Reviewing Whatever

Boston Beer Works
61 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Opposite Fenway Park

You should know
Chris had been wanting to take me here for some time, but other things had always come up. Finally, the last time I went up to Boston, we got our chance.

So?
Yes, I understand the Super Bowl is the single greatest annual event in American sports. That doesn’t mean I want to be surrounded by giant plasma TVs showing clips of previous Super Bowls – two or three different ones at once, in fact – while I’m trying to enjoy my meal.

Also, there was a slight chill in the air. I hate sitting in a draft.

I got a Cambridge Burger (“Beer Works® Classic Burger topped with sautéed mushrooms & Swiss cheese, $9.95”) with a Hercules Strong Ale (“The port wine of beers. Barley wine, meaning literally a wine brewed with barley. This beer is quite strong, with a fruity, floral bouquet and a warming, bitter finish. Meant to be sipped as an apéritif, rather than quaffed as a beer”), while Chris got a Dreaded Green Monster (“Grilled chicken breast strips with basil pesto, parmesan & melted mozzarella on a baguette, served with house red sauce & Classic Fries, $9.95”) with a Centennial Alt (“Alt-bier originates from Dusseldorf, and is the German version of a pale ale, with deep amber color and a very malty flavor. Brewed with German malts to provide its signature rich toasted malt flavor, it is lightly hopped with German & American hops”). The food was good – and huge – but not spectacular. I’m not going to veto it next time I’m in a group that wants to go, but I’m probably not going to suggest it, either.

Then again, Chris finds both the food and the beer “awesome.” Boston Beer Works is a microbrewery, and they rotate a good percentage of the beers with the seasons. Every week the selection is different, and each month there are new entrees on special, so it’s possible that any other week I might have had a more positive experience.

Rating
Why not?
While it wasn’t really my thing, there wasn’t anything really wrong with it. If the sports-centric atmosphere (right across from Fenway park and everything) and the food and beers sound appealing to you, by all means check it out. But if your tastes are more like mine, you might not be impressed.

The rest of the Internet
An article on Boston.com.
A write-up at ReelBeer.com.
TableCritic.com offers a non-beer-drinker's perspective.
Lord of the Fries named thirs the Best Fries of 2006.