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Mei Sum

3.9 (173 reviews)
InexpensiveBakeries, Sandwiches
Open • 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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Quiet
Good for kids

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don't. go. here. plain and simple. we walked in there because it smelled so good from the outside, we wanted some authentic baked goods... maybe some milk bread. the pastries looked good but when we got home i noticed the roll thing i got had mold all over it. i wish i had checked the reviews before going here. the lady at the counter also couldn't understand us which is understandable but it was hard to know what anything was with no signs or anything. i also noticed when the lady who was helping us was grabbing the roll, another employee came over and took that one out of her hand... inspected it, put it back and gave me a different one, aka the moldy one. its almost like he knows he sells moldy food.

Banh mi
Katelyn P.

I love going to this spot for a quick bite. The best zongzi in town (they're my grandfather's favorite!), the pastries are fresh, my only complaint is no one told me they serve banh mi until today. The sandwich isn't the most packed, but the bread is toasted to perfection, the ingredients are fresh and tasty, and altogether it's pretty filling even though it's on the smaller side Naihuangbao (custard buns) are a personal favorite of mine and these don't disappoint They don't always have the biggest selection, but everything here is worth a try. I buy these zongzi by the dozen and they freeze really well (my family literally requests them when I go home). I'm not sure if they like, but you can always ask for things to be heated up a bit before you eat. This place doesn't look like much but it's a hit!

Durian cake

Got a durian cake for Mother Day and was satisfied although the writing on the cake could better though. Affordable and Worth the money! Definitely will get more durian cakes from here in the future!

Everybody wants those wife cakes. But that one in the background also eats plastic. Then whines. Then pukes. Then eats more plastic. So..
Fox E.

I find Asian bakeries yum Especially the stuff at Mei Sum So awesome and cheap But their Banh Mi will keep Adding fat and flab straight to your bum Barbie just went here without me, and bought a ton of crap, I hope she saves Mei Sum. This Bakery has really good warm Banh Mi that she heats up in the microwave for you when you order it. It's pretty spicy with tons of cilantro and jalapeno. The meat on it is kind of like spam pork and I wasn't crazy about it and for that reason I wouldn't get this sandwich again but maybe they have a different type. I'm definitely a big fan. They have excellent wife cakes and yummy egg custard Tarts as well. The woman was super nice. You should have seen how adorable she was about taking my picture. She was telling other customers how about the experience of taking my picture and she even told me that I look very attractive. How can I not give 5 stars for all that.

Mold on lemon cake
Billy C.

Bought some lemon cake from MeiSum bakery . Got home realized lemon cake has mold on it and took pics . My mom went to the bakery today and ask employee how long they leave bakery around . She said they leave bakery for about 1 week . So my mom ask to speak to a manager . Manager was cocky said should've bought it back .. no sorry no refund . Will be filing a complain with Boston department of health .. avoid going to this spot ..

Bao with pork, sausage and eggs inside . The best in Chinatown
Deja V.

Been coming here for years and the old lady always ask how I'm doing and miss seeing me . They have the best bao with pork , sausage and eggs inside . I usually ordered 10 to go sometimes. Their congee is also good with a thousand years egg inside , scallions and pepper . Good for the morning breakfast and hangover . They have some dim sum items also. Good breakfast to go here and can't go wrong. The best in Chinatown for bao.

Shrimp rice rolls
Gennie L.

Mei sum bakery is a great place to stop by for a quick bite! They've got all sorts of Chinese pastries, buns and dimsum. From congee to banh mi to rice noodle rolls. All the food is super fresh, and they provide sauces in the to go boxes, which I think is a huge plus! The food is quite cheap and the service is great! You can't go wrong with anything you order. I have to say, it's a bit hard to find the restaurant. I've walked by many times, but haven't noticed it. Parking also may be difficult since it's located in the heart of Boston's Chinatown. Overall rating: 9/10

Fan Tuan
Vicky R.

I came here on a Monday morning on my way to the greyhound station, hankering for a good Taiwanese breakfast. I had been craving fan Tuan for months -its a long piece of fried dough (you tiao) wrapped up in pork floss, a bit of pickled veggies and sticky rice. It's akin to a giant sushi burrito minus the seaweed? Most importantly, it's full of carb-y goodness. I finally found that this bakery sold them after searching in Boston and NYC. The bakery itself was bustling even on a Monday, and all the seats were taken up. Although the you tiao tasted a bit stale (-1 star for that), I had been craving it for so long that it still hit the spot. Plus it was only $2 for a very filling breakfast! Until I find another shop that sells them, I'll be returning when the craving hits.

a person holding a sandwich in their hand
Ellen K.

