Best Diners in Massachusetts

"Veggie Galaxy serves classic diner food with a vegetarian twist|© Joshua Sullivan. Another great place to satisfy your sweet tooth, the super-popular Veggie Galaxy boasts a bakery that is 100 percent vegan (plus, it serves FoMu ice cream). If that’s not enough to draw you out to this retro diner in Cambridge’s Central Square, anything on its main menu can be made vegan as well."

"Location: CambridgeType of food: AmericanPrice range: $10-16. Veggie Galaxy is a classic American diner that’s fully vegetarian (and eveything can be made vegan). You can grab a booth or a stool at the bar, and sit down to enjoy classics like mac n’ cheese, chick’n alfredo (with cauliflower alredo sauce, or chik’n and waffles."

"A post shared by Veggie Galaxy (@veggiegalaxy) on Feb 6, 2020 at 1:05pm PST. With an all day vegan breakfast menu and rotating weekly specials, Veggie Galaxy in Boston is pure brunch bliss. With an extensive bakery attached and an everything-can-be-made-vegan attitude, Veggie Galaxy is the place to be Sunday morning."

"Come for the kitschy, colorful interior, covered in vintage bric-a-brac and parlaying a campy spin on a 1950s-suburban-kitchen aesthetic. Stay for the all-day breakfast grub, which seems like the work of a stoned Suzy Homemaker: Cinnamon-sugar pancakes with a cheesecake glaze; hot bowls of spicy buffalo-chicken dip; and toasted, powder sugar-dusted doughnuts that are used to sandwich scrambled eggs and sausage. This quirky, New Hampshire-founded brand has local outposts in Boston’s Back Bay and the Burlington Mall in the ‘burbs."

"Not only are these pancakes the size of the plate, they're fluffy and golden. The Friendly Toast has the feel of a classic diner with new and fun culinary twists that you can only find under their roof."

"If Guy Fieri approves a breakfast joint, you know it's good. He's almost afraid of sunny-side up eggs and always says he's not a big breakfast guy, but Mike's City Diner is more than your average breakfast place. Their pancakes have the perfect consistency and the pop of juicy blueberries makes it one of the best stacks in Boston."

"Mike’s City Diner has blessed us with french toast that’s literally larger than some your textbooks. It’s the perfect hangover cure — a French roll split, french toast-ified and topped with powdered sugar, butter and syrup."

"Mike’s has all the diner hits, but everyone goes to this South End spot for the pilgrim sandwich, which is, of course, made with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Every day is Thanksgiving at Mike’s."

"If your vision is a bit blurred from a night on the town, you probably need a coffee cup as giant as the mug-shaped sign that crowns this 24-hour landmark in the Leather District. Luckily, the java runs like water here, and it’s perfect for washing down the Boston crème pancakes, layered with Bavarian custard and drizzled with chocolate ganache. You’ll also find hearty hangover preventions (hopefully) in the wide-ranging menu of eggs benedict—hollandaise-soaked selections invoking everything from chili to lobster to portabella mushrooms—plus the gooey patty melt on grilled brioche and baskets of French fries that you can (and should) get doused in gravy."

"South Street Diner is Boston's only all-night dining destination, open 24 hours, seven-nights-a-week and at the heart of Boston's late-night scene. One of the last authentic diners in the city, South Street Diner boasts a hip and happening vibe and serves a menu of favorites such as burgers and hot dogs, sandwiches and wraps, subs and salads, and signature drinks. The breakfast menu is popular with late-night revelers and offers a variety of egg and omelet dishes, breakfast burritos, and sandwiches, blueberry pancakes, Belgian waffles, French toast and brioches, and sides such as fresh bagels, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and banana bread."

"Restaurants Diners Downtown. Whatever the hour, South Street Diner has been welcoming hungry patrons since 1947. Open 24/7, it’s a prime spot for party people wrapping up a night out, insomniacs looking for a snack and some company, or commuters heading to work from South Station."

"The Breakfast Club, an Allston diner steeped in ’80s kitsch, offers 10 distinct pancake options, ranging from the more conventional Apple-Cinnamon to the over-the-top Banana-Fosters with brown sugar and rum. The choices can be dizzying, but we find ourselves returning to the classic blueberry pancakes again and again. Pancakes may not be anyone’s idea of healthy eating, but you can have yours made with whole wheat at The Breakfast Club."

"This Lower Allston diner car has been sitting on the site since 1962, although it was abandoned and in a bit of disrepair for some time. It came back to life as the Breakfast Club around the turn of the millennium and has been a bustling neighborhood favorite since then. There will be a line out the door, but it will be worth waiting because the corned beef hash is perhaps the best in the city."

"Allston's The Breakfast Club, located at 270 Western Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the diner and breakfast spot, which offers sandwiches and more, four stars out of 595 reviews. Try the artichoke omelette with artichokes, red peppers, spinach and goat cheese, or choose the grilled cheese panini with tomato, bacon and avocado. (View the menu here.)"

"Head to this Quincy classic for a giant selection of omelets, Benedicts, burgers, and more, hearty portions all around. (Note: no relation to Boston’s Wheelhouse burger shop, which recently closed in preparation for a move to a new space.)"

"Next up is Allston's Twin Donuts, situated at 501 Cambridge St. (between Barrows and Beacon streets). With four stars out of 293 reviews on Yelp, the breakfast and brunch spot, which offers doughnuts and more, has proven to be a local favorite."

"The kao moo dang (crispy pork, roasted pork, and pork sausage with egg and Thai barbecue sauce over rice) is a good place to start. The mango crispy duck is also compulsory. The crispy squid and the spicy eggplant, too."

