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Boston Restaurant/Dining Suggestions 2014 (**Update in OP**)
**Update**
A compiled list of the suggestions made so far can be found here. I'll be continuously updating this doc as more suggestions are made.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8J2zaWDtgGpU3JDbUt3dU9yeDQ/edit?usp=sharing
This thread was a helpful one over on the Prime forums so I figured I'd start it here. It might be especially helpful since East is weaker in this area than Prime (in terms of proximity to convention center). I'll start this off by suggesting Strega Waterfront on Marina Park Dr (not a long walk from Seaport hotel). This is a nice Italian restaurant that has wonderful halibut offering.
A compiled list of the suggestions made so far can be found here. I'll be continuously updating this doc as more suggestions are made.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8J2zaWDtgGpU3JDbUt3dU9yeDQ/edit?usp=sharing
This thread was a helpful one over on the Prime forums so I figured I'd start it here. It might be especially helpful since East is weaker in this area than Prime (in terms of proximity to convention center). I'll start this off by suggesting Strega Waterfront on Marina Park Dr (not a long walk from Seaport hotel). This is a nice Italian restaurant that has wonderful halibut offering.
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Cannot recommend my sisters seafood salad though, it was one of those artsy style fancy salads...in that it in no way resembled a salad at all. The ingredients were good, but it was like a smattering of random vegetables on a plate with a ice cream scoop ball of real crab in the middle.
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Definitely going to pay it a visit again next year.
Seconding this. So tasty.
No Name
15 Fish Pier W
Waterfront
google map link:
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=15+Fish+Pier+Street+West,+Boston,+MA&aq=0&oq=15+fish+&sll=42.348966,-71.131561&sspn=0.010578,0.022724&vpsrc=0&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=15+Fish+Pier+St+W,+Boston,+Massachusetts+02210&t=m&z=16>
here's an excerpt of a good Yelp review:
"With not a single frill in sight, No Name manages to serve delicious, fresh seafood with great portions at decent prices. The decor is less than beautiful, and in fact boosts the charm. I would describe it as bingo hall meets 1988 Red Lobster meets your grandma's basement where you played Atari."
it's literally right next to Seaport Hotel.. right on the fish pier.. it's sorta hard to find.. and with most of my suggestions i'm going to keep it as no-frills as possible.. i like places with out 'airs' if you will.. i want good food, good portions, and decent service..
Here is the address:
306 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210
The hot house made pretzels are good, the beer is better, and the atmosphere is incredible.
I found that a good order of business is to walk to Legal from the expo, chow down on a full lobster at the bar (so you can talk up the cute bartenders), then walk down the street to Harpoon for a couple flights of beer. I did this a couple times. I have no regrets.
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Seconding this! Me and my friends found some pretty good places in Chinatown.
Sadly, they aren't coming this year.
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Sauciety is actually terrible and overpriced.
Anything down on the pier is good, but usually terribly crowded. Whiskey Priest is good for some drinks.
Faneuil Hall area is great for food, and not too far the the convention center. I don't know if I would walk from there though.
Because of the distance or because of the neighborhood?
Yankee Lobster company - it's a short walk to the pier but just far enough that it did not get super PAX crowded. Really friendly people that were thrilled to have PAX people show up. Better and cheaper than Legal but it looks like a dive.
If you feel like exploring a little bit Friendly Toast in Cambridge was really good too. It is certainly not convenient (I believe it was a few t transfers away plus a long walk) but for a Sunday morning hangover cure breakfast it was great. We did have to wait for a table even though we got there a few minutes after they opened.
We have also eaten at the Atlantic Beer Garden and Whiskey Priest. We met some people at Whiskey Priest and they got there just before 9pm and were seated, we got there at 9pm and had to pay a cover charge ($10pp) so that's something to consider if you're going out later.
Barking crab was really good, and a lot of fun, we really enjoyed it. I took my girlfriend out for a dressed up romantic dinner on Friday night, to Stephanie's on Newbury (Thanks @scorpius !) and the food was amazing. It was on the pricey side, but that's what I was looking for. We're going back with friends this year. I think all in all, we spent about $120 on food, drinks and desert, and then another $40 or so on cab rides there and back. It was some of the best food I've had in recent memory, just fantastic.
