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The Spoke Wine Bar team opens Liars, an eclectic bistro in Teele Square, featuring a deconstructed beef-tongue steak bomb, a chef's counter, and good vibes.

There’s a new bistro with a twist opening August 20 in Somerville’s Teele Square, featuring squirt-gun-topped cocktails and nontraditional takes on comfort food: Liars, from the team behind the James Beard Award semifinalist Spoke Wine Bar in nearby Davis Square. Located at the former address of upscale vegan restaurant True Bistro, which closed in 2023, Liars is roughly double the size of the cozily intimate Spoke and seems poised to continue its elder sister’s ethos of playfulness-meets-serious-technique.

Spoke’s Paul Butler is at the helm of the Liars kitchen—much roomier than Spoke’s petite space, and with a chef’s counter overlooking it. His menu conjures memories of comforting meals that he hopes will draw neighbors to “come in and linger,” he says. Having traveled—and eaten—around much of the world, Butler finds himself gravitating toward places that are “simple in a unique way,” he says. His goal here: to build a no-frills spot that pays “homage to great taverns, izakayas, and bistros.” In doing so he hopes to emulate great meals that were “a bit rustic and unexpected” that he’s shared with friends and strangers.

“Unexpected,” he says, means everything from a nose-to-tail establishment where the chefs excel at cooking organ meat to places where surprising ingredient combinations yield “simple and satisfying results.” To that end, Butler alludes to his out-of-the-box take on vichyssoise, the classic leek-and-potato soup invented by French-born chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City. An idea simmering in Butler’s head for many years, his soup blends cauliflower, marcona almonds, and leeks in a creamy emulsion topped with butter-basted shrimp.

Other aspects of the menu, meanwhile, reflect Butler’s South Shore upbringing and time spent around the state. Take the steak bomb, for example, served at sub shops all over Massachusetts. When he lived in Arlington, Butler enjoyed the classic sandwich, typically made with shaved beef and an assortment of toppings, such as hot peppers, onions, and mushrooms. In Liars’ non-sandwich spin, he recreates the dish with braised beef tongue—a comforting cut revered in Mexican, Korean, and Japanese cuisines—and serves it on a sizzling platter with bell peppers, onions, and melty mozzarella.

The bigger space at Liars also allows Butler to play with large-format game meat, something the team has struggled with in the sub-100-square-foot Spoke kitchen. Working with Broken Arrow Ranch in Ingram, Texas, Butler sources elk for his elk steak wraps, served with lettuce, cabbage, gamtae (a type of seaweed), and peppercorn-soy dipping sauce. Elk cuts are big, and it only makes economical sense to buy in large quantities. At Spoke, where both the kitchen and the dishes are small, it’s impossible to put elk on the menu. Liars is a whole new ballgame.

For a restaurant featuring gamey, hearty dishes, the obvious beverage choice might be rich, intense spirits. But at Liars, the team finds one-ounce pours of unique spirits to be the move. Think: vodka made from coffee-bean discards; shochu made from sake lees. But rest assured, if sipping artisanal vodka while slurping a bowl of somen doesn’t do it for you, bar manager Katie Weismann has the cocktail program covered, including creative highballs and martinis. House-made vermouth and other one-off experimental infusions get the spotlight at Spoke, and here, Weismann has a bigger sandbox in which to play with ingredients like foraged hickory barks, wild chamomile, and pineapple weeds.

As for wine, owner Mary Kurth—who bartended at Spoke before becoming owner and operator in 2017—draws inspiration from high-elevation “mountain wines,” which come from mature vines grown at least 500 meters above sea level, such as from Sept Winery in Northern Lebanon. As grapes ripen more slowly and get more direct sunlight at those elevations, they develop thicker skins. “Those wines are usually slightly lower ABV and have really good acidity,” says Kurth. “They go best with rustic food.”

The design of the space reflects its funky-neighborhood-bistro persona. Switzerland-based design firm Sapid Studio, whose clients include local favorite Rubato in Quincy, took charge of the interior revamp. The facelift included removing an old wall to let more natural light deep into the dining areas, breaking down the hard barrier between the rooms, a remnant of when True Bistro expanded into an adjacent storefront. Now, the division is a zigzag metal screen, which on one side holds the bar shelves. (Look up to see a collection of vintage glass clown decanters.) Partially exposed brick walls, blue-stained wooden booths, and metallic tabletops provide an intriguing combination of old and new—a neighborhood hangout that feels equal parts timeless and modern.

The various elements of Liars’ eclectic concept might not weave together so seamlessly if not for the tight-knit team. For the past near-decade at the current iteration of Spoke, Kurth has worked day in and day out to honor the legacy of original owner Felisha “Flea” Foster, who closed Spoke at the end of 2016 before selling to Kurth; Foster passed away in 2017. The small dream team has amassed local and national acclaim, along with a loyal following of regulars and neighbors who like to have a good time. But its success comes at a cost: work-life balance. When the entire management works every service, “there’s no wiggle room,” Kurth says. The addition of Liars creates a structure where more employees can be promoted into management positions across the two venues. “We want people to take pride and ownership of the space without having to work 70 hours a week,” Kurth says. Even better if that space happens to include tiny squirt guns.

Opening August 20, 2026. 1153 Broadway, Teele Square, Somerville, instagram.com/liarsrestaurant.