Boston Restaurant Talk

Friday, April 03, 2026

Soup Zen Hot Pot to Open at the Burlington Mall

An Asian restaurant located north of the border will be expanding to the Greater Boston area, bringing a new location to the northern suburbs.

According to an article from the Daily Times Chronicle, Soup Zen Hot Pot is planning to open at the Burlington Mall, with What Now Boston saying that it will be joining its sole location which resides in Montreal. The website for the business mentions that the restaurant "fuses authentic recipes from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and beyond with contemporary influences," while if all goes as planned, the new location will open sometime this fall.

The website for the Montreal location of Soup Zen Hot Pot is at https://www.soupzenhotpot.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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The Empanada's to Open in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

A growing group of restaurants based in Florida will be expanding to Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, The Empanada's is going to be opening in the Fenway, with a picture showing the logo for the business in the former Tenderoni's space at the corner of Boylston Street and Kilmarnock Street. The Empanada's first started out in Key Biscayne and currently has a handful of locations in Florida, offering a wide variety of South American-style empanadas filled with such ingredients as beef, cheese, spinach, ham, chicken, shrimp, salmon, and more.

The address for the upcoming location of The Empanada's is 23 Kilmarnock Street, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for all locations is at https://www.theempanadas.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.)

Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar to Open in the Former Rosa Mexicano Space at the Burlington Mall

A small chain of Mexican restaurants with roots in Florida will be expanding to the local area, with its first New England location coming to the northern suburbs of Boston.

According to an article from the Daily Times Chronicle, Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar is planning to open at the Burlington Mall, moving into the space where Rosa Mexicano Space used to be. Once it opens, expect to see such items as tacos, guacamole, quesadillas, burritos, and enchiladas, along with a wide variety of tequila options.

Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar got its start in West Palm Beach back in 2007; its website can be found at https://www.roccostacos.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.)

Beyond Proof to Replace Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain

A few months ago, it was reported that a neighborhood restaurant in Jamaica Plain known for its locally-sourced New American fare would be closing and the owner would be opening a new concept within the space, and now we have learned more about what it will be.

According to a Facebook post, Beyond Proof is planning to open in the former Ten Tables space on Centre Street, with owner Krista Kranyak saying the following:

Dear Community, After closing my beloved Ten Tables, I dove deep into working behind shuttered doors. Now, I’m resurfacing and, with great joy, ready to open again and welcome you back....Welcome to Beyond Proof. Not just a new space, but a new way of gathering. Boston's first zero-proof bar....From the kitchen, we're serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes designed to be shared or savored slowly, alongside the drinks. This concept is deeply personal. Three years ago, I made the decision to let go of alcohol. In that process, I found myself searching for spaces and experiences that treated zero-proof offerings with the same care and creativity as everything else in the industry I've loved for so long. Too often, those spaces didn't exist. Now I'm seeing a shift. A movement. More people are looking for this kind of experience and bringing their own curiosity and care to it. Beyond Proof is my response to that shift.

The note goes on to say that Beyond Proof is slated to debut on April 7.

Ten Tables, which had been in its JP location for 25 years, also had two other locations in Cambridge and Provincetown, though those closed approximately 10 years ago.

The address for Beyond Proof 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.)

Thursday, April 02, 2026

Far Out Ice Cream to Open in Brighton's Cleveland Circle Area

A small group of New Zealand-style ice cream shops is expanding to another space, and this one should be popular with college students.

According to an article from boston.com, Far Out Ice Cream is planning to open in the Cleveland Circle section of Brighton near Boston College, with an Instagram post from the business indicating that it will be taking over the former Energize location on Beacon Street. Once it opens, the new shop will join others at Time Out Market in Boston's Fenway neighborhood, Brookline between Coolidge Corner and the Allston border, and Cambridgeside in East Cambridge, and like those locations, it will offer ice cream blended with real frozen fruit.

Far Out Ice Cream, which was established in 2019, once had a pop-up across from Nantasket Beach in Hull before expanding to brick-and-mortar locations.

The address for the upcoming Far Out Ice Cream at Cleveland Circle is 1930 Beacon Street, Brighton, MA, 02135. The website for all locations is at https://www.farouticecream.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.)

The Federal in Waltham Has Closed

An upscale restaurant in the western suburbs of Boston that was known in part for its steak and seafood options has shut down.

According to a source, The Federal in Waltham is no longer in business, with a note on the website for the dining spot (which was also shown on a Waltham Channel Facebook post) saying the following:

We would like to thank all of our guests for their support over the last seven years. Unfortunately we have made the difficult decision to close the restaurant permanently. The current economy and ever increasing costs make it impossible to continue. We will continue operating our sister property, Stazione di Federal and will honor all outstanding gift cards there.

The Federal first opened on Tower Road within the development at the former Polaroid site in the early part of 2019, taking over the space where Flank had been.

The address for the now-closed Federal was 74 Tower Road, Waltham, MA, 02451.

(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.)