The Lawn on D has transformed into a giant outdoor restaurant
What does it mean to go out to eat now? With Phase 2’s launch on Monday, it means eating outside on patios, sidewalks, parking lots — and now, on sprawling lawns.
The Lawn on D, the expansive green space next to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, will reopen Friday at noon as a massive outdoor restaurant. While the space has previously served as a hangout where people could gather for live music, lawn games, and special events, the lawn is now filled with 180 tables that can seat 700 guests for table-side service.
So what’s on the menu? The Lawn on D tapped Rebel Restaurants — a restaurant and catering group that owns Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill, Temazcal Tequila Cantina, and Jack’s Coal Fired Pizza — to curate a menu featuring American comfort food: burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, pizza slices, and strawberry shortcake. A drink menu highlights beer, spiked seltzer, cocktails, and wine by the glass, along with non-alcoholic drinks like sodas, lemonade, and iced coffee. Guests will need to make a reservation to dine.
Now open seven days a week, The Lawn on D is taking measures to comply with state mandatory safety standards, including daily temperature checks for its staff, tables spaced at least six feet apart, digital and disposable menus, tables and chairs disinfected after each visit, and masks worn by the entire staff. It’s also asking guests to make reservations in advance, wear masks when not seated at a table, use designated entrance and exit locations, and refrain from congregating elsewhere on the lawn.
The new layout at the Waterfront District’s gathering spot is a far cry from previous iterations in years past. Its popular swings — prolifically featured on Instagram — will not be installed this year, and the lawn isn’t featuring any type of entertainment, including lawn games, live music, DJs, or TVs.