Our 8 Go-To Restaurants on the South Shore, MA

My fiancé and I are big foodies, and one of our favorites things to do is discover new restaurants and eat dinner out. In our opinion, with a good bar & restaurant atmosphere, the experience is unmatched!

Since we moved to the South Shore of Massachusetts in July of 2020, we have been scouting out our favorite places to go out to eat. We haven’t tried everything, but we have tried a lot. These eight spots are the ones that we keep going back to.

Follow me on Instagram at @athomesouthshore for more South Shore finds & guides!

1. Salt Society

Scituate, MA

If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably noticed that Salt Society is our favorite restaurant in Scituate. It doesn’t hurt that it’s only five minutes from our house…

Salt Society was opened in Scituate Harbor in August of 2020 by Kara Tondorf, the owner of Rivershed, with locations in Scituate and Braintree, and a former Scituate favorite, Riva.

This place is top notch! They serve fresh, new American fare, a variety of speciality sushi, specialty oysters, and unique craft cocktails.

The interior features a up-scale, casual atmosphere with a speakeasy theme. The restaurant is complete with a center bar, a sushi station, and a lounge area. When weather permits, they line a few tables outside on Front Street for outdoor dining.

Their sushi menu is our favorite. Our favorites are the Green Harbor Roll, the Red Dragon, the Orange Dragon, & the Firecracker.

Although we love the sushi, we tend to mix in a few menu items from the dinner menu as well. Their dinner menu is unique in a sense that instead of offering more traditional dishes that include a protein and a couple of sides, Salt Society’s menu allows you to mix & match any protein from their grill with any of their sides sold separately to create your own perfect meal.

The grill has both surf & turf options, and you can add a signature flavored salt, rub, or butter. My favorite is their scallops with bacon salt! It tastes like a fresh spin on bacon-wrapped scallops.

As for sides & appetizers, we love the Truffle Mac n’ Cheese, Chicken Fingers, Asian Salad, Oyster Tasting Trio, Buffalo Cauliflower, Ribeye Poutine, & Truffle Fries. (I may have just listed the whole menu.)

And don’t miss their craft cocktails! Their mixologists are constantly adding new creations, we love the Salty Shiba (although it’s not currently in season) and their traditional margaritas.

They are also open for brunch every Sunday from 10AM-3PM. We loved their “Three Little Birds” brunch cocktail, which is a flight of three tester-sized margaritas of rotating flavors!

Check their website for hours and menu items!

2. Lenny’s Hideaway

Cohasset, MA

Mexican food is our favorite. Going out for margaritas, guacamole, & tacos has always been a foundational pillar of our relationship. So much so, that when we were house hunting on the South Shore last year, I was specifically concerned about finding our new Mexican restaurant.

When we settled on our current house in Scituate, I found Lenny’s Hideaway less than 10 minutes away in Cohasset. I looked it up online, and knew instantly that this was going to be one of our favorite spots. Fast forward a few months, and we are already regulars!

Lenny’s Hideaway was opening in 2019 by husband and wife duo Stephanie & Derke Burke, who previously owned three bars & restaurants in California before setting roots in the South Shore, where Derek grew up.

You wouldn’t expect to find an authentic Mexican restaurant in Cohasset Village, but Lenny’s Hideaway is just that. And they make a good margarita! (Try it spicy if you dare!)

Not only do they serve authentic, scratch-made Mexican food, but the unique and literal “hideaway” atmosphere is fun, casual, & relaxed. The second floor barn-like interior is adorned with vintage record album covers, colorful luchador masks, a rustic bar – and great music!

One of the best parts is the outdoor rooftop patio that is heated and open for outdoor dining all year round!

As far as the food – We always start with chips & guacamole (and of course, margaritas). From there, our favorites meals are the wet burrito and the fish tacos.

Lenny’s takes care in the ingredients that they choose and the authentic cooking techniques that they use, and it shows.

I’ll see you on the roof deck!

