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    Mel's Commonwealth Cafe

    3.4 (219 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Mel's Commonwealth Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Mel's Commonwealth Cafe Photos

    MEL'S COMMONWEALTH CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Country Inn French Toast
    Patrick B.

    Driven by here a bazillion times. Finally stopped and came in. Clean, bright lights and smells of food. There are two menus, one for specials, the other for the mains. I chose the country inn French toast, has to be at least an inch and half thick! Home fries and a slice of ham. Waitress was quick on the scene to take our orders. Coffee refills quite regularly. Food was hot and fresh. Well worth the stop. Hoping to come back.

    Michelle C.

    Loving the new makeover. Updated front area, dining room and bar. New counters, Nic bright new paint job, looks great and updated! Been coming here for years, mostly takeout. Still in love with their grilled bagel. They've also improved on their homefries!

    Corned beef hash and eggs
    Shashu B.

    Solid diner food with nice service. Very fun ambiance. It's best to go when it's not too crowded but it's always a good time

    Todays daily special was a skillet omelette  I was hoping to see a skillet ‍ Came with an overflowing fruit cup - not shown
    Barry L.

    Mel's Commonwealth is a landmark with a long 60+ year history. Once originally a donut shop, today serving delicious breakfast and lunch. Co-owner brothers are usually visible greeting their customers on entry or table visit, just like their dad Mel did before he retired. This local eatery has a strong local support in and around the community. Many employees still work here for 20+ years. Diane was our server today. We started with a grilled blueberry muffin. Delicious!! These muffins are from the The Muffin Man- (look them up....yummy) My guest order a daily special - The skillet with a over flowing fruit cup. They said they enjoyed their meal. I ordered a meat lovers omelet -you have the choice of toast and home fries or three medium-size pancakes . My omelette was stuffed and my banana pancakes were excellent. (I shared ) This is a must visit, if you've never have been The consistency of the food and long retention of employees providing outstanding service is what keeps people coming back Enjoy ‼ We will be back

    Country Inn French Toast Special
    Kristen K.

    Nice diner feel with a large menu to provide lots of great brunch options. When we went, there was also a specials menu with some seasonal options for fall. I ordered the country inn French toast special, which was only $2 more than the normal order but included home fries and a side of ham/bacon/sausage (not pictured). Portion size was great. Only wish the potatoes were crispier. My partner also ordered off the specials menu and got the chorizo eggs Benedict, however the chorizo slices were pretty small which was disappointing.

    Front Entrance

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    7 months ago

    Delightful diner with a new twist on standard fare. Fun atmosphere, friendly service. In house bakery with Dail specials

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    2 star restaurant with 4 star pricing. Food is ok, but overpriced for what you get. Kind of a dinner feel, but generally run down.

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    2 years ago

    The omelette was very good today. Will definately have it again the next time I stop in.

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Average food with sub par service and VERY expensive. I've been there 3 times and 3 strikes and you're out. Never again.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Mel's Commonwealth Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

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    The Farmer's Daughter - Eggs Benedict; I added mushroom and sautéed kale

    The Farmer's Daughter

    4.1(325 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    Kid friendly

    I normally get the same thing TOGO because it's so good! Eggs Benny and a side of potatoes. I wish…read morethey would include the potato as a meal. I've switched up the ham to their bacon which is delicious! Thick cut, crispy and tons of it! I also recommend getting an extra side of hollandaise because it's THAT good! Kids miniature chocolate chip pancakes are filling and pretty large. Dine-in they have kids cute coloring page and yummy hot coco! I had the chance to dine-in and the inside is decorated nicely and I love the light coming from all the large windows. I wish there were more booth seating available, the hard wooden chairs are not that comfy. - Small waiting area in front and outdoors - outdoor seating when it's nice out - online ordering avail for easy pickup and delivery (by 3rd party) - share parking lot but usually pretty full, overflow in Whole Foods lot avail - you can now reserve tables! Yah! Note: $10 no-show fee

    A friend and I came here around 11 a.m. on a Thursday and the wait was about an hour and a half, so…read morewe decided to kill some time walking around Whole Foods. The place itself was clean, neat, and not very large. We ordered the regular eggs Benedict (around $21) and the chicken and waffle eggs Benedict (around $30). Between the two, I definitely preferred the chicken and waffle Benedict. It was more savory, whereas the regular eggs Benedict also savory but came with a red sauce that was surprisingly sweet when I was expecting something more traditional and savory. Overall, I would come here for a special occasion, as the price point feels a bit high for what you get. You can definitely find a similar eggs Benedict elsewhere for cheaper. That said, I do recommend trying the green hot sauce they have. I thought it paired really well and tasted better with the dish.

