Tiny Urban Kitchen

Exploring Food from Boston to Hong Kong and Beyond

  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Nanjing, China
      Weekend Trip to Nanjing China
    • Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
      Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
    • Wakaran Hong Kong
      Wakaran Wan Chai
    • Godenya Hong Kong
      Godenya Hong Kong (revisited)
    • The Chairman Hong Kong
      The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star)
    • Hanu Wan Chai Hong Kong
      Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai
    • Always Joy Hong Kong
      Always Joy Hong Kong
    • Michael Chiarelli Ottimo Yountville California
      Bottega + Ottimo Yountville
    • Ciccio Yountville California
      Ciccio Yountville
    • Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
      Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
    • Cole’s Chop House Napa California
      Cole's Chop House Napa California
    • Compline Restaurant Napa California
      Compline Restaurant + Wine Shop Napa
    Home » US Travel » Boston » Greater Boston

    R.F. O'Sullivan & Son

    Published: Jun 14, 2011 · Modified: Oct 12, 2017 by Jennifer Che


    Here's a little known fact.

    I've never had a cheeseburger.

    OK, just kidding.  Well, sort of. This was actually a true statement for most of my life. In fact, all throughout college as I was dating Bryan (who kept trying to get me to eat one), I maintained the same position. I always ordered hamburgers ("no cheese, please") because I honestly believed I wouldn't like the cheese. I half jokingly would mutter, "I'll have a cheeseburger when I turn 30."

    Well, when that day finally came, Bryan made me stand by my promise and organized a birthday party for me at R.F. O'Sullivan's.


    Jen's order - hamburger with bacon

    R.F. O'Sullivan (often called just "O'Sullivan's) is a popular pub in Somerville that serves up a huge variety of  thick, half-pound burgers. Owner Frank Sullivan's mantra is, "don't squish the burgers!" Squishing causes the juices to run out, resulting in a drier burger.

    The burgers at O'Sullivan's are piled high and are themselves very tall. In fact, small-mouthed people like me have a pretty hard time taking a full bite of the burger!

    Bryan's rare "Swissroom" burger

    Frank O'Sullivan personally likes his burgers rare, so he's not afraid to serve them that way. Bryan orders rare (I usually go for medium rare), and they do a pretty good job of cooking it (i.e. they don't overcook it).

    The menu is pretty vast, and (sort of like at Bartley's) you have your choice of more interesting burger toppings such as blue cheese & black pepper, jalapeno, or tomato & mozzarella (just to name a few). There are also many classic combinations, such as the "Swissroom" (Swiss cheese and mushrooms), the "Italian" (peppers, onions, and cheese), and your basic bacon topped hamburger.

    The "Swissroom"

    The ingredients are fresh, the prices are quite reasonable (around $8 for a burger), and the food is pretty good. The fries are super thick cut (straight from potatoes, skin and all!), and the onions rings are pretty good too. You can get half and half (fries + onion rings), if you want.

    We still think the burgers are a significant step below our favorites (like those are Bartley's, Craigie on Main, or other steak houses), but then perhaps it's not really a fair comparison. I mean, some of these steak houses are making their burgers out of ground prime steak, while Tony Maws from Craigie on Main uses grass-fed beef mixed with bone marrow to make his $18 burger. Honestly, for the price, these are perfectly fine burgers and definitely have a cult following in this city.

    On a related note - Bryan (loyal Californian at heart!) still favors In & Out Burgers to these, though he says he likes O'Sullivan's a bit better than Five Guys.

    And what became of my epic "first" cheeseburger experience? Well, it was OK. Anti-climatic, really. The cheeseburger from R.F. O'Sullivan's is pretty good and definitely holds its own. However, did you notice from the photo above that I'm back to ordering hamburgers?  Nothing against cheese and all, but I guess I just like hamburgers better . . .

    R.F. O'Sullivan & Son
    282 Beacon St
    Somerville, MA 02143
    R.F. O'Sullivan & Son on Urbanspoon

    ©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
    All Rights Reserved

    More Greater Boston

    • Little Big Diner Newton - a first look!
    • Tasting Counter Somerville
    • La Brasa Somerville
    • Beijing Chinese Dining Lexington

    Recent Posts

    • Weekend Trip to Nanjing China June 20, 2025
    • Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong June 17, 2025
    • Wakaran Wan Chai June 15, 2025
    • Godenya Hong Kong (revisited) June 12, 2025
    • The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star) June 6, 2025
    • Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai June 2, 2025
    • Always Joy Hong Kong May 29, 2025
    • Bottega + Ottimo Yountville May 14, 2025
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • Napa, California
      Thomas Keller's La Calenda: A Tribute {Now Closed}
    • Ad Hoc Thomas Keller Brunch Yountville California
      Thomas Keller Ad Hoc + Addendum + Bouchon Bakery
    • Mandalay San Francisco
      Mandalay San Francisco (Burmese Food)
    • Boulettes Larder Ferry Building San Francisco
      Boulette Larder (Ferry Building) San Francisco

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Support Tiny Urban Kitchen by making purchases on Amazon through our affiliate link:

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2024 Tiny Urban Kitchen