New England Soup Factory: Menu, Locations & Hours (2026)

New England Soup Factory has been ladling out scratch-made chowders, bisques, and chili in the Boston area since 1995, and it’s built a loyal following that goes well beyond the neighborhood. If you’re trying to find a location, figure out the hours, or just want to know what to order before you go, here’s a rundown of the menu, both locations, and what regulars keep coming back for.

What Is New England Soup Factory?

 

New England Soup Factory started small. Husband and wife team Marjorie Druker and Paul Brophy opened the original shop in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1995, then moved to their current Newton location on Needham Street in 1998. Both Druker and Brophy are graduates of Johnson & Wales University, and their stated goal from day one was straightforward: comfort food that’s actually good for you, made from scratch rather than pulled from a can or a bag.

That approach has paid off. The shop has picked up Best of Boston honors four times, and Chef Marjorie, known locally as “The Soup Lady,” has been featured in Restaurant and Institutions magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News, and Newsweek. She’s also co-author of a soup cookbook that pulls together many of the shop’s most requested recipes.

A few years back, the owners expanded next door with The Modern Rotisserie, a companion counter that roasts Certified Humane, antibiotics-free chicken from Murray’s Chickens in a custom rotisserie built in France. The two operations share a building and a parking lot in Newton, though they run as separate ordering windows.

New England Soup Factory Locations: Newton and Salem

There are two spots carrying the name, and they’re run a little differently, so it’s worth knowing which one you’re heading to.

Newton, MA is the flagship, located at 244 Needham Street in the Home Design Plaza shopping center, right next to a Starbucks. This is the original location and the only one paired with The Modern Rotisserie. It’s takeout only, with a handful of seasonal outdoor tables, plenty of parking, and two handicap spots directly out front.

Salem, MA sits at 140 Washington Street, near Salem City Hall in the downtown historic district. This location is run as a franchisee, uses its own website and ordering platform, and doesn’t carry The Modern Rotisserie menu. Gift cards purchased through the Newton site’s online store aren’t valid in Salem, so it’s worth buying locally if that’s where you’re headed.

Both locations lean into the same scratch-made soup tradition, but menus, hours, and online ordering are handled separately for each.

New England Soup Factory Menu: What’s on Offer

The New England Soup Factory menu rotates daily, with a handful of house staples running alongside six or so new soups introduced every week, so the lineup rarely looks the same twice.

Chowders and bisques. This is where the shop earns its name. The signature New England Clam Chowder shows up constantly in reviews, along with a Clam and Corn Chowder that blends Yankee-style corn chowder with the classic clam version, plus a Lobster Bisque built on lobster stock, lobster meat, tomatoes, jasmine rice, and sherry.

Hearty year-round soups. Chicken Vegetable with egg noodles is a longtime favorite, especially with the younger crowd, alongside Chili Con Carne (ground beef, red beans, and sweet peppers in a spicy tomato-cumin sauce) and a Chicken Pot Pie soup served under puff pastry.

Cold soups, seasonal. Between June and September, the menu adds chilled options like cucumber avocado, blueberry burgundy, and a spicy gazpacho, which tend to disappear as soon as the weather turns.

Sandwiches, salads, and rollups. Pre-made sandwiches include a chunky chicken salad, an albacore tuna with red pepper relish, and an Italian-style rollup with Genoa salami, ham, and shaved parmesan. Salads rotate alongside the soup menu and are all gluten free.

The Modern Rotisserie (Newton only). The signature item is the Apple Brined Rotisserie Chicken, sold whole, by the piece, or as a plate with two homemade sides such as mashed potatoes, roasted butternut squash, or mac and cheese.

Freezer case and catering. Both locations sell frozen quarts of soup and broth to take home, and the Newton shop handles catering for offices, graduations, and other events, with soups made in batches no smaller than 40 gallons.

Because the daily specials change so often, checking the online ordering menu the morning of your visit is the most reliable way to see exactly what’s available.

