Where to Eat in Greater Boston for September 2024
New and exciting restaurants to check out, plus new reasons to visit older spots.
Jahunger’s “lamb on dry land”: cumin lamb stir-fried with onions, bell peppers, and chunks of Uyghur naan. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Summer’s on its way out, but there’s still time to enjoy Vietnamese-inspired cocktails on a Cambridge rooftop, local craft beers with your dog on a Medford patio, and a hearty breakfast sandwich with waterfront views. Here’s the latest installment of our monthly guide on where to eat around Greater Boston—new openings and a handful of older favorites we’ve revisited lately, plus a peek ahead at imminent openings.
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Also check out our recently updated dining guides: Breakfast sandwiches | Burgers | French food | Gluten-free dining | Local restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives | Portsmouth, New Hampshire restaurants | Stowe, Vermont restaurants | Worcester restaurants
New Restaurants to Try This Month
Recent openings you’ve got to check out.
ButterBird
Chef and restaurateur Jason Santos’ fast-casual spot within Watertown’s Arsenal Yards promises to extend that summer-vacay feeling with breakfast sandwiches on everything-spice biscuits. Fly in for lunch and dinner on the go, too—fried chicken is the star in a variety of sandwiches, and don’t miss hearty sides like loaded tots.
112 Bond Sq., Watertown, 857-304-4700, butterbirdboston.com.
Cacao’s hot chocolate. / Courtesy photo
Cacao
September may be a busy month, but no one will fault you if you slow down to savor salted-caramel bonbons from Perla Rosario and Leo Baez’s new location of their Newton-founded chocolate shop and café. And when colder weather rolls in, note that Cacao makes some of the best hot chocolate around.
570 Columbus Ave., South End, Boston, cacaonuts.com.
Florenza
Yes, this East Boston newcomer slings standout panini (on house-made bread) and Roman-style pizzas, but its imported Italian gelato, particularly the tasty tiramisu, is just what the doctor ordered for those late-summer scorchers. Dairy-free sorbets are available, too.
164 Sumner St., East Boston, 617-778-9010, florenzaboston.com.
Rendering of Great American Beer Hall. / Blue Pixel 3D
The Great American Beer Hall
This massive “American take on Oktoberfest” debuted to huge crowds over Labor Day weekend, including plenty of kids and dogs. The cavernous venue includes a sunny patio and—coming a bit later—a roof deck and mezzanine, perfect for events. The beer list features mostly New England picks, and the in-house restaurant, the Lantern, churns out pizzas and more.
142 Mystic Ave., Medford, gabhall.com.
Courtesy Trillium
Headroom Hi-Fi Lounge
Enjoy the vintage vibes at this new vinyl lounge above Trillium Brewing. Bop to some Bowie while tossing back Trillium’s brews and spirits, with small plates and desserts to end the night on a high note.
50 Thompson Pl. (second floor), Seaport District, Boston, 857-449-0080, headroomhifi.com.
Jahunger’s signature Jahunger noodles, with beef, Sichuan peppercorn, and chives, photographed at the Cambridge location. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Jahunger
Head to the new Cambridge location of this beloved Providence restaurant now to savor Uyghur cuisine before the secret is out and you have to wait forever for a reservation. The namesake Jahunger noodles are a must-order for those who like the tingle of Sichuan peppercorn. Here’s a peek inside the restaurant.
272 Brookline St., Cambridge, jahunger.com.
Merai’s kra pao sausage with caramelized onions, salted yolk mayo, and bacon. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Merai
Looking to squeeze in one last summer getaway? Skip the airport rush and order up kra pao sausage “hot dogs” and mussels swimming in red-curry butter at the Mahaniyom team’s new Thai-inspired spot, which owner Chompon Boonnak calls an “elevated dive bar.” Merai’s got a couple months under its belt now, and it’s firing on all cylinders.
14 Harvard St., Brookline Village, instagram.com/merai.bar.
Saigon Babylon’s lemongrass beef. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Saigon Babylon
With precious time left for outdoor drinking and dining, hitting up this new Vietnamese rooftop bar and restaurant from the folks behind Cicada Coffee Bar is a must. Sip a tamarind Old Fashioned, and be sure to try the lemongrass beef, rare slices of American wagyu with passionfruit and fresh herbs.
907 Main St., Central Square, Cambridge, instagram.com/saigon_babylon.
ShōChū Co. at Ruckus’ sweet and sour chicken lunch set. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
ShōChū Co. at Ruckus
We’re eagerly awaiting the opening of Mimi’s Chūka Diner in Somerville, but in the meantime, we’re getting our Mimi’s fill thanks to the team’s collab with Shōjō (in Shōjō sibling Ruckus’ Chinatown space). ShōChū Co. at Ruckus is serving up Japanese-style teishoku (set) lunches, and your workday will definitely be made better with a sweet-and-sour popcorn chicken lunch break.
