Gravely disappointed in what was supposed to be a fun night with my elderly mother who came for dinner and to see the Winiker band, who perform every four weeks. We are all personal friends of Bill and Bo. I made the reservation six weeks ago because I know it is a popular night. I left a note on Resy asking for a particular table that is best for my mother to be at -- given her age, hearing, and joy of seeing the band. Later emailed to confirm this table the day before, and also spoke with someone on the day of -- all reassuring about getting that table. When we arrived, that table was taken and we were seated way in the back out of range of even seeing the band. They were very nonchalant and not one bit apologetic and said they received no such request..... read more

A real varied menu. From a light bite to a full meal. Pizzas are terrific. And they adhere to their reservations

I seldom give a one star review or a five star review based on a single visit. Last week, my review of a music store prompted a very rare one star and yesterday's lunch at Cook Needham prompts a well deserved five star review. First, a shout out to Yelpers. We were in town doing business and my friend, a fussy eater, wasn't having anything that comes from a chain restaurant. A quick check with Yelp sent us here and put a smile on our faces. My standard question in a new place is to ask the person taking our food requests is either what do you like or if your friend was coming here and would not be eating her again, what's your recommendation?. Without hesitation, our server recommended the cod sandwich and salad (my friend loves fish) and for me, the lobster sliders were her choice. I also ordered a side of fries. My wife is a lobster fan so I sent her a picture of my dish and she was happy for me - despite the fact that she was eating a cheese sandwich at home. I noshed on the generous portion of real-made-from-fresh-potatoes fries so I could enjoy them while they were hot. And enjoy I did! Well done, chef! Then I tucked into the sliders. Every bite was a taste treat. Fresh, cooked-to-perfection chunks of lobster surrounded with a flavorful dressing and crisp celery to add some crunch. The lightly toasted buns also added some bite too. That told me that the chef is someone who "gets" that eating is a multi sensory experience. A neat addition was a small cup of what I think are home made pickles. A local eatery in my home town made these and we fell in love with them until the chef's landlord rent-raised him out of business. Here, they are as good as I remember and were an effective way to balance the lobster flavors with a touch of acid. It's all good. I was surprised to see my friend dig into the inside of the roll in his fried cod sandwich. He was picking out seasoned, flavor soaked bread (he never really eats all of the bread in a big sandwich). Wow! I stopped to tell the chef (easily visible in the spotless, open kitchen) that I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and would be back as soon as business sends me 4 hours north again. On the way home, my friend and I were concocting excuses to do just that. No kidding! Five stars, well earned. Our waitress gets 6 stars for her recommendations and also, she kept our drink glasses full all through our meals - a gem for sure. Go, enjoy, you'll thank me ! read more

Customer service horrible. Ignored us and the food was no better. Report to management and responded immediately and got my refund back.

Haven't been in a few years so thought I'd check it out on my way to my friends house. The restaurant was clean, Covid safe and very friendly staff. The Espresso Martini was one of the best I've ever had. I ordered the Harvest Bowl with Ahi Tuna & it was one the best things I've ever eaten in my life. Portions are generous I had leftovers for lunch for the next day. Will definitely be back next time I'm in town. read more

Cook - New American Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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unfortunately this was a miserable experience. Water tasted like they dipped their glasses into the Charles river. I requested bottled water instead. Service was slow and many miscommunications between us to her and then to the kitchen. I ordered an omelette with American cheese. My Omelette arrived with no cheese, they took back and threw Shredded cheddar blend, still cold on inside. I ask them to remake the omelette. Omelette was over stuffed and Full in middle and not spread out onto sides. I would like to teach their cook how to make an omelette. My partners omelette was supposed To be prepared with sour cream And onions to top. It came bare. I ordered poached eggs with hollandaise sauce on top and bacon under neath. it was served separately next to eachother. read more

My wife and I went to Cook on Sunday for brunch 9/10/23. We sat in the bar area an had the bartender as our server, it wasn't very busy. From the moment we sat down, things went wrong. He ignored us in a practically empty section and we had to get his attention to try to order drinks & get menus. He was busy staring at a phone with the bus boy. He forgot to get our drinks so we asked for them again when he came back to take our food order. The food came and was really good, but we saw the bartender repeatedly rubbing his eyes & wiping his nose with his hand and never washed them. It was bothering other guests, and we heard a woman at the bar nicely tell him that if you touch your face in a restaurant, you need to wash your hands immediately. He actually rolled his eyes and walked off, to make more drinks and touch glasses and fruit! He stayed busy talking to the busser and ignored us. Other tables had to try to get his attention. We got the check because we wanted to get out of there; the server said "You're welcome " when he gave it to us- not "Thank you "!!! We've had so many good meals at Cook but if this is what's happened there we will not be going back. Very disappointing. Also, the bartender had short dark hair, 20s, glasses- he should not be working in a restaurant, period. read more

