The Wig Shop
About
The Wig Shop is a cocktail lounge on Temple Place in Downtown Crossing, and it is built for sitting down: nine couch sections, seats for 36 and a list the bar describes as ever-changing, made with local ingredients where it can. The current menu is themed on childhood toys, with drinks called He-Man GO!, Bop It! and Lite Brite, and the bar says it builds cocktails like Mr. Potato Head, swapping pieces until something works.
The program has drawn serious notice. Oscar Simoza of The Wig Shop was a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, and the bar is No. 86 on the 51–100 extension of North America's 50 Best Bars. It suits couples and small groups who want a cocktail-first night downtown, and anyone who likes to hand the bartender a preference and see what comes back.
Getting a seat
Most of the room is first come, first served. The bar holds a limited number of reservations for small parties early in the evening, and all evening on Sundays and Mondays, released a week ahead; the details are in the FAQ. Table times are 90 minutes when there is a wait, and the lounge is 21 and over, with ID checked at the door.
On the menu
The list is organized like a toy catalog, from Fresh Out the Box originals to Tabletop Classics, with most cocktails at $18 to $20. Recipes lean inventive, like a gin drink with tomato water and tortilla chip vermouth, or rum shaken with pistachio and Fruit Loops. If nothing appeals, the bar invites you to ask for something built to your taste. Snacks go beyond olives: lobster pancakes, grass-fed sliders, ceviche, pupusas and apple empanadas with dulce de leche.
Private parties
The whole lounge can be booked for seated cocktail parties of up to 36, or about 40 standing once some couches are swapped for cocktail tables, and a private downstairs lounge holds up to eight. The bar's website also takes bookings for its sibling, Bogie's Place, the steak and cocktail room behind the curtain at jm Curley.
Sources: The Wig Shop, about, menus, hours and location, private events, James Beard Foundation, North America's 50 Best Bars. Checked September 30, 2026.
Contact Information
Boston, 02111
Photo: Amanda Maguire via Google
The Wig Shop
About The Wig Shop
Quick answer: The Wig Shop is a bar at 27 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Downtown Crossing cocktail lounge with a toy-themed menu, a 2025 James Beard semifinalist bartender and a spot on North America's 51-100 list.
Last updated
The Wig Shop is a cocktail lounge on Temple Place in Downtown Crossing, and it is built for sitting down: nine couch sections, seats for 36 and a list the bar describes as ever-changing, made with local ingredients where it can. The current menu is themed on childhood toys, with drinks called He-Man GO!, Bop It! and Lite Brite, and the bar says it builds cocktails like Mr. Potato Head, swapping pieces until something works.
The program has drawn serious notice. Oscar Simoza of The Wig Shop was a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, and the bar is No. 86 on the 51–100 extension of North America's 50 Best Bars. It suits couples and small groups who want a cocktail-first night downtown, and anyone who likes to hand the bartender a preference and see what comes back.
Getting a seat
Most of the room is first come, first served. The bar holds a limited number of reservations for small parties early in the evening, and all evening on Sundays and Mondays, released a week ahead; the details are in the FAQ. Table times are 90 minutes when there is a wait, and the lounge is 21 and over, with ID checked at the door.
On the menu
The list is organized like a toy catalog, from Fresh Out the Box originals to Tabletop Classics, with most cocktails at $18 to $20. Recipes lean inventive, like a gin drink with tomato water and tortilla chip vermouth, or rum shaken with pistachio and Fruit Loops. If nothing appeals, the bar invites you to ask for something built to your taste. Snacks go beyond olives: lobster pancakes, grass-fed sliders, ceviche, pupusas and apple empanadas with dulce de leche.
Private parties
The whole lounge can be booked for seated cocktail parties of up to 36, or about 40 standing once some couches are swapped for cocktail tables, and a private downstairs lounge holds up to eight. The bar's website also takes bookings for its sibling, Bogie's Place, the steak and cocktail room behind the curtain at jm Curley.
Sources: The Wig Shop, about, menus, hours and location, private events, James Beard Foundation, North America's 50 Best Bars. Checked September 30, 2026.
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