Food News

The ultimate guide to late-night food in Greater Boston

Diner demand, staffing issues, and COVID have contributed to Boston's late-night food struggles. Our guide proves there are still plenty of options to support.

By Katelyn Umholtz

October 17, 2024

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What counts as a late-night restaurant in Boston? It depends who you ask. 

For diners looking for a bite after a show lets out in the Theater District at 11 p.m., there would be dozens of late-night food options that satisfy a late-night craving. Young-adult bar hoppers in Camberville may see fewer restaurants open after 2 a.m. closing time. And workers heading home after their shift ends at 4 a.m. may find it easier to just go home to a bag of chips in the pantry rather than locate late-night takeout in sleepy Boston. 

“Around here, you are lucky to find a fast food drive-thru closing at 1 a.m., (or) else it’s a bag of Doritos from the 24-hour drugstore,” said reader Jane H. of Malden in a recent Boston.com form.

The complaint that Boston’s nightlife and late-night food options are lacking is not new, and there are several reasons residents point to when asked why Boston slows down on the early side: The MBTA doesn’t run past 1 a.m. (though there’s interest from general manager Phillip Eng in changing that). Bostonians are possibly just sleepier. Strict laws around liquor licenses and rising rents make it harder to open restaurants and bars.

Does Boston have 24-hour restaurants?

There are only two 24-hour licenses in the city, South Street Diner and Bova’s Bakery. Sol Sidell, owner of the downtown diner since 1997, doesn’t accept the notion that Boston’s people aren’t night owls — some of the South Street’s busiest hours are between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m, filled with a mix of post-bar foodies and workers on the graveyard shift. But he also said many of those orders are for takeout, a shift due to COVID-19.

And because he owns a diner that serves food into the wee hours of the morning, his opinion on what counts as late-night food skews much later.

“I don’t think [closing at] 1 in the morning is a late-night place,” Sidell said.

I don’t often inject myself into stories, but I feel it’s important to note that I’m a Boston newcomer, hailing from New Orleans. Before that, I did a one-year stint in Las Vegas. Both have 24-hour bars. I’ve filled my belly with red beans and rice covered in a generous coating of Crystal Hot Sauce at 3 a.m. on the outskirts of the French Quarter, and I’ve watched the sun rise after eating a prime rib in a smoke-filled casino on Fremont Street. 

After a year of living here, I can confirm that Boston and New Orleans are polar opposites when it comes to nightlife. But that doesn’t paint a full and fair picture. 

Like Boston, most cities have 2 a.m. or earlier closing times for bars, and many kitchens close before the bar does. New Orleans, Vegas, New York, and Miami Beach are rarities.

But even in the cities widely known for their nightlife, late-night culture was wounded when the COVID-19 lockdown took effect. At one point, people weren’t going out at all. At the same time, restaurants had to lay off staff. Once out of lockdown, diners had gotten used to staying in with takeout, and weren’t as interested in late-night excursions. 

This coincided with restaurants struggling to hire people willing to work late hours, as well as rising costs pushing restaurants to reduce their hours.

“Even the last time I went to New York City, the city that never sleeps, there weren’t a lot of late-night options,” said Charlie Redd, owner of Dragon Pizza.

Redd had to cut the late-night hours at Dragon Pizza due to the pandemic. About two years ago, those late-night hours of keeping his Davis Square eatery open until midnight returned for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Why extend hours, even though it may be harder to find people to work those shifts, and when customers are going home earlier? Redd said if you want to see Boston’s late-night culture improve, you have to be part of it, and right now not enough businesses feel comfortable taking that chance.

“Boston historically has always tried to restrict [late-night culture],” Redd said. “It historically hasn’t been there, so it’s really hard to build. You’re asking people to build a business that doesn’t really exist.”

Corean Reynolds, Boston’s director of nightlife economy, said it’s her job to make sure businesses know how they can extend their hours through the Licensing Board.

For example, after hearing from firefighters who worked late that their meal break options were limited downtown, Reynolds’ office helped Black Seed Halal in Downtown Boston extend its hours, now open until as late as 4 a.m. some nights. 

Reynolds said she’s also seen in the last few years more restaurants with late-night menus, often with fewer options than their typical menu or more manageable foods for a late-night kitchen. 

“We’re encouraging businesses,” Reynolds said. “If that’s the way they want to take their business, then we’re more than welcome to have them apply for a license.” 

Are complaints about Boston’s late night culture fair? Sure. But are restaurants also right in saying that they can’t stay open if no one is out? Absolutely.

Finding late-night food in Boston

Boston.com put together a late-night guide, including restaurants from every Boston neighborhood except West Roxbury, and surrounding towns. A kitchen had to be open at least until 11 p.m., which may not be late for Sidell and myself, but what is late is subjective. And late-night food isn’t just for people leaving the bars at 2 a.m., but also for workers whose shifts end at varying times throughout the night.

A note about the hours listed below: Boston.com fact-checked whether kitchen hours were different from what is posted online by calling and emailing restaurants. Also these hours could change, and Boston.com will do its best to update these hours when they change.

For takeout options, which also sometimes differ from other hours posted online, check the restaurant’s website for more information.

Night owls, now is your time to support late-night culture in Boston. 

Map: Find Boston restaurants open late

Full list of late-night restaurants in Boston

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

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Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.

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