0 star for the service. Very strange attitude of the bartender and the manager. The bartender was not even competent of having a normal conversation with the customer. Is he on something??????? Also they forced to charge 20% tip on all drinks
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Kara Li
Drinks are good, rotating selection and creative.
Management and servers need to be better trained in hospitality. You can not be arrogant and dismissive of your clients just because you’re a popular bar. I’d love to have a great bar to recommend in Boston, and this place has potential as long as they fix their customer service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Bin Li
Poor experience at this bar. The waiter had a terrible attitude and couldn’t handle any seating issues professionally. He even tried to pick a fight with customers, and the manager failed to calm the situation. Overall, the service was unprofessional and communication was extremely difficult. Would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Gabriella Cardoso
The drinks were so awful to the point where i made a face when i tried every single one.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Pablo Ramos
Truly the worst drinks I’ve ever tried
Alexey Subach
Overall it’s a good cocktail bar, definitely far from the top tier bars but the cocktails were pretty good - a borderline 5 star experience all in all. The waiting time on a Friday night was reasonable - around 15 mins. The atmosphere and interior were not as breathtaking in my opinion. It felt like it was designed 20 years ago. The staff were reasonably friendly and welcoming. The ID is a must to enter. Fruits of My Labour cocktail was good - even though it reads light it still had a good amount of alcohol. The flavour wasn’t super sophisticated and cinnamon probably dominated but still there was a bit of interesting flavour next to it. Nothing mind blowing but nice. The Lips of an Angel was also nice but maybe slightly less interesting - the orange flavour dominated but still a good one. Aquarium jazz was a seasonal cocktail and probably it was the best one I’ve tried that evening and a really great smoked whiskey base with some stuff on top to balance. Funeral was not as good - the anise flavour and the absinthe dominated it and it did not match my taste at all. Fortunately it was the only disappointment during the night. They don’t have a lot of food options, mainly a few snacks. The nuts were actually walnuts but the walnut taste was not as prominent (a good thing for me) as the nuts were covered in syrup or something like that. Good overall but I wouldn’t try them again as they interfered with cocktail flavour because of some leftover wax-like film in my mouth. I can recommend this spot if you are not able to book any top notch bars in Boston which require bookings in advance. They also include mandatory 20% tip into the bill.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Natalia K
We were in Boston for a few days and wanted to go to a speakeasy bar. We asked bartender just to make us a drink and told them ingredients and flavor we like and O.M.G it was spot on! So so good! If you are looking for different cocktails go here, you wont be disappointed! Atmosphere is fun.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Santi Lat
Incredible place. There was a bit of a line as the place is limited in seating space but it was worth the wait. We had a blast, specially trusting the bartenders with making us drinks based on flavors we like. Every drink was 100% creativity and offmenu and delicious everything. Will come back every time Im in Boston.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Angel Phan
Backbar is a great cocktail bar, and one of my favorite bars in the Greater Boston area. They have themed drink menus that changes so each visit can be different.
We came on a weekend night and there was a line, but always worth the wait. I take friends who are visiting and they always enjoy it too. The vibe is chill and the staff are fantastic.
Backbar is my absolute favorite craft cocktail spot in the Boston area. We come here about once a month - and I love that the cocktail menu changes frequently, with fun, creative themes. The service is always fantastic and the drinks are incredible. The atmosphere is fun and lively, lots of geeky little details and decorations. It does get pretty busy even on school nights, and they don’t take reservations so there have been times when the wait has been too long for us to stick around. (Photos are from multiple different visits with different menus)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matthew Gabeler-Lee
Came here for the first time in several years. Glad to see that the staff, ambiance, and drinks are as fun and creative and tasty as ever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S
Really cool place inside. I get wanting a drink to be strong to an extent to feel you got $ worth but I caution anyone who dislikes super strong liquor tasting mixed drinks… I will be ordering a mocktail next time. This goes for both sides of drink menu they give you. Also $17 mixed drinks plus an autogratuity of 20% is annoying. They don’t have beer or wine so that’s not an option for a substitute.
Vanessa Chi
Such a unique and fun atmosphere for the nerds. The drinks were fun and unique, I came during chartreuse week and loved the drinks on the menu. Look at Dalek joining us!
Not much food options only snacks. Don’t come hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elora Lynnfield
Super cute atmosphere, and very creative cocktails. This would be great for a date night for folks who like really strong drinks and a speakeasy vibe. Unfortunately I am not someone who likes to be rudely reminded that I’m drinking alcohol with every sip. The drinks were VERY strong, some borderline undrinkable. If that’s your thing, and you’re a bit bougie and are okay paying upwards of $17 per drink, this is your spot. Lots of really quirky, cute decor. Sometimes the lines are very long so you may not be able to get in, just be prepared for that.
