Tom English’s Cottage

Cash only, and if you’re snotty and hate down to earth dive bars, this isn’t the place for you, but I personally love it here.

Went to a few other southie bars until we finally decided to hit this place. So glad we did. Threw darts while drinking ice cold beers and listened to our favorite songs on the jukebox. The staff made us feel right at home and very welcoming. Next time I’m in Boston I’m going right to this place.

I usually end up here when I wake up with a residual buzz from partying the night before — morning drinking has never been so fun and I’ve never been in better company. Bartenders are super friendly — no matter what time of day you go in. Cheap drinks, fun and friendly regulars.

Whoa — first experience in a Southie bar… it was… revealing.
First, I found it entertaining to see a big ass box of goldfish on one patron’s table. Apparently TE’s didn’t have food for a while so they still let folks bring food, or better yet, order delivery to the bar. Amazing.
Second, lottery tickets. Nothing like crushing beers and scratching furiously to see if you won more beers.
Finally, the crowd — lots of youngsters who tend to keep to themselves. I was a bit nervous after reading about the February décor in 2011, I was wondering what I would face, but it turned out to be a cool crowd there for the cheap beer and low-​key atmosphere.

This is only one of two places I will go during the day that don’t take credit cards, and the other one is the laundromat. The reason I give them a pass on the credit card issue is for the following reasons:
1)The beer is incredibly inexpensive
2) Service is quick
3) The place is pretty clean (especially for a place with beer this cheap)
4) The crowd has been pretty cool
5) Pool Tables
6) Big Buck Hunter
7) I can walk there
One of the better dive bars I have been to.

This is one of the local bars that my roommate and I like to pop in to when we just need to get out and have a drink. There are a lot of locals here and it is a great place to people watch. The drinks are cheap and they give a healthy pour. With Buck Hunter, pool tables, and many other diversions, you and your friends are certain to be entertained.

I love the cottage!!! Cheap drinks and Buck Hunter, Trophy Animal Edition!!! This bar is exactly what a shouthie bar should be, cheap drinks, bar games, old grumpy Irish guys, nothing fancy and the worst bathrooms in boston…

Good only for old people.
Place is nice. I’ll give it that.
Cheap bear, working pool table, but the average guy there is like 40 – 50 years old. Drunk and weird as fuck.
If that’s not you, they’ll stare at u till you leave.

After reading reviews on this place I made my friends go here. WHat a disappointment. First, they don’t accept credit cards. Second, it smelled like stale beer and third, the crowd consisted of 5 people who all knew eachother. Had one drink and left.

IF ([BarAtts] in (
1) Buckhunter
2) Pool Tables
3) Golden Tee
4) Cheap Beer
5) Locals
6) Keno
7) Locals buying rounds after winning Keno
8) Nice people
9) Photohunt
10) You can order food from anyplace that delivers.)
) THEN
(‘Go to Tom’s’)
ELSE
(‘Fail’)
END

Love this place. Honestly, what’s not to love? Cheap Beer. Two pool tables. Golden Tee. Big Buck Hunter. Great jukebox. Darts.
The ideal Southie bar, IMO.

Tom English’s Cottage made me think of a nice cozy spot, filled with knick knacks, maybe a fire, and cheerful bartenders with big bellies and stories of lore.
Instead I got cracked linoleum, the smell of mold and piss (eau de homeless man), a loud crowd, a game or two of Buck Hunter and a rum and coke that tasted like fire. The best part was when some guy almost punched me in the face when I bumped into him on accident coming around the corner. Thankfully his rage dissipated when he realized I was a girl that only came up to his elbow. And guess what… I loved every minute of it!!!
People here are enjoying themselves, chugging some cheap beers, shooting pool… and shooting deer (don’t shoot a cow!). Great fun on a Friday night.

I moved to Southie a few weeks ago and was already really feeling the new hood. And then, I discovered that I lived within crawling distance of the Greatest Place On Earth.
I mean, this place is so awesome that sometimes I think it must be a figment of my imagination. PBR on tap? Juke box? Darts? Pool? Erotic Photo Hunt? BIG BUCK HUNTER? In one place??? Did Santa Clause come early this year?!
I went in last night (a Wednesday) and the place absolutely reeked of urine. Additionally, there was a 10 year old playing pool. A true family establishment. Please adopt me, Tom, for I am home.

