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What to order at Sullivan’s, according to readers
A Boston.com writer heads to Sullivan's for her first time, with the help of Boston.com readers.
Sullivan’s, I keep hearing, is an institution. It has served customers for decades, by employees who have worked there flipping burgers and frying seafood for a significant chunk of that time.
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As a new transplant from the South — and looking at the prices on its online menu — it felt like a visit I had to check off as I enter my first spring in New England (though I’m finding it difficult to call barely 50-degree temps “spring weather”).
Weather excluded, it seemed like the perfect time to do so. Sully’s reopened for its 73rd season on March 2 to a line of people braving the dreary weather during the best opening day in quite some time.
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But first, I needed help ordering, considering its large and varied menu. And Boston.com readers offered some great advice when we asked them what they would order if they were out at Castle Island dining by the water and fighting off seagulls.
Here are the responses that helped sway my order at this Southie landmark.
Hot dog vs. cheeseburger
Of the 27 recommendations we received, a dozen of them mentioned hot dogs, to no surprise.
Chris Lane, general manager of Sully’s who has worked at the concession stand for 37 years, said hot dogs are their top seller. In their busier summer months like July, they easily go through 2,000 sausages a day.
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Lane served them to me all the way — mustard, onions, and relish — and for $3.15, this Boston sticker-shocked newbie was satisfied. At that price, many Boston.com readers got more than one, or got something extra to pair with their hot dog.
Michael L. from Mansfield gets his hot dogs topped with chili. Julie from Wilmington grabs one of Sully’s thick shakes with a hog dog while out at Castle Island.
Though only a couple of respondents said the cheeseburger was their go-to, Lane said it’s also one of the most ordered items.
“The cheese melts wicked fast,” Lane said while cooking cheddar-covered beef patties on the grill. He also proudly touted that they put the other toppings on the bottom, which can be crucial for burger structure, of course.
A side of fries and onion rings
But the most ordered side was Sully’s crinkle-cut fries. A small fry was plenty for me, and will be my go-to the next time I make it out for a Castle Island stroll.
“Nothing beats those fries,” said Gwen K. of Brighton, who shared that she’s been going to Sully’s for more than 20 years with her mother. “Can’t wait for us to go back and dodge the seagulls in the warm weather.”
Sully’s onion rings were also a favorite among readers, which are made fresh and hand-battered before they’re dropped in the frying basket.
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I didn’t get a chance to try their onion rings, so you’ll just have to take reader and Medfield resident KC’s word for it, who says the fries and onion rings are “fantastic.”
Lobster rolls and fried clams
It’s a splurge when you consider the rest of the menu’s pricing, but I found the cost of Sully’s seafood menu shockingly cheap.
A lobster roll for $21? No wonder readers say it’s one of their go-to orders.
A lobster roll, fried clam bellies, a raspberry lime rickey, and a vanilla soft serve cone with “jimmies” (known as sprinkles where I’m from) makes for the perfect order for Beverly from Waltham.
“I grew up in Southie, and every day in the summer walked to Carson Beach from the D street projects,” Beverly said. “Beautiful gem.”
I admittedly haven’t had many lobster rolls since moving here for fear of financial repercussions, and have mostly enjoyed them hot with butter. Sully’s roll comes toasted, and light on the mayo, but the amount of lobster meat you get in Sully’s roll — 4.25 ounces, according to Lane — for the price feels worth the public transit journey it might take someone to get to Castle Island.
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But maybe the most endearing reader response — one that influenced me to add the fried clam bellies to my order, was from Mark of Watertown.
“I had my very first whole belly fried clams at age 6 at Sullivan’s, so it’s kind of a special place for me,” Mark said. “I never forgot those briny gushers that were so delicious and unlike anything I’d ever eaten.”
I would have to agree, as they were probably my favorite food item — so naturally they would be the priciest item on the menu. Reporter’s note: I initially thought a small order of fried clam bellies would be too small, but ordered them anyway after seeing a large order’s price at nearly $40. But they crammed as many fried clam bellies as they could into a “small” take-out box, and I ate about half before I called it quits.
Raspberry lime Rickey
This was certainly Sully’s most popular beverage among our readers. If there’s a holy trinity of an order at Sully’s, I’d guess it would be what reader Janice B. from Roslindale gets, which is the raspberry lime Rickey with a hot dog and fries. Formerly of South Boston, the best spot to eat her meal, she said, was a bench that overlooks the water.
There is no alcohol at the Sullivan’s Castle Island location, but Lane said they make an adult beverage version of the raspberry lime Rickey at their Hanover location.
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What would have made this spritzy beverage better, in my opinion, is a 30-degree difference in the weather.
And when the weather does change, I’ll follow the advice of more than half of the respondents: claim a bench somewhere along the HarborWalk with a view of the water.
And keep in mind, according to Brian H. from Boxborough: “Watch out for the seagulls. They’ll literally steal food right out of your hand.”
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