Where To Find The Best Street Food In Boston
Over 2o million people visit Boston every year, and for good reason. There are lots of great things to do here whether you like to shop, sightsee or be active. If trying street food is your thing, then this city has more than enough places to satisfy your cravings. There are some great eateries scattered all around downtown Boston and surrounding areas, so you will have no trouble finding somewhere to dine for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Talented chefs around town can't wait to serve you their amazing meals. If you are planning to hit every café, food truck, bar or restaurant in the city, you might want to leave your bags at a safe luggage storage locker in Boston. Enjoy the foodie adventure!
The Best Street Food Vendors in Boston
The Chicken and Rice Guys
The Chicken and Rice Guys food truck was created in 2012 by a couple of food lovers who were inspired by the rice and chicken tradition in New York. They noticed there was nothing like it in Boston, which is what encouraged them to perfect their own unique recipe and open a food truck.
You can try these tasty chicken dishes complete with a yummy white and red sauce right here in town. You can enhance your meal by adding veggies or warm pita bread.
The Cookie Monstah
You won't be prepared for the sweet and tasty menu offered at The Cookie Monstah food truck. This is the place to go for delicious baked desserts with unique flavors that you just have to try. Some of their best flavors include The Shortcake, which is a sugar cookie topped with strawberry ice cream and even more sugar, The Salty Dog which is a delicious salted caramel cookie with Turtles ice cream, or The Cinnabomb that is made of oatmeal cinnamon raisin cookies paired with vanilla ice cream.
The cookies are huge already, but if you want to go crazy you can order a cookie sandwich. These taste even better than they sound, with delicious ice cream sandwiched between two giant cookies.
Sweet Tomatoes Pizza
You will find delicious street food meals perfect for lunch or dinner served by this food truck. They have a variety of pizzas like your traditional cheese or pepperoni, or unique dishes like their Pesto Splash pizza made with diced tomatoes, mozzarella and garlic.
The fun thing about this place is that you don't always know what will be on the menu, as they have a selection of flavors that change every day. You might even get to try a three-cheese pizza, one topped with BBQ chicken or their White Greek meal, which is made of mozzarella and feta cheese complimented with spinach and garlic.
Tandoor and Curry on Wheels
You'll find some good food rolling around Boston in Tandoor and Curry on Wheels. This truck has some of the best Northern and Southern Indian staples, like chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, freshly baked naan bread, kathi rolls, saag paneer and rice.
This mobile restaurant is run by two talented cooks that have over 40 years of experience in the food industry. Be sure to grab a bite if you see them around town.
The Bacon Truck
Boston's Bacon Truck is a great place for meat lovers to get lunch, dinner and even dessert. Some of their best meals include bacon grilled cheese sandwich bites or The Hangover, which is a tasty combination of thick cut bacon strips, cheddar cheese, Havarti, fried egg and bacon scallion hash stuffed into a sandwich.
If you still have room for dessert, try their candied bacon or chocolate bacon truffles. The meals served here are all cooked fresh and locally sourced.
Jose's Mexican Food Truck
At this location, you will find a diverse selection of Mexican meals, from tacos and burritos to Spanish platters and tapas. Their menu is almost limitless and if you hire them to cater for an event they can make a list of custom dishes for you.
Must-try meals are the shredded beef nachos and the Chiles En Nogada, which is a spiced Poblano chile with a walnut cream sauce topping and pomegranate sauce. You can find these authentic Mexican meals and more in different locations around the city.
Boston Smoked Fish Co.
If you are craving seafood, find Boston Smoked Fish Co. parked somewhere around town. They serve salmon bacon treats as well as smoked haddock tacos and salmon burritos. Everything is caught locally and served fresh right off of the New England shore.
One of the best dishes to eat from this food truck is the Honolulu Smoke Pizza. This meal is made of pineapple, red onion, salmon bacon and smoked Cajun crema placed on a hand-tossed dough with BBQ sauce.
Queen of Cocktails
The Queen of Cocktails is a bar on wheels, serving alcoholic drinks like craft beers, local wine and unique cocktails. You can find everything that you need here to enjoy quality liquors and spirits if you are of legal drinking age.
The owner of this food truck is certified and carries liquor liability insurance. You can expect only the best drinks and cocktails from this local traveling bar. Grab a drink here to start your fun night on the town.
Big Daddy Hot Dogs
If you want some more traditional American cuisine, Big Daddy Hotdogs has you covered with some of the biggest and best hotdogs in the city. If you aren't feeling up to the jumbo-sized sausages you can get a small or medium-sized dog, depending on your appetite.
You can customize your meal by choosing from toppings like sautéed onions or grilled peppers. You also have the option of bacon and cheeseburgers, and of course, your meal wouldn't be complete without a side of chili cheese French fries.
