“While living in San Diego, while discussing beers, a squirrel literally came and took away a taco from Henry. Henry was thinking about that squirrel: small but fast but strong — like a small brewery coming to a big market,” Pawar says.

The business partners opened their first Mighty Squirrel in Waltham 2018: a pared-down taproom with food trucks in the parking lot. (I’ve been a regular at their trivia night for years.)

Now, there are locations in the Fenway as well as at Arsenal Yards, following a signature minimalistic, industrial-style blueprint. The Mighty Squirrel isn’t a memorabilia-filled, crowded pub; think efficient and sleek.

Full disclosure: I have yet to sample this rapidly evolving menu. But as an Arsenal Yards and Mighty Squirrel regular, I feel comfortable recommending it. As someone who spends money at Arsenal Yards more than I’d care to admit, I will say this: The complex is a world unto itself, with everything from a skate park, pickleball courts, and barre studios to a movie theater to Old Navy and Home Depot. But there’s nothing quite like this. The location cries out for a mellow refuge to relax over a beer, with a menu that doesn’t require too much deep thought after a long day scouring the racks.

What to eat: The Watertown menu now has roughly 40 items, similar to the Fenway location (minus pizza, as there’s no pizza oven here). But expect that list to grow, and fast.

“We have food from 15 different countries on our menu at this stage. The key thing is our vision to get tapas from each and every one of the 193 countries in the world, one by one,” Pawar says. “At craft breweries, you’re always exploring different beers. On the food side, we’re getting into the same spirit.”

Soon, Pawar hopes to add more international beers — and even wine — to pair with new dishes in an Around the World series, featuring countries such as India, Japan, Peru, and Uganda.

Even now, the menu represents plenty of destinations. Pawar’s current favorite is aloo tikki, crispy fried mashed potato patties topped with coriander chutney and pickled onions. He also likes swordfish tacos drizzled with basil aioli.

Mighty Squirrel’s chef, Beto Martinez, had been an executive chef for Not Your Average Joe’s and Tatte and is accustomed to making eclectic dishes on large menus.

“We told him: ‘We want to learn to make food from every country in the world.’ And he lit up with the idea. It’s something that could be scary for some people, but for someone like him, who’s a creative soul, he came right on board. And we keep experimenting. To think, in the last three months, we’ve released 45 new items,” Pawar says.

Truly, there’s something for every taste here, from tuna poke bowls to poutine to clam chowder, at a budget-friendly $15 or so for most meals.

What to drink: Beer, of course. Mighty Squirrel is best known for their highly drinkable Cloud Candy IPA.

“It’s a true New England IPA with notes of peaches, papaya, starfruit. It’s not too high ABV, either — 6.5 percent. When we launched at that time, it was considered to be on the lower side, but that’s standard now. It’s quaffable and juicy,” he says.

As part of the Around the World series, Mighty Squirrel also features a Hazy New England IPA brewed with mangoes, India’s national fruit. There are also non-alcoholic beers and seltzers.

The takeaway: Arsenal Yards is always busy, bordering on frenetic. It’s hard to imagine a clean, friendly taproom — with a global menu for every taste — not thriving in this ecosystem. Just stay tuned for an even bigger menu.

102 Arsenal Yards Blvd., Watertown, 857-557-8686, www.mightysquirrel.com

This article first appeared in the Boston Globe on June 13, 2025.