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

Went here for brunch on a Saturday when there happened to be a festival going on in the street out front. Our server Brennan was great even though they were packed and attending to diners at the festival as well. We were a party of 8, so that in itself can be a challenge. We also have 2 of our party that have a gluten intolerance diet restriction. They have many items on their menu that can be prepared gluten free. The menu has a lot of options so everyone found something they fancyed. I got the fried oyster burger. This by far was one of the best burgers I have ever had. The urger was cooked to perfection. It came with fried oysters and fried shallots on it. I also had a house made fresh mamosa that paired very well with it. It came with parmesan cheese fries as a side Certainly not an inexpensive place for brunch. Because it is a bit pricey. They have a parking lot around the corner from the restaurant. It was a little tough to get to because of certain streets being closed for the festival. Definitely will put this on the list for a future visit. read more

My bf and I ate here 2 nights ago and we thought: - very dark light - LOUD! The music and people made it difficult to talk to someone across the table from you. We actually had to ask the waitress to turn down the music. It felt like they were trying to get everyone in a clubbing mood. - food was ok. I got the salmon plate and nothing was seasoned. I had to add the table salt and pepper to give it some taste. It wasn't a great experience so we will not be returning. But if you're a person who loves the chaotic, loud energy and doesn't care about flavor then this is the place for you. read more

We have been there for or five times. The food was decent however, the service was consistently very poor. The last time we were there, we walked out in disgust after sitting at the table for more than twenty minutes with no service. The place was empty. We will not return. read more

Second time coming here and the experience was so great. Their martinis are delicious, my group tried three: watermelon, espresso, and salted caramel. All three were amazing, though the watermelon stole the show, being made from fresh watermelon. Kristen the bartender was extremely friendly and attentive. She was always quick to offer a refill or some water. Though we didn't eat dinner, we did get two desserts to share. We tried the Oreo cheesecake and S'mores Sundae, both were amazing. The vibe was great and the overall experience was awesome. Highly recommend! read more

Bistro781 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

This place is a Bristol Place they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food,it was awesome. The services is great and the Aviance is great. Good place To eat or watch any sports game. read more

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One of our favorite date night spots locally. The vibe is very cozy and busy, but in a nice way. Can get a little loud. Extensive american menu, decent pricing, and friendly service. Love the spicy mule cocktail! read more

I visited for brunch on a Sunday morning. The food was good, the menu is broad so there is something for everyone, and I appreciated a scratch kitchen so dishes could be modified. However, the service was somewhat slow (I could tell they were short staffed) and the restaurant became very loud as it filled up with brunch patrons. It became very difficult to hear conversation even across a small high top table. I would not bring older people here unless I was sure it would be a slow night. Recommended with reservations, unless you are hard of hearing, in which case look elsewhere. read more

So we went today for lunch / Brunch and they were severely understaffed in the kitchen resulting in an overall fail for the day however only because it took soo long to get the food. Hey it happens and over all the food was good! The Bloody Mary's are pretty excellent! The server was very nice and extremely apologetic- We had most of our family with us and had a good time anyway. I would still recommend the place but they need to solve the kitchen help dilemma. read more

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Good and Atmosphere are Amazing Friday nights Great Acoustic Guitar Service is great! read more

Great drinks great time great staff. They know how to take care of people, food comes Out quick and everyone is very nice read more

Thank you, Yelp, for bringing me to Bistro781! I was looking for a spot to grab dinner on a Tuesday night with my friend who was visiting for work. Yelp had only good things to say, and boy were they right. They have a HUGE menu of both food and drinks with seasonal specials included. TONS of vegetarian and gluten free options, including meals that fulfill your deepest guilty deep fried dreams and healthier options that you'll go home feeling good about eating. We shared the teriyaki cauliflower appetizer (get it - trust me), and I had the buddha bowl with tofu. Everything was delicious, and tasted very fresh. The prices were reasonable, and our server was a good time. I am looking forward to coming back soon! read more

Bistro781 - Buddha bowl with tofu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Ordered a burger but instead got an oyster burger! WOW it was good then they got me a regular burger at no charge. Food was great!

