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Categories: Bars, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: South EndBack Bay (Orange)
Copley (Green)
Union Park St (Silver)
Mon-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
"I've eaten at this restaurant three times. The first time I had the pork loin and the second time I ordered the BBQ pizza. Most recently, I…" read more »
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I knew I couldn't leave Boston without going to a dive bar.
So, I'm not a dive bar sort of girl but neither am I the type to wait in lines.
We walked past the Beehive and surveyed the line of freezing girls in skimpy outfits and kept walking.
I passed Delux and could hear music coming from the shaded windows. Approaching the front door, I saw a small menu posted outside. I was disappointed because I thought I stumbled upon a bar.
Well, Liz L said she heard good things and it was actually a bar as well so we went in. There weren't any seats at first so we ordered at the bar. Our drinks were $6 a piece. Later we found a table and ordered from the waitress.
I ended up getting three Jamesons and gingers. Total from the waitress? $10. Yeah, super dive bar!
It is cash only. The restrooms are one stall a piece with a shared sink outside of 'em.
Is this anti-dive bar girl into this bar? Hell yes! You find me a bar with cheap Jameson and I'm all about it.
Ya gotta love bars that when you walk past them you would never know it was a bar from the outside. There is something about walking into what you feel like is an invite only party, when really all it is, is a small bar, but a small bar with lots of character!!
The drinks here could be made a bit stronger in my book, but once you have a couple there are all kinds of things on the walls and especially in the tiny tiny bathrooms for you to entertain yourself with! All kinds of posters and art....
BUT the food is where Matt J. were a little disappointed. It was pretty pricey for a dive bar. We took our waitress's advice and got their special carne asada steak tacos since she said they were amazing and we had been craving steak earlier that day, but when she brought them (about an hour later it felt) those tacos were really the size of my pinky!! And there was nothing on the side either!! Just two tiny tiny tacos....and it was a $13 meal too!! I mean come on...I lived in LA for two years and had my fair share of overpriced mexican food, but Delux...there is NO WAY you should have charged that much for those tiny little tacos unless you actually had them flown in from mexico and had to pay their non-stop airfare!
So Delux, you are lucky that Matt and I thought the vibe and ambiance and the fact that you look so darn secretive pushed you back up to three stars, because disappointing tacos just hurt my heart and my wallet in this case!!
This is exactly what comes to mind when I think of a dive bar/pub. This place has an Xmass tree up all year 'round and has $5 glasses of wine. If that sounds like the kind of thing you are hungry for then this will be one of the few places in the South End to satiate you.
I recommend ordering something that sounds like a dive bar would do well. For example, I ordered the pumpkin ravioli which was $13 and was perhaps 6 tiny ravioli in a thin broth (not that yummy and not that impressed). But my friend ordered an $8 grilled cheese that was SO good and cheesy and greasy. So perhaps the food here is hit or miss but for $5 glasses of wine, what could go wrong with the drinks?
Not my first choice but also not really my scene.
I had a MUCH better time last night. The bartender was cool, sweet and normal. Not a biattch like the last one.
Wow. I've never had a bartender that rude before in Boston. You would have thought we were in LA… Read more »
This place defies Pavlov.
I have wound up here virtually every time I've gotten too drunk in the South End or Back Bay. Without fail, somebody says "Delux?" and everybody goes "Ugggh..." But we end up in there anyways. I should feel woozy just picturing Delux in my mind, but for some reason I will always appreciate a High Life at this place right before last call, when nobody in the place can stand up and the employees can be as surly as they want to be.
Don't ever change, Delux.
Delux Cafe reminds me of that one creepy loner guy in your neghborhood as a kid. You hear stories and if you grew up in the neighborhood, you knew who he was.
You drive by on your bike and wonder what sort of things happens inside, does he hurt animals, does he have any friends, what does he do all day?
