The City that Now Stays Up Until the End of the Late, Late Show: Taco Bell gets OK to stay open until 3:30 a.m. on weekends in Allston - and 3 a.m. the rest of the week

Over the objections of the Allston Civic Association, the Boston Licensing Board today approved a food-serving license with into-the-wee-hours service for an upscalish Taco Bell where Great Scott used to be at Commonwealth and Harvard avenues.

The board granted the Taco Bell Cantina permission to stay open until 3:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays - and 3 a.m. the rest of the week.

Board members also said it would be fine with them if the Taco Bell Cantina served beer and wine until 1 a.m. However, whether they actually can depends on whether the city actually has any beer-and-wine licenses to give out, which it probably doesn't, given the way the state legislature continues to insist it knows better than local officials how many alcohol licenses Boston needs.

At a meeting yesterday, Allston Civic Association President Tony D'Isidoro asked for a compromise, in which the restaurant would close to the general public at 1 a.m. all nights, but remain open for another two hours to service third-party delivery drivers. Another resident opposed the late-night alcohol service, saying the last thing a neighborhood of underage students needs is a place where they would be encouraged to "drink to excess."

At a hearing a couple weeks ago, D'Isidoro said he was not opposed to alcohol sales until 1 a.m. or even 2 a.m., but that he was concerned about the impact on a short-staffed local police district having to deal with soused taco eaters hanging around for another hour or so.

In addition to crunchwrap supremes, the new restaurant will feature art by local artists on its walls.