5 Tyler St., Chinatown, Boston, shochuco.com.
The Vermilion Club’s French onion dumplings. / Photo by Nitzan Keynan
The Vermilion Club
As if you need a reason for a splurge-y supper, chef John Fraser—whose late NYC restaurants Dovetail and Nix each earned a Michelin star, as did his Tampa restaurant Lilac—serves a savory foie gras Boston cream pie at his new glitzy steakhouse within downtown’s Winthrop Center skyscraper. Plus, the cocktail list is enormous. (By day, grab something casual at Fraser’s food hall, the Lineup, also at Winthrop Center.)
115 Federal St., Downtown Boston, 617-546-5123, vermilion-club.com.
Staff Recommendations
Just a few places we’ve enjoyed recently that we think you’ll love too.
By Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Chickadee’s lobster campanelle, with the watermelon-covered slow-roasted porchetta in the background. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Chickadee
If you’re heading way down to the end of the Seaport District to see a show at the (Whatever Bank It’s Named After Now) Pavilion, do yourself a favor and leave time for a leisurely dinner at Chickadee first. As much as I appreciate ever-changing menus, I love that quite a few Chickadee favorites have stuck around in one form or another since its 2018 opening. For example: the incredibly tender slow-roasted porchetta, served with a hearty helping of watermelon, spiced up with some Fresno chilis. Other hits on a recent visit? The lobster campanelle, with a bit of heat from a Calabrian chili-infused fra diavolo sauce, and a refreshing snap pea paloma.
21 Drydock Ave., Seaport District, Boston, 617-531-5591, chickadeerestaurant.com.
Chicken karaage and torched salmon belly at Ebisuya Japanese Market. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Ebisuya Japanese Market
I regularly swing by Ebisuya with my Pocky stick-obsessed toddler so he can pick out the next flavor to try, and the in-house breads by Kevin are worth checking out as well. But it’s only recently that I experienced the wonders of the market’s bustling sushi (and more) counter, open five days a week for lunch and three for dinner. Try one of the bento boxes—chicken karaage or pork chashu don, for example—and add some sushi on the side, like the irresistible salmon belly, lightly torched.
65 Riverside Ave., Medford, 781-391-0012, ebisuyamarket.com.
Lê Madeline’s Việt Cajun crawfish noodles: garlic noodles, basil-buttered crawfish, parmesan, salmon roe. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Lê Madeline
Upcoming Red Line closures be damned, Lê Madeline is worth finding an alternate route to Quincy. This impressive revamp of noodle shop Pho Linh has really won my heart this year with modern Vietnamese cuisine that ranges from an excellent fried lobster roll to herby whole roasted branzino to garlicky noodles smothered in buttery crawfish. Killer cocktails, too—try the Margarita Cay Nóng, featuring mango and Thai chili pepper.
409 Hancock St., Quincy, lemadeline.com.
Thistle & Leek’s shawarma spiced chicken. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Thistle & Leek
From the first bite of toasted sesame focaccia with a spread of charred eggplant, corn, and dill to the last spoonful of house-made coffee stracciatella ice cream, I found a genre-defying meal here to be quite memorable. Perch at the chef’s counter to watch the team serve up seasonal small plates inspired by London gastropubs, and don’t forget to take home a pint of ice cream.
105 Union St., Newton, 857-404-0260, thistleandleek.com.
Looking Ahead
We’ve got an eye out for these soon-to-open spots. (Find our full list of 2024 anticipated openings here.)
Fallow Kin
Talulla owners Conor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer are teaming up with longtime friend Marcos Sanchez (Tasting Counter, Gray’s Hall) to open a farm-to-table spot in the former Craigie on Main space. Opening around November, Fallow Kin will showcase seasonal, local produce. We’re particularly excited for the chef’s counter tasting menu and the late-night zero-waste menu.
853 Main St., Central Square, Cambridge, fallowkin.com.
Kaia
From the award-winning team behind Krasi and Bar Vlaha, Kaia opens around early October in Boston’s South End, highlighting modern coastal Greek dining with a focus on the Aegean islands. Think lots of seafood (particularly whole fish preparations), creative cocktails, and an all-Aegean wine list.
380 Harrison Ave. (the Quinn), South End, Boston, kaiasouthend.com.
Kush by Saba’s coffee-braised lamb shank with potato parsnip puree and wilted radicchio salad, a seasonal special. / Photo by Saba Wahid Duffy
Kush by Saba
Chopped alum Saba Wahid Duffy had us at “spicy mac and cheese with lamb merguez,” and there’s sure to be lots more to love at this food-truck-turned-restaurant, opening around early 2025. Serving modern Mediterranean with some inspiration from her South Asian heritage, Duffy is transforming a tucked-away Somerville garage, previously home to takeout restaurants, into a cozy dining room.
5 Sanborn Ct., Union Square, Somerville, kushbysaba.com.
Tall Order’s Little Panda cocktail. / Courtesy photo
Tall Order
This “friendly neighborhood cocktail bar” will be “unassuming but welcoming” when it opens in the early fall, says co-owner Daren Swisher, who is opening the spot in the former Thirsty Scholar Pub space with co-owner Joseph Cammarata. The duo is also behind Best of Boston winner Daiquiris & Daisies at the downtown Boston food hall High Street Place.
70 Beacon St., Somerville, instagram.com/tallorderbar.
A version of this guide first appeared in the print edition of the September 2024 issue with the headline, “Hot List.”
