This historic wood-grilled seafood and barbecue spot pioneered many dining concepts we now take for granted, like fresh-juice margaritas and obsessive love of fresh chilies. We mourned its 2016 closing as the internment of a legend. Happily, the Highland Kitchen gang rescued it from oblivion this year. The ECG is that rare bird: an iconic restaurant whose ancient claims to fame are still as fresh and relevant today as when it opened more than 30 years ago.
East Coast Grill
1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge • (617) 714-4662
eastcoastgrill.net
Other Winners
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Comeback
2014 Winner: Delux Cafe
Civilians and restaurant industry workers alike were dismayed by the January closing of this tiny, long-lived South End institution, a rare almost-dive...
- 100 Chandler St., Boston
- (617) 338-5258
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Comeback
2016 Winner: Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe
A legendary icon of Boston dining, Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe opened in 1927, winning fame for slinging tasty turkey hash and welcoming blacks in the era of segregation...
- 429 Columbus Ave., Boston
- (617) 539-7669
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Photo Credit: Jacki Morisi
