Where to eat in Boston

Restaurants, cafés and street food in Boston, United States that locals actually go to — plus the local names for the chains you already know.

• Regina Pizzeria — Pizza, North End (2). Order the Margherita. The 1926 original on Thacher Street — brick-oven crust locals still line up for.
• Neptune Oyster — Seafood, North End (4). Order the Hot buttered lobster roll. Tiny raw bar with the city's benchmark lobster roll; the wait is part of the deal.
• Sullivan's Castle Island — Seafood shack, South Boston (1). Order the Hot dogs + fried clams. Southie's waterfront rite of passage since 1951; eat on the fort lawn.
• Anna's Taqueria — Mexican, Brookline (1). Order the Carnitas super burrito. The burrito that raised a generation of Boston students.
• Kelly's Roast Beef — Roast beef / seafood, Revere Beach (1). Order the Super roast beef + onion rings. Birthplace of the North Shore roast beef sandwich, served beachside since 1951.
• Santarpio's Pizza — Pizza, East Boston (1). Order the Sausage-garlic pizza + lamb tips. Century-old Eastie institution where the lamb skewers off the open grill are as mandatory as the pizza.
• Galleria Umberto — Sicilian slices, North End (1). Order the Sicilian slice + arancini. Cash-only lunch counter that closes when the day's dough runs out — go before noon.
• Union Oyster House — New England seafood, Downtown (3). Order the Oysters + clam chowder. America's oldest continuously operating restaurant (1826) — historic and it knows it, but the raw bar delivers.
• Mike's City Diner — Diner, South End (2). Order the The Pilgrim sandwich. Old-school breakfast counter beloved by cops, politicians, and everyone in between.
• Sam LaGrassa's — Deli, Downtown (2). Order the Fresh pastrami sandwich. Weekday-lunch-only pastrami temple that office workers guard jealously.
• Yume Wo Katare — Ramen, Porter Square, Cambridge (2). Order the Buta ramen. Cult pork ramen shop where finishing your bowl comes with declaring your dream to the room.

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