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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Delis, Kosher
Neighborhood: Coolidge CornerCoolidge Corner (Green)
Mon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Tiger, this review is for you. In fact, I'm including the phrase "What should tiger woods do to fix his marriage" so that when you google that, Tiger, it will lead you to this review which will fix your marriage. I don't like seeing you like this, man.
Miguel's 3-Step Plan to apologize to your wife after a messy affair (a.k.a. Tiger Plan):
1. Ask for the Kobe Special at Zales.
2. Take a dose of penicillin and Wartrol every day... you don't want to give your wife the VDs you contracted outside of marriage.
3. Dine her at Zaftigs.
"Zaftigs is the most romantic Jewish Deli outside of Israel" - Miguel M. That is correct, I just quoted myself and guess what... I just put romantic and Jewish in the same sentence. Tiger, pay attention. This place makes my list for top 10 restaurants in Boston. The decor is rustic and authentic. The waiters are super attentive and have amazing memories (like how wives never forget that you cheated on them). After my third visit, the waiters remembered me and were very enthusiastic and were joking around with me as if we were buddies. This might not seem like much to you, but as a person who has a lack of human contact thanks to TV, the internet and the Wii, this melts my heart.
Ok, so how about the food? The key to this place is their use of creative ingredients that turn old classics into standout new favorites. Their breakfast is out of this world. The homemade apple sauce is revolutionary. The empire eggs (Two poached eggs, spinach, smoked salmon on potato pancakes, Hollandaise) is a must try. Their eggs benedict are just as good as the empire eggs but more traditional (canadian bacon instead of smoked salmon and english muffin instead of potato pancake). Do NOT get their omelets... this place has way better offerings than that.
My friend got the cheese blintzes and absolutely loved them. On previous occasions, I got the hot pastrami sandwich which is the best I've had outside of New York and LA. The banana french toast and the chocolate french toasts are perfect starts when you need a quick sugar high. You always notice a good mix of old and young people... this food is definitely cross-generational.
The only problem I observe with Zaftigs are their increased prices from just a couple years ago. Ever since they were named one of "10 Best Delis in America" by National Geographic, they increased their prices. Really? National Geographic? They are known for their wild safari animals and nude tribal photos and their recommendation leads to a price bump? Whatever... you have me hooked Zaftigs. Plus, for you Tiger, this is pennies in comparison to how much you are going to dish our for that nice purple diamond ring for your wife. Trust me, I saw Kobe do it and his jersey is the best selling jersey in the NBA right now.
TRY:
Mediteranean Omelete
What do you get when you take a mixed race San Francisco chica with a Jewish fetish to Zaftig's? An ecstatic one. That's what.
We waited 10-15 minutes to get seated. Not bad. In the meantime, I used the restroom, looked at the menu and googly-eyed the awesome shirts (for purchase...but I controlled myself and didn't purchase any).
So what did I order, you may ask? Well, before I ordered, a basket of bagel chips arrived. Mmm. I don't know what kind of cream/dip they have concocted but it's delicious with the bagel chips. Okay, so back to my order. Sorry I got sidetracked. I order the banana stuffed challah french toast topped with sliced strawberries and blueberries. You don't really need the maple syrup. Sweet overload.
Glutton heaven.
Your honorary Jew,
Ileana S.
Used to be a great stand by for yummy breakfast food in the hood. But I wad there today and the Lenox omelet was rubbery, toast smelled slightly old, almost moldy, and the potatoes were lack luster as well. Everything just tasted like the opposite of fresh. Oh well. I should nite that my daughters pancakes were yum. And it's always an easy spot to bring a child.
I'm sorry. How did I live in Boston Metro for five years and not come here before? What A Fool!!
The food is DELICIOUS and this place is PACKED all times of the day. Friday morning at 8? Full crowd. Friday at 12? Full Crowd. Saturday and Sunday? Don't even get me started! You can see the line down the street.
This place is amazing and clearly, the public thinks so. Their foodis incredibly scrumptious, their service legendary and the area very clean.
