The 21st Amendment is one of those neighborhood places you don't want out-of-towners to frequent. That is, it has a neighborhood charm and very local feel, and I hope it stays that way. When I worked across the street, I went to the 21st a lot with coworkers. You will definitely find suited State House folks there on weekday evenings. I've encountered a good many young-ish professionals there, as well as a dose of local sports fan types. As a vegetarian, I can't speak to a good portion of their menu-but I absolutely adore their sauteed green beans. It's a simple thing, but can go so wrong. The 21st gets it right-olive oil, salt, and a healthy dose of black pepper make the perfect green beans. I took away a star because they charge just under ten dollars for a whiskey sour, which seems sort of steep to me. Perhaps I incorrectly assume that the 21st is not one of those snobby, expensive Boston bars, but I was a bit surprised by the price of this drink. To compare, my roasted portobello and mozarella sandwich was $10.50. Probably a good place to hang out if you are a single lady, GIRLS.
(4)
Aaron G.
I've been to the 21st a number of times, mostly for low-key after work drinks. I wouldn't travel great distances for the 21st, but it accomplishes everything it sets out to do. The service here is quick, efficient and unobtrusive. There's nothing remarkable about the beer list or the menu, but I've never had anything bad there either. I can't say I've ever been bothered by rowdy customers, either. To contradict some other reviewers here, I don't find the ambiance particularly pleasant, aside from the large fireplace they have going in the winter. In short, you won't expand your horizons or knock your date's socks off here, but you want a beer and a burger, you can do a lot worse.
(3)
Andrew F.
Loud, dark and a burger the size of my face. Perfect combo for a low-maintenance night out! Went here this weekend and enjoyed their 21st burger and onion rings. Nothing too special, but I will definitely go back when I'm craving pub food close to home!
(3)
Ali E.
Primarily I should give some love to George, the trivia emcee, who is generally awesome. Get here before 7:30 if you want a place to sit, or at the very least a place to write. As has been mentioned, it gets packed. The nachos and fries are great. The chicken quesedilla was pretty yummy, too. The onion rings are a little crumbly. Unfortunately the waitstaff is a little slow, so if you're ordering food and beer at a high-top table or in the back, try to do everything at once so you're not waiting an hour for the beer and then another hour for the food. The bartenders, on the other hand, are awesome. And kind of adorable. But I digress. I only wish I lived closer.
(4)
Jessie N.
Last night was my first visit and I was happy with the service. I had three guests with me and there were plenty of open tables. I ordered the flatbread pizza and am definitely a fan of it. My friend ordered the hangover burger which was the special of the night and it looked pretty good. I will definitely come back again.
(4)
Colleen H.
I'd like to say that I'm not a frequent "bar-hopper" but I seem to find myself in bars more and more as time goes on. Sigh. Thankfully, there are places like the 21st Amendment that cater to my needs. I can wear clothes straight from work (business-chic, of course) without getting stared at (Southie doesn't get it). They have some pretty interesting cocktails, I had this really good one last time that actually had fresh cranberries in it -- yum! and of course lots of beer. The food here isn't terrible, I wouldn't come here TO eat, but if you happen to be hungry after a few drinks, you can definitely order something and not be mad about it. Oh, and a friend of mine likes to book sections of the upper floor out for birthday parties and such since he works at One Beacon and they've always been very accommodating. It is very loud in here, and definitely dark enough and big enough that you may have a hard time looking for your friends... but its a pretty good place to hit up after work with a few or a ton of friends.
(4)
Ilana F.
We went to 21st Amendment for trivia on Sunday. They were completely unprepared for a crowd. Firstly we waited outside to even be let inside the bar in very cold weather. We then put our name down for a table and the table was subsequently given to a party who had come in long after us. We were finally seated many hours later - which is not a huge problem. However, we were not told at that time that we could not be served since the kitchen closed. I had to approach the waitress and manager who then told me that the kitchen was closed and we could not be served. Had we been aware that the kitchen closed at 10 pm then we would made alternate plans. This was a very unpleasant service by inexperienced management. I would not recommend their service.
(1)
Dana B.
I'll be honest. I was expecting a bunch of dude-brah's high fiving each other and pouding back bud light like it was the end of the world. Instead, I stumbled upon a classy little pub. Wandered in on a Sunday with some out of town friends just in time to start trivia. Thumbs up to the guy that runs it because this was HARD. Our team, Crab Rash, came in about 17th. We were hammered anyway. BUT the food was great. Bacon grilled cheese? Yes, please. Nachos were delish. Great beer selection. And not overpriced for Downtown Boston. You have really impressed me, 21st Amendment!
(4)
Anthony R.
