What To Eat With Just 24 Hours In Boston

If you're figuring out what you're going to eat during your 24-hour visit to Philadelphia, you know you're going to want to get an authentic Philly cheesesteak, right? But what about Boston? If you've got a day to spend in this beautiful city filled to the brim with a rich American history, it may seem overwhelming searching for the best places to grab a meal. How do you know you're not missing anything big? Fortunately, we've got you covered from a culinary standpoint — and we're also going to be doing a deep dive into Boston's history and current cultural landscape.

That starts with the city's long-standing connection to the Irish. Starting in the 1840s, Irish immigrants fleeing famine and oppression headed for new opportunities in America. Boston became home to many Irish immigrants, and today, Irish culture is a large part of the city's identity. That's not all there is, though: Boston also has access to some of the freshest seafood around, and if you're wondering if you need to take advantage of that while you're there, the answer is a resounding "Yes!" Just how, though, might surprise you.

Boston is also known as America's Walking City, and you're also going to want to take advantage of all of the food trucks, bakeries, coffee shops, and some of the must-try city favorites along the way. Bottom line? Come hungry, but know that we also have some ideas for taking a bit of Boston home with you. 

If you're hoping to immerse yourself in Boston's Irish heritage while you're there, we have great news: You can start immediately with the first meal of the day. While there are several foods that you should and shouldn't try at an Irish pub, one of the best is the full Irish breakfast. There are a few different traditional versions of the full Irish (depending on where you're from), but it generally includes sausages, rashers, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and both black and white pudding. Countless places are serving up a full Irish in Boston, but you might want to try The Black Rose. This pub is doing it right — with authentic Bachelor's baked beans — and they also have lighter fare with a traditional flare.

If that sounds like a lot of food, it is: This meal was a long-time favorite of Irish farmers who needed a hearty breakfast to get them through the day. If you're looking for something lighter, there are plenty of places to grab something that'll set you up without filling you up. If you happen to be near Central Square, stop into Brookline Lunch for some incredible baklava pancakes that are so good that it's a celeb hotspot — you don't know who you'll see! 

The Dudley Cafe is another great choice, with locations in Cambridge and Roxbury. It's serving up breakfast options like challah bread French toast, avocado toast, and chicken- and veggie-filled puff pastries.

While you're exploring the streets of Boston, you'll definitely need some caffeine to keep you going. Fortunately, the city has a pretty incredible coffee house scene, where you will undoubtedly find some places where you're going to want more than just coffee. Take Curio Coffee. This Cambridge coffee house is also serving up some buzzworthy Belgian street waffles, along with coffee, tea, and hot chocolates.

There's also Ogawa Coffee, which might be just the place to go if you're looking to seriously treat yourself. Although you might end up having to wait a bit longer than you might expect — and spending a bit more than you might at other coffee shops — you're here to treat yourself, right? That's what will happen at this coffee house, which opened in 2015 with the goal of bringing Japan's coffee culture to the U.S.

Looking for something a little more funky? Madhouse Cafe is part coffee house and part collaborative art space that partnered with the world-famous motorcycle shop Madhouse Motors. On the other hand, you can find something a little more low-key at Beacon Hill Books & Cafe. Stop there for some great coffee, a brilliant bookstore to pursue while you sip, and you can even return for a stellar afternoon tea.

Lobster rolls are one of the many regional foods in the U.S. that you should try at least once, and lunchtime in Boston is a great time to check this off your bucket list. There are plenty of places to try, but with just 24 hours it's Lobstah on a Roll that should be your go-to for a stellar lobster roll — like the one pictured — or, try one of their seafood platters. Also? You could pick up a shrimp po'boy that truly does New Orleans proud. (But first, brush up on all the differences between Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls before you head to New England.)

If that shrimp po'boy sounds more like something you'd love for lunch, check out Ba Le. This Dorcester Ave. hotspot gets rave reviews for its Vietnamese cuisine. Specifically, you can't go wrong with a banh mi and some spring rolls. Another great option for a stellar banh mi is Yume Wo Katare, which is also serving up some Jiro-style ramen that's so good it's bordering on ridiculous. 

Finally, we want to give a shout-out to The Neighborhood Restaurant & Bakery. This family-owned Portuguese restaurant has a lunch menu that includes fish and shrimp, pork and clams, and some of the best paella around. You can also pick up some grape jelly made from locally-grown Concord grapes, take that home with you, and make sure you can enjoy some delicious Boston flavors even after you've left the city.

