Boston Restaurant Talk: April 2026

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]

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 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.)

Salt & Straw to Open in Boston's Seaport District

A chain of ice cream shops with roots in the Pacific Northwest will be opening a location in Boston.

According to multiple sources, Salt & Straw is planning to open in the city's Seaport District, with a MassLive article mentioning that it will move into a space on Seaport Boulevard. Once it opens, the shop will feature ice cream with a variety of flavors including some unusual ones, with its offerings including such possibilities as Arbequina olive oil, black forest cake, pear and blue cheese, carrot cake, cream cheese, guava, and donut chunks, strawberry with honey balsamic, and chocolate babka with hazelnut fudge.

The address for the upcoming location of Salt & Straw is 200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for the business is at https://saltandstraw.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.)

Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Fenway Grill & Bar Opens in the Former Thornton's Fenway Grille Space in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

A new restaurant has come to the Fenway section of Boston, moving into the space where a longtime dining and drinking spot had been.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Fenway Grill & Bar is now open on Peterborough Street, taking over the former Thornton's Fenway Grille space. The website for the place indicates that it is a comfort food spot that offers dishes with Mediterranean and Turkish influences, with its menu including such options as eggs with spicy sausage, lentil soup, shepherd's salad, baba ganoush, hummus, chicken kebab, lamb chops, Turkish flatbreads, roasted eggplant with grilled lamb, rice pilaf, and baklava.

Thornton's closed in the fall of 2024 after being in business for more than 30 years.

The address for Fenway Grill & Bar is 100 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA, 02215. Its website can be found at https://www.fenwaygrillbar.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.)

Steel & Rye Team to Open Two Pence Market in Milton Village

A brand new food shop is on its way to a space just south of Boston, and it will have an ownership connection to a popular restaurant nearby.

According to a Facebook post, Two Pence Market is going to be open in Milton, with an earlier Milton Times article stating that it will move into the historic building on Eliot Street in Milton Village where Bank of Boston had once been. The Facebook post and the article indicate that the people behind Steel & Rye will be running the market, which will offer specialty foods and ready-to-eat items along with ice cream and coffee, and it plans to have patio seating as well, while the kitchen will be "rooted in seasonality, local farms, and thoughtful cooking."

Steel & Rye, which is located a few blocks up Eliot Street, is known in part for its New American fare, pizza, freshly-made bread, and cocktails.

The address for the upcoming Two Pence Market is 2 Eliot Street, Milton, MA, 02186.

(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.)

Kush by Saba to Open in Somerville's Union Square in April

A new restaurant is getting ready to open in Somerville, and a Food Network winner is behind the place.

According to an article in the Boston Business Journal, Kush by Saba will soon be opening in Union Square, moving into the space on Sanborn Court that had been home to Wade BBQ, and before that, Littleburg. The upcoming dining spot will focus on modern Mediterranean fare with global influences and will be run by Saba Wahid Duffy, who has been operating the business as a food truck with the same name and which first got up and running on the heels of her winning Chopped: Martha's Rules in 2021. If all goes as planned, Kush by Saba will open on April 28.

Back in 2024, Boston Magazine mentioned Saba Wahid Duffy's plans to turn her food truck into a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

The address for the upcoming Kush by Saba in Union Square is 5 Sanborn Court, Somerville, MA, 02143. The website for the business is at https://kushbysaba.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.)