Went here for breakfast with my father the other day before work. The food and service was great so we thought we would go back this morning, again before work. I arrived just before my father so I went in to get a table and place our order to save some time. The woman behind the counter asked if the other person was here yet and I replied, "no he is less than 5 minutes away". She said we can't seat you until everyone is here.... so I looked around the restaurant and saw the entire left half of the restaurant with no one seated so I said, "you really won't seat me? There are all those tables over there and I want to order you won't seat me?" She replied, "no, it's a rule of ours." Never again will I or anyone I'm associated with return this establishment. Half the restaurant is open and you won't seat someone!? Not like I was asking for a table for 10 and I was the only one there.... I was asking for a table for 2 in a half empty restaurant. The owners should be ashamed of themselves for this stupid outdated rule. You're not a fine dining establishment. I was ready to order immediately and continue being a regular patron. I'll take my business elsewhere since Christopher's doesn't think my money is a as green as the next guy. read more

Great hidden gem. Very busy on the weekends so need to find off hours or be open to a wait. Very friendly staff (could be a little more attentive, but overall no issues) great menu selection and food quality. Definitely recommend. read more

We were seeking a place for breakfast on New Year's Day and were pleased that Christopher's was open and hopping. Fully staffed, and the waitress we had was bubbly and very pleasant to work with. The food came out quickly and was very tasty. I'm definitely looking forward to returning in the near future. read more

Yelp has never let me down - that is until I got the application on my smartphone and now refuse to eat anywhere unless I Yelp them first. I think my husband is about ready to jam my phone with above-said Yelp app. down my throat. But I digress . . . Having the Yelp app. means that I Yelp everywhere, even in suburbs of Boston where restaurants, I have come to realise, seem to be held to less of a standard than places in the city. My general rule is no eating at locations with less than 3 stars so I was tickled to find a breakfast place with three-plus stars in Reading. We arrived immediately upon opening. The inside was clean and the server was very friendly - hence the 2 stars. I think they must have been having a "Bald Father's w/ Hoodies take your Daughters to Breakfast Convention that day." I swear, every other table had a bald guy with a hooded sweatshirt and a little girl. This is neither good nor bad but slightly odd in a Twilight Zone episode kind-of-way. I know, I know . . . I'm digressing again . . . I was delighted to see that they had Potato Pancakes on the menu - one of my all-time favorites! My husband ordered his usual, Eggs Benedict and we both ordered coffee. God was the coffee awful. I mean really awful. The kind of awful that you think one couldn't really achieve unless they were trying for awful!! After one sip I should have known things couldn't turn out well. Starting out breakfast with a bad cup of coffee spells doom for the meal the way an awful kiss might doom a one-night-stand. No, I am not speaking from experience, I'm just saying . . . Then the meal comes. Now I don't really know where to start. Hell, let's just go for the obvious first. Eggs Benedict is not a dish to be entered into lightly. If an establishment hopes to succeed with this dish they must have 1) someone who knows how to poach an egg and 2) SOMEONE IN THE KITCHEN NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES HOLLANDAISE SAUCE!!!! Here are a few tips to help people identify a real hollandaise sauce versus the shameless imposters. 1) Hollandaise sauce was originally created by French chefs - therefore it should never be created from a packet, a jar, a bottle, etc. 2) Hollandaise sauces is an emulsion, which means that the egg yolk and butter should be combined seamlessly. Chunky, seperated slop is not allowed. 3) Hollandaise sauce is made from butter and egg yolks and should be thick and creamy. It should never be, as was the case in this establishment, translucent. Egg yolks and butter clog your ateries because they are dense and thick and rich not watery and translucent! The Eggs Benedict was a sad, sad state of affairs. But wait, let us not forget my potato pancakes. When the waitress placed the dish on the table I could hear generations of long-passed Jewish grandmothers sobbing. These were not potato pancakes, they were frozen, bite-sized, breaded potato-esque squares, deep fried a la McDonalds Hash Browns, which are actually better because at least they have little flakes in them that bring to mind real potatoes. And to add insult to injury, they served my side of sour cream in a little plastic to-go container with a lid on it. Maybe I'm neurotic, but I happen to think that to-go containers should be restricted to orders that are to-go. I'm a purist that way. So to summarize, was Christopher's worthy of their 3+ star rating on Yelp?? Not unless you came just to chat with a personable waitress or if you're a bald-guy with a hoodie and little girl. read more

I came here for lunch. Since it was wet and rainy outside, I opted to have a bowl of soup, trying their lentil kielbasa soup. It was alright. It warmed me up. I wished it was more hearty. On the other hand, customer service was great. Our waitress was very friendly and had big smiles while serving my group. Price: About $5 for one bowl of soup. read more

