Boston.com readers share their favorite places to enjoy a bowl of clam chowder
A bunch of Irish pubs made the list.
Like commiserating over the T and compulsively checking the weather forecast, arguing over who serves the best bowl of clam chowder is a way of life in New England. Last week, we shared a list of 21 must-try clam chowders in Boston — and our readers had some opinions. So we wanted to know: Where do you get your favorite bowl of the creamy soup?
Before we reveal the results, we need to share some findings about another (somewhat cheeky) question we asked: New England clam chowder or Manhattan clam chowder? We’re referring, of course, to the two dueling soups: our classic, cream-based New England chowder versus the brothy, tomato-based Manhattan chowder.
The answers were — shocker! — overwhelmingly in favor of New England clam chowder.
(For those who voted “other” and commented “fish chowder” — what, are clams not enough for you?)
So where is everyone finding their favorite bowls of New England clam chowder these days? Recommendations came in for restaurants across Greater Boston, from Irish pubs in Faneuil Hall to seasonal seafood haunts on the North Shore. Here are 24 restaurants serving standout chowder, according to our readers — give ’em a try, and let us know if you think there are others worthy of making the list.
Boston
Atlantic Fish Co.(761 Boylston St.)Black Rose(160 State St.)Boston & Maine Fish Co.(200 S. Market St.)Boston Sail Loft(80 Atlantic Ave.)Coogan’s(171 Milk St.)J.J. Foley’s Cafe(117 E. Berkeley St.)McGann’s(197 Portland St.)Oak Long Bar + Kitchen(138 St. James Ave.)Red’s Best(100 Hanover St.)Saltie Girl(281 Dartmouth St.)Union Oyster House(41 Union St.)
Bourne
The Lobster Trap(290 Shore Rd.)
Cambridge
Alive & Kicking Lobsters(269 Putnam Ave.)The Hourly Oyster House(15 Dunster St.)
Gloucester
Lobsta Land(84 Causeway St.)
Lynn
The Blue Ox(191 Oxford St.)
Marlborough
Fish(29 S. Bolton St.)
Pocasset
The Bog Pub(618 MacArthur Blvd.)
Quincy
Alba(1486 Hancock St.)
Multiple locations
Boston Chowda Co.(1 Faneuil Hall Market Pl., Boston; 109 Main St., North Andover)Earl’s Kitchen + Bar(800 Boylston St. Unit 107, Boston; 698 Assembly Row Unit 102, Somerville)Kelly’s Roast Beef(165 Endicott St., Danvers; 35 Revere Beach Parkway, Medford; 410 Revere Beach Blvd., Revere; 595 Broadway, Saugus)Legal Sea Foods(Multiple locations) The Fours(166 Canal St., Boston; 285 Washington St., Norwell; 15 Cottage Ave., Quincy)
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