Visited on a Saturday afternoon and it seemed like all the good selection of bread had already been taken :( I really wanted to try the pork steamed bun and pineapple bread but as far as I could tell, they were not on display at the counter. There are some english labels for the breads in the display but I also noticed that a lot of them placed on the counter and wrapped individually were not labelled. As far as I can tell, it's pretty much a guessing game so do your research in advance as to what you want to order at this Asian bakery. I purchased the banh mi, egg tart, pork floss bread, coconut bread, and 2 moon cakes. My total came out to $22 (CASH ONLY), which was definitely more than I anticipated but not a shocker since the moon cakes were $5.50 each. Not sure how much the other breads cost because I didn't get a receipt, but I presume they can't be more than 3 bucks for each of them. The banh mi truly impressed me-- it was toasted so well & the bread was perfectly soft and chewy. The sandwich was also prepared and filled with care by the lady who took my order. It tasted really good and there's really no other word for it. Just try it yourself & you will see why many have raved about the banh mi here. The egg tart was also solid-- nice custard texture with a flaky crust and egg-y flavor. It held up nicely even when cut in half and didn't fall apart like I've seen other egg tarts do elsewhere. I haven't had a chance to try the other Mei Sum breads yet but I have no doubt they will be as delicious as what I've had so far.

Awesome viet sandwich
Win C.

This was the first food stop we made in Boston. We were exploring Chinatown and found this hidden hole in the wall viet sandwich shop. This place has a lot of these older grandpas just hanging out so you know this place is good and authentic. We opted for the original cold cut sandwich (different from the regular kinds where you also get with bbq pork), but still pretty good. The bread are warm, crispy and soft like it should be. Hubby likes to get the wife cakes and he said it was flaky with lots of filling. A sandwich, wife cake and a homemade Chinese herbal tea came out to $7.50. Overall, a cheap and satisfying snack.

Durian taro cake!!

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2 years ago

Enjoyed their soy milk. Egg tarts seemed under cooked. The shell was a bit chewy. Might be because they were just finishing up as I arrived.

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2 years ago

The BEST MOCHI i have ever had. So good. Well worth going just for desert. I love the food

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2 years ago

the best birthday cake! half taro/durian with pandan cream is my go to even though my husband can't handle the durian flavor

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Monica's Mercato

Monica's Mercato

4.3(777 reviews)
1.0 mi•North End
•$$

GOD BLESS AMERICA...and this sandwich!! Never have I ever had a better sub in my life. The bread,…read morethe meats, the toppings; everything tasted like the best of the best! Walking through the front door is like walking through a secret portal to Italy (I'm not kidding). The smells and sights of fresh meat hanging from the ceiling is what I imagine heaven to be like! I ordered the Italian sub. First of all, it is HUGE in both length and circumference. One sub can easily be split between two people. The bread-to-meat ratio is perfect. I could taste each individual ingredient with every bite, which is a unique experience that only happens when everything is fresh and flavorful as can be. I think this place just ruined subs for me because no other will come close to being THIS good. If I were on death row, this sandwich would be part of my last meal. I feel like I cannot adequately put into words just how amazing it is. Do yourself a favor and check this place out sooner than later! :)

I came for the much heralded Italian sandwich and it did not disappoint…read more Small, 2-room shop on Salem Street, right next to Bova's Bakery, good for Italian provisions and artful Italian sandwiches. As the name "Mercato" implies, it's not a restaurant, so no place to eat, no place to "do your business" after, and if you've made it to the north end, you already know there's no place to park. -- Italian Sandwich: Long, soft bread, kinda like the kind you had in your school cafeteria, only a million times softer, a million times more crackly, and a million times better. Setting the base are oil, balsamic vinegar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, hots, and provolone. Italian sandwiches usually come flat-stacked or in a C-shape. Here, it's a fluffy stack, with the VERY-thin-sliced-to-order meats-- prosciutto, mortadella, salami-- piled generously but delicately, like tissue paper. More oil and balsamic on the other side seals the deal. It's a glorious sandwich that'll fill you up with the first half, but you'll want to keep eating the second half, because it's so good. The deep flavors of the meats comes through, and that's soft, crunchy bread is a delight. Pro tip #1: Get it with a small side of pesto. Have some bites with, some bites without. Pro tip #2 (in more ways than one): Plan your restroom visit at the nearby Boston Public Market. Pro tip #3: Plan your eating near the Paul Revere statue on Hanover Street, at the basketball court down Stillman Street, or on the Greenway down Hanover Street.