21st Amendment has become my default before-or-after-the-movies bar when heading over to the Boston Common Loews to indulge in the latest mind-numbing blockbuster schlock. (Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love every second of it - Michael Bay is a brilliant man. But I digress.) It's a great place for large groups - the front section by the bar gets pretty packed, but I've always found tables to sit at in the back section even on weekend nights. It's the usual set of Boston beer taps with some fairly uninteresting cocktails on the menu, but bumping 21st Amendment up from 3-star mediocrity to 4-star recommendation is the scrumptious and affordable bar food. Especially recommended are the nachos with buffalo chicken. $10 gets you an enormous platter of nachos complete with meat, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. One of those and a couple rounds of Harpoon IPA make me pretty happy. The burgers are big, greasy, and well made, as are the paninis -- you're not going to find anything too adventurous here, but on Beacon Hill it's nice just to find a place where you can grab a couple drinks and some simple quality food and walk away just $20 poorer.
(4)
Tony K.
This is rapidly becoming my goto bar downtown. The beer selection is pretty much all New England flagship beers - not terribly interesting, but it hits a spot. The real reason to come here is for the atmosphere. It has a warm, inviting, old-worldy feel that makes it seem especially appropriate on a cold night. All sorts of people hang out here too - young and old, hip and square. The 2-1-A is A-O-K.
(4)
Chris B.
Wow! An unexpected surprise in the Commons! Went here with a TON of people, and they accommodated us. We took up a LOT of the dining room, totally consumed one waitress' time for 3 1/2 hours on a Celtics playoff night - and the service was impeccable -and prompt. Good food, food drinks - and very reasonable. A good time was had by all... good food, good ambience, good people. Recommended.
(4)
Kevin C.
I love dive bars and 21st is no exception. It's got all the right elements - dark lighting, low ceilings, and cheap beer. I've been here a few times after work and it's always been worthwhile. It's pretty bro-y though, so keep that in mind.
(4)
Mike O.
You have to appreciate a bar that knows what it is. The 21st is there to server you food and booze, and you are there to eat and get drunk. That's about it. That simple premise (along with it's location near the statehouse and Suffolk) is why there is a good mix of people in there. If you are a people watcher, this place is for you: Over-sharing politician - Check Mistress/Escort of said politician - Check Reckless Statehouse Staffers - Check Drunk College Kids - Check Young Professionals hitting on said Kids - Check Local Blue Blood Drunks - Check Completely baffled tourists - Check And with that simple premise, you never really know what to expect when you go in. The following story was my 1st encounter with the 21st. After a full day of moving to Beacon Hill, my girlfriend and I needed food and drink. We stumbled in there around 3pm on a Saturday. At the bar, there were a hand full of people avoiding the summer heat. In the back there were a gaggle of girls ordering a dozen shots every 20 minutes or so. (Ready.....) After about the 5th round of a dozen little guys of liquid courage, two girls emerged from the back room. (Set..........) They found two guys sitting at the end of the bar and walked over to them. One girl announces to the bar that it was the other girl's 21st birthday and she has a scavenger hunt. One of the "items" on the list was "do a body shot off of a random guy." (Go!!!!!!!!) After some encouragement from the bar tender (yes the bar tender was encouraging this), one of the guys took off his shirt and laid down on the bar. Instantly, the once quite bar was swarmed by the party of girls snapping pictures. After the shot was done, the girls screamed out to the guy "What's your name so we can tag you on Facebook?" The guy responded "F*$k you!. My girl friend is not going to see those pictures." Classic. We now go there almost once a week.
(5)
Laura J.
My friend and I decided to have an impromptu pub crawl on a freaking Tuesday afternoon...I know, we sound like drunks but seriously, it was completely random and not part of our normal repertoire. ANYWAYS, on our staggering mission to check out new places neither of us had ever visited before, I found 21st amendment, Walked into a complete sausage fest (score!). I remember thinking "jesus is this where all the men in Boston have been hiding out after work??" But as I sipped on my absolut ruby and soda, I become accustomed to the continuous inflow of men walking through the door every 5 minutes. In fact, it became almost comical that besides the 2 lovely bartenders, myself and my friend, and the 4 other women in the entire place, every other body inside was a male! But let me say, that everyone I talked to was extremely polite and very nice. No greaseballs to be seen. Good drinks, nice scenery, I hear the food is good too. I'll DEF be back soooooon!
(4)
Emily G.
Even after 2.5 years of working on Beacon Hill and going there for almost every business lunch and after-work drink, I'm still not sick of it. Good attentive bartenders, good blend of local Boston charm to keep it real and prissy rich clients to keep the standards high, and all the classic pub food is golden: Buffalo wings, burgers and great seasoned fries are high up on my list, and not an unreasonable price on the menu in my opinion. Good prices on brews too, though you have to jostle for space during the after-work crowd and shout to be heard. Also great for spotting government movers and shakers, if you're the sort of person who's prone to recognize Deval Patrick's wife or the State Senate President.
