Best Breakfast in Boston – Pt. 1

Boston is filled with great spots to grab breakfast. In this blog we’re featuring pancakes from around the world, killer shakshuka, and your greasy diner classics.

Cafe Weekend (Allston)

Although we were sad to see the Allston classic, Steve’s Kitchen, close– Cafe Weekend brings a vibrant new brunch spot to downtown Allston. We promised you pancakes from around the world, and Cafe Weekend brings with it the fluffiest Japanese soufflé-style pancakes. Japanese-style has extra egg and baking soda which results in an extra-thick pancake that’s ultra-fluffy with a slight jiggle.

We also really enjoyed the shakshuka here. We wished it came with a heartier bread to soak up the sauce (because we would have licked it up from the plate if no one was looking). The meatballs made this shakshuka stand out from others we’ve had had around town.

Milkweed (Mission Hill)

For our next stop on the pancake world tour– we have Dutch pancakes at Milkweed. The Dutch pancake is less like a traditional pancake and more like a crêpe hybrid with an eggy consistency. Here, it’s topped with lemon ricotta, blueberry compote, and strawberries. The end result is much lighter and fresher than your traditional stack.

If the stack is what you are craving, then this probably won’t scratch that itch– but we loved it as a different kind of breakfast sweet.

The shakshuka here is also worth trying. While we liked the meatballs in Cafe Weekend’s more, the thick-cut challah bread was the perfect vessel to absorb all that delicious sauce. Our breakfast was so good that we’re looking forward to coming back for dinner.

Martin’s Coffee Shop (Brookline)

Cafe Weekend and Milkweed are the shiny new breakfast spots to take a first date– but Martin’s Coffee Shop should be your go-to for classic diner food in a low-key atmosphere. Prime seats are at the counter so you can watch piles of homefries cook on the flat top.

The chocolate milk here is a must-try. It has a super thick consistency– on the verge of a milkshake. Their benedicts are also the way to go. We got the Irish benny, which came with corned beef hash, onions, and peppers. Martin’s is generous with the hollandaise. It’s spilled all over the English muffins on a pile of corned beef. And the beef had that crisp you can only get from a hot griddle.

If you are really hurting from the night before (but still have an appetite), then we recommend “The Hangover.” This behemoth of a plate has three eggs, a pile of corned beef, and bacon all covered in melted cheddar cheese.