I live this diner. Is everything I want in a breakfast diner. Wish it was closer to my home. Maybe I need to move next door.

Ball Square is my FAVORITE brunch spot (ever?). I came in a party of 8 on a cold Sunday morning and despite the long line, Mike, personally went out of his way to greet my friends and told us the next table was ours. He let us wait inside next door and came out to grab us when our table was ready. I don't know what we did to deserve this but talk about hospitality! Once we got inside, Mike came up to us again to start some banter. This guy is the star of this business and I hope he trains all his staff to live up to his standards because service is SO important. But enough about the service, the food was phenomenal as well! I got the coconut macaroon french toast and broadway blues. The french toast was amazing - every single bite. I'm salivating just thinking about it. The broadway blues was good as well, I like the new take on potatoes - get it Omar's style. As other reviews have said many times, the portions are huge and I didn't think I'd finish the food but everyone at my table finished their order - it was that good! This will definitely be my go-to brunch spot anytime friends or family visit. Thank you Mike for making my first Ball Square visit a success! read more

FRIENDLY, cool little place, and amazing stuff on the menu. Waffles, French Toast, and omelets! Did I mention how friendly they are. You get to serve you own coffee from a variety of flavors, and tons of teas (I WISH they had Barry's tea). The food is GREAT portions and delicious! When an owner is friendly, accommodating, and helping out the staff, you know it's a place you want to be! read more

Ball Square Cafe - Multigrain Belgian waffle with fresh fruit!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Outstanding selection of Breakfast options Excellent service Quite Quick service Highly Recommended !! read more

This time a few of us got the eggs benedict, and unfortunately something was quite off with the hollandaise sauce, so a bit of an inconsistency issue there. Tried the coconut macaroon french toast though, and it was to die for and just a fun, inventive idea! I can see why it's such a hit. read more

A cute and cozy breakfast place in Somerville. The staff is very friendly and they offer a great variety of food, including lunch plates. Customers help themselves with coffee and there are several options to choose from, such as French vanilla, hazelnut, decaf, regular, medium roasted, dark roasted, etc. You can try a different one when you refill. If you're not a coffee lover, they also provide some tea options. We ordered Celtic green omelette, Moroccan eggs, side French toast, and a small fruit plate. The Moroccan eggs is awesome. We'll definitely come back for that. Dec. 29, 2016 Just had our brunch there for the second. Luckily, we got a table right away before more people coming in. When we left, there was a long line waiting outside, and it was very cold and windy today! The food was still delicious. The staff was super friendly and nice, which made the whole dining experience even greater. We'll come back again. Happy new year!! read more

Ball Square Cafe - Strawberry waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Ball Square Cafe is a perfect breakfast or brunch date spot. The food rocks, the staff is professional, and the atmosphere is top notch. If I'm looking to impress, I'll be here. read more

A standing rule for breakfast out: don't order what you can make at home. It helps when perusing a diner's menu for a little sunrise face-stuffing, but the eclectic onslaught of brekkie entrees at Ball Square Cafe doesn't make it easier to cut down on the available options. Already a fan of the hash bene, I recently sampled the Tri-Berry waffle, a malted batter crisply griddled and loaded with straw-, black- and raspberries on a platter spurted with fresh whipped cream. Bright, beautiful and bursting with berries, the most excellent choice boasted only one fleck of hubris: the price. Call me old fashioned, but I have a difficult time justifying a $9 price tag on an a la carte waffle, especially when the unadorned waffle rings in at a mere $5.50. Still, it's a damn fine start to your day. That and the hilarious oxymoron that is Ball Square. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Tri-berry waffle? I will. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Great place for breakfast. Even though there's a line, you can grab coffee while you wait, and check out the menu to plan your order. We got berry challah french toast with real maple syrup and a side of eggs, bacon, and mashed homefries. You have to get the mashed homefries with breakfast! The fresh squeezed orange juice is awesome too. read more

