Food · Boston · United States
What to eat in Boston
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Boston, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ian Howard, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Start with New England clam chowder, Lobster roll and Fried clams. Work your way along Hanover and Salem streets from a slice and an espresso to a sit-down plate of pasta and a cannoli, ideally on a weekday when queues are shorter. Massachusetts adds a meals tax of about 7% to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- New England clam chowder
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and…
- Food experiences
- 5
10 foods to try
Dish
1.New England clam chowder
A thick, creamy soup of chopped clams, potatoes, onions and salt pork, served with small oyster crackers; locals say 'chowdah'. Tomato-based versions are frowned upon here.
Where: Union Oyster House near Faneuil Hall, open since 1826 and among the oldest restaurants in the US, and seafood restaurants all over the city.
Dish
2.Lobster roll
Chunks of lobster meat in a buttered, toasted split-top bun, served either cold with a little mayonnaise or warm with melted butter.
Where: Neptune Oyster in the North End is known for its warm buttered version; seafood shacks on the waterfront and in the Seaport serve the cold style.
Dish
3.Fried clams
Whole-belly clams dipped in batter or crumbs and deep-fried, served with tartar sauce and fries; Woodman's of Essex on the North Shore claims to have invented them in 1916.
Where: Clam shacks on the North Shore, especially in Essex and Ipswich, and seafood counters in the city in summer.
Dish
4.Oysters
Massachusetts oysters from Wellfleet on Cape Cod, Duxbury and other bays are briny and crisp, usually served raw on ice with lemon and mignonette.
Where: Raw bars across the city, from Union Oyster House's historic counter to Seaport and South End restaurants; many have weekday happy-hour deals.
Street food
5.North Shore roast beef
Thin-sliced rare roast beef piled on a bun and ordered 'three-way' with barbecue sauce, mayonnaise and American cheese, a speciality of the towns north of Boston.
Where: Kelly's Roast Beef on Revere Beach, open since 1951, a short walk from the Blue Line.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Cannoli
Crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta, often dipped in chocolate chips or chopped pistachios; the North End's bakeries have a long-running rivalry over who makes the best.
Where: Mike's Pastry and Modern Pastry on Hanover Street, and Bova's Bakery on Salem Street in the North End.
Dessert · Vegetarian
7.Boston cream pie
Not a pie but two layers of sponge cake filled with vanilla custard and topped with chocolate glaze, created at the Parker House hotel in the 1850s and now the official state dessert of Massachusetts.
Where: The Omni Parker House on School Street, where it was first served, and bakeries around the city.
Bakery · Vegetarian
8.Parker House roll
A soft, buttery dinner roll folded over on itself before baking, another 19th-century creation of the Parker House hotel.
Where: The Omni Parker House's restaurant, and many New England restaurants that bake their own version.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Frappe
In Boston a frappe (pronounced 'frap') is what most of the world calls a milkshake: ice cream blended with milk and syrup. Traditionally a 'milkshake' here meant milk and syrup with no ice cream.
Where: Ice-cream shops across the city, including J.P. Licks, a local chain founded in Jamaica Plain.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Iced coffee from 'Dunks'
Dunkin' was founded in nearby Quincy in 1950, and a large iced coffee, drunk year-round even in the snow, is a Boston habit.
Where: Dunkin' branches on what feels like every corner of the city.
Food experiences
North End food walk
Work your way along Hanover and Salem streets from a slice and an espresso to a sit-down plate of pasta and a cannoli, ideally on a weekday when queues are shorter.
Boston Public Market
An indoor, year-round market near Haymarket station where every vendor sells New England produce, seafood, cheese, cider doughnuts and maple products.
Raw-bar happy hour
Many Boston restaurants discount oysters on weekday afternoons, a good way to compare local varieties from Wellfleet, Duxbury and beyond.
Dim sum in Chinatown
Boston's compact Chinatown, by the gate on Beach Street, has dim sum halls and bakeries a short walk from the Common and the Theatre District.
Clam shack lunch on the North Shore
On a summer day trip to Essex, Ipswich or Gloucester, order fried clams and a lobster roll at a waterside clam shack.
Quick bites and street food
- North Shore roast beef — Kelly's Roast Beef on Revere Beach, open since 1951, a short walk from the Blue Line.
- Parker House roll — The Omni Parker House's restaurant, and many New England restaurants that bake their own version.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Cannoli, Boston cream pie, Parker House roll, Frappe and Iced coffee from 'Dunks'. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Massachusetts adds a meals tax of about 7% to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top.
- Some small North End restaurants don't take reservations and a few are cash-only; arrive early or expect a queue.
- Book Back Bay, South End and Seaport restaurants ahead for Friday and Saturday nights, especially around graduations and game days.
- Market price ('MP') on a menu usually applies to lobster; ask the price before ordering.
- Many restaurants and bars ask for photo ID before serving alcohol, regardless of age.
Tipping
Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wicked | Very (as in 'wicked good') |
| The T | The MBTA subway, bus and ferry system |
| Packie | A liquor shop (package store) |
| Bubbler | A drinking fountain |
| Jimmies | Chocolate sprinkles on ice cream |
| Rotary | A roundabout |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Boston famous for?
New England clam chowder, Lobster roll, Fried clams and Oysters. A thick, creamy soup of chopped clams, potatoes, onions and salt pork, served with small oyster crackers; locals say 'chowdah'.
+Is Boston good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Cannoli, Boston cream pie and Parker House roll.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Boston?
Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.