Beantown Tavern in Matthews is like a big Boston hug -- and the perfect place to watch the playoffs
If you’re a New England fan, you already know what it’s like to watch playoff football down here – whether or not the Panthers are playing. It’s hard to find a bar that feels like home, where not everyone is rooting against you, and where you can love on Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as much as you want. The answer to your woes is Beantown Tavern.
Located in Matthews, the bar is split up into two larger seated areas, and a small bar with no more than 20 seats and five or so high tops hidden in the back. The first thing you see when you walk in is a Forever Faithful – Red Sox Nation sign that greets you like a big Boston hug.
If that doesn’t make you feel like home, the bartender wearing a “Goodell is a douche” or the fact that literally all of the TVs will be turned to the Patriots game will have you covered.
The owner, Donnie Gaskin, opened Beantown 13 years ago for one reason and one reason only: Boston is the passion in his heart. His wife urged him to call the bar Matthews Tavern when he opened it – but he was adamant that it be a Boston bar.
“I married a Southerner and moved down here, but I had to bring a Boston bar to the South,” Gaskin said.
And thank god he did. Gaskin is a constant presence at the bar – running around, cheering randomly, and giving out hugs, high fives and shots.
While the crowd is about 85 percent regulars, I assure you, you do not have to be a Boston fan to enjoy this place. Just note: The name “Beantown” comes from Boston’s traditional dish of baked beans in colonial times.
The man I sat next to at the bar for the playoff game this past Saturday was a Bears fan, but he told me he’s been coming to Beantown for three years.
“It’s just got that neighborhood feel,” he told me as he drank another Miller High Life – and he’s right.
I also assure you that you will be welcomed in, Pats fan or not. The energy was perfect for a game. Every TV was tuned to the Patriots game, and every person was cheering, screaming and celebrating together. I went to watch the game by myself, but certainly didn’t feel like I was alone.
The booze selection is not as extensive as the food menu. The best beer on draft is Sam Adams or Stella – depending on your taste. The only local beers are a couple Sugar Creek bottles and one Old Meck draft. When I requested a local beer the bartender had to go scour a Sugar Creek bottle from the back – it’s just not that type of bar. I still love the place.
And whether you’re looking for a local hangout, or you’re still looking for a place to watch the AFC Championship on Sunday as the Patriots take on the Jaguars, you have a home in Beantown Tavern.
The Beantown Tavern; 130 Matthews Station St., Matthews
Photos: Angela Weir
This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Beantown Tavern in Matthews is like a big Boston hug -- and the perfect place to watch the playoffs."