Valter Vitorino opened Cafe Brazil, Boston's home for Brazilian cuisine, in 1986. Much of the clientele consists of the area's substantial Brazilian population (though that has evolved along with the demographics of Alston), who come to enjoy true-to-home versions of Brazilian classics like and Brazil's national dishes, like feijoada, Moqueca, churrasco, black beans, rice, salads, and desserts. Vitorino himself hails form the town of Minas Gerais, and as it is generally accepted that Brazilian dishes tend to differ slightly from place to place, Cafe Brazil reflects the regional cooking Vitorino grew up on in Minas Gerais. Brazilian hospitality abounds from the moment a customer enters the restaurant, and the staff welcomes you as though you were in their home. Service is prompt and friendly, and the entire staff works together to cover the whole restaurant. The food comes out very quickly, too. The menu is quite extensive, and if a diner is unfamiliar with Brazilian cuisine, the staff will happily guide you to something delicious. Many of the dishes come on sizzling plates, and all of the food is very fresh. There's also a karaoke room with a small stage in addition to 2 dining rooms.

Carlo's is an Allston secret. Hefty portions, great cooking, and reasonable prices keep this little outfit packed at lunch and dinner almost every day of the week. Try the egg soup with chicken broth and egg noodles ($5) for a taste of some inspired home cooking. Traditional meat dishes are sizable and always well-cooked. The costate di maiale (pork chops and potatoes in vinegar and peppers; $16) is tender and flavorful and so generous that you'll be having it for breakfast the next day. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

The name Deep Ellum refers to an area of Dallas known for its fabulous music, incomparable food and enticing nightlife since the early 1900’s. The area has produced some of the most influential names in blues and jazz. The biggest draw of this Allston hotspot: well done comfort food, in a bar. You know, the type of place you can get buttermilk pancakes and a Bloody Mary. Great beer selection not to mention cocktails. The best part about this place is the is the service. They are very knowledgeable about the alcohol they serve and are great at helping you out. Congenial atmosphere of mid-to-late 20-year olds, non-meathead crowd, but not overwhelmingly pretentious, either. They are in Reel Bar's old space, which is ever rotating bars, but I will be VERY sad if this place doesn't catch on and have a long life here.

With over 112 beers on tap, this “University of Beer” could offer you a new brew every night of senior spring and still have more than 300 bottled varieties left over. Believe it or not, however, pints, yards, and table taps are not the only reasons that serious scholars of beer matriculate here: unlike at many other bars, the food is actually good. Old-fashioned favorites like huge burgers ($5), BBQ ribs ($15), and nachos ($6-10) help fortify your stomach against the onslaught. If you feel like shaking things up, try a “beertail” like the “Dirty Ho”—half Lindemann's Framboise and half Hoegaarden ($6)—or “Black Magic”—a mix of Magic Hat #9 and Guinness ($5). A full menu until 1am will satisfy any late night craving. Entrees $5-20. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. I would say the only downsides are that they close fairly early and that parking is tough to come by on weekends. But the hike is worth it if you are looking for a place with good beer, good people, and a great atmosphere. Check out the complimentary "midnight madness" buffet on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights, midnight to 1am.

Opened by the owners of the Somerville staple India Quality, the Allston-area restaurant Punjab Palace doesn’t disappoint on many levels, including décor (the restaurant has a big screen TV playing Bollywood movies), service and, of course, food. In an area of sub-bar Indian restaurants, Punjab Palace specializes in authentic Indian (everything from the Chicken Tikka Masala to Lamb Vindaloo). Punjab Palace offers dishes with or without meat—so, it’s a great place to satiate a vegetarian friend while pleasing the typical carnivore. Punjab Palace also has take out and delivery in the same modest price range.

If you're homesick for Beirut or just want to understand why the Syrian army stayed there so long, Reef Cafe is the best place around for authentic Lebanese cuisine. Mediterranean standards like hummus ($4) and falafel ($4) are on the menu, of course, but this family-owned restaurant shines in its daily specials, with choices like spinach with ground lamb, stuffed zucchini, and baked chicken with potato and vegetables, served with rice pilaf, salad, pickles, and pita ($8). The space may be small and the plates styrofoam, but the food supercedes its surroundings and the staff is friendly—ask to see their book of photos. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Soul Fire BBQ, located in Allston, is SoulFire specializes in authentic pit smoked barbeque served with soul. Our ribs, chicken, pork and brisket are dry rubbed and then slow smoked in the pit using a blend of local wood. We serve our barbeque dry, which means that the guest can choose from a variety of homemade sauces representing the major barbeque regions in the country. (From their website)

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All-vegan Chinese cuisine, featuring a wide array of faux meat and all-vegetable dishes. One of the busier vegan restaurants in town, Grasshopper can sometimes get crowded, but the wait is never long. Sunday a month they offer an all-you-can-eat brunch. Popular selections off the rather large menu include the No Name, Sweet and Sour Sensation, and the Cheesecake!

Formerly Pho Pasteur, Le's offers some amazing Vietnamese food. It's not a big place and you will definitely have to wait but the food is worth it. You can get many different Vietnamese specialties here, but the recommendation has to be the pho - chicken, beef, even tofu is great. The decor is nothing to write home about but you won't notice once the put that big, steaming bowl of goodness in front of you.