Highball Lounge

LOVE Highball.
I have been here a couple times after work and also once recently on a Saturday night. The food is amazing! Tater tot nachos, crab rangoon spring rolls… the menu is great! Small appetizer portions so get a few to share! The drinks are also delicious. I love the Wallflower but have tried several and like them all. You can sit at dinner tables (which I have not done) but they also have high tops, a long bar– and my favorite, couches. They keep games such as Jenga and Connect 4 which make a really fun addition to the bar experience. They also do fundraiser with OneBrick which I think is awesome– you can make $ 1 donation to the organization and get a rubber ducky in your drink. They also play great music. If you are coming on a weekend, get there early otherwise you will be waiting in a long line!

I have mixed feelings about this place. During the week when it’s not crowded, it’s awesome. There are games and you can write on the windows and the décor is so chic. Very much a chill lounge which I love. On the weekend this place turns into a madhouse. It can be a struggle to get your drink (this place is also kinda pricey to begin with) and obviously if there’s a lot of people, getting a game can be hard.
So my suggestion is come here, but on an off night.

This place is awesome. Had no idea what to expect, other than a jenga table and craft cocktails. The bartenders were more like circus performers, and they handled a packed bar with style, class and a real show! They lit drinks on fire, and smiled and laughed the whole time. The dance floor is kind of strange, but the DJ rocked the place all night long, playing oldies, newbies and everything in between. Also, the crowd was not just 21 year old college kids, it was mixed ages and everyone had a great time. Good vibes at the high ball lounge. LOVE The crazy décor inside!

Board games, (strong) drinks, and unique appetizers served in a chill atmosphere. What more could you ask for? We played Battleship, Sorry, Jenga, and this old school boxing game. Get there around 9PM to grab a great seat before the crowd starts rolling in.

Went here on a Friday night. They had a DJ spinning good music. One weird thing is that the bartenders kept spraying each other with bubbly wine and would occasionally get the customers a little wet. It was entertaining the first few times but got old after a while. Very young crowd. Apparently they have a room full of board games. But Friday nights probably aren’t the best nights to try that room. Overall great place. Good vibe.

Love visiting this bar since they have a wide range of board games to play while you eat and drink. The atmosphere is really fun on Fridays since they bring in a DJ. You can also get a rubber ducky in your cocktail :) Get to the bar as early as you can since they start forming a line outside after 10.
Can’t give 5 stars since they frequently seem to be understaffed (took 20 minutes to get a drink at the bar last night).

When we first arrived, we walked up to a corner of the bar and got our first round of drinks pretty quickly. We were near the DJ, who was playing decent house music and we were enjoying hanging out.
When it came time for our second round, we waited. And waited some more. We realized that quite a few people had arrived since we had gotten our first round, and that now the three bartenders were spread too thin for the long bar and large crowd. Waiting, we noticed how about 50% of the people around the bar did not have a drink, and were instead waiting for one, like us. After waiting for 20 minutes, we decided we would move on to another spot.
Unfortunately, despite the cool ambience and decent dancey music, Highball gets a ²⁄₅ because 3 bartenders just isn’t enough for a crowd that size. Sorry, Highball, people waiting around the bar doesn’t make your space «cool», it’s just bad for business, and bad for drinking!

Was there with some friends for drinks on a Wednesday night. Very busy place even at 9pm. But service wasn’t that great. Perhaps just low on staff.
Fun high energy but also very loud. Good for groups of friends but not cozy.
Need to come back to try dinner.

Came here a few times and have been please each time. Interesting and strong cocktails as well as beer and wine. Flaming shots are a nice touch and taste like marshmallows. Their chickpea fries are delicious and the sauce that they come with is wonderful (I’m not usually a sauce fan, but this is gold). The atmosphere is a good mix of classy and casual. You can totally walk in with jeans and a tee shirt and probably see plenty of people dressed the same, but you could come in with a suit and not look out of place. Good lighting and good music. The bartenders are great and the bathrooms are beautiful. Definitely a must try for anyone looking for a fun casual, yet fun night out in the city.

Loved this place! I’m not really a club person, but I feel like this bar is the perfect combo of club and bar. Love that you can play board games, great couch area and plenty of tables without taking up too much space… oh, and if you order rose, they put a rubber ducky in your drinks.
great place for drinks after work or just going out in general!

