Model Cafe

This place has been open over 90 years and I’d be so sad if I could not dance here again one day, so I’m glad they started serving food to stay open and it was so much better than we expected! The pizza was crispy with a hearty tomato sauce. The wings were so juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender. Perfect with a cold ganssett, they hit the nail on the head for pub food I used to eat in Buffalo.

Got yelled at by the manager before I even stepped in the door. he was very aggressive and swearing us. came with the band to help set up, was screamed at and insulted. the whole environment was unprofessional, and we will not be coming back.

STAY AWAY if you don’t want to get harassed by the bouncers!! They seem to think this is some elite club, when reality it’s an overpriced concrete room that apparently plays only 2010s pop remixes..tbh don’t recommend. Silhouette is closer and actually enjoyable

Good vibes and incredible prices for the area. It's cash only, but they have an ATM.

the bouncer needs a reality check and therapy. You're not as cool as you think, mr backrolls 😁😁😁

Overpriced $8 for a vodka Smirnoff shot. 😬 Bartender was okay. I asked for a lemon drop and I was expecting a shot and got a drink with triple sec instead. My husband’s IPA was warm and he wasn’t a fan. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Chill place , nothing crazy. Music was a lot of 90s rap that I didn’t mind. I think we decided to spend less than $20 and left. We would have spent more, but we weren’t feeling the vibe and I didn’t think the bartender was trying. He WASN’T mean at all like other comments say OR RACIST (like some suggest in the comment- I’m a Latina with a Caucasian spouse) but he wasn’t personable either. I think that’s just his personality.

One of the best dives around. Place brings back a ton of memories of my early 20s

Haven't been here in almost 20 years. Great place for last call back then. Somewhat shady, but always fun. Glad to see they are still in business!

the perfect hole in the wall bar ! went on 9/18/24 after post malone and it was the peace and quiet we were looking for. the bartender was really nice. the people there seemed to be bar industry people.

Bar pizza- ordered laced and well done to go. One pepperoni, one linguica. Estimated 20 minutes. Done on time and piping hot! I opened the box and man did it look good! They have the good little cupped up peperoni's! Somehow the bottom had no crisp but the edged were cooked laced and well done. Not sure how they could get the bottom a little crisp but the bites were very chewy due to the dough and how it was cooked. It's not doughey just chewy. My husband commented it was salty but overall I like the flavor they are putting out here but I prefer a crisp on the undercarriage.

Bartender, Chap. I was on my second drink, just dancing to Chappell Roan, and out of nowhere, he cuts me off. Guess dancing's not allowed there? If he's working next time, it's definitely gonna mess up the vibe. Thankfully, there are plenty of other spots.

Absolutely awful experience! only come here if you want to be screamed at and verbally harassed. I don't know if he was a manager or just staff but whoever he was he was screaming and swearing at us. carrying stuff and no free hands And he was so rude that we were standing by the door. we left right away. Clearly no one important reads these reviews though because nothings being done about this.

Insane behavior from the bartender working 9/28 evening, to me and several others. "What the f**k do you want!" as I approached the bar for the first and last time, then he poured the wrong beer and refused to change it. And on an empty night...Strange.

Extremely rude bartender, yelled at me for not tipping him while I was counting out money to hand him, all he did was open a single bottle of beer. Cheap drinks and great atmosphere but not worth the terrible bartender.

Extremely rude bartenders. Will shout at you for not tipping even if you're counting out money to give to them. Ridiculous. Never going back.

Model cafe fucking rules if you don't like it get out Boston yuppies. The bartenders are the coolest & Sully's the man Any other bar in Allston is mid compared to the model Modelo w/ Lime & bar pizza all day 5/5

Surprisingly good pizza alert! The Model has been around forever but I found myself there for the first time a few months ago- looking for a no frills drink and curious about the sign that said 2 pizzas for $10 on Monday/Tuesday. I was quite surprised by the deliciousness of their "tavern-style" Pizza which was reminiscent of the pies I enjoyed while living in Wisconsin. The chill atmosphere (earlier in the week) and eclectic mix of people also fit my Midwest memories. Bottom-line, surprisingly good spot! And good things it's affordable prices because it a cash only...

