Anime Boston

I mean like recommendations-wise. I haven't been since I was 14, and my memory is pretty fuzzy. I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum. The description sounded like where this should be. >~<;;; I'm really nervous about the food situation and stuff, so all help is appreciated! I'm on my phone right now, so I apologize in advance for not being able to reply quickly!

If you're looking for a place to eat.
I would highly recommend the 'Cheeseboy' in the Prudential-Center food-court.

You can choose one of their menu-sandwiches or make your own.
You can pick the bread, cheese, & toppings, you want! (http://cheeseboy.com/menu/)

But, if you don't like grilled-cheese sandwiches.
I suggest you check-out this thread: Places to eat in the con area?

DemonGirl-Setsuna wrote:If you're looking for a place to eat.
I would highly recommend the 'Cheeseboy' in the Prudential-Center food-court.

You can choose one of their menu-sandwiches or make your own.
You can pick the bread, cheese, & toppings, you want! (http://cheeseboy.com/menu/)

But, if you don't like grilled-cheese sandwiches.
I suggest you check-out this thread: Places to eat in the con area?

Thanks so much! ^-^

I highly recommend The Pour House at 909 Boylston St.

They have 1/2 price Mexican on Thurs. nights from 6PM-10PM, and 1/2 price burgers on Saturday nights from 6PM-10PM. They also have 1/2 price chicken sandwiches on Wed. nights from 6PM-10PM.

Their breakfast/brunch is really great, too.

Here's their website:

http://www.pourhouseboston.com/

KingdomheartsXion wrote:At the mall in general there is a burger restaurant (doesn't only sell burgers!) called the 5 Napkin Burger.

Or, if you like burgers a little less expensive, right next to Symphony Hall is Five Guys. I -heart- Five Guys.

Fire + Ice is a good place.
You can get there by taking the Green Line from Prudential or Hynes to Arlington and then walk one block.
http://www.fire-ice.com/locations/boston-ma/
It's all you can eat. But it's not a normal buffet.
You pick out ingredients and they cook them for you on a huge circular griddle.

Fetch wrote:Fire + Ice is a good place.
You can get there by taking the Green Line from Prudential or Hynes to Arlington and then walk one block.
http://www.fire-ice.com/locations/boston-ma/
It's all you can eat. But it's not a normal buffet.
You pick out ingredients and they cook them for you on a huge circular griddle.

I would caution about the possible wait for Fire+Ice. Friday/Saturday nights are extremely busy.

winterwing3000 wrote:

KingdomheartsXion wrote:At the mall in general there is a burger restaurant (doesn't only sell burgers!) called the 5 Napkin Burger.

Or, if you like burgers a little less expensive, right next to Symphony Hall is Five Guys. I -heart- Five Guys.

Or if you wanna support a local burger place that makes the best burgers in Boston, try B.Good. They have a location next to Back Bay station as well as on Mass. Ave. near the Hynes.

Kusuguru Usagi wrote:I highly recommend The Pour House at 909 Boylston St.

They have 1/2 price Mexican on Thurs. nights from 6PM-10PM, and 1/2 price burgers on Saturday nights from 6PM-10PM. They also have 1/2 price chicken sandwiches on Wed. nights from 6PM-10PM.

Their breakfast/brunch is really great, too.

Here's their website:

http://www.pourhouseboston.com/

Cut me to the quick! I can vouch for the Pour House, I was there 3 times that weekend and if I go on a daytrip to Boston, I'll go back there again.

There are different food trucks parked outside the Pru each day, ranging from burgers to fresh seafood to Indian and Korean meals. The best way to find out who's there on a given day is to go to the city's website at http://www.cityofboston.gov/business/mo ... e-tabs.asp (The ones closest to us are the ones marked as "Back Bay - (4) Prudential, on Belvidere Street")

Its a bit of a love it or hate it place, but I personally can't recommend Wagamama enough! Everything is fresh, including their amazing juices, and they have a huge menu! They're also pretty fair with pricing. Theres also a place in the food court that, as far as I remember, was a really decent chipotle-style restaurant (Mexican cuisine to go). For lunch, Tossed is a great place for salad with great variety (it was all I ate the first year I went, as I was a vegetarian).

