Where2Meet

Restaurant for a big group in Boston

  • Group dinner

The Where2Meet team · Published · Updated

The Custom House Tower's white clock tower framed by office buildings at Congress Street in Boston's Financial District, under a blue sky
The Custom House Tower, a few blocks from Mr. Dooley's and State Street Provisions. Photo by Marco Almbauer (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons

A good restaurant for a big group in Boston takes reservations and sits a short walk from a T station that most of the group can reach without a transfer. For most groups, that means the Financial District near State and Aquarium. You have ten or twelve people coming from Cambridge, Quincy and Revere, and somebody has to call a restaurant and give a headcount.

This post lists seven restaurants that seat groups, then covers which station to plan around, how to book a long table, and how everyone gets home. It is part of our guide to Boston.

Which restaurant for a big group in Boston should you book?

Book one that takes reservations and is good for groups, then check its hours for your night. All seven below do both, and each note says which night it suits.

Our picks in Boston

Chosen by the Where2Meet team. Photos, ratings and addresses load live from Google Maps.

  • Elephant & Castle

    Open from 7 a.m. to midnight every day, this restaurant on Devonshire Street fits a dinner on any night of the week. It takes reservations and is good for groups. State, on the Orange and Blue lines, is about a 2-minute walk, and Downtown Crossing is about 4 minutes away.

  • Mr. Dooley's Boston

    Pick this Irish restaurant on Broad Street when dinner may turn into a late night, because it stays open until 2 a.m. every day. It's moderately priced, takes reservations and is good for groups. State and Aquarium are each about a 5-minute walk.

  • State Street Provisions

    Book here for a Friday or Saturday dinner that runs long. The restaurant at 255 State Street stays open until 1 a.m. on those nights and until midnight the rest of the week. It's moderately priced, takes reservations, is good for groups and is about a 4-minute walk from Aquarium on the Blue Line.

  • Joe's Waterfront

    Groups that want an earlier dinner on the harbor side of downtown can book this moderately priced restaurant on Atlantic Avenue. It closes at 10 p.m. most nights and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, takes reservations and is good for groups. Aquarium is about a 6-minute walk.

  • Central Wharf Co.

    Only plan on this one from Wednesday to Saturday, since it's closed Sunday through Tuesday. The moderately priced restaurant on Milk Street opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays and at noon on Saturday, takes reservations and is good for groups. Aquarium is about a 2-minute walk.

  • Lily's Bar - Pizza - Patio

    Pizza to share makes this restaurant on Batterymarch Street an easy order for a long table. It's moderately priced, takes reservations and is good for groups, but it's closed on Sundays and opens at 4 p.m. on Saturdays. State is about a 5-minute walk.

  • Shy Bird - South Boston

    When most of the group lives along the Red Line south of downtown, this restaurant on Old Colony Avenue saves them the ride into the Financial District. It's moderately priced, takes reservations and is good for groups. It closes at 9 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, so book an early table. Broadway is about a 9-minute walk.

Google Maps

The hours, price levels, reservations and walk times on these cards come from Google Maps as of October 2026. Walk times start at the MBTA station named in each note.

Which T station should a big group plan around?

Plan around State or Aquarium unless most of the group lives on one line. State has the Orange and Blue lines, Aquarium has the Blue Line, and Downtown Crossing, for the Red Line, is a few minutes' walk from State. Six of the seven picks are within a 6-minute walk of State or Aquarium. Our downtown Boston page has more on the area.

Broad Street in Boston's Financial District lined with granite and brick buildings, with the Rowes Wharf arch at the far end
Broad Street in the Financial District, where Mr. Dooley's is, looking toward Rowes Wharf. Photo by M2545 (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons

Count the transfers before you pick. Write down each person's home station, then count how many of them would change trains to reach State, Aquarium or Broadway. Choose the station with the fewest changes.

Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park and the wharves along Atlantic Avenue in Boston seen from above, with the harbor behind them
Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park and the wharves on Atlantic Avenue, near Joe's Waterfront. Photo by Judyg143 on Pixabay (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons

When most people ride the Red Line from Dorchester, Quincy or Braintree, skip downtown. Shy Bird, in South Boston, is a short walk from Broadway, two stops south of Downtown Crossing.

The Red Line platform at Broadway station in South Boston, with a train at the left and signs to Park Street and Ashmont or Braintree
The Red Line platform at Broadway station, the stop for Shy Bird. Photo by 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons

How do you book a long table for 10 or more?

Call the restaurant, because a table this size often isn't offered online. Give a firm headcount, the date and a backup time.

  1. Collect yes or no answers before you call, and add one seat for a late plus-one.
  2. Ask whether the group sits at one table or two next to each other.
  3. Ask whether there's a set menu, a deposit or a minimum for a group this size.
  4. Ask how the check is split, and tell everyone before the night.

How does everyone get home after dinner?

Watch the clock, because the subway doesn't run all night. The MBTA's subway guide says to reach a downtown transfer station by 12:35 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, or 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, to make the last connections.

Riders on commuter rail need the last train on the MBTA's commuter rail schedules, which is often earlier. Seat them near the end of the table so they can leave without breaking up the group.

For other plans in Boston, see date spot ideas near the T and where to meet for a team meeting. For the same occasion in New York, see group dinner spots in Lower Manhattan.

How to do it in Where2Meet

Open a Group dinner plan on Where2Meet and drop the link in the group chat, so nobody needs an account. Ask the people coming from farthest out, such as Quincy, Malden or Revere, to add their station first, then search by name for Central Wharf Co., Joe's Waterfront and Shy Bird to see each person's transit time. Let the group vote on two of them, and the organizer calls to book the winner.

Common questions

Which Boston restaurants take reservations for a big group?

All seven on this list take reservations and are good for groups. For ten or more, call ahead rather than booking online.

Where can a big group eat downtown on a Sunday?

Elephant & Castle, Mr. Dooley's, State Street Provisions and Joe's Waterfront are open on Sundays. Central Wharf Co. and Lily's are closed that day.

Is there a restaurant for a big group near the Red Line?

Elephant & Castle is about a 4-minute walk from Downtown Crossing, on the Red and Orange lines. Shy Bird is about a 9-minute walk from Broadway, which is also on the Red Line.

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