GOOD: Nice vegan menu. Buddha bowl is good, my partner added salmon (generous portion--should be for $15!) The dish is a bit oily/heavy, could use some brightness, maybe pickled onions or beets. BAD: Tofu scramble is NOT really a tofu scramble. It's a tofu stir fry with 3-4 large pieces of tofu, large pieces of cauliflower, onions, etc. all overcooked, almost burnt. This dish needs something light/fresh, parsley would help. It's important if you're going to offer a vegan item to make it well. They could serve this with rice and it would be a dinner item. True tofu scramble is smaller pieces of tofu and chopped up veggies. Often with turmeric and/or black salt to give it an eggy flavor/look. This came with dry toast, because they don't bother to stock readily available plant-based butter. Home fries were very good. UGLY: Six dollars for a small cup of mediocre coffee! I see in previous reviews that it's "bottomless," but we were not told that even when we commented on the small cups, and we don't need refills. Online menu price is $4. We both requested vegan milk (they only have almond) and we got a tiny cup, enough for one. The noise level at 10:30 am on a Sunday was uncomfortably loud. Music with a heavy bass was unpleasant and unnecessary given that people are trying to converse. This causes people to talk louder. The place needs acoustic tiles. I wanted to love this place, but the noise level, execution of menu items, and prices for some items make it unlikely that I will return. read more

Bistro781 - Tofu "scramble" - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Love this place. Good food and caters to vegetarians. Staff is friendly and environment is fun

I joined a table with 4 others and we made a reservation the night before. The table we had was close to the entrance door which was fine with us (since there was a large birthday party of 20 something's behind us). As you can imagine it got kind of loud but we did the best we could to hear what we were discussing. The appetizer we had of nachos was delicious and the main dishes of food came out in nice presentations. We even had dessert and some of the desserts got a wow factor. The server did well in checking that we had everything we needed up until the time the large party showed up that reserved many tables. My only wish was that the music that was playing was turned down a little so we didn't have to be yelling across the table at each other or have to get closer to our friends to hear what was being said. This place does have outdoor dining if you choose and the front doors are opened to let in extra circulation of air. Good place to eat and love that it is also approved by the Phantom Gourmet. read more

Bistro781 - Had the chocolate chip chip chipwich (cookie sandwich with ice cream in middle. Large enough to split between two people comfortably. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Really good. The Nachos had a great créma sauce. Gnocchi was delish and I will be be back for the sweet potato crushed salmon. I had a specialty mule which I didn't love, very strong cinnamon taste, just not my fav. Bar was great, ambience was nice and service was fast and good. Overall, great experience. Would recommend read more

Food and service was amazing! Sat at the bar and had a good time! They definitely were booked up! Maybe make a reservation. Update: I was able to walk in!! :) read more

First time trying out this place. We went on a Friday night and made reservations ahead of time. When we walked in the environment was very inviting and I love the warm, welcoming ambience. Our server greeted us with espresso martinis. The two pasta dishes we got were the bologonse and the short ribs gnocchi. Both were incredible. I would love to come back to this place. Anyone who hasn't been will definitely enjoy! read more

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I came here for Sunday brunch with friends a few weekends ago. Reservations wasn't too hard to get, but it did look pretty busy when we were there! I got the short ribs melt -- the meat was tender and delicious. Very filling to the point food coma was hitting hard when we left. Definitely worth getting. We also got the crab cakes to share. Nothing really special about it. Probably wouldn't get it again though. Overall it's a nice establishment, great service and atmosphere! Would definitely return if I'm back in the area. read more

Bistro781 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Not a bad little restaurant in Waltham. We got some apps, the firecracker shrimp and crab cakes were really good. I split a pizza with my wife and surprisingly the pizza was good, not as good as Buffalo pizza but solid dinner. My friend got the sweet potato crusted salmon and he loved it, very unique dish with lots of flavor. read more

The service and atmosphere were great - it's definitely a fun place! The food was good too - would recommend for a girls get- together on a Friday night! read more

The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere and warm service. The drinks were expertly crafted, and the food was absolutely delicious. I particularly enjoyed the crusted salmon - it was heavenly. read more

