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Where to Eat Hearts and Blood in Boston

Skip the expensive prix fixe menus on Valentine’s Day and eat hearts and blood instead

by Terrence Doyle
View as Map
by Terrence Doyle
Tikhonova Yana/Shutterstock

What better way to say “I love you” than eating a literal heart (or the blood that once pumped through a literal heart)? Valentine’s Day is a terrible day to dine out, filled with difficult reservations and overpriced prix fixe menus. But if you do want to go out, skip the gimmicky holiday menus and hunt down these literally hearty dishes.

For Valentine’s Day or any day you’re feeling vampiric or anemic, these are some of the best heart and blood dishes in Boston right now.

Note: Map points are arranged geographically from north to south, not ranked.

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The Druid

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It’s only a Saturday and Sunday brunch thing, but the Druid does a damn good Irish breakfast, replete with sausages, ham, beans, eggs, and, of course, blood pudding.

1357 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 497-0965
(617) 497-0965
the druid cambridge
A great Inman Square haunt
Chris H./Yelp

Also featured in:

Loyal Nine

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East Cambridge’s Loyal Nine is dedicated to New England culinary traditions of yore. Its sautéed duck hearts stick to that line; they’re served with pumpkin vinaigrette and bitter greens. And this is a bit of a twofer: If the hearts don’t satiate that bloodlust, an eater can also sometimes get blood noodles — made with the blood of Ossabaw hogs — at Loyal Nine.

660 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 945-2576
(617) 945-2576
blood noodles loyal nine
Blood noodles at Loyal Nine
Loyal Nine [official photo, via Instagram]

Also featured in:

Sabor Do Brasil

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Sabor do Brasil is something of a hidden gem on Brighton Avenue in Allston. It’s set up buffet-style and serves classics like various grilled meats and sausages. And from time to time, an eater will get lucky and find that Sabor do Brasil is grilling up chicken hearts.

174 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134
(617) 782-0254
(617) 782-0254
sabor do brasil
The buffet at Sabor do Brasil
Sabor do Brasil [official photo, via Facebook]

Gourmet Dumpling House

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Gourmet Dumpling House has many exceptional dishes — the Sichuan fish soup, for example — but order the sautéed pig’s blood with leeks (we know, we know — we’re really pushing this dish.) Nothing says “I love you” like a mouth full of blood.

52 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 338-6223
(617) 338-6223
gourmet dumpling house
A line isn’t uncommon outside of Gourmet Dumpling House
Tina C./Yelp

Also featured in:

Coppa

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It makes sense that Coppa has cured beef heart on the menu: Co-owner Jamie Bissonnette wrote a book about charcuterie, after all. Coppa is doing a beef heart pastrami; eat it on its own, or throw it on top of the smoked bone marrow pizza. Dang.

Note: Coppa is doing a prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day, and this won’t be available. But go the day before or the day after Valentine’s Day and eat this.

253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118
(617) 391-0902
(617) 391-0902
beef heart pastrami coppa
Beef heart pastrami pizza, anyone?
Catherine V./Yelp

Also featured in:

Wu Er by Wow Barbecue

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If it’s offal you’re after, Wu Er by Wow Barbecue in Brookline is your place. Cartilage and kidneys and skins abound — but at the end of the day, it’s all about those minerally little chicken hearts. You can find them at Wu Er’s Malden sister restaurant, Wow Barbecue, as well.

320 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 566-8858
(617) 566-8858
wu er chinese skewers
A variety of Chinese skewers from Wu Er
Wu Er [official photo, via Facebook]

Cafe Polonia

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Gang, this place has the Guy Fieri seal of approval. Go to Southie, get some kiszka — or, traditional Polish blood sausage — and think about how you’ve shared air with an icon of dye jobs and sunglasses.

611 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02127
(617) 269-0110
(617) 269-0110
Cafe Polonia
Cafe Polonia
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Also featured in:

The Haven

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Americans have a perverted understanding of haggis; haggis is very good. Y’all have no problem eating breakfast sausage of unknown provenance from Dunkin’ Donuts but shudder at the first mention of haggis? Come on! Haggis is made by stuffing a sheep’s stomach with said sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced onion, suet (fat), spices, salt, stock, and oatmeal. Haggis is a the ultimate sausage. Stop hating on haggis; go to the Haven and eat haggis.

