Charming cafe serving seasonal coffees and food items. We ordered an Arnold Palmer and a caramel latte. Both were well balanced and crafted well. For food we ordered the eggplant sando and the chicken piccata sandwich. While both tasted good, I was surprised at how much more I enjoyed the eggplant one. The eggplant was breaded well and crispy without feeling too heavy on oil. The rest of the sandwich with arugula and roasted red peppers also felt fresh. The chicken sandwich was also good with thin layers of chicken, and flavored well. However I liked the chicken where as for eggplant I felt the sandwich as a whole worked well. While busy, it still feels like enough movement of groups that you can easily find a seat. The staff is also very friendly making it a neighborhood spot I would definitely come back to. read more

Great local café! Their menu has a nice variety of reasonably priced drinks and breakfast food. I ordered the Breakfast Slider and loved it! The bacon was crispy, broccoli roasted with seasoning, a perfectly cooked over medium egg all on a brioche bun. There was also spicy goat cheese spread on the slider, however there wasn't a lot there to taste it with every bite and it certainly wasn't spicy. I would have loved more of it, because the bites that did get some were absolutely delicious in enhancing flavor with the egg. The sandwich itself is larger than expected, bigger than a typical slider which was a pleasant surprise. I also ordered an incredible Apple Cheddar biscuit on the side. It was freshly made, buttery, and had little apple chunks in it. Great experience and I highly recommend visiting if you're looking for quick and convenient breakfast, with a great quality and fair price! read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Apple Cheddar Biscuit - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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I had a lovely breakfast here on a Friday morning. The cafe was buzzing, but not totally full. I got a spot by the window which gave me enough space to enjoy my tea, eggs, and toast. I found the other patrons to be incredibly kind and friendly. I thought the fog tea was delightful! I left with a couple pastries - they had many options to choose from. There is 1 hour street parking outside. read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Window seat! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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Belmont's best! Love this place so much. From the food to the vibe to the community, Ovenbird got it all. Definitely my go-to place in Belmont. read more

The coffee and blueberry scone was absolutely delicious. I was looking for a coffee shop close by my work and found this place. I can't stop thinking about going back there. I'm hoping this review gets me back there today! read more

This spot has such a homey feel. They have a diverse selection of baked goods, lunch foods, and prepared foods. Their seasonal flavors for their coffees are really tasty! They have a good amount of seating with the counter along the windows. read more

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Staff is kind and welcoming and the Menu is creative and delicious! The baked goods were also creative flavors and well made. The puff pastry of the hand pie is to die for. The sandwich and sweets were good too! read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Savory hand pie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

came here with a friend and we each got a latte and a chocolate chip biscuit to share. Biscuit was great, not dry and tasted freshly baked. The coffee was good, the baristas know what they are doing, everything came out timely. My coffee had little black specs of coffee grounds in it which is why it is not a five star but overall a cute place read more

Lots of points for aesthetic- it's very cute in there with tons handmade local items (there was a flower shop pop up happening while I was there!). Friendly, fast service. They have a pretty extensive menu with desserts and savory foods as well as seasonal coffee specials. I got a turmeric chai (yummy) and a gf chocolate chunk scone (needed some help). Seems like it would be an awesome place to hang out with friends or so some work! read more

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Very nice! Light and comfy atmosphere. Pleasant service with a smile. I had the Mocha Latte, very good. I ordered the fish stew, also very good. read more

So nice, I went twice in one weekend! Not to be dramatic, but their Pumpkin Spice Latte will change your life! Not the garbage 'pie spice' you get from other coffee shops, made with real pumpkin, this has a deep real-pumpkin flavor with a dash of pie spice making for the perfect fall beverage! A friend had recommended it and I went in last Saturday and was so blown away, I met another friend there on Sunday! She is not a big pumpkin fan and even agreed how incredible this was! We both ordered avocado toast to go with it and that was delicious as well! The staff here is so kind and helpful. We sat for a while and caught up and it was such a great vibe there. read more

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I visited on a weekday afternoon and struggled to find a seat, or really even navigate the slightly cramped space. I got the turkey sandwich. It was double decker, which made it difficult to eat, threw off the bread to filling ratio, and I didn't like the separation between the wetter slaw and the much drier meat/cheese fillings. On top of it, I disliked the strong dressing on the slaw. I was pretty hungry but struggled to get through one half of the sandwich, and just threw away the other half. I also got a chai latte that was basically hot milky water with cinnamon, but that's essentially average anyways. It's clearly a popular and well-loved cafe, but I struggled to see why on this visit. read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Love the veggie burgers and the apple squares. Friendly staff. Prices are $$$. Bakery items are fresh. D patnod Lic ac Cambridge read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Yummy vegan nut cookie made w avocado ! A healthy treat. Thank you to the cook. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

