is there good roadfood near boston, mass?

does anyone have any favorite places in the Boston area, preferably north or northwest of the city or in the city itself?

Heidi,

I saw your post a while ago, but my mind was a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities, so I decided to give it a bit of a think.

Anyway, you should first check out the listings on this site for Massachusetts. The Sterns have reviewed a plethora of places north of the city and I would concur with their recommendations. I'm not real familiar with the northern reaches of our Commonwealth, but the Sterns are, so heed their advice!

Besides those, I guess it's hard to respond because there are so many diverse choices in and around the city and beyond. I'll tell you about some of my favorites.

In the South End of Boston, there's a place called the Delux Cafe (100 Chandler Street), which is a neighborhood joint, but very funky and great food. Loads of velvet Elvis paintings and everything is $10 and under. Also in the South End is Tim's Tavern (329 Columbus Avenue), where big and cheap hamburgers rule.

Let's see...outside of the city...heading towards metrowest, there's a great chinese noodle shop on Route 9 in Framingham called EO Noodle. It's been our Friday night staple for about 8 years now. Good homemade wontons, steamed raviolis and noodle soups. Don't leave without trying the scallion pancakes. The two of us can eat well there for under $20. There's no liquor license, though, but you can BYOB.

In Sherborn on Route 27, there is a little ice cream/burger stand called C & L Frosty. They have nice small, but fresh and handformed burgers, as well as some pretty good fried seafood. Get the hamburger (or cheeseburger) platter and you get two burgers, which solves the size issue!

If you want to head waaay west, there's loads of great diners in and around Worcester, starting with the old favorite, the Boulevard on Shrewsbury Street, which is open late for your post-partying hunger. Right across the street is the Parkway Diner, which has the best (or maybe second best) meatballs in town. They are not open late, but go for breakfast and get a meatball omelette. Oh yeah!

If fancy pastries are your craving, then head out to Medfield. Off of Route 109, take Park Street and there's a great bakery there called Dessertworks, run by my friends Leonardo and Kristen. A must have is their homemade "pop tarts." This is what a pop-tart should be! Flaky, buttery beyond belief and filled with homemade fruit preserves. They make some great cakes, too.

Well, those are my absolute favorites. Have fun!
Lisa

Thanks for the info Lisa-I'll definitely try some of your suggestions. Do you know if Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square is still good-I haven't been there in years.

As a Boston native and former South End resident, I confirm that Delux and Tim's are very tasty. Also in the South End for breakfast are Charlie's and Mike's City Diner. Big, greasy, delicious. Try the hash at Charlie's, and right down the street is Anchovies for cheap tasty Italian-American dinner.

In Somerville, Redbones in Davis Sq. always had surprisingly good barbecue, given that you're so far north of the Mason-Dixon. I haven't been in a while, though. Mrs. Bartley's is probably still good, it hasn't changed a bit since 1974.

If you're headed north and you want pizza, my all-time favorite is Santarpios in East Boston, the first exit out of the Callahan Tunnel. It's fantastic thin crust pie, and the grilled lamb is great too.

But the ultimate road food in the Boston area is unquestionably Kelly's on Revere Beach, where you can get great fried clams, clam chowder with a thin broth lots of clams and no cornstarch and a mighty tasty roast beef sandwich -- soft serve for dessert.

I'm inspired to chime in, here. All of lvw's suggestions are first rate! I'm particularly gratified by the ref to C & L in Sherborn, which is where I live. C & L started as an ice cream stand when I was a kid, is still in the same location near the fire station and has expanded into excellent fried sea food as well. Their onion rings have been voted best of MetroWest several times. Cafe Belo on 126 in Framingham is an excellent Brazilian cafe, with very good platos typicos. Nick's, on 135 in Natick is as close to an original drive-in as it gets around here. It has been a hangout for several local hot rod clubs over the years, so you can get excellent ice cream AND a little whiff of nitro-methane to go. West on 135 is a very good desert place called Pieces, which has many kinds of deserts by the slice/piece.

As far as Harvard Square goes, Bartleys is still the same, and that is a compliment; RIP Buddy's Steak Pit, the Tasty, the Wursthaus, ZumZum, etc. Way more here than can be covered even in several posts! If you're anywhere near the docks, try the no name on fish pier; great fresh seafood and the best fish chowder I have ever had. Enjoy!

Thanks, dbear, for the culinary affirmation! You live in Sherborn? My husband and I often work at Dowse Orchards during apple season. Which, by the way, is another great place to stop along the way. They have a great little farmstand and press their own cider in the fall.

And, what about Casey's Diner in Natick? Great hot dogs!

For BBQ, our favorite is Blue Ribbon BBQ, with locations in West Newton and Arlington (I think). We have a friend from Mississippi who thinks it's as good as the 'Q back home. We love Redbones, too, but sometimes I just don't want to wait in that long line.

Lisa

FYI - Redbones on Tuesday serves a delicious smoked turkey, real mashed potatoes and a cornbread stuffing. Top it all off with a "White Trash Sundae"

Rte 1 North of Boston in Saugus is the famous "Hill Top Steak House". China Town in downtown Boston has some great spots, just to the left of the Chinese archway in China Town there's a place that you go upstairs and they have "Dim Sum" which is a bunch of appetisers that they come around with on trays (pushcarts) and then you're charged per small plate! It's a great experience...fun... if you've never done that! Perhaps the name of that particular restaurant is Imperial or Imperial Garden?

