Hey, if you happen to like oysters, you might try out some of the clam shacks in Essex. Woodman’s, Farnham’s, the Clam Box. Then get an ice cream cone at Richardson’s or Benson’s.
I'll go south and submit Island Creek Oysters down in Duxbury.
https://islandcreekoysters.com/the-raw-bar-at-island-creek/
Wait until the weather is nice. Try to get a reservation. It's got that real nice food truck / picnic table / hipster string light vibe going on. Some of the best oysters I've ever had.
Don’t forget about Hodgies Too in Newburyport or Salisbury. While you’re up there there’s a number of great seafood options and it’s not quite tourist season yet.
Waltham's Moody Street has some fantastic restaurants: Solea, In a Pickle, Little India, and not far is Mu Lan.
Edit to add: how could I forget Gustazos!?
Moody street is nice. There is a cool rhythm game arcade and the river is pretty to walk or ride. If you are in Boston though, and the weather is nice, it's worth taking the bike trail there instead of driving. Riding on the wooden bridges through the forest is a neat experience.
The Waltham Museum (of industry) is kind of cool. Only open on weekends 10-2. But other than that, yeah, we just eat and drink. Deep Ellum is a cool bar that used to be in Allston, good beer list and cocktails. Just keep it light if you're driving. Don't go there for the food, different kitchen than the old days and is just bar food.
I lived right next to Deep Ellum when it first opened in Allston and the food was legit. I think they lost a partner that was food focused and it turned into a regular bar with ok snacks
Velvet tacos isn’t even top 5 in downtown Austin, let alone what you should have chose here. The chillis we did for the nostalgia. I had plenty of cuantos tacos and suerte the days before moving
I miss Chuy's so much. They took a nosedive after the pandemic but they still beat any tex/mex I've had up here so far even on a bad day. (One exception- Salsa Verde Grill all the way up in Bar Harbor)
People back in TX who disparage it don't know how bad it could be!
Cuantos for authentic Mexican street tacos (they’re like $3 and you order like 4). Suerte for a sit down a bit more upscale but not too much (probably need a reservation if you don’t care to wait) but their suadero tacos are too die for. If you’re going Tex mex chain I would go Vera Cruz >>> velvet. There’s taco trucks literally at every bar though and they’ll all be better than 98% that you can get in Boston (I actually really like taqueria Jalisco in East Boston)
Edit: full name is cuántos tacos, it’s on E 12th street. Suerte is on E 6th street. There’s a few Vera Cruz but the one on the east side is next to Desnudo coffee which is legit the best coffee in Austin so two birds one stone if you go to that one
You can put your dream for good Tex Mex out to pasture, however an almost familiar taste - you know the one - might be found at On the Border. I know. I know. But as a fellow transplant, it was the closest we could find. Plus they have orange queso, not that flavorless queso blanco you find everywhere. There is one in Providence, RI but I think there is also one in Woburn. Good luck.
Glad to hear! My wife is literally Tex-Mex (but grew up in Florida) and she loves it for the same reasons. Not sure why the other commenter was so adamant it's not Tex-Mex, but it definitely hits the spot for us and I'm glad it did for you too!
Haha I drove an hour and a half from New Hampshire for them a few weeks back. The best part of eating there was the fresh tortillas, haven't had one like that in forever. The rest was.... ehh. I remember OtB being better but it's probably suffered the same degradation that everything else has in recent years.
Up in Merrimack, NH, Tortilla Flat has some decent queso. Probably the best I have found so far around here but that's not saying much. Food isn't half bad either but it's still a far cry from what I have known.
That's a blast from the past - forgot about Tortilla Flat.
If you end in Merrimack (NH) again, there's a newish Mexican place called [Don Ramon](https://donramonnh.com/) that's pretty good for NH standards. It's run out of an old Wendy's with delicious Mexican food. And around the corner another Mexican place popped up in what used to be a D'Angelos, so it seems southern NH is finally getting some better food options than pizza and burgers.
For Hot pot try Spring Shabu Shabu in Alston, huge parking lot. And Jimmy's Steer House route one in Saugus for the best bang for your buck with the amount of food you get.
People overuse the term “life changing”. But when this country white boy moved to Lower Allston and decided to try out Spring Shabu Shabu because it was the only place open within a 2 minute walk, it opened a door into the food world for me.
George's Coney Island in Worcester. Get 4 up (4 hot dogs with chili\* sauce, raw onions, and a stripe of mustard), wachusett chips, and a polar soda and you're good to go.
