We can’t say a bad word about the South End’s dining scene. But we sometimes wonder what was there before all the slick, chef-driven restaurants and trendy cocktail bars.

Delux Cafe was there—and it still is.

This last-dive-bar-standing has been around for decades, and almost nothing inside has changed. The walls are covered with old album covers and the type of miscellany that accrues over a half-century, like a retired funhouse mirror and a shrine to Elvis. Owing to the lack of cable, a delightfully anachronistic TV mounted in a corner plays cartoons and movies from yesteryear.

That’s not to say Delux is a cobwebbed relic. To the contrary, it’s attracted a new generation of drinkers looking to catch a slice of Old Dirty Boston while they still can, even if that means standing elbow-to-elbow on a weekend night. Fortunately, the friendly staff are happy to serve a crowd, distributing frosty $4 High-Lifes and comforting takes on Grilled Cheese with grace and skill.

In a city where construction cranes sit on every block and bars and restaurants open and close with frenzied frequency, Delux sits happily in the past. And you can, too—at least for a few drinks.