Insanely rude bartender. Short. Bald woman, with a major attitude problem. Our group waited for the bar to die down so that we wouldn't put too much pressure on the bartender. We ordered six shots of WELL tequila. Which ended up costing $42. As our group is pooling money together to pay for the shots. We place it on the bar top to pay for it. Then we start getting money together to tip the bartender and she chimes in with "hey I should gratuity this for 20%, I don't do this for free". Firstly, extremely rude comment. Secondly. We're GETTING your tip ready for you. We hand her $20 for a tip (for awful service) and promptly leave the bar. Will not be returning.

First of all, cash only bar, which sucks. The bartender was rude af. He got triggered because I didn't immediately tip because I dealing with something at the moment and when he said that, it reminded me to tip and he refunded it . Fucking clown lamenting over not being tipped and then refusing one. I usually tip at the end of the night when it's cash only since I'm so used to adding a tip to a credit card purchase and I planned to get 3+ more drinks. He played himself because I obviously wasn't going to order any more after that. I would never not tip a bartender.

I'll start with this - don't waste your time at this bar. If you want to stand around in a dark, smelly excuse for a bar and be treated like shit and that's the vibe for your night, then yeah this is the spot. As far as dive bars go, The Model is trash.

Always awesome, place to go after work. Late hour dive and cheap drinks. Special on Tuesdays

Kenny the bartender rules. The door guy is really rude and if he is going to work in customer service industries he should learn some manners. They have good inexpensive beer and good personal pizzas.

Something Missing Sadly this place has all of the makings to be one of the best dive bars in the area. I have a feeling 20 years ago it probably was. Now, it's a bland, dry, and overpriced. An overpriced "dive" bar. What a sin. They Model has a great sign outside, the interior is still pretty beat up, and so are the bathrooms. All of this should lead to a good rating, but the bartender, server, and patrons were just duds. I see no reason to ever go back in this place. This is a bold statement from a person like myself who truly enjoys a real dive bar. Thanks

Don't order food here. I ended up leaving after 1.5 hours of waiting because the cook hadn't even started making my pizza. At least I got a refund. I know the place is a dive bar, but the bathrooms were disgusting, which makes me wonder how clean the kitchen and bar are.

Amazing dive bar, completely unidentifiable from the outside, unclear why they are called Model Café but that's part of the charm!!! definitely check out open mic night on Wednesdays it's hilarious. they have a full bar menu but they've run out of half of it, cash only! great first date spot. It's perfect. parking is scarce so be prepared to take a tour of the neighborhood and pro tip: don't try and park and read street signs simultaneously :D

If you know you know! $10 pizza on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the best staff in Allston (other than Obriens pub of course).

Sometimes they have chili for the hot dogs but you have to be brave enough to ask. I love this place, it opens around 7:30pm and stays alive until 2am. There is a DJ who rocks the place, and will always play Nirvana for me when I'm depressed. I like the owner, he's a Boston native with some cool stories about how Allston was always a College Ghetto so when some dumb bullies come around on a Tuesday he can set them straight that the gentrification isn't from the people but from the institutional growth.

I i f*cking love this place so much. pizza is 10/10 Tots 10/10 Staff!!! 10/10 (love you guys i can't wait to come back) I'm so happy we found this place