3. The Oysterman

Duxbury, MA

I grew up in Duxbury, and although I have always loved the town for its coastal charm & beaches, it was never known for its modern culinary attractions. Luckily, the town has really flourished in the last ten years or so, and some of its best additions have been The Oysterman and its sister restaurant, The Anchor.

The Oysterman is in Duxbury’s Millbrook Station, right across the the beloved Far Far’s homemade Danish ice cream shop. The restaurant itself is fairly small, but it offers a large bar, a raw bar, and a beautiful outdoor patio.

The Oysterman serves polished surf ‘n’ turf dishes – including both classics & new favorites. It is also known for its bar featuring craft cocktails & a craft beer list.

We always start with our must-haves: buffalo cauliflower, Duxbury oysters, and signature cocktails.

As for entrées, you can’t go wrong – everything on their menu is delicious! Surprisingly (but not if you’ve tried it), one of their most popular dishes is the Oysterman Cheeseburger.

Last time we went, we ordered the Seasonal Risotto w/ bacon & scallops and the Shrimp & Lobster Scampi! Both meals were delicious!

Spend a warm summer’s evening enjoying Oysterman’s outdoor patio, and stop across the street afterwards for some homeade ice cream!

4. Cheever Tavern

Norwell, MA

When we moved in Scituate, we kept hearing murmurs of “the new restaurant in Norwell”!

Cheever Tavern opened in Norwell Center in June of 2020. This upscale tavern will undoubtedly become a neighborhood staple!

Cheever’s indoor atmosphere is fresh and inviting, but their outdoor patio is truly unique to the area. The restaurant has a fairly large outdoor patio that hosts heat lamps and fire pits, and customers have been dining outdoors all winter long!

Cheever has an impressive cocktail, draft beer, & wine list. If you’re looking for a cocktail, we love their Organic Margarita, but we usually order off the beer & wine lists. Our waiter last time recommended his favorite draft beer last time we visited, the Captain Lawrence Classic Lager 7. I’m not a big beer drinker, and I loved it!

For a starters, we love the Crispy Brussel Sprouts and the Magical Mushrooms.

For entrées, we’ve tried a few and loved them all – Our top pics are the Catherine’s Pappardelle Bolognese, and Green Guru Salad with grilled shrimp. and the Norwell Hot Chicken Sandwich with truffle fries. We haven’t tried it yet, but the Half Baked Mac & Cheese w/ Short Rib comes highly recommended. Yum!

And they serve Hornstra Farms’ Ice Cream for dessert!

They also serve Sunday Brunch from 10AM-2PM! We plan to go back soon for brunch on the patio!

5. Liv Creative Cuisine

Marshfield, MA

Liv was recommended to us, and I am so glad that we tried it! Now they can’t get rid of us, especially since we discovered the outdoor patio!

Liv Creative Cuisine serves up creative farm-to-table cuisine that is sustainable and locally sourced to bring you the freshest food and drink. They pride themselves on all natural, organic, and local ingredients, and it shows!

I personally am always looking for restaurants that serve organic, grass-fed, free-range, or hormone free meat & poultry, and it’s hard to come by! This is something that I really value in this restaurant.

Aside from their mission to run a business that is good for the local economy and environment, the owners, Chef Tom & Maureen, aim for Liv to be a place where the South Shore gathers in community & conversation.

The restaurant opened in July 2019 in downtown Marshfield (formerly the location of “Hola”). Although it is unassuming from the outside, once you step inside you will be met with a warm, fresh, & inviting atmosphere. There is a lively bar area up from, with a quieter dining room towards the back. They also offer outdoor dining in warm weather months – and live music!

Let’s talk about the food – The menu is divided into sections of “A little” or a “A lot”, as well that flatbreads and sandwiches. Some of the most popular dishes are the Calamari, the Farm Burger, & their unique flatbreads.

As an appetizer, we love the Tuna Nachos, Calamari, or the Maplebrook Farm Burrata. As for the main course, the Paella is a personal favorite of mine.

You’ll find me this summer on the patio with a Spice Skinny Rita.