A beginner's guide to planning a weekend on Boston's legendary stretch of clubs, restaurants, and bars

September 13, 2006|Linda Laban, Globe Correspondent

It’s Friday night, and another weekend on Lansdowne Street begins. Sooner or later, whether by choice or circumstance, chances are good you’ll find yourself on Lansdowne Street. By day, though not on Game Day, the street is quiet. There’s no shopping outside of a Red Sox souvenir shop. But when there’s a game, day or night, the scene is a manic whirl of hawkers and gawkers. At night, Lansdowne — which is bordered on one end by Brookline Avenue, with its many bars and businesses, and at the other by Ipswich Street, which is little more than parking garages — is party central, as we found out recently.

Friday: 10:30 p.m.

The Sox game is over. Most fans file off to points elsewhere; some repair to the TIKI ROOM (1 LANSDOWNE), which is already packed. ‘‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’’ oozes from the jukebox, followed by another Guns N’ Roses song, the more upbeat ‘‘Paradise City.’’ AC/DC will soon follow. Neil Young was right: Rock ’n’ roll’s death throes will go on forever.

It was a win for the Sox over the Blue Jays, but many people look glum. Several barflies — male, bearded, and bewildered — sit at the bar. The Tiki keeps its kitchen open a half hour after the game finishes. Figuring that a price tag of $24 will stave off the creeping hunger of two people, we order a small surf ’n’ turf pu pu platter ($24/large $36). But the paltry platter is barely enough to satisfy one. Hungry, we head to Tequila Rain for some ‘‘Buff’’ action.

TEQUILA RAIN (3 LANSDOWNE) is the street-level nightclub of the JILLIAN’S BILLIARDS (145 IPSWICH) complex. ‘‘Buff Fridays’’ (cover: $5) offers guys who fancy themselves male models the chance to win a trip to Cancun. Get the picture? It’s a frozen-drinks, spring-break kind of place. A gaggle of girls — tanned, halter-topped, mini-skirted — being carded look eager for some buff types. Or maybe any type. If only they had known that upstairs in Jillian’s huge, sophisticated billiards room many species of males gather.

On Jillian’s third floor is Lucky Strike, one of the most fun spots on Lansdowne, unless you hate upscale bowling (two games, two people: $30). It’s a great way to start the night if you are out early; it’s also the perfect place to ruin a manicure. When the DJ starts at 10 p.m., the place is buzzing and the lanes fill up quickly. People wait and hang out in the comfy lounge area of this 25,000-square-foot cavern. Whoops and hollers ensue as balls hit pins, and one girl ends up sliding into the lane on her rear. She giggles harder than she fell.