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Monica's Mercato - Inside

Inside

Monica's Mercato - Caprese Burrata Special

Caprese Burrata Special

Monica's Mercato

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Sam LaGrassa's

Sam LaGrassa's

4.4(1.3k reviews)
0.4 mi•Downtown
•$$

I'd heard of Sam LaGrassa's for years but had never managed to make it there. My first introduction…read moreended up being at a corporate event in Boston's Seaport district, where lunch arrived courtesy of one of the city's best-known sandwich shops. The catering was impressive. Before anyone even took a bite. Every half sandwich was individually wrapped and clearly labeled, with salads and sides neatly organized, making it easy for a large group to grab lunch without the usual catering chaos. The choices were wide and varied. We took our lunches upstairs to a rooftop seating area overlooking the Seaport, which made for a pretty great setting on a beautiful afternoon. I chose the Gobbler, and it lived up to the hype I've since read in other reviews. At first glance it sounds like a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, but it's much more than that. The turkey was fresh and flavorful, and it was complemented by stuffing, cranberry sauce, spinach, pepper jack cheese, and just enough chipotle mayo to add an unexpected kick, without overwhelming everything else. It's one of those combinations that sounds busy on paper but comes together remarkably well. I spoke with several others over lunch, and they were equally impressed with their choices. That's always a good sign when you're feeding a crowd. It's one thing to make a great sandwich to order; it's another to deliver dozens of them catered while maintaining that level of quality. Since this was catered, I can't really comment on the restaurant itself. The service on the catering side, however, was evident in how thoughtfully everything was prepared and packaged, and the rooftop setting where we enjoyed lunch certainly didn't hurt. Needless to say, this won't be my last Sam LaGrassa's sandwich. I fully intend to visit the restaurant one of these days, and in the meantime I'll spend some time trying to recreate that Gobbler at home (maybe with sliced roasted chicken, but also with turkey when I have it). It was that good.

I've had this bookmarked for quite some time and finally made the decision to stop by. I ordered…read morethe Southwestern Pastrami (no bbq sauce) and my partner ordered the Chicken Mafia. He ate his fresh and liked it enough to want to go back. He felt it was big enough to split into 2 meals, which is a plus since the prices here are pretty steep. I had mine cold, so I didn't like it as much. The tomatoes made the bread soggy, but the sandwich was packed with pastrami. The pickles they give though... so good and a perfect bite in between each sandwich bite or a good lil snack at the end. I like how they pack everything for take out. The boxes are secure, they don't skimp on the sauces and wrap them in plastic wrap and the pickles are in mini ziploc bags to ensure the juices don't spill on everything. Very thoughtful packaging. Since I ordered for pick up, they do have curbside where you double park out front and they can bring it to you, or you can run in and tell them the name it's under and they'll hand it to you when ready. For a Tuesday afternoon, service is not fast nor slow. The inside of the restaurant gave deli vibes, which I personally like. It's quite busy and they have some cool signs and photos up. I'll definitely be back to try it fresh!

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Sam LaGrassa's - Seating

Seating

Sam LaGrassa's - Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad

Sam LaGrassa's - The Gobbler on a roll

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The Gobbler on a roll

Calisto's - Layered with rich meats, creamy spreads, and fresh toppings for the perfect bite.

Calisto's

4.4(61 reviews)
1.0 mi•South End

I was just thinking to myself that it has been awhile since I took a bite of a meal and had a…read moregenuine "oh my fkn gooooooooddddd" moment Thank you calsitos for restoring my faith. This place slaps. That Roman sandwhich is worth the hype I lost my fkn mind

Five stars for the food, three stars for everything else. We tried Calisto's for lunch during our…read moretrip to Boston. I didn't realize this would be a true hole in the wall; no bathrooms, only three or four tables, you order at the counter. So if you're looking for a sit-down spot, have a backup plan. We got lucky and grabbed a table but it felt like a miracle. This is really more of a takeout spot. The menu is simple: cold and hot sandwiches, about four or five options per category. The sandwiches were delicious, especially the Calabria, packed with prosciutto, spicy soppressata, hot capicola, sharp provolone, Calabrian chili aioli, and arugula. They couldn't substitute the arugula, so I skipped it but it was still the star of the show. My husband had the roast beef and it was good, but the Calabria won. Fair warning: these sandwiches are HUGE. We were so full from lunch we could barely finish dinner and my one regret was not splitting one. Come hungry or come with a plan! The place is a bit chaotic. It took close to 30 minutes to get our order; they were slammed. The guy at the counter was all over the place and forgot to give us our drinks or tell us to grab them from the fridge. But at $17 for a sandwich this thick and this good, it's a great deal in Boston's South End. The flavors made it all worth it.

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Calisto's - Interior

Interior

Calisto's - A deli favorite made with serious care, big flavor, and beautiful texture in every layer.

A deli favorite made with serious care, big flavor, and beautiful texture in every layer.

Calisto's - Golden, melty, and packed with flavor from the first bite to the last.

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Golden, melty, and packed with flavor from the first bite to the last.

Mei Sum - bakeries - Updated November 2026

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