New Bedford food guide: Portuguese cooking, scallops and the Feast

New Bedford is a working port on Buzzards Bay with a food culture shaped by two things: the sea and the Portuguese families who came to work it. The city is known across the fishing industry for scallops, and across southeastern Massachusetts for its Portuguese bakeries, soups and festivals. It is a one-hour drive from Boston and a short one from Providence, and it rewards a day of eating. Here is what to look for and when to go.

What is Portuguese food in New Bedford?

Portuguese cooking here comes mostly from mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, and it arrived with fishing and mill families over more than a century. The dishes are hearty and home-style: kale soup with linguica sausage, potatoes and beans, a cousin of the caldo verde of northern Portugal; salt cod, called bacalhau, cooked in a dozen ways; grilled sardines; stews; rice dishes; and sweet breads and custard pastries from the bakeries. Restaurants in the city and neighboring towns serve these as everyday meals, and many are family-run.

Why are scallops such a big deal in New Bedford?

New Bedford is a major fishing port, and sea scallops make up much of its catch. That does not mean every menu has them, but fresh scallops are common on seafood menus and in fish markets, usually seared, broiled or fried. Ask what is local and in season, and ask whether the scallops are dry-packed, which means no added water and better searing. Prices follow the market, so they can be high.

What is the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament?

The Feast is a four-day Portuguese cultural festival held at Madeira Field around the first weekend of August. It was founded more than a century ago by immigrants from Madeira. Expect grilled meat on skewers and over open fires, fried dough, bacalhau, Madeira wine, music, parades and a very large crowd. Admission, parking and the shuttle arrangements change every year, so look at the official schedule first.

Where do you find the working waterfront?

The waterfront near the downtown historic district is where boats unload, and fish houses and processing plants line the harbor. It is a place to look and to buy fish from shops open to the public, not a sightseeing dock with food stalls. Walk with care, because the working areas are industrial and trucks move quickly. The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the historic district's cobbled streets are close by, and several restaurants sit within a short walk.

What should you order in New Bedford?

• Kale soup, with sausage and beans.
• Bacalhau, in whatever style the kitchen does best.
• Seared or fried scallops, in season.
• Grilled linguica or chourico in a roll, sold at bakeries and festivals.
• Malasadas, the Portuguese doughnuts, and sweet bread, usually sold at Easter and holidays.
• Fresh fish from the market, to cook yourself if you are staying in a rental with a kitchen.

When should you go?

Summer has the festival and the warmest weather, and the Feast weekend in early August is the biggest event. Spring and fall are calmer, and the restaurants take walk-ins more easily. Many family restaurants close one or two days a week, often Monday, and some close between lunch and dinner. Call before you drive.

How do you eat well on a budget in New Bedford?

Bakeries and delis sell sandwiches, soups and pastries for much less than a sit-down dinner. Lunch menus at Portuguese restaurants are often cheaper than dinner. A kale soup and a roll is a full meal. Fish markets sell fresh seafood by the pound if you have a kitchen. Parking downtown is usually easy compared with Boston.

How does New Bedford compare with Cape Cod for seafood?

Cape Cod is a summer playground with seasonal shacks, and its restaurants are priced for visitors. New Bedford is a year-round working city, so the seafood is part of daily life, prices are usually lower and the dining rooms are filled with locals as much as visitors. You will find fewer lobster rolls with a water view and more plates of fried fish, stews and grilled sausages. If you are driving between the two, New Bedford is about an hour from the Cape bridges, which makes it a good stop on the way home.

What should you do besides eat?

The historic district has cobblestone streets and the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which tells the story of the city's whaling past. The Seamen's Bethel, immortalized in Moby-Dick, stands nearby. Walk the harbor path to see the fishing fleet, and visit a fish market if the hours suit you. In summer, concerts and festivals fill the downtown, and the Feast is the largest. Check each venue for opening hours, because museums and shops vary by season.

How do you remember what you tried?

A day moving between a bakery, a soup counter and a seafood house adds up quickly. Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. Rate each bowl of kale soup and each scallop plate, and your list shows where to return on the next trip down Route 195. Add malasadas and bakery stops as you go, and share the list with whoever is driving down with you.

Heading somewhere else in Massachusetts? The Food in Massachusetts page links the rest.

More guides to read next:

• Northampton and Amherst food guide: farmers markets and farms
• Provincetown restaurants: Commercial Street, reservations and off-season
• Concord, NH food guide: Main Street and the Saturday farmers market

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