Model Café is hands down the worst bar I have ever been to in my life. I arrived there with a larger group of friends, to which the female bartender with the shaved head refused to serve. The other blonde bartender was nice enough to go around and take drink orders from us. As the night went on, it was extremely difficult to get the shaved head bartender to take drink orders from any of us. This bar is cash only, so they have an ATM inside. My friend tried to withdraw some money which she never received, but she was still charged over $100. There was a taller male worker with a skinny flashlight that came over and started yelling at her and mansplaining that she didn't get charged- but she DID. He made everyone extremely uncomfortable. As her friends, we chose to cover her drinks so she could try to enjoy the night anyways! Towards the end of the night we chose to order five green tea shots before leaving, to which the shaved head bartender was noticeably reluctant to make (she had complained about making green tea shots to my friends in the past). She brought them over and told us $50. Ok no problem! My friend and I split the price as no one else had any more cash. We still wanted to tip her but only had $1 dollar bills left. We gave her what we could for the tip and everyone took their shots and went outside. I happen to be slow with shots so I was still inside when the bald bartender came back around to collect the money. She grabbed the money and yelled "you guys can fuck off with this bullshit!!". I stared at her and said "are you serious?? Give me my money back then?". I waited to take my shot till she came back around. She threw a crumpled 5 dollar bill at me. I took my shot and slid the glass to her as hard as I could (without throwing the glass), and took the crumpled tip back. She then proceeds to make a scene and yell "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BAR!!", to which I gladly replied, "I would love to!", waved a sarcastic goodbye and left. I don't know what this bald woman's problem with us was, but never in my life have I been treated so unprofessionally by a person who is on the job. She threw a temper tantrum because we couldn't tip her to her liking, so rather than just accepting what we had given her, she lost money and about 15 new customers. The experience was so awful that I almost started crying. If you want to experience probably the worst bartender in Boston, the Model is your spot. This was my first and last time going here, and I assume she treats all her customers this way. I wouldn't be surprised if she loses her job, as she is making an excellent effort at driving customers away and creating a negative atmosphere. We went to a new bar and told everyone about what she had done. If this place falls into debt it's definitely because of her, and if I was the manager, I would seriously reconsider her position at the restaurant. Seriously one of the worst bar experiences I've ever had, and will continue to tell others about how shitty this place is. Great job guys!

I used to attend this club as frequently as of last weekend. I had a friend visiting from states away, and as I tried to enter the bar I was denied entry and she was allowed! Neither of us has any alcohol this evening but I was being told "I had too much" and was denied entry. She (my Caucasian friend) later tried to enter, having been fairly visibly intoxicated and gained entry without question!! I'm begging you to consider the systematic racism that is obviously at work in this business. It's heartbreaking because I truly did enjoy this bar.

Bouncers picked a fight with my friend after he complained about why he wasn't being allowed in even though large groups of people were leaving and called him a fa**ot (because he was gay). staff is wildly unfriendly and rude. It's crazy how awful the language was. Not only were they rude but they threatened to beat him up after calling him slurs. This used to be my favorite bar, I've spent a lot of money here but NEVER again. So extremely disappointed (Also the bouncer was a young blonde guy)

I love the vibe of this place but the DJ plays the same playlist every single time. Have been coming here for 4 years. SWITCH IT UP

I've had some great times at the Model. The staff is still awesome,they put up with drunk BS until 2am and make stiff drinks/ cups of cheap beer. My main problems are the changes in atmosphere: Gone is the awkwardly placed pool table. Gone are the people that have anything interesting to say. They been replaced with a DJ that will make it impossible to have a conversation with anyone and people that will tend yell over the crappy music with the most inane and self important drivel that you could ever hope to avoid hearing. I'll be back after having a few at the Sil and I bet I'll regret it almost immediately .

I went through a brief Model phase and it was one that delivered me the most debilitating hangovers. I don't know what's in it, or why it's been dubbed the name it's been given....but the Summer Snatch. Tastes like candy and bad decisions. My last trip to the model i spent my evening drinking those bad boys and as a result spent the entire next day curled up on my couch cradling a purple Gatorade. There is definitely an eclectic crowd here. I don't think I really ever fit in, but it never mattered to me. The music was always good and the drinks cheap. Bouncers were never happy and the bar tender eventually started to warm up to me. All in all, it depends on what kind of night your looking to have. Low key, divey, but still messed up enough to dance and maybe make out with a stranger? This may be your place.

