Uptown Social Opens in Boston's South End

A highly-anticipated soul food spot has debuted in Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Uptown Social is now open in the city's South End, moving into the space on Columbus Avenue where Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen had been until closing in late 2023, and before that, The Stork Club, Circle, Bob's Southern Bistro and Bob The Chef's. As mentioned in an earlier article here, Nia Grace (who was involved with Darryl's and who also runs Grace by Nia in the Seaport District) is behind the new restaurant, which focuses on Southern comfort food and cocktails while also featuring live music.

The address for Uptown Social is 604 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. Its website can be found at https://uptownsocialboston.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[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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Soul on Shawmut Has Opened in Roxbury

A new spot for soul food has come to a Boston neighborhood.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Soul on Shawmut is now open in Roxbury, moving into a space just west of Melnea Cass Boulevard on Shawmut Avenue. The menu for the new restaurant shows such options as burgers, steak and cheese subs, a chopped cheese sandwich, wings, fried chicken, rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, yams, Detroit pizza, buffalo chicken eggrolls, collard green gumbo, and more.

The address for Soul on Shawmut is 722a Shawmut Ave, Roxbury, MA, 02119. Its website can be found at https://www.soulonshawmut.com/ while its Instagram page is at https://www.instagram.com/soulonshawmut/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[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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Family Affair in Dorchester's Uphams Corner Closes Its Restaurant; Catering, Pop-Ups to Continue

A Dorchester restaurant that was known for its Caribbean fare and soul food has shut down, though the business itself will remain in operation.

According to a source, Family Affair in Uphams Corner has closed its restaurant, with a Facebook post from the Columbia Road spot saying that it has decided not to renew its lease for the space but it will continue to offer catering while also hosting pop-ups. Family Affair first opened in the summer of 2019, offering such items as jerk chicken nachos, fried fish sandwiches, waffles and wings, macaroni and cheese, and pulled pork.

The address for Family Affair was 554 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA, 02125.

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

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[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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Butter "UR" Biscuit Opens in Beverly

A new dining spot that is a fusion place of sorts has come to the North Shore.

A note sent to us by Richard Auffrey of The Passionate Foodie indicates that Butter "UR" Biscuit is now open in Beverly, with the website for the Rantoul Street restaurant saying that they offer "Latin Soul Cuisine." The menu for the place includes such items as chicken and waffles, buttermilk biscuits with pulled pork or fried chicken, fried macaroni and cheese balls, guava and cheese empanadas, veggie rice bowls, pulled pork burritos, chicken quesadillas, and Caribbean rice and beans.

The address for Butter "UR" Biscuit is 131 Rantoul Street, Beverly MA, 01915. Its website can be found at https://www.butterurbiscuit.com/

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

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[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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Khalil's Kitchen Opens in Brockton

A new restaurant featuring soul food with Caribbean and Cape Verdean influences has come to Brockton--and Boston could eventually see a location as well.

According to an article in The Enterprise, Khalil's Kitchen is now open in Brockton, moving into a space on Main Street a bit south of the downtown area. The post says that owner Rudy Alves serves such items as wings, burgers, and lobster macaroni and cheese, while the restaurant's Instagram page shows options such as jerk chicken sandwiches, surf and turf fries, sweet teriyaki steak tips, and a seafood burger.

Alves mentions in the article that he hopes to open a location somewhere in Boston at some point in time, though specific details have not been given as of yet.

The address for Khalil's Kitchen is 880 Main Street, Brockton, MA, 02301. Its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/khalils_kitchen_/

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

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[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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Lady C&J Cafe Opens in Brockton

A new breakfast and lunch spot with southern influences has come to Brockton, and the person behind it used to run a restaurant with a similar name nearby.

According to a source, Lady C&J Cafe is now open at the downtown Brockton Area Transit terminal, with an article in The Enterprise mentioning that Alabama native Cynthia Hodges is the operator of the Court Street spot. The post states that Hodges used to run Lady C&J Soul Food on Perkins Avenue until 2014, when a fire forced her to shut down the place after 3 1/2 years in business.

Hodges says that Lady C&J Cafe offers a variety of soul food options, including such items as biscuits with sausage gravy, macaroni and cheese, BLTs, egg and cheese sandwiches, Jamaican-style beef patties, empanadas, and fish- and chicken-stuffed pastries.

The address for Lady C&J Cafe is 155 Court Street, Brockton, MA, 02302.

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

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[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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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.)

Family Affair Restaurant and Catering Opens in Dorchester's Uphams Corner Neighborhood

A new restaurant has come to a section of Boston that has relatively few dining options, and it focuses on a mix of cuisines.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Family Affair Restaurant and Catering is now open in the Uphams Corner of Dorchester, with the Columbia Road dining spot offering both Caribbean fare and soul food. The menu at the place--which opened a couple of weeks ago--includes 52 different variations on chicken and waffles, while wings, oxtail, coconut shrimp, macaroni and cheese, curry chicken, fried porgies, candied yams, po' boys, fried dough, and more are also offered.

