"Best Non-Seafood Tower" winner in Best of Boston 2025. A bar, but famous for hot dogs. Starlite-style Dog: A signature item, a delightful surprise with Aioli sauce. The freshness of lemon and the spiciness of mustard complement each other perfectly. Hand-Cut Fries: Hand-cut, thick-cut fries, freshly fried. A blissfully hot temperature and soft texture inside. The Gentlemen: Bourbon/Belle de Brillet/Lemon. A choice perfectly aligned with the bartender's advice. Sweetness of the pear and bitterness of the alcohol were pure both, the zingy aroma of citrus captivated most. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. ...He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11) read more

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I wish I were a local to be able to make this my go to place. From the welcoming staff to the best stuffed olives I've ever had before this place has it all. We stopped in for a nightcap and ended up ordering tots and a hot dog. We honestly should have ordered another round of hot dogs. I 10/10 recommend! read more

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The interior is kind of small but it was easy to get a table for my fiance and I around 530pm on a Wednesday. I came for the famous hot dog tower but after looking at the menu, I pivoted and got the steak tips which were very good (only 4 pieces but they were decently sized) and the mashed potatoes and arugula salad were good as well. The fries were a highlight, fried enough for a good crunch but not greasy and fluffy on the inside. The gravy was fine but I wish I kept it for my mashed potatoes (taken away after we finished our appetizers). The corn fritters themselves were good, kind of like a sweet corn munchkin, but the lavender honey dipping sauce was way too lavender for me. Have always passed this place and am glad to have finally checked it out. Will definitely come back again! read more

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My friends and I went out to brunch here on a Sunday. We arrived at one which was our first mistake. Our second mistake was that our friends kept trickling in, and we couldn't be seated until everybody had arrived. Another mistake we made was having a large party when there were already several large parties seated so we had to wait a good hour before we were able to sit down. While we waited for our table, we had coffee and cocktails, and snacks at the bar. The staff is lovely. Once we were seated and placed our orders, the food came out relatively quickly. Everyone was happy with their food. We had several vegans in the party and they had chosen this spot because of the vegan options and they were not disappointed. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Brunch bowl - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Trina's had a nice atmosphere with low lighting and loud music. There were lots of families and young people dining. My friends and I wanted to try the viral hotdog tower, which was $35. Was it worth the price? No, but I thought the hot dogs were ok. The mac & cheese with Ritz crackers was delicious, but the menu labeled it as an entrée so I was surprised to see it arrive in a standard coffee mug. From what I saw at other tables, the entrées looked decent, but Trina's cuisine seems more like elevated diner style eating. read more

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The bar food was decent. I had a specialty hotdog and fries that was pretty good. The service was decent. Interesting vibe there. Real retro and a young crowd andI didn't feel that welcomed (I'm over 60). read more

Very solid local institution. The stuff after friendly and helpful and service was quick but not rushing. The drinks were okay, interesting menu and decently executed, but the cocktails came by the pint glass, not they weren't exactly artisanal. They tasted fine, there was a bunch of ice so not the most flavorful, but pretty reasonably priced for the area. The "happy meal" was a pleasant surprise--a small party of real meat, not a pre-formed wafer or meat, and it actually came done about medium. The fries were real fresh-cut potato and very good. The price was very reasonable for what it is, where it is. They were empty around 5pm, and absolutely packed a little later--when it's crowded it's very much a bar atmosphere and it's loud, but it's a bar, so that's fine. read more

Oh I loved dining at Trinas! First, the staff is so so friendly - they are a collection of very caring and wonderful folks looking to connect, share and care. I had the butter bourbon cocktail and whatever they have done to create such a divine drink it's mindblowing. A deep flavor, wonderful mouthfeel and perfect balance. I was also very excited to have their root veggie salad which was so fresh, topped with a happy egg. Definitely understand why this is a neighborhood favorite! The vibe is welcoming, with a truly eclectic collection of feel good and included trinkets and decor. read more

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Absolutely love Trina's, typically come here for dinner & drinks but tried their brunch today and it was the best I've had in a long time. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Chicken Biscuit - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Best friends on a mission -- a four-stop hot dog crawl through Camberville to celebrate two bachelor/bachelorette parties. We rated each spot on five key metrics: dog, bun, toppings, presentation, and overall value. Let me say... Trina's Starlite Lounge crushed it across the board. First of all, Trina's was the only restaurant with an actual hot dog section on their menu -- a sign of true dedication to the craft. We ordered the Hot Dog Tower, which was nothing short of a masterpiece. Perfectly stacked, visually iconic, and accompanied by crispy, seasoned French fries that deserve their own fan base. What really set Trina's apart was the ability to customize each dog -- toppings and sauces came on the side, so everyone could build their ideal bite. The buns were beautifully toasted, the dogs were snappy and juicy, and the presentation was unmatched -- both fun and functional. Our server (we sadly forget his name but will never forget his energy!) was friendly, funny, and fully embraced our chaotic crawl vibe. He even surprised us with two extra hot dogs on the house at the end of the night. Talk about top dog service. In the final hot dog crawl rankings, Trina's easily earned the gold medal. Whether you're on a hot dog adventure or just in the mood for good vibes, Trina's is an absolute must. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Hot Dog Tower - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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The food was delicious, the staff were amazing, and the vibes were great! Cute decor as well. read more

