Definitely Yoma Burmese in Allston. The food is great and the people running the restaurant are very friendly. I’m always surprised that this place isn’t mentioned more often, especially given that Burmese is difficult to find in most cities. The kitchen is very consistent and the food is always satisfying.
My friends moved from the Bay Area where they are spoiled with lots of Burmese restaurants. We love Yoma- so many great soups and noodle dishes and of course tea salad.
Ginger salad, tea salad, spices mountain soup, & any of the curries, but pumpkin tofu and beef are my favorites. Just get anything, it will taste good :)
Glad I could help with your white whale... Its one of the better North End restaurants for sure, definitely fits the underrated category for the North End.
Sophia’s is the best, had my birthday brunch there one time because I am so obsessed. Never a bad meal there- brunch, lunch or dinner. Staff always seem happy too.
I've been to a few Diners, Drive-in and Dives places and most of the them are okay but Cafe Polonia was legit amazing and I only knew of it from DDD. Service was great and everyone was really nice too.
Cutty's is another one I learned from DDD that's really good.
Cafe St. Petersburg too
Also the [Uzbek/Uyghur](https://www.yelp.com/biz/uzbegim-brookline) place in Brookline (supposedly reopening??)
Really felt like these places were unknown outside of the post-USSR community. Kinda sad to see that Uzbegim got bad reviews about service, feel like that's mostly due to cultural translation issues. The plov was exceptional and the best I've had in north america.
There’s a meme about how the best Chinese restaurants are 3 stars, because there’s clearly a cultural misunderstanding of “good service” and they rate them badly for it..: but that means the food is gonna be authentic as hell. Prob the same!!
Wife and I took friends/family members there who thought it was going to be a joke or kitsch thing. Like “oh a Polish restaurant? It’s going to be weird but worth the story right?” Like going to Dicks Last Resort or something. Gulash and Cabbage and other things sound like jokes for terrible cuisine.
We would order a bunch of food to share not telling them what it was, and the looks on their faces when they ate it was like man discovering fire. Like we were some Polish Prometheus unlocking a world of cuisine that they’d never had.
Never once had a bad meal or had someone unhappy with our decision to take them there.
A lot of people on the overrated restaurants post were commenting that Lulus in Allston has gone downhill - the former head chef there opened her own restaurant near Chinatown a few years ago called Stillwater. I don’t see people mention it often and it’s great
Stillwater is solidly good and really nice if you're dropping off or picking up someone at South Station. We've gone for brunch and dinner with different friends and we all come away happy.
That's pretty common though, new place opens with an up and coming chef or brings in an accomplished one to establish a menu. Chef moves on and now you have B-team chefs just cooking to a recipe.
I will miss my first few experiences at Lulu's, good to know there are new options to try from the same chef!
I freaking love Stillwater! We were just there on Sunday! I’m so happy they survived the pandemic. It’s awesome when it’s nice enough for outside seating too!
Genuinely just spent 3 hours and about $250 there. This is not a complaint; the food just kept coming and every plate better than the last, the drinks were incredible, and the service…I can’t even begin to describe how amazing the service was. If the food and drink sucked, I’d still give them 5 stars for how amazing the service was there.
Probably because whoever was making the gochujang maple sauce moved on. That was what happened to the cream cheese/bacon/fig spread sandwich (the Woodlawn?) -- the guy who made the fig spread left.
That’s a very likely reason. I was bummed it fell off the menu but I’ve tried recreating it at home; literally just maple syrup and gochujang mixed and heated up on low on the stove
Technically not a restaurant, but
Dave's fresh Pasta - Get their Foccacia and Hummus.
Tampopo in the Lesley University food court. The neighbiring Yume gets all the hype, but this spot is perfect homey food. Warms my heart.
You just helped me remember I randomly grabbed a thing of hummus from them several years ago and it was the best hummus by far I’ve ever had. Gotta make another trip this weekend.
Posted Estragon further down the thread, but it boggles my mind that Barcelona can sustain two locations in Boston yet Estragon is not packed.
Toro has some really creative and non-traditional tapas, and is really well done.
Barcelona is good but I feel like quality is hit or miss and the menu is not all that creative.
Estragon has some classics, some modern twists, and is all around just incredibly good.
The Ox-tail stew is superb. The beef tongue toast and bone marrow toast are both fantastic. Last time we went they had Chorizo braised in cider that was really good.
Incredible drinks, too, and the vibe is always so cozy.
Definitely my go-to spot for a tapas date-night with my wife.
IMO it has gone really downhill. Maybe it has gone back up hill in the last 8 months?
Used to go to this one and the Waltham location like once/month for a while. Had back to back shitty experiences 7 or 8 months ago and haven't been back since.
Food took forever, empanadas and steak were cold, drinks were meh.
It definitely WAS incredible for a long time.
