The Area's Worst Food Towns
Keeping up with the Acton/Concord thread -- and having recently moved to that area -- has made me wonder about the towns in the Greater Boston Area that literally do not have any good restaurants.
The board is home to many extensive travelers of the region; what are some of your votes for the Greater Boston Area's worst towns to eat out in?
I'd like to nominate Littleton. It's a cute place, has a commuter rail station, and is highly accessible via both Route 2 and Route 495, but it's a restaurant wasteland. There are, I think, three sit-down places: Tre Amici, a yawny steak-and-shrimp Italian sort of place; Chip Shots, a sports bar and grill that seems to be named after their little golf simulation arcade games; and Yangtze River Restaurant, a run-of-the-mill American Chinese place, where the locals get General Gao's chicken with steamed broccoli (but they probably throw away the broccoli).
There's also the Littleton Sub Shop, a place that makes Pizza Hut look line fine dining. The town's saving grace is probably Spring Dell Farm, which has a nice market where they sell a bunch of their own produce, baked goods, etc.
The other towns around it -- Ayer, Groton, Westford, etc -- all have at least one place a diner would be happy to go to eat.
Let's get some other nominations; teach us about places on our maps that we should ignore 'til further notice!
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Lexington. Considering the town's flush demographic you'd think there'd be better restaurants. Arlington and Waltham have far better offerings. Kushboo is great, like Yangtze for Chinese (used to love), and godblessem for trying something like Nourish, but it aint good.
have yet to check out the new Vine Brook, but will.
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I think Framingham is awful. Other than Sichuan Gourmet, everyplace else is bad chain food or poor local joints. Before you guys say "what about Sel de la Terre or other places" on Route 9, look carefully and you will note that most of what SEEMS to be Framingham is actually Natick. Framingham must give out liquor licenses like they are going out of style because even the dives serve alcohol
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Very amused by this thread - thanks to FinnFPM for starting it. Wanted to add a comment to the OP's point about Littleton - agree about the lack of options, but have found that Yangtze River's "traditional Chinese" menu is more acceptable than their Americanized Chinese food (which was really gross in my opinion from my one try at their buffet). This traditional menu is only written in Chinese on their website, and I had received a separate bilingual insert listing the same dishes when I had dined at the restasurant. For takeout, I have tried their Chicken with Chinese Egg Plant Casseraole, Seafood Casserole, Imperial Ribs, and Sliced Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables. The seafood and ribs dish were the better of that bunch. I will probably try other dishes off this menu in the future.
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re: spectra21
That's a great, great tip. I always see a lot of Chinese people eating at the restaurant, and I've been confused as to why: the Americanized stuff, as you say, just isn't that good. I never even clicked on the Mandarin section of the website because the character don't render in my browser, so I didn't even notice it.
Can you get the traditional Mandarin dishes as take-out? We'll have to go in-person and try picking some things off this menu. Thanks!
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re: FinnFPM
As much as i like good/authentic Chinese, i say DONT.. Screw them, they dont want your business, they have made that clear. I have been there a few times, years ago.. Once for the horrible buffet that was mostly celery and mostly empty/cold, and at least 2x to give the menu a try. Always horrible. There are plenty of other places that have the courtesy to offer all their offerings to everyone and to not discriminate.
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I find it amusing how people list places like Framingham or list towns and then list a dozen places that are not good or chains.. Heck if my town had a McDs it would improve the dining scene by 1000% !!! I think when the original poster posted about nothing to eat, they meant it, that seriously is every place in that town including chains, etc.. Actually littleton does have a subway too! lol Harvard has 2 pizza joints, nothing else unless you are counting the jelly beans at the general store..
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re: hargau
Yes, some people (like you) certainly understood the nature of my question more than others. I'm trying to have a little exploratory session on the towns in the region that go completely unmentioned on these boards, because every town, no matter how bad, has SOMETHING. But what are those somethings? What food do they serve? Who goes there to eat? A "Chowhound" should pay attention to all food. He (or she) doesn't have to love it all, but he should have an appreciation for it; like it or not, a lot of people eat at these places, and in many instances there are few or no other options. They have owners and histories and stories. It's chowish to someone, somewhere.
