Mass Ave Diner

A great breakfast and lunch cafe near Harvard square in Cambridge. Place has a lovely vibe and atmosphere and great service . Food is always great and timely . From the taste coffee to buttermilk pancakes To the avocado toast, all fantastic. Also had the corn beef with eggs which was phenomenal and some of the best I tasted with eggs and corned beet shredded with golden fries hash . Overall a great breakfast place .

Traditional east coast diner with all the fixings. Great breakfast with a build your own vibe. I enjoyed the sausage, bacon and eggs I had. Coffee was good. This place is exactly what you want on a blustery cold New England day.

The food was made quickly and the prompt ice cold water during this heatwave was a godsend before I went home to try to do laundry. I ordered: Gallo Pinto $14- (I would recommend) Rice and beans were great, the plantains were not sweet like they were supposed to be but still tasty, my eggs were fried, but not fried hard like I wanted, but I was able to request corn tortillas instead of flour. I asked for no queso because I thought it was liquid queso, and was pleasantly surprised for a couple pieces of fried cheese that were tasty. Wish there was more rice and beans. I didn't have to add anything to this plate. Omelette $12.50- Note that after basic eggs you have to add ingredients for $0.50 with the BASE COST= $10.- (I would skip.) Cheddar $0.50 No Toast $0.00 Tomato $0.50 Mushroom $0.50 Broccoli $0.50 salsa $0.50 I don't think salsa was added to the mixture, just onions because it wasn't that flavorful, and I had to add hot sauce from the packets at the table to give it some flavor. It was pretty bland. I was starving though and did a happy dance because I was happy to eat. The potatoes that came with it were seasoned well and yummy, so I would eat a piece of potatoes with a piece of omelette. Corned Beef Hash $7 ( I recommend) It was good, just not enough of it and wish it had been cooked 2 minutes longer so it had better texture. I was bummed because the waitstaff she told me that the portions were large, so I was excited, but they are not. Just regular sized and the hash portion I thought was a bit small. After eating I was still hungry. She told me I could order something else, but I needed to go, so I paid and left instead. Let me know the bathroom was downstairs, so just be aware if you have mobility issues. It was a quaint spot and I somehow lucked out to get there before the lunch rush hit, and I am glad I did because even though there is seating at a bar, booths, and tables, it feels a bit cozier than I like. Staff was friendly and very helpful, food came fast to the table and hot. One plate was great, the other not so good, but my side was good. Make condiments your friend if needed and try them out.

Nice little diner with great french toasts and pancakes. Service was pretty fast. We sat at bar and could see how food was prepared. Recommend for breakfast.

Staff was excellent and friendly. Food was very good. Ambiance was comfy and chill. First time in Boston. This was spot was definitely worth it☺️

Great pancakes and bacon. V reasonable prices. Nice outside street dining avaiable. If you ask for the rest room and you are disabled you will have problems- accessible through kitchen, down narrow stairs and along a storage area. If you are fully able bodied and can get there then clean and basic.

Hearty breakfast and lunch fare and solid coffee. The Reuben is meaty and fresh and their buttermilk pancakes are another menu favorite.

They charge 20% SERVICE CHARGE on everything regardless of the number of people, WITHOUT disclosing this anywhere. NOT planning to visit again. I went here last year with good memories and wanted to stop by again, but many things have changed and I would not visit here again. Food is ok and it's what you would get at a local diner. The problem is that they charge 20% SERVICE CHARGE without disclosing beforehand. It was a party of 2 and the servers did not inform us about the service charge and no where in the restaurant (including the menu) it is disclosed. When I went to pay, the recipt had typical 18%, 20%, etc tip options but the total amount seemed larger than what I expected. Upon looking at the itemized receipt, it showed 20% service charge was automatically added into it. Firstly, 20% service charge for 2 people is ridiculous, and secondly asking for a regular tip 18%, 20%, etc on top of it is also ridiculous. Many people would have not noticed it. Just to make sure 20% service charge was added intentionally, I asked the server and the server mentioned it is included on all items. I told the server this should be disclosed beforehand, and the server shrugged and responded as if it's none of their business and seemed annoyed. It's probably not the server's intention but the owner's to add the service charge, but how the server responded is not professional and rude. Also, I observed a half inch size of bug (possibly cockroach, not confident) crawling in the transparent container where they store croissant. At least croissants were individually wrapped.

