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Athan's Bakery
Categories: Food Bakeries Restaurants Sandwiches Bakeries, Sandwiches
407 Washington St(between Dighton St & Parsons St)
Brighton, MA 02135
(617) 783-0313
- Nearest Transit:
-
Washington St @ Leicester St (193, 501, 503, 57, 57A)
Washington St @ Chestnut Hill Ave (193, 501, 503, 57)
Washington St @ Foster St (193, 501, 503, 57, 57A)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dessert
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
133 reviews for Athan's Bakery
Review Highlights
133 reviews in English
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Review from Susan G.
3/7/2012
Wifi, coffee and pastries? Oh yes...take me there!
The apricot and almond tarte I had was delicious. I loved that they had wifi.
It's a really big space too, my imagination was taking over imagining the kind of events that could happen in that space.Listed in: Bean town adventures.
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Review from Matthew H.
Brookline, MA
5/5/2012
I live right around the corner from Athan's, and have been a regular here for years, but after an incident tonight I will no longer be back. I came in with a friend at a busy time looking for a table for 2, and saw just one available with 2 chairs next to it. As we proceed to sit down, an older man comes over to us and curtly orders us to move to the bar area, saying that this table was only for 3 or more. Not only was I upset with his tone, but I looked around and noticed that there was not a single other unoccupied chair in the room! Even if 3 people had showed up and wanted to sit there, there were no available chairs left. This man was not only rude but also illogical. I approached him and asked for his name, and to my surprise he identified himself as the owner. Is this how an owner should treat a loyal customer of many years?
Read the other reviews (such as the one by Anya D. below) and you will see a disturbing trend here. This owner does not seem to have respect for his employees nor his customers, and it really brings down the environment of the place. After this recent incident, I will no longer be patronizing Athan's. -
Review from Phil C.
1/26/2012
Don't get me wrong, I like Athan's cakes and gelato. Their baklava is great for a party. I gave the Brookline location 4-stars. So why the low grade for this location?
BECAUSE THE SERVICE IN THIS PLACE IS MADDENINGLY INCONSISTENT!
You don't know what you'll get in terms of service. One day, you'll get a kind middle-aged lady that's polite and patience. The next day, you'll get some db hipster that doesn't care, and will overcharge you.
I once went to get a citron cake for a special occasion. The guy was polite and charged me a certain amount, which was fair. The next time I went to get this same cake for another occasion, a haughty jerk in front first says (in an annoying tone), "We charge here by the pound." I received the sticker shock of having my cake more than double the amount I paid for before.
Every time I call this location for pricing for large cakes, they never give me a clear answer. So I usually just get the individual-sized cakes because you know the cost for that.
Otherwise, service here is generally apathetic and inexperienced. This Athans location doesn't know what it wants to be: full-service, part-service, or self-service. The people in front don't know when to serve when someone is seated and it just seems really haphazard. Even being at the front counter to order sometime to go takes too long.
If you can, just go to the Brookline location. Yeah, their service is not perfect and they don't serve meals there, but it's a nicer spot. -
Review from Sindy T.
Brighton, MA
4/9/2012
Had a chocolate cupcake and the cupcake was very hard, dry and for some reason it had a canned after taste?? The frosting was too sweet and thick, not terrible but i wouldn't have it again. I think that this place is over priced and you would expect to get what you pay for right? They do have some some interesting Gelatos I guess.
P.S. credit/debit card minimum is 8$ That says a lot for it self right.... -
Review from Arsen A.
Watertown, MA
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cakes and Pastries are unbelievable. As of recently, I stopped buying cakes anywhere. I just go to Athan's pick up a a bunch of pastries and present it as a gift. Always had compliments on this. 5+ on quality
As for the service and dining area. Could it be better? I suppose, yes. I am not picky though and don't go there for a fine dining experience.
For a cup of coffee with pastry and occasional breakfast, it is excellent. -
Review from Jessica R.
Manchester, NH
4/3/2012
This place has to be one of the best places to go sip coffee, eat yummy pastries, and work on your essay for class. It has a great ambiance and the location on Washington st is super cute! Def a good place to meet a friend (or date!) for coffee.
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Review from John M.
Boston, MA
3/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Athans is by far my favorte pastry shop. I never have a bad experience here. The vanilla and chocolate mousse cube (deux noir?) is perfectly sweet with two types of mousse and topped in chocolate ganache. Wonderful. The baklava is fantastic as well, nutty, flaky, and honey dtenched, the way it should be.
