Cheap Restaurants in Boston
May 16th, 2011, 02:55 PM
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Cheap Restaurants in Boston
My dad and I will be in Boston for two days in August and I am finding a lot of great restaurant suggestions in the forums, but they are a little out of our price range and atmosphere.
I am looking for some hole-in-the wall places that have great food, but won't drain the wallet. We love all types of food. No sports bars or steak and potato places (we can get that here in KS).
Think Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Guy's show on Food Network). I've already perused their list.
I am looking for some hole-in-the wall places that have great food, but won't drain the wallet. We love all types of food. No sports bars or steak and potato places (we can get that here in KS).
Think Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Guy's show on Food Network). I've already perused their list.
May 16th, 2011, 02:59 PM
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Unfortunately eating out is expensive here in New England and Boston is also. I am sure others may have suggestions for hole in the wall restaurants. You can go to the North End of Boston and will find some great Italian restaurants to eat in.
Check out www.phantom gourmet.com for restaurants as they frequently note those that are not as expensive as other.
Check out www.phantom gourmet.com for restaurants as they frequently note those that are not as expensive as other.
May 16th, 2011, 04:07 PM
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There are plenty of cheap places to eat in Boston; as long as you're not eating lobsters every day.
Chinatown has tons of restaurants where you can get a noodle or rice plate for $5-7. There are various cuisines offered in Chinatown including Vietnamese, Cantonese, Malaysian, Taiwanese, Shanghainese etc.
Boston also has seen a bloom of food trucks in the tourist areas, including at South Station and also City Hall Plaza. These 2 spots are steps away from the major tourist route.
Here are some recent cheap eat threads on Boston Chowhound.
Food trucks at City hall http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/727871
Cheap eats around tourist locations
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/782641
Lunchtime value in Financial District
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/784166
Chinatown has tons of restaurants where you can get a noodle or rice plate for $5-7. There are various cuisines offered in Chinatown including Vietnamese, Cantonese, Malaysian, Taiwanese, Shanghainese etc.
Boston also has seen a bloom of food trucks in the tourist areas, including at South Station and also City Hall Plaza. These 2 spots are steps away from the major tourist route.
Here are some recent cheap eat threads on Boston Chowhound.
Food trucks at City hall http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/727871
Cheap eats around tourist locations
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/782641
Lunchtime value in Financial District
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/784166
May 17th, 2011, 04:42 AM
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There is an enormous number of inexpensive places to eat in Boston, many of them near tourist sites, many not.
Any, any neighborhood sub shop is almost certainly going to have better subs than Subway and the other chains. Two people can split a $7 sub and eat really well. Most sub shops offer the same ingredients in a salad if you want to avoid bread.
In Chinatown you can eat as suggested above or watch for stands with banh mi, Vietnamese sandwiches on French bread with French-influenced cold cuts. Pho, in a Vietnamese restaurant, is a huge bowl of noodle soup in a variety of flavors, chock full of fresh bean sprouts and herbs. Usually in the $7 range.
On the border between Chinatown and the theater district is Jacob Wirth, nominally a German restaurant, but really devoted to substantial portions of all sorts of food in a cavernous space. Always busy, especially before a play, but the turnover is quick.
The Family Restaurant in Brookline Village is a Turkish restaurant with a tired steam table and absolutely delicious fresh Turkish food. Two people can share an eggplant salad and a kebab plate for dinner for a very low price. Formica tables and no atmosphere. Great food, really great food.
In Harvard Square, Mr Bartley's Burger Cottage is known for its burger specialties named after famous people. They are cleverly named and taste good. Have a Lime Rickey as your beverage. No alcohol, no credit cards. On Mass Ave just out of Harvard Square toward Central Square is Dolphin Seafood, slightly about street level in a row of shops beneath an apartment building on your left. This has been the best place for high quality, inexpensive seafood in Boston since 1978 (and maybe before, that is just the first time I ate there). Vey cheap at lunch and not expensive at dinner.
Toward the MIT end of Central Square in Mary Chung's, one of the area's first Szechuan restaurants many years ago. Still good food, as witnessed by the large number of Chinese eating there. Affordable by graduate students. As you walk in, look at other people's plates and order by pointing out what looks good.
There are many inexpensive places in Davis Square, Somerville. Davis Square is on the T Red Line beyond Harvard and Porter Squares. My favorite is Redbones, a BBQ joint with huge portions of authentically cooked BBQ and a good selection of beers, draught and bottled. Go fairly early since they have music later. Unless you want to listen to music.
