Boston is the place to be during the summer, especially for college students with internships and classes in the city, but it’s going to be crowded with tourists everywhere from Fenway Park to Faneuil Hall. On weekends (when your friends and parents come to visit), every decent restaurant is going to have a wait during breakfast, lunch and dinner-rush-hours. So, to help with last-minute reservations and scheduling, I’ve created a list of classic and incredibly tasty Boston restaurants for weekend warriors who only have 24 hours in this magical city I’ve come to love so much.

It’s been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For a big plate of eggs and potatoes or chocolate chip pancakes to start your day off right (especially after an early morning drive into the city to beat traffic), the following places will not let you down, but only if you get there before the 10 a.m. brunch crowd! On Charles St, The Paramount offers a variety of classic breakfasts with a unique twist; for example, their potatoes are cooked with a Mexican spice blend and their famous, fluffy French toast is made with caramel and bananas. Also on Charles St., Tatte is a stunning bakery perfect for foodies trying to make the big time on Instagram. Although the line is perpetually long (for a reason!), it moves quickly because the staff is so professional. The baked goods at Tatte are made fresh every day and they also offer a variety of breakfast plates, sandwiches, and the best yogurt parfait I have ever tasted, with homemade yogurt and granola, raspberries, blackberries, apple and pear slices, blueberries, agave, and sesame seeds. In Cambridge and the Back Bay, The Friendly Toast is known for its retro-style dining areas and classic breakfasts served all day long, like pancakes, omelets, eggs benedict, and French toast. Another diner that serves a large list of popular American breakfasts all day is Trident Cafe on the Berklee end of Newbury Street, but what makes Trident so special isn’t just its mouth-watering meals. Trident serves as both a huge bookshop and restaurant; yes, this diner of your dreams sells everything from New York Times best-sellers to fluffy pancakes and juicy hamburgers. Finally, for early risers and all-nighters, South Street Diner in the South End, near the Seaport District, is the same type of retro-style diner you recognize from your hometown, and it’s open 24 hours!

If you’re with the whole family and the ‘rents want to treat everyone to brunch on the fancy side, there are several hotel restaurants throughout Boston that have beautiful brunch menus and atmospheres. On Boylston Street, The Mandarin Hotel’s Bar Boulud offers a beautiful, French brunch menu, though it is American enough that nothing on the menu will make you scrunch your nose in disgust. RIght across from the Boston Public Garden (also on Boylston Street), The Four Seasons’ Bristol Restaurant presents an incredible, buffet-style brunch every weekend with an unbelievable display of creative desserts bound to satisfy every type of sweet tooth; each donut, each cookie, every piece of cake is created by the hotel’s designated baker, who is the mastermind behind every mouthwatering dessert that catches your eye (and tastebuds). In the Seaport District, The Envoy Hotel’s Outlook Restaurant serves gourmet American-style brunch food that looks just as good as it tastes-- just ask Instagram user @bostonfoodies, who seems to make a brunch trip to the Envoy as often as possible.

If you’re young and cheap and nobody can decide what and where to eat, Quincy Market is always a great option. Known for its huge variety of different food stands practically stacked on top of each other down the market’s long hallway, Quincy Market is bound to please each member of your 15-person party by the time you find some place to sit and eat outside. For lunch on the lighter side (if you’re saving room for dinner), Sweetgreen and B. Good, which both have a few locations throughout Boston, have healthy options that are always delicious and keep you full until dinner. While Sweetgreen lets you choose the ingredients that go into your salad, B. Good has a large range of pre-made salad options (that you can customize once you decide which one to order), as well as sandwiches and hamburgers. Both restaurants are quick, easy, and so fresh that they’re proud to let you know where the ingredients you putting in your mouth are actually coming from. For a quick piece of pizza to eat on-the-go or in the park, Regina’s and Ernesto’s in the North End serve not only the best pizza in Boston, but the best pizza in the world. Don’t argue with me on this. Another great on-the-go option is Anna’s Taqueria, which has several locations throughout the city. Anna’s Taqueria has a classic burrito and burrito-bowl menu, always made with fresh vegetables and seasoned meat (as it should be). Anna’s has the best burritos I’ve ever tasted, and all the friends I’ve brought to this little restaurant have loved it just as much as I do. If you’re in the mood for Boston’s best burger, according to “The Boston Globe,” and a “fast-paced, wacky atmosphere” (Bartley’s), Mr. Bartley’s in Cambridge offers a huge menu filled with creative burger names (my favorites being “The Gronk” and “iPhone”) that are made fresh with all kinds of different ingredients so everyone will leave feeling full and satisfied. Celebrities like Jackie O. and Shaq have made it to Bartley’s to try their famous burgers, and their seats have been marked with name cards so you can see exactly where they sat!