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Review from Rob V.
Marlborough, MA
4/22/2012
I was in a couple of weeks ago meeting a client. I arrived early to connect / set up and was having a hard time connecting to the wireless (though other people were on it). I was told by the employee (who didn't have a friendly disposition from the get go at all) that I can get a better connection if I sat towards the back of the place (huh?!), so I gladly moved. My client came in, purchased a tea, and we sat for about an hour and talked. After she left, I had about 10 minutes of work to wrap up. The same (unfrlendly) associate came back and asked if I wanted lunch and I politely said 'no thanks, i'll be leaving shortly" of which she didn't seem to like that answer, and then walked away. Shortly after, my laptop battery alert when on so I needed to move tables to plug in to an outlet. I left a few items on the original table I was sitting at, and moved up a couple of tables to plug in for the final five (5) minutes of work. There are A LOT of tables in the place, so moving to me was an issue. In fact there were only about 3 other people in there at the time and this place could seat a lot of customers. Then, another customer came in to eat and the woman behind the counter told him to take a seat. She came out from behind the counter, went right up to the table where my stuff was on (the table I had vacated) and moved all my stuff quickly to another table so he could sit down. Wait, out of the 20+ other tables in the place, why this one?! Her customer seemed embarrassed that this even happened, as he to realized how rude (and odd) it was. He apologized to me and I said don't worry about it, and gathered my stuff and left. Was this necessary? Absolutely not, she could of put him elsewhere but my guess is she was ready for me to leave. Honestly, after reading all the reviews on here about inconsistent service, that did it for me. Get friendly people who make you feel welcome! I would have gladly returned back to bring them more business, but after that cold welcome....
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Review from Runar B.
Boston, MA
8/8/2011
First off, the baked goods at Athan's are amazing. Life-changing, even. You must go to Athan's and eat all the things.
But, this particular Athan's is... odd. It's not really sure if it wants to be a restaurant or a bakery. When you come in, there are a few tables in the front in which you can apparently seat yourself if you want to just grab a coffee and a pastry. There's also free Wi-Fi, so you can bring your laptop.
But if you walk too far, you may accidentally seat yourself in the restaurant section, and a somebody will come over and reprimand you for seating yourself. She won't ask you to move, because this place is never full, but you'll be sure to know for next time that the seats at the back are for dining in only. This is a little off-putting and seems totally arbitrary.
So does their $8 minimum credit card charge. I ordered a cappuccino, which was atrocious. I'm sorry, but it was. It had too little espresso, and too much milk which was far too hot. I told them, and asked if I could have some iced espresso, into which I was going to pour some of my milky hotness. I didn't have cash, and the espresso was less than $8. They made much more of a fuss about this than they had to. Oh, and after all that, the coffee was still awful.
So, Athan's, your staff needs fewer arbitrary rules to follow and more training in customer service and, you know, in how to make coffee properly. -
Review from Jillian Q.
East Watertown, MA
4/13/2011
I think that Athan's is a fantastic bakery, but I was completely put off by my experience here in Brighton. I came in for take-out service on a very slow Saturday afternoon. It looked like the back was the seating area (wait staff was dressed in all black) and the front counter was for take-out.
I can't believe I'm actually writing this, because I'm usually not a stickler for this type of thing, but the girl taking my order was dressed completely inappropriately. I think of Athan's as a more upscale bakery and sweatpants and a teeny shirt are not appropriate and slightly confusing when compared with how nicely the waiters are dressed for table service. Maybe there is no dress code, oh well.
The second thing that bothered me was, when I asked what filling a specific cookie had (could have been peanut butter or mocha, I had no idea), the girl said she "didn't know" because she "hadn't tried everything". I said "ok" and waited for her to ask someone but....nothing. She just stared at me. A piece of advice, if you don't know what you are selling in the display case you are standing RIGHT beside, ASK.
My ice mocha latte was good and I did get a random, unknown cookie (also good). I'll stick to the one in Brookline. -
Review from Julie N.
Brighton, MA
6/1/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Athan's scones will make you giggle with delight. Their desserts are little chunks of heaven fallen from the sky and swooshed into a pastry case. I won't even start with the baklava. Sticky delight.
Stick to what you're good at Athan's.
