Hidden Boston: How to Visit Like a Local

Image via Complex Original

Location: 25 Evans Way

Just a couple of blocks west of the crowded, well-known Museum of Fine Arts, you'll find the much smaller but no-less-renowned Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Housing a host of famous works from several continents, it's a less touristy option if you're looking to get your fix of the finer things while visiting Boston. Fun fact: If you show up wearing Red Sox gear, you get in at a discount; if your name happens to be Isabella, you get in for free.

Location: 100 Northern Ave.

Where there used to be nothing but piers infested with seagulls, the Seaport area of Boston has now become a go-to spot for Bostonians looking for something new in the city. One of the area's best new additions is the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), which overlooks the water and specializes in the work of emerging artists from Boston and around the world. 

Location: 282 Beacon St, Somerville

Right on the Cambridge-Somerville line, you'll find a divey-looking bar that, from the outside, screams "locals only." But don't let the exterior of R.F. O’Sullivan’s fool you; inside you'll find one of the best burgers in all of Boston, topped with basically anything you could think of. You might feel a little guilty about consuming the entire half-pound burger in one sitting, but it's worth it.

Location: 111 Chelsea St.

There is perhaps no other more authentic Boston restaurant than Santarpio’s. Tucked under the Route 1A ramp to Logan Airport in East Boston, this institution is home to what many consider the best pizza in the entire city. There are absolutely no frills about this place, from the rigid wooden booths to the old boxing posters on the wall, and many of the customers have been regulars for their entire lives.

With an eclectic menu ranging from Seafood to Asian Italian, The Beehive has one of the most unique arrays of dinner options in all of Boston. Located in the up-and-coming South End, it also sports Bohemian-style decor and live music all the way through dinnertime. 

Location: 52 Beach St.

Boston's Chinatown is a dizzying mix of lights and tightly-packed restaurants, but Gourmet Dumpling House is the best of the bunch. As the name implies that you should obviously start with fried dumplings, but for a truly wild experience you have to try the Szechuan Style Bubbling Whole Fish. It may look and sound a little horrifying, but it's actually quite delicious. Promise.

Location: 130 Dartmouth St.

If you're a vegetarian, you should probably skip The Salty Pig. But if you fancy yourself a meat connoisseur, you're going to think that you've died and gone to heaven. In addition to garlic knots that will make you weak in the knees, the focus of the Back Bay eatery's menu is their à la carte meat and cheese boards. Vegetables? Who needs those?

Location: 33 Union St.

Open until 2:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays night, Saus has become a Faneuil Hall institution since it was opened in 2008 by a young group of BU and Northeastern grads who recognized that sometimes, all you want in life is a combination of French fries, cheese, and gravy. If you're somehow not in the mood for poutine, they've got plenty of other savory eats, like corn dogs, fried chicken and waffles, or even an ice cream sundae to curb your late night munchies. Sadly, the cost of these delicious items does not include the gym membership that you'll need afterwards.

Not to be confused with Southie, the South End is the area just south of the Back Bay that for many years was easily ignored. Thanks to the recent, rapid gentrification of the area, however, it quickly became a hub of activity. Tremont Street alone has some of the best restaurants in the city, as well as a number of eclectic gift shops, clothing stores, and coffee shops. Also, basically everybody who lives there owns a dog, so if you're a dog lover it's a great spot to make some new four-legged friends.

Stay on the Red Line for a couple of stops after the tourist-saturated apocalypse known as Harvard Square, and you'll arrive in Somerville's Davis Square to find a much more manageable experience. Davis has a number of outstanding restaurants, a movie theater, where, in addition to the standard popcorn-and-soda fare, you can get draught beer and ice cream, and even the New England-only candlepin bowling alley. With Tufts University a five-minute walk away, Davis is a young and vibrant area that keeps buzzing late into the night. 

Location: 1238 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge

Four nights a week, the third floor of Harvard Square's Hong Kong Chinese restaurant becomes The Comedy Studio, a local institution that has helped numerous local comics—like Eugene Mirman—launch their careers. Plus, you can order Chinese food up to your table from downstairs, which is kind of an amazing combination.

Location: 216 Hanover St.

While most people think of the North End as the go-to place to get Italian food, it also plays host to one of the city's best comedy clubs: Improv Asylum. Not only can you take in their Mainstage show, which blends improv and pre-rehearsed sketches, but you can even try your hand at a class and see if you're ready to make the leap to Saturday Night Live. You probably aren't, but at least this way you'll know for sure.

Location: 967 Commonwealth Ave.

If you want to spot the next band on the rise, the Paradise Rock Club is the place to go. A small theater on the edge of Boston University's campus, the Paradise has seen groups like U2 and R.E.M. come through its doors before they became globally recognized and adored bands. You might have to climb over and around some BU kids to get a good view of the stage, but this venue is well worth the effort.

Location: 52 Church St., Cambridge

Tucked away from the hubbub of Harvard Square, The Sinclair is one of the few remaining spots in the popular Cambridge neighborhood that remains a largely well-kept secret. It's the first Boston-area venture for Bowery Presents, and features live music, gastro pub food, and a bar that has already earned a reputation as one of the best cocktail spots around. 

Location: 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge

On the periphery of Cambridge's Inman Square, Ryles Jazz Club delivers the best jazz music in Greater Boston. In addition to some pretty awesome barbecue food, Ryles features a cast of talented young jazz musicians, many of whom move on to national prominence. If all that music on the first floor inspires you, then there's also a second floor where they have salsa, merengue, and several other different dance nights for you to show off your moves.

Location: 738 Massachusetts Ave.

If you happen to find yourself looking for something to do on a Tuesday night, do yourself a favor and head across the Charles River into Cambridge's Central Square. Central's Cantab Lounge features live bluegrass music every Tuesday—a tradition unlike anything other Boston-area establishments can offer. A word to the wise, though: It's pretty cozy in there (read: small), so make sure to get there early if you want a seat. 

Location: 200 Atlantic Ave.

At the end of a long, hot summer day, there is no better spot to unwind with a cold beverage than Tia’s. Situated right on the waterfront between the North End, Financial District, and Faneuil Hall, Tia's has a back patio that looks out onto the water and features its own full bar that offers plenty of seating. It's very popular with the after-work crowd, and during the summer you can hang out in the back long into the night if you so choose.

Location: 149 Charles St.

If you're looking for frills and fancy drinks, Beacon Hill Pub is not for you. This Charles Street institution has no cover, accepts cash only, and devotes one corner of the bar to pop-a-shot basketball and a machine that measures how powerful your punches are. It's the epitome of a dive, but is also a guaranteed fun time thanks to their cheap drinks and prime location. 

Location: 92 Hampshire St.

Named by Boston Magazine as the best beer bar in Greater Boston the last two years in a row, Cambridge's Lord Hobo earns its stripes by going for quality over quantity. While plenty of other places have more beers on the menu, Lord Hobo wastes no space on its 40-plus taps, offering nothing but the best beers from New England and around the world. And if you can't find that perfect beer when you visit? Don't worry. They constantly rotate the draught selections, so you'll be able to come back and find "the one."

Location: 306 Northern Ave.

When people think of Boston beers, the first name that comes to mind is usually Samuel Adams. No disrespect to that fine patriot-brewer, but the best place to see how Boston beer gets made is at the Harpoon Brewery. Not only can you take a tour of their brand new Seaport facility for the ridiculously cheap price of $5, but the tour just happens to leave you in their beer hall where you can take 15 minutes to sample as many of their draught beer varieties as you like. They also offer massive, perfectly salted soft pretzels that pair absolutely exquisitely with any of the 10-plus Harpoon signature brews on tap.