Somerville’s Thirsty Scholar Pub Will Become ‘Welcoming’ Cocktail Bar Tall Order

Tall Order’s Little Panda cocktail. / Courtesy photo

When Tall Order opens later this year in the old Thirsty Scholar Pub space, it’ll be “a friendly neighborhood cocktail bar,” says co-owner Daren Swisher. “Unassuming but welcoming”—a fitting vibe for the longtime pub space nestled in Somerville’s Ward Two, blocks away from the bustle of Inman Square. (The Thirsty Scholar itself was fairly unassuming in its decades of operation, aside from a Hollywood turn as the setting of fictional Mark Zuckerberg getting dumped in the 2010 film The Social Network.)

“We’re excited to be in the driver’s seat for the whole guest experience” at Tall Order, says Swisher. He and co-owner Joseph Cammarata are also behind Best of Boston winner Daiquiris & Daisies at the downtown Boston food hall High Street Place, where their cocktail bar is one of around 20 food and beverage vendors. Previously, the duo co-managed the (very fun) bar at Hojoko in the Fenway.

While the Tall Order menus aren’t finalized yet, Swisher says to expect a lot of low- and no-alcohol drinks, “as well as some more prep-intensive things we don’t have the time or space to do at the food hall.” One cocktail that’ll definitely be on the menu is something the duo calls the Little Panda, which Swisher describes as a Bamboo inflected with the flavors of a Ti’ Punch, made with dry vermouth, fino sherry, sirop de canne, lime, and white rhum agricole. A New England-focused craft beer selection and a “value-driven” wine list will round out the drink options, says Swisher, while the food will be “thoughtful, affordable New American cuisine that we hope the neighborhood responds to.”

Aiming for an early fall opening, Swisher and Cammarata are giving the old Thirsty Scholar space “an overall refresh” without “radical changes,” says Swisher. “We really liked the bones [of the space]: the hardwood floors, the old wooden bar, and the back patio. Somerville has always been high on our list when looking for locations for a standalone concept and finding a room with character—that lived-in charm—was a definite plus. We’re keeping a lot of the existing woodwork and layout but updating the décor and design to help give the space a new identity.”

What are Tall Order’s owners most excited about? “Meeting our new neighbors and being a part of the outstanding bar and restaurant community in Somerville,” says Swisher.

70 Beacon St., Somerville, instagram.com/tallorderbar.