Hole-in-the-Wall? More Like Hole-Lotta-Fun!

Every neighborhood I've lived in has housed that perfect bar. You know the one. It becomes your Cheers -- the place you go when your boyfriend dumps you, when you've had a bad day at work, when you need to get out of the house on Saturday night and don't feel like taking off your pajama pants. When I first moved to Boston, this bar eluded me. Everywhere was too crowded, too pretentious or tended by indifferent employees. Then my roommate started working at The Avenue.

The search for a sweet spot ended here. This tiny treasure is situated down the street from my apartment at 1249 Commonwealth Avenue in Allston. Although advertised as a friendly sports bar due to its host of ESPN-tuned televisions, The Avenue is better known among locals as the premier holding area for those looking to drink cheap before moving on to Allston's pricier music venues.

"The Ave," as it's commonly referred to, boasts $1.00 drafts (there are over two dozen on tap) and 25 cent wings every night of the week. There's never a cover, and the menu selection offers a variety of tasty choices ranging from veggie sandwiches to greasy burritos. The front room is lined with windows so that one can survey the buzzing Allston street scene while cozily tossing back a brew.

Keep returning and you'll get to know the endless cast of characters that make this dive unique, from John the Red Sox Jersey guy who watches every game from his favorite stool to Tommy the tattooed bartender, who hearts his pit bull almost as much as his mother. Unlike other dives, the Ave's crowd of chatty young professionals, broke musicians and sports fans is always carefully observed by an unassuming crew of black-clad bouncers. They stay out of the way, but one word from you and Tommy will have the lecherous oaf to your left tossed out on his Dickies-clad bum.

I spent my first night there alternately people-watching and chatting with like-minded tables. A series of arcade consoles situated in the back provide potentially endless entertainment (for participants and observers alike). Doorman Dave can frequently be spotted playing Deer Hunter against jolly indie rockers, while the claw machine stocked with porno DVDs patiently awaits its next drunk victim.

The Ave's piece de resistance would have to be the Beerzilla, a cylindrical contraption with a spout that holds 15 beers for $20.00. The Beerzilla can only be ordered by tables seating four or more patrons (but that doesn't necessarily mean the purchaser has to share). One thing I wouldn't recommend is ordering wine, which will earn you an awkward look from your server and a potentially long wait as they may have to fetch one of the three never-used bottles from the basement to satisfy your request.

So if, like me, you've been searching for beer love in all the wrong places, drop in for a pint before heading to the $10.00 cover at Joshua Tree or Wonder Bar. I guarantee you'll want to stay.