The Fours

THE BREAKDOWN:

LOCATION – 8.5

Right on Causeway Street, the Fours is just a skip, jump and a hop from one of basketball’s most storied arenas. But unlike most sports bars, which fill up after the buzzer sounds, the Fours is bustling before the puck drops – and it doesn’t stop until it’s over, and the win’s been celebrated.

FOOD/DRINK – 8

This is the place to come if you want to eat and watch, as opposed to just drink and watch. While they have a center area reserved for bar-goers, the surrounding space is full of quaint tables, surrounded by amazing sports memorabilia that it gives the feel of a museum, rather than a sports bar. The menu is full of delicious foods, all while never losing sight of the main reason they exist across from the garden – sports, and lots of it.

PRICE – 7.5

Again, a little bit of an issue here, as it’s not the least expensive place to dine, drink and watch some sports. But it’s not the most expensive either – the prices are decent, and it’s all well worth it.

ATMOSPHERE – 9.5

This is why you come. The memorabilia make the bar – I can’t stress it enough. Players frequent it, sports writers frequent it, and there’s a reason Sports Illustrated rated it the number one sports bar in America – it’s worth every visit. The drink is good, the food is better, and the passion that fills the bar from the games, memorabilia and energized fans is simply irreplaceable.

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THE RECAP:

You’ve heard the saying before. “History comes alive.”

Well, here, it’s more than just a saying. It’s reality.

The minute you walk into Fours, you can feel it – the magic of Boston sports. Not just the magic of Fenway, or the magic of the Garden, or the magic of Bobby Orr – all of it. From Borque to Bird, all the way to the great Teddy Ballgame, the second you enter Fours, you become a part of sports history.

The walls are lined with signed jerseys, photos and paraphernalia – yet none of it is tacky. It’s arranged in a way that gives an old-time feel to the bar, as to not only bring the history to you with the paraphernalia, but also pull you into the history with the atmosphere.

The music is never blasting, the lights are never dimmed – it remains the place to watch a game for the sake of watching it. Never will you hear the latest Hip-Hop hits blared over the sounds of the Bruins game, or some old-time ACDC hopped up over the Celtics match – this bar places sports first and foremost, and they take pride in that.

The Fours has had a long standing tradition of 30 years, and ever since they opened their doors, they’ve been compiling sports collectibles – and it separates them from any other bar in Boston. It’s almost like a museum, a shrine to the greats of sports – and not just the Boston Boys either. For every Milbury and Brady jersey, there’s also a Gretzky and McGwire poster.

And for every autographed shot of Nomar blasting one over the monster, there’s a black-and-white of Ali standing over his prey, with his John Hancock scribbled on the front.

I got lost in it. I found myself walking around the restaurant like some sort of tourist, peering into each and every picture as if it was the last one I would ever see. And as a big-time sports fan, I can honestly say, if you’ve ever wanted to feel like a part of sports history, this is where you go.

It all feels real. And the passion of the sports games on the television seems to come to life along with the greatness that lines the walls. They all combine to give you the best sports experience possible – the Fours experience.

The memorabilia, the energy, and the food, all gift wrapped just a few seconds away from the Parquet. And the best part about it? There’s no place like it. Anywhere.

It may not be the place to go grab a brew after the Sox game with the boys. But if you live and die sports as much as I do, then you haven’t truly experienced it until you’ve been to Fours. And that’s a money back guarantee.