Tom Yum Yang to Open in Allston

A brand new Thai restaurant is on its way to Allston, and it has an ownership connection to a Cambridge dining spot.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Tom Yum Yang is planning to open on Harvard Avenue about midway between Brighton Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue, with a What Now Boston article saying that the people behind Sugar & Spice in Porter Square are opening the place. The article also mentions that plans for the restaurant have apparently been in the works since at least 2022, but the poster within the Facebook group shows that a sign is now up for the restaurant.

The address for the upcoming Tom Yum Yang is 156 Harvard Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Emmy Squared Pizza to Open within Swingers Back Bay in Boston

A growing group of pizzerias with roots in New York City will be expanding to Boston, and it will be located within a golf-themed entertainment spot that is also coming to the city.

According to a press release, Emmy Squared Pizza is planning to open within Swingers Back Bay, with the complex being slated to debut on Boylston Street on February 27. The dining spot, which can also be found within other Swingers locations along with standalone spaces (the closest is currently in Westport, CT) is known for its pizza that combines New York-style grandma pie with Detroit-style, while also featuring double-stack burgers and more. (Swingers will also offer beer, wine, and cocktails.)

Emmy Squared Pizza first started out in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn in 2016.

The address for the upcoming Emmy Squared Pizza/Swingers is 777 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for Emmy Squared Pizza is at https://ift.tt/hRcIfoO while the website for Swingers is at https://www.swingers.club/us

[Earlier Article]
Swingers to Open in Boston's Back Bay

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Blue Square Pizza to Open in Natick

A pair of pizza spots west of Boston that feature four different types of pizza will be expanding to a third location west of the city, and this will be its closest one to Boston.

According to an article from What Now Boston, Blue Square Pizza is planning to open in Natick, moving into The Block, a new development that is coming to Main Street in the center of town. Once it opens (likely this spring), the new location will join others in Hopkinton and Northborough, and based on those restaurants, expect to see New York-style, grandma-style (basically a thin-crust version of Sicilian), Chicago cracker thin (Chicago's version of bar/tavern pizza), and Detroit-style pizza.

The address for the upcoming Natick location of Blue Square Pizza is 1 S Main Street, Natick, MA, 01760. The website for the business is at https://ift.tt/hkXtpnB

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Orinoco in Brookline Village Is Closing

What was once a trio of Venezuelan restaurants is on the verge of going away completely, as its sole remaining location is closing its doors.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Orinoco in Brookline Village is shutting down, with a Brookline News article mentioning that the people behind the Harvard Street spot (which is currently on its annual winter break) will not be renewing the restaurant's food license, while it also appears that the owner of the building is looking at options for the site that includes the possibility of new housing, though no specific decisions have been made as of yet. Two other locations of Orinoco had also been in Boston's South End and Cambridge's Harvard Square, but they shuttered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The address for Orinoco in Brookline Village is 22 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA, 02445.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Restaurant News for the Week Ending January 18, 2026

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between January 12, 2026, and January 18, 2026.

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Mamaleh's at High Street Place in Downtown Boston Has Closed
A local group of Jewish delis has gotten a bit smaller, as its location within a Boston food court has shuttered.
Full Story

Dugout Cafe in Boston Has Closed
It looks like a bar that has been around for nearly 100 years has shut down.
Full Story

Time Out Market Boston in the Fenway Is Closing
A Boston food hall will soon be saying farewell.
Full Story

Limani at The Street Chestnut Hill Has Closed
An upscale Mediterranean restaurant with roots in New York has shut down.
Full Story

Smashburger in Medford Has Closed
A location of a Colorado-based chain of quick-casual burger restaurants has shut down.
Full Story

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

  

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Sunrise Express Opens in Boston's North End

A new breakfast and lunch spot has come to the North End of Boston.

According to a press release, Sunrise Express has soft-opened on Hanover Street, with the place mostly being a takeout place that has a handful of bar seats for those who want to dine in. A check on the menu for the place--which is having a grand opening from January 22 through January 24--shows that its focus is on breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches along with coffee and tea, and its hours of operation will be 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday through Saturday.

The address for Sunrise Express is 227 Hanover Street, Boston, MA, 02113. Its website can be found at https://ift.tt/ldnOJPS

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Mamaleh's at High Street Place in Downtown Boston Has Closed

A local group of Jewish delis has gotten a bit smaller, as its location within a Boston food court has shuttered.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Mamaleh's at High Street Place in the city's downtown area is no longer in business, with a photo showing the space completely cleared out while the food hall's website has removed the spot from its site. Locations of the deli in Cambridge's Kendall Square, Brookline's Washington Square, and Boynton Yards in Somerville remain in operation.

Mamaleh's debuted with the opening of High Street Place in the winter of 2022.

The website for Mamaleh's can be found at https://mamalehs.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »