• 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
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • 5 DOUBLE-U’S
    • MASTHEAD
    • DISTRIBUTION
    • ADVERTISE
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

WORDEN COMIN’

Written by DAN MCCARTHY Posted August 24, 2015 Filed Under: Eats, LIFESTYLE

Photo by Dan McCarthy
Photo by Dan McCarthy

 

The arrival of Worden Hall, the new 160-plus-seat tavern and deep-dish pizza stronghold opening a stone’s throw away from the Broadway MBTA stop in South Boston, should be welcome news for weary commuters of the Red Line after it opens this week.

 

Owner Dylan Welsh has already found success and fans with his two previous neighborhood enclaves—5 Horses Tavern in Davis Square and the South End—and judging by the neighborhood buzz about the opening, the third time may indeed be the charm. And yet Welsh says all along he wanted this new project to be a fresh start, rather than an attempt to drop another Five Horses into the ever-changing new face of Southie.

 

Photo by Dan McCarthy
Photo by Dan McCarthy

“I wanted to take the Five Horses concept to the next level,” says Welsh. “For starters, the food. I like challenging myself, and doing another Five Horses would’ve been the easy way out.” Welsh says after talking with over 20 chefs he eventually settled on Tim McQuinn, who has manned the lines at The Merchant, Banq, and Craigie on Main, and will be doing a 100 percent from-scratch kitchen, from the burgers to the pâtés, terrines (“We’ll be doing a lot of charcuterie and making our own sausages down the line,” says McQuinn), and the range of vegan and gluten-free focused items Welsh says will be integral to the overall menu.

 

However, when things first got underway in the new construction where Worden Hall now sits, the original space was half the size it is now. After a deal was reached to procure the space of the newsstand that would have been next door, Welsh and his team knocked the wall between the two down to allow for the full shape of the restaurant to take hold. They added their private dining space in the back (adorned with a 20-foot mural of a horse race in Saratoga Springs, NY, where Welsh is from, done by a Quincy-based artist) and outfitted the space with an exposed kitchen, custom booths made using reclaimed factory flooring wood, and a dramatic brand-new bar to house over 100 whiskies and 40 rotating drafts that will feature local (think: Cambridge Brewing Company, Wormtown, Jack’s Abbey) as well as national craft beers.

 

“We’re going to support the local Mass craft beer scene as much as possible, but all 40 lines are rotating, and we’re going to give everyone a shot as long as their juice is good,” says Welsh.

 

Photo by Stephanie Buonopane
Photo by Stephanie Buonopane

And like all interestingly named restaurants, this one has a story behind it. Welsh spent two weekends in his native Saratoga Springs doing research in the local library, meeting with local historians to find the right name for his new spot that would evoke the region he grew up in with some nuance. Eventually he met with a nonagenarian with a house like a museum and heard stories about the old Worden Hotel, a favorite hangout spot for locals, celebrities, jockeys and trainers from the Saratoga Springs racetrack, and even gangsters alike (an original coaster from the hotel’s tavern is laid into the bartop here; look for it in the corner).

 

Given the previous layout of his new restaurant and the legacy of the hotel which survived 60 years and three fires without a dent to its place in the local hospitality scene, the name “Worden Hall” was a clear winner. “You gotta have a story,” says Welsh. “So many people open restaurants without a lot of thought to the concept or the passion or story behind it, and that’s why you see a lot of turnover.”

 

Recently it’s been less about turnover and more about the ever-expanding roster of chef-driven restaurants popping up in Southie. Some say it’s welcoming; others see it as creating a cutthroat environment.

 

“I’m a competitive person, so I welcome the competition,” says Welsh. “The more good restaurants and talented chefs in Boston … it raises the bar for everyone. And the people that can’t hang will fall off.”

 

 

WORDEN HALL. OPENING 8. 27. 22 WEST BROADWAY, BOSTON. FACEBOOK.COM/WORDENHALL

DAN MCCARTHY

Dan is a freelance journalist and has written for publications including Vice, Esquire, the Daily Beast, Fast Company, Pacific Standard, MEL, Leafly, Thrillist, and DigBoston.

More from author
  • DAN MCCARTHY
    https://digboston.com/author/dan-mccarthy/
    cannabis massachusetts pandemic
    RANGE OF VOICES TESTIFY TO OPEN CANNABIS DISPENSARIES DURING PANDEMIC
  • DAN MCCARTHY
    https://digboston.com/author/dan-mccarthy/
    BIG CHILL: A YAWN OF A CENTENNIAL, DINNER WITH MICHAEL J. FOX, AND THE MICHAEL BENNET PRIMARY TEST
  • DAN MCCARTHY
    https://digboston.com/author/dan-mccarthy/
    THE POLICY POLICE: CANNABIS COP AND GOP COHORT CHALLENGE CANDIDATES AND EDUCATE VOTERS ON WHY DRUGS SHOULD BE LEGAL
  • DAN MCCARTHY
    https://digboston.com/author/dan-mccarthy/
    ACCESS DENIED: BUTTIGIEG PACKS ROOM, BRUISES INDEPENDENT MEDIA EGOS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Filed Under: Eats, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: 5 Horses Tavern, craft beer, Dylan Welsh, horse racing, opening, pizza, Saratoga Springs, South Boston, tavern, Tim McQuinn, Worden Hall

