Little Tao — Restaurant in Boston

We were going back and forth on where to have a weekday lunch in Allston and finally decided on Little Tao. I'm so glad we tried it! I'll definitely be coming back. The food came out very quickly and was all delicious.

We got the weekday lunch specials, which range from $14.95 to $15.95. They all come with rice, which was really delicious! The rice has the perfect balance of sticky and al dente, and paired wonderfully with the food. The complimentary pickled vegetables were also delightfully mala, savory, and crunchy!

I got the pickled fish fillet ($15.95) which was amazing! The soup had an addicting savory flavor without being sour and the fish was very tender. I usually don't eat much rice but the soup + rice combo was so good! I would come back just for this.

The Sichuan spicy chicken ($14.95) came highly recommended by other reviewers, and I'm happy to share that it was amazing! Great flavor, big pieces of chicken, very fresh and crispy. The chicken took slightly longer than the other dishes, I assume because it was being freshly fried. I would definitely get this again.

We also tried the braised beef brisket ($15.95) and braised chicken ($14.95, bone-in). I think the brisket could've been better, and what I tried was a bit tough. I think the other dishes we got were better than these.

It's a small restaurant and there aren't many tables, so I imagine it gets quite busy in the evenings. Can't wait for...

Casual Szechuan noodle bar that offers comforting flavors.

Szechuan cuisine has always been popular, but the competition in Allston has really been heating up lately. While MH holds the popularity crown by a wide margin, spots like Little Tao often get overshadowed. I've dropped by Little Tao a few times for lunch, and for a place that proudly advertises zero MSG, the flavors were bold.

Little Tao’s signature dishes are undoubtedly their Szechuan noodles, like the Chengdu noodles and Twice Cooked Pork noodles. Each bowl comes bathed in rich chili oil, with savory meat toppings adding that salty/umami punch. Despite the generous pour of chili oil, the spice level is actually pretty manageable. My only gripe? The noodles weren’t fully drained, which thinned out the flavors a bit.

From their regular Szechuan menu, I’ve tried the Mapo Tofu, Pickled Fish Fillet, and Braised Beer Duck. The first two were solid—not the best I’ve had around here, but still good. The Braised Beer Duck, though, was a different story; it was more of a chore than a meal. They serve it chopped bone-in, with barely any meat on the pieces, so I was pretty much left with picking around more bones than bites.

Overall, ia great spot to swing by for some straightforward, comforting Szechuan noodles. While I haven’t fully explored the rest of their menu, I’d suggest sticking with...

Truly authentic small business in Allston for Sichuan food. All the dishes we tried were so flavorful and right level of spice. The chef can go super 🔥🔥🔥 but is also happy to adjust to mild too! My favorite dish was the spicy chicken noodle. I’ve had both these dishes separately (chili oil noodle and dry fried chicken) but never together! It was a total explosion of flavor. We also got cucumbers with garlic (5/5), pork trotters soup (4/5), tao tao noodle (5/5), and pork belly with leek (4/5 only because they slice the pork thinly and I like fatter pieces). For dessert we got pumpkin pancake, which tasted like sweet fried mochi with a chewy center. It was the perfect end to the meal. Overall a wonderful experience and the staff are so kind and treat you well! We’ll definitely be back for more...