Irish Village

My boyfriend and I’s favorite dive bar in Brighton, incredible espresso martinis, friendly bartenders, and the best part… the best place for live music in Boston! We’ve seen incredible local talent here, and are so grateful to have this in our neighborhood.

A favorite bar. Full disclosure: the food is what you make of it as they only have toasties but allow you to bring in anything. A favorite bar for 25-plus years and now they have an annex with lots of great programming. A very well thought out draft selection with the odd but perfectly serviceable tradition of serving wine in half bottles. Darts if the place is not crowded.

The staff is very freindly, the atmosphere is awesome, the bathrooms are clean. Great music, great drinks and great company. What more could you want?

It’s been there long before the 70’s I used to shine shoes there Made more money than a paper route actually move down the street in 64 It was the Irish Village Can’t tell you what it what it was before and after consulting other lifelong residents Nor can they Embrace the history I’m 65

Great pub in Brighton that has been there a very long time. Huge selection on tap.

What a time. Sean pours a great pint. Maverick guides the music.

Great service and drink selection.

Great Irish Pub 🍻 owners friendly, open & welcoming environment, open space, good beers, plenty of TVs for games. Highly recommend stopping by for a pint!

Good bar, great vibes. I was impressed by the decor and feel of the back room. Well-priced drinks and overall a no-fuss establishment. They let you bring in outside food which is nice on the wallet. Trivia on Tuesdays is a lot of fun!

Love the vibes in here! The decorations are really cool. Live music is great on Friday nights. I think his name was Steep Grade. They have some great talent playing here!

Everyone knows everyone and you feel like family here! Come for live music or a Patriots game!! You'll have a blast!

Tuesday night trivia 7:00 to 9:00, open mike Wednesday 8:30 to 12:00, karaoke on Thursday 9:00 to midnight and live music Friday and Saturday 9:00 to 1:00. No covers! What more else could you ask of a cool neighborhood bar?

It's a cool place to go for drinks. Very small, cozy local bar that serves "toasties", which are essentially just grilled cheese sandwiches. When I went there, it gave off "Cheers" vibes ("Where everybody knows your name"). They have a good selection of beers and a full bar, ready to make your cocktail of choice. If you're looking for a local pub for drinks, this is a great option.

Super cozy neighborhood bar. Really comfortable space. We went on a Friday night and it was packed, but we still managed to grab a booth. There are darts and a jukebox, which are fun! The area in the back has some cozy seats. Overall, place is clean, including the bathroom. Music is at a perfect level - loud enough to hear, but not too loud that it overpowers conversation. Drinks are great - plenty of draught options (including cider for ppl like me who don't like beer)! They also have food - "toasties" - toasted cheese with or without ham. They also allow you to bring in food if that doesn't float your boat. Bar staff are nice and knowledgeable. Overall, an excellent spot for locals. I will definitely be returning. I've never been so comfortable at a bar!

I get trying to stay in business during Covid. But really? 4 Guiness, 1 other draft, and (basically) 3 wine spritzers. Out the door for $72. Uh.... yeah. Not going back anytime soon.

My first time ... but, it is a truly comfortable place to get a reasonably priced pint with like-minded people. I will make it a point to return the next time I get to Brighton.

This place is a blast and Kieran, the manager is the man. The place is just the right size and the clientele are all welcoming and fun loving. Take yourself and your friends there to have a ball. Guaranteed! Will B

Favorites local bar. Everyone's welcoming and friendly. It's a no frills down to earth local bar

Not truly a dive bar, but it's in that neighborhood. They've got Guinness on tap, a digital jukebox and darts. Food: They serve only ham sandwiches?!? Odd, but my friend said it was decent. You're permitted to bring in outside food. On a weeknight, there is a light crowd and the music is set a bit too low in volume. On a weekend, it can get quite crowded and the music is too loud. But, there are friendly patrons and it's a welcoming establishment.

They a ton of beers on tap; they have darts, a juke box, etc. This is def a dive but but a great dive bar. They used to Not have a kitchen at all so typically you could Order delivery or grab Chinese from across the street and bring it in. Now they have a panini maker and hammer makes some amazing sandwiches when for your out drinking!

slaps. get a tom collins and w cheese toasty. you'lld have a fantastic brighton evening.

