Lincoln Tavern and Restaurant in South Boston fought through multiple rounds of “Pizza Week” for Eater.com, and was dubbed by public vote to be the best pizza place in Boston, beating out 47 other competitors. But just how good is their pizza? The “Fried Chicken,” “Margherita,” and White Pizza” were all delicious.
The flavor of the ingredients and toppings are brought to the forefront because of the thin crust. The pizzas are all cooked on a wood fire grill.
“Fried Chicken” ($14) has cheddar cheese, shaved red onion, roasted corn, and ranch. The chunks of chicken were tender, and appreciated in place of the chopped-up frozen chicken tenders that many kitchens succumb to. The cheddar and homemade ranch, which appeared to have dill in it, blended into a prominently creamy flavor.
On top of the “Margherita” ($11) were melted disks of mozzarella, olive oil, and basil. Be careful when biting, as the viscosity of the mozzarella makes it liable to pull off the pizza, leaving only sauce. The sauce is tart and flavorful, and showcases fresh basil– the most important component of this pizza.
“White Pizza” is a sweet and savory pizza. It has apple, drizzled Katz honey, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, and pecorino. With the cheese choices being subtle, the sweetness is all the more prominent, and the pizza verges on being a dessert.
Although Lincoln pizza is thin crust, the cylinder at the top makes for a great hand hold, and should satiate crust lovers. The exterior of this possesses medium amount of give and a fluffy interior.
The pies at Lincoln Tavern and Grill are larger-portioned personal pizzas. Expect to either bring home a slice or leave stuffed. This is definitely a good value, as they range from $9 to $14; cheap as dinner entrees go.
Other pizzas on the menu are “Cheeseburger,” “Butternut Squash,” and “Vegetable.” “Cheeseburger” ($12) is topped with cheddar cheese, bits of bacon crumble, caramelized onions, and hamburger. The “Butternut Squash” pizza ($12) has butternut squash, bacon, caramelized onions, fontina cheese, pecorino, and a little rosemary oil. The “Vegetable” ($12) pizza is not your average vegetable pizza, with goat cheese, artichokes, olives, asparagus, mushrooms, red peppers, chili flakes, and pesto.
Need an appetizer before your slices? The Tuna Avocado ($13) is a delicate cut of raw tuna, dressed in a soy sauce reduction and scallion ginger sauce, over slices of avocado and toasted bread. The jalapeno flavored “Anson Mills Polenta Fries” are speckled with corn, resting above a line of pesto, and come with grilled red pepper aioli for dipping. The flavor of the fries was close to that of fried dough.
If you like to wash your pizza down with beer, Lincoln has draught staples like Sam Adams ($6) and Guinness ($6), and the less common Allagash White ($6), and Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union ($6). Some of their bottled beers are Yuengling ($5), a popular southern beer recently finding traction in the northeast, and the fun Wells Banana Bread ($7).
Lincoln Tavern and Grill is located at 425 West Broadway in South Boston. The décor is classic tavern, with lots of black. The brick walls and original tin ceiling of the previous inhabitants give it an authentic “Southie” vibe.
On Friday night the place is bustling, with waits upwards of 45 minutes, so don’t expect to be able to walk in and snag a booth– definitely make a reservation. Standing by the long bar that extends across the two sections of the restaurant is an option while waiting for space to open up.
Southie pizza joint honored as best in Boston
September 27, 2014

Personal pizzas at Lincoln Tavern at South Boston