You imagine his place is the kind of place that is full of randomness. Pictures of naked or half naked women that is considered "art", collages of random cut ours from newspapers & magazines. Prom pictures of old friends. Old record covers that he got from his father whose past away and every kind of knick knack, sculptures, statues you only find from yard sales or flea markets.
Then one day you see him. You stop dead in your tracks as he says hi to you. he's sitting on his front lawn drinking a Miller Hi-Life.
He invites you to come in and have some dinner. You feel bad saying no despite the stories you heard , so you nod yes.
His Bourbon corn chowder is sweet and the toast that comes with it has the perfect crunch and complements the chowder wonderfully.
The grill cheese- wow, its like art. perfectly brown and oozing of cheese. It looks like something you can devour in a second.
The baked penne cooked al dente and comes out hot.
The mezzaluna is delicious.
To wash this all down, he pours a tall Tremont Ale. It goes down smooth.
After the meal, you thank him and leave thinking, this guy isnt so creepy anymore. he is actaully awesome!
Next time you come around, you're going to bring a few friends and some cash.
If you're looking for a place to drink that has some character, this is the place for you!
Hidden in the South End is the glorious Delux Cafe. With a menu that changes every 8 weeks and a Blueberry Cobbler that'll make you wonder why you ever stopped eating such a heavenly pastry, this place draws in the best of the Boston Crowd. From the college students waiting for the new semester (Oh my god. Can you believe class starts on Tuesday?) to the regulars who walk in and order their beer on the way to the bathroom (Schlitz, please. I'll be right back. Thanks) this place is the secret place to be.
Reader be warned, this is a cash only bar and as great as the staff is, there is the occasional waitress who looks like she could use a good knock in the boots or something. (I know that was really mean but damn, the girl was pretty rude to my friend, okay?)
All in all, a great place to frequent.
I live a block away and I always forget that I love going to Delux because it is so well hidden that it blends into the neighborhood. The decor is little offbeat with the mini-Christmas tree and Santa along side a wall devoted to Elvis. That is what I like about it. Sure there are tons of chain restaurants with their own walls filled with junk which are truly annoying, but this place has it's own unique vibe.
The food is great!!!!!! The menu is small which is a relief. I am tired of having too many choices and not knowing if you are picking something good. The menu changes around and it is always so yummy. I went last weekend and had amazing chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer. It came out piping hot and was so flavorful. Then I had the chicken tacos for my meal. I could have had double of everything!
The best part are the prices there. The drinks are cheap! Beer was $4.50 while my mixed drink was $5. The food is also equally reasonably priced. That is amazing since the neighborhood can be a bit pricey!
Overall good times at Delux! The only downside is that it is a small establishment and it can be quite crowded as you wait for a table to clear. You will just have to get a drink at the bar!
All the things I love in a dive bar. Stiff drinks, eclectic decor, and stiff drinks. We didn't eat, but stood next to the tiny kitchen for a bit (read the place was packed) and drooled over the food despite having just eaten.
A quick tip: When you leave the restroom turn your head to the right, that's where the sink is so wash your hands!
Lastly, check out the picture above the kitchen service window. There is a prom picture of a regular of the bar and his hooker date. He actually took a hooker to prom, I thought that only happened in movies.
Not bad not great
2 drinks were $14 after tip
Not really a dive bar
Not really a lounge
+1 star for the cool shit on the walls
I would probably become attached to this place if I lived in the back end (south end / back bay gray area)
The Delux is NOT a dive bar. I mean that sort of as both an insult and a compliment. Clearly the Delux WANTS to give off a Dive Vibe, but the food is too good and the location is too prime for it to be genuinely dive-y. The decor lends it more of a comfortable, relaxing feel rather than that of dive-yness.
I liked the Schlitz in cans (dive-y) and the women's bathroom wallpapered with the pages of one of my favorite childrens' books, Eloise (wallpapering with a book = dive-y; choosing Eloise = not dive-y). The fresh fruit salsa with soft tortilla chips was delicious, as was the grilled cheese (neither = dive-y); both were worth what I paid (the price = NOT dive-y). There was one waitress working the whole floor, which lended for mediocre service, although that wasn't her fault at all (dive-y).
