I've lived and worked so close to dbar for so many years. I can't believe that I haven't been in there until recently!
Don't let the parking lot fool you, this place is actually pretty big inside and out. They have a fantastic drink menu full of delicious beers (including Hoegaarden), wine and cocktails and the food is quite tasty. Everyone is super friendly and their patio is really pretty. I think there were twinkle lights.
The food was a little pricy for the a smaller portion, but it was worth it. I loved my dish and will definitely be back.
Nice variety of dishes that are all served with sculptural flare. Portions on the smaller size, but sized right if you want to indulge in a starter, main, and dessert. Many creative mixed cocktails (blood orange martini is hard to pass up). My favorite thing about the setting is the outdoor seating, hidden from the parking lot and chaos along Dot Ave. Perfect for a summer evening or brunch. Always friendly service.
Review Source:My last review was for brunch, this review is for dinner.
Great food, moderately priced.
The tuna ceviche was very fresh and super yummy with the house made taro chips! Â
I had the cod entry; a simple fish. Â However, it was cooked absolutely to perfection, and served with a delicate citrus butter sauce. Â I loved it.
The cocktail selection is wonderful with house-made juices and infusions.
The service was fine...no complaints.
Fellow diners of mine had the burger and the farfalle dish...they loved it all.
The only reason for the -1 star is that I thought the music was a bit too loud...but maybe I'm just getting old! Â
:]
Let's talk about the most important aspect of brunch: dbar has 5 bloody options. Â Their options were't super out-of-the-ordinary, but exciting eneough. Fiance had the Bloody Dijon, made with whole grain mustard. I went with the Black & Blue Bloody, packed with blue cheese and black pepper. Â Both were great, albeit a bit small and heavy on the ice. Â For solids, we had the Dorchester Brunch Grinder and Salmon Eggs Benedict. My fiance usually doubts hollandaise, but the sauce here turned him into a believer. It was a super delicious brunch, enjoyed with friends who will be moving to LA this summer. Â The music was pumpin' and the lights were dim, so if you're needing a way to start your day fresh adn forget last night's decisions, this may be more of a reminder and less of a renewal. The meal hit the wallet a bit harder than we'd wanted but we'd go back for drinks and maybe a shared grinder.
I should also add that I had a second drink, the Srirachacha. Â I'm a sucker for spicy cocktails, and this didn't disappoint!
Was there this evening and until tonight I  never had an undesirable experience. We had a waitress who was slow and unattentive. She took our drink order and 15 minutes later we had to remind her that we had ordered once we flagged her down. The place was not as busy as usual. The food which is usually excellent was just ok.  I ordered a burger and that is what I got a bun with a burger and nothing else.  A long wait in between courses and for the check we had to flag her down for every transaction. I have dinner at Dbar 1-2 times a month and it has always been excellent. Tonight's experience will definitely take this place off if my list. I drive to  Dbar from Foxboro but I'm having a change of heart after tonight.
Review Source:3.5 stars:
I went to DBar with a girl friend in January.
Fun atmosphere, it would have been more fun for us if we had more people in our party and/or if the crowd was younger.
Before even getting a table, we both began to get the vibe that we were at a gay bar. Not positive, but basically if you're homophobic or otherwise think you'd be uncomfortable, save yourself the trip.
If that doesn't bother you and especially if you're 30+, I suggest you check it out. Everyone was having a blast- cougars included! I mean, what's not to love about that?
Price reference: We both had one drink, $8 each.
Service: The staff doesn't wait on you after a certain time which we didn't know so we kinda sat around before finally making our way to the bar to order.
Overall: Cozy space, cool crowd, parking blows (we had to park on the street and walk, in the cold because they basically only have 6 parking spots in the lot), drinks are reasonably priced for the area, no one seemed to be in there 20's so I won't be going again by choice, but if you like an older crowd - go to dbar & live it up!
Went to dbar and was pleasantly surprised by a tasty and creative cocktail list.
