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Boston Restaurant Blog >> 2009 archives >> October, 2009 >> blog entry

Boston Restaurant Blog -- October, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009

Bar Food at Buddy's Union Villa, North Easton

Easton is a pretty nice town, but even nice towns need their dive bars and local roadhouses. And this pleasant community about a half hour south of Boston certainly has one in Buddy's Union Villa. Now I have been to "The Villa" before, but had not tried any of their food until recently. And while their bar food is just that--bar food--it's better than what you might find at many similar places around the Boston area, as both their bar pizza and boneless buffalo wings are really quite good.

photo of Buddy's Union Villa, North Easton, MA Situated on a mostly wooded stretch of Route 138 that is as straight as an arrow, Buddy's Union Villa is located in an old wooden structure that gives it the feel of a classic roadside tavern. From the live music drifting out the door to the parking lot full of trucks and motorcycles to the neon signs out front, The Villa might appear a bit rough to those who don't know the place--or the area--but it's perfectly safe, and actually attracts a diverse mix of families, retirees, bikers, truckers, and others. The inside of The Villa is pretty simple and straightforward, with an old wooden floor, a jukebox in the front, a bar taking up the left half of the space, a dining room with booths and tables to the right, and a small area back and to the right where singers and bands play.

On our most recent trip to Buddy's Union Villa about a week ago, I actually looked at a menu there (didn't even know they had one), deciding whether to get a chili dog or perhaps a grilled chicken sandwich or maybe a burger. But I remembered hearing that their bar pizza was pretty good, so I ordered a hamburger pizza along with an appetizer of boneless buffalo wings. The wings were surprisingly good, reminding me a bit of those at Cambridge Common in Cambridge, which are probably my favorite boneless wings anywhere. The ones at The Villa were similarly meaty and coated with a moderately hot marinade that had the same thick consistency that those at Cambridge Common have. The bar pie was also impressive, with lots of salty cheese and grease on top (a must for bar pizza), sauce that seemed to come out of a can (actually another must for bar pizza, believe it or not), and a crust that was perhaps a bit more chewy than cracker-like (I prefer a crispier crust). The overall taste wasn't quite up to the level of those at The Lynwood in nearby Randolph, but granted it's very difficult to reach the heights of their bar pies. Beers were mostly what you would expect at a place like this, with relatively cheap pitchers of brew coming to our group at a good clip (we had maybe 15 people at our table).

Buddy's Union Villa may not be the place to go for a quiet date, and folks who don't like a loud, boisterous atmosphere might be put off by the spot, but I really like it. To me, The Villa is a perfect place to go with a group of friends and have a good time without worrying about dressing up or spending tons of money on a Saturday night. The place ain't pretty, but it is what it is, and for that I give it a pretty enthusiastic thumbs-up.

If you would like the address for Buddy's Union Villa, here it is: Buddy's Union Villa, 190 Washington Street (Route 138), North Easton, MA, 02356. Phone: (508) 238-2625.

Union Villa of N Easton on Urbanspoon

Related Blog Entries: bar pizza, Easton restaurants

11 COMMENTS:
No thanks said:
It is a dump. Pulling the area down....
Posted on 3/10/10
Kel said:
How is it a dump? Great food and great family place I would have to say.
Posted on 9/11/10
FC said:
If you're not a regular don't bother, the bartender caters to the usual bar flys and the atmosphere sucks! Pizza is greasy as hell. Even if I had a free gift certificate I would rather stay home and make a tuna sandwich.
Posted on 10/23/10
dda said:
I think the the food is great! We enjoy going there a few time a week! They have plenty of TVs to watch your favorite sports games. They put out free pizza on Patriots game days. A pitcher of beer and free pizza what's better than that! p.s. Try the Buffalo wings!
Posted on 11/4/10
ss/tb said:
We thought they have good food and a friendly atmosphere, had good service and we were visiting from PA. Also will revisit on our next trip up.
Posted on 11/16/10
mj said:
The sauce does come from a can but they also add their own home made spices and of course the pizza is greasy it's pizza I dare you to walk in there and call the place a dump it may be old because it is Easton's oldest bar and grill.
Posted on 12/5/10
buddy'sbaby said:
I am Buddy's Granddaughter and I would just like to say thank you to the wonderful customers that have politely commented on this article for those others we accept your criticism and will work hard to improve on our imperfections :)
Posted on 3/5/11
JL said:
I grew up in Brockton and went to Stonehill in the early 1990s. Buddy's was great back then. Great wings, great bar pizza, and beer by the pitcher...what more could you ask for? I live in Boston now and only wish that there was a neighborhood place like Buddy's.
Posted on 5/5/11
no needed said:
THE VILLA ROCKS!
-if the musical too loud you're too old-
Awesome friendly people. I love the ok atmosphere it shows the aspect of the place. BUDDY was the best guy around, would give the shirt off his back for anyone that walked in. Don't call this place a dump, it rocks!
Posted on 3/7/12
th said:
Looking forward to stopping in, just moved to the area, very close to the villa :)
Posted on 9/14/12
member of the class of '84 said:
I wish I was eating some delicious villa pizza right now. This place is not the Ritz...whew! Good pizza, good people and cold beer. If I lived in Easton, I'd be a regular. Gotta plan a trip soon to satisfy my villa craving!
Posted on 10/3/12

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