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Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches [Edit]
25 Bow StMon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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By far our favorite brunch spot these days. Excellent food and fantastic service. Portions are excellent. For about 8 bucks you get a huge meal (like, omelet and and home fries), a basket of toast for the table, fruit cup or cream of wheat, OJ, AND all the coffee you can drink. Who can beat that?
They also have larger plates that are splittable.
Be prepared for a line during peak times.
During warm weather the patio dining is just so cool!!!
Very good.
We got seated on a 6 person table for our party of 2. We had to sit with other people we don't know. The seats were very tight (about 15 inches wide; that's a little over the length of 8x11 paper). Luckily, I was able to fit.
However, the food was very good food. Creative specials! Hard to read handwritings.
They have service bread while you wait, which is nice. But, they aren't warm, nor that flavorful.
(1) A 2200 calorie breakfast/brunch worth waiting in the street for.
(2) Get the authentic Brazilian sausage.
(3) Get the cream of wheat. Rumor has it that the secret lies in the condensed milk.
(4) Be prepared to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. Just don't look at the floor.
(5) Be prepared to work on your acrobat skills if you're taller than 5'7' and need t use the toilet.
(6) Be careful: parking may be a problem because there's a militant meter maid lurking around Somerville's Union Square on the weekends.
This place has a few negatives, but the positives make up for it!
The place is tight and compact. They ask parties to share tables during the rush hours. The waiting area is outdoors. It was never made clear which server was actually our waitress, so we had about 6 different girls helping us. And of course, cash only.
Now for the positives. Free coffee and Portuguese sweet bread while you wait outside. Free coffee, orange juice, and your choice of fresh fruit/cream of wheat for all patrons.
As for the food, I ordered from the specials menu. Pumpkin pancakes with apple cinnamon slices. The consistency of the pancakes was perfect; neither flat nor heavy. Rich pumpkin flavor that went very well with maple syrup. The meal came with 2 eggs, home fries, grilled ham, toast, and lettuce and tomato. All of this for $11.99. My friend ordered coconut almond french toast which was battered in coconut milk. I tried a few bites and it is a delicious take on french toast.
The Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery has high prices and great food. If you can tolerate the cramp quarters and confusing wait staff then you'll be able to enjoy one of the best brunches available.
Oh yeah, If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know that I am cheap. This place is not cheap, but for once, I'm not complaining. The quality of the food is that good!
I finally had a chance to try The Neighborhood out for brunch recently and I was not disappointed. They had an extensive handwritten specials menu, which I like, and had plenty of free snacks to keep me satisfied until the main course arrived. It is cozy inside, especially the bathroom, but the food is good.
I love this place no lie the only reason I didnt give it 5 stars is the seating, but I guess I shouldnt even blame the seating when food is good and cheap and service is great I guess it would fill up fast. The buffet is not bad its little but you can get a omelet or eggs ur way and its incuded as well as all the cream of wheat you can eat its soo good. The portions are great the toast is homemad and they give you different variety. During the summer the patio is so nice
Dry pancakes (pumpkin), tight quarters, unclean table (got syrup on my shirt), not friendly service. Blah overall...Cash only.
I would recommend Paramount in Beacon Hill or Ball Square Cafe.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
I'd been hearing about this place for a while, and just finally got around to trying it. It lived up to everything I had heard.
Walking in, you see brightly colored walls, and a varied crowd. The people really impressed me about this place. It looks like a very trendy hip place from the patio outside with the grapevines, and the bright contemporary colors inside. But the people eating breakfast were varied, probably 3 generations of people, all going out for a delicious brunch!
The food was delicious. They give you free coffee and OJ with every order, and then you get to choose from fresh fruit or cream of wheat as a starter. My friend and I split an order, and they (probably charged us?) gave us each some. As all the other reviewers say, the cream of wheat is nothing like anything I have ever had before. So rich! Our breakfast was pear and pumpkin belgian waffles, and it was delicious! But the most striking part was the fact that they give you three HUGE plates of food, so the serving sizes are humongous! We got eggs, awesome homefries/hashbrowns, and toast, and a muffin. All as part of that same breakfast, nothing extra.