I took my family to this restaurant for early dinner. We were promptly seated around 4:30, and had the whole restaurant to ourselves. Staff were nice and friendly. My pasta bolognese was hot and delicious. My wife's burger was decent, but nothing to write home about. The kid's chicken fingers were make out of real chicken, and was good as well. Overall, prices were on the higher side, but the food and ambiance were good! read more

Nice place in downtown Waltham. We've been 3-4 times when we visit our college student. Food and service is always above average. Good bar, lots of TVs. Nice varied menu. read more

Is a cool restaurant to have dinner with family and friends. Good Italian food, but on the pricy side. The service is excellent, but finding parking is on the differcult side. If you can find a parking space, it is a cool place to dine. read more

This place could have been soooo good. There was so much potential but unfortunately there was a lot of disappointment. First the good: the food was quite tasty. That's what I mean by it has so much potential. The food and the drinks were good and a lot of interesting and rare choices. Our waitress was really pleasant,cheery and her service was appreciated. The bad: I ordered the Avocado BLT with grilled salmon. It was very tasty but there was the smallest piece of salmon on it that it was only on like half the sandwich. It was on sourdough bread which I love but only one of the two slices was toasted, the other was still flopped and completely uncooked. My friend got the oyster burger which could have been really great but she ordered it medium rare and it came out well-done, which ruined it quite a bit. She barely got any fries with her meal, it looked like someone ate half of them and we were able to compare because my meal came with fries and I clearly had much more. My other friend got the watermelon strawberry salad which was actually quite good and refreshing. She also ordered the scallops which had potential but they came out cold but it came with a good creamy sauce. The worst part is that it took over an hour for the food to come out after we ordered it. Mind you, there wasn't really all that many people there. The patio was full but there was a lot of seating inside. We were there just after lunch hour so you so you can't even blame it on a lunch or dinner rush so I can't see why it took so long. I think people should try this place but I don't entirely think I will return. read more

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Couple things that were not great. Service: Dining room was not busy but food came out cold. Music was loud and waitresses were talking even louder at the station. Food: Got the crab cake Benedict. Sauce was lumpy probably due to temperature. Crab cakes tasted old and had this strong overbearing taste of zest. Was only able to taste crab cake filler and zest. Eggs rubbery. Menu was robust with so many options but wouldn't have any reason to come back to try anything else. read more

Have enjoyed a number of visits to this spot. Food is good with many vegan and other healthy options. Pretty pricey $15 bowl with $10 chicken add for lunch. That was one thing but I preferred a cup of coffee and got a small mug, which would have been fine (maybe 8 ounces of coffee) EXCEPT it was SIX dollars!!!! Seriously??? I would NEVER order coffee at this place. I have never heard of a price this high for a plain black coffee, which is 90% water! This really made us angry and we won't be returning. We felt really screwed. read more

Had reservations for a Saturday night. Got there and the place was slammed. We were still going to have to wait for our seat and open up, so we chose to sit at the very long bar (we were really hungry, got no time for waiting)! We were almost immediately greeted by bartender Brittney (nice, and good at her job) and given water. Great menu selection for everyone, good drink list, really nice mocktail list. We started off with the pulled pork nachos, they have to be some of the best in the Bostonish area! I got the Braised short rib with gnocchi and cream sauce, was not disappointed! My wife got Buddha bowl, she said it was good, I think it was a'ight. We will definitely be back again! Thank you B 781 read more

5 stars. My friends dad brought us out for a lovely dinner and it was great!! I has a glass of wine and a Guinness and some Rwandan watermelon drink which was super duper tasty! I was with my friend Jack and Alex and syd and Annie and Liu and Eddie and max and Ann and Henry and now I like oysters!!!!! They don't have Amazon prime here tho read more

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My friend and I came in this past Sunday for brunch and it was the best. We sat at the bar and we ordered Bloody Mary's which were the best I have had in Boston. We ordered egg dishes and salads which were made to perfection. The bartender was great and very attentive even when it started to get very busy. All around an excellent Sunday brunch experience and we will be back. read more