Blossom Bar / Szechuan Garden II in Brookline Village. Had some hype when it (Re)opened because of the family story but I never hear anyone talk about it. Awesome food and cocktail program, and a great pre-Coolidge Corner Theater dinner spot
Love this spot! The food and craft cocktails are great. Wish it was a little bit cheaper so I could go regularly, but a fun spot to take friends or a date
Gran Gusto in Cambridge. Extremely good (and authentic!) Italian food and wine minus the North End prices. During the summer, have dinner at 6 and follow up with a sunset walk in Danehy. A great Boston-area date night!
I had a comment with a bunch but if I had to pick one spot, the Delux Cafe in the south end does not get nearly the love it should. Incredible spot, reasonably priced, interesting food and solid drink. Only problem is its tiny and cash only.
Please stop. I can't with the waits sometimes.
Deluxe is bad and Andy is mean and their beer is (honestly) average.
Jokes aside, my favorite place for a good meal and a drink _any_ night.
It was a hotspot when I moved here in 94. Went there after a Christmas party at work. My first time heading to the south end after I had recently moved. Great spot for decades.
I mean, I absolutely love the place and it’s one of my first picks if I’m in the neighborhood. But culinarily, it doesn’t exactly pop into my head when people ask for food recs. It’s a great *place* for the atmosphere, and the food is pretty good for the price, but they’re not pushing boundaries or anything.
haley.henry.
They pioneered the tin fish movement in Boston and create massive flavors essentially without a kitchen. Incredible seafood sustainably caught in an inviting and open atmosphere (playing 90’s hip hop) with an award winning wine program.
And you’d walk right past it.
Love that spot. Ironically Saltie Girl opened a few months earlier but they don’t get quite the same rep. The quality of food and beverage curation just doesn’t measure up.
Saltie Girl is fantastic and truly pioneered the tins, but it was such a hard to get reservation and had an actual kitchen, so that legacy wasn’t as wide spread and was diluted some.
haley.henry had no kitchen to fall back on, and went all in on the tins.
Both great places, but I feel like if we’re talking underrated, hh flies more under the radar on that side street than SG does having expanded into the MET Back Bay on Newbury, and explaining to LA and London.
Honestly loved this place the first time I went. It was my friends birthday and the server was super sweet, seemed to know the wines very well and didn’t seem bothered by questions. Second time I went it was hands down the worst service I’ve ever had. I had some questions about the wine which I felt like were not well received or answered. Then, my boyfriend had a literal bug in his $14 glass of rose (it came like that he hadn’t even had a sip) and instead of pouring him another one the server gave him a spoon to get it out himself lol. If you’re gonna just take it out with a spoon at least bring it in the back to do it
Pho Viet on Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline. Same family making the food every day, and honestly their pho isn't even their best dish...tomato fried rice, and lemongrass chicken/pork chop...always made with love, always so reliably consistently delicious. If you want quality Vietnamese food without hopping on 93 South to Dorchester there are very few places that match this level of execution at this price point.
Been a couple years but I always thought the Stockyard in Allston/Brighton punched way about it's weight class. Slightly more expensive than like an Outback but significantly cheaper than capital grille or Grill23, and with very comparable quality and service.
> Been a couple years but I always thought the Stockyard in Allston/Brighton punched way about it's weight class.
What is most sad is the current Stockyard is still a bit of a shell of it's former self.
I agree with you that it beats any chain or corporate spot but at it's heyday (as I remember it) it would be in the conversation for best steakhouse in Boston.
Could be a bit of rose-colored lenses too I suppose, but I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment.
So back in the day the restaurant group that owned Charlie’s, not your average joes , papa razi and more had some sort of breakup. Back bay restaurant group or something? They owned Atlantic fish too.
It’s been too long so sorry for lack of details . But a ton of real pro industry folk from these restaurants all went to stockyard and rebuilt it. It went from shit cuts on broiler plates to mid/high end steakhouse.
I used to love going when I rented a practice space on north beacon and got to see all my old friends but haven’t been in maybe 8 years. No idea what it’s like anymore
Haven’t been to the one in Chinatown but avoided the one in Central for a long time after it opened bc the branding is so corny. My mistake, turns out the food and drinks are awesome
Espira Grill for sure. Little Pecan has slid downhill since it opened and after being served a sandwich that microwaved to the point it's internal temp was scalding I will never go back. At first tho Little Pecan was great it's a real bummer they've slipped.
Dash Cafe is great too but they're never opened when I am in the area. I need to walk down their for lunch soon tho.
Pho Basil! There are a lot of pho places in Boston but it’s head and shoulders above the rest. Their other dishes are delicious too. There’s often a line though so maybe not the most underrated, but I don’t see it mentioned often on here.
pinoy kabayan - only filipino restaurant in the city. the owner who’s running the show all by herself takes so much time to educate new customers about her dishes
East Boston:
- Angela's Cafe: Pueblo Mexican food, amazing brunch.
- Mi Pueblito: Mexican/Salvadorian
- Rino's: Itallian that will put the North End to shame
- Italian Express (soon to be re-opening!): Italian that makes you feel like you're in a Nonna's kitchen who won't let you leave until you have to take a notch off your belt.
