The Greatest Bar

Reason for going out
After a Friday night dinner, I headed to this sports bar to catch the tail end of the Pens winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. I was accompanied by a mixed group of dudes and dudettes, and we were all looking to party hard.

Atmosphere
The Greatest Bar is intimidating when you first meander in. There are several floors, each with its own fully stocked bar and plenty of plasmas to catch whatever game you're looking for. The first room is actually two levels with the second level being a cat walk above the ground floor. Right behind the bar is a daunting wall of TVs. The most impressive is the gigantic flat screen that sits front and center and is always playing the most popular game of the night. That screen is then flanked on either side by four more TVs that are showing other games that night. The rest of the plasmas are scattered throughout the bar, so you will never be left searching for a good view. The ceiling is also adorned with a mural of Boston sports painted by Michelangelo himself. (or probably some die hard, artistic fan) The other floors are nothing special and have a typical sports bar feel.

Drinks
Typical bar assortment of beer and hard liquor. Nothing special about the beers on tap. They do sell pitchers.

Menu Category: Classy Bar
Don't come here planning on a long, quiet dinner. The Greatest Bar still serves the typical quick, greasy bar food (burgers, fries, nachos) that we all love to hold down after that shot of goldschlager. However, the food is high quality, and they do throw a couple curve balls, such as the spicy shrimp tacos.

Service: Medium
The bartenders are friendly and it usually takes less than 10 minutes to get a drink, even when the place is packed. On the busier nights, the bar will also have a few cocktail waitresses on duty.

Personality: Preppy
Collared shirt, curly haired frat boys mixed with summer dresses and plenty of cleavage. This scene is definitely tailored to the young college/recently graduated crowd that likes to dress up a little for the night out.

Cash Monies: Medium
Prices are about average for a Boston bar. Each pitcher cost us $12.

Chick Talent: Medium
The Greatest Bar attracts a wide range of women to the bar. Some are nice to look at, others looked nicer after a few pitchers. At no point was I blown away with the talent in this place, but there was plenty to keep me interested.

Chick Friendliness: Low
The girls in this place thought they were cooler than Iceman and Slider. (only Mav and Goose are that cool) So if it's girls you want, prepare yourself for the challenge of melting down a bar full of ice queens.

Group Friendliness: Medium
The group dynamic is a bit better than the chick factor. This section may be inflated because people were a bit friendlier with the Pens winning the Stanley Cup. However, this is a sports bar and sports celebrations are its forte.

Would I bring a date here?: No
You can barely hear a thing over the sound of the game/music. There are a ton of drunk people stammering all over the place, and you'd probably end up watching the game instead of her. Take her someplace else and check out the highlights of the game later in the night.

Would I hang out here with my guy friends?: Yes
Definitely a place to bring your bros. Plenty of alcohol, plenty of greasy food, and enough TVs for everyone to watch a different screen. This is a great place to spend the night watching the game and having plenty of chicks to lay game on.

Would I hang out here with my lady friends?: Yes
I would opt to bring the guys here before bringing a group of girls, but the top floors of the place can lend itself to dancing. Don't expect this place to break out into an all out grind-fest though. If you're looking to keep the ladies busy so you can catch the game, then this is the place to do it.

BLUF
This place is a great, flashy sports bar. If there is more than one game on in one night, make this your destination to keep track of each one. The Greatest Bar is more of a hang out place than a scam on chicks place, but the bar does try to foster a good mix of both. Next time there is a championship on the line, you should probably think about checking this place out.

Did I have fun?: Yes

Near TD Bank North Garden
262 Friend Street
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 367-0544
www.thegreatestbar.com