We came here for dinner on a decently busy nice. We parked in a paid parking lot that is relatively cheap. For 12 hours, the meter said it was only a few bucks. For us, it was free since it was after 6pm. There is outside and inside seating. There are high top booth tables and then regular low top tables. Our service was good and food was decent as well. If you're going to get an appetizer, I highly recommend their sheet pan nachos with steak. The steak was super tender and the aioli on top complimented the flavors really well. We both ordered the Carlson orchard hard cider they had on draft. It was relatively light and not too sweet. Our child had the kids pasta with Alfredo sauce. It was a big portion and the flavor was so good. She ate some, but also was stuffing her face with nachos. She loved both. For my entree, I had the Braised Short Ribs. It comes with Brussel sprouts, mushroom/ricotta gnocchi, and lots of mushrooms in the sauce. The short ribs on the top stole the show of my plate. It was very tender and just melted off. The gnocchi had really good flavor, but I prefer my gnocchi a little more firm. My boyfriend had the Short Rib Tacos. He loved the flavor and ate every bite. The tacos only come with two tacos only. If you're hungry and want the tacos, be sure you have an appetizer because you will still be hungry otherwise. Overall, we had a good experience. Our biggest recommendation is the sheet pan nachos for an appetizer. Thanks for a good night! read more

Bistro781 - a view of a restaurant from the dining room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Very pleased with the quality of food and the attentiveness of the servers. No need for reservation for lunch but dinner is a different story read more

We came last Wednesday early evening and had a great experience sitting at the bar. The service was excellent, drinks came very quickly and we ordered food including burger, tacos and spring rolls which were cooked perfectly. This is our second visit and all around it was perfect and will be back. Thank YOU. I should say we don't usually leave reviews. read more

We had a great time at Bistro 781! First time here, definitely will come back. We went on Friday night for a late dinner + drinks. There was a band playing and the bar seemed pretty lively. Picking dinner was tough! We were really hungry and everything sounded amazing haha. What we ordered: Cider Mule and I had a pear drink (I forget the name, it was a margarita inspired beverage). Both tasty but a bit sweet. For dinner, steak and cheese egg rolls (fire) and a caesar salad (obviously). Yum!! Also had the braised beef with gnocchi which was really good! The brussel sprouts could've been softer but hey- we ate it. Sooo many dessert drink options, got the butterfinger martini which was amazing. Our waiter was chill considering we were definitely his last table of the night. Can't wait to go back :) read more

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We came in on Sunday and sat at the bar. We had some appetizers and a main course. The service was great, we received an excellent drink recommendation which helped us really enjoy ourselves. The food was excellent and fresh and the entire experience was terrific. Plenty of TV's too. We have gone to a few places on Moody but this was tops. Will be back for sure. read more

We were upset, we ordered a burger and as you can see it was charcoal, not meat, and when it hit the mouth, it was terribly unpleasant and bitter and had a gag reflex, cocktails were without alcohol and the same alcohol was poured differently. I won't come again and I don't recommend $100 to throw away read more

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Very drafty seating by open door...needed to move toward back of restaurant. Food portions were ridiculously small for the price, which was above average for that type of restaurant. The food tasted good, but not better than other restaurants for the same price or portion. The drinks were watered down and not very strong. Parking is terrible on the street. You have to walk half a block from the entrance door, to the restaurant parking lot another half-block away. (There is a rear exit which would be much quicker but it's for the staff only (smh?). The staff was very friendly and nice to chat with and the live music was very good. But overall, this dinner for two was not worth over $100 for: an order of super tiny clams, a small salad, and 4 ultra small tacos on two orders, and 1 watered down drink and bottle of beer. read more

It was super packed on Valentine's Day, but I will say the food was amazing. They had a few specials, but what really made it great were the drink specials. They had a number of chocolate based drinks that were delicious and creative. Unfortunately, despite coming on time for our reservation, we were seated in a little nook of a table. Other than that, the service was really great. We ordered steak dishes so if you enjoy quality meat-based cuisines, you're in for a treat. Still, I know they were busy, so I rate them 5 stars read more

Bistro781 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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We came in to eat at the bar on Friday and our experience was excellent. The service was the best, never missed a beat the entire time there. Food was excellent from appetizers to main dish. Also, got the perfect drink recommendation to make the night perfect. Will be back. read more

