McFadden’s

I go into every place with an open mind. I am a friendly person who works in the restaurant industry. Saying this, I also mean that I give businesses a reasonable amount of chances before I am disappointed… until the line is crossed. McFadden’s crosses that line.
I went there because I was invited to a happy hour (like a lot of unsatisfied Unilocalers) and was very disappointed with my experience.
When I first got there, the other members of the party (including the host) had not gotten there yet. I had never been there before, but saw the host desk and said that I was there for the happy hour for my friend. I then asked the host what the happy hour meant and she explained it a little. She wasn’t very friendly, but it was loud so I figured it was just because she had to yell to talk to me. I was approached to sign up for my own happy hour party so I did.
I went to the bar and got two beers for $ 3 each (Miller High Life — ick) to realize that the draft beers were cheap and flavorless brands and probably were not worth the money. I was sure to tip the bartender $ 1 per drink as I did not want to be one of those people who took advantage.
I then went over to the booth my friends and I found to sit in where we would occasionally get yelled at for stepping over the yellow line on the side of the booths and never get asked about food. The staff was unfriendly the entire night.
Later, someone in our party got a vodka and soda water so I ventured up to get the same. The bartender came over and asked what I wanted and I said I wanted a citrus vodka and tonic. She, annoyed, relied, «THAT’S not what’s $ 4… the HOUSE RASPBERRY is $ 4!» I was very confused as I didn’t care about the price, I just wanted a good drink and also thought it would be a good upsell opportunity for the bartenders who probably handle cheap drunk college kids all the time. I said that was fine and got that. We did not stay very much longer after that.
Since then I have won two after work parties. The first one I told them that the experience was not worth the trip there. The second time I politely declined. I find it odd that if customers are unhappy, they do NOTHING about it. Why do people even go there?

There is so much going on here I can’t even start to write a coherent review. We were there for one of those weird happy hour parties. Let’s start with the good.
The overly straight bartender happily poured my beer, gave it a puzzled look, handed it off and I went on my way. Minutes later he tracked me down to let me know he poured the wrong IPA for me… and gave me the right one. He went above and beyond. One star for the straight bartender.
Then you get to the bad… the free food for Happy Hour Winners. Seriously horrible. I shouldn’t complain about something free (first world struggs)… but still. There was some frozen sweet potato fries drowning in maple syrup. It’s sticky and you eat it on Styrofoam plates. With every plate you use, someone in Cambridge dies a little.
The advertised $ 3 beer is a trick. It’s only certain beers. The bad ones. The ones this gay boy won’t be caught drinking. Ever.
The attendant in the bathroom (really? this is freaking McFadden’s!) sells hair gel. Lots of it.
And the music? Oh help us. I think they’re playing horrible music to drive customers away. I’m certainly they played Hold On by Wilson Phillips… but they did it without any sense of irony.
To musically cap off the night? ⁹⁄₁₁ anthem Overcome by Live. If any song puts you in persistent vegetative state, it’ll be Overcome by Live.
So yeah… McFadden’s is a mixed bag. Impressive, straight bartender. Beer trickery. Sucking out the souls of people in Cambridge. Hair gel in the bathroom. Persistent vegetative state. I’ve got nothing else.

Disgusting. Bleach + Beer + Wannabe alpha males = Frat city.
BUT i will tell you that i won one of their happy hours here (I feel like one of my friends wins every week though.) They give you 25 bucks in credit to spend toward whatever. watered down beer, NASTY food, you name it.
since i LOVEE food, i opted to spend most of my credit on food (also had two semi-​off tasting beer.):
Fried Calamari (
): A little bit of fishiness, a whole lot of sogginess.
Fried Mozzarella (
): WTF IS THIS. I thought it’d be in stick-​form so I could just pick it up and eat it. Definitely NOT what I expected, but it tasted alright. just how you expect a fried mozzarella patty to taste…
Nachos (
): EFFIN GROSS. NEVER GET THIS SHIT. stale chips? still PARTIALLY FROZEN CHEESE (WTF?!?), and COLD chicken. Worst nachos of my life.
So there are my two cents on the food. but I suppose most people come here not for the food, but to get high off of bleach and to creep on girls. maybe it’s better if we just left it that way.

