Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The Burrito Bowl has a host of ingredients, from grilled meat and cilantro-lime rice to black beans and grilled vegetables.
If you're in the mood for a quick meal with a Mexican theme, you might try Chipolte's Mexican Grill, which has locations throughout the Greater Boston area including Watertown's Arsenal Mall. The Burrito Bowl is all the fixings in a large burrito, without the wrapping; instead it's served in a bowl. You get to decide at the long ordering counter what goes into the bowl, but the basics are a choice of grilled meat (chicken, pork or beef), cilantro-lime rice (white or brown), beans (black or pinto), salsa (hot, medium or mild) and a dozen or so add-ins, including sour cream, cheese, lettuce and grilled pepper and onions. It's substantial, fresh, well-seasoned and a bargain at under $7. Chipolte's website also has a lot of information about …
42.363263
-71.16119
Chipotle
485 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-the-burrito-bowl-at-chipolte-mexican-grill
2057403
/locations/8016542
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
An all-day breakfast and lunch spot in Watertown Square.
The sign outside Tresca's Eating Place, located in the plaza behind Watertown Square, is peeling; but regular customers probably don't mind, because inside it's spacious, friendly and well-lit. And the food is hearty and inexpensive. The restaurant is open until 3 p.m. on weekdays, 1 p.m. on weekends it and specializes in all-day breakfasts. Dishes include omelettes, French toast, and variations on "two eggs any style" with add-ons. Lunches are the traditional fare, such as club sandwiches, different kinds of burgers, a vegetarian burger and two dinners: a breaded fish plate and a chicken cutlet plate. The vibe: Homey, friendly and efficient. Suggested dish: The place specializes in all-day breakfast (which means until 3 p.m. on weekdays …
42.36709
-71.18526
Tresca's Eating Place
25 Church St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-trescas
1419794
/locations/7713303
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
This long-standing New England ice-cream parlor also has a variety of sandwiches, salads, breakfasts and dinner entrees.
Friendly's, with franchises in both Watertown (560 Arsenal St.) and Waltham (1111 Lexington St.), and several hundred other locations in New England, is still a popular spot for diners who like to add an ice cream sundae or other frozen desserts to their meal. One of the specials is a choice of one of eight different entrees, a bottomless soda or iced tea and a two-scoop sundae for $9.99. They also have salads, soups and some low-cal entrees. Suggested dish: After considering one of the specials that included an entree, drink and sundae, we decided instead on an "under 555" special: one of four dishes with fewer than 555 calories. We had the Sweet & Spicy Grilled Shrimp, which came with eight grilled shrimp in an orange sauce with …
42.362692
-71.15583
Friendly's
560 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-friendlys-restaurant
767565
/locations/7643749
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
A homey Watertown diner with hearty breakfasts and lunches at bargain prices.
In the heart of Watertown Square, The New Yorker Diner has been offering early morning and late night fare for hungry workers and college students for decades. Its specialty is hearty breakfasts, with lots of combos featuring eggs, along with bacon, ham and sausage. Vegetarians can go for the French toast, pancakes, omelettes or eggs without meat. The diner also has a basic menu of sandwiches, such as chicken salad, tuna salad and grilled cheese. Suggested dish: We went for the Grand Slam – not just for its large variety of food but also its price. This favorite choice includes two eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, two large pieces of French toast and coffee, for $7.75. It's much less expensive than ordering separate items. Pancakes can …
42.36605
-71.18265
New Yorker Diner
39 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-the-new-yorker-diner-65df7040
768248
/locations/7538660
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
This "neighborhood" cafe on Main Street in Watertown has a diverse menu at attractive prices.
It doesn't look like much from the street, but the Halfway Cafe, 394 Main St. in Watertown, is quiet and pleasant, and has a surprisingly diverse menu. There's something for everyone: fish plates, vegetarian offerings, chicken and pasta, steamers and fried clams, many different kinds of sandwiches, salads and gourmet desserts for $4.99. It's one of six Halfway Cafe's in the Greater Boston Area. Suggested dish: We chose the black bean burger ($8.99), which wasn't actually a burger, but a more substantial whole-wheat wrap filled with beans, hummus, arugula, a yogurt-jalapeno spread and more. It was hearty and tasty: creamy, complex and delicately seasoned. A vegetarian delight. Almost stealing the show, though, was the side dish we chose. …
42.370119
-71.193492
Halfway Cafe
394 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-halfway-cafe-630425d0
767573
/locations/7472004
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A storefront cafe/restaurant on Main Street in Watertown that has a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes.