    Photos
    The Farmer's Daughter - Ambience

    Ambience

    The Farmer's Daughter - Omelet du jour w/ quinoa

    Omelet du jour w/ quinoa

    The Farmer's Daughter - Hot sauce selection

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    Bullfinchs - Lamb Chops

    Bullfinchs

    4.2(286 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    Went the other day for a surprise birthday dinner. We asked for a cozy table but everywhere in the…read morerestaurant was pretty loud we ended up talking loudly to each other to hear above the other noise. The service was pretty good , the drinks were overpriced like Boston prices for a couple old fashions that got watered down quickly. I had the salmon dish with rice. The portion was perfect , but it lacked flavor so it wasn't very satisfying. The best thing I liked was the dessert the chocolate mousse.

    Our party of 8 enjoyed our experience at Bullfinchs. We were seated in an odd back corner of the…read morerestaurant, which lacked a bit of ambiance, but allowed for conversation at a reasonable volume. Our server was patient as we perused the menu and caught up with friends. I started with the equinox, which is their signature bourbon and cognac cocktail ($18) - it was good! The soft, pillowy rolls with butter was a nice start...who doesn't love delicious bread?! The steak frites ($41) was one of their specials that evening, and frankly, it wasn't too special. While it was a nice sized piece of sirloin that was cooked to my requested medium rare, it was a little tough and desperately needed the herbed butter it was served with. However, the menu offers a good variety of entrees, so there is something for everyone. We shared several desserts ($12 each), and again, all were good versions of familiar fare, such as creme brulee, bread pudding, flourless chocolate cake. The restaurant really seems to fit this affluent Boston suburb...a bit conservative, a bit pricy, nothing offensive or too risky, but everything done pretty well, if not especially memorable.

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    Bullfinchs - NYE decor?

    NYE decor?

    Bullfinchs - Brunch bundle

    Brunch bundle

    Bullfinchs - Small fried shrimp with sauce appetizer

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    Small fried shrimp with sauce appetizer

    Coach Grill - The boneless ribeye

    Coach Grill

    3.5(331 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$$

    Coach Grill is a fun place for a casual or nice night out…read more Ambiance/Atmosphere: busy, social, and LOUD! Not for intimate dinners. The place is busy and happening. Dark wood, old school vibe. Waiters in classic attire. Nice closed off entry way to avoid massive drafts and precipitation if the weather is bad. Somewhat tight seating between tables. Website recommends dressy casual or business casual, discourages t-shirts, but quite a few folks not following the dress codes. Not so stuffy they'd make you wear a sports coat they have on hand. Service: Fair - not good or great though not awful. Attentive server we had, knowledgable, relatable. Often long periods between seeing her during a prime time dinner reservation. Not a lot of assistants coming by, mostly people delivering food or fill water, didn't have much capacity or scope to help otherwise except to see if they could find our server. Food: Some big hits and some very decent misses. French onion soup a hit. Standard solid execution. Oysters were shucked okay. A little bit more broken shell than I'd like at that price, but more importantly often dry and without the brine. A couple were annihilated in the shucking. Caesar salad was dry without any dressing in sight, didn't have much flavor except for the anchovies which were way too potent without dressing. Crab crusted haddock was a big hit. Delicious. Filet was good. Beef Wellington very good. Perfect beef, very flaky pastry, sauce was excellent -- not over or under seasoned - and juicy mushroom caps. Salmon was fine. Creamed spinach we ordered they ran out of and we didn't get notified until right before entrees came out. Bummer. Mashed potatoes were sad -- tasted like they were powdered from a box. Very little butter, under-seasoned, watery. Didn't finish half of it. Drink: Decent wine list. Not as extensive as I was expecting given their awards. Prices were often pretty high. 6oz and 9oz pours for some inexpensive by the glass wines was shocking. Some good deals to be had in the Portugal/Italian sections. Price: High for the value, food, and service. Really wanted to give the place 4 stars but the constellation of missteps, disappointments, and price for the experience... just couldn't do it!

