It's so nice to have a cool restaurant/bar right in my neighborhood of Newton Upper Falls. I usually dive straight into the lasagne which is great. I'm a little picky about my Italian food, yet have no complaints whatsoever about this meal. The wait staff is always on it and the bartender is nice and attentive. The staff here always have a smile on their face and that goes a long way with me and my Southern upbringing. The bar can get packed a few nights a week, but everyone there is nice and chatty. A great change from many places in Boston Metro (most of which I will not return to). The fried raviolis are superb as well. We'll return soon! read more

5 star place if there ever was one. The pizza is unbelievable, Would travel far to get to it. Homemade dough is the staple, but adding any of the varieties of topping just makes it that much better. The specialty pizzas are great too, buff chick is a must try. Owner is a great guy and has employed a really great staff. read more

A very old school place with old school pricing Great atmosphere it is easy to get to if you are geting off from route 9. They usually have a different special depending on the day. The wait staff is very friendly and very helpful, if you have a question or want to change anything on the menu. It is a family owned business which is good to see in comparison to restaurants that now have become more like T.G.I Friday's and Chili's. The prices are really great , a price of a beer is cheap compared to other places in the area. The bartender seemed to know almost everyone by name, which to me seems like you have a problem but what do I know. I recommend this place for anyone who visiting the Newton area, the prices,service and foor are great. Cash only with an ATM inside read more

An occasional stopoff on the way back from the Airport as my "driver" is a regular here. Always a fun time, very welcoming locals (even the miserable old ones...they know who they are!!) and bar staff. Everything a local bar should be. Good food too with typically generous American portions when I've eaten here. If you're nearby and feeling thirsty or hungry, it's a solid choice. read more

This restaurant is amazing! Their pizza is the best in the area. We asked for some modifications on a recent order because of dietary restrictions for one of our party. They checked with the chef and told us that they could make that adjustment for us. They really care about their customers and try to accommodate them whenever possible. Although we typically get take-out these days, I love dining at Echo Bridge. They are so friendly and outgoing. I have been a loyal customer ever since we used to have our team dinners there in high school. When I attended a college nearby, we took our entire rugby team to dine there. The staff was always patient and friendly. We always called ahead to arrange our team functions and they have always been accommodating. read more

This is just such a great neighborhood restaurant. The food is always very good, the service is terrific and the staff are friendly and helpful. Now, during the pandemic, they have outside seating under a huge tent and it seems to be hugely successful...so well deserved. All that while keeping busy with take-out. I think that I am one of many very loyal followers, having never had a bad meal there and I have been dining there for years. It would be great if they kept that outside seating; it's wonderfully relaxed and fun to eat there. read more

I came here for lunch. Their parmesan items were recommended, and I can see why. The eggplant Parmesan was out of this world. The chicken parm was also quite nice. The sizes are very large, so splitting with a friend is reasonable. Sitting at the bar has a real homey feel. The chairs face each other and conversations fly. The dining room is also nice, if you want a more traditional restaurant setting. read more

We visited this spot with my in-laws recently and everyone was happy with their orders- soup, burger, pizza, chicken. We'll be back in a few weeks! Also, this is clearly a spot for locals over all else (but they are great to everyone). It has a bar side that was full of regulars on a Wednesday night. Everyone was very friendly. Also, there is a small parking lot on the right. It may be easy to miss if it's dark out. read more

Best pizza in the area. I grew up in the area but moved to the west coast ages ago and on a visit back to the old neighborhood I'm happy to report though a lot has changed in the ole hood this old school joint has not. When I walked in it was like 1980 all over again when my Dad and I used to go pick up a pizza to take back home. Grabbed a beer at the bar while I awaited my pizza to go and enjoyed listening to the locals. Friendly bartender and fair beer prices. Brought pizza home to my Mom and she was quite happy. Pizza is still solid with great tangy sauce and good crust. I'll definitely be back on my visits home. read more

This place is really good! My wife and I ordered quahogs and buffalo wings, steak tips and stuffed shells. They where all great! The simple rolls that come with the meal where so good. Trust me I'm a chef. This is a must stop in place not fancy and they make you feel right at home. Thank you read more

Echo Bridge Restaurant - My daughter and wife - Italian Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Comfortable and welcoming upper falls food and drink for years. A special place during Covid-19. Paul has bent over backwards to help us through this. The take out is all smiles on both ends. Thanks!! read more

A place I frequent at different times. Lunch, dinner or drinks. There are alway friendly people at the bar. The drinks are big and priced 1/2 of some of the other establishments close by. When bringing my family in for dinner we always get the Pizza it is hands down the best around!! read more

Very poor experience. Didn't feel clean in there. My entree was barely okay. My friend said her red wine was awful.