Model is great but Barbara is a gosh dang liar. They've gone up to $2.75. I trusted you, Barbara. Model Café 5/5; Barbara 2/5.

below in the picture is the bar tender prime time George and the models top hit playing dj aka "DJ DAVID". he tears the friggen club up with his hot fire jams like DMX Rihanna major lazer and the list goes on and on. I can literally not get enough of this dream team George and David, they work so well together it's like they've been friends forever and they totally act like it too!!!! great chemistry!!! I went once on a cool breezy September Saturday night. this bar was packed with hot chicks and good looking dudes. everyone offering to buy everyone else's drinks it was the best time ever!!!! I texted my mom and told her to not wait up cuz I was out partying all fricken night!!!! tore the club up!!!! one time I thought that I might have had one beer too many...but don't fret cuz they have a sweet friggen hot dog cooker in the bar with hot dogs in it!!! at least one night a month you can get yourself a sweet but savory steamed dog! delish! George is a prime time bar tender and I would bet on him in a fight with any other bar tenders in the area dude is straight RIPPED. sully the door man is a legend. biceps outta this world! always greats you with a smile and is never in a bad mood (unless the Bruins lose hehe) but the Bruins never lose cuz we're from Boston baby!!! best city in the GD world!!!!!!! i would suggest drinking here every night for the rest of your life until you die! it's worth it!!! see you there!!!! buy me a drink! DJ DAVID plays only good music too so bring all your hot chick friends and good looking dude friends and come to the dance floor and STEP UP....you'll GET SERVED!!!!!

This is the best bar in Boston! You have to try the "thirsty" aka vodka pineapple. Great spot to bring a friend who likes to hang out in the smoking section. I always meet cool people here, be on the lookout for married men though!

I went there tonight for the 1st time because a friend of mine suggested it. It is a great spot with very fairly priced drinks. There were plastic deviders up at the bar and 5 of the 6 people didn't have masks on, which was FINE. I made the mistake of leaving my table (which was 3.5 feet from the bar) without a mask because there were plastic dividers and 5 of the 6 patrons at the bar were maskless. Big mistake. The bartender screamed at me and humiliated me in front of everyone. I put my hands up and told him I was very sorry and it was my 1st time in there (my buddy was outside smoking a cigarette). He proceeded to yell at me in front of everyone and threatened to kick me out if I approached the bar again (with or without a mask). My buddy who is a regular, came in and did the same thing... the bartender relayed the same message to him, but in a MUCH more respectful way. No yelling, no swearing. I am not a local/regular and I get that, but there is no need to be so rude to somebody who is buying drinks at your bar and planned on tipping well. I may not have a ton of tattoos or cool piercings or blue hair, but I just wanted to hang out and have a good time. I am gonna try again later and hopefully it will go a bit smoother. I didn't mean to upset anybody. I left a $20 bill for a bud light and a jack & ginger for the bartender that screamed at me and humiliated me in front of everyone. I apologized and even complimented him on the awesome jack & ginger he made for me. I didn't mean to make anybody upset or uncomfortable and a nice person came up after and apologized for the barkeeps outburst. I understand I messed up and I am sorry. I hope to eventually fit in there. Drinks are great there but you may need to try a little more than usual to get on their good side if you are not a regular. And if the staff are reading this, please accept my apology. I would love to come back. There are GREAT people there and the drinks are AWESOME. 10/10 WOULD recommend as long as you can handle a little attitude toward newbies.

