# Headed to Framingham, Mass for a night. Where to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 15, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018 "2013-03-15T16:36:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/1 "2013-03-15T16:36:33Z")
I have an unexpected trip to Framingham, Mass tomorrow. Any recommendations for a place to eat in town or relatively near by? I am contemplating heading into Boston, but am I right in thinking that getting in and out on St. Patrick’s Day weekend will be hellish? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/2 "2013-03-15T16:44:11Z")
It is in Ashland rather than Framingham (they are right next to each other) but lots of people like John Stone’s Public House. Framingham itself is just typical suburbia. They have every chain you can think of either there or in neighbor Natick usually along Route 9. They have a Legal Seafoods there and it is quite good if you like seafood although not that cheap. [http://www.stonespublichouse.com/](http://www.stonespublichouse.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Bernd\_Stromberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Bernd\_Stromberg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bernd_Stromberg)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/3 "2013-03-15T17:14:40Z")
I highly recommend Legal Seafoods, right on Route 9. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/4 "2013-03-15T17:19:00Z")
Personally I think Legal’s is overpriced small portions. But the only place I’ve eaten in Framingham is Five Guys, so I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Bernd\_Stromberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Bernd\_Stromberg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bernd_Stromberg)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/5 "2013-03-15T17:27:53Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Personally I think Legal’s is overpriced small portions. But the only place I’ve eaten in Framingham is Five Guys, so I got nothin’. Oh it’s certainly not the greatest place in the world, but considering that Shopper’s World stretch is mostly national chain restaurants, you could do worse. To the OP, since you’re there for the night you might get a kick out of this… [jewels of america](http://web.archive.org/web/20031203182220/http://www.nationallampoon.com/modstyles/wwwaste/framingham/fram.asp) (the original page is long gone) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/6 "2013-03-15T17:32:21Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Personally I think Legal’s is overpriced small portions. But the only place I’ve eaten in Framingham is Five Guys, so I got nothin’. Before moving to New England a dinner at Legals was a rare treat. Since then I’ve developed the same opinion as you because there are so many other great seafood restaurants. But lacking a good recommendation for another restaurant I’d go with Legals for seafood because the quality will be good, even if overpriced for what you get. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/7 "2013-03-15T17:33:12Z")
True, if I can’t find anything better, I wil happily eat there. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/8 "2013-03-15T18:14:55Z")
Ok, these are second hand recommendations, proceed at your own risk: [Il Cappricio](http://www.ilcapricciowaltham.com/) in Waltham. [Ken’s Steakhouse](http://www.kenssteakhouse.com/)is right in Framingham. Well known for their salad dressings. There’s also a Capitol Grill in Newton. My wife likes going to the one in Providence. I’ve had better. If you are willing to go into Boston I’d recommend [Abe&Louie’s](http://www.abeandlouies.com/)for steak. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/9 "2013-03-15T18:17:57Z")
Try [John Harvard’s Brew Pub](https://www.johnharvards.com/locations/framingham-ma). The food is pretty good and beer is quite nice. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/10 "2013-03-15T18:21:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If you are willing to go into Boston I’d recommend [Abe&Louie’s](http://www.abeandlouies.com/)for steak. Or the Altantic Fish Company right next door. Or Pappa-Razzi a few blocks from there. (Also in the Chestnut Hill Mall.) If you go to one of those and get mistreated (very unlikely!), don’t threaten to leave and go to another one. They all have the same owners. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/11 "2013-03-15T18:28:26Z")
It’s easy find places to eat with Google Maps. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=restaurants%2Bnear%2BFramingham,%2BMassachusetts&hl=en&sll=42.279286,-71.416156&sspn=0.129294,0.287361&oq=resta%2Bframingham%2Bmassachusetts&t=h&gl=us&hq=restaurants&hnear=Framingham,%2BMiddlesex,%2BMassachusetts&z=13&ll=42.279286,-71.416156 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headed-to-framingham-mass-for-a-night-where-to-eat/653018/12 "2013-03-15T21:47:35Z")
I’ll second **Ken’s Steak House** – an excellent restaurant of long standing. They should be known for their steaks, not their salad dressings, but they’ve been selling the dressings in supermarkets for years. They used to have branches in Copley Square, Boston and Central Square, Cambridge, but those closed long ago. Nevertheless, I’ve eaten at the one in Framingham, and highly recommend it. There are lots of intersting restaurants along Route 9. Not all are chains. as **Telemark** observes, **John Harvard’s Brew Pub** is there, hard to find in Shopper’s World on Route 9. It has stained glass windows, like the restaurant at 33 Dunster in Harvard Square, with which I think it has some connection. I also highly recommend **Minado** in neighboring Natick, on Route 9. It’s nominally a HUGE sushi restaurant, but you can get other things there. My company has its Christmas dinner (!) there: [http://www.minado.com/](http://www.minado.com/)