If you want an authentic Irish Pub, this is the place. I went in with a guy from Germany so he didn't get any shock waves, I am part Irish and my best uncle in the world was off the boat from Cork so I grew up learning a lot about the Irish. We would sing seafaring songs, dance jjgs, make fishing nets, splice ropes, and thankfully he was not big in the drinking department, although he did stash a bottle of Irish Mist for special occasions. Anyway, I waked in there and my uncle was sitting on every stool, I could hear the thick Irish Brogue and see the hard life faces of the working and retired men. The older gent next to me was quick to start a conversation with us and he bought us a beer and told us some of his life story. If I am ever in that area again, I will surely stop by for a cold one.

Came here with my son (25) and his date (24) for a more formal interaction than our previous encounter at The Friendly Toast. My son lives in Brighton and he suggested meeting here. His date was a little surprised when I showed up with a large wallet of approximately 250 movies on both DVD and BD disk. Of course, front and center upon opening the wallet were some perennial family favorites -- Short Circuit 2, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and of course, King Ralph. As I have noted in previous reviews, my son and I are drinkers. We are particularly fond of the Irish bars as they usually have a high drink to anecdote ratio and we're known as anecdotalites. Coming here we found decent drinks (not a bottle of Bushmills in sight) and great regulars. I was chatting to one about darts, when my son cautiously approached the topic of Christmas Tapes with his date. Looking bewildered, we explained the rich history of engineers swapping tapes of outtakes and other material that existed only for the amusement of staff. One such Christmas tape sees Jim Bowen, the host of ITVs Bullseye in a foul mouthed facsimile of his hosting persona for the amusement of the crew. She jokingly responded if we were fans of television and everyone laughed heartily. We are of course, massive fans of television and she knew it. Now, taking a moment to check on my Samsung Galaxy S3 which had been charging behind the bar, I went to the bathroom to relieve my bladder and also to give the youngsters a moment alone. In the bathroom (very clean) I noted that someone had scratched the word "Cheers" in the back of the door and I began to wonder if any of the gang from Cheers had ever mentioned Brighton on the show or if any of the cast had ever visited this bar. I then began thinking about the Cheers/Frasier shared universe and I thought my son's date might have some insight into Frasier and the Frasier lifestyle. I suppose I was a little longer than I had planned in the bathroom and when I came out my son and his date were planning to leave. I quickly paid my tab, collected my Galaxy S3 and my disk wallet and we shared a slightly awkward Uber ride back to my son's apartment. When we arrived, she wished us fair well and left us to enjoy King Ralph and pretzels over the rest of some leftover gin from a previous visit. This bar is a great place to meet people and to get to know them better. It has a TouchTunes jukebox which is good because it has many classic TV themes. The bar also has darts and a few very soft feel booths. Drinks are always decently priced and they let you order in food. Postmates will deliver from Cafe Eliat to here and there's a 7-11 across the street if you want to get pretzels to watch movies on your tablet with your son and his date.

I live in the neighborhood and saw that this bar had good Yelp reviews, so my friend and I decided to check it out one night. Needless to say, the Irish Village lives up to it accolades. We have been back every week since-- my friend even travels from Jamaica Plain to come drink here. The atmosphere is welcoming and all of the bartenders are super friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. There isn't one day of the week I wouldn't come here. A+ service. Highly recommend.

My favorite Irish pub in Boston, hands down. Unassuming and authentic. My go to whenever my mouth waters for a tall Guinness the way its supposed to be. Just wish they served food.

My friends and I absolutely love this place. We've been coming for years and we always have a great time. Drinks are fairly priced and the music is always solid. We also love the bartender Austin. He's super friendly and a great sense of humor.

The one local bar that still holds onto that old Brighton charm. Unpretentious bartenders stand behind the rail in the true-to-style Irish pub; somewhere you can go to both have a quiet drink and meet friends for a celebration. Side note: cleanest tap lines in the area leading to freshest-tasting beer.

Great Irish pub had a wonderful time with the wife! Staff was friendly and inviting. Highly recommend

Stopped in on a Saturday night with some friends. I'd never been there before and was pleasantly surprised! Our bartender, Pete, was very nice and friendly Will definitely be back!

Pro tip - in addition to pizza next door, they are totally cool with you having Chinese food delivered (which is open much later than the pizza next door.) The IV is always a good time. You always get a good buzz on and always meet some strange and interesting characters.

5 stars! They've overhauled their beer list since my original review, and this makes this my favorite bar in Boston hands down.

