Hemingway would describe Brookside as "a clean well lighted place" The small OJ is just the right size. The eggs and sides are cooked perfectly and served at the right temperature and on time. The waitresses are friendly. My wife and I have had breakfast at a number of breakfast/lunch restaurants in the area and Brookside is "as good as it gets" (pun intended). PMB read more

Great food and menu, friendly staff, great prices, easy to find, homemade muffins and great omelettes!

Looking for great food this is the place and if your lucky Donna will be your waitress!! I ate there no so long ago outside next to the river. It was extremely relaxing and I enjoyed my mealgreat place read more

Once again I'm reviewing a place on there hours of operation instead of there food. I'm just going to say nicely that you should call in advance to make sure any restaurant (not just this one) is actually open. Posted hours seem to mean nothing in Massachusetts. Might try again, unfortunately first impressions are lasting ones. Was really looking forward to the hash, but the place is quite a drive from where I live. read more

Another standard cafe with excellent food. If you are looking for a cafe with great food this a perfect stop for you. I ordered the Kitchen sink omelette and it came out how I wanted which was good. Lots of locals were there when we were so the cafe will probably be around for a while. Overall good experience. read more

We went on the first day of the take out only and I felt so bad and wished we could have ordered more food to help them in these rough times ! My husband and I ordered $30 worth of food and it was worth every penny The lady who helped us was very nice and the food was great the only reason why I didn't give them 5 stars was because the potatoes were not cooked enough but my corn beef hash omelette was absolutely amazing. Thank you ! read more

Brookside Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

For a local diner type breakfast place, this restaurant is solid! It's always fairly busy too, which is a testament to how good they are. There are many breakfast places in the area, but I find myself being pulled back here. The food is great quality here. I've had several meals at this point, and I can say that they are consistently great. The portions are very generous, and the variety is great. They also serve fairly quickly, so you aren't waiting an eternity. As a side note, their home fries are excellent!! The service is also on point! They are cheerful, efficient and professional. They seem to remember their regulars, and the restaurant runs very smoothly, even when busy. I'm never dissuaded to return. The parking is also plentiful, and you never have a hard time finding a spot, which is get another allure of this place. Overall, this is just a great breakfast spot, whether you are coming in solo to sit at the counter, or whether you are bringing in the whole family. You'll be happy you tried this place, and you'll be back! read more

Go here for a date! Seriously, do it. There's a perfect makeout spot across the street, tucked away in a little park that's not remotely obvious from the road. As for the cafe itself, sure, yes: the service is kind and attentive, the coffee is tasty, the bacon's a little thin but retains the life-restoring properties of all bacon. I agree with the reviewer who said the onion in her omelet was underdone; I found the same, although the rest of the Greek omelet was awesome. I had a few bites of the corned beef hash; also good. Trust me, none of that matters. Here's what does matter: suggest a walk afterward. Go out the door and straight across the street. There's a little gate into what looks like a plain little field. Keep walking through the field; you'll run into a path that curves off to the right around a little pond. I know -- it's nicer than you expected already, right? Walk for another three minutes, around the pond, and you'll hit an incredibly cute stone bridge across a little stream... next to a little waterfall, for heaven's sake! Obviously, this is your makeout spot. Stop on the little bridge. Enjoy. read more

One word. SPAM. Seriously, you can get spam with any breakfast. You can have bacon, sausage, ham, spam, or spam, spam.. Oh you know where this is headed. Take that as a good sign. I'm always amazed at the number of people of a certain age, and also a good number of former military, that actually enjoy spam as their friend breakfast meat of choice. When someone caters to that group that means there's a standard expected and Brookside Cafe measures up. Eggs were fluffy, toast was jut the right shade of golden brown, the home fries were perfect and the home made corned beef hash couldn't be any better. Most important of all, the bacon was cooked just right. Not too soft and limp, but not so crispy that you thought it came from a recent pork storage fire sale. Just right! The atmosphere is typical of local breakfast/lunch style cafes in the area. Which means casual, friendly, and a staff that feels more like they're serving family breakfast than faceless customers. read more

I was in South Norwood, and I thought I would give this place a try after reading decent reviews. I got the usual eggs with sausage. The home fries were way too spicy, but the meal was very good. Fast service and very friendly staff. It is a place for locals. The waitresses were very busy chatting with the regular customers. The parking lot is very small, but plenty of street parking. The entrance is on the side. They have a small counter which worked fine for me. The place is bright, clean and modern. read more

Oh my gosh best breakfast place ever. Take that Zuckerberg! I recommend pancakes or an omelet with either home fries or bacon.

