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Corner Cafe
Categories: Nightlife Bars Dive Bars Restaurants Canadian (New) Dive Bars, Canadian (New) [Edit]
87 Prince St(between Margaret St & Lombard Pl)
Boston, MA 02113
(617) 523-8997
- Nearest Transit:
-
Centre St @ Arborway (35, 37/38, 38)
Centre St @ Orchard St (35, 37/38, 38)
Centre St @ Aldworth St (35, 37/38, 38)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 2 am
Sun 12 pm - 2 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
27 reviews for Corner Cafe
Review Highlights
-
"The man filled the juke-box with singalong classics." In 3 reviews -
"Small neighborhood feel, and cheap beer." In 4 reviews -
"Great low key place to grab a drink or end the night." In 2 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Billy D.
East Walpole, MA
3/8/2012
Good little dive bar.
Cash only.
Good mix of people flow through and the bartenders are pretty friendly -
Review from Bos'n H.
North End, Boston, MA
12/12/2011
I freaking LOVE this place. The thing I love the most is when you walk through the door and the bartenders give you that look of, "Crap....customers. I don't like customers." Or the "I f*cking hate you" look you get when you put money in the jukebox. I enjoy giving that look when I'm behind my own bar, so I feel your pain, guys. I've never tried the food here, but it's cooked by the bartender on a teeny griddle behind the bar so obvs it's going to cause pyrotechnics in my digestive system, which is fine with me as long as it doesn't last all day.
In all seriousness, it IS a dive bar, so don't expect the bartenders to like you. But without a doubt the cheapest place for beers in the North End. -
Review from Kyle S.
Jamaica Plain, MA
5/17/2012
I think the location it's showing is wrong.... Oooor I have a bar in backyard. Maybe I'll check again
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Review from Dan C.
San Leandro, CA
4/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
We walk into The Corner Cafe to find the 80-something bartender n cook standing behind the bar with nothing to do. We order our drinks and food and wait.
-
Review from Alyssa J.
10/19/2011
I am a big fan of neighborhood bars. I am a HUGE fan of dive bars. Due to a recent relocation, The Corner Cafe is both of these things.
The Corner Cafe is a cornucopia of awesomeness.
We've got TV's, a unisex bathroom, jello shots, pudding shots(!), super cute bartender, wasted octogenarians, Celine Dion, chicken fingers, cheap beer, and I think the bartenders have been instructed to never cut anyone off. Ever.
I swoon over this place. (Or the bartender, whatever). -
Review from Markus D.
Manhattan, NY
3/3/2012
I wish this place was a woman so I could get her pregnant and make another one near back bay. This place never fails. Great Dive Bar. Awesome delivery service. The Garlic Chicken Wrap on Pita is usually my order but everything else I've tried on the menu has been spectacular.
-
Review from Melissa B.
Oak Lawn, IL
2 words... Pudding shot! Just do it and thank me later.
This neighborhood dive bar was just what I needed! Everyone was friendly, even to us outsiders.
If a local dive bar is where you'll have a good time this is the perfect spot!
We didn't eat but everything looked and smelled amazing.
What's up with the small bathrooms in this town though? -
Review from Jason B.
11/22/2010 ROTD 9/13/2011
My friend and I switch off watching Patriots games each week. One week I'll go to his neck of the woods, (Waltham) where we have a regular place. One week he'll come down to Boston, and watch here, and until this past Sunday, we'd yet to find the right spot, after several attempts. Our requirements for the establishment we choose are simple. It must have:
1. TVs for watching the game
2. Keno
3. Reasonably priced beer on tap.
The Corner Cafe was my most recent selection for my Boston pick, and in no way did it disappoint. Indeed, there were many other things that made this place kind of awesome. This is a local, neighborhoody, "regulars" type of place. Totally worth the trip down the random tiny street if you can take the T to North Station, or, like me, your office is right up the street and you can park there.
