When I came to Boston from Seattle, I was introduced to a lot of new things; The T, erratic weather, a different way of saying water fountain, and the best one: new food to eat! Of course, I made it my mission to explore all of the food Boston has to offer. What follows is a list of the best food that I have found (so far) in Boston.
Breakfast
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day so if you want to start the day off right, visit these places!
1.Trident Booksellers and Café (338 Newbury St)
This café is also a bookstore so you can grab your food and a book! My favorite thing to get here is the breakfast skillet, which comes with eggs, veggies, and chicken sausage. The restaurant also has a nice selection of juices and smoothies—I recommend the ginger shot (it’ll wake you right up!).
2. The Breakfast Club (270 Western Ave, Allston)
This diner may be little but it is always bustling, so make sure to get there early. I know this restaurant is in Allston, but believe me it is worth it! The cinnamon roll waffle is exquisite! And not only is the food amazing, but the restaurant has a nostalgic, eclectic vibe to it so you can act like you were actually in The Breakfast Club.
3. Crispy Crepes Café (714 Commonwealth)
This restaurant is right on Boston University’s campus so you do not have to go far for some delicious food. My favorite pick is the strawberry and Nutella crepe. Also, if you don’t like crepes, don’t worry, because there are plenty of other options to choose from.
4. Blackbird Donuts (20 Kilmarnock St)
Blackbird Donuts is a great place if you are on the go and you just need to grab a coffee and a snack. This shop has a variety of donuts, and even has special seasonal ones that are only available at certain times. My favorite donuts that I have eaten there have been the cinnamon roll donut and the cookie donut.
5. The Friendly Toast (35 Stanhope St).
This is always packed and for good reason. The menu is probably one of the longest breakfast menus that I have ever seen (and they also serve lunch and dinner). The eggs, the toast, and the home fries are all phenomenal. I cannot wait to go back and try new things.
Lunch/Dinner
I am treating all of the following selections as places where you can eat full meals, which is why I grouped lunch and dinner together.
1. Wahlburgers (132 Brookline Ave)
Even though this restaurant is not exclusively in Boston, I still think it should be included in this food round-up. Wahlburgers is hands-down my favorite place for a chicken sandwich. The sauce, the caramelized onions, the bun—it’s all amazing!
2. Eataly (Prudential Center)
Once again, this place is not exclusive to Boston, but it’s too good to be left out. The bread is to die for! And, the pizza is the perfect ratio of cheese to sauce to dough. You can also shop in the store while you are waiting for your food—a.k.a. buy more food for later.
3. Saloniki (4 Kilmarnock St)
The gyro plates at Saloniki are amazing. I love how you get to customize what you get and what you get is always great. Also, the loukoumades (Greek donuts) with Nutella—yum—will keep you coming back for more.
4. Sweet Cheeks Q (1381 Boylston St)
This BBQ place gives you all the Southern comfort you need. Between the fried chicken and the biscuits, what more do you need?
5. Honeygrow (1282 Boylston St)
I love a restaurant that lets you customize your meal. Honeygrow is the queen of customization. I always create my own stir-fry and my own honeybar (like a stir-fry but with fruit and honey). The best thing about this place is that you can also order it on DoorDash and only have to walk a few steps for delicious food.
6. Pad Thai Café (6 Hemenway St)
When I came to the East Coast, I struggled to find Thai and Chinese places that stacked up against the ones that I loved at home. Then, I found Pad Thai Café. Their Pad See You is killer, and so are their egg rolls.
7. Cheers (84 Beacon St)
Cheers is not only a restaurant, but also a Boston tourist attraction, because the pub used to be the backdrop of the iconic tv show, Cheers. When you visit this restaurant, you feel like you are in the tv show while also enjoying some tasty food. I love Lilith’s Pan Asian Salad.
8. Life Alive Organic Café (888 Commonwealth)
This dining establishment can also be found on Boston University’s campus, even if is in West Campus. When you go to Life Alive, you can always feel proud and healthy when you leave. I always feel accomplished when I get one of their delicious acai bowls. The smoothies rock too!
9. Noodle Street (627 Commonwealth)
Noodle Street is perfect because it is only a block away from my dorm, so I never have to wait long for my meal. The restaurant is also extremely fast and offers takeout and online ordering. My favorite choices are the pad see you, fried rice, and egg rolls.
10. Cava (1346 Boylston St)
This Mediterranean place always fills me up with scrumptious food! I always make my own bowl (again, customization!) and get extra pita, because I cannot get enough of it.
11. Row 34 (383 Congress St)
When coming to Boston, one of my goals was to find the best lobster roll, and I think I did. Row 34’s lobster roll is worth the steep price. The lobster is warm and buttery and so is the bread, and they give you homemade chips. This restaurant is all I could ask for and more.
Snacks/Dessert
Oh, the best part! In any new place I visit, I have to find the best dessert places because dessert is what I live for. And snacks.
1. Tatte Bakery (Various Locations)
Even though this place is always busy, I will wait in line for their pastries. The chocolate rose brioche is top-notch. Also, their bread. I love getting the assortment of bread and eating the whole thing in one sitting.
2. Bleacher Bar (82A Lansdowne St)
This bar is inside Fenway so you can watch the game and eat (without buying a ticket). My favorite snacks are the fried pickles and the pretzel sticks!
3. Boston Burger Company (1100 Boylston St)
While I am sure the rest of the menu is great, I come here for one thing and one thing only: the freak frappes. These frappes come in many different flavors (I get the s’mores one), and they are all as wild as they sound. Plus, they are as tasty as can be.
4. Insomnia Cookies (Various Locations).
These cookies are what cookies should be; warm, mouth-watering, chocolate-y goodness. There is a location at Boston University, but the best part is you can order them until 3 AM. If you have to study, might as well do it with a chocolate chip cookie!
5. By Chloe (100 Van Ness St)
Even though this restaurant may sound daunting because it is all vegan, I promise you the food is good. The air-baked fries taste like normal fries (but without the guilt) and the desserts are amazing and healthy. I always choose the chocolate chip cookie!
6. Max Brenner (745 Boylston St)
Yes, Max Brenner has a decadent menu full of real food that is all very yummy, but if you go to Max Brenner, you go for the chocolate; the chocolate fondue, the chocolate milkshakes, the chocolate pizza. No matter what you get, you will be delighted by what you choose.
7. Amorino (249 Newbury St)
This gelato place is not only full of delicious gelato, but is also very Instagram-worthy. The gelato is served in a rose formation which makes it kind of upsetting to eat. But once you do, you forget about those feelings because the gelato is so tasty!
8. Milk Bar (3 Brattle St, Cambridge)
You will have to cross the river to reach this dining establishment, but you will not be disappointed when you do. This is the place for dessert. The b’day cake truffles melt in your mouth and the cookies are superb.
Wow, I am really hungry now!
I realize that some of those restaurants may not be just in Boston and might be all over the East Coast, but oh well. None of them are on the West Coast, though. No matter how many different locations there are, one thing remains the same; all of the restaurants have incredible food!
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