, but it’s worth fighting your way through the throngs to the bar of this Financial District landmark.

Sullivan’s Tap

Boston Bruins hockey fans line up to enter a bar in Boston

True Boston sports fans know to stop at Sullivan’s Tap to load up on cheap drinks before a game rather than pay stadium prices once inside. Located right across the street from the TD Garden, this dive bar is always packed with Bruins and Celtics fans, who come before and after games to show off their own skills on the bar’s many arcade games.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.