If you’re bringing the family to a Red Sox game and want to eat before getting to Fenway Park, there are plenty of fun options to stop for a meal on your way to the ballpark. Each place on this list offers something for the whole family: from the food, to the atmosphere to the entertainment options, each restaurant is a recipe for a great time no matter what your age.
Hojoko is a hip eatery located in the trendy Verb Hotel, just across the street from Fenway. This “rock and roll Japanese tavern” offers fun dishes like Brains on Crack (yes, real calf brains with XO butter), Funky Chicken Ramen and Doggzilla (a bacon-wrapped cheesedog with kabayaki sauce). In case you’re wondering about the restaurant’s sports bonafides, Hojoko was in the news recently as the winner of Julian Edelman’s beard clippings and owners plan to display the prize on the walls of the establishment. Edelman himself is a fan of Hojoko and has said its burger is one of his favorite in Boston, calling it “insane.”
Where: The Verb Hotel, 1271 Boylston St, Boston, MA
617-670-0507
Yes, it is a chain. Yes it’s got a celebrity name, but Wahlburgers is not some gimmick. Massachusetts natives Paul, Mark and Donnie Wahlberg opened their chain in 2011 in their home state as a great place for families to sit down together and share a meal. Its location just steps away from Fenway Park makes it a perfect complement to a Red Sox game. The menu obviously has burgers, including House Burgers, some wild Specialty Burgers and the plant-based Impossible Burger. But it also caters to little ones specifically with a special Smahlburgers menu for kids. And eating at a restaurant owned by some of the Red Sox’ most famous fans is definitely a fun way to start a trip to the ballpark.
Where: 132 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA
617-927-6810
Thornton’s Fenway Bar & Grille
Thornton’s Fenway Bar & Grille is down the street from Fenway Park and offers indoor and outdoor seating to gear up for a game. Its extensive menu includes a ton of kid-friendly options, like nachos, penne pasta and the primary component of all children’s diets: chicken fingers. This neighborhood grill also has a fun diner-vibe and a huge brunch menu, with french toast, waffles and endless egg dishes as an option before a day game. The bar has plenty of grown up juice, but it’s also got a delicious selection of ice cream drinks for kids. If you’re bringing the family to Fenway, Thornton’s is a hidden gem fan-favorite before or after a game.
Where: 100 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA
617-421-0104
If you want some action-packed fun with your food before heading to the ballpark, Kings is your place. It offers bowling, skee ball, shuffleboard, air hockey, pool and over thirty big-screen HDTVs. The menu has a wide variety of fun options, including the Impossible Cheeseburger Enchiladas, a Bourbon BBQ Burger, streets tacos and pizza. There are also monstrous Mega Shakes overflowing with ice cream and a kids menu with even more games to play right at the table. Kings is a perfect place for the whole family to have a blast before heading to Fenway Park or while watching the game on TV.
Where: 50 Dalton Street, Boston, MA
617-266-2695