Fat Baby is a playful neighborhood joint housed in the colorful bottom floor of a Southie triple-decker that happily challenges the notion that nobody’s full after going out for sushi. They serve all styles of Asian cuisine, from street noodles to nigiri, so whether you’re looking for snacks or supper you can’t go wrong, with a splashy roster of cocktails, sake and beer from near and Far East that’ll pair perfectly with whatever you order.
Fat Baby is a nod to the simple, hospitable bars on the corner of East Asian neighborhoods, where you can drop in for a no-frills snack and enjoy a cold one. You’ll find influences from all over, from Asian-flavored American bar classics like wings and fries to traditional dumplings and rangoons. The menu is divided into Snacks, Veggies, Dumplings, Poke, Sushi, and Noodles & Rice, providing exhaustive amounts of brothy, noodly, cooked, raw, or vegetarian deliciousness for both weekend brunch and nightly dinner.
The Fat Baby facade pops with a brightly-colored mural of plants and flowers, hinting at the fun inside. Step in out of the cold and you’ll find a vibrant, casual atmosphere of knotty wood planks and exposed brick. The room is illuminated with countless brass light-fixtures glowing gold from the ceiling, reflected in a hammered brass bar at the heart of the restaurant. It’s the kind of place you’ll feel at home jostling for space with your neighbors and sharing a laugh with a stranger.
Across that pretty bar top you can order a playful array of Asian-inspired cocktails that take cues from the menu. House-made infusions and ingredients from the kitchen play a big part in creating funky flavors that you might drink out of a glass, a bowl, or an adult-sized juice box. A short and sweet sake list lends a little authenticity to the beverage selection, and if you combine it with one of the Japanese beers on the menu you can have yourself a merry little sake bomb. The wine list has just enough to satisfy your needs, and everything is local when it can be.
Fat Baby serves dinner seven nights a week and brunch on weekends starting at 11am. The bar is open ’til 1.
118 Dorchester Street
Boston, MA 02127