The blue cheese dressing on the appetizer green and bleu salad was really delicious. It seems to be a lively fun place at night, and the service was excellent.
The downside was that the vegetarian options are slim. They had a mushroom/winter vegetable gnocchi on the menu (which I heard is yummy) but to be honest, that seems to be the only veg option at every restaurant in this city right now. I had to order a mix up of side dishes and an appetizer salad.
When we receive our food, the side gratin dish was undercooked and the vegetables were raw. My boyfriend ordered his burger medium-well, but it was more like medium-rare. dbar redeems itself with drinks that made up for my lousy food.
3 stars for dinner, because it really seemed more like a place for small plates and cocktails.
Stopped here for dinner this past Saturday and I was very impressed. I came in with my BF at around 7:20 and asked for a table for two, but was told they were booked. At most places, that'd be the end of the story. But the host was very nice and informed us that bar serves a full menu, and that most patrons that were currently at the bar were waiting for 7:30 reservations, so we could get a drink and it would clear out soon. His effort to accommodate us was impressive to me.
True to his suggestion, almost as soon as we ordered our drinks (Old-Fashioned, $12 (ouch) and Pinot Noir, $9), a few seats opened up at the bar and we grabbed them. Service was great -- the bartender laid out napkins at placemats, appetizer plates, and waters quickly after we told him we planned on having dinner. He was prompt and polite throughout our meal.
We started with the Calamari ($9), and it was not only delicious but unique as well. It was perfectly cooked and the ginger-curry aioli it was served with was really divine. My favorite part, though, were the pickled red onions that were part of a papaya salad served on top of the dish - they were wonderfully bright and added a great refreshing note.
There weren't too many vegetarian options on the menu, so I was a little nervous about ordering the gnocchi ($19), because I've been disappointed by it before at other places. The menu description was intriguing though, and I am so glad I ordered! Definitely a five-star plate in my book. The gnocchi themselves were pillow-y and light, and the rest of the vegetables in the dish (butternut squash, mushrooms, asparagus, pearl onions), were nicely cooked and flavorful. The entire dish was bathed in the most delicious sauce, and the crispy parsnips served on top provided a nice textural contrast. I wanted to lick the plate! The boyfriend ordered the scallops ($21) and said they were excellent.
We were in a rush to get to a show, so we didn't get to try dessert, but I will definitely be back to try that and a few other dishes on the menu. I know a place is good when there are multiple items on the menu I'm looking forward to trying. The bill was a little pricey, but when I think of how memorable everything was, I think it's worth it. I'm glad I finally tried this spot!
Tonight was my fourth time eating @ D'Bar and just as the prior three times my meal was Excellent. I think (know!) it is the best consistent quality you will find in Dorchester. I've been told the chef/owner has a fine dining background and it shows in the quality and flavor of the food served at D'Bar.
Beet Salad w goat cheese was fresh, light and satisfying. The Scallops were seared perfectly and they were very accommodating by switching out a starch for a veg for me. They have extra side dish veggies, which is always nice to see on a menu and I highly recommend the seven-layer winter root gratin.
Keep in mind you are going to a Restaurant/Bar if you're expecting top-notch service you will not be happy. I've never had bad service although a couple of times the dining room server was "very green" but I can't say I was unhappy. I suppose (?) I can understand why some reviewers could get miffed, as the servers are not professional but casual. The food is five stars but the service can be 2-3 stars. I don't think that can change because the atmosphere of the establishment is very casual, remember it's a bar that serves excellent food =Dbar, if the name isn't telling then I don't know what is!.
On my latest visit, I sat at the bar (something I'll rarely do) when one does, it's very difficult to have bad service because to me it's synonymous with casual service. I'm a real stickler for great service, which is why I chose to sit at the bar. The bartender has his service skills down very well; I was greeted in a friendly manner, offered bread, never had more than a 1/2 empty glass of water and used silverware was swapped out for clean. I couldn't have asked for more. I can't tell you how many times I eat out and those three things bread, water and silverware are not something a server pays attention to, and I'm sure many of you have the same observations. The bartender could easily work as a server in a fine dining restaurant. Cheers'
The food at Dbar is devine, delicious, amazing, all that and above. Dbar's gnocchi is to-die-for (especially since this is one of the few vegetarian items on the menu) However, the service is subpar at best.
