Boston Restaurant Talk

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Daddy Jones in Somerville's Magoun Square Is Closing

A Greek restaurant in Somerville is shutting down after being in business for more than a decade.

According to a Facebook post from the business along with a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Daddy Jones in Magoun Square is getting ready to close, with the Facebook post from the Medford Street dining spot saying the following:

After 13 unforgettable years in Somerville, it is time to share some bittersweet news. Daddy Jones will be closing on December 20th....Closing our doors is not the end of what we built together. It is the end of a chapter that was filled with laughter, hard work, community, and so much heart. We are walking away grateful for every person who pulled up a chair, worked a shift, poured a drink, shared a meal, or simply cheered us on.

Daddy Jones, which first opened in the fall of 2012 in the former Lil Vinny's space, has been known in part for its Greek mezze and its cocktails.

The address for Daddy Jones is 525 Medford Street, Somerville, MA, 02145. Its website can be found at https://daddyjonesbar.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Tuesday, December 09, 2025

Virginia's Cafe & Market to Open in Reading

A new spot for Portuguese treats is on its way to the northern suburbs of Boston.

According to a source, Virginia's Cafe & Market is getting ready to open in Reading, moving into the former Pamplemousse space on Haven Street near the commuter rail station. The social media for the upcoming place says that it will be a "Portuguese inspired coffee house and specialty food market" and a "warm, welcoming space where the community can enjoy Portuguese coffee, pastries, and curated goods." (Reading Recap mentions that the person behind it is Jake Chaves.)

The address for the upcoming Virginia's Cafe & Market is 26 Haven Street, Reading, MA, 01867. Its Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/p/Virginias-Caf%C3%A9-Market-61583261082652/ while its Instagram page is at https://www.instagram.com/virginiascafeandmarket/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Cactus Club Cafe Opens in Boston's Back Bay

After being in the works for more than two years, the Boston location of a Canadian chain of casual upscale restaurants has debuted.

According to a press release, Cactus Club Cafe is now open in the Back Bay, with the new dining spot moving into a space on Boylston Street. As mentioned in an earlier article, the restaurant has no connection to the old Cactus Club, a Mexican and Tex-Mex spot that resided on Boylston Street from the 1980s until its closure in 2014, instead being part of a chain that is based on Vancouver and which offers global cuisine and New American fare including sushi, wagyu beef carpaccio, calamari, wings, poke bowls, rigatoni bolognese, chicken tacos, Thai red curry, seabass, creole steak and shrimp, and key lime pie.

The address for Cactus Club Cafe in the Back Bay is 500 Boylston Street (Unit 170), Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the chain is at https://www.cactusclubcafe.com/

[Earlier Article]
Cactus Club Cafe Plans to Open in Boston's Back Bay

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Monday, December 08, 2025

Not Your Average Joe's in Peabody Is Closing

It looks like another location of a local chain of family restaurants is shutting down.

According to a Facebook post from North Shore Eats along with a comment within the OpenTable site, Not Your Average Joe's at Northshore Mall in Peabody is closing its doors, with a photo shown on the North Shore Eats post indicating that it is slated to shutter on December 23. The Peabody location of Not Your Average Joe's is the sole remaining location north of Boston, while others can be found locally in Acton, Bedford, Norwell, Waltham, Watertown, and Westwood. (Locations that have shut down over the past ten years or so include ones in Arlington, Burlington, Medford, Methuen, and Randolph.)

The website for Not Your Average Joe's is at https://www.notyouraveragejoes.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain Is Closing; New Concept Coming to the Space

A longtime neighborhood restaurant in Jamaica Plain that has been known for its locally-sourced seasonal New American fare is shutting down, though the owner of the place will apparently be opening a new concept there.

According to several sources, including posters within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Ten Tables on Centre Street is closing, with a Facebook post from the business saying the following:

After a quarter century of dinners, anniversary celebrations, first dates, and weeknight rituals, it's time to turn the page. Our last service as Ten Tables will be on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2025....I'm closing this chapter with immense gratitude—for every guest who squeezed into one of our tiny table tops, every farmer who showed up at the back door, and every member of our team who poured their heart into this restaurant. In this same beloved space, I’ll be reimagining what comes next: a new concept that honors the intentional, crafted, and change-making purpose that is my passion....Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for 25 unforgettable years at Ten Tables.... — Krista Kranyak (KK), Owner

In addition to the JP location, there had once been a location of Ten Tables in Cambridge as well that was open from 2009 through the end of 2015.

The address for Ten Tables in JP is 597 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. Its website is at https://tentables.net/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Restaurant News for the Week Ending December 7, 2025

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between December 1, 2025, and December 7, 2025.

Plazita Mexico Tacos to Open in Medford Square
A pair of Mexican restaurants in the northern and western suburbs of Boston will soon be joined by a third.
Full Story

Doner Shack to Expand to the United States, Including a Location at Cambridge Crossing
A fast-casual Turkish kebab chain with roots in the UK will be expanding to the United States, with one of its upcoming locations coming to the Greater Boston area.
Full Story

DiBlasi's in Everett to Expand to Reading
A sub shop just north of Boston that has been around for a long time will soon be joined by a new spot in the northern suburbs.
Full Story

China Rainbow in Watertown Is Closing
It looks like an old-school Chinese restaurant in the western suburbs of Boston is shutting down.
Full Story

The Turing Tavern in Inman Square Has Closed; Urban Hearth to Take Over the Space
A restaurant and bar in Cambridge has shuttered after being in business for a bit more than two years, and as hinted at in an earlier article, an award-winning farm-to-table restaurant will be moving into the space.
Full Story

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)