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Amsterdam Café
Categories: Restaurants Greek Restaurants Mediterranean Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
483 E Broadway(between Dorchester St & F St)
South Boston, MA 02127
Neighborhood: South Boston
(617) 464-6488
- Nearest Transit:
-
Dorchester St @ E Broadway (10, 5)
W Broadway @ Dorchester St (9)
Dorchester St @ Broadway (10, 5)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
74 reviews for Amsterdam Café
Review Highlights
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"Amsterdam has the best frozen yogurt." In 18 reviews -
"...had the spicy buffalo chicken roll-up and it was fantastic." In 5 reviews -
"Definitely one of my favorite lunch places in Southie." In 11 reviews
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74 reviews in English
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Review from Sam R.
Boston, MA
2/17/2012
Amsterdam's has become one of my favorite Southie Takeout joints. I am addicted to their spicy buffalo chicken roll up and frozen yogurt. Every time I go I try out a different combination of fixings in the fro-yo. By far best combo to date: Junior Mints & Oreo blended with vanilla fro yo.
Not expensive and a lot to choose from. Would definitely recommend this place!
Side Note: Amsterdam Cafe in the South End is a different owner, and does not compare to the Southie location in its quality of food or service. -
Review from Maureen D.
Boston, MA
Updated - 5/13/2012
Over the years, Amsterdam has update the appearance of the restaurant, but has declined in customer service, and has not made any updates to the menu. Now, when you call ahead, it takes 25 minutes to make your sandwich, with generally curt and not very pleasant customer service.
What Amsterdam still has going for it is a very large selection of sandwiches and salads, including great vegetarian options. After over 50 sandwiches, they have never gotten my order wrong (I guess when you take 25 minutes to make a sandwich, you can double-check). They have 'made to order' fro-yo, in that you select your flavor (eg: oreo and pineapple or whatever), and using a mammoth screw-like blender device, they infuse these flavors into a container of vanilla or chocolate yogurt. This is the standard Southie approach to fro-yo.
Overall items are standardly priced; generally under $10 for salad or sandwich and a few bucks for the fro-yo.
SUMMARY: Be prepared to wait 25 minutes, and know when you're treated rudely, it's not you, it's them.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/15/2011
A Southie standard for sandwiches, with a selection that ranges from your average fare to some… Read more »
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Review from Cat S.
Boston, MA
1/30/2012
**review for frozen yogurt only**
I got a sandwich here once and was underwhelmed. Perhaps I will order lunch again sometime and reevaluate...however my review still gets 4 stars due to Amsterdam's other offering:
FROYO. O. M. G. We order frozen yogurt from here a solid 2-3 times a week. With the $8 minimum delivery charge, that means two containers per time. I have been having the best time coming up with flavor combinations and my addiction is getting pretty bad. Grubhub makes it too easy - no human contact necessary and within the hour two containers of fro yo are delivered to the door for approx $11-$12 with tip.
Recommended:
Oreo Peanut Butter
Pumpkin (yum!)
Strawberry Cracklin Oat Bran
Plain Strawberry
Snickers
Brownie Cookie Dough
Next up on my list to try is pineapple... :) -
Review from Paul H.
Boston, MA
4/19/2012
The food here is great and the portions are huge for the prices. The menu is so diverse you'll always be able to find something for the picky people in your group. The downside to this place is that even a simple sandwich takes forever (45 minutes for pick up on an hour for delivery when we ordered around 2pm on a Sunday) and the woman at the counter is often really weird/negative. She was complaining to us about customers taking up too much of her time... ooookayyyyy?
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Review from John L.
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I found a small piece of bone in my wrap.
Otherwise, the food is okay, but not really remarkable. My wrap, sans bone, had the standard over-tough and dry chicken that you can find at nearly every wrap/cafe place in Boston. I did get my order relatively quickly, and it was cheap, so that makes up for some of my complaints. So ok, but not great. -
Review from Hanadi H.
Boston, MA
12/30/2011
Amsterdam cafe is a delight. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. I am a vegetarian so it's hard to find places that make something other than a veggie roll up and this place is it! Their eggplant parm wrap is one of the best I've ever had. It's hearty and filling (very big) and the eggplant is not deep fried like most pizza places do it. It seems to be baked which makes such a difference. Also, their falafel-hummus wrap is so good. It's fresh and filling. It's wraps like this that make me not miss meat (which I often do!).
Also of note, their fries are fantastic. They are the type that has the crispy coating on it. I'm sure that means they are frozen, not fresh. But who cares!? -
Review from Samantha H.