I came to Dbar on a Saturday night with a friend for drinks and to chat. I wanted to close-out my tab from the bar and I stood to the side to grab the bartenders attention. He rudely goes, "What'' EXCUSEZ-MOI! That was very unprofessional and unacceptable, especially for someone working as a server at a restaurant. Sadly, this was not the first time I noticed negative vibes from the wait staff, but I Â decided to disregard because it was not significant enough to address. I work VERY hard for my money and I refuse to spend it somewhere that makes me feel uncomfortable. I will never come here again.
What a hidden surprise. My last visit was around my birthday and was able to experience their patio dinning, which made me fall in love with the place all over again. The waiters are always pleasant. Even when it's crowded the staff is well organized and STILL pleasant.
I have explored the menu, love the scallops, mussels, calamari, and you can't beat the burger. The best deals are during restaurant week!
Came here on a Friday night to take the edge off of a looong work week with some food and drink. Our server was beyond polite although he did seem quite busy. Our food took a while in coming but thankfully the bread with dipping oils kept us occupied.
Once the plates arrived, neither of us were dissapointed. I got the seared scallops which had a great crust on them and the risotto it came with was decent. The boyfriend, well he knows what he likes, got the chicken under a brick. I stole a bite of his food and the skin on that thing was so crispy!
We cleaned our plates but again, there was a bit of a wait to get the waiter's attention so we could pay our tab. All in all, great ambience, friendly service, and good food but be prepared to make small talk while waiting.
Dined on the patio during restaurant week and enjoyed the food, cocktails, atmosphere and service. The food was creative and flavorful and the cocktails were divine! I would come back solely for the atmosphere of that patio (not sure how late in the season it's open). I've also heard the brunch is good, so will definitely be back for that. The service was friendly and attentive, although there was some element of uncertainty, but they may have been because they were busier than usual.
Review Source:Came her for brunch on a Sunday and expected it to be crowded given the reviews but it was relatively quiet. Â I'm used to hour waits in the south end on Sunday but lets be real, this is Dorchester and the outside looks like a old bar. Surprisingly this is actually a gay bar with 80's music, mimosas and bloody marys. Â The brunch menu had a ton of delicious options at reasonable prices. Â My friend ordered the french toast which was thick sliced and very delicious. Â I ordered the oyster mushroom and goat cheese omlette which was fluffy and creamy on the inside. The rosemary potatoes was a bit salty but really good as well.
Overall great exp with a great drink menu list...i'll be back! Best of all they have a parking lot which is very convenient
Formerly an Irish-style pub,dBar can get rowdy later in the evening - especially on Tuesdays when they host "Show Tune Tuesdays" or the weekends, so for that reason I suggest going on Sunday's, Monday's and Wednesday's when its easy to get a table and you won't be shouting over DJs or show tunes.
The menu, created by Executive Chef, Chris Coombs, is typically American but inspired by French cooking. Â Its approachable without being boring, meaning that both picky eaters and those looking for something different can sit at the same table and find something they like.
When we sat down for dinner we started with lobster bisque for $8.00 and the beet trio salad with goat cheese croquette (mmm), candied hazelnuts, and croutons for $11.00.
For dinner we ordered two of the restaurant's most popular plates, the crispy organic chicken breast served with mashed potato, steamed broccoli in a delicious oyster mushroom-madeira jus for $18.00 and the sirloin burger, frites and salad for $12.50. Â The chicken and burger were both cooked to perfection. Â The portions ran large, making us leave with a slight food coma. dBar does Dorchester proud and is worth trying. Â In the summer, many of the vegetables and herbs on the plates served are grown fresh atop the roof of dBar.
