The Boston Food Bingo: 9 Wicked Good Eats You Can’t Leave Without Trying

Eat Your Way Through Boston

Boston’s food scene goes way beyond clam chowder and lobster rolls (though they’re on this list because OF COURSE).

From late-night cannolis in the North End to fresh oysters at century-old seafood spots, these are the dishes that make Boston, Boston. Skip them and you might as well have gone to Providence.

1. Boston Cream Pie

Boston cream pie puts together yellow butter cake layers, vanilla custard filling, and chocolate ganache topping. A French chef named Augustine François Anezin created it in 1856 at the Parker House Hotel, changing American desserts forever.

The real deal has rum-soaked cake, smooth custard, and shiny chocolate. Massachusetts made it the official state dessert in 1996, and nowadays you can find Italian, French, and modern takes on this classic.

Where to try it:

• Omni Parker House Hotel – 60 School Street, Boston Still serving the original recipe at Parker’s Restaurant, where it all began

• Mike’s Pastry – 300 Hanover Street, Boston Established in 1946, offering a popular Italian-influenced version

2. Boston Baked Beans

Boston baked beans mix navy beans slow-cooked with salt pork, molasses, mustard, and onions. The dish goes back to Native American cooking, later adapted by Puritans who couldn’t cook on Sundays.

The Boston version balances molasses and mustard for the perfect sweet-tangy flavor. Traditionally, they’re prepared in special bean pots that distribute heat evenly during the 8-hour cooking process.

Where to try it:

• Union Oyster House – 41 Union Street, Boston Offers beans as a traditional side dish with their seafood meals

• Durgin-Park – 340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston Served beans from their original 19th-century recipe until closing in 2019, now reopened under new ownership

• Beantown Pub – 100 Tremont Street, Boston Operating since 1990, serves theirs with brown bread, keeping alive the classic pairing that completed Saturday night dinners for generations of Bostonians

3. Fenway Franks

Fenway Franks are all-beef hot dogs steamed, grilled, and served on New England-style split-top rolls. They’re a true Boston food icon and part of the essential Fenway Park experience.

Trying one is practically a local rite of passage. The dogs get boiled then grilled, which gives them a unique texture and flavor. Traditional toppings include yellow mustard, relish, and onions, though some places now offer fancier versions.

Where to try it:

• Fenway Park – 4 Jersey Street, Boston Serving the authentic version during baseball season since 1912

That’s it. Just Fenway Park.

4. Fresh Oysters

Boston oysters tend to be smaller, saltier, and more mineral-rich than others, thanks to the cold New England waters. Native Americans were harvesting them from Boston Harbor long before Europeans arrived.

You’ll find local varieties like Island Creeks, Wellfleets, and Duxburys, usually served simply with mignonette sauce, cocktail sauce, or just lemon. Boston takes oyster freshness seriously, with daily deliveries and skilled shuckers who know exactly how to open them.

Where to try it:

• Union Oyster House – 41 Union Street, Boston Home to America’s oldest oyster bar, shucking continuously since 1826

5. Cannolis at North End

Boston cannoli feature crispy fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta, often mixed with chocolate chips or candied fruit. Sicilian immigrants brought them to Boston in the early 1900s, and they quickly became a North End favorite.

The Boston version keeps the shells perfectly crisp, fills them only when ordered, and uses ricotta that’s less sweet than southern Italian versions. When you bite into one, you’re tasting the North End’s Italian heritage and the city’s rich immigrant food traditions.

Where to try it:

• Mike’s Pastry – 300 Hanover Street, Boston Part of Boston’s famous ‘cannoli war,’ with locals choosing sides on which shop they prefer

• Maria’s Pastry Shop – 46 Cross Street, Boston Family-owned since 1982, creating traditional Sicilian-style cannoli with homemade shells and authentic flavors including pistachios and orange zest

• Modern Pastry – 257 Hanover Street, Boston Known for filling their cannoli to order with carefully piped filling

6. Lobster Rolls

Boston lobster rolls showcase sweet lobster meat lightly dressed with mayo, lemon juice, and celery in a buttered, toasted split-top roll. This New England favorite started gaining popularity in the 1920s when lobster became more affordable for everyday folks.

In Boston, you’ll get generous portions of claw and knuckle meat with just enough dressing. Most places use Maine lobster, known for having a sweeter flavor than its Canadian cousins.

Where to try it:

• James Hook & Co. – 440 Atlantic Avenue, Boston Operating since 1925, they use lobsters from their own fishing fleet

• Neptune Oyster – 63 Salem Street, Boston Offers both cold traditional and hot buttered versions, walk-ins only

• Kelly’s Roast Beef – 410 Revere Beach Boulevard, Revere Founded in 1951, their seaside location adds a touch of ocean spray to enhance the flavor

7. Boston Chowder

New England clam chowder brings together chopped clams, potatoes, onions, and salt pork in a thick, creamy broth. This hearty soup began in the 1700s when coastal communities combined their fresh catch with ingredients the settlers brought.

Boston’s version has a smooth, velvety texture and just the right amount of clam flavor, usually served with oyster crackers. You’ll often find herbs like thyme and bay leaf adding depth, and some places add corn or bacon for extra flavor.

Where to try it:

• Union Oyster House – 41 Union Street, Boston Serving one of Boston’s most famous chowders since 1826 in America’s oldest continuously operating restaurant

• Legal Sea Foods – Multiple locations including 255 State Street, Boston Their recipe has been served at presidential inaugurations since 1981

8. Boston Roast Beef Sandwiches

Boston roast beef sandwiches layer thinly sliced rare beef on an onion roll with special sauce, mayo, and cheese. This North Shore favorite started in the 1950s when Kelly’s Roast Beef began serving them at Revere Beach.

The beef gets seasoned with just salt and pepper, roasted for 3-4 hours, and rested before slicing. There’s even a proper order to building it: sauce on the bottom bun, mayo on top, then wrapped tightly so the flavors blend together.

Where to try it:

• Kelly’s Roast Beef – 410 Revere Beach Boulevard, Revere Sold to a Massachusetts company in January 2025 but still operating their original locations

• Nick’s Famous Roast Beef – 139 Dodge Street, Beverly Established in 1975, serves a version many locals consider the gold standard

• Bill & Bob’s Roast Beef – 27 Maverick Square, East Boston Operating since 1968, continues their original recipe with specially-sourced rolls that hold up to the juicy meat and sauce combination

9. Boston Scrod

Scrod refers to young cod or haddock, usually baked with cracker crumbs, butter, and lemon. The dish came from Boston’s fishing industry, where smaller fish were sold for less money.

The cooking style uses crushed Ritz or oyster crackers with simple seasoning to let the fish’s delicate flavor shine through. You’ll find scrod on Boston menus all year round, representing the city’s deep connection to its fishing heritage.

Where to try it:

• Legal Sea Foods – Multiple locations including 255 State Street, Boston Featured scrod since opening in 1950, with a consistent preparation technique Union Oyster House – 41

• Union Street – Prepares the dish according to 19th-century methods including clarified butter

• No Name Restaurant – 15 1/2 Fish Pier Street East, Boston Established in 1917, serves a straightforward version focusing on quality fish and traditional cooking techniques passed down through four generations