As one of the oldest port cities in the country, boasting a rich colonial past and influences from all over the world, there are tons of famous foods from Boston.
But despite its famous nickname, Beantown offers a lot more than simple traditional fare and seafood (although those are popular options).
Whether you're looking for zesty Italian dishes, decadent desserts, or uniquely Bostonian, classically American mainstays, Boston's eateries have exactly what you're craving. Here are a few of the famous foods from Boston to try on your next trip.
1. Boston Baked Beans
Quite possibly the most famous food in Boston is the classic baked beans, a traditional favorite consisting of navy beans simmered with molasses, brown sugar and salt pork or bacon. In the 1700s, Bostonian cooks got inventive with a significant influx of molasses from the Caribbean, coming up with this salty-and-sweet dish which has remained popular for centuries.
The beans are typically soaked overnight, then simmered for several hours until they become tender and infused with molasses and pork's sweet and savory flavors of the molasses and pork. The hearty seasonings and long cooking time give the beans a distinctive rich, slightly sweet taste and hearty texture. Boston baked beans can be a main dish or a side, eaten with cod cakes, hot dogs, cornbread, or, in traditional local style, with a side of brown bread.
Try one at: Bostonia Public House
Located off of State Street, nestled between downtown Boston and the Boston Waterfront, Bostonia Public House is a quintessential contemporary American restaurant where you can try the cuisine that bears the namesake of Beantown. Bostonia Public House has heartier options to pair with their side of baked beans, like crab crusted cod, pork chops and roasted chicken.
2. Lobster Rolls
A Boston-style lobster roll consists of fresh lobster meat, usually steamed or boiled, served on a toasted, buttered New England-style split-top bun. The meat is typically dressed in mayonnaise to give it a creamy texture and it can also be flavored with dressings like melted butter or lemon aioli. The finished sandwich is often served with a side of coleslaw, fries or potato chips.
At least two states, largely Maine and Massachusetts, claim to be the birthplace of the lobster roll, with countless cities and towns in the Northeast being home to variations on the theme. Regardless of where you come down on the issue, it's undeniable that lobster rolls are a delicious summertime favorite in Boston dining rooms.
Try one at: Yankee Lobster Company
Head to the South Boston Waterfront to try this famous Boston food at Yankee Lobster Company, a AAA Diamond Approved restaurant. The food can't get any fresher here as the restaurant not only cooks the food, but they catch it as well. Pair your lobster roll with some oysters or fried clams to finish off your dining experience.
3. Yankee Pot Roast
Before it became a favorite for households nationwide, pot roast was the quintessential wintertime comfort food for generations of New Englanders. Drawing influences from a variety of Old World recipes, it started as a way for cold Bostonians to keep warm and satisfy their hunger in the freezing New England winters.
It typically consists of a large cut of beef, such as chuck roast or round roast, slow-cooked with an assortment of vegetables, herbs and spices. The meat simmered in a flavorful broth or red wine until it becomes tender and flavorful, while the vegetables, usually a combination of onions, carrots and potatoes, give the whole dish an earthy, rich flavor and a thick, stew-like texture.
Try one at: The Pleasant Cafe
A long-standing Tuesday night tradition at a great price of $14 per entree, the Pleasant Cafe has been serving traditional Bostonian foods for over 80 years. About 10 miles from the city center of Boston in Rosindale, MA, you can't miss the famous neon sign beckoning you to come in for some true comfort food.
4. Clam Chowder
Like many well-loved Northeastern dishes, clam chowder's origins are lost to history. It may have been a local invention, or it could have been based on British or French dishes introduced to the region in the colonial era.
However the dish first made its way to tables, Boston lays a solid claim to being the home of the version now known and loved throughout the United States. It's a simple, hearty stew made with clams or other shellfish, bacon or salt pork, potatoes and cream or milk. Onions, celery, chicken broth and other ingredients are sometimes added for a richer flavor and more varied texture. When you visit, sample clam chowder as the locals enjoy it: on its own, with oyster crackers on the side.