We've been here several times for breakfast and it's just so...mediocre. Some menu items are downright nasty. The Eggs al greco is good. Vanilla pancakes with sour cherry butter is good. The Eggs Florentine is absolutely horrible. Canned spinach? Really? I mean I can see using frozen in the wintertime when spinach is out of season but come on. Canned spinach? And the hollandaise was all separated and weird looking. The kitchen is always painfully slow even if we're the only table in the place. There used to be a waiter there that we liked a lot but we haven't seen him in a while. The server we had this last time seemed annoyed with me, which is fair since I was being annoying.
Athan's is a lovely bakery but not so great as restaurants go.Listed in: Breakfast!
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Review from Eva F.
Detroit, MI
3/14/2011
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place. I have friends who love it, and it's a true test of friendship to even accompany them here.
Coffee and pastries are good here. I won't deny that.
But the service ranges from apathetic to passive-aggressive to extremely rude and embarrassing. I swear they make up a new "credit card minimum" every time I go in. Maybe it's $5, maybe it's $8, maybe it's $15--oh, I know, it's a dollar more than whatever your whole group's order comes to.
The worst was when, in front of some VIP clients (hey, it wasn't my idea to bring clients here!), we had to wait while the whole back half of the restaurant was empty, then finally we pushed some tables together to seat our group of 6 together--and the manager stopped wrapping silverware and screamed, "HEY HEY STOP IT STOP IT!" and then, in his best accented Jerry Seinfeld, goes "Who pushes TABLES TOGETHER?!" Uh, restaurants do it all the time, brah. And then, the weirdest part, he refused to give us any of the silverware he had wrapped up. We had to go beg plasticware from the girl behind the register.
I wanted to leave, but the clients were settling in, so we stayed. The manager passed me about 15 minutes later and made a half-arsed apology, quietly, to only me. "Sorry, it's been a really busy day." Um, yeah, that's sort of the best case scenario in the restaurant business, chief. SMH, as the kids say. -
Review from Chris M.
Jamaica Plain, MA
6/13/2011
Very nice place. It's never very loud, always pleasant to relax and focus on your work, a date, a friend, or whatever. The owner is a really charming guy and you'll see him sitting out in one of the tables occasionally.
I love how authentic it seems, serving beer & wine, quality breakfasts and paninis, and pastries.
I also bought a decently priced jar of Greek-made rosemary infused olive oil from them, which has proved absolutely delicious in my own cooking. -
Review from Amy M.
Boston, MA
7/9/2011
I ordered the gelato, hoping that it would taste better than the display looked. I realize it was the end of a busy summer day, but they looked like they had re-frozen and mixed with other flavors. Too bad the strawberry was bland and unsatisfying.
The waitress herself was rude. She was unhelpful, and right after she took our order she sat in the corner to keep talking to a friend (not a staff member). We didn't know what to do with our dishes, but when we finally found her in a corner, she said "I don't care." -
Review from Zachary H.
Brighton, MA
1/30/2011
FYI, this review covers dining in, in their restaurant area. I do not discuss the purchase of baked goods.
6 people working, with 4 total tables in the place. After being seated, nobody comes to take an order (or even to bring waters). All the visible staff are socializing behind the counter, and carefully avoiding anything like eye contact. One girl is filling ketchup bottles. After ten minutes, the only thing the staff has done is talk to each other and filled some ketchup bottles.
This place should go out of business so a real restaurant can open in the location. -
Review from Cyn C.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 2/5/2011
I come here regularly on most Saturdays for brunch with friends. We are always waited on very quickly, and the waiter (Alex) remembers what we usually order. That always makes me feel warm and cozy.
All of the waitstaff are super friendly and helpful. We came here for dinner for my birthday last year, and they let us stay past closing time while they were finishing up. They have a small, but very nice wine selection (which was a surprise!)
Most often for brunch I have either an omelette or a breakfast panini. Both are delish (I get brie, spinach, and roasted tomatoes OR bacon in the omelette... breakfast panini is a fried egg with bacon and cheese).
My ONLY small complaint. Please look at getting some other kinds of bread? The bread is too hard and chewy for a good eggs benedict!!!
Big points: you can grab dessert on the way out. Or just a small cookie. PLUS, it's so so so very reasonably priced!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2007
We went late Friday night, and I was glad this place was still open. (Late.. I'm old, so late was… Read more »
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Review from Casey W.
Brighton, MA
10/14/2010
I wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
The cafe is half full, but I am waiting.
