Stopped in the Halfway on Saturday for lunch with the boys. Our waitress, who also was tending bar, was surprisingly attentive despite pulling double duty during the busy lunch hour full of regulars and first timers like myself. After the manager informed us that there was a slight delay with their POS ticket system, our food arrived and was worth the wait. The turkey club was packed full of tender, sliced turkey not deli meat. The boneless chicken tenders, fried pickles, and turkey tips were very good. Even the side salads were cold and crisp. We enjoyed the food and the abundant TVs enabling the viewing of the Olympics, college basketball, and even a Japanese baseball game. read more

I took my Blushing Bride to the Halfway Cafe in Watertown, MA on Wednesday. She requested the turkey tips, I got their buffalo wings. Both meals were well prepared, well seasoned, and delicious. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Oh, and their prices are very reasonable. read more

I love you because you have free popcorn for me! I love you because your boneless wings are fricken' delicious after spending 3 hours at the nearby climbing gym! I love you because on Monday nights you currently have $5 burgers. I love you because your staff is warm and friendly and down-to-earth (and because you have a wicked cute bah-tend-ah [that's how you compliment men here in Mass, right?]). I love you because my group of friends can always find room inside your four warm walls. I love you because your food is surprisingly excellent for a chain restaurant! Fried pickles? Yes, please! Gooey nachos? Mmhmm! A blondie for dessert? Bring it! I love you because you're not over-priced. I love you because parking is usually abundant -- except during the summer when there are apparently a lot of Monday night co-ed softball games around Watertown that end around 9pm. Is there anything that I don't I love about you, Halway Caf? Yes; your lumpy bumpy parking lot. Re-pave that ish, yo! (but dont worry I still lerv you) read more

Food was decent. We got the sampler trip with fried pickles, onion rings, and honey BBQ boneless wings. Boneless wings were so good! Service was excellent. Lots of beer on tap (cider too) and a full top shelf liquor bar. Saw these advertisements while there: Monday and Tuesday kids eat free and stump trivia on Thursday nights. Gluten free options are available. If you like keno, they have it here. Also, several TVs are in the bar and seating area with various games going (mostly college football on Saturday). read more

Halfway Cafe - Onion rings, fried pickles and boneless honey BBQ chicken tenders. - American Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

The chili was outstanding! I ordered via GrubHub and it was still hot upon delivery too. The order also fulfilled my special requests, would highly recommend this place! read more

Great place! I moved in around the corner and stop by from time to time. I love their food. They give popcorn to every customer, and their drinks are good. I love their service as they are always nice and treat the customers with a lot of respect. Keep up the great work! read more

I recently saw this location on Phantom Gourmet. Ironically, I also had a Phantom Gourmet gift card burning a hole in my wallet, so drove down from the north shore to check this place out. My daughter had the day off school, so the two of us ventured to Halfway Café for a Friday lunch. I ordered the Reuben Sandwich w/fries. She had the sliders and fries. First off, these are some of the best fries I have ever tasted. Fresh cut and not frozen, lightly seasoned and just really full of flavor. The restaurant also has a deal in March wherein you simply ask for double fries and they magically appear (free of charge I might add). The sliders my daughter had were on what appeared to be home baked rolls. The bread was really good. My Reuben sandwich was on pumpernickel rye and is easily the best version of this sandwich I've consumed in years. Our server was super friendly and very attentive. She was terrific. One final comment.The name Halfway Café is a little misleading in that it is more of a cozy neighborhood pub/sports bar. If I lived nearby, I would definitely visit for beers and to watch a game some time. read more

Turkey Reuben was decent. Staff was very polite and attentive. Basically a bar room with some tables for food.