Last minute reservation on a Friday night with some friends and were greeted with an ambient vibe within with multiple TV screens displaying sports events throughout. Waitstaff were friendly and checked up on us frequently (which was not a bad thing at all) as it exhibited their attentiveness. Although the pictures may not do the dishes justice, I'd say each were pretty good to very good in terms of flavor and execution. The tiny clams had an awesome cognac lobster cream sauce that necessitated more bread to sop up the juicy goodness and trust me, you will want to order more bread! For the entrées, the pasta bolognese was pretty decadent in its flavor and al dente-ness - we thought it was a balanced dish for the pasta, meats and sauce. The braised short ribs split apart with minimal to no effort when pressed against and dividing into a bite-size forkful and was even better when the tasting and chewing started - so flavorful. The duck breast and confit leg were cooked to juicy tenderness - executed very well. Price points were standard with such sizable portions - menu was solid. Would return anytime! read more

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Great vegan and vegetarian options (saw a lot of GF choices but didn't have them myself). Food was great, especially the corn bread. Seemed to not have a lot of employees but the place wasn't very busy either, but it did take time for our waitress to circle back to us. The place itself had low lighting and was very clean. read more

Sooooo close to being absolutely amazing. I have to admit. The waitstaff and manager took great care of my brother and I here! I got an awesome whiskey based cocktail the manager said was not on the menu. It was a blood orange whiskey drink with a ball of frozen ice to keep it cool-nice touch! Fantastic drink. The bourbon in it was by Henry McKenna. I hadn't heard of it before but the manager said it's available for sale in liquor stores. I'm not a whiskey expert so please excuse me. I ordered a braised beef melt and all was going well until I noticed a hair in the other half of my sandwich. I was so relieved I didn't bite into that half. It's a shame because all of the flavors were right and the sandwich was delicious. I just couldn't keep eating for obvious reasons. I sent it back, assured the waitress it wasn't her fault. I hate making people feel awkward, but she understood the issue well and hastily took it back. I ordered the same thing my brother got, the house burger, in its place, and it was a good meal. The truffle fries were awesome! The manager delivered it this time and comped both the new burger and took the braised melt off the check. That was nice of her. Regardless of the circumstances, I had a nice time. I get it that things happen, and it stinks when it's with good. I try to be understanding. read more

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I met some former coworkers here for dinner last night. It's a popular spot - loud and crowded, with a youngish, jovial crowd. We were a group of four women, and while we were comfortably seated at the start of our dinner, we ended up having a party of 20 or so loud-talking men smooshed right up against us. It was kind of ok, though - the whole place was loud and crowded at that point. The service was friendly and apologetic and also incredibly slow. I think we waited half an hour for our first drink. The whole meal took two and a half hours, which was no problem only because we hadn't seen one another in forever and were in no rush. But, I wouldn't go there on a schedule. We ordered some tacos and bowls. They were all ok. Short-ribs for me, cauliflower for a friend. The cocktails were very good. Strong & tasty. We almost didn't order dessert but swerved and threw in some Mexican chocolate empanadas at the last minute. Those were the highlight of the dinner. They came with a little pot of dolce de leche, which was equally good. read more

Our food today was excellent. I really enjoyed my short rib melt on challah with perfectly cooked fries. Hubby liked his banana tequila and warm Buddha bowl. Service was decent. The outdoor seating is nicely shaded. read more

Bistro781 - Short rib melt with fries, warm Buddha bowl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I've came to this place once before didn't realize it was the same place until I got here. I started off with a watermelon martini SUPER DELISH ... I had the fried calamari as an appetizer it was kind of bland it needed some serious seasoning ... It was hot and the presentation was very nice. I had tuna tacos for my entree. The purple cabana slaw really wakes up your palette so I was able to taste every single ingredient they put in the tacos. The Tim's was very fresh the aioli sauce was good I did add hot sauce because I like a little kick sometimes. We ended the night with green tea shoes which were good I'd def get them again. The server was on point and attentive not annoying but made sure we didn't want for nothing. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to visit this place again. It's probably a great place for the locals but to drive here it's completely out of my way because it's kind of far. read more