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Still nailing it after all these years! Friendly, energetic staff that seem to be having as much fun as their guests! Cool retro dive bar vibes with fun music on and food is always great. Sloopy Joes night is my guilty pleasure of choice! read more

Usually I just go to Trina's for drinks - but this time we had a GREAT dinner: it was spaghetti night - and their sauce was so good!! We also had an order of their brussel sprouts. You may wonder... just how good can brussel sprouts be? Friggin AWESOME. Life changing. Angels singing. OMG! I. Need. More. read more

Nice bartenders. Good corn dogs. Hot dog tower! Gay friendly. Super fun and cute. Love the drinks

This restaurant has such a really nice vibe. I love the old school interior design with all of the signs on the walls. Too cute. Both the corn dog and the vegan dog were great. I wish they had a veg friend cod dog option. The fries with gravy were great - big enough to split for my partner and I. Seems like there's a limited menu in the afternoon - so that's something to be aware of. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Fries with gravy - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Amazing tasty food! A must try really! I went with friends and then with family they all loved the food and wuality

We went on Monday for "Not our President's Day" brunch! Though busy, we were able to get a drink at the bar to wait for a table. Didn't even have to ask for water - wait staff brought it right over to us when they saw us waiting and having a pre-brunch cocktail. Once seated, service was impeccable. And the Butter Infused Maple Bourbon was to die for. Our meals were delicious (biscuits and gravy, chicken on a biscuit, and the Trina's Slam) and the service was even better! Everyone who works there seems to genuinely enjoy their job and serves with that vibe. Staff all helped each other. Recommend 100% read more

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I have a memory of reviewing this place, though maybe it's just such a default awesome spot for me that I assumed I already notified the world how great it is. Well, it's pretty great. It's a bar for every mood. A cool date? You can sit together in the window and yell over the music or play footsy on the bar stools. A drunken shouting fest with friends? Sitting elbow to elbow with other aggravated hipsters is the way to go there. A boozy brunch? One of their 80s diner booths has you covered. Their cocktails are reasonable, their beer selection ok, their food pretty high quality. None of these things will knock you out of your chair, but they kind of match the general vibe of just being generally satisfying. It's not really trying to be anything but the nice kind of local, I feel. The staff is also awesome. They all seem just happy to have you around. Not sure if they put something in their drinks or they just treat them well, but it's nice to feel welcome in a place. Also - they randomly have incredible pie. It's not every night, but I definitely recommend taking a pie gamble if you haven't already. read more

I came here with a friend for drinks on a Thursday night. It was pretty crowded, but we managed to snag seats at the bar. While the vibe is a little grungy, the quality of the food/drinks and service is top tier. I just had a beer, but my friend ordered a cocktail and said it was great. The bartender was really friendly and even though Trina's was busy, never neglected us. We also ordered the southern corn fritters, which came with a honey dipping sauce. Those were mildly addictive; if you like hush puppies, I would recommend. read more

Good hot dogs, the drinks aren't anything special, could be mistaken for a gay bar, if you're into that you'll enjoy it.

Pranced past this joint almost every day for half a year before i decided to finally drop in. Truthfully a shining gem of the somerville area. I don't usually look at a menu and think "today i want a hotdog" but their rotating and unique menu converted me. (Bring back the tostada hotdog. Please.) Some of the best drinks i've had, cutest ambiance, incredible service and killer food. Best "home" esque spaghetti i've found in boston--just like mama made. Didn't even know there was outdoor seating around the back in warm weather, cutest spot for a first date. Can't recommend taking your friends here enough. read more

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Best food in Somerville periodt. The fries are absolutely to die for I can't think of a better type of fry + their many sauces. Literally everything is PERFECT nothing on the menu doesn't hit, no misses whatsoever. Vibes are always on point with the music. Super chill ambiance, sweet servers & a safe space for women + queer community! I waited too long to check this place out & have serious regrets, check them out asap!!! read more