If you haven't been here yet, you're a fool and you're missing out! Don't do what I did. Go in ASAP! heh
Ok, everyone knows this placed gets packed from morning to early afternoon. So I go mid-afternoon and enjoy a great lunch. Yesterday, I had the chicken soup with Matzoball, Jack and Mary sandwich, and a side of corned beef hash. Ok, I ordered too much. It all tasted great. The sandwich was particularly done well with a mix of meats warmed but not too hot to toughen the meat. The bottomless cup of coffee? Great as well. Yes, the bill got racked up, but I only come every couple of months to splurge on deli so it's worth it.
Don't get me wrong it is a good place to get brunch, but I don't know if it's worth a wait everytime. I think I may hype it up too much in my mind when I have to wait and end up always a little disappointed when I do get served.
I heart the stuffed banana french toast though that seems to be a safe bet for me.
I don't know why people rave and rave about this place.
I mean every time I drive or walk by, there's a line waiting to get in... and really, the food isn't that great.
I have been twice, and both times, my sandwich has been the saddest looking thing I've ever seen.
The first time, I got a turkey club... the poor thing had limpy bread.
The second time, I got a corned beef sandwich, and wouldn't you know? it couldn't keep it together.
Their reputation definitely precedes them.
No thank you, zaftigs.
Whenever I feel the need to get in touch with my Jewish roots, I head here. Zaftigs has a great menu - plenty of Jewish delights for me, but enough Gentile food for, well, the Gentiles. It's a popular place so if you're looking to grab some dinner I suggest getting there a bit early. The staff is friendly, if not always knowledgeable about the menu. When asked her opinion of the chopped liver, a waitress made a face and said she was not a fan of liver so she had never tried it. But, at least she was honest! For the record, the chopped liver is delish and a great size as an appetizer for a party of four. The reuben is divine - perfect proportions and not too greasy. The prices are a bit more expensive than your average diner, but definitely worth it.
Fabulous! However, I was a little uncomfterble with the workers smoking cigerates rambonkiously outside!!
What can I say about Zaftigs that has not already been said. It's in my neighborhood but it took me about 2 years to go here for the first time. That was about 6 months ago and now I've been at least 12+ times. I love it. High quality ingredients always make for high quality food and a high quality time. the food is delicious-5 stars, it is generally very busy so they could use one or two more wait staff so that gets 4 stars. Over all, this place has decent good grub and I don't think you will ever be disappointed with your meal. Try the Mac and Cheese, it is definitely one of the best M&Cs around in the whole of the greater Boston area. Yummo!
I can't believe I've never reviewed Zaftigs since it's one of my favorite eating spots in Greater Boston.
The first few times I came here it was for breakfast (which you can get all day long, btw) and I loved it. While I generally get an omelette the potato pancakes and smoked fish is also outstanding.
Zaftigs is also the first place I tried beef tongue, which they serve smoked and sliced very thing. Absolutely delicious. I got a Jack & Marion the last time I went (a tongue and brisket sandwich) and it was smokey and meaty and delicious. As always.
If you come for breakfast on the weekends and get there after 9am, it WILL be crowded and you'll have a wait of a half hour to an hour. This is not as big a problem as it might seem if you follow this advice. Put your name in, then walk down the street to Peet's and get you caffienated beverage of choice, then slowly enjoy it and meander back down the street to Zaftigs. The slower the meander, the less you care about the long wait for a table.
I read all these wonderful reviews on Yelp and was soooo excited to come try this place that is chock-full of delicious food.
Wow, color me crestfallen.
We went around 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon so as not to wait ridiculously long for a table. We were seated quite promptly. What I really wanted was a hot corned beef and pastrami sandwich with sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and russian dressing. I didn't find it on the menu so I told our server that was what I wanted with fries and a matzo ball soup along with a diet black cherry pop. She seemed a bit confused but wrote it down carefully. My husband ordered the corned beef hash with eggs, potatoes, toast, and coffee.
The coffee came strong and hot but rather sloppy as half of it ended up in the saucer. Our meals arrived next and yet I did not have my pop or soup. That came after I had several bites of my sandwich. The soup was probably my favorite thing - it was hot with a rich broth, and the matzo ball was not too dense. Although, this was my first matzo ball soup experience so I have nothing to compare it to honestly.
