390 Best Restaurants in Massachusetts, USA

This island landmark—part of a mini-complex that includes a general store and a kid's shop—lies just steps from the ferry terminal in Vineyard Haven. The dining room—roaring fireplace, dark-wood walls, maritime memorabilia, and a grand view of the water—makes everyone feel at home; there's additional seating on the patio when the weather allows. Sure, it's touristy---but it's fun.

Black Lamb's chefs call the American brasserie "a love letter to the South End." Translation: they pour their hearts into the menu to captivate the palates of all who dine there, with dishes such as duck breast frites, lamb burger, roasted cauliflower with anchovies, and day-boat scallops. Take a seat on the seasonal patio for people-watching.

Creative, delicious, and irresistible, the sweet treats from Blackbird Doughnuts have a cult following—even rock star Adele praised them when in town for a concert. One of several outposts in the city, the Fenway location is tiny and it's a good idea to get there early before your favorite flavor sells out.

Tucked into the street level of the Hotel Indigo, Blake's offers an intimate space with a nice bar and a menu of salads, sandwiches, and sharing plates. Depending on the night, it can be quiet—or busy, especially on game days. 

In 1997, Ran Duan’s parents opened Sichuan Garden, and today their award-winning–bartender son has added the Blossom Bar inside, where wildly creative cocktails with ingredients like avocado and toasted coconut bring in rave reviews. Longtime restaurant fans will be happy that all their favorite classic dishes, like kung pao chicken and dan dan noodles, are still on the menu. In addition, there is a section of "American Comfort" dishes offered, like crab rangoon and General Tso's chicken.

This welcoming spot offers authentic Ethiopian cuisine in a casual and friendly setting. If you're unfamiliar with the cuisine or don't know what to order, the helpful staff can guide you with suggestions and advice, but we suggest you start with lentil sambosas (savory vegan pastries) and then try the yebeg tibs combo (lamb with ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and onions), or one of several vegetarian dishes on the menu. 

This casual, fine dining restaurant offers great views of the Deerfield River as well as an inventive menu and friendly waitstaff. The chef/owner's heritage and culinary background comes through in many of the diverse dishes—you'll find authentic enchiladas alongside pan-seared halibut with a beurre blanc sauce. Don't skip dessert; the menu often changes daily with many gluten-free treats available. 

Grab a seat on the outside deck overlooking the water at this friendly, somewhat funky (plastic fish dangling from the ceiling), Caribbean-inspired eatery. Enjoy fruity cocktails on the patio, or hang out in the colorful dining room. Start with thick crab bisque full of hunks of floating crabmeat or coconut shrimp with green mango chutney. Dinner entrées include Caribbean fish stew, jerk chicken, and the Cajun mahimahi fish tacos. Don't miss the Caribbean rum cake for dessert.

The deep-blue walls and spacious interior lend a calming vibe to this Indian restaurant, whose extensive menu ranges from South Indian to Indo-Chinese dishes. Whether you're in the mood for chicken, lamb, or something vegan, you'll have a dozen good options in your chosen category.

Bon Me's moniker is a whimsical take on Vietnam's signature sandwich, the banh mi, and the versions that this local fast-casual restaurant serves are authentic to its spirit, if not with traditional ingredients. Diners can create their own bowls (salad, noodle, or rice), selecting from a variety of proteins, veggies, and sauces. The menu also boasts a number of chef creations ranging from ramen to pho. House drinks include a heady Vietnamese iced coffee and citrus ade.

When a basic burger won't do, this Davis Square dive satisfies. It's go big or go somewhere else thanks to thick patties covered in crazy toppings, such as the Gravy Train (a burger topped with cheese curds, fries, and onions with scallion aioli) or the Mac Attack (four-cheese mac and cheese, plus bacon). Fries don't just sit sidecar; they're their own meals when ordered smothered in clam chowder, chili, pizza toppings, or gyro meat. Still hungry? Try one of the colossal #FreakFrappes (frappes topped with everything from cannoli to s'mores). There are four other locations: Cambridge, Boston, Jamaica Plain, and Salem.