(4)
Laura K.
youtube.com/watch?v=eiuH… (srsly, the avg ratio is close to 8:1)
(5)
Betty P.
I've been here before for the food (which is great!), but last night we just wanted a chill place to kick back some beers. We were at Scollay Square for dinner so just around the corner is this comfy neighborhood pub. It was only 9pm so we scored 4 stools. (About an hour later, the place was pretty happening.) Almost immediately, we received service from a friendly waiter/bartender. Throughout the evening, we were checked on quite a lot and everyone was uber friendly. For you sports nuts who are wondering, yes, there were 2 flat screen tv's near the bar, giving us great views of sports news and a hockey game. Besides the $5 beers, great service, historical posters, and cool atmosphere, the most amazing thing about this place is the super clean ladies room! I had drank so much water at dinner and then 2 beers here that my bladder was about to explode! I am usually one who does everything possible to avoid public restrooms but I simply could not wait to get home. So I hesitatingly went to the bathroom and I thought I might have been feeling the effect of the beers. I have never seen such a spotless bathroom in a bar! And there was automatic foam hand soap to boot!!! Just for the lovely facilities, this place gets 5 humongo stars. Finally, we were all braindead and couldn't remember what the 21st amendment actually was. (For the record, I said it had to do with the end of Prohibition but nobody believed me.) We asked one of the bartenders on the way out and he knew what the 21st amendment was. Yet more kudos for a staff that knows its American history!
(5)
Chris M.
Some of my classmates and I went here to celebrate the completion of a prep class we were all in. The atmosphere is like any other bar with music and people talking loudly. We had about ten people so we couldn't get a table big enough for all of us. We decided to stand by a small bar height table and (don't tell the fire dept.) we sort of blocked the doorway. There was just nowhere to go. We had tequila shots and beer. The waitress was quick with our orders. We ordered chicken strips and nachos. The chicken strips were just ok. The batter was kind of soggy. The dips that they came with were good though: bbq sauce and a yummy thick dijon mustard dipping sauce. The nachos were really good. They were loaded with halapenos, guac, sour cream, little chicken chunks, green onions, lots of melted cheese and salsa. I had to leave early but while I was there I had a good time and it seemed like everyone else was having a good time too. It was a nice way to end the week.
(4)
John L.
I've had a myriad of experiences here: some for food, some for watching the game (whatever game it was at the time), and once for trivia. The establishment itself is a little on the small side, but the atmosphere isn't too bad. However, it can get really crowded really quickly, which hinders game-watching. As for food, it's standard bar fare, though it's decently priced (the grilled cheese comes to mind, which one can get with broccoli) It's an okay place for trivia as well, though it can be tough to find a place to write considering the bar space. The crowding issue can be a burden for trivia, but it's not too bad.
(4)
Andrew D.
I just moved in next door to 21st Amendment, so I felt obligated to stop in for lunch today and check things out. Despite a lost star for the rowdy drunk politician crowd (at 2 pm, even!) that was constantly bantering (read: insulting) the bartender, everything else was near perfect. I sat down at the bar and was promptly brought a beer and a menu by the good-humored bartender, who was adeptly managing all the aforementioned drunks while taking my order and refilling drinks. I had a couple Harpoons from the tap to start, and I have to say that they definitely do not water the beer down here; only $5 each and I nearly had to sleep it off afterwards. Next up was the 21st Burger, which was truly monumental. One cannot possibly imagine the size of this burger until you see it first-hand: possibly a 1/2 pound of meat, a pile of bacon, and a 3-inch tower of crispy onion rings that hovers over the rest of the plate. I'm still not sure how I ate the whole thing, so I'm going to assume I fell into some kind of ravenous state, because before I knew it I had cleaned the plate and left feeling incredibly satisfied.
(4)
John O.
This is a solid bar right by the Capitol. Decent selection of brew and the staff is always friendly and helpful.
(4)
Jess N.
You may wonder, what gives this place 4 stars? Well, they deserve a star purely for their name. If there establishment had been anywhere else in the city I would be mocking its name. A bar named 21st Amendment next to the State House simply makes sense. I went here for the first time on a Saturday night. Even though it was starting to get busy, my friend and I snagged table. You get a star for that. The waitress was a little over eager and came by a little too often. She redeemed herself by bringing our drinks quickly which on a Saturday night sure is nice. Prior to visiting 21st, I obviously checked the yelp reviews. Let's face it, I'm a yelp junkie. I noticed a lot of yelpers mentioned the cleanliness of the bathrooms. The men and women's bathrooms are in different locations (the women's is upstairs near the kitchen, the men's is directly across from the entrance). The women's bathroom was clean enough but nothing spectacular and according to my friend the bathroom was nothing to boast about.
