We had a blast spending the afternoon in Chinatown! Yesterday we spent the afternoon exploring Chinatown. When we first arrived we were afraid that parking was going to be a pain, but we quickly found meter parking a stones throw from the Chinatown gate. Walking through this community was a blast, and we loved popping into the shops, buying fruit from their street vendors, and eating out in the park by the gate. We enjoyed all the stores we entered and not once felt like outsiders even though we do not obviously identify with the dominant cultures here. Overall, this was a fun day out. Yes the streets were a bit dirty, but I will take the dirt and grim for some delicious cuisine and amazing cultural experiences! read more

See all

We were walking from the Boston Public Gardens to the South Street Rail Terminal and knew that we would walk through Chinatown. Based on what we saw, it mostly consisted of restaurants and cafes that sold Chinese food. That stretched for several blocks. I could tell much of the good reviews were focused around those places. Well, those who enjoy the Chinese food would probably enjoy some of the restaurants and cafes here. My major turn-off was the overall appearance of the buildings. It all looked "runned" down and dirty. I didn't see a lot of decor in this town either. I've been to the Chinatowns in NYC, SF, and Toronto, and there was a lot of decor. But here, it was little to none. That's not very appealing at all. At the time we went, there was construction in progress. That made some parts of Chinatown look a little worse than it already was. If this construction was for the improvement of Chinatown's appearance, then that would have been all right. But based on the positions of the equipment and barricades, it was really hard to tell what it was for. Unfortunately overall, this was probably the worst Chinatown that I've ever been to. A higher rating would have been warranted if the appearance of this place was nice. Sure the gate there was nice, but that was it. I probably won't be returning there again. For a small Chinatown, this is as long as this review is going to get. read more

Chinatown is simple. And a little bit dirty. Wade through the throngs of older Asian bunching up on the corners of coffee shops and try ignore what may be the largest pigeon population in all of the Greater Boston area, and you'll be rewarded. In lumps sums of delicious, cheap cuisine. Running the gamut from Vietnamese and Japanese, to Malaysian, Cantonese and Korean, Chinatown is home to some of the best food in the city. Dim sum (cart and non-cart), Shabu, tons of Pho, more buns than you can imagine, Peking Duck, egg custards, sushi, bubble tea, dumplings...how are you not hungry yet? Forget the sketch. It's part of the charm. read more

It's one of my favorite places in Boston. Hello, who doesn't love Chinatown? Doesn't matter where I am in the US, I always feel a sense of comfort whenever I'm in some sort of Chinatown. Perhaps, it's the smell? the sketchy-ness? the older Chinese grandpas playing chess? the older Chinese grandmas who shove you aside while you wait patiently in line? Anyway, Boston's Chinatown is no different than the others I've been to (SF, LA, Oakland, NY). The only thing I can think of is that it's tiny, a lot smaller. But small is cozy and more homey, no? :) Bottom Line: Definitely the neighborhood for some good & cheap Chinese food and cheap grocery shopping. read more

Chinatown. What can I say. By day you have tasty restaurants of the Asian persuasion. Your a little dirty, just like a Chinatown should be. You've got a majority of people who cannot speak English, just like a Chinatown should be. By night, your a playpen of debauchery. From the "gentleman's clubs" to the straight out hookers working the streets up towards Downtown Crossing, and restaurants open way past 2 AM still serving up "Lemon Tea", it's the last bastion of fun past 2 AM in the area. There's really nothing better than digging into a plate of pan fried noodles at Chau Chow at 3 AM, watching little Vietnamese girls dressed to the nines beating the living hell out of each other on the puddle filled pavement in the parking lot, and just feeling like life is worth living again because everything else has become disneyfied and sanitized. No it's not NYC Chinatown. It's not San Fran. But it's Boston's little dirty secret thinly veiled as a tourist attraction. read more

I was very surprised that Boston had a decent Chinatown. There were quite a few blocks of Asian busineses and lots of Asian people walking around. We stopped in at a local dim sum shop, which was good but unfortunately we were too full to take advantage of all the Asian bakeries nearby. read more

