Sullivan's Public House (Charlestown). Boston, MA.
85 Main Street
Guinness Tag: $9.00 | Overall Rating: 1.05
Today's Dedicated Pint: To everyone but Seth, The Wanker
You'd think an Irish Pub in an area such as Charlestown would deliver the goods, you know? I mean, Charlestown originated in the 1840's, right smack in the middle of the Potato Famine, and it had a substantial number of Irish immigrants who essentially took over the land. The aura and demographics have changed over the last 150 years, but the roots are still intact. With all of the Irish history laid upon these immediate streets, you'd only hope that the Irish Pub around the corner holds water. It's like dishing up the world's worst lasagna in Little Italy, NY: you just don't do it. Either do it the right way or rightfully feck off.
After visiting over 150 Irish Pubs here in the states within the last couple years, I can confidently tell you that Sullivan's is inadequate in every form. It's unfortunate, because if I had both the privilege and the honor to operate an Irish Pub here in Charlestown, then you can bet your ass I'd strive to make every aspect of this place the best on land. Who cares if there's a cruddy Irish Pub in the middle of nowhere in Alabama or somewhere random as such, but when we're talking about areas like Charlestown, Yonkers, Philly, or even particular spots in Chicago; you're a flat-out embarrassment to the industry if you decide to manage a Pub in poor/ugly fashion. Some cruddy Pub owners are ignorant, some are simply just greedy, and some are lazy. I don't know the owner of Sullivan's, but I'd imagine they fit in one of those 3 categories after experiencing such a dismal, unappealing, boring, trite, and effeminate Pub in one of the most historic neighborhoods in the country.
I try to stay succinct with my articles when it comes to disappointing Pubs, and I'm going to try and stay on course despite having a healthy amount of things to say about Sully's. Do people call it Sully's? Who cares, I am today.
The curb appeal speaks for itself. It's plain Jane. Nothing stands out about it; no greenery, no allure. It shows a bit of a proper vibe I suppose. Applebee's has more inviting curb appeal than this place in my opinion. As you sit at the bar and look around, here's what you'll notice:
-Shelving behind the bar that looks like an Ikea purchase.
-About 6 TVs all behind the bar, all obtaining the same channel. No variety, no care to attention, no f*cks given.
-The Spice Girls playing on the stereo.
-Strictly zero wall hangings or decor. The walls have nothing on them. No art, no photographs, no alcohol signage, no anything. It's incredibly boring.
-4 beers on tap.
I want to say something nice about the place. I do like the ceiling tiles and the wallpaper in select areas, but dude ... this place is so flippin' unoriginal it hurts.
The bar itself is an L-Shaped, light-colored wooden counter that holds a mere 20 to 25 asses. There's not much character involved and the place feels very new/modern. If
you know what "patina" is, I can assure you'll find absolutely none of it here. The bartender today was disengaging, despite having very few patrons, and the pour wasn't anything to write home about. There's so much to be done here to make the place worth anyone's time it's overwhelming.
Sullivan's is one of the most boring, pathetic, and lame Pubs I've ever been to in my life. Sometimes Pubs are so bad that you almost have to go just to check it out, but this one isn't worth the time. I dogged on Dana's over in Norwood/Cincinnati, Ohio a few years ago, but Sullivan's makes Dana's look like a peach. I'd lose my ever-loving mind if I had to work behind this counter every day.
Those are my two useless cents about Sullivan's. Typically, I'd apologize for leaving such harsh words about a Pub at the end of the article, but I'm still annoyed about the 30 minutes totally wasted inside this establishment that could have been enjoyed more at a 7-Eleven. I'm not out here to make anyone look bad, because I have a massive respect for those trying to make it work in the bar industry, but I don't feel bad about this one. Sullivan's sucks more than Stormy Daniels, and if I had my way, I'd change the title of my book to: Stepping Foot Inside Every Irish Pub in America aside from Sullivan's ... haha.
After the Yankee's depressing postseason sweep over the Red Sox last night, I figured it was the right time to lay down a poor rating in the Boston area. Times are grim here, but brighter days are shortly ahead!
Slainte.
The surrounding area is pretty stunning. I love Boston.
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