The address for this new restaurant in Uphams Corner is: Family Affair Restaurant and Catering, 554 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA, 02125. Its website can be found at https://famaffairboston.wixsite.com/mysite

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

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[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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S.M.A.S.H. Soul Food Opens in Saugus

A new restaurant that features Southern-style comfort food dishes has come to a busy stretch of road north of Boston.

A message sent this morning indicates that S.M.A.S.H. Soul Food is now open in Saugus, moving into the food court at the Square One Mall on Route 1. The new eatery--whose name stands for Single Mothers Against Sexual Harassment and which is owned by a single mother of five--offers such dishes as collard greens, potato salad, shrimp and grits, wings, boneless tenders, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken, and they also offer catering as well.

The Facebook page for S.M.A.S.H. Soul Food can be found at https://www.facebook.com/SMASH-Soulfood-280236302658577/

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

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[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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Mrs. Jones in Dorchester's Lower Mills Could Reopen If a Buyer Is Found

We recently reported that a Southern-style soul food eatery in Dorchester had shut its doors. Now we have learned that it could be reopening, though it depends on whether a buyer can be found for it.

The Dorchester Reporter states that the now-closed Mrs. Jones on Dorchester Avenue in Lower Mills could return under new management, but it needs someone to purchase the place. The article says that the owner of the dining spot had to close the place due to health issues, but has asked the landlord to act as a broker to find someone to buy it. At least 20 prospective owners have been interviewed so far, according to the Reporter, with the plan ultimately being to keep it as a soul food spot.

Mrs. Jones had been featured on our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) as a restaurant to go to for such items as corn bread, macaroni and cheese, deep-fried turkey, brisket, pork chops, and more. The review can be found below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/MrsJones.html

The address for Mrs. Jones is 2255 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA, 02124.

Thanks to Eater Boston for bringing this to our attention.

[Earlier Article]
Mrs. Jones in Dorchester's Lower Mills Has Closed

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Mrs. Jones in Dorchester's Lower Mills Has Closed

[Ed Note: This article was updated on August 4 to reflect confirmation that the restaurant has indeed shut its doors.]

It looks like a Southern-style soul food eatery in Dorchester has closed.

Several checks on the restaurant over the past few weeks indicate that Mrs. Jones on Dorchester Avenue in Lower Mills is shuttered, with several sources in the area saying that it has indeed been dark and locked up over recent days. A phone call placed to the dining spot yesterday seems to indicate that this is likely a permanent closure, as their number is now disconnected.

[August 4 update: A note from the Facebook page of the Lower Mills Merchants Association confirms the closing of Mrs. Jones, as there is now a "For Sale" sign out front.]

Mrs. Jones was a restaurant that had been featured on our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) as a place to go for such items as cornbread, candied yams, black-eyed peas, deep-fried turkey and chicken, macaroni and cheese, brisket, and pork chops. The review can be found at the link below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/MrsJones.html

The address for this now-closed restaurant in Dorchester's Lower Mills was: Mrs. Jones, 2255 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA, 02124.

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Wheeler del Torro to Battle Biz Markie in Brighton Food Competition

The person behind an ice cream and dessert cafe in Brighton--and a series of pop-up restaurants--is going to be taking part in a food competition later this month, and his opponent will be a well-known rapper and entertainer.

On Saturday, January 26, chef Wheeler del Torro of 3 Scoops Cafe will face off against Biz Markie at the Washington Street eatery starting at 7:00 PM, with the theme being soul food (the event is celebrating the kickoff of Black History Month). The hour-long Iron Chef-style competition will have each chef creating a dish that uses a secret ingredient, with the dishes being judged by a panel of food experts and celebrities.

Biz Markie is known in part for his hit song "Just a Friend" as well as Nick Jr.'s show Yo Gabba Gabba. He also teaches healthy cooking classes through Living Social in Washington, DC.

Tickets to this event cost $70.00 and can be ordered at the link below.

http://bizmarkiechefbattle.eventbrite.com/

The address for 3 Scoops is 403 Washington Street, Brighton, MA, 02135, and its website can be found at http://3scoopsboston.wordpress.com/


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Fill Belly's Restaurant in Jamaica Plain Is Closed for Renovations

It looks like a soul food restaurant in Jamaica Plain that opened last summer after starting out as a food truck is going to be shuttered for awhile.

According to their Facebook page, Fill Belly's Restaurant on Washington Street is going to be closed for renovations until June. There is little information as to the nature of the renovations, other than a note from the eatery that they will "be back, 100% stronger."

Fill Belly's began its existence as a food truck in the summer of 2010, with its brick-and-mortar restaurant opening in JP about a year later, featuring such dishes as bosilitos, chicken and waffles, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken.

The address for Fill Belly's is: Fill Belly's Restaurant, 3381 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. Their Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/FillbellysRestaurant

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Fillet of Soul Pop-Up Restaurant Coming to Brighton

Another pop-up restaurant is on its way to the Boston area, and this one will focus on healthy takes on soul food.

