Abby Lane is a 200-seat restaurant and bar located in the heart of Boston’s Theater District at 255 Tremont Street. It opened in November 2012 to much fanfare with a sleek new interior that was designed by HGTV designer and Massachusetts native, Taniya Nayak. Chef Jason Santos who is still perhaps best known for his time on television’s popular cooking competition, Hell’s Kitchen, is the executive chef.
The menu at Abby Lane offers a bit of something for everyone but with only approximately a half dozen main plates, we turned our attention to the rest of the menu that is divided into small plates, soups & salads, sandwiches & burgers and pizzas. With some helpful tips from the bar staff we settled on the Shitake and Goat Cheese Pizza ($13) and the Abby Burger ($14).
While the bar was comfortable and the staff helpful and friendly, we both agreed that the food was not memorable. Even though the pizza looked delicious when served, the crust was bland and the toppings lacked the flavors we expected. The burger also looked delicious, served with fried onion rings and toppings piled high but unfortunately the bun was a bit stale, the ground beef lacked the grilled flavor I had hoped for and tasted a bit dry.
Despite a disappointing dinner, the look and location of Abby Lane ensure that it will be quite successful, serving crowds each evening that come for a quick bite either before or after attending a show at one of the Theater District’s many play houses. I’m just not sure that I’ll be among them in the future.
Abby Lane — 255 Tremont Street — 617.451.2229
BosGuy 