Topshelf

This place has changed for the worse! To start they got rid of the area where the various lottery game slips are and the scan machine. I then had to ask for a Powerball slip from the store clerk/cashier. I find that odd. Why are they not on display? After that I decided to buy a couple of scratch tickets. When I started to scratch the guy then says oh we don't do scratching in here or something like that! I have NEVER been in ANY place big ,small, gas station, convenience store and liquor store that has acted like this! There also were barely any selections of tickets. That was not the case years ago. The old clerks were nice! It's real simple. If you don't want to provide proper lottery services, why did you become an agent? I haven't been ever since.

We stopped in here to buy wine for our hotel room instead of spending more $ in a bar on 2 glasses of the same stuff. This was our last night in town so we had to pick somewhat wisely! We happened upon it across from the train station. The selection was decent,and it WAS funny to see a Dunkin Donuts counter there. I don't know the area but I am sure the reason for this is the train station across the street. Some people like having a coffee place for convenience either before boarding a train or right getting off a train.Anyway, we found a selection (a red, don't remember what kind)and had no problems being 'followed' as people of color in the area. For a selection and nice store I'm compelled to only 3 stars, as we were not offered help with our purchase.

I went there everyday since I lived in beacon hill. I was finishing my studies in masters of accounting and masters of taxation. One day I brought my girlfriend with me, who happens to be Haitian. I was followed around and everything! Asking me what I needed, which I never got before. I stopped going after this. No thanks to racism! Charles Street Liquors is better anyways!

800 stars. I came in to buy a vase and flowers to bring to MGH. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, and as their prearranged flowers offered limited options and several had already been purchased for the hospital room in question, I decided to buy by-the-stem. I got talking to the owner/manager who was just a good guy, interested without prying to the reason why I was buying flowers, and just cool. He could tell I was pretty much on edge, nervous and strung out from being sleep deprived, so he kept adding flowers to my selected bunch "on the house".When I went to pay, for what was at least $30 of flowers and an $8 vase, he said "$15, bro. Everything is going to be fine, best hospital in the country" Gave him a pound and felt great about the experience, and I really needed it. On the way back home, I stopped in and purchased a very reasonably priced bottle of Shiraz to help me sleep off some nerves.Go out of your way to patronize this establishment. It is flowers. It is grocery essentials. It is snacks. It is wine, beer and tobacco. It is directly across from the Charles/MGH Red Line stop. It is awesome.

Was in the liquor store only. Bland selection of beers and nothing was priced, which was super annoying. Sort of grumpy staff. I was in and out and didn't purchase anything.

Beacon Hill's hottest convenience store is Topshelf. Topshelf's owner, Some Guy I Don't Know, is answering the question: "Just how many things can one place sell?"As you walk into the front door, you'll be greeted by way too much of everything in one place.This place has everything: Fresh flowers, lots of beer, groceries, the best selection of Ben & Jerry's this side of Vermont, decently fresh produce, occasional Christmas trees, oodles of bottles of wine, lottery tickets, pumpkins, the friendliest Dunkin Donuts staff in all of New England, and an occasional homeless guy who hangs outside of the front door trying to sell you a copy of Spare Change.

Topshelf has the advantage of being a small grocery store and a liquor store as well as being located in a prime location across from MGH and the T. I've lived in the area for almost two years and TopShelf has changed quite a lot since I first moved to BH. They've gotten significantly more items in their grocery department, their wine and beer selection has greatly improved, and they even have a Dunkin Donuts inside!Some of the grocery items are overpriced, but it's great to stop in if you need something and don't want to trek down to Whole Foods. They do have a wide variety of items, which is also nice. I primarily use Topshelf for liquor purchases, though. They have a great selection - definitely less than Charles St Liquors or Beacon Hill Wine & Spirits - but there's a little something of everything. They carry a lot of the same "brand" wines and beer that other stores carry, but there are some unique wines among the mix. The staff is excellent at recommendations and one of their Muscato recommendations has now become one of my staple wines.The staff is always pleasant and helpful and for the most part, I've been happy shopping here.

Top Shelf lives up to the seemingly arrogant name.The guys who own this shop are regular social people like those of us who troll in to pick up the booze for the weekend. They'll steer you right in a recommendation and the mini grocery store is a great amenity for picking of some fresh quick food.They are on the pricey side, but hey it's Beacon Hill

Truly wish I had a better experience here. I have no intention other than feeling it is important to share this experience with the hope of other customers being able to avoid this experience. I personally believe disrespecting or discrediting the experience of a customer is not acceptable. I think it is very telling to see the business itself reply only to negative reviews, but not the positive ones.To first take a look at the positives of the establishment:I figured it was worth a shot, given the convenient location (directly across from the Charles MGH station in Beacon Hill). When you walk in the store, there's a lot to look at. The shelves/storage spaces have a little bit of everything; various grocery items, plants, produce, snacks, and refrigerated/frozen items such as milk and ice cream. There is also a Dunkin Donuts counter (which seems to be closed at night), and a liquor section in a separate room in the back.In theory, this store has all the makings of the perfect quick stop. As the name indicates, most of the items are brand name, and at a high price point, though nothing outlandish, especially for Beacon Hill. I've gone in a few times for odds and ends, whether it be a bag of chips or what have you, and had a standard experience you'd expect from a corner store style establishment. I went in recently with a friend to purchase some snacks (ice cream, cookies, I believe she picked up some chips). I wish I could say it was the same standard experience, but it was a moment I was shocked and disappointed by.I felt as if the clerk was watching me as I browsed through the items, and given how empty the store was, I attributed it to boredom. For context, my friend is white and I am a person of color. Being eyed in a store is generally a red flag, but I chose to disregard it. When we reached the register, the clerk asked only me for my ID before even ringing up the items or asking what method of payment we planned to use. Neither me or my friend picked up any age restricted products (alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, etc.) Because we had no intention of this, we simply ran down to the store with our cash and debit/credit cards, assuming we wouldn't need them. I had never been carded previously when buying any food/normal grocery/convenience items.Even after explaining this, the clerk told me to leave the store immediately, without demanding anything from my friend. Disgusted, we left and proceeded to purchase items from the CVS next door. I was trying to support a local business, but will choose wisely next time and avoid this establishment. As the clerk was an older man, I'm not quite sure whether he was a part time cashier or served some other role, but accepting staff like that is enough for me to stay away. Quite unfortunate. I genuinely hope this is not everyone's experience, but it's enough to convince me to stay away.

Terrible establishment. Rude staff, not helpful. Came to play lottery and they refused to sell me lottery ticket. I am above the age. I do not recommend going here. Never again. The staff needs to learn how to develop customer service skills they are behind the counter on their phones. The owner should be ashamed of hiring these type of people to help out.