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Had brunch with a group of people on Sunday. Very busy and noisy establishment. Having a conversation with someone who isn't sitting next to you was very difficult. Server was very pleasant and did a very efficient job with our group. Ordered eggs Benedict with duck hash for something different with home fries and omelet with ham and cheese and tater tots. The eggs Benedict had two perfectly poached eggs sitting atop generous portions of duck hash on large English muffins. The hollandaise was served on the side. Hollandaise was nice and creamy and just enough to run down the eggs on to the hash. The hash had good sized pieces of duck which was a nice surprise. Very tasty breakfast and very filling with the large portions of everything. The home fries were large pieces of potatoes that were nicely fried. The omelet was nicely cooked and had plenty of ham cubes spread throughout it. The tater tots were well fried and very crispy. Definitely would return the next time we are in the area. read more

I had lunch with a friend for the first time at Bistro 781. They have a great vegan menu and they serve dishes paired with some surprising ingredients that go very well together. For example we had cauliflower tacos with corn tortillas, crispy cauliflower, avocado, cumin toasted sunflower seeds, Mexican cheese, agave Sriracha and purple kale. We also had their Mediterranean bowl with grilled chicken, cucumbers, red onion, brussel sprouts, capers, artichokes, beans, sweet peppers, mozerella, and red wine vinaigrette. The restaurant had some comfy booths overlooking the spacious bar and TV playing your favorite local sports teams. The food was all delicious and I'm looking forward to trying another dish or two next time we return. read more

Bistro781 - Cauliflower tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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We've always had a great meal there. The atmosphere is young and fun, even though we are most likely older than most. Drinks are yummy also. A shout out to Gabby, our sweet bartender. She makes a good drink too. All the staff there are welcoming and accommodating. Definitely recommend. read more

Let me start by saying the food here tastes incredible. I've been here a number of times and everything tastes amazing. But man- tonight I got the bacon appetizer and it was $15.... For ONE piece of bacon. I've been to numerous places in the metro Boston's area With similar apps which offer 2-4 pieces of bacon for a similar price point. Had I known it was literally one piece I'd have been better off ordering a burger (comes with fries) for $16, and a ton of other, much more logically priced items. I'm Not here to bash the quality of the food, it was amazing. Or the vibe, the people etc.... All great. Great service! But talk about highway robbery for the bacon app. Never again. Never. read more

Bistro781 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Shrimp & Grits - star of the show. Chorizo, cheddar and sweet onion make this really incredible. Health Nut Salad - this one was funny, the waitress actually tried to talk me out of it? Maybe it's just to prove her wrong but it was good. I guess they could do more to the almonds, maybe marinate them in raspberry. But it's good. Buddha Bowl with Tofu - delicious! But too small. Quinoa is the core of this dish but what's weird is you get just a sprinkle of it? Confusing choice. Would be easy to fix - add quinoa. Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade - good but lacked that bite of the lemon or the blackberry. Could've been more prominent in what it's offering. White Russian - terrible. Watery. Was there vodka? Made with skim milk probably? Don't get this here. Cucumber martini - better than average! The cucumber taste was nice rather than watery. S'mores Brownie Sundae - Delicious, obviously. It's exactly what you hoped it would be. Probably the oddest thing about this restaurant is the website is very forward about being a "Vegan/Vegetarian By Default" restaurant, yet the menu you get by default is meat-heavy, and, missing options found only on the Vegan menu. That menu is available only by special request, so there's just some kind of miscommunication or internecine battle between the web/marketing side and the kitchen/menu side. read more

Bistro781 - Foreground: S'mores Brownie Background: Avocado Chocolate Cake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Easily located on Moody street, Bistro 781 offers a good variety of culinary alternatives. From steak frites, to shrimp & grits, to vegan-fare. With COVID, Moody street is closed for outdoor dining. Therefore parking is street or paid off of Moody street. Inside, the staff is masked and the restaurant is clean. The menu is digital, and accessible by QR code. For dinner, people at our table had the scallops, a burger and a steak salad, along with two bottles of wine. The staff was great, the food was wonderful and cooked to order. I much prefer this place over other places around Totten Pond. read more