Seems like people are pretty divided on the Classic Cafe. I can understand that. It is what it is: a simple diner. Is it as filthy as some other reviews might lead you to believe? No, but it's not pristine. I've never had bad service, but it can get pretty crowded sometimes, mainly with early morning geriatric couples or families with kids. Sometimes the waitresses are personable... sometimes not. What I really love are their selection of omelets, they have a lot of interesting combinations, the apple sausage one is my favorite. Still, it's mostly run of the mill diner food: fried eggs, hash, toast, that sort of thing... and if I'm eating at a diner in the first place well, that's usually what I want. Definitely not more than a 4 star place, but I like it for what it is, so that makes it more than just a 3 star "okay". read more

Very disappointing omelette breakfast and a Bland salad that my dining partner had. Coffee was just average, and ambience was lackluster. It makes you wonder why these folks got into the restaurant business in the first place. read more

As another reviewer said, it's hard to screw up breakfast. Unfortunately, Classic Cafe manages to do just that. The first sign that this place was going to be bad should have been that we didn't have to wait to get in. Any good breakfast place always has a wait on a weekend. I ordered pancakes and they came out ridiculously dry and were just plain bad. They don't even have real maple syrup - I'm sorry but that fake crap is unacceptable. I'm willing to pay extra for maple syrup if that's what I need to do. The service was fine, but really that just doesn't matter if the food is bad. Honestly, I could do a lot better myself with not a whole lot of effort. Even if I'm feeling too lazy to cook, this place isn't worth it. My advice, take the extra drive and go to a real breakfast place - Ball Square Cafe or In a Pickle in Waltham immediately come to mind. The read more

The breakfast deal was pretty good...sausages were good, eggs cooked like I asked and ok potatoes -try a little salt! But the pancakes.........my father who is NO culinary savant makes better pancakes without a recipe. They were heavy and doughy, not light and fluffy like good pancakes should be, (I seriously need a nap!) and tasted like they were made from a generic pancake mix.....not even Aunt Jemima or Bisquick! Come on guys...you're a diner for peters sake! How hard is it to make pancake batter from scratch?? Five or six ingredients is all you need......... I really thought this would be my breakfast spot, but I'm gonna have to keep looking! read more

Ate there this morning with five others. Great breakfast, attentive waitress who catered to our needs and kept our coffees full. Very happy with this breakfast, and will be back again soon. This is a good, quick breakfast destination. read more

We've eaten at the Classic Cafe three to four times since moving to Arlington this fall. If you're squeamish about grime, move on. Their breakfast burrito is decent, the fresh fruit is good. Pass on the home fries/potatoes. Like other Arlington establishments, it's cash-only. The last time we went, they served my water sans ice with an ice-less cup for my Diet Coke. We had to ask for ice, it was cubed from a tray, so perhaps their icemaker was on the fritz. It's hard to fault them for being cheap, since that seems to be the norm for Arlington eating establishments, but telling my husband the equivalent of "I'll let it go THIS time" when he requests a "to go" coffee, was not the right answer. We once witnessed a patron go postal on one of the waitresses, thinking of the patron, "wow, what a bitch." But today I kind of saw what she was talking about. That said, Mimi is always sweet to our toddler, and that earned them the 2nd star. read more

Just love this place, service is good, food is good, this is my new diner to go to. Highly recommend it. read more

Just had the BEST lunch here! Eggplant, mozzarella, tomato, lettuce on thick pita, ooooh. With onion rings! Super friendly service, I plan to go back soon. read more

In the picture u can see there is a fucking fried egg in my toast place is ridiculous read more

Classic Cafe - a plate of food on a table - Diners Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Wicked good breakfast. Awesome specials. Friendly waitress. Pleasantly surprised by this place.

Great diner breakfast. Scrambled eggs were cooked perfect and the service was friendly and fast. Fruit cup was large and a variety of fruit.

