Bostonians love there food and while Boston might be a metropolitan locations that has all that any big city can offer including the finest dinning it also is home of many universities with many undergraduate and graduate students with little money. The Boston area offers many great eating locations that are inexpensive to cater to this large university and beginning family demographic. Though this lower income demographic will not be the only patrons of the many Boston area greasy spoons because of the good food and great value for your money most people will love visiting these greasy spoons as well.
Boston offers some of the most expensive and fancy dinning in the country even in the world. Boston also offers many lower priced foods. Not all the food establishments in Boston are sit down Boston has many vendors not only during the summer but year round you can find different foods being sold by vendors. During the summer the typical big city vendor fair is available such as hot dogs, falafels, pretzels, cotton candy, popcorn, ice cream, and snocones among other things. The best place to find food vendors is by the Boston Common. You should not just buy the first thing you find but look around not all vendors offer the same price. Another thing to look for is lines locals know which carts offer the best food and these carts will have lines while a vendor selling hotdogs a nickel cheaper with no line might look like the place to spend you money instead of the slightly more expensive one with a line you will probably be happy you took the time and money to get the hot dog from the other vendor.
Fenway is a great place to find good food at good prices. When a Sox games is going on before the game there are plenty of vendors around offering all kinds of foods some of the more popular vendors include Chili, Clam Chowder, and Cuban sandwiches. If you are lucky enough to get into a Sox game then a Fenway Frank is a must. Again the same rule applies to Fenway vendors as applies to vendors near the Boston Common if there is a line it's a good sign that is where you want to get your food.
Two more locations that you can find some great greasy spoons in Boston that you might not expect are at the mall, and at Farenuel Hall. The Boston Mall offers many food establishments that a typical mall does not offer, of course the mall offers the typical fair such as Sbarro but it also offers food most malls do not offer including Greek, and Sushi. Farenuel Hall also offers many different food locations to eat at and many are at reasonable prices and offer you a good value for your money.
Boston is not the only good greasy spoon in the area. Just across the river in Cambridge you can find plenty of good eats just ask any college kids. Pinocchio's is a great pizza place that Harvard kids love to hang out at. If you go down from the Alewife station head south a couple of blocks tell you hit a T-intersection then head left about half a block you will find a great little sub shop that's a ma and pa place. The subs are great and the price is too if you have the choice of Subway or this little known ma and pa sub shop take the sub shop it will be cheaper get you more food and better tasting food.
Just because you are short on cash doesn't mean you have to go hungry in Boston. You also can get great food at good prices in Boston. Always remember follow the crowds they have been here longer then you and they know where the best food places are.