Had a phenomenal meal for a FAIR price. Nothing beats a diner breakfast. And I left full and satisfied without breaking the bank. Honestly wish we had more places like this around here. Good service and they were quick. Sat at the bar and got a classic diner experience.

It is a hole-in-the wall so don't miss it. Plenty of street parking. I found yet another diner but I am running out of them. I thought I'd go with something different so I ordered a Mexican omelette; Eggs, tomato, peppers salsa and cheese. They get you on the coffee, 5.00 but the omelette was only 12.00 so it works out in the end. 5.00 for coffee is still rather aggressive on the wallet. They take cash and credit cards. They took my order promptly after I had a chance to review the menu. I was served water and coffee soon after. Would return if I were in the neighborhood.

Small diner with very fresh breakfast food. The service is prompt and friendly. The space is small, so for larger parties it may feel cramped. I had the Harvest Bowl. Rice, beans, corn, avocado. Excellent. Reasonably priced. We walked there, so I cannot comment on parking.

Came here on a weekday and was seated right away. It has a cool vibe inside and I love the mismatched plates. The French toast breakfast sandwich was a 12/10 I cannot even explain how much I loved this. Thought it was very creative and it was just great. The lemon ricotta pancake was good and not too sweet or tart. I did not like the huevos rancheros because it lacked flavor honestly. Defintly come for the French toast sandwich!!!!!

Pretty good food here! The restaurant is pretty small though so it feels a bit cramped and was hard to get in/out of my seat since there were people on either side of me. I really enjoyed the pancakes and the maple syrup was DELICIOUS. the eggs were ok but the home fries were also very tasty as well as the sausage.

I am not a breakfast person, but massavediner has changed my mind. My wife and I went on a Sunday to this cute diner in Cambridge with a vintage interior Every table and counter was packed with people. The Service was smooth and Friendly. We started off with their handcrafted Cappuccino & Strawberry Banana Smoothie. The Smoothie was loaded with real fruits and you can definitely taste it. The Cappuccino was strong and rich. Here is what we ordered: Donnie's BlackBerry Raspberry Pancake topped with Fresh Banana,Pulled Pork Benedict (Special Menu), Homemade Turkey Club,Reuben (Turkey). Blackberry Raspberry Pancake was surprisingly Fluffy, Sweet, & Tasty . It was stuffed with fresh Berries.Pulled Pork Benedict was tender & savory. The egg was perfectly poached on an English muffin. Turkey Club & Reuben (Turkey) were made with Real thick quality Turkey. The Turkey Club had all the classical elements to it. The Bacon was super crispy with fresh Lettuce & Tomato.They offer both Corn Beef & Turkey for the Reuben, but I wanted to switch it up. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of Swiss cheese, Russian dressing & sauerkraut on it. They blended so well together.Go Check them out at

I went to Mass Ave Diner located on 906 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA . For drinks we had a chai latte, coffee and a fresh fruit smoothie. The fresh fruit smoothie was refreshing and was made with a variety of berries For entrees we had the huevos rancheros which were eggs on top of a crunchy tortilla with salsa, cheese and home fries, the avocado toast and my personal favorite were the Lemon Ricotta pancakes. The pancakes were an easy 10/10. So lemony and so delicious! I recommend coming here and trying any one of their many pancake dish options if you are in the area! Food: 8/10 Affordability: 7/10 Ambiance: 5/10

Went to Mass Ave Diner for the first time and unfortunately it wasn't as good as expected but hoping to go back to Mass Ave Diner and try a different meal. I had a vegan bowl and grilled halloumi and although it was good, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, the plantains in the bowl were great though. I appreciate the team reaching out and letting us know why there was a delay in getting our food. That transparency is super helpful and puts our wait in perspective. The ambiance was similar to any diner feel. Lively and busy!

