The Friendly Toast

A funky and fun greasy spoon in Kendall, emphasis on the greasy. I ordered a hash dish that was plenty tasty but quite heavy, feeling eeighed down the rest of the morning/​evening. Not only was the food a hit too greasy for me, but it seemed that the whole service staff’s clothing was covered in grease too. Not the most welcoming look, grease and exasperation.

The most impressive part of The Friendly Toast is that it maintains a hipster, kitschy, vibe, but it’s not annoying. This is a scene I’d ordinarily find kind of unbearable, but I had a great time here. Music was fun and not too loud, and staff were all very eager, helpful, and friendly.
For cocktails we had the painkiller and bacon Bloody Mary. Both excellent. The coffee was OK, very basic diner type coffee.
For the most part the food is what you’d expect to find on a straightforward/​simple American brunch menu, but with a bit of a twist. The menu wasn’t too inventive, but definitely a couple steps up from basic, so there’s some extra cost added in. We had the lobster eggs Benedict and the Caribbean Waffle. Food was very good. I didn’t give the full ⁵⁄₅ stars because I felt this place should have and does have the potential to push just a little further with the menu. It’s hipster trendy but the menu is, well. Somewhat uninteresting. The amazing cocktails were just slightly mismatched with the food offerings.
But like I said everything was very solid and enjoyable. I’d go back.

Great brunch and atmosphere! The bartenders were very nice and the place was packed. Great Sunday brunch, thank you!

Had mimosas while waiting to get a table. The food was super delicious. I opted for the peasant, which containing scrambled egg whites with carrots, spinach, corn, goats cheese and beans. It came with their homemade toast. The toast was buttery and delicious. I also called for the French toast, which I gobbled up within 2 min.

Had brunch here on a Tuesday. Considering how popular this place is, it was shocking that there was no wait for eight of us (check out the Nowait app to get real-​time wait times). I had the Babe Benny, which like most of the other breakfast plates we ordered, consisted of a large heap of food that could’ve been stronger presentation-​wise. The eggs were nicely poached, but none of the other elements (dry-​rubbed pork, cornbread, potatoes) really stood out to me. I also had a side order of french toast which was decent but nothing special.

Took my dad to breakfast and was seated immediately. Small parties is probably a good idea at this place because I always see big groups waiting outside.
My dad noticed the price of a side of toast was $ 2.50 and wondered what the hype was all abt. He ordered toast, corned beef hash and 2 eggs sunny side up. The toast didn’t taste like much (I was anticipating something epic from the name of this place but owell). The eggs (see picture) were overcooked, which I think is a shame for a breakfast place. I guess perfect eggs is something of a lost art these days. But the corned beef hash brought a smile to our faces. Homemade, I think :)
The beer bacon jalapeño fried chicken Mac n cheese dish was covered in BBQ sauce, which basically overpowers everything else in the dish. And, was a little too spicy for my morning taste buds, but that’s my own damn fault for ordering it. Curly noodles were warmish when it arrived. Overall, not the greatest Mac n cheese I’ve had, but not horrible.
I think I’ve experienced the gimmick, and won’t need to try again. Definitely NOT worth these prices, in my opinion. The atmosphere is a worth a visit though.

Came in with two friends who vouched for this place and said the food was pretty good. Unfortunately, I still don’t know if that’s true.
Okay, story time.
Sure, the waiter was attentive at first, giving recommendations and such when I asked about the spice level of the dish I wanted. But an hour into sitting at our table, we still only had our drinks. We watched as tables that got sat after us, get their drinks, appetizer, entrees, eat, and leave. And we were still waiting for our food. Over an hour for a grilled cheese, a burger, and PRE-​MADE mashed potatoes? We were confused why no one was checking in on us, why our food wasn’t coming out, and why our waiter was practically avoiding us. The waiter finally comes and admits that he forgot to put in our order but that he had asked the kitchen to rush it and quickly walked away. WONDERFUL. He wasn’t very apologetic and didn’t even offer to refill our drinks or anything. We waited a few more minutes as our frustration, aggravation, and hunger grew. We finally had enough and we got up to go look for the manager (since everyone was avoiding us despite the fact that we were sat smack dab in the middle of the restaurant) to ask for our bill for our drinks. But I guess I’ll give them 1 star for not making us pay for our drinks.
Thanks for the pineapple juice.

Not the place for a diet. This place is über hipster and may be a good option if you’re in the area.
There is no espresso coffee.

Friendly toast is a cute little trendy restaurant my friend introduced me to and I went crazy over the imaginative menu. Service was super friendly and attentive and our server even helped me decide between a couple menu items I was trying to pick from.
I ended up ordering the «Babe Benny» and WOW. The Babe Benny is a cool take on eggs Benedict. Corn bread as the base with pulled pork, poached eggs, a chipotle sauce (if I remember correctly) and hollandaise to top it all off. SO good and SO filling. The portions here are huge. The babe Benny came with a side of home fries which I wasn’t the biggest fan of because some of the potatoes were reaaaal dark and a bit burnt.
I went to friendly toast on a weekday afternoon so there was no line or wait times for us 3 fortunately.