Ok so I haven't been actually in to the restaurant, but tonight after days of extremely long hours ( I'm a florist... it's Mother's Day weekend!) I finally finished my work marathon and collapsed on the couch to submit to Grubhub for dinner. I ordered the steak tips with charred broccoli and chimmichurri sauce. I expect it to be less than perfect after the ride in the car, but it's DELICIOUS and just what the doctor ordered. If it's this good via Grubhub, I can only imagine how good it would be coming straight from the kitchen. I will try to come in! read more

This is my go to spot for dinner with friends when I'm home. It offers a varied, American menu, great drinks, and a lively atmosphere. I tried the special salmon burger and it was pretty good. I've also had one of their veggie bowls with burrata which was a good light option for summer. Their pizza and burgers looked delicious too. Both times I've been, we have had excellent and prompt service. read more

Went here for their Hell Night, which is always an exciting theme. The food was overall very tasty, but the rating system for the heat scale was entirely out of whack. My wife's chicken under the brick was scorching hot and only labeled a 3 out of 6. Whereas I ordered the hottest thing on the menu, the lamb vindaloo, and it was only normal spicy but nothing at all compared to my wife's chicken under a brick. That being said, everything was wicked flavorful and well prepared. I'd return, but tread with more caution. read more

Cook - Notice - New American Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Pleasant visit. They have good healthy options and add some Mediterranean flair to simple dishes. we enjoyed the chicken sausage flatbread. They have real falafel and we added them to several dish options. If you're looking at a good family option place this is it. They even have good cocktails for the adults! read more

What happened? A year ago we were so impressed and enjoyed it many more times. I heard ownership changed ... visited after 6 months from last visit and yuck. Uncreative and bland. Steak tips dry and not much flavor. Fried chicken used to have light crispy traditional breading now hard crusty overdone. Charred broccoli now burnt. Favorite drink from before, roaring 20's gimlet--no garnish, where's the lavender flavor? Sad to see the former standards seem to have vanished read more

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Cook is a great Restaurant. Always consistently good. This is a great place to bring a crowd of your family. We have a TV we can watch sports and the inside is nice and new. Desi our waitress was wonderful and very accommodating. read more

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This is a great place. Interesting menu,not the typical stuff. My wife really enjoyed her Southwestern Bowl and I enjoyed a few well made martinis. If you haven't been there you should give it a try. We're looking forward to going back. read more

This place deserves more than 4 stars- excellent food showing creativity with both flavor and texture. Mediterranean salad was outstanding as well as their kale salad. simple cheeseburger done to order! Service and friendliness top notch- we are lucky to have Cook inthe " hood"! read more

Pretty disappointed. I went in around 4pm there was maybe 5 people in the place. Noticed they had Blantons bourbon so I couldn't pass that up. I waited patiently at the bar thinking I would also get dinner. Was ignored for about 5 minutes until someone asked me what I wanted to drink. She could not of been any nicer! She then informed me she was actually the waitress and had to go check on her table. Being the GM of many restaurants I was impressed by her professionalism and work ethic. I finished my drink and waited for the bartender. There was myself and two elderly woman at that bar. I waited patiently but no service came the bartender,manager and a different server were too busy drinking tequila! Needless to say I didn't order my food (which would have been 3meals to go) and a glass of wine while I waited. Thanks to the incredible waitress but but shame on the rest of the staff! I won't be going back! read more

Took my 6 year old granddaughter out for an early dinner. Our meals are served and my granddaughter needs to use the ladies room. Minutes later, we return to the table. Our meals have been cleared! I asked the waiter, "What happened?" "I thought you finished, paid your bill, and left." He said. Me: "How would I pay the bill? We were in the middle of our meal. You're the waiter and you should know that you had not yet given us the bill." Waiter: "Oh yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry about that." Did the waiter offer any compensation ? NO. I quietly paid the bill, and promised myself that I would NEVER AGAIN frequent this restaurant. Drove directly to Five Guys. Ordered burgers and fries that were twice the size and half the cost. NEVER AGAIN! read more

I ate here last week. Ordered a glass of wine and a chicken salad sandwich, which came with a side salad. I came in by myself @ lunchtime and sat at the bar. The only time the bartender spoke to me was asking for my order. I tried to make conversation with him to no avail. It was $15 for the sandwich and $11 for the wine, the sandwich was good; nevertheless, I think that's a lot for a toasted sandwich and 5 leaves of lettuce. I would of stayed longer and had another glass of wine if he made some effort to talk to me. read more