Great coffee, great service, great food! Super cute spot to feel like you're back in a New England hometown at a diner. Will be back!!

Cozy diner feel with all the classic breakfast items you'd expect. My omelette (the Greek) was a bit underwhelming but feta doesn't lend itself well to omelettes in general so that's on me. By the time my party dined there (9:30 ish) they had already run out of lox for my friend's bagel. The staff was super accommodating with replacement options, though! The only bathroom was down a stairwell in the back, which was fine for me but I'm not sure how that would work for people who have troubles with stairs.

The service, food and ambiance were horrible. The chairs were dirty with grease and the table was dirty. The service was almost non-existent. When our meal's finally came they were tasteless and sloppy looking. We had to ask for silver ware and napkins. This is a restaurant I would absolutely not recommend.

Unfortunately a dismal experience. This ain't it. I showed up here in a party of 2 and waited around 5 min seats at the counter. Food: This is the only reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1 star. The food was actually decent! I got the banana nut pancakes that were mucho delicioso with solid syrup and butter. My partner had the 3 egg breakfast with home fries and sweet potato fries (we wanted to try both) and their 2 bacon-2 sausage add-on. The home fries were mediocre at best (barely seasoned) and not warm enough - which is odd because I saw the cook make the food in real-time in front of my eyes. Did they stop cooking it too early or something? Not sure. The eggs, bacon, and sausage were all great though. Vibes: Classic diner feel. Small indoor space that can accommodate groups of 4 but there's only like 20 seats total. Great atmosphere with a lot of potential. Service: This is where they lost all their points! Even average service here would've earned this place 4 stars. The staff was unable to accommodate the Yelp Check-In deal - they could barely put in our order correctly. Then, their menu prices were wrong, and when I brought this up with the staff, they simply didn't know what to do and looked at me in bewilderment, so I begrudgingly paid the full bill. Parking: Metered street parking out front. All in all, this AIN'T it. I do not plan to come back here anytime soon due to very poor service quality, despite great potential with vibes and food.

The banana nut pancakes are a standout. The fried chicken and corn cakes were just meh. Go with a group so you can try a few things. The service was a bit slow but there was only one server working when I was there.

Excellent every time! I always feel welcomed! I Love that Nitro coffee. Good breakfast!

Well my review is strictly based on service. The food itself was good but the service was a bit mediocre. Locals seem to get the greatest service which is the norm pretty much everywhere. But we had a big group so usually the service is a little slower for big parties which we understand, but half of our orders came out wrong, and our waiters excuse was that she heard something else. Well maybe if you take your AirPod out of your ear you would hear us a little better! so that was the frustrating part of the experience. Food itself was good, could have been better if we actually got the food and drinks that we ordered. Small diner so larger groups could expect a decent wait time on busier days. Definitely nice spot to try but won't be back because of the service.

RUN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE. Filthy and disgusting! All of the glasses and plates had dirt all over them like they've never been washed. Burger was frozen. And the server was rude and seemed bothered.

Mass Ave Diner has gone a bit downhill post pandemic. The waiting times are still an issue, but the food has become worse. It's still on par with (or even slightly better than) most other diners when it comes to the quality of their food, however, I'm no longer confident that what you're getting is worth the money. I wouldn't say avoid this place; it's decent, but you can do better.

All 5 stars. Personally I enjoy getting breakfast there. I get the best service with zero expectations. I sit outside enjoying my coffee!

