The Back Bay area was "created" in the late 1800s, when the marshland area was filled with gravel from Needham. Yes, that means the Armani Café sits on an old swamp. Just thought you'd like to know. For the restaurants below, take the Green Line to Hynes/ICA unless otherwise indicated.

Bukowski's Tavern It's a dark, gritty hole in the wall, and looks like any bar/pub, but the cheap, eclectic menu - try the peanut butter burger or vegan meatball sandwich - makes Bukowski's a perfect pit stop. Murals of the restaurant's namesake, sicko author/poet Charles Bukowski, show him smoking cigarettes and downing a glass of scotch. This definitely helps you get in the mood. For a more low-key vibe, hit the Inman Square location. 50 Dalton St., Boston. 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m., daily. (617) 437-9999. 1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge. Sun-Wed 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.; Thu-Sat 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. | MBTA: Red Line to Central, then 15 min. walk. (617) 497-7077

Cactus Club Decorated with cacti and steers' horns, the Back Bay's Cactus Club looks part Navajo adobe, part Mexican fiesta and part frontier plain - a near life-sized stuffed buffalo stands guard over the bar. The menu offers your mouth its own little party: create your own quesadilla ($9.95) by choosing your preferred tortilla and which fillings will be grilled inside. 939 Boylston St., Boston. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sat, Sun: 11 a.m.-4 p.m; Dinner: Sun-Wed 4 p.m.-10 p.m.; Thu 4 p.m.-11 p.m.; Fri, Sat 4 p.m.-midnight. (617) 236-0200
www.cactusclubboston.com

Dick's Last Resort On a scale of classy restaurants, where 10 would be 5-star dining with confusing forks, Dick's Last Resort would rank somewhere around one and a half. Famously rude waiters are more likely to throw menus at you than present them, but the hot, bucket-served food makes up for what the grouchy service deliberately lacks. 55 Huntington Ave., Boston. MBTA: Green Line to Prudential. 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m., daily. (617) 267-8080
www.dickslastresort.com  Find more Back Bay restaurants