5 Best College Bars in Boston

There is no better college city in the country than Boston. Indeed, with over 100 institutions of higher learning in its metropolitan area, the urban college experience is, more or less defined by the Boston experience.

However, just because there's a large quantity of undergraduates in the city doesn't necessitate every night will be memorable. On the contrary, one of the hardest things about Boston is figuring out where you should go - what bars and clubs will make the best memories, what places should get your business on Friday and Saturday nights. You don't want to miss all the fun just thinking "I should do my essays for Monday." It is out of a desire to help in that quest that we have listed, below, five of the very best college bars in Boston, places that are sure to provide you and your friends with exactly the thing you're looking for to blow off some steam.

5. Mary Ann's

Okay, so who car if the lines at Mary Ann's are long, the bouncers are tough, and the interior of the joint could've used a redecorator twenty years ago. The place is legendary, made famous by and for Boston College students. Which is really what a college dive is all about, right? Oh, and did we mention the beer is dirt-cheap, just another reason to make Mary Ann's the next stop on your pub-crawl.

4. McFadden's

Looking for a more adult scene? Look no further than McFadden's, a bar that attracts college students and post-grads alike with its unbelievable happy hour deal. Indeed, every night the entire bar is entered into a drawing, where the winner gets free drinks for two-hours, and his friends get their prices cut to $3 a pop, a cost even most broke college students are willing to pay. Just be sure to get there early. The space is relatively small, and the lines tend to be long, which means if you beat the traffic you'll be all the happier for it.

3. Crossroads Irish Pub

No list of bars is complete without at least some mention of the Irish, and this list is no exception. However, what makes Crossroads different than your run-of-the-mill college bar experience is there excellent and cheap food. Indeed, not only are the dishes coming out of the kitchen warm and tasty, they're unbelievably affordable, with Wednesday's offering a free pizza along with the first pitcher of beer you order. That, for most college students, is an unbeatable combo that more than earns Crossroads place on the list.

2. The White Horse Tavern

One of the classier joints on the list, this BU hotspot has some of the best ambience around. Indeed, at a glance, it would seem that White Horse has it all: billiards, Tetris, a dance floor, even windows looking out on all the sad drunks lining up outside. That, on top of the lack of a cover charge, makes this old-school tavern one of the best, most diverse college bars not only in the city, but in the country.

1. The Mission Bar & Grill

However, the number one spot goes to a Northeastern watering hole that does everything the other bars on the list do and more. After all, at "The Mission," not only are the drinks cheap and the barkeeps nice, but the food is completely out of this world. With interesting takes on bar classics like chicken tenders and potato skins, you'll be glad you shelled out the money for dinner as well as drinks. That, combined with a nice ambience and a regular crowd of fun, party-loving students, provides the recipe for the best college bar in Boston, and the best place to go to make sure you make some memories.