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Categories: Greek, Diners, American (Traditional), Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Harvard SquareHarvard (Red)
Mon-Sat. 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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GOOD FOOD. That's it, plain and simple. If you want good diner food go to Zoe's, you will not be disappointed. They have great sweet potato fries, an excellent selection of milkshakes, great variety of T_ A_S_T_Y breakfast and greek foods.
I love getting grilled cheese with bacon and tomato with a lime rickey... yum yum.
The service is great and waitresses are awesome. I really like the host too! The downside? Zoe's is very busy, so on a weekend it may not be the best idea to have a large group, unless you want to be waiting for awhile. Zoe's is also moderately priced, which is awesome for the quality of the food and service
P.S. Love Love Love the pictures on the wall, they're hilarious!
Zoe's = Denny's + Greek food - customer service - identity.
Zoe's, please try to gain an identity. Everybody hates fakes. Case in point? Balloon boy. sdfwf9283fi8108e... sorry, I just punched my computer because that is how much I dislike fakes. Just like you can't be a fat hipster, you can't put baked lamb, chicken alfredo, fish & chips and teriyaki chicken on the same page on a diner menu. Even Guy Fieri would have trouble making senseless catch-phrases to your menu and he's Guy Fieri, the adult version of balloon boy r28ff8yefy38u0e8f... sorry, he just gets me so mad. Zoe, if you stick to a couple of good areas of food instead of trying to do everything, I'll come back, I promise.
The chicken basil sandwich was criminally under-salted. The bread it was served on had all pliability toasted away. Not only toasted, but close to burned. I did like that you can replace the fries for salad and you can pick your bread type (12 grain, white, wheat, etc.). The tuna melt was boring and lacked flavor. At least hint at another flavor other than tuna and tuna water. We went for dinner and there were only 2 other couples there. Even with the lack of customers, the customer service was bad. We had to wait a long time for the food time to come out... almost as long as waiting to find out the truth about the balloon boy 432982rsdjfdoij9ryu429r8u31ewf.
When I visit my sister and my brother-in-law in Boston, I always look forward to going to breakfast at Zoe's.
This morning, I had the bagel with Lox, Cream Cheese, Capers, Tomatoes, Red Onions and Cucumbers... and I must say, though I live in New York - the land of the best Lox in the world - this morning's breakfast was PERFECT!
I have also had their eggs, their french toast, their omelets, and their pancakes, and for a diner, they can stand proud.
There is ample street parking. It is loud, so it's great for children, and the staff is super friendly.
Everything about this place works - even the new menu and slightly higher prices are good. So... the next time I am in Boston, I will look forward to eating here again.
If you are in doubt about trying Zoe's out, don't hesitate. There is something for everyone and kids are always welcome.
I hope you all enjoy!
S~
This review actually deserves a 3.5. To keep it short and sweet, this is my new breakfast place since I live very close to it AND because it's been hard to find a good diner in Cambridge around the Harvard Square (I can only think of two and it includes Zoe's)
I come here for the daily double, and I customize it with medium eggs, two sausages, homefries, and the sweet potato pancakes, which I highly recommend. I've come here for burgers, and they are good, too.
The only one bad experience I had was when I brought my family here on a busy Sunday, and the host totally overlooked us when we've been waiting for a table for 20 minutes and were standing RIGHT in front of him.
Other than that, everything I've had has been pretty delicious. Try to come before 10:30 for breakfast or else you'll be waiting to have breakfast at noon. But I guess that's why they serve it all day.
It was a nice day outside so I decided to walk it from my place near copley all the way to Zoe's. Figured, it was a diner and their portions would be huge anyways, so might as well get a little workout in :)
And oh my god the portions are huge! If I were asked to make a comparison, it is similar to an ihop, except MUCH better in terms of menu selection (they have around 20 different omelettes to choose from!) and many more variations, all coming with home fries and toast. Plus the prices are incredibly reasonable. They serve breakfast all day everyday, but we decided to have it at the time of the day when it's most appropriate...so, brunch :). Naturally, that is also when it is the crowded the most, but the nice man with the clipboard didn't have us wait too long and had us seated in about 15 minutes. We were immediately taken into a restaurant full of colors, not only in it's decor, but in it's menu as well. And the dishes certainly added even more color to the place ! So many choices, I found myself asking for more and more time because I just couldn't decide. I finally went with the Tuscan Omelette, simply because it had avocado in it and I wanted to see how it would taste with avocado.