Lakewood, OH
8/24/2011
I have gone here every time I have been to Boston. My favorite is to get the Cracklin Oat Bran and Peanut Butter mixed together as ice cream. May sound weird but I have made converts out of all who have tried mine.
And I loved their sandwiches and the ambiance with the big comfy couches and chairs you feel like you are on Friends. -
Review from Alex I.
Boston, MA
10/19/2011
Based on the reviews I was interested to try the place. Ordering by phone was a bit of a chore and was a little surprised and embarrassed when only saw 1 meal was delivered.
With that said - the lamb meat was good but it came not as the wrap I'm sure I ordered. Fries were alright despite being a little cool when it arrived. -
Review from Yasmin N.
Dorchester, Boston, MA
10/11/2011
As far as the quality of their delivery goes, GREAT!!!
I live in Dorchester next to the UMass Boston campus, so the nearest restaurant is actually 2 miles away. So when I want to get restaurant food, I usually just order from grub hub. When I found them (on grubhub) I couldn't believe their menu! It has soooo much more to offer than any other pizza/sandwich joint that I have found so far. Plus, the prices are very reasonable.
If you're going to get delivery in South Boston/Dorchester, order from Amsterdam Cafe. You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Jules M.
Wakefield, MA
6/8/2011 1 photo
This place really makes me miss working in the South End. Now I really have to go out of my way to get here but honestly it is worth it. I have tried several sandwiches here but I always go back to The Rembrandt. Pastrami, Corned Beef, Swiss, Cole Slaw, and Russian Dressing. It can get pretty messy but I don't care. This is one of my most favorite sandwiches ever.
I have never had a problem with customer service whether I am eating there or when I used to get delivery. They've always been friendly. -
Review from Alyssa T.
Boston, MA
3/6/2011
I've gone to this place a couple times now, and I've always had a good sandwich here. The vegetables are always fresh, and the chicken salad is really good. I would definitely recommend getting a sandwich over pasta here, as the pasta was a little dry.
The service is a little slow, to I recommend calling ahead and going to pick up your food if you live close enough. When Ive gone there to order I've waiting 15 minutes for an order, when there was no one else there. -
Review from Sarah D.
Somerville, MA
2/24/2011
The girl who works behind the counter here is one of the most rude, nasty people I've ever encountered in the service industry.
She is awful. Not even necessary to explain which person I'm referring to b/c it's so blatently obvious. I've been in here probably 5 times over the last year and this most recent was the last straw.
I walked in and said "hi, I just placed an order for takeout for Sarah" with a smile. She looks right at me, literally looks me up and down and goes "YA I KNOW. *I'M* The one you TALKED to."
ummm. ok?
interaction continued in this manner, with me being nice and smiley and her comments being short, rude, attitude-soaked and accompanied by dirty looks. Awesome.
Food is sooooo good.
But not worth it. If I'm going to spend $8 on a sandwhich is going to be from someone who can at least muster up a smile. There's enough sandwich shops in Southie. -
Review from Connor T.
Boston, MA
1/21/2012
Ordered a prosciutto and provolone panini and I got one piece of ham (not prosciutto) and half a piece of American cheese between three, yes three, pieces of bread.
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Review from Joan M.
Jamaica Plain, MA
12/5/2011
Food is great, no fail, every single time. The other thing that's consistent every single time is how crappy the service behind the counter is. Get Delivery!
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Review from Meridith H.
Boston, MA
2/6/2011
On a late Sunday morning, when seemingly every joint in the city and near suburbs was bursting with brunchers and I was on a strict timeline, this cafe was blissfully empty. Looked like more of a take-out place than a dine-in place, but we happily sat on the couches and ate our bagels & sandwiches.
The food:
Good! Soft bagels, freshly cooked egg & sausage, yummy melted cheese.
Service:
Quick. Friendly once you make a friendly overture. Otherwise indifferent. -
Review from Michael J.
Suffolk, MA
5/3/2011
I have been coming to Amsterdam Cafe since they opened, and I must tell you that is indeed one of the hidden gems of the area. As a small family run business, you will always find one of the owners present. The food is always fresh and made to order. So if you are in a hurry, then call ahead and place your order. Otherwise, just expect to wait a little. The wait is to be expected for fresh food.
I normally get the Bagel sandwich ,with ham, egg, and cheese. Always fresh, and not any more than the pre packaged,frozen ones available across the street from Dunkins.
The only issue I have with them is with the sandwiches. The portions are too big...seriously. -
Review from Robyn R.
Boston, MA
9/20/2011
I want to like this place, especially because they offer something different than the standard southie fare - but it's just not that good. Not terrible, but not what I expect for greek/med food - more just mediocre veggies and bland hummus on pitas - wish I could say different. They do have frozen yogurt w/ tons of toppings, always a great treat - but again, not consistent depending on when you get it. Good and fast delivery.
