21 Nickels

This bar is such an unexpected surprise. I didn’t have many expectations coming here, but my bf and I have been meaning to check it out since it reopened a few months ago (I should mention that we live around the corner). We came in on Thursday around 6:45 and were the only ones there. The (owner?) was super welcoming and attentive. We ordered quite a few apps and drinks and he brought everything out promptly and regularly checked in to make sure we were satisfied (not in an annoying way). The icing on the customer service cake came when I ordered a White Russian. The owner apologetically informed me that they were out of milk. Only a minute or two later another bartender stopped by our table to let us know he was running out to get milk for me. Amazing! The food was also delicious for a dive bar (better than Donahues across the street). Overall it was an awesome night and I’m glad I gave this place a chance. Now they just need to kick up their marketing!

Glad to see 21 Nickels is back up and running! Limited hours for now (Weds-​Sat.
) Appetizer menu only for now, but full kitchen should be up and running soon!

Is this place ever open? When it is, it could not be more forgettable. The food comes straight from the freezer to the fryer or microwave. And it is across the street from a great place that works hard — Donohue’s.

Sorry to say that it looks like the Nickel is closing for good. It was a great bar and had a great run.

I love a good dive. What I don’t love is ordering the meatloaf ONLY IF the mashed potatoes were real, then being utterly disappointed that they lied to me and served me powder flakes. This girl knows her taters… and they tried to fool me. Also it was listed on the menu that it came with broccoli, but showed up with zucchini and green pepper… wrong green vegetable guys. Strange and yucky combo. I was too nice to say anything, (and I was in yoga clothes-​who am I to judge) but was not happy. Girls liked their chicken wraps and onion rings were thick cut and nice n salty.
Beer was delicious in actual glass pitchers (a rarity at Boston bars) and they only had harpoon beers on tap. Luckily we liked that. I’ll be back for the Bud Light and Jameson combo special… another thing you dont see much in the city! We’ll be back for trivia night.

If there is any bar in Watertown where you will always have a good time it is here.
It starts at the top with the owner and all the way down to the staff. They always make you feel welcome and stay attentive.
They always have the best specials in town. They keep the specials nice and easy on your wallet. They will have a burger and beer night, buffets, all you can eat wings and great combos.
The Salt n Pepper Wings are great. They make a mean chicken finger wrap and they have steak fries which are becoming more and more hard to find. The menu changes every now and then and they keep it fresh and updated which is great. You will always have something to chose from and won’t have just one favorite.
The draft selection is what is really key. They try to keep all their drafts from local breweries, which is very authentic and a way to give back and support the locals.
$ 3 Miller High Life and Rolling Rocks is always key to a bar.
They do house creation cocktails and they never disappoint. Their house White Russian is very good, they use a mocha vodka or something and it is hard to stop after one.
The staff is great and if your there enough supporting them and getting to know them they often times get a round or two on them, which is always sweet. Who doesn’t want a free drink?
They host UFC PPVs with a small fee to watch, usually $ 5 or so but you tend to get a drink ticket or some sort of buffet at times.
This is a place to go for a good time. Always a good crowd, a juke box with some great tunes, great food and a staff that will take care of you.

If you are looking for a great local bar, look no further.
How do people not like this spot? Me and my girlfriend went over here for the UFC fights. If you were in by 8:30, you saw it for free. If not, you paid 5 bucks a person, and it included a free drink! Who does that? Drinks are at least 5 bucks anyways!
We ordered food. Considering it was a bar, we didn’t really expect much. I ordered something which intrigued me. It was a burger covered in Macaroni and Cheese. It came out in 10 minutes tops. It was incredible. Where has this concoction been my whole life! Hats off to 21 Nickels for making this possible. Fries were Steak fries. I am extremely picky when it comes to fries, but these were cooked to perfection. They were seasoned with what looked like sea salt. Couldn’t get enough of these.
My girlfriend got a bowl of Chili and a side of Onion Rings. Onion rings were cooked in a beer batter. I hate to be repetitive, but these also were cooked to perfection. The bowl of Chili came out, and cheese was melted over the top to seal in all the flavors and temperature. She probably didn’t eat the Chili for about 15 minutes after it was put on our table, but because of the cheese, it was still piping hot. Chili was with onions and sliced green peppers. Most Chillis, all the ingredients are diced. 21 Nickels left the peppers as chunks, which gave the chilli a more hearty feel to it. On top of that, there was a tiny kick to it, leaving an overall great flavor to it, with a seductive aroma. It is a shame that all this food was so filling, because I wanted to order more of this great food.
Food and drinks were very reasonable. Burgers $ 8 – 10, Chilli $ 6, Onion rings $ 3, Side of Fries $ 2. Drinks were also very well priced. $ 3 for Miller High Life, $ 4 for standard bottle beers, Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Miller etc. I don’t know how much the draft beers were, but I can’t see them being more than $ 5 – 6. The only draw backs, are the selection of draft beers. I believe they only have 5 – 6 on tap. To most people, this isn’t a big deal. However, I do love my blue moon/​wheat bears, and I don’t think they had either (could be wrong). Also, the music was a tad too loud, but nothing to complain about.
The most important part of this bar is their service. When we placed our order, the waitress talked to us for about 5 minutes and was trying to get to know us. A lot of people would overlook this. However, when I go to a bar, I want it like the show cheers. «You wanna go where everybody knows your name.» To me, the waitress making an attempt to get to know us, is a HUGE plus for me. Finally, when everyone left, the owner of the bar, got out from behind the bar, and opened the door for us, shaking our hands and telling us to have a safe trip home. Again, this establishes a positive relationship. All the staff went completely out of their ways, to make sure my experience was a positive, and memorable one. No one can ask for a better bar. Can definitely say, this is my new bar. Don’t listen to any of the negative reviews. They are just people looking for something to complain about. Thanks 21 Nickels!