Chinatown - Public Services & Government Near Me

It's a great place for authentic Asian food. It ranges from Chinese to Malaysian, so there is a lot of variety. I've been coming here since I was little. If you want really good dim sum, I would suggest Winsor Dim Sum Cafe. If you enjoy the whole pushing carts experience, then I would suggest Hei La Moon, Empire Garden, or China Pearl, but their food is not that great. Hei La Moon is a bit too pricey for what they have to offer. Overall a great place, but very dirty. I will probably end up writing a review for all the restaurants there. read more

As I walked through Chinatown on a cold winter day, I couldn't help but to think about how sketchy the streets looked. The streets are dirty. Each street I walked through had large piles of trash, wondering through like an attraction. All in all Chinatown had everything I was expecting to see. There were vendors unloading boxes of food. A great deal of restaurants to try. Chinatown even had the usual lost tourist with a map in hand asking everyone they saw how to get to their destination. If you can look past the sketchy streets, Chinatown is a good destination stop in your tour of Boston. read more

This is actually one of the cleanest Chinatowns I have ever wanted into and I have been to my fair share from NY to LA to Paris. Although the area known as Chinatown is somewhat smaller than most, it still has pretty clean streets without sewage water thrown on the ground and litter all over the place. The best way to get there without a particular place in mind is to just search for Chinatown on your GPS and it'll lead you directly there. Containing a Pho Pasteur, Dumpling Cafe, Empress Dim Sum restaurant, Joy Luck Hot Pot, some Asian Bakeries, Double Chin cafe, and a lot of other food places, you're bound to find some decent Chinese food to satisfy your cravings. TIP: Plenty of boba and juice shops all over as well if that's what you're looking for as well! read more

Everything a Chinatown should be. This chinatown doesn't smell as bad as the Boston or San Francisco one, but it has it's moments. It's also pretty easy to get in and out of this chinatown, then again, it is kinda small compared to the rest. They have an awesome Chinese New Years day celebration with Lion dancing, acrobats, and fireworks. Very cultural experience overall and great shopping for anything you can think of. read more

As someone who thrives on everyday surreality -- two strip clubs, for instance, which sit right next to each other in what is essentially an alley, each claiming to be the 'original' gentlemen's club -- I am entirely taken by Chinatown. Shops with counterfeit clothing (brand names spelled wrong on poorly stitched jerseys, shirts, and belts), haggling store owners, shops that all sell the same Hello Kitty trinkets, super-authentic restaurants of all Asian persuations... How can you not love this? You can go get a Vietnamese sandwich for three dollars and an entire box of pastries for another three, then a milkshake for two, and for eight dollars you've just bought a day's worth of deliciousness (to hold you over until you begin to hit the restaurants, that is). Now: Is it sketchy? Yes, it's sketchy. Should you walk around at night? No, you should NEVER walk around at night. But, here's the most important feature of Boston's Chinatown: It's not so big that you can't get out in a hurry. It's surrounded by Downtown Crossing, Back Bay, and the Financial District, so once you've had enough, you're a couple of blocks away from freedom. read more

This is definitely the place to go in the Boston area if you are looking for authentic Chinese food. There are many restaurants to choose from including good bakeries. It is an interesting place to visit, to have a good meal, dessert, or a snack. It is not as large a neighborhood as New York or San Francisco's Chinatown, but I feel it is cleaner. A must-see especially if you are an out-of-town visitor. read more

Chinatown - Feeling like Chinese food - Public Services & Government Near Me

See all

Unless I have a sudden craving for some marinated chicken/duck, I rarely ever come down here. There are a few reasons why. 1. The smell is disgusting. Every time I walk through here, the smell makes me want to vomit. 2. The people are SO RUDE! And by the people, I mean the older Chinese who are abundant in the city. They bump into you, stare you down for no reason and all the time.. are unapologetic about it. Can't stand that. 3. It's not a sanitary area. I see dumping of trash and disgusting liquid all the time.. makes me think that the food here is poisonous. That about sums it up.. And Oh I'm Asian.. so it's cool haha read more

This Chinatown is small compared to the San Fran one... obviously I guess. The Boston Chinatown does not seem to be as touristy as some of the other Chinatowns here in the US. It seems a bit dirty in fact. Not to the point where it seems like a place where you should avoid. The Chinatown(the old one downtown) in Portland,OR is not a place where to me at least where you would want to wander around. This one seems safe enough. Like I said this Chinatown was not as touristy but that does not stop from an abundance of shops that has plenty of touristy stuff. In fact depending how big of an item(s) you will get; most of the shops will be happy to ship larger items back to your home address. Everyone in all these stores seemed very nice and pleasant to deal with. An area worth looking around if you visit Boston. read more

