390 Best Restaurants in Massachusetts, USA

When you need a pick-me-up, pop into Espresso Love for a cappuccino and a homemade raspberry scone or blueberry muffin. If you prefer something cold, the staff also makes fruit smoothies. Light lunch fare is served: bagel sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, and delicious pastries and cookies—all homemade, of course.

This casual seafood spot, where you order at the counter, is an outpost of the famous Portland, Maine, restaurant of the same name. Offering reasonable prices for excellent fare, this is a fun option in Fenway without a lot of fuss. It's known for the brown butter lobster roll and plenty of seafood, but everything from wings, burgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches are available.

The friendly, family-run Fairway specializes in Italian comfort food but also has a very popular breakfast. Attached to the Hole in One Bakery—a favorite among locals for exceptional hand-cut doughnuts and muffins—the Fairway puts a jar of crayons on every paper-covered table and sells its own brand of root beer.

A tropical paradise meets an urban aesthetic on the face of this South Boston food stop. Everything about it is fun, contemporary, and whimsical, including the food, like dumplings and bao buns, noodle and rice bowls, sushi and sashimi, and poke. A bar vibe that can get loud invades later on in the evenings—be sure to try the innovative cocktails, especially, of course, the scorpion bowl.

Cafés abound on Brattle Street, but Felipe's is a good bet for fresh ingredients and authentic recipes that build out a quick hit menu of Mexican grab-and-go dishes and bottle opener--required Mexican sodas. Start off with their salsa fresca, queso, or guac, then fill up on heaping Super Burritos, Baja-style tacos, and nachos. Finish off with flan, churro, or a brownie.

As the name suggests, seafood is the star here, from salmon to swordfish, scallops to sea bass, and all very recently caught in Atlantic waters. Two floors of seating in an antique home, plus an outdoor patio, make for an enchanted setting aglow with candlelight for a lovely dinner in the company of many satisfied diners.

Seafood lovers staying in the Downtown area will definitely want to stop by this lively restaurant. A gorgeous raw bar features everything from Cape Cod oysters to lobster tail; starters and entrées lean heavily into the freshest catch like the hot seafood tower piled high with shellfish and tomato broth, but there are a few options for landlubbers. Stop by for breakfast on the weekend only.

This contemporary seafood restaurant on Salem Harbor treats patrons to prime canal views. There is an extensive sushi and sashimi menu, plus lots of other seafood favorites, including sesame-crusted tuna and steamed lobster. Burgers and steaks are also available for meat eaters. Nab a seat on the outdoor deck when the weather's fine and eat practically among the boats. You'll see why this restaurant has been a local favorite for more than 20 years.

This upscale pub with a few modern dining rooms and porch seating is the perfect place to grab dinner if you're looking for something casual. The menu isn't large, but offers reliably good, but slightly fussy, pub standards.

Owned by two commercial fishermen (who happen to be brothers), this casually upscale seafood spot (attached to a seafood market) offers indoor and outdoor waterside dining at Cape Cod Canal. The menu offers a nice break from the usual fried seafood baskets, so diners opt for fresh oysters, sushi, and steamed lobster and crab buckets.

The main advantage of stopping for the delicious homemade ice cream at this family farm is that you can see the dairy cows from the dining tables—and even pet them, if you're brave. Sandwiches and mac and cheese are available as well, if for some reason, you're not in the mood for ice cream.

There's nothing basic about this popular restaurant across from the Mount Holyoke campus, and the atmosphere—from the fancy plating to the nice lighting—almost justifies the high prices, which is why this little spot is a magnet for foodies, yuppies, and college students on their parents' tabs. Dishes—everything from seafood to steak—are complicated but mostly successful.

Lining up for an ice cream cone or frappe at Four Seas, a former blacksmith shop near Craigville Beach, has been a rite of summer on the Cape since 1934; it made the ice cream for Caroline Kennedy's wedding (the flavor: fresh peach) and has won a bazillion 'best' awards. They also sell lobster salad rolls, hot dogs, and other sandwiches. 

With a full menu served until 1:30 am and an industry-heavy clientele, the Franklin has jumped to the head of the class by keeping things simple yet effective, from the well-crafted cocktails to the homey cuisine: think skillet-smoked mussels, lasagna, and steak frites. The vibe tends to feel more like a bar than a restaurant (hence the copious bartender awards), so be forewarned that it can get loud, and the wait for a table (there aren't very many of them) can be long.

This contemporary restaurant offers bistro-style Statler chicken, pan-seared cod, and steak frites, perfect for a food-savvy clientele. A long list of apps and raw-bar items are great for sharing. There is usually live music on Thursday evening. Look for the signature martini glass over the door.

It can be hard to find an empty seat at this pub that serves hearty American comfort dishes in a cozy, rustic setting. Grab a seat at the bar, located in the middle of the dining room, but don't be surprised to see nameplates on the back of chairs—locals frequent this place so much that some have their own spots. 