I have to ellaborate on my review some more.
Well no, not really ellaborate just make a point to all these people writing poor reviews you don’t know what you’re missing. This bar is so great! The bartenders make you feel right at home. Grab a chair, sit back, relax and drink some good drinks!
I always enjoy their specials. OH! And they have Sangria now, yum!

I moved to Watertown about three years ago, and 21 Nickels was the first bar here that I went to. In the three years since, it’s been the ONLY bar I go to.
I first walked in a little on the skeptical side to watch a Sox game and grab a bite. I got chicken fingers, a good gauge of any pub. They were panko breaded and the portion was huge. I was in love.
Since then I’ve eaten any number of things off the menu; burgers, turkey tips, meat loaf, THE REUBEN EGG ROLLS (emphasis there, a must-​have) and I’ve never ever been let down. The other thing that makes this place stand out is the service I get there. I don’t go in all the time by any means, sometimes even going a month or so between visits, but they always remember me and even know my beer preference. That would be pretty normal if I were in there every day, but considering my frequency it’s exceptional.
There are only two things that kept this from being a five-​star review. The beer selection (Admittedly I’m a bit of a beer snob, so your average Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Lite, Amstel Light lineup turns me off. There are usually a few better choices on tap, but I could do with more) and the music that will often be playing during games (not all the time, mind you. They do have a sense for the big game, and will have the sound on for such games, but if you go there to watch the 4:00 NFL games on a Sunday you might be met with some blues music).
But with great food and great service those things are pretty easy to see around, and that’s why I keep going back.

Really, 21 nickels is just awful, there are SO many better Irish pubs, just about anyone you throw a dart at would be better. This is an odd greenhouse-​like bldg, all glass means the tables are less than comfortable on a cold day.
We came to watch the Red Sox and have some pub grub and the nickels disappointed on almost all counts. Horrible too-​loud music, awful food served at room temperature — my steak tips were little rubbery pucks of tasteless beef, my companion’s turkey tips tasted like cheap italian dressing. Mediocre mac and cheese too. Ugh, I’d rather eat at Mickey D’s. At least the food is hot!

If you do not want to read the whole thing… wish there was a half star rating. Would give them a 3.5…had the burger and side of mac and cheese… burger bun was top 5 ever, burger was average, mac and cheese was above average, fries were average to above average
I have been to this local joint two times now. The first visit was about one year ago and all i remember really is i had some nacho’s. And since i do not remember them they were not great nor bad.
On my newest trip (four days ago), i went with a group of friends for some brews and some food.
We all got burgers and fries, and myself got a side of the mac and cheese.
The place was absolutly packed, and the one bartender was running the whole place so maybe this is why the burger was just average.
The bun on this burger was amazing. It was def made locally either in house or at a bakery in the area. It was buttery and elevated the burger from below average status to average.
The burger itself was ok, def over cooked (i asked for medium raree), but this may have been due to the lack of workers on staff (someone did not show i found out).
The mac and cheese was pretty good. Def 90% better then most i have.
Bottom line… looking to grab a brew and some decent food? Then roll the dice and head the 21 Nickles!

I just moved to town, and was looking for bars within walking distance to my home. The idea is a decent place to grab a beer and chill, or even a place close enough that i can «stumble» safely home. Well, looks like I found my place! My boyfriend and I ordered two BBC Steel Rail draft beers’s. Origionally from Western Mass, made us feel right at home. It was «tough guy tuesday» so they had a few drink/​shot specials. The bartender was very friendly, welcome to the neighborhood attitude. Letting me know the happenings of the week ahead, etc.
We ordered the Eggplant Stacks, which were very good for bar food. I was impressed with the service we received.
To top it off, we had the hot cider with spiced rum. Whipped cream, cinnamon sticks, the works!
My only complaint would be the closing time of the bar. Where I come from, 2 am is when bars close. Seems to be the way it is around here, but I can get used to that. Overall, a great little spot I will be returning to!