45 minutes, still my single order of French toast is not here. I have so much time, I can draft this review on my iPhone while I wait.
They forgot my order.
They apologize and bring it out. But that's it. I waited for almost an hour. I should have left. The french toast wasn't even all that good - it wasn't soaked through with the egg and milk, it was a surface egg coating.
Bottom line, though the interior was very cool, I'll be sticking to Cafe Nation. -
Review from Erik O.
Boston, MA
Just realized they have more than just cookies and baked goods.
i'm def checking out their bfast soon.
They have a surprising amount of seating in back, complete with wait staff.
Its nice not to have to trek all the way to the north end to get this type of stuff. -
Review from Meghan M.
Brighton, MA
10/13/2010
I would love to comment on the food at Athan's but after waiting for 20 minutes and was not even offered water (while everyone around us was waited on and some even received food...people that sat down after us!) we left.
To add insult to our injury, on our way out we passed our waiter (surprising we could even recognize him considering how little we actually saw of him) and my boyfriend told him to have a nice day...nothing, not a word in return.
Luckily for us Athan's is right next door to Jims Deli and in the time we sat waiting at Athan's, Jim's welcomed us, took our order and we received our food. If you want a delicious breakfast AND a nice atmosphere...forgo Athan's and head on over to Jim's. -
Review from Scott M.
8/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I thought the baklava I ordered was very good. It has a nice balance of honey and nuts. It was freshly made and well presented. The only downside is the portion which I felt was a little on the small side. There is a nice little seating area to enjoy your dessert. I'd give the baklava and the location four stars.
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Review from Bruno E.
Brooklyn, NY
2/21/2012
Very nice food, good prices too! Only issue is the owner expelled us from our table saying he had to have big tables available for bigger parties... Detail: we were three in a four persons table. Plus, no new customers got in the entire time we were eating... Curious, right?
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Review from Rich S.
Brighton, MA
2/13/2011
After moving to Brighton center recently, Athan's has become my go to spot for breakfast.
I have come here every sunday for the past 4 months and always have a super positive experience. It has gotten to the point where our server, Alex, has all our specialty coffee drinks on the table before we even sit down. He can also take our food order for six people without even having to ask what we want.
I've eaten pretty much had everything on the menu and am always extremely satisfied with my food.
WIth super cheap prices and an extremely attentive and friendly staff, Athan's is the tops for me. Highly recommended. -
Review from Sasha R.
Dartmouth, MA
3/10/2008
I'm completely rehashing a review from2 years ago when they just opened - they had lots of kinks to work out then.
Worked OUT! Sunday afternoon, and the place is pretty packed. There is a section where you serve yourself, and a section where they serve you. Less of a bakery/patisserie feel, more of a restaurant/cafe feel than its Broolkine sister.
Lovely space, interesting decor, and quick service.
In addition to the same pastries and baked goods as the other Athan's (Ummm can you say Baklava? Amond cream croissant? Panna cotta?), they also appear to have a full lunch and dinner menu! I have not tried but will.
Yay for gentrifying Brighton Center. -
Review from Deepa C.
Somerville, MA
1/10/2008
The first time I was here, it was under construction and there was nary a seat in sight. I got a cup of coffee to go and our book club relocated. le sigh.
This last time though, we got to enjoy the new back room, coffee bar (in the literal sense) and all the baklava we could eat. This is by far the BEST baklava I have ever had. It has the perfect amount of butter and honey - no outside sugar- and big chunks of nuts. they had rolls and squares and the more traditional triangles, but they all tasted equally delicious. Seriously, I could gush and gush about this baklava forever. I won't.
Even if you don't want to sit and enjoy the chairs in the back, the gelato selection, the more than decent coffee, the cakes and desserts and the petit fors and cookies, come for the baklava. And then take a box home.
Any and all thanks for this tip can be made payable to me in the form of Athan's baklava.Listed in: with my mind on my money, CHOCOLATE!
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Review from Sara P.
Watertown, MA
5/2/2011
I'm in search of the perfect study spot, so this review is based mainly around that.
The Good
1. It was really quiet when I rolled in at about 5:50pm on Sunday. Plenty of other patrons who looked like they had been camping out for a few hours (or days in the case of one guy).
2. I had read other reviews that said that the servers are unfriendly but that wasn't the impression that I received. They were friendly, and personable although I went up to the counter instead of sitting down at a table first. (They have hiring signs which might indicate that they are looking for friendlier staff, or not).
