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When I moved to Boston, one of the first neighborhood bars I went to was the beloved Silhouette Lounge. I walked into the bar at 7 p.m. on a Friday, just before the bar typically gets packed. There wasn't a crowd, ensuring I got my hands on my first-ever Gansett quickly, and all dart boards were actually still available.
After a few hours of getting bested at Cricket, I grew bored and wanted to (probably) lose at another game. Luckily at the Silhouette, pool is an option. My boyfriend approached two older gentlemen who'd been playing pool for most of the evening and put his quarters down to claim his spot in the queue.
But it became clear that's not how things worked with these particular pool sharks at the Sil. We were to put our name on a long list, and when it was our turn, my boyfriend would have to heroically beat one of the men at their own game before we'd be allowed to claim the table.
My boyfriend was defeated in three minutes. We did not play pool that night.
I told Sarah Leib, general manager of the Sil, about these men during a recent phone call about Boston's bar scene and she laughed, knowing exactly who I was talking about. "The final bosses," she jokingly called them. Apparently, they're regulars, the kind of people who keep the 'Sil afloat.
Leib was one of several people I spoke with to understand what makes a neighborhood bar. You know it when you see it, Leib said.
She and I debated the use of descriptors like "townie" or "dive" bar. Leib said the beloved Sil could definitely fall into these categories. Sure, the bar attracts a lot of college students, with BU and BC nearby, but it's also a place for long-time regulars and Allston neighbors. It's also kind of dive-y -- the beer isn't fancy, and it's cheap. Something is usually broken inside the bar, Leib said.
The kind of character I encountered at the Sil pool table can be hard to find in Boston's growing number of high-end cocktail bars and listening lounges. But even harder to find are affordable neighborhood bars like the Sil, Eire Pub, Eagle Brook Saloon, J.J. Foley's Cafe, and Buff's Pub -- thanks to expensive real estate that makes it hard for bars to survive on cheap beer.
We've lost many, like Sligo's Pub and Silvertone's. But what I heard from the bar owners I spoke to, several who have been at the same bar for decades, was optimism because of staff retention and their longtime regulars.
"I love the idea of a third space," said Wes Fabrizio of Buff's Pub. "[Bars] can act as that for a lot of people."
So what makes a bar a neighborhood spot? It's affordable, comfortable, and consistent. And I've put together the ultimate guide to Greater Boston bars that are exactly that (with the help of our readers, of course).
I actually tend to disagree that anything fried is better, but in this case, the tempura-battered sweet potatoes worked. The generous portion of curry mayonnaise -- which I was convinced was a mild mustard -- underneath the slices might be the star of the show, so be sure to coat each piece in sauce. Not pictured: the wagyu cheeseburger, which is now ranked next to Highland Kitchen's burger as my favorite in town.
One last thing: After my conversation with Sarah Leib, she told me my above anecdote inspired a new drink at the Sil. That's a very cool first for me. So email me at [email protected] if you try "Final Boss."