Food options are great - food itself is mediocre (except for maybe the waffles). Customer service is crap - not from the waitresses, but from the women at the front who take your name. It wouldn't kill you to crack a smile -- she is miserable! When we asked if we could sit at the bar (assuming many people were waiting for tables and not interested in the bar) she said "you know there are a million people in front of you and everyone is starving." Well Sherlock, no sh1t -- I didn't want to cut everyone I just was inquiring. Anyway- make your way across the street to Aroma Cafe instead -- no wait, good food (smaller menu) and great customer service!! read more

Ok... maybe we're breakfast snobs. Maybe we're jaded because breakfast is the one course that I actually enjoy cooking and will spend a half hour making sure the pancake batter is the right consistency and sprung for the expensive industrial grade belgian waffle maker. But we really just weren't impressed. I got the sampler... eggs, meats, potato pancakes (more on this later), and french toast. My wife got the cheese lovers omelet. Eggs and meat were standard. The "potato pancakes" were effectively oversized tater tots with some onions in them. Good, but not really potato pancakes... The french toast was really disappointing. They devote a whole half a page of their menu to different types of french toasts, so I expected something special. They really just weren't. Basic white bread dipped in egg batter and fried. A little limp at that. So, really, just not impressed. The cheese lover's omelet was not a nice combination of different types of cheeses. It was just a huge mass of cheddar/american melted on top of some eggs. The home fries were good. But not enough to bring us back. So... maybe we missed something, or maybe we're just breakfast snobs. But in my opinion, as a breakfast restaurant, you either fall into the shi shi organic/frittata/torte/etc camp or the greasy spoon cheap as all hell but nice big portions camp. Chistopher's missed the mark on both sides... but it was packed, so I don't think this review will do them much harm. read more

Great All-American style breakfasts with a few out of the ordinary choices on the menu. Potato Skin benedict looks as delicious as it does heart clogging. I didn't try it but may if we come this way again (it's just what you might imagine... traditional eggs benny served in hollowed out deep fried potato skin. The dining partner in crime had an omelet. Very satisfying. Freshly baked muffins and homemade breads make this a great neighborhood stop. Also, you can't beat the friendly service here. Very homey. read more

I'm only going to review the seating and wait of this place because I can't get past this just yet. Since there are no other breakfast places around, this place has no idea how lucky they are. You go in and see 3-4 women looking at the seating chart and the list of waiting patrons and they look like they are trying to read Chinese algebra. They are NEVER in a hurry to seat anyone even when there are 30+ people waiting inside and outside. A table opens up and it takes 5 minutes to have it cleared, another 5 to set it up and another 10 minutes to look at the list as see who should go there. What they need is a Mexican bus boy who can clear and set up a table in 90 seconds. Secondly, the need someone who can make sense of the seating list and put asses in the seats. Somedays I'd like to open a diner in Reading just to see this place close. Food: 1 step up from iHop and Bickfords. Nothing great. read more

A nice breakfast upgrade from Bickford's. Their breakfast menu is inventive and delicious. I had the blueberry pancakes (stuffed with a TON of blueberries), and my SO had the Eggs Benedict in potato skins. It wasn't really his "thing" but he did enjoy it and we'll be looking to try out some other items on the menu next time. The place isn't very large and the servers work a tad slow but overall it was a good experience compared to Bickfords so we'll definitely be back! read more

I was just telling a friend about this restaurant tonight and had to take a look to see what Yelper's thought of it. I'm surprised you haven't found it yet! Anyhow, great breakfast in this small, slightly hidden spot off the beaten path in Reading. There's usually a short line on weekends (open until 2pm), but the price and food make it worth the short trip. Good with kids. They lose a star for having sub-par (but basic breakfast) coffee. read more

Went to Christopher's for the first time on Saturday, we had to sit at the counter cause the place was packed but the food was delicious and a great deal! Oh and their coffee was delicious too, I'm a recent coffee convert and am hesitant about trying coffee when we're out somewhere but I downed a cup of their hazelnut and had to order another before our food even came out. The only thing that bugged me was some of the servers were hanging out on the other side of the counter, like just standing there.. while we were on our side eating, made things kind of awkward.. read more

Best breakfast place in the area, for a sit-down meal. I typically get one of the standard egg-type dishes with bacon, home fries, etc, and it's consistently good. It can get super crowded, so you need to realize that going in, so be prepared to wait during peak breakfast hours. read more

Good little breakfast. Coffee is mediocre. Just your standard diner fare. read more

