Hopewell Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Boston

My friend's MFA program had their graduation show recently and decided to meet here afterwards to celebrate.

We arrived around 9:30. At the door, a youngish male bouncer -- we learned his name, but let's call him N. -- in a split second, unaccountably, told my friend she 'seemed tipsy' and he wouldn't allow her inside.

This judgment comes across as more bizarre when one learns my friend is a 32 year old Asian woman -- incidentally, who can hold her liquor pretty well, but that's neither here nor there -- who had had 1.5 drinks over the course of five hours up until that point.

Anyone who has any experience with imbibery, or daresay anyone in their right mind, wouldn't have considered her drunk, let alone too inebriated to enter a bar. What caused the faulty snap judgment?

We were taken aback, and tried calmly to reason with him (and eventually somewhat less calmly). I (and she) explained it was her grad school celebration and all her classmates were inside; she'd had 1.5 drinks; she was a damn grown woman; and so on. Hell, give her a breathalyzer; you'd find her well under regulation.

Clearly, your initial assessment was highly inaccurate; however, as a thinking human being, you can reassess and reconsider.

Latterly, just to be able to see her classmates, my friend even suggested she could go in and not drink, just have snacks.

Mulishly, the bouncer wouldn't budge.

I expressed (diplomatically enough) I'd never come across a decision so seemingly arbitrary, inane, and unfair at a bar, and -- the situation was riling me up enough to leave a negative review online.

Quoth N: "See if I care. Doesn't affect me one way or the other. I still get paid tonight."

Sheeeeate. I asked to speak to the manager. After all, my friend was pointlessly being turned away from her own grad show afterparty, and she couldn't very well ask 40 people to move to another bar.

Shortly the manager came out, we reiterated the whole situation; the manager actually admitted that my friend didn't seem drunk at all, but said she 'had to support her staff, and would stick with the decision.' We were like: how can you justify this? She: once a decision is made, you have to back up your staff, sorry.

Suffice it to say, I am now writing this negative review, as I said I would, and my friend wasn't able to attend her grad show afterparty due to some intensely mindless, boorish, and backwards impulsivity and reasoning.

One might think the decision involved some subconscious racial discrimination on the bouncer's part. I mean, my friend was the only non- 'white' person entering while we were there. Well, probably not -- but who knows.

To invoke the figure of Anthony Bourdain somewhat randomly (on my mind recently) -- maybe among celebrated culinary and service industry figures, the one to extend staff the most respect and leeway -- given his integrity and acumen, even he, N., even he would find your conduct in this instance reproachable and disgraceful, boot your ass out on the street, compel you to live and experience for some years more, and finally, finally, if at all possible, come around and actually be prepared to make sensible and human-centric decisions.

And to the management, who may want to chime in with a rebuttal, I'll say this: no, there aren't two perspectives here; in no way, shape, or form was my friend drunk, or even tipsy; plainly, a rash and careless decision was made, which you then thoughtlessly (though in some oblique way nobly) doubled down on.

Sure, a bar ought to turn away or throw out someone if they're so drunk they pose a danger to themselves or others or pose a great distraction... Otherwise--isn't getting tipsy or drunk, you know, kinda the point of bars, their bread and butter... And, as every onlooker, as well as all my friend's classmates, would easily attest, she wasn't even tipsy.

Clearly, based on some recent reviews, this isn't a one-off, but a pattern of behavior propelled and supported...

Last night, I reunited with my mother and some friends to celebrate a special occasion – we grabbed dinner, and then I suggested we go to Hopewell for a few cocktails. We were there for about an hour and each ordered two drinks, but when we went to the bar to get another round of cocktails, we learned our entire table had been shut off. Marcus, the bar manager, aggravatedly told us that “multiple members of our party were visibly intoxicated,” even though we had simply been sitting in a booth enjoying some casual, quiet conversation. When we asked what was going on, Marcus was visibly annoyed with us, apparently just for asking why we were being told to leave, and he refused to elaborate. Note that none of us were loud, obnoxious, or rude, nor were we even remotely intoxicated in the slightest, let alone “visibly intoxicated.”

I have a sneaking suspicion that this could have occurred for a few reasons. First, my mother is 57 years old; as Hopewell generally caters to a younger crowd, she was likely one of the oldest customers at the bar. This incident felt like we were refused service simply as a pretext to allow younger customers into the bar. Apparently, if you are past your mid-twenties, Hopewell will not serve you.

My mother also suffers from severe lumbar radiculopathy and has been dealing with a limp for some time. Perhaps Marcus saw her limping, and interpreted this as a sign of intoxication? Regardless, I don’t believe it's a wise idea for bartenders – let alone a bar manager – to base their judgment of someone’s sobriety on physical mobility. If anything, this is quite ableist, not to mention that it could even constitute a violation of Massachusetts civil rights laws, which protect from being refused service at public establishments on the basis of physical disability (see Massachusetts General Laws c. 272, § 98).

Another member of our party is of Middle Eastern descent. When he attempted to get a drink at the bar, he was ignored and treated rudely, while white customers next to him were being served. It seems like Marcus used our “intoxication” to kick us out to allow for more white twenty-somethings into the bar. For a bar that purports to be a “welcoming environment,” it seems that this only applies to young white people.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had a poor encounter with Marcus, either – I was refused service at Hopewell last year for having an out-of-state ID. Meanwhile, a college student next to me, who was very obviously underage and using a terribly-made fake Florida ID, was allowed service. Marcus’s abuse of his discretion as a bar manager seems not to be a one-off incident, but a pattern of behavior.

Hopewell’s bio prides itself on being a “welcoming environment” that delivers “service without pretense.” My experience with Marcus last night showed me that these claims are a pretense themselves. If you do not fit into the usual Allston crowd of young, white college students, I would strongly advise you...

Located in the heart of the city, the Hopewell offers a diverse cocktail menu and a laid back, highly satisfying experience in a simple yet mistic atmosphere. I sampled four distinct cocktails. The Old Fashioned, crafted with Sazerac Rye, was a standout. This cocktail exemplified excellence with its balanced, nuanced flavors and a commendable use of quality ingredients at a reasonable price!. Well done! Another highlight was the Wild Turkey Bourbon and Amaro cocktail. This drink was masterfully executed, featuring a harmonious blend of rich, robust bourbon with the complex, bittersweet notes of Amaro. It was both innovative and well-balanced, showcasing the bar's skill in creating compelling and refined cocktails. And hearing the story behind the drink from the barman was a joy! However, not all offerings were as successful. The Manhattan, while promising, fell short due to the use of a subpar vermouth (maybe old?) which detracted from the overall quality of the cocktail. The drink just wasn't there, unfortunately. The Espresso Martini, though visually appealing, was overly sweet and carried an artificial taste. This detracted from the drink's potential to deliver a well-rounded coffee-flavored experience, leaving room for improvement in its formulation. In conclusion, the Hopewell presents a mixed bag of experiences. While there are notable successes, which also include the wonderful and welcoming atmosphere, some aspects need improvement. Overall, the bar's strong points suggest it is well...