The Classic Cafe lives up to its name. I stopped by on a Sunday morning and sat at the counter. Very friendly waitress. The menu has a lot of options. I ordered the Irish Breakfast and a side of fresh fruit. Wonderful breakfast. Scrambled eggs, ham, black and white pudding, sausage, and baked beans. I skipped the hash browns and toast. Nice clean restaurant and cozy space. It was off season, so the fruit wasn't perfect, but I will come back in early summer to sample again! Food came out quick as well. I highly recommend! read more

I live just up the street in Lexington and frequent the Classic Cafe for Breakfast. If you are a fan of the "greasy Spoon" and like diners (ala Wilson's in Waltham for example) then this is the place for you. If you are looking for linen napkins head further down Mass Ave. into Cambridge because you will be disappointed. I usually get the eggs and hash and always leave satisfied. We have 4 kids and a favorite for my 9 yr. old is the Belgian Waffle piled high with seasonal fruit and whipped cream. Pancakes are great and the bacon is crispy. I am not a big fan of the omelettes. For lunch I have had good club sandwiches and have had good luck with items off the specials board. Four stars because it is what it is - a nice, friendly local greasy spoon. read more

My heterolifemate and I frequent the Classic before spending the entire day counting small tokens, and pushing said small tokens around laminated pieces of cardboard. It's a fairly standard diner, and they get my order right whenever I go there. I don't deviate from the classics (no pun intended). Typically this is eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, in various forms and quantities. They cook the eggs how I ask. They cook the bacon how I ask. It's new england diner food, so really all I'm looking for is for them to give me what I ask for and not screw it up. They don't, so I'm a fan. read more

This is a great place, don't listen to the drama-tastic folks! The food is fantastic and the staff is great. My only complaint is that they don't take cards, and I always want to order more than I have cash for! Come early to be sure you get a table! read more

More like 3.5 stars. The decor is retro, like grammy's place; it makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. It's a small space, so don't think you can fit 20 of you closet friends; you'll end up filling the place. The service was friendly and not overly pushy. It seemed like a neighborhood joint, where the waitress pulled up a chair in between crowds to chat it up the the locals. The menu is good, however nothing that jumps at you. But what they lack in imagination, they make up for in portions, taste, and service. That's what makes them worth a return visit. I love corned beef hash cooked crisp and flat, and they do it perfectly. My only gripe, weak coffee. So BYOCoffee, if you like a strong brew like me. read more

This place is a hidden gem in Arlington Heights and my go-to breakfast place now. On weekdays there is a steady stream of regulars, and the service is quick and friendly. On weekends it can get pretty busy and the service is a bit slower. The food is always excellent and the service is always friendly. I've now tried three or four different dishes on the breakfast menu, and I've been happy with every single one. Definitely recommend this place. It's not flashy, but the food is great. I've only ordered from the breakfast menu, which they serve all day. read more

This is the best diner breakfast in the Arlington/Lexington area. They cook up every possible variation you can think of for pancakes and omelets. The staff is great. The food is great. It's too crowded on Sundays for big groups, but you can definitely get a group in on Saturday brunch. I'll even stop in for a quick egg sandwich on the weekdays before work, sure beats the fast food places. read more

I'm sorry to give a local family business a bad review but this place should be avoided. We waited 20 minutes for coffee, and later (much later, as you will read) I physically had to bring our cups up for a refill after we had asked twice. Our food took over an hour to come out fully; two pieces of toast came out alone at minute 30 and sat by themselves cooling for 30 minutes. Other people came and went while we languished in the super hot window waiting for service, literally any service. The food was fine when it did eventually appear, though the pancakes were clearly cooked on something used for bacon or sausage as they tasted like burned grease. Will not go back. I recommend Arlington Diner down the street for your breakfast needs! read more

We tried this place based on previous reviews on Yelp. On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning we had only a five-minute wait. The service was friendly and quick, and the food was excellent. My wife had the Breakfast Burrito and loved it, and I had the French Toast w/ fresh fruit. So much fruit on both dishes you could barely see the main dish. Really fresh, delicious fruit, and the burrito and French toast were excellent as well. Very nice atmosphere- we'll definitely go back. read more

I never thought that it was possible to f**k up an omelette, but this place does it! Despite great homefries & successful service, the ingredients are entirely from Market Basket so the quality suffers badly. Between the poor food & the reasonable service, three is a compromise read more