One of six exo-Boston locations, it's the most tightly knit local chain you've never heard of. Take a Ninety-Nine, turn down the menu, the seating space, drink prices and the lights, and add a ridiculous Buzz sauce that gives Gold Fever a run for its money. End result? The Halfway Cafe. Seems the super-salty, complimentary popcorn has lovers and haters, so upon this 2D rack, I proudly hang my hat on the Heart icon. Boneless wings are plump and juicy, with a sticky spicy Buzz sauce crust that almost mimics a fragile candy apple. I'd likely describe it as a very mild Korean style fried chicken, if I'd ever eaten the latter. Sit on that one, M.C. Escher. Completely mystified how a Harpoon IPA, Whale's Tale, Coors Light and a tall vodka soda totaled a ridiculously reasonable $15, but mine is not to wonder why. Mine is but to eat that stupidly addictive chicken and ponder their Red Robin principle of bottomless fries with any meal that comes with fries. You may want to step aside; there's a herd of fat kids heading right for us. read more

I literally love the halfway cafe. I ordered something on ubereats and apparently that option was no longer available and they couldn't reach me, but they sent me something they thought I'd like instead and they were dead on. Thanks for the chicken parm sub! You literally rock. I appreciate that you didn't cancel the order and still sent me something. It was delish. read more

So this evening my roommate, boyfriend and I walked over to the Halfway Cafe in Watertown as we do about once a week. As usual we got some burgers for dinner and a round on drinks to start. Over the 2 hours that we were there along with food, we consumed 4 beverages. But upon asking for our 4th beverage we were told by the waitress that we had "like 5 drinks and we would have to wait to have an additional". Mind you we are all 28-33 years of age (not trying to rage out of control on a Monday night). At no point were we loud or out of control (not even out of our seats). So at this point we closed our tabs and left the rest restaurant. As soon as we got outside we all had the same feeling. We were cut off and rushed out for no reason. We later found out that they were closing early and instead of telling us this, which we would have understood, they told us we were basically cut off. So since we are adults and clearly weren't intoxicated, we decided not to make a scene by going back in the restaurant and thought we would just call and speak with the manager upon arriving home. We called the manager, Philip, who felt it unnecessary to introduce himself when he picked up the phone. We attempted to express our concerns/frustrations to the manager, expecting the professionalism that we have received from Halfway Cafe representatives for years. Not only did he not attempt to diffuse the situation and keep us as patrons but he threatened us to "come say it to his face" and then proceeded to hang up on us. Needless to say, due to Phillip(the manager in Watertown on Monday evenings) we will no longer be conveniently walking down to The Halfway Cafe to spend our money once a week. It may be farther away but we will find a place that makes us feel welcome to frequent. read more

DEAR HALFWAY CAFE BARTENDER WITH AN ATTITUDE: IF YOU RING THAT COWBELL ONE MORE TIME................. You have a nice mix of locals, skanks, 9 to 5 "mature" women on the prowl, 9 to 5 young men on the prowl, cheating men, Bebe wearing women with plastic hoop earrings and knee high fringed boots, drug dealers, families, drug buyers and people who think it might be a cool place to go to for the first time An easy place to make a quick "deal"-yes the drug buying suburbia is easily able to meet the sellers of Boston at this location that is "halfway" - I swear that is where the name comes from. It is also easy to meet some sex starved over worked human and either head home or out to Boston. The bar is crackhead city. Too much going on. You can't move two steps in any direction. You don't get a drink unless you are rude or guys will move out of their lazy ass way to let you approach the bartender..PLUS, there is people eating at the bar. Also, you have to wait in the small cramped bar area before you get to your table to eat. The drinks are expensive and the bartenders will look at you like you have two heads if you order something off the drink menu or make the smallest of changes....Oh my, I asked him to add a splash of vodka....Ring the alarm!! They are the bartenders that look bothered when you ask them to do something. To see the chaos and how packed this place really is, you would think it was the latest and greatest hangout, but it really is just a place not too suburban, not too diveish and not in Boston. Hence the walks of life it attracts. The girls on staff are trying their hardest to be Hooters girls. While they flirt with their co-workers and the male patrons, I imagine what kind of hootenannies take place in the kitchen. Yup, the girls on this staff could easily be the "other" women. You can tell the staff all hangs out and commences a shitload of drama behind the scenes. You feel the tension as two of the girls, compete for the busboys attention....ouch! The only thing good here is their sweet potatoes fries. I have been twice and you are trying to probably figure out what person *I* am from the aforementioned list. Well, the first time I came I was fooled. Second time I was trapped. Oh and every time the bartender gets a like totally awesome tip, they ring a big cowbell.....I want to shove the stick he is wacking it with right up his a**! Halfway cafe is more like Halfway house as a reviewer below so perfectly put it. read more

