Food & Drink Guide to the East Boston Waterfront

Over the years, East Boston’s Waterfront area has completely transformed.

This slept-on neighborhood features breathtaking views of the city skyline, tons of awesome Hispanic food, and the new “waterfront” area which contains some of the most well-known restaurants in Boston.

We’ve covered many of Eastie’s best spots before, but in this guide we are focusing specifically on the Waterfront.

Mida East Boston

Mida made our list for best places to get homemade pasta in Boston, and is one of our go-to spots outside of the North End.

Now, you can enjoy fresh Italian food right on the water in Eastie.

Being on the water, it only feels right to get fritto misto, which is their version of fried calamari and clam strips. Crispy and crunchy, this app is super addictive.

Our favorite here is the short rib lasagna. The short rib is so juicy and savory, it’s hard to go back to ground beef lasagna after trying it.

No matter what you get at Mida, it is going to be made with a care and precision that’s usually only seen in fine dining world.

The Smoke Shop

Just one building down are the local BBQ kings, The Smoke Shop.

These guys are known for their BBQ, and rightfully so.

But what most people don’t know is that they have a passion for whiskey.

With over 250 whiskeys available, you can easily spend an evening making your way through a whiskey flight while admiring Boston’s harbor and skyline.

They also host “whiskey dinners” where they pair various whiskeys with their BBQ.

A match made in heaven if you ask us.

BBQ-wise, The Smoke Shop does pretty much everything well.

We always judge a BBQ spot by the quality of their brisket.

Our only complaint with this brisket was that we left wanting more. 

The pulled pork sandwich is also one of our go-to’s here. For those days when we aren’t looking for a full platter of meat.

Downeast Cider House

With beer garden right on the water and a year-round tap room across the street, we’re pretty big fans of Downeast.

If you haven’t heard of Downeast, you might be living under a rock because it seems to be on tap at almost every bar in Boston.

We love that Downeast’s taproom hearkens back to the early brewery boom, as it’s located right in the middle of the brewing operation. You’re right in the middle of all the tanks on the production floor, so you see exactly how the cider is being brewed.

We were also surprised to see the extensive menu. It featured several taproom exclusives and some flavors that we’ve never seen canned before.

Downeast is a great spot to start or end the night.