Whether you’re getting giddy about fall foliage or surviving the chaos of back-to-school season, summer is (almost) gone and September is here—and thankfully full of good food. We’re back with our monthly where-to-eat guide: new restaurant openings, expansions and revamps of existing businesses, and a few upcoming debuts we’re watching closely. This month’s list includes fancy takeout sushi, ridiculously good shawarma, squirt-gun-topped drinks, Sunday roasts, and more. (Check out last month’s guide here.)

Jump to:  

• New restaurants
• Older restaurants doing new things
• Looking ahead

Recent (or imminent) openings to check out.

This just might be the best shawarma you’ve ever had, courtesy of a new Haymarket-area shop that does one thing and does it exceptionally well. Crispy saj bread + sweet pomegranate molasses + bold garlic sauce = shawarma perfection.

100 Blackstone St., Downtown Boston, 617-857-2222, baba-shawarma.com.

Craving something crispy? Boston Fry House fries just about everything: chicken tenders, nuggets, and wings; pickles; haddock (try it as a sandwich); calamari; and more. Fries and onion rings, naturally. There are burgers, too, if you need a break from fried things, but then maybe this isn’t the spot for you?

22 Kneeland St., Chinatown, bostonfryhousema.com.

Date-night takeout sushi boxes? Count us in. Omakase expert Chris Chung of Cambridge’s Momi Nonmi, in collab with Kenny Leung of Watertown’s Tori Jiro, brings his talents to the South Shore with this more-casual spin on the seafood art form.

1211 Hancock St., Quincy Center, instagram.com/juni.restaurant.

There’s nothing like a hometown success story. Chef and Chelmsford native Brendan Pelley—known for his work at award-winning Greek restaurants like Bar Vlaha—goes solo here, whipping up inventive, soulful counter-service Greek (and ice cream to boot!)

18 Boston Rd., Ste. 200, Chelmsford, krikrigrill.com.

Eclectic fare is the name of the game at this genre-defying follow-up from the Spoke Wine Bar team—and we’re totally here for it. Expect deconstructed beef-tongue steak-and-cheese on a sizzling platter, tiny water guns on cocktail glasses, and lots more quirky fun.

1153 Broadway, Teele Square, Somerville, restaurantliars.com.

Rice-wine-based spirits star at Boston’s newest distillery (opening imminently), where husbands Will Blessing and Josh Moss explore their scientific backgrounds and Blessing’s Korean heritage with deliciously boozy results. Drink-friendly Korean snacks like tteokbokki (sweet-spicy rice cakes) seal the deal.

89 Heath St., Mission Hill, Boston, namudistilling.com.

Like Kri Kri Grill (see above), this is another hometown-hero story of a chef opening a restaurant in the ‘burb in which he grew up. Will Gilson—behind Cambridge’s Puritan & Co., the Lexington, and more—debuts a more casual spinoff of Puritan & Co. in Groton on September 15. Watch for dishes such as French onion grilled cheese, crab rangoon dip, baked cod, and a burger.

20 Station Ave., Groton, puritantavern.com.

Expansions and other changes—time for a (re)visit.

Baklava pancakes are coming to Southie very, very soon. Stay tuned for the imminent debut of Cambridge classic Brookline Lunch, expanding to the space of the former L Street Diner & Pizzeria. After 37 years, this multigenerational family-run business draws lines for its Middle Eastern-inspired brunch favorites. Spicy sausage shakshuka, anyone?

108 L St., South Boston, instagram.com/blinesouthie.

Medford Square’s beloved Japanese market closed last year as its building was slated for redevelopment. Thankfully, it’s about to return elsewhere in the square as a full restaurant and bakery-café. Look for an opening soon, possibly this month, but in the meantime, the new Ebisuya is already hosting cooking classes and pop-ups, such as a quickly-sold-out shoku-pan sandwich event in late August. Watch Instagram for updates, and get excited for Tokyo-style pizza, Edomae sushi, and more.

24 High St., Medford, ebisuyamarket.com. 

Boston’s steakhouse scene is crowded, sure, but might we have room for a particularly British entry? This London-based chain arrives in Boston on September 8, complete with Sunday roast, sour cherry Negronis, very cold martinis, and one nod to a local delicacy—a Fluff sundae.

15 Necco St., Fort Point, Boston, 781-208-8300, thehawksmoor.com/us.

Spanish-inspired Southie spot Dalia is almost too gorgeous for its own good—it’s nearly impossible to book. That’s why we’re excited for the 75 extra seats at its new downstairs lounge.

429 W. Broadway, South Boston, daliaboston.com.

This glitzy international chain touches down in Boston on September 24, bringing breezy French cuisine with Riviera vibes and Belle Époque-inspired décor to the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street. A tomato-based cocktail gets top billing, and there are rosés aplenty to accompany, say, burrata-and-tomato tartines, prawns with olive and lemon juice, or risotto with seasonal mushrooms and parmesan.

1 Dalton St. (Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street), Back Bay, Boston, lpmrestaurants.com.boston.

Ever wish you could settle in for a relaxing sit-down meal after shopping the local bounty at Boston Public Market? Now you can—all while getting to know the hyperlocal wines and intriguing nonalcoholic drinks from Acton-based Marzae, a natural winery, and its kombucha-based N/A offshoot, Off Piste Ferments.

100 Hanover St. (Boston Public Market), Downtown Boston, marzaewine.com, bostonpublicmarket.org.

Dumpling-centric dinners are out; sushi and nightlife are in. This Seaport stunner has undergone a revamp two years in, inviting laid-back lounging over multicultural dishes inspired by globally influenced 1940s Shanghai salons.

225 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston, meetmrh.com.

A little bit past your Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie era, but now with a home of your own to furnish? Sibling home-and-garden chain Terrain has all the illuminated vine witch hats you need—and a bewitching, plant-filled restaurant, too. When you’re done shopping for floral throw pillows and dried-corn-husk wreaths, you can dine on bread served in a flower pot, wild mushroom frittatas, deep-fried cauliflower sandwiches, and a terrarium-inspired dessert.

297 Boston Post Rd., Wayland, 774-421-9875, shopterrain.com/wayland-restaurant.

Intriguing spots coming soon (or not-so-soon).

Coming this winter: a bakery and coffee shop by day/wine bar by night, sibling to Dorchester’s acclaimed Italian restaurant Via Cannuccia. At chef-owner Stefano Quaresima’s three-year-old Roman trattoria, the exceptional dinner fare is complemented by weekend brunch starring an impressive pastry case, so an offshoot even more focused on baked goods makes perfect sense.

1448 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, Boston. 

Feels right: The former home of an iconic seafood restaurant, B&G Oysters, will next be home to a new seafood restaurant from another iconic group. The Saltie Girl team is taking over the coveted Tremont Street space with refined but playful fish dishes, an extensive raw bar, and a particular enthusiasm for fish and chips, kettle-fried.

550 Tremont St., South End, Boston, instagram.com/theshellbarbos.

A version of this guide first appeared in the print edition of the September 2026 issue with the headline “The Hot List.”