The best advice I can give? Boston is a cool city. Find some places a bit further from the convention center for dinner, and go on an adventure. There are some great suggestions in this thread.
Mainly the distance, the neighborhood is not a problem
Feel free to do this if you want. I just made this post because I really found it useful in the prime forum and thought it'd be a fun thing to talk about for Boston.
If you don't eat at "NO NAME" at least once, you might as well have not gone to Boston. No Fancy Menus, No Fancy Foods, McDonalds has better table service, but best and freshest seafood in Boston. The prices don't get any better, and it within a few blocks of the Seaport and BECC. If your going to LEGAL, go to the Legal Test Kitchen, better food then Legal but the wait service is not as good, but that is like saying first class on a 777 is not as good as first class on a 747.... its still first class service.
DURGIN PARK.... Its real Boston Cooking. Most people wont like it, but if you want a real Boston Meal, Go here.
PARKER HOUSE .... Want to impress someone, this is where to go. Locke-Ober is gone, but the chefs here are almost as good, and how can you not go to the original home of Boston Cream Pie and Parker House Rolls?
Finally, REBECCA'S CAFE ... Sandwich Shop which is a Boston Institution. Its Sandwiches and the only opportunity you will get to eat there is Friday Lunch (no weekends) but its worth the Detour.
Fun, friendly waitress; very fast service; good food (with bottomless coffee); and I found the price to be fair - two of us ate a very fulfilling breakfast for $25 including the tip. Also it is a 24 hour place which could be very convenient for late night PAXers
Distance from BCEC: 1.1 mile (20 minute walk according to Google Maps)
Price Range: Listed on Yelp as "Cheap, usually under $10"
If you do the Pokecrawl, Faneuil Hall is a great place to hit then since it's right nearby.
The walk isn't really that bad though, probably like 25 minutes from the con. Chinatown is about the same distance too, and you can't go wrong there either.
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I second this, Flour has been my best discovery so far for food in that end of town.
By the BCEC - The Seaport District
If you've been here before, you know how seemingly barren the area is when it comes to food. The BCEC itself is really expensive on the food front, so try to avoid it if possible. South Station (a major subway/Amtrak hub) has numerous fast food places that will give you more bang for your buck, and it's a 15 minute walk or a quick Silver Line trip. Under the Seaport hotel and on Seaport Boulevard, you'll find plenty of convenience stores and rather expensive restaurants. They're nice, but keep the price in mind. For the adults out there, Lucky's and the Harpoon Brewery (they sell pretzels and the taste test is free/$5) are the better bar choices over Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden.
Downtown - Copley
It's been mentioned in the thread twice already, but Fire and Ice is a massive value if done correctly. For lunch, it's $!0 for unlimited AND good food. Sunday brunch is $14 and dinner is $19, and they'll both be packed. If you're exploring on an off day, consider it for lunch. Most other places in the area and Newbury Street all have good food - definitely check out the Pour House if you're in the area.
Downtown - Faneuil Hall
Anything in the nearby North End is worth a visit - personal recommendations go out for Ernesto's/Umberto (they're only open for 3 hours a day for lunch) for pizza, Dino's for subs, and Vita's Tavern for the bar atmosphere. As for Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market itself, I'd suggest Saus (poutine, amazing sandwiches, fried sausage), Cuppacoffee (little coffee shack that sells Aussie food), and the entirety of Quincy Market for the fast food if you need diverse options. Avoid Dick's, it's a silly gimmick and the food isn't worth it. City Hall also has food trucks from time to time, but April might be a bit too early for them.
But what about seafood?
As long as you're not going to a Long John Silver's (I'm not even sure any exist here), you'll be fine for the most part. If it's not a chain and it looks good - it most likely is. My personal preferences here are waaay outside the city, so they're not really worth it for a weary traveler.
I'll be glad to throw out more suggestions if people want to get very specific.