How can I give 5 stars to a little local hole-​in-​the-​wall (almost dive)? I went there last night to watch UFC– there are only THREE places in all of the Boston area that show the fights. HUGE reason it gets 5. And, we got an awesome seat right in front of the TV. In other words, it is not too crowded.
The prices here are surprisingly affordable. I don’t know the last time I saw a $ 6 drink menu. They make a mojita with the option of adding splenda instead of simple syrup. This is huge for me. I don’t appreciate the over sweetened drinks served everywhere.
Steak tip dinner for like $ 15 bucks– great steak, great onion rings.
The manager (possibly the owner) was super friendly and busy helping run food. I have almost NEVER seen a MOD actually helping staff. In fact, I recently saw an overloaded Marriot Hotel restaurant where people would sit for like 10 min without so much as a hello (and the poor server was running around sweating), and then the MOD comes in and just observes. Really. 21 Nickels was the opposite of that.
Doorman looked Burly but he was actually friendly. All the things that I want in a local bar!
I was only in once but I plan on coming back. I hope I have the same great experience.

This place is great if you want some cheap bar food and suds. Its probably the only Watertown bar I’ve ever really patronized. They always have games on and I’ve been there when they’ve had live music — not sure if this was a special event, but it was a pleasant surprise.
I can only give it a 3 because I had a turkey burger that was the worst turkey burger I ever ate. I blame myself for trying to be health conscious at a greasy spoon. But, I absolutely love their chicken fingers. They have plenty of sauces to choose from. On a good night I would rank the fingers an 8 out of 10, which is good considering the price and the establishment. Pass on the turkey burger and go for the real stuff — both the burgers and tips are well worth it for food on the cheap.
The beers are always served cold and if you are friendly to the staff, they are just as friendly back.
I think Scotty is/​was the manager there. Good fellow, always accommodating.

This was the first Watertown bar that I went to when I first moved here, and it made a great impression. It was a Wednesday night and the place was fairly empty so when seven of us show up we basically doubled the number of patrons. We were playing Big Buck hunter, ordering rounds of beers and the owner ended up coming over and chatting with a couple of us for a few minutes, and then gave us a round of shots on the house. Good guy to talk to, and always seems like he’s having a great time. The type of owner that you like to see in a bar like this.
I’ve gone back probably a dozen or so times over the last year and a half, and can say that the food there is above average, although slightly expensive. They’ve got good stew, mac & cheese, and their sandwiches are usually solid too, although everything is a la carte, meaning you’ve got to pay extra to get fries with your meal. The onion rings are friggin huge and delicious, maybe the best I’ve had. I never understood why people like onion strings — these beastly rings are the only way to eat deep fried onion.
Lastly, their beer selection is above average, and they constantly have things on tap that you rarely see at your average pub. Dogfish Head, Racer 5, Arrogant Bastard… plus their bottle selection is fairly extensive as well. If you like beer, you’ll find something on their menu that you’ll enjoy.

While the food is actually pretty good here, the service is so terrible I will never, ever return.
If you want some after-​work drinks, head over to Conley’s.

Great beer selection, great wine prices, and plenty of table room on a night out with the gals. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, and we thoroughly enjoyed our after dinner drinks. Best part? Being able to hold a conversation with others at our table. I’m sure 21 Nickels gets slammed on weekends, but it was perfectly crowded on the weeknight we went.
Although we didn’t sample the food, it seemed perfectly priced for the bar food it was. Other diners had good looking dishes, but we went for the booze.

I’d known about the place for years, but never knew exactly where it was located (drr). We (the SO and I, that is) have been on a quest to find a good place near our Brighton apartment for dinner and drinks after work for the past few months and haven’t found exactly what we were looking for yet, after trying places on the Brighton side of the river.
This place fit the bill wonderfully. Great service, good pub food, and just a really welcoming atmosphere.

Ehhh.
It’s so-​so. Grab a beer, catch up with a few friends, that sort of thing. Definitely a local hangout spot, so if you’re not from the area, you’ll feel alienated to say the least. What makes it interesting is the atmosphere: it’s a train! Two of them, connected to each other! Whoaaaaaa.
I give it three stars because it just fails to completely «WOW» me. It’s OK, but it ain’t great. Come with a group if you’re not from Watertown so you won’t feel out of place. A pre-​game destination, not to be confused with «let’s hang here for the night».

This corner of Watertown is full of friendly establishments, but the staff at 21 Nickels has outstanding service. My office usually comes down here when we want to get a beer after work.
When I needed someplace to watch my brother appear on MSNBC (I have no cable), I ran over to 21 Nickels. After explaining the situation, they set me up in the back room with a tv and a remote. I had a delicious burger and a fabulous beer. The waitstaff couldn’t have been nicer to me, and I got to see my brother on tv!