WHAT’S NEW

IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

PICS & RECAP: COMMUNITY CANDLE VIGIL HONORING VICTIMS OF ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE

PICS & RECAP: COMMUNITY CANDLE VIGIL HONORING VICTIMS OF ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE

CAMBRIDGE CHURCH MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT RECENT VANDALISM OF SIGN

CAMBRIDGE CHURCH MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT RECENT VANDALISM OF SIGN

PRESSLEY MEETS WITH LOCAL 26 WORKERS

PRESSLEY MEETS WITH LOCAL 26 WORKERS

THE HOUR THAT THE SHIP COMES IN

THE HOUR THAT THE SHIP COMES IN

JANEY OFFICIALLY DECLARES THAT SHE WILL RUN FOR FULL TERM

JANEY OFFICIALLY DECLARES THAT SHE WILL RUN FOR FULL TERM

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • VACCINE EQUITY NOW! COALITION ASKS BAKER TO ALLOCATE 20% OF NEW DOSES TO HARD HIT COMMUNITIES by SHIRA LAUCHAROEN
  • A NEW PLACE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO CALL HOME IN TOUGH TIMES by MARK EMMONS
  • rally to protest discrimination and crimes against Asian and Pacific islanders during Stop Asian Hate rally on Boston Common in Boston PICS & RECAP: “STOP ASIAN HATE BOSTON” RALLY ON THE COMMON by KEIKO HIROMI
  • IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION by CHRIS FARAONE
  • A FAREWELL TRIBUTE (OF SORTS) TO MARTY WALSH by DIG STAFF

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 2.1 – March 2021

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

Footer

digbos

digbos
“We’re not going to survive for 20 more years “We’re not going to survive for 20 more years if we don’t do this [move to a bigger space].” https://digboston.com/how-juliet-hit-a-100k-kickstarter-goal-in-4-days/ #restaurant #business #food #crowdfund #SomervilleMA #coronavirus #COVID19
EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SEEKS CLIMATE IDEAS FOR MAYOR EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SEEKS CLIMATE IDEAS FOR MAYOR KIM JANEY. Environmental organizations and individual activists invited to submit opinion articles for publication. https://digboston.com/editorial-digboston-seeks-climate-ideas-for-mayor-kim-janey/ #politics @boston_mayor #environment #globalwarming #climate #activist #callforsubmissions #policy #Boston #Massachusetts
“Most are some of my favorite bars or local clas “Most are some of my favorite bars or local classics that I’ve learned to love in my time living in the city. Others just have a great facade that I know would make a great drawing.” https://digboston.com/drawn-but-not-forgotten-local-artist-sketches-beloved-boston-restaurants/ #art #artist #sketch #drawing #Boston #Massachusetts #bar #restaurant
Despite #pandemic hurdles, Mass #music instructors Despite #pandemic hurdles, Mass #music instructors hit new high notes. “My #teaching has gone to another level.” https://digboston.com/the-medium-is-the-maestro/ #education #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
From the podcast to the book, Wayne Federman chron From the podcast to the book, Wayne Federman chronicles the business of joke-telling. https://digboston.com/the-history-of-stand-up-from-mark-twain-to-dave-chappelle/ #comedy #history #book #interview #Boston #Massachusetts
“I’m calling on some of you to drop by a local “I’m calling on some of you to drop by a local field office and hear what people have to say.” https://digboston.com/dear-reader-the-political-season-is-upon-us-embrace-it/ #politics #commentary #election #Massachusetts
“I think most people agree that we want our publ “I think most people agree that we want our public dollars to go to those companies that are not cutting corners.” https://digboston.com/bill-seeks-to-penalize-contractors-for-unsafe-conditions/ #politics #legislation #construction #safety #labor #Massachusetts
“It’s just shocking to me for Massachusetts, t “It’s just shocking to me for Massachusetts, the state that puts itself forward as this paragon of democracy. Those are just fundamental building blocks of a democratic society.” https://digboston.com/researchers-show-extent-of-lobbying-against-climate-bills-in-ma/ #environment #globalwarming #climate #crisis #politics #lobby #Massachusetts
I was lucky enough to get an extra #vaccine. Here’s how it went down. https://digboston.com/young-healthy-and-inoculated/ #young #youth #student #college #vaccination #publichealth #health #Boston #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
The MBTA confirmed that it will “fully fund its The MBTA confirmed that it will “fully fund its operating budget in the coming fiscal year and begin to restore cut service.” https://digboston.com/public-transit-public-good-responds-to-restoring-mbta-service/ #transportation #politics #Massachusetts
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

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 e-mail 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: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]