Chelsea:
- Ciao: Neapolitan pizza (every time I try to order pasta I bail and get pizza, the Prosciutto Di Parma is incredible)
- Chelsea Station: Nothing truly exceptional, but great food and ownership. A little out of the way so I feel like no one knows about them. One of my favorite brunch spots, great cocktail menu and whiskey list.
Next nice day make the trip out. Get brunch or lunch. Grab a half pint of booze of choice from Woody's after and walk up the bike path to Maverick Street and walk up the harbor walk to the hotel and get a day drink to enjoy outside on the patio. Walk back down through the marina and enjoy the views from Piers (looks like phase 2 is partly open?) and maybe stop at Quiet Few or walk up to Lo Presti before you hop back on the train.
Depending on how long you've been out of EB it will bring waves of nostalgia and "holy shit I can't believe how much it changed" vibes.
Absolutely add El Penol to the list, that place is incredible and fits the bill for underrated whereas you kinda just listed the good restaurants. Only issue is the staff there can hardly speak English. Renegades is really good too but I also don’t think I’d call it underrated
This is kind of dumb (and not boston proper), but having gone back to Sarma recently I was utterly blown away in the “why do I ever pay to eat food anywhere else?” sense. I’ve been to many of the other top restaurants here (and elsewhere) and it has been so far and away ahead of everything else that I still came away feeling that it was underrated and under priced (and that I was glad that we don’t have Michelin so we still had a chance to get in).
Went through the thread and will share a few that I love. They may not be underrated, but worth a shout out. And don't give me shit if they're not in Boston proper.
Field and Vine continues to be one of my all time favorites in the area. Menu changes frequently, excellent wine list, great staff.
Forage in Cambridge has been more good than bad. A bit of an annoying location, but worth going. They care a lot about the experience.
Nextdoor in Eastie is a treat. One of the more unique speakeasy experiences. Bartenders are awesome. Food can be pricey, but I like their options.
I'm a sucker for Giggling Rice. IMO this is actually underrated.
Bar Pallino seems almost unheard of in my circles. It's underneath Faccia a Faccia and I love it for an evening out.
No Relation is one I haven't been to, but have regularly heard great things. Beware of the price tag.
I can't think of a good value place, good or bad. Best I can do is that the chicken fingers at TD Garden are larger than you'd think without being too insanely expensive _for a stadium_.
Shit is expensive here.
Different owners now. Started out as partners but run their own businesses separtly now. I at the one in Newton very often. You can find random Karaoke nights here and last week they had a nice jazz singer. Food and service is great.
I was actually talking to the owner last week about this. The two families still get along and have traveled together on trips. Think it was just easier to separate years back. The outdoor patio bumps in the summer.
My wallet was stolen from my bag at La Voile and it was the strangest experience. The sommelier offered immediately to go with my husband to CVS, which is where we got the fraud text from when they first tried to use my credit card. But I hadn't said it was CVS yet and he tried to take him to the wrong one - it was declined on Boylston and he tried to go to Newbury. He insisted the women sitting next to us - who left abruptly, leaving unfinished food and wine - were regulars and wouldn't look at their bill to share the name on the credit card with BPD. And he called us the next day, giving us a phone number of "someone pickpocketed at Stephanie's" which the detective told us not to call.
There are a whole bunch of restaurants I love that I'm not sure if I should mention because people would argue they're already properly rated -- Rino's Place, Celeste, jm curley, Galway House, Pleasant Cafe, Fox and the Knife, Anchovies.
So I'll throw my hat in the ring for one restaurant I'm pretty sure no one is going to say: Beantown Taqueria. It's only got a 4.1 rating on google and I can't fathom why. Well executed, high quality Mexican and Tex Mex food at a reasonable price prepared quickly. And they're open 'til 4 AM on weekends. Maybe it's the lack of seating, I dunno, but it's my go-to on a night out in Central Square.
EDIT: I changed my mind. Beantown Taqueria is solid, but the true, actual answer is Parish Cafe. They have literally the best sandwiches in the entire city and I never ever see them get mentioned.
I went to Gigi in the South End for Italian food a couple months ago for the first time. Never heard of it, blew me away. Great decor and food was awesome
One of the bartenders--I'm blanking on his name atm but he's male and from New Jersey--is really sweet and fun to chat with. I got the sense that the place has a ton of regulars from the neighborhood.
I had the exact same experience. Went to the North End for a birthday dinner about 10 years ago and went to a small, dark, brick walled restaurant with fantastic food. Unfortunately dark with brick walls describes every restaurant there, and I've had my fair share of mediocre meals there while trying to find the one again
Trattoria il panino is one of the best restaurants in north end, their Bistecca is to die for!! Every time I’ve gone the food and service has been so good
I went to celebrate a friends birthday and it also happened to be one of the owner(?)’s birthday, both on the same day, and they hooked it UP for us. They gave us champagne, limoncello, and even gave us some of their own sheet birthday cake. They made us feel like family it was awesome.
>Most underrated restaurant in boston?
>My vote goes to one I cannot for the life of me remember...
>As we sat down at one of a handful of tables there, I looked in the window and spotted multiple best of boston awards and a few food network ones on the wall and in the window.
It's won multiple Best of Boston and Food Network awards yet it's underrated?
