American restaurants in Massachusetts
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A
Miracle of Science Bar & Grill
With all the decor of your high school science lab, this bar and grill is still pretty hip and is popular among MIT student types. Join them for burgers, kebabs and other tasty grilled fare, as well as a choice selection of beers on tap. (It looks like the periodic table on the wall, but it's really the menu.)
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Franklin Southie
The menu is New American comfort food prepared by a gourmet chef: duck pot pie with root vegetables and cranberry jam or oyster mushroom ravioli in sage brown butter at this branch of Franklin, Franklin Southie.
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B
Durgin Park
Known for no-nonsense service and sawdust on the floorboards, Durgin Park hasn’t changed much since the restaurant opened in 1827. Nor has the menu, which features New England standards such as prime rib, fish chowder, chicken pot pie and Boston baked beans, with strawberry shortcake and Indian pudding for dessert. Be prepared to make friends with the other parties seated at your table.
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C
Ellen’s Harborside
By the T-wharf in the center of town, Ellen’s has grown famous serving a simple menu of American breakfasts, chicken, ribs and lobster since 1954. You get decent portions, fresh food and low prices. Consider the award-winning clam chowder.
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D
Anthem
This sophisticated restaurant exudes a cool, quirky Goth ambiance. The menu is mod, offering upscale comfort food, like mighty meatloaf, tasso (a kind of Cajun ham), mac and four cheeses, and baked-tuna-and-noodle casserole. Reservations recommended on event nights.
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E
Lyceum Bar & Grill
This historic building has hosted some of America’s foremost orators in its lecture halls, from Daniel Webster to Henry David Thoreau. Today the elegant dining room is one of Salem’s top dining spots. The New England fare is traditional but not tired, and service is always excellent.
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American Seasons
This restaurant celebrates the nation’s four corners. The dishes are themed by region, with an eclectic, thoughtful menu and smart staff. Let your mood swing. If you’ve had enough New England lobster, perhaps take on the chili-glazed salmon with crayfish, or a juicy southwestern steak.
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Ugly Duckling Loft
The Ugly Duckling is a popular, boisterous spot with a hefty menu of burgers and salads with mains that run the gamut from Swedish meatballs to stuffed sole. It’s the less upscale and more fun sister of the downstairs Whistling Swan restaurant, and there’s often live music on weekends.
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G
Franklin Café
The Franklin is probably the South End's longest-standing favorite neighborhood joint – and that's saying something in this restaurant-rich neighborhood. It’s still friendly and hip – a fantastic spot for people-watching (especially the beautiful boys in the ’hood).
The menu is New American comfort food prepared by a gourmet chef: duck pot pie with root vegetables and cranberry jam or oyster-mushroom ravioli in sage brown butter.
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Castle St Café
The piano in the back of this café just off Main St once belonged to Nat King Cole, who owned a summer home in Tyringham. Chef and owner Michael Ballon cooks up grilled Cornish hens, sautéed calves’ livers, and local shad roe. Pastas and burgers are less expensive. Come for jazz on Friday or Saturday nights.
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Cedar Street Restaurant
With a partially modern, partially classical dining room dressed in shades of off-white, you might feeling like you’re dining in a photo spread for a lesser version of Martha Stewart Living. In it you’ll consume bouillabaisse in a saffron sauce, mushroom risotto, racks of lamb, and booze from a generous wine menu.
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H
Dog Bar
Go around to the rear entrance to sample the eclectic menu and cold drinks at Dog Bar. From the simple (not-so-sloppy joes) to the sophisticated (smoked whiskey shrimp cocktail), just about everything here would be appealing to your dog, who might also appreciate the outdoor seating. There are plans to open an upscale restaurant in the front of the building.
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I
Union Bar & Grille
Union has transformed a warehouse in trendy SoWa into a cool, comfortable bar and grill, a big light-filled space that retains its postindustrial atmosphere in the steel and brick walls. Sidle up to the bar for your $5 cocktail or sink into a plush leather booth for a delicious dinner. The menu presents traditional American fare with an eye to innovation.
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J
Scollay Square
Down the road from the former Scollay Sq, this retro restaurant hearkens back to the glory days of its namesake. Old photos and memorabilia adorn the walls, while suits sip martinis to big-band music. The classic American fare is reliably good, with the lobster mac and cheese as the perennial favorite.
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K
Locke-Ober
According to an 1883 guide to Boston: ‘The leading French restaurant of the city is Ober’s, on Winter Place… This has more than a local fame. It is most patronized by the possessors of long purses.’ This description still rings true. Many 19th-century artworks and architectural details have survived in the sumptuous dining rooms. Happily, the exclusive men-only policy has not. Reservations required.
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L
Harvest
A Harvard Sq classic. This place is simple but sophisticated, a description that applies to the menu as well as the space. The modern American fare allows for some regional influences, such as the seductive raw bar. Local luminaries, especially Harvard faculty, are often spotted here. Foodies will enjoy Harvest Review ($39), a monthly event that features a four-course dinner, wine pairings and a speaker – usually somebody who caught, killed, produced or prepared some part of the meal.
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Salem Cross Inn
If you haven’t had your fill of colonial reenactment at OSV, head to this inn, built in 1705 and set on 600 lovely acres in West Brookfield. The calf’s liver with bacon and caramelized onions is a house specialty ($15). Besides offering traditional New England meals, the inn hosts special events like the ‘Fireplace Feast’ and ‘Herb Sampler.’ Its Hexmark Tavern (dinner Tuesday to Friday) has less fancy fare for less fancy prices and the lunch menu incongruously offers ‘Mediterranean wraps’ and other items the colonists never heard of. Follow US 20 (2 miles west of Old Sturbridge Village) to MA 148 north; 7 miles along, turn left onto MA 9 and go 5 miles.
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