Another thing I loved was that the waitress came rushing in from outside, saying "Everybody got money in their meters?" just as the ticketing guy was coming by.
Only problem was, I asked for water twice, and never got it. The waitstaff did look busy, though.
Cute, cozy little restaurant with an adorable patio.
Fantastic home cooking served by friendly & attentive staff.
Amazing value for a super filling and delicious breakfast.
Freshly baked breads & muffins= Lovely way to start the day
Freshly squeezed OJ- Yummy
The Cream of Wheat- Creamy, sweet, topped w/ cinnamon--Amazing! --makes me wish I was a kid again!
Portuguese breakfast special: 3 eggs+ cod cake, shrimp cake, meat cake+ Linguica + morcela+ home fries+ toast+ muffin= Super stuffed & happy me!
Special Corned Beef hash Benedict= Best in Boston!
And we can't forget the server with amazingly large arms delivering food to your table.
Place gets really busy very quickly so try to get there early or be prepared to wait. One of the best breakfast places in Somerville!
At this tiny storefront you see a sign that reads "Welcome to the Neighborhood", the Portuguese breakfast shop's tiny interior has a sassy backyard extension where brunchers can eat under a canopy of grape vines.
At this neighborhood haunt late morning risers are the mainstay especially since they serve breakfast until four. The menu hues closely to your typical breakfast menu with few exceptions- pumpkin pancakes, french toast on Portuguese bread and a linguica filled omelet. Most of the items are under ten dollars. Whatever you order you get your choice of tea or coffee with free refills and that delicious bowl of cream of wheat.
Dishes for the dieters do exist from whole wheat pancakes to egg white omelets. Upon request you can get any style eggies in just egg whites. But don't bother. With their wonderfully tasty cream of wheat smothered with more sugar and butter than you'll care to admit. The stuff tastes more like a pudding than wheat!
Apparently, my parents used to take me here for brunch when I was a little kid. My mom lived in the area when they met, and I know that they have a lot of nostalgia attached to my current (and mom's former) neighborhood. Sadly, I had no memories of coming here with them. So, on to the review:
First, be prepared to wait. We stood outside for at least an hour waiting for a table for two people. But they do put out coffee and cornbread for those waiting. Dear God that bread is delicious.
We ended up sharing a table with another group of two. Not a big deal (though it might have been hard to get out had we finished & wanted to leave before them), but just something to keep in mind. Service was very quick and we got our orange juice and tea (complimentary!) almost as soon as we sat down. All breakfasts also come with fruit or oatmeal* and toast. My eggs were cooked perfectly - not runny except for the yolk. The hash browns were cooked just right as well. My only complaint? The bacon was a bit over cooked. Slightly burned actually. But at least there was plenty of it.
They are cash only, so keep that in mind, but the food is also pretty cheap.
We're planning on coming back...and maybe even bringing our roommates next time.
*Side note to the reviewer who complained that they salt their oatmeal: That's not some weird freakish thing. My dad has always eaten his oatmeal with butter and salt. Sorry you don't like it that way, but oatmeal isn't always eaten with sweetener.
This place seems like a breakfast place, but I went for lunch. I was instantly awed by the outdoor trellis, complete with bunches of grapes - got my mind imagining I was some indistinct place in Europe - nay, Portugal!
I was delighted when they brought salad as part of the meal - how neighborhoodly! - because courses make me feel classy. However, apprehension settled in after my friends' wine arrived. We get Portuguese boxed wine a lot, and were expecting this to be of Alandra quality, but the "white wine" they got was rust colored and tasted like sweet water. They drank it like champions, but there was no joy.
For the meal we agreed it was a lot of food - but not very well cooked. My scallops were virtually inedible they were so salty, and my friend's salmon was overcooked. There were veggies on the side but they weren't delicious, just...there.
