Union Tavern — Restaurant in Somerville

When I think of Boston—which obviously includes Somerville—my mind doesn’t go to Paul Revere galloping through the streets, nor the championship banners hanging in the Garden, nor even a fresh lobstah roll dripping with buttah. No! I think of one place. One sacred institution. One shining light in a city where the T never runs on time and parking tickets appear out of thin air. Union Tavern.

When life hits me like a rogue wave on Revere Beach, when the Sox bullpen blows a lead, when I remember how much my rent costs—I take a deep breath and picture him.

The beautiful hunk of muscle behind the bar. A man among men. So skilled, so effortlessly cool, that he doesn’t just pour beer—he bestows it upon you, like some golden elixir from the gods. And the food? Forget about it. Gordon Ramsay himself could walk in, take one bite, and say, "This guy wins."

My earliest memory in life? Sitting on my grandfather’s knee as he looked me square in the eye and said: "Kid, three things in life are certain—Death, Taxes, and a great night (or day, if you’ve got the stomach for it) at Union Tavern." And I have lived by those words ever since.

I can't even imagine a world without this place. If Union Tavern vanished, what would I do? Move to New York? Start drinking seltzers unironically? No. I refuse. So let me say this...Union Tavern isn’t just a bar. It’s a way of life. It’s the last true stronghold of greatness in a city being overrun by juice bars and luxury condos. And for that? I am eternally grateful.

Now, somebody...

Bands stay far away if you want to get paid for a gig!!!

I'm with the band Slay the Giants who recently performed there, and was informed that they are not getting paid, even though 2 of the 4 bands who performed that night did. How is that in any way a good way to do business?! I didn't realize this was a popularity contest where only the bands chummy with the owner get paid. And don't even try to say it was lack of people because I was there and saw how many people showed up. There's no way anyone could know who was there for what band. And one band had never even performed live so how were they drawing a crowd and still got paid?!

Any gigging artist knows how hard it is to lug all the equipment and set up and then give their all for a show. But to then not get paid, even after you were told you would, is just a slap in the face and completely unacceptable. And based on other reviews, we are not the first band to run into this problem here.

ADDITIONALLY the stage was so small only a 3 piece could fit on it comfortably, there was just a blank white sign out front with no name on it, they dont serve any food, and the parking sucks.

I've provided a pic to prove just how cramped it was on stage. Luckily 2 of the members have wireless hookups so they could move off stage so they didnt...

I went in on a Saturday night after having food and drinks at another local bar, and I wanted to continue the night with my group of friends and we decided on this bar seeing as they post a 1am closing time. We walked in and there was no doorguy/bouncer at the door when we entered(whether that's the venues fault or the bouncers fault is irrelevsnt) and about 3 minutes after we had walked in and already ordered at the bar we got approached asking for the $15 cover charge which we werent aware of when we walked in and after we had already received drinks from the bar. I talked to the bouncer/employee who asked for the cover charge and said I'm sorry we didn't know this was a cover charge event because nobody was at the door and we got served by the bar anyway. I conversed with them but they were very rude and rebuked everything I was saying, I apologized that we had come in without paying cover but we wouldn't have entered if we knew it was a pay to enter event, even though half of my party had already received drinks when we were made aware I was a pay to enter night. Evidently I won't be returned and even though I've given recommendations in the past I won't be doing so...