The allure of Bova's Bakery, a neighborhood institution since 1926, lies not only in its takeaway Italian breads, calzones, and pastries, but also in its hours: 24 a day (the deli closes at 1 am, however). Family-owned and operated, this is where you can not only satisfy a hunger with their homemade Italian breads, oversized subs, and Sicilian pizza and calzones, but also a sweet tooth with their famed Sicilian chocolate-dipped cannoli, Florentine cannoli, award-winning tiramisu, and raspberry and blueberry turnovers.

This popular spot, tucked into a row of businesses across from the Forest Hills T station, is a lively restaurant and bar, with legions of fans who stop by for well-thought-out dishes like the addictive buttermilk-brined fried chicken and brunch hits like the brown butter pancakes and biscuits and gravy. The decor is cozy and warm, with counters, tabletops, and shelves made from antique woods repurposed from an old farmhouse. At night, the bar is packed with patrons sampling inventive cocktails from the bar staff who love to experiment. The patio is the spot to be in good weather. On Thursday and Friday mornings, the restaurant opens at 9 am and serves homemade doughnuts and coffee.

With the Bunker Hill Monument in your sights, relax with a wood-fired pizza and a pint. Brewer's Fork's list of 30 draft cider and craft beers is impressive (yet approachable) and its wine list massive. Pizzas go beyond the basics with toppings like spicy clam, meatballs, and smoked chicken, and the pie is served straight out of a gigantic fiery oven, the restaurant's only cooking method. Small plates such as wood-roasted Maine mussels and shawarma-style chicken thigh, and piled-high sandwiches like Wagyu burger and super-slow roasted turkey help satisfy hearty appetites. Brunch is lively and fun, featuring frittatas, weekly special waffles, and morning-friendly pizzas. There's even a midday menu of charcuterie and cheese boards and select pizzas between mealtimes. Decor includes pendant bulbs, daily special chalkboards, exposed brick walls, banquettes created from wine corks, and two seasonal patios.

Gorgeously presented, impeccably fresh seafood is standard here: lunch and dinner selections range from just-off-the-boat scallops to tuna, local oysters, and octopus. It can be noisy and it's always crowded in summer, but it's worth the wait.

A sophisticated but unpretentious enclave of nouveau Italian, Bricco has carved out quite a following, which is no wonder because the handmade pastas alone are reasons for reservations, not to mention the buzzworthy stuffed zucchini flowers just like nonna used to make. Simple but well-balanced main courses, such as veal osso buco, roast chicken marinated in seven spices, and a brimming brodetto (fish stew) with half a lobster and a pile of seafood, may linger in your memory. You're also likely to linger in the warm room, too, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows while sipping a glass of Sangiovese from the Italian and American wine list. The signature bread pudding and caramelized bananas is rivaled only by the warm chocolate cake with molten center and hazelnut gelato.

Smack-dab in the middle of Southie, this is a popular hangout for the area's young professionals, and there's often a sports game on behind the bar. Frequent food and cocktail specials entice people to come and stay awhile, but the wood-fired pizza is a star of the menu, and the weekend brunch menu is always a great option.

Harkening back to his German heritage, chef-owner Tim Wiechmann and his wife, Bronwyn, the restaurant's namesake, have brought a rib-sticking yet sophisticated taste of Central and Eastern Europe to Union Square. The menu here includes juicy hand-stuffed pork sausages served with powerfully seasoned sauces, hearty dumplings, noodle dishes (try the spaetzle with sausage), the best wurst trio, Hirsch goulash, and sauerbraten. Small farms supply many ingredients, and the hot pretzels, grainy breads, and desserts are all homemade. To wash it down, try any of the excellent beers or German, Austrian, or Northern Italian red or white wines. With an outside biergarten, a cozy interior filled with small tables set with medieval manor–like carved wooden chairs, and a Sunday brunch featuring Pfannkuchen, a cast iron–cooked German pancake with warm apples and house bacon, the only thing missing from this corner of Germany is an oompah band.

Despite the sign that reads “an 1840’s whaling bar,” this longtime Nantucket joint is a hybrid surf bar/whiskey bar/beer garden/basement hangout. But none of that really matters—it’s all about the food, including burgers and curly fries, sushi, and the island’s best poke bowl, at prices that won’t shiver your timbers.

