Andales Mexican Grill 513 Medford St - 617.625.5454 Recommended Dishes:carne asada plate Review:the best tacos in town they have the best tacos and you can have your choice of salsa picante (very hot) or salsa verde which is my choice simply the best salsa verde i ever had it has a taste it can't be describe you just have to try it.
Dali Restaurant and Tapas Bar 415 Washington St - 617.661.3254 $30.01 - $50 Explore the world of tapas in this spirited and romantic spot on the Cambridge border. Cuisine: Mediterranean Recommended Dishes:duck in berry sauce, scallops in safron sauce Review:Tapas Paradise
Urban Gourmet 688 Broadway - 617.628.2322 $5.01 - $15 Urban Gourmet is an husband and wife run eat-in and take-out restaurant in Ball Square, not far from Tufts University and Davis Square in Somerville. There is a wide selection of sandwiches, calzones, pizzas, pasta dishes, appetizers, desserts and more. Cuisine: Deli / Sandwiches Recommended Dishes:Everything is fantastic but I particularly like the 'TNT' BLT, Texas Burger and the Chipotle Chicken Skewer appetizer. Review:Best food ever. I love Urban Gourmet. Since happening upon it a few years ago, I have become a very regular customer. I tell everyone I know to check it out and they all become regular customers too. Every dish they make is spectacular and the service is excellent too. If you live in Somerville, Medford, Arlington, Cambridge or are just passing through, don't miss it!
Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria 197 Elm St. - 617.776.9241 $5.01 - $15 CLOSED. This location is no longer in operation. There are many other area locations available from their website.\n\nThe original branch of the upscale franchise pizza parlor. Cuisine: Italian Recommended Dishes:Seafood Rossini and Silano pizza Review:excellent! Friendly staff. Good atmosphere. Family restaurant or great for a date.
House of Tibet Kitchen 235 Holland St. - 617.629.7567 Cuisine: Tibetan Recommended Dishes:Tofu stir fry; tsel momo; lentil soup Review:Excellent food in a soothing atmosphere I am a regular at this place. If you're in the mood for Asian food but don't want greasy, overcooked Chinese, try House of Tibet. I love their soups, which accompany a lot of dishes. The stir fries are tasty, as are the dumplings, a Tibetan staple. The atmosphere is great too--it's dim and warm and there's always introspective Tibetan music being played. Cheap prices too.
Kelly's Diner 674 Broadway- Ball Square - 617.623.8102 Cuisine: American Recommended Dishes:any of the classic diner fare Review:Good, Fast and Greasy -- Skip Soundbites, Go to Kelly's! Right on the corner in Ball Square is a classic silver diner -- it was brought in on a truck from Delaware! Kelly's is the real thing: a greasy spoon with huge portions, bottomless coffee, sassy waitstaff, and local flavor. Early is best, although even with many people waiting on a weekend the turnover is quick. Big fluffy omelets are a good bet, as is the french toast or a breakfast sandwich. At lunch, there's a daily special, including a New England boiled dinner -- corned beef, "pa-day-das" and carrots. With oldies on the radio and James Dean in the doorway (really!), why on earth anyone ever waits in that line for Soundbites down the street is a mystery. :-)
Borgo Sushi & Thai Food 1127 Broadway - 617.776.8857 $5.01 - $15 Small Teele Square restaurant on large street, about 10 tables, apparently family-run. Cuisine: Thai Recommended Dishes:Boston, Spiced Tuna, Unagi Maki. Review:Inexpensive Sushi in Somerville/Cambridge Favorite of the half-dozen Cambridge or Somerville Sushi places, least expensive, and of comparable quality. Haven't even tried their other dishes. They deliver, and even offer a $5 coupon only valid on deliveries. We normally can't wait, and pick up from them. In any case, don't trust my Ambiance rating below, because we haven't eaten in the place itself. Service is fair - they clearly want to do a good job, come in 45 minutes or so, but they often get the order a little wrong, even if we make them repeat it back to us. They will often include a free extra item as an apology, or to round out the order. All their Maki is good, though, even if we did end up trying a few varieties we didn't expect. :-). The 5:00 opening time can be a problem, often have to wait for them to ope Review:Delivery, Not Eat In
Gargoyles on the Square 219 Elm St - 617.776.5300 Recommended Dishes: Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Cake Review:Urbane, not urban Davis Square's only upscale restaurant, and worth every penny. The wine list shines, as does the cuisine. The staff is incredibly professional and courteous. The bar fills up quickly but never gets loud. Awesome spot. Review:Good and Puny Gargoyles is a fancy restaurant you go to when you need to impress, celebrate or just throw a grand gesture. So it was quite disappointing to receive main courses that were somewhere on the tiny/sample/where's-the-beef end of the scale. Food was good but portions were tiny. The deserts were excellent. Bottom line: pricy and good; arrive well-fed.