See all

I moved to reading almost a year ago and read a lot of good reviews on this restaurant so I wanted to contribute with my take on it. IF you're a high school student, or someone who doesnt go out often, then this restaurant offers a very good value for decent food. If however you are someone who has traveled and tasted all sorts of restaurants then this will feel very average. Sausages are nothing unique, pancakes are from a normal store bought batter (and you can taste that in their waffles), bread is not home baked, etc. You essentially get items that can be purchased at a local supermarket and nothing that comes from farms, fisheries, bakeries or butchers. With that said, I have to say that the food is good, but average. Service is good and the quantities are very good. I've eaten there twice and simply wasn't wowed yet. For a five star breakfast place I would expect none of the items to taste like they were bought at Costcos or Sams. You will still get a decent portion for the buck, but in terms of taste you won't be blown away. read more

BEST Breakfast in Reading! Eating at a lot of restaurants I am quick to assess the important things like "cleanliness", "atmosphere", "friendly service" and of course "Quality of Food"! Just walking in it was instantly noticeable that this is a restaurant that takes it's business seriously! Everything was cooked perfectly and was Delicious! We will be back! read more

First off... I'll bet most people in Reading, MA don't even know this place is here. There is nothing fancy about the front of this restaurant. It has a sign out front that says "Blah, we're just another shop in this boring plaza." In fact, from the front, it looks more like an Office than a restaurant. The plaza has some parking in the front, just make sure you're following the One Way signs properly. What first appears to be a dinky little place, turns out to be ok after all. You'll be greeted by some young, pretty faces that appear too young to have been tainted by life's woes just yet...standing behind a Bakery Display...that looks like it has some great items in it. The dining room is visible at this point...and I'd say the place seats about, oh, 30 people or so...unless I missed a secret door to a larger room somewhere. All of the staff seem to be very friendly...and bustle about attending to their tables. Two buddies of mine and I were escorted to our seat and our waitress came right over. We started with a usual coffee...and began to review the menu. Nice. A decent and simple looking menu...with some usual Specialty Inserts...offering Breakfast and Lunch fare. Banana Foster pancakes? Shut yo mouth, that sounds good. Blueberry pancakes...Mmmm, love those and I read that these pancakes are jammed with blueberries...both bananas and blueberries are clearly in the fruit group, so it's healthy, amirite?! The only problem with eating pancakes is you're pretty much eating dessert for breakfast. Not saying THAT is a bad thing, but pancakes have a way of reminding you ALL day long that you ate them that morning. I almost opted for the Potato Pancakes, (which you don't see on many menus), as I am a huge fan of all sorts of potato products, but I like to judge a breakfast place with the very typical breakfast meal...some eggs over medium, a potato side, some breakfast meat side, toast, coffee and juice or milk. So, instead of the tempting potato pancakes, I went for the Hungry Man...or the Hungry Meal...or Christoper's Hungry Breakfast...or the "Wow, you're a Hungry Pig" Meal. I don't recall exactly now, but it has the word "hungry" in it. Ya know...much like most breakfast places...that one meal where you seem to get a little bit of everything. No pancakes or french toast tho...that's the "who-wants-to-live-forever" Special Meal each place also has. 3 Eggs over medium, home fries, wheat toast, 1% milk, coffee. with your choice of bacon, sausage or both..and the three of us split a corned beef hash, cuz we figured hey, why not throw in another 500 calories. One of my buds got the same thing I did...the other one got the Ham Steak breakfast. All in all...we were quite impressed. Eggs were all cooked perfectly...home fries, w/ the skins on, tasted like red bliss possibly...very tasty...the side of corned beef hash was a bit expensive, but you could clearly taste a higher quality hash here...and then the bacon, sausage and ham, all being very nice. And of course the coffee...an xlnt measure for a breakfast place...was pretty good too. As far as price, it's not exactly the cheapest breakfast you'll have consumed...but I think they might be serving higher quality food than what you might get elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, it's not expensive, per se...some things on the menu are cheaper than others...but anyway, if you're anything like me...I like a good hearty breakfast, w/ coffee and something cold to drink. So after tips and taxes, (yes taxes, the government spends our money to bail out Big Business faster than a redneck that just hit the lottery...but I digress...), over $10 bucks here is pretty likely. I wouldn't say this place was the knock-me-down-carry-me-out-best breakfast ever...but it sure beats what is in my Billerica Area for breakfast. I think we'll definitely be hitting this place up again. Now to fix that bland sign of theirs....... read more

My husband and I went here in October 2011 at lunchtime. There was a little wait because it was the weekend, but not bad. I had the chicken pot pie in the bread bowl. It was really good, especially the bread bowl with gravy soaked in. My husband had the sandwich with turkey, cranberry, and stuffing on it. He also thought it was good. The clam chowder was $3.99 for a small cup and was just so-so. Service was good. I think we will try again for breakfast sometime. read more

