• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close

Dig Bos

The Dig - Greater Boston's Alternative News Source

LUCY’S AMERICAN TAVERN, DORCHESTER

Written by MARC HURWITZ Posted October 30, 2018 Filed Under: Better Boston Beer Bureau, Eats, LIFESTYLE

 

“Elevated comfort food” and a killer beer list right off I-93

 

Restaurants and bars tend to be endlessly categorized to the point of causing people’s heads to spin, with a few you might hear including “places to eat near Fenway Park,” “Italian restaurants outside of the North End,” “cheap eats for college students,” “dark and dank neighborhood bars where no one knows your name,” “food court restaurants that aren’t horrible,” and so on. One lesser-mentioned category that actually is useful to commuters is “dining and drinking spots to hit when your commute is too hellish to continue.”

 

A few friends and acquaintances have talked about this type of late, and one that seems to pop up on the radar is Lucy’s American Tavern in Dorchester’s Adams Village, perhaps because it’s about as “easy-on, easy-off” for drivers on the Southeast Expressway as you can get (not including chains, of course).

 

Some recent visits to this cavernous place indicate that it is indeed a convenient spot to hit if you drive on this nightmare of a highway often, as it’s almost within walking distance of the Expressway (pro tip—don’t do that), has its own parking, and is rarely crowded on weekday evenings. So is it also a good establishment to go to in general, if you’re looking for maybe a Saturday night date spot or a place to watch a game on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Well, it depends, but for those who aren’t looking for the hottest spot in town or a high-end place to get a meal that you’ll remember for years, the answer is a definite “yes.”

 

When you hear that a restaurant resides in a former Hollywood Video space, it might not inspire much confidence, but while you might be disappointed if you’re expecting the place to look like Deuxave or Menton, Lucy’s is actually quite attractive in a rustic and simple kind of way, with nearly all aspects of the video store being scrubbed from the space. The interior is quite spacious with its high ceiling tending to absorb some of the noise, and when it isn’t filled to capacity, it can be downright quiet. A large wraparound bar sits in the middle of the room with the bar top being deep enough to make it pretty comfortable option for eating dinner, and one feature that’s noticeable to drivers in the warmer months is the long porch-like patio that runs along Granite Avenue. A parking lot mostly surrounds Lucy’s, and even though it is valet-only, it is a free service from the place, unlike so many other restaurants and bars—especially those closer to downtown Boston.

 

The term “elevated comfort food” is used much too often these days, but it tends to fit Lucy’s pretty well; here you’ll find a mix of new American and classic American including pub grub, and the dishes tend to be scratch-made. Some of the highlights include outstanding wings that can be had with a Memphis dry rub; fried dill pickles that are guaranteed to ruin your appetite for an actual meal (hint—get these with a beer or two and call it dinner); spicy dips, including a buffalo dip and an artichoke/jalapeno dip; an old-fashioned macaroni and cheese with add-ons being a sweet-tasting pulled pork and smoky burnt ends; a huge portion of nachos with two cheeses, jalapenos, black bean and corn salsa, and Mexican crema, and with options for pulled pork, burnt ends, and grilled chicken offered; wood-grilled steak tips with a “secret” marinade; a plate of fish and chips with a salt-and-malt vinegar potato chip batter; chicken and waffles with sweet potatoes used for the waffle fries; and a variety of burgers, including a salmon burger and, as hinted at above, some BBQ items that are cooked in Lucy’s smokers, including brisket, St. Louis ribs, and house-made chorizo.

 

Beer lovers certainly have a reason to come to Lucy’s, as it offers some of the best that New England and the Northeast have to offer, with possibilities (depending on the season) being options from Fiddlehead, Lawson’s, SingleCut, and Maine Beer, while cocktails include a mix of retro and modern concoctions. Brunch is available on weekends, and a late-night menu features a limited list of pub grub and BBQ options.

 

Lucy’s American Tavern might not blow you away with their food or drink, but there are some standouts among both—an order of wings or mac and cheese with a glass of Fiddlehead is tough to beat—and this place really isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, instead simply being a comfortable neighborhood spot that also happens to be within shouting (and swearing) distance of the Expressway.

 

If you ever find yourself going 1 MPH between Neponset Circle and East Milton Square and have decided that enough is enough, Lucy’s is there for you, offering up above-average sustenance in a relatively mellow and (depending on when you go) not overly loud space.

 

LUCY’S AMERICAN TAVERN. 13 GRANITE AVE., DORCHESTER. LUCYSAMERICANTAVERN.COM

MARC HURWITZ
+ posts

Marc is the founder of @hiddenboston, a textbook editor, a hike leader for @AppMtnClub, and a food and travel writer and commenter for DigBoston, NBC/NECN, WBZ, WMFO and indie617.

  • MARC HURWITZ
    https://digboston.com/author/marc-hurwitz/
    Into the Wild: Finding Solace Along a Free-Flowing River a Half-Hour South of Boston

Filed Under: Better Boston Beer Bureau, Eats, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: Beer, beer list, BEERS, Dorchester, eats, LUCY’S AMERICAN TAVERN, microbrews

WHAT’S NEW

Massachusetts Bill, Victim Advocates Call For Coordinated Date-Rape Drug Response

Massachusetts Bill, Victim Advocates Call For Coordinated Date-Rape Drug Response

Report: Fewer Youth Transition Out Of Massachusetts Foster Care System

Report: Fewer Youth Transition Out Of Massachusetts Foster Care System

State Wire: Activists Urge Congress To Raise Debt Ceiling, Resist Spending Cuts

State Wire: Activists Urge Congress To Raise Debt Ceiling, Resist Spending Cuts

Dancing On Banana Peels: Life On Lifetime Parole In Massachusetts

Dancing On Banana Peels: Life On Lifetime Parole In Massachusetts

Justice Department Completes Vetting Of Rachael Rollins

Justice Department Completes Vetting Of Rachael Rollins

AG Investigating BPD To Determine If “Gang Unit” Engages In “Unconstitutional Policing”

AG Investigating BPD To Determine If “Gang Unit” Engages In “Unconstitutional Policing”

Primary Sidebar

LOCAL EVENTS

AAN Wire


Most Popular

  • AG Investigating BPD To Determine If “Gang Unit” Engages In “Unconstitutional Policing”
  • Over Yondr: Are Cell Phone Pouches At Shows Liberating, Dangerous, Or Annoying?
  • Deep Cuts Brings Sandwiches, Craft Beer, And Live Music To Medford
  • Daring Greatly: TikTok Star Alden McWayne (aka Gucci Pineapple) On Scheming And Dreaming
  • Dead As Ever: Meet The Rising Dark Star Of Boston’s Jam Band Scene

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an email blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: sales@digboston.com To reach editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): editorial@digboston.com