I like the Delux. It's not a dive, but it definitely has character.
I have a soft spot for Delux as it's like a 50's-diner-on-crack in a hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. Drinks are cheap, the food is dang good, the music is solid, and the nude painting on the wall is ace.
Last time around, we got a G&T, martini, merlot, veggie linguine, and the turkey sandwich, which I completely wiped out. The chips are more like quesadilla crusts, which is cool, and the salsa is runny but mind-bustingly good.
I highly recommend taking a pad of Mad Libs to do while you're waiting on food.
$5 for the same cocktail I just paid $10.50 for down the street - heck yea!
Be careful trying to find Delux if you're coming from Tremont street, you might miss it! Poor signage on the side - you'll have to use your ears and not your eyes... but coming from the Back Bay T and walking down Clarendon Street, you'll see it in front of you on the left side of the street.
Came here after hanging out at another venue in the South End because we wanted a place a little quieter and a little less expensive. We got it with Delux. Still had a lot of people (for their size) in there, but we were able to get some spots at the bar, and not too long after a table opened up and our entire group could sit down. One person ordered food, the rest of us just imbibed. Their menu looked mostly tex-mex? Couldn't really tell. They had things like mediterranean salad, but also chili con carne, quesadillas, etc.
Walls were covered with paper, pictures, art, etc. If I lived in the South End and wanted a spot to hang, this would be where I would head since my wallet is lacking dolla dolla bills these days... I'd get the most bang for my buck, and a chill atmosphere to suckle my good tasting cocktails.
What Bar/Pub doesn't have a burger on their menu...umm Delux.
Wouldn't the "Delux Burger" just make logical bar sense? I was totally craving a burger, and was shocked they didn't have one on their menu. I went with this roast beef sandwich with blue cheese and a salad instead. I figured the red meat craving could be satisfied by some form of beef right? To my dismay, the sandwich was literal 2 pieces of toasted rye bread, 1 thin slice of roast beast, and blue cheese. It was hardly filling, nor satisfied my burger craving. Though it was good, it wasn't at all what I needed.
I decide to try the Tremont Ale, and confirmed that New England has onlyy a few good local breweries. I've tried the Cambridge Brewing Co. Porter, and Berkshire Brewing Co. Coffee House Porter, and loved both. I don't understand why the good beers are hard to find in local stores and pubs, where is the good New England beer! Don't say Sam Adam's they lost their direction and have 50 varieties now. - DOOONNN"T...../end beer rant
Anyway, Delux is ok for a beer, it's quaint, dive-esque has the local attitude feel, and is cool for a quick drink and a conversation. One big downside, no credit cards, cash only baby.
if a bar has a bunny with antlers hanging for decor and sell Schiltz you gotta love it.
People call it a dive, which i guess in contrast to everything else in the south end it is.
Old record covers and a glowing santa only add brownie points.
This place is way cool!
Great hipster waitresses just paroled from the biker tattoo parlor next door. Yummy food, great decor, very welcoming.
Love it, love it!
I came here on Valentine's Day (a Saturday night) with a group of like 6 indecisive newbies. I swear it was the only place in the area where a poor college kid could chill without being surrounded by couples.
I had such a great time, it's warm, cool hang out, with a ton of personality, and great people. I really liked our waitress who was really funny, and the food was great too. Plus pretty cheap beer for Boston.
I'll be back, I mean how can you resist a wall of Elvis memorabilia?
It's easy to feel alienated in the South End if you're still in school, don't have a pure bred dog and lack the cash to frequent the many delightful restaurants on Tremont St.
However, if you're in the area and are yearning for some cheap bar food and a $3 beer, Delux is for you. I usually order a quesadilla and a Miller High Life because it's a kickin' combo for around $10, though their mixed drinks are delicious too. Their Cosmo is notably delish and packs a punch for under $10 (unheard of at any other bar within five blocks).
