No One is Talking About Saltie Girl’s Best Brunch Dish
When people talk about Boston’s Saltie Girl, they talk about lobster rolls. If you don’t know what to get when you sit down for brunch at the busy, trendy Newbury Street spot, someone will suggest the lobster rolls.
On a recent trip to Saltie Girl, my partner and I originally planned on getting the lobster roll. It wasn’t the price tag of the day ($42) that kept me from taking on what so many people swear is the best lobster roll in Boston — it was the fried lobster and waffles.
Visiting Boston’s Saltie Girl is a Chic, Satisfying Experience
Walking through the door at 279 Dartmouth, I felt like I was stepping through a portal. I was taken out of Boston’s hot, humid, oppressive modern-day summer and put in the middle of a Gilded Age party right when it reached the perfect pitch.
On that Sunday afternoon, the entryway was bright with natural light, which glinted off the space's gold details and the mesmerizing chandelier at the top of the staircase. Up the carpeted stairs is a large dining room with windows overlooking Newbury Street and a dark, lush bar separate from the rest of the dining space. Both rooms were complete with velvet booths and chairs, along with subtle floral and nautical elements.
Downstairs, there is even more eating space, another bar, and a raw bar. In the summer, Saltie Girl makes full use of its large sunken patio area and even takes over some of the street to accommodate more alfresco diners.
The townhouse-turned-restaurant was once the home of MET — a local favorite lost during COVID lockdowns. Saltie Girl started as another smaller venture of Sidell Hospitality, MET’s owners, next door to MET at 281 Dartmouth. The group, comprised of sisters and Boston natives Kathy Sidell and Stephanie Sokolove, also runs Stephanie’s, just across the street from Saltie Girl.
What was once a small, first-come, first-served, no-reservations experience has grown, and according to their website, reservations are strongly recommended. We grabbed a 2:30 seating in the dining room, figuring brunch would be a good way to get through some of the hottest parts of the day.
Why I Ordered Fried Lobster and Waffles
The problem with Saltie Girl’s menu is that I found narrowing down what to order difficult. Their Sunday Brunch menu has all the classic favorites: fruit and granola, Crab Roll, and, of course, the Lobster Roll — a dish for which Saltie Girl just won the Best of Boston 2024 Best Lobster Roll award.
If you’ve been to New England, you’ve seen Lobster Roll on every menu, everywhere, including Panera. I’ve never seen “Fried Lobster and Waffles,” however. Like their Lobster Roll, Saltie Girl’s Fried Chicken and Waffles takes fried lobster knuckle and claw meat and serves them over a freshly made waffle with Sweet Corn Butter and Spicy Maple Syrup.
Since we weren’t sure if I’d ever see fried lobster and waffles on a menu again, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
We also ordered Crushed Fingerling Potatoes — served with crème fraîche, green onion, and caviar — for, well, the same reason. Sure, parmesan fries were on the list, but in this case, my love of caviar overruled my constant desire for french fries.
For drinks, I couldn’t resist ordering a Frozen Rose while my partner ordered a Pomelo, a cocktail mixing shochu, pomelo, and prosecco.
