Boston Restaurant Tips by Ewingjr98

Legal Sea Foods is one of the top seafood restaurants in a city known for its seafood. There are several locations throughout the city, and after a few expansions, they now extend into other parts of the country. Legal claims that all seafood is served within 48 hours of catch (even the Alaskan salmon!), and their excellent New England Clam Chowder (or just "chowda" if you want to sound like a local) has been served at the last 6 presidential inaugurations.

You often have a long one hour+ wait to get a table at Legal. Tip: at most of their restaurants you can sit at the counter or at the tall tables with no wait, they are first-come, first-serve.


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Address: Long Wharf, downtown Boston
Directions: Near the Boston Aquarium
Website: http://www.legalseafoods.com/

The Beantown Pub sits directly across the street from the Granary Cemetery, near Boston Common. It makes a nice spot to stop for a Sam Adams and a quick lunch. Speaking of Sam Adams, he is buried in the cemetery across the street... this bar is known as the only location where you can drink a Sam Adams while in view of his grave... kind of morbid, but interesting.

This bar has numerous pool tables and TVs in the back, while the front section makes a great spot for a quiet lunch or early dinner. Their menu includes basic bar foods like hamburgers, wings, nachos along with local favorites including clam chowder, fried calamari, and baked beans. I have always been a big fan of their specialty sandwiches ($10-$11) such as the John Hancock (Turkey Breast, Roast Beef & Swiss with Coleslaw & Russian Dressing), Paul Revere (Pastrami, Corned Beef, Swiss , Onions and Honey Dijon Mustard) and the Sam Adams (Cajun Chicken Breast, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato and a Dijon-Mayo).

Why is Boston called Beantown? According to Wikipedia, it "refers to early Bostonian tradition of making baked beans with imported molasses."


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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-426-0111
Address: 100 Tremont Street
Directions: Across the street from the Granary Cemetery
Website: http://beantownpub.com/

Villa Francesca is one of dozens of very good Italian restaurants in Boston's North End. I have been here numerous times, most recently in summer 2004 when I enjoyed a great lobster ravioli with appetizer, Italian beer, coffee, and desert for about $50 per person. This restaurant has very good service and for a special treat you can sit at one of the tables in the open windows overlooking busy and narrow Richmond street.


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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-367-2948
Address: 150 Richmond St
Directions: North End

Restaurant Name: John Harvard's Brew House

I have been to a few of the John Harvard's locations, particularly Harvard Square and Manchester, CT just off I-84. I really liked the Harvard Square location with its huge dining area, friendly staff, and great food. The Manchester location seemed to be a poor imitation of the original. Both had good beer and above average food.

I like their "Did you know" section that informed me that it takes Anheuser Busch 15 minutes to mass produce as much beer as the average brewpub crafts in an entire year!


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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-868-3585
Address: 33 Dunster St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Directions: Harvard Square (Red Line)
Website: http://www.johnharvards.com/

Restaurant Name: Naked Fish

I have eaten at a few of the 5 Naked Fish locations in the Boston area, but most often at their Billerica branch off Middlesex Turnpike. This is one of the places (along with Legal Seafoods) where I would try to take my out of town guests for a nice dinner. They have very good seafood plus a variety of steaks; meals are around $20.

They also have a bar where I camped out during one terrible nor'easter in the winter of 2000 that shut down the roads around my house. Since it had taken me an hour to go the 1/2 mile to Naked Fish, I decided to stop to rest and refuel, as well as let the traffic die down, before I finished my journey home, on the back roads, in four wheel drive.


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 978-663-6500
Address: Billerica - 15 Middlesex Turnpike
Website: http://www.nakedfish.com/home.html

Restaurant Name: Union Oyster House

Since 1826 the Union Oyster House has been serving customers, making it the oldest restaurant in continuous operation in the US. There are no records showing when the building was constructed, but there was a clothing store in this facility as far back as 1742.

I only ate here once, it was one New Years Eve when freezing temperatures limited our time outdoors and huge cover charges at neighboring establishments ($50+) limited our time indoors. We ducked in here and had some calamari and other appetizers along with several pints of beer to warm us up. Seemed like many others in the crowd were doing the same!


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-227-2750
Address: 41 Union St., Boston, MA
Directions: Near Faneuil Hall
Website: http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/