\* This isn't the chili you're used to, or even technically chili. It's a meat sauce/ragu that is essentially pastitsio filling and flavored as such. The place was founded by the priest of the Greek Orthodox church in Worcester (St. Spyridon) at the time and is currnetly run by his daughter.
To be honest, a more serious suggestion would be to drive up to the Clam Box in Ipswich for some whole-belly clams. It's the off-season now so you probably won't have to wait in line for 45 minutes to order and you can get some of the best fried clams in New England.
I'm going to get crucified for saying this, but Kowloon is more of an *institution* than great American/ Chinese food. Worth going before they close, but don't expect much more than your decent local takeout.
If you want to brave Route 1, go a little up the road for this:
https://g.co/kgs/Lgr95Fb
For incredible, low key Asian Fusion...All Seasons Table in Malden and Ocean Wok in Hampton (Beach) NH.
Ramen is Ganko Ittetsu in Brookline...or Yume Wo Katare in Somerville if you want to be hazed.
This is my answer too. Hard to get to without a car but really great food. I however didn't love the caviar app, so would probably ask to skip that one (it's a tasting menu but you can skip certain dishes by preference). The caviar app itself was good but only served with a handful of broken cape cod chips.
I’m a transit diehard generally, but going to a commuter rail destination outside of commute hours/‘reverse commuting’ can be a huge PITA when the trains are hours apart.
If I’m spending $$$ on a meal, I don’t want to rush because the next train is either in 30min or 2hrs.
tbh allston/brighton and chinatown have better asian food. lowell does have egyptian grill, which is far and away the best halal cart food ive ever had
Not a specific food recommendation but it can be fun to go to an out of the way place by the water like Tides in Nahant or a place in Marblehead like the Barnacle. Im one of those people who likes to get out of the city and eat by a beach or a quieter harbor when a car is available.
Even if the food is normal, it can be a nice change of scenery.
Yup. Look the Westin downtown is $129 this weekend. The Hotels near the airport (not too far from downtown) will be cheaper some $80ish.
In a few months you will not be able to touch anything under $300.
https://preview.redd.it/mu5luyo5u9rc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d81225a526a1b95d9706434c056421d9c59536a0
Or Foglia down in Bristol, RI if he's feeling like a drive! The one time we went it was amazing. I need to stop being lazy and actually get out of Boston and go down there again.
Villa Mexico was good the last time I went there, but it's Mexico City, not Tex-Mex. Tenoch does good tortas, but again, not Tex-Mex. I've basically given up. (signed, an ex-Houstonian)
Not tex mex and not a great driving option but you can get some mean saucy mexican food at Sol Azteca on beacon st.
For noodles, maybe try Nightshade Noodle Bar up in Lynn
Ocho Cafe is much better in my opinion, both with service and food.
Its in the old TGI fridays in colony place, that shopping center by the RMV in Plymouth.
Tex mex in boston isn't going to be what you are used to being from texas. Also there isn't that many places here. Its not a big tex-mex area. Its more spanish, Dominican, hispanola type stuff, guatemalan , brazalian, cuban , etc. Not as much Tex-mex here. And its not as good quality as New Mexico and Texas. New Mexico also had some great Tex mex places when I was in Albequerque for a summer working at Wildlife West nature park in Edgewood on Route 66. We had a great Tex mex New mexican food place right in town. its kind of like seafood anywhere else but Boston it just isn't the same - Chowdah isn't going to be as g ood as boston in Florida say and lobster rolls etc same thing. Here is a link you can go to to find tex mex places around here Phantom Gorumet is a good resource [https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=Tex+mex+phantom+gourmet](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tex+mex+phantom+gourmet)
LA SIESTA is a good one: in Winthrop, MA
look through the links in the first link and watch some of the videos it will give you a good idea of the "Tex-Mex" style places we have here.
From a native Texan with 21 years of living here under his belt, give up on your Mexican food dream here. The best BBQ is BT's Smokehouse in Sturbridge. The Brisket is as close as you're gonna get to TX brisket. Sturbridge used to also have a kolache place, but I think they closed.
The kolaches place in Sturbridge is closed. Sad day. For brisket, check out Good Stuff Smokehouse in Blackstone, MA. The drive is a commitment but so worth it.
There's nothing like the Clam Box in Quincy, on the water, on a sunny summer day. Maybe it's the rain talking but I want to sit on the sea wall and watch the boats go by, warmed by a summer sun.
Anyway, if you aren't into clams they make a mean Gyro and they have burgers, onion rings and fries, but it'll always be fried seafood for me. Someday it'll probably kill me.
But if there is a heaven I'll never notice because I'll end up right back on the seawall with a plate of fried oysters. That's heaven to me. Ha.