MEH. Wanted to love this place based on the reviews but our experience fell seriously short. They seemed to be incredibly short staffed, which is understandable with the current state of everything today. Working in the industry, it seems like common sense if you do not have enough servers to serve tables why the hell are hostess seating people back to back? Its uncomfortable to watch as waitresses scramble around like chickens with their heads cut off. We dined on a Saturday afternoon after the brunch rush. The place was packed when we arrived and we had our four month old son with us in a stroller. We sat in a high top near the bar and waited about 10 minutes to be greeted when we watched the hostesses continuing to keep seating people walking in, four tables were seated and we hadn't been greeted yet. Our waitress was friendly but extremely overwhelmed and a bit frantic. We also overheard the manager saying that someone threw up at one of the tables outside and she needed to get a water bucket to wipe it down stat. Yum, good frantic vibes. The food was decent. I got the veggie burger which was served on an odd plate for a entrée meal. It was a balancing act to eat over the small rectangular plate. My hubby got the steak tacos and it's not listed anywhere that these are literally bite sized with no side. We were both shocked when they came out...he said the flavor was really good but for the price and presentation we were a little taken back. Nothing blew us away here, it is a bistro so maybe we were just expecting too much - seems like a great place for after work drinks and apps but we aren't dying to come back based on our first experience. read more

The food was okay, but based on the most recent visit, I feel really bad about this place. I ordered salmon and I haven't even finished it, I felt very bad, my head got very heavy and my stomach pained a lot. I throwed out everything out 5 minutes later. And the food kept me diarrhea for 2 days. I will never go there anymore. read more

I'd love to try more from this restaurant, but was visiting from California and just stopped here for a drink and appetizers. THE TINY CLAMS. I will dream about this dish. The clams came in a cognac lobster sauce with grilled bread. I could eat this all the time, it was perfect. We also had the steak bomb spring rolls which where also delicious. Drinks were good as well, I had a blood orange margarita that was tasty, and my friend loves their martini that had a hint of Tabasco in it. read more

Bistro781 - Steak Bomb Spring Rolls and tiny clams - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Great food. Lots of choices. Awesome service. Fun ambiance. Good meeting place. Easy parking.

Worst mushroom risotto and cake I have had in my life. The risotto was not creamy and tasty like risotto should be. The rice was undercooked, hard, and overly salted - tasted as if the cook spilled the entire salt shaker in it. Then they doused it in broth to try and make up for undercooking the rice. I took one bite then just ate the mushrooms which were overly salted but at least not undercooked. Moreover, our waitress, Willa, asked me if I wanted the regular or vegetarian/vegan version. I asked for the regular version but noticed the bill said vegan. When I asked the waitress about this, she said she couldn't find a regular version so decided to give me the vegan conversion without asking me! Paid $18 for the worst mushroom risotto of my life that the waitress selected for me. Avocado cake tasted like playdough. They have a shaded back area with a view of the parking lot and obnoxious guests or a front area in the hot sun. read more

Bistro781 - Mushroom risotto - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

My wife and I made reservations as we were going to be in Waltham on a Saturday. We chose this in hopes that we would enjoy a night out after working all day. It exceeded expectations. Going out to dinner is expensive but I felt good about what we received for what we spent. Our hostess was welcoming and kind. Our wait staff was professional, clearly seasoned, and pleasant. My wife had the Seafood Paella and I had the Pasta Bolognaise. We split the wedge salad. The food is from scratch and delicious. She had Malbec that our waiter recommended... very smooth! Dessert... she had the salted caramel espresso martini. Yup, want more. I ordered the made to order chocolate chip cookies.... To die for Added to our list of restaurants we will be returning to. read more

Every time we go to bistro it's a delight! Great menu and flavors! Celiac friendly! Nice staff! Nice environment! Our favorite place to go! read more

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This was a bummer: The good: we got our drinks for free as well as our crabcakes appetizer The bad: we waited almost an hour for our burgers and gave up. My boyfriend talked to the waitress who brought over the manager. The waitress explained that because we got an appetizer the table behind us who arrived after us got their entrees first. I really wish someone had warned us that getting appetizers meant we would not get our meals. My boyfriend told the manager that we would pay for what we had already consumed and leave. The drinks were served in plastic cups, the table was tethering and tottering... it was really no fun. The manager comped our meal and gave us a $25 gc. I mean we won't use it because we like food and this place doesn't really offer food so.... Yeeeeeeaaaah read more

