Best Unique Soup Spots In Boston
New England Clam Chowder Bread Bowl
Boston Chowda Co.
1 Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA 02109
(617) 742-4441
www.bostonchowda.com
The name says it all – and more. Named for the city and its most famous soup, Boston Chowda has New England Clam Chowder and more – much, much more. While this technically may not be a unique type of soup, the flavor, the richness and the creaminess of this Boston standard makes it so – especially when served piping hot in a fresh-baked bread bowl. This is the go-to place for many lunchtime dinners and for their offices, as well as a great place to stop on the way home to pick up soup for dinner. They also have frozen take-home meals and, to top it off, really good ice cream cookie sandwiches. There is also a North Andover location, and they do have a good mail-order menu. Boston Chowda, of course, is a partner in all of those downtown Boston food delivery services. Their soups are "fresh from the kettle" as their motto goes, and their offerings are pure Boston comfort food.
New England Soup Factory
244 Needham St.
Newton, MA 02464
(617) 558-9988
www.newenglandsoupfactory.com
Of the many, many wonderful and affordable concoctions the cooks craft at the New England Soup Factory, it would be very difficult to find anything to top their piece de resistance: Chicken Pot Pie Soup. This has all the rich, creamy, chicken goodness of the pie itself, but in a cup (or pint, or quart). It even comes with a light, flaky puff pastry, as should any good Chicken Pot Pie. For those seeking something a little more unusual, they have a rotating menu that includes such luscious delights as hand-pulled lamb noodle soup. They offer frozen versions of many of their fine soups to take home, as well as their own cookbook from which patrons can make their own versions of New England Soup Factory delights – or at least see exactly how many ingredients and how much work goes into making them.
Ipswich Clam Chowder
Christopher's
1920 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 876-9180
www.christopherscambridge.com
Christopher's in Porter Square is technically a pub, but its food goes above beyond even above-average pub fare. There are always at least two home-made soups on the menu, and often more, especially in the colder weather. Christopher's is well known for its unique Ipswich Clam Chowder which, like its chili and soups of the day is made fresh and "entirely from scratch," as their menu proudly proclaims, With its clean, comfy and cozy settings, Christopher's is the perfect place to warm up with a nice, hot cup or bowl of soup after school, on the way home from work, or after shopping at the stores across the street and elsewhere around Porter Square.
Related: Ask A Boston Chef Holiday Soups
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
86 Bedford St.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 482-1888
www.sites.google.com/site/geneschineseflatbreadcafe
With an eclectic name like theirs, Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe is hard to categorize. The most famous of the three Gene's is in Chinatown, which is fitting, for they pride themselves on making authentic (and delicious) Chinese soups and noodle dishes. The noodles are nice and thick, and the broth is always rich and tasty. Gene's offers many wonderful soup dishes, but few can compare to their Pork Intestines Hand-Pulled Noodle Soup for either richness or uniqueness. They have recently expanded to Woburn and Westford, but for purists, the ambiance of the Chinatown location adds that final bit of seasoning that makes this stand out from all other Asian noodle shops in Boston.
Vegetable Bean (or any Italian Soup of the Day) at La Rosa's
211 Main St.
Wilmington MA 01887
(978) 737-3273
www.larosasrestaurant.com
Although Boston and the little towns around the Charles are full of great restaurants and places that offer wonderful soups, soup-lovers who live in the next layer of towns outside of Boston should know that they are not forgotten. There are many excellent soup makers out there, For those who want a great soup and sandwich combination, in Wilmington, for example, La Rosa's makes delicious soups, puts together good, thick sandwiches and, while each is a treat in its own right, when put together, they are even better. With their "home-style take-out" service, La Rosa's can pack up enough home-made soups and sandwiches and subs to feed any home, office, or small army. They also serve pizza. La Rosa's soup menu changes daily, but most of the time there is at least one authentic Italian soup on the menu – and whatever it is, that is the definite go-to soup for soup lovers in the Wilmington suburb of Boston.
