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The Best Restaurants and Bars Around Boston’s TD Garden

2025-03-21T12:20:00-04:00

Pizzas at Ducali. | Ducali

Chow down, then get to the game on time

There are many excellent places to eat in the general vicinity of TD Garden — home to the legendary NBA and NHL teams, the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins, plus a popular venue for many musical acts coming through the city — but you’re trying to get to your seats on time, and so the general vicinity won’t do. Here’s where to eat in the Garden’s immediate surroundings, so you can properly devour a meal and still get to the game on time. In the most recent update of this map, we’ve added Scores and Sullivan’s Tap to the lineup. Additional reporting by Nathan Tavares.

What to Eat in and Around Fenway Park, Home of the Boston Red Sox

2025-03-20T16:06:01-04:00

A summer evening game at Fenway Park. | Erika Adams/Eater Boston

From in-park burgers and hot dogs to neighborhood staples nearby, here’s how to dine before, during, and after a baseball game

Baseball season is upon us again, and with baseball season come ubiquitous Fenway Franks, overpriced beer, and plenty of soft serve within Fenway Park. Outside the stadium, there’s a bustling neighborhood packed with old standbys and newer hotspots. Read on for dining information in and around the stadium.

Inside Fenway Park

From Fenway Franks to twists of soft serve, the park is once again stocked with classic ballpark food for another season. Scroll onwards for some new concessions added to the roster in 2025.

The new stuff

A loaded ‘Cowboy Up!’ burger: Named after a catchphrase by former Red Sox champ Kevin Millar, the burger starts with a ground beef patty layered up with cheddar cheese, bacon, brisket, onion rings, and barbecue sauce, all sandwiched on a brioche roll. Stand C07, Truly Terrace
Green Monster fries: A pile of crinkle-cut fries loaded up with chili, cheese, sour cream, and jalapeños. Truly Terrace, Gate E Concessions
Tacos: Corn tortillas piled high with carnitas, mango salsa, sliced red onion, and cilantro. Bleacher Bowls
Grilled cheese sandwich: An ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich made with Vermont’s Cabot cheese and served on sourdough bread. Additional fillings are available. Jersey Street
Pineapple bacon sausage: A savory-sweet package of pork, pineapple, uncured bacon, and Vermont maple syrup. Jersey Street, Right Field Grill
Elote: The crowd-favorite Mexican street snack, with grilled corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, and chile-lime dressing. Bleacher Bowls
Soup Shack: Not to be confused with the Boston restaurant of the same name, the park is debuting a new spot for soup — including broccoli cheddar, lobster bisque, and clam chowder — ladled into bread bowls. Jersey Street

Aramark

The grilled cheese sandwich.

Aramark

A box of tacos and drinks.

Aramark

The new Cowboy Up! burger.

Aramark

Clam chowder in a bread bowl from the Soup Shack.

The standbys

Cracker Jack: What’s a ball game without a handful of Cracker Jack? Find ‘em everywhere, including Bleacher Concourse, Coca-Cola Deck, Gate E Concourse, Sam Deck, and more.

Burgers: Get your fill of cheeseburgers, hamburgers, and fries at the Home Plate Concourse, Home Plate Grandstand, Right Field Concourse, Left and Right Field Aura Pavilions, and more.

Hot dogs: From the classic Fenway Franks to footlong dogs, these are basically sold everywhere including the Home Plate Deck, the Green Monster, Home Plate Concourse, Coca-Cola Deck, Bleacher Concourse, Jersey Street, and beyond.

Gluten-free options: Find dogs with gluten-free buns at the Sam Deck and the Gate A Concourse. The Gate A Concourse is also stocked with gluten-free wraps and salads. Gluten-free Angry Orchard ciders can be found all around, including Gate A Concourse, Home Plate Concourse, and Gate E Concourse.

Kids’ meals: Find kid-friendly meals like peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, hot dogs, and animal crackers at the Kids Concourse, Gate E Concourse, and Left Field Aura Pavilion.

Kosher options: Kids Concourse.

Lobster rolls: Supplied by reliable seafood chain Luke’s Lobster, find rolls at Jersey Street, Right Field Concourse, and the Sam Deck. There’s also lobster bisque at Jersey Street and Right Field Concourse.

Soft Serve: Served in a cup, cone, or ice cream helmet, find this sweet treat all over the place, including the Home Plate Concourse, Coca-Cola Deck, Bleacher Concourse, and Gate E Concourse.

More information and options here.

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Getting the goods at Fenway Park.

Outside Fenway Park

The neighborhood is teeming with grab-and-go lunch spots, sports bars, and a few swanky dinner spots for before or after the game. Find a selection of places right around the park below, and click over to separate guides for sports bars and dining around the Fenway neighborhood for even more options.

Bleacher Bar: On the site of the former away team’s batting cage, it’s situated under the bleachers with a view of the field (limited during games — a glass garage door comes down), but no game ticket is required, so this is a good way to be inside Fenway without paying the big bucks. Enter on Lansdowne Street. The menu is mostly focused on sandwiches, along with some typical comfort food snacks. Open year-round. 82A Lansdowne Street
Cask ‘n Flagon: Fenway’s quintessential sports bar, right in the heart of the action, where it’s been for over 50 years. There’s plenty of comfort food, including burgers, barbecue, and more. 62 Brookline Avenue
The Sausage Guy: A just-outside-of-Fenway-Park icon. Swing by the cart for sausages and hot dogs before heading inside the stadium. 49 Lansdowne Street
Regina Pizzeria: It’s not the original (head to the North End for that one), but it’s still pretty darn good. 1330 Boylston Street
Hojoko: A funky hotel restaurant that takes its cues from a Japanese izakaya, serving sushi, ramen, and crispy karaage chicken alongside a very fun sake and Japanese whisky list. 1271 Boylston Street

13 Excellent Places to Eat and Drink in Fenway

2025-03-20T11:30:30-04:00

Fenway is home to one of the best wine bars in the city. | Nathálie Wine Bar

It’s not all Fenway Franks around here

Sure, Fenway is most recognizable for Fenway Park, and if you’re looking for a burger and a beer on game day, there are loads of places to find that in the neighborhood. But the area is also home to some of the city’s best Thai and Indian restaurants, as well as what may be the region’s only Yemeni restaurant. Below, find 13 excellent Fenway restaurants for lunch, dinner, or somewhere in between. On the latest update of this map, we’re tipping our hat to Eastern Standard’s Italian offshoot Standard Italian, and removing Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar and the now-closed D.W. French.

The Best Outdoor Patios Around Boston

2025-03-19T15:11:51-04:00

Ristorante Lucia struck up a partnership with a neighboring church for a cool dining patio overlooking Hanover Street. | Brian Samuels/Ristorante Lucia

Dine outside in breezy, beautiful spots around the city

Patio season in Boston is a brief but glorious time, so start prepping now. Many restaurants offer charming sidewalk dining or patios out front, right in the thick of all the action in the neighborhood, but you can also find a bit of seclusion in a quiet garden hidden from the busy street, or in a pleasant alleyway, or in an enclosed courtyard. Here are some lovely Boston-area patios to fit any mood, and all are worth seeking out when you want to dine alfresco. Additions in this update include the seafood destination Saltie Girl on Newbury Street and Althea’s backyard oasis in Central Square. (Looking for rooftop patios? Find those here.)

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The Best $1 Oyster Deals Around Boston

2025-03-18T13:55:22-04:00

Oysters at South End spot Ilona. | Ilona

Knock ’em back at these restaurants

Massachusetts may not allow happy hour drink deals — yet — but kicking back with a buck-a-shuck deal on a weekday afternoon is almost (almost!) enough to forget that the glass of wine alongside is full-price. Below, find 15 restaurants around town that are a sure bet for dollar oyster deals right now. On the latest update of the guide, we’ve added La Brasa in East Somerville and taken off a few spots that no longer have the deal, including Woods Hill Pier 4 in the Seaport. — With additional reporting by Celina Colby.

Ed Sheeran Popped Into a Boston Irish Pub for a Surprise St. Paddy’s Day Show

2025-03-18T10:46:22-04:00

Ed Sheeran at a Celtics game in 2024. | Winslow Townson/Getty Images

The crowds at the Dubliner got extra lucky this year

The crowds who picked downtown Boston Irish pub the Dubliner for their St. Patrick’s Day festivities got quite the lucky break: Pop star Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance at the pub on Monday night for a holiday set with Irish band Beoga.

The English singer donned a Celtics jersey and hopped up on the tiny stage at the Dubliner, a modern Irish pub near City Hall Plaza run by chef and Ireland native Aiden McGee. He belted out a string of hits alongside folk band Beoga, a collaborator with Sheeran on tracks Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan from the singer’s 2016 album “÷”. The crowds spilled out from the restaurant onto the sidewalk outside, cheering Sheeran on and singing along to the music. Take a look at the happy chaos below:

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Before he left, Sheeran bought a round of drinks for everyone:

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A post shared by - Sheerio from Germany (@sheerio.for.life.12)

Boston’s Tourist Trap Restaurants That Are Actually Good

2025-03-14T12:40:36-04:00

Neptune Oyster. | Bill Addison/Eater

If you’re going to be obvious, do so in the best way possible

Boston is a busy city year-round, with Americans and international travelers visiting to learn more about our country’s history, explore the cobblestone streets, and gaze at our (mostly) gorgeous architecture.

That said, our city is also full of tourist traps (we won’t mention the bar named after the 1980s TV show by name) that will overcharge visitors and locals for mediocre food and drink. As proud natives, we can’t allow that, so we’ve collected a list of classics we’d happily send out-of-towners to for a meal, including a classic Irish pub and two spots for an iconic Boston pastry. In the latest update of this map, we’ve added downtown Irish pub the Black Rose and the waterfront Sail Loft, while the Barking Crab has left the list.

Boston’s 12 Essential Bars

2025-03-13T16:57:19-04:00

The bartenders’ workspace at the Wig Shop in Downtown Crossing. | Malakhai Pearson/Eater Boston

Destinations for cocktails, wine, sake, beer, and more

Boston loves booze. To describe the most essential bars in and around Boston, one must consider a variety of options; they all contribute to the city’s drinking scene in different but equally important ways. One person’s essential bar is the classic neighborhood hangout around the corner with the free popcorn, while another person ranks the world-class cocktail lounge with a line around the block as the best in town.

This map examines high-end cocktail destinations, cozy wine bars, and places to keep going back to. The new addition on the latest update is Offsuit, a speakeasy-style bar in the Financial District that we keep returning to for reliably weird (and great) drinks. — Additional reporting by Valerie Li Stack and Rachel Leah Blumenthal.

The Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings in Boston, Spring 2025

2025-03-12T09:18:57-04:00

The attention-grabbing cheeseburger at Nowon, a Korean American gastropub sliding into the Seaport this spring. | Nowon

Eight can’t-miss openings of the season

In the wake of a particularly bone-chilling winter, we’re more ready than ever to pack away our snow boots and go check out the latest crop of restaurants and bars looking to make their mark in Boston’s dining scene. There’s a lot to look forward to, from a gigantic outdoor playground for adults taking root in South Boston, to a Korean American cafe and bakery in Cambridge, and a fan-favorite ice cream shop looking to settle down in East Somerville. Here are eight openings we’ve got our eye on this spring.

A roving Korean American bakery and cafe finds a home in West Cambridge

Name: Nine Winters
Opening: Early spring

Mim on Roseway/Nine Winters

Korean garlic bread from Nine Winters.

Boston bakeryheads are likely already familiar with Marissa Ferola’s work. You may have caught her at Somerville’s Bow Market, selling treats like black sesame chocolate chip cookies and decadent slices of chocolate makgeolli cake, spiked with the Korean drink. Or maybe you snagged a photogenic doughnut or four from one of her pop-ups at Cambridge ice cream shop Honeycomb Creamery. In any case, Nine Winters’ address is about to be a lot more steady going forward. Ferola is currently putting the finishing touches on the bakery’s permanent shop at 292 Concord Avenue in Cambridge. There will be pastries, but that’s not all: Ferola will have top-notch coffee options featuring Cambridge’s own Broadsheet roastery, plus Bard out of Portland, Maine, and eventually, she’ll spotlight Korean and Korean American roasters, too. Drinks include a bright espresso tonic inspired by the famed Jeju Island in South Korea, featuring a salted marmalade made in-house and muddled with the tonic. There will be a light lunch and dinner menu, too. Ferola is also on the lookout for local chefs who don’t yet have their own brick-and-mortar spaces to do pop-up dinners at the bakery. (Priority will be given to those who “are focused on a cultural concept,” according to Ferola.)