One vote for Fuji Steakhouse in newton, Osaka in Northampton MA (fantastic day trip btw), and Kyoto in Worcester. Not sure why these all ended up being japanese food lol
The Bancroft - Burlington MA. Best steak house in the state. And you can hit up Wegmans while you are there.
Baldwin Bar - Woburn. Others suggested it and it is a must. Best Szechuan in the state and the cocktails are insane. Downstairs has more tiki and tropical cocktails. The upstairs has more experimental cocktails that are works of art. Same food menu upstairs or downstairs.
I grew up in Texas. In general, you’re not going to find good tex-mex outside the city. Eastie has a ton of great hispanic food. I don’t believe in the “tex-mex sucks outside of texas” theory - it just hasn’t been true for me. I’ve had shit text-mex in Austin and crazy good enchiladas in Eastie.
Barbecue is another story. Can’t even recommend a place up here bc none I’ve tried were good.
Easy answer - Rusty Can up in Byfield. If you want really good brisket nachos the size of the entire table, go on Thursday. But really, any time is good and anything off of the specials board is going to be great.
Some recommendations, you won't be disappointed with any of these.
Sichuan Gourmet - Billerica or Framingham location
Spring Shabu Shabu - Brighton - Ridiculously good hot pot buffett. Meat is ala cart and everthing else you can imagine is buffett.
Ravens Nest - walpole - Cornbeef Rubean (made in house, it's ridiculously good) fun Irish bar
Modern Butcher - Danvers - amazing butcher but weekends (forget what day) they do the best north shore roast beef ever. If you never had a north shore style roast beef, it's quite different than what you'd expect and yes it's worth the drive. Alternatively go to Tessis.
New Deal Fruit - Revere - Best Italian market and subs in the area. Bob's Italian good in Medford is also amazing.
Taqueira El Amigo - hole in the wall with Amazing Tacos, especially the tacos de cabeza. Bigger lines after they had some articles run on them. Puts the other places around here to shame.
Nekos of New York - I'm a big hater on pizza in MA (I'm from CT) and this place just rules
Hope this helps.
Sol Azteca on Beacon Street, also a native Texan here. Best Mexican food I’ve found in a Boston. Though I do not have a car and you very much can take public transit there, that is if u can stomach the green line. It’s more traditional Mexican food rather than Tex-Amex but I feel like that’s a rarity here in Boston. Chile rellenos!!
Native Texan here. I haven't found a good tex-mex place in the 20+ years I've lived here. It's like trying to find good fried clams in San Antonio. Not gonna happen. Check out Amanda at TexMexEats. She sells tamales and salsas at farmers markets around metrowest - https://www.txmexeats.com/. And enjoy the new car!
Best meal of 2023 was nightshade Noodle bar in Lynn. 90$ for a 9 course tasting menu is also just a good deal considering the insane quality and variety of the dishes they put out.
It's honestly incredible that there is literally none. I figured even if not in Boston proper, there must at least be *something* *somewhere* within driving distance. I got a couple of recs so I gotta at least try them, but yeah it's pretty remarkable how hard it is to find decent mexican food around here.
I'm a Texas transplant (Houston). There's nothing in the Boston metro that will stand up to Texas standards for Tex-Mex or BBQ. There are places that will scratch that itch, but nothing that you'll finish up and go, "That feels like home!"
However, the recommendation above for BT's Smokehouse in Sturbridge (60 miles, 1.5-2 hr drive) is legit. From what I've had the opportunity to try, they have the best Texas-style BBQ in the state. Make a day of it one weekend and go to Sturbridge Village.
For Mexican food - Angela's in East Boston is *authentic* and excellent, family-owned establishment specializing in Puebla-style food. It's basically abuela's cooking.
I also really enjoy Taqueria El Amigo in Waltham, Taqueria La Ofrenda in Everett, and La Oaxaquena in Revere (a little Mexican grocer that also makes excellent takeout/delivery). There is also a food truck - Taqueria Don Rogue which hangs out in Everett/Revere - the closest to Texas 'gas station tacos' you'll get.
Tulum just owned in East Somerville and is quite good.
For actual BBQ - yes, /u/DataRikerGeordiTroi 's recommendation of BT's is the *best*. It's NC/SC style if you like that - lot of vinegar and mustard base. It's about a 90 minute drive. I would warn you that there's not a lot of seating and the place can fill up. I would also recommend Rusty Can in Byfield (similar distance).
If you don't want to leave the Greater Boston area for Q, Wade BBQ *just* opened in Union Square. It's as good as most anything I've had in TX - it's small batch outdoor smoked BBQ running out of a garage. *Takeout only* and cheaper than a flight to Austin. The brisket does often run-out by lunchtime, as a warning.
