BOSTON – L Street Tavern, the Irish pub featured in the Academy Award-winning movie “Good Will Hunting,” has made national news: The South Boston favorite was one of 27 included on the 2024 USA TODAY Bars of the Year list.
The list was created by USA TODAY Network food writers throughout the country and includes everything from humble dives to high-end cocktail bars.
“It’s a historical place, a true neighborhood bar and the first place I came and legally had a beer,” said co-owner Mark Medico, who grew up in “Southie” and was also a bartender at L Street for 25 years.
What makes L Street Tavern stand out
Twenty-seven years ago, L Street Tavern, at the corner of L and East 8th streets in South Boston, gained worldwide fame. The bar was chosen by film scouts for scenes in “Good Will Hunting,” starring Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Minnie Driver.
The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards in early 1998. Williams won for Best Supporting Actor and Damon and Affleck, who were not well known at the time, won Best Screenplay, launching their successful careers.
How the list of best bars was decided:USA TODAY’s Bars of the Year for 2024
The same high-top table where one of the most hilarious scenes involving Affleck, Damon and Driver was filmed remains in place, covered with movie photos and historic Oscar night memorabilia.
A South Boston favorite makes the list:USA TODAY named its Bars of the Year
Tourists from throughout the world visit every week, said Medico. Affleck has stopped in over the years, once with Jennifer Lopez.
Dr. Dana Crawford, a newlywed from New York, recently brought his Irish wife, Erin Conway, to L Street, as part of her first tour of Boston, the city where he grew up. They were able to sit at the historic high-top table.
“If you come to Southie, this is a landmark,” Crawford said.
L Street Tavern has managed to stay the same, despite dramatic changes in the area since the days of Irish mobster Whitey Bulger, Medico said.
Newcomers move into the neighborhood every few years and become regulars at L Street, he said.
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 oz. glass.
Annual traditions at L Street include a four-day St. Patrick’s Day celebration that includes Irish music and step dancing, and the L Street Brownies’ gathering before their annual New Year’s Day swim at nearby M Street Beach.
While the L Street Tavern has no food on its menu, patrons can bring their own.
“It’s successful the way it is,” Medico said.
The location of the bar dates back to the Prohibition Era (1920-1933) when it operated as a speakeasy.
Details: 658 E. 8th St., Boston; 617-752-4947, lsttavernsouthie.com
