Arc Nightclub

Worst bartenders in Boston. 25 minutes for watered down drinks is lame to say the least.

Went there for Halloween. Awesome staff, good nachos, liked the ambiance and the two arcade games. Kind of a classic bar vibe. Would recommend.

This place is amazing. I wasn’t expecting much from this bar after reading the reviews but I was pleasantly surprised!
First, ARC is definitely more Bar than Nightclub, but there is plenty of room to dance if that’s your thing.
Everyone working there was very nice! The drinks were priced reasonably, and the food was good.
We went on Halloween and the atmosphere was great. They had Halloween themed programming on the TV and the bartender was in costume.
There were two arcade machines and they had a pool table with free pool.
It was a good time and I will definitely be going back!

Dive bar in my opinion. Food was just ok. Staff was very average. In my opnion not worth fighting for parking in that residential area to get there.

Came here to check it out and have some drinks. They tried to charge a $ 15 cover since we arrived after 11:30, no way on that one. I told them the promoter who invited me said it would be free they found my name on the list and allowed me and my guest in sans cover. But really this place is a bar and not a nice one at that I would never pay more than a $ 5 cover if that for this place. They had two rooms with two djs one playing hiphop/​urban music in the front room and top 40/​house/​reggae/​EDM (a little)/international practically everything in back larger room as they rotated the djs. Crowd was friendly, average in demographics and dress. Drinks were average, bar staff nice enough. I mean it was just ok, not sure when I’ll go back if ever and probably won’t bring any out of town town guests here. Just a good enough place, to have a few drinks and dance the night away.
Left my phone in the bathroom and it was still there 20mins later maybe because everyone was so drunk they didn’t notice the black rectangle on the black tissue dispenser or staff don’t check the restrooms often for cleanliness… who knows, no complaints this time. The bouncer also was sweet as she helped me look for it. She also peeked by the bar for me: D

I went to this restaurant/​bar/​club at about 8:00 pm on a week day … It was dead quiet. The waitresses/​bar tenders were very sweet.
The alcohol selection is reasonable and so are the prices.
Why the bad review? I live close by and walk by it almost everyday/​night (if not more than once). There are a lot of college kids that are unfortunately unable to hold their liquor or don’t know their limit.
There is often an altercation of some sort on front of the bar.
PLEASE NOTE: I imagine this place being really fun for college kids (undergrads only) but not the best hang out spot for everyone else.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: I can’t comment on the quality of food as I have never eaten here.

DINNER REVIEW ONLY:
I went here for dinner with friends because of a groupon we had. I was a little nervous after reading some of the reviews on Unilocal,but I was actually pleasantly surprised. We had a hummus plate and truffle fry appetizers and both were pretty good. I had the chicken curry for my entrée which I was pleased with, and my friends all enjoyed their caesar salads as well. The guy who was serving us (Irish accent, I think he was also the bartender) was really nice and accommodating.
Solid place!

I really wanted to give ARC a better review because the owners and the staff were so nice, accomodating, and passionate (and in fact that passion is what makes this two stars). It seems like they are really trying to make it, and I sincerely hope that in the future I can come back and review this much better.
I was here in the early evening for a paint nite event and was sitting in the back room, which I think is usually where the club is. My main complaint was that the place was just so dirty. The floors were sticky, it smelt like old beer, and the amps on the side of the wall had moldy (ew!) old spilled drinks pooled in their handles. I totally understand that things get messy at a night club, but this was a little much, especially for 6pm when assumedly they would have had the whole day to clean.
Drinks and food were ok, nothing special, but I really just wanted so much for this place to live up to its potential. It is a great space and I love the idea of making it an Irish bar/​club, but for right now it is just far too close to a dingy frat to accomplish those goals. Please please please prove me wrong, this place could be great!
Hopefully I’ll be able to update this review someday to reflect improvements.

I had the opposite experience as most people who reviewed this place, it seems. Yes, there were tons of college kids but there were other types as well. This is definitely not a fancy place but this is one of the very few bars that I’ve gone to where the dj plays hip hop and plays requested songs. The drinks were strong. I drink like a fish so trust me on that. It might depend on the bartender, an older man served me. Just ignore the hot messes slipping all over the floor like new born giraffes and you’ll be alright. Also, if you are not of a Caucasian decent and you are going to try to pick up women here, don’t. It won’t work. This is a place to go to with your friends, leave your agendas home. You want fancy, go to the waterfront, go to the financial district, pay your cover, sip your martini and be home by midnight.

Someone close to me planned a party at Arc. They were gracious and offered not only the entire back room, which would be closed the public, special pricing, and cocktails that she would pick. Not only that, they would throw in a DJ. She was floored and very excited.
Here is what they delivered on:
–The room was NOT blocked off as they had promised (even given her and the event a secret password), and many random people wandered in.
–They brought her in a few weeks beforehand and had her select three cocktails for the event, which would be $ 6 instead of the usual $ 8. But the night of the event, the bartender had never heard of the drinks and charged everyone $ 8.
–The DJ was awful. Just terrible. The girl who planned it had requested fun party songs, like old-​school Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston mixed in with more current tunes. The DJ, who never once even looked at the empty dance floor, blasted techno music the entire time, and refused to change it.
I had heard that Arc, which stands where An Tua Nua once was, was renovated. It looks exactly the same. The bathrooms are the same. They were disgusting before, and continue to be disgusting now. Even the tables and chairs are leftovers from the original.
The bottom line is, An Tua Nua closed for some reason. I would guess a lack of revenue. Why would Arc open the same venue and expect something different? They can’t even deliver on the most basic promise. I don’t think Arc will be around much longer, unless some serious changes are made.

