Most of my memories of Boston meals seem to be focused on the least of what the city has to offer. Rather than recalling the incredible cuisine of Radius, which I barely remember, I tend to think back fondly to breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs, pizza and the deadliest tater tots you can imagine.

While there are some excellent restaurants in Boston, it’s more fun to take it down a notch, and see where the real people eat. You won’t regret it.

Fill-A-Buster: Unfortunately, this Beacon Hill diner isn’t open on the weekends. Get their during the week, and you’ll see a great mix of local workers, from those working in the capitol building to businessmen passing through the area to police officers and construction workers. Fill-A-Buster is the great equalizer in Boston. Also, it has the best bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in the city, with the english muffin both toasted and buttered. The crispy bacon is stacked half an inch high! Fill-A-Buster is a must for foodies arriving on flights to Boston.

Trident: Trek up Newbury Street, almost to Mass Ave, and you’ll find this local institution. Trident is half restaurant, half bookstore and all charming. The service is a little slow, but the “mega-tots” compensate for that. Imagine a tater tot the size of a beer stein. Then, fill it with butter and cheese. Need I say more?

Pour House: The fact that it’s the “#1 bar in Boston,” according to its website, at least, doesn’t mean you can’t eat there! Sit down in one of the booths and ask for a nice, large beer. To go with it, you’ll have to sift through pages and pages of options…and that’s all you need to know: great bar food, and lots of it.

Santarpio’s: There’s no way to get more local than this. You can get to Santarpio’s via the Blue Line (to Maverick Street station) or by driving through the Callahan Tunnel and taking the exit with the sign “Local Exit” right before you enter Logan Airport. As you drive down the exit ramp, you’ll come face to face with this institution. Poke around for parking, and then experience Boston’s best pizza in this renovated three-family building. It looks odd, but it’s the quintessential East Boston experience.

Image credit: Tom Johansmeyer (Author)