Where to Eat, Drink, and Celebrate During Pride Month 2023 in Boston
Here are nine fun—and fundraising—events to attend this month, plus cocktail specials and more.
Pride Month is underway in Boston: It’s time to celebrate the city’s vibrant energy with food, drinks, dancing, and other fun. Read on for the details on nine food-and-beverage-focused events taking place in June, many of which are raising money for various queer-focused nonprofit organizations. And don’t miss the listing of food and drink specials at the bottom—everything from glittery bubble tea to rainbow lollipop-bedecked frozen margaritas to rainbow bagels.
Events
Multiple Dates
Drag Brunch at Summer Shack
Summer Shack might be the only restaurant where you and all your besties can eat Cap’n Crunch Chicken & Waffles while enjoying a ’90s-themed drag brunch—pair it with a bubbly peach bellini cocktail or a 32-ounce shareable bloody mary, topped with candied bacon and seafood. The restaurant has drag brunches lined up through June and beyond (Saturdays at the Back Bay location and Sundays in Cambridge), with themes highlighting pop culture icons like Britney Spears, Rihanna, Beyonce, and more. Remember to grab a ticket before they sell out, and bring singles for your performers.
$20, 50 Dalton St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-867-9955, and 149 Alewife Brook Pkwy., Cambridge, 617-520-9500, summershackrestaurant.com.
Pride Month Movie Nights at Seabiscuit
Head to East Boston’s favorite Australian-meat-pie-and-more shop for movies on the patio on Wednesday evenings in June, featuring films amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and experiences. Entry is free, but you’ll want to buy some drinks—Night Shift Brewing’s Boston Proud IPA will be among the featured options. The films start at 8 p.m., which is also when Seabiscuit usually closes, so arrive earlier to buy food.
Free entry, 256 Marginal St., Bldg. 16, East Boston, 617-418-5234, seabiscuitebo.com.
June 10
Lots going on today as it’s the day of the Pride parade and festival.
Back Door Donuts Pop-up at the Revere Hotel
Starting at 10 a.m. and while supplies last, grab a pre-parade doughnut from Martha’s Vineyard icon (and recent Fenway arrival) Back Door Donuts in the lobby of the Revere Hotel Boston Common. Doughnuts are $4 apiece, and $1 from each sale will be donated to SpeakOUT Boston.
$4, 200 Stuart St., Downtown Boston, reverehotel.com.
My Big, Fat, Gals, Gays & Theys Wine Soirée
Nathálie, our favorite little Fenway wine destination, is hosting “the BIGGEST, GAYEST wine party [they] can throw,” featuring an array of wine flights from LGBTQ+ winemakers, delicious bites from chef Isaac Reyes, raffles, goodie bags, and a fundraiser for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Winemaker Genevieve Thisdel will be in from Montreal to talk wine-drinkers through the flights and join the party. Dress to impress: Attendees will be entered into a competition, where the winner—dressed in the most vibrant, flamboyant attire—wins even more goodies.
$100, 186 Brookline Ave., Fenway, Boston, nathaliebar.com.
Pride Bar Fest 2023
In other boozy Fenway news, there’s nothing more Boston than a Fenway bar crawl. 10 bars in the neighborhood are participating in the festival, which includes drag shows, a street stage on Lansdowne, a market featuring queer vendors, DJs, and live music from LGBTQ+ artists. Created for queer people, by queer people, this is the festival’s second year. Proceeds from ticket sales will support Trans Resistance Massachusetts and Dani’s Queer Bar, a forthcoming Back Bay bar. Note that most parts of the festival are 21+, but those younger will have access to events at Time Out Market Boston.
$15-25, Fenway, instagram.com/pridebarfestival.
Pride Cookout at Rebel Rebel
Natural wine bar Rebel Rebel, located at Bow Market, is hosting a Somerville bonanza featuring “general gayness and merriment” and a whole lot of other stuff: custom portraits, birth chart readings, cookout classics from other Bow Market vendors (including vegetarian options), and plenty of wine. Proceeds from the sale of Ramona canned spritzes will go toward the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Pups are welcome; plus-ones are welcome; all are welcome. Reserve a (free) ticket here.
Free entry, Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville, rebelrebelsomerville.com.
June 13
Community Supper at the Broadway
The South Boston restaurant is hosting its 9th community supper on June 13, honoring Pride Month: All ticket sales to the four-course dinner will go to the nonprofit Gay 4 Good. The dinner is completely oyster-themed, and each of the courses is paired with its own specific alcoholic beverage, from a pale ale to a zesty tequila-based cocktail. The oysters, ranging in preparation from raw to fried with smoked bacon cream and leeks, come from a collaboration with Duxbury-based Island Creek Oysters. Who doesn’t want to eat fresh shellfish and sip on craft cocktails for a cause?