KokomoJoe, was it in a huge ornate high-ceilinged room that looked like it used to be a movie theatre? That's the Empire Garden (690-698 Washington). Nice room, mediocre dim sum. Far far better is the China Pearl (9 Tyler St. 2nd floor), which is THE dim sum destination in Chinatown as far as my dim sum crowd is concerned.

I second the Blue Ribbon recommendations! The Kansas City burnt ends and the beans are magnificent.

quote:

Originally posted by MissPeeps

........
But the ultimate road food in the Boston area is unquestionably Kelly's on Revere Beach, where you can get great fried clams, clam chowder with a thin broth lots of clams and no cornstarch and a mighty tasty roast beef sandwich -- soft serve for dessert.

I had a Kelly's roast beef sandwich this last weekend at their Natick location. They have 4 locations now. My sandwich was a "10" out of 10. My wife had fish and chips that were very average. They us "whitefish" (pollack?) and it is not as good as the haddock served by some other, better, places.

Last year we were staying up in Peabody area and fell in love with Brothers Kouzina a Greek restaurant that reminded me of Angelo's in Jackson, MS where I grew up. Full of regulars, family and friends. Large portions. Great food! It was so good in fact that when we made it back to the Boston area a day early for our stay with family, we checked in to a hotel in the area again and went back for supper a second time. We tried different things each time and everything we had was very good and the staff was friendly and attentive.

We also loved Bova's Bakery in Boston North End as well as the more famous Mike's. It's a chain from Europe with a few locations in the US but Wagamama's at Feneuil Hall or Cambridge is a fun, good meal.

Although we're all now responding to an inquiry made over half a decade ago, being that the immediate previous poster brought up the Bay State's strip club capital otherwise known as Peabody, Massachusetts (), I thought I would mention a great local dining spot which: (1) has been serving great, no frills seafood for over 35 years; (2) and yet a place which, I don't believe, has ever been even mentioned on this site.

The place is:


[url='http://seawitchlobster.com/']Seawitch Lobster Company AND Restaurant[/url]
203 Newbury Street
Peabody, Massachusetts 01960
978 / 535-6057


Located on Route 1 about 12 miles due north of Boston (and just a little further north than the aforementioned Hill Top Steakhouse also on Route 1 but in Saugus), the Seawitch restaurant is adjacent to the seafood market of the same name thereby ensuring both a large and fresh selection of local seafood. Of course, lobsters are a mainstay as are a myriad of fried dishes (clams, fish, etc.) but so, too, a large number of "healthier" offerings like broiled swordfish, haddock and scallops.

I have been to the Seawitch many times and have never been disappointed with this New England seafood classic indeed located "north of the city" of Boston (per this thread's original question).

Oops - I didn't even look at the date of the original post. Oh well. So that is what Peabody is known for? It did look like an interesting neighborhood and I think I noticed one or two joints but I wouldn't know that much about them. But that is too funny.

I know of some long time North End residents that make the treck north to Peabody for their fried seafood fix at the Seawitch. It's only about 20 min.
north of Boston and very casual. Order at the counter take a booth and a waitress delivers your meal to you.
Some of our older posters here may remember the location by a landmark business that was once next door Mr. Peanut. They had a huge Mr. Peanut sign that was well known to travelers along the Newbury turnpike Rt.#1 north.
Also, around the corner from the Seawitch on Lowell street is the Family Restaurant. A great spot for breakfast or lunch and only about a mile away headded east. Chow Jim

i95


Although we're all now responding to an inquiry made over half a decade ago, being that the immediate previous poster brought up the Bay State's strip club capital otherwise known as Peabody, Massachusetts (), I thought I would mention a great local dining spot which: (1) has been serving great, no frills seafood for over 35 years; (2) and yet a place which, I don't believe, has ever been even mentioned on this site.

The place is:


[url='http://seawitchlobster.com/']Seawitch Lobster Company AND Restaurant[/url]
203 Newbury Street
Peabody, Massachusetts 01960
978 / 535-6057


Located on Route 1 about 12 miles due north of Boston (and just a little further north than the aforementioned Hill Top Steakhouse also on Route 1 but in Saugus), the Seawitch restaurant is adjacent to the seafood market of the same name thereby ensuring both a large and fresh selection of local seafood. Of course, lobsters are a mainstay as are a myriad of fried dishes (clams, fish, etc.) but so, too, a large number of "healthier" offerings like broiled swordfish, haddock and scallops.

I have been to the Seawitch many times and have never been disappointed with this New England seafood classic indeed located "north of the city" of Boston (per this thread's original question).

 
I visited Seawitch tonight for the second time.  It's only 1.2 miles from the hotel I usually stay at in Peabody.
 
On my first visit, I was lazy, so I ordered the lobster pie.  It was lobster, covered with a hard shell of tasteless breadcrumbs, just like the stuffed clam I ordered.  Not very good, but I realized that I strayed from the regionally appropriate fare.  Tonight, I went with the 2 lb lobster dinner and some oysters.  The oysters were good...just good.  But the lobster was outstanding.  I rolled up my sleeves and dug in like a true tourist, splashing people all around me, saving the tail for last.
 
Several people around me ordered the fried seafood platter, which look fantastic also.  Some of the locals I was talking to complained about having to wait in line at their favorite spots because of the tourist.  But when they saw my 2lb tail, they all start yelling...."take a picture before you eat it".  I agreed!
 
 
Funny, me and my BFF seem to always agree anymore.