The restaurant is open 7-days a week and has a full bar.
I am a huge fan of this place. The food is delicious, the service is excellent and the menu has interesting variations on a lot of classic dishes. The prices are reasonable for the quality of the food and the portions are decent.
My aunt and all her old lady friends love to come here to the "old neighborhood" and be waited on/flirt with/ogle all the handsome gay servers, they always giggle and blush a bit when they tell me about it as they are obviously feeling a bit risque.
OMG. The fries. Best ever!
We had brunch on the patio on a Sunny Sunday morning. Our waiter was very good. I had the BLT which was tasty with perfectly cooked bacon. My boyfriend had some kind of croissant sandwich with everything in it. The atmosphere both inside and out is lovely. I'm definitely a fan. Did I mention the french fries!!?
Brunch at dbar:
dbar & Deuxave have been on my shortlist of places to check out for a few months.
I've had the pleasure of sampling a few of Chef Chris Coombs' delicious creations at various charity events, namely:
  Chefs for Obama where one of my favorite dishes of the evening was  showcased by Chef Chris.
  A lovely duck liver mousse at Cooking for a Cause and
  A simple pretzel roll at Movers & Shakers
These three brief but gratifying encounters solidified my determination to visit both establishments in the near future. Â
First up, dbar...
I gladly welcomed a carbs and pork-laden brunch after I hosted a 12+ hour Mint Julep Crawl across the Back Bay the day before.
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon when we arrived at the restaurant, which is perfect when trying to experience the true heart of a place and its service sans the hustle and bustle of a loud dining room.
The decor was sleek and trendy (in a good way)...from the dim indoor lighting, taking advantage of natural light peeping through the windows, to the dark wood bar and booths.
Our service was fantastic, thanks to Craig and the management team.
Hair of the dog:
I enjoyed both the Mango Mosa and the Grand Mimosa (because who seriously could dislike Grand Marnier in your mimosa).
I can't wait to try the creative, more savory Bloody Mary cocktails, like the Bloody Wasab with Japanese horseradish, the Black & Blue with blue cheese and pepper, or the Roasted Garlic Bloody with fire-roasted garlic!
dbrunch (as they titled it):
The generous portion of buttery brioche french toast was good, served with fresh fruit and a berry coulis.
I loved my omelet filled with garlicky duck confit, sauteed spinach, gruyere cheese and topped with chopped chives. Â The seasoned home fries and side of bacon were wonderful. Â You'll love the potatoes if you enjoy rosemary even half as much as I do.
The Virginia Country Ham Croque Monsieur  (a "Hot brown" sandwich with ham) was a treat.  The buttery, grilled pain de mie was fantastic as was the homemade mustard and gruyere.  The Sauce Mornay was light (almost whipped?) and simply delicious.  The greens with vinaigrette was bright and super fresh.
Overall, our food was fantastic and I look forward to trying more, especially since the menu is ever changing! Â dbar apparently knows how to keep things new and fresh!
Next stop...Deuxave...I'm already internet stalking the menu :0)
I came here for drinks and dinner with friends on a Showtune Tuesday. Â We had wine, the duck and frisee salad and shared the steak. Â Overall the food is good, atmosphere pleasant and drinks delicious. Â My only complaint is the holier-than-thou attitude from the bartenders, waitstaff and host. Â My friends are regulars, and they were greeted warmly, but I felt ignored at the bar. Â
Overall, a great dinner, but avoid Tuesday if you are not a showtunes fan.
Like so many others, I like D Bar and I am happy to come here for dinner or drinks.
The food is always good and sometimes exceptional. The waitstaff are pleasant, friendly, professional and  very attentive. But...what is with the bartenders?  With one exception, they seem to think they are doing you a favor if they stop talking at the side-bar and come over to wait on you.  And when they do come over, there is no pleasantness, just attitude. And please don't think just because you are a "frequent flyer", you'll get a pillow or a warm nod; LOL  All this just because you said nothing, waved no bills, wagged no fingers,and  never looked vexed, ....just because you chose to sit at the bar!