Their menu food is a bit suspect though, the few times I've been with someone who has ordered it they were a tad underwhelmed. They change their menu almost weekly so check it out, maybe you'll get lucky!
Decor is funky and collage to the max, and my favorite is in the Ladies bathroom. Eloise and the Plaza as wallpaper? Oh hellz yeah!!!
So, check out Delux for a fabulous quesadilla with some fruit salsa and even if you can't get a table sit at the bar. Both dish up pretty good service and you won't regret dropping a lil' cash here. And yes, I do mean a little.
It's hard to put a finger on, but you can tell the difference between somewhere that's trying to be ostentatiously quirky and a place that really is whatever the proprietor wants it to be. Delux Cafe falls into the latter category, with every inch of wall covered with something. Be it newspaper clippings, Elvis stuff, old record sleeves, it's certainly far from dull. The Cartoon Network is a genius touch, probably better still when you're there late at night and there's better stuff on.
As for what to eat and drink, it's dirt cheap, for one; the quesadillas are a great value at $6 or so; tasty and nourishing. They pour a mediocre Guinness with a perfunctory pause in the middle, but it's good enough to be be better than none. Draft options aren't much, but this is a bar bar, not a beer bar.
It's like visiting an imaginary weird (but harmless) uncle who gives you beer and food!
Best place for late night drinks and great bar food. Love looking at the stuff they have on the walls and the great conversations with the locals. Two thumbs up!!
Consider this 2.5 stars. Yelp, when are you gonna let me give half-stars?
Anyway -- I feel like Delux is the South End's attempt at a "dive bar".. A dark little nieghborhood hole-in-the-wall filled with christmas lights . . . all the makings of a good time. The menu is not super extensive, but its got a nice selection of hearty, appropriately delicious-sounding pub fare -- sammies, quesadillas, pasta, meat. A few salads for those of us who like to consume most of our daily calories in alcohol form.
I must knock off a star, however, for the food quality. The 2 times I've been here, I've had dishes with onions in them. Both times, the onions have had this weird, musty aftertaste . . .like they'd been hanging out in a cellar for a couple years.
I will give them kudos for the homemade tortilla chips, which are carb-tacular!
Be warned -- the place is also cash only, and there is no ATM inside. I get that a lot of small establishments don't wanna bother with the hassle of getting a credit card machine . . . but when you offer a full dinner menu in addition to booze, it would be nice to warn people up front that they need be packin' cash.
Wonderfully strange. I love the Christmas decorations up all year. It has a unique feel unlike anything I've come across in Boston. It's pretty easy to miss it though. I probably walked by twice before realizing where it was. It was worth the search.
;)
Food is excellent and markedly improved since the last time I went there years back. Cool atmosphere. I'm a big fan of Schlitz, so cheap tall-boys of the stuff are always welcome. Only complaint is that lately it's been quiet on weekend nights.
Elvis fans... this is your place. A corner devoted to the King himself. There is always something to talk about on the walls... from the incredibly awkward naked woman painting to the year-round-christmas tree.
The food... well it's pretty darn good, if you like quesidillas. Other than those, the food is just mediocre.
The service is just okay. Our bartender had a little attitude and didn't quite know how to roll with the customer's dispositions.
BUT... based on the super awesome decorating, the great customers, and the sweet, sweet quesidillas, we're ending on 4 stars.
Tuesday evening was a hard time to be a Californian/Lakers fan in Boston. I had traveled all day, and at 10 pm, I knew my options were limited to chicken wings at an overrun Celtics hangout or picking and choosing a frozen dinner from the local 7-11.
Delux Cafe - what a godsend! Serving food until 11, and without having the game on? Awesome. Instead they had the TV set to the Cartoon Network, with a sweet soundtrack alternating between the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Pet Shop Boys.
