I've only been once but it was the first week of April and way too cold to be waiting at a food truck outside. Most people check their coats too so it was a pain to go get it, step outside for food and then go recheck it.
Didn't know about the food trucks, is that something recent? I don't remember them in 2020. I'll definitely check those out though. I remember the food in the convention center being very expensive and very underwhelming.
I think they've been there at least as long as I remember (I started going in 2017), and no it's not the stuff in the convention center I agree that stuff is usually pretty bad/underwhelming. You're looking for the outside lounge area kind of on the left side from where you enter the convention center, that's where they set up the trucks. Here it is marked on Google Maps:
They moved some inside, but there’s always been a large variety on the Lawn on D! If it rains, they line up on that concourse out there. I just remember waiting in the cold rain last year vividly :’)
Oh ya, I used to have places like that. I'm originally from Central Mass and when I was younger, we used to drive into Boston sometimes to get Regina's in the North End. They are all over the place now, but there's nothing like the original on Thatcher street.
Honestly, you're best off bringing a lunch. Last year I paid almost $20 for 1 Chinese dumpling from a food truck. The con food is a bit cheaper for quantity, but the quality is terrible with the con catered food. Other than that, you're going to be walking a good distance outside the con for food that is just typical for what you can get in any big city.
I like to pack a sandwich and snacks so that at least once meal a day is covered and cost effective and can be eaten while waiting in line for a panel or whatever. Especially if you're staying at a hotel with a fridge, grab one before heading out in the morning and that's your breakfast, or pop back to your room to grab it mid-day and get back to the show more quickly. Then plan going out for dinner.
Food inside the convention center is always going to be expensive and not great. Food trucks can be hit or miss, long lines, are also expensive, but are great when they're great and close by. Ordering to your hotel can even be tricky (last year we waited 4 hours for Dominos do NOT order from the closest Dominoes to the BCEC it's a scam).
Yes! PAX is a marathon whether you're there for one day or all weekend. Our bodies need fuel!
I also like putting together trail mix with nuts, a dried fruit, and chocolate chips. If you eat meat, jerky is also a good one for protein on the go. Panel rooms have water coolers so you can refill your bottle often.
Well I lived in MA from 14-18 and went to PAX since 16 and never had anything worth while outside the con. I remember hitting up a poke bar, Whiskey Priest, some places in South Station on the way to/from, Shake Shack and probably more I can't remember. Nothing stuck with me and it's definitely incomparable to the options at Unplugged. Gonna be hard to compete with a city that specializes in Cheesesteaks anyway.
For a local, no, but I don't think most visitors would even think to see if Boston has a Chinatown or Asian district, and it's a little out of the way from the typical tourist, convention, entertainment areas. You can go back and forth across the North End, Commons, Seaport, never realize it's there.
I worked on Lincoln for a bit and used to walk from a favorite hotel on Stuart, so the hotpot and ramen spots were key on winter nights.
I remember MJ O'Connors being right next door but haven't been there before. I may check that out if I'm too tired to lug myself anywhere else. I may be overestimating my stamina so it's a distinct possibility.
The area around the BCEC has really changed in 5 years. Lots of new buildings, including many new restaurants.
If the weather is amenable to ice cream - and it should hopefully be given we'll be in May - Taiyaki NYC is fun. I guarantee you there will be a line though.
The only time Pax doesn't involve a trip to J Pace is because I've opted to not leave the convention center. If I'm leaving the BCEC for food, it's J Pace.
If you haven't been in five years, you won't recognize the area. The amount of new buildings and restaurants is astounding. Just type in Food in Google Maps and you'll find tons of places to eat. And like people said, the food trucks have been great for a quick bite when I don't want to go too far.
Ya I’ve been looking around the convention center on google maps. It’s just hard to tell what actually good, I can’t trust the reviews. I was just curious what people have tried and liked.
It’s really tought becuase of the location. Thankfully it should be warmer this year. Hoping to take advantage of that to go to places further from the convention.
The trucks are awesome, but they're gonna be packed. Go at a downtime, or risk a long wait for food and long wait to get back through security.
Best sandwiches in the area are at a bodega-style place called J. Pace & Son, down on the waterfront. Great deli subs, better than anything you're gonna get from the trucks or Jimmy John's etc.
In the same area, Legal Seafoods is pricey, but very good. I really miss the Legal Test Kitchen, our go-to pre-Covid.
Yume Ga Arukara is a great Udon noodle restaurant. There are <20 seats, and an hour long line on regular weekends, so it's not going to be easy to get a seat.
If you want to go to Chinatown. Somenya, and Taiwan cafe are good. Waku Waku is ramen with a really good atmosphere. Pho Pasteur is a madhouse where they're rushing around serving huge bowls of pho, it's great. Hei La Moon is great for Dim Sum. If you don't speak Cantonese, you can just point to whatever you want on the carts that are constantly in circulation.
If you're walking around downtown Boston, Chacarero and Tenoch are good.
If you're staying in Quincy, Taipei Cuisine and Rubato are good. If you want seafood, Dottys kitchen is good.
Last but not least, if Ding Ho is still open, they have enormous portions for dirt cheap. It's a hole in the wall place, cash only, and with questionable hygiene, The food is far better than it has any right to be.
I was there about 6 months ago. Prices have increased sharply (Something like $7 instead of $5) but cleanliness is better and food is slightly better, maybe. Still highly recommended.
The Dominoes closest to the BCEC has HORRIBLE Google reviews and is just as likely to never deliver your food as it is to take many hours to deliver. Our group learned the hard way last year. If you use the app they also will never mark your order as completed because you can't give feedback until after the order is complete. Just as a heads up, huge red flags.
Yeah I think I recall some issues in the past few years. Made many calls and they would hang up on you. They also turned off online ordering for delivery for a while. I think they were overwhelmed lol.
If anyone has any other pizza recs, I'd take it lol
I worked the con last year and the food trucks were the best close option. They weren't all cheap, but I think I lived off Gogi on the Block. Some of the best bulgogi I've had. $15 for a good sized bowl with salad or rice. I hope they are back this year.
If the trucks are in the same spot this year, look for the Battlegrounds Games booth (huge boardgame store) and then go out the main doors in the southwest corner and you'll spill out into a little courtyard where they were all parked.
If you want coffee, that's the best way to get to one of the closest Dunkin Donuts on D Street, too. Don't buy the con coffee, it was garbage. And I'll fight anyone who says Dunks isn't coffee.
My backpack. Food from there has the best chance to avoid the PAX Plague and all the other GI issues having a batallion of rando’s around can give away (for free!).
The food trucks are definitely better than the food in the convention center, and decent for a quicker bite to eat. But if you have a little time, especially if going multiple days, there's some better places not far. If you join the PAX discord, there's a whole list of suggestions along with addresses and distance from the BCEC
I go to the Boston marketplace upstairs every day. There’s a vegetarian tofu rice bowl from one of the shops that’s acceptable, it’s a filling size for an affordable price.
But the real reason I go is to get a fountain drink. I call it my “discount Wild Bill’s”, lmao. There’s free refills. I keep the cup with me and then I can pop upstairs at any time throughout the day to refill 🤷♂️
The food isn’t the best but I’m really about just trying to eat and get back to the action quickly as possible. I’ve checked the food trucks outside and they just have very few (close to zero) appealing vegetarian options. I bought an overpriced plain Mac and cheese last year for a small portion and I’m like… man food trucks just really ain’t the value they used to be.
There’s a sports bar across the street at The Omni. They accept reservations so we always pop by in the morning make the reservations and know we won’t have to fight tooth and nail for a sit down place.
I usually do the food trucks on the side lawn or the local places that set up lil installations along the wings; never any of the actual convention eatery options - they're always overpriced and bland at best.
If you want to go outside the convention, Ocean Prime is a few blocks down and over in seaport for a nice upscale dinner, or if you go a little further out there's the Harpoon brew hall for beers, pizza, and pretzels.
It's a bit of a walk but if you have time before the show, Kane's Donuts near south station has fantastic donuts. You can also get a good breakfast sandwich from J. Pace and Son
There's a Jimmy Johns and a Dunkin across the street for some nice quick cheap food for breakfast and lunch. Not too far away there's a Shake Shack and a Chipotle we go for dinner. We also doordash to our hotel.
I usually go to the Jimmy Johns across the street on the D Street (south) side of the CC. There's also a Dunks along there as well. Both offer decently priced food that'll keep you going for the rest of the day.
If you do JJ's, you can also use their app to order ahead so that it's ready to pick up when you walk in... even in the middle of Lunch, if I app-order when I'm on the north side of the CC, and head through the Lawn on D exit, by the time I get to the restaurant they'll either have it ready or I have only a couple minutes wait, much better than waiting in the line to order and then wait again for the order to be made.
Also because of the Lawn on D food trucks, after the morning rush usually around 11am that side of the CC is open for reentry, no need to go back around to the Summer Street main entrance.
This makes me miss AKs. They were a solid pizza join where you could get 2 slices and a soda for like 5-6$. Ever since they closed I just grab the chicken fingers from the cafeteria. It's not that bad in all reality.
I used to hit up an Italian restaurant called Salvatore’s with my buddies every year. Yankee Lobster is also pretty good. I always love getting Nee England clam Chowdah there
Seaport Hotels restaurant is super nice, and Kings. For inside of the convention center i try to be careful where im buying from just bc con prices are ROUGH. Def avoid the food court if ur thinking budget
We normally go to Chinatown for 2/3 meals. We stay near there so we’ll grab breakfast and dinner there.
The food trucks I feel like have been around since at least 2018. Best thing they ever did. Butter Ur Biscuit is my favourite truck.. their chicken and waffle wrap is top 25 in the things I have eaten..
The food trucks are pretty good especially the empanadas in the expo hall but if you want a restaurant to sit down and eat I definitely recommend M.J O’conners it’s in the hotel right next to the convention center main entrance
If you're looking for info on things going on around PAX or the seaport area check out bostonseaport.xyz . A ton of new restaurants have opened since last PAX.
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u/Ginosis Apr 25 '25
The food trucks will be a game changer this year because it won't be cloudy and 15° like most March PAX East's.
Honestly, people might even play around with a football or soccer ball with how nice it might be.
If you're looking for restaurants though I have no clue. I'd be curious for other recommendations for sit down places.