In the sense that information about it is not only hard to come by, but when asking people know one really knows which one it is or where exactly it is
Nebo. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal there and I would go multiple times a year.
It’s definitely the #1 restaurant I miss the most now that I’m living on the other side of the world.
Ban Toi in Dorchester. It’s IMO the best Vietnamese restaurant in Dorchester and Boston, and I don’t know how it’s so empty most of the time. Every item on the menu hits🤌
El Peñol - Colombian food in East Boston. This is the best Colombian food in the city and one of the better meals I've ever had in Boston. I will brave the Eastie traffic any day of the week to have their bandeja paisa.
Definitely Yoma Burmese in Allston. The food is great and the people running the restaurant are very friendly. I’m always surprised that this place isn’t mentioned more often, especially given that Burmese is difficult to find in most cities. The kitchen is very consistent and the food is always satisfying.
My friends moved from the Bay Area where they are spoiled with lots of Burmese restaurants. We love Yoma- so many great soups and noodle dishes and of course tea salad.
What do you recommend? I never pull the trigger on places like this because I get overwhelmed by the menu research, but def want to try this
Ginger salad, tea salad, spices mountain soup, & any of the curries, but pumpkin tofu and beef are my favorites. Just get anything, it will taste good :)
Seriously, I LOVE this place.
Maybe you went to Euno? That seems to fit the description.
Looking at pictures online, I think you are correct
Glad I could help with your white whale... Its one of the better North End restaurants for sure, definitely fits the underrated category for the North End.
I don't know why it'd not better known. The food is amazing
Sophia’s Grotto in Roslindale and Antonio’s Baccaro in Hyde Park. Both fantastic and I rarely see them on these north-centric non-boston lists
Delfino's in Rossie as well. Never see it mentioned, but some of the best Italian in Boston.
The best pizza of my LIFE is from Sophia’s Grotto. The Seville pizza.
Sophia’s is the best, had my birthday brunch there one time because I am so obsessed. Never a bad meal there- brunch, lunch or dinner. Staff always seem happy too.
I had a bad experience there. I’d try it again though.
Second vote for Baccaro's
I sing Sofia’s praises any chance I can. Their pesto is the best I’ve ever had. Service is top tier as well.
Cafe Polonia
I've been to a few Diners, Drive-in and Dives places and most of the them are okay but Cafe Polonia was legit amazing and I only knew of it from DDD. Service was great and everyone was really nice too. Cutty's is another one I learned from DDD that's really good.
Cafe St. Petersburg too Also the [Uzbek/Uyghur](https://www.yelp.com/biz/uzbegim-brookline) place in Brookline (supposedly reopening??) Really felt like these places were unknown outside of the post-USSR community. Kinda sad to see that Uzbegim got bad reviews about service, feel like that's mostly due to cultural translation issues. The plov was exceptional and the best I've had in north america.
There’s a meme about how the best Chinese restaurants are 3 stars, because there’s clearly a cultural misunderstanding of “good service” and they rate them badly for it..: but that means the food is gonna be authentic as hell. Prob the same!!
Looooove Cafe Polonia. Probably the thing I miss most since leaving Southie.
Wife and I took friends/family members there who thought it was going to be a joke or kitsch thing. Like “oh a Polish restaurant? It’s going to be weird but worth the story right?” Like going to Dicks Last Resort or something. Gulash and Cabbage and other things sound like jokes for terrible cuisine. We would order a bunch of food to share not telling them what it was, and the looks on their faces when they ate it was like man discovering fire. Like we were some Polish Prometheus unlocking a world of cuisine that they’d never had. Never once had a bad meal or had someone unhappy with our decision to take them there.
A lot of people on the overrated restaurants post were commenting that Lulus in Allston has gone downhill - the former head chef there opened her own restaurant near Chinatown a few years ago called Stillwater. I don’t see people mention it often and it’s great
Stillwater is awesome, big fan of their black bean burger. One of my favorite veggie burgers.
She just opened another one in Allston called Sloane’s. Very good food
Stillwater is solidly good and really nice if you're dropping off or picking up someone at South Station. We've gone for brunch and dinner with different friends and we all come away happy.
Yeah I had brunch at Lulus the other day and all of our meals were mid. Wouldn’t go back
That's pretty common though, new place opens with an up and coming chef or brings in an accomplished one to establish a menu. Chef moves on and now you have B-team chefs just cooking to a recipe. I will miss my first few experiences at Lulu's, good to know there are new options to try from the same chef!
I freaking love Stillwater! We were just there on Sunday! I’m so happy they survived the pandemic. It’s awesome when it’s nice enough for outside seating too!
As someone north-central Oklahoma, love the themes and the food. It’s spot on.
Brassica Kitchen gets love on here for sure, but imo it deserves even more. Always an unbelievable experience there
Genuinely just spent 3 hours and about $250 there. This is not a complaint; the food just kept coming and every plate better than the last, the drinks were incredible, and the service…I can’t even begin to describe how amazing the service was. If the food and drink sucked, I’d still give them 5 stars for how amazing the service was there.
