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Colorful and airy, this East Boston Mexican restaurant reflects the culture of many living in the neighborhood, and its eponymous cook re-creates dishes from her native Puebla. Locals love it for its authenticity and extensive selection of small, snacky plates (mmm, queso fundido) and hearty main courses (chilaquiles, mole poblano). It's definitely worth the trip from downtown.
1012 Bennington St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- House-made guacamole
- Chicken and queso chilaquiles
- Brunch
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People come to Boston for certain things—colleges, Irish pubs, Fenway Park—and Polish food isn't usually one of them. But, if you do land here, this authentic Polish restaurant in Southie is a must-stop. The menu is rife with an Eastern European culinary heritage in plates like pierogi, beet soup, stuffed cabbage and kielbasa, and there are some tasty Polish beers. You'll be glad you ventured to Andrew Square.
611 Dorchester Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, 02127, USA
Known For
- Pierogi, beet soup, stuffed cabbage and kielbasa
- Polish beer
- Food worth traveling for
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$ | North End |
Established in 1929, Caffé Vittoria—Boston's oldest Italian café—is rightfully known as Boston's most traditional Italian café, which is one of the reasons the place is packed with locals. With gleaming brass, marble tabletops, four levels of seating, three bars that serve aperitifs, one of the city's best selections of grappa, and one massive, ancient espresso maker, this old-fashioned café will make you want to lose yourself in these surroundings. Bring your wallet because they are cash-only.
290–296 Hanover St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02113, USA
Known For
- Specialty coffee drinks
- Grapa
- Gelato
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$ | South End |
When folks need coffee, a great sandwich, or an irresistible sweet, like a pecan sticky bun, lemon tart, or double chocolate cookie—or just a place to sit and chat—they pay a visit to one of owner Joanne Chang's 10 Flour bakeries, including this one in the South End. A communal table in the middle acts as a gathering spot, around which diners enjoy morning pastries, homemade soups, hearty bean and grain salads, and specialty sandwiches, which change seasonally.
1595 Washington St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02118, USA
Known For
- Scrumptious sweets
- Delicious salads and sandwiches
- Laid-back setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$ | Downtown |
If you can't agree among your traveling partners what to eat where, this food hall features 20 different local vendors featuring delicious and top-quality foods of all varieties. Gourmet doughnuts from Blackbird, porchetta sandwiches from Pennypacker's, Jewish deli eats from Mamaleh's, sushi at Fuji, and so much more are here.
100 High St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA
Known For
- Tons of options from local vendors
- Live DJs in the evening
- Open anytime you're hungry
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This upscale bakery and café takes pastries to the next level. From tea cakes to the Jerusalem bagel, expect hearty baked goods with an air of elegance and influenced by the owner's Israeli heritage. Fantastic coffee drinks, including the house's signature halva latte. A breakfast, lunch and brunch menu features hearty plates all day, from breakfast sandwiches to salads, bowls, and shakshuka (an egg dish with tomatoes and peppers). The café's vibe welcomes those who appreciate attention to detail in both the food and the bright, lively atmosphere—so expect to wait in line. Tatte started as a single location in 2008; today it has expanded with locations across Boston.
200 Pier 4 Blvd., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Traditional North African shakshuka
- Signature nut tarts that are as pretty as they are tasty
- Convivial atmosphere
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$ | Beacon Hill |
Don't be surprised to see a queue at this neighborhood hot spot, no matter the time of day. Regulars happily line up for waffles topped with fresh fruit, caramel and banana french toast, huge salads, and hefty sandwiches, all made to order as you do from the counter. Newbies should note The Paramount's unspoken rule: Don't take a seat until after you wait in line, order, and pay.
44 Charles St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Long, but quick-moving, lines
- Decadent, all-day breakfast items
- Old Bay–seasoned home fries
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There's nothing fresher than eating fish the same day it's caught, and that's what you get at this family-owned seafood shack. Open since 1950, the local favorite serves fresh oysters, crab cakes, fried oysters and clams, steamers, and lobster. Tasty sandwiches speak of New England; fish platters come fried, grilled, or baked; and there's a whole section of the menu devoted to lobster preparations. If you forget that this is a take-out joint, look around; the no-frills, character-heavy decor will remind you.
300 Northern Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Lobster, lobster, lobster
- Being simple and authentic
- Limited seating options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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$ | Old West End |
Sourcing ingredients from small, family farms is the main goal of this local, casual restaurant where hungry diners clamor for salads, burgers, and a few entrées. With its proximity to the TD Garden, it can and does get busy on game days, and service tends to slow down.
115 Beverly St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Nice patio in fair weather
- Hot spot before Bruins and Celtics games
- Delicious burgers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | Beacon Hill |
Inspired by the authentic Mexican takeout readily available in West Coast cities, Anna's owner moved to Boston and opened shop more than 25 years ago. This small, local chain has been a hit ever since for its burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Diners can select from 10 different meat and veggie-based toppings, from grilled steak and marinated pork to slow-cooked chicken.
242 Cambridge St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Tacos al pastor—marinated, rotisserie cooked pork with pineapples and onions
- Fat, flavorful burritos
- Bringing the heat with really spicy sauces you can add on
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Bon Me's moniker is a whimsical take on Vietnam's signature sandwich, the banh mi, and the versions that this local fast-casual restaurant serves are authentic to its spirit, if not with traditional ingredients. Diners can create their own bowls (salad, noodle, or rice), selecting from a variety of proteins, veggies, and sauces. The menu also boasts a number of chef creations ranging from ramen to pho. House drinks include a heady Vietnamese iced coffee and citrus ade.