Tucked in next to the Opera House, the French Quarter's marquee signage fits right in. This ode to Louisiana features a menu of popcorn shrimp, fried okra, sticky chicken, and crab-crusted catfish, and toasts the Southern experience with a Vieux Carré and much more. On a nice evening, sit by the front windows—they open.

This Chinatown newcomer pairs art deco decor (the lights! the columns! the floor!) with fresh, scratch-made Shanghainese food in a comfortable environment. No menus here—order straight from your phone at any time during your stay. Menu standouts include the rainbow soup dumplings delivered to your table in a bird cage, Peking duck deconstructed with pancakes, and the sweet and sour pork ribs; everything is ordered via your smartphone. Patrons include young adults from the Chinatown community and nearby Emerson and Suffolk University grad students.

The name in Japanese means "house of elegance," and the gracious and efficient service hits the mark at this flagship location, along with the interior's tatami mats, rice-paper partitions, and wooden ships circling a moat around the sushi bar. The extensive menu is both elegant and novel, with thick slabs of superfresh sashimi, inventive maki rolls, and plenty of cooked items, like beef fried rice or chicken curry, for those not into seafood or raw fish.

This snow-white shop in Union Square makes microbatches of ice cream daily and serves it, if you wish, in a torched marshmallow-cream–lined cone. There are six All the Time Flavors (chocolate, sweet cream, black raspberry chip, mint chip, cookies and cream, salty whiskey) and five Sometimes Flavors. The often-crazy flavors have included the likes of Fruity Pebbles (the cereal), black sesame and honey, and Gronk Mash (peanut butter ice cream with potato chips, pretzels, Kit Kat pieces, peanuts, and chocolate chips). One dairy-free sorbet option is always available, too.  There's contactless ordering online or via the app.

In a building originally designed by historic architect Charles Bulfinch in 1816, this place has a lively atmosphere day or night, with the sounds of revelry bouncing off its exposed brick walls and wooden beams. The kitchen serves up decent comfort food and a solid weekend brunch.

This cozy Italian restaurant serves up traditional Italian dishes with an American touch. The pasta and homemade meatballs come in large portions and the staff is friendly and attentive; you can order family-style meals to share with the table if that's more your vibe. Don't skip dessert if you love a good tiramisu. 

Just before you reach the Chinatown Gate, this bakery offers you red bean buns, milk cake, fruit puffs, custard tarts, and fresh dessert cakes, among other sweet and savory baked goods. There's also a dim sum menu, rice soup, woks, and Hong Kong--style noodles, and a few places to sit. The prices are a bargain.

Open year-round, this friendly family-owned and operated restaurant serves up homey food for breakfast and lunch. Favorites from the extensive menu include traditional breakfast items like pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and fish-and-chips and a variety of sandwiches at lunch.

Need a break and a beverage? This cozy spot offers a welcome space to relax with a coffee or tea and check your social media feeds, or just read a book. Scones, muffins, and other treats can be ordered to go with your beverage of choice.

This Beacon Hill legend was the first bar in the city to get its liquor license after the repeal of Prohibition—and it's almost 100 years old. Patrons sit at the dark-wood bar and high-tops to watch a Celtics game and dig into a menu of tasty burgers, salads, and pizzas. The place is often packed with doctors and nurses from nearby Mass General enjoying post-shift drinks.

Stop in for freshly brewed coffee and homemade baked goods, like banana bread, granola bars, and cinnamon buns, at this cozy spot. At lunch, enjoy the soup du jour and or a couple of sandwich options. In nice weather, enjoy your food outside on the patio.

Located in the Charles Hotel, this cheerful, country-style restaurant is named after chef-owner Peter Davis's pet pig, Henrietta. Davis is passionate about working with small area growers and purveyors, as well as harvesting veggies and honey from the restaurant's rooftop garden and hives, which is evident in his fresh, honest, wholesome, New England–style dishes like juicy Yankee pot roast, Ritz-crusted scrod, and creamy Maine crab-corn chowder. He occasionally even offers that old Yankee standby for dessert, Boston cream pie, but his signature chocolate bread pudding with caramelized rum bananas and vanilla bean ice cream is always available. Purchase a stuffed Henrietta pig in the small gift shop. Grab a seat at the U-shape bar (next to the photo of Henrietta with Pres. Bill Clinton) to enjoy a preprandial coffee, cocktail, or zero-proof refreshment, or head outside in spring or summer to dine al fresco in the large outdoor patio.

Fuel up for a beach day at this bustling family-owned breakfast and lunch spot, where options range from a kombucha and a cruller to a balsamic-drizzled veggie wrap and an iced chai latte. Guests order food at the downstairs level, confronted by an array of decadent baked goods (hand-cut doughnuts are a specialty), and take it to go or eat in the upstairs solarium or at a picnic table next to the parking lot.

From "feast"-sized portions to classic New England fried plates to wood-fired seafood dishes, the kitchen's focus is on local waters at this contemporary Seaport spot near the harbor. The menu is curated and relatively pricy, but quality shows in the food, and there are lots of beers, ciders, and wines by the glass.