Miss that and my Mom a lot. Fontains with the waving chicken on the VFW Pkwy, West Roxbury. The pizza was the size of the table. Kevin Bresnahan, Loved when my parents took me to the European. Oldest Restaurants in Boston: 17 Historic Eateries - Time Out Boston We felt so grown up! The downturn in public favor that doomed the new locations eventually caught up with the original as well, and in 2013, the Saugus Hilltop Steak House served its last meal and joined the ranks of now-closed New England restaurants. Really miss Top of the Hub. Wish we could find the recipe for their delicious Delmonico potatoes . I always ordered the same thing for dinner: escargot followed by baked stuffed lobster. There were starched linen tablecloths and napkins. The Tam is a prime example, having first opened its doors sometime during the 1940s, thriving as a beloved townie bar ever since. Two quintessential Boston bars have closed temporarily A little further up Rte 1 was The Ship shaped like a sailing ship. We would order big sandwiches and homemade Swedish desserts to bring back to our cottage. Every day was Thanksgiving at Green Ridge Turkey Farm, and the roast turkey with stuffing and potatoes and cranberry sauce is what put it on the map. Ive hit them all and have such fond memories. Equally memorable were the Chadwicks birthday celebrations and since the whole thing worked on the honor system, it was pretty much always someones birthday. By 1938, the Kimballs had added turkey sandwiches and ice cream to its offerings, and after those were met with high demand, they opened a restaurant in 1940, serving their own turkeys and other fare. We went there a couple of times. How about maybe one of the oldest restaurants in MA. They offer full lunch and dinner menus and at night they have live music and DJs every night of the week. It was a high class restaurant. When I was a kid, we had a summer cottage in Onset in the 40s. As such, it lays bona fide claim as the oldest restaurant in Boston, and among the oldest in the United States. Last call - The Boston Globe The Three Judges on the border of New Haven and Woodbridge, CT. My family would dine there occasionally and it was always a special treat. Restaurants That Have Closed. And, how about the Redwing in Foxboro ! Certainly iconic. A tiki bar with stand-up comedy and an award-winning pupu platter? With the neon chicken sign waving you in with his wing.. Baileys ice cream in Wellesley and Belmont. One of my favorites thats now gone, was Steves Greek on Newbury St. We ate there all the time in the 1990s and early 2000s. Anthonys Pier 4 in Boston and Saunders at Rye Harbor, NH. How can we forget Jacob Wirth on Stuart St. in town? Under =Boston Restaurants are 2 Downtown Scandinavian ones; Olas,14 Carver St ,Park Square and the one I think you are remembering.. Breathe deep the aroma of Guinness and find a new friend to chat with. How I looked forward to that! I seem to remember that, please correct me if I am wrong. Two more to add: Flagstones in Newington, NH and Els Les Zygomates: A longtime staple of the Leather District, this Gallic wine bar and jazz hangout was a favorite of after-work crowds near South Station. Top of the Hub: Among special occasion spots, Top of the Hub towered over the competition from its perch atop the Prudential Tower since its inception in 1965. Loved them both in the 70s-90s. So many wonderful memories. We kids loved stopping there, more for the ritual than the actual food, typical diner fare Tho I do recall discovering BLTs there and 7-Up Floats with sherbet!! If youre looking for something a little fancier and more modern, check out our list of the best cocktail bars in Boston. In the late 70s the Athens Olympia was a mainstay for lunch for my co-workers & I. Keep an eye on Time Out Boston for all the latest, Bella Luna Restaurant & The Milky Way Lounge. I remember great times sitting there with my Dad and having a pint:) I have some similar memories of the Student Prince (aka The Fort) in Springfield MA. Cant believe no one mentioned an almost 60 year old establishment with an iconic neon whale! Bell in Hand is located at 45 Union Street, Boston, MA 02108. He would Fall in love,get married, start a family,buy a house in the suburbs..And with the skills he had learned,would open a diner or other restaurant there,sometimes a fish house,sometimes a full range of food.. And so on,spawning dozens,even hundreds of dining halls throughout New England..nobody knows