There are many types of Chinatowns out there but my honest opinion is that the best one is in Los Angeles at the moment =) SF is in second place. I have to say that right here in Boston, there is a 4 starer with a grand array of restaurants and shops that sell 100 zippers for less than a dollar. Of course, it is conveniently located right down the street from Faneuil Hall and the Aquarium. There are plenty of parking spots on the street but there is also a garage. The best thing about Chinatown that I think we can all agree is the food! Can you really beat the egg tarts from the Chinese bakery shops? What's better than roast duck over rice? What about a whole steamed fish from the Chinese seafood restaurant? This is why places like Chinatown exist... to make skinny people fat! Well you definitely have your knick knack shops as well. Your faux jade buddhas, tiny teapot sets and .... ninja swords? Great place to just walk around, enjoy a snack or a large dinner and then walk right back into downtown. Come in and stop by! read more

I have been traveling for awhile, but still haven't been to a Chinatown. So our friends decided to show us the one in Boston. The Chinatown actually located in the middle of the city, as you as you saw some shop with the Chinese on the advertising boards, then you know you are there already. the size of it isn't so big, but surely get some cool restaurants and shops. At the main entrance got a traditional gate which looks pretty nice. It was my first visit to a Chinatown so far in other countries. It was quite interesting to see the culture of the oversea Chinese. Of course, not only Chinese are living here. We walked passed couple cool restaurants which looked quite good. But we wasn't hungry, didn't have the chance try them out. my friends told me some of few places here are quite popular and good. So if you in the mood to have a dinner in Asian style. why not come here and have a look. You might find something special and good. read more

Chinatown skeeves me out. I've eaten here. A lot. I know all the little places to go to get authentic Chinese or schezuan or mandarin cuisine. You will be too scared to go alone. Chinatown itself is dirty. It smells weird. You can find good food here but, the place skeeves me out big time. I used to go a lot because I knew a girl who loved chinatown.... ah.... the things we do for love...... read more

Streets are dirty and have the smell of dead chicken wafting through them, but the food is bomb and well priced. Lots of amazing bakeries, restaurants, Asian grocery stores, cafes, and trinket/paraphernalia stores in general. It might be called "China"-town but there are Vietnamese, Korean, Taiwanese, as well as Chinese people/businesses here. Degree of English fluency varies as much as the color spectrum, but most people know enough to sell you stuff. Bring cash because a lot of the places are cash only. Other than that, get some bubble tea and have fun walking around. read more

See all

I have to keep telling myself; Don't be the douche to compare NYC Chinatown to Boston Don't be the douche to compare NYC Chinatown to Boston Don't be the douche to compare NYC Chinatown to Boston So today I'm not going to be that douche. I will base Chinatown simply on it's own merit of my experience. Small as it may be there's good, cheap food everywhere. It's not terribly clean and pretty smelly, but what neighborhood in Boston isn't? You've got one big wide open space near the highway and often times you can find groups of Chinese men playing mahjong or go. Not so much a tourist trap as a place for locals to get some grub, area residents to shop and every once and a while a community event bringing outsiders in to showcase some of Bostonian Chinese American culture and cuisine. And yay for me, I didn't compare it to NYC even once. I think. read more

Wonderful late night food in Boston. Plenty of classic, authentic styles of Chinese food. Well worth a trip. A good place to explore, especially if you are in Boston late night. read more

This was my first visiting Boston. I was hungry and the place I wanted to go was in RI. So sadly they were closed for the winter and I realize there is a reason for me to come back due to seafood place. Boston China was really cool. I def like the atompshere, everything was in one area. A lot of restuarants right next to each other. Wish I could of stay longer to really see what it's like during the day in China town. If you guys are ever in city visiting. I would recommend checking this area out. read more

