Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center
Categories: Taiwanese, Religious Organizations [Edit]
Neighborhood: Central Square950 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 547-6670
- Nearest Transit:
Central (Red)
- Price Range: $
- Attire: Casual
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
17 Reviews for Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center
This place is grrrrreat (think Tony the Tiger)! The space is fantastic- calming, serene, and insanely comforting. The food tastes wonderful, is bountiful (soup + brown rice + 4 or so other small dishes), vegetarian, and inexpensive (~$6). The staff are gracious, polite, and attentive. The tea is available in unique flavors, and the little pot it's served in is enough for 2 people.
Such an awesome place- even better because I leave feeling healthy : )
Oh my buddha! This place is really beautiful. Nice, gracious staff that offer you a very inexpensive and bountiful lunch. Bubble tea and regular tea too. I ran inside here today during the July hail rain wind sun event and was greeted by a very nice Buddhist lady. She let me browse their books on Buddhism, trinkets and I enjoyed the aroma of incense. They even have a temple that you can use (just make sure you take your shoes off). I was en route to see my chiropractor and took cover from the monsoon that was pummeling Cambridge. I would have stayed longer but had to get to my appointment. I got a ginger tea to go. It was made by a very nice girl in a metal pan and it took a few minutes, but I did not mind. It was made with love and care and she smiled as she proudly handed the tea to me. I thought the tea was great and enjoyed it for the hour I had with it. I would love to come back for lunch.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
The reasons I like this place:
Prices: Lunch Special $6.95 for four side dishes, brown rice, and soup.
Calming Effect: I came here everyday back when I was MCAT studying
Health: When everything on your plate is green, you know it's good for you
Cute Staff: usually old, little asian people. super cute.
PS: You don't need to be buddhist to eat here. I'm not, and they were still nice to me :)
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (3)
Cool (4)
I just had lunch here by myself and it was a relaxing and very enjoyable experience. I got the chrysanthemum tea, which was delicious, and the vegetarian special. It was really different-I hardly recognized any of the four vegetable and tofu mini-meals on my plate-but they were all lovely and very well prepared. Also, like other reviewers have said, you feel very healthy eating here, and I'll definitely come back. I should also say that I don't usually enjoy myself when I eat alone, but this place was the perfect spot to do so. In fact, I think I'd intentionally come here again alone instead of with a friend, since it gave me such a good excuse to relax and read a little during my meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I just ate lunch here and I have to say its one of the healthiest, yummiest lunches ever! The lunch specials have always been great in my opinion, but sometimes it completely exceeds my expectations. Plus you feel soooo good after eating it. The fresh fruit tea is also a must try. It was amazing.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I really love coming here for the lunch special. Maybe its the serene atmosphere or maybe its the fact that I get to actually fortify my body with nutrition and vegetables which I sometimes forget to do. Seriously if you've been on a vicious take-out bender, this place can perk you right up. Its a sweet deal $6.95, four vegetarian dishes that vary, a huge scoop of brown rice plus soup. Its is perhaps not the most tasty food you'll ever eat, but its clean, wholesome, and made with zen love man. What more can you ask for from time to time, plus unless you get sucked into eavesdropping annoying Harvard intellectual chatter, it is quite soothing in there especially if you like incense.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Had lunch here with a party of the veg social club that I just joined and it was beautiful--everything was so serene, the staff were lovely, and even though the cafe area was actually packed, it was still quiet (not like hear a pin drop quiet, but low hum of conversation quiet).
The lunch special is interesting--they ask for a suggested donation of $5.95, the food is usually vegan and varies depending on the day. You'll get a cup of soup followed by a large plate filled with a cup of brown rice in the center. Surrounding the rice you'll find 5-6 other side dishes all home made and making for a very well balanced meal.
The baby bok choi that came with my lunch was fantastic--and I appreciated that the young man who took my order went and checked the kitchen for peanuts. There was also a sweetened tofu dish that I'd never had that I really enjoyed.