3. There are plenty of delicious pastries to choose from. I'll update this after I tried one. They also had a pretty diverse menu which is promising if I decide to come again when I'm more hungry.
The bad:
1. The gelato left much to be desired.
2. the lighting kind of hurt my eyes
3. They have an $8 minimum on credit/debit card purchases which is kind of steep for a cafe/bakery.
3.5 The ice coffee was not good, (but I think I might be getting sick or something).
4. the food, :(
Overall, I'll definitely come back again especially since their pastries come highly recommended. I'm definitely going to bring cash. -
Review from Trish F.
Boston, MA
8/14/2008
I'm sticking to 4 stars for now. I'd feel easy if I gave Athan's 5 stars on the first bangaroo.
I had stopped in a few weeks ago and was totally meh because it was killer outside and the AC wasn't set on Artic Circle.. but decided this past weekend to stop in for brunch. LOVED it. Loved it so much I'm pretty sure I gave the waiter a 35% tip. He seemed pretty thankful. The bow and ear to ear smile gave him away.
To start I had the Monte Cristo, which was on the breakfast side. When it came out.. the bread wasn't fried (a la the heart attack that was Bennigan's).. more fluffy. Like if a piece of french toast and a pancake got together and did the humpty hump. Needless to say.. it was delicious. I would have appreciated the raspberry sauce on the side, but I'll just ask for that next time.. no bother. The homefries it came with were nicely seasoned and I did without ketchup (::shock.. awe::).
For dessert I had some gelato. Mmmmm.. nummyyyyyy. There was even a little fruit fly that appeared out of nowhere when I started eating it. That's gotta be a good way to go though, right? Trying to eat your way out of a giant cup of gelato? And by giant, I mean a medium size is about the size of a cup of soup piled high. I however shooed him away.. ::Cartman voice::.. Mooommm.. fruit fly is stealin' MAH gelatooooooooo!!!!
The staff was incredibly friendly. Every time I made eye contact with anyone working, they either smiled or asked how I was doing. The atmosphere is really chill. Have you ever been someplace where everyone seems completely satisfied with their food and their company? That's how I felt here. OH and free wireless. I checked out Deepa C.'s review for Athan's to figure out my order.. but gelato caught my eye (baklava next time). Yeah.. I'm the dorkasaurus on Yelp in a restaurant.
Hmm.. one good.. nay great.. reason to be in my current sublet. :) -
Review from Emily B.
Boston, MA
10/23/2011
After going to twenty bakeries, being turned down because I only had my debit and not cash, this place tells me 8 dollar minimum on cards. Change this and I may be back.
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Review from Lauren V.
11/6/2008
Note to women: Do not go here if your PMS symptoms include wanting to eat every calorie-laden sweetmeat or salty snack in existence. You (and your wallet, waistline, pride) will regret it.
I walked here the other night (still trying to decide if the fact that I live so close is good or bad) for some dessert. I am sure the lady behind the counter thought the bf and I were insane as we just stood and gawked at all the sugary wares.
Finally, the fact that the longer I took to order, the longer it would be before I ate snapped me back into reality.
Me: What do you want?
BF: Everything.
Me: Ok, what do you really want?
BF: Everything except that fig thing.
We settled on a piece of tiramisu and tiramisu gelato. The gelato was good, not the best. (But I really only expect the best when I am in Italy.) The tiramisu however, was some of the best I have ever had. Creamy and sweet and cool and perfect. I would eat the whole damn sheet if my work schedule allowed for me to be at the gym 5 hours per day.
I will definitely be back to try more.
P.S.- The debit/credit card minimum is $8. Inconvenient? Yes, but shouldn't be too hard.Listed in: The Way [in]to My [Pants]Heart…
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Review from Lys W.
Jersey City, NJ
1/30/2008
Not too shabby. I decided to grace this fine establishment with my presence, on the recommendation of my esteemed fellow Yelper, Amanda.
I have spent a total of eight hours here in the last two days. Partially studying and partially checking out the place so that I can Yelp it.
I have yet to try their menu, but I have ordered a number of their baked goods and drank about a gallon of their dark roast coffee. The bake goods were alright, but the coffee was really good. Normally, I am not a coffee drinker, but I felt like I should be drinking it, since I was taking up table space.