Another thing that I personally was amazed to find out was that over there, many restaurants deliver to the hotels until 2 in the morning! Dominos is always a tasty pickup after some late night programming!

With the big restaurants (Wagamama, PF Changs, etc.) it is always a good idea to make reservations the day before or the day of. Con-goers flock to places like Wagamama because the food is so authentic and fun. Have fun!

I go into Boston every week practically, and I try to eat at the faster "in/out" places, since it's kind of awkward eating in a restaurant alone every day. ): ...


Anyyyywhoooo, places around I have tried include:

Pizzeria Regina - Typical pizza. Nothing fancy IMO.
Flamers - Okay food. Nothing fancy either.
Pink berry - Great froyo, meh on the smoothies.
Au Bon Pain - Had a steak and cheese on a ciabatta bread, and it was pretty good to be honest.
Firehouse Subs - Steak and cheese again, practically the only sub type I like. Decent.
JP licks - Icecream place with a bunch of nifty monthy flavors. They have El Diablo this month (Chocolate icecream/cinnamon/cayenne pepper) and it was awesome. Very unique, and if anyone is in the area before February, give it a sample, they DO do free samples.
Unos - This place, my friends and I eat at every Thursday night before the con as a tradition. Very good food. Not the best, but very good.
Legal Seafood - Pricey, but pretty great food if you like seafood.
Dunkin Donuts - America runs on it, but not me, lol. I love their sausage, egg, and cheese croissants. All I get. Their hot cocoa, which I used to get as well, always irritated my stomach.

If you take the backbay orange line to Haymarket and walk to Quincy Market, I also tried out:

The Fisherman's Net - Got a simple Fish and Chips. I love fish and chips, but they didn't stand out too great either.
The Prime Grill - I got some ribs, mashed potatoes, and potato wedges. Pretty good.
Nunzio Pizza - They are a little walk from Quincy Market, but I got a.... you guessed it, Steak and cheese sub. Pretty good. Got a free bag of Cape Cod Kettle Chips too.



Going back into Boston February 6th, so will try out something new then. Might take some of the considerations here.

winterwing3000 wrote:

KingdomheartsXion wrote:At the mall in general there is a burger restaurant (doesn't only sell burgers!) called the 5 Napkin Burger.

Or, if you like burgers a little less expensive, right next to Symphony Hall is Five Guys. I -heart- Five Guys.

Never been to it, but walked by this place called "Tasty Burger" over by Fenway park (it's a bit away, but yeah).... and their burgers smell so good. I didn't get one because I am trying to eat a bit healthier by knocking most soda and burgers out, but I have a feeling this place probably DOES make some rather tasty burgers. My nose never lies to me.

As far as food goes if you want to trek to Massachusetts Ave & Huntington Ave they have a bunch of cute little restaurants, they have Indian and Vietnamese and American stuff. I like Pho & I and Pho Basil and Five Guy. Symphony Sushi is okay, it's not my favorite. I'd much rather get Korean Bulgogi at Samurai Boston which is closer to the Prudential Center than Mass ave and Huntington.

For burgers, I recccommend B.Good. They have a location on Mass. Ave. 5 minuates away from the Hynes on Foot.

For Hot Dogs, The Junkyard Dog on Boylston St. around the corner from B. Good.

For Ice Cream, J.P. Licks on Mass Ave. two doors down from Junkyard Dog. Don't wanna go that far? I hear Pinkberry's good. They have a stand inside the Purdential Center opposite The Microsoft Store.

For Cupcakes, there's a great stand next to the Dunkin' Donuts in the Pru just before the Hynes Entrance. You literally can't miss it.

