Boston's Best Fast Food 2008

Back Bay eatery provides an innovative, and healthy, approach to fast food.

Reviews:

• “Best Food Ever!”
• “Best Veggie Burgers!”
• “insane chicken sandwich”
• “Great fast food and healthy”
• “great sandwich”

b.good

All-purpose eatery sits at the heart of Harvard Square and offers a trio of distinct dining environments.

Reviews:

• “Best food tasty and healthy too!!-”
• “Fun but inconsistant.”
• “Sorely Lacking…”
• “very mediocre”
• “Be prepared for rude patrons”

Tips: Not all breakfast items are served all day, but patrons can enjoy items like steel-cut oatmeal, yogurt with granola, sweet crepes and breakfast paninis in the afternoon and evening.

Z-Square or email Z-Square

Local hot dog chain provides a quick, affordable spot for lunch or a late-night snack.

Reviews:

• “Best hotdogs ever!”
• “Excellent Cheap Eats”
• “Best Hot Dogs in Boston”

Tips: Dog haters can satisfy their growling bellies with grilled or fried chicken sandwiches, pizza, subs, chili, buffalo wings, chicken tenders, greek and garden salads.

Spike’s Junkyard Dogs

Popular local chain specializes in fresh, affordable Mexican food.

Reviews:

• “Cheap, Tasteless Food where they charge for everything”
• “Great Mexican Food”
• “good cheap eat on the go”
• “Good Food & Low Price”
• “TACOS!!!”

Tips: Visitors to Boca Grande’s other Cambridge location should know that it is closed on Sunday and closes at 9pm.

Boca Grande Taqueria or email Boca Grande Taqueria

Unobtrusive Chilean food stand scores with addictive sandwiches and unbeatable prices.

Reviews:

• “You must try the chacarero”
• “Not Good!”
• “Addictive sandwiches!”
• “Yummy”
• “I dream of chacarero”

Tips: A small operation and long, eager lines make for a lengthy lunch hour. Show up before noon (or after 2pm) to avoid the crowd. Even better, phone in your order in advance.

Chacarero

Popular bagel shop satisfies student cravings in busy Allston.

Reviews:

• “Must Try”
• “lives up to the hype”
• “NY in Allston”
• “Seriously addictive bagels”

Tips: Cream cheese choices include sun-dried tomato, scallion and honey raisin.

Bagel Rising

BC institution satisfies many a late-night craving for pizza or steak sandwiches.

Reviews:

• “Good Pizza & Soccer Crowd”
• “Horrendous Service”
• “Awesome Environment, Great Food, Student Atmosphere”
• “ROGGIES – where R-DOGG got his gro0ve back”
• “Go when the students are away”

Tips: There is a minimum charge of $10 per delivery order.

ROGGIES PIZZERIA or email ROGGIES PIZZERIA

Office workers and sports fans fill up on affordable Mexican fare.

Reviews:

• “Great Burrito”s"
• “AVOID at all costs!!”
• “Good Enough to Travel For!”

Tips: Viva can whip up enough burritos and quesadillas to satisfy an office party of any size.

Viva Burrito or email Viva Burrito

Some of the city’s best, most authentic tacos and burritos are wildly popular with budget-conscious students.

Reviews:

• “One of my favorite restaurants”
• “Not impressed, much better options for Mexican out there”
• “the best in boston!”
• “Best fish tacos and burritos, ever”
• “Best fish tacos and plantains”

Tips: Keep an eye on the Sox schedule. When there’s a game, parking will be impossible to come by, and lines may be long. And remember, you can bring your burritos into the park (just no drinks).

El Pelon Taqueria or email El Pelon Taqueria

One of Newbury St.’s few inexpensive dining locales serves up Greek-American fare in casual environs.

Reviews:

• “Nothing Greek about this place”
• “Be Afraid”
• “Absolutely delicious Gyro”
• “Best Gyros and more”
• “Awful!”

Steve’s Greek Cuisine

Union Square taqueria delivers some of the city’s most authentic, and affordable, Mexican fare.

Reviews:

• “Fresh Food and Juice, Affordable, Casual”
• “Great for Catering!”
• “Wow”
• “Delicious cheap eats”
• “Excellent food and service!”

Tips: The restaurant is said to serve some of the best tamales in the New England area.

TaQueria La Mexicana

Cleveland Circle pizza joint is wildly popular with BC students.

Reviews:

• “Best pizza ever”
• “Best pizza in Boston — as close to NYC pizza as you can find here”
• “Yes, there really is a PERFECT pizza!”
• “good pizza in cleveland circle”
• “Hate Pizza- LOVE PINO’S”

Pino’s Pizza

Kenmore Square burger joint caters to budget-minded students in search of above-average fast food.

Reviews:

• “Awesome creativity”
• “burger & fries”
• “I love UBurger, reminds me of In and Out on the West Coast, but better!”
• “Has so much potential….but”
• “wow”

Tips: With plenty of area workers and college kids stopping in for a quick bite, expect to wait a bit longer for your burger during weekday lunch hours.

Uburger

Darwin’s Ltd. specialty sandwiches, prepared dinners and mouth watering baked goods make the intellectuals of Harvard drop their books and take a bite.

Reviews:

• “Creepy Old Ladies "
• “Neighborhood Gem for quality Sandwiches, Coffee and Community. No wimps allowed.”
• “Great sandwiches, HORRIBLE service”
• “Laptoppers get the lovin’”
• “Darwins, your new office with no open seats.”

Tips: Specialty sandwiches named after local streets

Darwin’s Ltd or email Darwin’s Ltd

Newton Center pizzeria’s fresh salads and inventive sandwiches are popular with locals and area students.

Reviews:

• “We will never go back there EVER!!! "
• “The WORST customer service I have ever experienced in my life !!!!!!!!!”
• “This place is sooo comfortable”
• “Doughly/Dry pizza”
• “no thanks”

Bill’s Pizzeria

Downtown’s top destination for a healthy breakfast or lunch.

Tips: Those that grab a table before ordering risk invoking the ire of fellow diners (it’s expected you wait until you have your food in hand to have a seat).

Milk Street Cafe

A lunchtime haven for Financial District workers in search of an alternative to garden salads and bagel sandwiches.

Reviews:

• “Pressed is my favorite!”

Tips: This is one of the Financial District’s few breakfast spots, with fresh coffee and egg sandwiches available starting at 7am every day.

Pressed Sandwiches

Fast and fresh burritos, smoothies and wraps provide for a filling meal at an affordable price.

Reviews:

• “Tasty Burritos”

Tips: Register for a boloco card—among the perks is a free birthday burrito

Boloco