(4)
Chris M.
My boyfriend lives not two minutes away, so when we didn't have any other dinner plans last night, we decided to stop in. We sat at a table, although the people at the bar looked like they were having lots of fun. The waitress was fairly attentive, although not the best I've had. The food on the other hand was definitely above average. I had the 21st burger, and it was ridiculously huge. I had to start off by eating some of the onion rings off of it before I could even think about fitting it into my mouth... My boyfriend's Caprese Chicken sandwich looked only so-so, but his sweet potato fries were incredible. The major downside I would say would have to be the price of the drinks: $5 for a beer isn't bad, but the $9 cocktail was a bit overpriced in my opinion. That being said I would definitely go back especially for the trivia/family feud type game they have on Monday nights.
(4)
Patrick O.
One of the best bars I've ever been to. On a recommendation from another bartender I headed over to 21st to partake in some delicious pub food mixed with a vibrant beacon hill vibe. The chowder was amazing, along with the staff and the location. So much in fact that just stepping out the front door will give you a complete look of the park and, the surrounding area to remind you that you are in fact, king of the hill. Typical for the area expect young professionals dressed like former Kennedys and Ralph Lauren models but expect warm, kind attitudes that will keep you here much longer than expected. 5 Stars, a rare for me but I'm impressed!
(5)
I was near Boston Common the other day meeting some old work colleagues for lunch, and they suggested 21s Amendment next to the State House. For non-Americans, the 21st Amendment was the repealing of the Prohibition laws in the US...ie we can drink again! From what i understood, the place used to be an old speak easy. Behind the old heavy wooden door is, to all intensive purposes an old British pub. Low black beams fill the ceiling, nooks and crannys abound through out the place, and i believe i did see a fire place. The food is classic bar and pub food, sandwiches, burgers, all cheap and very satisfying
(4)
Dave R.
If this bar didn't have some wacky sandwiches, I wouldn't necessarily be all that excited about it. It's not that there's anything wrong with the 21st Amendment - there isn't - I just didn't find anything about it particularly distinct, WITH the exception of the grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. That was pretty damn heavenly. Aside from that, it's a pretty standard pub food location with a slightly more upscale atmosphere. It's not particularly large, and like most bars that cater to the younger-ish audience, when they turn on the music, they turn it on too loud to hear a damn thing. I went with a date here once, and we pretty much couldn't have any conversation because of the standard top-40, hip-hop/RnB selection blasting through my face. It did give me ample opportunity, though, to rock aforementioned grilled cheese and bacon, and ogle my date. The decor of the place is pretty cool - lots of paneled wood, old building, etc., and the beer selection is solid and I had no complaints with the service. Probably the most distinct thing about the place, though, is that you can get liver-destroyingly drunk and still manage to stagger across the street and vomit on the state house. If you like making political statements with your drunken debauchery, that alone is worth the trip.
(3)
Marcus D.
Why do I continue coming in here? Maybe it's because the horrendous waitstaff is constantly revolving and I'm a glutton for punishment, eager to be ignored and abused by a fresh face. It wasn't always like this and I tell my friend, who has been coming in here with me for well over a decade, "the service keeps slipping and is now completely shitty" and she agrees. I usually bring out-of-towners in here due to the fact it's next door to the State House, a favorite of Commonwealth hacks, been here forever, old English pub feel, etc. My last three visits here have been notable for the shoddy service and the waistaff is always different. Came here before the Bean Pot once and I had to ask the two girls sitting at the stand-up table after standing at the bar for a good five minutes with my tongue hanging out, in an almost empty bar, "excuse me do you still work here? Can we get a couple of pints?" Came in here before a Red Sox game a year later and had to do the same thing. Came in here yet again a year after that and sat with friends in the back by the fireplace, closed the tab at the bar, told the waitress we were just going to have drinks, and she walked away without taking our order! When we flagged her down later, again in an otherwise empty bar, I asked if the etiquette was for me to continue going to the bar to order beers and she was like, "no, you can order them from me." Really? Then after bringing the beers she said, "did you ask for your bill? I thought I heard you ask for it." We were stunned at how much she hated us, just the tone alone was enough. It was quite laughable because that's all you can really do. . "No, we did not ask for the bill, but since we have your attention how about another round?" She appeared very angry, but that's not my problem, and trust me, our tip generously reflected the quality of the service. To the future staff of the 21st Amendment, I prefer paddles and electroids over whips and chains.
(2)
Mike B.
Neat place, has that historic look and feel to it. We just stopped in for a couple beers, and had that nachos. They were very good (although we were very hungry). Service was okay, but did take longer than you would expect, given we were the only ones in the dining area at the time. All in all, I would go back and try lunch.