Now the sandwich. Ummm, is a corned beef sandwich supposed to be cold? They "technically" got it right but it just seemed like they slapped it all together with no love. Where is the warm beef and pastrami? Where was the melted cheese? Why were my fries not hot or even warm? Why was the meat kind of tough and stringy? I asked my husband how his meal was and he said it was...interesting. His potatoes weren't that warm either! I don't know if they purposely did this because I was "difficult" but I certainly noticed that the girl next to me had a toasted, hot sandwich. I was severely disappointed.
If I want a good and reasonably priced brunch, I'll stick to The Breakfast Club since that wait results in delicious, hot food. If I want a warm, meaty, dressing running down my fingers, lip-smacking good corned beef, I'll stick to Michael's Deli.
I *may* try this place again if there is no wait and get the banana-stuffed french toast.
Not a huge breakfast fan but had like 4 hours to kill at 8am so there is not much else to do.
got some sort of scramble with eggs, turkey hash, spinach, cheese, maybe another thing or two. called joe's special. pretty cool place and since it was a thursday morning there was no 1 hour wait like everyone talks about on the weekends.
*This review is only for BREAKFAST*
Best time to go in for breakfast on a Saturday/Sunday is before 9:00 am - otherwise you'll have to wait anywhere from 20-60 minutes for a table (it's that good and worth the wait). I had a ritual (sadly, no longer in effect) of going every Sunday morning at 8:30 am for breakfast. The waiters and waitresses knew us and would come over and chat if they had a minute. They knew what our favorite dishes were and even remembered that I liked cream but my friend liked milk in our coffees.
The best breakfast dish is the Empire Eggs. It's a play on eggs benedict...but the base is a delicious potato pancake, followed by fresh spinach, a slice of delicious smoked salmon, topped with a poached egg and a version of hollandaise. Honestly, I got it almost every time. Though - I can also wholeheartedly recommend their apple and cheddar omelette, challah french toast and the granola and fresh fruit yogurt.
Yeah, yeah, yeah - it's on the pricey side...but quit yer moaning and spend a few extra bucks for a delicious, very non-kosher breakfast! :-)
Went back for my first breakfast here. The challah french toast is probably some of the best I've ever had. If you're a french toast fan, don't miss it! And man there's something in that O.J....
Be careful though - come before 9am or after 3pm on the weekends or the wait will be insanity.
Bagel chips are one of the coolest snacks ever before a meal. Haven't yet been here for… Read more »
Yes, it's pricey. Yes, there's a wait. Yes, you have to get up before the Amish to get a table here. But it's sooooooooooo worth it. Going to Zaftig's is like having one of those FastPasses that you get at Disney World, except the FastPass gets you into Food Heaven.
Two poached eggs, spinach, smoked salmon on potato pancakes topped with hollandaise? Yes, please! Date butter? Lather me up! Funny Jewish-themed t-shirts? I'm an XL!
This place is awesome. 'Nuff said!
Oh my gosh! Want good breakfast/brunch? Look no further. Happiness is banana stuffed french toast, or their eggs benedict. This place rocks...been going for 3 years and this place continues to be great.
Downside: Be prepared for an 60-90 minute wait on the sidewalk if you arrive on the weekend anytime after 10 am. BUT ITS WORTH IT!!
Rice pudding lovers, please listen up!
This is, hands down, the BEST rice pudding in town. Avoid the hassle, the lines- buy rice pudding and curl up in front of your TV with your loved one (dogs can be loved too you know?)
I've had breakfast here before but I don't recall it being spectacular. The rice pudding, however, is tattooed in my head with powerful ink.
I used to go here when I lived in Brookline. Not worth the green line hell. It is okay, not outstanding. I have never really understood what the big deal is rather than the lack of breakfast options in the area.
If you do go. Drop your name to the hostess and walk down Harvard Ave to one of the many bookstores. I guess it is more about the experience than actually eating the solid, but not great, food.
3.5 Stars
Zaftigs is definitely a upsacle neighborhood "deli". They have an amazing brunch menu a deli/diner looking lunch + dinner menu. Basically at Zaftigs, you can find home style dishes such as meatloaf, stuffed cabbage, chicken soup and all kinds of sandwiches hot and cold, and they all taste fresh and delicious.
Few of the things I always enjoy at Zaftigs includes
Empire Eggs--potato pancakes topped with smoked salmon and poached eggs.
Hot beef tongue sandwich.