Head to the Seaport for kimchi mayo cheeseburgers and honey butter tots

Name: Nowon
Opening: Late March or early April

Chef Jae Lee first opened Nowon, a Korean American gastropub slinging sought-after cheeseburgers and chopped cheese rice cakes, in New York City in 2019. Fast forward a few years, and the restaurant is readying its Boston debut at the Seaport this spring. Similar to Nowon’s locations in the East Village and Bushwick, expect the same core menu of burgers, fried chicken, fried rice, and noodles, with a couple of Boston-specific items added in. Local operators Flying Lion Hospitality Group (whose other projects include the dosa chain Madras Dosa Co., which has a Seaport outpost) are helming the Boston version of Nowon.

Wayne Chinnock/Fallow Kin

From L to R: Marcos Sanchez, Danielle Ayer, and Conor Dennehy.

An ambitious vegetable-centered spot takes over a storied address

Name: Fallow Kin
Opening: April

We’ve been eagerly awaiting this one, along with many other Boston diners. Fallow Kin, from Tallula owners Conor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer and former Tasting Counter chef Marcos Sanchez, is (finally!) nearing completion at the space that formerly housed famed Cambridge spot Craigie on Main. The restaurant is doubling down on New England farm-to-table dining, working closely with local producers to source ingredients sustainably and meet zero-waste goals. Vegetables will take center stage on the menu, including in a highly anticipated homage to the iconic Craigie on Main burger.

A South Boston restaurant empire is opening a gigantic outdoor playground for adults

Name: Park City
Opening: May

Restaurateur Mike Shaw and the Broadway Restaurant Group (which includes South Boston crowd-favorites like Loco, Capo, Fat Baby, and Lincoln) have something (really) big up their sleeves for South Boston this spring. The team is opening a 30,000-square-foot seasonal playground called Park City at the Lot on the Dot (383 Dorchester Avenue) with lots of food, drinks, live music, and other entertainment. The group’s culinary director Mike Sanchez is whipping up a menu of summer-ready New England fare, including lobster rolls, fried clams, smash burgers, and more, plus a few globe-trotting plates like Peruvian lomo saltado and Greek gyros packed with chicken sliced off a rotisserie broiler. Flag down the ice cream cart (or grab a cake cup) for dessert.

A new spot for cocktails and dim sum comes to Central Square

Name: Darling
Opening: May

Central Square’s dining and drinking scene just keeps getting better. Cocktail bar and dim sum spot Darling, from a talented team of industry veterans, is the latest newcomer to watch in the neighborhood. Brian Callahan, an alum of celebrity chef Tiffani Faison’s former Fenway spots Tiger Mama and Orfano, as well as seafood mainstay Row 34, has teamed up with Zimu Chen, who previously worked at industry favorite Eastern Standard as well as swanky Coje Group spots Coquette and Mariel, to launch the bar at the former home of Chinese American mainstay Mary Chung. Executive chef Mark O’Leary, a veteran of sushi destination O Ya, Chinatown hot spot Shojo, and Downtown Crossing’s JM Curley, is taking the lead on the dim sum menu.

Brick Street Bagels

An overhead shot of bagels.

A fan-favorite bagel pop-up is putting down roots

Name: Brick Street Bagels
Opening: May

Brick Street Bagels, the two-year-old bagel pop-up that continues to draw lines at the Buttery in the South End each weekend, is ready for its next step. Owner Jordan Renouf signed a lease in South Boston at 371 West Broadway to open his first bagel shop later this spring (with the help of an ongoing crowdfunding campaign). In the shop, Renouf will be able to expand on the current menu of bagels and schmears to also include other items like open-faced sandwiches and a coffee program. (For those who frequented the South End pop-up, don’t worry: Renouf plans to keep the pop-up going at the Buttery after the South Boston shop opens.)