A diamond in the rough is the best way to describe this establishment. Who would have thought that a chic place such as this exists in Dorchester. From the exterior, you would have not given it a second look with it's Irish pub looks, but once you enter the doors, you get swept away within a hidden cove of modern and sleek black decor. First thought that crossed my mind ~ Wow, this looks like a restaurant you would find in the heart of New York!
Cocktails, cocktails, cocktails! Perfect combination of sublime flavors and the right dosage of liquor ratios where they were neither overpowering or watered down. This bar really knows how to make mean drinks! I ordered the Expresso Martini and "something" Peach Martini and tried another martini that tasted close to the White Russian.
Although dinner service was bustling, service was on point. They were attentive, friendly, and very easy going. Just down right good people that you would have no problem picking a conversation with. Our waitress, who we seemingly forgot to obtain her name, was very personable and her smile really did it for me! Â =D
The food ~ the crème de la crème ~ was magnificent. What I love was that their menu did not boast too large and wide of a selection, so it was easy to make a decision. I hate reading menus under candlelight with a huge selection - it's called information overload - when all you really want to do is drink your cocktail! Again, not this place ~ what you'll end up doing is enjoying the ambiance instead of getting consumed and flustered with what to order. I ordered the Salmon and my friends ordered the lamb and gnocchi dishes.
The salmon was PERFECTION ~ one of the best salmon dishes I have ever tasted and I'm a Salmon fiend. This dish was so flavorful that I did not even bother asking for hot sauce to accompany my meal, which says a lot when I garnish everything with that. The salmon melted in my mouth like butter, which I never wanted it to end. A MUST DISH! The lamb and gnocchi were also equally divine and beautiful.
Dbar will become a hot spot, if not already, just outside the city. DBar is Winning!
I really enjoyed my brunch at Dbar today. My girls and I (group of 7) had a reservation at 11AM, which is when they open on Sundays. Plentiful parking in the private lot, at least in the morning.
Ordered the omelet with the melted leeks and Vermont goat cheese- but had egg whites instead of yolks. Loved it. I wish I had known if I could get substitutions for the home fried potatoes and buttered white toast; I never asked but I wonder if you can get wheat or rye toast and fresh fruit instead.
Everyone's meal looked delicious and I saw empty plates afterward. Good, friendly service (80's pop music in the background) and my meal (omelet & coffee) came to about $17 with tip. We left at about 12:45PM and their were still tables available with no wait.
I would definitely come back here again. Lovely meal with friends!
ps. almost forgot. our waitress chased us out the door when one of us forgot to take our leftovers! when does that ever happen?? :)
Well, its definitely not Ned Kelly's anymore.
dbar has been around for a few years now, and I had always heard the food was good but never made it in to try it. I'm glad I finally did. I know its a gay bar, but I mean, how gay can a restaurant be? I didnt see any penis-shaped appetizers on the menu, and I'm too big and un-stylish to be mistaken for gay, even on "Showtunes Tuesday" as we found out is was, promptly at 9:00 lol.
We started with a bottle of Chianti (Piccini, 2008) that was excellent, mild, and dry. I definitely recommend it with the lamb steak, which I had, but Im getting ahead of myself.
The four of us split an order of mussels in a shallot wine sauce as an appetizer and they were great: decent size and very tender.
As an entree, I had the pistacio and goat cheese crusted lamb steak served over parsley risotto with a root vegetable/roasted brussels sprouts medley. Wow. I was really impressed. The pistacio really set off that great lamb flavor, and the aroma of the parsley risotto was almost better than the taste; plus, you could put goat cheese on an old shoe and it would still be good.
We all split a slice dulce de leche cheesecake for dessert which was also great, dense, and not too sweet.
Topping it all off was phenomenal service from Myles, our waiter. He was attentive, funny, and not hover-ish.
The portions arent huge, but they are "just enough" to where you probably wont be bringing anything home, but you also wont still be hungry, and there is some parking. I'll definitely be back!