$35, 726 E. Broadway, South Boston, 617-307-6480, thebroadwaysouthboston.com.
June 15
David Phinney Wine Dinner at Clink at the Liberty Hotel
Hosted by the Liberty Hotel’s executive chef, Daniel Kenney, this swanky five-course dinner includes seafood and steak dishes paired with David Phinney wines. It’s hard not to celebrate the occasion when you’re served plates of crispy-skinned Maine salmon with herb gnocchi and a warm plum and blueberry galette paired with zinfandel wine—and zinfandel ice cream to match. A portion of the proceeds goes to local nonprofit BAGLY (the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth).
$115, Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-224-4004, clinkboston.com.
June 21
Pride Dating Game Show at Time Out Market Boston
Can’t wait for the premiere of The Bachelorette this June? Looking for a queer, inclusive version that you can experience in real time? On June 21, Fenway’s Time Out Market Boston is hosting a Pride edition of its Dating Game Show series, with a potential prize for the winning couples of a dinner for two at the cozy, romantic North End restaurant Table. Whether you’re looking for love or not, Time Out Market Boston’s specialty cocktails, Pride Month specials like a rainbow-sprinkled Union Square Donuts doughnut, and a drag show performance at the end of the evening will guarantee a good time.
Free entry, Time Out Market Boston, 401 Park Dr., Fenway, Boston, timeoutmarket.com/boston.
Food and Drink Specials
Available throughout the month of June, these special items come with a side of fundraising.
Beer
City Works Eatery & Pour House at Arsenal Yards
This Watertown beer destination is the place to be this June: $2 from every New Belgium Brewing beer purchase is being donated to GLAAD, an organization that protests LGBTQ defamation in media and entertainment. Watch for options like the citrusy Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze and the mango-flavored Voodoo Ranger 1985, both hazy IPAs.
91 Arsenal Yards Blvd., 617-321-3170, Watertown, cityworksrestaurant.com.
Lamplighter Brewing
Local beer, cartoon references, and fundraising? Cambridge’s Lamplighter Brewing has it all this June with its new seasonal beer, Ms. Frizzle, a tangy sour ale brewed with lemon juice and butterfly pea tea that’s sourced from Curio Spice Co. (also a Cambridge business). $1 of each Ms. Frizzle purchased at either taproom location will go toward nonprofit The Network/La Red, a survivor-led organization working to end partner abuse in LGBTQ communities. The violet-hued brew will be available all of June (or while supplies last), both on draft and in four-packs for retail sales. Note: Back Bay seafood restaurant the Banks Fish House is also carrying Ms. Frizzle and donating a portion of proceeds to local nonprofit BAGLY (the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth).
284 Broadway and 110 N. First St. (in Cambridge Crossing), Cambridge, lamplighterbrewing.com.
Night Shift Brewing
The local brewer has released Boston Proud IPA, with citrusy flavors of mango, orange, and candied lemon. $1 of every four-pack sold goes to Boston Proud, and the beer is available at both taprooms, the Esplanade and Allston beer gardens, and a variety of local retailers.
Multiple locations, nightshiftbrewing.com.
Cocktails
View this post on Instagram
1928 Beacon Hill
Tucked away among cobblestone streets and little shops, cozy New American restaurant 1928 Beacon Hill is serving up two Pride-themed cocktails: the light and bubbly Empress gin fizz and a summery coconut mint margarita. The drinks are served up with salty rims in tasteful stained glass rainbow cups, and 10% of proceeds from the drinks will be donated to BAGLY.
97 Mount Vernon St., Beacon Hill, Boston, 857-233-5662, 1928beaconhill.com.
Aceituna Grill
Newbury Street newbie Aceituna Grill is joining the party with its Pride martini, made with strawberry basil vodka, pineapple juice, and Chambord raspberry liqueur. If you order one at the sleek, marble bar, $3 of your purchase will be donated to BAGLY.
267 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston, 857-239-8973, aceitunagrill.com.
Alibi Bar & Lounge at the Liberty Hotel
For every Taking Flight cocktail ordered in June, Alibi will donate $1 to charitable LGBTQ+ causes. The gin-based drink is made with crème de violette, lemon, and prosecco. (See above for an event at Alibi’s sibling spot at the Liberty, Clink.)
215 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston, 857-241-1144, alibiboston.com.
Bambara Kitchen & Bar at Kimpton Marlowe Hotel
Watermelon and basil vodka combines with Aperol, St. Elder, lime juice, simple syrup, and Mionetto prosecco for the refreshing Come Get It Bae cocktail. $1 of each sale of the cocktail in June will benefit BAGLY.