I loved my trip to Chinatown while in Boston for a few days recently. Yeah, it's smaller than New York or SF but that's also one of it's charming elements. You can hit the whole thing in a few blocks, get your bearings about you and make the decisions on where you want to eat. It had everything that a Chinatown should have from great bakeries, a variety of restaurants, and little shops selling cheap stuff. I liked the fact that it was compact and easy to navigate through the area. I wish I had a chance to go back a time or two while in town because it's a real treat for someone that doesn't have access to a place like this regularly. I hope to make it back again. read more

Small, dirty, and overcrowded with tourists and old smoking regulars. This one has an interesting Chinatown gate history, being that it honors the Tiananmen massacre. There is a crime watch and an undercover police car driving by occasionally, so no bad business!!! Most places are cash only. Check out the egg puffs in this nondescript food court on Beach Street near the gate. It's pretty good. If you give yourself a chance to walk around, you'll be surprised by what you find - lots of places don't advertise themselves or if so, in Chinese which can be bothersome. So, bring cash and enjoy yourself. It's near the common and the Tam so you can make a day of it. read more

Decent sized chinatown. A good variety of asian cuisine can be found. Viet noodles (pho), soup dumplings, roasted pork belly, bao, dim sum, flat noodles with beef, fried milk balls, etc. read more

I used to work in Chinatown and I can't stress how sketchy it is there. Its actually a lot of fun to walk around, but its nothing like NYC. There are a lot of food places, and chinese bakeries which have really delicious sweet and savory pastries. I do recall one time while standing infront of one of the chicken slaughter houses, a chinese woman dressed nicely, blowing as not rocket on someones car. I also enjoyed the hookers and pimps at night, but come on its china town. Its a lot of fun and you need to see it from morning til night. Dim sum and other great food are plentiful so bring your appetites! read more

It's small. It's dirty. The food's not even that good. Still, you know that Chinatown is bound to have open restraunts during the holidays when everything else is closed. There's no way in hell asians are going to close down for a chance at a little more pocket money. No racial. That is their one saving grace and they deserve a star back for that one fact. read more

Where ever I go...if there is a China town I will never miss it. I love Chinese food and shopping and the energy in the air. I enjoyed the Vancouver China town the most so far that is in Richmond BC....followed by toronto and then Boston China town. I was not happy with the long line ups in every restaurant and the seafood was as fresh as in Toronto. My expectation were the food should match Vancouver standards...but not....given boston is also on the coastline. Food was nothing special I tried the hot potato and dumpling house. Although Jade garden looked interesting with the fusion cuisine of Chinese American....but I couldn't go in owing to super long waiting. Will try next time. read more

A small yet growing Chinatown in Boston. If my memory bank serves me right, Boston Chinatown seems so much smaller back when I visited in 2008. I think it has gradually expanded over the years. As a tourist, the freedom trail led me to the entrance of Boston's Chinatown where I noticed the paifang, a traditional Chinese architectural form, and I just could not resist taking a picture with it. YES, that is what tourists do lol. Then as I stepped inside Chinatown, I immediately saw a park which opened around the 1970's and has Chinese culture incorporated in its design - pretty neat! Then an interesting mural painted along a Chinatown promenade caught my sight. I think there are several murals painted in different parts of Chinatown! Of course, you are expected to find lots of Chinese restaurants inside Chinatown but you can also find an array of other Asian resturants, such as Vietnamese, Japanese, and even Mongolian. While exploring Boston Chinatown, I was only able to find 1 souvenir store, an Asian craft store consisting of eastern and western knick-knacks to be exact. Roaming around some more resulted in my finding unique telephone booths in the paifang style! Of couse, I didn't get to use it since I have my cell phone on me haha. Boston Chinatown sure is a welcoming place for tourists like me! read more

Chinatown is dangerous. And I'm not talking about the people. I'm talking about the birds. These genetically mutant seagulls look like they were cross bred with vultures. They are big, they are resourcful and they are not afraid of humans. If I see a pack of more then three of them I cross the street. And don't dare leave your window open without a screen because they will enter your bedroom, take up residence and then your f*cked. Might as well sleep on the couch. I once looked out my window and saw a seagull with a big dead rat in its beak staring right back at me. Alfred Hitchcock has nothing on Chinatown. We all know who runs this town. read more

