Big City
Combination bar and pool hall, served by the sunset.
Great Scott
1222 commonwealth avenue, allston, (http://www.greatscottbost...). live indie, rock, hiphop, and dance. voted "best rock club", "best bar", and hosts the "best dance night" the pill, friday mod/brit - source: boston phoenix 2006 readers' poll. daily 12pm-2am. showtime is 9pm and generally costs $8-$10.
Wonderbar
Loud. can be skanky or awesome for jazz. very weird mix, but never on the same night. don't wait in line for any reason.
White Horse Tavern
Enormous bar/club with a million tvs. if there's a line, keep walking.
Common Ground
Excellent '80s music night, good djs and bar food.
Devlin's Bistro & Bar
Calls itself, a little bit of downtown, uptown. Its cuisine mixes traditional and innovative American fare with a touch of international flavor and an expansive wine list. They offer both a seasonal menu and year-round upscale comfort food including their exceptional thin-crust pizza. After the meal, the tables are cleared away and the dance floor opens for dancing to music provided by live DJs. Also outdoor seating and catering services.
Porter Belly's
Combination College Bar/Local Irish Pub. It's small, but there's rarely a line and there's always some music. Great burgers and some pub favorites.
The Silhouette Lounge
If you are looking for the kind of bar that archie bunker would visit, this is it. the ceiling tiles are gray with age and dirt, the jukebox is broken, and the patrons are way past college age. punkers stop in too.
Allston-Brighton is a bit of a student village, and naturally you would expect bars. Lots of bars. There are, in fact, many. As of 2003, there is no smoking in any restaurant or bar in the metro Boston area.
The Sunset Bar and Grill
With the exception of some bar in dc, the sunset has the largest selection of beer in the country. 130 beers on tap, more than 300 bottled varieties. get your free beer card at the door - then sample 20 different beers, and you get a t-shirt. there are bar stools with nametags on them. the honored ones sampled every beer the sunset has.