Boston's Best
The following are service providers in the Greater Boston area that I have direct experience with and would recommend to others. Please mention that you heard about these services on Bobby’s Best. To recommend additional services or to report a bad experience, please e-mail me.
Also, see the all new Bobby's Best Local Service Directory to find qualified local contractors for your all your contracting needs.
Greater Boston Service Reviews
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Auto Repair: |
Ming's Auto Repair (Allston, MA) (Map) I have been taking both of my cars to Ming’s for five years now. While they specialize in European cars (especially Audi & VW), they service a wide variety of makes and models. When you take your car to Ming’s for regular servicing, they do all the little things (like grease the door hinges) that most dealers simply ignore. They are honest and their prices are fair. Ask for Ming and tell him Bobby’s Best sent you.
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| Car Wash: |
Allston Car Wash (Allston, MA) Voted Best of Boston several years in a row, their full service car wash is hard to beat for under $20.
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Scrub A Dub For $34.95, you get a very thorough interior/exterior cleaning which includes a carpet shampoo. It only takes about 15 minutes and is comparable to detailing packages at twice the price.
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Contact: Ming
617.562.0640
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Carpet & Flooring: |
Mal Elfman's (Waltham, MA) Mal’s has a great range of carpets, including the largest selection of remnants in town, which can save you a lot of money and in many cases they are big enough to cover an entire room. They also do wood and laminate flooring. Prices are very reasonable and installation is quick and professional. We have used them numerous times for area rugs and wall to wall carpeting.
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The Floor Man (Needham, MA) Joe did a great job on two bedrooms and our family room. He’s a big buyer, so his prices are cheaper than what you would typically pay for at retail. We went and picked out the carpet we wanted at a local store and he was able to get it for less from them.
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| Carpenter/General Contractor: |
Withycomb Construction (Burlington, MA) Bill does smaller renovations and finish carpentry work. He’s very reliable, will finish the project on the schedule he gives you and his work is excellent. After experiences with a carpenter who was always going to finish “next week”, Bill’s candor was a welcome change.
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| Electricians: |
Clifford Electric (Quincy, MA) I have had a lot of bad luck with electricians in the past, but Shaun was prompt, his rates are reasonable and he did very good work. He also did a nice job cleaning up. I like guys that have just started on their own; they care more about making customers happy.
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| HVAC: |
Burns Mechanical (Waltham, MA) I used Burns on two occasions and they showed up on time and did good work for reasonable prices.
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BDL Heating and Cooling A recommendation from a friend who said they did an excellent job and were very reliable.
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| Masonry, Landscape Construction & Driveways: |
Tenaglia & Son (Newton, MA) Working with Vincent was a great experience from beginning to end. He returned my initial call within a few minutes, came the next day for an estimate and started the work two days later. His crew was very friendly and showed up early each day until the work was done, they even came on a Saturday. Overall, the quality of their work was excellent and their prices were very reasonable.
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| Lawn Care: |
Lawn Care Plus (Roslindale, MA) Tim and his guys do a great job, they always show up on time and are very through with the weekly cuts, spring cleaning, fall clean-ups etc. They also some some light landscaping work and snow shoveling in the winter. Prices are resonable and Tim is very professional.
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| Locksmith: |
Sherman Lock & Safe (Waltham, MA) Prompt and friendly service. Their rates were much more reasonable than several other competitors that I requested quotes for the same work.
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| Painter: |
Mike Gionotti Reasonable rates and friendly, professional service. Also does other small jobs such as shutters, doors, etc.
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| Plumber: |
Steve Weidman Plumbing If you have a small or big project and need quick service, Steve is your guy. He’s reliable, shows up on time and his rates are reasonable.
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Zepco Plumbing (Waltham, MA) If you are doing a major renovation or new construction, give Zepco a call. While their rates are reasonable, what I like best about them is their “business model”. Rather than getting stuck between a bunch of jobs, Jimmy and his crew show up with buckets of parts and will knock out most major jobs in a day or two and then be out of your way.
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| Tree Removal: |
Bill’s Tree Removal (Dedham, MA) Bill does very good work for reasonable rates. I have used him for pruning, take downs and he also has a stump grinder.
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| Tiling: |
John Doyle Tiling Reasonable rates and prompt, friendly service.
