Doyles Cafe

This place is the real deal. We appreciated the enthusiasm our bartender had for the Red Sox game that was on while we were there. He also made spot-​on beer recommendations and steered us right when he suggested we try the onion rings. Will definitely be back next time we are in the neighborhood.

While doing the beer tour at Cape Cod Brewery, the tour guide mentioned (a few times) Doyle’s Café. So we went and had pizza and potato skins, delish!

I have to imagine that if 7 – 11 opened a door down restaurant, it would be superior in almost every way. Better ingredients, better taste, less dated, cheaper. (There’s nothing wrong with the service). It gets some points for history and ambiance, if you are looking for a townie’s favorite dive, though even that’s only paper thin, as a good portion of the traffic through are tourists who have been trapped by Sam Adams.
Beware.

DOYLE’S!
Everyone knows that Doyle’s is Boston institution; it’s been here forever and many make the pilgrimage here after they hit up the Sam Adam’s Brewery Tour to enjoy some beer (and take home a free glass).
Lucky for me, I actually just a few blocks down from Doyle’s, so it’s definitely become regular spot for my roommates and me. My workplace has also had a few Happy Hours here so trust me when I say that Doyle’s is awesome.
First off, the beer. BEER. BEEEEEEER. If you’re a fan of Sam Adam’s, Doyle’s was one of the first purveyor’s of Sam Adams’ beer and continues to serve most of their beers on tap. When it’s in season, they even carry the 26.2 Brew, which can only be found in bars on the Boston Marathon route. They also have one of the largest selections of draft beers in Boston. Doyle’s is beer heaven. The best thing? Prices aren’t even that bad!
Secondly, I love the atmosphere. It’s what you imagine an old bar/​pub to look like — lots of brass and varnished wood. From the gorgeous detail of the murals on the walls, to the kitschy dedications to Kennedy in the backroom, Doyle’s has tons of character. Even the servers are very memorable — I almost always have the most sassy and fun conversations with two of the older waitresses.
Food-​wise, I think it’s ok. I’m a fan of bar food and Doyle’s has pretty basic selection — definitely get the Potato Skins w/​Bacon, Garlic Fries and Mozzarella Sticks. Their burgers are also pretty tasty too. I’ve also heard positive reviews of their brunch specials on the weekend (when I say brunch, you say MIMOSA!). I do not recommend the Corned Beef Sandwich — the corned beef came from a package and it was just a very flavorless sandwich, even though they put on a generous heaping of meat.
All in all, I enjoy Doyle’s and I know that I’m guaranteed a good time if I come by.
Pro-​Tip: At night, on the weekends, the Sam Adam’s Trolley turns into a Drunk Historic Boston Tour (it’s exactly what it sounds like) and they pick up from Doyle’s! Get drunk and let’s go!

We visited Doyle’s because of the offer to ride the party bus from the Sam Adams brewery — that bus ride, because of the entertaining driver, was likely the highlight of our day. While at Doyle’s, we ordered a lobster roll and a few Sam Adams beers (so we could get the free glasses). This lobster roll was good, but not the best we had while in Boston. I would definitely recommend going here if you are already going to Sam Adams.

This place used to be great. Over the years it has lost it’s luster. The appetizers aren’t very good and the only thing I order now is the grilled cheese as I figure how can I go wrong. Last time I was there with a couple friends and we waited 20 minutes to get the bill. I don’t blame the waitress as the place was packed and she was running about as fast as she could. Hire more people!

I read some of the reviews and thought that this may be a hidden jewel. Boy was I disappointed. The place hasn’t been updated for over 50 plus years. The apps were marginal at best. Frozen boneless buffalo wings. Cheesy bread was blah … Entrees were steak tips. A few were mouth watering and tender … The others were chewy and drenched in the marinade sauce. Fish and chips were so so… Burger was overcooked.
Over all I would say it was a bust. I would never come back here. But most of all I’m disappointed in my fellow helpers that gave this mediocre place a better rating than it deserves. !
Don’t waste your time coming here !

Lobster roll is not on he menu but is off the chain! We came here after our tour at Samuel Adams and had to try the 2 beers you can’t really find anywhere else. The garlic fries were extra crunchy and left a great flavor. Would definitely recommend and tell others about!

After our Sam Adams tour, we took the trolley here. For THREE hours we sat at that bar drinking and chatting and eating. We never felt rushed to give up our seats or pressured to order more food. It was truly a great afternoon and we definitely got more intoxicated than we should have for a Friday afternoon. It’s all fun and games until you have to pry your ass off that bar stool. Get the broccoli bites to munch on. They’re pretty good!

