When the sundown hours set in and you head back to the ranch, it’s not difficult to feel like a lone ranger as the herds that pack the Financial District and neighboring shopping boulevards suddenly scatter. The Ladder District is deserted so quickly after dark, you half expect tumbleweeds to come rolling along. It’s refreshing to know that among the few watering holes that dot the landscape, urban cowboys and cowgirls can hunker down and hydrate themselves at an oasis where friendliness takes the place of corporate logos. At J.J. Foley’s, the old-school, cozy Irish-pub glow is not a mirage. Many who frequent the bar’s downtown locale do not necessarily go there with dinner in mind. If you plunk yourself in a booth or on one of the sturdy stools at a high table and take a quick scan of the menu — plainly displayed on an oversize blackboard alongside mirrors branded with Belhaven and Guinness insignia — you might classify the cuisine as straightforward "bar food." Sure, some selections, like BBQ Buffalo chicken tenders or veggie quesadillas (both $6.75), could certainly be nibbled on by everyone at the table (they’re a great complement to any beer). But if you’re hungry, you’re better off getting your own supper and seeing for yourself why the greasy bar-food stigma need not apply. There’s an added touch of attentiveness to the meals — be it the hand-cut fries or the buns fresh from Iggy’s on which the chicken sandwiches and burgers ($6.75) are served — that embodies the family sensibility at the core of the place. And make no mistake, the business is a family affair. The first of the three Foley’s was opened in 1909 on East Berkeley Street by Jeremiah J. Foley, grandfather of Jim, who is one of the current owners. The JP location doesn’t serve food, and they’re currently building a kitchen at the South End spot. Downtown, however, the menu might not boast an overwhelming range, but the place feels like home. J.J. Foley’s, located at 21 Kingston Street, in Boston, serves dinner daily from 4 to 9 p.m. Call (617) 338-7713.
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