The waiter-guy here is really nice, and helpful, but the rest of the staff kind of ignored me.
I am going back tomorrow to stalk out a space before I go to work and maybe I will try their menu. -
Review from Allison T.
Allston, MA
Updated - 12/11/2008
Have to knock this place down.
As someone with food allergies I'm really wary of a place that can't "hold the cheese" when a customer asks, or handle basic substitutions.
Every time one of my coworkers orders something from here (and really, I mean EVERY SINGLE time), any deviation from the basic menu, and their food comes out wrong. Even worse, the last time I ordered a "roasted veggie" wrap from here, I opened my take away box, to find "roasted turkey." Sure that made me flip out as a vegetarian - but, being someone who can be killed by one little mess up with food ("we're sorry, we thought you wanted EXTRA peanuts, not no peanuts"), I just can't be an Athan's customer anymore.
It's sad because I was really impressed on our first trip here, but each subsequent one has been a little bit more disappointing.
Athan's you're totally cute and have great ambience - but until you can get your act together - I can't be a patron here.Listed in: I'm cheating...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/23/2008
Two peanut phobes walk into a cafe...
Oh this must be a bad joke right?
But it's not. At 4pm on a… Read more »
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Review from Jeffrey K.
Newton, MA
3/8/2009
This review is strictly based on dinner. The desserts looked scrumptious but that's not what I ate.
1) The service was comical but at least the girls were cute and cheerful. That said, they didn't know what they were doing at all. We had to request water I don't know how many times. Every order required them to either leave to check on something or come back to clarify. One of my friends was served OJ in a badly cracked glass.
2) The food was just bad. I had the Maestro. The pasta was nice and homemade but the rest was a disaster. It was supposed to have 4 different types of my favorite magical animal, pork. I couldn't tell if it had 1, 5 or none. Every piece had the same look and taste under the dull purple sauce.
Bottom line, don't eat dinner here. It was complete amateur hour on all levels and explained why they were shocked to have a party of 5 sit down for dinner.
I'd give the desserts a shot. -
Review from Stacy B.
Brighton, MA
4/29/2010
I realized that I should write a review of this place after I got up at 6:30 in the morning on Sunday, jaunted over to Athan's in Brighton Center at 8am, and had to wait another 30 minutes to get one of their amazing croissants.
I was THAT excited to have one.
They are fab. And my latte is always good. To the staff on Sunday mornings, YOU ARE GREAT!Listed in: The 3rd Place(s)
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Review from Shannon C.
Cambridge, MA
2/21/2006
Athan's serves great coffee, delectable chocolate, and mini-cakes that are works of art. They also have a lunch menu, but I have yet to try it. I'm taking off one star because the music is usually too loud and really isn't that comfortable for people who want to hang out and read a book.
*Update 3.27.06: Finally tried the sandwiches - delectable! Interesting salads, panini, and cold sandwiches for $4-8.*Listed in: Grab Your Pumas
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Review from Sam L.
Boston, MA
4/19/2011 1 photo
I've been here only a couple times since moving to Brighton last July.
The first was back in February. I got myself a heart-shaped chocolate hazelnut mousse cake, which was delicious! (I posted a picture).
Then this past weekend I took my cousin here because he was craving some dessert. We got a chocolate cake and a chocolate eclair, which I have no complaints about! And the coffee here is really good too.
We came back again the next morning to try and get some work done. We had a chocolate croissant for breakfast, which was a little too crispy for my liking...like a hard, almost stale-type crispy, but still good I guess.
I was really disappointed that the wi-fi was so weak because the atmosphere was perfect for getting work done. I ended up leaving after eating breakfast because of the wi fi.
They serve brunch here and it actually gets pretty packed in the morning because of it so I'd be interested in coming back to try brunch. -
Review from Amanda L.
Brighton, MA
Updated - 6/25/2008 1 Check-in Here
So I finally got to try something OTHER than the breakfast menu at Athan's, and I just want to reiterate how much I freaking LOVE this place. I got this interesting Greek bread salad, and while it wasn't what I thought it was going to be (I saw bread, but I didn't think the whole thing would be bread!) but it was magnificent. Joe got a panini with Brie, tomatoes, and basil. Let me tell you, it tasted great and I've decided I like Brie better than mozzarella. We also grabbed an apricot almond pastry for later, and it was pillowy soft and amazing.