It was sweet that they brought us carrot cake for dessert as part of the meal (again, I do love courses) but all in all, it would have been nice to have been able to eat the food I ordered instead of throwing it away because of the saltiness. In conclusion, I would be wary of possible bad meals at this place (esp. the sea food) and whatever you do, do not get the white wine.
Love this place!
Cream of wheat - Best I've had
OJ - Super fresh
Whole Wheat French Toast with berries - Amazing, light, fluffy
Hash/Potatoes - lovely, delicious
Portions - Huge! (breakfast leftovers anyone?)
Price - Cheap! $10 (can easily split dishes with someone)
Crowded - YES! Get here early (by 10am) or there is a wait.
Waiter with Huge Biceps - Yes he is there...and Yes he will serve you food with his huge arm.
Go there!
The Borges Family can cook for me all day long!! Especially if that server with the biggest arm muscles I have ever seen delivers my food to my table all day long too! Wow! Can I get tickets to that gun show?? Just seemed so random to have a guy that buff serving us our brunch heh Loved it!
We were sad that the outside patio was not open when we went because that doubles the space to seat everyone which meant our part of 6 had to wait about 45 minutes on a Sunday to get seated.....And then we were seated in the back corner by the kitchen which the AC didn't hit, which definitely heated up as we were eating our deliciously tasty food! So try and get a table not in that corner so you don't have to worry about sweating into your fruit salad!
But you can see I am still giving it 4 stars. Heat aside, the food here is just fantastic. And you get SO MUCH food after waiting that long for a table we still couldn't finish everything that was brought to our table. They have a massive selection of food and then two more pages added in with all of their specials!! It is like the neverending story of breakfast! So awesome!
What will I dream of forever??? Their pumpkin spice pancakes. My god. They are big and fluffy and they melt in your mouth. The cinnamon sprinkled on it paired with that fresh fresh whipped cream on the side, is just heaven!!! And it comes with eggs and hashbrowns and coffee and juice and fruit too!! All for $11!! And all of their breakfast meals come with that! It really is mother-lode of all breakfast lands!!
And their healthy breakfast special with egg white omelet with asparagus and cheese and broccoli and red peppers was divine!! And the homefries were tasty too! Oh and did I mention you get muffins and bread and toast with your meal too??
Not gonna lie, our table couldn't finish everything on the table, so the extra muffins we didn't eat, took a little trip into my purse so we could eat them later as a snack heh. And they were even good after the fact!! I mean, we couldn't let good food go to waste!! You know they would have just thrown them away heh
I wish The Neighborhood was even closer to my own neighborhood, because I could eat here all day every day of my life, as long as they put me in a spot where the AC reaches!!!
This place serves a spectacular breakfast. Expect to bring home breakfast for the next few days, their portions are huge. Best freaking cream of wheat I've ever had. They used to serve a killer fruit plate but recently they've only been serving small portions of the usual, cantaloupe, grapes, bananas, etc.
Get there early on the weekend. The service is usually great.
Looks like most of the reviews here are for breakfast/brunch -- this one is for lunch.
I came here in the middle of a 16-hour bout of moving, which meant I was very hungry and a bit grumpy when my housemates and I sat down for lunch on the patio outside. Very cool space -- sitting at a picnic table underneath the trellis almost overflowing with grapes, you do feel like a bit like you're at a cafe in Portugal rather than in the outskirts of Union Square.
Lunch specials are cheap! $10 for a huge portion of salmon or sole is surprisingly great value, especially considering that also includes sides consisting of a generous amount of mashed potatoes, veggies, and rice. Sadly, when you're serving up that much food for that little money, sacrifices have to be made - the fish was decent but hardly excellent and the veggies were well-spiced but seemed like they'd come frozen out of a bag. Great preparation but the ingredient quality just didn't seem to be there.
