Deep Ellum’s triumphant return
Where to: Deep Ellum, a Waltham haven for comfort food and drink from the folks behind Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston and Cambridge.
Why: Because everyone loves a good comeback: Waltham’s Deep Ellum is a reincarnation of a well-loved watering hole in Allston. Because everyone loves a good hangout: This long, narrow room with big windows, dark walls, and longhorn skull hanging over the bar is just that. Because everyone loves a good deal: Hardly anything on the menu cracks the $20 mark, and most of the cocktails are $12.
The backstory: In 2007, business partners Aaron Sanders and Max Toste opened the original Deep Ellum, which quickly earned a reputation for its impressive beer list and well-made cocktails. It closed during the pandemic after 13 years in business. Last month marked its triumphant return, in the Moody Street space that was previously beer bar and kindred spirit The Gaff.
What to eat: Anything from an impressive roster of bar snacks and sandwiches. Truffle gorgonzola fries or poutine with porcini gravy and cheddar curds. Griddled hot dogs with kimchi and onion smash burgers (there’s a lentil-mushroom version, too). Reubens and the Italian sandwich with pepper relish that Toste says is a personal favorite. There’s also avocado toast, tuna niçoise salad, and a selection of tinned fish and fancy cheese.
What to drink: Tall pours of Rothaus Tannenzapfle, a German pilsner with a devoted following; squat, dimpled mugs of pleasantly nutty Tucher Original Nurnberger Rotbier; Czech-style dark lager from Sacred Profane Brewing in Biddeford, Maine; and 11 other draft selections, along with sours, ciders, and more in cans and bottles. A selection of Manhattans and margaritas, Sidecars and Sazeracs, and Deep Ellum favorites like the cachaca-based Summer in Sao Paulo and the Campari-laced Bitter Pineapple Daiquiri. There are alcoholfree offerings, too.
The takeaway: All good things must come to an end — but sometimes it doesn’t have to be forever. Deep Ellum’s rebirth and reasonable prices are reasons to party like it’s 2007.
467 Moody St., Waltham, www.deepellum-waltham.com