I love this place! Friendly staff and owners greet you and make you feel welcome. The fact that there are regulars is a good sign of course. They treat the regulars like family. They closed at 2:30PM today and breakfast was served until closing. We got there around 1PM and I was in the mood for lunch but I was glad to have choices of breakfast if I wanted. I ordered a wrap that is basically a Greek salad (romaine lettuce, Greek salad dressing, feta cheese, and bits of tomato) with grilled chicken on a wheat wrap. Superb. And their iced coffee was very good. Our waitress was attentive and sweet. We all had a lovely time and I hope to have breakfast there sometime soon... read more

I really mean to give this place 1.5 stars. I'd give this place a 3 star, but then it would throw off what 3 stars on my other business reviews mean. So this place is represented by one, and this is largely based on the food. My fiance ordered corned beef hash, which he described as being "straight up from a can," while I ordered Aegean Eggs Benedict -- it had artichokes, mushrooms and asparagus. Everything in my omelette was grossly overcooked. I could tell my artichokes also came from a can, the kind that were soaking in water all day. The cook probably didn't drain them too well because they came out really soggy. And the skin on my asparagus was wrinkly! Maybe someone should tell them that blanching them is the way to go! Aside from that, my coffee was NOT good. It was not even tolerable. It wasn't acidic, it just felt like drinking dirt water that was flavored like coffee. I tried putting more cream into it to make it tolerable, but it didn't work. I would recommend the biblical meal of bread and water. (can't go wrong on that!) On a POSITIVE note, this diner was the only diner that was open past 2PM. especially on New Year's Day (who the hell wakes up early on New Year's Day to eat brunch?). Everyone that worked there was really welcoming - the lady at the counter was really sweet. I could tell that the restaurant had a good repoire with some because of the way she was interacting with another customer -- which is why I was totally thrown off by my food! Anywho, this is my experience. Not the greatest food, but good service. and a TV to watch Sunday's football game. If that's all you need, then this is your place. But I don't recommend it if you're looking to take someone out to show them the best of Boston's brunches. read more

Breakfast is my favorite and there's nothing I enjoy more than a Sunday morning at a hometown diner, especially when my mom visits. We love trying out different spots, but sadly, this place just did not do it for us. The food lacked flavor, the bread was moldy, and what's more, the waitress just shrugged off the latter. Like literally shrugged when we brought the mold to her attention. I could chalk up as a one time deal but I really don't expect I'll be going here again. read more

After going back a few more times I think I would pass on this place. The food seemed to get worse and worse each time we went back. The service wasn't great to begin with, but if the food isn't up to par then the quirky staff becomes for frustrating than amusing. read more

The worst breakfast I've had in a long time. I was really hungry but couldn't eat more than a few bites from the Eggs Benedict I ordered and my little girl left her French Toast pretty much untouched. The home fries were the worst - had some kind of weird fishy taste to them. Oh, and they have a flat-screen TV with the news on. Thanks. I'm not coming back ever. read more

We decided to try this place on whim and we had one of the worst meals of our lifetimes. Cold toast, greasy potatoes, bad eggs. They brought one of our meals to the wrong table and after a minute realized what they done and took it away from them and brought it to us. On top of it all the place felt dirty and we left smelling like old grease and French fries. YUCK. read more

I typically find myself driving, occasionally biking into Davis Sq. for breakfast or over to Watertown for my diner fix...have not been for lunch but this humble little joint in the heights fits the bill with fairly priced, good, tasty food. Well seasoned out of the kitchen my omelettes hit the spot and the kids always seem to be happy with the 2,2,2,2 (2 pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 bacon). yeah you get it. So the tasty food, fair prices and the little to no wait to get a table puts Classic Cafe in my win column. ((Note: Cash Only)) read more

This is my absolute favourite breakfast place! The service is excellent, the waitresses all know us and treat us wonderfully. The food is excellent, and if you see nothing that looks good to you on the menu (practically impossible) you can usually order off menu as well. Go in there with a hangover and they will take one look at you and fix you a hang over special. Honestly, the Classic Cafe is one of my favourite things about Arlington! read more

We had a great lunch, three adults and 2 grandchildren. All for $46. Service great lot's to choose from. Friendly staff

The service is not bad but not good; the last two times I was here I had to ask for menus, silverware or part of the order they forgot. How can you screw up scrambled eggs? Easy, the just let them sit on the grill then chopped them up a little; they were more like an omelette chopped up. I like the convenience but not much else. Oh the in wall AC unit doesn't look like it's EVER been cleaned. read more