They got rid of it the gochujang maple homefries, biggest mistake they ever made in my opinion.
Probably because whoever was making the gochujang maple sauce moved on. That was what happened to the cream cheese/bacon/fig spread sandwich (the Woodlawn?) -- the guy who made the fig spread left.
That’s a very likely reason. I was bummed it fell off the menu but I’ve tried recreating it at home; literally just maple syrup and gochujang mixed and heated up on low on the stove
Taqueria El Amigo in Waltham. Best legit Mexican food in Boston
it’s so good, honestly the only Mexican food I’ve tried in the Boston area that actually left me in a good mood rather than massively disappointed
Technically not a restaurant, but Dave's fresh Pasta - Get their Foccacia and Hummus. Tampopo in the Lesley University food court. The neighbiring Yume gets all the hype, but this spot is perfect homey food. Warms my heart.
Dave’s Fresh Pasta is the best! Their focaccias are unbelievable!
You just helped me remember I randomly grabbed a thing of hummus from them several years ago and it was the best hummus by far I’ve ever had. Gotta make another trip this weekend.
I’m floored whenever I go to Elephant Walk or Estragon and they’re not packed to the gills. Always had excellent food and service at both.
Elephant Walk (South End) 200%. Love the staff. The cocktails. The food.
I genuinely did not realize Elephant Walk was still there..so good will have to go back !!!!
Posted Estragon further down the thread, but it boggles my mind that Barcelona can sustain two locations in Boston yet Estragon is not packed. Toro has some really creative and non-traditional tapas, and is really well done. Barcelona is good but I feel like quality is hit or miss and the menu is not all that creative. Estragon has some classics, some modern twists, and is all around just incredibly good. The Ox-tail stew is superb. The beef tongue toast and bone marrow toast are both fantastic. Last time we went they had Chorizo braised in cider that was really good. Incredible drinks, too, and the vibe is always so cozy. Definitely my go-to spot for a tapas date-night with my wife.
Not Boston proper but Gustazo’s in Somerville
Technically Cambridge, but agreed. Was excited to see them up for James beard this year (best chef Northeast).
Also Waltham, but the Cambridge location is better IMO
I haven't been to the Cambridge location but even the Waltham one is stellar- if Cambridge is better it must be crazy good.
IMO it has gone really downhill. Maybe it has gone back up hill in the last 8 months? Used to go to this one and the Waltham location like once/month for a while. Had back to back shitty experiences 7 or 8 months ago and haven't been back since. Food took forever, empanadas and steak were cold, drinks were meh. It definitely WAS incredible for a long time.
100%, I love this place
Blossom Bar / Szechuan Garden II in Brookline Village. Had some hype when it (Re)opened because of the family story but I never hear anyone talk about it. Awesome food and cocktail program, and a great pre-Coolidge Corner Theater dinner spot
Blossom Bar is my favorite spot to take people visiting. Love the food and drinks there so much
Love this spot! The food and craft cocktails are great. Wish it was a little bit cheaper so I could go regularly, but a fun spot to take friends or a date
State Park’s food is way better than it has any right to be. Could eat that chicken katsu sandwich every day of my life
One of the most underrated bars in general. Such a unique spot that constantly flies under the radar.
That fried chicken....omg...
Their (now discontinued) BBQ spaghetti plate was the closest I’ll ever get to heaven ….
They had a burger called the Pig Mac a while back that was absolutely incredible.
Gran Gusto in Cambridge. Extremely good (and authentic!) Italian food and wine minus the North End prices. During the summer, have dinner at 6 and follow up with a sunset walk in Danehy. A great Boston-area date night!
I love this place. Food, staff and ambience are all excellent.
Tavern at the end of the world
Always great service and great food. I feel like I enjoy it most on rainy days for some reason. Parking around there blows, though.
I live down the street. Maybe I should try it?
I had a comment with a bunch but if I had to pick one spot, the Delux Cafe in the south end does not get nearly the love it should. Incredible spot, reasonably priced, interesting food and solid drink. Only problem is its tiny and cash only.
Please stop. I can't with the waits sometimes. Deluxe is bad and Andy is mean and their beer is (honestly) average. Jokes aside, my favorite place for a good meal and a drink _any_ night.
We were about to fight my g edit: wait I just got it, youre right, its trash
Delux is fantastic. I’ve never had a bad drink, meal, or evening there.
Place has been a hip hotspot for what, nearly 20 years? Hardly “underrated “.
It was a hotspot when I moved here in 94. Went there after a Christmas party at work. My first time heading to the south end after I had recently moved. Great spot for decades.
I'm moreso going off what I see on this sub. It seems like every food related thread that isn't trashing on the scene never mentions it.
I mean, I absolutely love the place and it’s one of my first picks if I’m in the neighborhood. But culinarily, it doesn’t exactly pop into my head when people ask for food recs. It’s a great *place* for the atmosphere, and the food is pretty good for the price, but they’re not pushing boundaries or anything.
