Pizza at the New Brown Jug, Chelsea

[hiddenboston]

My buddy Rich O (from other forums) and I tried out the New Brown Jug in Chelsea last night. Overall impressions were: Excellent bar pizza, cheap pitchers of beer, generous pouring of shots by the bartender, and, well, a rather scary bar area that guys have to walk through to get to the bathroom (the ladies room is in the dining area).

First the pizza: Thin, cracker-like crust, with a bit of cornmeal on the bottom (unlike many pan pizzas that are served at a bar). Decent, zesty sauce with more than a hint of garlic, and a chewy mix of cheeses on top. If you like plain pizzas, you can get one with a pitcher of beer for about $13.00, which is a pretty good deal. In addition to a plain pizza and a pepperoni/meatball pizza, we also tried a chicken parm calzone, which was pretty tasty, with plenty of sesame seeds in the dough.

The pitchers of beer and the uber-shot of JD forced me to make a trip through the bar. Walking through there, I almost felt like Sean Penn in "Bad Boys," with people on each side of me giving me the fish eye as I walked through the narrow area to the bathroom. The bathroom itself was pretty nasty, with duct tape holding the pipes together and a boarded up window on the outer wall.

I think I'd rate Brown Jug's pizza at about the same level as Monte's in Lynn or the Alumni in Quincy, though I think the Lynwood in Randolph still makes my favorite bar pie.

[Infomaniac]

I've been a fan of The Brown Jug for a long time. I still have a hard time calling it The New Brown Jug.
I'll note that you can order your pizza with double dough if you don't like to thin of a crust. I go both ways depending on what kind of toppings I order. My favorite calzone there is the pork with vinegar peppers.

[Joanie]

I loved Bad Boys. And Sean Penn. And Esai Morales. Thanks for the memory jog. I seldom have "bar pizza" but need to discover Chelsea, so this may be worth a trip.

[hiddenboston]

Definitely worth the trip, not just for the pizza, but for the dive atmosphere. The dining room area is almost charming in a weird way, with its high-backed wooden booths and the 60s-era linoleum floor. Our waitress was great, too; gregarious, funny, and she knew exactly when we needed more alcohol. ;-b

[taxi]

Thanks for the reminder. I have heard that the pizza is terrific there. Also, great band playing there next Saturday night - the Elle Gallo Band. She (Elle) has a wonderful ly mellifluous sound.

[BaileysMom521]

I've heard great things about the Jug but have never been. However, I HAVE seen the Elle Gallo Band when I was dragged to a dive in Lynn and she would be the only reason I stayed. She's a big fan of Beth Hart if I remember correctly which makes me smile :)