Cutty's on Washington Street in Brookline has run the area's best sandwich counter in Boston since 2010. Roast Beef 1000 and the Spuckie sub are the orders; Diners Drive-Ins and Dives feature.
Signature dishes: Roast beef 1000, Spuckie sub
Must order: Roast Beef 1000: thin-shaved roast beef, sharp cheddar, Russian dressing, onion.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Saturday morning sandwich list pulls the longest line; arrive by 11:00.
Address: 284 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445, Boston
Irene Li's Mei Mei Dumplings runs the dumpling factory and cafe in South Boston since 2012. James Beard Award 2022; lemongrass pork and cheeseburger dumplings the headline fillings.
Signature: Lemongrass pork dumplings, Curried sweet potato dumplings
Order: Lemongrass pork dumplings, the signature filling.
Tip: Dumpling-making classes run on weekends from the storefront kitchen. Book on the website.
Jennifer Nguyen has rolled banh mi at Ba Le on Dorchester Avenue in Boston since 1996. Boston Legacy Business Award 2025; baguette baked fresh daily, the city's defining banh mi shop.
Signature: BBQ pork banh mi, Bun bo Hue
Order: BBQ pork banh mi, classic combination, $7 sandwich.
Tip: Cash and card both. The pho is the under-ordered dish; ask for the bun bo Hue if it is on the chalkboard.
Pho Hoa on Dorchester Avenue has poured beef pho in Boston's Vietnamese corridor since 1992. Boston Magazine Best Neighborhood Restaurant 2022; the all-cuts pho is the order.
Signature: Pho dac biet, Bun bo Hue
Order: Pho dac biet, the all-cuts beef pho with rare steak, brisket, tendon and tripe.
Tip: Lunch is the easy seat; 13:00 the room thins. Cash speeds the bill; the menu runs 18 pho varieties.
Dumpling Cafe on Washington Street has rolled Taiwanese soup dumplings in Boston's Chinatown since 2009. Boston Magazine Best Dumplings 2024; mini juicy buns the headline order.
Signature: Mini juicy buns, Beef pancake roll
Order: The mini juicy buns: pork-and-broth xiao long bao, eight per basket.
Tip: Open until 02:00 weekends. The beef pancake roll is the under-ordered dish; order both.
Hei La Moon on Essex Street has rolled cart dim sum on weekends in Boston's Chinatown since 1997. Two-floor banquet room, Cantonese roast meats midweek, carts Saturday and Sunday only.
Signature: Cart dim sum, Roast duck
Order: Cart dim sum at 10:30 weekends: har gow, shumai, char siu bao.
Tip: Cart service Saturday and Sunday only; weekdays are menu service. Arrive by 10:30 to beat the family rush.
Santouka on Brighton Avenue has poured Hokkaido tonkotsu shio ramen in Boston's Allston since 2022. The 20-hour pork-bone broth and salt-only seasoning is the signature bowl.
Signature: Tonkotsu shio ramen, Pork cheek bowl
Order: Tokusen toroniku shio ramen: braised pork cheek on shio broth.
Tip: Lunch at 11:30 is the easy walk-in. Order extra noodles only after you finish the bowl; the broth is the menu.