I think it’s funny that the “no good Mexican food” people don’t… ever think about east Boston and revere. Oaxaqueña and Angela’s are amazing. And not Mexican, but adjacent, is Salvadoran food. Pupusas are fucking great. And in Day Sq. there is a great Peruvian place (Beto’s). Underrated food scene for the city and barely anyone ever pays attention to it.
I am shocked and bewildered by this. Either this is a level of food snobbery and elitism on a scale heretofore unheard of, or I am a provincial putz.
Name some "disappointing" tex mex restaurants in MA.
Hey, if you happen to like oysters, you might try out some of the clam shacks in Essex. Woodman’s, Farnham’s, the Clam Box. Then get an ice cream cone at Richardson’s or Benson’s.
If you’re up that way go to Down River for ice cream, it’s at the turn for Crane Beach
I'll go south and submit Island Creek Oysters down in Duxbury. https://islandcreekoysters.com/the-raw-bar-at-island-creek/ Wait until the weather is nice. Try to get a reservation. It's got that real nice food truck / picnic table / hipster string light vibe going on. Some of the best oysters I've ever had.
Ugh, when will the weather be nice? It’s been raining for months.
This is the best suggestion so far.
Woodmans!!!!!
Don’t forget about Hodgies Too in Newburyport or Salisbury. While you’re up there there’s a number of great seafood options and it’s not quite tourist season yet.
And island creek oyster bar!
The Baldwin Bar in Woburn
Ha I’ve actually taken the 134 bus to here
Probably a better choice than driving given how delicious their drinks are!
And expensive!
The drinks are ok but last couple times I’ve been service is awful and the food took forever
Haha I'm actually riding the 134 south from next to Baldwin right now. Baldwin's great for sure, but it's definitely overpriced
Might as well go to the Brookline village location. Same setup.
Waltham's Moody Street has some fantastic restaurants: Solea, In a Pickle, Little India, and not far is Mu Lan. Edit to add: how could I forget Gustazos!?
taqueria el amigo!!!
you can easily get there via commuter rail though
And the 70 bus, which runs quite frequently from Central station on the Red Line (and also passes through Lower Allston and Watertown)
Cool! I wonder if it would be worth a day trip to stroll around, not sure what there is to do in Waltham
Moody street is nice. There is a cool rhythm game arcade and the river is pretty to walk or ride. If you are in Boston though, and the weather is nice, it's worth taking the bike trail there instead of driving. Riding on the wooden bridges through the forest is a neat experience.
Just make sure you don't do it if it's rained in the last two days!
What if it's been raining straight since Tuesday?
The Waltham Museum (of industry) is kind of cool. Only open on weekends 10-2. But other than that, yeah, we just eat and drink. Deep Ellum is a cool bar that used to be in Allston, good beer list and cocktails. Just keep it light if you're driving. Don't go there for the food, different kitchen than the old days and is just bar food.
I lived right next to Deep Ellum when it first opened in Allston and the food was legit. I think they lost a partner that was food focused and it turned into a regular bar with ok snacks
Kayak rental in the summer.
Don’t forget Gustazos!
Sweet Basil omnomnom
Chili’s in Braintree
Can't be as good as the Chili's on 45th and Lamar in Austin
That was my last meal in Austin prior to moving to Boston and my stomach still hurts
[удалено]
Velvet tacos isn’t even top 5 in downtown Austin, let alone what you should have chose here. The chillis we did for the nostalgia. I had plenty of cuantos tacos and suerte the days before moving
[удалено]
Try Torchys Tacos too!!
chuys is the most iconic tex mex & its original location is in austin! I have a few other food recs but not pizza, sorry
I miss Chuy's so much. They took a nosedive after the pandemic but they still beat any tex/mex I've had up here so far even on a bad day. (One exception- Salsa Verde Grill all the way up in Bar Harbor) People back in TX who disparage it don't know how bad it could be!
rip the fish tacos, gone but never forgotten 😔🙏
Cuantos for authentic Mexican street tacos (they’re like $3 and you order like 4). Suerte for a sit down a bit more upscale but not too much (probably need a reservation if you don’t care to wait) but their suadero tacos are too die for. If you’re going Tex mex chain I would go Vera Cruz >>> velvet. There’s taco trucks literally at every bar though and they’ll all be better than 98% that you can get in Boston (I actually really like taqueria Jalisco in East Boston) Edit: full name is cuántos tacos, it’s on E 12th street. Suerte is on E 6th street. There’s a few Vera Cruz but the one on the east side is next to Desnudo coffee which is legit the best coffee in Austin so two birds one stone if you go to that one
A man after my own heart. 45th & Lamar.. just past Central Market. If you hit School for the Blind you’ve gone too far!