For burritos there's Chipotle and Boloco. Boloco has a location on opposite ends of Bolyston St. within walking distance of the Hynes while Chipotle is on Mass. Ave. I prefer Chipotle personally if you're gonna compare price to portions and quality. Boloco is the local fave but it's not worth what you get per portioning in my book.

Harvest Bakery in the food court also makes awesome cookies.

...Anything else, feel free to ask =O

i spend way too much time scouting restaurants in boston

there's an amazing sandwich shop on newbury street (one street over from the pru) called WICHIT. all of their ingredients are organic and fresh! they have a ton of sandwich options and cool drinks! the chicken katsu sandwich is definitely worth a try

newbury street generally features pricier restaurants, but it's home to a lot of variety! there's a great crepe restaurant (the paris creperie), multiple sushi/asian restaurants, a taqueria and a great cupcake shop (georgetown cupcakes) up near the common!

boylston street is home to a lot of sports bars/pubs (mcgreevy's, pour house, whiskey's, etc). there's a place right near the hynes, called the Catcus Club, that does a lot of 1/2 price app deals too! i think there's also an uno restaurant about two blocks away from the hynes, if you're looking for cheaper sports bar fare.

and don't forget you've got chinatown only a couple T stops away. that could go into a whole post of its own happy hunting!

There is a place I am thinking of going but it is quite a distance away. It is called "WAN Convenience/Al’s Deli" on Tremont. As I said, it is quite a distance and most likely needs a train and several minutes walking, as well as time for the food prep. However, I want to try the place because they have recently been called Boston's Hidden Jewel and brought great reviews to the point where they will be featured on the Travel Channel.

I been to al deli omg the subs are so good I am trying to get my friend to go to eagles for a good burger I remember one year someone in cosplay did the eagles challenge I don't know if he beat it or not

Going to try this Al's Deli or whatever tomorrow, since some here hear great things about it. Can't wait to see how good their....yep, steak and cheese is.

Okay, I went, and oddly enough.... I couldn't find it. I found a place called "Lilly's" and beside that, "Mike's Donuts", but no Al's Deli. As a matter of fact, I asked a cop and he said "I've worked here for 10 years and never heard of it." .... I was on Tremont. I walked about up to 5 blocks away from the Orange line stop at Roxbury. I never found it. It was the strangest thing.... then a co-worker of mine tells me he knows of an Al's on State Street that's always bumping.

Anywho, giving up, I tried out Lilly's and their Steak and Cheese is the best SnC I have had in the Boston area so far. They also let you build your own pasta plate and everything. Seems like a great place. I wish I took a picture of the sub to post. I think that's what I am going to do from now on. Buy something, take a picture, THEN try, to show others what their food looks like.



Also for those eating healthier, i just saw a fruit smoothie stand that just opened directly infront of the convention doors and beside crumbs. BAD location since it's a heavy cosplayer-buildup point, but yeah.

Yukito Kunisaki wrote:Okay, I went, and oddly enough.... I couldn't find it. I found a place called "Lilly's" and beside that, "Mike's Donuts", but no Al's Deli. As a matter of fact, I asked a cop and he said "I've worked here for 10 years and never heard of it." .... I was on Tremont. I walked about up to 5 blocks away from the Orange line stop at Roxbury. I never found it. It was the strangest thing.... then a co-worker of mine tells me he knows of an Al's on State Street that's always bumping.

Anywho, giving up, I tried out Lilly's and their Steak and Cheese is the best SnC I have had in the Boston area so far. They also let you build your own pasta plate and everything. Seems like a great place. I wish I took a picture of the sub to post. I think that's what I am going to do from now on. Buy something, take a picture, THEN try, to show others what their food looks like.



Also for those eating healthier, i just saw a fruit smoothie stand that just opened directly infront of the convention doors and beside crumbs. BAD location since it's a heavy cosplayer-buildup point, but yeah.

By the power of Google: http://www.alsdeliboston.com/
The weird thing: according to Google Mapview, the name on the sign is Wan Convenience Store-Deli.

