Ovenbird Cafe

The food was good but my sister ordered gluten free potatoes and towards the end we realized there was a crust of bread on the bottom touching the potatoes. We were sharing and I’m not gluten-free but she has real medical reasons for going gluten free and this kind of error could cause her days in pain. Before that, I completely loved the ambiance and the food I had eaten. I even ended up buying some gifts from the assorted collection on the entry wall

Really great, cozy cafe with some bustle. Ty behind the counter took excellent care of me and whipped me up a really delicious Espresso Horchata called the Bluebird. While it was clearly busy in there, they found the time to chat me up while working on folks orders. Ovenbird also has some FANTASTIC vegan options: see the avocado toast with chipotle aioli and the ginger soup. I will definitely be in again soon! Of note, the parking spots directly outside are 15 and 1 hour, respectively, but the meter maid circles and takes pictures every 5 minutes. Be vigilant about only staying parked within the allotted time or risk getting tagged, as I did because I was enjoying the cafe vibe too much and lost track of time.

Corner lot with big beautiful windows overlooking the intersection. Particle board intentionally used as accent - its a choice. But nice plants and open spaces gives it a nice city vibe. Day old biscuits a bit dry - but no judgements about that. Chocolate chip cookie was excellent and iced latte easy to sip on. Service was friendly and accommodating.

Great cafe with plenty of room and seating. The seating and bar lines the window with street view for some nice smiles and possible sun depending on weather. The meal was filling and much different from any cafe I've been to. Never have I seen sweet potato hash before. I was also very surprised with the delicious taste and kick of the meal. We are looking forward to trying other options on their unique menu. The lobby and bathroom are exceptionally clean.

I am not sure how this cafe can get anything lower than 5 starts. The food and coffee is OUTSTANDING! Such a unique place with unique taste. The vibe is what you want first thing on a Saturday morning. My favorite is the Tahini square (a sesame based treat). Wish there were more Oven Birds around!

Ovenbird catered our family celebration for our daughter’s graduation. The food was absolutely delicious! It was fresh, flavorful and perfectly prepared. Additionally, the customer service was fantastic. Highly recommend! Made our celebration extra special. 🌸

So nice, I went twice in one weekend! Not to be dramatic, but their Pumpkin Spice Latte will change your life! Not the garbage 'pie spice' you get from other coffee shops, made with real pumpkin, this has a deep real-pumpkin flavor with a dash of pie spice making for the perfect fall beverage! A friend had recommended it and I went in last Saturday and was so blown away, I met another friend there on Sunday! She is not a big pumpkin fan and even agreed how incredible this was! We both ordered avocado toast to go with it and that was delicious as well! The staff here is so kind and helpful. We sat for a while and caught up and it was such a great vibe there.

MEM Tea and a variety of other drink selections (coffee, soda, etc). They have meal options as well as sweets. I got a vanilla rooibos tea. Some of the businesses on the street have one step to get in so I can’t remember if this one did or not but it is largely acceptable if not fully so. They also have a wide assortment of greeting cards and gifts!!! Love the lunchbox notes.

I visited on a weekday afternoon and struggled to find a seat, or really even navigate the slightly cramped space. I got the turkey sandwich. It was double decker, which made it difficult to eat, threw off the bread to filling ratio, and I didn't like the separation between the wetter slaw and the much drier meat/cheese fillings. On top of it, I disliked the strong dressing on the slaw. I was pretty hungry but struggled to get through one half of the sandwich, and just threw away the other half. I also got a chai latte that was basically hot milky water with cinnamon, but that's essentially average anyways. It's clearly a popular and well-loved cafe, but I struggled to see why on this visit.