One word... comfortable. I was very comfortable in my nook at the booth. Although this booth wasn't designed for shorties, I was happy that I could lay across the booth and watch the game. WOW talk about a good friggin' pour!!! Now... I originally wanted some wine, but apparently they don't sell wine by the glass here. Instead, they're by the bottle. So... unfortunately, I did have to lower their rating because of it. But I do like the vibes in here. It's low-key. The clientele keeps to themselves for the most part. The staff is friendly and make a mean drink. The bathrooms are clean. And towards the back it actually kinda reminded me of a saloon slash living room. I could really get comfortable here, except there was no TV in that section. But I wouldn't mind planting my big ole butt in that leather seat and drinking my blues away. Seriously, the perfect place to watch a game or two if you're not interested in dealing with a crowded bar. Plus they have Big Buck Safari! But beware - CA$H only!

Hells yes. This is the kind of place every neighborhood should have at least two of. It's a decent-looking place that pours a good pint; the bartender is an affable sort, the prices are reasonable, there's a dartboard, plenty of seats, and big TVs if there's a good game on. Seriously. It makes me wish I lived in Brighton so I could come back here on a more regular basis. If you ever find yourself with a case of heartburn, just ask the bartender Jody for a shot or two of peppermint schnapps. Tell him I told you. :)

K, so I was wondering if other people come here to have weird encounters with strangers. It sure seems like I do! Though not by choice, I seem to find myself stuck in long, awkward conversations with people I'd never met when I drink at this bar. It's a neighborhood hangout for a few of my friends, and draft beers are cheap, and it's dark in there, so for the most part it's a win--but it seems to attract lonely locals. The last one I met was a broker at a local firm who may prove to be useful for rental referrals. But not sure if the hour it took out of my life was worth it. My advice? Stop in if you're looking for a cheap pint. But disguise yourself in sunglasses (or nasty sweats?) and do NOT make eye contact with anyone. And don't have conversations others can hear, if you don't want them jumping in. And tip the staff well. They must deal with some serious crazies.

We love the Irish Village! Here are a few reasons: 1. Jody, our favorite bartender 2. Authentic Irish flavor 3. Low-key atmosphere but still plenty of entertainment 4. Good selection of beer, in both bottle and draft 5. Hello - we can walk there! If you're looking for a good place to stop in, have a drink, or make a longer night of it on the weekends... Irish Village is a solid choice. We'll see you there!

LOVE this bar!! Seriouzly, it's the only bar in Boston I ever consistently went to. Maybe it was the nice corner booths, maybe it was the installation of the enormous HD TVs, maybe it was the always extra strong whiskey sours I drank there, maybe it was the company of the same 1-2 people I tended to venture there with. Or maybe it was the variety of bartenders I met there ... from the grumpy guys who refused to believe I was 21 even after I showed my ID, to the one who told me to take my drink to go on Thanksgiving ... I loved them all. I still have the glass from that night, and I'll never forget walking up market st with a whiskey sour with two straws in my hand. The IV is full of memories. And they make a mean whiskey sour. Sometimes they host parties and you can steal the party food as you exit. Delish! The beers are always cold, there's bound to be an irish rouge sounding in the air, and the jukebox blasts out only the finest pop music around. It was my favorite lip-synching and drinking spot, and should be cherished for years to come.

Great place to visit on Friday nights after a long hard day of work. Buy a nice, cold pint of Guinness and just hang out and relax with friends. Perfect hangout place for friends to drink a few beers and have a good time!

Easily my favorite bar in Boston. Part of that is that it's only about two blocks away from my apartment, but the Brighton Beer Garden isn't much further and I think that one is douchey. First of all, good beer selection, good liquor selection, and some wines (they serve from half bottles so that it stays fresh, but I think it limits them). Bartenders are friendly, attentive, but not aggressive. Plenty of seating, with booths on one side, stools around the bar, and a small comfortable lounge area (seats maybe 6-8) in the back. It also has darts, a digital jukebox, and Big Buck Hunter. And it's very reasonably priced. I always feel comfortable and welcomed when there, and it's a great bar to actually talk to people in. Whenever friends come to visit I always make sure to take them here.

As far as bars go, this place has everything, except for food, which makes it a real "bar." The beer selection is so surprisingly good for a small place in the middle of Market Street. Example of the beers on tap include Goose Island IPA, Wachusett Green Monsta IPA, and Pretty Things Jack D'Or. And all pints are about $4-5. There are some more unusual beers in cans, as well. And the liquor selection is great. There are dart boards, lounge chairs, and various sports games, including football/soccer. There is certainly an international feel here, which is great too. The bartenders are friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to give beer tastes. And although there is no food, it's fine to bring it from other places and eat there. Perfect local pub for having a brew with some friends.

