The Best Side Dishes at Boston Steakhouses

Sometimes it’s fun to just assemble a meal out of various small plates and sides, forgoing the typical appetizer-entree route. At Boston steakhouses, options abound to make this an easy alternative. In addition to classic sides like asparagus with hollandaise, unique dishes emerge to take side plates from accessory to star. Here are some of the best steakhouses in Boston for some seriously standout sides.

 

Boston Chops
Boston Chops

Abe & Louie’s: Sure, there are all the classics, like Brussels sprouts with brown butter and mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus enriched with hollandaise. But with a menu this expansive, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of uncommon options to savor as well. For instance, harissa-spiced carrots come with mint and feta, while potatoes au gratin gets punched up with salty prosciutto. Cauliflower fans in particular will find lots to love here, as one dish purees the stuff to make it resemble mashed potatoes, and another dish offers a cauliflower “steak,” a thick and meaty slice of cauliflower grilled to achieve smoky, unctuous perfection. 

Boston Chops: With small plates like crispy oxtail croquettes and chicken fried sweetbreads, it should be pretty obvious that this iconic steakhouse does things very differently. The side dishes are no different, as the restaurant offers exciting, original enhancements like a poutine-style twice-baked “loaded” potato for optimal comfort, an eggplant rollatini with tomato and mozzarella, creamed spinach gratine, spicy broccoli and much more. 

Bokx 109 American Prime: At this Newton steakhouse, ingredients like truffle Brie sauce and parsnip fries tip you off to the fact that the side dishes — or any of the dishes, really — are far from average. Here, Brussels sprouts get the sweet-and-savory addition of maple and bacon, a buttery cauliflower gratin features a fragrant truffle-Brie sauce, mac & cheese gets beefed up with short ribs and Boursin and french fries come in all forms, from sweet potato to parsnip. 

MET Back Bay: It’s quality over quantity at this Back Bay stunner, easily one of the most glamorous and contemporary of Boston’s steakhouses. Of the abbreviated side dish selection, one plate stands supreme. The namesake MET hash brown is a decadent assemblage of fontina cheese, Virginia ham, sour cream, a fried egg and gherkin pickles on a bed of finely shredded, crispy potatoes. While mashed potatoes and truffle-scented french fries are also on hand here, this mighty presentation is a wholly individualistic way to present the mighty spud. 

The Bancroft: Grilled asparagus, mushrooms and creamed spinach are all present and accounted for at this chef-driven steakhouse, but the key difference is how upgraded and vibrant each ingredient gets. Like the asparagus served with black truffle butter, or the mushrooms that get sauteed and served with brioche and green garlic butter. The creamed spinach features a fried egg, while roasted cauliflower gets enlivened with Marcona almonds and a sweet yellow raisin butter. 

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