Amelia's Kitchen 1137 Broadway - 617.776.2800 Cuisine: Italian Recommended Dishes:Somerville - fettuccine mama cambridge - beef tenderloin Eggplant Lasagna Arancino appetizer, pizza, panini sandwiches Review:The best Italian food I've ever had!!! The food was great at Amelia's Kitchen in Somerville. The fine dining experience at the cambridge location was out of this world !!! Review:Pricey with Slow Service
Review:Eating more-than-good in the neighborhood Amelia's started out as a humble takeout pizza place, and has gone a little bit upscale with table service, beer and wine, and a bit of atmosphere. What remains is the unbelievably delicious pizza and panini -- a labor of love. I often get takeout from there, but eating in is fine too, though the tables are small and the service can be slow. Try any of the pizzas -- they often have interesting specials, like eggplant or shrimp with pesto. The panini are authentic -- insanely good bread with just enough olive oil and filling. The pastas are solid, and the appetizers include a gigantic arancino, a softball-sized risotto blob gently fried and plopped in a lake of marinara, yum yum yum. One note -- there is an Amelia's in Kendall Square, far pricier and with meager, uninspiring food, avoid it!
Carberry's Bakery and Coffee House 187 Elm St - 617.666.2233 $5.01 - $15 Cuisine: Deli / Sandwiches Recommended Dishes:Raisin Scone, Hekla Any sndwich, all of the pastries hand sanitizer and mouse traps Review:Extraordinary I am a long term follower of the Carberry's phenomenon. The sandwiches and the baked goods are superb, the environment/decor extraordinarily pleasant, and I can only strongly recommend this place as one of the best. Actually, the baked goods are among the best in Boston. Recommend the alternative raisin scone. Review:Terrible Service and No Soy
Review:Shaky Service, Good Food
Review:All show, no substance
Sound Bites 708 Broadway - 617.623.8338 Breakfast and lunch at a small cafe in Ball Square. Cuisine: Breakfast / Brunch Recommended Dishes:Omelets; pancakes None Review:Best Breakfast Bargain in Boston
Review:Sound Bites Staff While entertaining friends from out of town, our hungry party of four decided to head to Sound Bites, the seemingly lone breakfast establishment in all of Somerville that attracts hungry hordes on the weekends. Having read the Zagat's review prior to arriving, we were prepared for the "Soup Nazi" attitude of the staff. I assured my guests that although the hosts and wait staff may be abrupt and interested in shuttling people in and out as quickly as possible, the food was surely worth it. But what we encountered went far beyond "Soup Nazi." It was the worst encounter with restaurant staff that I have ever had in my years of dining out. Next in line for a table, our foursome lingered in the doorway waiting for the next table to clear. The host noticed that a four-top was being occupied by two people and asked if they would switch to a two person table so we could sit there. They graciously obliged. Our party starting laughing, commenting that they sure were accommodating and we weren't expecting for someone to relocate on our account. The surly, awful host overheard our laughter of surprise, pointed at us and said "you, you want to laugh? What's so funny? Go ahead and laugh. You aren't getting a table." He then called on the party behind us, completely ignoring us, and continued to move down the line. I can honestly say that I have never been so humiliated or furious. It was one of those incidents that could have ruined a beautiful spring day. It was unnecessary, rude and disrespectful. It is one thing to gently chide a customer, it is completely another to outright embarrass them in front of a crowd and to act irrationally. Surprised and pleased laughter was apparently unacceptable that Saturday morning. A nice brunch out with guests turned into an awkward and frustrating situation and we decided that, despite having waited for 30 minutes, we would not be patronizing this establishment. So the bottom line is this: it is one of but a handful of breakfast places in Somerville with a veritable monopoly on the industry. The stuffed French toast may be tasty but the service is not worth it. The staff is under the impression that they are doing you a favor. You'll come out feeling full and debased. Review:Food may be decent, but it might ruin your morning. A not so typical Saturday morning, I got in late the night before, woke up late and decided to treat myself to an easy breakfast out. Okay, so I live near Ball Square (Somerville) and have seen the lines at Sound Bites on weekend mornings, but decide to brave it anyway. Mistake number one: don't go to Sound Bites solo. As soon as I was next in the cue and the host saw I was alone, he wanted to put me in a little itty bitty table -- behind the counter!, where the cashier and wait staff was working. I declined that and it was another minute or two before a two top opened up. I thought, I can relax a bit now. I was quickly asked for my order and even though I looked at the menu for only a few seconds, I thought I'd better make a decision. There is "pressure in the air" if you don't hurry. I sit a few minutes and get my own coffee (it's self service) and my food comes promptly (French toast stuffed with cream cheese and strawberries). Not two minutes later I was told it was against their rules to -- read a newspaper -- on the weekend while eating because of the line outside and didn't I see the sign regarding this in the front. I hadn't seen the sign, so I was allowed to read (I actually saw the disturbed host looking for the sign to make sure it was up). The atmosphere continued to go straight downward. I asked one of the wait-staff for some extra syrup and with an incredible scowl I was told contemptuously didn't I see it right there on the table. Okay, so I missed it in the container, but they sure have a way of making you feel unwanted. Finally, I finished the dish, about 20 minutes at the table, when the host came over, patted me on the back and said we need this table now, meaning in so many words -- get out! I paid the bill, at the cashier and he asked how was it? I told him terrible, left a dime tip and split. I don't care how good some of the dishes might be, they'll never get my business again.
eat 253 Washington St. - 617.776.2889 $15.01 - $30 An intimate restaurant serving gourmet comfort food. Cuisine: American Review:Gourmet Yet Not Stuffy