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| Window Replacement: |
Prowindows (Waltham, MA) One of the best experiences I have ever had with a contractor. Jeff’s guys showed up at my house on time and replaced 12 windows within a matter of hours and cleaned up after themselves so you that you would never know they were there. They only do windows, so it’s hard to find anyone that can beat their prices, let alone their professionalism.
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Invitations: |
The Golden Pen Lauren can help you will all of your invitation needs, including stationary and thank you notes. Great, friendly service.
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| Event Planning: |
The Day Of If you like to plan your own events, but actually want to enjoy them, Michelle’s company can provide “day of event” support to make sure your party goes off without a hitch.
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| Legal & Financial | |||||||
| Accountant: |
Green & Green Sol specializes in both individual and small business returns. Very responsive to questions and prefers a proactive relationship with clients.
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| Banking: |
Boston Private Bank If you are tired of the big bank shuffle, you should think about moving to Boston Private Bank. Their model is that every client has a direct account representative and their customer service is outstanding. Basically, its like banking was 50 year ago.
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| Insurance - General: |
The Weiner Company Dorean can help you with all your insurance needs, including auto, property, umbrella, life, etc. It's much better to work with an agency who will shop around to get you the best rates. They are also there to assist you with any claims, which is helpful when you are dealing with big insurance companies.
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| Life Insurance: |
Winged Keel Group (WGC) Based in NYC, Winked Keel can take care of your life insurance needs from wherever you live. WGC uses a bidding process with the largest providers to help get the best price for your needs. I got four times the insurance for a little less than double the price of my previous policy.
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| Wills & Trusts: |
Gosselin & Associates No one likes to think about estate planning, but most people wait until it’s too late. The folks at Gosselin & Associates made the process pretty painless and they offer a fixed price package that will meet most people’s needs. I was very impressed with the whole experience.
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| Family Services | |||||
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Apple Picking: |
Honeypot Orchard (Stow, MA) Our day at Honey Pot was a great experience. They don’t charge a cover charge and the apples were plentiful unlike some farms which get over picked in a hurry. There was also a hedge maze which was a lot of fun. They also do birthday parties.
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| Baby Proofing: |
Safe Solutions Tom did a nice job setting up our gates and helping to attach the kid’s furniture to the walls. His prices are very reasonable and he brings all of the supplies with him that you may want. The products are high quality and prices are comparable to what you would find in stores.
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Safe Beginnings Safe Beginnings is a local company that has grown into a national supplier. In addition to providing in-home installation services, they have a great direct to consumer website of high quality baby proofing products for the Do It Yourself crowd. Also, their reps are extremely friendly and helpful when you call and ask questions.
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| Classes: |
Isis Maternity (Brookline, Needham, Arlington, MA) An essential resource for new and expecting parents. Isis offers, groups, classes and products targeted to first time parents.
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| Family Farm: |
Davis Farmland (Sterling, MA) One of the more family friendly establishments that you will find. Animals are color coded for aggressiveness, the food is very reasonable and the activities are great. There is also a great “zero depth”(no standing water) water park and an enormous maze made out of hedges. Definitely worth the trip. About an hour from Boston.
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| Gym (Family): |
Boston Sports Club Boston Sports Club has recently taken over the old Wellbridge Club in Newton which offers tennis, swimming classes as well as a kids center with inexpensive babysitting for children ages six months and up.
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| Photography Studio |
Potrait Simple If you are frustrated with the high pressure sales tactics of many children's photo studios, I suggest you try Portrait Simple, which has several locations. Their picture quality is excellent and their pricing is reasonable and straight forward with many different options including a membership. You can also purchase a disc with all of the negatives. They have two locations in Massachusetts, one in The Natick Mall and the other in The Atrium.
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| Real Estate Services | |||||
| Home Inspection: |
Tiger Home Inspection The folks at Tiger are very responsive and stand by their work. They also provide their report at the completion of the home inspection so that you are not waiting weeks in limbo while your P&S date approaches.
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| Mortgage Broker: |
Dynamic Capital Mortgage (Brookline, MA) When shopping for a mortgage, use a broker rather than going to a single bank. The broker’s job is to find you the best deal across a large pool of lenders. DCM has great rates, including many no closing cost options. I have closed over 5 refinancings with Allison.
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| Real Estate Attorney: |
Barr & Cole (Newton, MA) Excellent service with very reasonable rates. I have been doing business with them for five years.
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| Real Estate Broker: |
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Experience with Brookline, Newton and JP markets, Jill works with many first-time buyers.
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