The North End is full of tourist traps that serve Italian food. It also has a number of high end expensive places, some of which, like Mama Maria's, are worth the money. I can recommend the Daily Catch for seafood. It is on Hanover Street and has a green awning that says, "Mangia Calamari." It is also known as the Calamari Cafe. Guess what the specialty is? Cash only, no desserts, bad wine in plastic cups, Italian beer, and delicious fish and shellfish. Down the block is Ralph's, though it says "Umberto's Rosticceria" on the sign. Lunch only. Weird ordering system. Cheap, delicious Sicilian food, but lunch ends when they run out. Around the corner is Artu's, which has the best eggplant parmesan and veal parmesan in Boston. It will float off your plate. My favorite dish is fusilli with sausage and rapini (and a ton of garlic).
Davis Square and Central Square are not on the normal tourist route, but they both have T stops and are interesting places to get to know. Both have lively evening music scenes.
I will leave Allston-Brighton to others. Many cheap eats.
Any, any neighborhood sub shop is almost certainly going to have better subs than Subway and the other chains. Two people can split a $7 sub and eat really well. Most sub shops offer the same ingredients in a salad if you want to avoid bread.
In Chinatown you can eat as suggested above or watch for stands with banh mi, Vietnamese sandwiches on French bread with French-influenced cold cuts. Pho, in a Vietnamese restaurant, is a huge bowl of noodle soup in a variety of flavors, chock full of fresh bean sprouts and herbs. Usually in the $7 range.
On the border between Chinatown and the theater district is Jacob Wirth, nominally a German restaurant, but really devoted to substantial portions of all sorts of food in a cavernous space. Always busy, especially before a play, but the turnover is quick.
The Family Restaurant in Brookline Village is a Turkish restaurant with a tired steam table and absolutely delicious fresh Turkish food. Two people can share an eggplant salad and a kebab plate for dinner for a very low price. Formica tables and no atmosphere. Great food, really great food.
In Harvard Square, Mr Bartley's Burger Cottage is known for its burger specialties named after famous people. They are cleverly named and taste good. Have a Lime Rickey as your beverage. No alcohol, no credit cards. On Mass Ave just out of Harvard Square toward Central Square is Dolphin Seafood, slightly about street level in a row of shops beneath an apartment building on your left. This has been the best place for high quality, inexpensive seafood in Boston since 1978 (and maybe before, that is just the first time I ate there). Vey cheap at lunch and not expensive at dinner.
Toward the MIT end of Central Square in Mary Chung's, one of the area's first Szechuan restaurants many years ago. Still good food, as witnessed by the large number of Chinese eating there. Affordable by graduate students. As you walk in, look at other people's plates and order by pointing out what looks good.
There are many inexpensive places in Davis Square, Somerville. Davis Square is on the T Red Line beyond Harvard and Porter Squares. My favorite is Redbones, a BBQ joint with huge portions of authentically cooked BBQ and a good selection of beers, draught and bottled. Go fairly early since they have music later. Unless you want to listen to music.
The North End is full of tourist traps that serve Italian food. It also has a number of high end expensive places, some of which, like Mama Maria's, are worth the money. I can recommend the Daily Catch for seafood. It is on Hanover Street and has a green awning that says, "Mangia Calamari." It is also known as the Calamari Cafe. Guess what the specialty is? Cash only, no desserts, bad wine in plastic cups, Italian beer, and delicious fish and shellfish. Down the block is Ralph's, though it says "Umberto's Rosticceria" on the sign. Lunch only. Weird ordering system. Cheap, delicious Sicilian food, but lunch ends when they run out. Around the corner is Artu's, which has the best eggplant parmesan and veal parmesan in Boston. It will float off your plate. My favorite dish is fusilli with sausage and rapini (and a ton of garlic).
Davis Square and Central Square are not on the normal tourist route, but they both have T stops and are interesting places to get to know. Both have lively evening music scenes.
I will leave Allston-Brighton to others. Many cheap eats.
May 17th, 2011, 08:26 AM
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Thank you all for taking the time to reply!
Ackislander - thank you so much for the detail. Your list is exactly what I was looking for. I love Pho, but am really interested in The Family Restaurant, Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, Dolphin Seafood, Mary Chung's, Redbones and Artu's. I wish we had more time in Boston to visit them all!
zootsi - Grendel's Den sounds like a good place to chill and grab a local brew
Ackislander - thank you so much for the detail. Your list is exactly what I was looking for. I love Pho, but am really interested in The Family Restaurant, Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, Dolphin Seafood, Mary Chung's, Redbones and Artu's. I wish we had more time in Boston to visit them all!
zootsi - Grendel's Den sounds like a good place to chill and grab a local brew
May 17th, 2011, 11:32 AM
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One of my favorite hole-in-the-wall places to eat is the Plough and Stars in Cambridge, about halfway between Central Square and Harvard Square. They have live music at night but it doesn't usually start until 10:00 or so. In addition to their small menu they have 4-5 specials every day. It's a popular neighborhood-type place with really good food.
http://www.ploughandstars.com/
There are lots of Irish pubs all over Boston and Cambridge, many with pretty good food and decent prices.