    My first time at the Coach grill from Brunch and so disappointed. Got the Eggs Benedict and this is…read morehow one of the eggs were served. I am sorry an English muffin with 2 poached eggs then a least have them not look like this. Presentation is everything especially when you pay $24! Oh not to mention the eggs and Home fries were cold, same with my friend who had the omlette. I did not break this, this is how it came out and placed in front of me.

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    The dining area

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    Coach Grill - Berries & Cream with whipped cream and chocolate shavings YUM

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    J & M Diner - Western sandwich on an Asiago cheese bagel

    J & M Diner

    4.4(1.6k reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    The food was delicious. Highly recommend the sweet potato hash. I got it on eggs Benedict.read more

    I found this establishment by searching for a breakfast place on a Saturday. The day I found it,…read morethe wait was really long. I was able to get on the waitlist via Yelp which was great. I wasn't at the location. I ended up being #44. Because of the wait, we decided to go somewhere else. Now two days later, on a Monday, I happened to be driving in the area. I looked it up on Yelp and got on the waiting list. I was #14. When I arrived, I didn't see it. I drove around to the back and there is was. Amazed that on a school day Monday, there were ppl outside waiting. I parked and went inside to see if I could get a bar seat. The bar seating included in the wait however by wait was cut in half due to being by myself. Once you walk in, there's a check in counter to the left, the seating area is to the right. Before being seated, I went to use the bathroom and it was gross. One stall was disgusting after someone decided not to flush leaving only one stall. I'm assuming because that toilet wasn't flushed, it caused the bathroom to smell awful. While using the bathroom I heard two people come in. One being an employee that had JM Diner shirt on it. She waited for the stall I was using. It was concerning that as an employee she didn't attempt to rectify the non-flushed toilet. I went back to the waiting area and shortly later, I sat at the bar. Each person, including the other customers I was siting next to was very pleasant. I'm in love with pancakes. I inquired about them and one guy described them being huge and he asked another employee to describe them and he gave the description of a little smaller than a manhole cover. We laughed and I then ordered - only one though. I also ordered a steak and cheese omelette with a side of tomatoes and orange juice. My goshhhhhhhhhh....their pancakes!!!! No wonder this place's wait is ridiculous. The pancakes were amazing. They were a tad bit sweet but the texture, size, fluffiness was delicious. The orange juice is freshly squeezed A lot if places don't do freshly squeezed. I will definitely come back here with the family!

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    Birthday Nitro Coffee Float with vanilla bean ice cream

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    Zayith Bazaar - Coffee Creme brulee

    Zayith Bazaar

    4.4(42 reviews)
    5.1 mi

    | A true neighborhood gem with global soul…read more Visited Zayith with family and visiting friends after multiple strong recommendations--and it exceeded every expectation. If you love the vibe and culinary creativity of Sarma or Oleana, Zayith absolutely belongs on your list. We sampled a wide range of the menu--patatas bravas, murgh malai skewers, lentil nachos, skordostoumbi (Zakynthos-style garlic shrimp), kataifi-wrapped prawns, and paneer butter masala--and every single dish was executed beautifully. The flavors were bold yet balanced, and the Indian influences stood out for their authenticity and depth rather than being diluted for fusion's sake. Compliments to the chef for creating such thoughtful, seamless combinations. The cocktails were equally impressive--we tried the sangria and the spiced goose, both of which paired wonderfully with the food and reinforced the Mediterranean spirit of the menu. The experience truly felt transportive--taking us from the streets of Seville to Greece and India in one sitting. The ambience is warm and inviting, making it equally well-suited for a family dinner, a special night out, or a relaxed evening with friends. We're so glad to have discovered this neighborhood gem--and it's safe to say we'll be regulars.

    I ate here with my two teens a few weeks back. We ordered a handful of things off the menu. I'm not…read morereally here to complain about the food which was ... fine... but the whole thing was just a chaotic mess. It was FREEZING in the restaurant. Hot food came on freezing cold plates which made it immediately turn cold. Prices were incredibly high for the food quality and quantity. But the one anecdote which really sums up our whole experience: I asked for a cup of hot tea (it was COLD in there). They came back around 4 or 5 times to ask me what kind of tea, if I want milk, should the milk be hot or cold, like a "cup" of tea or "something else"? It took about 20 minutes and the involvement of three people for them to bring me half a mug of hot water, a little cup of (hot) milk, and a celestial seasonings English Breakfast tea bag and then had the temerity to charge 9 DOLLARS for it. It was so utterly ridiculous. I'm usually willing to give people a second chance if there was anything good about the experience but this one is just a no from me.

