Best Craft Beer Spots in Boston

craft beer sign

 

If you’ve tried We3 and already found an awesome group of people and you’re reading this, then consider it our job to be your personal concierge and help you guys find the best place to grab a beer in Boston.

We’ve scoured the internet and found the top rated spots for craft beer in the city, and have our recommendations for you below.

Let us know in the comments how it went, or if there’s a spot you think we should include that’s missing.

Harpoon Brewery

Get a tour of the brewery or hang out in the beer hall and enjoy one of their raved-about pretzels.

Expect friendly staff and a social environment. Oh, and parking may be a hassle, so look for a garage or take an Uber!

Harpoon Brewery Site – Google Maps – Yelp

The Brewer’s Fork

If you’re looking for a tasty, trendy restaurant while also enjoying a great selection of craft beer, The Brewer’s Fork may be a great choice. With small pates and excellent pizza, everyone raves about the food.  It’s got a cool vibe, so make a reservation if you’re going on a weekend night to be safe!

The Brewer’s Fork SiteGoogle MapsYelp

Craft Beer Cellar Fenway

This is a local favorite spot, with a 5 star rating on Yelp and an enormous selection of brews from across the country. Expect to pay a little more for the great service and selection, though. Craft Beer Cellar is not a bottle shop, so you won’t be able to hang out in the store after you purchase to drink your beer. If that’s what you’re looking for, you might look at…

Fenway Craft Beer SiteGoogle Maps – Yelp

Tree House Brewing

Boston.com’s highest rated brewery, and a bit of a hike from Boston’s city center, but we think it’s worth it. From a beer lover perspective, Tree House Brewing is going to be hard to beat, as its one of the highest rated and most loved in the area. At the brewery itself there’s both outdoor and indoor spaces, and despite Tree House being something of a destination, they appear to have quite an efficient system down.

Tree House Brewing Site – Google MapsYelp

Big Boss Brewing Company

A typical brewery set up with tons of room, games, and usually food trucks. Check out Big Boss Brewing Company for a quiet and friendly place with a great selection of beers

Big Boss Brewing SiteGoogle MapsYelp

Winter Hill Brewing

This place feels more like a pub-cafe-restaurant combination than a pure brewery. Who doesn’t like beer and coffee in one place? Check out this unique concept which is definitely socially oriented (there are even board games). And private parking – win!

Winter Hill Brewing SiteGoogle MapsYelp

Night Shift Brewing

The Night Shift Brewing tap room has a great vibe, and the place is dog friendly. The food truck is also pretty popular (you can bring your own, too), and there’s plenty of space and parking. Oh, and obviously there’s a great beer selection.

Night Shift Brewing Site – Google MapsYelp

brewery

Downeast Cider House

If cider is your thing, check out this spot at the East Boston Shipyard. There’s a free tour with complimentary drinks, and they may have some pretty unique flavors available (such as a cider infused with bourbon and coffee). And it looks they have a popup bar on the greenway going on right now.

Downeast Cider House Site – Google MapsYelp

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Haven’t tried We3 and open to meeting cool people who like craft beer (and other things you like)? Give it a try here – it’s completely free.

Got any Boston craft beer tips for us? Leave a comment and we’ll pass it along to future readers!

-Julian

 

photo: brewery, glasses, craft sign, pour

Best Board Game Spots in Raleigh

The Raleigh board game scene is more hoppin than you might think. Whether you just moved here, or are simply looking to get out of the house and play your favorite games with some new people, below we got you covered with some of the best spots in Raleigh.

The Gamer’s Armory

Technically in Cary, The Gamer’s Armory is all about building an awesome gamer community in the Raleigh area. They have a lot of game space, host events regularly, and have a great selection of games with reasonable prices.

With 5 stars on Yelp, this is definitely one to check out if you’re serious about board games. Oh, and be sure to check out their calendar via meetup for regular events.

Game Theory

Game Theory is located in northwest Raleigh and is another excellent social hobby shop. Their motto, “The ultimate place for gamers to meet, shop, and play” helps tell a story about what they’re trying to create.

They specialize in role-playing games, board games, card games, and miniatures and sell some basic snack food and drink for long gaming sessions. And they also have a meetup calendar with regular events. 

Event Horizon Games

If you’re looking for a bigger selection, Event Horizon Games might be your best bet. I mean, check out how massive their store is. They even have semi-private RPG rooms (and host games and events as you’d expect). Their calendar of events can be found here.

East Coast Gaming

East Coast gaming is another fairly large space with a huge selection, and these guys focus on cards and table top games. You’ll see that reflected in their events, a lot more card games than other stores. They also have a demo rack for free use for in-store play, and insist you’ll never have an issue finding space for a game. They have a special Friday night event for Magic and even a page for new players.

Atomic Empire

Technically in Durham, a highlight for many players at Atomic Empire is the bar in the back selling beer and snacks. It also might be one of the largest places on the list. Their event page is huge, and in addition to selling games of every sort they also sell a ton of comics. If you’re closer to the Durham area or just looking for a one stop shop and hangout with friends, check out Atomic Empire.

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What places in the Raleigh area have we left off the list that deserve a mention? If you stop by any of these spots with your new gamer friends (that you made off of We3 of course), leave us a comment below and give us your honest review.

