The Best Restaurants in Charlestown

By Emily Millian
11/15/2022
The Best Restaurants in Charlestown
Brewer's Fork / Brian Samuels Photography

The oldest neighborhood in Boston, Charlestown is home to tons of history with the Freedom Trail weaving through. The picturesque place is the backdrop for Ben Affleck in “The Town,”—but more importantly for our purposes, Charlestown boasts some awesome spots to eat. From one of the best pizza and beer joints in the city to a sweet mom-and-pop Peruvian spot, check out the best restaurants in Charlestown.

Brewer's Fork

BREWER'S FORK food spread
Credit: Brian Samuels Photography

Brewer’s Fork is everything you want for your neighborhood spot. It is a haven in Hayes Square, a place where you can always count on a cold beer and a really great meal. The first ownership effort from married couple Michael and Kari Cooney and chef John Paine has become a Charlestown mainstay, thanks to some of the best wood-fired pizza around and a friendly bar with an impressive 30-tap selection of excellent craft beer. It’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite among the perfectly charred sourdough pizza, but we love the Killa B, a grown-up version of pepperoni with a drizzle of local honey; and the fennel sausage-topped pie with pickled peppers and ricotta. Open all day, every day, Brewer’s Fork is a guaranteed good time, whether it’s a family-friendly Wednesday, weekend brunch, or a cool, casual celebration. The Fork doesn’t take reservations, but between the open dining room, sprawling bar, and seasonal patio, there is a seat for everyone.

Peruvian Taste

Peruvian Taste Restaurant
Credit: Brian Samuels Photography

Tucked away on an unassuming corner of Charlestown, Peruvian Taste brings Peruvian comfort food to the neighborhood. The 18-seat mom-and-pop restaurant offers Chifa, or Chinese-influenced fare, like Wantan Frito (fried wontons), Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian fried rice), and Tallarin Saltado (a lo mein stir fry). More traditional plates like spicy Ceviche Mixto and Lomo Saltado, grass-fed steak in a savory, sweet sauce with stewed tomatoes, are on par with the best Peruvian fare anywhere in Boston. Peruvian Taste also serves up breakfast of egg-topped Tacu Tacu (beans and rice), Belgian-style waffles, hearty soup, and more. Note that it’s closed on Tuesdays.

Dovetail | The Best Restaurants in Charlestown
Credit: Chris McIntosh

After putting Hayes Square on map of the Charlestown restaurant scene, the owners of Brewer’s Fork set their sights on the well-trod Navy Yard to open their second restaurant, Dovetail. Just a few, cobblestone steps away from the U.S.S. Constitution, Dovetail is in a prime position to please tourists and locals alike with lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, as well as grab-and-go provisions. The bistro-style menu on the restaurant side includes the likes of roasted local oysters, homemade pasta, and steak frites. The provisions shop, connected to the restaurant just beyond the bar, is open daily with made-to-order sandwiches, homemade pasta, and other ingredients for a good time, like small-production wines, assorted cheeses, meats, and house-made dips.

Main Street Pasta

Main Street Pasta
Credit: Chris McIntosh

New to the neighborhood, Main Street Pasta & Wine opened recently from a duo of chefs who once worked at Boston fine-dining beacon L’Espalier. The Charlestown pasta shop stocks everything we need for a cozy night in. The coolers are filled with tagliatelle, spaghetti alla chitarra, radiatori, and plenty more fresh pasta, along with pillowy ravioli in seasonal flavors like sweet corn and basil or eggplant caponata. There are also ready-to-cook meatballs and house-made pestos; do not skip the Pesto Trapanese—you can thank us later. The store’s front shelves are filled with jarred sauces, olive oils, vinegars, and other imported specialties. Head to the back room to check out killer wine picks from the likes of Italian favorite G.D. Vajra and Cali king Scribe Winery, along with both local and Italian beers. Main Street Pasta is open daily from noon until 6 p.m. Peep Instagram for daily pasta offerings and specials.

Monument Restaurant & Tavern

Monument Restaurant & Tavern
Credit: Brian Samuels Photography

Monument Restaurant & Tavern is the sort of place that always seems to be buzzing. The lively bar runs the length of the restaurant, lined with a wide array of rotating craft beer. On the dining-room side, the open kitchen overlooks the wood-fired pizza oven, busy turning out pies like Buffalo Chicken and Wild Mushroom & Truffle nightly until 11 p.m. Beyond pizza and beer, the rustic, comfort-food menu plays the hits with seasonal dishes like Street Corn Arancini, a Smash Burger, and Wood Fire Roasted Chicken Wings. (Pro tip: ask for the wings well done.) On the weekends, Monument serves a sought-after neighborhood brunch including the local-favorite Cinnamon Toast Brunch cocktail. Just up the hill, Monument’s new sibling Waverly Kitchen & Bar joined the fam in October, serving brunch and dinner daily.

Tatte Bakery & Cafes
Credit: Brian Samuels Photography

While the number of Tatte Bakery & Cafes continues to grow (nearly 30 and counting in the Boston area and Washington, D.C.), the Charlestown location is indispensable for the neighborhood. Find it just a few short blocks from the waterfront and Navy Yard, where there are plenty of scenic spots to park it and picnic with a Stumptown Coffee and a Morning Bun or Fattoush Salad. Dining in or out on the sidewalk patio? The Israeli-inspired cafe chain serves some of the best Shakshuka in town. 

 

Tavern at the End of the World

Tavern at the End of the World
Credit: Chris McIntosh

Tavern at the End of the World got its name from exactly as you might expect: it’s on the very edge of the neighborhood—or as far as townies are concerned, the end of the world. Some call this area “the lost neighborhood.” Others debate whether it really is Charlestown or Somerville. But all you really need to know is that it’s a place where all are welcome. We are all about the dark bar and low ceilings; it’s the perfect spot to hunker down with a pint (or three). Known for an extensive beer selection, the list runs the gamut from Guiness and Chimay to local brews like Maine Beer Co. The pub menu has Irish-influenced fare like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and fries with curry sauce, along with a full Irish breakfast on the weekends. 

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