Brookside Cafe is an extremely cozy little diner. I always get there eggs,homefries, and corned beef hash. This is a wonderful little spot that serves great food. Bitcoin: 3L4yMGJd8mtsUPwWLjSTfa1DD1U4Qm8g7C read more

Simple. Great for breakfast(haven't been there for lunch yet.) Great, friendly staff. Sort of on the smaller size, but thats one of the reasons why I love it. I recommend their corned beef hash read more

Brookside Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

More than just diner-ish food. We came here for breakfast on a Sunday morning, and although it was not busy, the service was slow (hence the 4 stars). The breakfast did, however, make up for it. I ate the Sicilian frittata (with cheese). It was perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. The hubby had the North Ender omelet, which was delicious (according to him and his empty plate. What we loved best was the big pieces of toast made with fresh bread, and the option for hash browns, home fries, or baked beans. I love all 3, but the best is the hash browns! read more

Brookside Cafe - The North Ender with sourdough - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

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The Brookside has an extensive breakfast menu complete with several Benedict's. I tried the Steak Tip Bene because I have always wanted to try steak and eggs and why not coat it all in hollandaise sauce. The staff here was very friendly and helpful. Accommodating a large party on a moments notice. The food was great and service remained fantastic throughout the meal. They are cash only so make sure to bring some. read more

I visit this wonderful slice of breakfast heaven when I'm in town for business. I get the Brookside with pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese and hash browns squares. Today, the pancakes were HUGE! I never leave food on my plate but I couldn't finish my meal! Looking forward to my next visit. I'm definitely going to try the home style fries! Great staff as well. read more

Brookside Cafe is a very nice local restaurant in Norwood. It is an excellent place to have breakfast. The servers we have had Audrey and Kristin are awesome! They are very friendly and attentive. Brookside is a must go destination for breakfast. The food and prices are a very good value. read more

Have been searching for a really good breakfast place in Dedham, Walpole, Norwood, Millis, Medfield...and then we discovered the Brookside. Very busy Saturday, so service was a little slow, but well worth the wait. My wife said her omelet was the best ever and I had blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup, they were great. Lucked out with on the Street parking. This is the best of all we have tried, at least a dozen, we will return! read more

My daughter and I went there for breakfast over the weekend. It was a Saturday morning, but the wait was not too bad. I have the everything omelette and she had the cinnamon French toast. Both portions were large and good. We will definitely come back. read more

Brookside Cafe - Everything omelette and hashbrowns. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

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My fiance, a friend and I decided to try this one Sunday morning for brunch before they went off to work. The food was perfect! We tried a few more local places and they just didn't stack up. We made this a weekly tradition, where we would have brunch every weekend. The service is fast and the staff is so nice. read more

Second time I have visited here. I had the Crab Cake Benedicts the first time and Mike's Homemade Corned Beef Hash this time. Both were excellent! I would recommend the home fries over the hash browns (pre-made pucks). Fries are excellently cooked and have the right crisp/crunch to them. No the meals were excellent and I will be back for both. read more

Brookside Cafe - Crab Cakes Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

I go to this lovely local brunch place nearly every weekend. We are never disappointed. My favorites: Mike's homemade corned beef hash; Greca omelet; Cape Cod pancakes (cranberries and walnuts); Reuben sandwich; the vegetarian eggs benedict options; the iced tea and iced coffee. I wish I could convey how lovely it is to have a spot like this to go to that is friendly, consistent, and clean. I can't say enough about it to friends and family. read more

They have a great breakfast and usually prompt service. Their home fries are wonderful (they also have hasbrowns but they're the preshaped kind that go in the deep fryer - meh). I used to have breakfast here at least one Sunday a month, whether I have company or not. They offer some interesting omelet options you would not expect the find at a local restaurant. Alas, they cash only (the reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars) - this is the only read more