The team behind stunning Italian restaurant Prima is taking their talents to the South End

Name: TBD
Opening: May

The scene-stealing Italian steakhouse Prima made quite the splash amid Charlestown’s quiet restaurant scene when it opened two years ago. Now, the team has their sights set on the South End for their next act. Details are scarce now, but the new project — located at 490 Harrison Avenue, near the SoWa Open Market — will have a big outdoor patio and will likely be another show-stopper in the design department.

A buzzy ice cream pop-up settles down in East Somerville

Name: TBD
Opening: Late spring or early summer

Similar to a few other businesses on this list, Third Time Ice Cream is aiming to graduate from its pop-up phase later this spring. Run by Nick Ladin-Sienne, a cook turned lawyer turned ice cream vendor, Third Time Ice Cream built a cult following for intricate, seasonal flavors such as Coffee and Dessert (a Broadsheet coffee custard mixed with banana, clove, and cinnamon) and Something Pink (a raspberry gelato paired with sweetened condensed milk infused with smoked star anise). The permanent shop in East Somerville will sell ice cream, of course, but Ladin-Sienne also plans to expand the menu to include coffee and other food. If you want an advance taste of what Ladin-Sienne is tinkering with for the shop’s savory menu, head to Cambridge coffee shop-slash-wine bar Tilde, where Third Time is popping up with a daytime menu throughout the month of March.

An Acclaimed Italian Restaurant Makes a Comeback in the North End

2025-03-11T11:45:35-04:00

(Little) Sage is back in action. | Lane Caroline/Little Sage

Chef Tony Susi is reviving his former hot spot Sage in the neighborhood

Chef Tony Susi’s highly regarded Italian restaurant Sage, a former North End hot spot in the early 2000s, is making a comeback.

Susi, who most recently was leading the kitchen at the Charles’ Hotel’s Bar Enza in Harvard Square, is headed back to the North End to revive the restaurant, now called Little Sage, at 352 Hanover Street, the former home of solid pizza spot Locale. (Meanwhile, local culinary legend Lydia Shire is taking over the reins at Bar Enza.) It’s happening quickly, too: Little Sage opens for dinner service tonight, on Tuesday, March 11, according to a rep for the restaurant.

Susi’s menu at Little Sage will include pasta, chicken, and seafood, such as jumbo shrimp with roasted leeks and capers, and littleneck clams with lemon and garlic butter. There will also be a few Sage classics mixed in, including plates of pillowy gnocchi and baked fazzoletti (a pasta smoothed out into large, square sheets). Susi plans to make good use of Locale’s pizza oven to roast chicken, vegetables, and other ingredients; plus, Locale will still maintain a to-go pizza menu available for pickup and delivery, per a release.

Susi is partnering with North End restaurateur and Locale owner Jen Matarazzo to open Little Sage. Matarazzo also owned the original Sage in the 1990s, where Susi worked as executive chef before buying the restaurant from Matarazzo in 1999.

Lane Caroline/Little Sage

Tony Susi and Jen Matarazzo.

Susi got his start in Boston decades ago, working at now-notorious celebrity chef Todd English’s Olives in Charlestown. Sage was Susi’s first big-deal hit on his own. The tiny spot developed a fan following in the North End before Susi eventually relocated the restaurant to the South End and then sold it off due to financial difficulties, the chef told the Globe in an interview in 2023. During its nearly decade-long run, it nabbed several local accolades, including Boston Magazine’s best new restaurant in 2000.

Boston has seen a number of restaurant revivals in the past few years. Chef Evan Deluty’s Stella, a one-time South End staple, reopened as a smaller, more casual pasta spot in Newton in 2023. North End restaurateur Frank DePasquale dusted off Umbria, a former downtown Boston restaurant and nightlife spot, and reopened it on Hanover Street also in 2023. The same year, beloved industry spot Eastern Standard was reborn in Fenway.

Little Sage is located at 352 Hanover Street, in the North End. It is open for dinner daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and for lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting at noon.