313 Congress St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02210, USA
Known For
- Tasty proteins
- Spicy ginger lemonade that will flare your nostrils
- Customized bowls
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$$$ | Downtown |
Airy and classic in atmosphere, this modern restaurant focuses on two things: food and local history (it is, after all, situated in a historic 1902 building). The menu features elevated takes on comfort food; at lunch expect more sandwiches. Who wouldn't want to dive into a tater tot poutine or a bowl of house-made onion dip with potato chips, while chatting up your dining partners and enjoying the live music that happens on most nights? Social describes the vibe on most nights, more so later into the evening. Bostonia gets busy, so it's a good idea to make a reservation.
131 State St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Fantastic weekend brunch
- Long bar with lots of seating
- Live music in the evenings
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$ | North End |
The allure of Bova's Bakery, a neighborhood institution since 1926, lies not only in its takeaway Italian breads, calzones, and pastries, but also in its hours: 24 a day (the deli closes at 1 am, however). Family owned and operated, this is where you can not only satisfy a hunger with their homemade Italian breads, oversized subs, and Sicilian pizza and calzones, but also a sweet tooth with their famed Sicilian chocolate-dipped cannoli, Florentine cannoli, award-winning tiramisu, and raspberry and blueberry turnovers.
134 Salem St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02113, USA
Known For
- Open 24/7
- Tiramisu
- Fresh baked bread
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$ | Harvard Square |
Named after the art of the tea ceremony, the new-age feel to this spacious outpost starts with organic teas and coffee (displayed in canisters behind the counter) and extends to hearty meal options such as hot noodle soup, cold noodle salads, multigrain rice bowls, wraps, vegan dishes, and smoothies. Linger over free Wi-Fi.
955 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
Known For
- Loose leaf organic teas
- Noodle bowls
- Bubble teas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Financial District |
On weekday mornings and afternoons, locally operated food trucks congregate at Dewey Square plaza on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, ready to serve Financial District professionals an eat-it-while-you-walk or picnic meal. Typically, four to five different options offer variety from curry to Korean. Surrounded by organic gardens, public art, and Fort Point Channel, the setting creates atmosphere for a cheap and tasty lunch.
Dewey Sq., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Multiple local food trucks in a gorgeous park location
- Always changing options
- Easily accessible outdoor seating
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Here's a happy reminder that dinner with children doesn't have to mean hamburgers and juice for everyone. While the youngsters race around the designated play space with sippy cups before noshing on hot dogs and homemade mac and cheese, parents can sip sangria, beer, or any one of the carefully chosen wines before tucking into more sophisticated fare, such as grilled salmon or sirloin with blue-cheese butter, arugula, and fries. Come dessert, kids can order the chocolate chip cookie as big as their head, while parents can get their own sugar fix with some warm maple bread pudding topped with whipped cream. Folks visiting sans child may want to ask for one of the grown-ups tables in the quiet, screened-off area near the front, but they also might want to consider another restaurant altogether: diners have compared the place to a day-care center or romper room.
344 Huron Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
Known For
- Simple family-friendly menu
- Spirits for adults
- Designated place space for kids
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations not accepted
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$$$ | Downtown |
Grand and resplendent in appearance—it is located in a luxury hotel and former Federal Reserve Bank, after all—Grana features upscale yet casual Italian dishes for lunch and weekend brunch that invite you to dig in. The only drawback to this place is that it isn't open for dinner.
250 Franklin St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA
Known For
- Signature focaccia bread with a half-dozen different topping options
- Family-style three-course brunch
- Shareable tea cocktail
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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As far as options for fast-casual meals along Seaport Boulevard go, this is one place you should stop. You'll get modern, Greek street food here, in the form of pita sandwiches, salads, and build-your-own meals, dressed with sauces, like house-made spicy feta and lemon yogurt, that are so good you'll be licking it off your fingers. Don't miss the signature zucchini chips with tzatziki, or, for a sweet taste, the loukoumas Greek-style doughnut holes.
200 Pier 4 Blvd., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Build-your-own salads, pitas, and plates
- Delicious, authentic doughnut dessert
- Plenty of seating
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$ | Old West End |
Situated in the TD Garden, this unique food hall serves up more than a dozen different food and drink options, many of which are little sister outposts for chefs and restaurants local to the Boston and New England area. Try barbecue at The Smoke Shop or Italian desserts at Mike's Pastry. Quick service is the name of the game, although Hub Hall does feature one sit-down restaurant, Momosan Ramen Boston by Morimoto. One thing is for sure, if you don't like crowds, avoid this place when there is a home Celtics or Bruins game, because it gets packed!
80 Causeway St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Quick service
- Packed during Celtics and Bruins games
- Lots of Boston favorites under one roof
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You won't get many frills at this traditional Italian-style bakery that's tucked a bit off the main drag, but you will get loads of sweets in the form of cream puffs, eclairs, pastry twists, Italian cookies, and loaves of scali bread (braided and coated in sesame seeds). There's also a deli that serves sandwiches to go.
258 K St., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known For
- Pan pizza
- Brewed flavored coffee
- Italian desserts