You can smell the sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce even before you enter this down-home rib joint where awards and positive newspaper reviews line the walls and a stuffed pig carries your order to the kitchen. Everything from hush puppies to pulled pork is expertly done, and the dinners all come with a large and sumptuous buffet of sides.

Neighborhood denizens swear by the counter-service whoopie pies, coffee, and buttery biscuits at this daytime destination for snacks, but the biggest buzz is saved for the back-room bistro Shawmut Ave. Restaurant & Bar, which boasts a hefty wine list and down-to-earth dinner options like buttery meat loaf and shrimp fra diavolo. House-made breakfast sandwiches keep locals returning, as do seasonal soups, gourmet sandwiches, and scratch pastries from their own pastry kitchen.

There's constantly a line queuing to get into this Downtown breakfast and lunch joint for their French-ish and American offerings. The absolutely massive menu caters to all diners with special dairy-free, low-sugar, keto, paleo, vegan and other diets, and the food—crepes, bagels, bowls, eggs, smoothies, salads, and wraps—is worth waiting for.

Offering breakfast and lunch, Café Chew serves everything from to-go espressos to breakfast favorites like pancakes and omelets. At lunch, a variety of soups, salads, panini, and sandwiches should please every palate—The Pilgrim (roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry mayo) is the best of Thanksgiving in a sandwich any time of year.

Steps from the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, a coveted seat on the outdoor patio is worth the wait. If the weather isn't permitting, snag a spot inside this brasserie-vibe café inside the Charlesmark Hotel and be prepared to feast. The brunches are hearty, with traditional eggs and bacon sitting sidecar to Mediterranean labneh with za’atar and chickpeas, Greek yogurt with granola and honey, and eggplant and tahini spreads. The hummus bowls and shakshuka are some of the best in the city. Sip on Turkish coffee, have a tea ceremony, or slurp a huge Nutella milkshake.

This Cambridge hot spot is locally loved, which means there are usually long waiting times, but the breakfast and lunch menus are worth it. The omelet menu is far beyond your basic egg and cheese, with combos such as fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese, and there are brunch tacos, cinnamon swirl French toast, their 20-hour slow-cooked corned beef hash, and the signature eggs Benedict. The lunch crowd dines on panini, specialty sandwiches, and "big bowl" salads, They also serve up fair trade coffee, for an extra kick, as well as beer, wine, and cordials.  Closing time is 2 or 4 pm, depending on the day, so be sure to stop in early.

An Italianate version of a sports bar, Caffè dello Sport has two wide screens transmitting live soccer. The buzz is from not only the world games excitement but also the espressos, pastries, beer, wine, cordials, and gelato. They also offer freshly baked croissants, muffins, turnovers, and breakfast sandwiches in the morning, and panini (using imported Italian products), salads, and pizzette for lunch.

Caminito's red-and-black interior offers casual elegance in spades. The menu is small, but the flavor is not, so you can count on excellent results whether you order your steak raw as tartare, baked into empanadas, or simply as a large individual cut.

You know your host loves you when they take you to this local favorite (with multiple locations). The Creamery incorporates only the best ingredients in its ice cream, including Madagascar vanilla and French cocoa; this year-round location also serves sandwiches and chowder. The mini-scoop sampler is a popular choice for newbies, featuring six flavors served in a banana boat dish. There are seasonal locations in South Yarmouth, Dennis, and at the Hy-Line ferry terminal on Ocean Street in Hyannis.

A great stop after the beach, this casual seafood shack has a regular menu of Cape classics like fried clams and fish-and-chips supplemented by specials posted on the board and a counter where you order and take a number written on a French fries box. There's seating inside as well as outside on a shady brick patio.

This snug, more than 70-year-old shop (family owned and operated up until a few years ago) in Harvard Square purveys exotic imports, including cheeses, chocolates, British biscuits, jams, olive oils, and mustards, along with sandwiches, cheeses, and charcuterie to go. You'll also find a generous assortment of champagnes and domestic caviar, fine wines, and assorted beers. They also have a new location in Boston's Seaport.