One of my friends got a sandwich which looked pretty blah - I'd stick to the fish/meat lunch specials.
Also, the house white wine - which I was seriously in need of at the time to take the edge off our brutally epic move - may have been the worst wine ever. Not sure what I expected for $3.50 a glass, but it was bland, watery, faintly rotten smelling, and a bit sweet -- pretty terrible stuff.
So: cool spot to eat, good value, okay ingredients, great prep, bad wine -- 3 stars.
I came to the Neighborhood Restaurant early Thursday morning and the place was pretty dead. Yay, no lines! However, I so wanted to sit outside, but alas, the dreadful and typical Boston weather decided to spoil my plans. We had to settle and sit in the cramped interior. No biggie.
The food was ok but nothing that blew me away. It's your standard breakfast eats with a splash of Portuguese flavor. I'm not a melon fan and the fruit salad was just melons and grapes. It's not my thing, but that's just me. The orange juice was quite bland. Other reviews mention that it's freshly squeezed. I beg to differ. My eggs, homefries and such were all good though. No complaints there.
Prices were very reasonable. Service was very quick and efficient. I don't think I'd come back here for breakfast. It just didn't do it for me. Their lunch menu, however, looks promising,
Most places that claim to have "neighborhood" credibility are just engaged in empty boasting. Not this place. There's nothing pretentious about the food, service, atmosphere, or fellow patrons.
Dining outside in the spring and summer at Neighborhood Restaurant is a special treat. The Portuguese-style awning covered with grape vines, which offer both shade and the most beautiful translucent barrier to the sunlight, is a serene and unusual experience. Indoor dining can't compete.
The Neighborhood Restaurant gives you a lot of food for a fair price. It's not gourmet but it's generous. Brunch _will_ leave you full. Many, many variations on eggs, waffles, and pancakes are available. Plus, there are Portuguese treats, such as the pineapple pop-over and the linguica sausage. (Both are delicious in an unexpected, not-exactly-health-food way.)
One thing that makes this place really down-home is that there's going to be the occasional mess-up but, if you tell them about it, they'll fix it as quickly as they can. One day, the orange juice had gone bad. When I alerted the waitress, she didn't fuss, she just went to the back, got new OJ, and offered a sincere apology. Perfectly handled, mademoiselle. They'll do the same with flubbed orders. Basically, they know they're human but they'll work hard to give you a great meal.
This place is a real treasure. Bring your friends for brunch; it's totally worth the wait in line.
I adore The Neighborhood Restaurant.
After hearing about how great this place was and seeing all of the great reviews we came here for brunch last Sunday. I feel like I have found a string of 1 stars lately because I left agitated and unimpressed.
I seriously could not figure out why the wait was so long. It took well over two hours by the time we put our names in to the time our food was served. At that point I was expecting the food to be amazing and it was pretty average. That and we had to share a table with another couple. ughhhhh.
The mimosas were pretty weak as well.
I liked the outdoor seating but will not be trekking out to Union Sq. to come to Neighborhood's again.
This place has gone downhill. Quite sad, really.
The upside: it's still the best Cream of Wheat in the universe, and all the breakfast specials still all come with eggs/potatoes/meat so you don't have to choose between eggs and pancakes/waffles. But yeah...it's just not as good as it used to be. The sausages are almost universally undercooked (gross) and the eggs have become greasy and runny. I used to be a big fan of the Portuguese breakfast, but the last time I got it the fish cake and shrimp cake were OBVIOUSLY frozen (come on guys...people can tell) and the "linguica" tasted like Hillshire Farms kielbasa. Trying to get some toast is like pulling teeth and the portions have shrunk significantly, but maybe that doesn't matter since the quality has gone down.
You'll walk out more or less full, but it's an awfully long wait for a meal of average quality.
AMAZING!!!!!!!! GO HERE!!!!! The outside patio rocks. Coffee is so so. Where they shine is the cream of wheat and I also love the home fries.