This is now the best place in Norwood for breakfast! After five years, trying other places (not by choice sometimes) and eating here consistently, I am very confident in my assessment. The food quality has gone up in recent months. I feel it is because there is a consistent team in the kitchen and they really put the effort in to cook the best breakfast with the ingredients provided. If you like corned beef hash, Brookside's is awesome! Highly recommend it! Their sourdough bread is great as well. Their omelets are also pretty solid and they are not stingy with the toppings. The ownership is great and they are always pleasant. The staff is very friendly. End of day, for a a simple consistent breakfast, Brookside is the place! Now some feedback... My biggest issue is still the coffee and cost for sides, but times are tough and small businesses need to survive, so I get it. The cost of coffee is staggering! $2.05! When you look at the bill for your breakfast and 15% of the cost is coffee, that is crazy! Remember the days when the 'special' breakfast included the coffee? Let's face it, the coffee brewed at Brookside is a write-off. The coffee is horrible! Hopefully they take this as constructive criticism and attempt to fix. We are not looking for Starbucks, just a decent cup of flavorful coffee. I'd also like to challenge Brookside Cafe a bit to figure out a way to 'enhance' their breakfast a bit. As I said in my first review, the best place I have ever eaten breakfast is a place called Renee's Cafe in Somerville, MA. My advice to the owner of Brookside is to go eat there one day and you will see why. Same with the Spot Cafe in Watertown. What makes them different than the usual breakfast place? They add in value with a unique offering. At Renee's it is they creative dishes with fresh ingredients. At the Spot it is their homemade bread. End of day, Brookside has the potential to be more than just a diner style breakfast place. Source your bread from a local Norwood business the Breadbasket Bakery which is owned by a Norwood resident. Get bagels from the Spot! in Norwood. Offer up some gluten free and paleo options. 'Enhancements' are endless! End of day, breakfast while simple, is a fun american tradition that many do! Why not step it up and give your cook a bit more creative control!? All it takes is a few 'differences' to make you stand out! read more

We went here today, decided to try somewhere new and were very happy with our choice! It's clean, the staff is friendly, I never had to wait for my coffee cup to be refilled, or our water glasses for that matter. My husband had 3 eggs, English muffin on the grill and home fires. Delicious, cooked well and the home-fries were better than your average diner, e.g. they had tasty seasonings and were not dripping in grease. I had the Popeye Benedict, spinach, tomato and poached egg on an English muffin with home-fries. They also kindly put the hollandaise sauce on the side for me without blinking an eye. I liked everything about my meal, and we would certainly consider going back. The prices were right, too. read more

My husband and I found this place through yelp on our first morning as Norwood residents and boy were we glad we did! Having a go-to breakfast spot is such a key to feeling at home in a community. This place was easy to find w/the yelp app. I was worried about a long wait (it was 10 a.m. on a Saturday) however we were able to find a table within a few minutes of arrival. We had a small two seater table next to a window. There is a large U-shaped breakfast bar for people that want to be social. Everyone was super nice and the atmosphere was quaint and friendly. The best thing was that the food was very good. I am picky about breakfast food because it can go wrong so easily. I had a frittata with spinach, tomatoes and feta in it - amazing! It came with an english muffin served from the grill which was crispy, buttery and delicious and very tasty baked beans. I could have split this meal with two other women. My husband had a normal eggs, meat and side and said that is was good also. We will definitely be back. read more

New to the area. Certainly food not worth bragging about. I've had better at Ihop and certainly my own kitchen. I got my food to go and good thing I did. A lot of old folks that stare... oh the black plight. read more

The best !!! The owner and the staff are so welcoming. I favor the breakfast quesadilla. Always good.

Update-- Brookside DOES take credit cards so this is no longer an issue. Brookside serves both breakfast and lunch. They are now serving dinner Wed-Thursday-Friday. This varies during the year so call to check if this is still the case. Breakfast has many options and choices. Along with the standard fare of omelets are frittatas. There are many combos and you can also make your own. You can have home fries, which are fairly large chunks of potato or hash browns which are the rectanglar frozen type that are then deep fried. You can also get baked beans as a side. They usually have 3-4 breakfast specials such and ham steak, different Benedict dishes spinach and tomato as an example. They also have what looks like in-store made muffins. Lunch has many different sandwiches including reubens, a great chicken salad, and Monte Cristo. Dinner features different specials including at times boiled dinner. They have sweet potato fries as a side option. Kids meals here are great, hit mac & cheese, hotdog, cheeseburgers, kids french toast. This place is very very kid friendly they bring the kids out crayons and coloring books and also deliver their drinks with lids on them. They have a U shaped counter with, you don't see these much any more and it is great to know still exists. Don't expect fancy decor but the place is comfy, cozy, well run, clean, and well kept. The service here is wonderful and they always accomodate any requests or changes you have. I eat here a few times a month and I look forward to it. Its a great local place with really good food. Parking is tight in the small lot, but there is a lot of parking in front and right across the street, parking should not be an issue at all. read more

