My parents and I came home to visit my grandparents on the Cape in the late 70s. Thanks everyone. Great memories of that places. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Ever notice how many businesses, even very old well established ones, close after being sold to new owners? Legal Sea Foods - Charles Square: Located in the shadow of the Charles Hotel, the lone Harvard Square outpost of this local seafood emporium has shuttered. Today, a mammoth Barnes & Noble bookstore occupies the space where the restaurant once stood. My parents and I would go there for special meals. In its prime, Hilltop Steakhouse was regularly listed among the busiest restaurants in the world. This popular spot was especially well-known for its macaroons! They had the best hamburger rolls I have ever eaten. The tavern was named after Dr. Joseph Warren, a Patriot leader who was killed in action during that famous, aforementioned battle that took place in Charlestown. Before that the land was on the Higginson estate. Still, most of us locals didnt have a chance to give a final farewell to the following establishments: Legal Oysteria: Charlestown's premier spot for slurping fresh bivalves, courtesy of the Legal Sea Foods empire, has closed up its raw bar for good. Sablones Veal n Vintage in Bostons East End. They dont know what ice cream is down here. Was sad to hear Brighams closed. My family would go to Custys every year when my uncle came up from N.C. Loved the silver cups and plates they would put the sundaes in, and, yes, the hot fudge was dripping over the side. Mary-Ellen Tucker DeRosa. What a delicious combination. We used to live on the corner of Broadway (Route 1) walking distance to the Town Lyne House. I found this Jordan Marsh macaroon recipe online. Greatly miss so many,this topic really stirs memories for a lot of us,..how about Dinos Sea Grill on Tremont Street Boston? It was an occasional outing from our family home in Burlington . Anyone know? Polcaris in Bostons North End is still operating is it not? But we never let go of our past loves, so lets step into the wayback machine and revisit a few of the now-closed New England restaurants that live on in our memory. Many of my favorites already mentioned but have to add Buttricks Ice Cream, Cottage Crest in Reading,the old Carrolls Diner in Medford, Arnies Fireside in Dedham & Beef N Ale Boston next to the Music Hall/Wang Theatre. I go every year when visiting Bow Lake! Great German Food and atmosphere. The Steaming Kettle in Government Center the BEST clam chowder EVAH!!! The grilled and buttered rolls were delicious!! John Durgin and Eldridge Park took that over in 1827 (a third partner, John Chandler, came aboard in 1840, but by then it was apparently too late to add his name). I used to go there before my evening shift. Long gone, now, of course. Great Article! Apparently he was quite the kidder. I think they are still at Faneuil Hall. Boylston Street -- one of the most popular and busiest in Boston -- grew eerily quiet when the state first required businesses to close under the COVID-19 restrictions. Miss them all. And a graduation dinner! With characters the likes of which the world will never see again. Really a place to go. Anyone remember Custys all you can eat lobster buffet in Rhode Island? Does anyone remember the Cranberry Bog Restaurant on RT 184 ( Providence-New London Turnpike) in North Stonington, CT? Best special occasion restaurant ever! Pour House: This down-and-dirty Boylston Street haunt delighted everyone from Rihanna to penny-pinching local students. We loved Heck Allens too. What a nice trip down memory lane! . They were famous for their huge slabs of the tastiest Prime Rib you could have. ), Me. KPub is now in the same building. Flagstones was our familys choice for birthday dinners. The best veal parmigiana! I only got to Durgin-Park once, but it was great. This was in the 70s. They call them muisjes. Top of the Hub: Among special occasion spots, Top of the Hub towered over the competition from its perch atop the Prudential Tower since its inception in 1965. Had our first date at Hilltop in 1983. Many a last call at the South Pacific in Newton. We used to have lunch at Brighams. He let each of his employees make a pizza to take home with them at closing shift. Ma Glockners was fabulous, especially their incredible cream pies! Les Zygomates: A longtime staple of the Leather District, this Gallic wine bar and jazz hangout was a favorite of after-work crowds near South Station. And not only do these joints no longer exist, but what has replaced them condos, new businesses, university buildings have eradicated any trace of what went down. ONCE Ballroom: This indie-focused music venue and lounge in Somerville has hosted its last show. In 1920, this shop started out as a humble dry goods store, but within a decade, it had changed direction to focus on women's clothing. Loved going to Cafe Budapest for an elegant meal and great ambience. How they used to flock to Anthonys and stand in line waiting for an hour or more! It was a high class restaurant. A little late maybe, but cant forget Mama Leones in Boston {servicemen in uniform eat for free), the Kon-Tiki Room at the Sheraton-Prudential Center; The Commodore in North Beverly; The Junction for ice cream in Essex, MA ; Hojos all-you-can-eat clams (strips only)all across New England; Pilots Grill and Millers in Bangor, ME; The Sail inn near Bucksport, ME; The 95er in Bangor, ME; and Vallees Steak House at Exit 8 in Portland, ME. And their 3 lb back stuffed was great. Had been to the Hearth and Kettle in Hyannis back in the 80s while visiting my grandmother. I remember great times sitting there with my Dad and having a pint:) I have some similar memories of the Student Prince (aka The Fort) in Springfield MA. MIT students made a game of stealing them and placing them in bizarre locations- like the top of the dome on the main