End result? It was good. Nothing path breaking, but it was good. The homefries and whole wheat bread were amazing and the freshly squeezed OJ was even better! My friends' had the Three sons and some pancakes. There was just entirely too much food on the table and we were so very pleasantly surprised when the bill came! I love having a full meal and not feel like my wallet is going down the drain...
I loved this place all in all. Everything from the service to the menu to the execution of the latter. Almost makes me wish I lived in Cambridge instead of Boston.....almost :)
This place is great because they offer such a wide variety of options on their menu...especially for vegetarians. You have the choice of veggie sausage with almost everything. What other diner does that?!
Anyway, prices are decent, portions are large, service is quick. Now that I have discovered this place, I can't wait to go back!
Went here on a weekday for a quick dinner and had to ask for more time as I kept perusing the menu. Had a good deal of vegetarian options, especially if you're ovalactarian as breakfast is served all day! Woohoo!! I finally settled on the Portabello wrap, which was good and I chose a side of coleslaw. We also started with the mozarella sticks, which were served with a freaking amazing marinara sauce. Knowing that, I would definitely go with something drenched in marinara (i.e. eggplant parmesan). My friend enjoyed his steaktips, which he had with the sweet potato fries. We both walked out with frappes, though I could only finish half of my oreo one. OOoooh yeaaah.
Food's pretty effing good and I put this diner over the Breakfast Club which is a skip and a hop away from my house. I'd be willing to walk 20 minutes here. It's on the basement level of a restaurant complex across the street from a yoga place, so don't be surprised if you can't find it easily.
A menu filled with Greek and American classics?
Loud, brightly colored interior with chrome accents?
Sugar in large glass containers with metal pour spouts?
Breakfast all day?
I think I smell a diner! Or as close to it as an establishment can come given that it exists outside of the NY/NJ area and isn't open 24 hours. With large portions, giant fountain sodas and friendly, albeit very busy, waitresses, this is the ideal spot to meet for lunch, enjoy a casual meal and not spend a ton of money. Zoe's is the kind of place that will become a standard in standby eateries, providing just what you expect, when you expect it, in the food and experience departments.
And just what should you expect?
-To enjoy your meal and leave with a full belly
-To ask for your water to be refilled
-Bendy straws
-Your butt sticking to the vinyl seats if you're wearing shorts or a skirt
Expect anything different and you'll be sorely disappointed!
We were grumpy from driving a GIANT cargo van around since enterprise messed up our reservation.....and therefore we were HUNGRY and low and behold, we saw a sign for Zoe's up ahead, and found a spot big enough to park in and we walked in, after being welcomed by the sweet sweet smell of potatoes, onions, and bacon. Ya gotta love how all diners smell that way :)
The service can be a little slow here, but they serve breakfast all day long, which is always a bonus in my book. My mom and I both got omelets-- mine their southern one with chorizo sausage, onions, peppers, black beans and corn with cheese. Sounds good right?? Well.....there was not really any cheese in my omelet....and I don't really believe in omelets without cheese.....so ya....everything else was good, but that was minus a star right there...
My brother got their philly cheese steak sandwich and he loved it, but without anything on the side, it didn't keep him too full for too long. But three of us eating here for under $30 with waitress service is pretty good!
I love this place. They've got great smoothies and their greek yogurt with walnuts and honey is amazing. The Hamburger Club is good too.
The staff is nice and attentive and it's a great mix of old diner that even yuppies can love.
And? You can sit at the counter. Beat that!
It takes a lot to me off the couch on a rainy Saturday morning, especially when hungover. However, the possibility of a greasy delicious breakfast will always get me out the door. Zoe's food meet all of my expectations for greasy breakfast food. My plate consisted of eggs, toast, and corned beef hash that did not come from a can. The food was good and satisfying, however generic. I believe Zoe's would benefit for more creativity in their menu. But sometimes on a rainy hungover Saturday, a familiar greasy breakfast is best.
The service was great.
One thing I miss most about Long Island is the abundance of diners. Luckily Zoe's is right next to where I work in Cambridge now! The menu has everything on it, and you can't go wrong with a place that serves breakfast all day. Good food and quick service has made Zoe's my Friday lunch ritual.
I love diners. I used to work in a 50s diner (yes, I had to dress up, no there are not pictures) so I have a soft spot for any place that provides a nod to that era. Enter Zoe's...I had high hopes. Unfortunately they weren't entirely met but hey.
