Where To Eat Near TD Garden – Boston, MA

Celtics and Bruins season is in full effect, and there are an endless number of nearby spots to grab a drink and some food before the game. With Hub Hall now open, those choices have grown even more with tons of quality restaurants heading there. However, not all Garden pregame is built the same. So, we are going to share with you three of our favorite spots to visit before or after a game.

Night Shift Brewing – Lovejoy Wharf

Nothing goes better with sports than beer. Night Shift has continued to grow its presence around the area, and has really hit it off with this taproom located on the wharf next to the Garden.

If there’s decent weather, you’ll be able to enjoy their beers and great views of the Zakim Bridge on their patio. But the real reason to come here isn’t the beer– it’s actually their pizza. Night Shift secretly has some of the best pizza in Boston. They specialize in Detroit-style pizza which is square-cut in a metal pan. The results are a super crispy bottom with caramelized edges and a light, airy middle.

The pepperoni is done right, with mini pepperonis that are cooked to the verge of burning– their middles sinking in and the edges curling up. And their figgy piggy pizza is like a charcuterie board in a slice. It’s a great combination of sweet and salty.

Tip Tap Room

As much as we like Night Shift’s beer, if you are a true beer lover then Tip Tap Room is the stop before the game that you can’t miss. With 40 rotating taps and brewer relationships that very few other restaurants have, it’s always an adventure going here.

Early this year, they received the only keg of Toppling Goliath Mornin’ Delight, a world famous stout that is usually released once a year. If you want it you’ll have to win a lottery and make a pilgrimage out to their brewery in Idaho. That, or pay exorbitant prices on the aftermarket. You can also find Vermont favorites Foam and Hill Farmstead, as well as a number of top breweries from around the world.

Also, the appetizers here are also great if you are looking for a quick bite before the game. Two of our favorites are the wild boar meatballs and the Korean chicken wings. The Korean wings have a sweet chili soy-based sauce on them– and these are fat wings. There is plenty of meat on the bone. On the other hand, the wild boar meatballs are small and easy to pop in your mouth. They come in a pool of delicious sauce that we usually soak our french fries in (go head, judge us).

A&B Kitchen & Bar

With the beer prices at games these days you are going to want to get your buzz on before walking in. A&B Kitchen & Bar, a place known for having very good burgers, perhaps more importantly, has adult milkshakes.

From their O.G. location up in Beverly, they brought their farm-to-table burger concept down to Boston, while also expanding the menu beyond just burgers. But when we go here, we always get a burger because they are big, juicy, and use meat straight from the ranch with no “middle man” involved.

Right across from the TD Garden, this is a fantastic option for a bite and drinks before the game.