I admit, I’ve only been to ARC once since the renovations; and I am hesitant to return, but I will give them another try.
I’m fine with the new décor. It’s at least more interesting than what they had before, and I like that they expanded the bar in the back room/​nightclub. Also, the bartenders in the back were very attentive when I was there.
However, at $ 8/​drink; I expect a drink. These tasted watered down, and my friend saw them pouring a 3 count at best. I had at least 5 drinks (and had just come from dinner where I had some wine), and felt nothing. I admit, I have a high tolerance; but I’m not invincible. If you are going to be in the same price range as Oberon, Noir, and every other decent bar; you need to make a real drink. Otherwise, people will not come back and you’re going to lose money anyway.
I noticed a number of reviews mention beer. If you drink beer, you’ll probably be fine. I assume they offer Bud and Coors, because they’re recognizable names (especially for the college set).
The music was fun the night I went, hence not giving them 1 star. I think they have a lot of potential, they just need to get their act together.

Tried this place last night before the World Series. We usually go to Audobon but there was a long wait so we decided to see if we could get in at Arc. We just wanted a few beers, appetizers and burgers before the game.
The place was empty. We sat down and ordered a diet coke, a beer and a couple appetizers. The soda came and was not diet coke. It was some syrupy fountain drink mess. The beer never showed up, nor did the appetizers. We left 15 minutes later without getting any of our beer or food. Did I mention it was empty?
Also, this was before Game 1 of the World Series and the TV screens all had soccer on. This place will never survive in the Fenway if they aren’t going to cater to what the local people want.

The décor is a bit better than the previous club in the same location. I think the welding mask décor (ARC welding, ha ha) is maybe a bit too tongue in cheek for most to catch.
I ordered a burger and fries, and I have to say that while I had previously never met a burger I didn’t like, the spice selection made it nearly inedible. I like fancy food and am an adventurous eater, but… a burger should not try to be what it is not. The fries were quite good, at least?
Three stars because I’m a Monday night regular, and the drinks are solid. It did take me a while to get the attention of the front-​room bartender, though, even when she was not making drinks.

Awful! Do not waste your time! My mushroom pizza would have been better if I had baked a frozen pizza at home. My friends’ burgers were tasteless yet the fries were good if that were any consolation. The bar was empty which should have been our queue to run in the other direction.

Burger was awful. I had two bites because I was starving, but couldn’t get over the weird taste and texture. 4 of us had the burger and no one ate it. 2 others got the pulled pork sandwich and both said there was something «off» about it. Fine atmosphere for drinks before a game or concert but don’t order the food!

This review is for the nightclub, I haven’t tried the food (yet). I’ve been twice now and I am so happy there is finally a dance club in Boston that isn’t completely stuck up. They are bringing in some great DJ’s, I don’t have to get all dressed up to get in and I can just go have a few drinks and dance. The sound system is great (almost too great, wear ear plugs) they have $ 5 drink specials which aren’t bad. The cover is usually reasonable and I haven’t had a hard time finding parking yet. All in all it’s a great venue if you are looking for a more laid back vibe, good music and dancing!

What a sad, strange, little place. I have never been so underwhelmed by a bar before, especially one that was supposed to be newly renovated.
I walked passed with my friend one night and decided to pop in. There was a loud birthday party (or some such gathering) taking up ²⁄₃ of the bar. They were a little rowdy for a place that seemed like it was trying very hard to come off as somewhat refined. I ignored them and weaved my way up to the bar. When I managed to get to the counter, it took forever to flag down a bartenders. There were several, but they all seemed to pay no attention to their customers. If they had been busy serving I would have understood, but no they were just kind of dawdling. Eventually I managed to catch the attention of one and we ordered drinks. I was a little worried what the bill was going to be like, since the menus didn’t list prices. The beer ended up being $ 6 and my friend’s cocktail was $ 10. Kind of pricey, but not so much so that they should feel the need to leave it off the menu. The beer was something obscure that I didn’t like or bother to remember the name of.
The TVs were playing the Red Socks game, so my friend and I stayed in the main table area. There was a pool table near the windows, but there was a line of people waiting to play. Apart from the party group, the main room was sparsely populated. On the other end there was a «club» with thumping music, flashing lights and a few people standing around. I never went in, but from my table it looked more like a middle school dance than a nightclub.
It was at this point that I noticed the odd décor. There was a welding mask behind the bar and a pattern of spray paint gears on the walls. Rusted tin cans were balanced on shelves and the whole room was various shades of red or black. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what look they were going for. Industrial? Edgy? I still don’t know. It seemed like they tried to class up the place, but failed to do so. It wasn’t composed enough to be a cocktail bar. It seemed like with the color scheme and lighting they tried to maintain some grit, but it wasn’t fun-​dingy like a dive bar. It was just sad.
Overall, Arc is a dull place that really isn’t worth stopping at. The passer-​by should continue on to a BU bar or over to Kenmore. This place isn’t worth your time. They’re going to have to renovate again before I even consider going back.