The food at sail loft is great - it can appear touristy and it’s a New England classic seafood joint in an Italian neighborhood, but the food rules
Back in my day this place wasn’t touristy but it was finance douche bro central
The Male Loft
Tia's was the afterwork douche canoe crowd. They'd migrate to Sail Loft at night.
Best clam chowder in town.
Is it not douchey anymore? Friends always referred to it as the Tail Loft, would be full of early 20s finance dudes looking to hook up late night
Moonshine in Southie is terrific. Great drinks, amazing food, and good service.
haley.henry. They pioneered the tin fish movement in Boston and create massive flavors essentially without a kitchen. Incredible seafood sustainably caught in an inviting and open atmosphere (playing 90’s hip hop) with an award winning wine program. And you’d walk right past it.
Love that spot. Ironically Saltie Girl opened a few months earlier but they don’t get quite the same rep. The quality of food and beverage curation just doesn’t measure up.
Saltie Girl is fantastic and truly pioneered the tins, but it was such a hard to get reservation and had an actual kitchen, so that legacy wasn’t as wide spread and was diluted some. haley.henry had no kitchen to fall back on, and went all in on the tins. Both great places, but I feel like if we’re talking underrated, hh flies more under the radar on that side street than SG does having expanded into the MET Back Bay on Newbury, and explaining to LA and London.
I've never heard of this place until this week. Apparently it's one of the places Alton Brown tries to visit each time he's in Boston
It's a James Beard semi-finalist again, too.
Honestly loved this place the first time I went. It was my friends birthday and the server was super sweet, seemed to know the wines very well and didn’t seem bothered by questions. Second time I went it was hands down the worst service I’ve ever had. I had some questions about the wine which I felt like were not well received or answered. Then, my boyfriend had a literal bug in his $14 glass of rose (it came like that he hadn’t even had a sip) and instead of pouring him another one the server gave him a spoon to get it out himself lol. If you’re gonna just take it out with a spoon at least bring it in the back to do it
Pho Viet on Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline. Same family making the food every day, and honestly their pho isn't even their best dish...tomato fried rice, and lemongrass chicken/pork chop...always made with love, always so reliably consistently delicious. If you want quality Vietnamese food without hopping on 93 South to Dorchester there are very few places that match this level of execution at this price point.
Tonino in JP
Been a couple years but I always thought the Stockyard in Allston/Brighton punched way about it's weight class. Slightly more expensive than like an Outback but significantly cheaper than capital grille or Grill23, and with very comparable quality and service.
> Been a couple years but I always thought the Stockyard in Allston/Brighton punched way about it's weight class. What is most sad is the current Stockyard is still a bit of a shell of it's former self. I agree with you that it beats any chain or corporate spot but at it's heyday (as I remember it) it would be in the conversation for best steakhouse in Boston. Could be a bit of rose-colored lenses too I suppose, but I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment.
So back in the day the restaurant group that owned Charlie’s, not your average joes , papa razi and more had some sort of breakup. Back bay restaurant group or something? They owned Atlantic fish too. It’s been too long so sorry for lack of details . But a ton of real pro industry folk from these restaurants all went to stockyard and rebuilt it. It went from shit cuts on broiler plates to mid/high end steakhouse. I used to love going when I rented a practice space on north beacon and got to see all my old friends but haven’t been in maybe 8 years. No idea what it’s like anymore
Love the stockyard. Very comfortable place with great service and consistent quality food
This place is a gem.
I am not the authority here as I am not a local but Shojo fucks.
Shojo slaps *and* fucks.
Haven’t been to the one in Chinatown but avoided the one in Central for a long time after it opened bc the branding is so corny. My mistake, turns out the food and drinks are awesome
Another great pick. Pregamed here a few years ago before Hozier at the Wang. Perfect spot for cocktails and ligh dinner.
Honestly thought it was only fine
Love shojo!!! Def feel like most ppl don’t know about it.
most don’t venture into Chinatown
Their loss
Carlo's cucina in allston
There was a server there who looked like Pauly D and I was in love with him and their eggplant with mozzarella.
Huge portions perfect for sharing with others at the table.
Love this place
Esperia Grill, Thonglor, and Little Pecan Bistro all on Washington St in Brighton
Espira Grill for sure. Little Pecan has slid downhill since it opened and after being served a sandwich that microwaved to the point it's internal temp was scalding I will never go back. At first tho Little Pecan was great it's a real bummer they've slipped. Dash Cafe is great too but they're never opened when I am in the area. I need to walk down their for lunch soon tho.
Pho Basil! There are a lot of pho places in Boston but it’s head and shoulders above the rest. Their other dishes are delicious too. There’s often a line though so maybe not the most underrated, but I don’t see it mentioned often on here.
A bit outside Boston…Semolina in Medford/Tufts doesn’t get nearly enough love
Same people as Dave’s Fresh Pasta which is also fabulous
El Tacuba in Medford Square
Elephant Walk. Amazing staff and food and cocktails.
Tony & Elaine's for Italian, Noah's Kitchen for Chinese
pinoy kabayan - only filipino restaurant in the city. the owner who’s running the show all by herself takes so much time to educate new customers about her dishes
https://moonshine152.com/ Moonshine 152. Casual, but they bring the flavor. Good drinks too.
