Encore Boston Harbor's 3 restaurants greenlighted to sell alcohol with takeout orders

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission agreed Wednesday to allow three restaurants at Wynn's Encore Boston Harbor to sell alcoholic beverages with take-out food orders.

Rare Steakhouse, Red 8 and Mystique at Encore Boston Harbor can now offer sealed containers of beer, wine and cocktails for sale with to-go food orders, consistent with legislation passed earlier this year to allow restaurants to sell take-out alcohol. The commission voted to amend the casino's gaming beverage licenses immediately to facilitate the change, State House News Service reports.

"This is an opportunity too for patrons who may not be going into the gaming establishment right now or newcomers to Encore to maybe do a different Thanksgiving and go to Rare and have a different experience," Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said at Wednesday's meeting. "So I'm delighted that we are able to accommodate the timing and I hope that it's an opportunity to perhaps just enjoy something different for those who might be looking for that tomorrow."

An April law allowed restaurants to sell beer and wine alongside takeout and delivery, and the governor signed an update in July to allow restaurants to sell limited quantities of beer, wine and mixed drinks for off-premises consumption through February 2021 or until the COVID-19 state of emergency is lifted, whichever comes later.

Jacqui Krum, senior vice president at Encore Boston Harbor, said the casino intends to make beer and wine available at Rare and Red 8, possibly as part of a dinner-and-wine pairing menu. Mystique may offer mixed drinks, she said.

Casinos and restaurants in Massachusetts must stop serving customers at 9:30 p.m. each night and officials said the casino's restaurants have been getting a decent number of take-out orders around that time each night from players who want to pick up a meal on their way out of the casino.