The Spot Cafe, at 385 Main St., has been a family-owned and operated diner-like restaurant since 2006. It's small, unpretentious and specializes in breakfasts, including pancakes with fruit, omelets and French toast, as well as sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch until 3 p.m. (no dinner). Suggested dish: Given the hot weather, we chose a Caesar salad with turkey slices and an iced coffee. It also came with two slices of their homemade bread. (Another popular lunch choice is the soup and half-sandwich special.) The salad came with a choice of five different dressings; we chose Caesar dressing as well. The salad had crunchy, sweet Spanish onions, lots of tomato slices and greens and plenty of turkey. The disappointing ingredients were the…
42.37011
-71.19347
The Spot Cafe
385 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-the-spot-cafe-f90d5f46
768121
/locations/7398285
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The newest restaurant in Watertown is a Thai-Japanese establishment on Arsenal Street.
O-Sha on Arsenal Street doesn't look like much on the outside, but then neither do some of the best eateries in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. Given that its three chefs come from other good restaurants in the region (see below), it's worth a visit to this new Asian eatery, for either lunch or dinner. Its menu has the now-familiar, highly popular Thai and Japanese dishes: curries, noodle dishes (including pad thai), sushi and maki rolls, miso soup, appetizers, jasmine rice and desserts like black-sesame ice cream and Thai blueberry custard. Suggested dish: Forgoing the extensive menu of sushi and maki plates, we went for one of three lunch specials (11 a.m.-3 p.m.): basil chicken ($7.50). It was plentiful and fragrant, the vegetables (…
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Nowadays this traditional subs and sandwiches chain has a variety of fresh offerings.
D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, with dozens of franchises throughout five New England states (none in Vermont) including one in Watertown Square, has been operating since 1967. Its menu has evolved over the years, though, so that it now offers more than just subs. In fact, the word "sub" doesn't appear on its menus, but instead "sandwiches" – grilled, toasted, hot or cold. There are also three soups each day (on a recent visit: lobster bisque, clam chowder and chicken noodle), as well as salads, wraps and quesadillas. All the food is made to order and grilled, not microwaved. Suggested dish: We tried the seasonal special: a lobster roll. It's the most-expensive item on the menu, by far, so we decided on a small one ($13). It had plenty of …
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A contemporary, eclectic menu in the heart of Watertown Square.
For 13 years, Not Your Average Joe's has been occupying the large and airy space of a former furniture store in Watertown Square. It has a contemporary and diverse menu (they call it "creative casual") at reasonable prices. It's a popular destination. There are many fresh seafood dishes, with salmon, haddock, shrimp and shellfish. But the catchword is "eclectic." For instance, new dishes this month include pecan chicken, barbecue turkey kabob, and penne milano. Suggested dish: We chose one of the new appetizers, stuffed quahogs, which turned out to be hearty and filling. Customers first get a basket of homemade bread and a large dish of olive oil, romano cheese and red pepper for dipping. ("Some people come for the bread," said the server…
42.3662
-71.18575
Not Your Average Joe's
55 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-not-your-average-joes-d16c1700
767942
/locations/7108191
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
There's something for everyone at this food emporium in the Watertown Mall.
The Old Country Buffet on Arsenal Street offers dozens of entrees, a large salad bar and several dozen desserts, in all-you-can-eat quantities and at bargain prices ($8 for lunch, $11 for dinner, and a less-expensive breakfast only on weekends). You pay when you enter, so there's no tipping or even waiting for someone to bring water. You get a glass at the door. The secret is to choose what you like and leave the rest. And the choices are extensive and varied, from fried chicken, baked fish, seafood patties, smoked sausage, corn bread, biscuits, vegetable dishes and a serious salad bar, to various condiments to spice things up and an impressive dessert station. The dinner menu is often the same as lunch, with the addition of, for example…
42.36291
-71.158319
Old Country Buffet
550 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA
/articles/bites-nearby-old-country-buffet-f148e020
767634
/locations/7012212
Marc
10:15 am on Wednesday, August 8, 2012
We love this place but the staff really needs to follow sanitary guidelines more closely. I have noticed on several occasions, gloves are not used when handling food, the waitresses will wipe the tables and counters with bare hands using a dirty rag, then walk over top the bags of Scali bread to drop them in the toaster. It just Skeeves me out. same with kitchen staff which you can see through … more ›