My mom loves me but if she ever disowned me, I'd run into the arms of The Neighborhood Restaurant. Eating at the Neighborhood Restaurant is like eating at my mom's house. She makes way too much food for just me and Jess, and always packs us a week's worth of leftovers.
I've been to The Neighborhood three times now, and there is always something unique and especially delicious about breakfast or lunch. The first time, breakfast came with a baked pear (whole) dripping with honey. The second time, I tried the regular starter for breakfast, the cream of wheat. The third time, lunch came with a seafood chowder in a cream sauce. All were as delicious as the main dish.
The way I give my mom props is having her cook for my friends. She loves it. She makes her best dishes (all of them) and makes sure that she is prepared to feed any variety of vegetarian, carnivore, or picky eater. The Neighborhood aims to please just as well, with a menu that is at least four pages long with prices equal to what I spend in gas money to get to my mom's.
So, mom, don't look back now 'cause the competition is right behind you :-)
I've been searching for new brunch spots recently. Of course, I've been using Yelp to do some background research first. The large amount of great reviews peaked my interest, and I'm really glad I went to check it out.
If you're going to go with a group like we did, send someone ahead to get on the list. The wait can be anywhere from 30-60 minutes for a group. We didn't mind, as it was as we expected.
They do a great job of getting you to wait though. Free coffee and cake/pastry are put out for everyone in line.
After being seated we were promptly served with menus and coffee - complete with a friendly introduction and smile.
The outdoor patio is under a giant grape vine that covers the entire patio like a living roof with sun shining through the gaps.
They give you the choice of fresh fruit or cream of wheat with every breakfast entree. We all ordered the fruit because the cream of wheat sounded gross, but truthfully none of us have ever had it before. Out comes the fruit as well as some cream of wheat to try just in case. The cream of wheat turned out to be amazing, I had no idea what I've been missing! Oh, you also get free OJ too!
The waitress was nice, humorous, and explained everything well. She knew exactly what each numbered special was and what it included. (there were over 100!)
We had been seated for an extremely long time before the meals actually came out. When they did... some were wrong, cooked incorrectly, and missing items. Lost major brownie points here.
Once everything was figured out, the food tasted fantastic. The portions were also pretty good size. I almost licked my plate clean.
You need to check this place out at least once if you've never been. I will absolutely be coming back, but I'll have to time it right to avoid the wait!
There's free coffee and pastry thingies while you wait in the long, long line for brunch at The Neighborhood restaurant, which is a good sign. These people want their customers to be happy, to feel welcome, and to eat--and eat a lot.
The portions are redonkulous and the food is so good you'll find yourself licking the plate clean even though there's no room left in your stomach for anything else. Something about the Easter Egg colors of the patio works and it comes off feeling breezy and fun as opposed to cheesy and cheap. This is the place to go hungry and have a nice, loooong meal.
This place is fabulous secret of West Somerville.
The home fries are wonderfully spicy. Comprised of a sweet potato-Yukon blend and cayenne'd up, these might possible be the best home fries in Greater Boston.
French toast is great (FYI: Sweet bread means Challah/Egg.)
I also adore that they serve brunch until 4:00 p.m. for those lazy, mildly hungover weekend afternoons. Thanks, Neighborhood, for being the most delicious remedy in town.
The Neighborhood will always be one of my favorite restaurants. Of course, every time I've gone the weather was beautiful so I had the pleasure of sitting under a grapevine canopy outdoors. Not that the food doesn't stand on its own! My most memorable experience was with a stack of mango whole-wheat pancakes. The portion wasn't enormous, but it was supplemented with juice, coffee, a bowl of fruit, cream of wheat, and toast (?) - all for ten dollars. I might even be leaving something out, in fact.
Well worth the wait, especially on a warm and sunny weekend morning if you don't have to rush anywhere afterwords.