Finally, after a long day of walking, when your feet are tired and your dad is getting hangry, it’s nice to sit down at a restaurant where you know the service won’t let you down and the food will help you sleep on the car ride home. One of my all-time favorite restaurants is Toscano on Charles St and in Cambridge; the service here is better than any other restaurant I’ve visited in Boston and the food is always exceptional. I can’t say how many times I’ve been here with my parents because we go every time they visit, but I can say that we’ve never had a single problem at this restaurant. Another great Italian restaurant in the North End and on Charles Street is Artu, which has a cozy atmosphere and delicious roasted chicken. If you want a quiet meal with great wine and and waiters that speak French, La Voile’s traditional French cuisine won’t let you down. Located on Newbury Street, La Voile is perfect for a relaxed dinner after a long day of shopping with Mom. Another great French restaurant right across from the Boston Public Garden, near the Four Seasons and the Taj, is Bistro du Midi, which has a very open, very sophisticated atmosphere with comfortable chairs and large windows. If you’re coming from the south or the west coast and want a taste of fresh, local seafood, B&G Oysters on Tremont Street and The Oceanaire in Park Plaza, right near the Ames Hotel and the Omni Parker House, are always a delicious New England experience. Legal Seafoods, with several locations in Boston, is a huge restaurant that’s been in business since 1981, thanks to it’s famous clam chowder. In the North End, Neptune Oyster and Pauli’s, located right next to each other Salem Street, compete with each other by serving two of the best lobster rolls in Boston. Though the line at Neptune Oyster is almost always longer because it’s so popular, the roll at Pauli’s may be just as good, if not better. Eat one at both places and decide for yourself!

We're not done yet! If you only have 24 hours in Boston, you have to have dessert (it's an actual law in Massachusetts). For a classic, homemade ice cream cone, J.P. Lick's has multiple locations throughout Boston and serves fresh ice cream for a reasonable price-- it's great for large families with little kids. Amornio is a gelato and coffee chain that can be found in lots of major European cities, so you know it's authentic; we are lucky to have one on our very own Newbury Street. You've probably seen pictures of their famous rose-shaped gelato and sorbet on Instagram and Tumblr. If you're in the mood for cookies and cannolis, the North End is full of great pastry shops. On Hanover Street, Mike's Pastry, a family-run bakery for over 50 years, is undoubtedly the most famous bakery in the North End (possibly in Boston), with a huge variety of cannolis, as well as cookies, cupcakes, and ice cream, but make sure to bring cash. While most people argue that Mike's is superior, Modern Pastry is also a family-owned bakery that has been in business for over 70 years, where the chefs use "over 150 authentic, old-world methods" to create some of the best Italian pastries you'll ever have. Also on Hanover Street, Café Vittoria, established in 1929, is one of the oldest coffee shops in America with a menu full of traditional Italian coffees and desserts, including the best cappuccino in Boston. Finally, Bova's Bakery (my personal favorite) is another family-owned bakery since 1932 on Salem St., open 24-hours, seven days a week. Bova's is very dangerous for locals, especially because they are always open and you experience panful withdrawals if you don't eat it at least once a month.

Of course, there are hundreds of other options and must-try, bucket-list restaurants throughout Boston that can be discovered on multiple different online journals, but these are a few of my personal favorites, which I would suggest to my friends and family if they were visiting for the day. But no matter where you end up eating, Boston’s chefs almost never disappoint, and you can always try something different next time you visit!