Hot roast beef combo (sandwich)
I also think the meatloaf and stuffed cabbages are really good, but only if you like those old fashion home style foods.
The wait at Zaftigs are always very long, one time I had to wait for almost an hour (for dinner) even with a reservation, which I thought was ridiculous. And their service is usually very slow, good service but very slow.
Drek auf dem teller!
Why? There's delicious authentic Jewish deli right down the street at Rubin's. Why come to this lousy place and wait 30 minutes just for a table? Just so you can get some cheese on your sandwich? It's not worth it.
I suspect that my hot pastrami was microwaved. The portions are a joke...the chopped liver is used like a condiment, not a sandwich filling. Charging for extra pickles? Are you kidding? What's with this "extra-lean" nonsense with the cold cuts? Give me some FLAVOR! And the service is terrible...came here for dinner once so it wasn't the usual crowds, and it still took them way too long to serve us our food. That was when I finally convinced everyone else I was with to never come here again.
My biggest fear of all is that someone who's not one of the tribe will think this is representative of Jewish deli. Chas v'cholileh! The real thing is a hundred times better than this, people!
never go to this restuarant. it is the worst place ever. i could beter food half price you are better of go to the coolidge corner club house right next door
Soooooooooo delicious. I don't know how I haven't written a review for this place yet, but I'm going back to Boston in a couple months for a quick trip (...ok I'll admit it's not JUST to go zaftigs...but it's a pretty big draw) and I'm dreaming of the moment I'll get to cut into a fat stack of granola pancakes.
If that's not your style (the entire rest of my family gags at the thought of granola pancakes), don't worry--you'll find something. The menu is so extensive; it's overwhelming. Excellent matza ball soup
HORRIBLE wait EVERY weekend--you must get there early...or you must enjoying waiting for an hour to eat breakfast.
Zaftigs is my new favorite place. The bagel chips and herbed cream cheese that begin the meal are the best starter I've had yet. I can't tell you how satisfying they are, please go get some.
My buttermilk pancakes this Saturday, 8/29, were more than enough, dense and perfect with a sprinkling of confectionery sugar and fresh strawberries.
Been curious to try this place and we finally did! Went for breakfast and we had excellent karma this morning....got a parking spot right in front and literally walked in to a table immediately....we were lucky as the early AM rush started right as we sat down. We each had a delicious breakfast. They have awesome coffee and the service is impeccable! Kudos to the busboys here - it was like watching a ballet of turning over tables - they are a true asset to this place running as smoothly as it does. Can't wait to go back again!
There is something to be said to come to a new restaurant, sit at the bar be greeted by a friendly smile that makes one feel at home. And to be up at such an early hour, home is exactly where I should be, but the constant conversations I've had with friends about the Banana Stuff French Toast drove my appetite and the rest of me to experience for myself. And what they delivered was ripe flavorful banana bread nestled with a crown of delicious blueberries and strawberries a treat for the eye and the palate to behold , I don't know what they did to that piece of bread, but it was like they injected it with ripe bananas that hugged the bread which when accompanied with the warm maple syrup, hugged my taste buds in a loving embrace that makes me salivate thinking about it now! This is what food is supposed to elicit when imagination meets culinary experience
I don't think I can accurately review this place. We had been dying to go there for so long, and finally got in at a time it wasn't *that* busy (it still was pretty busy though). We were so excited and the first thing I did was order the potato pancakes every raved about.
Then I got them. I ate one. Delish. I bit into the second, felt something weird and looked inside. ... Hair. Lots of hair. All tangled up inside, and definitely not the color of either mine or my boyfriend's hair.
The waitress was quick to come over, and offered us another plate of them but I couldn't bring myself to eat more. They didn't discount the meal and I did sort of finish the rest of my non-pancake food but anything we ate after that we felt sick looking at.
I'm sure they are excellent otherwise but now unfortunately whenever I hear Zaftigs mentioned I feel nauseous.
I have eaten here for breakfast long time ago before I became foodie. That experience simply imprinted their awesomeness without the detail in my head. Now, I've become a little foodie-er, I wanted to re-experience to figure out what made it so "awesome".
I've made many attempts for brunch in weekends but all failed due to minimum of 45 minutes wait. Recently, I came here with my friend in one weeknight. And it was tolerable duration of 15min.