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Groups : Yes Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : No Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : Yes
Gigi A.
The 21st Amendment is one of those neighborhood places you don't want out-of-towners to frequent. That is, it has a neighborhood charm and very local feel, and I hope it stays that way. When I worked across the street, I went to the 21st a lot with coworkers. You will definitely find suited State House folks there on weekday evenings. I've encountered a good many young-ish professionals there, as well as a dose of local sports fan types. As a vegetarian, I can't speak to a good portion of their menu-but I absolutely adore their sauteed green beans. It's a simple thing, but can go so wrong. The 21st gets it right-olive oil, salt, and a healthy dose of black pepper make the perfect green beans. I took away a star because they charge just under ten dollars for a whiskey sour, which seems sort of steep to me. Perhaps I incorrectly assume that the 21st is not one of those snobby, expensive Boston bars, but I was a bit surprised by the price of this drink. To compare, my roasted portobello and mozarella sandwich was $10.50. Probably a good place to hang out if you are a single lady, GIRLS.
(4)Aaron G.
I've been to the 21st a number of times, mostly for low-key after work drinks. I wouldn't travel great distances for the 21st, but it accomplishes everything it sets out to do. The service here is quick, efficient and unobtrusive. There's nothing remarkable about the beer list or the menu, but I've never had anything bad there either. I can't say I've ever been bothered by rowdy customers, either. To contradict some other reviewers here, I don't find the ambiance particularly pleasant, aside from the large fireplace they have going in the winter. In short, you won't expand your horizons or knock your date's socks off here, but you want a beer and a burger, you can do a lot worse.
(3)Andrew F.
Loud, dark and a burger the size of my face. Perfect combo for a low-maintenance night out! Went here this weekend and enjoyed their 21st burger and onion rings. Nothing too special, but I will definitely go back when I'm craving pub food close to home!
(3)Ali E.
Primarily I should give some love to George, the trivia emcee, who is generally awesome. Get here before 7:30 if you want a place to sit, or at the very least a place to write. As has been mentioned, it gets packed. The nachos and fries are great. The chicken quesedilla was pretty yummy, too. The onion rings are a little crumbly. Unfortunately the waitstaff is a little slow, so if you're ordering food and beer at a high-top table or in the back, try to do everything at once so you're not waiting an hour for the beer and then another hour for the food. The bartenders, on the other hand, are awesome. And kind of adorable. But I digress. I only wish I lived closer.
(4)Jessie N.
Last night was my first visit and I was happy with the service. I had three guests with me and there were plenty of open tables. I ordered the flatbread pizza and am definitely a fan of it. My friend ordered the hangover burger which was the special of the night and it looked pretty good. I will definitely come back again.
(4)Colleen H.
I'd like to say that I'm not a frequent "bar-hopper" but I seem to find myself in bars more and more as time goes on. Sigh. Thankfully, there are places like the 21st Amendment that cater to my needs. I can wear clothes straight from work (business-chic, of course) without getting stared at (Southie doesn't get it). They have some pretty interesting cocktails, I had this really good one last time that actually had fresh cranberries in it -- yum! and of course lots of beer. The food here isn't terrible, I wouldn't come here TO eat, but if you happen to be hungry after a few drinks, you can definitely order something and not be mad about it. Oh, and a friend of mine likes to book sections of the upper floor out for birthday parties and such since he works at One Beacon and they've always been very accommodating. It is very loud in here, and definitely dark enough and big enough that you may have a hard time looking for your friends... but its a pretty good place to hit up after work with a few or a ton of friends.
(4)Ilana F.
We went to 21st Amendment for trivia on Sunday. They were completely unprepared for a crowd. Firstly we waited outside to even be let inside the bar in very cold weather. We then put our name down for a table and the table was subsequently given to a party who had come in long after us. We were finally seated many hours later - which is not a huge problem. However, we were not told at that time that we could not be served since the kitchen closed. I had to approach the waitress and manager who then told me that the kitchen was closed and we could not be served. Had we been aware that the kitchen closed at 10 pm then we would made alternate plans. This was a very unpleasant service by inexperienced management. I would not recommend their service.
(1)Dana B.
I'll be honest. I was expecting a bunch of dude-brah's high fiving each other and pouding back bud light like it was the end of the world. Instead, I stumbled upon a classy little pub. Wandered in on a Sunday with some out of town friends just in time to start trivia. Thumbs up to the guy that runs it because this was HARD. Our team, Crab Rash, came in about 17th. We were hammered anyway. BUT the food was great. Bacon grilled cheese? Yes, please. Nachos were delish. Great beer selection. And not overpriced for Downtown Boston. You have really impressed me, 21st Amendment!
(4)Anthony R.