Another favorite when I used to work in Cambridge is Rangzen, a Tibetan restaurant just one block off of Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave) in Central Square. I've only had lunch there but once I discovered it I probably ate there at least once a week. It's a buffet for lunch but there's a nice selection of food you probably don't eat every day. It gets better lunch reviews than dinner reviews.
http://www.rangzenrestaurant.com/
http://www.ploughandstars.com/
There are lots of Irish pubs all over Boston and Cambridge, many with pretty good food and decent prices.
Another favorite when I used to work in Cambridge is Rangzen, a Tibetan restaurant just one block off of Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave) in Central Square. I've only had lunch there but once I discovered it I probably ate there at least once a week. It's a buffet for lunch but there's a nice selection of food you probably don't eat every day. It gets better lunch reviews than dinner reviews.
http://www.rangzenrestaurant.com/
May 17th, 2011, 11:37 AM
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Steve's Greek restaurant at the corner of Newbury Street and Hereford serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Casual, good food, and a diner style atmosphere. It's centrally located if you're in Back Bay.
May 17th, 2011, 11:51 AM
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I have fond memories of Mary Chung's from years ago-- terrific szechuan string beans (but hot)!
It is worth wandering around the North End and picking a place-- even at random your odds are pretty good (or least they used to be).
It is worth wandering around the North End and picking a place-- even at random your odds are pretty good (or least they used to be).
May 18th, 2011, 05:58 AM
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Well, if you are in the Cambridge area you do have some good choices...Russells, Mr. Bartleys, Grafton St. Grill, Cambridge Common on Mass Ave.
But did you say diners? They are around. Welcome to where we live in Watertown...to the Deluxe Town Diner which is really old timey and very popular with wide selection...and inexpensive. Ten minutes from Harvard Station on #71 bus and get off at Kimball St. which is opposite the diner. Actually I count 16 eateries in walking distance from where I live!
But did you say diners? They are around. Welcome to where we live in Watertown...to the Deluxe Town Diner which is really old timey and very popular with wide selection...and inexpensive. Ten minutes from Harvard Station on #71 bus and get off at Kimball St. which is opposite the diner. Actually I count 16 eateries in walking distance from where I live!
May 18th, 2011, 07:03 AM
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I followed the Freedom Trail - that red line on the sidewalk that marks historical locations and ate at this restarant called Hennesseys. They were having a lobster special for super cheap. and it was tasty 
gotta try that new england lobster!
gotta try that new england lobster!
May 18th, 2011, 07:22 AM
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There's lots of inexpensive ethnic dining, particularly Indian restaurants and sushi spots, over in Cambridge, near the Harvard Square and Central Red Line stops. And it's a quick hop on the T from central Boston.
May 22nd, 2011, 12:52 PM
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Grendel's Den has truly terrible food. If you want a bar in Harvard Square with somewhat better eats, I'd choose Charlie's Kitchen. Generally, I'm not fond of food at Irish pubs locally -- the best by far is Matt Murphy's in Brookline.
Other places to get good and (relatively) reasonably priced seafood are Dolphin Seafood (near Harvard Square) and Yankee Lobster (at the far end of the waterfront area in Boston. Neptune Oyster in the North End is excellent and bit pricier. Avoid entreaties to go to Barking Crab or Summer Shack, as they are not good and overpriced.
Your best bet for inexpensive Indian food is to hit the lunch buffets at places in Harvard Square, most notably Tamarind Bay, Tanjore, and Cafe of India. I don't at all like the Indian spots in Central Square.
Will second Mr. Bartley's (for burgers) and Russell House Tavern.
Chinatown is a great place for cheap eats. Consider King Fung Garden, Peach Farm, East Ocean City, or Hong Kong Eatery -- or if you like dim sum, Emperor's Garden, China Pearl, Chau Chow City, or Hei La Moon. Other good ethnic Asian places here include Shabu Zen, Xinh Xinh, Pho Pasteur, Pho Hoa, Penang, or any of the little bahn mi sandwich holes in the wall.
Mary Chung is one of a few good Chinese places in Cambridge (and about the only Szechuan spot, period) in a city not noted for them. Other decent options are Changsho (more Americanized) or Qingdao Garden. Otherwise, avoid Chinese food here.