Remember when there was a cold war on for who could be the punkiest, the most metal, the hardest hardcore kid around? Well the winners of that cold war have grown up to be sad examples of people who went so far to live up to an imaginary self-image that going back now would send them into a spiraling identity crisis. So they suck it up- and plow forward with more tattoos, still listening to the same genre of music at 26 as they were at 16 even if their coming of age rebellious phase should have long burned out. Maybe they long for the days of Rocco and Birdsie on WAAF. Its a depressing mix of the above mentioned and lofty thrift store shoppers who could be in grad school or working on their Hopper meets Beckmann art project that they talk about but looks like crap, just like their journalism that never seems to show up in any publications. People who are more interested in showing off their knowledge of a niche scene then they are in actually holding a sincere interest anything. Its akin to when you meet a girl who plays World of Warcraft- its immediately apparent she has no interest in technology or video games, but needs a conduit with which to be a dork whore and collect a group of erect socially deficient males to compete with one another for her attention as she leads them on just by the virtue of having various slots they hope to one day put their penis in. At the Model you can meet women who are much the same only instead of World of Warcraft (to fulfill your fantasy induced by all the Liz Vicious/Suicide Girls prono you watch) they use a combination of vintage or torn clothing, dyed hair, possibly long socks, maybe some leather if they're a little older.. The kind of women who say things like "best - xxxxx - EVAR" or have an on going predilection for pirates/ninjas because they feel its cute, makes men smile at them, allows them to be 'girl who like stupid thing A B or C' and once again gets them attention. The guys range from grungy to suburban hip, from snooty to over the top aggressive/sloppy. The kind of men who wear those stupid looking slip on sneakers that seem to be the rage in Boston- and as previously mentioned will attempt to seduce and impress women with their ability to name drop. Its a living breathing case study in the way the American society is drawing out childhood to last into your late 20's early 30's. It reminds me of a lamer version of a hip NYC bar except at the Model the t-shirts are all bands you've heard of already. People who think they are an embodiment of some unrealistic image or especially hip when in reality they come across as trendy and desperate for social acceptance. Its a bunch of kids, no, adults- who play make believe while they get drunk and every time I go there I feel like i'm the only person who realizes it. That being said- the beer is cheap, bathrooms dive dirty, they got some big stuffed game fish on the walls. The place isnt too bad on a weekday, its mostly just some local drunks and a few 20 somethings playing pool. It's composed of two halves, one side on your right if your looking at the building that contains the bar and pool table. Off to the left is a room of tables and booths. There is an older lady who waitresses the second half, and an older man who bartends the right. The staff seems to be gruff but cordial, as are the doormen. I've never seen a cover here although I hear they have bands occasionally and i've never gone to see music. They are open till 2am, so its a great squeeze in one more hour place. It is a fun place if your just looking to get trashed and fuck around- but I do feel that the crowd is judgmental. A Malaysian friend of mine who dresses in expensively bright orange and white colored clothing once complained that he had trouble getting served, and was passed by a few times before anyone gave him a beer. But that adds to the fun of the place, you can take friends who clearly wont fit in, pretend like you dont know them once you get there, and talk lots of shit about them to everyone else at their own discomfort. Its the White Horse for a different breed of steed.

This is my favorite spot to go on a Friday night. The crowd is great, DJ Evve is playing by far the best music in th city and the dance floor can get crowded, but in the best way. The staff are all friendly and it's cash only. But $2 PBR's make $20 go a long way. This had become a weekly stop for my friends and I. Love this place!

Note: You should read Cheeba H's review of this place. That's a long version of why I thought it was awesome. This quote about a girl who plays WOW because she: "needs a conduit with which to be a dork whore and collect a group of erect socially deficient males to compete with one another for her attention as she leads them on just by the virtue of having various slots they hope to one day put their penis in." I can't say it better, so I quoted it, sorry Cheeba! Yeah, it's like the "im a drunk hipster ur a drunk hipster lets go have skinny sex" bar. GOOD TIMES!! I went here Sunday night after the Silhouette closed, and it was fun. My girlfriend got served a lot faster than me, so I let her order for both of us. We were here with a group of people who hang out there regularly, and it seemed like they had their own "spots." Hilarious. It seems there was quite a bit of social hierarchy going on, but who cares? Just enjoy your cheap beer, decent drinks and have fun with your friends. Cash only. I give it 4* because the atmosphere was much to my liking (dark, jukebox with indie tunes, pool tables) and the drinking was quality. It doesn't get 5* because I can only take so much douchery.

Well, I don't think I've ever really been here on a weekend night, so it's nice and empty when I go with people playing pinocle or doing crosswords. I guess all the undesirables go on the weekday nights (hey!). But the clientele at those times always seems to be the kind that have something to say to you and won't leave you alone. Maybe I just have a face that screams "Speak to me! I need company!" Seriously. One time this guy was telling me about how he builds custom guitars and he gave me his card. Who does that? I have business cards, but I only use them for those "eat lunch for free" fishbowls. This other guy was some postal worker that told me everything about his route. This other guy looked like he just got off his job at the bank and was talking to me about Feist and some other BS like that--like he's trying to be down with the kids. And then this other guy's all like "you ladies have been playing pool a long time" and I'm all like "What of it?" and he's all "Daaaaaaamn" and I'm all "Yep." Going here makes me realize what a snob I've become. Or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety. Cause when I was younger, I didn't really give a shit about bathrooms and the like and now I'm all putting paper on the seat and opening doors with paper towels. But this bar kind of makes me feel like I'm dying.