I looked on google and I know exactly where it should have been. I saw that Chacha pae or whatever sub place across the street of it and walked by that area three times. It wasnt there. ._____.

That's strange. Did you look for or asked for WAN Convenience Store because I don't think Al has an official sign? Also, I am well aware of the Al's Cafe on State Street since some of my co-workers go there.

Yeah, this cop never heard of it. It's like I stepped into another world or something. I still can't wrap my finger around it.

I'll try to find it after work Tuesday or Wednesday.

Good luck. Definitely let us know. I don't know if they had the awning down for the day and that cop just wasn't thinking straight (When I DID say Al's Deli AND WAN's convenience, so I dunno.)

I went to find WAN Convenience today.
I got to the location, and it was an empty room with a building permit stuck on the door,
I asked at the pizza place next door, and they didn't know why, just that WAN had closed.


On different note: there is a TGI Fridays right by the Brigham Circle stop on the E Green line (the one that stops at Prudential not Hynes). Also a JP Licks, a Stop & Shop, and a Walgreens.

Thank you Fetch. I knew I wasn't going crazy. I didn't see it. At least you got an answer about it. The cop I talked to was probably in a "I don't care" mood. Sucks. Was curious about Al's, unless that one on State IS in relation, but I dunno, probably not.

Either way, like I said, still in the area, Lilly's is really good.

That's strange. Why would The Travel Channel be featuring a shop that is closed? Did the building permit have a C on it by any chance?

Anyway, I haven't been to Brigham Circle in a long time (around 2007) but if I remember correctly, there is a pizza shop called Penguins that sells a 14" pizza for 4 (each slice is a quarter of the pizza.) I also think they have 100+ variety of beers but since I am not a drinker, I didn't really pay attention to that.

Edit:
Did some searching and found that on Yelp, the place is labeled as Permanently Closed, which saddens me. The interview for the travel channel was before December 9, 2013 as the news article was December 9 and the last yelp was December 12. Also, there seems to be a Facebook page that was updated on January 4, 2014. I'll do more research and let you guys know.

Ouch.... well, if still in the area, Lilly's is good. *Shrug*

Found out that Dine Out Boston (formerly known as Restaurant Week) is happening around the same time as AB.
March 16-21 and 23-28

For more info: http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/

Never heard of it. I see they have menus and such. I am guessing with, say, the three course things, that you get to choose one of each of those things under first, second, and third course to call your meal?

Yukito Kunisaki wrote:Never heard of it. I see they have menus and such. I am guessing with, say, the three course things, that you get to choose one of each of those things under first, second, and third course to call your meal?

This is correct.

Do note that most of the Dine Out Week offers are valid Mon-Fri with some restaurants offering during the weekend as noted from the website.

In addition, as this is a highly popular event in Boston, its strongly recommended to have reservations made if choosing a restaurant sponsoring Dine Out Week.

If you want to get into the Japanese culture thing and aren't really feeling Wagamama, I recommend Mentei, right down the street from the Hynes! The address is 66 Hereford St if I remember correctly (they usually list it in the Program Guide, reading last year's it's #58 on the Boston Area Map). Just bring cash because they don't accept credit cards.

It's not as close as some of the other places, but I have to drop in a recommendation for FuGaKyu. It's a wonderful Japanese restaurant we make a point to go to every year we come to Anime Boston. The food and atmosphere are fantastic, especially for an Anime related con.

http://www.fugakyu.net/

It's not a bad cab ride away from the main convention area. In fact, last year, our group of four decided to walk back since it was so nice out. It only took us about 20-25 minutes to walk from there back to our hotel, the Hilton right across the street from the convention center and the Sheraton.

I can't recommend the place enough!

