This incredibly popular chain sits in Boston's Faneuil Hall area and caters to a mix of tourists and locals alike who will wait a long time to get a table. Also very popular with the Brooks Brothers suit wearing crowd that starts piling in for drinks weeknights around 5 pm- esp. popular in the summer for it's large patio. If you think schnozzing with people in power suits is sexy, this is the place. The decor is bizarre - huge metal horse statue, striking lighting, a wall made of giant Jenga pieces, and a drawer which pulls out of the kitchen area filled with only tortilla chips (you can't make stuff like this up). The fries are incredibly thin, shoestring type, so definitely come here if you like this kind of fry. Fall-off-the-bone ribs and sizzling steaks are their specialty.

Bertucci's may not recreate a North End-like atmosphere, but its convenient location and creative, top-notch brick-oven pizzas are nothing to scoff at. To attempt authenticity, try a large neapolitan thin-crust pizza ($18, good for 2 or 3 people; fight over the olive) or sample one of the many savory, generous pasta or meat entrees. The daily express lunch (11am-3pm) is a good way to get just as much quality (as well as free salad) for much less of your time and money (all entrees $8). Finally, a word about the hot rolls that come with meals: everyone loves them. The wait can be long—especially on weekend nights—-call ahead to put your name on the list. Additional locations in Cambridge and along the east coast. Entrees $8-18.

Fast counter-style service and friendly workers get your order to you well-prepared and in a hurry. Their summer burrito with tofu is a favorite among the herbivores I know and a few of their smoothies have vegan options if you subtract the honey. This used to be called The Wrap, with kinda small burritos but very yummy.

The atmosphere is not amazing, more that of quick lunch spot, but it is the food that makes this place great. The grilled meats are the best - always juicy and smoky on outside. Unfortunately the falafel is on the dry side. I HIGHLY recommended a western Turkish special they have called etli sac kebabi. It's a flavorful lamb dish that is just outstanding.

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This is a great place to go if you want to hang out but not dance, featuring relaxed music mixes by Party Ben. The atmosphere is comfortable, you can take your friends or a date. The decor had textured white columns, dark wood furniture with black trim for the bar and tables, rich red seating in the lounge area. Wednesday nights they have a Frank Sinatra impersonator, which you think might be a bad thing, but this guy is excellent and is worth the trip alone. You really have to stop by sometime just to hear him, take my word for it. DJs keep the action moving on the dance floor on the weekends. Red Sky is below the Millenium Hotel in Faneuil Hall. (Why is it at a different address then?)

There's much to recommend Sakurabana as the perfect downtown lunch stop: quick service, great specials, and terrific sushi. At both lunch and dinner, an extensive menu and large portions don't hurt the cause either. Enjoy steaming miso soup and a round of sashimi for dinner, or enjoy sushi and drinks at the bar. The menu is comprised of sushi, maki, and hot Japanese dishes. All of the sushi and maki is incredibly fresh, and the maki choices range from the standard to the sublime; a good judge of a sushi bar is how fresh their salmon is, and Sakurabana passes the test every time. If you opt for a lunch special, there are several combinations: two maki rolls, miso soup and salad, or miso soup and a variety of sushi, or a teriyaki lunch box with your choice of meat, shumai, miso soup and fruit. Smart casual dress. Reservations accepted for dinner.

The brainchild of chef and restaurateur Todd English, Kingfish Hall is located in the heart of Boston's historic Faneuil Hall and is seafood dining at its best. The extensive menu features New England classics as well as a handpicked daily selection of fresh, local, coldwater shellfish and sushi selections plus daily specials.

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant maintains a stellar reputation for uncompromising value and quality. This restaurant's classic menu features more than 40 varieties of fresh fish and seafood, flown in daily. In addition to delicious seafood from local shores and both coasts, menu highlights include tempting pasta, poultry and beef specialties from Executive Chef Joseph Bartel.