Obviously, the place was pretty empty, but it allowed me to really soak in the ambiance. Record albums and other paraphernalia tacked to the wall, with Christmas lights livening up the dark space. As I often do, I compared it to places I know back home. Those of you familiar with Oakland, I'd say this place is like a hipper Alley without the karaoke.
A good selection of beers on tap, including Tremont Ale (HEY! Let's get this over to CA!), and a pretty decent menu of upscale pub food. I had the $13.95 steak with potatoes and asparagus. Nothing overly spectacular, but delicious for the price.
Also, I came to Boston very apprehensive about the "Masshole" warnings I had been given. Setting the tone for the rest of my stay here, the bartender was really nice and recommended a few other places to check out and even was patient while I ran out to find an ATM (they only take cash here).
All in all, an excellent introduction into the city of red brick and "BEAT LA" green t-shirts.
Unpretentious atmosphere, fairly priced drinks, and great food? Yes, please!
Delux is the place I go when I just want to relax and have good conversation with good friends. Of all the dives I've been to in my 2 years in Boston, none come close to the overall experience that Delux consistently delivers. And coming from Austin, I'd like to think I know a good dive bar when I see it.
5 stars for you!
What do I know of man's destiny? I could tell you more about radishes. Six words, none of which can nor ought to be spared: Cheese that which has been grilled.
Nothing to be done.
The classic, corner dive bar. The album covers and artwork lining the walls is awesome, as are the year round Christmas decorations. The service is friendly and attentive. I've never eaten here but I hear the food is excellent.
Don't be alarmed by the sink-less bathrooms. The sink is in the hall. This way, you don't need to figure out how to open the door without actually touching the door handle after you wash your hands. Nice touch.
Really cool little hang out bar in the South End. Super cheap drinks especially for the South End!! Very friendly and efficient service. Delux has a really fun & cool decor-- like a decorated dive bar!
The Delux Grilled Cheese is very tasty!! Everyone like their food.
No complaints! Will be back for sure!
I can't express in words just how much I love Delux.
Delux is a rarity in Boston-- I wish I lived in the South End so I could call it my neighborhood hangout. The drinks are cheap ($4.75 for a gin & tonic? YES PLEASE), and the decor is really cool. The menu rotates every couple of weeks, but there is always the standard HUGE quesadillas with homemade pico-style salsa--delish. If you go on the weekend there may be a slight wait for a table, but there are usually a couple of bar stools available to wait it out and have a perfectly pulled pint of Guinness.
Located in a South End nook Delux Cafe offers an impressively gourmet menu (seasonal) at bar food prices. The decor is nothing less than quirk clutter with a Elvis Presley Shrine and a French Comic book wallpapered bathroom.
The space is small and during prime time be prepared to wait or be snuffed for a table. With an average beer selection and $2 PBRs, your beer fix will surely be appeased.
Delux also offers a full bar should you cull for a nice aperitif before a delicious grilled three cheese and select tomatoes sandwich served with a mesclun salad.
The atmosphere is impersonal yet endearing with a friendly stranger no fuss vibe. The staff can be a bit hasty, however they spend their evening evading epic food-drink-patron collisions....so thats OK in my book.
Please Note: They dont accept credit cards so make sure to bring the dough.
I love this place. I love the kitschiness and even though I hate waiting when hungry, I will gladly do so for things like the grilled cheese sandwich and pumpkin ravioli. I am amazed that a kitchen the size of a studio apartment's bathroom can churn out such good grilled cheese and pumpkin ravioli.
I love that if you run into the chef while walking around the restaurant before it opens and talk to him, he'll reserve a table for 4 for you at 7pm. If you still get there well before 7, the waiting is still made interesting by the atmosphere--the kitsch is a conversation starter all on its own.
I like that the ladies' room has pages from Eloise at the Plaza on the walls. A cute restroom is hard to find these days.