Tom AIAC wrote:It's not as close as some of the other places, but I have to drop in a recommendation for FuGaKyu. It's a wonderful Japanese restaurant we make a point to go to every year we come to Anime Boston. The food and atmosphere are fantastic, especially for an Anime related con.

http://www.fugakyu.net/

It's not a bad cab ride away from the main convention area. In fact, last year, our group of four decided to walk back since it was so nice out. It only took us about 20-25 minutes to walk from there back to our hotel, the Hilton right across the street from the convention center and the Sheraton.

I can't recommend the place enough!

For cheaper than taxi but faster than walking: Go to Hynes Station and take a C train to Coolidge Corner.

Fetch wrote:

Tom AIAC wrote:It's not as close as some of the other places, but I have to drop in a recommendation for FuGaKyu. It's a wonderful Japanese restaurant we make a point to go to every year we come to Anime Boston. The food and atmosphere are fantastic, especially for an Anime related con.

http://www.fugakyu.net/

It's not a bad cab ride away from the main convention area. In fact, last year, our group of four decided to walk back since it was so nice out. It only took us about 20-25 minutes to walk from there back to our hotel, the Hilton right across the street from the convention center and the Sheraton.

I can't recommend the place enough!

For cheaper than taxi but faster than walking: Go to Hynes Station and take a C train to Coolidge Corner.

Oh thank you! We did that our first year, but we're with a huge group that knew what they were doing. In the two years since we've just gone in our own small group and we've resorted to cabs because we weren't 100% sure what to take and where to get off.

Tom AIAC wrote: Oh thank you! We did that our first year, but we're with a huge group that knew what they were doing. In the two years since we've just gone in our own small group and we've resorted to cabs because we weren't 100% sure what to take and where to get off.

A great website to use is Yelp.com. Just look up the name of the place you've decided to eat at and it provides you with a "get directions" link. You can enter the Hynes Convention address as your starting point!

There are however many walkable locations around Back Bay. I recommend Red Lantern or Typhoon Asian Bistro for Asian Fusion

There are tons of places nearby. I love Sarku Japan. You get a large helping of rice, steamed veggies and your choice of meat for a fairly good price. It's not at cheap as BK or McDs, but if you want to feel full, I recommend them. My fiance LOVES Cheeseboy. If you're looking for little hassle or something less fast-food-y, There's a Trader Joe's across the street from the convention center, as well as a Shaw's Grocery store about a block away.

If you have an android or Apple phone or tablet and plan on taking it with you, last year the AB guidebook had many good suggestions and directions to the place. VERY handy.

writesinwhite wrote:There are tons of places nearby. I love Sarku Japan. You get a large helping of rice, steamed veggies and your choice of meat for a fairly good price. It's not at cheap as BK or McDs, but if you want to feel full, I recommend them. My fiance LOVES Cheeseboy. If you're looking for little hassle or something less fast-food-y, There's a Trader Joe's across the street from the convention center, as well as a Shaw's Grocery store about a block away.

If you have an android or Apple phone or tablet and plan on taking it with you, last year the AB guidebook had many good suggestions and directions to the place. VERY handy.

Black is the new white I take it, since you aren't writing in white.


Anywho, i really have to try Cheeseboy some day. Maybe instead of an egg, sausage and cheese at Dunkins one morning, I can switch and get a grilled cheese. Kinda wish they had steak as an option.... like a shaved steak.

What about Ramen joints? Im a big Ramen guy since ive eaten alot in Okinawa.

Josato wrote:What about Ramen joints? Im a big Ramen guy since ive eaten alot in Okinawa.

I would recommend Wagamama, I believe its in the Prudential Center.

Josato wrote:What about Ramen joints? Im a big Ramen guy since ive eaten alot in Okinawa.

From a few posts above yours:

Randommerade wrote:If you want to get into the Japanese culture thing and aren't really feeling Wagamama, I recommend Mentei, right down the street from the Hynes! The address is 66 Hereford St if I remember correctly (they usually list it in the Program Guide, reading last year's it's #58 on the Boston Area Map). Just bring cash because they don't accept credit cards.