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Halfway Cafe you SUCK!!! No really, ive had a few ok experiences here- mostly getting takeout ~ I am a sucker for buffalo wings and sweet potato fries... Story time- the day that some half brained power hungry waitresses ruined a perfectly good night.... My girlfriend and I went there for dinner and drinks- both of us where very hungry and wanting to unwind... We place our order and drink while we wait- I throw back 2 beers while my girlfriend finishes her first drink- then we order another round. My girlfriend gets up to use the bathroom - and she stumbles a bit- hmmm, did it have anything to do with her heels- maybe... how about the day old cheese and ketchup on the disgusting floor, yeah maybe that had something to do with it! But no- the waitresses had already decided upon seeing her stumble on the floor that she must be hammered drunk- So they come over, set our apps down and my 3rd beer, and then look at me to inform me that she is cut off from alcohol (god forbid they tell her directly- I mean she is a 26 year old who has had one drink- she must be belligerently drunk) I don't want to sound like a booze needing alcoholic- but we didn't go out to get dinner- we went out for drinks and dinner. So tell them that we are leaving- and that im paying for my three beers and her one drink- and that they can keep the food that just arrived blah blah blah... they start bitching and moaning about how we have to pay what we ordered- I told them im not planning on eating without drinks- plus they completely offended my girlfriend by both accusing her of being drunk and by not even acknowledging her when telling me... In the end my girlfriend felt annoyed and bad (and partially at fault)... she was a waitress at another restaurant and knew that the cost could be coming out of the waitress paychecks blah blah blah... So Greg pays- we leave with a takeout tray- drive over to the 99, where they gladly serve us food and drinks for another hour. Halfway Cafe- I hate you- Mop your floors and learn some manners! read more

This PARTICULAR Halfway kind of blows. As chains go, I'm a fairly big fan of this local Massachusetts chain, but this particular location is disorganized when busy. There are too entrances and no real defined "front" of the place. On a busy night, it's hard to figure out who's hosting or if there's a table. Food comes out pretty quick but the portions are scantier than other locations. Service is erratic. Sometimes it's spot on and other times you're waiting 40 minutes for the check. read more

Really? No, seriously....REALLY?!? The first few times I went to Halfway Cafe, I didn't mind it. I live in used-to-be-a-dry-city Belmont, so my local drinking options are fairly limited. Halfway Cafe is close to home, CHEAP, and well, open. Consider yourself warned that I'm not very picky. Free popcorn - Yay. +1 star Cheap drinks - Hell yeah. +1 star And that's where it ends, folks. Could I mingle with the regulars? Sure, if I wanted to catch some sort of incurable disease. Is the food palatable? Yes, if you're a fan of blandness. Do you want to be "put on notice" by the bartender as soon as you walk in the door but still served alcohol? Then I know the place for you! Seriously....if a bartender threatens to cut you off before even serving you a drink, she shouldn't be serving you in the first place. Granted, I was by no means drunk enough to be "cut off" by 10pm on a Saturday, but if you immediately ask me who's driving then tell me to take the back roads home so we don't get arrested by cops -- DON'T SERVE ME. Jesus. I would've had much more respect for her and her shitty bar had she told me and my friends to leave. But instead, she served us, treated us like shit, and overcharged us for their crappy, usually cheap drinks. Bad form, Halfway Cafe. Bad form. read more

Great service and food at fair prices. Halfway Cafe is a true local haunt. This is the kind of place Applebee's and Chicago Uno always tries and fails to mimic. Free popcorn is a nice way to start the meal and this joint has their own bottled root beer! My man swears by their clam strips and their french fries are hand cut, not frozen. This is a familial place. Leave your ego at the door. read more

I lived across the street from this place for 2 years and went almost every week with friends to play trivia and eat free popcorn/drink beers. You would think the waitresses there would have appreciated our frequent business. At some point I just couldn't stand going there anymore, because we were always given so much attitude for no particular reason. We always tipped, and really more than we should have been because the food there sucks. Also they have NO DESSERT, not ever, not anything. So in my book this place is crap. read more

Brought a bunch of buddies for Boys night and had a great time! We started in the dining room having great meals, my burger was cooked just the way I wanted it and fries VERY TASTY!!!!!!!!!!! Went to the bar after and found it very friendly and the bartender attentive read more

