Great restaurants for weekend recovery meal
By Sarah Moomaw, News Correspondent
Finding a brunch eatery in Boston is about as difficult as finding a sports bar playing a Red Sox game in July. Numerous options in every price range exist within stumbling distance from an apartment or residence hall room.
“I like being able to eat breakfast food with lunch food all at once,” said Scott Marchione, a senior mechanical engineering major. “It’s good on a Sunday morning because if you don’t want to get out of bed early, you can just take your time and enjoy your food.”
The Pour House at 909 Boylston St. toots its own mid-morning horn, claiming the best brunch in Boston, and with a wide menu priced for a college-student’s budget, it just might be. Breakfast specials with seasonal items like pumpkin pie pancakes are around $6. Another thing to try on their menu is the Super Homefries. For $7, it consists of homefries, bacon, sausage, cheddar, three eggs any style and toast.
“There is no place I would rather be on a Saturday morning than Pour House with my girlfriends,” Teri Ford, middler civil engineering major said. “It’s a good, low-key vibe and the food is delicious. I recommend the Wisconsin burger. ”
Thornton’s Restaurant is located diagonally across the street from the Prudential Center’s main entrance, at 150 Huntington Ave. Pancakes ($7), stuffed french toast ($7), crepes ($8) and a two-page lunch menu await, just a stroll down Huntington Avenue.
Mike’s City Diner at 1714 Washington St., just northeast of Massachusetts Avenue, is a classic diner slapped on the western edge of the South End. On weekends and holidays they only serve their breakfast menu, but be prepared to stand in a line that will extend out the door and alongside the building. Pancakes (a full order of three is $5) are bigger than plates, french toast orders (a full order of five is $6) are so large they could feed the table, and egg dishes overflow onto high piles of home fries (three eggs any style is $5). Fair warning, it’s cash only, but there is a Bank of America ATM on the corner.
Located just down the street from campus at 724 Huntington Ave., The Mission Bar in Brigham Circle offers an extensive brunch menu that includes breakfast options such as conventional and vegetarian eggs benedict ($9.99 each) and some lunch options such as chicken wings ($6.99) and quesadillas ($9.99) for the friend who just cannot get into brunch.
Slightly off the beaten path is the Metropolis Café at 584 Tremont St. Tucked away on the south side of Tremont, the tiny restaurant serves weekend brunch with large specials that still manage to have a low price tag. The brunch menu features a grapefruit mimosa that claims to be refreshing, punchy and sweet for $7.95, and the Mexican-inspired huevos rancheros dish, which includes black bean hash, tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cheddar cheese for $9.95.
Don’t feel like changing out of your pajamas? Try dining at Tremont 647’s (647 Tremont St.) pajama brunch. While some may feel childish as the waiters and waitresses are still in cartoon pajamas with bed head, the menu is kept mature, incorporating what’s in season into the traditional brunch menu, which also means the menu changes frequently. Order a “Plain Jane Scramble” and you will get home fries, crispy bacon and sour dough bread for $8.50
If the parents are in town, or maybe mom is here for a day of shopping, Stephanie’s on Newbury (190 Newbury St.) is the place to go. White tablecloths, pre-set with silverware and water glasses, accompany a menu with items just as elegant: Crab Cake Benedict ($17.95), Frittered French Toast ($14.95), Ruby Red Grapefruit Brûlée ($4.95) and the Executive Mimosa ($13).
Located in Allston, The Breakfast Club is an ’80s themed diner at 270 Western Ave. The theme is most prevalent in the titles of dishes. “Library Specials” including “The Dork,” “The Princess,” “The Jock” and “Detention” provide a subtle reminder of that classic 1985 film that the diner got it’s namesake from. They’re open for breakfast and lunch (or brunch) 7 days a week until 2 p.m.
