Boston Restaurant Blog -- October, 2009

Easton is a pretty nice town, but even nice towns need their dive bars and local roadhouses. And this pleasant community about a half hour south of Boston certainly has one in Buddy's Union Villa. Now I have been to "The Villa" before, but had not tried any of their food until recently. And while their bar food is just that--bar food--it's better than what you might find at many similar places around the Boston area, as both their bar pizza and boneless buffalo wings are really quite good.

Situated on a mostly wooded stretch of Route 138 that is as straight as an arrow, Buddy's Union Villa is located in an old wooden structure that gives it the feel of a classic roadside tavern. From the live music drifting out the door to the parking lot full of trucks and motorcycles to the neon signs out front, The Villa might appear a bit rough to those who don't know the place--or the area--but it's perfectly safe, and actually attracts a diverse mix of families, retirees, bikers, truckers, and others. The inside of The Villa is pretty simple and straightforward, with an old wooden floor, a jukebox in the front, a bar taking up the left half of the space, a dining room with booths and tables to the right, and a small area back and to the right where singers and bands play.

On our most recent trip to Buddy's Union Villa about a week ago, I actually looked at a menu there (didn't even know they had one), deciding whether to get a chili dog or perhaps a grilled chicken sandwich or maybe a burger. But I remembered hearing that their bar pizza was pretty good, so I ordered a hamburger pizza along with an appetizer of boneless buffalo wings. The wings were surprisingly good, reminding me a bit of those at Cambridge Common in Cambridge, which are probably my favorite boneless wings anywhere. The ones at The Villa were similarly meaty and coated with a moderately hot marinade that had the same thick consistency that those at Cambridge Common have. The bar pie was also impressive, with lots of salty cheese and grease on top (a must for bar pizza), sauce that seemed to come out of a can (actually another must for bar pizza, believe it or not), and a crust that was perhaps a bit more chewy than cracker-like (I prefer a crispier crust). The overall taste wasn't quite up to the level of those at The Lynwood in nearby Randolph, but granted it's very difficult to reach the heights of their bar pies. Beers were mostly what you would expect at a place like this, with relatively cheap pitchers of brew coming to our group at a good clip (we had maybe 15 people at our table).

Buddy's Union Villa may not be the place to go for a quiet date, and folks who don't like a loud, boisterous atmosphere might be put off by the spot, but I really like it. To me, The Villa is a perfect place to go with a group of friends and have a good time without worrying about dressing up or spending tons of money on a Saturday night. The place ain't pretty, but it is what it is, and for that I give it a pretty enthusiastic thumbs-up.

If you would like the address for Buddy's Union Villa, here it is: Buddy's Union Villa, 190 Washington Street (Route 138), North Easton, MA, 02356. Phone: (508) 238-2625.

Related Blog Entries: bar pizza, Easton restaurants

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on October 23, 2009.
RSS | Post A Comment

1 COMMENT:
No thanks said:
It is a dump. Pulling the area down....
Posted on 3/10/10

Search by Cuisine | Search by Region | Search by Cost | Special Features | About | Contact | Sitemap
Questions, Answers | Restaurant Blog | Your Favorite Restaurants | Unreviewed Restaurants | Home