There’s no shortage of good beer around these parts, and Elm Street Taproom brings the cream of the crop to one cozy location in the heart of Davis Square. It’s a convivial neighborhood joint with local brews in abundance, long tables for mingling, and shareable pub-food that manages to be both elevated and craveable. And if all that isn’t reason enough to come back, you can join the Mug Club and taste your way through the full gauntlet of more than 60 beers to achieve taproom immortality in the form of a custom mug above the bar.
The menu is broken down into the three essential categories of barroom dining: Snacks, Shares, and Sandwiches. Within each section you’ll find a healthy balance of fried, braised, umami munchies and chefy, experimental, lighter fare. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are plentiful and marked as such, and all of the plates are small enough that should you find yourself torn between any two items, just get both.
The space at Elm Street Taproom glows like warm copper. You’ll feel at ease surrounded by naked wood, worn paint, and red brick on the walls, illuminated by Edison bulbs and gold on the ceiling. The long bar is the star of the show, with a couple of TVs and a rolling wooden ladder poised for mug retrieval. Two communal farm tables in the center of the room make it clear that this is a place to rub elbows with your neighbors. The windows open in the summer, with tables that feel al fresco overlooking the street and plush banquettes in the back for winter nights away from the cold.
The liquid portion of the menu makes it clear that they were serious about the “taproom” moniker. There are 40 draught lines behind the bar, with a range of craft beers from near and far (but mostly near). There are another 40 in bottles and cans, too, and if you drink them all you’ll get your very own 24-ounce mug on the shelf behind the bar. If you’re not feeling beer, the bartender will happily shake you up a creative house cocktail or pour you a glass of wine from the short but very sweet and well-rounded list.
256 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