FYI, Monday-Thursday until I don't know when, they are doing Buy 1 Get 1 Entree for FREE off the dinner menu. Um, SO going this week, or next!Listed in: Coffee!?!, My Top 10
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/1/2007
I had been to the Athan's in Brookline and I really liked it, very cozy, and the pastries looked… Read more »
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Review from Dave M.
Brooklyn, NY
10/18/2006
Simply put this place is great. It's a little gem tucked away on Wash St. near Brighton center.
The baked goods are simply amazing both in presentation and taste, texture etc. I got my mom a selection of chocolate cakes from here last year for mother's day and she was raving about them for weeks.
It's also a great place to grab lunch. They have really good paninis, pots of tea, and a nice atmosphere to meet a friend for lunch. A little sterile for a date. -
Review from Greg M.
Jamaica Plain, MA
11/1/2007
I have quite the sweet tooth. Especially for chocolate cake-y things with chocolate mousse-y things. To that end, I was quite disappointed with the number of chocolate cake/mousse things I've tried from Athan's.
Just not quite flavorful, rich, or fresh enough. And the cake was almost mealy.
It would be a 2 except Athan's converted me when it comes to their baklava. I was never a big fan. Just didn't get it. I changed my mind the moment I took a bite of their flakey, honey-dripped goodness. -
Review from Connor M.
Boston, MA
10/21/2011
The place baffles me, I really just don't get it. I have been there twice now and both times I left with a perplexed look on my face. I was pretty sure that I had ordered food, and I left with a full stomach, but I didn't have the faintest idea what I had just consumed.
I went there with one of my friends initially and had the eggs benedict and a side of french toast (daddy hungry). My friend had the eggs a la grecque. I left that day with only the taste of Coffee in my mouth. They somehow, by some modern miracle of science, had extracted all of the flavor out of the food. Even somehow the syrup was tasteless. I mentioned this to my friend, and he experienced the same thing with his eggs. it was like eating anti-matter, filling, but nothing really there...
I was really confused and decided to go back with my girlfriend this A.M. Walked in, intent on getting something with some flavor. The decor of the place tickled my girlfriend, and the display case up front was pristine, needless to say she was excited. I hadn't told her about my previous experience at the place and was doing a little experiment to see how she reacted. She got the three egg omelet (reasonably priced at around 4 bucks) and I went with the Monte Cristo this time. I waited, and low and behold, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "WHERE IS THE FLAVOR???" My blind study yielded just the results I was looking for. She was disappointed to say the least. I gave her a bite of my Monte Cristo, which also was paid a visit by the bland fairy, and she bellowed the same explanation as before. I tried each individual piece of the sandwich, the bread, which was the same as the french toast bread I had at my previous visit, tasted like air. The cranberry sauce was a gooey spread that had nothing to it, and they even somehow extracted the flavor in the turkey.
All in all, I think their chef may be the next Nobel Laureate in Science, but the food is miserable. Cool decor, great prices, just not anything anyone deserves to eat. -
Review from Daigo F.
Watertown, MA
12/9/2007
This is a place we don't go often, but every time we go, we say " man, I should come here more often."
It is not cheap, but I LOVE their Prosciutto (spell?) and Mozzarella Panini. It is awesome. It's 8 bucks, and I am a cheap guy but I can't resist it. It is so good that I have not tried other things on the menu (I was tempted to order their Angus Steak cheese burger or Asian Chicken salad today before settling for it again).
If you are looking for value, try $5 French Toast. They give you 3 pretty thick ones. And it is cinnamon-ny.
Their macchiato was... ok. I think they have the free wireless, too. There were many with their laptop. -
Review from Cha Cha W.
Cambridge, MA
The good, they've now begun offering free wifi. The bad, quality of service has steadily dropped, ergo the minus 1 star. Baked goodies are still great and it's still equally pleasant to hang out all evening here getting some work done, however, the waitress was actually pissed off at me for waiting 15 minutes at the counter when her co-worker chatted on his cellphone, fixed himself a drink all the while stared at me without a word. Plus she got my order wrong. This hasn't been the first time that this happened.
The little counter display with all the tea cups and assorted chocolates have stayed the same for ages but now the china and shelving have a thick layer of dust covering. Makes me really sad to see a little gem like this fall so far.Listed in: Lounge Cafes
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/17/2008
Cute New England waiter is gone, replaced with ninja waiter from Brazil. Equally cute, friendly and… Read more »
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