What to Order at New England Soup Factory

For a first visit, a few dishes come up again and again in customer reviews:

• New England Clam Chowder. It’s the dish the shop is named for, and it’s the one longtime customers point newcomers toward first.
• Lobster Bisque. A richer, more special-occasion option that regularly gets called out as a standout.
• Chili Con Carne. A reliable pick if you want something with more spice and less cream than the chowders.
• Apple Brined Rotisserie Chicken. Available only at the Newton location, and worth the trip if you’re craving something beyond soup.
• A seasonal cold soup in summer. If you’re visiting between June and September, the rotating chilled soups are a good way to try something you won’t see the rest of the year.

Hours, Ordering, and Delivery

The Newton location is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and closed Saturday and Sunday. Online ordering cuts off at 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, and the shop doesn’t take orders over the phone or accept next-day advance orders. The earliest you can place a same-day order is noon.

The Salem location keeps slightly longer weekend hours, open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., though it’s closed on Sunday.

For delivery, the Newton shop works with DoorDash within roughly a nine-mile radius, with a cutoff of 6:45 p.m. on weekdays. If the restaurant doesn’t show up when you search for it in the DoorDash app, it usually means you’re outside that radius or the kitchen has paused online orders for the day. Both locations also offer straightforward in-store or online pickup, with Newton orders picked up at a dedicated takeout window to the left of the front entrance.

Quick answer: Is New England Soup Factory open on weekends?

No, not in Newton. The Newton location is closed Saturday and Sunday. The Salem location is the exception, staying open Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., but it’s also closed on Sunday.

Is New England Soup Factory Worth a Visit?

Yes, especially if you’re near Newton or Salem and want soup that’s actually made from scratch rather than reheated from a bag. Reviewers consistently point to the rotating menu, the quality of the chowders, and the friendliness of the staff as reasons they keep coming back, and the Best of Boston wins back that up over a long track record rather than a single good year. It’s not a sit-down restaurant experience since both locations are takeout only, but for a quick, warming lunch or a stocked freezer of homemade soup, it’s a dependable pick.

Where is New England Soup Factory located?

There are two locations. The original is at 244 Needham Street in Newton, Massachusetts, next to The Modern Rotisserie. The second is a franchise location at 140 Washington Street in Salem, Massachusetts, near City Hall.

Does New England Soup Factory have vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes. The Newton location typically features one or two vegetarian soups each day, along with a vegan Garden Patch Salad and a vegan Marinated Raspberry Beet Salad available daily. Gluten-free soups are marked with a GF symbol on the menu and have included dishes like Clam and Corn Chowder and Chili Con Carne, though the shop doesn’t offer gluten-free bread as a substitute for its complimentary rolls.

Does New England Soup Factory deliver?

The Newton location delivers through DoorDash within about nine miles of the restaurant, with delivery orders accepted until 6:45 p.m. on weekdays. It doesn’t currently partner with other delivery apps, and phone orders aren’t accepted at either location.

Is New England Soup Factory a franchise?

Partially. The Newton flagship is owned and operated directly by Marjorie Druker and Paul Brophy, while the Salem location operates as a franchisee with its own website and takeout platform. According to the FAQ on the Newton site, the company isn’t currently pursuing further franchising opportunities.

How long has New England Soup Factory been open?

Since 1995. It opened as a small shop in Brookline, Massachusetts, before relocating to its current Newton address in 1998, which makes it a fixture in the local food scene rather than a newer arrival.

Final Thoughts

New England Soup Factory has kept the same basic formula since 1995: rotate the soups often, make everything from scratch, and let a genuinely good clam chowder do a lot of the talking. Whether you’re stopping by the Newton flagship for a rotisserie chicken dinner or grabbing a quart of chili from the Salem shop on your way through downtown, it’s worth checking the daily menu before you go since the lineup rarely repeats week to week