building on campus. Favorite gone-but-not-forgotten bars and nightclubs in Boston: The Yokens restaurant was just off the freeway in Portsmouth. . I lived on the corner of Broadway ( RT 1) and Lakeside about 4 doors down from the Towne Lyne House between 69-71 . But it was hard to match the unique charm of the original, whose hallmarks included long waits, 20-seat communal tables, and sassy/surly waitstaff. I would be bribed to bring back lobsters every trip to the buffet whether I wanted one or not, for my lobster eating competing uncles. Stoddard's: Tucked away in the Leather District, this retro drinking and dining haunta favorite of Downtown Crossing's after-work crowdshas shuttered its doors. Also, their clam chowder was also delicious. Great place. The Three Judges on the border of New Haven and Woodbridge, CT. We felt so grown up! I worked at Senior Pizza in the late 1960sa poor hippy girlthe manager was an angel. It seems to me I remember they had a punch card when they took your order, Anyone remember The Skipper right over the bridge in Fairhaven,Ma. Under =Boston Restaurants are 2 Downtown Scandinavian ones; Olas,14 Carver St ,Park Square and the one I think you are remembering.. Anthonys Pier 4 in Boston and Saunders at Rye Harbor, NH. Loved the fried clams at the Redwing! They grew their own vegetables in a garden outside near a shuffleboard court. The Arrow and Marios in Westport, CT. Marios was a favorite watering hole across from the Metro North train station. Yokens, Hilltop, Valles, The Modern and Greenwich Turkey Farm in Nashua, and the Hanover House in Manchester and last but not least, the China Dragon in Hooksett. My father would coach us not to even think about the salad or a potato, just go straight to the lobstah station.. We got our fill and our moneys worth. They had the best seafood platter and a delicious filet mignon! If Grandmother was with us, shed pretend to read all the white lettered black menu boards, and finally order Just a cup of coffee, dear and then innocently inquire if they might have a little bun or something on the side? - Always turned out to be a glazed cinnamon dome that shed protest was too big for her but somehow managed to finish that last bite with her last sip of java. ! Ricky Buster McHavaham, The Hilltop Steak House! Cafeteria Boston: One of the city's most popular see-and-be-seen spots has permanently closed after 13 years on Newbury Street. Old Sully's Boarded Up, Looks to be Closed for Good Thanks for subscribing! Anyone remember Honisss on State Street in Hartford? The Shiro in Berlin. Not living in Boston, it was a place to go to if at 11 at night one got a hunger attact. Fenmore Grill: Situated a long foul ball from Fenway Park, the Hotel Buckminster and its in-house Fenmore Grill have both shuttered. Boston Bars That Have Closed Because Of The Coronavirus Pandemic Saw Kenny Rogers there in 70s. For 47 years, Johnny D's in Somerville was a popular music venue for acts ranging from the Dixie Chicks to Neil Young. This was supposed to be its death knell; instead, its popularity increased. John Zappala created it into a brigantine, two-masted sailing vessel with elegant dining on two levels. The mini-golf course (plus batting cages and other amusements) that the orange dinosaur was part of is now condos, but they preserved the dinosaur; its easily visible from route 1. Welicks in Franklin for their fried seafood and they were open year round, not like the roadside stands. Sigh plus cest change, Anyone remember where in Boston Justins was? Also the prime rib of course! 3 Steeple Street Bistro and Bar 125 Canal Street Providence, RI 02903; 88 Wharf . Chicken Delight In 1989, Hilltop grossed $60 million, serving more than 2 million hungry diners. So miss this restaurant. What about LockeOber in Boston? Locke-Ober was a Boston dining institution from 1875 until 2012. In 2011, the Oak Room was gutted, leaving a familiar feeling for its fans while becoming a bright, shimmering bar and lounge that befits the hotels jazz age birth. Two more owners saw the restaurant through its next 60 years, until it was finally sold in 2007 to Ark Restaurants, whose other holdings include Bryant Park Grill in New York City and Sequoia in Washington, D.C. During its long run, Durgin-Park flirted with expansion, operating satellite locations at Copley Place and Logan Airport for a time. My father took me to Locke-Ober while I was still in college in the 60s and as I recall the had one room for men and another for women and children. Blacksmith shop in Whitman/North River House in ?Pembroke/Isaacs & Burts in Plymouth, MA, Honisss was our go to restaurant for many years. 1 there is called Providence Hwy. They were biggest of all. I would check every one of the restaurants I saw, looking for it. The Seawitch Restaurant & Shop on Route 1 Gone, Bel-Aire Diner, Route One North, in Danvers, MA. There were road signs telling you it was coming up ahead. I believe they are still open and that the address is in Walpole, just north of Foxborough. Cuchi Cuchi: For 19 years, Cantabrigians flocked to this Central Square hideaway to enjoy globally-inspired small plates and creative cocktails. I now live in Fargo and miss this wonderful restaurant and all the staff tremendously. I miss them both. Somerville Brewing: One of Somerville's most beloved spots for creative beers and snacks has served its last pint. On weekends, wed get there a little early so that we could enjoy the live entertainment singing the standards. Too far from my home in Wakefield. One of my favorites thats now gone, was Steves Greek on Newbury St. We ate there all the time in the 1990s and early 2000s. My family would dine there occasionally and it was always a special treat. Late hours with great fries and roast beef sandwiches. Commodore was great, as was the General Glover House in ? Great place to work. My favorite was Hilltop Steak House for the Lobstah pie!