Delicious. Veal parm for 12 bucks... can't go wrong. a bottle of wine for under 15? Even better. Echo Bridge is a great local restaurant. Just by looking at the place you probably wouldn't ever give it the time of day, but they have a wide food selection, great service and great prices. Good for a casual meal out. read more

Tonight after a tough loss the Needham high girls basketball team wanted to extend their season by a few more hours. We called ahead to let them know we were coming. Upon arriving the girls and their parents entered the restaurant. A man, presumably the manager, was extremely rude. He essentially kicked the girls and the accompanying parents out of the restaurant. He was rude and aggressive. It was an incredibly disappointing experience. Both the girls and the parents were stunned by his behavior and demeanor....The response of the restaurant does not accurately reflect what occurred. It also misses the point. It was not that the restaurant was unable to accommodate this group but the manner in which this information was relayed. An adult approached a friend at the bar (by herself) and was aggressively told to leave by a female employee. There is no excuse. read more

A proudly old school sort of joint that reminds me of the kind of place in the pre-no smoking era (not an advocate of smoking just sayin). Classic wood paneling to go along with the brown and tan table and booths. The bar side appears to be mostly regulars who are really the cornerstone of this type of joint. The server working the night we were there ( a Wednesday which I think is here night) was awesome. Personable and attentive. While we only tried the excellent mid-sized pizza the entrees we saw other folks taking most of home with them were HUGE! Oh, and did I mention the beer prices rocked? If I lived anywhere remotely close to here it would be on my list of must go to joints for sure! read more

The food was good. The people were so personable. I think only 3 people were workin, and it was busy, and they were holdin it down! The scene was totally all townies...like the Cheers of Newton. I liked it. It was dark and cool inside. Not modern at all. The prices were totally reasonable and I think the bf and I decided that we are gonna walk there next time. Its that close to my home....and who needs the bother of drinkin and drivin! read more

Old Skool place with home cooked feel and great prices but the decor could definitely use an update

Old decor, not that clean, ok service. We ordered pizza, ribs and parmesans. Food lack taste (we added salt to the pizza) and was very "heavy". read more

Unfortunately I went by the reviews and was sadly disappointed. Choose the Roast Beef Special and was expecting to get a nice slice of tender roast beef and what I got were thin slices of deli style roast beef covered in what I suspect was some sort of brown gravy. Chewy and tasteless. Mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a box. Go elsewhere. read more

Local place with amazing staff, unbeatable pizza, beyond reasonable prices and a juke box! Sit at the bar and enjoy! Also great spot for larger parties and functions. read more

This is no five star restaurant but this place is fantastic. During the Pandemic, Paul, Kristen, Courtney and the rest of the crew bent over backwards to provide great food, fantastic lobster specials and now have outdoor dining that is comfortable and clean with background music and some nights offer entertainment. Pizza is a personal thing and I've seen some reviews that make me sad. We've been eating Echo Bridge pizza for 40+ years. They aren't chintzy with the toppings like big pizza chains sometimes are and personally, I think they use just the right amount of sauce and cheese. Yes, the crust is a little thicker than other pizzas but it is cooked to perfection....not burned and lots of bubbles around the crust - so light and airy. If you're from Newton, Needham or Wellesley, you're bound to bump into someone you know. It's the Italian "Cheers"....where everyone knows your name. read more

Came here a couple of days ago. Friendly traditional pub-type establishment with seating ranged around the well stocked bar. There is a large restaurant out the back which was empty on a Friday afternoon. I didn't eat but I will come back as the menu looks good and the other reviews in the food are complimentary. I had a very generous glass of red in the company of other good natured and friendly punters. Staff very efficient and helpful. Great atmosphere and fun place to be. read more

My dad and I used to paint the apts across the street about 40 yrs ago and I visited again and was happy with the pizza and drinks still great after all these yrs,nice little hole in the wall to visit friends and family,see yall the next trip! read more

Local joint. Good people and low prices for above average quality food. To me that's a winning formula.

