A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

I had read about Lone Star Taco bar and we were anxious to try it. We headed over there on a Friday night and what do you know, we were even able to get a parking spot right out front! Meanwhile, the wait inside was about 35 minutes. It’s not until we sit down do we realize that we are in Deep Ellum and not the taco bar next door.

What is Deep Ellum anyway? The name Deep Ellum refers to an area of Dallas known for its  music,  food and  nightlife. 

The bars are connected, but in the dark, it is hard to see the other sign. Meanwhile we sit down anyway, ready to enjoy a meal. The bar is small but jam packed with locals and hispters – we’re talking newsboy caps, skinny jeans and wallet chains. Just like the patrons, the bar is unique. There are old black and white movies playing on the TV and the bar feels a little old school (in a good way).  There are over 20 beers on tap and they have a great cocktail list.  It’s loud inside and the tables are tiny, there are three of us and they squeeze us into a 2 top. We start off with the cheese plate which is tasty but a bit bare.

I loved the menu – I wanted to get all apps, but our table was so tiny. Who wouldn’t want hot pretzels, truffle fries, or root beer braised pork belly? I had the mac and cheese with duck confit, roasted winter squash, smoked VT cheddar, arugula ($14). For some reason, I love mac and cheese even more when it comes in a cast iron pan – it just tastes better. It was creamy and delicious, a little heavy on the cheese for me. Duck confit is so rich, so I was hoping that the mac and cheese would be a little bit on the lighter side. The pasta was al dente, the confit was so tender and the flavors were just delicious.

We also had the meatloaf sandwich:  pork and beef meatloaf, aged VT cheddar, cranberry compote, chipotle aioil, and fries ($10). Let’s start out with the most important part first, the fries. Crispy and delicious. The sandwich was good, really tasty but a little messy to eat…

The service was good, considering that the place was so packed. The food was better than we had expected, and all entrees were under $20. People tended to sit at tables for a long time, so go early if you want a seat.

Deel Ellum

477 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA

617.787.BEER

http://www.deepellum-boston.com

Tags: allston, bar, duck confit, food, mac and cheese, meatloaf, restaurant