One of my favorite bars in Boston! Anything they make that contains cheese is amazing. Their menu is constantly changing too, which is exciting. I took a friend from NYC here and he got a martini for five bucks. He lit up like he had won the lottery or something. The framed art they have of that busty lady totally freaks me out though.
In conclusion: a cool bar for cool people.
It has that NYC bar vibe, with the records of jazz and blues and classic rock all over the walls. The half glasses of beer are perfect for pacing yourself, but as far as this place is concerned there are just four words: Best. Grill Cheese. Ever! It's kinda unfair to other grill cheese, really, because I am not sure what they give you is technically grill cheese anymore... it's.... beyond grill cheese. I think it's like $7. Spend the money.
The animie always playing on TV is a little off-putting, tho, but I understand it's to keep the riff-raff out who would be staring at the TV watching the Sox. I'm cool with that. Besides, the TV is not why you go.
I love this place and the only thing that sucks is that I don't work so close to it anymore! I used to work in the Hancock Tower so was a hop skip and a jump away from it. I don't think it fits right in with the neighborhood it is in- it is a different type of trendy then the people that live in the area. They change the menu alot but look out for the Mac & Cheese! LOVE IT! And the drinks are TO DIE FOR! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!
A definate place to eat and drink in Boston!
My boyfriend has been claiming Delux is his favorite bar in Boston all summer, so last night we finally went. It blends in so well to the neighborhood (corner of Chandler and Clarendon) that I practically missed the doorway. It was a fairly quiet Wednesday evening, so we sat right down at a table. My Cape Cod was fairly priced at $5 and was mixed practically perfectly. My boyfriend informed me they are famous for their grilled cheese sandwiches, so I had to try it. Definitely a quality grilled cheese sandwich, but perhaps slightly too much butter on the bread and browned just a bit too much for my taste -- still, it was fabulous. It came with a side salad not mentioned on the menu, and I immediately wished there were French fries as well. My boyfriend's catfish was divine, and the side sweet potato hash was amazing. I was disappointed cartoons were not on the television (as claimed they always have), but the music was terrific. I loved the decor as well -- lots of old record albums, prints of Elizabeth Taylor and other classic film stars, and even a year-round Christmas tree on the bar. Overall I was very happy with our experience at Delux. Cash only is a bit frustrating, but come prepared and you'll be fine. Conveniently located just steps from the Back Bay T station as well. I am sure I will be back again!
This tiny, cash-only bar decorated in Spaceghost and Elvis regalia boasts a fantastic, inexpensive menu of comfort foods and an unprecedented allegience ot the Cartoon Network. This place is often packed but always worth a visit, and is often where I start my Saturday nights.
Don't miss out on the grilled cheese sandwich (even if it's not on the menu; they'll make it) or the quesadilla.
My friend Dan used to think this was a vacuum cleaner repair shop. I suppose that's what it looks like from the outside.
Delux is the dive that's not a dive. The food is inspired (try the salsa) and the beer selection is great. The service has always been friendly and upbeat.
When I worked in Boston, this was always one of my favorite places to go... and so close to Back Bay station, you can grab a beer before hopping on the orange line OR the commuter train home!
Complete downside : I went around 9:00 after I got out of an event at the Boston Center of the Arts Cyclorama, and there was no seating anywhere. People seem to linger, so unless you get there at 7, it's not worth the aggravation. We ended up leaving and going to Anchovies because no one looked like they were getting up any time soon.
I went here with a guy i've been dating, with the warning that it was dive-barish, which it… Read more »
Not a bad little bar, but sometimes service can be spotty. They mix a nice drink here...I hate it when the alcohol overpowers a drink, but they get a nice balance in here. There's quirky stuff all up on the walls and the music is pretty good.
I've only had some sort of fancy schmancy grilled cheese here, but it was pretty tasty. Friend had some chocolate cake thingy for dessert and pronounced it "delectable".
Not a place for wild, boisterous times, but more of a cute place to take an old friend you haven't seen for a while for a drink or two.
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