So yes, a town like Framingham is a bad suggestion, and it completely misses the point of the conversation. A town like Harvard is a great example; I passed, last time I was in there, on having the overcaffeinated kid behind the counter whip me up a latte. Do they ever have Taza there?
Hiddenboston has mentioned a few other good places, though I wish we were hearing more specifics about these dead-in-the-water towns. Anyone who has personal knowledge of these places is encouraged to chime in!
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re: FinnFPM
If a place has NO FOOD it can't also have the WORST food. Boxford MA and Harvard MA are not about The Food so who cares? Take a FOOD DESTINATION like Essex, MA or which has really mediocre chow....and WORSE....but many weak choices.........make it THE WORST food per SF of tepid restaurant choices.
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re: ipsofatso
@ ipsofatso:
agree with this reading of the question, which is why i did not comment on my hometown of sherborn.
a little inn place, a touch overpriced and dull and a little independent burger place (which used to be Brewster's but current name escapes me) which was ok to get your kids something after swimming in farm pond but thats ALL of it.
just too small a town to sustain any business with framingham and natick next door.
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re: hyde
C&L Frosty's is the burger place, and it's underrated IMHO. Flat top burgers/fries/ice cream/etc with picnic tables outside. Their ice cream is meh, but I'm a fan of their burgers. Sherborn also has the Sherborn Sandwich Shop which has pretty decent sandwiches, or at least it did many years ago. But you're right, that is ALL of it.
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My home town Wilmington - home to the 99, a handful of unmemorable pizza/sub shops, Bill & Bob's Roast Beef, Michael's Place (in the sub shop category), Rocco's (actually OK), and the forgettable Foccacia. New owners are taking over Royal Dynasty, and they reportedly have other successful outlets. Will be happy to see them take over!
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re: Small Plates
You beat me to nominating Wilmington so I'll just second it. Thankfully there are now good options in neighboring towns, but the biggest local improvement recently has been the Heav'nly Donuts opening. Just hope they can compete with the 4 (or is it 5?) Dunkies already in-town.
Great news about the Royal Die-Nasty and I've also heard that Rocco's is okay. Oh hey, don't forget the Sonic and Panera! We've even got a Starbucks now!
I cook at home a lot.
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re: T.B.
Dunkin' Donuts is the scourge of a lot of these little towns. Towns with barely a handful of restaurants somehow manage to have four Dunkin' Donuts locations. They attach themselves to convenience stores and gas stations like cancerous growths. Ugh. They are the Wal-Mart of New England Food. Towns should ban them.
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re: FinnFPM
I completely disagree. :) Actually, I mostly disagree. There are too many Dunkin' Donuts, but it's not like there were tons of mom & pop coffee shops that were closed down by the arrival of DD. And if the DD all closed down, where would one get coffee in these towns? I would happily trade Dunkin' Donuts for an independently owned coffee shop that served decent coffee, but if the choice is Dunkin' or nothing? Definitely not.
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re: maillard
I know, I know, it's me being elitist, especially concerning a product like coffee. It's not like there are a bunch of Ethiopians around making it like they did in the old country. Still, the existence of Dunkin' Donuts does create certain additional barriers to enter the market for small breakfast restaurants. It's a point that was made a few times in the Acton/Concord thread: clearly there is enough demand here to sustain a bunch of restaurants, so why the hell can't we get something GOOD?
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Framingham, being the larget town in the country has so few independants and so few decent restaurants, Where's a 'burban guy to eat? Kens? Chicken Bone? At least there is Sichuan Gourmet and La Cantina.
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re: trufflehound
Are there no good Brazilian places in Framingham?
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I vote for Concord because it's a town in which you'd expect there to be a quality restaurant, and there just isn't!
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How about Harvard?? There is a Sorrentos and another pizza joint.. i think thats it.. at least littleton has a few places to get something and you have kimballs not far away and some places in Acton.
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re: phatchris
I've heard good things about J's at Nashoba Valley, and The Fireplace Room...