The pancakes were different and pretty good. There was a wait time but it seemed like the servers got through everyone quickly without making anyone feel rushed. Our server was polite and patient as we ordered. The restaurance interior looks a little outdated but was fine. read more

Christopher's Restaurant - Christopher's Sampler - two eggs, ham, two strips of bacon, two sausage, potato pancakes and toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

Delicious. Greasy spoon. Local favorite spot. I've been coming here for years and love everything about them. This morning we stopped by after a very special morning appointment and ate like pigs. Bacon, sausage, eggs, homefries, English muffin....hubby had tuna melt and French fries. If you're craving a great brunch spot, stop on by. My biggest and only complaint: on a Sunday morning, expect to be waiting for an hour minimum. This is a popular after church brunch location (ourselves included in this bunch) and they are so crowded you'll find yourself waiting. (Worth the wait however). So yummy!!! Go there now. read more

An okay breakfast place. Food was a little bland for my and my wife's taste. Home fries needed more flavor big time. Seasonal flavored coffee was a nice treat. Kids got their special, oreo pancakes! Those are good! but what isn't when smothered in oreos. Service was great, Sat down fast and food came in a good amount of time. read more

This bustling little restaurant is a gem, featuring prompt, friendly service.It can get busy at peak times on weekends - do yourself a favor CALL AHEAD to get your name on the list, it works like a charm! I've only had breakfast here, and I've never been disappointed. French Toast comes in many varieties, and even the simple Cinnamon Toast (without streusel) is yummy. Waffles are consistently excellent - not too heavy, but flavorful. Opt for the Pure Maple Syrup - it's only $1.60 more, and worth it. Fruit in season is a nice addition, too. The pancakes were not quite as good as Waffles or French Toast, but not bad. Good coffee, with refills available on ice coffee. Unlike Robert M., I've never had a bad experience with the service, and have eaten here on weekdays and weekends - and while any place can have an off-day, it is a little surprising to me to hear about 3x. Overall, I'd say to anyone in the area, it's worth trying this place out - chances are, you won't be disappointed, esp. if you call ahead! read more

The food is great! I love their breakfast menu, but my absolute favorite is their corn chowder in the bread bowl. Everything is homemade and fresh. A true family friendly place. read more

Excellent diner-style restaurant in Reading center. Solid breakfast and lunch options (they're open until 2 pm daily). In addition to the usual menu selections, Christopher's offers daily specials, which can be inventive and special--today's offerings included a reasonably priced lobster roll ($16.99) and the delicious-sounding Oreo pancakes. I opted for my go-to: corned beef hash and cheese omelette. It's perfectly prepared and always tasty! The staff is wonderful, always friendly and efficient. Christopher's is a great choice for a bite when you're in or around Reading. read more

First, we got burned on the call ahead thing and had to wait about 45 minutes on a Sunday morning. Many people who had called ahead were able to zing right past us. I don't know if I really like that idea -- never known a place that does it and it just doesn't seem fair but then again maybe I'd have a different opinion if I were on the other end of the scenario. Breakfast was just . . . meh. Not terrible, not good either. I think we're learning that Reading is just not a good place for good food (aside from a few standouts) because we have been repeatedly disappointed by the most crowded establishments. Nothing on the breakfast menu stood out to me -- regular diner fare. I ordered the egg beaters plate thinking I may as well go healthy since I wasn't too excited about anything. It came out okay although very, very boring (like everything else on the menu). Husband got the big works-type breakfast and complained about his steak being really flavorless and terrible and his over easy eggs over medium. He's a stickler on that last one. The blueberry muffin was good and our waitress was great! Oh, and the close parking could not be beat. read more

Have you ever been to church? Go here afterwards. Not only is it a great brunch spot, it also will provide you with just as much of a religious experience as church did, if not more so. read more

This place does good business, though it's just an average place. With all the business, why can't they turn up the heat? I see 10 customers wearing their coats. At least the staff are generally friendly. read more

Christopher's Restaurant - Salt grinder at my table - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

Great neighborhood breakfast spot. Quick service, friendly atmosphere. The pot roast hash was the bomb!