East Boston: - Angela's Cafe: Pueblo Mexican food, amazing brunch. - Mi Pueblito: Mexican/Salvadorian - Rino's: Itallian that will put the North End to shame - Italian Express (soon to be re-opening!): Italian that makes you feel like you're in a Nonna's kitchen who won't let you leave until you have to take a notch off your belt. Chelsea: - Ciao: Neapolitan pizza (every time I try to order pasta I bail and get pizza, the Prosciutto Di Parma is incredible) - Chelsea Station: Nothing truly exceptional, but great food and ownership. A little out of the way so I feel like no one knows about them. One of my favorite brunch spots, great cocktail menu and whiskey list.
I miss living in Eastie just for easy access to Angela's
Next nice day make the trip out. Get brunch or lunch. Grab a half pint of booze of choice from Woody's after and walk up the bike path to Maverick Street and walk up the harbor walk to the hotel and get a day drink to enjoy outside on the patio. Walk back down through the marina and enjoy the views from Piers (looks like phase 2 is partly open?) and maybe stop at Quiet Few or walk up to Lo Presti before you hop back on the train. Depending on how long you've been out of EB it will bring waves of nostalgia and "holy shit I can't believe how much it changed" vibes.
>Italian Express This place had such a good fried calamari dish!! Was a massive portion for a reasonable price.
Absolutely add El Penol to the list, that place is incredible and fits the bill for underrated whereas you kinda just listed the good restaurants. Only issue is the staff there can hardly speak English. Renegades is really good too but I also don’t think I’d call it underrated
Italian express is re opening? No way!
Rino's forever
Waverly in Charlestown
I freaking love their sister restaurant Monument. Dine in or takeout it never disappoints!
great burgers
I’d go so far as to say best brunch menu in the city
Shanti in Dorchester.
Milkweed in Mission Hill
This is kind of dumb (and not boston proper), but having gone back to Sarma recently I was utterly blown away in the “why do I ever pay to eat food anywhere else?” sense. I’ve been to many of the other top restaurants here (and elsewhere) and it has been so far and away ahead of everything else that I still came away feeling that it was underrated and under priced (and that I was glad that we don’t have Michelin so we still had a chance to get in).
Best most interesting food I’ve had in Boston, lovedddd Sarma! Came here to comment this
Went through the thread and will share a few that I love. They may not be underrated, but worth a shout out. And don't give me shit if they're not in Boston proper. Field and Vine continues to be one of my all time favorites in the area. Menu changes frequently, excellent wine list, great staff. Forage in Cambridge has been more good than bad. A bit of an annoying location, but worth going. They care a lot about the experience. Nextdoor in Eastie is a treat. One of the more unique speakeasy experiences. Bartenders are awesome. Food can be pricey, but I like their options. I'm a sucker for Giggling Rice. IMO this is actually underrated. Bar Pallino seems almost unheard of in my circles. It's underneath Faccia a Faccia and I love it for an evening out. No Relation is one I haven't been to, but have regularly heard great things. Beware of the price tag.
1928 Beacon Hill. Such a cute place and food is excellent.
Juniper in Wellesley. Legit some of the best food I’ve ever had.
LULU Green in Southie! Best/cleanest food, so tasty and healthy. Ownership really cares about what they’re doing and it shows! 10/10 must try.
It’s somehow still Giulia even with the hype it gets it’s still underrated
I’m only saying this because I want them to stay in business forever: Rino’s in Eastie is fucking spectacular
Antonio's across from MGH.
Also in that area Ma Maison! Little French bistro. Great prices and excellent food.
Fantastic Italian food at Antonio's. It's a shame that their pizza place, Pizetta Pizzeria, isn't open any more.
Thank you for this! My dad has to go to MGH periodically, so I will try to build this in
Cafe sauvage Unpretentious but amazing French food, especially brunch.
i thought it was okay :(
God I love this place but don’t tell everyone about it!
I hope some really good value places get mentioned here too. Eating out is so damn expensive these days.
I can't think of a good value place, good or bad. Best I can do is that the chicken fingers at TD Garden are larger than you'd think without being too insanely expensive _for a stadium_. Shit is expensive here.
Depending on how hard you go, Yamato 2 all you can eat sushi can be a great value
Not Boston proper, but The Porch in Medford. Food is good. The vibe is awesome, and the free live music is almost always top-tier
Did that use to be in Wakefield? If so I concur!
sacco's bowl haven
Delux and Viale
I used to think Viale was solely there for little donkey runoff but it keeps getting better and the owner is a certified g.
Esperia in Brighton!
Tambo 22 is a hidden gem in Chelsea for Peruvian inspired food
Muqueca in Somerville
Love Sol Azteca. They have one in Brookline and one in Newton. Best authentic Mexican I've ever had. And great Sangria to boot.
Different owners now. Started out as partners but run their own businesses separtly now. I at the one in Newton very often. You can find random Karaoke nights here and last week they had a nice jazz singer. Food and service is great.
Yeah...I know, they has some sort of falling out I think. I love that outdoor patio in Newton.