Nothing special here unfortunately. At least when it comes to lunch. I didn't have the breakfast there (which is served all day) but my guest did and said it was very good. However I had a grilled chicken sandwich and it was a disappointment. The chicken was 100% frozen then reheated somewhere which made it tough and not flavorful. As for the cucumber that accompanied the sandwich, there was a slice that was definitely the end piece of an already cut cucumber that should have been thrown out, not served. Overall I was pretty disappointed with the food and the staff, who were slightly rude. read more

The food is good and reasonable. They have 2 new breakfast "early bird" specials that blow away a Dunkins value combo. The reason it's 5 star is the people. Mimi is as sweet as can be chatting up people making sure everything is fine and, unlike most places, making sure children feel welcome as opposed to unwanted. This is what a classic family joint is all about read more

Staff is always very friendly. The owner makes you feel like you are a part of her family! Food is very good, lots of choices. But it cash only, our first time here we had to run across the street to the ATM Overall an awesome breakfast spot! read more

Truly a diner, in all the best ways. Really broad menu. The Sicilian omelette and Irish Breakfast are both excellent. My wife loved the corned beef hash. The 1111 was great for my mother in law. read more

Limited selection and average food quality. I visited for breakfast. Ordered the benedict. Hollandaise sauce tasted like it was from a can.

Another dissenting vote for what seems to be a well-liked place. We've been looking at it...finally tried it for Sunday breakfast. Menu seemed good...lots of choices. Place, itself, not exactly the cleanest I've seen but a little kitchy, which I kind of like. Very crowded. Door open, no screen...so flies buzzing around. But the food, alas, just doesn't measure up. My omelet had watery spinach among its ingredients, which really ruined it. I love spinach omelets, but this was awful. Home fries cold, soggy and greasy. Might have been fairly good if they were hot and crisped up. Toast also cold, rubbery and barely toasted. My breakfast came a full five minutes before my husband's, so it was a surprise when everything on his plate was cold. He had the 1-1-1-1. One of each...bacon, sausage, egg and pancake. Bacon undercooked, Sausage precooked and barely warmed up, so it was rather hard and tasteless. Egg OK. Pancake cold, rubbery, not pleasant. He waited forever for a coffee refill. Not a very pleasant experience. Felt somewhat ripped off, not very welcomed or pampered. Maybe you have to be a regular...or just get lucky with what you order. Would NOT go back EVER. read more

Just can't get enough of the Classic Cafe! The food here is fantastic diner food but it's not a greasy spoon type place: yummy soups, great fresh fruit and killer breakfast foods. I am a diner snob and this place deserves the 5 stars not only for it's food but for the people who work there. It's like coming into a meal back at my Mom's place (I get hugs when I walk in the door). Can't go wrong here. If you're looking for 5-star dining, DON'T GO TO A DINER! But if you're looking for great staff and great eats, you'll be very happy here. read more

Lets face it, it's pretty hard to fuck up breakfast, but a lot of places come close. Not the case with the Classic Cafe. I've been about 5 times and love it every time. I live in Davis Square so I usually walk most places i go to but Arlington Heights is a great little area to go when you want to escape the city for a bit. Plus there is a five and dime store across the street that sells those terrorist ski masks from all the 80's movies. Anyway, the Classic Cafe has tons of different omelette's ranging from Irish, Italian, German, Albanian etc and every one I've tried was great, despite the sometimes odd ingredients. They also make the best and most authentic Irish Breakfast i've had in the Boston area. The staff comes off as surely some times but they're responsive to a little wise assery so it evens out. Kid friendly too, which can be good or bad depending on if you either have kids or don't hate them. And the orange juice came in a 12oz cup, not one of those rinky dink little cups like most diners. read more

Tried out the Classic Cafe for the first time and will not go back. Egg plate was so greasy, I couldn't eat much of it and felt sick the rest of the day. My meal came with sautéed mushrooms that looked old and tasted weird - didn't eat any more after the first bite. My husband had only taken two bites of his oatmeal. I asked him what was wrong and he said it was not very good. I tried it. The only way I can describe it - tasteless and slimy. When I told the manager, she argued that there was nothing wrong with it. I asked her to take the oatmeal off the bill which she did, but she got very angry. Overall, not a good experience. read more