Best Food I Ate in Boston: Pizza, Cheesesteaks, Lobster Rolls and More

Best Food I Ate in Boston: Pizza, Cheesesteaks, Lobster Rolls and More

Boston gave me cheesesteak egg rolls, wings, Fenway hot dogs, late-night pizza, a loaded cheesesteak, a lobster roll, bar pizza, a roast beef scallion pancake roll, and baked beans that tasted suspiciously familiar.

Some of the cheapest food was also the best. A few of the famous Boston stops did not live up to the price.

Here is everything I ate, in order.

Cheesesteak Egg Rolls and Wings at The Corner Pub

The Corner Pub was my favorite restaurant stop in Boston.

I spent an afternoon there watching Argentina play England. I liked the pub enough to return two days later for the steak-and-cheese egg roll and wings.

The egg roll was exactly the kind of bar food I wanted: steak and cheese stuffed into a crisp wrapper without trying to turn itself into fine dining. The wings were also worth the second trip.

The Corner Pub felt like a real neighborhood bar. I could watch a game, have a few beers, eat good food, and stay awhile without anyone rushing me out. Its official site lists the egg rolls as a house specialty, and the wing menu includes Buffalo, barbecue, teriyaki, honey hot, and honey barbecue sauces.

Dude Dining verdict: My favorite restaurant from the trip. Get the cheesesteak egg roll and wings.

Hot Dog at Fenway Park

The hot dog at Fenway Park was not great.

It was a basic ballpark hot dog, and the game was much better than the food. The official Fenway concessions guide lists Kayem Fenway hot dogs among the stadium options.

The trip may have turned me into a Red Sox fan anyway. They went on a huge winning streak after I visited, so I am taking the credit.

Dude Dining verdict: Go to Fenway for baseball and the ballpark. Keep your expectations low for the hot dog.

Late-Night Pizza From New York Pizza

New York Pizza became an almost-nightly stop because it was one of the only places serving food near my hotel at 1 a.m.

After leaving the bars, I knew I could walk in and get a slice instead of going back to the hotel hungry. That made it one of the most useful restaurants of the trip.

The company has Boston locations in the Theatre District and South End, and its site specifically promotes the restaurants as late-night pizza stops.

Was it the best pizza I have ever eaten? No. Did it do its job several nights in a row? Absolutely.

Dude Dining verdict: Dependable pizza when most of Boston has shut down for the night.

Loaded Cheesesteak at Al’s Cafe

Al’s Cafe was inexpensive, busy, and completely no-frills.

It felt like a blue-collar sandwich shop where people came to eat lunch rather than photograph it. I ordered a loaded cheesesteak and got a big, straightforward sandwich without paying tourist-district prices.

The Al’s Cafe menu includes several steak sandwiches with peppers, onions, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, and other toppings.

The place was fun, the food was affordable, and nobody tried to explain the sandwich to me for five minutes before handing it over.

Dude Dining verdict: A good stop for a large cheesesteak at a reasonable price.

Lobster Roll at Yankee Lobster

I expected the lobster roll from Yankee Lobster to be one of the best meals of the trip.

It was one of the most expensive, but it was not one of my favorites.

The lobster roll was fine. The price made “fine” harder to accept. Yankee Lobster currently lists traditional, hot-buttered, and fried lobster rolls on its seafood menu, with several sold at market price.

I understand why visitors want a lobster roll in Boston. I wanted one too. I simply enjoyed several cheaper meals more.

Dude Dining verdict: Too expensive for how much I liked it. I would spend the money somewhere else next time.

Cheese Pizza at Bardo’s Bar Pizza

The cheese pizza from Bardo’s Bar Pizza was one of the best deals of the trip.

Bardo’s is located inside Castle Island Brewing in South Boston, so I could get a beer and a plain cheese pizza without adding another restaurant stop to the schedule. Its menu describes the pizza as South Shore-style bar pizza made with tomato sauce and a mozzarella and sharp cheddar blend.

The pizza was simple, inexpensive, and exactly what I wanted with a beer. It also cost much less than the lobster roll I had enjoyed much less.

Dude Dining verdict: One of the best values I found in Boston. Get the cheese pizza with your beer.

Roast Beef Scallion Pancake Roll at Taiwan Cafe

The roast beef scallion pancake roll from Taiwan Cafe was one of my favorite foods from the entire trip.

Boston Baked Beans at Union Oyster House

Union Oyster House has a serious claim to restaurant history. The restaurant says it has served diners since 1826 and is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.

That history did not make the Boston baked beans taste any less like Bush’s Baked Beans to me. The restaurant’s current menu still lists Boston baked beans as a side.

I would have bet money they came straight from a can.

George Washington and Benjamin Franklin never got the chance to judge them. Washington died in 1799, Franklin died in 1790, and Union Oyster House did not begin serving diners until 1826.

Maybe they got lucky.

Dude Dining verdict: Visit for the history. Skip the beans unless you need to settle the Bush’s comparison yourself.

The Boston Food Rundown

Favorite restaurant: The Corner Pub

Best individual bite: Roast beef scallion pancake roll at Taiwan Cafe

Best value: Cheese pizza at Bardo’s Bar Pizza

Best inexpensive meal: Loaded cheesesteak at Al’s Cafe

Best after midnight: New York Pizza

Weakest value: Lobster roll at Yankee Lobster

Biggest disappointment: The Fenway Park hot dog

Where I Would Eat Again in Boston

The Corner Pub would be my first return stop. I went there twice during one trip, which says more than another paragraph of praise could.

I would also go back to Taiwan Cafe for the roast beef scallion pancake roll, Bardo’s for another inexpensive cheese pizza, and Al’s Cafe for a cheesesteak.

New York Pizza earned its place by feeding me after midnight.

Yankee Lobster, the Fenway hot dog, and the Union Oyster House beans can wait. Boston has too much other food to eat.