Great food, great service! Came here for outdoor dinner one night, place wasn't too crowded and staff was super attentive. They have you put your name/number for COVID tracking purposes before being seated and social distancing is enforced. Staff wear masks and overall very friendly. The food and drinks were great - a little pricey, but the quality is definitely there. The zucchini cakes were really tasty and the Chipotle aioli mixed well with the latke texture of the zucchini. The burgers were very filling and the tater tots were interestingly shaped but overall were great. Drinks were fantastic as well. The only thing lack luster were the side salads, but everything else was just fine. Would recommend! read more

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This place is a community staple and I love coming here with friends. We stopped by for drinks and snacks last weekend and as usual everything was great. The cocktails were delicious and our server was attentive and had great recommendations! I had the hotdog of the day and it was the best hot dog I have ever had- the hotdog was butterflied and grilled with a delicious sauce on top, the bun was buttered and toasted. Definitely check out Trina's and more specifically make sure to hit their Monday brunch- it's the best! read more

Unassuming from the front, Trina's might not catch your eye. You might miss it entirely if you're zooming by. But don't let the humble facade fool you...this place has the absolute best vibes. Affordable, yummy food and drink (how can you beat $11 cocktails?!). Kitschy, fun decor. Cool, friendly service. A great place for a chill hang with genuine people. read more

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Have you ever needed a hot dog + cocktail pick me up? I caught the blues and needed to find some solace in comfort food and nice people- which is Trina's!!! All the apps are delicious and the drink menu is fun and unique. The rotating hot dog special keeps me coming back for more. P.s no dogs on the patio but you probably wouldn't want to fight your pup over these hot dogs. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Service and Ambiance was good but the food and cocktail was just ok. I give this place 2.5 Honey lavender corn fritters (1 ) - no real flavor, it was just a fried ball with some powdered sugar Mac & cheese with hot dogs (3 ) - it was fine with nothing great but was solid max & cheese Corn cake (3 ) - solid corn cake but with WAY too much honey butter added. It was like an ice cream scoop of butter Single burger (2 ) - was ok but dry Hot dog of the day (Mexican tostada - not even a hot dog) (2 ) Fried chicken plate (3 ) - fried chicken itself was great but everything else was either too strong of flavor or no flavor at all. All in all, the food was fine. Honestly these dishes would have been solid good dishes IF they were not trying to be "unique" or fushiony. read more

They have outdoor seating in the back! Cool looking cocktail menu, and awesome take on classic American dishes. Love that they have a blue plate special and hot dog special. My friend got the blue plate special- which was a steak tip sandwich, today. I got the fried chicken- which was delicious, especially with the sauce. The buttered corn bread, watermelon, and street corn definitely made it a full, rounded out, meal. Good vibe- will be back! read more

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Trina: You know many say we serve the best fried chicken in Massachusetts Me: oh no, not this again. This is Mass, you don't know what good fried chicken is. Trina: Just give it a try Me: you sure you wanna do this? I literally just came back from the South just a few days ago. This cannot end well Trina: less talking, more eating Me: (takes bite, looks around aimlessly) ok I think we might have something here... I was so ready to rip into this place. Dimly lit Dive bars usually don't scream "come here for the food", but Trina's Starlite is legit. I came for the fried chicken, and I was not disappointed. An entire half bird, nicely seasoned, moist and juicy on the inside, super crispy on the outside. Also satisfying were the Brussels sprouts and corn bread. Pretty sure the corn bread had actual corn pieces in it. Yeah...that's different. Great service and great food. I hear many other options like the burger are big hits. I slept on this place for many years. Looks like I'm the one who's been missing out. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Great cocktails and good food, reco the bloody and sitting at the bar. Only downside is it's very loud, hard to hear someone next to you at the bar. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Chicken on a biscuit, bacon, hashbrowns, gravy - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

SO happy that Trina's has survived. A dive bar with comfort food. You know what you will get. It will be good and it is local. No filet mignon...but a good burger, or mac n' cheese and a solid Manhattan! read more

The service was great, the location is great, the chicken and waffles... weren't so great. I visited on a Friday evening and it was packing. The wait was about 45 minutes to get seated. I ordered their pricey chicken and waffles because I thought "with this price tag, they MUST be good". Also, a friend mentioned they'd seen Trina's featured on TV for their C&W so again - they must be good! They weren't so good. First, for a price of 2 Hamilton, I was hoping for more. Both quantity-wise but also, I would've liked some normal syrup and butter? It was two pieces of bone-in chicken on a waffle with a side of spicy glaze. Here's the good: it was an alright size but like I said, could've been bigger. Here's the bad: why put bone-in chicken on C&W?? I had to take the chicken off, remove the bones, then out the pieces back on the waffles to eat them together, only to spit out small pieces of bone I had missed. There was no flavor on the chicken, or the waffles - just the glaze! Both the waffle and the chicken were dry. This dish was a 2 stars. I also tried the tater tots - those were great! Would recommend, they are 5 stars on their own. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Chicken and waffles - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I'm so glad I finally made to Trina. The food and drinks were delicious. We had the wings, the fritters, fried chicken, and shawarma plate. Despite everything sounding ordinary, it was extraordinary in taste. There was an heightened taste factor in all the dishes which I appreciated. The staff was also very friendly and accommodating. I recommend going early because it was jam packed by the time we left on a Thursday night. read more