The Good: The beer selection. These guys have a lot going on tap, including perhaps my favorite beer on earth, Allagash White. Other exotic brews from about the region are featured too. For the cheapies, they have Naragansett on tap, which I believe is only $2.50 a pint at all times. Bartenders are nice, knowledgeable, and quick. Big marks for just being a cool bar all around. It's not big, but it's got a nice centrally located bar, tables all around, dartboards and a jukebox, etc. The bathrooms were a little disgusting, but that probably had more to do with the clientele than the efforts of the cleaning crew. The Bad & Ugly: The throng of LOWLIVES that pervade this place. It's really too bad too... I woulda stuck around for more than one beer if not for the degenerate morons that yell, puke, and pass out here... That's a true story, not an exaggeration. While present, A 40-something man with a beer gut and a bald head fell off his barstool, broke the barstool, and laid supine on the floor in an alcoholic stupor. After several minutes of having his body ravaged and humiliated by his buddies, he was mercilessly woken up by a series of punches, kicks, and wrestling moves. "The Boston Defibrillator," as I like to call it. Stay on the other side of the bar from the riff raff, and you'll be fine.

I'll admit, during the first 6 months of my tenure in Brighton, I avoided the Irish Village and made jokes behind it's back. But now that I stepped out of my Judgy Mcjudgerson box and actually went to the Irish Village, I am sold. Low key, cheap/strong drinks, warm atmosphere... and all the bartenders from the other local bars come here...which should tell you something. They also have a ridiculously cool alcove with old man smoking chairs in it - which is just awesome. Now don't tell anyone else, because dammit, they will ruin it. Also- no food - but don't be lazy, just walk over to the Brighton House of Pizza and bring it back (practically the next building over.)

Local bar. Good for pregame to the city nightlife or to catch a game. Friendly staff. Drinks only, No food served but you can bring in something from the take out food around the neighborhood if you ask nicely.

The Irish Village (or the IV as my roomies and I refer to it) is crawling distance from my apartment, which makes it the perfect place to end a night... or begin a night for that matter. I typically only go on Friday and Saturday nights - bonus points for those Saturdays when they bring in a DJ (unofficially dubbed DJ Dance Party by me and the roomies). The crowd is always an interesting mix of local Irish expats, older couples, heavy metal enthusiasts with neck tattoos, and 20-somethings who either stumbled in randomly, or are in-the-know of this diamond in the rough. On a busy night there might be about 20 people, but probably less, which makes it a great place for avoiding crowded 'meat market' type bars, and a great place to have actual conversations with interesting people. There is no food served here, but you can bring in your own. I recommend the pizza shop next door (which closes really early for being next door to a pub) or the Tedeshi's across the street. This is not a bar for girlie drinks, which are typically my go to for adult beverages. That being said, the bartenders will make a Cosmo with minimal mocking, so that's nice. Oh, and the best part - drinks are super cheap. They have a dart board (and hold at least two dart championship trophies), big buck hunter (safari edition!), and have a classy lounge area in the back of the place (it is small, but arguably the classiest section of the joint). This pub has a really nice, neighborly vibe to it that I just haven't found in other Boston bars.

In Boston for the weekend. Bartender Pete is a gentleman, regaled old tales of our visits to Ireland, great night. Definitely stopping by the next time I'm in town.

Last Thursday night my friends and I were all about convenience. Convenience = not having to go by cab or public transit, and not having to hit up the ATM. So we walked to the closest bar, which was Irish Village. Before walking in I expected it to be like it's fellow Brighton Center Irish pub, the Green Briar. Low and behold I was not attacked by sweaty, drunk, Irish men with accents so thick it kills your buzz. Star. However the bar was a bit smelly but I figured that was an even trade. They had a coat rack by the door. Another star. (Doesn't take much, huh?) An okay selection of beers on tap and a nice little lounge area in back that sticks out like a sore thumb, but nice to have another choice than just bar stools. One more star. Doubt I'd come on a weekend (that's when the above mentioned group is probably there) but when you're in the mood for an easy night out and live in the area, this place does okay at delivering.

Ahhh... back in the day this place was a real dive complete with laminate countertops and $2.50 pints. A drinkers bar... But times have changed and things get cleaned-up. I really like the Village now with its rich wooden bar, nice selection of beer, great bartenders, and good crowd. However, I'd be lying if I said on a very crowded Thursday night that I didn't miss the old dive that was the Irish Village.