McFadden’s Boston represents all of the qualities I dislike in a bar at this point in my life. I used to spend a lot of time at the DC McFadden’s in college because I was young/​stupid/​in college/​poor (your choice), but now that I’ve been a real person for a couple of years and have ceased making my bar choice decisions on a purely «How drunk can I get for $ 20 tonight?» basis this sort of place no longer appeals to me.
The drinks are overpriced and nothing special, and even their «After work bar parties» (Happy Hour) offer only the opportunity to drink regular-​sized (not tall boy) cans of PBR and Keystone Light for $ 3 — yippee.
The staff seems to be uninterested at best, other than the sweet young woman working the ladies bathroom, and the thought of coming here again is unappealing to say the least.
I paid a cover to get in here once, and came back a second time only because it was free and I’m a good roommate/​friend. That’s it McFaddens, you won’t be seeing me again.

Don’t bother even stepping inside because the wait staff can’t be bothered with you, at ALL! On Saturday, 3 Dec, around 3:00 in the afternoon, we walked in and sat down in front of a female bartender who was pouring beer. She didn’t acknowledge our presence at all. Another bartender walked by us THREE times, didn’t acknowledge us at all. After FIVE minutes of being ignored, we left.
And it wasn’t busy at all!

Wow… never thought anyone could mess up frying a blob of cheese, but this place has done it! The mozzarella cheese sticks are horrible! They come out cold and with no flavor. People I was with ordered nachos, with stale chips and cheap cheese flavor and toppings? What and where are those?! The «sliders» had non-​existent patties. The service was also horrendous. Food took much longer than needed for the type and quality of food delivered. Beer took well over 15 minutes to be delivered to the table. OVERALL A HORRIBLE PLACE!!! DO NOT EAT AT THIS PLACE!!!

How bad do you have to be to actually give me free booze on an occasion and $ 3 mixed drinks every other time to still get a 1 star? This bad.
I loathe McFadden’s to the point that if they offered me a «happy hour» today (a.k.a. free booze) I’d probably turn it down.
This place gets packed right after work Thursdays and Fridays with «happy hour» winners and their friends who get dragged along for the ride. Packed in a long, narrow area so that I feel like I’m in a prisoner transport train car going off to some labor camp. At least they serve drinks on this train… oh and they’re cheap at 3 bucks… oh but they’re made with the shittiest booze in the world and barely. More like $ 3 glasses of tonic water and ice.
The one cool area is the vault downstairs where the bartenders, usually give you better quality booze too, oh but it’s usually closed. Great.

McFadden’s is always a good time. They usually have a Ladies night at 6pm where there is no cover charge and some drink special.
Does get a little crowded at night in the front bar area, back room is usually a little better. Bathrooms downstairs have been closed lately, but there are small bathroom upstairs — not the best, but will do.
Cash/​Credit accepted.

Contrary to what everyone says, there are two reasons to go to McFadden’s: Happy Hour special and slutty bartenders. Their shorts don’t cover their ass and their boobs could double as headrests.
How are their faces? I can’t say I’ve noticed.
Seriously, it’s the worst service I’ve received in Boston. Totally disorganized. The bouncer’s have unnecessary attitude. They accost you for everything — like a nagging parent. They kick people out left and right — one guy for standing in the wrong spot, the other for mistakenly running into a server.
They «ran out» of house liquor at 10, so they could only serve, and charge for, top shelf liquor. I call BS.
The music’s too loud, not that you can enjoy yourself under the constant interruption of bouncers.
Go for your friend’s happy hour then book it out of there.

Another typical $ 5 cover for a jr. high school dance atmosphere with $ 6 beers and $ 8 mixed drinks. All of the Sam Adams was kicked by 11 on a Friday and they didn’t bother to tap more, so 6 bucks for a Blue Moon in a 12oz plastic cup it was (they at least gave me my second in a pint glass so it was only a SLIGHT ripoff). Unattentive bartenders until you order, then 3 more will come up and ask if you’re set while the other takes 5 mins to pour a beer.
First and last time.

One bar in Boston I truly HATE, with a passion. Overpriced drinks, a dark, drab, lame atmosphere and 15 bouncers on duty at all times to ensure all the fire exits are properly accessible. Thanks, but no thanks!
Sidenote — the McFadden’s in DC is AWESOME! Dancing on the bars, lively & fun staff. Hit it up if you’re in the Foggy Bottom area.

