Diner And Breakfast Guide – Boston

There is no shortage of trendy spots to get brunch in Boston, but the problem is you will be paying $12 for a Bloody Mary and $18 for Eggs Benedict. What about when you are craving a cheap diner meal or a stack of pancakes that will remind you of what your mom used to make? These types of spots are more few and far between, but we have found a few gems which are a must-try for any Boston breakfast enthusiast.

Josephs Two

We aren’t sure about Josephs One, but Josephs Two has been a Waltham staple for 40+ years. When it comes to all things breakfast you simply can’t go wrong. Whether you are in a savory eggy mood or want something to feed your sweet tooth, Josephs has you covered. We were in the mood for both when we visited, and both were out of this world.

For the sweet, we had the apple crisp french toast, which was a mound of homemade apple crisp on top of a stack of french toast. The crust of the apple crisp had that sugary crunch to it, and the apples themselves were soft and gooey.

For the savory, the corned beef hash was a no-brainer. This plate was absolutely massive, and they were very generous with the hollandaise sauce. This is your classic meaty, salty, and crispy corned beef hash that you would get from a top-class diner. The breakfast potatoes were crisped to perfection while remaining light and fluffy on the inside.

Josephs does it all, and does it with extremely high quality. The prices are unbeatable and the portions are massive.

Johnny’s Luncheonette

When you walk into Johnny’s you are transported into a 1950s diner. This place gives off major Route 66 vibes, and for some reason we felt like we were in a 90’s Quentin Tarantino movie. We loved everything about this place, from the vibe, to the menu which included unique items like mini milkshakes (which tried and thoroughly enjoyed). It’s refreshing when it feels like you can leave brunch with a tab under $100. At Johnny’s it was great to see Bloody Mary’s for $7 and mimosas for $6. It’s hard to find screaming deals like that around Boston.

We are a sucker for a good reuben, and when Johnny’s claimed on the menu that “you’ve never had one this good” we had to try it for ourselves. And though we have had a reuben “that good” before, this was definitely in the upper echelon of the reuben universe. It was everything we wanted and more with plenty of melty cheese, vinegary sauerkraut, and corned beef that all came together for a killer sandwich. We were also obsessed with the pickle it came with. This was your classic deli pickle that was thick and crunchy, but with a bitter saltiness that just hit different.

The chicken and waffles were also fire. The waffles were airy, yet chewy, with a sweetness to them. The chicken had a light fry that was crisp but not overpowering.

For a blast from the past with awesome food, Johnny’s is the complete package.

Steve’s Kitchen

This is the ultimate hole-in-the-wall spot (and you know we love those) that you could walk by your entire life and never know that it’s there. Steve’s Kitchen has all the classics, as well as a few Greeks twists.

Here, you can get a bacon egg and cheese OR a gyro egg and cheese. Name another spot where you can get that!

Steve’s Kitchen is a screaming deal, as the bacon egg and cheese is a whopping $4.25 (and that comes with a mound of breakfast potatoes). You can’t even get that deal at Dunkin’ Donuts (Who is probably not even using fresh-cracked eggs)! Like any good breakfast spot, Steve’s always provides a mound of breakfast potatoes and eggs are constantly frying on the griddle. For a classic home-cooked breakfast, it really is hard to beat Steve’s