Small Bite: House of Brews


We were excited when the owners of Bukowski’s, long one of the Hub’s best watering holes, opened the Lower Depths Tap Room in the old Deli Haus space in Kenmore Square. Problem is…


We were excited when the owners of Bukowski’s, long one of the Hub’s best watering holes, opened the Lower Depths Tap Room in the old Deli Haus space in Kenmore Square. Problem is, like its Red Sox neighbors, the Lower Depths mixes some nice hits with a few disappointing whiffs. We liked the impressive rotating selection of 16 beers on tap, along with about 80 more in bottles, and we appreciated the unpretentious vibe.

But the house music was loud and even angry (at times it sounded like whales mating, which is not the kind of melody to which we like to slay our brews). The food, too, was a little uneven: The fish tacos tasted a bit too fishy, and our high hopes for the cleverly named Mackin’ Cheese were dashed when the rotini and andouille arrived in a near flavorless cheese sauce. But—and this might be the Lower Depths’ saving grace—it serves Fenway Franks on the traditional buttered New England–style roll for just a buck. The joint isn’t a home run. But there’s nothing wrong with a solid double.

476 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-266-6662.