Would give this place a better review, but the hostess was incredibly rude. She made an obnoxious comment about my 1 year old's winter jacket. Honestly, I will never eat here again because of her. read more

My son and I came to MA to see U2. We found this place through google and were not disappointed! I had eggs Benedict on corned beef hash and was blown away! Try the potato pancakes too! My son had waffles which were perfectly done. They also have real maple syrup which is the only way to have them in my opinion! We didn't have any wait for our table even though it was busy. It was so good we went back a second time before heading home to Vermont. read more

Went here the other morning to get a bowl of oatmeal to go. Oatmeal was only filled a little more than halfway in the to go "bowl" (see pic). It was more like a cup than a bowl. Is there an oats shortage??? Oatmeal was good but won't be going back. read more

Christopher's Restaurant - A "bowl" of oatmeal. Looks more like a cup and is only filled a little more than halfway. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

Definitely my favorite breakfast and lunch joint. The waitstaff is great and so are the owners of the business. Definitely give the chili a try. One of my favorite things to order when I stop in for lunch. read more

Love the breakfast here. Normally get a Benedict breakfast with an iced cappuccino. Soooo good!

Went for breakfast, had a veggie omelette. It was excellent. Service was excellent. Highly recommend restaurant. Definitely would return. Our waitress was very kind and gets it when it comes to customer satisfaction read more

TL,DR: OK food, nice waitstaff, but grumpy hostesses ruin first impression Been there many times and it's usually OK. But I have to agree with other reviewers about their slow seating process and rude hostesses. Wait staff are usually lovely! Food is usually OK, too. But the grumpy, glum faces you see from the (usually) two hostesses are just not worth it. On weekends the wait can be incredibly long and they seem to have no ability to manage a list of waiting patrons. They agonize over every table like it's tax code. It's a diner! Turn those tables fast! Instead it takes them 5-10 minutes from the time people leave until they clear and re-seat the table. Also: beware the infamous, "NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGE ALLOWED" sign. They mean it. Their coffee is awful (just look at every other review here) so I brought an iced coffee in - note I do this regularly when I visit but I still buy their coffee because I feel guilty. First, no one greeted me at the front: they just stared down at their endless seating list and complained about the customers when there was only one other person waiting. Then I asked to be seated. I was gruffly told, 'sure but we'll have to take that (pointing at my coffee). We'll keep it up here until you leave.' Seriously? Like my 2$ coffee is going to negate the likely 15$ I'll spend on your breakfast food? And you can't be nice about it and say, "I'm sorry, but would you mind leaving that with us or drinking it before you sit? We have a strict no outside food and beverage policy." I completely understand the policy. I used to be a chef owner of my own place. But enforce it with some tact and intelligence. Obviously I'm going to buy food, I'm not a mom coming in with 3 infants with a diaper bag full of my own food and expecting you to serve and clean up after me. As I said, "no thanks, I'll take my business elsewhere" I was greeted with Mrs. Happy's raised voice to my back reiterating, "NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGE ALLOWED!!!" Yeah, and guess what? No more of my money to your establishment allowed, either. read more

I love it here but the other day I went in with my son before we had work and they asked us to wait so we waited for 30 minutes then they finally sat us and our waitress had a party of 12 and some other parties as well so we waited for her to come over but finally we told her that we had our drink order and she rudely told us that we had to wait that she had to get other peoples orders before ours then walked away but the other people were not even ready to order!! So my son and I left and never got anything. This is very unusual they are usually very nice here. I will go back soon and I hope they are a lot happier!! read more

This is just your average breakfast place. The bananas on the banana pancakes were 3 small slices. Had to ask for a coffee refill twice and never seen our server till we paid for our bill. We had a party of three and my meal was the exact same as my wife and they charged me $1.00 more. Questioned it and they said it was the computer and did nothing about it. When I said that is wrong and that I don't care about the $1.00 it is the principle!! After I left they came out and gave me a $1.00. Check your bills before you leave! Too many nice breakfast places around they don't add money to you bill. read more

I recently moved to Southern California a year ago, and have yet to find a decent breakfast joint even in the same ballpark/realm as this place. Christophers is excellent...sometimes you have to wait for a table, but the place is small. All I will say is it is well worth the wait. The service is excellent and the food is even better. Their omelettes are awesome. I will hopefully get to go back there someday when visiting. read more

The people working there are rude and act like they don't want to be there. Sat me and my husband a small table that you could barely put a cup of coffee on not only that we were stuck next to a women coughing and spitting in her napkin we never even ordered we just got up and left I am glad we did will never go there again very SNOBBY people. Good luck going there! read more

This place would screw up a free lunch. Service is OK. But food is awful. They can't even scramble an egg correctly. I mean come on. A scrambled egg is not some three hour slop poured from a plastic pitcher onto the grill, cooked all the way through, flipped once and then thrown on the plate like a half assed omlette. bacon was over cooked. Even the juice tasted like crap. And the prices are way too high. , read more