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‘There won’t be another like it’: What Silvertone means to readers

After 27 years in business, Silvertone Bar & Grill has closed. We asked Boston.com readers what the dive bar and restaurant meant to them.

At Silvertone Bar & Grill, frames decorated the wall above a table where guests could shoot selfies and add their photos as part of the Design for Dining exhibition in June 2015. The bar has closed for good. JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF

By Katelyn Umholtz

June 14, 2024

Silvertone Bar & Grill poured out its last round of Miller High Life at the end of May, saddening Downtown Boston‘s after-work crowd who had frequented the dive in its 27 years of operation.

Owner David Savoie announced on Facebook that the neighborhood bar-restaurant had shuttered May 31.

“Last call,” Savoie said. “Cheers to 27 years. Thank you everyone for the help making me fulfill a lifelong dream.”

Though Silvertone was a beloved dive in Downtown Boston, Savoie blamed the pandemic for taking away a significant chunk of his customer base: the office worker.

We asked readers to share their memories of Silvertone, and the nostalgia poured in from a dozen of Boston’s past and present residents.

“I was here for a line cook friend’s birthday back in 2010. That may have been the first time I was there, but I kept coming back through my time as a Suffolk University student. I didn’t get why Silvertone wasn’t more popular with my fellow undergrads. Too retro-chic, maybe. Anyway, I will sorely miss this place. There won’t be another like it.”
– Betty L. of Quincy

“My dad introduced me to Silvertone as a lunch spot back in 2000 when we both worked in Downtown Crossing. It quickly became a staple in the happy hour scene of my 20s. The fish specials, shepherd’s pie, and steak tips were my favorites. It was my go-to first-date spot and ultimately my last first-date spot. Mary and Katy always made me feel like a regular even as my visits grew less frequent. Thanks for all of the great meals and cocktails and memories over the years!”
– Mike of Beverly

“Memories and food. My fiancé and I had our engagement party there right after we proposed. It was the best setting to celebrate with friends and family. The staff was so warm and wonderful. Oh, and they had the best wings in the world. Silvertone’s Rochester wings were second to none.”
– Chris M. of Cambridge

“Their bone-in Buffalo wings were incredible. Always appreciated the super friendly bartenders and servers as well. I will miss Silvertone immensely.”
– Brian D. of Essex

“My late and beloved friend and manager first took me to this bar for lunch in 2008. I was a fresh-faced 21-year-old social worker who had been living in the city for over five years and had never been to this gem. I fell in love with the low-key atmosphere, the delicious food, and the great cocktails. I will miss the white wine and fennel mussels, the bruschetta, the goat cheese and pine nut salad, the mac and cheese (with peas, please!) and the ‘Happy Meal’ drink combo (a Miller High Life and a shot of whiskey).

I will miss the charming and skilled staff. It was one of the only places that could make a proper Aviation, complete with Creme de Violette. I was there as often as I could be from 2008-2016. I moved to North Carolina for a job in September 2016, and every time I came home to Boston, the first place I went (luggage in tow) was Silvertone.

No joke, I’m making an Aviation as I type this, and I’ll pour out a few drops for Silvertone before I watch the Celtics beat the Mavericks via Sling TV. It is the end of an era, and when I come home next week, I will feel a little bit like a woman with no land. Truly heartbroken.”
– Nicole N. of Cary, North Carolina, formerly Boston

“My wife and I would love meeting there on Monday nights for the best and biggest buffalo wings in town. Thanks for so many great memories!”
– Ian N. of Beacon Hill

“Coldest beer, awesome air conditioning, and the BEST steak tips and comfort food around. Always nice staff and good, solid people from varied backgrounds to chat with. Best of luck to the owners — you ran a class place!”
– Dave of Dorchester

“Silvertone was my spot, going there first in the late 90s, through grad school, and was one of the places I visited when I came back into town over the last few years. I moved out of town in 2008, and about 6 months later I came back to visit and went to Silvertone. I walked in, and Josh was behind the bar, gave me one look and said, “Where the hell have you been?” It’s one of the greatest bars in Boston, and this makes a part of me die a little bit.”
– Chris formerly of Newton

“The apple martinis circa 2009. The mac and cheese. Mostly the good memories of youth.”
– Lyndsay of Quincy

“Favorite place to go before and/or after Orpheum Theatre shows. Good vibe and good food. Thanks for the hospitality all those years.”
– Al R. of Dedham

“I worked at Silvertone from 2004-2011, and became friends with my coworkers as well as some really awesome regulars. The people there were like family to me. I moved away from Boston years ago, but I sometimes still crave the steak tips. It was a really special place, built by really amazing people. I’ll miss it.”
– Laura of Asheville, North Carolina

“I used to frequent here when I attended Suffolk University. Great steak tips. I’m sad to see it go.”
– Bill of Brighton

“No visit to Silvertone would have been complete without a raspberry martini. It was one of those places I wanted to tell everyone about and no one about at the same time so I could selfishly get a table.”
– Joey of Peabody