I love the atmosphere here. Like what most have said, I really do appreciate the cocktails and the board games! It can get very crowded and there definitely was a long line when I arrived, but I recommend everyone trying this place at least once. I want to come back for their food!!!
The bartenders are awesome! I asked one of them to fix me whatever he wanted and it was very tasty! The ducks are such a nice touch. Who wouldn’t want a cute duck with their drink?!

The biggest pros of Highball Lounge are the venue and the games. It’s super high ceilings, great seating, great view of park street, and they have tons of games that you can play.
They have some interesting drinks but honestly I really haven’t been impressed by the drinks. For example they have this one that’s a glass of rose with a rubber duck in it which is so fun. However, the quality of the wine isn’t very good even though it’s over $ 10 for the drink. Overall the drinks are pretty expensive for what you get, but the experience somewhat makes up for it.

Worth a visit– great location, unique cocktails (loved the wallflower), games, and a good young professional atmosphere. Even with the crowd we were able to get a little table toward the back. Good date spot on a week night when it’s not quite as loud/​crowded though still busy.

I’m usually a club kind of guy, but I might start coming here more often. The drinks are pretty darn good. Went with the Tea Ball every time. Simple but still awesome. This is also the only place where I’ve seen bartenders do fire tricks. It really engages the crowd in such a busy place. There are a few tables and benches where you can sit and play all different types of board games. The DJ they had that night was also killing it. Played a lot of hiphop, top 40, and electronic music.
My only complaint is that the line was ridiculously long… I got there at 10pm too. I think it’s worth it though. Come check this place out!

Okay, Highball has just been getting better and better every time I go. I went last night, Saturday, and it was pretty crowded and really fun.
Had the tater tots, they were SO good. The drinks are really good too. But the bartenders were absolutely killing it. They were getting the crowd going, spraying champagne, flipping the bottles around to the music. Seriously so fun.
YASS.

This place was so fun! Came here with my friends last time I visited, and I loved the atmosphere. It was yuppie good time fun all around. One of their shticks is board games – unfortunately, many of the board games were missing pieces (I’m looking at you, Mystery Date), and therefore impossible to play. We tried to play Operation, but there were only 3 pieces for that too. Of course, it’s shocking that there were even any games left giving all the drinking going on.
The bartenders are a fun group, and know how to work a crowd. They were showy in all the right ways, and the drinks are gooood. They do a very interesting shot called the Fire drop… Watch out. Not sure if the taste is anything to rave about (tasted straight up like fire), but watching the bartender make it was completely worth it. He was like a wizard of booze, throwing in all kinds of flammable liquids, including something that was just labelled «kaboom.» Of course that bodes well!
After the fire drop, everything was a little more fun. But even if you’re not going for the crazy night at the bar, you can enjoy a lovely cocktail or two and be perfectly happy.
Bathrooms were clean, even though there was someone vomiting in there. Décor in the restrooms were far more club-​like, as the rest of the bar is sort of more like a tavern/​homey.
They also have a nice private room for bigger groups, if you can get there early enough.

This spot was one of my bookmarked places to visit and finally got the chance to see what it’s all about with my friends.
It’s a really nice spot. No cover charge. It’s connected to the Nine Zero Hotel on Tremont.
Went here late Friday night and wow it was crowded-​a pretty good turn-​out. There’s standing room, couches, and high tables.
Pro: What I liked most is that the bartender really put on a show when mixing the drinks together. It was absolutely amazing. Anddddd they played a lot of 90s and early 2000s music-​awesome! Of course, bookmarked because they have numerous boardgames!
Con: The bar area was really crowded so it was tough to order, but I understood why given that every drink is different and takes some time to make. However, our bartender was very swift so props to him! And the music was kind of loud-​I couldn’t hear anything my friends were saying.
I conclude this is a really nice and classy lounge and one should try this spot. Something different you know. GO.

This is the perfect spot to grab a cocktail after work or whilst on an adventure downtown. Centrally located and offering a lot more than just your standard g&T, Highball Lounge is a fun escape from the hustle and bustle on Tremont St. Whether you’re on a date or out with friends, there’s plenty of space to hole up and get fershnikit.
As mentioned in other reviews, there are board games! During our last visit, I crushed Boo at Candyland and Jenga before our friends joined us to split some tater tot nachos. Great tots, great guacamole on top. We «spun the wheel” – I was disappointed that there is no actual wheel to spin – and got some really great gin-​based cocktails to sip on. I also had a MaiTai, which was excellent.
It’s a big space with lots of columns, so it can be a little difficult to get a server’s attention. Nonetheless, the service is still pretty good, and we always have a good time when we visit.