Unfortunately this was a disappointing experience. The breakfast sandwiches were okay, nothing exceptional, bland, and $17 for a breakfast sandwich?! Also the home fries /breakfast potatoes were mushy, unseasoned, overcooked and nothing like the yelp menu picture. I also ordered 2 orders of potatoes and the picture below is all we received, not even a full container. Sad. Not sure what's going on here. Staff seemed nice when we picked up the food. Wish it was a better experience.

On a Sunday afternoon at 3pm I walked in to have brunch and I was told they were closed. referring to the sign on the door and my previous research on the diners hours I said "well your sign says you closed at 4pm and they said "well we've already closed our kitchen"

Super cozy spot nestled in a super cute part of mass-ave. The interior is retro-cafe inspired and comfortable despite being a small diner. Service was quick and all staff was very kind! Not to mention the food was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend the french toast with the grade-A maple syrup. For a busy, small diner, the service was incredible.

The servers were very upbeat and accommodating! The food was delicious, the prices were fair, and the overall environment of the restaurant is very fun and cozy!

Nice little diner place. Fresh coffee, banana nut pancakes are very good. Welcoming and friendly staff.

My roommate took me there for breakfast after my 3rd shift. Can't wait to go back. Omelet is my thing !

Mass Ave Diner's menu has the perfect amount of variety and customization options. And fresh ingredients are the thing that always wins me over. I love me an omelette any time of the day!

My table and I had a "wonderful" time at mass Ave diner because the experience was SO bad that it was fun. Our "server" told us they don't have items that are on the menu. Grilled "cheese" came with no sides. Huevos rancheros was just a hard flat shell with "eggs" and salsa. Long wait for our "food". Manager was "verbally" abusing staff in our presence. We were luckily offered 10% of our bill, which saved us each a miniscule amount. We had fun though.

You absolutely have to try the pancakes and homemade hash! The eggs benedict is second to none, and the coffee is a perfect complement.

food was excellent. this place will be my new local. only just moved to the area. can always tell a place is good when it's busy. servers we're excellent can't compliment them enough. 5 stars all round.

The food we got here was perfect. All my food (eggs and homemade corned-beef hash) was cooked exactly as I'd ordered and served piping hot. Service was efficient and friendly without being obtrusive. If I lived near here, I'd become a regular.

Your standard diner food executed very well. You can eat at some tables or at a bar right in front of the grill/skillet. The staff is incredibly friendly: they were not just kind to me every time I've been there, but I witnessed them really helping out a blind customer who appeared to be a regular and they did it with immense grace and consideration. The food is also very well done. A great spot for lunch/brunch!

Cool little spot and bomb breakfast Sandwiches! Kayla was a great server and recommend the french toast sandwich that did not disappoint! If you in the are check em out.

Terrible experience Hair in food Ignored by servers Charged for hair in my food And other items I didn't order Wobbly table

This is an update to my previous review (should have written this a few months ago!) I want to thank the owner for getting back to me on my comment from my first visit! I questioned the "Huevos Rancheros." Though the dish was tasty enough, but it wasn't close to the staple dish served in the Southwest or West. Apparently, there was a new cook that day and so the owner invited me back to have another one, on the house. I took him up on it, (Thank you!). Again, it was tasty, but still different than what is served in my neck of the woods. The main difference is that it didn't have 'enchilada sauce,' it was a tomato sauce. I'm fine with that. One of the cool things about travel is sampling the different spins that are put on dishes around the country. Like, if you want a Lobster Roll in CA, you'll need to go to a Japanese restaurant and it is not at all like a Lobster Roll in Boston! :) I'll definitely have Mass Ave Diner on my list of favorites when I'm visiting Cambridge!