Speaking of Bolton, did you get to try Local 225? I heard a couple of opinions saying that it was astoundingly good. I'm curious about whether they'll expand it...
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re: maillard
Maynard isn't that bad. I mean, not a dining destination, but not as bad as some. The chicken tagine at river rock grill is very good, though the couscous that comes with it is flavorless. The Thai place isn't bad (the good one, not the bad one). And hey, there's always halfway cafe. :-)
I've also wondered about el huipil but haven't been yet.-
re: MrsCheese
I agree that Maynard does not make this list...
Thai Chili is the "good" Thai restaurant in Maynard. Their ramen that comes with lunch is excellent. The other Thai restaurant is totally average. El Huipel is fine, but not destination worthy. The Indian restaurant (Monsoon?) is also at the ok level. I've never been, but people used to rave about Cast Iron Kitchen. Still the case? Blue Coyote is also very good for a local bar/grill spot. Beyond that there are lots of lunch spots to support those that work at the mill.
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re: Trumpetguy
I'm from Sharon, and didn't add it due to SG, plus:
Indian - Coriander
Coffee/Pastries - French Memories (sister to Cafe Vanille)
Mangia - Good pizza finally!
Charlies - Hole in the wall jewish style deli that's very good food (if a bit rundown).
Mick Morgans is also technically in Sharon (sandwiched between Walpole and Foxboro on Rte. 1) and is a decent bar for a small chain.Tough to complain with that list for a small town that had almost none of those places 5 years ago.
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re: hiddenboston
If you find yourself stuck in cranberry country, Little Red Smokehouse BBQ in Craver (Cahva) ain't half bad.
http://www.littleredsmokehouse.com/lrsh/
And If your Berkenstocks lead you to Plympton, Just Right Farm is worth a look. I did not dine there this year, I'm not much of a communal table kind-o-guy, but I did hear it was very good. Not really a restaurant but a garden-to-screened in porch and BYOB kind of deal.
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I think Wellesley has a very poor restaurant selection, especially given its available clientele. The only real quality restaurant is Blue Ginger. Figs is gone, and unfortunate recent additions include Upper Crust and Boloco.
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re: RockinChef
Wellesley is also fortunate to have a superb sandwich place in the Linden Store. Not to mention solid fish at Captain Mardens and meat at Dewars. Not to mention nearly every single local ice cream place you could want. Not to mention respectable suburban Chinese, Thai and Japanese. Not to mention pretty good Italian at Alta Strada. One thing Wellesley sorely lacks is decent pizza.
How about Weston? Beyond a Bruegger's and a lousy supermarket and pizza place, there is zilch.
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re: hiddenboston
Those places in Rockland are another reason I'm interested in this topic: to learn about the places that Hounds live right near and have either a) have never tried or b) eat frequently at out of quiet, shamed convenience. What's a restaurant lover do when he's not at a place he loves?
We all live near more nondescript/bad places than good, because there quite simply are many more nondescript/bad places than good. It's one thing to have a certain kind of relationship with a "destination" restaurant we travel to, but our relationships with the 99%, so to speak, are much more varied and oftentimes more interesting.
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re: hiddenboston
Westford boasts the excellent Bamboo, as well as the very luscious Westford Deli (called Metropolitan Deli also). But it's a locals-only kind of place. Also, Pauls' Diner is very good (en route to Carlisle, in fact!). Also in Westford is Kimball Farm, with yummy fried seafood and ice cream.
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Charlestown, which is really inexcusable given it is in the city. Unless you want to eat at the new Olives, otherwise known as Even Worse Olives, it is a wasteland. Which is strange because there are so many yuppies there who want to pay for restaurants.
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re: drbangha
Sorry for the confusion. I meant that with all the restaurants opening in Kendall/Area 4 my friends don't mind driving 5 minutes for a whole host of food options. Even though it's a different town it's probably a shorter drive than driving from one side of a suburb to another.
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re: FinnFPM
I think it is just a different question. People who live in the city (many don't have cars) expect to be able to walk to things (let's say 10 min walk) the same way people in the suburbs expect to be able to drive to things close to them (again maybe 10 min drive is what I thought was "nearby" when living in the burbs). Most of Charlestown is not actually close to the T and cabs are not nearly as prevelant as downtown, only great option is to walk back over the bridge and into the North End.