Clyde's Cupcakes
Clyde's Cupcakes has everything to satisfy even the biggest sweet tooths in the city, like brownies, cookie dough, cheesecakes, cookies, bars, ice cream and an extensive selection of cupcakes with a soda float to wash it down. Prepare to be amazed by the extensive selection of treats at Clyde's Cupcakes.
Try an Ice Cream Brownie Sundae, a Strawberry Dreams cupcake, Caramel Delight brownie, Smore's Bar, Coconut Macaroons cookie or Oreo Cheesecake in a mason jar. Everything on their menu is homemade and baked fresh every day.
Where to Find the Best Boston Street Food Spots
City Hall Plaza at Fisher Park in Downtown Boston
Shopping in the city and getting hungry? One of the best places to find food trucks around the city is the City Hall Plaza. All you have to do is head to Fisher Park in Downtown Boston and you should see the trucks parked around the area.
Some of the trucks that frequent the area include Clyde's Cupcakes, Trolley Dogs, Revelry, Boston Coffee Rescue Corp, Gourmet Kreyol and Tacos Don Beto. The food trucks open at 11 am and close by 3 pm, so make sure to arrive on time to try a couple of them.
Clarendon Street by the Trinity Church in Back Bay
If you find yourself in Back Bay, head to Clarendon Street and Trinity Church. This area has some great meals on wheels to try like Papi's Stuffed Sopapillas, the Dining Car, Pennypacker's and Stoked Wood Fire Pizza. The Boston Coffee Rescue Corp also makes an appearance here.
Different food trucks stop by on different days, so do some research to find out when your favorite one is parked nearby. They are usually open from 11 am to 3 pm but can stay open later on certain days or holidays.
75 Northern Avenue in Seaport
The main trucks that you will find here are Taco Calleteco, Street 55 and the Boston Coffee Rescue Corp. The trucks will begin serving you at 11 am or 4 pm and close up shop by 3 pm or 8 pm depending on the day and company.
The Seaport is a beautiful spot to visit, and with so many great food choices nearby you can spend the whole day exploring the area.
MGH Between Blossom Street and Emerson Place in the West End
This is another popular spot for food trucks to set up shop. Your selections include meals from Dining Car, Northeast of the Border, Gogi on the Block, Vaz & Mac Tex Mex, Bon Me Foods, Revelry, Baja Taco and Papi's Stuffed Sopapillas.
All of the shops listed above are open between 11 am and 3 pm, making it the perfect spot for a brunch or lunch date.
Street Food Festivals in Boston
A Taste of Time Out Market Boston
This local food festival gives you the opportunity to try some amazing dishes from restaurants all around the city. Some of the participating restaurants and cafes include Union Square Donuts, Revolution Health Kitchen, Monti, NuBurger, Gelato & Chill, Kured, Michael Schlow's Italian Kitchen and more.
This event takes place from mid-November to early December and is hosted at 401 Park Drive space. The shops are ready to serve you from 11:30 am to 10 pm but if you get there before 4 pm, you can buy an optional Event Card that will allow you to try some of the limited-time menus as well as get four free samples of your choice from the different eateries. The Event Cards cost $20.
Dine Out Boston
Dine Out Boston is one of the biggest recurring food festivals in the city. For a few weeks at a time twice per year you can go to participating restaurants and get a good deal on some delicious meals. You can find affordable food all around the city during this festival.
During Dine Out Boston can try Italian meals, French food, seafood, sushi, tapas or other tasty dishes. There are lots of talented local chefs and kitchens to dine at, so be sure to try food from different places around the city.
Cocktails & Cannoli Dessert Tour
You can book a yummy tasting tour around Boston anytime with Cocktails & Cannoli. This event will take you around the North End of Boston to different locations where you will sample some of the city's best desserts.
You will pass by some of the iconic Boston landmarks on your tour, like the Old North Church or Paul Revere House (both near North Station) and the guides will give you a brief historical background on the areas too. The tours will last for about two hours and you must be over 21 years old to participate.
Boston Local Food Festival
This annual event is free to attend and gives you the opportunity to try some delicious food and drinks from food trucks, farmers, fisheries, local restaurants and specialty food producers. There are also workshops and learning spaces as well as entertaining activities available for the whole family to enjoy.
The Boston Local Food Festival has appearances from Clyde's Cupcakes, Uprise Foods, The Local Scoop, Barry's Hot Sauce, Little Leaf Farms, Blackbird Doughnuts and many more. Guests can try food from different cultures and buy some quality ingredients and spices here as well.
Tasting Your Way Around Boston, Massachusetts
The best way to experience a city is through its food, and Boston has so many places to discover. Whether you are in the mood for sandwiches, chicken tinga, burgers and fries with ketchup or authentic Italian, Mexican or Asian cuisine you won't have to search for long before finding somewhere to fill up on some of the best street food in the country. Grab a spot in line and taste some delicious meals right here in the capital of Massachusetts.
