The Ultimate Meal is a series where we share how to best enjoy Boston’s best restaurants. Whether you have been to these restaurants a dozen times or are trying to check off as many as you can from our “best of” lists, The Ultimate Meal is here to help you decide what to order once you have sat down at the table. This time around we are talking about how to have the ideal experience at the Beehive. Did you catch our last one for Mamma Maria?
The Beehive is one of those places that we have all been to a million times, but we may not have been in a while. Well, I am telling you that it is worth a visit this season! This South End classic brought on a new head chef in the midst of COVID and Chef Skeen has done wonders with the menu and the restaurant is more fun than ever. Chef Ryan Skeen may be an NYC transplant, but has brought his stellar resume to Boston. Skeen had stints at Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Boulud, Jean George Vongerichten, Daniel Patterson, Rocco DiSpirito, and Andrew Carmellini. So it is no surprise that the menu at the Beehive is the best it has ever been.
When to go to the Beehive
The Beehive is open for both dinner and weekend brunch, but the prime time to go is a Friday night around 10pm, just when the live music starts. You can still order dinner but trust me this is a fun time.
Who to bring to dinner
The Beehive is the type of place where you want to bring either a date or a group of friends. The seating is intimate, and the bars are usually a blast. This is not the place for a business dinner, it is a place where you will want to let loose so plan accordingly.
What to drink
The drinks list at the Beehive has always been great, but it is especially noticeable now that prices have skyrocketed across the city. The $16 cocktails and $14.50 glasses of sauvignon blanc are a welcome change of pace. The “Queen Bee” made with Skyy Vodka, Elderflower, grapefruit and sparkling wine is a deserved house favorite.
What to eat
While the menu changes with the seasons, right now the things you don’t want to skip on the menu are the smoked Turkish pepper chicken wings and arancini for starters and the grilled brisket for a main. But they also had a short rib and truffle special recently that was belly warming perfection. And they always seem to have some sort of cheesecake for dessert, which never disappoints.