25 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, 617-868-8000, hotelmarlowe.com.
Bar 10 at Westin Copley Place
Want to taste the rainbow? Bar 10, located inside the Westin in Copley Square, is offering a colorful selection of five Pride cocktails throughout June, from a cherry Aperol spritz to a passionfruit vodka spritz. $1 from each cocktail will benefit the Trevor Project, a nonprofit aimed at ending suicide among LGBTQ youth.
10 Huntington Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-262-9600, marriott.com.
Big Night
From the Seaport District to Everett, venues from the Big Night hospitality group are serving a cocktail called Pride Punch throughout June, featuring St-Germain elderberry liqueur and vodka with fresh lime juice and soda water. $1 of each Pride Punch sale will benefit nonprofit GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders). Find the drink at Empire, Mystique, Grace by Nia, Scorpion Bar Boston, Scorpion Bar Patriot Place, Versus, Guy Fieri’s Boston Kitchen + Bar, and Guy’s Tequila Cocina.
Multiple locations, bignight.com.
Flight Club
Anyone down for a game of darts? This upscale darts spot in the Seaport revamped its existing mango cocktail, usually known as the Vicuña, to fundraise this June. The concoction is made with mango, pisco, clove, lime, and egg whites, and topped with a rainbow, and 100% of the proceeds (up to $1,000) benefit BAGLY.
60 Seaport Blvd., Suite 215, Seaport District, Boston, flightclubdarts.com.
Oak Long Bar & Kitchen at Fairmont Copley Plaza
All month long, Oak Long Bar is offering a cocktail special (and a dessert special—see below). Made with Absolut Citron, passion fruit, lemon, and falernum, the Marsha P. Johnson is named for a late gay rights activist who played a prominent role in the Stonewall uprising. The hotel is donating $1 per order to BAGLY, and Absolut Citron has committed to matching the donation.
138 St. James Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-585–7222, oaklongbarkitchen.com.
The Quiet Few
It’s frozen espresso martini season at the Quiet Few in Eastie, and for the month of June, $5 per sale of the drink—which is dubbed the Burrr-iah Carey—will go to BAGLY. The chilly concoction features St. George Spirits coffee liqueur.
331 Sumner St., East Boston, 617-561-1061, thequietfew.com.
Yellow Door Taqueria
You can’t go wrong with a frozen margarita, especially when it’s raising money for a meaningful cause. For the month of June, Yellow Door Taqueria’s three locations are offering a Pride frozen margarita, topped with a chunky rainbow twist lollipop. $1 of each purchase will be donated to the local nonprofit Youth On Fire, a confidential drop-in for teens and young adults experiencing unstable housing in Boston.
Three locations, yellowdoortaqueria.com.
Other
Gong Cha
With seven stores across the Greater Boston area, this bubble tea chain is offering a new boba option to celebrate the June festivities. The Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea has a tart lemon base, embellished with white pearls and sparkly edible glitter. A portion of each purchase of this summery drink benefits the NQAPIA, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.
Multiple locations, gongchausofficial.com.
View this post on Instagram
Grana at The Langham, Boston
At this fine Post Office Square establishment, you can ask for the month’s “secret over-the-top” Pride milkshake by showing the waitstaff the above Instagram post. So what’s in the milkshake? Vanilla ice cream blended with Luxardo cherries and dark chocolate shavings and topped with sour gummies, lollipop, and a Swiss buttercream funfetti cupcake. As one commenter put it, Grana “understood the assignment.” Round of applause.
250 Franklin St, Boston, (617) 956-8765, granaboston.com.
View this post on Instagram
Greco
$1 from each purchase of Greco’s new rainbow loukoumades (Greek doughnuts) will be going to Boston Proud. Find them at the restaurant’s Newbury Street, Seaport, and Milk Street locations.
Multiple locations, grecotrulygreek.com.
Mamaleh’s
In collaboration with tinned seafood company Fishwife, Mamaleh’s is serving a special dish from June 10 to 18 at its three locations in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline. The Double Rainbow includes Fishwife smoked rainbow trout pate with cucumbers, mixed greens, pickled red onions, and tomato, served on a rainbow bagel. $1 from the sale of each sandwich will go to Keshet, an organization working toward LGBTQ equality in Jewish life.
Multiple locations, mamalehs.com.
Oak Long Bar & Kitchen at Fairmont Copley Plaza
In addition to its cocktail special (see above), Oak Long Bar is serving a dessert called Taste the Rainbow throughout June, donating $1 per order to BAGLY. The dish, which looks like a dessert pizza, consists of rainbow ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, salted caramel, cookie dough, chocolate chunks, and glitter.
138 St. James Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-585–7222, oaklongbarkitchen.com.