Stopped by for some late night drinks and food, and it unfortunately just did not hit right. The lighting at the establishment is pretty poor which is what they might be going for, but it made it hard to read the menu and converse with others. Being Boston, it was pretty expensive and the quality of the food did not warrant it. The fries were pretty small and burnt to a crisp. Honey mustard and ranch were watered down which blew my mind that they could mess up sauce. There was barely any hot dog in the Mac n cheese which costed $4 for a single frank. And a 20% tip was automatically applied which I'm honestly not a fan of, but we did have a party of 6. I would be more okay with that if they could accept more than 2 credit cards. read more

One of the best places for hotdogs. It gets super packed and loud inside but worth it. We waited for about 15 minutes for another group to join us. Staff is pretty cool and service is fantastic. They have a great list if wine, beer and cocktails. I picked their High Life beer which was good. I ordered their Starlite hotdog and it was unbelievably delicious. I asked for no cheese and it was still tasty, their homemade aioli sauce is a big hit. I need to learn how to make it my own, quick. So I never seen a hotdog split in half so they can put the fillings in there, great idea! Everyone in the group enjoyed their meal! I highly recommend this place! read more

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Recently I went to Trina's at lunchtime on a quiet Monday and enjoyed a lovely Southern-style meal. It's a cute little spot with a vintage 50s vibe though a tad cramped. Will definitely come again. read more

Prior to my first visit here, I had read a food-based article online, one of those "Best such-and-such in every state." In this case, it was fried chicken, and Trina's of Somerville was listed as best fried chicken in Massachusetts. Armed with that, plus an interest in many other items on the food and drink menu, a few of us went to Trina's, for drinks, appetizers, and that fried chicken. The verdict: As far as I'm concerned, the survey got it right. The fried chicken is enhanced by the spicy honey sauce into which you can dip your morsels. That whole meal is amazing, including the potato salad, greens, and the corn on the cob. I don't think the chipotle mayo on the corn was necessary, but it certainly enhanced the flavor. Think of the entire meal as an upbeat take on a northern fried chicken dinner. The drink menu has equally interesting cocktails, so of course we got some. For appetizers, we got the grilled coconut-lime shrimp with grilled pineapple - addicting! - and the corn fritters. The fritters were the only thing about the meal of which I want to nitpick. I'm not sure whether they were actually supposed to still be mushy, as in maybe not fully cooked, on the inside. The featured pie for dessert changes regularly. Tonight it was a strawberry and ricotta pie with a creamy lime curd garnish. Add to the great food and drink was the enjoyable service and rapport we got from our server, Kayla. We will definitely ask for her on future visits. read more

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Actual Rating: 4.5 I've been on a hunt for good fried chicken recently and I saw that this place was featured on various platforms such as food lens, eater, AND Guy Fierys show Chicken and Waffles ($20) First off, the fried chicken did not disappoint. The skin was super crispy without being greasy. Some parts of the breasts were a little dry but that's kinda expected from a chicken breast. I also loved that the crispy batter wasn't like falling off the meat. The spicy syrup was AMAZING! It was sweet and slightly tangy. I would've liked it to be even more spicy but I think it caters to most people. Chicken and waffle isn't technically listed on the menu but they always have them! HOWEVER, I do wish I had gotten the Fried Chicken entree instead of the waffles. The first few bites of the waffle was great but when it cooled down, I found it to be extremely dense. The entree comes with two sides which I would've much preferred. this place has such a cool and hipster bar vibe which I love! They currently have a snack shack and outdoor patio (no reservations). The service was absolutely amazing and I would love to come back for their chicken entree and cool cocktails!! read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Man, I was in the Cambridge area three nights for a course and the only regret I have is that after eating at Trina's the first night, I tried to find something better the other two nights. Not possible. Should've stick with the Starlight. Great vibe but greater food. And greaterer service (thanks Liz). I paid way more for food while I was here and nothing came close. Stay with the best. Stay with Trina's. read more

Trina's Starlite Lounge - Beef tips. - Lounges Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Honestly I love the place...good vibe, great staff. But the food...mediocre at best. There's fast food in this town with better burgs and dogs. Corn fritters was like 5 little fried marbles served with a cup of simple syrup. I'd say, make the food match the great vibe. read more