Another good idea if you are really willing to spend a bit of time away is the Quincy Market.

If you take the Back Bay line to Oak Grove (Orange), and get off at Hay Market, you are a 3-4 minute walk from the Quincy Market, where you will find literally, like 30 eateries, plus a Hard Rock cafe, a Bertucchis, and a few other things. Once you head towards there, it will probably take about 15-20 minutes to get there, because of walking to the station, waiting for the train, the distance on the train, and the 3-4 minutes of walking.

Yukito Kunisaki wrote:Another good idea if you are really willing to spend a bit of time away is the Quincy Market.

If you take the Back Bay line to Oak Grove (Orange), and get off at Hay Market, you are a 3-4 minute walk from the Quincy Market, where you will find literally, like 30 eateries, plus a Hard Rock cafe, a Bertucchis, and a few other things. Once you head towards there, it will probably take about 15-20 minutes to get there, because of walking to the station, waiting for the train, the distance on the train, and the 3-4 minutes of walking.

Green Line also goes to Haymarket.
From Hynes Station or Prudential Station, take an Inbound train to Haymarket. (From Hynes, any but a B, as those will be only going to Park Street. D will only go to Park Street during rush hours, North Station rest of times)
Then walk over to Quincy Market.

Shorter walk to one of the 2 Green Line stations than to Back Bay Station.
GoogleMaps will tell you to get off at Government Center and then walk. However, Beginning March 22, 2014, Government Center Station will be closed for two years while crews work to reconstruct the station into a fully accessible, safer, modern, more comfortable facility.

Fetch wrote:
Green Line also goes to Haymarket.
From Hynes Station or Prudential Station, take an Inbound train to Haymarket. (From Hynes, any but a B, as those will be only going to Park Street. D will only go to Park Street during rush hours, North Station rest of times)
Then walk over to Quincy Market.

Shorter walk to one of the 2 Green Line stations than to Back Bay Station.
GoogleMaps will tell you to get off at Government Center and then walk. However, Beginning March 22, 2014, Government Center Station will be closed for two years while crews work to reconstruct the station into a fully accessible, safer, modern, more comfortable facility.

Do note that Inbound Green Line trains only list their destination. They do not list which line they are running (B,C,D,E)
Trains with a destination of Lechmere or North Station stop at Haymarket.

aznman08 wrote:
Do note that Inbound Green Line trains only list their destination. They do not list which line they are running (B,C,D,E)
Trains with a destination of Lechmere or North Station stop at Haymarket.

In regards to the Green Line Trains going inbound from Copley Square, The Prudential Center and Hynes/ICA:

- The Prudential Center is the E Line going Outbound to Heath Street. Inbound, it can feel like you're waiting for a while since unlike the other three branches the E Train has to deal with traffic on the street level.

- Hynes/ICA services the B, C and D Lines going Outbound to Boston College, Cleveland Circle and Riverside respectively. Inbound, since three lines pass through the station the wait doesn't feel as long as at The Prudential Center.

- Copley Square Outbound is where the lines branch off. If you're on the E Train going Outbound, the next stop will be Prudential Center. Otherwise it will be Hynes/ICA. Inbound, the trains don't stop coming XD

If you're going Inbound there are three possible final stops: Government Center (Blue Line Transfer), North Station (Orange Line and Commuter Rail Transter) or Lechemere (the end of the line). If you want to go past Government Center you need to read the LED display on the front and sides of the train as it comes into the station. Unlike the other three lines (Orange, Red and Blue) what train it is and its final destination isn't announced in advance. Come to think of it, they only started announcing it on the other three lines about 20 years ago.

Anyway, as long as you remember to read the display on the Green Line Train you should be fine.

Or say "screw the green line", take the orange line, and make life easier.

Aurabolt knows what's up. B. Good has insanely awesome burgers and sweet potato fries. Plus, dat upstairs lounge. It's recently been renovated, so it's more "hip" and less "hipster," but I still feel it to be fun up there.