Sullivan’s Castle Island: Sully’s Hits 75 Years in South Boston

Sullivan’s Castle Island, the seasonal South Boston food stand known as “Sully’s,” is wrapping up its 75th season on Castle Island. Opened in June 1951 by Dan Sullivan Sr. as a hot dog stand, it has been run by four generations of the Sullivan family and won a 2025 James Beard America’s Classics Award, according to the James Beard Foundation. Here is what to know before a fall visit.

Season Dates: Open Late February to November

Sully’s typically reopens at the end of February or the start of March and closes for the winter in November, Boston.com reported. The 2026 season began on Saturday, Feb. 28, which the family marked as the start of its 75th year on Castle Island. On opening day, doors opened at 10 a.m., and the Castle Island stand is open daily during the season. With November approaching, check the restaurant’s website or social media for the exact closing date and current hours.

What to Order at Sully’s

The James Beard Foundation’s citation describes Sully’s as known for:

• Double smash burgers “with copious amounts of cheese”
• Hot dogs, which come from Kayem
• Thick crinkle-cut fries
• Lobster rolls
• Locally sourced fresh seafood

The restaurant says its fish fillets are hand cut in its kitchen, its clams come from Ipswich and its lobsters are New England cold-water lobsters. Its burgers, hot dogs, wraps and rolls are made in Boston and delivered fresh, never frozen. Ice cream and raspberry lime rickeys round out the menu.

James Beard America’s Classics Award

The America’s Classics Award goes to locally and independently owned restaurants with “timeless appeal” that are beloved in their region. Sully’s was the 2025 winner for the Northeast, joining Lem’s Bar-B-Q in Chicago, The Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, Idaho, Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage, Dooky Chase in New Orleans and Gaido’s in Galveston, Texas. The foundation lists Brendan Sullivan as the current owner.

“Every Bostonian has a story about Sully’s,” the foundation wrote, “whether from working there after school as teenagers, having their sports team or fundraiser supported by Sully’s, taking their children for some crinkle cuts like their grandparents took them, or simply enjoying it as a nostalgic seaside gathering place for locals.”

History of the Castle Island Stand

According to the family’s history page, Dan Sullivan Sr. opened the concession to serve “quality food at reasonable prices” to visitors at the 22-acre recreation site, now a state park. A second, cinderblock building stood for more than 25 years before the current brick building went up in 1986. Its façade replicates the officers’ quarters that once lined the walk facing the bay, circa 1807.

Tips for Visiting

• Location: Castle Island, South Boston, next to Fort Independence and Pleasure Bay.
• Lines: expect lines on warm weekends and opening days.
• Seagulls: Boston.com’s season-opening story warned diners to guard their fries.
• Off-season: a year-round restaurant and bar operates at Hanover Crossing, 1175 Washington St., Suite 410, Hanover.

For more classic Boston eats, see our guides to the best clam chowder in Boston and Sarma in Somerville.

Additional Details

• Fort Independence, completed in 1851, is the eighth fort on the island. Castle Island is described as the oldest continuously fortified site in British North America.
• The family also offers catering.
• Kayem delivered the 2026 opening-day hot dogs days after the “Blizzard of ’26,” according to a post quoted by Boston.com.

Featured image: Sullivan’s on Castle Island in the fog, April 2025. Photo by 4300streetcar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0; cropped.

Sources

• James Beard Foundation: 2025 America’s Classics winners
• Boston.com: Sullivan’s Castle Island reopens for the 2026 season (Feb. 27, 2026)
• Sullivan’s Castle Island: Our Story
• Sullivan’s Castle Island: Homepage