I was delighted to discover that brunch was served all day. Every dish that we ordered was really good. Flavor was rich but not overwhelming. They were just right.
White fish fillet, which seemed to be mixture of cream cheese, haddock and other ingredients was top notch. This was the one of the rarest dish that could satisfy big eater like myself with quality over quantity. This made fish 'n chips I ordered a little too excessive. Hence it felt too greasy in my stomach, but it's a friend food. How could it not be?
A day later, I had left over of Banana bread which I didn't get to eat on site. Even though it was a day old and cold. It was wicked, wicked tasty.
My friend came here after overtime at work which resulted stress eating. You should come here when you are hungry but I wouldn't recommend coming here if you are in the verge of stress eating. It does get too heavy. Come here when your mind is more rational.
P.S. This friend of mine is Jewish. After we left this place, he said "Man.. it feels that I just came out of JDate. I saw many familiar faces from the website in there..." So if you are a JDate member, you might want to check this place out before you make a contact through the website.
Breakfast all day = 4 stars already in my book. Fortunately the food itself lives up to those stars. I love the bagel chips you get upon seating, and their coffee is actually really tasty, as are their egg creams (does anyone else under the age of 75 drink them? no, just me?).
The chicken matzo ball soup is really good and perfect for when you're feeling under the weather, and my favorite thing to eat here is the San Francisco Joe's Special... house made ground turkey hash, mushrooms, onions, spinach and egg, topped with grated asiago makes for one delicious meal, no matter what time of day. Decidedly un-authentic, or whatever, but what do I care, it's damn good.
If you're coming for weekend brunch, put your name in and then go wander around Coolidge for an hour or two, check out Brookline Booksmith or take in a quick movie at the Theater, keep yourself busy but be prepared to wait. During non-brunch hours, however, there's usually no real wait.
Zaftigs is making me zaftig. Here's a typical visit:
1. Hope against hope that I've missed the rush....
2. Wait 45 minutes.
3. Order (either 1 of the 2 things I always order + a Dr.Brown's soda)
4. Get my schmear on (dibs on the everything chips!)
5. Too full to eat meal, but gorge anyway because, well, we waited.
6. Food coma: head to Brookline Booksmith to walk it off, buy things I don't need.
We went here last night to celebrate a friend's birthday. I ordered the Johnny O' wrap which consisted of smoked chicken, hummus,lettuce, and tomato. It was very good, although for the $12.95 price tag I think I could do better. The thing is, I have been watching my food choices more closely during the week, and I can't help but think that all the REALLY good food on this menu was in the categories I was opting out of. I'll have to come back here on a day when it's a free for all. The breakfast offerings look amazing, and I have heard the pancakes are the shiz. My friend had the brisket plate with french fries which also looked pretty pleasant.
Morbidly obese Jewish people art on the walls challenge me to try more foods in this gourmet spot.
Don't passover making of happy, traditional Jewish food here! Don't go crazy on free bagel chips and cheese platter; save yourselves.Makes sense why Madonna and so many celebrities converted with their red string bracelets. The holy food?
Best and mandatory POTATO PANCAKES. Drool. Very FRESH FRUIT, ingredients. All food is in large portions. Too much menu. Very busy brunch. Oh yeah, and on a desert note, fresh cheese blintzes are a blitzkrieg pop.
Breakfast food: Friend enjoyed Empire Eggs; smoked salmon, potato pancakes, eggs, spinach, hollandaise. How decadent? Does fish belong with all those things? Definitely a LOX place of course-
Entrees: The BEEF BRISKET; the meat itself is very nice; tender, lots of meat, thinly cut. Nice bitter gravy, coulda been thicker. MASH POTATO served like ice cream. I would appreciate more vegetables though; the carrots and mushrooms are many candles short of a menorah. Why do restaurants often add vegetables as an afterthought?
I found the turkey dish fun but dry. The cranberry and apricot chutney and stuffing complicated. The squash overcooked and over salted. Everything was pretty good; just too much. Maybe I'm just a simpler girl sometimes; I don't need twelve spices in my classic fixings.
(CAFFREY SPOLIER-I like my Irish family's brisket and turkey better!