There's a lot to do in Boston, and when you've only got 24 hours, you might feel like you have to pick and choose. Still, it's definitely worth taking some time and visiting one of the city's massive public markets. It's not only a way to sample some of the finest local products, produce, foods, and beverages in one place, but it's the perfect way to get any and all souvenir shopping done as well. The Boston Public Market is a great place to start, with more than 30 permanent vendors and more than 100 pop-up vendors selling everything from tea and spice blends to craft beverages, hand-carved sandwiches, all the desserts and pastries you can dream of, and plenty of options — like small-batch roasted nuts, chocolate, and pasta — for tucking into your suitcase and saving for later.

There's also the Quincy Market, with hundreds more shops spread over three market buildings. That's been around since the 1820s, and today, it remains one of the best places to pick up anything from souvenirs to artisan crafts, while sampling foods like clam chowders and desserts. If you missed a lunchtime lobster roll, you can pick one up here.

Finally, if you're looking for something seriously upscale, head to High Street Place. This downtown food hall has a taproom, sushi and a raw seafood bar, a Jewish deli, pizzas, live music, and special events scheduled for most days. Stop by and see what's going on during your 24 hours in town!

Even if you're familiar with some of the more obscure types of pizza — such as the lesser-known types of Chicago-style pizza — there's a chance you may have never had a bar pie. A 24-hour stay in Boston is the perfect time to try one, especially if you're going to be hitting up any one of the many incredible Boston bars. (And don't worry, we'll get to that.)

So, what are bar pies? As the name suggests, they're meant to be easy-to-eat bar food. They're typically ultra-crispy, 10-inch pizzas with very thin crusts and toppings that go all the way to the edges. If it sounds like they'd go perfectly when they're served alongside a freshly poured lager, that would be absolutely correct. There's no shortage of places to order one of these uber-local pies, so instead of making recommendations — because honestly, they're all amazing — let's talk about how to order without sounding like a tourist.

First: Every person gets their own personal pie. That's sort of an unbreakable rule, all right? Although different places will have different toppings on offer, you can always ask for your bar pie to be "laced." That means it'll have an extra ring of sauce around the outside, and the end result is another way of ordering it: that's with "burnt edges." Fall in love with them, and there's good news: You can absolutely make these at home, too. 

When we say you've got to stop for some snacks, we mostly mean of the ice cream variety — but just to be clear, some of the best ice cream shops in Boston are offering much more than just cones. Let's talk about J.P. Licks, a local ice cream place with enough locations that you're bound to see one in your travels. When you do, stop. In addition to a ridiculous assortment of flavors that includes an almond raspberry ripple that's made with dark rum and a honey and peanut butter sorbet, you can also count on frozen yogurt, sundaes, cupcakes, and other assorted baked goods.

Did we mention that there's also an espresso bar there, and you can plan on taking some coffee beans home with you? There's all that going on, too.

If the idea of boozy ice cream sounds like a total win, we'd also recommend stopping in at Gracie's. Not only is there an incredible salt whiskey ice cream here, but you can also schedule an ice cream-making class and pay a visit to the on-site cocktail bar, Earnest Drinks. Do gourmet ice cream and cocktails go hand-in-hand? Yes. Yes, they do.

Here's a pro tip when it comes to Boston: While you're out and about, keep an eye out for food trucks. The city has some truly incredible food trucks that are doing things that you're not going to find anywhere else, and we mean food trucks like Frozen Hoagies. They actually have nothing to do with hoagies in the traditional sense. Instead, you'll find some of the most amazing ice cream served between freshly baked cookies. You can opt for ice cream and cookies separately, or mix-and-match any combination for what might become your new favorite hoagie. That alone might be worth the trip to Boston.

Also serving up some seriously incredible desserts at spots all around the city is The Whoo(pie) Wagon, which is putting a whole new spin on traditional Whoopie pies. Chocolate cinnamon swirl? S'mores? Carrot, red velvet, or pumpkin? You can absolutely order any and — if we're being honest — all of those.

There are plenty of food trucks out there for some delicious savory treats, too. Naco Taco is taking tacos on the road, and be sure to check out Papi's Stuffed Sopapillas. This food truck seems like it was lifted right out of the American southwest and dropped into Boston to serve hand-rolled, hand-stuffed sopapillas of all kinds. And finally, don't walk past The Bacon Truck without stopping. It's pretty much enough said with just the name, right?