The Neighborhood is by far my favorite brunch spot in Somerville/Cambridge. Is this place going to be the best food you have ever had? No, I certainly cannot say that. But I'm giving it 5 stars because I love coming here on a sunny Sunday afternoon with friends, sitting outside, having friendly service and conversation, accompanied by tasty food.
I would compare the food to when your spatula wielding mother, who is a fierce force to be reckoned with in the kitchen, decides to get a little daring with her usual routine. Expect a home cooked brunch (omelette's, pancakes, the usual fare) with a slew of interesting specials if you so choose (tropical pancakes with mango's? Yes please!) You get tons of food too- a cup of coffee, home fries, fruit or cream of wheat, and OJ (someone said it was Tang in a review below- but I've always gotten fresh squeezed) comes with every meal.
There is usually a line, so expect to wait a while, maybe 20 or 30 minutes (and you sign in yourself- find the clipboard!) and come hungry!
Since moving to Boston from LA, I've been in a hunt of a neighborhood restaurant with good food and a good vibe. This sweet spot is a definite destination for Sunday brunchers with its charming ambience and never-ending menu options.
This is a very cozy, comfortable place to get your most important meal of the day. There are so many breakfast staples to choose from- the omelletes, waffles, the tropical french toast and the Portuguese breakfast. I recommended getting the side of cereal (Cream of wheat). It's exceptional for a Sunday morning wake-up dish. It's usually pretty crowded here on weekends but the food is well worth the wait.
I love this place and the patio seating adds to the charm. The staff are always attentive even when they're extremely busy. The question of whether the cup is half full or half empty never occurs because the diligent servers keep the coffee cups more than half full, which helps provide a warm sense of optimism; furthermore, that darn cream of wheat has utterly changed my life. hehe Who wants breakfast in bed when it's just as good down "The Neighborhood." Go out and meet your neighbors!
I have nothing but adoration for this place. Yes, there is always a forever wait. Yes, it's a bit expensive for breakfast (special plates are around 11.99). Yes, paying in cash can be an inconvenience. But the spread is absolutely delicious and well worth the time and money spent. I enjoy everything here. The portions are huge, the selection mouth-watering. The cream of wheat is the most precious bowl of happiness that I've ever experienced at a breakfast table--- sweet, delicate, heavy and airy at the same time, you just need to try it! If someone filled up a swimming pool with the thing, I would jump in and eat my way out--- and I don't even know how to swim! The pancakes and waffles are perfectly pillowy. The fruit and berries atop are always fresh and ripe. Free coffee and tea and orange juice--sure they come in midget friendly size cups but when was the last time you had free coffee with free refills? It is also the only place I've seen linguica (spicy sausage) on the menu--- that's where the Portuguese come in, I suppose. The atmosphere further makes eating here a wonderful experience. It's patio umbrella seating--overhead, you have grapevines and bunches of grapes hanging--very charming and functional in that they provide added shade. On a hot summer morning, this is the perfect place to enjoy al fresco dining. You will feel pampered for the rest of your day.
Come early when the wait's not too bad--- however, if you have to share a table with other parties, chillax--- it's The Neighborhood Restaurant, take a seat and be neighborly.
You will be given more food than you could ever possibly eat. That's a given. A breakfast at the Neighborhood is the equivalent of a Carb Bomb.
The food keeps coming, too.
You will also meet some great folks waiting in line. While waiting inline, be neighborly, and talk to the other folks, there. Chances are, you will meet some cool folks.
Last time I was at the Neighborhood, I was with Maynard from Tool. He loved it. Just saying; you never know who you'll meet at the Neighborhood.
When my friend calls and says, "How about al fresco dining under the grapes?", I immediately say YES! I love eating outdoors in the shady patio/grape arbor at The Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery, even if I have to wait for a table. There's complimentary coffee and baked goods to sample while you want.
The food is good, basic food. Portions are ample, and include lots of extras like fruit salad or cream of wheat, orange juice, toast and muffins. I like the linguica and cheese omelet. My friend always gets the whole wheat pancakes. For lunch I will get fish, which is cooked perfectly and very fresh. The service is friendly and accomodating, even when the place is busy.