This place is great when you want cheap, good food. I used to get take-out and frequent Halfway a lot when I lived down the street. I've moved since then, but Scott and I checked it out last night, since we were craving some pub food. We got the potato skins, which I think are among the best that I have ever had. I even got the $2.50 bud light which I normally don't drink....usually, it tastes like pee. But at the Halfway, it was nice and cold and frosty - delicious! read more

When I'm craving steak tips for dinner, I think Halfway. When I'm craving a bowl of popcorn before dinner, I think Halfway -- even before the Ground Round! When I'm craving a greasy burger just about any time of the day, I think Halfway . . . or maybe Wendy's. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is a staple restaurant for me. Why it's not in my speed dial yet I do not know. One funny thing: The bar runs a straight line from the door. So when someone walks in, everyone at the bar -- everyone -- turns to look. I'm almost waiting for a big dude to open the door and hear the whole place yell "Noorrrm!" P.S. I was mildly reprimanded for slacking on my Yelp reviews. 17 days without a review!? I know, I know. . . I'm on it, Markie! ;) read more

Stopped in last night for a quick bite to eat while we were in the area. Ended up staying to play pub quiz (Tuesday nights 9pm I think). It's your standard Stump pub quiz. Most importantly: the wings. They use the small sized wings, and they're not incredibly fresh, but they ended up hitting the spot perfectly. The hot sauce was great - better than most in the area. Most people try waaay too hard or not enough at all to make a hot sauce - these guys found a good sweet spot. No buttery taste, and no grainy pepper stuff. They serve celery with their wings (no carrots, sad but easily overlooked considering most places around here don't even bother with celery!). Seriously, they were exactly what I needed last night, and I'm very glad that their wings did not disappoint. Their beer selection is the standard Bud-Bass stuff. Prices are not bad at all. They also have a ton of food specials that can end up saving you $$. The dining room is smallish and a bit noisy. In hindsight we should have waited the 15 minutes to get a booth on the side instead of a rickety table in the middle of the room. I'm not sure if it was legal or not, but we parked in the parking lot behind the building - that's a big plus for parking starved Brighton residents like me. Oh, and the service was great and attentive. All in all, I was wicked happy we tried 'em out. It's not fancy and a little divey, but that's fine with me. The food was decent, the ambiance wasn't unfriendly, and I will be returning soon hopefully. read more

October 26, 2018 Dear Manager of Halfway Cafe, I have been a customer of your restaurant for two to three years, and I just had to tell you how much I love your restaurant. First of all, I love the menu items. The burger is probably one of the best burgers I've ever had. It is so juicy and is such a treat to have. I also LOVE the turkey club. I would eat it every day if I could. That is what I mostly get when I go. Lastly, the fries are so good and crispy and it just makes the dish ten times better. Also, the staff are great. If you run out of the delicious popcorn, they will get you more in a jiffy. They are also very friendly to customers. That's a sign of a great restaurant. Secondly, I love the the decor and the vibe. I like the older style. It gives it a good feel for the place. The lighting is also a perfect brightness. Not too high, not too low but just perfect for you to see your burger and fries. The old-timey bar makes the vibe very comfortable and fun. The location is great. If you are walking around the streets of Watertown, you can make a pit- stop at the best restaurant in Massachusetts. I look forward to dining at your establishment again soon! Sincerely, Cole M read more

After reading some of the reviews on here, I feel guilty for liking the halfway cafe! I came here a few times with some ladies from my dodgeball team to celebrate how bad we are at dodgeball. They give you 2 free cheese pizzas if you come with your team. They also have fries and boneless wings that are pretty good. Get your wings sweet and spicy "cafe" style. Famous for the Seven for Seven (seven dinners for seven dollars), there is free popcorn, good beer, booths. Aside from the popcorn on the floor, the bar is not dirty. It's well lit and a good joint. If I was stuck in watertown, I would head to the halfway cafe for a meal, beverage and directions back to cambridge! read more

Great prices, great food, and great service-we will be back. Went here on a Wednesday evening for dinner and it was fairly quiet. Pretty good beer selection and they offer most in 16-20 oz servings. In addition, the beers are pretty cheap compared to other places around. We got the Ruben and the wingtip combo. The steak tips were cooked perfectly, the boneless wings were good, and the sides of vegetables and mashed potatoes were great! My wife said the Ruben was amazing as well. We were served quick and the bartenders were very attentive. Glad to see this is a good place to go and that it's close to the house. read more

