Tourist Traps – Boston, MA

We’ve read and watched our fair share of Boston tourist guides. Most of them recommend overpriced, mediocre food that most locals would not be caught dead eating. In this article, we are going to give you an honest review of three of Boston’s biggest tourist traps. We’ll let you know if they worth your time and money.

Boston Chowda Co.

We will start this one by saying: just completely avoid any food in Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. It’s going to be way overpriced and very average at best.

New England is known for clam chowder, so every tourist who comes to town wants to try a bowl. Just like lobster rolls, there are two main styles of clam chowder. One style is thick and creamy, while the other is thinner and more broth-like. Both are good, and it’s really up to your preference. But 99% of the time, if you get chowder in Boston, it’s going to be thick and creamy.

Bringing this back to Boston Chowda Co. These guys take thick and creamy to the next level. Their chowder is straight sludge. This stuff is beyond thick. However, there’s a major ingredient that is very sparse in their clam chowder… the clams. In our ideal chowder we want to get a few clams in every bite. But the chowder here does not deliver. If you are visiting Boston, you have to try chowder. But this is not the spot.

Regina Pizzeria

The Northeast is known for its pizza. New York and Connecticut get most of the shine, but Boston has a strong pizza scene as well.

The North End is known for its deep Italian roots, and boasts some of the best Italian food in the city. It is also home to Regina, which has been a Boston staple since 1926. To this day, you can expect to wait in line at the O.G. spot, no matter what time it is.

So, should you wait in line for this Boston classic? If you asked us, we would say no.

In our opinion, there are plenty of places that are much better. That being said, Regina Pizzeria is not a complete tourist trap. You can get solid, middle-of-the-road pizza here. It won’t change your life, but it always will leave you saying, “yeah, that was alright”.

The Barking Crab

The vibe check at The Barking Crab is a 10 out of 10, but the food here is a 1 out of 10.

Located right by the Boston Tea Party boat, this red and yellow tent is hard to miss. Right on the water at the start of the Seaport, this location can’t be beat. There are beautiful city views, nautical decorations, and smells of salt water.

If you are looking to stop by for a drink, we would highly recommend that. But whatever you do, DO NOT get the food here. The lobster rolls are easily the worst we’ve ever had. The McDonald’s in New England had lobster rolls for a limited time, and those were probably better than the ones on offer here. A good lobster roll has chunks of claw, knuckle, and tail meat. This one has almost none of that.

Your eyes might light up when they bring the roll to the table, but that’s because they only put lobster on the top of the roll. The middle of the roll is completely empty! The lobster here is not sweet and buttery. Instead, it is bland and frozen tasting. The clam chowder here is not much better. It’s better than Boston Chowda Co. but not by much.

When it comes to tourist traps, the Barking Crab takes the cake.