East Boston food guide: Maverick Square and Latin American flavors

East Boston, known locally as Eastie, sits across Boston Harbor from downtown and is joined to it by the Blue Line. It was once heavily Italian and Jewish and is now home to a large Latin American community, which shows in its restaurants and bakeries. Start at Maverick Square, order what the lunch crowd is eating, and let one bakery lead you to the next.

How do you get to East Boston?

Take the Blue Line from Government Center or State to Maverick or Airport. Maverick Station puts you at Maverick Square, the main commercial hub. The Blue Line runs under the harbor, and the ride from downtown is short. Logan Airport is in East Boston, so the area is a good place to eat before a flight or after a late arrival. By car, the Callahan and Sumner tunnels connect to the North End and downtown. Parking in the residential streets is tight.

What is Maverick Square known for?

Maverick Square is the center of the neighborhood's food scene, a cluster of bakeries, taquerias and small restaurants around the Blue Line station. Walk the streets around the square, look at what the lunch crowd is eating, and order what other people have. Many places have printed menus in Spanish and English.

What are Salvadoran and Colombian dishes to try?

Pupusas, thick griddled corn tortillas filled with cheese, beans or pork and served with pickled cabbage slaw, are the signature Salvadoran dish. Colombian restaurants serve a large platter called a bandeja paisa or a montañero platter of steak, rice, beans, plantain and an egg. Colombian bakeries sell empanadas, buñuelos and cheese-filled breads. Order a fresh juice or a coffee with your meal. These are filling, inexpensive dishes, and sharing is common.

Where does Peruvian food fit?

Peruvian food has been served in East Boston for decades. Peruvian staples include ceviche (raw fish cured in citrus), lomo saltado (stir-fried beef with fries) and chicha morada, a purple corn drink.

What about Meridian Street and the older Italian roots?

Meridian Street runs through the heart of the neighborhood and has bakeries and small restaurants. East Boston's Italian history survives in pizzerias, delis and cafes, and the waterfront has newer restaurants with views of the downtown skyline. Piers Park is a good place to eat a takeout lunch on a fine day.

When is the best time to go?

Weekday lunch is the easiest time. Weekend evenings fill, particularly the sit-down restaurants. Many small places are cash friendly, and some close one day a week. Summer evenings bring outdoor seating along the waterfront. Winter is quieter.

What about children and groups?

East Boston restaurants are generally family friendly. Many offer children's portions, though menus change. Large parties should call ahead, as many dining rooms are small.

How do you eat there respectfully?

Learn a few words in Spanish, such as gracias and la cuenta, but know that staff speak English too. Be patient on busy days. Tip as you would elsewhere in the US, around 18 to 20 percent at a table, and leave something at a counter if you are served at the table. Take a pastry for the Blue Line ride home.

What about bakeries and sweets?

Bakeries are a good way into East Boston. Latin American bakeries sell pastries filled with guava, cheese or dulce de leche, sweet breads, tres leches cake and coffee in small cups. Pastries cost little, so you can try several on one visit. Italian pastry shops and cafes, some of them decades old, sell cannoli, biscotti and espresso. Ask the person behind the counter what is baked that day. Many bakeries sell out by the afternoon, so go early if you want a specific item. Eat your pastry at a bench in Piers Park or along the waterfront, where the view of the Boston skyline is one of the best in the city.

How do you make a half-day plan?

Start with coffee and a pastry at a bakery around Maverick Square. Walk the length of Meridian Street, stopping where something smells good. Have a late lunch of pupusas or a Colombian platter, then walk down to the waterfront for the view. If you have time, add a Peruvian dinner or an Italian pizza. The Blue Line brings you back to downtown in minutes. Check hours first, since some small restaurants close between lunch and dinner or on one weekday.

East Boston is easy to visit once you know the basics. The Blue Line brings you to Maverick Square, and from there most of the food is within a short walk, so you do not need a car. Lunch is a good time to go, when the bakeries and small restaurants are busy and the menus are at their fullest. Many places are family-run and small, so a group of more than a few should call ahead, and some prefer cash. Menus are often in Spanish and English, and staff are happy to explain a dish if you ask. Walk to the waterfront afterward for the view of the skyline.

How do you keep track of what you eat in East Boston?

Eastie rewards a second visit, and the second visit goes better with notes. In the Mosey app, rate the pupusa, the bandeja paisa or the guava pastry by the dish, add a tag such as Casual or Hidden Gem, and keep the best bites in a list for the next friend you bring across the harbor. Follow a friend who eats here more than you do and you will see what they rate. Rate places in more than one town and Mosey counts your progress toward badges.

Rate the first thing you eat near Maverick Square in the Mosey app, then add it to a list for your next visit.

More guides to read next:

• Boston Chinatown food guide: dim sum, noodles, bakeries and hot pot
• Gluten-free and vegan restaurants in Boston: how to eat safely
• Halal and kosher restaurants in Boston and Brookline: how to find them

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.