Boston's Gourmet Pizza

This Saturday, a friend and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and headed, naturally, to the Lehigh Valley Mall, where we spent an unnecessary amount of both time and money buying things we thought we needed.

Just about the only thing we couldn’t find that day was a place to rest our feet and get some grub after an oh-so-exhausting day of shopping. Because I knew I had an obligation to some loyal Patch foodies to provide feedback on yet another local restaurant, I suggested we visit Boston’s, a spot I had passed many times before but never visited.

Upon checking out the menu, I’m not sure why it took me so long to get there. The menu is a whopping ten pages worth of steaks, salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, starters and desserts. Basically, you name it, they’ve got it. It wasn’t easy to choose from such a selection, but someone’s got to do it. Read on for my full review.

The Dishes: Spicy Buffalo Fries, Spicy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, and Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich

What’s on the Plate: Our buffalo fries were tossed in mild buffalo sauce (I promise it’s not that spicy!) and served as a side, but we asked nicely and got them as an appetizer with sides of ranch and bleu cheese. The Barbecue Pulled Pork sandwich is a newer menu item with pulled pork tossed in Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce and topped with cheese and baja slaw. My Spicy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo featured Cajun chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese in a creamy Alfredo sauce.

How’s It Taste: I was beyond impressed with this week’s meal. If you’ve read my Bites reviews before, you know I have a little bit of an obsession with anything that involves buffalo sauce. But before this weekend, I had never tried buffalo fries. These taters were tossed in wing sauce, but still managed to stay crispy and not-too-spicy. The restaurant also offers Parmesan Garlic fries, so if you’re wary of the spice, give those a try and let me know how it was.

I loved my Spicy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, which was made with equal parts Cajun chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, and a generous helping of penne pasta in a creamy Alfredo sauce. Again, it might claim to be spicy in the title, but don’t let it scare you: this was totally manageable for any palate. While I loved my dinner choice, I have to give a few honorable mentions to the other meals that caught my eye: Spicy Chicken Pesto flatbread, Steak & Bleu Salad and Jambalaya Fettuccini. Honestly, how is a hungry gal supposed to choose?

My dinner buddy also enjoyed her Barbecue Pulled Pork sandwich, which, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to celebrate the impending beginning of barbecue season. Sandwiches are served with a side of coleslaw and traditional French fries, but because of her buffalo fry fix, she was able to substitute creamy red potatoes, which also got rave reviews.

Eat This Because: I think of all the Applebee’s, T.G.I Friday’s, and Ruby Tuesday locations in the Lehigh Valley and all the families they serve every weekend. Don’t get me wrong—I’m a fan of all three menus, but Boston’s offers a larger selection, a kid-friendly menu, and a heck of a lot of space to bring your family out on a Friday or Saturday night.

The Tab: $30.00, including two sodas (no free re-fills)

Etc: If you’ve ever heard of Boston’s before, it may have been because of their world-famous pizzas. Trust me when I say—they’re not kidding. Tropical Chicken, Chicken Da Vinci, Ultimate Pepperoni, and even a make-your-own menu are just a few of the options available for in-house diners. Blows Papa John’s out of the water, doesn’t it?