One of the best secrets in the local area is that most (if not all) of the old industrial centers in eastern Massachusetts happen to be great places to grab a bite to eat. One of the reasons for this is the fact that the former mill cities and factory towns in the region are now home to diverse populations, bringing all kinds of cuisines to the neighborhoods, but part of it is also because of the close-knit feel of the neighborhoods themselves, which means that countless corner restaurants and bars can be found where locals go on a regular basis. As a result, you often tend to see more in the way of cozy little eateries of all kinds that are about as unpretentious as you can get rather than the trendy bistros and endless chains that are found in so many other spots. Lynn is certainly such a place, as this North Shore city — which used to be a major shoe manufacturing center— seems to have such eateries on every other block, including a handful of standouts mentioned below.
