Boston Restaurant Talk

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Knoll Street Tavern Is Slated to Open in Roslindale on January 27

A new pub is on the verge of debuting in a Boston neighborhood after being in the works for approximately a year.

According to an article from Universal Hub, Knoll Street Tavern is planning to open its doors in Roslindale on Tuesday, January 27, and as mentioned in an earlier article here, it will be taking over the space on Centre Street that had been home to Kelleher's Bar and Grille. UH states that the new dining and drinking spot will have table seating for 66 along with 30 seats at its bar and it will have a scratch kitchen, with hours being 11:30 AM to 1:00 AM daily.

The space in which Knoll Street Tavern is opening had previously been home to a few watering holes, including Flynn's, Kelly & Whalen's, P.J. Kelleher's, and then Kelleher's Bar and Grille.

The address for Knoll Street Tavern is 1410 Centre Street, Roslindale, MA, 02131.

[Earlier Article]
Knoll Street Tavern Plans to Open in the Kelleher's Bar and Grille Space in Roslindale

(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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Viza Cafe Opens in Jamaica Plain

A new coffee shop has come to Jamaica Plain.

According to a source, Viza Cafe is now open in JP, moving into a space on South Street about midway between Centre Street and the Arborway. Our source mentions that the new spot offers breakfast sandwiches and coffee while an earlier licensing board page stated that the space includes a main room with seating for 14 and a second room with seating for 6.

Tha address for Viza Cafe is 114 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. Its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/viza.cafe/

(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, January 20, 2026

Tom Yum Yang to Open in Allston

A brand new Thai restaurant is on its way to Allston, and it has an ownership connection to a Cambridge dining spot.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Tom Yum Yang is planning to open on Harvard Avenue about midway between Brighton Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue, with a What Now Boston article saying that the people behind Sugar & Spice in Porter Square are opening the place. The article also mentions that plans for the restaurant have apparently been in the works since at least 2022, but the poster within the Facebook group shows that a sign is now up for the restaurant.

The address for the upcoming Tom Yum Yang is 156 Harvard Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134.

(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.)

Emmy Squared Pizza to Open within Swingers Back Bay in Boston

A growing group of pizzerias with roots in New York City will be expanding to Boston, and it will be located within a golf-themed entertainment spot that is also coming to the city.

According to a press release, Emmy Squared Pizza is planning to open within Swingers Back Bay, with the complex being slated to debut on Boylston Street on February 27. The dining spot, which can also be found within other Swingers locations along with standalone spaces (the closest is currently in Westport, CT) is known for its pizza that combines New York-style grandma pie with Detroit-style, while also featuring double-stack burgers and more. (Swingers will also offer beer, wine, and cocktails.)

Emmy Squared Pizza first started out in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn in 2016.

The address for the upcoming Emmy Squared Pizza/Swingers is 777 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for Emmy Squared Pizza is at https://www.emmysquaredpizza.com/ while the website for Swingers is at https://www.swingers.club/us

[Earlier Article]
Swingers 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.)

Blue Square Pizza to Open in Natick

A pair of pizza spots west of Boston that feature four different types of pizza will be expanding to a third location west of the city, and this will be its closest one to Boston.

According to an article from What Now Boston, Blue Square Pizza is planning to open in Natick, moving into The Block, a new development that is coming to Main Street in the center of town. Once it opens (likely this spring), the new location will join others in Hopkinton and Northborough, and based on those restaurants, expect to see New York-style, grandma-style (basically a thin-crust version of Sicilian), Chicago cracker thin (Chicago's version of bar/tavern pizza), and Detroit-style pizza.

The address for the upcoming Natick location of Blue Square Pizza is 1 S Main Street, Natick, MA, 01760. The website for the business is at https://bluesquarepizza.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.)

Monday, January 19, 2026

Orinoco in Brookline Village Is Closing

What was once a trio of Venezuelan restaurants is on the verge of going away completely, as its sole remaining location is closing its doors.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Orinoco in Brookline Village is shutting down, with a Brookline News article mentioning that the people behind the Harvard Street spot (which is currently on its annual winter break) will not be renewing the restaurant's food license, while it also appears that the owner of the building is looking at options for the site that includes the possibility of new housing, though no specific decisions have been made as of yet. Two other locations of Orinoco had also been in Boston's South End and Cambridge's Harvard Square, but they shuttered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The address for Orinoco in Brookline Village is 22 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA, 02445.

(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.)