This review is only for the bar/drinks. I haven't tried their food but from what I've seen... I wouldn't. I'm sure it tastes fine after several drinks but I believe most of what is served comes out of the freezer. With that being said - they have a great bar with awesome drinks and a friendly staff. They have a really nice set up with tables, bar stools, a circular island that's great for groups. I often come with my co-workers for drinks after we close. read more

Halfway Cafe - Lemon Drop * - American Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

A little on the divey side for my taste, but they have lots of pub food, football on the TVs, sassy waitresses who call you "hon," and draft specials such that a 20 oz. pretty-good beer (I have no idea what kind, some sort of IPA) is $3. My turkey burger tasted like meatloaf. Others complained that their (beef) burgers were overdone. One girl made the mistake of ordering the salmon ("worst salmon I ever had"). The parking lot is gravel, and due to recent rains was completely flooded. Three stars because they didn't do anything wrong to my food and that giant $3 beer was crazy. I probably wouldn't suggest going back, but if you're into a very casual place to drink and grab some grub, it'll do the job. read more

Decided to pop in for a visit randomly on the way home from work for a bite and a beer. Had no clue what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Has the perfect "local watering hole" feel to it with super nice staff and people all around you have a good time. Saw a gentleman crushing some wings near by and they looked amazing so that sold my decision for dinner that night. Probably could have eaten the double order with how good they were. Will be making another appearance soon. read more

Halfway Cafe - Buffalo Wings (single order) - American Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Free popcorn, meals for $7, and wait staff from the Ukraine... This is the perfect trilogy. Hubby was in heaven because our waitress was hot and spoke with an accent, and I enjoyed all of the popcorn I could shove in my face, right before my delicious meal for ONLY $7 DOLLARS. Great place for young, middle, and old people, and there's even live music some nights. Unfortunately, the live musician was focusing a little more on his comedy act than his singing skills, which actually made his singing more funny than his stand up because he kind of sucked at both, but whatever. Warbly Elton John covers + bad Aerosmith ballads will make me piss myself from laughing so hard... pretty much any time. read more

My girlfriend and I came here a few months back because of their Phantom Gourmet review and we were unimpressed. The service was great and very friendly but the food was subpar. I heard this place was known for great wings and that's what attracted me. They are pretty small and overall chewy rather then crispy. The buffalo sauce was pretty good though. My girlfriend got steak tips and that's why I went from 3 to 2 stars. They arrived way overdone and at the same time cold. I don't even know how that is possible. Her veggies were also underdone and cold when served. Needless to say, we won't be back. And after several disappointments, I'm beginning to question phantom gourmet's suggestion. read more

Halfway Cafe was once a terrific place to grab a bite to eat. There's a location in Dedham that my family used to go to often but all Halfway restaurants have recently changed their menu AGAIN! And that's after a previous change no too long ago. They took away the safari hot dog which was one of my father's favorite items on the menu. However, that's not the reason for my negative review of the Watertown location. We went on a Saturday afternoon and it started off fine as we ordered drinks. We soon realized that they no longer served safari dogs and that this was a VERY recent change. The waitress saw how disappointed we were and when the next patrons came in they informed them of a new menu but failed to do so with us. It was very disappointing and terrible customer service. I ordered the cranberry chicken which was basically cranberry sauce and grilled chicken in between a soggy roll. My mother had fish which was good but the portions were terrible. My grandfather ordered the club burger and enjoyed it. My father ended up just getting fries which were decent but nothing great, The service was terrible. At the end of the meal, she forgot to give my grandfather his leftovers that took her nearly 10 minutes to wrap up. We had to go back in for it. I was shocked at our experience because we had great experiences at Halfway in Dedham over the years but the recent continuous menu changes and poor service at their Watertown location has soured us on this restaurant. read more