Funny how going out sometimes reminds you to cook and stay home:) Oh and Evan makes the best French toast, so I'm not even gonna mess! Yelp the one your with. :P)
ZAFT-PUNK-I would come back here to try ROMANIAN PASTRAMI/Reuben, chopped LIVER, BORSCHT, (Evan wants to make this beat treat, not sure exactly what the hell it is),KNISH, GEFILTE FISH (my Swedish grammy used to eat this). Oh, yeah and I gotta try their kugel because this former Catholic girl is a cinnamon, butter, egg, noodle,
K U G E L F R E A K!!
I've walked by here many times on weekends when the line is wrapped around the block. Having a few days off to entertain a visiting friend, we popped in here for a mid-week brunch to see what all the fuss was about on a day with minimal fuss.
Well, first of all, the place was still packed on a Wednesday at 10:00 am--although we did manage to get seated right away. I was impressed by the loyal clientele and the *amazingly* friendly service. Service is Boston is usually churlish at best, so this was a very refreshing change of pace.
So, the food. Their decaf coffee was really smooth and flavorful, which is difficult to find. It went down like candy; I loved it and I love me some free refills. My chocolate french toast and my friend's egg sandwich were ridiculously good. The apex of brunch food. Just perfect and delicious.
But...my husband's omelet was dry and blah. The omelet is the weak link on the menu--it stars at $9 and then you have to add $1 for each ingredient, even the cheese. I mean....c'mon. That's $9 for scrambled eggs.
But outwith their bizarrely extortionate omelet policy, everything else was exquisite. The prices are just a teensy bit more than you might find at a diner, but it's well worth it given the cheerful atmosphere and stellar service. However, I don't think it's worth the crazy long wait on the weekends--there's a certain Portuguese place in Somerville that definitely beats them on that score.
I'm sure I'm in the minority on this one, but I've never had to wait in line at Zaftigs for brunch. Here's the secret: Arrive between 9 am and 10 am on a Saturday. This has yet to fail me!
The service is friendly and attentive. We never had to ask for our coffee cups or our water glasses to be refilled; the waitress had it completely under control. And everyone from the hostess to the busboy was cheerful and on point. Also, the food is awesomely delicious. My fave is a variation on Eggs Benedict called Empire Eggs. Empire Eggs is two poached eggs served on a base of potato pancakes with lox and sauteed spinach in between. It's topped with hollandaise sauce, and comes with fresh fruit and home fries on the side. That might sound like too much potatoes, but I'm a unrepentant carb-lover, so it was just right! (Not to mention that the homefries at Zaftigs are addictive. I'm pretty sure they're deep fried.)
The food isn't fancy, but it's satisfying, and the atmosphere is pleasant and welcoming. All in all, a great place to relax and eat away the previous night's hangover.
What is up with the raves for this place!?!? $12.50 for a turkey club, when quiznos across the way serves a better, substantial sandwich for less.
service, absolute swill. i met a friend for dinner and she was running late. She asked me how long i'd been sitting there, i said, 'about 5 minutes' she said, 'where are your bagel chips?' she was pissed i didn't get them immediately. we didn't get our 'bagel chips' for a while. i guess the 'kosher' (yes, pun intended) practice at this establishment is as soon as waiter comes to address you, bagel chips are in hand (i could be wrong, but...)
fine let's talk quality. i went on a tuesday, they ran out of my fav 'mac and cheese, really? on a tuesday? so i got an omelette. the homefries...bland, my omelette so bland and boring, the toast-hardly toasted, felt stale.
ok so, thursday, now i'm craving my mac and cheese. so on a busier night, we have success (i guess supply and demand) SO, it was especially nice when i went to pick up my call in order (sarcastically speaking), when the hostess put my take out bag on the counter, she put my receipt on the counter, walked away to check her cell for text messages, even before i had starting signing. HOW RUDE! there was no 'thank you, enjoy your meal, or take care........' Nothing! Is that how to conduct oneself or represent a business? Ew!
This is my 3rd time there, and '3rd time is a charm' A charm and pleasant realization that i NEVER have to go there again! ($2.50 for refillable soda that takes forever to actually get refilled- boo!) Done...
