YUM. Image via Back Deck Facebook page
Mayor Menino is trying to make Downtown Crossing all awesome and stuff, and what way to make a neighborhood more awesome than by throwing a party in the streets? He hosted a shindig on Monday night celebrating $3 million in investments to improve the area, showing off new bike racks, improved infrastructure and treats for local businesses.
One such local business is Back Deck, a newly-opened restaurant whose theme is grilling, and we had the chance to check it out on Monday. The place is designed to look like — what else? — your neighbor’s back deck with wooden tables, an umbrella-esque structure over the bar and a giant spatula out front. The menu boasts tons of items you’d see at your typical backyard barbecue, including burgers, steaks, skewers, wings and coleslaw, as well as cocktail choices featuring lemonade, cucumber and watermelon.
Of course, no backyard barbeque would be complete without a campfire to conclude it, and nothing goes better with a campfire than a healthy dose of s’mores. Back Deck knows what’s up and offers the treat as a dessert. Now, I’m a fan of s’mores in general, but from the menu description — “S’mores with our own graham crackers & espresso marshmallow” — these don’t sound like anything different. That is, until you bite into them.
To die for. Image via Molly Galler/Pop.Bop.Shop
Here’s why Back Deck is innovative with their s’mores: Homemade graham crackers FTW! The Back Deck crackers are coated with glistening sugar, and unlike a traditional graham cracker, it’s rather soft to the bite, almost like a cookie. It’s paired perfectly with the espresso marshmallow, which gives the s’mores a refreshingly grown-up taste for what’s so often a kiddie dessert.
Oh, and they don’t skimp on the chocolate. According to a Facebook post, Back Deck uses Hershey chocolate bars for their s’mores, melting them just enough so that the chocolate oozes across the graham cracker and across the marshmallow at the perfect ratio. Actually, everything about this dessert is perfect. I would come here solely for the dessert.
Don’t take my word on this perfection, though. Here is what the blogsphere is saying about Back Deck.
Pop.Bop.Shop:
All of the things we had ordered were simply a lead up to why we really came: dessert. We had seen earlier in the day that the signature dessert at Back Deck was s’mores….
The graham cracker was cakey as opposed to crumbly. As such, the s’more stuck a bit more to the roof of your mouth. The espresso marshmallow was the star of the dish. That subtle hint of coffee took each bite to the next level. The Hershey bar melted out the sides of the sandwich, smudging across your fingers and giving you a reason to lick them in public.
Beantown Eats:
The Back Deck really delivers with local beer and local ingredients. Was it the best hamburger I’ve ever had? No, but it’s reasonably priced and nicely cooked…In an area flanked by fast food chains and upscale hotel restaurants, it provides Downtown Crossing with a casual burger joint to chow on some wings while throwing back a few beers with friends.
Freedom to Dine:
Back Deck certainly beckons us to visit during the high heat of summer. Between the use of wood “decking” for flooring, the teak furniture, patio “umbrellas” and an abundance of live plants, one is transformed to a true “outdoor” space. Even the large windows open up to Washingoton Street, weather permitting (on our visit we enjoyed the a/c). However, I know I’d be just as inclined to visit during the cold winter months when I’m pining for the long lost days of summer!
Have you tried the s’mores at Back Deck?