0 star for the service. Very strange attitude of the bartender and the manager. The bartender was not even competent of having a normal conversation with the customer.
Is he on something??????? Also they forced to charge 20% tip on all drinks
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Drinks are good, rotating selection and creative.
Management and servers need to be better trained in hospitality. You can not be arrogant and dismissive of your clients just because you’re a popular bar. I’d love to have a great bar to recommend in Boston, and this place has potential as long as they fix their customer service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Poor experience at this bar.
The waiter had a terrible attitude and couldn’t handle any seating issues professionally. He even tried to pick a fight with customers, and the manager failed to calm the situation. Overall, the service was unprofessional and communication was extremely difficult. Would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
The drinks were so awful to the point where i made a face when i tried every single one.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Truly the worst drinks I’ve ever tried
Overall it’s a good cocktail bar, definitely far from the top tier bars but the cocktails were pretty good - a borderline 5 star experience all in all. The waiting time on a Friday night was reasonable - around 15 mins. The atmosphere and interior were not as breathtaking in my opinion. It felt like it was designed 20 years ago. The staff were reasonably friendly and welcoming. The ID is a must to enter.
Fruits of My Labour cocktail was good - even though it reads light it still had a good amount of alcohol. The flavour wasn’t super sophisticated and cinnamon probably dominated but still there was a bit of interesting flavour next to it. Nothing mind blowing but nice.
The Lips of an Angel was also nice but maybe slightly less interesting - the orange flavour dominated but still a good one.
Aquarium jazz was a seasonal cocktail and probably it was the best one I’ve tried that evening and a really great smoked whiskey base with some stuff on top to balance.
Funeral was not as good - the anise flavour and the absinthe dominated it and it did not match my taste at all. Fortunately it was the only disappointment during the night.
They don’t have a lot of food options, mainly a few snacks. The nuts were actually walnuts but the walnut taste was not as prominent (a good thing for me) as the nuts were covered in syrup or something like that. Good overall but I wouldn’t try them again as they interfered with cocktail flavour because of some leftover wax-like film in my mouth.
I can recommend this spot if you are not able to book any top notch bars in Boston which require bookings in advance. They also include mandatory 20% tip into the bill.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were in Boston for a few days and wanted to go to a speakeasy bar. We asked bartender just to make us a drink and told them ingredients and flavor we like and O.M.G it was spot on! So so good! If you are looking for different cocktails go here, you wont be disappointed! Atmosphere is fun.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Incredible place. There was a bit of a line as the place is limited in seating space but it was worth the wait. We had a blast, specially trusting the bartenders with making us drinks based on flavors we like. Every drink was 100% creativity and offmenu and delicious everything. Will come back every time Im in Boston.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Backbar is a great cocktail bar, and one of my favorite bars in the Greater Boston area. They have themed drink menus that changes so each visit can be different.
We came on a weekend night and there was a line, but always worth the wait. I take friends who are visiting and they always enjoy it too. The vibe is chill and the staff are fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They are very creative with bespoke cocktails.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Backbar is my absolute favorite craft cocktail spot in the Boston area. We come here about once a month - and I love that the cocktail menu changes frequently, with fun, creative themes. The service is always fantastic and the drinks are incredible. The atmosphere is fun and lively, lots of geeky little details and decorations. It does get pretty busy even on school nights, and they don’t take reservations so there have been times when the wait has been too long for us to stick around. (Photos are from multiple different visits with different menus)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here for the first time in several years. Glad to see that the staff, ambiance, and drinks are as fun and creative and tasty as ever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really cool place inside. I get wanting a drink to be strong to an extent to feel you got $ worth but I caution anyone who dislikes super strong liquor tasting mixed drinks… I will be ordering a mocktail next time. This goes for both sides of drink menu they give you. Also $17 mixed drinks plus an autogratuity of 20% is annoying. They don’t have beer or wine so that’s not an option for a substitute.
Such a unique and fun atmosphere for the nerds. The drinks were fun and unique, I came during chartreuse week and loved the drinks on the menu. Look at Dalek joining us!
Not much food options only snacks. Don’t come hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Super cute atmosphere, and very creative cocktails. This would be great for a date night for folks who like really strong drinks and a speakeasy vibe. Unfortunately I am not someone who likes to be rudely reminded that I’m drinking alcohol with every sip. The drinks were VERY strong, some borderline undrinkable. If that’s your thing, and you’re a bit bougie and are okay paying upwards of $17 per drink, this is your spot. Lots of really quirky, cute decor. Sometimes the lines are very long so you may not be able to get in, just be prepared for that.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
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