Durgin Park

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American Restaurants

Official Website: Durgin Park
Location: 340 North Market St., Boston, MA, 02109 map
Phone:(617) 227-2038
Specialties: Kid Friendly, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Family Style
Cost: $$

Others to Consider: Fresh City, Full Moon Restaurant, Not Your Average Joe's, S&S Deli, Arlington Diner

Durgin Park was opened over 100 years ago - a Boston restaurant famous for its chowders, Indian puddings, apple pan dowdy, johnny cake, and New England boiled dinners.

This historic Boston restaurant is notorious for its 'sharp tongued' waitstaff (designed for your humor and entertainment).

Sample Menu Items

Appetizers: Onion Rings, Shrimp Scampi, Oysters & Clams (steamed or raw).

Soups & Chowders: Fish Chowder, Clam Chowder.

Salads: Garden Salad, Caesar Salad (with grilled chicken or grilled shrimp).

Lunch Specials: Yankee Pot Roast, Poor Man's Roast Beef, Homemade Fishcakes, Chicken Livers (in wine & bacon), Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Stew*, Short Ribs of Beef with Creole sauce, Frankfurts, Knockwurst, Potted Beef with onions, Boston Schrod.

Sandwiches: Fish, Corned Beef, Roast Beef, Ham, Turkey
With: Swiss, pepper jack, or American cheese and daily bread.

Poultry: Roast Stuffed Turkey, Roasted Native Chicken Boneless Chicken Breast Platter.

Beef: Roast Prime Rib of Beef, Durgin Cut, Yankee Cut, Porter house Steak, T-Bone Steak, Broiled Sirloin Steak, New England Corned Beef and Cabbage, Yankee Pot Roast, Broiled Hamburg Steak, Traditional Hamburger & Cheesburger, Franks (grilled or steamed).

Lamb & Pork: Pork Chops, Roast Loin of Pork (with applesauce), Broiled Lamb Steak or Chops, Kidney,Mixed Grill (lamb kidney, lamb chop, pork chop, tenderloin tips).

Seafood: Boston Schrod, Haddock, Salmon, Sole, Fried Fish and Chips, Fried Shrimp, Broiled Salmon, Filet of Sole, Haddock, Fried Shrimp or Clams or Oysters, Sea Scallops, Seafood Platter, Swordfish, Lobster Sauté, Fried Lobster, Lobster/Shrimp Newburg.

Vegetarian: Bale of Hay, Four vegetables and potato.

Pasta: Chicken and Broccoli Over Pasta, Shrimp Scampi Over Pasta, Seafood Combination Over Pasta, Pasta Primavera, Pasta Marinara.

Desserts: Boston Cream Pie, Coffee Jell-O, Homestyle Apple Pie, Hot Fudge Sundaes, Indian Pudding,Homestyle Apple Pan Dowdy, Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Fresh Homestyle Strawberry Shortcake (fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream).

Reviews

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Blast From The Past!, Tue 26 May 2009

We have eaten here on several occasions. Most recently 10/08 and had a wonderful lunch on a beautiful October Day! Had relatives who lived in Boston so spent some time up there periodically as a child and young adult. Hadn't been to Durgin Park in say 5 years and found the food to be just the same as it had always been! Service was with a smile and unrushed. Very efficient. Food was as good as you'll get anywhere if you're looking for REAL Yankee New England Cooking. Don't compare it with that high class fare you get in California Wine Country or the best New York style restaurant. Yankee cooking is a different kind of cooking! Low and slow for the most part for the stews and roasts. You have to acccept it for what it is and not compare it with any other, unless you only compare it to another Yankee Cookhouse! Fun atmosphere. A real piece of history to behold. Do it at least once in your life! ENJOY!

Durgin Park, Sat 29 Dec 2007

Had to be in Boston on business on Christmas Eve and about the only hotel in the city that was open was Durgin Park. Since I'd been there many times as a child, I couldn't wait for a return. We got there right at 7pm and initially the staff said they had just closed but I begged (a lot!) and in order to quiet me down they let us in. Even though they were closing for the holiday and the kitchen was offically closed, the service was superb (better than I remember) and the food (we both had Yankee Pot Roast) delicious. I missed the sawdust on the floor and family style beans/cornbread of the old days, but we were told the health dept. had other ideas. In any case, we had a wonderful experience and I can't wait to return.

Not Good!, Wed 11 Jul 2007

Went to eat there on Sat. 7-7-07 at 5:00pm. Ordered 2 Yankee pot rost Dinners and the meat was very tough and dry to the point where it could not be eaten. we also ordered the sirloin tips and again they were so tough and over cooked they could not be eaten. The waitress was very good but meal was slow. About 40 minutes to be served. Not the best deal for a total tab of $187.00! (we had 4 adult meals, two childrens, raw plate and 3 drinks.

An Experience To Be Told, Tue 22 May 2007

Yesterday me and a Friend of mine took our wives in a trip to Boston. We were referred to a small restaurant in downtown called Durgin Park. From start to finish that was the worst dining experience ever. We called on our way to the restaurant for a reservation, we were told that they didn't take reservations. Upon arriving we gave the very unfriendly hostess the name and party size. Five minutes later a party of 21 came in and miraculously was sat because they have a reservation? The quoted wait time was extremely under embellished, we were quoted at 15 minutes and 45 minutes later we were still waiting for our table. When they finally had room for us in the what we hoped was a completely full restaurant we found open tables every where! We were told to go up the stairs and just wait, we were seated by the waiter on the third floor. Our waitress finally came over after about ten minutes and surprisingly she was the only good thing about the dining experience. When the food came out it was horrible. We had ordered a variety of their seafood selection and all of it was horrible. We asked to speak with a manager and when he came over he promptly began making excuses for their food. Apparently the food was not bad, it was us who was at fault. WHAT??? What manager makes excuses, it was absolutely unheard of! We finally left disgruntled and with upset stomach to boot! I have always hated the East Coast and now I know why, over-priced terrible food and excuse-making managers! HORRIBLE!!!

You Call This Chowda!, Mon 2 Apr 2007

Enough with the water already! Also bad chowder was served to us at Gritty McDuffs in Freeport ME. They must think water is a good substitute for (dare I say it) cream. Could you believe it but they had no Lobster available on a Saturday yet just across the courtyard in the market the little stands had plenty. The waitress though a thirty year vet was neither gruff nor drinking enough to be 'entertaining'. I guess I'll stick to my fonder memories of crowded 'head' weekends in october when the wait was worth the price of admission and the chowder could actually support the weight of a cracker though as a former coxswain I would have opted for the wedge of lettuce salad hold the blue cheese dressing and bacon.

Durgin Park - Overpriced And Flavorless, Sun 16 Apr 2006

A dinner for four with appetizers cost me $90 last week on a recent trip to Boston. Not an unreasonable amount of money for a nice dinner, but this was anything but nice. I had their 'famous' prime rib -- which maybe is famous for its absolute lack of flavor. It was so horrible that I left 75% of it on the plate. My wife had fish and chips, which my wife said tasted like batter and chips. And the worst part, the batter was 'blah' -- completely without flavor. My mom joined us and had shrimp -- which was mediocre, but at least wasn't horrible like my prime rib. And my daughter opted for spaghetti, which tasted like little more than tomato sauce. This place was bland at its best, and downright horrible at its worst. And given the cost, you'd be better off saving a few bucks and eating at one of the vendors in nearby Quincy Market. Durgin Park is a horrible place to eat. It survives on its quaint reputation for rude waitresses (which was funny, because the only thing pleasant about our meal was our nice waitress) and lots of food. Their portions are huge, but unfortunately, largely inedible.

Forgotten, Mon 10 Apr 2006

Bring back the gruff but highly efficient waitstaff! A recent trip was not a pleasant experience on a Saturday afternoon with our out of town son and his friend. The place was not busy. After 20 minutes from placing our orders, the waitress returned and asked what we had ordered (bad sign, blew our opportunity to bail out). Another 30 minutes passes (50 minutes total), three orders of soggy, overdone schrod arrives without the fourth dinner. We cancelled the fourth dinner and won't return.

Terrible Food!, Thu 23 Mar 2006

I live in California, and my daughter and her husband are in Boston for school. They had recieved a gift certificate for Durgan Park and decided to give it a try recently. With a waitress who constantly ran her fingers through her hair just before picking up plates, lipstick on the water glass, (which was left on the table for 15 minutes after letting the waitress know) tasteless and chewy Prime Rib (how do you screw up Prime Rib?) Lobster that was hard to chew and just plain awful, they couldn't wait to get out! They certainly didn't want a credit, they'll never go back. My son in law has been a restaraunt manager for years and knows how to treat people and serve good food and Durgan Park did neither well. Very dissapointing!

DURGIN PARK, Sat 11 Mar 2006

now i have had a great meal once or twice in my life, however, MY GOD did i have a meal to die for at bostons durgin park. first of the staff are not only the most entertaining service staff i've ever encountered, not to mention the barstaff, (friday afternoons)! i started with their signature chowder, which now i can truely say i'm a new englander! i then enjoyed a scrumptious seafood medly pasta dish including shrimp, scallops, mussels, and scrod, move over Gordon! i capped this new england dream with an all american slice of apple pie with a scoop of ice cream dream vanilla! if you're in fanueil hall, you should be in durgin park!

Durgin Park Restaurant, Sat 18 Feb 2006

Two years ago I brought my son, daughter, grandson, and granddaughter to experience the Durgin Park I knew in the 1950s. Well let me tell you it is not longer great. We were disgusted. The service was not the same. I know they are supposed to be insulting - that would have been fun, but they were ignoring us completely. We had to ask for anything we wanted. The food has fallen down hill so far, it is beyond rescue. I was embarassed that I had brought them there. I will never go again.

Tips

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Often filled with tourists with a long wait on weekends & holidays
Famous for it's Boston Baked Beans
Reservations available for 15 or more
Validated parking at Faneuil Hall garages (e.g., 75 State Street Garage)
Close T-Stops: Haymarket (Orange/Green) or Government Center (Green)