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    The Tack Room - Korean BBQ beef rib

    The Tack Room

    3.8(121 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    The Tack Room's menu is pretty interesting with a lot of things I don't usually see combined…read moretogether. Today I gave it a try and felt that it was good in some areas and just ok in others. Overall the food tasted pretty healthy despite having pork belly and chorizo. The seasoning was definitely on the lighter side, where the french onion soup was tasting pretty close to an extremely light broth. Tried the cassoulet which I've heard of before but never seen on a menu. It was very hearty but also a but bland. Pulled pork and pork belly seemed to have zero salt. Duck leg confit also very bland. It was cooked well but just bland. The dishes with citrus were quite tasty. Beets and arugala salad very good, good quality goat cheese. Alligator chorizo grilled oysters surprisingly good. Never had alligator chorizo before but it was crispy and not fatty even though it resembled bacon visually. The oysters were small, even more small in comparison to the chorizo but it was a good bite. I would recommend skipping the clam chowder, french onion soup (not really caramelized onions to be honest), and the cassoulet unless you feel empowered to salt your own food. The clientele was definitely in the 60+ range. Nothing wrong with that obviously but tastes change with age and maybe thats why the seasoning was so light. Today there were just two wait staff for the whole place. Seemed understaffed and it took almost thirty minutes for food to come out. Waiting for the check took about fifteen minutes. Staff was nice but definitely overloaded. Today was a holiday though.

    My most recent experience with The Tack Room was handled poorly, and I felt devalued as a guest. I…read moretry to go a few times a year. Last month, they posted a special that caught my eye. We had a reservation for a celebratory dinner, and I commented to ask if the special would still be on for that date. The chef/owner responded immediately that it would. Knowing specials often run out quickly, I called on the morning of the reservation, and a hostess said, yes, the special was still on. So we got there, we ordered, and we asked for the special -- the waitress said she'd confirm, and then came back and just said 'no, it was just for that day,' which was confusing. I explained that the chef and the hostess had confirmed that it was still on the menu and asked if it had run out -- again, understandable -- and she said it 'was just something we made for an influencer.' At that point, I didn't want to press the two 'no' answers, so we finished the dinner and moved on. I reached out privately after the fact as I wanted to see if there was a better way I could have communicated to the restaurant or asked for clarification, and asked if there was a better way to confirm information moving forward, and they never responded. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be back.

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    The Tack Room
    The Tack Room - Chicken sandwich

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    Dryft Wellesley - Steak Frites 8oz Hanger, truffle fries, arugula, bordelaise

    Dryft Wellesley

    4.3(80 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    Nicely prepared dishes served by friendly and attentive staff in a modern space accented with…read morecalming ocean blues. The octopus starter was really tender and flavorful, and the halibut over risotto was fresh and perfectly cooked. The coconut panna cotta was creamy, but light and had a good balance of tropical flavors. The only miss for me was the pear mezcal cocktail which was a bit too sweet for my liking, but everything else was spot on. Great quality seafood and overall experience and would happily return when I'm in Wellesley again.

    Came in for late lunch on a Sunday. We just missed the brunch (11-3) so it was nice and quiet…read more I know this a seafood restaurant but OMg they have THE best mashed potatoes! Perfectly whipped with the right amount of butter. Get them!! Everything on the menu looked so good it was hard to choose: - crab cakes had a really nice crust on the outside but I wasn't a fan of the shredded crab/stuffing inside. Lump crab would be so much better - we split the mussels which had a flavorful sauce and came with 2 pieces of dense grilled bread - calamari was okay - Love that they do half/full orders for the house made pastas. Shrimp limoncello was the standout out Love the decor and murals on the wall with the cool lighting and outdoor seating - high tops in the bar/low in the restaurant area - booths around the walls Lots of shared parking in Linden Square but it's usually pretty full.

    Photos
    Dryft Wellesley
    Dryft Wellesley - Haddock w/mashed potatoes, broccolini, tomato confit, breadcrumbs

    Haddock w/mashed potatoes, broccolini, tomato confit, breadcrumbs

    Dryft Wellesley - Another haddock dish with octopus, etc

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    Another haddock dish with octopus, etc

    Mel's Commonwealth Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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