21st Amendment has become my default before-or-after-the-movies bar when heading over to the Boston Common Loews to indulge in the latest mind-numbing blockbuster schlock. (Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love every second of it - Michael Bay is a brilliant man. But I digress.) It's a great place for large groups - the front section by the bar gets pretty packed, but I've always found tables to sit at in the back section even on weekend nights. It's the usual set of Boston beer taps with some fairly uninteresting cocktails on the menu, but bumping 21st Amendment up from 3-star mediocrity to 4-star recommendation is the scrumptious and affordable bar food. Especially recommended are the nachos with buffalo chicken. $10 gets you an enormous platter of nachos complete with meat, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. One of those and a couple rounds of Harpoon IPA make me pretty happy. The burgers are big, greasy, and well made, as are the paninis -- you're not going to find anything too adventurous here, but on Beacon Hill it's nice just to find a place where you can grab a couple drinks and some simple quality food and walk away just $20 poorer.
(4)Tony K.
This is rapidly becoming my goto bar downtown. The beer selection is pretty much all New England flagship beers - not terribly interesting, but it hits a spot. The real reason to come here is for the atmosphere. It has a warm, inviting, old-worldy feel that makes it seem especially appropriate on a cold night. All sorts of people hang out here too - young and old, hip and square. The 2-1-A is A-O-K.
(4)Chris B.
Wow! An unexpected surprise in the Commons! Went here with a TON of people, and they accommodated us. We took up a LOT of the dining room, totally consumed one waitress' time for 3 1/2 hours on a Celtics playoff night - and the service was impeccable -and prompt. Good food, food drinks - and very reasonable. A good time was had by all... good food, good ambience, good people. Recommended.
(4)Kevin C.
I love dive bars and 21st is no exception. It's got all the right elements - dark lighting, low ceilings, and cheap beer. I've been here a few times after work and it's always been worthwhile. It's pretty bro-y though, so keep that in mind.
(4)Mike O.
You have to appreciate a bar that knows what it is. The 21st is there to server you food and booze, and you are there to eat and get drunk. That's about it. That simple premise (along with it's location near the statehouse and Suffolk) is why there is a good mix of people in there. If you are a people watcher, this place is for you: Over-sharing politician - Check Mistress/Escort of said politician - Check Reckless Statehouse Staffers - Check Drunk College Kids - Check Young Professionals hitting on said Kids - Check Local Blue Blood Drunks - Check Completely baffled tourists - Check And with that simple premise, you never really know what to expect when you go in. The following story was my 1st encounter with the 21st. After a full day of moving to Beacon Hill, my girlfriend and I needed food and drink. We stumbled in there around 3pm on a Saturday. At the bar, there were a hand full of people avoiding the summer heat. In the back there were a gaggle of girls ordering a dozen shots every 20 minutes or so. (Ready.....) After about the 5th round of a dozen little guys of liquid courage, two girls emerged from the back room. (Set..........) They found two guys sitting at the end of the bar and walked over to them. One girl announces to the bar that it was the other girl's 21st birthday and she has a scavenger hunt. One of the "items" on the list was "do a body shot off of a random guy." (Go!!!!!!!!) After some encouragement from the bar tender (yes the bar tender was encouraging this), one of the guys took off his shirt and laid down on the bar. Instantly, the once quite bar was swarmed by the party of girls snapping pictures. After the shot was done, the girls screamed out to the guy "What's your name so we can tag you on Facebook?" The guy responded "F*$k you!. My girl friend is not going to see those pictures." Classic. We now go there almost once a week.
(5)Laura J.
My friend and I decided to have an impromptu pub crawl on a freaking Tuesday afternoon...I know, we sound like drunks but seriously, it was completely random and not part of our normal repertoire. ANYWAYS, on our staggering mission to check out new places neither of us had ever visited before, I found 21st amendment, Walked into a complete sausage fest (score!). I remember thinking "jesus is this where all the men in Boston have been hiding out after work??" But as I sipped on my absolut ruby and soda, I become accustomed to the continuous inflow of men walking through the door every 5 minutes. In fact, it became almost comical that besides the 2 lovely bartenders, myself and my friend, and the 4 other women in the entire place, every other body inside was a male! But let me say, that everyone I talked to was extremely polite and very nice. No greaseballs to be seen. Good drinks, nice scenery, I hear the food is good too. I'll DEF be back soooooon!
(4)Emily G.
Even after 2.5 years of working on Beacon Hill and going there for almost every business lunch and after-work drink, I'm still not sick of it. Good attentive bartenders, good blend of local Boston charm to keep it real and prissy rich clients to keep the standards high, and all the classic pub food is golden: Buffalo wings, burgers and great seasoned fries are high up on my list, and not an unreasonable price on the menu in my opinion. Good prices on brews too, though you have to jostle for space during the after-work crowd and shout to be heard. Also great for spotting government movers and shakers, if you're the sort of person who's prone to recognize Deval Patrick's wife or the State Senate President.