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My fiancé was craving waffles and after checking Yelp, she became dead set on this place. Come on honey, you couldn't pick something a little closer? Driving from Brookline for this endeavor, I gotta admit I was grumpy. I haven't had my coffee yet..is this place really going to be worth it? I wasn't feeling waffles, but she reassured me they have a great Eggs Benedict, which I admit I would climb mountains and battle Samurais for. I wasn't happy about driving here, but after I got here and saw the cute little sit-down cafe, and moreover that there was no line, my worries were placated. Finally, I would get my morning coffee. And get my coffee I did. An iced coffee and I have to say, this was the most perfect and smooth cup of iced coffee I've ever consumed. Not a hint of bitterness. It was divine. I could drink it all day...and never sleep, but I digress. When it came time to order our food, I chose the Eggs Benedict and she got the pecan waffle, which she asked for with strawberries and bananas and real maple syrup. Once our food came out and I took my first bite into the Crab Benedict, I was beyond ecstatic. I was euphoric. I was in another world of crab and egg goodness. I always hate hearing "OMG this was the best thing ever," only to hear a few weeks later of another "best thing ever," but I'm going to have to jump on the bandwagon here and pay proper homage to this Crab Benedict for indeed being the best damn Eggs Benedict I've ever had. Her waffle was tasty too, from the few bites I sampled, but damn...that crab was perfect (not salty at all) and the English Muffin was soft, tasty and the eggs perfectly poached. Hollandaise sauce was to my liking as well. I'll drive seven hours from Buffalo just to have that again. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Crab Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Sunday morning and I was hangry ("When you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated or both") for a big brunch and it was between this or Juliet down the street. Seen all the great reviews so we moseyed ourselves along in here. Restaurant is small but spaced out well so you don't feel like you're sitting on top of each other and when we came around 10am, there was no wait. Specials are displayed on one of the tvs to give you a visual and our server was very helpful and informative on how things work in terms of beverage service. We decided on the Asparagus & Prosciutto omelet and the Crab Meat Benedict, both with half of their home fries which is like a grilled mashed potato and the regular diced potatoes as sides. While my Crab Benedict wasn't bad, I've had many that were better prepared and the diced potatoes were severely undercooked. If you do order the diced potatoes, I'd suggest asking them to make it crispy. That in itself will do wonders. Kudos for their home fries/grilled mashed though. This is different from your typical potatoes for breakfast/brunch and I love when places add their personal touch. Overall, not worth the hype and not worth it if we had to wait IMO. The line was out of the door by the time we left so we missed the crowd by a smidgen. We'd probably try other places before heading back here but it was nice to try someplace different. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Crab meat Benedict (hollandaise on side) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I try to be pretty critical usually. I will start off by saying that this was the best breakfast I had in the Boston area to date. It may have been the company, the food, my mood, or a combo of all of the above. Point is, this place is great. We were originally heading to Sound Bites but decided to give this place a shot. The owner was outside, inviting people in to grab drinks as they waited. Waiting in line sucks, but getting that personal attention from the owner definitely made things easier. He would also come back from time to time letting us know how long before we would be seated. Drinks and coffee are self serve and you can ask for ice and make your own iced coffee just the way you like it. As for the food, we had a fruit salad which we learned from talking with Mike that contained 13 types of fruit. All extremely fresh and tasty. I ordered the Lobster Bene (used real lobster) and my girlfriend had the Corned Beef Hash Bene. We shared and both were phenomenal. At the end of the meal Mike asked us how everything was which somehow led to about 20 min of him sitting with us and talking with us about where we were from and how he got the place started. Now i am following the place on twitter and I am friends with the owner on facebook. This place will definitely be my new Sunday brunch spot. Also want to add that it has been at least a year since I left a tip as high as I did at this place. You really have to blow me away with your service to get more than 20% and this place did the job. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Lobster Bene and Corned Beef Hash Bene - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

yum!!!!!! This place was amazing. A little bit of a wait for food but it was so good. The coconut macaroon French toast was crusted in coconut flakes, which I loved. The banana stuffed French toast was really good. Not too much cream cheese. Potatoes were crispy and had nice seasoning. read more

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Definitely a great brunch place. One of the best Benedicts I have had in a long time. The omelets were great too and I can just order their home fries any time even if am not hungry. The portion is big so if you aren't that hungry or don't pack an enormous appetite then I would recommend 2 items for 3 folks. The service is great and the staff is friendly. Coffee can be better though however am not complaining. We were seated close to the kitchen hence had a good view of the kitchen. The folks preparing the food made me happy as everything looked clean. The french toast ,a meal by itself, was smelling and looking delicious but alas - no more space. I will definitely be back. read more

