Food & Drink
Review: The Worthington Puts a New Spin on a Favorite Space in Canton
The spot has seamlessly fit into the bar scene because it’s not trying to replicate its predecessor—it’s just trying to be itself.
Change is inevitable—especially in the bar business. When word came that Looney’s Pub, a Canton staple for nearly three decades, was closing, it felt to many longtime neighborhood residents like they were losing a friend. Did it have the tastiest food in town? Mix the best cocktails? Have the cleanest bathrooms? No to all. It was an imperfect friend, but a great friend, nonetheless.
When Dragonfly Hospitality, the group behind El Bufalo Tequila Bar & Kitchen, on the other side of O’Donnell Square, and Fells Point’s Prima Dopo, among others, bought it and announced plans to renovate the space and reopen with a new concept, skepticism abounded. Sure, there was plenty of room for improvement, but a sports bar packed with TVs, juicy wings, and great memories is a hard thing to replace.
Enter The Worthington, which bills itself as an “American tavern and sports bar.” Open since January, it has seamlessly fit into the bar scene in Canton precisely because it’s not trying to replicate Looney’s—it’s just trying to be itself.
Like Dragonfly’s other properties, The Worthington takes its sense of style seriously. While the renovation kept most of the layout the same, there’s a newness and shine to the place. The space now is much brighter and airier. A new second story balcony wraps around the restaurant, creating additional outdoor seating (there are tables on the sidewalk as well), and when all the windows are open, the upstairs bar feels like it’s almost outside. Thankfully the bathrooms are all new, and plenty of TVs remain.
The Worthington’s drink menu is highlighted by an array of cocktails that tend toward the sweeter side. The Dubya Marg, made with Casamigas jalapeño tequila, Ancho Reyes, lime, agave, and pineapple juice, is a well-crafted take on the classic. The Old Smashin’ is a bourbon-based drink that includes chocolate bitters and brown sugar simple syrup. The lemon cheesecake martini—well, the name basically says it all. Crushes, pickle back flights, and bombs claim their own sections of the menu along with mocktails, seltzers, wine, and a host of beers. There’s no shortage of beverages to consume.
The food menu is smaller, allowing the kitchen to concentrate on quality for a smaller number of dishes. The crispy spicy tuna appetizer—tuna tartare topped with a spicy mixture of jalapeño, onion, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, and chile-oil scallion on fried rice cakes—is excellent, and a plate of crispy chicken fried rice comes with an abundance of chicken and two crunchy fried drumsticks on the side. Sports bar traditionalists can relax; wings, burgers, and nachos are here too.
Live music and promotions like pop-up parlays—for example, if Caitlin Clark scored 15 points during the first half of Iowa’s Final Four game versus Connecticut, happy hour specials would stay in place for the rest of the night (sadly, she fell short)—add to the new vibe.
The Worthington is not an improvement on Looney’s, nor is it a downgrade. It’s simply different. A worthy successor.