Union Square’s diverse restaurants offer something to please everyone’s palate —from volcano sushi rolls and Bibimbap to Feijoada and spring pea soup with pancetta and piave. We will be populating this page with more and more restaurant summaries over the next few months; so please visit us again soon!

Bloc 11 Café
11 Bow Street | 617.623.0000 | bloc11.com
Hours: 7am-8pm, Wed-Thurs 7am-9pm
Owners: Tucker Lewis & Jennifer Park
From: United States
Open since: 2007
Recommended dish: The Egg Sandwich, a classic breakfast sandwich made with fresh eggs and cheddar cheese on mouthwatering focaccia bread

It was love at first sight for owners Tucker Lewis and Jennifer Park, who took one look at the old bank building on Bow Street and saw a space for a lively, community-oriented café to take root in Union Square. Now a bustling eco-friendly establishment, Bloc 11 prides itself on the quality of its products and serves a variety of coffee beverages plus several kinds of black, herbal and oolong teas such as Tai Spice Tea and Champagne Oolong. In addition to breakfast items like oatmeal, pastries and seasonal fruit parfaits, Bloc 11 also has a creative selection of soups and salads. And don’t leave without sampling the café’s extensive sandwich menu featuring items such as the Clover, with mozzarella, pesto, tomato greens and caramelized onions on baguette. We suggest eating it in the old bank vault, now a cosy dining area.

Bull McCabe’s Pub
366A Somerville Avenue | 617.440.6045 | bullmccabesboston.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-1am, Fri 12pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11am-1am
Owners: Brian Manning & Christopher Whitney
From: Ireland
Open since: 2008
Recommended dish: The True Grit Burger, with cheddar jack cheese, crispy bacon, grilled onions and tangy BBQ sauce
Recommended drink: Select from Bull McCabe’s nightly beer specials; nights are themed and include: Domestic Mondays, Local Tuesdays and Irish Sundays

A traditional Irish Pub, Bull McCabe’s is a local favorite for its extensive food and beer menus and its neighborhood-friendly vibe. In addition to its reputation as a great music venue—go on a Sunday night and catch Dub Apocalypse!—Bull McCabe’s serves a wide range of imported and local beers, including several Belgian Chimays and ales on tap that hail from our own New England. Its food menu consists of appetizers such as the mozzarella en carozza, a sandwich of thinly sliced prosciutto served between two slices of lightly fried mozzarella cheese, and the PEI mussels sautéed with white wine, Chorizo, garlic, fennel and chopped tomato. For entrees, we find it hard to resist the familiar comfort of the beer-battered cod with tartar sauce.

Cantina La Mexicana
247 Washington St. | 617.776.5232 | www.lataqueria.us
Hours:
Owners: Roberto & Carolina Rendon

Ebi Sushi
290 Somerville Ave | 617.764.5556 | www.ebisushi.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs & Sun, 11:30am-10pm; Fri & Sat, 11:30am-10:30pm; Delivery: Mon-Fri, 5pm-10pm; Sat & Sun, 12pm-10pm
Owner: Jose Garcia
From: Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
Open since: 2011
Most customers are: From Union Square
What you’ll find: sushi, tempura, teriyaki, chicken and pork cutlets, grilled shrimp and scallops, pan-fried vegetables, noodle soups, and curried rice
Recommended dish: Spider roll
Most exotic ingredient: Japanese curry
Special drink: Liquor license coming soon!

Owner, Jose Garcia, moved to the US from Guatemala in 2000, and has been in the sushi business ever since. Garcia says, “the first time I saw it, I knew it was what I wanted to do.” Despite its name, the restaurant is not limited to sushi. Ebi Sushi boasts an extensive and affordable menu of small bites that include tempura; noodle soups and curry rice dishes; and a variety of main dishes ranging from sashimi squid to mackerel filet to ginger pork. Ebi Sushi may be new to the area restaurant scene, but glowing Yelp reviews suggest the new eatery won’t be a secret for long.

El Potro Mexican Grill Restaurant
61 Union Square |617-666-4200 | www.elpotrosomerville.com

Journeyman
9 Sanborn Court | 617.718.2333 | www.journeymanrestaurant.com

The Independent Restaurant and Bar
75 Union Square | 617.440.6022 | www.theindo.com
Hours: Sun-Thurs 4:30pm-1am, Fri-Sat 4pm-2am, Brunch: Sat-Sun 11pm-4pm
Owner: Ken Kelly
From: Dublin, Ireland
Open since: 2001
Recommended dish: The Cast Iron Chicken, served on a bed of crispy spatzle and haricot vert with wild mushroom cream sauce
Recommended drink:

The Independent’s relaxed, casual atmosphere makes it a regular haunt for Union Square foodies. The bar provides a seasonal beer list of local and craft breweries in addition to a small collection of organically produced wines from sustainable vineyards. Don’t pass up the chance to sample some of The Independent’s appetizers, including the cheese plate with accompaniments, the bacon-sprinkled deviled eggs and the croquette sandwiches made with smoked ham and truffled aïoli. The Independent also boasts a wide range of entrees with a daily special of fresh seafood, like the sautéed golden trout served with shrimp, roasted fingerlings and mustard greens in a lemon brown butter caper sauce.