I started coming here when it was Vicki Lee's and have continued to pop in for cookies and sweets that the new owners carried over. This was my first time under the new ownership sitting down for a bite. I met a friend here on a Saturday for lunch and a catch-up. It's a small-ish place with only a few tables and two counters (one at the window looking onto Trapelo Road) suitable for two or for individuals with laptops, of which there were many. I was about to say I hope they paid their way for the time they spent, but then again, my companion and I stayed for almost two hours chatting, so who am I to throw shade? One orders food at the counter and it is delivered to your table. I had a comfort lunch on this cold and rainy day, tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The tomato soup was fine, a bit tart, but that is how most restaurants who make it from scratch make it. The sandwich was buttery, lightly grilled and soft, with just the right amount of cheese oozing out. Yum. My companion had some sort of quinoa vegetarian bowl which looked delicious! About an hour in I thought we'd better buy something else to justify our stay, which I could tell wasn't going to end any time soon. My go-to cookies were there, I know them as Diamantes which are chunky sugar cookies. My companion had one of my cookies and settled on a box of their excellent lemon squares to take with her. We had one set-to about a cappuccino that she found to be bitter, and when she went to report it to the barista they were a bit combative with her, so the visit ended on a sour note I'm sorry to say. Other than that, the servers were polite and efficient, offering to clear our table as we sat there and NOT offering to kick us out for lingering, lol. I did notice another couple who hung around a bit as well, and there are the aforementioned laptop users, so it seems to be allowed. I will definitely be back. On-street parking can sometime be tricky, as Cushing Square is busy, but if you're willing to walk a block or two you'll be okay.

Great experience here. Fast service, adorable spot, and all around delicious. My chai was flavorful and nice and foamy. They use a lot of local goods- mem tea, and a special blend of broadroast. I had their version of a Dagwood sandwich- with fresh roasted turkey cheddar, some picked goodies and lettuce as well as bacon. My bf got a breakfast bowl which he really enjoyed, with lentils chickpeas, rice, and eggs fried in chile oil.

Warm, comfortable, light and bright. Friendly staff, really good coffee and excellent pastries. Really, what else do you need? I love the layout of ovenbird - basically, there's space to move and lots of seating choices. It's just a great, cosy, welcoming coffee shop. Wouldn't hesitate to return when I'm in the area.

Ovenbird's cookies are super delicious. My favorite is almond. And they have nice coffee drinks to go with the cookies, cakes, pastries or whatever sweet treat you want to pair. If you have not tried Ovenbird, I highly recommend that you do! I also would like to Thank Ovenbird for supporting the BHS All Night Party. Your generosity for this annual event was much appreciated. Thank you!!!

Great coffee! This is a super cute and great spot for a quick bite and coffee. My boyfriend and I stopped by to grab a light snack and coffee after a nice walk around the plaza. They have seasonal drinks so I got the peppermint mocha and my bf got an herbal tea since he doesn't drink anything with caffeine. We also grabbed some delicious apple scones. Everything was delicious! The mocha was perfect! And the scones were super yummy and nice and crumbly. We will definitely be back!

I like the interior of this place. The employees here are very helpful and they're always smiling. I was really looking forward to the almond croissant as that's one's if my favorite pastries but this had a weird after taste that I disliked. I'm not an early bird so I love that this place closes late.

This place is a bit odd. There isn't really a good way to swing by here and pick up your drinks, say on the way to a get-together on Sunday afternoon. You can put in an order, but they will not start making it until you walk in. As a result, you walk in, then sorta look around to catch the eye of someone, then tell them that you're here and that you've put in an order online, then they tell the bartista, and then that bartista will eventually get to starting the drinks. So this takes like 15 minutes total, with an online order. You do get a fresh latte, though, so there is that benefit, but it makes it hard to consider as an option if you're bringing coffee/lattes to an event. The other thing is that, you'll pay $5 for a latte, and then it's half-filled, so you sorta feel ripped off. The taste of the latte is definitely above-average, so it's pretty good, but you wish they charged you for a small if they were going to make a small-sized latte. They only have one size, which is I guess a 5 dollar small. I've tried their muffins and their biscuits, which taste-wise were good, but were both very dry, which I know is hard to prevent, but it results in a pastry that you put into a cup, have fall into chunks, and then pick out the chunks to eat. People here are very nice and the place looks great, location is great too.