Try one at: Joe's Waterfront
Located near the Boston Waterfront, this famous Boston food can be served as an appetizer with seafood from their fresh-caught raw bar. If raw is not your thing, they are also popular for their crab-crusted haddock and five cheese mac & cheese if you are looking for something a little more indulgent.
5. Boston Cream Pie
Despite the name, Boston cream pie is more of a cake, consisting of two layers of sponge cake dressed in thick, sweet custard and topped with chocolate glaze. Traditional recipes also call for rum syrup.
This rich, decadent dessert is thought to have been invented in 1856 at the Parker House Hotel, now the Omni Parker House, in downtown Boston. While it can still be found there, bakeries, cafes and restaurants throughout the city feature it as a regular item, including Mike's Pastry in the North End and several other destinations included on AAA's North End Dessert Crawl.
Try one at: Omni Parker House
We recommend going to the source to try the famous Boston cream pie. When the Parker House opened in 1885, Parker House Chef Anezin and his staff drizzled chocolate on top of a sponge cake filled with vanilla custard and a legendary dessert was born. Today it is celebrated as the official Massachusetts State Dessert.
6. Roast Beef Sandwiches
A far cry from a typical roast beef sandwich, this salty, savory delight is thought to have been created at Kelly's Roast Beef on Revere Beach, north of Boston, in 1951. Quickly becoming a favorite, Bostonian cooks developed a unique variant consisting of thinly sliced roast beef on a toasted onion roll. If you want to sample the sandwich the way natives enjoy it, ask for a "three-way": dressed in barbecue sauce, mayonnaise and American cheese.
Try one at: Kelly's Roast Beef
Home of the original three-way roast beef sandwich, Kelly's has expanded to locations across four states, but you have to head to the original on Revere Beach where they opened in 1951 to get the full Bostonian experience. Their roast beef sandwiches are topped with American cheese, mayonnaise and James River BBQ sauce, which gives it the nickname of the three-way roast beef sandwich.
7. Fenway Franks
Hot dogs are a go-to meal for New Englanders and the Northeast in general, but Boston has a singular twist on this simple dish, named for the iconic home of the Boston Red Sox. Whereas they're usually cooked by steaming or grilling, Fenway franks are first boiled and then lightly grilled before being stuffed into an open-topped roll and drizzled with yellow mustard, relish, or just plain.
Try one at: Fenway Park
We recommend heading to the source to try one of these as well. Who doesn't want to enjoy America's pastime while eating a famous Boston food like a Fenway Frank? Just like how Chicago has the Chicago Dog, Fenway Franks have their own unique twist on them that are worth a try.
8. Traditional Clambake
Practically every coastal American culinary tradition has some form of seafood broil, but for Boston, it's the venerable New England clambake. It consists of a mouthwatering assortment of seafood, primarily clams and lobster, mixed with corn, red potatoes and onions, baked or steamed in a pot over an open fire or hot stones. Old-school cooks still prepare it in a seaweed-lined pot for extra flavor and moisture.
Try one at: Eventide Fenway
Located right outside of Fenway Park, Eventide Fenway offers tried and true classics like the traditional New England clambake. Served with steamers, mussels, lobster tail, potatoes and a hardboiled egg with drawn butter and nori vinaigrette, bring a companion or two to enjoy this large dish. Eventide Fenway estimates each serving of this famous Boston food feeds up to four guests.
9. Cannolis
Boston can lay claim to one of the oldest Italian-American communities in the country, with the first arrivals dating to the 1820s. Over two hundred years later, one of the city's most beloved desserts is the tantalizing cannoli. This classic Italian pastry is made up of a crispy cylindrical shell made from sweet dough stuffed with a mixture of slightly sweetened ricotta cheese flavored with vanilla, citrus zest and fruit, nuts or chocolate chips. Locals contend that the best cannolis can be found in the North End, the longtime home of one of the city's largest Italian neighborhoods.