OK, so the Christmas/Winter cocktails WERE back. I think our bartender didn't get what we were asking for. Even though the "Snow Job" martini sounds ridiculous, it is oh so good. I have no shame ordering it. haha, "Can I have a snow job?"
Brunch here is delightful (special shout out to the AWESOME bloody marys), dinner very good, and in general it's a great place to eat. The prices for drinks and food are very reasonable.
There is a PARKING LOT. On a Friday evening it's pretty full, but you can park easily in the street.
The clientele has shifted it seems (a little away from hot gay dudes to a little towards big mean looking lesbians) , this dissapoints me slightly as I loved the eye candy, but people there in general are still great, and I love hanging out at the bar. I find it to be an accepting environment no matter your sexual orientation.
The atmosphere is very cool, and for the most part the service is very good. Recently, I think, they hired a new tattooed, ostentatious hostess who I think is nice enough, but a little weird and slightly gruff. Â
I frequent Dbar cause it's close to me, but I would drive there from another part of town for the snow job martini or brunch anyday. One additional note: I saw the owner on 'Chopped'. He seemed really full of himself and I was dissapointed I didn't love him, but it doesn't translate to his establishment. It's hip and easy to be in. Check it!
OK....Quick impressions as a restaurant. Â (I realize that someone else might experience them simply as a bar/club.)
I stopped in here a few times to get a nice dinner, and I was surprised on a couple of counts. Â One, was the food...it was nice, homey, innovative and comfort food. Â (Usually bars serve "pub food" burgers and fries.)
Second, I was surprised at the prices. Â EEK! Â
WHile I enjoyed my meal and funkly atmosphere...I don't think I can leave with a $32 tab for just myself. Â If I was going to sine with someone else and pay those prices, it wouldn't be here. Â
Try it....you might enjoy it. Â But I don't think it is going to attract regulars for dinner.
I am certainly a stiffler for superior service, but when the staff is premium, AND super dreamy... well... you've made yourself another fan.
Seriously though, the bartenders are super attentive and friendly... and I think I turned into a thirteen year-old girl for a hot second, because I was developing twenty crushes on the waiters and bartenders all at the same time.
I haven't eaten at Dbar yet, but the from the few times I've been now, I sure would like to give it a try.
I have a secret. Do you promise not to tell anyone...?
I LOVE SHOW TUNES!!!!! Ugh. There. I said it. I really do love show tunes. The fact that "Glee" is on in less than an hour is one of the more exciting parts of my week, so you can only imagine my excitement upon learning about Show Tunes Tuesdays at DBar in Dorchester. You mean alcohol and musicals don't exclusively mix at college theater parties? Fantastic.
The DJ was wonderful and clearly having a great time bringing the greatest hits of Broadway and beyond. Especially memorable was the tribute to Patrick Swayze with clips from "Dirty Dancing", "To Wong Foo" and "Ghost". Definitely a great blend of old and new - one minute you were watching an SNL musical bit featuring Zac Efron, the next minute Ben Vereen was belting out "Bye Bye Blackbird".
Oh. Right. This is also a bar. The drinks were great - neither watered down nor undrinkably alcoholic. The service was fast and friendly, and I was impressed that with such a packed place the servers were still able to expertly deliver drinks without a spill.
I plan on returning to DBar for many Show Tunes Tuesdays to come. A wonderful respite for a (now un-closeted) musical theater fan :-)
Do you see this big ass goofy grin? Yea? It's from Show Tune Tuesday. I am a girl who loves my showtunes and my gays. I got quite a fill of both last night!
The dark wood and black leather seats in the restaurant give the place such a masculine feel. The bar was packed and 90% of the seats as well. There wasn't a ton of room to dance to show tunes, but some were not concerned about this and made use of the space available. The DJ was fantastic, having a ball in the booth. He also aired some great montages in honor of the late Patrick Swazye.
The drinks were poured with a heavy hand, something I will never complain about. Everyone who was working at the bar was super attractive, too.
