BOSTON – A South Boston bar has been named one of the best in the United States. L Street Tavern, famous for being featured in Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s “Good Will Hunting,” landed on USA Today’s list of the 27 best bars in America for 2024.
For decades, the bar has been a popular spot in Southie for watching Boston sports or enjoying a St. Patrick’s Day gathering.
“Tourists from around the world visit,” USA Today writes. “Seven wide-screen televisions line the wood-paneled walls for Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots fans to watch games while drinking L Street’s most popular drink: Guinness in a 20-ounce glass”
L Street Tavern’s “Good Will Hunting” connection
L Street Tavern is a must-visit for “Good Will Hunting” fans, serving as the hangout spot for Damon and Affleck’s characters.. Memorabilia from the 1997 movie that won Robin Williams an Academy Award is displayed prominently in the bar.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
“Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, we didn’t know who they were,” longtime employee Kevin Turner previously told WBZ-TV. “This was the stepping stone of their career.”
L Street Tavern ownership changed in 2024
Jack and Susan Woods, who owned L Street Tavern for 27 years, sold it to the Medico family earlier this year. The new owners of the bar promised to “continue its neighborhood traditions.”
“They’re going to keep it a neighborhood bar,” Turner said.
USA Today said the establishments on its list “represent the best neighborhood taverns, the finest cocktail meccas, the coziest wine bars and the beachiest beach bars.” Click here to see the other notable bars that made the cut.