(4)Laura K.
youtube.com/watch?v=eiuH… (srsly, the avg ratio is close to 8:1)
(5)Betty P.
I've been here before for the food (which is great!), but last night we just wanted a chill place to kick back some beers. We were at Scollay Square for dinner so just around the corner is this comfy neighborhood pub. It was only 9pm so we scored 4 stools. (About an hour later, the place was pretty happening.) Almost immediately, we received service from a friendly waiter/bartender. Throughout the evening, we were checked on quite a lot and everyone was uber friendly. For you sports nuts who are wondering, yes, there were 2 flat screen tv's near the bar, giving us great views of sports news and a hockey game. Besides the $5 beers, great service, historical posters, and cool atmosphere, the most amazing thing about this place is the super clean ladies room! I had drank so much water at dinner and then 2 beers here that my bladder was about to explode! I am usually one who does everything possible to avoid public restrooms but I simply could not wait to get home. So I hesitatingly went to the bathroom and I thought I might have been feeling the effect of the beers. I have never seen such a spotless bathroom in a bar! And there was automatic foam hand soap to boot!!! Just for the lovely facilities, this place gets 5 humongo stars. Finally, we were all braindead and couldn't remember what the 21st amendment actually was. (For the record, I said it had to do with the end of Prohibition but nobody believed me.) We asked one of the bartenders on the way out and he knew what the 21st amendment was. Yet more kudos for a staff that knows its American history!
(5)Chris M.
Some of my classmates and I went here to celebrate the completion of a prep class we were all in. The atmosphere is like any other bar with music and people talking loudly. We had about ten people so we couldn't get a table big enough for all of us. We decided to stand by a small bar height table and (don't tell the fire dept.) we sort of blocked the doorway. There was just nowhere to go. We had tequila shots and beer. The waitress was quick with our orders. We ordered chicken strips and nachos. The chicken strips were just ok. The batter was kind of soggy. The dips that they came with were good though: bbq sauce and a yummy thick dijon mustard dipping sauce. The nachos were really good. They were loaded with halapenos, guac, sour cream, little chicken chunks, green onions, lots of melted cheese and salsa. I had to leave early but while I was there I had a good time and it seemed like everyone else was having a good time too. It was a nice way to end the week.
(4)John L.
I've had a myriad of experiences here: some for food, some for watching the game (whatever game it was at the time), and once for trivia. The establishment itself is a little on the small side, but the atmosphere isn't too bad. However, it can get really crowded really quickly, which hinders game-watching. As for food, it's standard bar fare, though it's decently priced (the grilled cheese comes to mind, which one can get with broccoli) It's an okay place for trivia as well, though it can be tough to find a place to write considering the bar space. The crowding issue can be a burden for trivia, but it's not too bad.
(4)Andrew D.
I just moved in next door to 21st Amendment, so I felt obligated to stop in for lunch today and check things out. Despite a lost star for the rowdy drunk politician crowd (at 2 pm, even!) that was constantly bantering (read: insulting) the bartender, everything else was near perfect. I sat down at the bar and was promptly brought a beer and a menu by the good-humored bartender, who was adeptly managing all the aforementioned drunks while taking my order and refilling drinks. I had a couple Harpoons from the tap to start, and I have to say that they definitely do not water the beer down here; only $5 each and I nearly had to sleep it off afterwards. Next up was the 21st Burger, which was truly monumental. One cannot possibly imagine the size of this burger until you see it first-hand: possibly a 1/2 pound of meat, a pile of bacon, and a 3-inch tower of crispy onion rings that hovers over the rest of the plate. I'm still not sure how I ate the whole thing, so I'm going to assume I fell into some kind of ravenous state, because before I knew it I had cleaned the plate and left feeling incredibly satisfied.
(4)John O.
This is a solid bar right by the Capitol. Decent selection of brew and the staff is always friendly and helpful.
(4)Jess N.
You may wonder, what gives this place 4 stars? Well, they deserve a star purely for their name. If there establishment had been anywhere else in the city I would be mocking its name. A bar named 21st Amendment next to the State House simply makes sense. I went here for the first time on a Saturday night. Even though it was starting to get busy, my friend and I snagged table. You get a star for that. The waitress was a little over eager and came by a little too often. She redeemed herself by bringing our drinks quickly which on a Saturday night sure is nice. Prior to visiting 21st, I obviously checked the yelp reviews. Let's face it, I'm a yelp junkie. I noticed a lot of yelpers mentioned the cleanliness of the bathrooms. The men and women's bathrooms are in different locations (the women's is upstairs near the kitchen, the men's is directly across from the entrance). The women's bathroom was clean enough but nothing spectacular and according to my friend the bathroom was nothing to boast about.