Solid bar in Brighton with a super friendly staff and really an unbelievable beer selection. Not the most taps around but they have an excellent variety and the bartenders know their stuff. Plus the taps are always changing so you've got plenty of variety there. Really the only drawback of this place is that it's kinda out of the way. I happen to work nearby which is the only reason I would have ended up here. Another nice thing is that since they don't serve food they let you bring in takeout from other restaurants so that's pretty cool. Comfortable booths, clean bathrooms, great service, darts, etc.

By far one of the best bars I've ever been to. The bartenders are super friendly and the regulars are pretty cool too! Good beer selection! No food, but who needs it? Jukebox is awesome! Very good time :)

Great bar. Good for groups. If you get there early enough in the back is a cute area that fits about 8 people. Great juke box that have the misfits on it. Cheap drinks

If ever there was a local watering hole in Boston, this is it. Authentic, spacious, good prices and perfect Irish atmosphere make Irish Village the perfect spot to walk to for a pint or a shot or just a friendly welcome on a daily basis. Frequented by actual Irishmen and women, the place still welcomes "an outsider" or any other local or visitor to pull up a bar stool and watch either soccer, golf or even the Red Sox. With plenty if seating a dartboard in the corner, take a break and visit Irish Village.

The Irish Village... this place has been around way too long. How does it stay in business? So depressing. Same 4 or 5 old guys out front having their smokes day in and day out, milking beers and being OVER SERVED. Believe me I work across town so I drive by and I have seen many guys literally falling over on the street and trying to stuff their key in their ignition. I guess the license board just looks the other way? Must know some of the D-4 boys I guess. Not that there is worse than that, but as for the place itself... I have questions about the owner (?). Fat bald guy. Lets just say... well... weirdo. Super unfriendly and gives girls kind of (more than kind of) the creeps. Its why most of the women in the area head to Deep Ellum, Devlins and The Corrib. Every place has a better vibe at about the same prices. OK Deep Ellum is a bit more expensive than other local places but the beers are better and they do have the PBR option I guess. Back to the "IV" they now call it. Ha. So hip! What happened to that heavyset female bartender from a few years ago? I will say to be fair... the place has gotten 80% better since she stopped stiffing drinks there. Hopefully her claddagh has finally been turned around and she is in a better mood? Not sure how you can screw up pouring a guiness but, she could! Yeesh. In summary WAY WAY to many other places in walking distance that are better in every single category. Sorry not a hater just curious how some places stay open. Cheers!

The place to be for some nice beers on tap and a good atmosphere. The jukebox is awesome

My favorite bar in Boston. Lovely bartenders that always remember my husband and I. Cheap beer and regulars that mind their own business. Nice place to go on a Sunday afternoon!

This place still gets 5 stars from me (and my soon to be hubby). Thank you for being a stone's throw stagger home for us, for having affordable drink prices, a good wine list (half bottles--so cheap), for letting us bring in a couple slices from Brighton House, having staff for being friendly and attentive, having lots of TVs, and having comfy booths and seats. I do have to question the cash only rule seen posted in a recent review--I have been coming here for years and have always used my debit and credit cards. Maybe it is because they know me? Hmmm---doubtful!

Typical Irish bar with not too much character. They've got darts for games. The place smells like a dive bar (stale beer). No food. Worth checking out on a bar crawl through Brighton/Allston, but wouldn't make this my main watering hole. Seems to be a hangout for Irish people.

I've only been once, but I'll definitely be going back. Everyone is very friendly. Excellent beer selection and supposedly the best Guiness pour in New England. If you're looking for a posh scene, this isn't it. But if you're ready to belly up to the bar with a good beer and a good conversation, you're all set!

Irish Village was one of the earliest stops of my DJ career and I spent every Friday night here for almost a year. It definately is not a DJ spot and I don't know why they kept having us back even though the regulars clearly didn't like us at all. In fact we were actually told to "stop playing black music" at one point, so clearly I was absolutely miserable by the end. The one redeeming quality is the staff who were always very sweet to us. Luckliy they moved us over to the much cooler and more fun Redline where I have been playing ever since.

One of the bartenders started double-dropping my and adding other drinks onto my tab. After going here several times with good service, this kind of treatment was appalling, I will never go back, and I suggest everyone avoid this joint because of this treatment. The bartender that was doing this was also pouring himself very heavy alcoholic drinks. It doesn't appear to be a rogue agent, but a condoned situation at the bar.