Very disappointing, stupid- expensive. Lots of empty tables when we arrived, no line. Hostess was on phone, no acknowledgement/ eye- contact that we were waiting. Not a great beginning. Finally, a waitress saw, and seated us. The restaurant gradually got busier, and it was too busy for the 2 Servers. They were great, and hustled- but- not a relaxed vibe. Beautiful, interesting, fun Plating! We may have ordered wrong, and may have had better luck sticking w hamburger or pizza. The entree's were appealing, but, in the $25- plus, range- did not appeal. The best part of this $60 meal for 2 (included 2 teabags), were the mini pita's that came w Entree Salad and Appetizer. Appetizer w Dips had literally, a teaspoon of each dip. Entree Salad- salad was skimpy, felafels were yummy, hummus was not- to our liking- tomato flavor. Eggplant Parm noodles and eggplant were delicious, in a yucky, watery tomato broth. Will not come again. The same choices would have been just as- good/ better, far- less expensive with probly more- pleasant service and half for lunch tomorrow, at the local pizza/ sub restaurant. read more

The food is decent but if you have other choices in Needham Center, I'd walk right past this one. The food was luke warm; most of what we ordered, from appetizers to entrees was tasty but not served hot when it was supposed to be hot. Even the coffee was luke warm. For the price overall, this one is simply not worth it. Try some other spot! read more

Cook is the king of suburban restaurants! Our go to place in metro-west. Amazing cocktails - with homemade ingredients. Food is so fresh and everything appears to be house made and the prices are very reasonable. You NEED reservations on the weekends or eat at the bar. Must have is the Greek Salad (yes salad) - it has peppadew hummas and pita as a hidden treasure under the salad. The burger is top notch - thick and with a char and juicy. Fried Chicken is some of the best north of the mason dixon. The downside, beside the need for reservations, are the weak beer list and limited menu. The bar has great service but the one time we sat at a table I wasn't wowed by our server. She did have a large party but wasn't super friendly. read more

Disappointing. Over priced assembled food not from scratch. Pizza was cold and meatballs were dry and flavorless. Not sure why they have a pizza oven ? read more

Great new addition to Needham Center. My husband and I went on a Friday night and sat in the bar area to try out their burger and fries. Our service was great, there was a nice vibe, and the burger and fries were delicious! We will be back to try out some of the other items on the menu! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it was a bit pricey for a regular burger and fries at $15 but overall, very happy with the experience. read more

Cook - New American Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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Love this place! I first came in a few months ago to meet some friends and have been back many times since. Ambiance is very cool whether you are sitting in the dining room or at the bar. Food is fantastic. I always start with a shrimp taco and it always hits the spot. NFC (fried chicken) is amazing and the Truffle Fries are to die for. My wife ordered the falafel plate and was delighted not only by the flavor but the little mini pitas with which you can mix and match your own bites. Cocktails are top notch. I usually stick to the spicy margarita, but my friends always enjoy their wide range of fresh, homemade cocktails. Service is consistently friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable at the bar or at a table. One last thing I really like seeing at Cook is how immersed in the service process their management is. Rather than standing in the corner and telling their staff what to do they take active rolls to ensure a positive customer experience. PHIL RULES!! read more

It's great to see Needham getting more high quality restaurants. It's pricey, but that's not too surprising because it is in an expensive area. The host was friendly and attentive and sat our party at a great table a little out of the way. It smelled delicious in the restaurant and I was excited to order. I got the kale salad with chicken. I was very please with the chicken it was cooked perfectly and that can be tricky to find sometimes in restaurants. Others in my party ordered the salmon and the roast chicken. Everyone was very please with their entrees. We got an order of truffles fries to start and they were delicious, I could have eaten two more bowls of them. Everything was fresh and tasted really good. We went on a Monday night and it was busy but we got in fine without a reservation. I can see why other Yelpers are recommending making a reservation though. I will definitely be back next time I am in town! read more

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Have always liked this place. Friendly service, good quality food, nice decor and very reasonable prices. Had the burger there before which was awesome....Just picked up a Turkey BLT....and it was fire! So delicious and a huge portion! Will def be getting it again soon! read more

The smoked maple old fashioned was unlike any drink I'd ever had, in a very good way and the Chicken Sausage Flatbread was creamy and delicious. Truffle fries also a must have. read more

Sunday Brunch- Loved the kale and Brussels sprout kale salad. Best w steak added. Delicious!! Going in for the ice cream!!