There is a reason this place has high marks and is busy, the people that own, run and work there go above and beyond for each customer. Yesterday I stopped by looking for a certain sub that wasn't on the menu. The owner Mike asked me what I was looking for and made me a special version. It was awesome, I really appreciated the effort and customer service that was given by Mike and his staff. The food was fantastic, and very plenty. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Chicken Cutlet, basil, fresh Mozzarella, beef bacon, red peppers, balsamic and oil. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The food was DELICIOUS! I mean seriously, talk about mouth watering. Whoever put the whipped cream on that iced mocha deserves one hell of a promotion. Can we talk about the scrambled eggs??? Scrambled to absolute perfection. I could barely walk after consuming all of this wonderful food, everything was SO fresh, there's still saliva dripping all over my shirt and it won't stop because I keep thinking about the food I just ate. Some of the prices seem a bit high, but trust me- the quality of the food is truly outSTANDING. The service was incredible as well. Someone in my party spoke to the owner to relay our satisfaction, I'll probably head to your house like just like soon as long as we don't try not to bed too Yeah yeah whatever works for you should do that. Maybe when we're hungry later jersey makes me either. I told my dad about my lot in my dad knows about Jersey Mike's from New Jersey. Oh it started up. Oh my god no it's like typing what we're saying. Sorry, as I was saying- everyone was so kind to us, very prompt and attentive throughout out dining experience at the ball cafe. I didn't even have to ask for a bus! The kind gentleman with the nice ring from Tiffany's asked me if I wanted one as soon as I was full, how did he know????????!!!!!?!!!!!?!? It doesn't make any sense. I love that man, as did all the folks in my party. The ambiance, good good stuff. Very patriotic, seems like leftover from Fourth of July, it is currently September 10th so that's a bit awkward but if that's their schtick, hey, who am I to judge? I am one for the people!! All in all this cafe blew my brains out in every way. I will never stop raving to all my loved ones and even my enemies. Thank you ball square cafe for changing my life. Maybe now I can get into Harvard. read more

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I've been converted! I was a sound bites girl ....but BSC has won me over! Went here with a big group and although it's a small place they were able to accommodate the 7 of us, including little ones. It's weird, they have a lot of the same Sound Bites things...self serve coffee, fried mashed, lots of Benny options...but it tasted better here! I had something simple...but it tasted so fresh and flavorful. Seriously, my eggs were amazing and they were just two eggs over easy! Everyone's food looked pretty and smelled delicious. Our waiter was friendly, helpful and genuine. FYI, They will not seat you until everyone in your party is there. Meter parking out front but limited! read more

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My son wanted a waffle, so we found this little gem. Wonderful breakfast and great service. We showed up to quite a line, but the heaters in the awnings and the efficient service made it bearable. The staff was very friendly and the food came out quickly. Warning though- huge servings. Two pancakes was way too much for my 11 year old. I definitely recommend Ball Square Cafe. read more

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Best Breakfast/Lunch place in NE hands down, Mike the owner wins the breakfast battle with anyone, everything on the menu is A+ as is Mikes personality! Highly recommend!!! read more

I was looking for a dinner and this place definitely a nicest version of classic dinners! Very simple food but tasted really good! We waited for about 30 minutes for our order which was ok because it was packed read more

Ball Square Cafe - Traditional egg Benedict with grilled mashed - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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The food was phenomenal and the guy that looked like the owner was very nice and made you feel welcomed. The server, Helen I believe her name was, on the other hand was horrible. Had an attitude the whole time, made us feel rushed and uncomfortable asking for anything. She needs to be more like the owner or at least try and act like it and drop the attitude. read more

I've been going to Ball Square for years and genuinely believe it's one of the best brunches you can get in Boston! The menu is extensive, the meals are huge, and I've never once had a bad dish there. The bagel sandwich is a must try, as is the grilled blueberry muffin. While I'd love to give Ball Square 5 stars, it's unfortunately become a bit of a tourist trap. The lines are often long and the wait times for a seat and/or your food can be a bit much. Additionally, it once felt like a small breakfast diner only the locals were in on, but now feels like a regular restaurant everyone knows. The food however is a 5/5, and I suggest everyone try it but be aware of the wait. read more

The food is always good. Something savory or sweet they have it all! Staff is happy and helpful. Never disappoints!

