Boston Restaurant Talk

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in Boston's Back Bay Has Closed

It looks like a location of a group of steakhouses has shuttered one of its Boston locations.

According to multiple sources, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse at the Prudential Center in the Back Bay has closed. This information was temporarily shown on the Instagram page of Mayor Wu (wutrain), and an Instagram post from Bret Clancy also mentions it while MassLive states that Del Frisco's has indeed shut down. Clancy's page (which was also shown on Mayor Wu's page) says that Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain known in part for its soup dumplings, could be coming to the space, though this has not been confirmed as of yet; as soon as we get more information, we will post an update here.

The Seaport District location of Del Frisco's remains open for business.

(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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Breaking Grounds Cafe in Peabody Is Closing

A cafe on the North Shore that gives job training to people with disabilities including autism is going to be closing its doors.

According to an Instagram post from Northeast Arc (which operates the place), Breaking Grounds Cafe in Peabody is getting ready to shut down, with the post saying the following:

Northeast Arc has made the difficult decision to close Breaking Grounds Cafe in Peabody after 9 years of operation. This was not an easy choice, but it is the right move for the financial health of our organization as we face rising costs and an uncertain state and federal funding landscape....Closing Breaking Grounds will allow Northeast Arc to direct all of our resources toward our core mission of helping people with disabilities and autism live as fully included members of their communities. Our commitment to job training remains unchanged and we will continue preparing individuals for community employment through our other internship programs. Existing Breaking Grounds employees will have the opportunity to apply for other positions within Northeast Arc. We are so thankful to all of the incredible employees and participants who have contributed to making Breaking Grounds such a vibrant and welcoming place for nine years. We are also grateful for the continued partnership and support of the City of Peabody.

The post mentions that Breaking Grounds Cafe will close after business hours on July 31.

The address for Breaking Grounds Cafe is 67 Main Street, Peabody, MA, 01960. Its website can be found at https://breakinggroundscafe.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.)

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Chickadee at Boston's Innovation and Design Building Is Closing

An award-winning restaurant by the Boston waterfront is shutting down.

According to a message sent from Leah Klein of City Living Boston, Chickadee within the Innovation and Design Building in the city's Seaport District is closing, with an Instagram post from the dining spot saying the following:

It's with a full heart ( and yes, a few tears ) that we're announcing Chickadee will be closing its doors, with our final day of service this Saturday, July 18th....Thank you for every reservation, every recommendation to a friend, and every kind word to our staff. Thank you for growing with us. This restaurant was built by our team, but it was made home by you. Thank you to Boston and the Seaport District for giving Chickadee a place to grow, and to @chefjohndasilva and @tedkilpatrick for bringing their vision of really good food and genuine hospitality to life and sharing it with all of us. Thank you as well to the chefs and cookbook authors whose work inspired our Cookbook Club dinners, and to everyone who recognized and celebrated Chickadee’s work over the years. Every honor meant more to us than we can say.

Chickadee first opened in 2018, being known for its regional, New American, and Mediterranean fare using locally-sourced ingredients while also offering beer, wine, and cocktails; the restaurant has received recognition from such media outlets as The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, and Eater, while also being a 2019 James Beard Awards semifinalist in the Best New Restaurant category.

The address for Chickadee is 21 Drydock Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. Its website can be found at https://www.chickadeerestaurant.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.)

204 Washington Tavern to Open in the Former 204 Washington Restaurant & Bar Space in East Walpole

A couple of years ago, a longtime neighborhood restaurant in the southwest suburbs of Boston closed down, and now we have learned that a new dining and drinking spot with a similar name is going to be opening in the space.

According to a source, 204 Washington Tavern is planning to open in East Walpole, taking over the former 204 Washington Restaurant & Bar space. A Facebook page for the place shows an image of its exterior, while our source says that signs have been placed on the building over the past few days.

204 Washington Restaurant & Bar closed in the summer of 2024 after being in business for 35 years; several months later there was talk that the people behind Napper Tandy's (which has locations in Walpole, Norwood, and Millis) were planning to open a new restaurant in the space, though it isn't yet known whether they are indeed behind 204 Washington Tavern.

The address for the upcoming 204 Washington Tavern is 204 Washington Street, East Walpole, MA, 02032.

(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.)

Real Italian Gusto in Medford Is Closed; Exact Status Unknown

An Italian restaurant north of Boston is locked up and dark, and it isn't known what the future holds for the place.

According to Boston Restaurant Talk reader Dan Kennedy, Real Italian Gusto is Medford is shuttered, with a note on the website for the High Street dining spot saying "We are closed, sorry for the inconvenience" while its Instagram page says "Sorry, we are closed these days. More updates coming soon!"

Real Italian Gusto first opened in 2015, offering pizza and pasta dishes along with meals such as short ribs, salmon, and pork chops.

The address for Real Italian Gusto is 24 High Street, Medford, MA, 02155. Its website is at https://www.realitaliangusto.com/ while its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/realitaliangusto/

(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, July 13, 2026

Weesh Bake Shop in Roslindale Closes Its Retail Shop; Business Will Continue Via Pickups and Popups

A retail bakery in a Boston neighborhood has shuttered after approximately five years in operation, though the business will continue on.

According to an article from Universal Hub, Weesh Bake Shop in Roslindale closed its retail shop at the end of last month, with owner Elyse Purbaugh saying the following in a Facebook post:

Retail has not been profitable for us and when two freezers and a dishwasher break and cost thousands, we need to keep the lights on. We absolutely love our repeat customers who come in for their weekly brownie or weekly M&M cookie and it breaks my heart to give them this news....Retail is not for the faint of heart and nor is being a business owner. Bringing joy to your special day is why Weesh started, and we fully intend to keep that promise.

Purbaugh mentions in a comment within the post that "We are not leaving Birch Street right now as we will continue pre-order pickups there (3x per week) and will host pop-ups! The only thing that will stop is our Saturday retail walk-in."

The website for Weesh can be found at https://weesh.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.)