I'm trying this new thing: let people be who they are. Yes, that means if tight jeans, PBRs and bad hair make hipsters happy, then let the good times roll. And if you want to make a hipster happy, take them to the Model. I dig the soul music on the weekends (and even the DJ that occasionally plays a triangle in an ironic way) and the merriment and the cheap gin. Totally low key, pretty big so good for a group and the people watching is among the best. Dive on in.

Why did I give this unwashed hipster Allston dive 4 stars, well, it's exactly what it is--a divey, unwashed Allston hipster bar and if you're looking to find a place to beard-watch, this is the place for you. They have a full-bar, are packed Friday nights around midnight, and you're pretty much promised to see some bike messenger you know from somewhere or one of the bag boys from Trader Joes. I just felt extremely comfortable here. The outside of the door is completely filled by cigarette smoke and if you come with someone who frequents the bar every other weekend--they know everyone, which is what I did. There are plenty of tables to sit and chill with your friends, places to throw down your drink while talking with your hands. The beer is cheap. The booze is cheap. The jukebox rocks. Don't dress up for this one. Just wear your jeans, mess your hair and walk on in. This is for drinks, talk. Just straight up hang, man.

I like to think that I deal with bad days in healthy ways. When things get lousy, it's good to take a run, listen to music (dancing in your underwear is the only way to do it), or soak in a hot bath. Sometimes though, there's no cure for a crappy day but getting shitfaced. There's an art to it. Save it for your worst days, pick your poison, and do it neatly (amateurs need not attempt). And if you need a little help, there is the Model. I had one of these days a while ago, and feeling cranky and likely to snarl, I took a walk to the Model. I'm not a regular here. I can't comment on the scene, really. I can't really write about the music, or even the patrons, I guess. What I can say is that the bartender pretty much left me to my own devices (which is exactly what I wanted), except the times when he offered me more whiskey (which was just often enough). Others seemed to know him, and he greeted them pleasantly and by their first names. When I was done and had accomplished my goal and was in just the right place of having-a-full-conversation-with-myself-drunk (and not falling-over-shouting-Wooooo!-drunk, not that I ever say "wooo," 'cuz that's not how I roll), I swam home. During my inebriated chat with myself on the walk home, I actually figured out some fixes for problems that sprung up earlier in the day. So as it goes, the Model did it's job. It did it well, and without hassle. Four stars for the Model and its remarkable fix for a horrid day.

The Model Cafe is a place you go to if you are already shit-hammered beyond belief. Preferably around 12:30 or 1am. It is by no means the best bar in Boston and if you think that way you probably haven't been to many bars. Saying The Model Cafe is best bar in Boston is like saying Limp Bizkit saved heavy metal. Here's the real deal: Eclectic mix of crowds comes here. You wont find frat-boys and dude-bros or any uptight 'pretty broads' who spend entirely too much time making sure they look good. This is good on a comfort level as the crowd is not all too pretentious but you're still dealing with hipsters and art-school dropout snobs. With that said, the crowd is band-guys who are in their mid 30s and still haven't made it, punk-chicks (many of them are stupidly skinny and have boy-ish bodies with no feminine curves.) and lots of shady characters. The bathrooms at this place are quite possibly the worst in the world. The fact that some people have sex in them is stupifying to accept no matter how messed up you are. Bring cash as this place operates like its the early 70s and simply remember one thing. If you end up at The Model Cafe at middle of the night it is only because you have completely stopped caring about your life. :-) Do not come here sober. That's the main rule along with bringing cash.

Lordy. The Model. No matter how you decide to pronounce it, it is where grungy drunk hipsters go to get laid. Honestly, I haven't been to the Model in years -- but really what is going to change? If I was still frequenting this place I'd feel like Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused, "... I keep getting older, but the mod lookin' hipster chicks stay the same age..." And that'd be no good. They probably still have the cheap bottles of PBR and Miller High Life there, the pool table with it's two sides a foot away from walls, the ancient waitress you kind of feel sorry for, and the jukebox you can only hear if you're in the front section of the place. It did have a good selection of music on it though. Under 30 and feelin' frisky? Check out the Model. There's lonely guy/girl with a white belt and greasy hair waiting for you with a Pabst and a dollar in the jukebox. I think David Bowie is coming on next so get to it.