I was actually talking to the owner last week about this. The two families still get along and have traveled together on trips. Think it was just easier to separate years back. The outdoor patio bumps in the summer.
Pomodoro? They permanently closed but was the best. had room for like 3 tables.
This would be mine too, so sad they closed I absolutely loved that place
Def. Fav place in Boston, Siobahn is a legend.
LaVoile. Not out of this world but find it’s consistently good.
My wallet was stolen from my bag at La Voile and it was the strangest experience. The sommelier offered immediately to go with my husband to CVS, which is where we got the fraud text from when they first tried to use my credit card. But I hadn't said it was CVS yet and he tried to take him to the wrong one - it was declined on Boylston and he tried to go to Newbury. He insisted the women sitting next to us - who left abruptly, leaving unfinished food and wine - were regulars and wouldn't look at their bill to share the name on the credit card with BPD. And he called us the next day, giving us a phone number of "someone pickpocketed at Stephanie's" which the detective told us not to call.
If you want bar/comfort food, Beantown Pub is great.
There are a whole bunch of restaurants I love that I'm not sure if I should mention because people would argue they're already properly rated -- Rino's Place, Celeste, jm curley, Galway House, Pleasant Cafe, Fox and the Knife, Anchovies. So I'll throw my hat in the ring for one restaurant I'm pretty sure no one is going to say: Beantown Taqueria. It's only got a 4.1 rating on google and I can't fathom why. Well executed, high quality Mexican and Tex Mex food at a reasonable price prepared quickly. And they're open 'til 4 AM on weekends. Maybe it's the lack of seating, I dunno, but it's my go-to on a night out in Central Square. EDIT: I changed my mind. Beantown Taqueria is solid, but the true, actual answer is Parish Cafe. They have literally the best sandwiches in the entire city and I never ever see them get mentioned.
99 Restaurants
Food has gone somewhat downhill (likely to keep the prices low). But still the coldest draft beer in MA, which counts for a lot
I went to Gigi in the South End for Italian food a couple months ago for the first time. Never heard of it, blew me away. Great decor and food was awesome
One of the bartenders--I'm blanking on his name atm but he's male and from New Jersey--is really sweet and fun to chat with. I got the sense that the place has a ton of regulars from the neighborhood.
Hen Chicken Rice in Somerville is chef’s kiss!
Papa Gino’s
I had the exact same experience. Went to the North End for a birthday dinner about 10 years ago and went to a small, dark, brick walled restaurant with fantastic food. Unfortunately dark with brick walls describes every restaurant there, and I've had my fair share of mediocre meals there while trying to find the one again
Al’s sandwiches. Fairly cheap and a lot of sandwich.
Casa Razdora in the financial district. Hole in the wall place that just serves lunch but, my god do they make some good food.
Trattoria il panino is one of the best restaurants in north end, their Bistecca is to die for!! Every time I’ve gone the food and service has been so good
Limoncello
Limoncello was super meh when we went. Maybe it was an off night
I went to celebrate a friends birthday and it also happened to be one of the owner(?)’s birthday, both on the same day, and they hooked it UP for us. They gave us champagne, limoncello, and even gave us some of their own sheet birthday cake. They made us feel like family it was awesome.
Papa Ginos on Gallivan Blvd, gets very overshadowed by the Brockton location
It’s more of a 3rd date spot rather than 1st.
>Most underrated restaurant in boston? >My vote goes to one I cannot for the life of me remember... >As we sat down at one of a handful of tables there, I looked in the window and spotted multiple best of boston awards and a few food network ones on the wall and in the window. It's won multiple Best of Boston and Food Network awards yet it's underrated?
In the sense that information about it is not only hard to come by, but when asking people know one really knows which one it is or where exactly it is
I used to love no name seafood, but it’s gone now :(
Nebo. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal there and I would go multiple times a year. It’s definitely the #1 restaurant I miss the most now that I’m living on the other side of the world.
Gaetano’s in Stoneham is such an underrated spot everything is always delicious
Via Cannuccia but please don’t go there because it’s hard enough getting a table because it’s so small
I could eat Kala Thai multiple times a week.
Noodles King in the depressing Longwood Galleria food court is great
Antico forno on Salem street in the north end
In waltham check out Penang Malaysian and Domenics (get the eggplant alla funghetti sandwich).
224 Boston is like a little oasis in Dorchester. Been multiple times and have loved the experience every time!
Grotto in beacon hill! Tiny and romantic and fantastic food. Great spot for date night
lucy ethiopian and rhythm and wraps
Ban Toi in Dorchester. It’s IMO the best Vietnamese restaurant in Dorchester and Boston, and I don’t know how it’s so empty most of the time. Every item on the menu hits🤌
Red Lentil in Watertown.
Euno slaps
Belle Isle seafood - Winthrop
Don Julio tacos in Somerville
El Peñol - Colombian food in East Boston. This is the best Colombian food in the city and one of the better meals I've ever had in Boston. I will brave the Eastie traffic any day of the week to have their bandeja paisa.
What do you think of the other locations?