And if you haven’t checked out We3 as a free way to find other board game loving people in the Triangle, check it out (it’s completely free!).

 

-Julian

 

photo: catan, board game, dice

Best Game Stores in Boston

Whether you just moved here, or are simply looking to get out of the house and play your favorite games with some new people, below we got you covered with some of the best board game and gaming spots in Boston.

Pandemonium Books & Games

Definitely a game store by gamer’s, Pandemonium claims it has “hands down the biggest event space in the Boston area.”

Reviewers suggest it may be a store for more experienced gamers and less welcoming to newbies. As both a bookstore and a game store as the name would imply, expect a great selection all around.

Eureka Puzzles

Eureka Puzzles is a unique game store in that it incorporates the puzzle theme to give some character to the traditional game store vibe. Less a niche store for the nerdiest gamers, Eureka puzzles boasts the stock “over 1000 jigsaw puzzles, over 1000 mechanical puzzles, 1500 games, 1000 puzzle books of all types, and about 500 items directly related to Science.” They say they aim to sell things which “stimulate the mind, is playful to the spirit, and has lasting value. ”

Compleat Strategist

Compleat Strategist is definitely a smaller and may look a bit disorganized, but is said to be well stocked and caters to D&D and wargaming folks. Reviewers do mention it’s a bit hard to find, so make sure you take a look carefully at the location before you go.

Hobby Bunker

Woah! Hobby Bunker really is a bunker. Filled with games of every type, they boast selling over 13,000 items online and focus on toy-soldiers and minatures. They also have a gaming space and events page you can check out.

JP Comics And Games

Another small store with a niche in comics, JP Comics and Games reviewers boast amazing customer service, where, err, many of the above stores were faulted. This may be a friendlier spot for beginners. Has a friendly local feel and Thursday is open game night.

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What places in the Boston area have we left off the list that deserve a mention? If you stop by any of these spots with your new gamer friends (that you made off of We3 of course), leave us a comment below and give us your honest review.

And if you haven’t checked out We3 as a free way to find other board game loving people in the Triangle, check it out (it’s completely free!).

 

-Julian

 

photo: catan, board game, dice

Best Craft Beer Spots in Raleigh

craft beer sign

 

If you’ve tried We3 and already found an awesome group of people and you’re reading this, then consider it our job to be your personal concierge and help you guys find the best place to grab a beer in Raleigh.

We’ve scoured the internet and found the top rated spots for craft beer in the city, and have our recommendations for you below.

Let us know in the comments how it went, or if there’s a spot you think we should include that’s missing.

House of Hops

If you’re serious about beer and prefer a casual hangout, you’ve found your spot. House of Hops has 5 stars on yelp after over 100 reviews (!). 

It’s a standard bottle shop: you’ll pay a small “corkage fee,” but as you’re picking the beers off the shelf yourself, it’s far cheaper than drinking at a bar (with far better selection).

Plus, you’ll there’s corn hole, darts, ping pong, arcade games and board games to keep you entertained.

House of Hops Site – Google Maps – Yelp

Brewery Bhavana

With 10 core beers and beer 40 taps, Brewery Bhavana’s incredibly unique interior space and upscale food makes it one of Raleigh’s most unique spots to drink amazing beer.

Unlike many of the other spots on the list, Brewery Bhavana is a bit upscale, feeling more like a cafe in Paris than a beer garden or pub. It also made Forbes’ list of top ten restaurants in the whole United States in 2018.

Brewery Bhavana SiteGoogle MapsYelp

Trophy Brewing Company

Trophy is brewery and pizza place, and has a vibe to fit. Close to the university with outdoor seating. Trophy is social but still chill, and very friendly.

Trophy Brewing Company SiteGoogle Maps – Yelp

The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop

This bottle shop has some serious character and is a community favorite. They have a tap and sell beer by the bottle, and people rave about the selection and price.

Technically they’re in Garner, south Raleigh.

Beerded Lady Site – Google MapsYelp

Big Boss Brewing Company

A typical brewery set up with tons of room, games, and usually food trucks. Check out Big Boss Brewing Company for a quiet and friendly place with a great selection of beers

Big Boss Brewing SiteGoogle MapsYelp

Lonerider Brewing Company

This no frills Texas themed brewery has a simple, very casual feel. No need to dress up to go out and have a beer here, and you’ll have access to smaller but excellent selection of beer. Check it out of you’re looking for something low key.

Lonerider Brewing Company SiteGoogle MapsYelp

Bottle Revolution Raleigh

This local bottle shop has insane variety and outdoor seating. Like many other bottle shops, it is loved by locals and is said to have great staff and owners. One of the original bottle shops in Raleigh, and with amazing food nearby, sitting out in the patio is hard to beat on a great day or night.

Bottle Revolution Site – Google MapsYelp

brewery

Raleigh Brewing Company

This is an extremely social spot, with an emphasis on how many games and ways there are to get people interacting. They often host large events and have a large outdoor space. Is this the best place on the list for enjoying the company of friends or meeting new people? Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.

Raleigh Brewing SiteGoogle MapsYelp

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Haven’t tried We3 and open to meeting cool people who like craft beer (and other things you like)? Give it a try here – it’s completely free.

Got any Raleigh craft beer tips for us? Leave a comment and we’ll pass it along to future readers!

– Julian

 

photo: brewery, glassescraft signpour