Yummmmmmmm. All aspects of the restaurant experience were covered well. The owner Mike went above and beyond to make every person in the restaurant know they were taken care and that they mattered. I loved it. I don't get that quality of hospitality all that often so it was appreciated. The food was awesome. Good quality. It was breakfast done well. Good quality food. If I go out for breakfast I don't want something I could cook at home and I couldn't have made the meals they served us. I will be telling friends and definitely recommending. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

An amazing food Never felt disappointed coming back after a few months The gluten free pancakes were so delicious this is one of my favorite breakfast to come again read more

1 Star for service. 4 stars for food. Good food, poor service. Mike the manager is a fraud. read more

This place is great for breakfast and brunch. When we went, there was a small line to wait but the overall time was not too long. We ordered a bunch of dishes like French macaroon coconut French toast, Mexican omelette, regular veggie omelette with diced potatoes and corn bread and lastly eggs Benedict with a side of fruit. For drinks we ordered a cappuccino, regular coffee, espresso and freshly squeezed orange juice. The food comes in very big portion size and it's super delicious, especially the macaroon coconut French toast, they were absolutely amazing! read more

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Love this place for breakfast. If you want a seat come early on the weekend. The selection is amazing with plenty of gluten free options. I always order the omelet made to order and relish the home style home fries. It's mash potatoes fried perfectly with a slight crust. To me it tasted like my mom's perogie filling. The food is always fresh. I've ordered take out and eaten inside. read more

About a 30-45 minute wait at 11am on a Sunday for 3 adults and one baby. Not bad at all. Super affordable, the food was good, and the owner was incredibly nice. THE SERVICE Beyond amazing. The owner has a big personality and seemed to know half the people in line. He was super accommodating of my friends having a 4-month-old, and we absolutely felt no judgement when the baby cried for a little bit. In fact, the staff seemed to go out of their way to say hi to the baby, see how she's doing, and make us feel at home. THE COST I think $20 total including tax/tip. Crazy cheap! MUST-HAVES Grilled Potato Mash! SIDES You have the option of their two types of potatoes to go with the omelette - you can also get both. After having tried both, I would've just gotten the Grilled Potato Mash. * Grilled Potato Mash - 5 stars As good as everyone claims it to be. The garlic flavor & the crisp are great, and you get a lot of it. * Classic home fries - 4 stars Still great, though could use just another thin layer of crisp to give it that perfect crunch. OMELETTES * Athenian (sauteed fresh baby spinach and tomatoes w/ feta cheese. $12.95) - 4 stars The omelette was just the right texture. The ingredients were great. My only small complaint is the spinach/feta weren't evenly distributed in the omelette. I was sharing this with my friend and went for the half that ended up being mostly egg. FRENCH TOAST * Pear Stuffed (stuffed w/ sliced pears & goat cheese. $11.50) - 4 stars Yum! This stuffing was a great combo. I ate this after my friend so the french toast itself had hardened a little, but it seemed much softer when the dish first came out. The whipped cream was dense and buttery, and the toast with that plus maple syrup was great. read more

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My sister and her husband were in town to see what this city I love so much has to offer, so I decided to show them! We parked a block away and braved the rain as we and made it over to this beautiful cafe where there was a massive line outside. I headed inside and was greeted by Mike who smiled and asked if I needed a table. I told him yes and that it was three of us, he asked if everyone in my party was present and we were, so he sat us right away. The inside of this place is small enough to be called a cafe but big enough that we didn't feel cramped and we weren't bumping into each other. The layout of the tables offer great space for moving or getting up for drinks (which are self serve for most). Overall we were quite comfortable at our table. The service was great as our server was kind and asked clarifying questions making sure she got our order right. It was quite busy this Saturday morning but we didn't feel rushed at all and the other servers seemed to be working seamlessly with each other to get the job done. Our food arrived and my pancakes (banana chocolate chip) were still smokin' hot! Literally steam was coming off of the pancakes as I lifted them layer by layer!! So delicious so filling and mouthwateringly good!! My sister got the famous macaroon and coconut French toast and I have no idea what my brother in law got but it was all so delicious!! I must add that I took a trip to the restroom and I'm always afraid to use public bathrooms but this bathroom was incredibly clean! It's tucked right next to the kitchen so I was relieved to see that it was clean even on a busy day! I want to thank Mike so much for the warm welcome and the fantastic greeting that is going to have me coming back for many years to come. I appreciate the chef for putting his best foot forward and making a delicious meal that warmed my belly and my heart, and to the servers who were so kind and efficient your hard work never goes unnoticed. And last but not least to all of you wonderful people who made it to the end of this review I see you and I thank you! xoxo read more

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I just moved to the area and wanted to start checking out some local places to eat (which is very hard at this time)! I decided to get a coffee and breakfast sandwich here this morning! It was easy to call in and place my order and it was ready when I got there. The people working were extremely nice and showed me where to fill my coffee with ice and sugar/milk, etc. my breakfast sandwich was also really good! I ate it on a nice walk. I got a sausage egg and cheese, they filled the bag with napkins and ketchup (without having to ask)! I was very impressed with the service. I told my friend I went there and she said if I loved the take out we have to go eat in when possible. I can't wait to try the French toast!! read more

