Boston Restaurant Talk

Friday, November 25, 2022

Red Robin in Braintree Has Closed

A chain of burger restaurants has said farewell to the Greater Boston area, shutting down its last location along/inside Route 128.

According to a source, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree is no longer in business, with the website for the chain confirming this, as that outlet is no longer shown within the locations page for Massachusetts. With the closing of this location and the Woburn outlet a couple of years back, the closest Red Robin to Boston is now in Foxborough, with others remaining in operation in Holyoke, Millbury, Plymouth, and Wareham.

Red Robin was established in Seattle in 1969 and is currently headquartered in Colorado. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.redrobin.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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

NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

99 Restaurant & Pub in Canton Is Closing

A local chain of family-friendly restaurants is getting ready to close another one of its locations.

According to a source, the 99 Restaurant & Pub in Canton is shutting down this weekend, with a call placed to the Turnpike Street spot confirming that it plans to close after business hours on Sunday November 27. This will be the third location of the chain to close this year, with outlets in Somerville and Saugus also shutting down, though the Saugus closure was more of a move of sorts as a new location opened in Middleton a few weeks after it shuttered.

The address for the 99 Restaurant & Pub in Canton is 362 Turnpike Street (Route 138), Canton, MA, 02021. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.99restaurants.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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

Wow Tikka to Open in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

A new restaurant that appears to have a connection to a dining spot in Boston's northern suburbs is on its way to the Fenway.

According to a source, Wow Tikka is opening soon on Peterborough Street, with a voting hearing agenda page within the city's website saying that the eatery will include a seasonal patio and that the manager is Kannan Kesavalu, who is presumably the same Kannan Kesavalu who runs Maya Indian Bar & Grill in Wakefield. The website for the place has not been set up as of yet and its Facebook page has very little information at this point in time; as soon as we find out more, including what will be on its menu and when it might open, we will post an update here.

The address for Wow Tikka is 84 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA, 02215. Its Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/wowtikka/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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

Jeveli's in East Boston Goes on the Auction Block

It looks like a landmark restaurant in East Boston whose future had been in question for awhile may be done.

According to a page from Stanley J. Paine, Jeveli's went up for auction beginning on November 10 and ending on November 16, with the notice saying that "we will sell...the entire contents of the former Jeveli's restaurant. Property sold. Everything goes!" The notice says that Stanley J. Paine held the auction in association with E.F Smith and Son, while Drew Starr posted last week within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page (via a post from Seth Gitell) that it didn't look like the restaurant would be coming back, with pictures showing a mostly cleared out space.

Jeveli's first opened in 1924, being billed as the oldest Italian restaurant in Boston; it initially shut down for the winter in November of 2020 due to the pandemic but it never ended up reopening, leading to much speculation about its future.

The address for Jeveli's was 387 Chelsea Street, East Boston, MA, 02128.

[Earlier Article]
Jeveli's in East Boston Closes for the Winter

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Union Park Pizza Moves from the South End to the Back Bay

A pizzeria that debuted on Boston's South End a few years ago has moved to a new location in the Back Bay.

According to its website, Union Park Pizza is now open on Newbury Street, having moved from its original home on Washington Street. Based on its Instagram page, it appears that the pizza spot said goodbye to its South End space in mid to late September and opened its doors on Newbury Street a couple of weeks ago, initially only doing takeout and dine-in though delivery was added about a week ago.

Union Park Pizza, which first opened in the South End in the fall of 2018, offers pizza, salads, fries, mozzarella sticks, and more, along with beer and wine.

The new address for Union Park Pizza is 244 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116. Its website can be found at https://www.unionparkpizza.com/ while its Instagram page is at https://www.instagram.com/unionparkpizza/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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

Simcha in Sharon May Be Reopening

Several months ago, an award-winning suburban restaurant that focuses on Israeli food closed down for the time being and its future appeared to be in question. Now we have learned that it might be on its way back.

A Facebook post from chef/restaurateur Avi Shemtov indicates that Simcha could be reopening, saying that he is "actively looking to open Simcha back up in Sharon" and that he is seeking to hire bartenders and servers. A message sent to us from Shemtov mentions that the restaurant may be returning to its original home on South Main Street adjacent to the new location of Hummus v'Hummus, which he recently opened in the space where he had previously operated A La Esh.

Simcha, which first opened in 2019, was included among Boston Magazine's best new restaurants in an article that year; when it closed in June, Shemtov was looking at possibly opening Smoke & Fire in its space, but that concept has been put on the shelf for now.

The address for Simcha is 370 South Main Street, Sharon, MA, 02067.

[Earlier Articles]
Simcha in Sharon Has Closed for At Least the Summer; Exact Status in Question
Smoke & Fire Plans to Replace Simcha in Sharon

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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