The Delux Café and Lounge in the South End has been discovered — by locals, by visitors, by just about every hip person this side of I-95. But there’s a reason for the crowding, the noise, and the smoke: the Delux is a retro haven of cool, with plenty of attitude. The walls are covered with old records and kitschy posters, and the bar boasts a mini Christmas tree year-round. Even the bathroom walls are postered with pages from the original Eloise, Kay Thompson’s tale about a girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel. So if you can brave fighting for a table and the sometimes slow service (one tiny kitchen and only one waitress for the whole place — so be nice!), the Delux will deliver.
Chef Jim Contreras’s menu changes every six weeks, but you can always count on his chips and fruit salsa ($4.95). The Mediterranean chicken ($8.95), stuffed with sage, prosciutto, and more, tastes the way Mom should have made it. And if you’re looking for something light to go with your pint of local Tremont Ale, try the quesadillas ($4.95 to $6.95, depending on filling) or the Delux Grilled Cheese ($6.95), which comes stuffed with jack cheese, tomatoes, and portobello mushrooms.
There’s no shortage of good food or attitude at the Delux — just make sure you’ve got an appetite and plenty of patience. And your best hipper-than-thou face.
The Delux Café and Lounge, located at 100 Chandler Street, in Boston, is open Monday through Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call (617) 338-5258.
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