I'm proud to be a regular here at Ovenbird. I started coming during its Vicki Lee days, and this review is long overdue! The place changed hands and names earlier this year, but it's stayed in the family (the long time head chef took over). It's a leg up from your average cafe, while adopting a new earthy vibe and some new menu items. Yes, it's pricier than other places, but I'd rather come here for the quality, options, and local vibes. And the staff! This bright cafe now has counter-style seating along the large window walls and a few sit down tables, making it a decent place for working (ask for the WiFi password) or lunch/coffee with friends. They serve breakfast all day and have lunch options, plus prepared foods to takeaway for dinner. With that spiel over, what about the goods? I've tried something from each part of the menu, so here goes: Drinks: My usual is a chai latte with almond milk, which is sweeter here but also strongly brewed, so you can actually taste the tea (and the caffeine, if you're sensitive like me). They make their own concentrate with Mem Tea's masala chai blend, and it's good both iced and hot. They used to make their matcha latte with Mem Tea's mint matcha blend, but have recently upgraded to using matcha powder. Yay! You can have it unsweetened on request. I still find the iced version more watered down than my liking (they make a matcha syrup to help w prep time), so I prefer the hot matcha. Housemade vanilla simple syrup is an extra treat for the decadent days. (Um, yeah I've been here enough.) The Tall Man is more of a coffee guy. He enjoys their cappuccinos but really wasn't a fan of the brewed coffee. They use coffee beans blended for them by Square One. They have almond and oat milks as vegan options, charging $1 extra for each (kinda annoying when some places charge less for the less expensive oatmilk, but shrugs.) Sweets: As far as their baked goods go, they have a some GF options. Gluten free biscuits (aka scones) and muffins often run out in the morning, so come early for those. They're not dairy free, but I indulge in them anyways, especially the GF fruit-filled peach ginger or lemon/lavender blueberry biscuits. Ovenbird also carries over Vicki Lee's tradition of cake and pastry making. I'm not a big fan of the gluten free cupcake (go for the amaretto cookie for a gf/df sweet, if you can eat nuts), but my mom fell in love with the strawberry dacquoise (looks like a strawberry shortcake). She wasn't as big of a fan of the craquelin, though. Savories: The early bird breakfast bowl is rather tasty, especially if you get the housemade sausage or roasted veggies. Their scrambled eggs are made with dairy, but they have a fried egg option that can be made dairy-free. The blueberry spread that comes with the toast is delicious! My favorite lunch options are the chicken salad sandwich (not too mayo-y, nice herbs) and the southwestern cobb salad (easy to tailor). Ask for the gluten free bread! The prepared foods are expensive, but make for a super convenient reheated dinner with a dash of class. I especially like the maple glazed salmon. I also sometimes get their chicken salad to go, although it's not always in the case. Ovenbird is the only place in the square that has GF baking. They're also very good about disclosing ingredients. They do their best to avoid allergens as able, although I would be careful if you're particularly allergic as they use a lot of different ingredients here. Thus my tome ends, for now. Will be back as always!

We used Ovenbird Cafe for a catered private event in Belmont. The catering manager was super friendly and easy to work with. The servers they sent to our site were professional, friendly, and knew how to work such an event. The food was all high quality and delicious, and our guests raved about it too. Thank you, Ovenbird Cafe catering, for helping make our event a success.

Such a lovely cafe for studying! Each pastry tasted as good as it looked! My favorites were their Strawberry Dacquoise and Red Velvet cupcake. Their iced coffee was oddly sour (their only downside tbh) but I'd come back again for sure. Our cashier was lovely and brought everything to our table quickly.

We called to ask if we arrived at 1:30 or 1:45 would we be able to sit and eat. We were told yes. We got in at 1:40 and were told it would have to be takeout because they were closing at two. Get your story straight.

Unique comfy tables and chairs. The food is fresh and lovely. Soup and sandwiches spectacular pastries and desserts Unique drinks. Handcrafted gifts for sale.

I like that they have loose leaf teas served in a teapot, and I enjoy their matcha! They also have a great selection of pastries and baked goods. Great atmosphere and I see people studying here often :)

Good food - love the half sandwich-half salad/soup option - and great coldbrew! Even though this isn't a cafe that I can imagine a lot of people would do work or study in per se, I was able to get stuff done here at one of their cute tables without any issue! All their desserts also looked super tasty - can't wait to try them next time!

A gem of a cafe/bakery in Cushing Square. (And so much better than the Starbucks across the street!) The coffee is excellent, the baked goods delicious, and the sandwiches yummy. May God send more places like Ovenbird to Watertown/Belmont!

Vicky Lee's was long my go-to place for catering for large and small gatherings. We needed catering for a party for 40+ people so decided to give Ovenbird a try. So glad we did. Jennie worked with us on developing the menu for a light lunch on a Sunday. She was knowledgeable, helpful and patient, explaining options clearly and was great on follow up. Most importantly, the food was wonderful. Several guests asked for their information. Just a side note, I love deviled eggs and theirs were great! The aram sandwiches, long a staple at Vicky Lee's, are still delicious and, like everything else, beautifully presented. I miss Vicky Lee but she left us with an excellent substitution.

