The Beer Makes the Westender a Winner

One of the finest pleasures in life is having a venue to comfortably relax at the end of a long work week. When I left Brighton this past September, as well as my trusty and now defunct local, American Craft, I began the search for an acceptable spot to unwind come Friday night. This preferred place generally has three aspects going for it: a beer list I won't get bored with after the first visit, an atmosphere that is somewhere between quiet enough to hear the toilets flushing and loud enough that I cannot hear myself talk much less the group I am with, and has a space that can accommodate a crowd without having me wait fifteen minutes to get to the bar. After a few weeks of visiting all of the finest bars and pubs that Yelp featured in the area there was one place that stood out from the others.

At the time that I caught wind of The Westender there really wasn't an easy way to research what they had to offer or what sort of atmosphere I was in for. There was no website, no reviews on BeerAdvocate. They only had a Facebook page, which, at the time, was lacking in any real substance. The only thing that stood out to me was the fact that they had “liked” more than a few craft beer breweries that I enjoyed, so I thought, “good enough.”

The first night I went to The Westender I was delighted to see Stone's IPA on tap, which honestly concluded my search for a new local spot upon sight. While this was easily my personal favorite option, the nicest thing about The Westender's beer selection is that they do a wonderful job of representing a number of beer styles on tap. From a dark and heavy beer like Murphy's Irish Stout, to a light beer like Bud Light, to something more fruity like Shock Top, you shouldn't have any issue finding something to catch a buzz from. Not to mention that the prices turned out to be tremendously reasonable. It isn't often that you come across a 20oz Stone IPA on draft for $5.25. While I can easily put down Stone IPAs and Jacks Abby's Smoke and Daggers all night, every now and then I like to switch it up. The Westender's bottle selection makes that easy to do. With approximately 65 beers to choose from, if the taps don't do anything for you then the bottles should.

What about the non-drinking aspects of the bar? Well I've been very lucky with service every time I've gone in. The people who work there have been incredibly personable and pleasant. I'd describe the food as quality comfort food. They've got $.25 wings on certain days, half priced apps during trivia on Thursday's and frequent food specials. Friday's always seem to have a band and some delightfully adorable older couples dancing. There are also plenty of TVs if you're looking for a place to watch a game or a dart board for some cricket or 501. In general, The Westender is just a comfortable and enjoyable place to hang out.

Check out The Westender:

493 Boston Post Rd. West Marlborough, MA 01752

(508) 485-1185

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