(4)Chris M.
My boyfriend lives not two minutes away, so when we didn't have any other dinner plans last night, we decided to stop in. We sat at a table, although the people at the bar looked like they were having lots of fun. The waitress was fairly attentive, although not the best I've had. The food on the other hand was definitely above average. I had the 21st burger, and it was ridiculously huge. I had to start off by eating some of the onion rings off of it before I could even think about fitting it into my mouth... My boyfriend's Caprese Chicken sandwich looked only so-so, but his sweet potato fries were incredible. The major downside I would say would have to be the price of the drinks: $5 for a beer isn't bad, but the $9 cocktail was a bit overpriced in my opinion. That being said I would definitely go back especially for the trivia/family feud type game they have on Monday nights.
(4)Patrick O.
One of the best bars I've ever been to. On a recommendation from another bartender I headed over to 21st to partake in some delicious pub food mixed with a vibrant beacon hill vibe. The chowder was amazing, along with the staff and the location. So much in fact that just stepping out the front door will give you a complete look of the park and, the surrounding area to remind you that you are in fact, king of the hill. Typical for the area expect young professionals dressed like former Kennedys and Ralph Lauren models but expect warm, kind attitudes that will keep you here much longer than expected. 5 Stars, a rare for me but I'm impressed!
(5)I was near Boston Common the other day meeting some old work colleagues for lunch, and they suggested 21s Amendment next to the State House. For non-Americans, the 21st Amendment was the repealing of the Prohibition laws in the US...ie we can drink again! From what i understood, the place used to be an old speak easy. Behind the old heavy wooden door is, to all intensive purposes an old British pub. Low black beams fill the ceiling, nooks and crannys abound through out the place, and i believe i did see a fire place. The food is classic bar and pub food, sandwiches, burgers, all cheap and very satisfying
(4)Dave R.
If this bar didn't have some wacky sandwiches, I wouldn't necessarily be all that excited about it. It's not that there's anything wrong with the 21st Amendment - there isn't - I just didn't find anything about it particularly distinct, WITH the exception of the grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. That was pretty damn heavenly. Aside from that, it's a pretty standard pub food location with a slightly more upscale atmosphere. It's not particularly large, and like most bars that cater to the younger-ish audience, when they turn on the music, they turn it on too loud to hear a damn thing. I went with a date here once, and we pretty much couldn't have any conversation because of the standard top-40, hip-hop/RnB selection blasting through my face. It did give me ample opportunity, though, to rock aforementioned grilled cheese and bacon, and ogle my date. The decor of the place is pretty cool - lots of paneled wood, old building, etc., and the beer selection is solid and I had no complaints with the service. Probably the most distinct thing about the place, though, is that you can get liver-destroyingly drunk and still manage to stagger across the street and vomit on the state house. If you like making political statements with your drunken debauchery, that alone is worth the trip.
(3)Marcus D.
Why do I continue coming in here? Maybe it's because the horrendous waitstaff is constantly revolving and I'm a glutton for punishment, eager to be ignored and abused by a fresh face. It wasn't always like this and I tell my friend, who has been coming in here with me for well over a decade, "the service keeps slipping and is now completely shitty" and she agrees. I usually bring out-of-towners in here due to the fact it's next door to the State House, a favorite of Commonwealth hacks, been here forever, old English pub feel, etc. My last three visits here have been notable for the shoddy service and the waistaff is always different. Came here before the Bean Pot once and I had to ask the two girls sitting at the stand-up table after standing at the bar for a good five minutes with my tongue hanging out, in an almost empty bar, "excuse me do you still work here? Can we get a couple of pints?" Came in here before a Red Sox game a year later and had to do the same thing. Came in here yet again a year after that and sat with friends in the back by the fireplace, closed the tab at the bar, told the waitress we were just going to have drinks, and she walked away without taking our order! When we flagged her down later, again in an otherwise empty bar, I asked if the etiquette was for me to continue going to the bar to order beers and she was like, "no, you can order them from me." Really? Then after bringing the beers she said, "did you ask for your bill? I thought I heard you ask for it." We were stunned at how much she hated us, just the tone alone was enough. It was quite laughable because that's all you can really do. . "No, we did not ask for the bill, but since we have your attention how about another round?" She appeared very angry, but that's not my problem, and trust me, our tip generously reflected the quality of the service. To the future staff of the 21st Amendment, I prefer paddles and electroids over whips and chains.
(2)Mike B.
Neat place, has that historic look and feel to it. We just stopped in for a couple beers, and had that nachos. They were very good (although we were very hungry). Service was okay, but did take longer than you would expect, given we were the only ones in the dining area at the time. All in all, I would go back and try lunch.
(4)