Not a bad place to spend an evening people watching and singing.
FRUIT FLY REVIEW:
So now I know where all the hot guys are in Boston. Â At Showtune Tuesday at dbar. Â The catch? Â Yeah, none of them were looking at me because they're aaaaaall gay as the day. Â Life is so not fair.
Still this bar made up for my sulkiness and perked me up with some showtunes! Â I loved singing "Time of my Life," a little Whitney and a whole lot of Broadway with my gays as we enjoyed great drinks. Â The place was packed and totally cool with its dim lighting, dark leather booths, wooden walls and golden light fixtures. Â Staff was super helpful and the DJ was hilarious. Â It started to get frisky around midnight - I can't imagine why... A gay old time indeed!
If there was a 2.5 stars, I would have gone with that... but I went with 3 (instead of 2) because its my old neighborhood and it was a welcome change of pace when this place opened. Â
DBar is a great little spot for the local "dorchester gay elite" to go and hang out and be Chatty Kathies, while pretending they are not part of the now defunt "south end gay elite." Â If you are not part of either group, or don't know someone on the staff at DBar, look out because chances are you're not going to get the best service in the world. Â Most likely your server will be leaning on the end of the bar with the other servers on staff that night, seemingly trying to ignore their tables. Â I'm poking fun, but there is some truth to this. Â I've been to Dbar more times than I can even think to count and every time i've been, I always walk away with the feeling that i'm an inconvenience for the staff there. Â
The drinks are ok and over priced, same with the food, and the music is WAY TOO LOUD for dinner. Â Its like trying to eat and have conversation in an Abercrombie and Fitch. Â The decorations are cutsy and sorta work for an old irish Dorchester bar trying to be upscale posh. Â Basically its overpriced mediocrity that is striving to be better, but is falling short of the mark. Â Good thing gay Dorchester loves this and eats it up as it was a welcome addition to the dying scene in Boston a few years back. Â Hopefully with age, the attitude of the servers and the bar as a whole will start to improve.
This bar might be more aptly named Dbag: land of the alpha gays. I like a good pub-like gay bar as much as the next homo, but call it what it is, please. Don't put tacky color changing lights all over the walls and blast asinine music directly into my ears. If I'm not mistaken, all we homos like to hear when we go out are dance remixes of five-year-old R&B hits. It's time to diversify, people! And what gay bar doesn't have a disco ball? Betch please!
And let's talk about gentrification. Of course, every non-affluent neighborhood in Boston would be so lucky to be blessed with the presence of a place like the Dbag. Once the gays move in you know it wont be long before the neighborhood is full of breeders pushing around baby strollers. Maybe then the city will finally install bike lanes on Dorchester ave. The presence of a parking lot, and the fact that one must enter the bar only through the parking lot entrance, really minimizes the chance of encountering any unsavory Dorchester locals.
But I digress. My outrage at the Dbag was ultimately sparked by the presence of some strange sweet liqueur in my martini. If you do not know that a martini should contain ONLY gin and a small portion of vermouth, you have absolutely no business making drinks for paying customers. Unforgivable. Perhaps the establishment assumes that we homos only like teeth-rotteningly sweet drinks.
Ultimately, this is the bar I would come to if I were looking for a husband to buy a South End condo and raise labradoodle puppies with. Until then I will hold onto my integrity, thank you very much.
Love it here. Great music, friendly people, stylish decor, extensive Bloody Mary selection.
I've only eaten here for brunch, but it's one of my favorites. The decadent steak and eggs is petit filet drenched in buttery Mornay sauce, good scrambled eggs with chive and these addictive skinny french fries. The drunken lobster omelet with sweet corn is a buttery delight, and eggs benedict is made with asparagus, a welcome twist on the original. Huevos rancheros over home fries and fried corn tortillas is good as well, though there was something missing to round out the flavors that I couldn't place -- maybe the pico could have used some lime or something. The check for two brunches and two coffees will come in under $30. Wonderful neighborhood spot.