Bistro781 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I have come here for both brunch and dinner a few weekends ago. The food was okay, nothing really stood out. For brunch, I got the Chicken and Waffles. This didn't come out the way I was expecting. I was picturing a big bone-in fried chicken on top of a crispy waffle but instead I got sliced waffle triangles with small boneless pieces of chicken scattered on the waffles. The fried chicken was okay; I have definitely had better fried chicken. The waffles were soggy and soft. The waffles were like pancakes that looked like waffles because they tasted just like pancakes. We also tried the Bistro Cheese Burger. This was average. The patty could have used more salt or seasoning and the truffle fries it came with weren't consistent. Some fries were crispy and others were limp and soft. For dinner, I got the Pasta Bolognese because I was craving some meaty red pasta. The fettuccine noodles were good, but the sauce itself wasn't meaty and saucy. There were lots of carrots in the sauce which I wasn't expecting... also seemed like more carrots than meat. Weird. The portion was quite small for the price. More expensive than a seafood from Giacamos (one of my favorite places for pasta in Boston). We also got the Braised Short Ribs with potato ricotta gnocchi. This dish was much better. The short ribs were really flavorful and just fell apart in your mouth. Really well made. The gnocchi in the truffle cream sauce paired well with the brussel sprouts. read more

Bistro781 - French Braised Short Ribs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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This place is set up for socially distanced outdoor seating! The servers sanitized all the tables and seating and the menus are easily accessible with a QR code on your phone. The food and drinks were incredible. Especially the Short Rib Mac N Cheese appetizer. Everything in the kitchen is made from scratch including the pasta! The fried oysters were seasoned to perfection. We will definitely be back to try other things on the menu. read more

Bistro781 - Mac N' Cheese w/ Short Rib Appetizer - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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I've been here a few times. The first time I had their calamari, which is really good. The second time I sat at the bar and had some drinks and food including one of the flatbreads. The most recent time I dined here was during the phase 2 reopening of restaurants for outdoor seating. The watermelon martini was recommended to us by our server and did not disappoint. With Moody Street shut down so that businesses can operate outside, it's a great spot for people watching. Service was very good despite the fact that they were busy due to the new change in operations. I would go back in a heartbeat for their fish tacos and espresso martinis. read more

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

My friend and I had a scrumptious lunch today, the coriander crusted tuna. It was perfectly cooked and served over a silky and perfectly seasoned puree. There was a lovely fig touch that added a sweet surprise and stir fried vegetables were a great finish to the dish. The wait staff was friendly, efficient and professional and made the experience even more enjoyable. read more

3.9/5 Good food for price , 2 different areas where there were different styles, our server was amazing , good guy, oyster burger , was good, didn't even know there was oysters in there's , many flavor which easily overpowered the oyster which sets it different from other burger If you want casual go here , kinda mixed energy jn the area between sports bar and restaurant, maybe its like that idk read more

Once again, my fave in Waltham did not disappoint. Had Dinner on Saturday with my wife and two friends. Made early reservations but the place was packed with Head of the Charles people. I held low hopes as with that amount of people, things usually get screwed up. They did not! Everything came out on point PERFECT! My wife loves tapas style dining, so we shared Tuna Tacos, Short Rib Tacos, Crab Cakes, and Tuna Poke. Everything was amazing. There was a great vibe in the room, and we had an awesome table up front. Our waitress was fantastic, the drinks were great, and we had a great time. Thank you once again for a fantastic evening!!! May be back tonight :) read more

Drinks are good and the ambience is a bit loud so consider another place if you want to have a serious conversation, is a fun place to grab beers/drinks with friends, watch a game, or just chill and eat delicious meals, I loved their vegan options. read more

Great menu, food was delish and waitress was fun! Can't wait to go back to choose another entree. Everything on the menu looked great. Very generous vegan menu, so much to choose from. read more

The food is always great. The steak tacos and the skillet paella are amazing! The service is friendly and prompt, and the atmosphere is chill. read more

Came in on a whim. Sat at the bar. Staff was not very friendly and the simple vodka and cranberry was terrible. We were in and out in 15 minutes so can't rate the food etc. read more

Nice experience at the bistro last evening. The restaurant has good ambience and chill vibes. We were quickly seated at a table near the windows and received excellent service throughout the meal. Water was refilled quickly and our waitress frequently checked in. I enjoyed a poached pear salad with cranberries and Gorgonzola as well as some fried oysters. Bf opted for the steak frites. Nice selection of various craft beers including some local brews. I enjoyed the blizzard of '78 ale which was a delicious brew with flavors of vanilla and coffee. Bathrooms were very clean although it didn't seem like the hot water tap in the ladies was actually hot, so I had to wash my hands with cold water. They had a sign about a $1 oyster promotion which we inquired about but our waitress told us was no longer really a thing. If that's the case, they should cover the sign. Overall though really nice experience here and some of the best table service I've had recently! read more

