-- Boston's Hidden Restaurants --

Louis' Crossing

1269 Sea Street, Quincy, MA 02169
(617) 770-9576 Find location!

Photo of Louis' Crossing, Quincy, MA Some dining places that we spotlight on Boston's Hidden Restaurants are featured more for the "hidden" factor than the food. And while the dishes that Louis' Crossing in Quincy serves are mostly very good, it is the fact that this neighborhood restaurant is so utterly unknown and buried away from the rest of Boston that helps make it a featured dining spot on our site.

The street that Louis' Crossing is on is actually a busy road (at least at its start near Quincy Center) and is indeed the same Sea Street that Grumpy White's is on. But as Sea Street continues east, it peters out from a four-lane road to two lanes, eventually ending rather unceremoniously in Hough's Neck, a Quincy neighborhood that sticks so far out into Boston Harbor that it feels closer to the harbor's islands than the rest of Greater Boston. And it is on this part of Sea Street that Louis' Crossing can be found. Rather nondescript and unassuming from the outside, Louis' Crossing almost looks more like a private club than a restaurant. It indeed the latter, however, and one that has a surprisingly attractive interior and a pretty varied menu, making this a place that is a bit of a step up from your typical local dining spot and watering hole.

Louis' Crossing (which, by the way, was named for a basset hound that used to cross the road out front) has a good amount of space inside, with a number of booths and tables located in the fireplaced dining room, and a few more booths in the adjacent bar area. About half of the items on the menu fall into the pub grub category, while much of the rest of the menu includes traditional American entrees. The former includes cheeseburgers, bar pizza (cheesy, greasy, and tasty, though not quite up to the level of the best in the Boston area), and chili (meaty and flavorful, with lots of shredded cheese mixed with the angus beef). The latter includes lobster macaroni and cheese (which includes gemelli pasta and lots of cheddar cheese), Mediterranean chicken tips (tender chicken mixed with a variety of vegetables and a balsamic vinegar-based sauce), and grilled salmon. Other items at Louis' Crossing include appetizers such as French onion soup (decent, though not quite enough flavor in the broth) and quahogs (very good, with a good amount of bread crumbs mixed in), and entrees that include a terrific fish and chips dish (the batter is delicious, with little grease). The beer selection is pretty basic, as are the desserts. Prices may seem slightly high for a neighborhood joint like this, but aren't excessively so, and service is generally friendly and welcoming. As a bonus, diners can stroll down the side street that Louis' Crossing borders, enjoying some of the most unspoiled views of the ocean that can be found within in the greater Boston area.

If you like the thought of "discovering" restaurants that few other have, Louis' Crossing is certainly a place to think about going to. Its easy parking, nearby ocean views (including part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park just up the street), decent food, and friendly vibe only add to the satisfaction of finding this completely unknown place. So get a good map, highlight Hough's Neck on it, and get in your car; it will likely be well worth the trip.