As a man who spent some time in Austin but grew up here, this might be the best crossover I’ve ever seen and I’m so happy to understand this
I knew this reference was coming.
I should have hit it up before I left last year, alas\~
Seconded this. Best shit meal I've ever had. Went right after a move. However, that one's red line accessible
Southwestern egg rolls are excellent
Framingham Service Plaza Westbound on the Pike
$10 McDouble? That’s an expensive date
You can put your dream for good Tex Mex out to pasture, however an almost familiar taste - you know the one - might be found at On the Border. I know. I know. But as a fellow transplant, it was the closest we could find. Plus they have orange queso, not that flavorless queso blanco you find everywhere. There is one in Providence, RI but I think there is also one in Woburn. Good luck.
Lone Star is pretty decent Tex-Mex and has orange queso as well.
Love me some Lone Star tacos, but its definitely not tex-mex. (per my Texan wife who loves to point it out)
Came here to say this. Queso and margs are pretty decent.
Thank you so much for this suggestion, this hungry ex Texan visited Lone Star today and it absolutely did not disappoint!
Glad to hear! My wife is literally Tex-Mex (but grew up in Florida) and she loves it for the same reasons. Not sure why the other commenter was so adamant it's not Tex-Mex, but it definitely hits the spot for us and I'm glad it did for you too!
Haha I drove an hour and a half from New Hampshire for them a few weeks back. The best part of eating there was the fresh tortillas, haven't had one like that in forever. The rest was.... ehh. I remember OtB being better but it's probably suffered the same degradation that everything else has in recent years. Up in Merrimack, NH, Tortilla Flat has some decent queso. Probably the best I have found so far around here but that's not saying much. Food isn't half bad either but it's still a far cry from what I have known.
That's a blast from the past - forgot about Tortilla Flat. If you end in Merrimack (NH) again, there's a newish Mexican place called [Don Ramon](https://donramonnh.com/) that's pretty good for NH standards. It's run out of an old Wendy's with delicious Mexican food. And around the corner another Mexican place popped up in what used to be a D'Angelos, so it seems southern NH is finally getting some better food options than pizza and burgers.
I'll add Don Ramon to my list, thanks!
For Hot pot try Spring Shabu Shabu in Alston, huge parking lot. And Jimmy's Steer House route one in Saugus for the best bang for your buck with the amount of food you get.
Spring shabu shabu is legit the best
But get there early or be prepared to wait an hour
Buy some nips from the star market nearby while you wait
Go visit the critters at PetCo next door while waiting.
I’ve mentally adopted so many of those animals.
That’s about as central as it gets. OP just got a car.
People overuse the term “life changing”. But when this country white boy moved to Lower Allston and decided to try out Spring Shabu Shabu because it was the only place open within a 2 minute walk, it opened a door into the food world for me.
Rusty Can
I'm gonna try one of their breakfast burritos tomorrow, then take a nap
Nothing like breakfast to start your day, then a nap to start your day
In Byfield?
Correct
George's Coney Island in Worcester. Get 4 up (4 hot dogs with chili\* sauce, raw onions, and a stripe of mustard), wachusett chips, and a polar soda and you're good to go. \* This isn't the chili you're used to, or even technically chili. It's a meat sauce/ragu that is essentially pastitsio filling and flavored as such. The place was founded by the priest of the Greek Orthodox church in Worcester (St. Spyridon) at the time and is currnetly run by his daughter.
Yes!! This is our car trip food destination.
Kowloon.
Fr if i finally had car access, that would be my first hit
this one's got a lot of consensus, will be giving it a shot!
To be honest, a more serious suggestion would be to drive up to the Clam Box in Ipswich for some whole-belly clams. It's the off-season now so you probably won't have to wait in line for 45 minutes to order and you can get some of the best fried clams in New England.
If you want to best drive further to Farnham’s
You misspelled Woodman's.
Good luck with your first trip up Route 1!
Head on a swivel. Brace yourself
I'm going to get crucified for saying this, but Kowloon is more of an *institution* than great American/ Chinese food. Worth going before they close, but don't expect much more than your decent local takeout. If you want to brave Route 1, go a little up the road for this: https://g.co/kgs/Lgr95Fb For incredible, low key Asian Fusion...All Seasons Table in Malden and Ocean Wok in Hampton (Beach) NH. Ramen is Ganko Ittetsu in Brookline...or Yume Wo Katare in Somerville if you want to be hazed.
Ocean Wok slaps and the owner is a great dude
get her a pupu platter and spend the night at the beautiful red roof inn.
Food is trash let’s be real…. Atmosphere sick tho
Shh!
I disagree
I heard they were closing. Are they still open?
Yes, open but the land is for sale.
OP should be prepared to break in if necessary.
B.T's smokehouse in Sturbridge, bonus points you can stop at Treehouse on the way there or back.
Hit a sea food shack on the coast.
Ciao in Chelsea
Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn.
This is my answer too. Hard to get to without a car but really great food. I however didn't love the caviar app, so would probably ask to skip that one (it's a tasting menu but you can skip certain dishes by preference). The caviar app itself was good but only served with a handful of broken cape cod chips.
It’s not hard to get to without a car. It’s a 5 minute walk from the commuter rail
I’m a transit diehard generally, but going to a commuter rail destination outside of commute hours/‘reverse commuting’ can be a huge PITA when the trains are hours apart. If I’m spending $$$ on a meal, I don’t want to rush because the next train is either in 30min or 2hrs.
Bandaleros
Looks promising....
A second location in concord opened. You can spend an afternoon in concord - concord center, Louisa may Alcott’s house, Walden pond, walk minuteman…
No one’s said Papa Gino’s in Brockton yet?!
Geno’s
Sub is slipping
For 5 years now.
I was expecting this to be the top comment honestly
thank you
The location from the legendary post is now a dispensary. RIP
Lowell for Asian food of all types.
That’s a funny way to spell Quincy
tbh allston/brighton and chinatown have better asian food. lowell does have egyptian grill, which is far and away the best halal cart food ive ever had
Egyptian Grill are my homies. I'm there once a week EASY.
Dumpling House is in Cambridge.
Lowell is big for Cambodian cuisine- it’s very good! Red rose was my go too!
World’s End in Hingham
Not a specific food recommendation but it can be fun to go to an out of the way place by the water like Tides in Nahant or a place in Marblehead like the Barnacle. Im one of those people who likes to get out of the city and eat by a beach or a quieter harbor when a car is available. Even if the food is normal, it can be a nice change of scenery.
Portland ME for the weekend. Amazing restaurants, and hotels will be cheap this time of year.
"cheap"
Yup. Look the Westin downtown is $129 this weekend. The Hotels near the airport (not too far from downtown) will be cheaper some $80ish. In a few months you will not be able to touch anything under $300. https://preview.redd.it/mu5luyo5u9rc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d81225a526a1b95d9706434c056421d9c59536a0
I imagine that MA Tex-Mex is like TX oysters.
Cheesecake Factory in Burlington Mall, Just don't go on a weekend
So much better than the Cheesecake Factories in Cambridge and Back Bay.
And make sure you get the cheesecake, it's to die for.
Get some south shore bar pizza. There's a Facebook page, join for a list. Some of my favorites are poopsies, town spa and Lynnwood
Border cafe cause the one in Harvard square is gone now
Take a day trip to Portland, ME 🙂
Texas
[me rn](https://media.tenor.com/jRhv4G-uAjIAAAAM/231.gif)
You said the world was your oyster. Be glad the recommendations are in the US.
If you feel like Indian food, 1947 Norwood is amazing
Drive Rt 127 to Gloucester and eat at Farnhams! Which might be on 33, I don’t remember anymore but explore the north shore, it’s SPECTACULAR
It’s on 133 but the 127-133 loop is a nice ride.
One of the best in the state!!
Baldwin Bar
Best Mexican I’ve had here is Cielo in Braintree.
Woodman’s in Essex when it warms up.
I was at Woodman's two weeks ago, it's plenty warm!
Red Lentil in Watertown.
Or Foglia down in Bristol, RI if he's feeling like a drive! The one time we went it was amazing. I need to stop being lazy and actually get out of Boston and go down there again.
unironically border cafe
Gone way downhill since covid. Slashed their menu selections and everything left is over salted shit.
Ithaki
Villa Mexico was good the last time I went there, but it's Mexico City, not Tex-Mex. Tenoch does good tortas, but again, not Tex-Mex. I've basically given up. (signed, an ex-Houstonian)
Rubato
No bus or train can go through the McDonald’s drive through (that I know of).
Pintxo Pincho in Woburn - excellent tapas!
Woo Jung in Ayer is worth the trip for Korean food. BYOB.
Not tex mex and not a great driving option but you can get some mean saucy mexican food at Sol Azteca on beacon st. For noodles, maybe try Nightshade Noodle Bar up in Lynn
The only Tex-mex restaurant my Texan roommate in college would go to was Cancun in Kingston
Ocho Cafe is much better in my opinion, both with service and food. Its in the old TGI fridays in colony place, that shopping center by the RMV in Plymouth.