Bistro781 - Fried oysters app - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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We have not had a bad meal at Bistro781. It is a fantastic place for Sunday brunch or dinner any night. Great and friendly servers and a welcoming boisterous environment. Love it!! read more

The food was delicious with ample portions and good prices. I went for the Bloody Mary menu and it did not disappoint! The best part if this experience was definitely the wait staff. Our server , Raven, was so pleasant, friendly and efficient . she was the perfect balance of attentive and leaving us to enjoy our meals. The server for the table next to us , Debbie , was very funny and efficient. The rest of the wait staff were pleasant and efficient. The food was brought out immediately and the empty plates removed quickly . The atmosphere was upbeat and the restaurant was clean and comfortable. This place is a gold star. Cant wait to go again ! read more

Have a great variety on their menu and a lot of vegan/vegetarian options. Cocktails are good as well. Nice atmosphere and good place to go out for dinner or drinks. They also have really good brunch on the weekends as well. read more

Our food and drinks were great. We were there for a birthday celebration. There was a bit of a snafu with the reservation but I have wonderful praise for both Sabrina and Roselyn who made our reservation and table request work out perfectly. We all had a great time and will surely be back as we have meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegan folks in our family and Bistro 781 can accommodate all of our dietary needs/wants. read more

A friend and I meet up for dinner on July 12th on a Wednesday night. We had Jarrett as our server. He was friendly and attentive. He recommended some dishes from menu, took his time, and didn't rush us at all. He always stopped by our table and checked on us, to see if we needed more drinks, or to order apps or dinner. We enjoyed several rum punch and cosmo drinks. Both were very tasty. We ordered steak bomb egg rolls ( delish) for our appetizer. I ended up ordering the pork belly tacos with a side of dirty rice and beans ( rice was very dry) tacos were tasty and had some spice. My friend ordered steak frites, she enjoyed as the serving was huge . During dinner, the Manager stopped at our table to introduce herself, and asked about our meals. Place was busy for a Wednesday night, but in the good sense. I was happy we chose Bistro781, felt welcomed and we appreciated the attentiveness of the staff. The decor was splendid. I loved seeing all the famous landmarks of Waltham past and present on the walls. I was born and raised in Waltham. I'll return to this Resturant again in the future. read more

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First time here from outta town and was presently surprised with this restaurant with a very creative menu outside of Boston. The nachos were one of the best I've had so must order! I was out of town with my family otherwise you would find me as a regular here at their spacious bar. read more

Bistro781 - Nachos, must have! It's a party for your taste buds with a hint of sweet, savory and spicy! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Came here for a team outing for the holiday season. The place got busy fairly quick. Nice restaurant that seemed more of a sport bar feel to it for after work drinks. My thoughts to this place was neutral. We had the tuna tacos appetizers and that was pretty tasty. The meal I had was pan seared scallops meal with Brussel sprouts and thought it was okay--nothing to really hype. The dish also came with rice that had a very moist texture. I didn't really enjoy the seasoning of the Brussel sprouts...had a horseradish taste that I wasn't feeling. Our party ordered the turtle cheesecake and the peppermint cheesecake after. The peppermint cheesecake was pretty good. The peppermint had a very refreshing taste and wasn't overpowering. Turtle cheesecake wasn't bad. Overall the service was great, servers were friendly. You can park in the city parking lots around and pay the meter or bring your parallel parking chopzzz with you or bring someone who can parallel park and buy them an adult beverage. Cheerzzzz and happy holidays. read more

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This was my second time enjoying food at Bistro781 and it did NOT disappoint. First time ever going here, about four years ago when I'd just moved to Waltham, I went with a couple of my friends later at night and sat at the bar for a couple drinks. The vibe felt weird and we didn't eat any food, so it is quite unfortunate that I didn't return until last year because it is AWESOME. Last time I got the tuna tacos which were delicious. This time I went with the "fall on a bun" burger and a half caesar salad. The burger was AMAZING... mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheese... omg. Probably the best vegetarian burger I have ever had anywhere. And they had really good, nicely salted fries on the side. I've heard positive reviews for a variety of the other tacos and burgers based on people I've eaten here with. I will definitely be going back. read more

Bistro781 - Fall on a bun burger and Fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts