Porter is less known for its restaurants than Harvard but it should be. The Elephant Walk (4 star), Christopher's (5), Chez Henri (4), Addis Abbas (5), RahDee (5) and the West side lounge (5) are all here. And is home to the little Newtowne Socrates delicious but terribly unhealthy semi-dive bar/pizza house (4). And there are a lot of other solidly good places too (indian, chinese, and thai) The square is also the HOME of the PORTERHOUSE steak... the Porter hotel that use to serve the "House steak" burned down long ago but the name stuck.
One of our favorite places to visit in Boston are the little shops just east of Porter Square along Mass Ave. There is a place to buy elegant hand made wrapping paper. A place for stocking stuffers. Across the street is a wonderful place to buy Christmas Tree decorations, crafts from around the world. We also love the store filled with clothing from Ireland. On your way back to Porter Square be sure to get some Japanese noodles in the Sears building and go down into the subway to see the bronzed gloves (Artwork) between the escalators.
Grocery store, hardware store, fitness, hangout for locals. Nothing to bring tourists unless you are homesick for your routine. There is a Tibetan book , art and clothing store on the edge. Restaurants are ok but not worth a special trip.
When you visit Porter Square, be sure to visit the cute mall that has many little Japanese restaurants inside.They have little Japanese grocery store and Japanese bread kiosk inside of the mall.Also there is awesome Ramen store called Yume Wo Katare in Porter square.I highly recommend to visit there too!
I love coming here. It has everything you need 24/7. Right on MBTA red line stop, You have great restaurants,asian food court, a big grocery store as well as little shops within walking distance. Toad is right across the street (free live music , everyday). Baptiste Yoga and Healthworks is there too. Don't expect a hipster place though....Parking can be very difficult at times so taking the T is a good idea.
It's not so much of an attraction as a place to stop for a while and pass through. As a transport hub, it works well connecting buses, commuter trains and subways. By the way, use the subways and avoid Boston gridlock which is awful. Porter Square has bagel shops, pubs, restaurants, pharmacies and other necessary spots for the traveler. Surrounding it is a mish-mash of large, sometimes student occupied, houses which are interesting to walk past.
It's a neighborhood for sure but what is attractive enough to make a special trip? Plenty of food to be had but really nothing special. Tough to park as resident stickers take control of the streets. You can grab the T or walk but unless you live here, and a nice place to live, but that's about it.
Everything you need in one place.. Groceries hardware wines fitness, restaurants.. T stop is right there.
24 Hour Grocery Store: Shaws24 Hour Drug Store: CVSPlaces to study: Panera Bread and Dunkin Donuts (both have bathrooms and don't rush you out)Gyms: Planet Fitness, Healthworks, and Workout WorldSubway MBTA: Porter Square stop on redline (steps from everything above)Lots of restaurantsDavis Square is a walkable distance awayHarvard Square is one train stop away
This review is for Zings inside Porter Square Books. They get their sweet treats from local vendors. A nice selection of fresh sandwiches from Oxford Cafe and the most delicious soft Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Fair trade coffee, iced and hot herbal teas, and my favorite ginger lemonade. Grab a seat or wander the fabulous bookstore, you won't be disappointed for a quick healthy bite.