So I didn't check over all my reviews to verify it, but I think this is my first 1-star review. The Model is an f-ing sh*thole. That would be fine since it has cheap beer if it weren't for the ridiculously snotty hipsters and b*tch waitresses. I'm not a hipster, you'd probably say I fall on the side of preppy, though really I just don't care how I look. Being someone who frequents places like Great Scott I've never been the victim of preppy discrimination at the hands of obnoxious hipsters...until the Model, that is. My friends and I went in here last Friday, grabbed drinks from the bartender and plunked down at a table. We moved one of the other tall tables over so we could all sit together. Our waitress, who managed to NEVER be there when we wanted drinks, promptly came over to inform us that the tables were too close together and we were "violating the fire code!" Not wanting to be @ssholes we moved them apart some. Needless to say this wasn't good enough, we had to move the table back to where it came from. We kept the stools though, and of course we were still violating the "fire code" bc we had too many stools. BTW the table next to us had more..."fire code" my ass. In short, the Model attracts the worst of what the hipster world has to offer and seems to hire it too. Personally I think everyone should boycott this place for having such an @sshole mentality.

Oh what a wonderful world it is to pay nearly nothing for shit beer and boozey drinks! Here at The Model you'll rub shoulders with both the hipster elite (lame) to aging leather clad biker dudes (way rad...and they sport ZZ top beards too!). This is the type of place where you DON'T go for the conversation and pleasant ambiance. This is a place you DO go for cheap gross drinks, sticky floors, James Brown, and the young people! The staff at the model is so awesome, even the bouncers! I've even been thrown out by them, and they could be sweeter about it all. Er...I retract that statement as they threw out someone I was with and they alerted me about the situation. The music isn't what you'd find at the trendy joints like the genital grinding "Wonder Bar" or the indie flair of "The Great Scott." The music here is all types of cool. I'm talking about James Brown and Abba...yes Abba! The DJ's are wonderfully good about playing old tunes for people who want to "Get down on it" on the teeny tiny dance floor. Will you jawed in the face by some dude who's dancing like a fiend...yes...will you love it? Yes! Provided you're the type of person that doesn't get put off by dive bars and odd smells. A word to the wise to the ladies...there is one ladies room. Here's a tip...screw gender roles. We gotta pee! There's always a line for the bathroom, and so don't be afraid to say..."I'M A DUDE" and just use the Men's room or the gender neutral bathroom. Remember you gotta Pee and those Bike Hipster ladies are too busy making out in there to let you pee....So just do what you gotta. The dance floor is tiny, and when it get's going fording through the river of sweet, crazy dancing and hopping, and rain of beer down your dress might be tough. It's a small place, but I love it because it's terrible, it smells and the bouncers are wonderfully witty. You go to the model to drink and dance. That it....lovely. Oh p.s. the bar is cash only! They do have an ATM there....god golly they think of everything. There's a line on Friday nights, so get there early annnnd hey no cover charge!

A lot of people seem to like it here. Although I'm not exactly sure why. The Model Cafe is the go to definition for dive the bar. The doorman is salty and hackneyed, and should they be past capacity will let you in for ten dollars without apology to the rest of the line. Which is basically the policy that they go by at the Model. They don't really care if you have a good time or feel insulted by the quality of your experience, because you are going to come in anyways. On the weekends the place is packed. Too packed actually as there is only a narrow walkway between the bar and the wall as you try to meander through the various scene kids, and grown ups who have yet to figure out that hair bands weren't cool in the eighties, and the crowd only likes it because they haven't figured out that realism is the new irony. The bar is cash only which is probably to your benefit because it's going to take forever to get your plastic cup full as it is, and you really need to get back to that girl with the swallow tattoo across her chest before neon indian guy beats you too it. There are probably a dozen or so better things to do in Allston, but if you are nostalgic for the Brooklyn of 2006 and the joyless love affair you had with the poly amorous girl you met at an MGMT concert, you probably belong here.