Ray, the bartender, is most kickass. He is a martini master, and if you want a chilled shot, he will produce the coldest shot you've ever had in your life. The internet jukebox was broken, but hey, at least there is one, and at some point it may work. They have a claw machine full of weird little prizes, an ancient arcade machine of dubious provenance, a bathroom that they keep immaculately clean, and now...
...wait for it....
...
Free hot dogs.
Oh yes. Steamed, regular ol' dogs. Just in a machine. Grab the tongs, get a bun out of the pack on the bar. Fix it up yourself. Have two. Have three, whatever. They're yours.
It is cash only, and having only one bathroom gets odd, especially when you go to see if it's occupied and it's occupied by a member of the opposite sex. But whatever. This place is cool as shit, and you should stop by sometime. Tell Ray you want a martini made correctly. He'll fix you up.Listed in: My favorite fahkin baahz.
-
Review from Pete J.
12/20/2010 6 Check-ins Here
Long time listener, first time caller.
I'm mad at myself for waiting this long to stop at the bar which is literally a block away from my apartment.
I approached Corner last night and I got one of those feelings. You know the one, "Are they cash-only?" and of course, when you have to think about it, they always are. But the bartender was soooooo nice about it (Asian girl). Their ATM was not working, so I was going to go across the street to one, but she insisted on me enjoying my drinks first. I guess I don't look like the type of person who would run off without paying for my drinks, but I can assure you that it is the consumption of those drinks that would turn me into that type of person. It's a catch-22.
It's a dive bar, but now it's my dive bar.
(Probably wouldn't want to eat there though) -
Review from Jessica I.
Rocky River, OH
5/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I think I would be camping out here if I lived in the neighborhood. We ended up here because we had a two-hour wait for a table at Neptune Oyster down the street, and I am so glad we did.
We walked in to this charming corner bar and The Cure's Disintegration was playing. Talk about starting off on the right foot. It wasn't just a fluke- several selections from it played, then the music moved on to stuff from the most angst-y phases of my high school and college years, like Depeche Mode and the Cranberries. Someone had stolen my iPod, clearly. Needless to say, I felt right at home.
Oh, right. Beer. You may be wondering what they serve. The night we visited, it was Harp and Bass. The prices were reasonable. There was a tv to watch the Sox, naturally. There's one single-person bathroom for everybody, so don't expect a towel lady to greet you.
And despite the fact that we were tourists, we didn't feel like it here. -
Review from Joshua B.
Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA
11/19/2011
We were in the neighborhood looking for breakfast and wound up here (thank you yelp). Too bad for us. Most of the food was... edible; eggs cooked properly, home-fried potatoes were fine, but the corned beef hash MAY have actually been dog food... disgusting. I would NOT go here again for breakfast, but apparently it's a great little neighborhood bar in the evenings. Now we know.
-
Review from Peter M.
Boston, MA
9/29/2011
It's a rainy Thursday night, I have no money, clean clothes, ambition or desire to speak to any other living soul. However, the long rainy work week inspires a strange grey ambition to get out of the apartment for a few beers. My two roommates, both in similar conditions, agree a public appearance is probably in our best interest. These culminating factors make for an easy decision, our inaugural visit to Corner Café.
As our mangy threesome entered the establishment we gave a friendly WUD UP? to the patrons at the bar. At this point one of the 3, seemingly deep in conversation, returned to the business side of the slab. It was the bartender "Ray", a good ole chap, immediately inquired what we fancied to drink. "Bud bottles" we unwittingly replied, not realizing they obviously had cheaper cans. Beers were delivered frosty, with a smile. Ray went back to conversing with the homely couple at the bar and we were left to sip suds while watching my degenerate friend loose a measly $25 dollars on the Packers/Saints NFL opener. The excitement of my pal's misery quickly stirred up my appetite so I beckoned Ray back over to describe the specials. "Well" he says, "I can cook you some chicken fingers or motzi sticks...". Although he was willing, I declined and he gave me the menu, a takeout slip from Dino's! This was perfect so I wasted no time dialing in a large steak bomb.