India Palace
India Palace

Machu Picchu Restaurant Turístico
307 Somerville Ave | 617.628.7070 | www.machupicchuboston.com
Hours: Sun-Thurs,11:30am-10pm; Fri & Sat, 11:30am-Midnight
Owner: Rosy Cerna
From: Lima, Peru
Open since: 2006
Most customers are: Latin Americans (including Peruvians) and Americans
Recommended dish: Ceviche
Recommended drink: Pisco sour
Most exotic ingredient: Huacatay, Peruvian black mint

Rosy shares with Union Square the distinctive flavors and rich culinary heritage of Peru. On a Friday night you can hear a traditional Andean band while sipping on a pisco sour, and enjoy the Peruvian national dish, ceviche, in a dining room filled with authentic Peruvian decorations. Ever since moving to Somerville from Lima, Peru, Rosy has made traditional dishes that span the three different regions of her native country: the coast, the mountain, and the jungle. Taste Peruvian corn served with queso fresco, a classic food of the Andes; or, Causa Limena, a famous coastal dish that means “sustenance of life” in Peruvian; or, nibble on some fried yucca, a junge favorite. With 25 states in the country and 30 native dishes to each state, there is a lot to offer in this Peruvian restaurant! Dare to try them all?

Machu Picchu Charcoal Chicken and Grille
25 Union Sq | 617.623.7972 | www.machuchicken.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11:30am-11pm; Sun, 11am-10pm
Open since: 2003
What you’ll find: “Pollo a la Brasa,” chicken grilled on charcoal

Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery
25 Bow Street | 617.623.9710 | www.theneighborhoodrestaurant.com
Hours: Daily 7am-4pm
Owner: Sheila Borges Foley
From: Newark, NJ
Open since: 1983
Most customers are: From all over Boston, some even from NH
What you’ll find: Portuguese breakfast featuring the legendary cream of wheat and homemade French toast made with thick slices of Portuguese sweet bread, and lunch specializing in homemade soups, linguica, and seafood
Recommended dishes: Coconut French toast and Papage (Portuguese Cream of Wheat that is out-of-this-world)
Most exotic ingredient: Portuguese olive oil
Special drink: Homemade Portuguese wine made from the concord grapes grown on the restaurant patio’s lattices

The Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery originally opened its doors as a sweetbread storefront in 1983. Almost thirty years later this family-run business still thrives serving traditional Portuguese recipes that have followed the Borges family from Portugal to New Jersey and now to Union Square. The Neighborhood’s family recipes are unique and handcrafted; you will find homemade jelly, syrups, sweet breads (white + wheat), wines, soups and sauces. At breakfast make sure to order the Papage, Portuguese Cream of Wheat that was a staple of Sheila’s childhood. In the later hours of the day, sit in the shade of the patio and drink the homemade wine made from the grapes hanging over your head and order one of Sheila’s recommended seafood or linquica plates. Try barbequed codfish, Bacalhau Assado na Braza a Cacador, or pork and clams in red wine, Carne de Porco Alentejana, or dive into a Portuguese favorite, Linguica with Fava beans. Bom apetite!

Precinct
Precinct

Ronnarong Thai and Tapas Bar
255 Washington Street | 617.625.9296 | www.ronnarongthai.com
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11:30am-4pm; Sat, 11:30am-11pm; Sun, closed
Owners: Henry Patterson & Ronnarong Saksua
From: USA & Thailand
Open since: 1997
Recommended dish: Drunken chicken
Recommended drink: Thai sangria

For eleven years Ronnie Saskua, head chef of Ronnarong (his namesake), has whipped up creative and original Thai dishes and drinks at 255 Washington Street. On a sunny day you can sit on the patio and try out the menu of savory bites known in Thailand as gup gla-em or “drinking food.” Order Ronnie’s Spicy Squid, and cool off the heat from the housemade chili sauce with a pitcher of the popular Thai Sangria brimming with house rose, sake, ginger, lemongrass, and tropical fruits. Lemongrass is Ronnie’s favorite ingredient-“It is one of the smells of home for me.” Lucky for Union Square, Ronnie loves to share the flavors of his local culture. Don’t miss Thai Tapas Tuesday events, when tapas are paired with saki, sherry or beer. These events are educational—and a bargain!

Sherman Cafe
Sherman Cafe

Sweet Ginger Thai Cuisine
22 Bow Street | 617.625.5015 | www.sweetgingerunionsq.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am-9pm; Fri 11:30-10pm; Sat 12pm-10pm; Sun 4:30pm-9pm
Owner: Rungnapa Otero
From: Thailand
Open since: 2008
Recommended dish: Pad Thai—it’s the obvious Thai dish, but theirs is particularly toothsome. For dessert, don’t pass up the Coconut ice cream.

This restaurant not only makes old favorites of Thai cuisine like Pad Thai but also delivers Thai dishes with a twist. Sweet Ginger takes the popular Crab Rangoon, made with crabmeat and cream cheese wrapped wonton skin, and adds curry powder and onion to give the dish more bite. Heat freaks will most likely be tempted with fiery dishes like the Drunken Chicken sautéed with vegetables in a Thai Chili paste, or the Pad Kra-Pow, a Thai-style stir fry with red and green peppers in a spicy sauce. The menu also features a wide selection of seafood, including the Tilapia Fillet with Mango Salsa and Spicy Squid, served with vegetables and a Thai chili sauce. And for dessert, try some of Sweet Ginger’s signature coconut ice cream!