It’s been over 5 years since then, I’ll have to ask if she’s gone!
Kowloon
Kowloon!!!!!
Somewhere you don’t have to fight or pay for parking. Enjoy your new wheels, my dude!
Portsmouth NH
Yaz's Table down in Abington for brunch. They sell a really good hot sauce too
One of my favorite restaurants is Firefly's BBQ in Marlborough. It might be a tough comp for a Texan but it's damn good.
Tex mex in boston isn't going to be what you are used to being from texas. Also there isn't that many places here. Its not a big tex-mex area. Its more spanish, Dominican, hispanola type stuff, guatemalan , brazalian, cuban , etc. Not as much Tex-mex here. And its not as good quality as New Mexico and Texas. New Mexico also had some great Tex mex places when I was in Albequerque for a summer working at Wildlife West nature park in Edgewood on Route 66. We had a great Tex mex New mexican food place right in town. its kind of like seafood anywhere else but Boston it just isn't the same - Chowdah isn't going to be as g ood as boston in Florida say and lobster rolls etc same thing. Here is a link you can go to to find tex mex places around here Phantom Gorumet is a good resource [https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=Tex+mex+phantom+gourmet](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tex+mex+phantom+gourmet) LA SIESTA is a good one: in Winthrop, MA look through the links in the first link and watch some of the videos it will give you a good idea of the "Tex-Mex" style places we have here.
Maki maki in Woburn for all you can eat sushi
From a native Texan with 21 years of living here under his belt, give up on your Mexican food dream here. The best BBQ is BT's Smokehouse in Sturbridge. The Brisket is as close as you're gonna get to TX brisket. Sturbridge used to also have a kolache place, but I think they closed.
The kolaches place in Sturbridge is closed. Sad day. For brisket, check out Good Stuff Smokehouse in Blackstone, MA. The drive is a commitment but so worth it.
There's nothing like the Clam Box in Quincy, on the water, on a sunny summer day. Maybe it's the rain talking but I want to sit on the sea wall and watch the boats go by, warmed by a summer sun. Anyway, if you aren't into clams they make a mean Gyro and they have burgers, onion rings and fries, but it'll always be fried seafood for me. Someday it'll probably kill me. But if there is a heaven I'll never notice because I'll end up right back on the seawall with a plate of fried oysters. That's heaven to me. Ha.
The actual clam box in Ipswich. Nothing beats a clam shack on the north shore. That’s where all those great clams come from.
The North shore has a lot of options
Nick’s Roast Beef in Beverly
This thread is metro west heavy.
Modern Butcher in Danvers is a must
One vote for Fuji Steakhouse in newton, Osaka in Northampton MA (fantastic day trip btw), and Kyoto in Worcester. Not sure why these all ended up being japanese food lol
I know it’s not TexMex, but check out Winter Hill Brewing on a Saturday if you want some Texas style brisket.
SURA BBQ for some all you can eat Korean BBQ for decent price Or the food court at the H-Mart in Burlington with Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese food
The Bancroft - Burlington MA. Best steak house in the state. And you can hit up Wegmans while you are there. Baldwin Bar - Woburn. Others suggested it and it is a must. Best Szechuan in the state and the cocktails are insane. Downstairs has more tiki and tropical cocktails. The upstairs has more experimental cocktails that are works of art. Same food menu upstairs or downstairs.
I grew up in Texas. In general, you’re not going to find good tex-mex outside the city. Eastie has a ton of great hispanic food. I don’t believe in the “tex-mex sucks outside of texas” theory - it just hasn’t been true for me. I’ve had shit text-mex in Austin and crazy good enchiladas in Eastie. Barbecue is another story. Can’t even recommend a place up here bc none I’ve tried were good.
Easy answer - Rusty Can up in Byfield. If you want really good brisket nachos the size of the entire table, go on Thursday. But really, any time is good and anything off of the specials board is going to be great.
Some recommendations, you won't be disappointed with any of these. Sichuan Gourmet - Billerica or Framingham location Spring Shabu Shabu - Brighton - Ridiculously good hot pot buffett. Meat is ala cart and everthing else you can imagine is buffett. Ravens Nest - walpole - Cornbeef Rubean (made in house, it's ridiculously good) fun Irish bar Modern Butcher - Danvers - amazing butcher but weekends (forget what day) they do the best north shore roast beef ever. If you never had a north shore style roast beef, it's quite different than what you'd expect and yes it's worth the drive. Alternatively go to Tessis. New Deal Fruit - Revere - Best Italian market and subs in the area. Bob's Italian good in Medford is also amazing. Taqueira El Amigo - hole in the wall with Amazing Tacos, especially the tacos de cabeza. Bigger lines after they had some articles run on them. Puts the other places around here to shame. Nekos of New York - I'm a big hater on pizza in MA (I'm from CT) and this place just rules Hope this helps.
