8 Best Restaurants in The Fenway and Kenmore Square, Boston

Red Sox fans, foodies, and Fenway residents flock to this meat-lover's mecca, where Texas-style barbecue is the name of the game. Hefty slabs of dry-rubbed heritage pork, great northern beef brisket, and plump chickens cook low and slow in a jumbo black smoker, then come to the table heaped on a tray lined with butcher paper, along with homemade sweet pickles, shaved onion, and your choice of "hot scoops" (collard greens, mac and cheese) or "cold scoops" (coleslaw, potato salad). Owner Tiffany Faison tromped all over the Texas barbecue belt to get her recipes finger-licking right, including the baseball-size biscuits served with honey butter. Sweet tea and cocktails arrive in mason jars, while house-made barbecue sauces (ranging from mild to skull-splittingly hot) sit on the table, along with a tin can of flatware and napkins. (You'll need lots of the latter; with food this good, it's going to get messy.)

While close to Fenway Park, Audubon feels more like a neighborhood joint than a tourist spot, though it does fill up on game days. Service is outstanding and matches the delicious dishes, many of which are made for sharing. Warm pretzels, salt and pepper shrimp, and queso dip make you want to order seconds. The cocktail menu is fun, too, with drinks like the Very Sherry Cobbler, made with sherry, cinnamon, orange, lime, and allspice. Ask to sit on the patio in nice weather.

Creative, delicious, and irresistible, the sweet treats from Blackbird Doughnuts have a cult following—even rock star Adele praised them when in town for a concert. One of several outposts in the city, the Fenway location is tiny and it's a good idea to get there early before your fave flavor sells out.

This Fenway restaurant is famous for its enormous garage window which looks into Fenway Park, especially cool on game days, but it's also a fun place to relax with friends, nosh on nachos or fries, and catch all sorts of sporting events on the TV.

All you want and expect from a modern public house, this spot has burgers, steak frites, and, as the name promises, plenty of oysters. In addition, the bar offers more than 200 whiskeys, along with plenty of craft beers and wines. Like pig roasts? Book the unusual Citizen Pig Roast for 10 people, a family-style feast with a suckling pig and all the fixings.

This casual seafood spot, where you order at the counter, is an outpost of the famous Portland, Maine, restaurant of the same name. Offering reasonable prices for excellent fare, this is a fun option in Fenway without a lot of fuss. It's known for the brown butter lobster roll and plenty of seafood, but everything from wings, burgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches are available.

Chef Jody Adams's fast-casual Greek concept offers classic flavors and everything from lamb meatballs to meze plates in a lively, fun atmosphere. Pitas stuffed with lamb, pork, chicken thighs, or Impossible meatballs fly out of the kitchen, while sides like zucchini-feta fritters and grilled Halloumi are hard to put down.

A food hall curated by the media company known for its magazines and books, Time Out Market Boston features more than a dozen eateries run by some of Boston’s most acclaimed chefs, plus two bars, a demo cooking area, and communal seating. The 25,200-square-foot space is a fun place to sample everything from sweet treats at Union Square Donuts to meatballs at chef Michael Schlow's, by one of the city's most acclaimed chefs. The venue also hosts concerts, talks, and other events. Just outside, there’s a branch of Trillium Brewery, and in winter, an ice rink is set up.