Life’s too short to drink cheap beer. So says the Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston. If you want to drink cocktails disguised as martinis go downtown; if you’re looking for PBRs “cuz” you think it's cool, go slum it at Mary Ann’s. But, if you want to sample some high-quality beer without a pretentious atmosphere, Sunset Grill is the place for you.
With 112 beers on tap and 380 bottles, this faux-Mexican cantina could be considered an authority of all things beer. Sunset Grill is an affordable alternative to the Publick House in Brookline.
Take a seat at the bar and chances are you’ll find yourself face to face with a bartender who knows the ABCs of any beer you ask about—where it’s from, why it got its name, what famous people like to drink it and why you should try it. With that kind of enthusiasm you’d think the bartender brewed the beer. With so many beers to try, choosing can be hard. Sunset offers a sampler of several of the bar favorites, like the Arrogant Bastard, Dry Irish Stout, or its Brooklyn seasonal ales so you don’t give yourself an aneurysm trying to decide.
Sunset is worth a stop on a weeknight and a longer stay on a weekend. It’s open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. during the week and opens its doors on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Sunset has two floors, and the downstairs is quiet—during the week, at least. Upstairs has plenty of tables for eating or drinking, but they fill up fast and early, usually by 8 p.m.
Sunset is no place for an intimate gathering or serious conversation. The crowd is a boisterous mix of college kids and young professionals from the slums of Brighton and Allston.
Catering to the college kids who would rather spend money on booze than food, Sunset offers what the regulars call “Midnight Madness” – free food to anyone on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 12 a.m. till close. You don’t even have to be 21, but if you want to have a table, you need to get two drinks (it’s a requirement, folks), and have that ID ready. If you’re lucky they will have shish kebob; but stay away from the crabmeat, it was a lesson learned the hard way.
If you are a beer connoisseur who doesn’t mind the atmosphere and menu of a Bennigan’s or a T.G.I. Friday’s, Sunset is a place you must try.
Sunset Grill & Tap
138 Brighton Ave. (map)
Allston MA
617-254-1331
Jonathan Schwab
can be reached at jschwab@theoysteronline.com
03/29/2006 | Permalink
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