Let's start at the beginning, service. While very polite and friendly it was lacking. Water was brought out and one of our glasses had something funky in it. It was taken away but never replaced. Not a huge deal since my companion had a soda but still. After bringing our food out we didn't see our server again until the check arrived. A little followup would have been appreciated...
Now the food. Jesus H are the servings gigantic. I had the mac and cheese dinner. Since I'm used to eensy bowls of m&c coming out of places I opted for an additional salad. Had I known the bowl of pasta would be the size of Rhode Island I may have skipped that. That being said I really enjoyed the meal. Nothing fancy, very homey, very good. My friend had the eggplant parm which was MASSIVE. He couldn't even finish a third of it but said it was pretty good.
We also had a chocolate coke and cherry coke. I *really* like that these are made in house. There's really no comparison to the bottled variety. The chocolate could have used a wee bit more sauce but the cherry was spot-on and contained a lot of cherries.
I'll probably be back here but will think twice about ordering additional items now that I know the size of their plates. It's a nice place if you're looking for a little retro comfort.
So good. Big menu, good portions, and well-priced. Breakfast all day! Who doesn't like that? They also have a selection of beer. I had a Gyro for lunch the other day. Hit the spot!
Yea...maybe it has great food and amazing potato pancakes. But if I am waking up hungry on a Sunday morning and want to get my food within a few hours....not the place to go! There were about 7 parties waiting in front of the crowded restaurant. So I asked the host how long the wait would be and he said they were moving fast. The turnover seemed fast at first but after they called about 15 groups (most of whom arrived after us) while we waited outside for 1 hr and 15 minutes, I approached the host again. I realized that they separate the waitlist into parties of 2s, 3s and 4s and more. We were a party of 3. He said the tables that seated 2s and 4s opened up more quickly. I told him that we had been waiting for over an hour and that a table that seats 4 can surely seat 3! My friends and I left in a horrendously bitter and ravenous state. I don't care about the great sweet potato pancakes...I am never going there again.
Two things I would recommend without hesitation here: 1. Greek Omelet: The combination of feta with the onions and gyro meat makes for a surprisingly refreshing and delicious omelet. (They have two Greek omelets and I think the one I prefer is the Athenian, but I could be wrong) 2. Crunchy French Toast: If i decide to opt for Sweet over Savory, this is my go-to treat. The crunchy oatmeal granola stuff they coat the bread with stops the french toast from getting too soggy. Definitely recommend getting it with fresh strawberries or bananas! I've also had a peanut butter banana frappe, which was decent, large and tasty, but I couldn't really distinguish those flavors from the vanilla ice cream taste.
Be prepared for a long wait on the weekends, especially if you are only two people rather than enough for a booth.
Cute little diner! Came here for brunch on Sunday and it was full. The wait for 2 was only about 10 min. They have a yummy menu with delicious homefries and serve breakfast all day! I'm pretty sure it's family run so the service and everyone is super nice. Great to go with a friend for coffee and food. Not expensive, good place.
When I walked into Zoe's for the first time, my heart filled with warmth at the diner like feel of this place. They've got a great menu - lots of items for those of you who are more adventurous and some good classics for those of you who, like me, prefer a cheeseburger to a feta wrap.
Good stuff:
Sweet potato pancakes
Sweet potato fries
Shakes (but they're a bit expensive)
Sandwiches
Breakfasts
Much much more
Mediocre stuff:
Apple pie
Enjoy!
I really like this place. Not only is the food great, but the wait staff is top notch. This place is right near my office so I eat there a lot. The waitress ALWAYS remembers my order and just asks me if I'll have the usual. She was already getting extra points for that, but today she really outdid herself. I was eating with a coworker who asked for some relish for his hot dog. She came back and said they didn't have any. A few minutes later, she appeared with some and said that she'd just run next door to the convenience store to pick some up. How many places would do that? Extra extra points and a big tip.
Eh, I'm not a fan. Been here multiple times with friends and was underwhelmed each time.
I'd rather go to Neighborhood for breakfast or Bartley's for burgers.
I'm a sucker for dives, but Zoe's gets all fancy with it's modern take on a diner. Plus it's bright lights had me when the windchill was -6 and I was rushing down Mass Ave for a meal.
I'm a breakfast girl, but it was a Sunday evening (which is pretty slow there), and I wanted my first meal of the day to be a burger. Sweet potato fries and the burger melt. My burger was overcooked (this happens eeeeeverywhere) and I should have indicated that I wanted my egg yolk (yes an egg - a glorious addition to beef and cheese) to be runny. I wanted that burger to be a delicious mess. It kind of was, but not in the way that I intended - the rye bread just got soggy from the burger juices and caramelized onions. I'll be honest, it was a tad bit bland (a little seasoning and a little Worcestershire sauce never hurt anyone), but those sweet potato fries, now those were something!
