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    Little Donkey

    3.9 (1.1k reviews)
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    Loud
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Little Donkey

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    Lamb gyro

    This is a fun date night spot with super unique cocktails and food. They have amazing gluten free options as well! Just know the small plates add up and the bill can get pricey!

    Tavia G.

    Came here for a friends birthday and they had menus that said "happy birthday" printed in them which was a cute touch. They also provided a free, but strange birthday dessert that was a spoonful of dry raw cookie dough and some white sweet foam like stuff. Our waiter was very nice, but the speed of service was pretty atrocious. It took roughly 7 minutes before anyone came to greet us/bring water. We ordered drinks and then ordered food probably 10 minutes later and still received some of our food before our drinks somehow? Also, the menu was never explained to us (nor stated anywhere on menu) that they were all entirely "small plates all meant to be shared that come out as ready" until we were literally done ordering our food and said "this can all come together if possible" at which point they then said they don't do it that way. We had to ask 2 separate times for club soda which eventually came after 20ish minutes. It was a busy Saturday night but the level of service was really weird because we were sat in the booth literally right next to the server station and still felt almost forgotten. As for the food, our table had mixed reviews. Some folks loved the burger and sprouts. The cacio e pepe was very creamy and rich but the miso wasn't coming through and it kind of tasted like glorified buttered noodles. The cauliflower and brussels were pretty good but very overpriced for some fried vegetables. The bangkok street noodles had good flavor but the dish was genuinely 60% bamboo shoots. Overall we found the prices to be very high for the quality and portions. The drinks were all very fine, but nothing special for an $18 price tag. Overall, the food was good, but the quality of the evening overall did not meet the price tag at all.

    salmon crudo
    Jose P.

    I came here for dinner with my boyfriend for my birthday. I absolutely enjoyed every single dish we had. The tasting menu here is seasonal so you might not get the same dishes but they we all fantastic and interesting. The drinks we had were amazing as well. The staff was extremely kind, it also happened to out servers birthday. The restaurant has plenty of room and was not too crowded when we went. I would like to note that the best bite I had was the caviar blinis. They're on sale on fridays at their bar. I will definitely be returning.

    Vivian H.

    The food was great as always. It came out very fast. The service was friendly and fast as well. The waiter recommended the Cacio e Pepe which was my favorite. It was made with ramen noodles. Loved the tostada and the branzino as well. The octopus was tender. The two things I didn't care for were the shrimp toasts (as it was a paste and the entire bao was fried) and the blt lettuce wraps. The lettuce didn't hold the heavy and hearty bacon, pimento cheese, and pickled onions well. I would've rather had a different vessel for all of the things together! It was busy for a Monday night but not impossible to get a seat like it normally is here!

    wagyu beef cheek
    Isabella C.

    Little Donkey was highly recommended by a couple friends, so we decided to go here for Valentines. There was a special menu, but I believe most or all of these items are available on the regular menu. I loved the halibut- it was tangy, soft, and super flavorful. The duck and mushroom were savory and hearty, and went nicely with the pastry. The crab mac and cheese was superb- a lot of crab and every bite was cheesy with a nice chew from the rice cake. The wagyu beef was also super tender and moist. The dessert wasn't my favorite, though if you're a chocolate lover it's right up your alley! It's a very cozy restaurant, and the food came out very quickly. The servers were very quick to remove empty plates and fill our waters too. Overall super pleased with our experience and definitely want to come back. One thing to note is that the tables are pretty close together, and can be annoying to get in and out from your seat.

    Entrance
    Caroline F.

    Little Donkey is a hip spot in Central Square great for dates, friend catch-ups or bigger groups.... It's got that foodie-vibe where you know you are going to get great food and drinks in a cool atmosphere. The menu is mix n' match small plates/tapas with an Asian spin. LD Is well known for their burger which is top notch- well seasoned patty, perfect melted American, with rich onion soup mayo cut nicely with piquant pickles and touch of spice & crunch from Jalapeño chips. The crispy chicken sandwich with thai-inspired tangy slaw & pickled jalapeños + avocado ranch was also stellar. Brussel sprouts were perfectly balanced with a hint of smoke, hot honey, and bright pomegranate seeds. I look forward to trying a few more small bites and specials at their Friday/Saturday " Donkey hour ". The cocktails rock and bartenders have been great at being attentive despite being super busy. I would also absolutely save room for the fun/tasty desserts- in fact I would come back for that cookie dough (served straight off the beater) alone! Check it out

    grilled octopus
    Anthony W.

    TLDR; nice service and location, meh food This place is really close to Le Meridien, so it's one of the few places still open after you come back to the hotel after a meeting. The ambiance is chill and the service was nice. The food was ok; presentation was great but the taste was a bit boring. The service staff were great, and the overall vibe of the restaurant was also very fun :)

    Tuna tostada
    Susan M.

    We had a really great meal at Little Donkey. I was slightly concerned it might be gimicky but the food was really good across the board. Cauliflower and the tuna tostada were standouts!

    Mangos after dark
    Drashti T.