I am a fair-weather friend to this great place. If it is raining or cold, I don't eat there. There is an in-door restaurant, but I don't find it comfortable. The dark metal chairs inside the restaurant are very uncomfortable to sit on, and very heavy to maneuver. It's rather dark so don't try to read a newspaper. There is no storm door between the front door and outdoors, so the place is very drafty whenever someone enters.
But I'd recommend this place to anyone on a warm, sunny day!
This place has such rave reviews, but it's really hit or miss. If you go on a nice day and can snag a seat in the courtyard under the grape arbor, then it's, like, transcendent. But if you're crammed inside--not so much. The outdoor area is especially nice if you can go on a weekday afternoon, when everyone's at work.
From my experiences there, it seems like they're best with their funky and original baked goods/carb dishes...like pumpkin waffles and stuff. The eggs and toast are sort of disappointing, and although others like it, my husband found the cream of wheat tasteless and mono-texture.
Sit outside on a nice day, and you'll enjoy the experience so much you won't care what you order, but just be careful to be more prudent inside!
This place is so out of this world, even the bathroom has some serious flair-- tall people beware.
During my visit to Boston, my bee eff eff took me here twice for breakfast. VERY generous portions, fresh fruit, bottomless coffee/tea, assortment of breads come standard. Friendly service, and they even scrambled my friend's order of eggs with tomatoes. Both times, I went for the wheat pancake/egg white combo and was not disappointed.
Can't really say much else other than this is a must. I'd fly here to Boston on a weekly basis if I could to indulge in The Neighborhood. Maybe when I hit the Lottery and have a jet at my whim.
OMG! So much food it didn't fit on the table!
The cream of wheat was one of the best I've ever had! Mmm....
I had the whole wheat Belgian Waffle with fuit, egg whites and tomatoes. My friend had the regular Waffle with fruit, eggs, hash browns, and sausage. So delicious, and so much food. Then we got the bill and it was so cheap! I am definitely going back!!!
I wish I could give this place more than three stars, but after hearing about it for so long, I was not blown away when I finally got there. The ambiance is supposed to be charming, but the bright-colored walls didn't do it for me, and there are some awkward seating arrangements. Plus, the chairs are heavy and cumbersome.
The food was fine. I think the best thing on our table was the mascarpone french toast, which was a special that weekend. My cheese omelet was so-so and greasy. The linguiça (Portuguese sausage) is good, but mine was a little dry, I thought.
The service was decently fast, but one had to try hard to get their attention.
Oh, and when you're offered fruit or cream of wheat, go with the cream of wheat!
After consulting my trusty pal Yelp, I headed off to The Neighborhood knowing that I would enjoy a great meal! When it comes to breakfast, this place delivers. It's impossible to leave The Neighborhood and still feel hungry. The food is great and the portions are absolutely enormous (my breakfast special came with a plate of fruit, eggs, toast, hashbrowns, juice & coffee...all in ADDITION to the giant crepe I ordered). They also have a great (and casual) outdoor patio covered in grapes vines. What I like best about this place is the atmosphere- it's family run, and it shows- whether you're a local or not, you'll feel like this is YOUR neighborhood!
OH my darling... I miss you so, so much!
Every time I venture back to E. Massachusetts, I try to make it for Sat/Sun brunch.
Such delights that abound! The whipped cream of wheat, swirled to perfection, creme de la creme, apple of my eye. The fruit, depending on which season, goes from 'meh' to 'bleh' to 'right on!' Fresh squeeshed OJ, Tea, Coffee depending on your preference that morning. The cornbread that they feed you to stave off your hunger BEFORE you even get seated. OHHHHH soooo GOOOOD.
The pancakes, waffles, eggs, homefries, omelettes, mmmm....
I have to stop writing before I cry. I miss this place!!!