Ovenbird is a yummy bakery they even have GF pasties sometimes! The seating is not real comfy but the coffee and chit chat their is friendly. Loved my last visit. D Patnod, Lic. Ac. Cambridge

Yummy. I like the service. The food and cookies are toooooo yummy! Peace! D patnod Lic Ac Cambridge

I stopped by The Ovenbird Cafe in Belmont for some sweet desserts recently. This cafe and catering establishment offers takeout and indoor dining (starts March 22) serving up breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, quiche, soups, salads, heat & serve entrees, pastries, homemade desserts, coffee & tea drinks. The prices are slightly high here. The place was fairly busy around lunch hour when I arrived here. I picked out two small desserts ($6 each plus tax) including the Boston Cream Pie and the Strawberry Dacquoise.  Since there was no indoor dining here yet and the place was busy, I took my sweets to go and went to another coffee house to enjoy. The Boston Cream Pie was a small round layered dessert in a clear plastic sleeve with light yellow sponge cake, light cream, thick chocolate fudge frosting on top and golden deco on top. The Strawberry Dacquoise was layered with meringue on bottom and top with a strawberry and cream layer mix in between topped with cream and a fresh strawberry. I enjoyed my afternoon dessert time and will be back to try The Ovenbird for indoor dining brunch.

Nice breakfast and lunch spot in Belmont. Went there during the week for lunch. Great food and service. I have since ordered take out and the food was very good. Highly recommend!

The ambiance is quite alluring: bright and rustic. i ended up doing some work there on my laptop after I ate. I got the shrimp tacos and an Arnold Palmer along with some pastries-- a blueberry scone and an apple tart. The shrimp tacos were yummy (didn't blow me away). So was the Arnold Palmer (which is pretty sour and plain by itself, since it's tea and lemonade). My favorite parts were the pastries because they were scrumptious-- sweet, fragrant and crumbly. They were super expensive though ! In total, all of it costed more than $40 which I think is a little too much for what I received. Still a great experience!

Ordered a red velvet cake from ovenbird and it was delicious and inexpensive. Easy pickup and beautiful penmanship! Thanks Ovenbird

I get Ovenbird almost every weekend. Their baked goods are superb and their seasonal flavored lattes and lemonades are to die for. They also have tasty prepped sides like roasted carrots and brussel sprouts which make dinner super easy. We love it!

Just came in because I was in the neighborhood. Got a "you pick two" half turkey sandwich and cup of gumbo. Delicious! Worth the price. Great atmosphere too.

Close your eyes and open your mouth to a bite of the most delicious authentic European style cake that you honestly cannot find anywhere else. I was taking a bite of one of these delicious cakes and asked my husband to take a taste. He drew back in horror expecting some thing sickeningly sweet. I said no please do, please do try it! Minimalism in the sugar department so that you can taste all the other delightful ingredients that make these cakes well worth $38. Fantastic!

I never write reviews but I have to say that ovenbird's chicken piccata sandwich is the best sandwich I've ever had. I find every excuse to go in and get one for lunch. The atmosphere and cute and inviting too. Highly recommend.

How I wish we had Ovenbird Café near us in CT. Our brunch there with our son (Bentley U student) was soooooooo delicious. The coffee was not just good, it was exceptional. My vegetarian breakfast burrito was absolutely fantastic. We loved our food. The place is bright and cheery, offering incredible cookies, scones, pastries, etc. Great place, we will return!

Yes the prices are a bit high! However the quality is superb all their baked goods are outstanding made with pure ingredients . I'm currently addicted to the Italian Lemon Almond Torta . The flavor and texture are superb with a cup of good coffee. Thank you so very much

Nice coffee shop with good food and a nice vibe. A bit pricey for just coffee and breakfast but a nice working spot in the middle of the day. Ordered the breakfast sandwich which was really good and hot, and a latte which was also good.

Sandwich + pastry was around $20 with tip. Pricey but very tasty. Would recommend as the atmosphere was really cool, lots of options for food, and great gluten free (not sure if support for celiac) options! Will return.

Fresh ingredients and good service, love this place. I had a combo special today, asparagus soup and half a ham Gruyère sandwich. Both very delicious.