Boston Restaurant Talk

Friday, February 20, 2026

The Halal Guys Opens in Downtown Boston

Last spring, it was reported that another new location of a chain of halal spots with roots in New York City would be coming to the heart of Boston, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to a press release, The Halal Guys has its grand opening today and tomorrow in the city's downtown area, opening in a space on Washington Street on the northern edge of Downtown Crossing just south of State Street and Court Street. The new location joins another in the Theater District along with others in the Fenway, South Bay, Cambridge's Porter Square, Dedham, and further out, in Shrewsbury.

The Halal Guys, which began in 1990 as a food cart in Manhattan, offers such items as chicken and rice, falafel, gyros, hummus, and baklava.

The address for the new location of The Halal Guys in downtown Boston is 241 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02201. The website for the chain is at https://thehalalguys.com/

[Earlier Article]
The Halal Guys to Open a New Location in Downtown Boston

(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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Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell Is Closing

It looks like yet another location of a local chain of family restaurants is shutting down as the chain continues to shrink.

According to a source, Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell is closing, with both a Facebook post on 365 Things to do South Shore MA and a Google search indicating that the last day for the Pond Street location will be Saturday, February 21. Once it closes, the only ones left in the Greater Boston area will be in Acton, Bedford, Waltham, and Westwood, as outlets in Arlington, Burlington, Medford, Methuen, Peabody, Randolph, and Watertown have shut down over the past ten years or so.

The address for Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell is 111 Pond Street, Norwell, MA, 02061. The website for the chain is at https://www.notyouraveragejoes.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.)

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Table Four Opens in Melrose

A new wine bar has come to the northern suburbs of Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Table Four is now open in Melrose, moving into a space on W Emerson Street by the Cedar Park commuter rail station. The website and social media for the place indicate that it is a "European-inspired wine bar" that offers curated wines, craft beers, and small plates, with its food menu including such options as baguettes with jam and butter, pita bread, hummus, tinned fish, olives, nuts, and pickled vegetables.

The address for Table Four is 169A W Emerson Street, Melrose, MA, 02176. Its website can be found at https://tablefourmelrose.com/ while its Instagram page is at https://www.instagram.com/tablefourmelrose/

(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.)

212 Kitchen Opens in Cambridge

A brand new Asian restaurant has come to Cambridge.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, 212 Kitchen is now open in the Riverside neighborhood of the city, moving into a space on Western Avenue. The menu for the new dining spot mentions that it offers "authentic Chinese cuisine," including such items as handmade dumplings, steamed buns, fried pies, noodles and porridge, stone pot noodle soups, fried rice, grilled seafood, and more.

212 Kitchen had been in the works for at least 4 to 5 years until finally opening over the past couple of weeks or so.

The address for 212 Kitchen is 212 Western Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139.

(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, February 18, 2026

Framingham Baking Co. in Framingham Is Closing

A bakery west of Boston that is known in part for its pizza is shutting down after more than 100 years in business.

According to multiple source, Framingham Baking Co. in Framingham is closing its doors, with a Facebook post from the Waverly Street spot saying "The End of an Era" while mentioning that it will be shuttering on March 29. Framingham Baking Co., which first opened in 1917, offers such items as sheet pizza, scali bread, rolls, biscotti, Italian cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more.

The address for Framingham Baking Co. is 840 Waverly Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. Its website can be found at https://www.framinghambakingcompany.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 Dot Tavern in Dorchester Closes Its Doors

A neighborhood bar near the Southeast Expressway that had been around for a long time is shutting down.

According to an article from Caught in Dot, The Dot Tavern in Dorchester is closing its doors, with the post saying that the Dorchester Avenue watering hole shutters after business hours today. The Dot Tavern had actually shut down once before in 2018 but reopened under new management in 2023 after its building underwent major renovations. The bar apparently had been open "for most of the 20th century, by some accounts" according to an earlier Dorchester Reporter article.

The address for The Dot Tavern is 840 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA, 02125.

(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.)