Deep Ellum Bar / Restaurant

Allston / Brighton, Boston –

Patrons looking for a bit of classy southern charm amid Allston’s sloshy frat bars can head to Deep Ellum, a Texas-themed venue with an impressive selection of exotic microbrews and bar food.

Named for an influential Texan arts district, the bar handles the southwestern theme with a light touch, giving a cowboy hat nod to its origins with just a few longhorn skulls and some Tex-Mex dishes.

Narrow and a bit cramped, the space has just room enough for a long bar on one side and a few tables on the other, where the clientele of slightly upscale grad students and young professionals pack in to savor plates of duck confit mac and cheese and fried gorgonzola salad, or to sample a few craft beers and drink Brandy Flips by the flickering light of the muted sci-fi films playing on TVs behind the bar.

Weekends see the place packed to the rafters with a well-dressed, flirty crowd, though patrons who need a little more elbow room and a break from the exuberant conversation and blaring soundtrack of garage rock can make their way to the back patio – a perfect summer brunch spot – where the vibe is a bit lower key.

Slightly elevated prices keep the rowdy coed set at bay, making Deep Ellum a refuge for a more mature crowd looking for a nightspot of their own.