This is my stand-by local eating/drinking spot where my partner and I can walk to. Â The food is never a let down, drinks are great and I always feel welcome. Â I have overheard the owner and other staff say that this isn't a gay bar. Â Well, Tuesday nights is Show Tunes night (ahem) and every Friday and Saturday night you can find the dining room cleared and boy boy, girl girl couples dancing merrily. Â None of this is a bad thing, but let's just call a duck a duck. Â K?
Personally, I love the place, BUT I happen to be the clientele that they cater to... allegedly.....
I went to the DBar last night for an event hosted by the amazing Queer Women of Color Boston for its QWOC Week. The bar is very sleek, very upscale, and caters to a gay clientele.
The menu offers a nice variety of options (the calimari is good and comes with three different sauces); my partner had the soft shell crab appetizer (she said it was good overall, but the batter could have been seasoned more), and chicken under a brick (very good, and the mashed potatoes were pretty tasty). My drink of choice was a vodka gimlet (I'm bringing it back, ya'll), but it wasn't until my third one that they got it right: I think I had two vodka martinis and the lime juice didn't show up until later. I was very clear about a gimlet, but, apparently, something got miscommunicated on the way from the waiter to the bartender.
But yeah, I drank it.
Now, here's where it gets good: so, as I said, Dbar is gay friendly, but that does not translate to being gay WOMEN friendly, or even multicultural friendly. When we arrived, the server got all bent because we asked him to sit at a different table--he wanted us to sit practically on the couple's laps next to us, and the place was fairly empty--weird. The waiter kept bringing us our check even though we were clearly not finished (with a barely concealed look of anger when we reminded him we were still eating/drinking/chatting--but he did not do the same thing to the couples around us), and generally, the vibe was, yeah, spend your money here, but if you're not from the neighborhood, if you're not a gay man, and if you're not White, don't stay.
It's like this bar is an oasis of yuppie-ness in the hood, and some people like it. I was sitting next to a couple who were cooing over having just put a bid in on a condo for 55K--a nice dose of gentrifcation to enhance my dining pleasure!
And it's not like I go looking for experiences and places to confront inequality, but jeez...I gotta call it when I see it.
It's sad because Dorchester needs a place like this, but I don't need to frequent places where I'm not welcome. Maybe it was an off night? Don't think so. I've been there a few times and the feeling is pretty consistent. And it's not like I'm not friendly, not courteous, not...decent. I only expect the same, want to enjoy my company and dining experience without feeling rushed out the door, and yeah, want my friggin' GIMLET!
Lets see, I am a single guy living in the South End. Â I like clothes, food and wine. Â You are thinking immediately: gay.
Put the dreaded "Gaydar" down, I am not gay, just vain and self absorbed.....
But anyway Dbar is a mostly gay bar with darn good food. Â The appetizers are excellent especially the spring rolls, and they do have great drinks if you are into it. Â
From a business standpoint, it is a renaissance from the mediocre Irish wannabe pub that it replaced....At night, they have a DJ and dance music...
dbar was not what I expected, but my expectations were clearly based on a presumption. Â This is what I was expecting: Â homey sports bar with a lot of Rolling Rock bottles clinking, standard pub grub, several Southie transplants with t-shirts rolled up to expose the shamrock tattoos.
Instead I found: Â chic bar with beautiful cherry wood wainscoting and rather phallic light fixtures. Â Sensational patio set in zen garden with -- you sit down right now in lotus position for this revelation -- an herb garden ON THE ROOF. Â The menu was extremely upscale, considering the location between Savin Hill and Fields Corner. Â Most entrees were between $17 - $20. Â I was hoping that there would at least be a sandwich for under $10, but evidently that was not what dbar was trying to deliver. Â I got the Chicken on a Brick (or was it under a brick?) and it was magnificent. Â Everything was so flavorful and there was plenty for sharing. Â
Service was attentive and knowledgable, and I'll look forward to seeing the staff again soon.
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