Once again people, it's not rocket science to do a decent breakfast but more and more places end up with lousy pancakes or dried out eggs or homefries as crusty as your great grandmothers shorts. Well, Brookside makes the leap from mediocre to outstanding and fulfilling breakfasts that make it a necessary repeat. Not because other places can't get a decent menu or breakfast out there but because price, quantity and quality exist here at Brookside. Making it a favorite of mine. Pancakes, short stack or tall, real maple syrup on demand for 99 cents (which is reasonable) plus extra regular syrup to supplement if desired, the "brookside breakfast platter" that had pancakes, choice of meat, eggs and delicious homefried potatoes. Now that all sounds good but it tasted better! read more

Meh... We went in for breakfast today (Sunday morning) and were rather unpleasantly surprised. Based on the other reviews, we were expecting delicious food, but that wasn't the case. The scrambled eggs tasted like other food on the griddle instead of eggs. The pancakes were tough and crumbly and not done well enough. The omelet was just a bunch of egg wrapped around the fillings which included uncooked onion (why?) and was dripping liquid on to the plate, soaking the English muffins. My boyfriend liked the home fries, but I found them to be undercooked and, like the eggs, they tasted like they were cooked with other food, mixing up the flavors. Service was prompt and courteous, so that's definitely a plus. However, I can't see us going back. It's just not worth it... read more

Sat outside for breakfast. Eggs Benedict hash was delicious. More importantly, attentive and friendly service - Brookside understands how you want to be treated as a patron. read more

Great little joint for a late breakfast on a Sunday. Beats any big dinner I've been to in the area this little dive is great. It's a family joint, staff is great and so are the patrons. If you want good fast food this is your place. read more

I love brunch and have tried so many different brunch places. My bf took me here for my birthday and I was excited because Norwood isn't my typical destination for brunch. Once I walked into this diner, I felt like I was in someone else's home. This is your classic diner feel restaurant with carpeted floors, ceiling fans, and the seat yourself method. The only downside to this is that they have two entrances so there isn't a proper line when waiting for tables and I saw a couple waiting for at least 10 minutes at one door while another couple came in through the other and immediately took a table when someone just left. Food: I ordered the cinnamon swirl French toast because my goal is to eat French toast from every restaurant! It was good but nothing I couldn't make at home. My bf ordered the pulled pork sandwich from their specials menu which was decent but we had to ask for an extra side of bbq sauce in order for it to not taste dry. We ordered corned beef hash as a side and the waitress asked if I wanted it homemade or from a can. I don't even know why that was a question?! If I wanted canned food, I could buy it myself from the supermarket. I don't even know why a restaurant would use canned food?? Well, I ordered homemade and it was actually pretty good. Overall I love the local feel of the place and they have great portion sizes. This is a typical diner with good food but nothing extraordinary. read more

Solid food. Nice waitstaff, good coffee. Ate eggs and corned beef hash, wife ate Greek omelette and both were respectable. No decor but homey. Very busy but seated right away. Cheap, decent no frills breakfast. Bathroom could be cleaner. read more

Brookside Cafe - Corned beef hash! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

Love American home style breakfast. Service is good, friendly, & cafe is very clean. It wasn't crowded & we came at the right time, 10:00 on a Thursday. read more

Brookside Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

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Awesome diner for a great breakfast. Fast, smooth, courteous service. Great seats at the bar. Great place to eat while you wait for Home Depot to open. read more

Brookside Cafe - Sausage benny - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norwood, Massachusetts

Good quality food, service and reasonable prices, what more can you ask for first thing in the morning

Visiting from out of state. This was close to our Airbnb so we figured we would check into it. Has that small town feel, service was fast and friendly, and the food was delicious!! Would highly recommend this place. It was awesome. read more

We've been eating at the Brookside for many years. Mike bought the restaurant from the previous owner and is doing a GREAT job! Everything is well prepared and DELICIOUS! Place is bright and clean. The waitstaff are excellent and so friendly. Lots of great specials, generous portions... just a great breakfast/lunch place! Love The Brookside! Do yourself a favor , and try it. You won't be disappointed and you'll become a regular too! read more