Yes, I know, a 3-star in an ocean of high-ratings. Hear me out.
Here's my thing with the Neighborhood. I normally *love* this place. Tons of food, excellent bread, pork chops and cream of wheat to die for, really friendly, attentive service, lovely seafood omelets. The space is a smidge awkward, granted (unless you get to eat outside), but still, I think it starts at 4 stars.
And then, with each visit, I find at least one or two things lacking that knock it down about half a star. Often they run out of cream of wheat, which makes me the saddest girl in the world. I have had more than one experience where the food had a slightly soapy taste, like the dishes hadn't been rinsed well enough. I hardly ever go here during the weekends, because it's a monster mess of people, which kinda limits how often I go. In the winter you run the risk of constant waves of chill as the door opens and closes. Sometimes the home fries are less than stellar. And, even at the food-from-a-firehose quantities, some of their specials are not worth $11. Still, I can normally round up to 4 stars, although the occasional temptation is to round down... but only occasionally.
However, my visit on Sunday made me sad enough to downgrade this beloved local joint to 3 stars until it redeems itself. I was excited to see two crazy healthy specials on the menu, so I ordered one: wheat waffle, drizzled with vanilla yogurt, topped w/fresh strawberries and blackberries, served with an egg white-broccoli scramble (I asked them to 86 the cheese). The cream of wheat was great, if slightly over-cinnamoned, but... egg shells in my scramble? Soggy, tasteless wheat waffle with no toasty outer shell (I've had wheat waffles that kick ass, so that's not the reason)? Barely-flavored yogurt? Blackberries that tasted weirdly bloated, like they had been frozen, then defrosted in a hurry with warm water, and served lukewarm? Uncored roasted apples that were impossibly awkward to cut into?
Really?
Our waiter was great, but the guy who brought out our food could use some pointers. I will admit, I didn't make a fuss because we had gone with a house guest, and I just wasn't in the mood to deal with it. My order didn't come with home fries, but I did taste Corey F.'s, and they were pretty good, definitely different from other visits (in a good way). Otherwise, my food was not $10.99 good.
I'll go back, but I may stick to the more standard breakfast menu, where the prices are more reasonable.
3.5 stars. I finally got to the Neighborhood Restaurant for brunch the other day and left pleased with the experience but slightly underwhelmed by the food itself. They have a delightful, large outdoor seating area filled with couples, friends, and families. There's definitely a long wait on the weekends so don't come expecting a quick in-and-out meal.
They have a large menu with all the essentials (egg combos, pancakes, etc.). We decided to split one of the specials ($3 splitting charge applied so it was a total of $15), which meant we ended up getting two coffees, two tiny ojs, two bowls of cream of wheat (i hate cream of wheat usually but was actually BLOWN AWAY by this stuff--don't get the fruit unless you're feeling particularly lame), 3 huge pumpkin spiced pancakes which were good but not incredible, 2 eggs, 2 sausage links, hashbrowns, and toast for all of $15 total. The service was awesome and the meal put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Solid place, but to be honest, the highlight food wise was the cream of wheat.
Brunch, brunch, and more brunch. There is definitely a reason this has a line on Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting with the complimentary muffins and coffee they give to people waiting outside for a table.
The food is divine and the portions are huge. The menu is varied, and truly- it's all good. I almost always order from the large list of specials.
They start you off with a complimentary fruit or cream of wheat. My favorite is the baked apple they sometimes serve - it's literally an apple that has been baked until it's so soft that it's almost the consistency of apple sauce. Yes, please.
I may opt for the coconut french toast (how can this be so achingly delicious?) with eggs, or maybe a giant omelette. My husband likes the traditional portugese breakfast platter, and we both love the pancakes.
Coffee/tea refill service can be hit or miss when they are slammed.
30% OFF Monday-Friday Lunch…
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Yelpers get 10% OFF
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
Somerville, MA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: East Boston
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Inman Square
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
Category: Coffee & Tea
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