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Review from Lauren V.
5/28/2008
I'll be honest, when I saw their unnaturally yellow chicken rice soup I was a wee bit scared. But then my boyfriend said it was Lemon Chicken Rice soup and I felt a lot better. The soup has a ton of rice in it which is great since I am not big on broth (hello boring!) and the chicken pieces are tasty. I liked that the lemon is subtle. More like a nuance of lemon. Delicious.
Yes, I realize that this review is based solely on a $3.50 cup of soup but it was good.
Plus one star for being the only food I could keep in my stomach yesterday. -
Review from Debra L.
3/20/2008
I'm willing to bet I ordered wrong given all the rave reviews. But, I had the most God-awful Greek salad with grilled chicken from here last night. It had no business being called a Greek salad actually.
- Old pale iceberg lettuce in big inedible chunks
- Chopped up black olives. Not Greek olives. I mean the kind of chopped up black olives they put on pizza
- flavorless feta
- Nasty Ranch dressing (instead of the Greek I ordered)
- Microwaved chicken breast. I knew it was microwaved because it had that tell-tale sign when some pieces are hard and overcooked while others are rubbery and chewy. Oh, and it was beige. Not a grill-mark on it.
- No pepperoncini (sp?)
- The few grape tomatoes, shredded carrots and cucumber slices were the only good thing about it.
Damn, I'm still mad thinking about it.
The man gave his beef kabob dinner a C which I guess, if he wrote a yelp review, would have meant 3 stars.
The fact that they deliver is their only saving grace, I guess. But I would have been happier with a can of soup from my kitchen cabinet.Listed in: Making the most of South…
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Review from Aretha B.
Aquinnah, MA
11/28/2007
God, I almost don't want to review this place because all I had was the spaghetti with meatballs, and it seems more like a salad/sandwich/fro yo kinda place.
The pasta with meatballs was just ok. The sauce was a bit sweet. The garlic bread that came with it was very garlicky, which I liked... but it wasn't super toasty. I want to give 5 stars for service, the gentleman on the phone was VERY courteous and attentive. 3 stars though for this particular food sensation. I'll have to try a sandwich some time and then add the necessary info to this review. -
Review from Stacey P.
Brighton, MA
1/30/2012
Only thing worth eating here is the frozen yogurt. We've tried this place three times and were dissatisfied with everything else - yuck!
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Review from Ben B.
Boston, MA
6/25/2008
I only get one thing -either at the Amsterdam in South Boston or the one in the South End: The Windmill. Go there, and order it, but not much else because the sandwich is you-ge.
The frozen yogurt also makes me happy. -
Review from Erica S.
Media, PA
8/13/2008
This is more of a 3.5 star review, with the vegan frozen yogurt really helping me up it to a 4.
So we'll start with the vegan frozen yogurt then! It's advertised as "tofu" but I really don't think it is. Tastes more like rice milk based. Either way, it's not outrageously amazing plain, but add some toppings in there (like Oreos-- yes, disturbingly Oreos are vegan and make GREAT froyo toppings!) or some nuts, and you've got yourself a very happy belly. You can also get regular frozen yogurt in either chocolate or vanilla flavor, and choose to blend in any other ingredient from a long list of toppings. There is only one size which is HUGE, and costs only about $4 when it's all said and done. One is more than enough for 2 people to leave fat and happy.
Besides the froyo, there is a nice selection of sandwiches, salads, paninis, and pasta dishes. The menu sounded amazing, but my eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, basil sandwich had literally 2 small leaves of basil (ie, not enough to barely even taste it), and dry bread, leaving me yearning for more flavor.
The sterile decor is spiced up by a couple big, loungey couches by the window, and several comfy chairs to chill in. If I lived closer, I could see making this a regular spot for reading the paper while drinking coffee or indulging in a slice of somethin chocolatey... -
Review from Eesabella M.
Boston, MA
9/29/2011
Was a cute little place I dropped in with my family while on a walk. The waitress was very sweet and she made a delicious smoothie for a decent price. Yum!
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Review from Nicole V.
4/14/2010
Oh customer service... how sad it is when you weigh so heavily on my reviews...
Amsterdam Cafe is another one of those places that I really WANT to love. I've only been here once, and since then I've walked by to go to Arpeggio. My sandwich was okay, but certainly nothing to write home about. The boy loved his, but has now had two horrendous experiences there that have led to his outright dislike (both times waited over 10mins in an empty cafe for someone to even acknowledge his presence)
Amsterdam's saving grace is their frozen yogurt. Carrot cake frozen yogurt? Yes, yes, one thousands times- yes (please). They take blocks of frozen yogurt, put it in a machine with whichever toppings you so desire, and out spews heaven.
