My favorite thing about living in a new city is the endless culinary possibilities—hidden cafes, brunch restaurants, hole-in-the-wall dinner spots that you don’t tell anyone about—it’s like exploring a brand new world. Although I don’t discriminate against any new dish or meal, dessert is definitely my favorite meal of the day. If you’re a dessert lover like me, I’ve compiled a short list of spots to try that have made my experience in Boston all the more sweeter.
- Mike’s Pastry
-
You cannot live in or visit Boston without stopping by Mike’s for a cannoli. Located in the North End since 1946, this busy little storefront serves out a million and one cannoli flavors, cupcakes, pastries, cookies, and more. You’ll be refreshingly greeted by employees with a Boston accent and served as quickly as possible. While cannolis are not my preferred dessert, coming to this place is a Bostonian rite of passage and extremely worth it. I got their new Nutella cannoli and was NOT disappointed! They currently only take cash and usually have a pretty long line with no dine-in option due to COVID-19.
- Sweet Waffles + Boba
-
What more could you ask for? The name of this Chinatown dessert shop is pretty straightforward—they’re known for their creative waffle pop flavors and delicious bubble tea drinks. These waffles do not mess around; they are covered in various sauces and toppings depending on the flavor you choose. A few of my favorites include the Cookie Monster, a waffle dipped in a cookies and cream dip and topped with Oreos and Cookie Crisp, or the Strawberry Shortcake, a waffle dipped in strawberry dip and topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They also offer an extensive selection of inventive boba drink flavors, which always matches perfectly with a warm waffle pop. I recommend ordering ahead of time and picking your order up, as the lines get quite long and there is no dine-in option.
- Blackbird Doughnuts
-
I’ve been surprised at the sheer volume of doughnut shops there are in Boston! I haven’t tried most of them, but I did enjoy the classic Boston Creme donut from Blackbird. They offer the classic doughnut flavors, but they also have a unique selection of seasonal flavors that really caught my eye. They are a national chain, so it’s not as exciting as the other spots, but still an equally scrumptious experience if you’re a donut lover. Like most dessert places in Boston, they do not have a dine-in option, but they do offer a few outside benches at their Tremont location.
- Juicy Spot Cafe
-
For all my ice cream lovers: this one’s for you. A bit hidden away in Boston’s Chinatown, Juicy Spot serves fun rolled ice cream flavors all year round. They also offer waffle puffles, perfect for a cold night. There are not many feelings as satisfying as watching your favorite ice cream flavor be made right in front of you, knowing exactly what is being added to the cream and put on top of the little rolls of deliciousness before you eat it. Their fun flavor options make for a great presentation and a very Instagrammable moment. My favorite ice cream order here is the Ferro-Roll Cher, which is the original base with Nutella, topped with crushed wafers, chopped hazelnut, and Nutella drizzle. While they have limited space for dine-in, it takes a bit for each order to be made since they are individually made from scratch, so I’d go here if you have a bit of time to spare.
- Boston Burger Company
-
WOW. From the name of this place, you wouldn’t think twice about checking their dessert menu. But trust me, you should. Boston Burger Company makes massively loaded milkshakes; they offer fun seasonal flavors and their signature ones stay around all year. These milkshakes are called #FreakFrappes and are serious monsters to finish. If you’re lactose intolerant, steer clear of this place! Not only are they incredibly large, but they also make for an impressive picture. Because this restaurant also serves dinner and lunch, they thankfully have a dine-in option (I don’t recommend getting one of these to-go anyways).