Bennigan's is the place to go for classic tastes and new favorites you haven't tried yet. This family-friendly restaurant serves typical American fare with an Irish slant. The chain recently unveiled a menu made with Guinness stout including a Guinness-glazed angus sirloin and the Guinness Maximus (a combo platter of boneless chicken wings, Guinness-glazed popcorn shrimp and beer-battered onion rings).

Viga is a very popular lunch place. The salad and pizza combo can provide a cheap and tasty option, and the sandwiches and wraps are sizable. Their website is: http://www.vigaeatery.com/

About two months after Rachel's Kitchen closed, a new neighborhood sandwich shop is opening in the same cozy space in Bay Village. Patty Sinaiko and Mike Fitzhenry, who met while working at Formaggio Kitchen, use locally grown produce and organic ingredients when possible to make affordable gourmet sandwiches (about $7), prepared foods and homemade layer cakes and cookies. The tiny spot will have a few seats, but will mostly be for takeout. They are also serving breakfast - buckwheat pancakes are a standout - in addition to fabulous sandwiches like a Croque Monsieur or Madame, or a Torta: pork, cjicken, or chorizo with a jicama slaw, black bean refritos, and goat cheese. Delicious!

The Parish Cafe is like the Norton Anthology of Boston's culinary cosmos. The list of culinary contributors reads like a Who's Who of Boston chefs: Todd English (Olives), Jody Adams (Rialto), Lydia Shire (Excelsior—formerly Biba) and other big stars descend from their constellations to endow the menu with incredible specialty sandwiches ($9-20) which do marvelous things with chicken, portabello, lobster, brioche, focaccia. The best bartenders in the scene also contribute towards a highly creative martini menu ($5.75-7.50). The Parish Cafe was voted the best purveyor of sandwiches 4 years in a row, and the Unofficial Guide heartily concurs. They also offer a beer card program in which you must taste all of their offered beers to earn a prized mug engraved with anything you like. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

If you're going to do fast food, opt for the healthier alternative. Located in the heart of the Theatre District, this Subway is a regular haunt for Emerson students and theater-goers looking for a quick bite to eat. One of the few fast-food options in this regentrified part of town, the Tremont Street location boasts a cleaner-than-average store and decent arsenal of sit-down tables. Great selection of hot sandwiches and low-fat wraps. And the bread is baked fresh daily.

Rattlesnake is one of the only roof-top bars in Backbay. Serving up drinks and food on three different levels (including a second level pool area), Rattlesnake has a little bit of "scene" for everyone. The first level is crowded- with after-work drinkers. In the summer, the floodgates are open and people pile in to get a spot on the covetted spot on the deck. The menu features grilled pizzetas, burgers, and sandwiches (all of the south of the border influence. Link to the Dinner Menu

The Jacob Wirth Restaurant has been a Boston favorite since 1868. While Jacob Wirth's is Boston's only German restaurant and beer hall, it's a pretty authentic one. While an odd mix of regulars and theatergoing out-of-towners fill the airy dining hall's communal tables, area workers pack the front bar area to watch sports and enjoy bargain happy hour food specials. Friday nights attract exceptionally boisterous crowds for a giant sing-along that's driven by a live pianist. They have a whole book of lyrics for anyone (old and new) who inclines to join. They're hardcore! Check the restaurant's website for its weekly specials (three-course meals on Sundays for $20, all-you-can-eat pasta on Tuesdays for $10). Not to mention the beer club! No dues, no hassles, good people, great beer.

Laurel Grill and Bar is ideally located on the edge of the Back Bay and the South End. Convenient to all the Back Bay has to offer the trendier South End location is a little more relaxed than its Back Bay counterparts. The contemporary American restaurant specializes in a variety of fresh fish, steaks as well as pastas and vegetarian selections. The location was home to the owner's first restaurant the Blue Wave over since 1991. Several years ago the chef owners transformed the large open space into more intimate and less noisy dining environment. Originally designed as an urban oasis the restaurant continues to remain both a relaxing place to enjoy your meal and still feel the buzz of the South End dining experience.

Souper Salad has the basics covered. Salad bar with all the fixins, hearty soups that warm you up, and a variety of sandwiches. A good, quick place to grab a bite when you can manage to sneak out of the office for a few minutes. Locations throughout the city with prices ranging from $4-$8. Can get very busy lunchtime during the work week.

Atop a glass-roofed fitness club, this restaurant-cafe and 2 bars cater to the area's “guppie” (gay-yuppie) crowd. Familiars will know that the “club” monicker is deceiving: Club Cafe is more restaurant than bar, and certainly not so much club, making it a good place to actually have conversations. The fun, chic video bar features a VJ on weekend nights, drawing both young and old, and though no dancing goes on, the trendy techno music makes Club Cafe a great pre-game stop before you hit up Machine or The Estate. A piano bar entertains those with more subdued tastes, and W karaoke caters to those who'd rather make music than listen. Weekday lunch is popular, as is Su brunch ($15). Beer $3-3.50, mixed drinks $4-5. Casual. Voted best Gay and Lesbian nightspot.
This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.


Tip: Stop in any evening before 7:30pm, order any entree and receive any sandwich, burger or designated entree for $2.09.