Petula’s
Smashburgers and stacked breakfast sandwiches.
Chili chicken wings and buffalo chicken pizzas.
And big bowls of deliciousness whether you’re into pasta or poke.
If you’re looking for something tasty in Southie, it’s time to meet Petula.
Located in South Boston, Petula’s is the lifelong dream of owner Rachel Titcomb, who wanted to create a cozy space where customers can get something tasty and fresh for brunch, lunch or dinner. And since she wanted everyone to feel at home, she named the restaurant in honor of the music that played throughout her childhood home.
“My mother was a huge Petula Clark fan and she would play it every morning growing up…honestly put us in a great mood and it started our day off on the right foot and that was kind of the vibe we're going for here.”
When designing the space, Rachel set out to make a chic yet cozy spot, whether you’re seated in their warm dining room, or at their fun, active bar.
“We decided to paint the exterior, which is brick white with a striped awning to kind of give it this cozy little corner location vibe. When you walk in there is a marble bar, old marble tiled floor. High ceilings with exposed beams. And ots of plants just to make it feel light and airy. And we tried to go for an old European Cafe vibe in here.”
And the menu offers something for everyone at every time of day.
“The menu has a wide variety of items on it. Lunch and brunch, have some of the staples that you'd expect on those sort of menus. We have a pizza oven and back or make some great pizzas. And then our dinner menu has a mix of some shared plates, some apps, and then some staples like a burger. The idea is for anyone to walk in here if you like they can order something off of the menu.”
Appetizers at Petula’s run the gamut with amp’d up versions of all your favorites, like their Chili Wings.
“They're definitely messy, but it's worth the mess. It comes with an herb ranch and it's a fermented chili sauce so you don't get that overwhelming heat but you definitely get a little pop.”
A dish that will have both your eyes and your palate popping is the stunning Whipped Ricotta toast topped with whatever’s in season, like pickled red onions and herb honey.
“The whip ricotta is on grilled sourdough. And we have seasonal toppings that we change. Depending on what's in season. You just kind of get a taste of what's going on this time of year. And it's great you take a bite of it you get the cheese. You get the crunch of the bread. It's a nice bite.”
Other shareable options to kick off your meal include Petula’s crispy flatbread pizzas.
“Our pizzas are 12 inch pizzas that come from a brick oven. We have the staples, like cheese and pepperoni. And then we have some more creative ones like a prosciutto and delicata. The prosciutto delicata pizza is a white pizza and it has a prosciutto, delicata squash and a bunch of pesto all over it. The saltiness from the prosciutto really balances out the kind of the sweetness of the squash and it’s a really good pairing together. We also have the buffalo chicken which is great if you're looking to be able to get it for takeout for game day. It's kind of what you'd expect with the buffalo chicken pizza. But our little twist on it is there are little slices of celery on top. Again, a little bit of something for everyone on the pizza list.”
When it comes to burgers, Petula’s rendition is hard to beat, and easy to enjoy.
“Our burger is a Smashburger double patty. It's easy to eat. Honestly, it goes down too fast. It’s topped with a house made American cheese with black garlic and as a special sauce on top. So the three of those that combination comes together and it's delicious.”
And for a simple yet satisfying dish, the Cacio E Pepe is something you have to try.
“The caccio e pepe is housemade noodles with toasted black pepper, truffle butter and confit mushrooms. It's simple. It's not overcomplicated. You get the pepper you get the a lot of cheese. And we added mushrooms to ours, which is just another component that makes it a little different. A little bit heavier but very craveable.”
Petula’s also has a lunch menu with options that will energize you during the day.
“The pokeball is a great option. It's hamachi and salmon with sushi rice, seaweed salad, spicy mayo. The Mediterranean bowl is couscous based with eggplant, haloumi, cheese, a bunch of other vegetables chopped up in there. The idea is to make these salads and bowls something you enjoy eating, but also knowing when you're eating it, that it's good for you.”
And if you’re in Southie on the weekend, a visit to Petula’s brunch is an absolute must, with delicious options like their egg sandwich, fully loaded with the meat of your choice, cheddar cheese, arugula and charred tomato aioli on a squishy potato bun. Or, you can opt for the Sweet Potato Pancakes.
“They're so delicious. They come with the whipped cream on top and some candied pecans. It's very moist pancake, but it isn’t overwhelmingly sweet potato. They're really delicious.”
So instead of heading ‘DOWNTOWN’, just swing on over to Southie and try Petula’s.
