Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, August 25, 2025

Lavender Cafe and NaisLee Catering in West Newton Are Closing

A cafe in the western suburbs of Boston and its corresponding catering operation are both shutting down.

According to a source, Lavender Cafe and NaisLee Catering in West Newton are closing, with an Instagram post indicating that their original closing date of September 14 has been moved up and now the last day in operation is August 31. The earlier post mentions the following:

After exhausting all resources and possibilities, and understanding that the risk of staying open was higher than the potential benefits, we had to make the hardest decision ever for us. The obstacles we faced were extraordinary.

Lavender Cafe first opened in May of this year, offering food items with Venezuelan influences.

The address for Lavender Cafe and NaisLee Catering is 15 Spencer Street, West Newton, MA, 02465.

(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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Quickway Japanese Hibachi to Open in Quincy Point

A growing group of Japanese restaurants is expanding to the Greater Boston area, with a location on its way to a strip mall a few miles south of the city.

According to a source, Quickway Japanese Hibachi is planning to open in Quincy Point, moving into a space at Point Crossing where Route 53 meets Route 3A. Based on its other locations (mostly in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.), the new eatery will likely be a fast-casual spot that features hibachi along with sushi, bento boxes, poke bowls, and more.

Quickway Japanese Hibachi started out in 2012 in Gaithersburg, MD.

The address for the upcoming Quickway Japanese Hibachi in Quincy Point is 479 Washington Street, Quincy, MA, 02169. The website for the business is at https://quickwayhibachi.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.)

Restaurant News for the Week Ending August 24, 2025

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between August 18, 2025, and August 24, 2025.

The Star Drive-In in Taunton Is Closing
A retro-style restaurant south of Boston is planning to shut down.
Full Story

Haidilao Hot Pot to Open in Downtown Boston
A chain of hot pot places is expanding to Boston, opening a location in the heart of the city.
Full Story

Illinois-Based Bread & Vine to Expand to Boston
A French bistro in the Midwest is in expansion mode, with one planning to open in the local area.
Full Story

Lab 13 Handroll Bar Opens at Chestnut Hill Square
A new sushi spot has come to a mixed-use development a few miles west of Boston.
Full Story

Angelina Plans to Open in the Back Bay/Fenway Area
It looks like a brand new bakery is coming to a busy intersection in Boston.
Full Story

[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.)

Friday, August 22, 2025

The Star Drive-In in Taunton Is Closing

A retro-style restaurant south of Boston is planning to shut down.

According to a Facebook post from the business, The Star Drive-In in Taunton is going to be closing its doors, with the note saying the following:

I have a Lease with South Coast Development until March of 2026. The same entity that purchased the property across the street and built the Storage Facility, also purchased The Star Drive-In property a few years ago when I had just signed another 5 year lease for The Star Drive-In with St.Ives. I will not get into the specifics of those issues, but many, within the city government and various departments know what has transpired over the last 4 years, they know what is going on and they have not offered any help or assistance even after my repeated pleas for help. Due to those issues, I have had to make the very difficult decision to close at the end of the terms of my lease-March 2026....I'm very proud of everything I’ve been able to accomplish and give back over the last 10 years. I am closing on my terms. I will do my best to find my next best thing.

Current owner Erica Madden took over the restaurant in 2016, which has been in operation since the mid-1960s; the dining spot has been known for its comfort food including clam chowder, burgers, hot dogs, tuna melts, chow mein sandwiches, pizza, calzones, lobster rolls, fish and chips, ice cream, and more.

The address for The Star Drive-In is 205 Myricks Street, East Taunton, MA, 02718. Its website can be found at https://thestardrivein.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.)

Popeyes to Open in Brookline

A chain of chicken spots is going to be opening a location that should be popular with college students.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page (via a Brookline News article), Popeyes is planning to open in Brookline, moving into a space on Commonwealth Avenue by Boston University on the Boston line that had been home to a location of Mission cannabis dispensary. Once it opens, the new outlet will join a number of others in the Greater Boston area, including by Northeastern University in Boston, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury, Newton, Brockton, Chelmsford, Everett, Lawrence, Lynn, Randolph, Quincy, and Woburn.

The address for the upcoming location of Popeyes in Brookline is 1024B Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, 02446. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.popeyes.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.)

Big Fun Clay Pot Plans to Open in the Former Baby Cafe Space in Brookline

It looks like a new Chinese restaurant featuring food items found in Southern China and Hong Kong will be coming to Brookline, taking over the space where a location of another dining spot featuring Southern Chinese and Hong Kong food had been.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Big Fun Clay Pot is looking to open on Beacon Street, moving into the former Baby Cafe space just west of the Boston line. A Brookline News article mentions that the proposed eatery will be under the same ownership as Big Fun Cafe in the Wollaston section of Quincy and it will feature claypot rice options.

Another location of Baby Cafe remains open in Allston.

The address for the upcoming Big Fun Clay Pot is 1006 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

(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.)