Ball Square Cafe - Sausage, Egg and Cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Very nice staff, a good variety of food, expect a line. Coffee and water is self serve. This place has a non bougie cozy vibe. The plates are hefty and leave you stuffed or with ample leftovers. I could easily see this place as my regular brunch place. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Berry French French Toast Delight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Tuscan has the wrong type of cheese in the omelette in my opinion. And the portobello mushroom is sour idk why. It might be the Tuscan style. I'd like to see less water accumulates under the omelette. Overall experience is good tho. The portion is enormous as usual. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Tuscan - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Yelp led us here with all these good reviews. The food was good. The service was a different story, which is why the 3 stars are happening. My daughter and I walked in around 2:45pm, and apparently they close at 3pm. We asked for a table of 4, and the waiter said he wouldn't seat us until all 4 were there. I said my wife was parking the car, so he sat us. The waiter came over to the table at 2:52pm, asking if we were ready to order. We said 1 minute. He said they close at 3pm, so we needed to order so (now it makes sense why he asked if the whole party was present). We placed our order, and the waiter was far from friendly. The food came out quickly. My daughter had the tri-berry French toast which was French toast with 3 different types of berries. She finished the plate, so I assume it was delicious. My son had the "famous" coconut macaron French toast. It was covered in coconut and definitely wasn't shy on flavor. My wife and I shared the Caesar salad--the croutons were worth it. We also shared the cheeseburger. It was cooked a bit raw for me, but it was tasty. We opted for a side salad instead of the fries. It was a large portion for a side salad. Thanks for no up charge! The burgers are rather pricey, if I'm being honest. We were on our way to Logan and wanted a cute place to eat. The service disappointed me, the food was Ok, and we didn't have to wait. So, I guess, it was an OK experience overall. read more

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I always have a great experience the food is always great. The service is always awesome. I definitely recommend Ball Square, Café.

Food was excellent however sort of suspect when you call an item the "meat lovers" omelette but you limit them to two choices of meat?? Ok. Wife had banana stuffed French toast and was very good. Portions were plentiful. Service was very good. Wait staff was attentive while they were still very busy. Would recommend read more

Love the almost sphere. Very relaxing. Self serve beverage center. I would definitely recommend the Famous coconut macaroon French toast. Servings are very big, but you can get half orders!!! Husband hand the Mexican omelette, which had no meat in it. Over the top on cilantro, so maybe ask to hold that back a little. He said the cornbread muffin was the best he ever had. Tried the banana stuffed french toast. It was good but nothing compares to the FCMFT they serve. I had a half order of the pepper and corn beef hash Benedict. I personally was not a fan of the hash, a little to mush for me, but that is just me. Definitely will be back to bring my mom when she comes to visit so she can try the FCMFT and I can try a different benny. read more

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Dropped in for late Sunday brunch at 3PM luckily they took my order right before closing the kitchen. I ordered a Banana & Nutella Belgian Waffle which was to my surprise served fresh and crisp given how late I had ordered. Portion size was good enough for a person. The taste was good and I enjoyed every bite. They have a self service coffee area so you can pick and choose from different flavors or hot/iced variants to complement your breakfast/brunch. read more

Ball Square Cafe - Coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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A super sweet find! We had an awesome experience here at Ball Square Cafe. The food was incredible, creative, and delicious! The staff was very helpful and friendly. The owner greeted us with a very welcoming demeanor. He checked in with us through out the meal. Huge portions, fresh food, healthy options, an all around wonderful experience. read more

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Happy I found this little cafe when I was in town last month! It was a cold rainy Saturday and we waited underneath the heated awnings drooling for an open table. Luckily the menu was posted on the windows so when we were seated we were ready to order. Despite the line outside, our waiter didnt rush us at all. Liked the self serve drink concept- I think it made everything move along quicker (plus I made my coffee just the way I like it.) Kudos for the veggie friendly & vegan options. Decided on some comfort food and devoured the french toast with bananas & strawberries. Their french toast has a killer crunch to it! And if you can't finish it all, it reheats real well also. My bestie got a make your own veggie omelette with fresh mozz cheese which she loved. Everything on the menu & around us looked amazing. Only flaw is the layout/ design- tables near the front door have a wicked draft- so much that stuff flew off our table! They do a huge takeout business too fyi. read more

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