Estelle's also manages to eclipse neighbor/sibling Parish Café as the South End's best beer bar, with 60 bottles and cans and 30 drafts ranging from the fruity, high-test Belgian oomph of Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet ($10.50), to the macro blue-collar refreshment of canned Hamm's ($4.50), to the hoppy, saison-style charms of draft Jack's Abby Private Rye ($6.50). The short, modest wine list ($7–$11.50 by the glass, most bottles in the twenties) won't wow but suits the food: heavily oaked plonk like Rodney Strong Chardonnay ($9/$27) finally meets its food match in that fried chicken. On its sunny corner, with its clean, spare looks and casual service, Estelle's is a versatile addition to the neighborhood, family-friendly enough on school nights, a hopping beer-geek bar on weekends. Your Dixie friends may roll their eyes at the liberties it takes with their cuisine, but Estelle's delivers plenty of Southern comfort for Yankee palates.
>> @MCSLIMJB
ESTELLE'S SOUTHERN CUISINE :: 782 Tremont St, Boston :: 857.250.2999 or estellesboston.com
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Restaurant Reviews
, authenticity, South End, food features