The menu is incredibly diverse, several kinds of reubens and salmon benedict - oww and baklava! Not to mention vegetarian options that will make my little sister happy. And they not only serve frappes, but beer and wine too!
To quote a fashion visionary in our time - "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!"
This place is highly over-rated. I can't comprehend why there are so many positive reviews? Let me rap atcha.
I hit this spot on a sunny, warm springish day at approx 3pm. There was a line, which to be fair, was more brief than I had expected.
The decor in this place was stunning. It was an over-ambitious failure at creating a unique dive/diner, with a terrible mix of colors on the walls, tables, everywhere. Who green-lighted this design plan?
Home fries -noun. Sliced, boiled potatoes, fried in butter or shortening.
Mashed Potatoes -plural noun. Potatoes that are boiled and mashed, often with milk and butter.
How peculiar. Guess which one came with my meal? Three dollar sides of bacon, with a total of four strips? I'm gonna stick with Rosebud.
Lame Jokes that I Might or Might Not Have Told in a Fit of Pique While at Zoe's
OR
Why My Friends are Being Sarcastic When They Tell You I Am The Very Definition of Maturity
Why did the chicken cross the road?
He heard about the croissant french toast special.
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Spani.
What?
SPANIKOPITA!!! AHAHAHA.
Friend: Wow, I can't believe I just ate all of those pancakes.
Me: THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!
Friend: I'm not sure whether I am feeling a burger or breakfast...
Me: I felt up your mom last night.
Friend: ...
Me: She also felt like a burger?
Two mozzarella sticks are sitting on the plate in front of us. One turns to the other and says "Oh my god, they're going to eat us." And then before the other one can exclaim it's surprise at a talking mozzarella stick, we eat them both.
A minister, a priest, and a rabbi walk into a bar. Oh fuck it, here comes our food.
One of the things I miss the most about living in Cambridge is Zoe's. The sweet potato pancakes are delicious. My other two favorites are the breakfast burrito (which they will happily make vegetarian upon request) and the vegetarian reuben.
Love the 50's style booths, and the vegetable posters. The portions here are generous, and I usually needed to walk it off--not a problem, since Harvard's a short walk away. Hopefully we can be reunited soon, Zoe.
The sweet potato pancakes are out of this world. I'm also a fan of their eggs benedict and lamb kabobs.
I wanted to love this place. I really did. But not so much. Here's why.
We came here on a fairly busy day, 1/1/2009. Everyone needs food to sop up their hangovers from the night before, and we were no exception. There was a wait for a table, so we decided to sit at the counter.
After a fairly extensive delay, the obviously harried waitress took our orders. The coffee was actually quite decent.
The spanikopita, however, was most decidedly not. The phyllo dough was noticeably stale, and had clearly been made some time ago, stored in the freezer, then reheated quickly.
Our food took quite some time to come out, and when the waitress said "we're just waiting on the omelet," my heart sank. Sure enough, when the omelet came out hot and fresh, the turkey club was cold. Not lukewarm, cold. Fries too. Ever had toasted bread that's been allowed to go completely cold? It's like eating a handful of broken glass.
I actually sustained an internal injury from the bread. No joke - cut the inside of my mouth all to shit.
We paid and got the eff out. If we come back (which I doubt), we'll sit at a table, and try ordering some of the recommended dishes other Yelpers have raved about. Unfortunately, my experience with Zoe's wasn't up to the usual Yelp 4- or 5-star snuff. But maybe they can redeem...
Blue plate special meets greek shmorgasboard at a truly rare breakfast spot. Lounge back in colorful pleather covered booths as you feel yourself becoming more and more hopped on their coffee and comatosed by mountains of food simultaneously. This is my favorite place to grab breakfast in Harvard Square, second only in my list of breakfast favorites to soundbites*.
Try the greek yogurt!
*If only they had surly servers and stuffed french toast...
What an interesting mix of greek and american diner food! I like it though. I had the french toast, which was delicious (but also kind of hard to mess up).
Friends had some of the greek items and were very happy. Our Coptic Egyptian gave the food good reviews, so I trust her.
We spilled a big bottle of salad dressing, but the waitress was really nice about cleaning it up for us.
I would come back.
I love this place.
It is close to Harvard Sq. and easy to reach.