how many for sure,a list was never kept.. The Last Hurrah is located inside the Omni Parker House hotel, which itself dates to 1855, and claims the much-traveled British author as a reveler and a guest. Muffins, of course from standard varieties like blueberry and coffee cake to unusual creations like almond tea and fruit cocktail (there were even mystery muffins for daring diners.). I have an old New England Travel guide,1951.. Ah I used to work there 60s through 80s. In a 2013 essay in The New Yorker, Poehler described the scene: Chadwicks was one of those fake old-timey restaurants. Anyone remember Honisss on State Street in Hartford? Every year my parents would take me there on my birthday. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Kamakura: After a short run as one of the city's few spots serving Japanese kaiseki menus, Kamakura has closed up shop in the Financial District. He repackaged it as the Hearth n Kettle and eventually expanding that brand to five Cape Cod locations. We would go there from West Roxbury for their fried clams and bring their pizza home. A favorite of the Kennedys, In Hartford, CT; Honiss Oyster House and The Hearthstone. I couldnt agree more.Maneros Steakhouse was THE BEST ! One time my friend and I decided to grab dinner at Durgin Park and the mens Russian Chorus from Harvard was beautifully serenading the diners! Stoddard's: Tucked away in the Leather District, this retro drinking and dining haunta favorite of Downtown Crossing's after-work crowdshas shuttered its doors. But the NoNames legacy cant be understated,believe me..it served as a virtual Restaurant Academy, and chances are there is at least one establishment in your area that owes its existence to that chain of entrepreneurship that issued forth from the humble Fish Pier! I also remember the Pewter Pot Muffin House. They were biggest of all. In the late 1960s, Id always go there after giving blood to reconstitute my supply of red cells. It did quite well in the 50s but later on less well and she was becoming older and she had others running it for her. So sad its not there anymore! "A lot of folks are mourning this closure as the last of dirty old Boston, but this . When it was not busy we could just sit up there for hours. Does anyone remember the Cranberry Bog Restaurant in North Stonington, CT? Gilchrist's opened in Boston in 1842 and, by 1964, there were multiple store locations across Greater Boston. To this day, Honisss broiled halibut has been the best I have ever eaten! She was famous for her apple pies and fried chicken. But some of the citys most notable eating and drinking establishments wont be open to welcome Bostonians back. Here are the now-closed restaurants Boston.com readers miss the most The deli food was out of this world and if you were a people watcher late in the evening was great for that. When I was an usherette at the Music hall/Wang center, I always took my break at the Beef N Ale really nice owner. Me and my husband miss the Cock & Kettle in Uxbridge Ma. James Hook & Co. Year Established: 1925. My dad always got finn Haddie we kids would pronounce it. The best spinach pie & rice and huge Greek salads. Still miss my favorite restaurant. Closed early 2000s I think hope someone had the foresight to rescue it XOV. Willow Pond Kitchen on Rte 2A in Concord, MA. Couldnt miss the huge waving chicken sign out front! We are lucky enough to still have many wonderful eateries from which to choose, from Kellys Roast Beef to Louis Lunch, and we appreciate them all. Sablones Veal n Vintage in Bostons East End. Lobster in the Rough, Route 28, Cape Cod. Photograph: Courtesy Oak Long Bar and Kitchen/Richard Mandelkorn. It was across from the Plymouth public beach area. Dining rooms were named after places like Kansas City, Dodge City, and Sioux City. That being said, you can check out all the responses from August and last week on our Facebook page or embedded at the bottom of this article. Old Timer Restaurant 155 Church Street Clinton, MA 01510; O'Leary's 1010 Beacon Street Good to know its still going strong. ONCE Ballroom: This indie-focused music venue and lounge in Somerville has hosted its last show. The store concentrated on classic goods and, in the 1970s, several other branches opened throughout Greater Boston. Im sorry to hear that Durgin Park closed, it was a landmark for Boston and you could not make reservation even if you were the President of the United States. Boston-Area Restaurants and Bars That Closed in Fall 2021 - Eater Boston Worth the drive all the way from Bellingham MA just to have them for dinner, Also the Fin and Fern it was on route 101 going from Amherst to Bedford NH. Agree Agree. Brighams was up the street from.my house in Lynn, wed go for our birthdays. Location: 440 Atlantic Ave. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Originally called the Copley Caf, which opened in 1912 alongside the hotel, this Fairmont Copley Plaza bar has undergone several transformations over the years. Miss these wonderful old places; the new restaurants today cant hold a candleat least not for me. Love that place. The food was so yummy, whatever you ordered. I lived on the corner of Broadway ( RT 1) and Lakeside about 4 doors down from the Towne Lyne House between 69-71 . While many businesses hope to take a wait-and-see approach before they can safely reopen, there are just as many others eager to say theyre back in business. Just imagine a gigantic Family Tree of New England eating establishments,with The NoName as the trunk..the amount of branches past present & future would astound you. It was really formal and they hosted weddings in the back yard. I worked at Honiss Oyster House in downtown Hartford right after the employees succeeded in unionizing the restaurant. The bar has a Downtown Crossing outpost thats popular in its own right, attracting packs of office-goers who want to wash away the memories of workday throughout the week. Locke-Ober was the fourth oldest restaurant in Boston prior to its closing and, in its heyday, it had a reputation as a clubby "men only" spot that was rumored to be frequented by "working. Was a fun place. While Bostons rich Colonial past has left it with some truly ancient watering holes, the city also boats a few relics from its own unique Mid-Century history. Hoping someone takes an interest in Durgin Park and re-open it again A shame to see a legend fade away. For many shoppers and especially for any weary kids and spouses who accompanied them the bakery was an essential part of a long day of shopping at Bostons destination store. A little late maybe, but cant forget Mama Leones in Boston {servicemen in uniform eat for free), the Kon-Tiki Room at the Sheraton-Prudential Center; The Commodore in North Beverly; The Junction for ice cream in Essex, MA ; Hojos all-you-can-eat clams (strips only)all across New England; Pilots Grill and Millers in Bangor, ME; The Sail inn near Bucksport, ME; The 95er in Bangor, ME; and Vallees Steak House at Exit 8 in Portland, ME; and McNamaras in Winthrop, ME. #BostonStrong The Pour House on Boylston 907 Boylston St #21, Boston, MA 02115 J.J. Foley's: The Most Authentic Irish Pub. We felt so grown up! Dorry ONeill, Oh Dinis!!!!! The story is someone would come up to the bar and order a hot dog, and hed reply We dont have hot dogs. Anthony's Pier 4 Restaurant Flickr/Dale Cruse I miss them all! But the man who had been behind those delicious muffins for more than 30 years, baker John Pupek, wasnt ready to let go. Original Owner: James Hook. Bonanza Steakhouse in Pittsfield, Mass! Cheers Faneuil Hall: The Faneuil Hall location's bar was a replica of the one that appeared on the set of the TV show. Diners can still enjoy Dante de Magistris' fresh pastas and hearty Italian plates at Il Casale Lexington and Il Casale Belmont. The Newbury Steak House was a firm favourite. An online version of Filene's is still in business. The classic stand-alone colonial style restaurants in places like downtown Plymouth and Orleans were a staple of my youth. At its early-1970s zenith, Pewter Pot Muffin Houses could be found from Harvard Square to Cape Cod, about 40 of them in all. I remember their 15 cent coffee, great pies, and my favorite, their chicken strips, with fries smothered in brown gravy, and a salad. Some famous figures who've patronized this bar include Paul Revere and Daniel Webster. Their pot roast was the best I have ever had as was there Grape Nut Custard. Here are the now-closed restaurants Boston.com readers miss the most We asked what restaurant you miss the most, and, more than 3,000 comments later, here's what you said. Vanyaland editor Michael Marotta and photographer John Hutchings spent a day tracing Bostons long-gone clubs, and photo-documenting what exists in these spaces today. Worked there in the 90s. Wilma & Earnie Royal were such dear friends of the family. My go to was Harvard Sq, probably the first to go due to rent prices.