In our opinion, there is no better way to celebrate and experience a culture than to dive mouth first into the traditional cuisine that ultimately shapes these well-known family traditions that all of us are so familiar with. Given that ideology, "The Guy's", (Ellio, Celeste & Tombstone) decided to head out on this brisk Saint Patrick's Day to do just that. On their endless quest for cultural enrichment and self-improvement they followed their noses, which led them to straight to Virilio's Echo Bridge Restaurant located in Newton, Massachusetts. This arduous journey in search of ethical enlightenment brought them to the door of a cozy family oriented place that offered exactly what these cultured guys were yearning for, which you all know, resulted in the consumption of a good ole fashioned Irish fare....eh hem...3 large Pizza's! With all ignorant joking aside, you should note that the crew did decide to order a bacon pizza, which was in fact the traditional protein consumed by the Irish during the Saint Patrick's Day celebration of earlier times. Yes it is true; boiled bacon was, in fact the protein of choice for the Irish when establishing this age-old tradition during the Middle-Ages. Although, the ye-ole Irish folk of yesteryear decided to boil their bacon, we made an executive decision to bypass that aspect of their tradition and add a little crispiness to the porker on our pie. So here's the deal. After indulging in the following: (cheese, the special, & a half bacon/garlic sausage) we decided that there is good stuff going on here but the consensus agreed that it's best to keep it simple. Why? After our first cheese pizza, which we thought had good overall flavor and cooking consistency, we thought it was only right to see where the pizza would go if the kitchen sink was added to their overly doughy, yet very tasty and well-cooked crust. Unlike the cheese, which was well balanced and topped with flavorful cheese and complimentary sauce, The Special just failed. All the toppings, (i.e. green peppers, onion, flavorless hamburger and packaged pepperoni) seemed to lose its luster amongst the mix, making this pizza taste watered down and bland. With that in mind, the Guys decided to order up one more pie in order to give a fair and well-balanced assessment of their pizza. That is when we decided to go with the third and final pizza of the evening, which was topped with bacon, fresh garlic and bland sausage. This pizza was surprising delicious and although, all of the pizzas could have been stretch out a bit more to even out the crust, this pie was harmonious. The garlic did not overpower the flavor and the other toppings seemed to add to the enjoyment of the overall experience. Add higher quality toppings and this pizza could have earned another slice on our scale. The gracious and welcoming wait staff was pleasant enough to include the Holy Trinity without inquiring, which added to the flavor of these pies, so with all said-and-done, Virgilio's Echo Bridge Restaurant was a satisfactory experience. All in all, this was not the best pizza the world but it wasn't the worst. We discussed and concluded that they earned 4.5 Slices on our Slice-O-Meter, deeming Virgilio's, mezza mezza. read more

Best pizza in Needham for sure...cash only, but really reasonable prices!

This review is based on a single take-out experience... Felt like stepping back into the 1970s as I walked into Echo Bridge restaurant, and I mean that in a good way! Outside was cold and wet. Inside was warm and lively, with wood paneling (from the 1970s) and many of the older locals sitting in the booths also looking like they hadn't updated their look since then. Maybe I was just feeling nostalgic, but felt a little like stepping into a time capsule. Another night it would definitely be fun to put on some polyester and come back and have some drinks at the bar. Staff was welcoming, and pizza ready right when they said it would be when I called the order in ahead. Pizza was pretty good. I thought the crust was very good, not paper thin, but definitely not thick, and perfectly cooked with just a hint of char. I thought the sauce was a little odd, just a bit too sweet for my taste. But not bad. The cheese also wasn't anything standout. But overall a good pizza experience. Pies were one size only, maybe 16 inches. Would come back, but not my favorite pizza in the area. read more

We were excited to try echobridge after not having been there in years. Sadly the service and decor were unchanged and good but the food was mediocre. Kids didn't love their pasta dishes and my fried scallops were chewy and not fresh. Next time we will stick to the pizza that they're known for. read more

Always a great meal!! I've also had planned gatherings in the back room and service and food are always a big hit!! Thanks Paul!!!

Good cozy restaurant. The food was good and tasted fresh. My steak tips tasted awesome? Cash only

My girlfriend and I decided to try this place after seeing it pop up for an option in Newton several times. The dining room reminds me of my parent's kitchen which hasn't changed since the late 70's. (Not a bad thing!) We sat ourselves and the very friendly waitress came over very quickly. Throughout our meal, she kept checking on us, but not too much. The chicken parm was very good and the pasta was cooked just right. It didn't taste like it had been sitting in a pot all day. Great place for a casual, friendly meal with a nice atmosphere. read more

You would never know what a gem this place is by driving past it. It is a nondescript building on a small street well off the main roads. At first impression it looks like a warehouse or industrial facility. If you have a keen eye, you will notice a sign indicating that it is, in fact, some sort of restaurant. The interior is not fancy but it is clean and welcoming. The staff is genuinely friendly, helpful, and engaging. Everything is clean and sanitary. The menu is not fancy or complex - but rather simple straightforward homestyle Italian food. They pride themselves on their variety of 'parmesans' and pizzas with very good reason. You can get a huge, thick, fresh, juicy piece of chicken parmesan for less than 15 bucks. They also have mouth watering veal and haddock parmesans for about the same price. The pizza is not large but it is very tasty, quality ingredients, and has generous toppings. We have never had a dish there that we didn't thoroughly enjoy. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise is the cost! Rarely do the two of us spend more than $40 and that often includes entrees, and appetizer and a dessert! Highly recommended for everyone but especially for families as it is extremely child friendly and has menu items everyone enjoys! read more