If you're in the mood for "real chinese food" head to chinatown-- any restuarant in the mix is good- Hong Kong Eatery, Peach Farm, Hai Moon, China Pearl.... if you want an even better dining experience go with someone who knows authentic chinese! And don't be bummed if they don't order your beef with broccoli! The real stuff is much better. read more

Good food if you know where to go. Lots of shops with cool stuff. You can find good and bad food, both pet and food fish, lots of little goods and other random things. It is a little bit dirty and dingy and I would not walk around alone at night. It does have some little gems hidden within but they are hard to find. read more

Though Boston's chinatown is small it houses a great variety of old school bakeries to the more contemporary style ones, Cantonese, Szechuan, shanghainese, Taiwanese and Chinese bbq restaurants, markets, hair and beauty salons, and gift stores. There is something for everyone here. It's within walking distance to downtown and right off highway exits. Also very accessible by train too. Occasionally they have street fairs here too which can be great cultural fun for the family. read more

I been to this Chinatown for over 10 years now, roughly 15 years. It all comes down to this. It is smaller than your typical Chinatown in other cities. Everything is all close to each other. The Food (restaurants), clubs (night Life), schools(Tufts, Emerson, Empire Beauty school, pre-school...etc.), hospitals, movies(including lives), shopping, financial district, homeless shelter, city halls(moved to a bit further now), sight seeing (duck tour), hotels, residents, and much much more! Can you believe all those features are all around the Chinatown area!? That is also why Boston Chinatown is small, they can not expand no more. It is also because of this phenomenal of everything smush to one place, there are all kind of people here. Tourist, students, beggars, homeless, doctors, dentist, nurses, teachers, professors, performers and much much more different kind of people all in one place. However despite the differences we all live together in peace and harmony. Well most of the time or at least I have not see any. But i also do see some interesting scenes once in a while such as a person who dresses like beggar driving a Ferrari, a person who dress nicer than me, use a more expensive smart phone than me that can beat me up easily begging me for $$$. Or a dude calling people racist if they dont donate $$...etc. If you are first time in Chinatown, I recommend you check out Dim sum and their bakery stores. They have low price breads and delicious. A well made sandwich with egg, cheese, ham, and lettuce for around $1.95 to $2.95. One of few things I wish is they can increase more variety of ethnic food. Also the fashion part of it. Most of the clothes here are plain and simple. One last thing to mention here is that everything close at 2 AM, some close a bit earlier and some a bit later. That's pretty much wrap it up the scratch of it. read more

Always love visiting Chinatown when in Boston. All sorts of restaurant side by side. Za bu Zen is one of my favorites. Nice little pastries and i walking distance to the movie theater and Tremont St. read more

We managed to get lost during our visit to Chinatown, so we saw a lot more of it than we had imagined. It's decently sized, but I didn't notice much in the way of housing here. Lots of restaurants and bakeries. Didn't see too many grocery stores. Neighborhood got a little seedier when you went south. West to the Theater District seemed fine. Easy access from the subway. read more

Lovely collection of restaurants open super late. If you find the right one, they might even serve you drinks after hours. The grittiness is unmistakable, but part of the charm. Chinatown is the only place in Boston I've experienced an attempted robbery and been threatened with a gun. I also caught and FBI/Immigration task force raid going down on some Vietnamese community center while I was eating dinner across the street. Neato! read more

Chinatown is a place filled with delicious meals ranging from all over the Eastern hemisphere. Great place to buy groceries from the asian super markets and great place to buy stuff animals or something cute for your loved ones. There are bars for people that just want to have fun too. If your friend havent been to chinatown, just take a day and go around and see the various delicious types of meals would already be interesting. Also there is a huge history behind chinatown as well. Although it may not be the cleanest place, but we can all work together to change that. read more

Frickin' love this place. I thought it was teeny-tiny when I first came here (I'm from the Bay Area, so...yeah) but there always things to be entertained by. The best part is watching the old men playing Chinese chess on a cold afternoon. So adorable. read more

I concur, the streets are scetchy, but size isn't EVERYTHING. For a small chinatown it's very impressive. There is this a very tiny resturant that has THE best dumplings, thickest noodles,etc. It's called The new kung fu garden. I've heard the chinatown in boston is much cleaner than NYC's in Manhatten or Brooklyn's or possibly both. read more