Zaftig's is confused in some manner. It's not quite sure if it'd rather be a Deli, a Diner, or a Semi-Casual, moderately priced Restaurant. The menu ranges from Deli sandwiches and Jewish staples (Matzoh, Latkes, etc.) to some American comfort foods. But within it's eclectic walls, and through it's eclectic menu, there is plenty of good to find.
The place is popular. This much is obvious, for if you've ever went to Zaftig's at a given meal bracket, there's usually a line. The maximum time I've ever waited for a table here was only about 20 minutes though, so they can artfully move people through. Is it worth the wait? Depends on the duration. Zaftig's is awesome, no doubt - I've enjoyed every meal I have there, but if the wait were an hour I'd find someplace else. As stated, however, the waits have never been overwhelming in my experience.
The food is solid. The Latkes are awesome, but are thick - so if you're in the mood for a thinner, crispier potato pancake you may find these a bit daunting. They're crispy, though, and heavy and hearty on the inside. They are pretty expensive, but they taste good and are quite filling. The homestyle foods, such as the meatloaf, mac and cheese, and pot pie - are all very substantial, tasty, and simple in a good way.
Zaftig's, because of it's popularity, seems to receive pretty polarized reviews here on Yelp. Is it necessarily a must-stop place? Not in my opinion. But is it solid enough to warrant it's popularity? I'd say so. If you're looking for a 100% authentic New York style Jewish Deli, you're better going to places that specifically cater to that. Somewhere in Zaftig's 'jack of all trades' aspirations, that feeling and focus was brushed to the side a bit. But the qualities that they've gained from that stance are strong in their own right, and offer what amounts to a good (to very good) dining experience.
Zaftig's is one of the greatest things to happen to Coolidge Corner. They are like a little Jewish TGIF, offering the typical variety of burgers, salads and sandwiches and then some specialties like Lox and Whitefish Salad.
The entrees were satisfying, sometimes with so much food on the plate that you wonder if they gave you a new entree when you weren't looking. The price is absolutely right as well. So why not 5 stars? Well, honestly it was the service. For 2 out of the 3 times I've been there, I've had a case of the missing server, having gone through at least a pitcher's worth of ice water before being asked if I'm ready to order. It's something that could easily be fixed.
I have yet to try their breakfast, but for now my personal favorite is the Israeli Couscous Salad. Cranberries, walnuts, chicken and so much cous-cous!
Attention beet lovers the Borscht (hot or cold) is there for your root vegetable lovin' pleasure. With it's scallion and brothy goodness and dollop of sour cream, I was hooked.
Ok so beets aren't your thing-there is a ton of variety on this menu and breakfast is served all day.
I was extremely concerned about the wait which, sadly is the only reason I've never been there. We went at 3ish on a Sunday for a late lunch/early dinner and the timing was just right.
Some other deli delights:
-The salmon cake sandwich featured a hardcore amount of salmon with yummy potatoes
-Pickle people will delight in the pickle plate...go ahead eat the picked tomato it's really good
This place blows. I came here first for brunch because i love brunch and everyone said this is the place to come. We waited for 2 hrs to sit. Please dont ask why i chose to wait 2 hrs, at some pt it became just a sunk cost investment. But after 2 hrs we went in to find the restaurant has only 1/2 as many tables as they can fit. They know they are underserving their customers and dont care. The waiter also had the gall to tell us at the end of our meal to "take our time". Are you frickin serious!? Theres a line of people around the block outside. Brunch shouldnt be rushed, but in these circumstances get people in and get them out!
Anyway! About the food. It was disgusting. I was broke and ordered cheap eggs, they were cold and tasteless. Even the toast wasnt good. Other people's (pricier) meals were also cold and bland. Overall no one was impressed. And after a 2 hr wait, you need to blow me away. Zaftigs did not. It took us less than 20 mins to get out of there. Waste of a morning!
I later went back for dinner, got matzo ball chicken soup and tuna nicoise. The tuna nicoise was canned tuna. Yes, canned. Like the pink minced stuff. I have never had nicoise with canned tuna. It was awful. The soup, however, was terrific. But not enough to make up for Zaftigs many other insults.
Overall, a waste of two meals out. I wouldnt come back here if I won the place in a poker game and could get eat free for life.
30% OFF Monday-Friday Lunch…
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Yelpers get 10% OFF
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner
Category: American (New)
Brookline, MA
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
Category: Coffee & Tea
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