According to The Boston Phoenix and Eater Boston, the person behind 3 Scoops in Brighton (Wheeler del Torro) will be opening Fillet of Soul, a pop-up that will be open through the month of February and will bring its southern-style food directly to people's doors via a delivery service. A few of the items that will be offered from the pop-up include faux chicken and waffles, macaroni and cheese with soy cheese, and "cleaned up" versions of black-eyed peas and collard greens.

Del Torro will also be hosting Dining in the Dark events in February at 3 Scoops, which is located at 403 Washington Street.

For more information on the Fillet of Soul pop-up restaurant, please go to the Boston Phoenix and Grub Street Boston links below.

[Boston Phoenix]
Wheeler del Torro talks healthy soul food, plus recipes that won't kill you

[Eater Boston]
Fillet of Soul, a Healthy Soul Food Pop-up

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Redbones in Somerville to Put a Food Truck on the Road

A well-known restaurant in the Davis Square section of Somerville that features BBQ and Southern-style fare is getting ready to take their food on the road.

According to the Boston Redevelopment Authority website, Redbones will soon have a food truck in Boston. The Chester Street eatery, which features such items as pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies, ribs, brisket, and catfish, could be on the road as early as next week, according to The Boston Globe, though we are still trying to find out if they will be at one particular spot or moving around to a number of places (the Boston Redevelopment Authority article mentions that there will be 15 permanent locations for food trucks within the Boston city limits).

[July 15 update: An email sent to us from the City of Boston indicates that for the time being, the Redbones food truck will be stationed at a few different spots in the Back Bay of Boston. Locations will include both Boylston Street (in front of the Boston Public Library) and Clarendon Street between Newbury and Boylston Streets (in front of TD Bank) on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Stuart Street at the corner of Trinity Place (in front of the 100 Clarendon Street Garage) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It is possible that this could change at some point, but for now, this is where Redbones will be starting next week.]

The address for the bricks-and-mortar location of Redbones in Davis Square is: Redbones, 55 Chester Street, Somerville, MA, 02144. The phone number is (617) 628-2200. And their website can be found at http://www.redbones.com/

Thanks to Adam's Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog for initially bringing this to our attention.

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Fill Belly's Food Truck Is Replaced by Fill Belly's Restaurant, Now Open in Jamaica Plain

A food truck that hit the Boston scene last year and featured Southern-style comfort food has been replaced, not by another truck, but by a bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Jamaica Plain.

According to their Facebook and Twitter pages, Fill Belly's Restaurant is now open on Washington Street, with the Fill Belly's food truck apparently being put to rest (at least for now). The new eatery focuses on a mix of classic and inventive soul food dishes, with such items as chicken and waffles; a mac & soul casserole with collard greens and candied yams; and bosilitos, or empanadas filled with teriyaki beef or chicken.

The new Fill Belly's Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily, with hours being 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. (Please note that the dining spot is cash only.)

The address for this new restaurant in Jamaica Plain is: Fill Belly's Restaurant, 3381 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. the phone number is (347) 204-8466. And the Twitter and Facebook pages can be found at http://www.twitter.com/FillbellysJP and https://www.facebook.com/FillbellysRestaurant

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J'Way Cafe Opens in Jamaica Plain

A Southern-style dining spot has opened in a rather unusual space in Jamaica Plain. According to the website of Jamaicaway Books & Gifts on Centre Street in the heart of this Boston neighborhood, J'Way Cafe has opened downstairs from the store, featuring an eclectic mix of soul food, Creole, and Cajun fare, as well as other Southern dishes. The menu at J'Way Cafe includes chili, gumbo, jambalaya, sandwiches (pulled pork, Jamaican jerk chicken, catfish, and more), beans and rice, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, and tea cakes. Prices for menu items are well under $10.

[August 12 update: Hours for J'Way Cafe had initially been a bit limited, but have now expanded to the following: Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.]

The address for this new Southern-style dining spot in Jamaica Plain is: J'Way Cafe, 676 Centre Street (downstairs), Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. The phone number for the store is (617) 983-3204. And the web page for the cafe is: http://jamaicawaybooks.com/jway-cafe/

Thanks to a veteran poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this restaurant to our attention.

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Bob's Southern Bistro in the South End to Close; Night Town to Take Its Place

Bob's Southern Bistro, a soul-food restuarant and jazz club, is closing down. An upscale restaurant and lounge will be taking its place, probably opening sometime in December.

Bob's, which used to be known as Bob the Chef's, will be renamed Night Town, according to the Boston Globe. The new restaurant will concentrate on American cuisine, and they will feature a variety of entertainment.

For more information on the closing of Bob's Southern Bistro, please go to this link:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/30/bistro_ending_its_soulful_reign/

Latest Review: Mrs. Jones in Dorchester

Another new review is on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. Mrs. Jones is a Southern-style restaurant in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester that caters mostly to people looking for takeout food. The menu at Mrs. Jones features a number of interesting soul food items, including collard greens, ham hocks, deep-fried turkey, and sweet potato pie. Click the link here to find out more about this terrific new restaurant that is only a short distance away from the Southeast Expressway.