By the time I was through half of the monstrous submarine we were ready to call it a night. Ray had fulfilled our needs as a friendly bartender, lifting the spirits of 3 pathetic lads, when, what's this? Two Hot Babes*!!!... Walking in the door. I quickly hid the second half of my greasy sub in my pocket, Ray delivered another round and it wasn't long before the awkward conversation started to flow. Blah, Blah, Blah, six or so beers later we were still drooling over babe #1's figure while she droned on about her new found love for surfer bros. A number was had by one of the two single roommates but unsurprisingly nothing materialized. Enough already though, this is after all, a Yelp review on Corner Café.
To sum it up, this place gets 4 stars because it is exactly what it looks like, a dive and a pleasant one at that. Friendly cheap and easy. Ray got a $12 tip on a $39 dollar tab, partly because he was awesome and partly because he played wing man, wooing babe #2.
*Disclaimer: "babe #1" had a Kim Kardashian @ss stuffed into Kate Moss' jeans and a Kelly Kapowski shoulder less belly shirt. The other, "babe #2" was really only a 6 -
Review from Victor S.
3/27/2010
A word of warning. This ISN'T a cafe. No no. I didn't walk in expecting this to be a cafe -- I could tell from a mile away that this was a classic dive bar. But the Europeans who walked in when I was at the bar were in for a rude surprise. No cappuccino's here!
Now, I live in Brooklyn. And I'm from California with a California driver's license. This is the type of bar where the bartender looks you over. Looks at your ID...and well, you're an outsider. A foreigner. You're not from these here parts. Etc.
I came to Boston for my buddy's wedding. Decided to spend the day in North End. And what better way than to go to a dive bar in the middle of a weekday. Yup. Place was filled with locals on their lunch breaks. Yeah. Only 2 beers on tap from what I recall. Talked politics and current events with the bartender. An older gentleman. And he told some great stories from back in the day. Pretty much all you could ask from a bartender. And yes, the bartender actually said "get the fuck outta here" to everything. I've been living in Brooklyn for 3 years and not once did I hear anyone say the equivalent -- "fuggedaboutit." Great bar. Will return the next time I'm in Boston. -
Review from Josef S.
7/3/2011
Basically, a dive. Cheap beer and a minimal variety thereof; loud locals and louder music (Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" merits a star in itself). No complaints whatsoever.
-
Review from Jamie S.
9/13/2007
Oh doggy! I get first crack at the Corner??!?!
Such a great joint. Small neighborhood feel, and cheap beer. Pitchers, drafts, and a juke box.
This is where I watched the end of the World Cup championship game when ITALIA took home the hardware. I had just finished painting my dilapidated North End apartment, and made my way over here for some flava. You could barely move - it was the only place to be when they won it. We streamed out of there and proceeded to join the mosh pit on Hanover Street, complete with firecrackers, music, and complete chaos. I threw a water bottle at Bob Lobel while he was standing on top of Mike's Pastry, but it missed. Other than that, it was a glorious day.
Several trips to the Corner Cafe made my short stint in 02113 a pleasant one - especially for the affordability factor. No pretense, just a laid back bar that you should go to RIGHT NOW dammnit.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Meridith H.
Boston, MA
8/15/2011
This is a place that will get higher ratings from its frequent patrons. It's not about quality so much as it is about familiarity, ease of access, and feeling as if you belong. In another life, I would spend a lot of money here & have no regrets. In this one, I am an infrequent visitor but am glad to have the Corner Cafe nearby.
-
Review from Mark M.
Boston, MA
6/1/2009 2 Check-ins Here
Best place to grab a beer with friends. Cheap. Nice people. Local joint.
Keno and lottery tickets. I seem to always wake up with tickets.