I'll be back for food and would love to check out a service as well.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
Although my lunch didn't taste really good; it was probably the healthiest meal I've had in Boston; with a full day's serving of vegetables on 1 plate. I like my vegetarian food flavourful and tasty enough to convince me that meat is not required to spice up a dish. The "flavours" here were bland and too homemade for my taste (in the sense that it looks and tastes like something someone has whipped up at home; as opposed to being prepared by one who is skilled in the techniques of treating vegetables in a way that really "wakes them up" by utilizing their natural flavours and textures. The atmosphere would have been tranquil but for the racket coming from the kitchen. In some ways, a skilled vegetarian chef is 5X more talented than one who works with meat since it's much more difficult to make a broccoli stalk tantalizing than say, a steak.
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (3)
Cool (5)
Just had lunch there. It was pretty nice. Ordered the lunch special which is a ball of rice with four different vegetarian dishes arrayed around it. The food and sauces were all very good. I also really enjoyed the turnip pancakes which we got as an appetizer.
All in all, the food isn't anything special, but it's a nice place and worth eating at. It looks like the dinner menu has a lot more good looking stuff on it (although I only saw a Chinese copy, so I wasn't sure about everything on it), and the prices are very good (especially as it's just a suggested donation).
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
A lovely place to go with friends for brunch on Sunday. Low key atmosphere. Try the lunch special and the turnip cakes.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This place is run by Buddhist volunteers... so it's not just an eating/coffee experience... it's a step into a spiritual world. It's not a typical restaurant, not a standard coffeeshop, but a place you should go to experience the unique.
Try their vegetarian appetizers... and also their rose tea where you can see little rose buds floating inside their crystal tea pot. A lovely slice of peace.
People thought this was:
Useful (7)
Cool (3)
I just came back from lunch there, it was fantastic! I had the lunch special (rice, tofu, stir fry broccoli..) and it was really good. There was a lot of flavor to it too ( i didnt think it was bland at all). The servers are very fast to ask for your order and to get the meal for you. And the place is really nice. Definately coming back for more!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
They have a prix fixe vegetarian lunch special for $6 that is always quite tasty. The hot, aromatic fruit tea is amazing. It's intentionally tranquil, so don't come with more than 4 people or if you're in a rowdy mood.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (2)
I always pass by this place but today I decided to try it out. I was the only customer inside. It is typically empty actually. I had the lunch special. They gave me a vegetable soup with tofu then they brought a big dish with different kind of mushrooms, rice and other vegetables. It was good food and the environment is very peaceful. It reminded me of a Japanese monastery I visited a year ago. I think I will be going there for lunch more often. The lunch special is only 5.95 but they put a label in the menu that says "suggested price". I guess you can pay less, but I would recommend paying more to support this center run by volunteers.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (3)
This place makes me feel peaceful, safe, connected, calm, and satisfied with their yummy frozen fruit shakes. They have a bookroom to wander through and a quiet, simple restaurant that you can sit quietly and enjoy the afternoon. The people here are phenomenal-ly nice and warm. It's quite lovely here. I think they have meditation, yoga, and theology classes here, as it is a community center. I have only come for the shakes and peace of mind and it's been wonderful so far.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
The place is more a religious/spiritual center that also serves food, than a restaurant - all vegetarian of course! I tried the lunch plate and the spring rolls, the food was delicious (as buddhist/veg food can be!) , but the portions were too scant for this big-bellied gourmand.
If you want a peaceful nice place to sit , relax and meditate while you eat, this place is awesome! check it out!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (2)
tucked away in a place u dont easily notice, this place is a delight for vegetarians or health conscious eaters. the atmosphere is peaceful & quiet. it is actually attached to a meditation centre. it is the place to go if u want to spend a couple of hours with absolute quiet around you.
lunch special (soup & rice with four taiwanese dishes) is $5.95 served from 11:30 - 3 pm. but dim-sum & tea are served all day till 5pm. closed mondays
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Hot and New
- Crema Cafe
39 reviews
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
- Rangzen Tibet Restaurant
72 reviews
Neighborhood: Central Square
- Green Street
79 reviews
Neighborhood: Central Square
- Yo! Berry
41 reviews
Neighborhood: Allston/Brighton
- Baraka Cafe
93 reviews
Neighborhood: Central Square