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re: ScotchandSirloin
Paolo's Trattoria in Charlestown is pretty good, but admittedly I haven't been there in a while. How's Tangier? Most of the places in Charlestown are clustered by down by City Square, the rest of the Town is pretty devoid of restaurants. You'd think there would be more, spread out elsewhere. One explanation -- although there are a lot of "yuppies/toonies" there, there is still a very large portion of the population living in subsidized housing and projects.
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re: phatchris
Google does confirm that Tavern at the End of the World is Charlestown but that's a tough walk from the rest of the neighborhood.
I went to Tangierino for RW a few years ago, it was pretty good and has a cool hookah bar downstairs. Doesn't ever get mentioned here for some reason or other.
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re: Beachowolfe
I found Tangierino mediocre and overpriced. Good North African food is one of the things I miss most about France. For my North African cravings, I prefer Café Baraka. That said, besides Tangierino I don't think there are any other Moroccan restaurants in Boston, so they have that going for them.
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re: Klunco
I couldn't tell you what I ate but I remember being happy (maybe it was a rack of lamb?). Also didn't pay $35 for my main course because it was RW, that may have affected my perception.
However, it's the only Moroccan restaurant i've ever been to so it may be completely off-the-mark inefficient.
How would you feel if the price range there was $18-26 instead of $31-44. ($44! ouch)
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re: Beachowolfe
No worries, I get what you're saying. I just looked at the menu and it seems they have changed directions since I last went. Whereas before they were more traditional Moroccan now they are Moroccan/"Chop House" It almost seems like they're going for a sort of Moroccan Oleana by way of a steak house type deal. I can't judge the new menu since I haven't been and I wouldn't say the new menu draws me in.
As far as more traditional Moroccan food, I'd say that $18-26 would be more in line with what I would hope prices would be. That said, there are a lot of variables that go along with prices so it may be a bit moot to throw out those kind of arbitrary numbers. I will say this though, you can eat very well at a number of Moroccan restaurants in the Philadelphia or DC areas for that price. Personally, I think charging $28 for a classic Couscous is setting a pretty high bar.
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re: Beachowolfe
The staff at Tavern at the end of the world told me the name is from the fact that they are just a few feet away from the somerville line on that side of the street. I think most people think it's in Somerville and that part of western Charlestown is so at the "edge" if not the "end" that it might as well not be in Charlestown at all.
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Probably Carlisle, because other than the sandwich place in the center, there aren't any places for food (except for seasonal ice cream). Dover is pretty bad as well. Actually, does Dover even have a place to eat?
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re: hiddenboston
The irony behind the discussion of Carlisle, Westford, etc.... is that while there isn't a restaurant scene to speak of, the abundance of local farms can make it a fabulous area for food from the perspective of someone who cooks at home. And it's easy enough to get to Cambridge for a night out. (In the case of Carlisle, there is talk of a buyer for the dilapidated property next to Fern's trying to put a restaurant in it's former barn space, so someday we might get an option other than weird pizza, sandwiches and ice cream.)
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re: hiddenboston
Supposedly! Dover does look like a good suggestion though.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/isabellas-ita...
We all love really good hole-in-the-wall joints, but I'm often just as curious about the really bad or just totally unheard of ones, and I feel like there are probably restaurants or food-service places in these towns that are barely even discoverable on the internet. These places are a big part of the region's food culture and I'm a little bit fascinated by them. They tell stories about how people around here eat: someone, after all, supports these places and keeps them in business. They're just the voices we tend never to hear from.
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What about that old timey independent doughnut shop on 2A? Thought that was in Littleton - any good?
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re: Bob Dobalina
Are you thinking of Donut Shack in Lowell, maybe? That's on 3A.
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re: FinnFPM
Found it - I was headed in the right direction...
Gourmet Donuts in Townsend. http://www.gourmetdonuts.com/
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I thought Westord was a wasteland when I worked there not long ago.


