Overall had a good meal at the Mass Ave Diner on today's snow day, but the prices are a high for the quality, so I'm dinging a couple of stars for that (3.5/5 would be my overall assessment). The main pros of this place are the vibes of a classic but small and homey/grungy diner vibes. The kitchen takes up a lot of space of the compact restaurant, and it is open, so you can expect a bustling atmosphere and overhearing all discussion from the kitchen, but this didn't bother me. Now to the food: I ordered the chilaquiles and they were comparable to ordering the dish in Mexico or California, but they were still pretty tasty! The portion was very generous, and the salsa has great flavor. I also appreciated that they were served with rice and beans. The two options that come with the chilaquiles (carnitas or veggie) were a tad odd, and the veggies on my order felt like a random add-on. I'd probably come again but I won't be running back. For the same price, I can get a slightly more "gourmet" brunch, but I am glad that this diner exists in Cambridge!

Perfect little neighborhood diner, hostess was great and welcoming. Coffee was fresh, a little weak for me (but I'm a coffee snob.) But the Banana Nut Pancakes are very good and taste fresh! Your friendly Shared ride driver..Lou! Be Blessed!

This place is a great neighborhood spot. They have vegan options, but the highlight is the prices! It's very small inside but there is outdoor seating in nice weather or you can get takeout! Service can be a little slow when they are busy, but not a long wait.

My regular morning spot. Same friendly crew, solid breakfast and lunch even a cold brew if you need one! This is affordable, good food, and It's doors are wide open to sit inside or out!

Every bit as good as New Jersey diners, and that's saying a lot. The lox bagel and lemon ricotta pancakes were both specials and they were fantastic.

Picture this: 6 teenage girls, 1 hour before school. Hungry, starving, desperate for any sort of food. The Mass Ave Diner was their victim. 3 of them arrived at 10:30 sharp, and the others trickled in within the next 20 minutes. The waitress came to take their order. She seemed frustrated, stressed, as she was the only one in the restaurant. A sign of understaffing and corruption of management. One girl asked for chocolate pancakes, and the waitress laughed. But they forgave her. They only wished the best for her as she was forced to work in terrible conditions. The girls waited for their food. And waited...and waited...and waited. Time was running short. They had 15 minutes more they had to leave for school. They asked for the check, solely to be efficient. Guess what the waitress did? She threw it at them. Poor her. The food finally arrived after an unacceptable amount of time. One girl's order was missing an egg, one's was missing an english muffin, and one's simply did not come. It was disappointing. The girls rushed to shove the food in their mouths, but they couldn't enjoy any of what they were consuming. They rushed out if the tiny, claustrophobic building. 2 of them suffered from salmonella for the next few hours, a result of the uncooked eggs, and they decided to never go back to the Mass Ave Diner again.

Have been back several times and food has remained consistently good (they use real eggs!). New wait staff have made the experience much better! Opted to sit at the counter and I enjoyed watching the kitchen in action.

Love the vibes of this diner. Coffee was delicious. Home fries are GAS. Very speedy service and nice folks all around. Makes me wanna read the paper and eat a chicken pot pie at the bar.

Wow. What a disappointment. It's got adorable diner vibes, but truly dismal food and highway robbery prices. $18 for a "California Benedict," which was an English muffin with an egg on it. Oh, and the bathroom (which is in a creepy, unfinished basement) had no toilet paper in it. I'm not saying the roll had run out, I'm saying there were no rolls. Nothing. Thank goodness there were paper towels, at least. Really, eat anywhere but here.

If you are looking for a tasty simple breakfast that gets the job done, this is your place! Mass Ave diner has a homely atmosphere and the servers are very friendly and accommodating. I ordered the western omelette which came with toast and home fries. My husband ordered the huevos rancheros. My omelette was phenomenal. The salsa on my omelette was the star. It added just the right amount of spiciness and complimented the egg flavors well. The rye toast with butter and home fries were pretty delicious as well. My husband said he enjoys his meal as well all though he did mention the tostada was a bit oily. He was thrilled about the free coffee refills. I would say to hold off ordering the orange juice. It tasted like watered down box juice to me. Don't forget to check in and use the 5% Yelp coupon here!

