The food is good. We had the several appetizers: chickpea fries, charred broccoli, pepadews as well as a flatbread and the falafel plate. The apps were very good and tasty, but way overpriced for the quantity of food we received. Same was true for the falafel plate and flatbread. Service was quick and friendly. In my opinion, much of what we ordered was priced from 30- 50% more than it should have been. read more

As always, Brian is an amazing server. The food is always fresh and great. My family like to come here on weekends for a couple drinks and some great food with a friendly atmosphere. We are regulars here since the Newton Cook closed (we were regulars there first). read more

I love this place!!!! I've tried almost everything and can't say one bad thing. The food is outstanding and the staff so attentive even on a busy Saturday night! Specials menu never disappoints. The open kitchen and pizza oven make for a cozy ambience read more

Sat at the bar recently for a couple drinks and a few apps. Friendly bartender. Made a nice drink. Falafel plate and Greek salad were tasty, just not a lot of food and, to us at least, a bit over-priced for what they are. Cook's chickpea fries were delicious. Thick, moist planks of lightly fried chickpea batter with a creamy tzatziki for dipping. Get it. Would rate 3.5 stars if I could. read more

Absolute ROCKSTARS! I was in a pinch on a Wednesday to host an event for a Sunday and not only were these folks able to accommodate, they did so flawlessly. We served a variety of flatbreads, salads and the sliders and everything was a huge hit with the guests. The layout of the restaurant ended itself very well to our informal reception. The food received rave reviews and the staff was exceptionally helpful and accommodating. I'd host another event here anytime! read more

Ordered takeout on a Saturday night. My parents made some very specific requests and they nailed it. On time and we'll packaged. Nice job!

We have been there twice now. The hostess is curt and not welcoming at all..we had no reservation - were told quickly that the it would be a 45 minute wait...no apology...no "you can wait in our bar area, have a drink, and I will try to get you a table sooner"...or something like that..just black and white...the male manager {?} got us a table in 5 minutes...so she needs to be a lot warmer and welcoming, for Gosh sakes! The menu is quite limited versus NYAJ that was there previously...mostly craft beers on tab...cater to the Millennials, which is OK...I have had the pasta twice...good but not great...My wife had a flat bread - she said it was delicious...place is loud...all in all - OK...will give it one more try...we miss NYAJ! read more

Great food and drink. Falafel plate was well portioned and tasty! Excellent neighborhood bar/dinner spot. Staff was pleasant and welcoming. Will definitely be back again soon! read more

I really like this place. I have been here several times and the service at the bar is awesome, Hannah always remembers me, and is super friendly and great at her job. read more

Nice food. Went with office colleagues for lunch, place is lively. Simple menu and good tasty food. This was my first time and enjoyed it. read more

Cook - Southwestern bowl with some falafel - New American Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

See all

Short version: great food, horrible service. We went at 6:30 on a Saturday night with another couple. Both hostess and server seemed totally stressed out and not happy to be there. We weren't welcomed, never saw a smile. Waited a long time for drinks and when they finally came we only got three out of the four ordered. My little bottle of Prosecco - which I was more than ready for by then - was placed in front of me, but no glass. We waited another 10 minutes and had to go find the server to ask about the missing drink and my glass. Food finally came 45 minutes later. Never got our appetizer. Perhaps server was having a bad day but a smile or an apology or a complimentary something would have gone a long way. Is was not an enjoyable experience. read more

Great neighborhood restaurant in Needham center. Must try the pizza and the roasted vegetable platter.

We love this place. Everyone was so friendly and helpful for my dad who is in a wheelchair. We come regularly. We love the salads and flatbreads. Highly recommended for a nice lunch. read more

We were in town for a college class reunion and decided to the Cook for dinner on the day we arrived. I ordered the Miso Salmon but had then change it to Cajun blackened with steamed broccoli since I can't have the miso or sticky rice due to diet restriction. The fish was cooked perfectly and the chef was very accommodating. We ordered the wood fired veggies as an appetizer and it was excellent. My wife ordered a meatball flatbread which was like a crispy thin crust pizza which was also very tasty. A very pleasant experience. read more

Food is decent but over priced and the service is mediocre even at 2:00 on a Wednesday when it's not busy.