Best bar I’ve been to in Southie by far for all of the reasons everyone has listed before…
— Cheap beer ($ 2.50 pints of PBR, $ 3 bottles of other domestics)
— Friendly bartender (not crazy friendly, very low key and cool)
— Some of the best people watching around, especially on a weeknight
— Pool tables (I don’t play pool but the entertainment value of the drunk guy at the bar ordering gin and juice asked you over and over to play makes it awesome)
— A scratch-​off ticket machine, Keno, Buck Hunter, Photo Search and other entertaining games
I am clearly not a Southie native so yes, I got a look or two walking in here but honestly, it was well worth it. The coherent clientelle that was not pretty much passing out drunk was very friendly and the place wasn’t overly crowded. Oh, and the proximity to my apartment just tops off the perks to this place. I have a new favorite local bar!
(Thank goodness… I was getting worried about Southie there for a bit!)

Tom’s just got a brand new outside, how ya doin?
They put up a new stone wall out front and some new lettering above the door. Looks solid kid.
And they STILL ONLY CHARGE $ 2.00 for beers.
$ 2.00 for beers
$ 5.00 mixed drink
$ 6.00 pitchers
No Lines
Bartenders are wicked cool
People will tell you that this place is for locals only. Well, last time I checked… the locals in South Boston are mostly 20 – 35 years old and love crushing beers. That is pretty much what you get when you go to Tom’s.
The bar is huge, way more room than you would think. 2 pool tables, darts, and a juke box that they turn up wicked loud.
People need to step up and stop going to the beer garden down the street where it is twice as expensive and less fun.
They don’t accept credit cards… but usually I bring $ 35 and I can drink 15 beers and still leave a good tip. Thats whats up.

Our favorite neighborhood haunt. Tom’s is the perfect low-​key bar; super casual, rarely too crowded, but always great for some serious people watching. They have darts, a juke box, Big Buck Hunter, pool, and (our personal favorite) erotic photo hunt. I’ve never gone there and not been able to get on a pool table. The management and the bartenders are all friendly and laid back. Loses one star because it’s cash only, but almost makes up for it with the $ 3 beers and $ 4.50 mixed drinks. There is no downside to Tom’s.

Interetsing side note though… apparently Tom’s boasts two touchscreens — a PG-​13 and R-​rated version. Intriguing… I was nearly thwarted one night whilst trying to play Erotic PhotoHunt… it was a close call.
Regular picture photohunt is way lame — hit up the one against the wall for boobies&hunks.

A friend of mine, born and raised in Southie, tried to take me to Tom English’s last night because she had a blast a few nights before that. My first impression was that it looked just like any other pub, a bit empty. We walked up to the bar to grab a beer and were asked for our IDs. I provided mine first, and the female bartender asked for something else (which happens to me all the time because I have a NY license). She then asked for my friend’s, but no back up.
«This don’t look like either of yous… I’m not gonna take ‘em.»
My friend, who was fuming, said, «umm…I was in here on Tuesday with Rita.» And the bartender said, «I never seen you before.»
Let’s note that this was in front of everyone else in the bar since they don’t have a bouncer. It was pretty humiliating considering we’re both 23 years old and provided legitmate identification. The fact that she didn’t ask for my friend’s credit card or anything proves that she was exercising AGE DISCRIMINATION. She just didn’t want us there.
If you decide to go here, make sure Rita’s working… or you have gray hair, although you’d better have a good picture on your ID or you might get turned away.

Class. Any place that has ice in the urinals is class. Check the pics.
Good, large bar… easy to get into on the weekends. They have pool tables and plenty of TVs. Pretty happening on a Saturday night.

I love this place, mostly because it offers some activities other than drinking. They have darts, pool, photohunt, a juke box and golden tee/​buckhunter. It’s certainly not the place to go if you’re looking for a fancy night out on the town, but if you’re in the mood to sit on your friend’s couch and play a videogame while drinking a few cheap beers, this is a good alternative. I’ve only been there on weekend nights, and it has a decent crowd but is never packed. The bartenders are very friendly. The only downside is that it’s cash-​only, but I guess you can’t have it all.