"This classic train-car restaurant—Watertown native Eliza Dushku’s favorite place in town—is a delightful time warp, luring late risers with all-day breakfasts and comfort food since 1947. The menu, meanwhile, is a timeless study in colossal portions. Take the Hungry Person Special: a short stack of pancakes or French toast, two eggs, home fries or greens, a choice of meat, and bottomless coffee or a pot of tea."

"Everything is excellent at this Watertown diner car — which has been in operation for more than half a century — but no visit is complete without ordering the chicken livers. It’s some of the tastiest offal in and around Boston (and a great hangover helper). Bonus: Blue Man Group filmed a music video there."

"The crowds keep coming for excellent diner fare in Watertown. Deluxe has been around since the 1940s, and is now restored and maintained in all its classic splendor. There’s a lunch counter, booths, and a neon-lit exterior."

"Your coffee cup never stays empty at Liberty Diner, the kind of friendly, homey spot where servers are always attentive with the refills—you know, when they’re not delivering to your table waistband-busting servings of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Standouts on the menu, which is scrawled in white marker on boards above the bar, include the fluffy-as-air pancakes, breakfast sandwiches with spicy turkey sausage, and a western omelet served with a bucket-load of grits, just as the diner gods intended. The other key, though, is Liberty’s full bar, the place to get a Champagne-heavy mimosa in the morning or a round or two of beers with dinner."

"Head to this Roxbury diner — right near the Newmarket T station — for gigantic pancakes, fried fish, or a drink from the bar; it’s got a full liquor license. Liberty Diner dates back all the way to 1962."

"With its stark white walls, high-definition TVs and hosts roaming around to take your orders on iPads, Clover feels a bit like a visit to the Apple Store. But as its name implies, this place takes a scientific approach to running a restaurant, complete with data-driven experimentation with its food and pricing, which you can read about on its website. Brand idiosyncrasies aside, Clover specializes in vegetarian café food such as overnight oats or root and egg bowls for breakfast and barbecue seitan or Impossible meatballs for lunch and dinner."

"Various locationsEven your paleo pals occasionally go vegan for this mini food empire. Initially the food truck brainchild of an MIT grad, Clover has gone on to reinvent the city’s fast food scene entirely. With a bottomless commitment to food that is fresh, inventive, and, yup, vegan, every Clover outpost -- currently at 13 and counting -- proves that you just don’t need animal protein when classics like barbecue seitan and chickpea fritters are on the menu."

"Multiple locations – Hours may varyWebsite: https://www.cloverfoodlab.com/. Photo Credit Cloverfoodlab.com. While technically headquartered in Cambridge, their food trucks are peppered across Boston so they’re far from out of reach."

"There’s a new Downtown location of the fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant Garbanzo, across the street from Boston Common. They’ve also got a loyalty program named “The Very Important Bean,” which doesn’t sound so aquafabulous to us."

"Located in South Boston, Massachusetts, Carson Beach is a public beach regularly maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Historically, It has always been famous for its bathhouse and other amenities, furthermore, it was recently renovated and is known to have three pavilions, food and recreation stands along with other facilities. Things to do: There are many fun and interesting places nearby when you visit Carson BeachSouth Boston Bark ParkBoard the Cruise for a TourMolly Moo’s Ice Cream & Cafe Walkaway from Carson Beach to Fort IndependenceAddress: [126-171] William J Day Blvd, Boston, MA 02127."

"126-171, William J Day BoulevardBoston, MA 02127617-727-5290. Why you’ve got to go: Located along the South Boston shoreline, Carson Beach is one of Boston’s most popular public beaches. What to do: An expansive 3-mile stretch of beach dotted with parks, Carson Beach, though it isn’t a great spot for swimming, has plenty of space for other quintessential beach fun, such as beach volleyball, looking for shells, walking through the waves and just sunbathing, of course!"

"Families visiting Boston in warm weather can add a bonus to the trip with a day at the beach. The closest choice is Castle Island, 22 aces south of Logan Airport where you can tour Fort Independence, a site dating to Colonial days, take scenic walks along the harbor, fly a kite or toss a frisbee, enjoy the beach and a big playground. To get there, you can drive, take the #9 bus or ride the Red Line T to Broadway Station, then transfer to bus #9 or #11."

"Revolution Health Kitchen is one of Boston’s most popular options for healthy types looking to follow a whole food, plant-based diet. Friendly staffers help customers navigate the lengthy menu of nutritious, plant-based foods and beverages. Local moms and office workers pop in for made-to-order juices, smoothies, bowls, and toasts, along with healthful grab-and-go treats."

"Revolution Health Kitchen is a tiny, plant-based health-food café that makes everything from scratch, earning it a loyal set of customers from local office workers to Back Bay and South End residents. The owners, a husband-and-wife team, are usually here and happy to talk to you about their options and what might work best for your lifestyle and health goals."

"Revolution Health Kitchen — with locations in Back Bay and inside Time Out Market Boston in Fenway — is very much an avocado-toast-and-juice type of spot, but there’s more, too, from hearty soups to sweet potato sandwiches."

"Cutty’s in Brookline Village is our ideal sandwich shop, with carefully crafted combos that that don’t require a splurge. The all-natural, house-roasted, thin-sliced meat in the Roast Beef 1000 ($9.95) is piled high enough to give it serious heft—and it’s complemented by crispy shallots, sharp cheddar, and house-made Thousand Island dressing. But the bang-for-your-buck championship goes to Cutty’s Egg Sandwich ($5.95), which upgrades the requisite egg-and-cheddar combo with Iggy’s delectable brioche and an optional slathering of truffle ketchup."

"In-N-Out lovers will love the roast beef sandwich at Cutty’s. It’s made with piles of slow-roasted beef and Thousand Island dressing, which is the basis of In-N-Out’s “secret” animal sauce."