I visited this café with a friend after visiting Sam Adams. We found this to be a friendly place with a very personable staff. My friend said she would like to return, which we will do the next time we are in the Boston area.
The food is pub fare, but clearly above average.

WOW!!! Went after the Samuel Adams tour to get our beer cup and we are sooooooo glad we went. Sat at the bar and asked the older male employee at the bar what’s good and he recommended the lobster sandwich and he was right! It was the best lobster sandwich we had during our whole trip in Boston. And plus we got the pickle chips too and it was so good too! Thin and crisp. It also came with onion rings and fries and they were also so good!!! I would go to Boston just to eat the lobster sandwich at Doyles café! We still talked about it after like a month later.

Came to Doyle’s after the Sam Adams tour to get the Sam Adams glass.
Keep your tour ticket and come in and get a beer and trade the ticket for your beer glass to take home!
They have Sam Adams beer you normally would not find on draft.
Grumpy Monk — $ 7
Cherry Wheat — $ 6
I love the Sam Adams glass! The bulge at the top!

Basic pub food, elevated prices, but it’s sorta mandatory you go, take the free party trolley after the tour, get the ‘special Sam Adams brew’ and relaxed a bit!

We took the trolley from the brewery to Doyle’s. We loved the atmosphere and our server Barbara was great. The clam chowder was very good. The onion rings were amazing. Not greasy at all. This was a great place to visit while in Boston.

During my vacation to Boston, I did the Samuel Adams Brewery tour then took a great walk to Doyle’s Café. Atmosphere was great, it had a good Boston Irish look. There was even a display for Michael Collins that I remembered reading and studying about in college as an English Major. Anywhoo, the food was delicious! I had the tuna melt and Onion Rings. The Onion rings were to die for! They had a light batter and were seasoned well, not to mention the portion size was very generous. The tuna melt was tasty, however I’m not a fan of tomatoes on my melt. I had a Sam Adams beer that was not always available, Cherry Wheat, it was so refreshing and tasted and smelled just like a cherry soda. This was good considering that I am not a beer drinker, but I would definitely recommend it. The service was good and the waitress had good suggestions. I would go again whenever I come back to town.

This was the first place outside of the brewery to serve Sam Adams on tap. It was oh so good and it came in the scientifically engineered glass which we got to take home! Oh and get some clam chowda and a lobster roll with your beer.

I went to Doyle’s for the first time over the weekend. My group went on the Sam Adams brewery tour, then took the free shuttle over to Doyle’s. First of all, the shuttle ride was simply amazing. The bus is decked out in lights and plays Party music. The driver was hysterical and provided historical facts during the drive. My group was very entertained!
Once we got to Doyle’s, we ordered a few Sam Adams beers and onion rings and chicken fingers. I highly recommend ordering a Sam Adams beer (you get to keep the glass)!
The onion rings were surprisingly fantastic! They provide a generous portion. The onion rings are lightly breaded and cut very thin. Simply perfection. The chicken fingers were pretty good too. They were more generic than the onion rings, but still tasty!
Overall, my entire group was pleased with Doyle’s. We will be back for more!

In need of hardy, potentially greasy food post-​Samuel Adams Brewery morning tour, we hopped on the party trolley to Doyle’s. The driver was a hoot and we had a nice chat.
Once at Doyle’s two of us ordered a pint for the free Samuel Adams glass, fish and chips, tuna melt, and I ordered the chowder.
Waitress was really nice and the food was alright. Recommend coming for the experience more than anything.

For the sake of Barbara, our waitress, I will give this place 5 stars! Okay, okay. Just kidding! But really, I loved that woman! She was so sweet and she gave us great recommendations! She even helped us save money by telling us to substitute something instead of getting French fries (I forgot how much more it was but it sure did save us money!).
I came to Doyle’s with my girlfriends after we visited the Samuel Adams brewery. Yes… We came for the cup haha! I walked in and I loved the bar!.. Very historical feel to it! The restrooms are super clean too!
We sat down at the booth and as soon as I finished using the restroom, I walked around and took pictures! It’s such a cute restaurant and looks fun! The restaurant itself was pretty quiet (except for the other customers who were at the brewery, too!) and I had a great time with my friends… Although, Barbara did mention that was on my phone the whole time I was there (I was on Unilocal)
The food: not bad!
I ordered the Reuben sandwich and substitute the French fries for sweet potato fries! The sweet potato fries could have been more crispier and warmer but I hate hot food so it’s okay.
My friend got the same sandwich and a beer!!!
My other friend got clam chowder with onion rings. Honestly, Barbara gave her a small bowl to try because she wasn’t so sure about the chowder. The onion rings were AWESOME! So crispy mmmm!
Overall, the food was good and we had a great waitress! I’m telling you… Come in when Barbara is working!