The wait staff (one particular waitress) are very friendly and remember you.
They have great burgers and a wonderful tuna salad. These are my favorites! Very affordable. My son and I often have a hearty meal there for $20 and that's usually with a sundae or other dessert. The diner also has a cool laid back design. Not too busy especially, around 5-6pm on weekdays.
Try them :-)
I'm not going to be here alot, but hooray for a diner in Harvard Square that serves breakfast all day! The food is solid, not fantastic, but definitely comparable to IHOP. I liked that they have big windows for people-watching, and a big dining room, which is an oddity in Harvard for a reasonably priced restaurant. They also have about 50 flavors of frappes and coffee milk. Fits the bill for any tourist (my mom) looking for a northeast diner.
MILKSHAKES (ahem, I mean FRAPPES) = HEAVEN.
I would take a whole box of Lactaid for my milk allergy, just so I could drink at least four of these in one sitting. Also well priced for how big and thick they are.
They only have one blender (apparently), so you'll have to wait a few for deliciousness through a straw.
Zoe's is perpetually crowded on weekends with hungover college kids and those of us that ran out of… Read more »
I met a friend here for brunch this morning. The coffee was okay, the food was good, the company was amazing!
I love original ideas such the light bulb, the automobile and my mother's apple pie. Diners fit into this category as well and I think I found one that I could surely get used to.
I ordered something called the "zoe's omelette". In it were tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and buffalo mozzarella cheese. It was very good. the menu seems a bit creative and worth exploring more than once or twice.
Sat at the bar because of it's long line at 2PM on a weekday.
Menu is HUGE with sweets and savorys for breakfast.
The scrambled eggs came out as folded over eggs.
The homefries were mush nastified with a sour taste.
Not my cup of tea because those two factors punched me in the face by being that way but will admit that Zoe's serves a good purpose in the neighborhood.... and their fresh squeeze juice machine is pretty neat.
A friend and I stopped here while on our lunch breaks and ordered wraps to go. The take-out counter is fast and efficient. Plus, our server was really nice.
I ordered the West Coast Wrap and it was pretty good. The avocado and sprouts were green and fresh (not to mention *tasty*). However, the accompanying fries were a bit wimpy. But that could have been due to the fact that we carried our lunches back to the office with us.
Plus, it was a huge lunch for under $8. Factor in that I had to save half of the wrap for dinner, and we have ourselves a very economical buy.
Impressive. Diners are slowly becoming an endangered species these days, so Zoe's is certainly worth the visit.
If wraps, sandwiches, pancakes, or hamburgers interest you, then this is the spot for you. I ordered a 'farmer's wrap' with onions, spinach, blue cheese, cranberries, pear, and cucumber with side of mouth-watering sweet potato fries. Sound good? It was friggin outstanding. Bottomless coffee a bonus.
Service was persistent and wait staff laid back. It's a cozy environment to lounge, reflect, and take a load off. (Never rushed.) It has a bit of a NYC feel as well. Harvard Square needs more joints like this one. Sorry, IHOP.
Come here for hangover breakfast food.
I'm rating Zoe's one star because it's dirty. When I was seated, my utensils had food on them. I had to ask for clean utensils. When I was done eating, I asked for a box. The box I was given had food in it. Gross!
I don't plan on going back. Getting dirty utensils and a dirty "to go" box made me wonder what "extra toppings" I had in the meal I ordered....
Listing time...
1. My first cat was named Zoe.
2. I love sweet potato fries.
3. I never know if I'm going to want breakfast or lunch.
4. I take people to Zoe's that I like being cozy with. It so warm and friendly, feels like the living room.
5. Iced coffee!
6. Huge booths!
7. They serve alcohol?
8. Veggie posters. You'll know what I'm talking about when you go.
9. Go.
10. Don't get the nachos (I don't think I've ever said that before).
Good place for brunch. Good prices, good food, and fast service. It's got a good diner vibe and friendly service. If anyone wants the diner brunch experience this is the place to go. I'd rate it as a 3.5 but that options doesn't exist.
This is a really cute diner with breakfast and Greek-inspired dishes.
Some friends and I walked into it randomly one night. Just looking at the menu for the first time got me really excited.
All I have to say is that it's affordable and the food's good. It can get pretty packed sometimes though.
I like Zoe's because it's not as greasy as other diners (Mike's). The service is pretty quick and the food is tasty. The bathrooms are pretty nasty but they share it with another restaurant - oh well. I've only been for breakfast. Don't know what lunch is like.
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