When dinner rolls around, it's usually about the time you'll start to think of the day winding down — but in Boston, you're nowhere near finished. With that in mind, let's talk about how to make the most out of this major meal, while still leaving time for a few more stops along the city's vast foodie scene. That starts with seafood, and we'd recommend letting James Hook & Co. show you how it's done. In addition to a dine-in location that's widely lauded for some of the best lobster rolls, bisque, salads, and pies around, you can also have seafood shipped overnight across the U.S.

There are plenty of other options for a great seafood dinner, too: The Yankee Lobster Co. is also serving up clams, calamari, and shrimp in addition to lobster, and if you're more interested in something like fish and chips, check out The Bell in Hand Tavern. This iconic tavern is a foodie destination and a historical landmark in one: It opened in 1795.

If there's someone in your group who's not sold on seafood, Chinatown is another great option. Head to any one of several phenomenal restaurants there, and you'll get the best of both worlds. Take the Dumpling Cafe.  There, you'll be able to choose from dishes that feature seafood, traditional ingredients like beef, and more rarely seen options like frog, preserved pork (and pork intestine), and jellyfish. Definitely try the dumplings!

While you're out and about, don't forget to stop into one (or a few) of Boston's best bakeries to pick up some amazing treats. Will you set them aside for the following day, and extend that 24-hour Boston-based dining experience? Maybe! It'll be tough, though, as you'll want to bite into Bova Bakery's absolutely amazing cannolis ASAP. Bova opened in 1926, and that means the bakers there have had time to develop perfect cakes, breads, muffins, and a signature tiramisu.

There is no shortage of great bakeries in the city, and if you've ever wanted to try a ricotta pie, Modern Pastry has you covered. This 90-year Boston staple is also serving up rum, tiramisu, and limoncello cakes, along with seasonal favorites and — of course — a variety of cannoli, macaroons, and biscotti.

Another bakery you shouldn't just walk past is Bakey, which was built around bringing babka to Boston. It's run by the James Beard Award nominee baker Uri Scheft, who is constantly reinventing this classic Jewish dish with new flavors. With three locations and both sweet and savory options, there's something here for everyone.

Twenty-four hours in Boston might mean you're sampling all kinds of delicious pastries, treats, and all the seafood the port city has to offer, but you definitely shouldn't forget that there's a bustling craft distiller, beer, and cider scene, too. Anyone interested in all of the work that goes into creating your favorite cocktails should definitely check out Bully Boy Distillers. In addition to having the option of booking distillery tours, visitors can hit the cocktail bar until a 10 p.m. closing time for some classic and signature cocktails, and yes, sometimes, there are food trucks there.

If cider is more your thing, consider stopping by the Downeast Cider House and the taproom that's open until 9 p.m. This adults-only venue can get pretty busy, but if you don't want to wait, check ahead and see if one of the outdoor pop-ups is open. 

Anyone who might be less interested in the how-to and more interested in an experience should check out some of Boston's more obscure bars and hidden gems. Hecate is hard to find, has no phone, doesn't take reservations, and has limited seating, but this hidden little speakeasy has a mysterious ambiance that's only rivaled by incredible cocktails. It's not the only mysterious place in town: Next Door gives its address as "Somewhere in East Boston," limits visitors to 90 minutes, and boasts a uniquely catered experience for anyone who finds it.

Is there a better way to wrap up 24 hours in Boston than with a stop at one of the city's many Irish pubs? Absolutely not — especially if there happens to be some traditional music on the night you're there. Even if you abstain from alcohol, there's plenty of fun to be had at an Irish pub, from listening to live music to sampling some classic pub food — and some of the best Irish pubs will be serving up a true taste of Ireland. When it comes to authenticity, The Dubliner is one of the best: There's live music Wednesday through Sunday, a Sunday Roast that's a must-try if you happen to be there for it, and a menu that includes fish and chips, curry, and lamb shanks.

The Druid is another great place for a true Irish vibe, with a bar that's open until 2 a.m., live music several days a week, and a menu that includes a seafood stew, handmade Irish sausages, and shepherd's pie served the right way, with lamb. (When it's served with beef, it's a cottage pie.) The pub prides itself on pouring an excellent pint of Guinness, which is another Irish must.

Finally, there's The Burren, which shares its name with one of the most desolate, most beautiful areas of Ireland. Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, this pub boasts a friendly, cozy atmosphere, great food, live music, and an unforgettable experience that's the perfect way to wrap up a day exploring Boston.