I love the place. -
Review from Erin B.
Beverly, MA
10/18/2009
Oh Corner Cafe, you will always hold a special place in my heart. You are no where near a five star institution, but you always get it right.
Come here in your pajamas, come here in your best duds, come here with your kitty cat (I did that once), come here with your buds.
Great low key place to grab a drink or end the night. Not some place you want to take a cab to but considering it's about 400 yards from where I live, it can't be beat as a neighborhood spot. -
Review from Lupe M.
San Jose, CA
12/28/2011
Cheap drinks! The bartender Joe only works during Mondays and Tuesdays so make sure to go those days. I ordered drinks that I found off the internet and he did his best to make them and he basically charged me half price because I ordered 4 drinks and it only cost me $15! If I ever find myself in Boston again I'm pretty sure that I'm going to drink in this bar again! And too bad they ran out of pudding shots because I really wanted to try them.
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Review from Andrea S.
Boston, MA
11/20/2009
After last night, I'm dying to be a regular.
A group of three, we were one of about 7 total patrons at the bar. The tv's played the Bruins with sound. A cougar came in to hit on younger men, play keno and drink a cocktail. I sat with my $4 guinness and eavesdropped on a conversation on a local with a couple from my hometown. A man ordered pizza. I interrupted the conversation to talk about my hometown, St.Louis. The pizza came. The man who ordered it offered my table some. Free dinner. The man filled the juke-box with singalong classics. Wham! came on. We all sang. Full, joyful, buzzed.
Nice people, sports, beer and pizza for the masses. Everything a dive could aim to be. -
Review from Mike K.
Boston, MA
6/21/2011
I don't have high standards for bars. This bar was revolting. The smell was horrendous, overpowering, and so nauseating I couldn't imagine myself drinking a beer there. I wouldn't have been able to keep it down. Imagine the worst body odor you have ever smelled and multiply it by ten. And they only take cash. I felt that was my out and when asked what I wanted I said I needed to go get cash and made my way to the door. The patrons made fun of me for leaving. I could hear them outside through the open windows yelling "goodbye" .. "so long..." and generally carrying on... If it's your bar and you live in the neighborhood, great... otherwise steer clear of this shit hole.
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Review from Andrew M.
Norwood, MA
9/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Had a drink or two or three while waiting on a friend. The server was friendly and the beer was cheep. Cant imagine any good food coming out of the corner kitchen thats behind the bar.
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Review from Karen K.
Boston, MA
12/23/2009
Best Neighborhood Bar in the North End!!!! Cheap beer, awesome Grape Crush Shots ( I would recommend everyone try atleast one) and great food! Add in keno, lottery and scratchers, seriously no way to beat it.
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Review from Sara S.
Boston, MA
Corner Cafe is awesome for: low key drinks, getting bombed drinks, playing with their incredibly random juke box (they have Katherine McPhee but no Britney Spears...?), playing keno, taking shots with the owner (and general North End guys who have lived there forever). Never too crowded, always a lot of fun. Cash only, but they have an ATM.
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Review from Bernard M.
Middleton, MA
8/25/2010
Best 8:am drink in town
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Review from Brandon G.
Boston, MA
6/16/2010
The best dive bar in all of Boston. Friendly people, great atmosphere- you wont get a better Boston experience anywhere. True to the spirit of the North End, this bar offers affordable drinks and friendly staff.
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Review from Steve W.
Duxbury, MA
2/19/2010
Service here is terrible and I think the TV setup is awful too. Also, they advertise discounted rates on Bud Light pitchers but charge more when you actually order them. I wish this place was more hospitable to locals, but every time I've been in here I've come away with a bad taste in my mouth. Don't waste your time here and spend your money in a place that actually might act like they appreciate the business. Ducali, North Street Grille, Sail Loft, Artu, Pushcart Cafe, and Billy Tse's are all local places I'd go to before going back to Corner Cafe.