I frequent this establishment quite often, and the food is always amazing. I recommend the burger and fries; also the ketchup there is amazing. If you ever want a sweet treat I recommend to get the cheesecake bites which are amazing. They are good to share, but if your want it for yourself they work fine too. read more

My father and I ate at Cook Needham lastnight and it was just a horrible experience . I wanted to complain but my Dad insisted that I don't make a scene . So we tried to eat the food that we order but barely picked at it . The server had a nerve to say if we wanted a to go box. We were so hungry when we left that we went to a burrito place up the street . I would never go back there........ read more

This is great food! Beautiful presentation, very tasty, nice portions... I had the falafel platter and it was excellent. Homemade pita and falafel, not at all greasy. I definitely recommend this place for lunch!!! (Haven't tried dinner or breakfast). Service was relaxed but fine. read more

Teachers eat free on Mondays for lunch all summer. This is an owner that appreciates teachers! Also, very family friendly. Went here with another teacher friend, my daughter is 6 months, his daughter is 3 months and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Will definitely come back for a meal that they actually charge me for! read more

Food was fine. Basic breakfast menu on a Sunday with typical eggs and sandwiches. Portions are average for the main but very small for side potatoes. Side salad for the omelette was nice touch though. Omelette was a fluffy type and completely sealed. Lots of mushroom and cheese and added chicken sausage was a must for the mushroom omelette otherwise it's a little too vegetarian and no flavor. Few beers on tap and a couple dozen additional by bottle. Mimosa at $10 is simply ridiculous, but rest of the prices are good at $13ish for base price of entrees. A good neighborhood spot with TV and beer, but not worth waiting in line or anything. read more

My family and I went to Cook in Needham for first time and I will admit I was a bit skeptical, but they did not disappoint! We were regulars when it was Not Your Average Joes. We tried the Miso Salmon entree per the recommendation of our server Paris, who was very knowledgeable and passionate about the dish she made a few other suggestions on the drink menu and apps, and she was spot on! I couldn't decide so she brought me something fruity and it was de-lish (wish I could remember what the drink was called). She even let my husband try a couple of beers she recommended as they didn't have his usually pale ale and that made his decision a lot easier :) The Salmon was cooked to perfection and the flavors were spot on. We will definitely return sooner rather than later, I need to figure out what that amazing drink was. This is a very kid friendly place and we must've come at peek time for family dinner. Thank goodness our server (Paris) seemed to have a way with children and she tried her best to keep them entertained and not jumping up all over the place .. a parents job if you ask me :/ Staff, food and drinks were amazing nonetheless we will return!! read more

The food is good. We had the several appetizers: chickpea fries, charred broccoli, pepadews as well as a flatbread and the falafel plate. The apps were very good and tasty, but way overpriced for the quantity of food we received. Same was true for the falafel plate and flatbread. Service was quick and friendly. In my opinion, much of what we ordered was priced from 30- 50% more than it should have been. read more

As always, Brian is an amazing server. The food is always fresh and great. My family like to come here on weekends for a couple drinks and some great food with a friendly atmosphere. We are regulars here since the Newton Cook closed (we were regulars there first). read more

I love this place!!!! I've tried almost everything and can't say one bad thing. The food is outstanding and the staff so attentive even on a busy Saturday night! Specials menu never disappoints. The open kitchen and pizza oven make for a cozy ambience read more

Sat at the bar recently for a couple drinks and a few apps. Friendly bartender. Made a nice drink. Falafel plate and Greek salad were tasty, just not a lot of food and, to us at least, a bit over-priced for what they are. Cook's chickpea fries were delicious. Thick, moist planks of lightly fried chickpea batter with a creamy tzatziki for dipping. Get it. Would rate 3.5 stars if I could. read more

Absolute ROCKSTARS! I was in a pinch on a Wednesday to host an event for a Sunday and not only were these folks able to accommodate, they did so flawlessly. We served a variety of flatbreads, salads and the sliders and everything was a huge hit with the guests. The layout of the restaurant ended itself very well to our informal reception. The food received rave reviews and the staff was exceptionally helpful and accommodating. I'd host another event here anytime! read more

We have been there twice now. The hostess is curt and not welcoming at all..we had no reservation - were told quickly that the it would be a 45 minute wait...no apology...no "you can wait in our bar area, have a drink, and I will try to get you a table sooner"...or something like that..just black and white...the male manager {?} got us a table in 5 minutes...so she needs to be a lot warmer and welcoming, for Gosh sakes! The menu is quite limited versus NYAJ that was there previously...mostly craft beers on tab...cater to the Millennials, which is OK...I have had the pasta twice...good but not great...My wife had a flat bread - she said it was delicious...place is loud...all in all - OK...will give it one more try...we miss NYAJ! read more