Bottom line: most of the food is not very good. We moved to Newton a few months ago, and this is the closest restaurant to our home. We read the positive reviews and were looking forward to a good meal, and we were not put off by the "decor" (or lack thereof). The house salad was bland - probably came out of a bag the day before. The pasta tasted "off" - as if they had been cooking in the same pot of water all day. I ordered lemon chicken on linguini. I got a bare chicken breast on bare pasta - no sign of color, spices, or herbs. The chicken had a very strong flavor of lemon, but I seriously doubt it had ever encountered a real lemon. Save your money on the chicken parmesan - the frozen store brand at your local grocery will be better. Despite this, and based on the Yelp reviews, I made a second visit here with my daughter specifically to try the pizza. To our relief, the pizza was mostly very good - good crust, good sauce, good cheese. However, the vegetables on the pizza did not seem fresh. This is a restaurant that is not into fresh ingredients. Based on the pizza, I might bump them up to 1-1/2 stars. Really cannot recommend anything else here. Without the pizza, I would give 0 stars. This is truly the worst restaurant we have been to in quite some time. On the plus side, there was no wait for a table! Unlike the restaurant, the bar was crowded - looks like it is a neighborhood fixture. read more

Came here this past friday, i should have known by the empty dining room on a friday night at 6pm that this place was a big pass! The bar was packed with regulars but the resturaunt was a ghost town. We got chicken parm and steak tips. the sauce for the chicken parm was so acidic it was uneatable, the tips had zero flavor. The mash potatoes had no flavor as well, even the gravy tasted like the metal can it came from.. The staff seemed unorganized, ( 2 waitresses were serving tables at random) . And you gotta love the bar tender coming in and out of the bathroom every 10-15 mins... go somewhere else, this place isnt even as cheap as some people claim it is... Oh and theyre cash only.... guess that goes with thier 1970s theme too :-/ read more

This is a prime example of a neighborhood restaurant that is totally invested in quality and consistency. Great food at bargain prices served by an animated and fun staff. All walks of life at the bar guarantee quality entertainment. Hard to beat the Echo. read more

Tried the Echo Bridge Restaurant last night with my family to satisfy my wife's craving for pasta. It wasn't too crowded for a Friday night, which was nice, and there was plenty of space for kids without feeling that you were bothering anyone (also nice). And the food was good. I did find that the tomato sauces all seemed to need a little more salt, but perhaps that's just me. The fried calamari was tasty, and one of the kids really enjoyed the fried fish, as well. The staff were pleasant and the service was pretty good too, the only problem being that it looked like they were short by at least one waitress. The place does look like the atmosphere hasn't changed much since the wood paneling was installed, which lends credence to other reviewers' "old school" comments, and when I walked through the bar, I did wonder if the bar would collapse if certain of the "regulars" moved. read more

Love the old time feel & decor... food was fantastic and staff was great ! A neighborhood gem - Eggplant parm sandwich was insanely good !

This is one of the friendliest neighborhood joints in the Newton/Needham area. It has been a fixture here since the 60's and has a huge committed following. As has been mentioned in other reviews they have the best Pizza anywhere. The crust is awesome and the toppings are the best. There is something for everyone on the menu and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and the large portions. The Echo is a family run business with most of the family on the premises at any given time and the wait staff have been here for years and have always been incredibly attentive. The Bartenders know how to pour a great drink and the beer selection is broad although don't come here looking for drafts or micro-brews, they have neither. I saw an earlier review referring to the food not appearing to be fresh which I have never found to be the case. There is a nice selection of Italian inspired dishes on the menu and also other dishes as well as all types of sandwiches prepared just the way you ask for them. You know the saying "MasterCard don't leave home without it" well you can leave it at home when coming here cuz it's cash only. For your convenience there is an ATM in the lobby. The dining room, also known as "the burgundy room" by some regulars is spacious, casual and clean. The bar is large and friendly. The Echo is a great spot for a casual night out. read more

I also went by the reviews and regret the experience. We were two people. Ordered the calamari as an appetizer and the scallops on rice and lobster ravioli as entrees. The calamari was chewy, the scallops were overcooked (rubbery) without any sear, whereas the ravoli was undercooked (hard). There are better options in the area. read more