Now I know why the bar was empty at 9p on a Saturday night. I’m actually a bit confused. Didn’t I come here about a year ago and try some artisan cocktails? Tonight the bartendress doesn’t know what mezcal is and the only tequila I see up on that shelf is Hornitos. Really? Ok, so I’ll have a beer. The draft selections are on a chalk board. I see Harpoon, 21^st amendment, a CBC (aren’t they next store), Sonoma pitch fork (whatever that is) and a BBC «ale». Very underwhelming. The burger was tasty. The fries seemed once frozen. Not worth $ 13.
I tried to come here for Sunday brunch a few weeks ago and it was a mob. So, I went to State Park. It seems they’re making lots of $$ with the pancakes and the décor for the easily impressed millenials. I think I’ll stick with SP from now on at One Kendall.

Eh, I don’t get why this place is so crowded. Came around 11 for brunch on Sunday, which means I expected a crowd, but since I had a party of 2 I didn’t expect to be told an hour and 15 minute wait. My friend was running late so I put my name in. And got a text telling me to use the «NoWait» app. Which told me there were 57 parties ahead of me?!?
After my friend arrived and we sat and talked outside, a bit after I was getting legit hungry, I got a text saying our table was ready. The «useful» app said there were still 27 parties ahead of us, so don’t waste your data downloading that! Also not sure why everyone else seemed to go inside before us — including a group of 10 guys who arrived after me.
We went in, stood behind the couple that reached the hostess first, and after she took their name I walked up. The hostess ignored me, intently looking at tables on her iPad. I was patient for a minute and when another woman walked around me to the side of the hostess to ask her a question and she looked up and started talking to HER, I said «um, excuse me, I’m waiting» and received a condescending «mhmmm just a moment ma’am». When she finished helping that woman she returned her attention to her iPad my friend (who used to wait tables) said firmly, «we’re here because our table is ready,» she finally acknowledged us and got us to a waiter, and she did apologize, to be fair.
Everything was fine. Nothing to make it worth the waiting necessarily. I think we waited outside so long because the kitchen is slow! We had finished sipping two cups of coffee each in the half hour it took for our food to arrive.
We both got the huevos rancheros. I wish it’d come with beans, but everything about it was yummy I will say. Good cheese, unique molasses-​laced bread, lots of good ripe avocado. It did bother my stomach, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt — that was probably the hot sauce, not bad food.
Our waitress was fine — I barely noticed her (hadn’t seen my friend in a long time so we were pretty deep in conversation) and she mentioned being swamped several times, but she took care of us. We had to ask to get water for some reason… But still, no complaints about our server.
In the end, two huevos rancheros and two coffees for about $ 40 with tax and tip and almost 2 hours of waiting is a lot, but at least it was yummy. Don’t think I’d go back though.

I have to say that the feel of the place is quirky and fun. I definitely want to check out what the place is like in the evening with drinks. Staff was also brilliant. Very bright and friendly and always aiming to give you the best experience possible. When I asked a runner where the bathroom was, he gave me a warm smile and showed no frustration while he was busily working.
I do have to say the food was okay at best though, and that’s what hurts me to give it a ³⁄₅. I definitely will try some of the other foods there but the dishes we had for our first experience didn’t seem extremely appetizing. The huevos rancheros especially looked as if the tomatoes were not too fresh and the avocados had browned a lot by the time the dish reached our table. The biscuits and gravy were delicious, but wish they were a bit more beautifully prepared or balanced in terms of flavor. A bit too much grease.

I love the friendly toast. Hadn’t been there in a while and came early Sunday morning with a friend. There are so many wonderful things to chose from on the menu, vegan, vegetarian, omnivores alike! Its awesome to have vegan breakfast options when going out with friends! I got a vegan special and my friend got the BLT Benny we were both EXTREMELY excited and satisfied with our selection
Nate was our server and was very cool, attentive and nice. Yet another lovely experience in this eclectic place.
We got SUPER lucky and didn’t have to wait at all… but most of the time you have to wait at least 20 min so be prepared for that.

I recently visited this location with a group of friends for brunch. We used the app «nowait» and upon arriving at the restaurant we only waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Our waitress was very friendly and was available to answer all of our questions.
I ordered the fish tacos with coconut shrimp which came with tortilla chips and salsa and it is full of different flavors. The rest of my table had different breakfast items and there were no major complaints.
The food came out in good time and the portion sizes are large. I have given 3 stars out of 5 because the food was OK. I would return to try their breakfast menu.

AMBIANCE/​VIBE
The moment I stepped into the room with the green painted walls, 80’s decors, and lively crowd (around 10am), I felt like this was a wonderful choice and great place to be on a Sunday morning for brunch. The energy was positive and lively! And it’s super hipster ish, which makes it more interesting.
FOOD
However, the food was kind of mediocre. At least for what we ordered: the New Hampshire’s Finest omelette (eggs, goat cheese, asparagus, and bacon), create your own omelette and French toast. The menu and its creative names were entertaining, but the presentation of the dishes was not very appealing. I wouldn’t say the tastes and cooking of the food were bad but they were nothing special or memorable.
SERVICE
I enjoyed the service. Even though the morning was packed and when we left, there was a huge line waiting in the front, our sever was very attentive, quick, and friendly! He always came by to check on is occasionally and answered our questions thoroughly.