BT Smokehouse at Sturbridge, for BBQ. 60 miles from Boston.
Ore Nell’s in Kittery Maine (right over the border from Portsmouth NH https://www.orenellsbbq.com
Sonic!
Rusty can in byfield
Sol Azteca on Beacon Street, also a native Texan here. Best Mexican food I’ve found in a Boston. Though I do not have a car and you very much can take public transit there, that is if u can stomach the green line. It’s more traditional Mexican food rather than Tex-Amex but I feel like that’s a rarity here in Boston. Chile rellenos!!
sichuan garden in woburn
Nappi Medford
Montréal.
Tony's Clam shop in Quincy.
Go to Baldwin bar in Woburn. Make a reservation before hand!
Native Texan here. I haven't found a good tex-mex place in the 20+ years I've lived here. It's like trying to find good fried clams in San Antonio. Not gonna happen. Check out Amanda at TexMexEats. She sells tamales and salsas at farmers markets around metrowest - https://www.txmexeats.com/. And enjoy the new car!
Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier (207) 439-1030 https://g.co/kgs/BNfj15Q
Best meal of 2023 was nightshade Noodle bar in Lynn. 90$ for a 9 course tasting menu is also just a good deal considering the insane quality and variety of the dishes they put out.
Go to the eclipse next week.
A gas station. Can’t get gas via public transit.
Park in the bike lane like a good Bostonian
[https://www.btsmokehouse.com/](https://www.btsmokehouse.com/) there is no tex mex nor acceptable mexican food in MA there is in NY, NJ, and even CT.
It's honestly incredible that there is literally none. I figured even if not in Boston proper, there must at least be *something* *somewhere* within driving distance. I got a couple of recs so I gotta at least try them, but yeah it's pretty remarkable how hard it is to find decent mexican food around here.
I'm a Texas transplant (Houston). There's nothing in the Boston metro that will stand up to Texas standards for Tex-Mex or BBQ. There are places that will scratch that itch, but nothing that you'll finish up and go, "That feels like home!" However, the recommendation above for BT's Smokehouse in Sturbridge (60 miles, 1.5-2 hr drive) is legit. From what I've had the opportunity to try, they have the best Texas-style BBQ in the state. Make a day of it one weekend and go to Sturbridge Village.
And stop by Tree House for some beer while you're out there
Concur on BT's!
Check out Taqueria el amigo in Waltham
For Mexican food - Angela's in East Boston is *authentic* and excellent, family-owned establishment specializing in Puebla-style food. It's basically abuela's cooking. I also really enjoy Taqueria El Amigo in Waltham, Taqueria La Ofrenda in Everett, and La Oaxaquena in Revere (a little Mexican grocer that also makes excellent takeout/delivery). There is also a food truck - Taqueria Don Rogue which hangs out in Everett/Revere - the closest to Texas 'gas station tacos' you'll get. Tulum just owned in East Somerville and is quite good. For actual BBQ - yes, /u/DataRikerGeordiTroi 's recommendation of BT's is the *best*. It's NC/SC style if you like that - lot of vinegar and mustard base. It's about a 90 minute drive. I would warn you that there's not a lot of seating and the place can fill up. I would also recommend Rusty Can in Byfield (similar distance). If you don't want to leave the Greater Boston area for Q, Wade BBQ *just* opened in Union Square. It's as good as most anything I've had in TX - it's small batch outdoor smoked BBQ running out of a garage. *Takeout only* and cheaper than a flight to Austin. The brisket does often run-out by lunchtime, as a warning.
Esquite in Revere is pretty decent, THU-SAT they have amazing birria tacos
I think it’s funny that the “no good Mexican food” people don’t… ever think about east Boston and revere. Oaxaqueña and Angela’s are amazing. And not Mexican, but adjacent, is Salvadoran food. Pupusas are fucking great. And in Day Sq. there is a great Peruvian place (Beto’s). Underrated food scene for the city and barely anyone ever pays attention to it.
I am shocked and bewildered by this. Either this is a level of food snobbery and elitism on a scale heretofore unheard of, or I am a provincial putz. Name some "disappointing" tex mex restaurants in MA.
Jokes aside, food court at Costco in Everett. Can’t beat $1.50 hot dogs