I do not suggest just wandering and picking a spot in the North End, as there are places that range from excellent experiences to terrible tourist traps. The suggestions for Daily Catch and Mamma Maria (more expensive) are good ones. Also consider Pagliuca's, Maurizio's, or Saraceno's (Southern Italian, and at the last, stick to red-sauce basics), Taranta (Peruvian/Italian), Prezza (Northern Italian and pricy, but great), Marco (comfort food of various regions), Antico Forno (Southern Italian baked specialties), the original Pizzeria Regina, or (for super cheap Southern Italian lunches) Galleria Umberto.
Rangzen does decent Tibetan, though I prefer Martsa on Elm in Davis Square for this cuisine. Not a big fan of Sorella's, which is way out in Jamaica Plain, or Deluxe Town Diner, a bit of a schlep out to Watertown. Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe in the South End is much easier to get to and serves up to my mind much better diner-style breakfasts then either.
You'll find plenty of good cheap Japanese eateries at the Porter Square Exchange. All are very good except for the sushi bar there, which is awful -- and in fact, I'd avoid sushi in Cambridge, generally speaking.
There are several places like Hennessey's that sid_vic describes that do twin lobster specials around Faneuil Hall; Whiskey's across from the Prudential Center does as well. They're not bad, but avoid anything else they offer, as it'll just be subpar bar eats. It's hard to screw up boiled lobster, thank heavens.
Other places to get good and (relatively) reasonably priced seafood are Dolphin Seafood (near Harvard Square) and Yankee Lobster (at the far end of the waterfront area in Boston. Neptune Oyster in the North End is excellent and bit pricier. Avoid entreaties to go to Barking Crab or Summer Shack, as they are not good and overpriced.
Your best bet for inexpensive Indian food is to hit the lunch buffets at places in Harvard Square, most notably Tamarind Bay, Tanjore, and Cafe of India. I don't at all like the Indian spots in Central Square.
Will second Mr. Bartley's (for burgers) and Russell House Tavern.
Chinatown is a great place for cheap eats. Consider King Fung Garden, Peach Farm, East Ocean City, or Hong Kong Eatery -- or if you like dim sum, Emperor's Garden, China Pearl, Chau Chow City, or Hei La Moon. Other good ethnic Asian places here include Shabu Zen, Xinh Xinh, Pho Pasteur, Pho Hoa, Penang, or any of the little bahn mi sandwich holes in the wall.
Mary Chung is one of a few good Chinese places in Cambridge (and about the only Szechuan spot, period) in a city not noted for them. Other decent options are Changsho (more Americanized) or Qingdao Garden. Otherwise, avoid Chinese food here.
I do not suggest just wandering and picking a spot in the North End, as there are places that range from excellent experiences to terrible tourist traps. The suggestions for Daily Catch and Mamma Maria (more expensive) are good ones. Also consider Pagliuca's, Maurizio's, or Saraceno's (Southern Italian, and at the last, stick to red-sauce basics), Taranta (Peruvian/Italian), Prezza (Northern Italian and pricy, but great), Marco (comfort food of various regions), Antico Forno (Southern Italian baked specialties), the original Pizzeria Regina, or (for super cheap Southern Italian lunches) Galleria Umberto.
Rangzen does decent Tibetan, though I prefer Martsa on Elm in Davis Square for this cuisine. Not a big fan of Sorella's, which is way out in Jamaica Plain, or Deluxe Town Diner, a bit of a schlep out to Watertown. Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe in the South End is much easier to get to and serves up to my mind much better diner-style breakfasts then either.
You'll find plenty of good cheap Japanese eateries at the Porter Square Exchange. All are very good except for the sushi bar there, which is awful -- and in fact, I'd avoid sushi in Cambridge, generally speaking.
There are several places like Hennessey's that sid_vic describes that do twin lobster specials around Faneuil Hall; Whiskey's across from the Prudential Center does as well. They're not bad, but avoid anything else they offer, as it'll just be subpar bar eats. It's hard to screw up boiled lobster, thank heavens.
May 23rd, 2011, 02:29 PM
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hoppock20, thanks for the kind words.
One other thing to note. I would not be trusting of the Phantom Gourmet's ideas on restaurants, as they have been known to shill for restaurants that advertise with them, regardless of quality. The best place to check is at chowhound.com.
One other thing to note. I would not be trusting of the Phantom Gourmet's ideas on restaurants, as they have been known to shill for restaurants that advertise with them, regardless of quality. The best place to check is at chowhound.com.
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