    Came here for a drink with friends. This place is easy to get to if you take the red line. Parking can be a bit tricker. The drink I got was mangos after dark. It had a Greek yogurt foam on top which I wanted to try but I was not that big of a fan. The mango part of the drink was delicious and not too sweet. I would like to come back again to try the drinks. The service was great and they kept checking in with us at the bar

    cookie dough
    Seth F.

    I told my mother we went to Little Donkey and she replied do not please do not tell me you ate another donkey. Much to your dismay and much to my pleasure there is no donkey on the menu: its meat is often tough and in my humble opinion why would you eat a donkey when you could eat a cow or a horse or a sheep, or a baby version thereof. There are other options on Little Donkey's menu. The venue is well-decorated, although perhaps loud on the ear if you are seated in the middle of the room, midway between the dirty asphalt of Mass Ave and the sizzling meats and legumes of Little Donkey's kitchen in the back. Maybe a window seat, even if elevated, is the best option. I have only visited Little Donkey this one time and had a pleasant experience, insofar as the food was tasty, although perhaps not uniformly. Items that I sampled from the menu included, but were not limited to, a single oyster, tuna and salmon belly tartare, BLT lettuce wraps, manti, burger, and cookie dough. The BLT lettuce wraps were the most unexpected, and this is said in a world of endless expectations. This is a build-your-own endeavor of tender and fatty lamb bacon, a flavorful pimento concoction, green leaves of lettuce, and more. I had not anticipated a breadless BLT to be so delicious, but I was proven wrong. The burger was also good, it reminded me of Shake Shack but with several more eclectic toppings whose flavor can be described as sweeter than a green banana but sourer than a gala apple. The manti were cute due to their petiteness; their flavor was perfectly acceptable although not exceptional, and one contained a sharp bone which is natural but nevertheless undesirable. For better manti go to Tashkent Supermarket in Brooklyn. And lest I forget my single oyster: I bit into it and its organs and juices squirted throughout my mouth. The cookie dough--a dessert--was extremely dense, which made it good value. One does not visit Little Donkey for the deal of the century. One may visit for, perhaps, a unique dining experience or a nice dinner with some friends. I would return on a special occasion.

    Eggplant
    Shervani P.

    Had the best visit to Little Donkey! My SO and I were visiting Boston for my birthday and we came here on Saturday night. It was quite busy but we were able to make a reservation the day of, which was very surprising. The atmosphere is very nice and great for a date night. Our server walked us through the menu explaining their global tapas and recommend 2-3 dishes a person. We ended up ordering the eggplant, lamb meatballs, mushroom fried rice and BLT lettuce wraps. It was all so good! We definitely over ordered though. Probably could have done with one less dish in our opinion. We really loved the fried rice and the lettuce wraps. The wraps were very unique and the lamb bacon was delicious. We were too full to get dessert but a few things did look good! They also brought me out some of their cookie dough for my birthday which was very nice. Overall would highly recommend!

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    Ambience is very nice, service prompt and the food very tasty. The octopus dish was very well cooked.

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    Ask the Community - Little Donkey

    Could you please make Caldo Gallego for the winter? It's soooooo comforting.

    Is the patio heated / comfortable for cold weather?

    Absolutely not. There are vertical heaters but not nearly enough of them, and no windbreak or any shelter from rain.

    What can I order that is healthy? Trying to lose weight but I'm a foodie. Everything on the menu looks great.

    We got a burger and the chicken sandwich, so not sure, I would just chalk it up for a "cheat" day. Or at least eat lighter during the day to enjoy the food there.

    When is last call for food at the bar on a weekend night?

    about 9:00

    Is this place family friendly?

    Yes!

    Do they serve the impossible burger here?

    They do at Lunch* only - Monday-Friday 11A-5P

    Do you have any dishes for vegan?

    They have a few like empanadas with impossible chorizo

    Are there any good vegan offerings?

    The do

    View All 10 Questions

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    1.1 mi
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    As per usual 10/10 Greeted in door way…read more Clean well stocked bathrooms Welcoming to everyone 80s 90s 2000s knowledgeable stylish Mushroom app and burger were nice treats to add to the awesome studio ghibli themed menu from the BB guide so clever top notch cocktails Cocktails Drinks Music and kikis delivery service on the projector good vibes

    I am a lover of everything studio ghibli so when I saw Backbar was doing essentially a month of…read moredrinks based on the movies I knew I had to go! The bar is really funky fun which I loved. There is literally fun everywhere you look from the panda stuffed animal riding a tiger on the wall to the hilarious shrek pillow. Coming right when they open I was able to see these things that you would likely not see in the evening. But to be fair I came right when they opened since it is first come first serve. A majority of the drinks were more on the savory side which was very interesting like "may all your bacon burn" with bacon bites at the top of the drink. The drinks my friend had were all stunning with the use of egg yolk to elevate the drink. We ended the evening by walking over to Bow Market and trying Viet Citron which was so DANG GOOD my gosh. The to go orders were insane but looks like they are doing very well despite recently opening in. I got the grilled lemongrass pork ribs bowl and youtiao and the side sauce was so good. The ribs were all very meaty. It looks small but I was surprised how full I was after having it. Nice night of drinks and food. What we got Kiki's marmalade buns Castle in the sky Milk Punch May All your bacon burn

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    Inside

    Little Donkey - tapasmallplates - Updated August 2026

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