I've been to this place three times. I walked out w/o stopping on the second trip. I thought that visit would be my last, but they had a firkin of Natty's Pale there last night, so I caved.

This is a great location, and it has a cozy, neighborhood bar feel to it. There is a long bar along the left wall and several tables along the right wall. Nicely furnished and trimmed out.

There are several taps, mostly Natty Greene's beers, as it was once owned by the Natty's guys. They also had Anchor Porter, Anchor Steam, and MH #9 on-tap. One beer is on sale each day for $2. Pints are $3.50.

The problem: This appears to be a spot for the after work, " I wanna stop and smoke a pack of cigs and guzzle some BMC" crowd. The ceilings are low and there is no ventilation in this place. It is also very loud. Difficult to hold a conversation w/o shouting.

Last night was crowded. There was one bartender working. She was working hard, but was overwhelmed. This was a special event with the cask being there, and they were not prepared. By the time reinforcements arrived, the crowd was subsiding. High service marks are for the bartender who was hustling.

If they lost the smoke and diversified the beer selection, this would be a great place, IMO.

reviewed on: 2008-11-08 08:01:54