It’s a fun and quirky place with an extensive menu of breakfast, dinner and lunch options. The restaurant is surprisingly big, so it’s a good place to go with a group; after all, the more people you go with, the more food you can try! I split Lily P’s Pumpkin Cakes, the Sklarmageddon omelette, and a side of Corned Beef Hash with one of my friends. All of it was fantastic (I can’t pick a favourite) and very sizable portions. I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but these pancakes blew me away; they had a mild (but very distinct) pumpkin flavour, but lacked the spice that often accompanies pumpkin flavoured foods. The Sklarmageddon omelette was also delicious, with a good mix of sweet and salty ingredients.
But despite how good the good is, I think the the best part about this place is that they serve alcohol AND all-​day breakfast. Saturday night breakfast and drinks, anyone?

I appreciate The Friendly Toast’s eclectic and unusual menu. I’ve tried a couple of off-​the-​wall items here, like the grilled cheese with habanero strawberry jam (surprisingly good!). However, what I think The Friendly Toast does best is the subtle twist on the usual. Their pumpkin pancakes, for example: fluffy, delicious, and best with a handful of chocolate chips and a scoop of ice cream. Or the Belgian waffle smothered in caramelized bananas; it’s worth the calories.
I think the drinks are just ok for the price; for example, a recent gin and tonic was overly sweet. They do have a decent draft beer selection.
The Friendly Toast isn’t totally my speed, but it does its thing with style. It’s fun to stop in once in a while and indulge in some pumpkin pancake action.

DO NOT ORDER CHICKEN AND WAFFLES.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way… It is a bit hard to understand why The Friendly Toast is quite so popular. After a 45 minute wait in Kendall’s mini-​industrial-​food-​square, my friends and I got a table in the middle of the quirky dining area. The décor is colorful and interesting (especially that McDonald’s hamburger dude), but the music is too loud. We had a humorously friendly and honest waiter («Are you ready to order, or do you want me to go away?») and I thought the service was a normal speed for a brunch considering we were in and out in about an hour.
The four ladies in our group ordered pancakes, some pumpkin and some coconut-​chocolate. I could smell the pumpkin pancakes before the plate hit the table! The coconut were fine. I suspect that pancakes might be one of the best food items on the menu. 2 pancakes for $ 10 and, I’m ashamed to admit, I could not finish them.
The one guy in our group reinforced the gender-​stereotypes we were already creating by ordering chicken and waffles (I don’t know if chicken and waffles is a particularly guy-​ish thing to order, but he was the only person ordering meat…) They were a grave, grave, covered in gravy disaster. We deemed the chicken to be high school food court chicken fingers (they truly were frozen chicken strips dropped in a fryer) and the gravy on the side was the most bizarre looking gravy I have ever seen. It really is an embarrassment for a restaurant in this area that is this popular to be serving such an item. My mind can not comprehend it. (P.s. I’ve heard Rosebud has chicken and waffles that are delish.)
So, maybe come for the environment and order a few pancakes. It will probably be a fine experience. But next time I’m going somewhere else.

*ring ring* «Hi, I’d like to make a reservation for our group for lunch on Tuesday.»
FT: «We don’t take reservations.»
Me: «Ok, thanks»
*Tuesday, 11:45, shows up with group of 11 people*
FT: «HOW many? 11? Did you call?»
Me: «We did, but you said you don’t take reservations»
FT: «Well, no, we don’t, but before people come on with a large group we like them to call ahead.»
Me: «Call… Before coming in… You mean like… A reservation?»
FT: «NO, we don’t take reservations.»
Ok, friendly toast.
In spite of their confusion about the concept of reservations, the lunch was as expected.
You don’t go to friendly toast looking for some amazing culinary experience. You go because you have a big group and need a restaurant with space and a lot of diverse food options, or because you’re entertaining out-​of-​town guests and it’s a kitsch, memorable place.
The food is always fine (it’s hard to screw up egg dishes) and the bread is yummy. My friend and I shared a buffalo grilled cheese and the daily burrito special, something with pulled pork. Both were good. I also like their little DIY Bloody Mary cards you can full out to customize your drink with bacon, hot sauce, pickles, etc.
It’s a totally fine spot. Good for a quirky experience and lots of choices if you’re dealing with a picky eater.
If you’re going with a large group, call ahead… but don’t make a reservation.

I simply love this place!!!
Even though I will only stay in Boston for 4 months in total I have already been hear 4 times… and no end in sight!
I tried a lot … From omelette over pancakes to chicken and waffles!
As a European if you hear chicken&waffles for the first time there is this thought «what’s wrong with those people» that immediately pops up in your head … But don’t be fooled … It’s amazing and weird amazingly weird!!!
(And don’t forget to pour maple sirup on top of the chicken … Sounds disgusting I know … But is simply delicious!!!)
If you are in search of a amazing diner with awesome food and huge portions … Stop at friendly toast!!!