If you're feeling particularly patient I can recommend that 100 times over. Otherwise, I've always had better luck at Arpeggio. -
Review from Peter N.
Boston, MA
9/11/2007
I do like Amsterdam Cafe. I'll stop by occasionally to get some of their frozen yogurt (worth going for just that alone) and one of their wrap-ups.
It amuses me that they insist that I'm pronouncing 'Gryo' wrong. (they say Jeer-ro) But the food is good and keeps my tum happy.Listed in: Top Restaurants, My Neighborhood
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Review from Caitlin M.
Boston, MA
6/16/2008
Amsterdam Cafe does some of the best sandwiches in Southie! I love their chicken salad on foccacia. (It's huge and I can usually only handle one half at a time). And they are very reasonably priced. The sandwiches even have cute little Dutch names like the "Windmill" or the "Red Light Special." They also do yummy smoothies. You can basically get any combination of the many flavors on the board. I usually stick to something basic like strawberry-banana.
One point off because of this recent conversation I had in AmCafe:
Me: "So are the owners Dutch?"
Girl who works there: Blank stare. "I don't know. Why?"
Me: "Because this place is called Amsterdam Cafe."
I don't think she got it. Anyway...the owners are not Dutch btw.
Also...they have free Wi-fi and delivery from here is super fast. -
Review from Kelly C.
6/29/2009
I can't wait to go back. I had the prosciutto, basil, tomato, and mozzerella sandwich and a soft serve, and they were YUM! I love that they actually use real ingredients to flavor the fro-yo instead of flavoring drops. I even had half of my sandwich for lunch the next day....
All the options looked awesome!Listed in: Southie
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Review from Joshua B.
Roxbury, MA
1/9/2007
Open just late enough to cure your craving.
So often these small family owned places are not that great--but THIS ONE IS GREAT. Amsterdam Cafe has a huge selection of tasty sandwiches and a smaller but well edited select of deserts. Their soup menu is limited and for the most part lousy. Their corn chowder is the only one I tend to order repeatedly.
If you can't find something on their regular menu they have a list of specialty sandwiches, my suggestion is the Van Gogh on focaccia with an extra side of dressing. This massive hunk of sandwich can be purchased as a half sandwich (good for beginners) and consists of smoked turkey, smoked ham, thousand island dressing, cole slaw, and cheese. From their regular menu I am a fan of the chicken salad sandwich on muligrain-I am often only able to stomach half of this three decker bite and wrap the rest up for another meal.
They have this big machine that makes the most delicious frozen yogurt and frozen soy. Pick your flavor from a huge bord and this big corkscrew grinds the candy into the yogurt. Don't bother with some of the candy bars or the chocolate chips they always come out lacking flavor and the pieces just get in the way of enjoyment.
My top flavors are
M&M Malt
Peanut Butter and Marshmallow
Cracklin' Oat Bran-believe it or not!
And in the Soy yogurt the Peppermint is such a treat!
The people that work there are nice. We often hope the guys will be working (but not just because they are cute) because they can multitask. There is one girl who works there who manages to create a backup of upwards of 7 people-I often see folks just walk out. Not only is this one girl super incompetent she is also rude. The other woman there is a little better (and getting better) at taking orders and making the food. I do wish this particular women could find a shirt that fit her and didn't expose so much skin, it weirds me out that she is handling food with 12 inches of her body hanging out.
My picky attitude and odd observances shouldn't take away from this place. They do deliver and the food is well conceived and executed (Especially for the price). -
Review from Ryan D.
Boston, MA
5/7/2008
I work right down the street from this place so I am a frequent customer. Make sure not to order a sandwich on a french roll or it will be tiny. If you get it on any of the other breads, the sandwiches are HUGE.
Some recommendations:
The Windmill (Chicken Salad Club)
The Red Light District (Pastrami and other meat with coleslaw)
Meatball Panini
Some things to avoid:
Anything made with grilled chicken
Eggplant wrap -
Review from Abbey K.
South Boston, MA
11/11/2007
Apartment hunting in Southie today, so I stopped in to Amsterdam Cafe for a little lunch and free wifi. The sandwich - a turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing sandwich on foccacia - was huuuge and tasty. They also have Arizona Green Tea in the cooler, so that was a major bonus. I didn't have room for the yogurt, but I will be back to try it when I finally make the move.
