Cafe D'Mongo's Speakeasy

Open since June 2007 on Friday nights only, the “speakeasy” soon achieved critical mass , attracting a crowd of young, mostly white hipsters. What brings them? The drinks list is ordinary, and owner Larry Mongo is less than exacting when it comes to recruiting musicians. So it’s not the drinks and it’s not the tunes, and most patrons don’t hang out for late-night food, either. They could, though. The limited soul food menu features some very fine sides at $3 a la carte, and if the ribs and half-a-barbecued chicken aren’t world-class, they’re at least decent, served in a standard sweet-smoky sauce.