Try one at: Mike's Pastry
Founded in 1946, Mike's Pastry is located in the North End of Boston and is famous for their cannoli. The operation is a family love affair, starting with Michael "Mike" Mercogliano who handed down the pastry shop to his stepson, Angelo Papa, who has kept the tradition of Mike's Pastry alive. Order a box of cannolis with the signature white box and blue font with a string bow to enhance your experience in Beantown.
10. Oysters
The shores along Boston Harbor and the area's many rivers have been a favorite fishing ground for centuries, first with the Native Americans who originally inhabited the area and by city-dwellers ever since. Even today, Boston is a major fishing port, so it should come as no surprise that it's where you can expect to find some of the freshest, most delicious oysters on the East Coast. Oysters are such a beloved local staple that many restaurants offer "Oyster Hour" deals, with plates of fresh shellfish going for as little as $1. After a summertime trip to one of the beaches near Boston, enjoy some oysters and other fresh seafood.
Try one at: Neptune Oyster
You can find oysters at nearly any seafood restaurant in Boston, with one recommended location being Neptune Oyster, a AAA Three Diamond-designated restaurant in the North End of Boston. Note that reservations are not accepted here, so our AAA Inspector recommends heading here in off-peak hours to secure a table.
11. Parker House Rolls
There’s something legendary about Parker House Rolls, a classic bread roll often served warm with butter or honey. These tasty, yeasty rolls are a common side on Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. That rich, buttery flavor they are so well known for stems from a recipe made famous in the 1870s by The Parker House Hotel. Several variations of their origin story exist, but they center around an angry pastry cook throwing a batch of unfinished rolls into the oven, frustrated with the events of the day. The process created the famous dented appearance these luscious rolls are so well known for having.
Regardless of their storied history, Parker House Rolls have long been a must-have treat. They began appearing in cookbooks in the 1880s, with one of the most notable printings in the Fannie Farmer book, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, way back in 1896. After that, numerous printings of the recipe, with very few changes, occurred, making it a staple on American Thanksgiving tables by the 1950s. And, if you’re looking for this flaky roll today, several locations in Boston offer it up, including the historic Omni Parker House.
Try them at Omni Parker House
The Omni Parker House hotel, located on School Street, is an icon of the Downtown Boston area and is often referred to as a piece of the fabric of the historic buildings. The hotel dates to 1855 and is considered the longest continuously operating hotel across the country. That’s worth seeing in person, especially with a plate of just-out-of-the-oven rolls to enjoy with your meal and Boston cream pie (also a long-time favorite here) to complete your meal.
12. Sam Adams Beer
If you’re like many, you know there’s something refreshing about a tall Sam Adams with your lobster roll or clambake meal. In Boston, it’s hard to choose any other beverage. Samuel Adams is the most well-known brand of the Boston Beer Company. Why the name? It pays homage to Samuel Adams, of Revolutionary War fame. What you may not have known about the U.S. Founding Father was that he failed as a brewer. He inherited his father’s brewery, located on King Street, but failed to maintain operations.
In 1984, Jim Koch decided to launch a microbrewery in his home in Cambridge. Koch isn’t new to the industry. His family’s lineage includes numerous well-respected Cincinnati brewers. Koch created his own version, perfecting it and launching it as Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Three years later, the brewery opened in Boston. It’s where each one of the company’s numerous specialty brews and signature ales is first made, though the Boston Lager is so popular that it’s produced in Ohio and Pennsylvania as well.
Have a taste at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery Tour
If you’re a true-and-true Sam Adams drinker, you’ll want to visit the brewery and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the location. Public tours and tastings are available throughout the year. It’s a beer loved by locals and the official beer of the Boston Red Sox since 2018. You’ll certainly find it at Fenway Park.
Plan Your Food-fueled Trip to Boston Today
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