Look elsewhere. This experience was a testament to how bad service can submarine an otherwise mediocre meal. The meal itself--an omelette for me, pancakes for my wife and daughter and a bagel with lox for my son--was very average. But the service was horrible. Our coffee cups stayed empty, as we waited to get our food. We wanted for more water, jam, etc. We never received one item. In short, the C became a D.

I was so happy to find this little local diner on our first trip to Boston. They served up a well prepared and reasonably priced breakfast. The home fries were great and my omelette was pro. The coffee is the kind that's so good you just want to crawl in the cup. Try it!

I've been coming to Mass Ave for over a decade. Their pancakes are the best, their people the greatest, and their decor the zaniest. It's perfect for a weekday breakfast with a colleague, and I hear it gets pretty busy in the evening and weekends. Dave has done great things with the place over the years, and I'll keep coming back whenever I can.

I've being seeing your advertisement for a long time and seen how awesome your food look so I said one day I must go... well I finally made it on 7/3. I got there at 11:18. Did not get greeted at the door, but got a girl with glasses with a bit of an attitude. My son and I sat down and after 20 minutes of no one coming over my son told the girl with glasses we were ready to order. She said someone else is taking the orders. So we waited another 10-15. Put the order and waited longer, saw the people that order after us get their food and 10-15 minutes still after waiting. We lots patience. It was 12:15 when we walked out! The sad thing is it wasn't even crowded as I seen other diners and they had plenty of help or at least enough help. Pretty sad to promote a restaurant that people go out their way to go and try enjoy and support. Diffidently will be sticking to my usual " the breakfast club" And I only gave you a star because if not I could post my review!!!

There is a reason these types of diners are going out of business. So so food. Expensive and rude service. PopMake America Great again but no need to be rude.

For what they set out to do, they do just fine - a local joint serving a decent meal to satisfy their customers. Adjustments are not only acceptable, but they ask you how you want it, and they are pleasant in their interactions with you. I had the steak and cheese sub ($5.99) with fries (+$1.50 sandwich add on) and a side of onion rings ($2.99). However, my order was slightly misheard so I received the onion rings on the side of the sub, and had to reorder the fries, so I'm not sure how the portions would have differed if the onion rings were an order on its own. But I didn't mind. When I ordered my sub, I asked if it came with onions and was told if I wanted it, he would include it, and he offered me peppers as well. So I got it with onions and green peppers and both arrived small diced among the bits of shredded shaved beef (Steak'umm this was not) served in a a soft roll perhaps 10 inches long, sliced in two. The cheese had been laid out in the roll prior to the addition of the beef, so it hadn't sprawled itself gloriously all over the protein and veggies like it would have it was melted over them on the cooking surface. I wonder if they would have done that if I had asked... Anyhow, personal preference, I like crusty breads to give the sandwich some texture difference, so this was only okay in my book. The onion rings were dropped in the deep fryer from a white box. They arrived hot and crispy and fat... what more can one ask for? Oh, ketchup! I knew I would have leftovers, so the fries arrived glistening with oil (didn't like that) straight out of the fryer in a styrofoam container. And lots of them - plenty to share between 2-4 diners as a side. When I had read Steve B.'s comment that "the fries were the battered, crunchy kind" I was hopeful for a contender to my favorite version at Boston Kebab House. But no. These arrived hot but barely crispy. Okay, but nothing I would find myself craving. No need to ask for change here, as they give it back automatically unlike some other places. A plastic bag was proactively offered for my styrofoam container. A good local place to have in the neighborhood, but not a destination spot. It is a diner with 7 chairs set along the counter and a couple of tables set on either side by the door. A flat screen tv set on mute with closed caption hangs over the cash register, mainly aimed towards the counterfolk. There is a bathroom that customers may use, but it isn't handicap accessible. Consider it for emergencies, and perhaps for an adventure, as it is located in their basement, down a flight of (safe but) slightly scary stairs. I'd probably try a breakfast dish next time with a side of their homefries.