Only 1 MA Spot Makes List Of '101 Best Casual Restaurants'

Either the Daily Meal needs to get out more, or Massachusetts has a serious shortage of quality places to eat out for cheap. The foodie website released its 101 best casual restaurants in America, and only one was in Mass.

The restaurants needed to be reasonably affordable, overall "chill" or relaxed, and have a reputation behind them.

Santarpio's is the lone representative on the list, coming in at No. 48. Santarpio's has been open for well over a century. The Daily Beast issued some suggestions on what to get off the menu:

"First-timer? Order Santarpio’s most popular pie — mozzarella, sausage, and garlic — to establish a baseline. (Regulars also swear by the pizzeria’s skewers of lamb, steak tips, and homemade sausage, grilled over charcoal — the only non-pizza items on the menu.)

The pizza landmark, with an original location in East Boston and another in Peabody, has undoubtedly earned its spot in Bay State lore (even if you're more a Pizzeria Regina's kind of person.) But is that really the only low-key spot to eat worth a mention on this list?

We'd love to put together a list of the best 101 places to eat for cheap based on your suggestions. The only rules are trying to stick with the Daily Meal's criteria:

• "Can two people fill themselves up and get out for less than $50, excluding tip and alcohol?"
• Is there "an overall comfortable and relaxed ambiance"
• Does it have "a 'destination' status (that is, is the place worth traveling for?), and a proven reputation and longevity?"

Send your top local casual restaurant choices, along with your favorite menu item there, to charlene.arsenault@patch.com.

Image via shutterstock