... Only missing a star because the music was a little too loud, and I think it was on Kiss 108... in my opinion, not the best fit for a cafe.
Update: my roommates and I get the frozen yogurt delivered to our door... you can't really beat that. My favorite combination is vanilla yogurt with strawberries and chocolate chips. Yum! -
Review from Katia M.
3/15/2006
I love this place. I usually end up getting the same few things every time and it doesn't matter, it's always so good. The Chicken Teriyaki wrap is my favorite, filled with teriyaki marinated chicken, roasted peppers, and rice. It's warm and fabulous and huge, and I eat the whole thing even if I try desperately to save half.
Next up, the frozen yogurt. It's great. They swirl it right up with fresh ingredients and even have a tofu version for those who shun dairy like yours truly. Definitely one of my favorite lunch places in Southie. -
Review from G C.
Allston-Brighton, MA
8/4/2011
I love Amsterdam Cafe. The food is delicious every time I order from them, and you can taste that the ingredients are fresh. I order a vegetarian wrap and it is wonderfully chock-full of nice veggies. No sorry-ass tomatoes here.
I have blown my coworkers' minds when they saw I got frozen yogurt delivered to me at work. Yep, that's right. I can get frozen heaven in a cup, customized with the toppings I want, delivered. What a nice way to make a workday less like...well, a workday.
I usually get delivery, but I have done take-out once and the staff were friendly. The prices are good, especially when you consider the quality of the food you're getting.
I also like that they have many vegetarian options, including tofu frozen yogurt. Seriously, this place is great. -
Review from Lauren B.
Long Island City, NY
5/6/2008
Not the best place for food, but the frozen yogurts are AMAZING.
When I first moved to South Boston I went in on a hot night around 9:20, I guess they were closing at 9:30 because the girl that was making the yogurts was pissed that I was coming in so late. She was complaining a lot, but she turned out to be my favorite worker at the Cafe!
She makes the best combos- Tofu with oreos, heath, and PB... yum -
Review from Julie N.
3/4/2010
This is my go-to place for when we need a serious sandwich fix but won't venture out of the house. I've been ordering the Windmill for years now (it's a really good chicken salad sandwich with bacon on foccacia) and I've tried a few other sandwiches which were also delightful.
Quick delivery, good food, pretty inexpensive.. what more could you want? -
Review from Lily S.
Boston, MA
3/7/2008
I had the turkey & avocado with lettuce, tomato and mayo last night for dinner and it was great.
I like that you can add on to your wrap or sandwich as you go along at just about no cost (as long as you're adding condiments not additional meat). Their fro yo is also yummy and pretty inexpensive as well.
As with places like this I would stick to the lunch time fare and skip the brownies & spaghetti dishes; they just aren't their forte. -
Review from Hagan B.
Manhattan, NY
5/3/2008
This place is for real. Great food here. Two things to order:
Turkey-Mozzarella-Roasted Red Pepper Wrap
Peanut M&M Frozen Yoghurt
Great place to break up with your four-year girlfriend at.
Whoever said this place was good for breakfast . . . I'll have the drugs he's having. -
Review from alison j.
Boston, MA
3/21/2009
Amsterdam has the best frozen yogurt. To make the frozen yogurt (let's say strawberry) they pop in some vanilla frozen yogurt and some frozen strawberries in this machine that mixes them together into frozen yogurt magic. I like the fruit flavors better than the candy/chocolate, but they are all good.
The sandwiches I've had here (the windmill, tuna salad and greek salad) have all been very good and huge. Service has always been friendly and sandwiches usually take just a few minutes. And they deliver. Yum. -
Review from Jeannie S.
Philadelphia, PA
11/20/2009
I was looking for a place I could hang out for about four hours on a Wednesday afternoon beause I flew into Boston and the BF would not get off work until 5pm.
Yelp did the job and I found this little cafe. Definitely not as large or roomy as described in the reviews but fit the bill. Went in and got a large hot chocolate (which lasted about 2 hours) and scored a one seat on a leather mini couch. Free Wifi so I plugged in the laptop and watched some episodes of Lost for four hours.
Wish there was more around to do but the woman working there was incredibly hospitable and friendly. Next time I need to try the food as it looked really delicious. Amsterdam I may be back! -
Review from Sara M.
Boston, MA
3/1/2010
I ordered two sandwiches for delivery @ lunch.
The pros:
- Delivered for free in about 30 mins
- Large sandwiches
- Tasty, fresh ingredients
The con:
- One of the sandwiches was completely wrong! They must have mixed up orders.
The FINAL pro:
- A few mins later they came back w/ the right sandwich - no extra charge. Yay!
