Rialto
It’s hardly a secret that Jody Adams’s Cambridge institution has mastered high-end Italian fare. But the strength of the vast, separate bar menu—with bites like duck-pâté bruschetta and pan-roasted broccoli, and larger plates like rigatoni Bolognese—might be the biggest secret in Harvard Square. Swing by on Mondays between 5:30 and 7 p.m., when oysters are a buck a shuck. One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA 2138, rialto- restaurant.com.
Sunset Grill & Tap
Given all the sterling pubs in Boston, a city that's become a destination for the beer-drinking world, you'd think Sunset would see stiffer competition in this category. Yet there's no arguing with the math: Over 100 beers on tap plus 380 microbrews equals 10 of Boston nods in the past decade. From the Hazed & Infused American pale ale to a host of obscure but lip-smacking Belgians, there's always something new and intriguing on offer. More important: The staff is as astute about beer as sommeliers are about wine, minus the superciliousness. 130 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA 2134, allstonsfinest.com.
Harvard Gardens
A bit loungey, a tad yuppie, Harvard Gardens is an ideal place to meet your dress-casual mate. The bar is crowded from Wednesday to Saturday, but the low lighting and comfy booths make the setting conducive to storing digits in your cell or just having a light getting-to-know-you conversation. Mostly for the 20s-to-30s set, this spot is especially popular on Thursdays, when you'll have ample opportunity to pitch the perfect pickup line. 316 Cambridge St., Boston, MA harvardgardens.com.
The Model Café
Generally speaking, a person's favorite dive bar is the one closest to home. The Model is that rare specimen—a neighborhood bar that's gained destination status for drinkers from all over the city. Everything inside this 75-year-old Allston joint screams classic dive: loud tunes, a pool table, $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons on tap, $4 Bushmills on the rocks, a crowd that ranges from hip to drip, and urinals barely clean enough to, well, urinate in. Mediocre fare (this is a dive bar, after all) is served til 10. 7 North Beacon St., Allston, MA .
Cambridgeport Saloon
When Jim Morrison wrote "People Are Strange," he might well have had this downbeat Cambridge dive in mind. Where else within five miles could you find drunks, punks, Massholes, and skinheads, all coexisting in a safe haven for extreme lifestyles? Even without its legendary roster of dubious incidents—the past shooting, the drug arrests, the liquor license suspension—most nights, this place is still just plain fun. Pay $1.75 for a Pabst, and a ticket to the circus is gratis. 300 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
Towne Stove and Spirits
If Towne isn't a pickup bar, then everybody must have something stuck in their teeth. Why else would so many people be looking at so many others? Put simply, for a classy place, there's lots of eye-#*&$ing going on here. And with three bars spread across two levels, there's plenty of possibility. If one room's not working for you, there's always another. And if that doesn't pan out, well, the cocktail list is great, too. 900 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2115, towneboston.com.
Sel de la Terre
To go along with its spanking-new digs, the Back Bay outpost of this country-French standby has installed a smart but casual downstairs café with a menu to match. We're partial to the za'atar-crusted wings and the two-handed burger with smoky bacon and Vermont cheddar (made positively gut-busting by a foie gras torchon), but since nothing tops $20, everything goes down easy. 255 State St., Boston, MA 2109, seldelaterre.com.
The Baseball Tavern
A reverential silence descends on this spartan tap room whenever the Sox play. The patrons and bartenders alike are true fans, and their passions are readily apparent on the slew of television sets aimed at every nook and corner. If you don't have a ticket for a home game, this is the closest you can get to Fenway (literally—the ballpark is across the street). Little wonder it's also become a regular stop for visiting players. This loyalist stronghold wears its lack of pretense on a Red Sox sleeve. 1306 Boylston St., Boston, MA thebaseballtavern.com.
Allston Sports Depot
It takes a lot to win the title of best sports bar in this athletically frenzied town. But from the replica Fenway scoreboard out front to the 50 TVs hanging from the ceiling, this former railroad station is an all-star. There are more than 40 beers in bottles and on tap, and the $9.99 Sunday buffet brunch is sports-fan heaven. That's why knowledgeable followers of almost every team in the nation hang out here. 353 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA .
TC's Lounge
(IN MEMORIAM) This place was notorious for many reasons: dirty floors; a weird sign hanging from the ceiling advertising an "Oxycontin shot"; the fun-house women's room (don't ask); and the sale of infant-wear emblazoned with the words "Future Customer." In other words, TC's was a truly wonderful place—until it burned down in March. We have high hopes that after its planned resurrection, it will be "better" than ever. Boston, MA 2115,
Silhouette Cocktail Lounge
The recipe for a superlative dive bar is simple: cheap drinks, good music, and a feeling of belonging for every sad sap who saunters in. The Silhouette Lounge delivers all of these ingredients, with a few grubby-but-great enhancements: dartboards, free popcorn, and stools so tattered they look like they've endured a natural disaster. If you're looking for panache, look elsewhere. If you're looking to drink away the blues and talk to strangers, sidle up to the bar at 'the Sil.' 200 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA 2134, .
Eastern Standard
Want an S.O. who can actually cook (or do the dishes)? Check out the long marble bar late on Sunday night, when the city's hot, hard-partying restaurant industry blows in to blow off steam. 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, easternstandardboston.com.
The Four's
Until the Celtics ended the long drought for the Garden's resident teams, there wasn't much cause for hanging around the arena to throw back beers. But with the C's generating excitement the likes of which haven't been seen since Larry Bird hung up his mustache, Canal Street was reborn this year—and so, too, was the Fours. It's not as big as some other venues, and that's what makes it so appealing: squeezing elbow-to-elbow into a crush of like-minded revelers, Sam Adams in hand, throatily cheering on the local boys. There isn't another bar in town this good at producing the we're-all-in-it-together spirit. And since the Fours carries the major sports packages on more than 40 strategically placed televisions, no neck-craning is required to watch the game. 166 Canal St., Boston, MA 2114, thefours.com.
Sunset Grill & Tap
Given all the sterling pubs in Boston, a city that's become a destination for the beer-drinking world, you'd think Sunset would see stiffer competition in this category. Yet there's no arguing with the math: Over 100 beers on tap plus 380 microbrews equals 10 Best of Boston nods in the past decade. From the Hazed & Infused American pale ale to a host of obscure but lip-smacking Belgians, there's always something new and intriguing on offer. More important: The staff is as astute about beer as sommeliers are about wine, minus the superciliousness. 130 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA 2134, allstonsfinest.com.