10/10 experience EXCEPT for "Dj David". I asked him to play "Fuck The Pain Away" by popular band "Peaches" and he said he wouldn't and then he didn't .... he is dead to me forever

Yes, it's everything everyone says it is: a snotty, obnoxious hipster joint with cheap beer, a good jukebox, that is pretty much always overcrowded with non-model types. (How ironic - maybe that's what keeps the hipsters comin' back!) But I digress... I don't come here often, but when I do, I always seems to be served by the elderly owner who reminds me of my grandma (I don't actually know that she's the owner for a fact, but I've heard). It kind of makes me feel guilty for getting plastered, but she is so damn cute that I can't help but order up more beers just for the chance to talk to her. But be careful - if you get too rowdy, and she sees you, she WILL reprimand you. Just like you'd expect a grandmother would. And you might like it. I give the Model 4 stars just for her!!!

I have written before that I give five stars to an establishment when it accomplishes what it intends to do or if I have guests visitng from out of town and must take them there. It doesn't necessarily mean upscale, trendy, or that it has a celeb chef and so on. The Model Cafe, for the first reason, gets five stars from me. This is the dive bar - worthy of Webster's. The only reason you will find a model in here is so (s)he can get directions to get out of the vicinity. This rundown watering hole is filled with friendly misfits and thus there are no misfits. Wear what you want, smell what you want to smell like but be nice while you slurp on your cheap drinks.

A survey for your dive bar-seeking convenience. MODEL "CAFÉ" Café? No Lounge? No Salty locals? No Ironic facial hair? Yes Big Buck Hunter? Yes Darts? No Pinball? Yes Pool? No Cheap beer? Yes Free popcorn of questionable origin? No Cute hipster girls? Yes Drunk whoo girls? Yes SILHOUETTE "LOUNGE" Café? No Lounge? No Salty locals? Yes Ironic facial hair? Yes Big Buck Hunter? Yes Darts? Yes Pinball? No Pool? Yes (thanks!) Cheap beer? Yes Free popcorn of questionable origin? Yes Cute hipster girls? Yes Drunk wooh girls? Generally, no. They're frightened of the smell. So not much separating the two, but if you want darts and pool, go to the Silhouette. If you want pinball and a night free from popcorn of questionable origin, go to the Model. But I know which one I prefer.

I loved this place when I first got here to Boston, but it's changed a lot and I got too lazy to walk that far home after drinking. It used to be a little more rough around the edges, and yes I've had chicks pick fights with me, crazy people talk to me, a man asked me to do porn for him but lololololol this is why I go out. I liked it a lot except for the crowds. So between the lack of either Jameson or a pool table, the silly girls with attitude and the long walk home, I lost the energy to frequent it. But I'd go back anytime, I love it. Looking for a dive bar rife with stories to make? Head for the Model.

Best. Night. Ever. $4 Knob Creeks? $4 Jack n'Cokes? Charlie, you're killing me! And I made so many trips to the peanut machine that patrons started offering me their quarters. Every bar should have a nut machine--work on it! "HERE COMES JOHNNY YEN AGAIN. WITH LIQUOR AND DRUGS. AND A FLESH MACHINE. HE'S GONNA DO ANOTHER STRIPTEASE. (This is where you need to start screaming with no regard to other bar patrons) HEY MAN WHERE'D YOU GET THAT LOTION?!?!?!?!?!" After looking up from my third drink in under twenty minutes, I realized that I was surrounded by really, really handsome guys (in addition to my weirdo friends) and ladies (though the 35-year-old Cougar hitting on my friend was about an 8 on the Creep Factor). But when "Lust For Life" came on, I knew I was going to spend the rest of the night dancing and yelling instead of slobbering on some Local Josh. My male companions were especially impressed that the DJs were ladies; I was just happy at their selection of punk classics and occasional ARETHEYKIDDING track. I mean, they played Korn at one point. And you know what? Everyone was unpretentious enough to sing along. Because that was the jam back in high school and you know it. Great Scott who?

This place is perfect if you want to get dirty looks from guys wearing girl jeans and mascara. Call me a hater but I cant do those kind of scenes anymore. I love Dive bars but I would rather "Dive" into a pool without water then go here again.