Best restaurant in Needham hands down. Their homemade soda selection is really top-notch (try the Concord grape one), and when I went, I had this dish called "The KFC," which was a really good dish with fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I've never been to their location in Newton, but I'm very glad they just opened in Needham Center! read more

Had a really solid meal here on a Wednesday night. Interesting beer list and the salmon was great. Key lime tart was really tasty as well.

Great experience overall, but the small dining room was pretty loud, challenging conversations.

I ordered fried chicken, biscuits etc , it was great. Ordered the same food again and it was terrible. I have to say Boston and suburbs are such a big disappointment as far as food is concerned . I am dying to go to a good Chinese and Thai restaurant but cannot find one. There was a nice staging place in Charles street and one in Moody street , and they are both gone. read more

Came in today for lunch and had a very pleasant experience. Great service, great food. The cocktail list looked great, so I'll be back for dinner for sure! Everyone was super friendly, and the manager, I think her name was Taylor, was so nice and very very helpful. Oh, and the mushroom flatbread was BOMB-tastic. The whole menu looked great though, will be back for sure! read more

Excellent local food. Friendly service. Always accommodating of requests to modify menu items.

So happy to see Cook take over the Average Joes location. So far have been here 4 times and love the fact that we once again have a great local spot for casual food and drinks. The staff has been wonderful. The pasta dishes, soups, falafel plate, roasted chicken, all have been very good. One Saturday night we were stuck at a restaurant nearby with a long wait for a table and after listening to the grumpy staff,etc called Cook to see if they could accomodate us - and yes the host had 3 seats at the pizza bar for us on a busy night. Again, the bartenders, hosts, servers , cooks ( at the pizza bar) have all been friendly and accomodating - the food freshly prepared-goes a long way! read more

Excellent variety of options for food, had a shrimp taco (unbelievable) followed by a mushroom flatbread. Flatbread was incredible as well and was perfect for one person. I wanted to try everything on the menu, guess that means I will be back. Tried a cocktail from their creative craft drink list then switched to beer, lots of local beers on draft which is always nice to see (support local!) didn't have room for dessert but the menu looked great. Service was friendly and attentive. Was a bit loud but I guess what can you expect from a full restaurant. Will certainly be back and recommend to friends. read more

My favorite local restaurant! Thrilled to have Cook in Needham. The food is delicious! Whether you're in the mood for a healthy, tasty salad or a big juicy burger with truffle fries.. there is something for everyone. Great kids menu also. I've been many times and the food has consistently been very good. Great lively atmosphere and very friendly and attentive staff! Need to see for yourself! read more

OK. The food was great. The drinks were great. the service was great.....so why the three stars.....the hostess....awful... She is your first contact with the restaurant and she clearly has no idea and was rude. We arrived early and let her know. ok she said, thanks, I will let you know when your table is ready. Great....no problem...I went back to her at 7:15...Hey, I just want to check in....Is your party all here?..yes,I said, we have been here for 30 minutes...isn't your reservation for 7, she said...yes, I said. Well there you go then, she said.....but it is 7:15 I tell her....she turned her back and walked away. 5 minutes later she says our table is ready.....its the same damn table that has been open for the last 30 minutes. wtf. And why did you have to be rude. Your job is to be kind, work things out, and help...if you cannot handle that then please let someone who can do your job. I am sure there are plenty of people who can handle that. read more