I’ve been to McFadden’s more times than I can count. And for that, I am ashamed.
McFadden’s has a lot of good things about it– For example, you can «enter to win» a party in which you can drink for free and your friends can drink for cheap for two hours. It’s essentially a sign up sheet more than a contest. I’ve won about four times. This is the only reason why you should be going to McFadden’s. Period.
Now to the bad parts about McFadden’s. On several occasions here, I have decided to start a tab. Starting a tab makes me feel like a money bags, and often times it’s for very «small» amounts. Less than twenty dollars. However, on TWO occasions, I’ve had erroneous charges on my account for about 40 dollars in addition to my correct charge. There is no way that someone could ever have 60 dollars worth of a tab at McFadden’s.
Eventually they fixed it, and gave my money back. However, it wasn’t without a fight. I had to call multiple times, email, AND go in during my lunch break.
Another unpleasantry about McFadden’s is the staff. A good portion of the bartending staff is too busy goofing off. The rest of them are women who don’t appear to enjoy working. They never smile and hardly respond to your requests.
And something else that I think is weird: Bathroom attendants. I just told you that McFadden’s is a place for cheap drinks. It’s not some place that I go particularly dressed up. But, despite that there is someone in the bathroom to hand me a paper towel. There are lotions and mints– but all of them are inconsistent brands and over all very sloppy. Additionally, the bathroom is super small. It’s not really fitting for a bathroom attendant.
HOWEVER:
I just found out that there is a downstairs. It’s much more quiet, has a full bar, and is a bank vault. I say that unless you’re into weird dudes grinding on you, you should probably head downstairs.

Came here tonight for the Japan Earthquake/​Tsunami Relief Fundraiser and had an absolute blast!
Really I give only 3 stars for this ersatz «Irish» bar but I give 5 stars for the Unilocaler who so magnificently created, organized and hosted such a wonderful and fun charitable Unilocal event! Kudos to Takako O. She is a real veteran of charitable campaigns (or as I call it the «making humanity your business» campaigns) and it showed tonight in her brilliant paring with
to reach out to Unilocalers to make a real difference to alleviate the unimaginable suffering in Japan right now!
To all of you who missed THIS (because there WILL be others) Japan Earthquake/​Tsunami Relief Fundraiser… you missed one HECK of a great party! From the start of the event at 6:30: The food (particularly the Nachos) and drinks were good BUT the company was better! Rarely have I got to meet such fun people (Note: Takako hangs with a cool crowd!) Everyone was intent on having a good time and intent is 90% of having a fantabulous time! Definitely the coolest Unilocal event I have been to so far!
But even if you missed THIS party you have not missed out on the chance to make a difference. Go to:
and make a donation! If I could give a measly 20 dollars you can to! Every dollar you give to this world class charity will make a difference in people’s lives in Japan (and they deserve it: No country has been more generous in giving to charity then Japan –even to the families of victims of September 11^th– so its time to give something back) So come on fellow Unilocalers! Let’s make suffering the new «smoking» (something that need not BE) and let’s make helping people the new «elite event» (where to BE!) because humanity should be all of our business as well.

Inattentive bartenders really annoy me.
First impressions were this place is filthy! From the floor to the bar top to the back bar, to the coolers, everything was gross. Also the coolers were almost empty. Top tip — if you are going to use glass fronted refrigeration systems to display your wares you need to put some wares in there. The cooler is designed to hold about 300 bottles of beers, it had about a 12 pack of Miller Lite. All the liquor bottles had been pulled together and had a big sheet of clingfilm covering them. It really looked like they were having a closing-​down sale.
I stopped there last night for an after-​work drink with a friend. I should have known there was a reason why the bar was empty while the surrounding bars were packed. I arrived with one friend, another one was on her way.
So we sat down at the bar and ordered a couple of draught beers. First choice beer is out, so is the second, but we manage to order our third choice. A few minutes later our third friend arrives, but the bartender doesn’t come over, he’s chatting with his buddy behind the bar (owner? manager?) Seriously, there are only two other people in the place. He looked up when our friend came in, but didn’t make a move to come over. We waited and waited and waited, until finally we gave up a left.
We had contemplated food, but given the filthiness and the lack of service, we were very happy that we didn’t.

I ended up winning that happy hour. Believe me, it was anything but.
I had a bracelet so all of my drinks were free. My friends had different colored bracelets which allowed them to get their beverages for $ 3. My friend Jon L was with me, and the two of us were sitting at a table alone for about an hour. The bartender gave him his first two drinks for $ 3. When we were joined by Brian G, Jon got up to get everyone a drink. She charged him $ 18 for two vodka sodas! He had taken off his bracelet because it was too tight and she refused to acknowledge that he had ever had one at all.
Rude. Inappropriate.
Peace out McFaddens. You shan’t be seeing me again.

Eh. This place was cool when I was 18 and using my older sister’s ID to get into bars. Even back then, it didn’t take me too many revisits to realize how bro’d out this place is. The bartenders are cliquey and are more interested in belting out the wrong words to «Santeria» than serving you drinks or food.
The main room is long and skinny, and even though the bar is just as long, it’s tough to get a drink ’cause the bartenders don’t pay attention to who’s been there the longest, and instead they pick and choose who they wanna serve. Also, it’s always too damn crowded! It’s hard not to get trampled when you’re so short.
Not sure how long they’ve been hosting the «After-​Work Parties» (since Happy Hours are illegal in MA), but boy am I sick of getting facebook invites from the same 5 people every weekend. $ 3 a drink for two hours is pretty dope (and the person who wins gets them free), but let’s just say it lost its allure after the 5^th invitation.
The only great thing about this place is one of the bouncers who sneaks us in the side door when there’s a line or cover. Also, the downstairs vault is pretty cool since it’s got its own bar, a good amount of seating, and a hidden bathroom. Not many people seem to go down there, so it’s a great place to hang with the 30 people you came with. However, it’s barely ever open! Which is another reason why I hate the «After-​Work Parties» cause everyone is crammed in the narrow main room.
So, if someone insists that you stop at McFaddens for whatever reason, you won’t be completely miserable. I’ve had a few good times there, but if I never return I’ll be okay with it.

Came here on Tuesday night around 8pm and it was EMPTY!
Remember that it was EMPTY!
So, there’s six of us all wanting to eat some $.10 wings and beer. Well, it was a bad sign already that most of the beer they had on on tap was OUT! Anyway, we ordered 50 wings (10 of plain, sesame orange, garlic parmesan, buffalo and teriyaki, I think). These wings were TINY! They tasted ok for $.10, but I couldn’t believe how small they were. Yes, I know they were $.10, but I’ve been to other $.10 wings specials at other bars and they were a decent size. Needless to say, we wanted to order more wings, but we couldn’t because supposedly, they were all out! SERIOUSLY, there was no one else in the place! FAIL.
Not worth it, even for $.10 wings, I know they’re other spots in the city with this deal.

Ducked in McFaddens to escape a brief rain shower on 9÷3÷10 We were in «pub crawling» mode, and I saw their specials sign listed 10-​cent wings. «What the heck» I thought. Immediately upon walking in I wondered about all of the garbage collected on the floor, which couldn’t have been vacuumed in the last month. The bartender took our drink order, and then informed me that the wing special ended an hour ago.
In the meantime, my wife went to the restroom, which she said was filthier than most gas station rest rooms. I could relate when I went to the men’s room before we left. The bar was so sticky nasty gross, I couldn’t even lean my arms on it.
When we asked for our bill, it was $ 18!!! This for 2 — 6 ounce Kettle One & diet Cokes served in plastic glasses! What a HUGE rip off. AND when my wife asked about the cost, we were completely blown off and didn’t get a receipt. — STAY AWAY from this place!

Only come here Thursday and Friday during Happy hour 6 – 8 where drinks are $ 3. You need to know someone who has a happy hour so you can get a wristband, but that isn’t hard. You can ask around once you are inside and someone will give you a name.
This is definitely a good after work spot or a place to go get completely trashed by 8PM. Careful though, I have had many an early friday night due to this place.
After happy hour is over you can head to sissy K’s (around the corner) for 1.50 drafts of BL.
Good looking waitresses and bartenders here. However, it get really crowded and service can be slow.
There are also $ 1 sliders during the happy hour. Definitely one of the best parts about the place.
Sign your name on the list in hopes to win a happy hour so your drinks are FREE during the happy hour.

This bathroom exchange sums up my McFadden’s experience (in a good way):
Guy #1: (farts)
Guy #2: (laughs) Why are farts so funny?
Guy #1: Because it’s Valentine’s Day!
This place isn’t that bad. The beer prices aren’t terrible ($ 5 for a Sammie is a little steep, but average for Boston), and at one point, they started pouring Jäger randomly into patrons’ mouths and throwing around condoms, which would kind of be like that haircut video on YouTube, except only one person called me «chief», and there were far fewer bad overmoussed haircuts or roid rages.
It’s a decently-​sized bar, which with the largest group will always have problems, but they handled it much better than some of the other bars on the overstuffed crawl I was on. The bartenders, when not pouring Jäger down people’s throats, had their shit together and got people their beers quickly.
I don’t know how this place is regularly, but in the hierarchy of bars, it’s not so bad. I’m at about 3.5, but I’ll round up, because I can.