I am going to preface this negative review by saying that on a different night, with a different waitress, our experience would have been different. However, I will never have the opportunity to have another experience at this place, as I will never return.
The issue arose when I forgot my ID. I had already entered Highball Lounge, but then left with my boyfriend to go back and get the ID when I realized I didn’t have it (no one had asked for my ID yet at this point, we just sat down at a table because there was no one there to seat us or anything). Thinking I had lost the ID since I distinctly remember putting it into my purse, I told my boyfriend as we left the bar that I had just paid $ 115 for the Massachusetts ID (I just moved here a couple months ago and had to transfer my Michigan license to Massachusetts). Apparently, our waitress overheard that part of the conversation and thought that I was referring to a fake ID that was bought for that price.
I guess it’s okay that some places in Boston would be paranoid of fake IDs and underage drinking given it’s a college town. But I feel that when you are paying for an $ 8 beer and $ 11+ cocktails at a rather glitzy bar with nicely dressed customers in the middle of summer, you would be given the benefit of the doubt with respect to age. In fact, my boyfriend, who, being Canadian, has an Ontario ID, brought his passport to safeguard against any uncertainties. So tell me, are we really trying to deceive people? Also, why the hell would I be so stupid as to talk about buying a fake ID in a bar, where I would risk being kicked out or having the fake ID confiscated? It literally makes no sense.
After I get back with my ID, we all get our IDs checked and get to a game of Jenga, putting in our drink order (my friends noted that they had been there for 30 minutes waiting for our return and it took the waitress forever to stop by and get an order from them – they had to go up to the bar and ask how to order. It was around 4:30PM by the way, DEFINITELY not a busy time!). Shortly after this the waitress comes back again and asked us to give her all of our IDs so she could bring them to the back to have them all checked by a manager for a second time because she «wasn’t trained to identify real IDs.» It was off putting that she explained the reason for the second check was because she thought my ID was fake due to overhearing our conversation about the cost, but whatever. I know, I know, I’m Asian and look like I’m 12, but give a girl a break here.
When we explained that it had indeed cost me $ 115 to transfer my license, she smugly remarked that «it costs like $ 25.» Please, if you are going to make such comments, check your facts first. If it costs $ 25, someone please effing refund me. Not surprisingly, we were even more put off by the attitude of the waitress this time around and promptly paid for the food that we had ordered, canceled our drink order, and left the premises.
In all, if you are going to be so stringent on IDs to the point where you check my ID, see that I am over 21, but need to come back and check it again when everyone in our party is clearly over 21, lower your prices and become a shitty college dive bar, thanks.
The waitress 110% called me out on paying $ 115 for my license and I 110% did NOT appreciate her sass. I definitely made it known I was unhappy with her but we were nothing but polite until she pretty much implied I was a liar.
Class M license conversion:
$ 115 like I said.
Huge shame, as the tater tots that we did manage to receive before we left were good and the overall ambiance of the bar seemed pleasant. I also love board games and would’ve really liked to have Highball Lounge be a go to place for me and my friends in the future. Now instead, I will happily take my business elsewhere.

Delicious cocktails for a cause, inventive bar snacks, and fun games ensure a unique night out with a classy childhood throwback.
Drink up! The Wallflower is the cocktail to get if you’re into gin and floral notes and pretty flowers in your glass. The ROC Island is a bubbly, tropical highball combining pineapple, orange, and guava. Looking for something different? Other unique offers include an Earl Grey drink called the «Tea-​Ball» and seasonal cocktails like the Pumpkin Flip.
And even better news, you get to feel great about your drinking habit! For every Duckie Rose and with every addition to a duck to any drink ($ 0.50), the non-​profit volunteering organization One Brick Boston receives a portion of the proceeds! Those ducks are adorable, and they go to a good cause, so make sure to get #oneduckforonebrick.
After watching the masterful bartenders construct your potion at the bar, scan the lounge for your game of choice. Jenga, Taboo, and Monopoly are just a few of the fun offerings just waiting for your attention. Make sure to check out the back room as well to give a go at the old school video games like Pac Man and Donkey Kong.
Hungry (Hungry Hippos)? They’ve got you covered with tater tots nachos, french onion soup grilled cheese sandwiches, and crispy brussels sprouts. Just like your mom used to make for you as a kid, right?