Good busy vibe. Needham has fantastic restaurants but there's room for a relaxed hip place with a twist on comfort food favorites as well as healthy choices, and a new bar. The meatball appetizer was delicious. NFC was overcooked, tough, short on meat and flavor, and the gravy was thin and nearly flavorless. Biscuits and gravy with fried chicken may not be on one's everyday menu but if you are going to change up a comfort classic this is not how to do it. Truffle fries had a faint aroma of truffle and that's where it stopped. Most of the fries approximated the length of a cigarette butt. I have to assume these were not prepared according to recipe. Our server was attentive. Fast forward to this evening. I called for a take-out order and heard the loud background noise of a busy restaurant. As I started giving my order the man on the phone stopped me with a ticked-off "I can't hear a WORD you're saying." He again interrupted to put me on hold and I ended the call. Whatever the reason for these errors, the experiences have come off as "We're already successful, thank you." There are a lot of great dinner options in Needham. read more

Three of us arrived early on a Sunday night to a very crowded restaurant. The hostess was very helpful and managed to find seating for us without a long wait. Although the menu is small with some limitations, we each found very pleasing choices. The portions were quite ample and the prices were reasonable. Service was friendly and efficient. We agreed that we would return and look forward to the promised lunchtime opening. read more

This is a welcome addition to Needham with well-made casual entrees. The interesting beers and specials add to the pleasant atmosphere. I do wish it weren't as noisy as we like to talk over a meal out, but that is something they can fix. Good luck! We will be back to try the falafel plate. read more

The food was fantastic, the service was better. Everything came quickly and hot, the waiter was attentive.

Nice night at the bar. Had cocktails and dinner. Easy parking, decent menu, moderately priced. Well prepared food and unique cocktails. Have been for brunch and was also pleased. Will definitely return. read more

I've been here a few times now so I feel it is fair to leave a negative review. Every single time I've been here it has been greasy, and the staff just takes your order. Once I had a server who would occasionally stop and talk, but for the service and greasy food your getting, save your money and go elsewhere. I can recommend plenty good places for AMAZING burgers, not greasy at all with bread for free! And the staff is amazing at my usual joint so feel free to contact me if you want an amazing place! read more

I was here yesterday for lunch with a large group of coworkers. They couldn't find our reservation but accommodated us anyway, very patiently and efficiently. The popcorn snack, truffle fries, and hot queso dip were all really good. The main reason I'm writing, however, is for the Bacon & Squash flatbread... one of my favorite pizzas ever! I prefer to eat gluten free and got their gluten free basil crust. This was definitely one of the best gluten free pizza crusts I've had. I would love to know - is it homemade by the restaurant? read more

I was a bit disappointed today when I came into Cook. There was an open table that just needed to be washed and it took over 15 minutes to be washed off. It took over 50 minutes to get our drinks that did not have enough syrup and were replaced a bit later. The food itself was very good, especially the burger. However, this came out after an hour and forty-five minutes of waiting. After I had finished my meal I was given a gin and tonic which I did not order, which I thought was their way of saying sorry for the slow service. However, I was charged for it. To top it all off, it took twenty minutes to get the check, and I was unable to get some important work done that night. Overall, not a positive experience, but not the worst ever. read more

We have been here many times since it opened. The menu is small but with lots of vegetarian choices. Food is down to earth but also with new twists. read more

We had guests visiting from out of town and had early dinner reservations. Everything was going ok until one of our friends cut into his chicken (the NFC entree), took a bite and realized it was completely RAW. When I say raw I mean it was literally purple inside. We were appalled. The server was even disgusted when he looked at it before he took it back for them to make a new one. The manager (?) came over and said a quick "sorry about that". Then we proceeded to wait... 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes while the rest of the table's food was getting cold. Finally he was brought the new chicken. The pieces were so small and they were so overcooked but at this point we weren't going to wait another 20 minutes for them to try a third time to get it right. No one came by after that to ask how everything was and when we got the bill there were no concessions on anything to apologize for serving RAW chicken and having us wait for the new one only for it to be tiny and dry. I was pretty shocked they didn't take his meal off the bill or comp his drink or anything for that matter. We didn't put up a fight about it since we had to get my daughter home for bed but you'd think you wouldn't have to put up a fight for a restaurant to do the right thing after they could have made one of their customers very ill from eating raw chicken they served. They just didn't care at all. Unbelievable. Won't ever be going back. read more