2 Perkins St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 524-2836
(617) 524-2836
A portion of haggis sits on a bed of mashed rutabaga, garnished with Drambuie butter
Haggis is good, we promise!
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Also featured in:

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The Druid

1357 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

It’s only a Saturday and Sunday brunch thing, but the Druid does a damn good Irish breakfast, replete with sausages, ham, beans, eggs, and, of course, blood pudding.

1357 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 497-0965
(617) 497-0965
the druid cambridge
A great Inman Square haunt
Chris H./Yelp

Loyal Nine

660 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141

East Cambridge’s Loyal Nine is dedicated to New England culinary traditions of yore. Its sautéed duck hearts stick to that line; they’re served with pumpkin vinaigrette and bitter greens. And this is a bit of a twofer: If the hearts don’t satiate that bloodlust, an eater can also sometimes get blood noodles — made with the blood of Ossabaw hogs — at Loyal Nine.

660 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 945-2576
(617) 945-2576
blood noodles loyal nine
Blood noodles at Loyal Nine
Loyal Nine [official photo, via Instagram]

Sabor Do Brasil

174 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134

Sabor do Brasil is something of a hidden gem on Brighton Avenue in Allston. It’s set up buffet-style and serves classics like various grilled meats and sausages. And from time to time, an eater will get lucky and find that Sabor do Brasil is grilling up chicken hearts.

174 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134
(617) 782-0254
(617) 782-0254
sabor do brasil
The buffet at Sabor do Brasil
Sabor do Brasil [official photo, via Facebook]

Gourmet Dumpling House

52 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

Gourmet Dumpling House has many exceptional dishes — the Sichuan fish soup, for example — but order the sautéed pig’s blood with leeks (we know, we know — we’re really pushing this dish.) Nothing says “I love you” like a mouth full of blood.

52 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 338-6223
(617) 338-6223
gourmet dumpling house
A line isn’t uncommon outside of Gourmet Dumpling House
Tina C./Yelp

Coppa

253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

It makes sense that Coppa has cured beef heart on the menu: Co-owner Jamie Bissonnette wrote a book about charcuterie, after all. Coppa is doing a beef heart pastrami; eat it on its own, or throw it on top of the smoked bone marrow pizza. Dang.

Note: Coppa is doing a prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day, and this won’t be available. But go the day before or the day after Valentine’s Day and eat this.

253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118
(617) 391-0902
(617) 391-0902
beef heart pastrami coppa
Beef heart pastrami pizza, anyone?
Catherine V./Yelp

Wu Er by Wow Barbecue

320 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445

If it’s offal you’re after, Wu Er by Wow Barbecue in Brookline is your place. Cartilage and kidneys and skins abound — but at the end of the day, it’s all about those minerally little chicken hearts. You can find them at Wu Er’s Malden sister restaurant, Wow Barbecue, as well.

320 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 566-8858
(617) 566-8858
wu er chinese skewers
A variety of Chinese skewers from Wu Er
Wu Er [official photo, via Facebook]

Cafe Polonia

611 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02127

Gang, this place has the Guy Fieri seal of approval. Go to Southie, get some kiszka — or, traditional Polish blood sausage — and think about how you’ve shared air with an icon of dye jobs and sunglasses.

611 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02127
(617) 269-0110
(617) 269-0110
Cafe Polonia
Cafe Polonia
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

The Haven

2 Perkins St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Americans have a perverted understanding of haggis; haggis is very good. Y’all have no problem eating breakfast sausage of unknown provenance from Dunkin’ Donuts but shudder at the first mention of haggis? Come on! Haggis is made by stuffing a sheep’s stomach with said sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced onion, suet (fat), spices, salt, stock, and oatmeal. Haggis is a the ultimate sausage. Stop hating on haggis; go to the Haven and eat haggis.

2 Perkins St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 524-2836
(617) 524-2836
A portion of haggis sits on a bed of mashed rutabaga, garnished with Drambuie butter
Haggis is good, we promise!
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

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