Came here after going on the Sams Adam Brewery tour and so glad we did! If you come and order a beer after your tour you get to keep your Sam Adams beer glass. They even have a great little station set up to wrap your glass in so you can get it safely home.
Now onto what I really want to review and why the 5 stars. The Lobster Roll! Which our trolley driver said was the best. So we figured we would give it a try and I’m so glad we did! Best lobster roll, perfectly tender lobster not to much dressing… Perfect! The only negative is that I want and crave it everyday. And now that I am back home it’s not making me very happy!

This restaurant is very mediocre. I came here after a Sam Adam’s Brewery Tour, and I had high hopes, but… ultimately those hopes were crushed. I like the selection of Sam Adams.
I ordered a cup of clam chowder and a pastrami sandwich to share with a friend. The chowder was decent, but nothing special. Pastrami sandwich took forever to come, and service was slow. Our waitress messed up our order and kept forgetting to bring waters, messed up our check, among many other things. The pastrami sandwich was so underwhelming. The meat was extremely dry, and I took forever to eat it. Fries were just average.
I’m glad I got to try this restaurant for the experience, but I won’t be coming back.

DOYLES!!! A free trolley takes you to Doyles if you come from the Sam Adams brewery. If you show them your ticket from the brewery you get to keep your Sam Adams glass when ordering a Sam Adams beer.
This pub is definitely a local spot filled of character and history. Our waitress was absolutely the cutest! She was sweet and helpful. Although the food was just okay I think we were more excited about the ambience. We both ordered their special which was grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots. Kinda bland but not the worst meal I’ve had.
Even if it’s once you should definitely visit DOLEYS. This place is truly one of a kind and will give you a good Boston experience.

I remember passing Doyle’s back in the day. Jamaica Plain in the late 80s was in transition. The Green Line was not in the best of shape and a lot of homes were rundown, a few in foreclosure. Well all that has changed, hasn’t it?
Doyle’s was one of those great bars that somehow managed to survive. Heck, even flourish, thanks to a little help from their friends. Now this may all be urban legend, but it is rumored the Sam Adams had its start here. Right here.
What hasn’t changed is that it’s still a great place, good food, even better stuff on tap. I forgot all about this place until the Tour was over and I was heading here to pickup my free glass and hoping the the cook hadn’t gone home. LOL
I’ve taken a few photos of the interior and one of the exterior. If those floor boards and knotty wood bar could talk. Yes, a little corny, but Doyle’s is old school. Very old school. I would have come here even if there wasn’t a tie-​in with Sam Adams, but only if I knew there were still here!
Well, they are. Enjoy!
PS – Order the Reuben, it’s delicious. Or maybe, that’s the Sam Adams talking.

Alright Samuel, you got me! The promotion that Sam Adams has with this place is a little genius, and totally worth it as this place would unrightfully go unnoticed by many who aren’t locals otherwise. There’s not much to say about this place that hasn’t already been said or can be seen in the pictures posted. Alas, I will try.
The place looks and feels like what a classic New England bar should be like, and dare I say, even a gold standard to traditional bars. Signs and posters advertising for local brews, pictures and paintings depicting the greatness of Americana, and classic bar or booth sitting as expected. The menu is classic, straightforward, and simple, but the food is not to be underestimated. I had a pulled pork while my friend had the fish and chips, both were really well done and definitely made with care as the meals came out looking like they came from a TV ad. Overall it was a great experience and a great find.

For a neighborhood pub it’s pretty busy but the fact that the trolley from Sam Adams brought over a huge group of people helped add to that fact. Unfortunately we arrived right after the trolley did, so we had to wait a few minutes to get inside. People were crowding around near the door instead of taking a seat.
A waitress finally came over and got us a table. Knowing how busy it was we decided just to get drinks because it probably would have taken a while for our food to come out and we had several more stops in our journey. We had just come back from the brewery tour and we turned in our tickets for 3 full sized Sam Adams glasses (not small like the tasting glasses we were given at the brewery).
I tried to order three different beers and I was having a stint of bad luck. It seemed like every single beer I tried to order was not available. I finally just settled on a random Sam Adams beer. I wasn’t very happy with my choice but I drank it anyway. I was kind of looking forward to trying something I hadn’t tried before.
The waitress was very friendly. The place had the usual pub style décor, nothing fancy. I didn’t like the saloon style bathroom stalls. There’s no way to close or lock the door behind you do anyone can just walk in on you. Just as the next trolley arrived to pick people up the placed cleared out just as quickly as it filled up.