Years ago, this was a decent place in Watertown, but no longer. With almost no customers, still had a hard time flagging down the bartender for a beer. She was too interested in pre-cleaning for the close, which was still over an hour away. But what really irritated me was that my tab for a couple of tap beers was just over $19. Gave her a 50, and she decided to round the tab up to 20 bucks all on her own. Only gave me bills back without a word after she decided to keep the change. Of course, I knocked her tip down. Considering reporting this to the AG's office because this type of activity is illegal in the Commonwealth (and everywhere). I wonder how much she makes by self tipping from everyone? Don't steal from your customers! No wonder it's only named the Halfway Cafe, because they certainly don't go the extra mile for their customers. Might as well rename the place, "The Den of Thieves". I won't be back. read more

Had the pleasure of sitting at the bar the other night. The bartender was terrific very friendly and made some amazing drinks for us! She was attentive and funny and we'll definitely be back! Thanks again Johanna!!! read more

Spectacular food. A perfect neighborhood bar. Prices are extremely reasonable. I wouldn't change a thing about it

Halfway gets 4 stars for unexpected perfectly cooked broccoli. This location is quite good and is always popping. It is a sports bar, so it's loud and the TVs are always on. The complimentary popcorn is crap, but the food is delicious, i mean seriously, perfectly cooked broccoli, crispy fluffy french fries, giant delicious turkey club, tasty tasty steak. Good friendly service and an interesting publication that has their menu. I don't know if all locations have it but the Watertown location is very homey and welcoming. read more

Ordered a pizza from the late night menu and got a grilled tortilla with sauce and cheese on it, I was so upset so I called them and asked what happened and was basically told that "that's their pizza" and "why did I order it". I had gone there before and ordered a pulled bbq chicken wrap but the chicken was cubed dry chicken with a bunch of onions and peppers in a skinny sauce. This is what you get for giving a place a second chance, I don't see what all the hype is about the customer service that I got was rude and "sugar coated" by "ok honey" read more

Halfway Cafe - Disappointed, worst food EVER! - American Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I had a great grilled cheese and they a mound of French fries. I loved how I could customize my sandwich and it was very reasonably priced. I will definitely be back! Added bonus is they give you endless popcorn read more

I came here with a friend who spent many a night at the bar drinking beer. He even pulled down a high school year book from a shelf and showed me a picture of himself in it. Baked scrod, steamers, beer, noise, tv's and decent food. It's crowded and casual so it's perfect to watch a game where everyone is emotionally invested. (Like the Red Sox?!) I wouldn't come here thinking you're going to get outstanding food. It's a restaurant but feels more like a bar than anything. read more

Stopped in here on a Tuesday night to grab dinner and play trivia with my oldest friend and his wife. Showed up a little bit before trivia time, and had to wait, but not for long, before being seated in a wobbly booth (we tried to fix it but it was seemingly forever wobbly). For some reason I expected this place to be bigger, and was surprised by the limited number of tables. I ordered the steak tips with the roasted potatoes, with a side salad. It's normal for the side salad to come at an extra cost, but it seemed a little odd to me that the steak came only with the potatoes, and that ANY vegetables were extra. The steak tips were well marinated, and cooked just as I ordered. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of teams that were playing trivia for such a small place, there were a lot more than I expected. In the end we landed somewhere in the middle, in case you're wondering. Free popcorn is cool. Wasn't drinking because I was sick, so I can't comment on that. Pretty average, unoffensive, I'd go back if in the area, but I'm not going to make any special trips. read more

I used to live around the corner and came here at least once a week and sat at the bar (always) for a few reasons: the staff- a few stragglers from the old crew are still around- yeah Jen! Love the pizza- good south shore bar pie. Cheap draft beers and burgers, good specials. I'm a bit farther away now but try to get back when I can. And no, THEY DIDN'T EXPAND THE DINING ROOM INTO THE SPACE NEXT DOOR! :) read more

Three stars because this is nothing special, just an average neighborhood pub place where you can get a beer and a burger. However, they have entertaining trivia on Thursdays at 8:30pm with a friendly host, it's not too crowded and not too noisy (considering there are TVs in every corner and then some). The basket of fries we got were good but $5.50 seemed borderline steep for the amount. My friends hadn't had dinner yet, so they ordered a burger and a sandwich. Those came with fries on the side and looked very greasy (but then again, who eats a burger for health reasons? :P). Bottom line: I think we'll be back, simply because it's convenient. We also liked the trivia dude. read more