Massachusetts Nightlife

With Super Bowl Sunday, March Madness, Cricket Craziness, and the World Cup all on the horizon, Boston sports fans will be in desperate need of a table surrounded by HDTVs. Today's deal gets you all this, plus a trivia night: for $20, you get $40 worth of creative pub grub and drinks at Tavern in the Square. This Groupon is good for all three Boston-area locations, as well as one secret mailbox location if you are quail-sized or smaller.

A past winner of Boston magazine's Best Pool Hall award, Flat Top Johnny's complements its felt-topped tables with home-cooked food and a laid-back atmosphere. Games of billiards ($12 an hour/table) at any of a dozen tournament-size pool tables send balls bouncing while several old-school pinball machines mutter nervously nearby. Fuel a rousing game of eight-ball with an appetizing bowl ($3) or cup ($5) of homemade chili, complemented by Johnny's house-made corn bread, or with a crew of sandwiches, wraps, and snacks from Flat Top Johnny's menu. Johnny's can stuff grilled chicken and feta cheese into a corner pocket of ciabatta bread ($6), or mix pork, beef, or veggie sliders with two other identical sliders (three for $7). Toast an evening of trick shots and twisted dough by hoisting a beer mug filled with pretzels ($3), chased by a shot of mustard.

Formed by a pack of game-changing new comedians, The Comedy Studio's casual laugh lab hosts both acclaimed funny people and fresh faces. The jam-packed schedule ensures plenty of opportunities to take in a show. The 8 p.m. shows break up the monotony of a chaotic workweek but end early enough (10 p.m.) to curb next-day exhaustion. Seating is determined on a first-come, first-serve basis. The all-ages facility provides a funny-bone-fondling venue for blind dates, out-of-town visitors, or disgruntled neighbors.

A 40-foot mahogany bar dominates the space at The Spirit Bar, allowing bartenders to slide any of the 50 available brews to patrons while they watch up to eight different games on 12 televisions, including seven 42-inch plasma screens. The bar's year-round premium sports packages keep the apple-red walls echoing with the sounds of professional baseball, hockey, or college football, and it hosts viewings of every college-basketball tournament game and pay-per-view ultimate-fighting event. Dartboards and weekly pub-trivia nights help keep patrons occupied in between athletic broadcasts.

Even the menu strives for an inclusive neighborhood feel, featuring an eclectic combination of international and regional comfort foods. The cooks slather wings with one of 17 different sauces—such as chipotle-bourbon barbecue, caribbean jerk, or garlic and parmesan—and they hand-form each Angus-beef burger patty. Fried fish 'n' chips evoke the menu of a transatlantic pub, and nachos with homemade salsa and guacamole recall flavors from south of the international date line.

Directed by Paul Daigneault, the campy tale stars Leigh Barrett as Jeannie Garstecki, an agoraphobic housewife who hasn't left the trailer in 20 years. When her husband Norbert, played by David Benoit, falls prey to the siren call of their new stripper neighbor, things take a trashy turn. Sit back for a dance-and-song-filled exploration of road kill, spray cheese, adultery, and disco with today's side deal.

Originally called Elephant & Hammock, Elephant & Castle is a national chain that brings classic British grub to the American digestive system. More than just fish 'n chips, E&C’s chicken pot pie, bangers 'n mash, and shepherd's pie will fill you up like a small-stomached British boy who can't control himself around puddings. Pair your dish with one of the many beers on tap and you've got the perfect combo for unwinding after a tough day at work.