This review is only for dinner, not for the night club part. We went here the other day to pre-​game before The Specials show because my friend Paul is friends with the chef/​owner and had all his buddies come here that night. It was pretty dead inside — some people at the bar and others playing pool but otherwise empty at the tables.
We had dinner here and overall the food was pretty good. There was nothing on the menu that was vegan and barely anything that was vegetarian (fried mushrooms in buttermilk batter were the only veggie option). Fortunately however I saw on their Instagram and FB pics that they have vegetarian tacos, and our waitress said that was an appetizer. Why wasn’t it on the menu though? If you have a veggie entrée put it on the menu so people know, otherwise how would you know what to order if you were vegetarian and/​or vegan? The tacos by the way were delicious! Totally different than what you normally get and easily made vegan without the cheese. All the other people at our table got either wings, a salad, or a flatbread chicken thing and liked the food. I got a side of fries just to have something else (knowing I would be drinking a lot that night) and they were yummy.
A strange thing about the place is that they have some beer and cider both in bottle and draft but don’t specify it in the drink menu. So if you order a drink make sure to specify if you want it in a bottle or a draft. I order cider and they brought it to me in a bottle, but on the menu it was on draft so why would I choose a bottle? I asked the server about it and she brought me a cider on draft the next time.
The servers and hostess there are super eager to seat you and get your order taken — a little TOO eager. Sometimes you just don’t know what your group is doing: are you staying or leaving, are you ordering food, when are you ordering, what are you ordering, etc. If the place isn’t packed and taking up space isn’t an issue than give us space. The service was just a little too aggressive about pushing menus on us and taking our orders. I know you want service, I get it but let us figure things out first!
The layout of the place now is cool, they did a nice remodeling. I like the center long tables and the Mason art work. We got to meet the chef and he seemed very nice.

Arc opened a few weeks ago in the space that used to be An Tua Nua. While ATN was revered/​reviled for its college dollar drafts night and sloppy, divey dancefloor atmosphere, Arc has been totally renovated into a dive bar/​nightclub where you can order food without worrying about how much High Life and hairspray got absorbed into your plate in its trip from the kitchen.
The manager of the club said that he wanted to hit a median between dive bar and high-​end club, and Arc seems to have found it. The front room is modelled similarly to An Tua Nua, but has been completely renovated with a smarter, chic vibe. Their draft list ranges from about 15 – 20 domestic and craft beers, their bar is stocked with an impressive range of liquors, and their cocktail list highlights the classics (Old-​Fashioned, Sidecar, Gimlet, etc.). Not a lot of bars where you can order a Bud Light and a sazerac, but props to the Arc for catering to both kinds of nights. I didn’t order any food but it looked like upscale pub fare. Unlike An Tua Nua, it was possible to order a drink without having to paw through crowds of people quadruple fisting beer in plastic cups. The front room was playing some deep-​cut hip hop — no top-​40 tunes here.
The back room is the night club space and there was a $ 10 cover to enter this area (no cover to get in the front door). The back room is also set up similarly to An Tua Nua, although the DJ booth is now in the middle on the floor. The DJ played a good set of deep house, and there was a decent dancefloor going — might be a little bit too spacious. I’m worried about a deep house/​bass club’s ability to draw crowds in the Fenway area, but I danced my butt off and had fun.
Very happy with what these guys did to the place and I will certainly be back to boogie.

I’m really perplexed by this place. An Tua Nua was a bit of an enigma, but it did have the drunk 19 year college student niche (on this block). That alone seemed to make the place relevant during school months. Otherwise it was a sparsely populated bar that people avoided because they didn’t like the smell of urinal cakes.
I saw renovations and decided to check out «ARC» when I heard they were going for a more «cocktail» vibe. I was amazed to see that the renovations brought absolutely zero change in ambiance or atmosphere. Just higher prices, weirder beers, less TVs and the smell of formica. They’ve ostracized their core customer and haven’t really upgraded. Advice: get a new staff and change more than paint and counter tops.
The bar staff was overly chatty about nothing and emphasized how they didn’t want the «dollar draft» crowd anymore. Wasn’t that the entire draw for this place? This half-​assed renovation wasn’t going to bring in any of that higher-​end crowd. A hand drawn chalk board crookedly displayed «classic» cocktails like martinis and whatever else… yikes.
This is a poorly thought out seemingly last ditch renovation of a place that should have reinforced it’s only redeeming quality – decent sports bar where you know exactly what you were getting. All I know now was I paid $ 13 for two beers while the waiter blabbed about how good of a deal he had living in Allston for $ 500/​mo, and he had TWO BALCONIES! I wanted to jump off.