10/10. Quick service and very hearty breakfast for an affordable price. Delicious americano. Will definitely be back. Couldn't be better. read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon plate - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Answering the phone is a good start! Wanted delivery and someone kept hanging up on me. Would love to try the fried chicken. read more

I started coming here when it was Vicki Lee's and have continued to pop in for cookies and sweets that the new owners carried over. This was my first time under the new ownership sitting down for a bite. I met a friend here on a Saturday for lunch and a catch-up. It's a small-ish place with only a few tables and two counters (one at the window looking onto Trapelo Road) suitable for two or for individuals with laptops, of which there were many. I was about to say I hope they paid their way for the time they spent, but then again, my companion and I stayed for almost two hours chatting, so who am I to throw shade? One orders food at the counter and it is delivered to your table. I had a comfort lunch on this cold and rainy day, tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The tomato soup was fine, a bit tart, but that is how most restaurants who make it from scratch make it. The sandwich was buttery, lightly grilled and soft, with just the right amount of cheese oozing out. Yum. My companion had some sort of quinoa vegetarian bowl which looked delicious! About an hour in I thought we'd better buy something else to justify our stay, which I could tell wasn't going to end any time soon. My go-to cookies were there, I know them as Diamantes which are chunky sugar cookies. My companion had one of my cookies and settled on a box of their excellent lemon squares to take with her. We had one set-to about a cappuccino that she found to be bitter, and when she went to report it to the barista they were a bit combative with her, so the visit ended on a sour note I'm sorry to say. Other than that, the servers were polite and efficient, offering to clear our table as we sat there and NOT offering to kick us out for lingering, lol. I did notice another couple who hung around a bit as well, and there are the aforementioned laptop users, so it seems to be allowed. I will definitely be back. On-street parking can sometime be tricky, as Cushing Square is busy, but if you're willing to walk a block or two you'll be okay. read more

Great coffee! This is a super cute and great spot for a quick bite and coffee. My boyfriend and I stopped by to grab a light snack and coffee after a nice walk around the plaza. They have seasonal drinks so I got the peppermint mocha and my bf got an herbal tea since he doesn't drink anything with caffeine. We also grabbed some delicious apple scones. Everything was delicious! The mocha was perfect! And the scones were super yummy and nice and crumbly. We will definitely be back! read more

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I like the interior of this place. The employees here are very helpful and they're always smiling. I was really looking forward to the almond croissant as that's one's if my favorite pastries but this had a weird after taste that I disliked. I'm not an early bird so I love that this place closes late. read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Almond croissant Americano - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Absolutely disgraceful breakfast sandwich on terrible gluten free bread. Stressful atmosphere. No flavor whatsoever, no sauce of any kind on the bread, no butter or anything. Hard to believe they dare call this a breakfast sandwich. read more

Great experience here. Fast service, adorable spot, and all around delicious. My chai was flavorful and nice and foamy. They use a lot of local goods- mem tea, and a special blend of broadroast. I had their version of a Dagwood sandwich- with fresh roasted turkey cheddar, some picked goodies and lettuce as well as bacon. My bf got a breakfast bowl which he really enjoyed, with lentils chickpeas, rice, and eggs fried in chile oil. read more

Ovenbird Cafe - This is a double decker sandwich- their Dagwood sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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I have been coming to Ovenbird long before they were Ovenbird, back when they were Vicki Lee's. Since I have lived in Watertown for the past 11 years, a mere 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk away, this has been a reliable go to. The food is high quality and fantastic, and the drinks are my favorite, especially the raspberry lime rickey (henceforth referred to as RLR so I don't have to type "raspberry lime rickey" a bunch of times). When I was unemployed, I would motivate myself to get some exercise by walking to Ovenbird two or three times a week and getting a RLR. The staff has always been super friendly and I think they recognize me as a frequent customer. Today I am moved to post a review, because Ovenbird went above and beyond. I ordered some lunch to have delivered (delivery being a recent feature which is super convenient, but allows me to slack off on my exercise, LOL!) Of course I included a RLR in my order. Honestly it's my favorite. You can imagine my disappointment when my lunch arrived, but my drink was missing. This has happened in the past, through no fault of Ovenbird's. They do their deliveries through Doordash and a couple times in the past, the driver picked up my RLR, but failed to deliver it. (Perhaps they couldn't resist drinking it themselves!!) But for some reason, today the driver never got the RLR and when I called Ovenbird, they told me they would send another one my way. Apparently they couldn't find another driver to deliver because a little while later, one of the Ovenbird staff arrived at my door not only with my RLR, but with the ingredients to make myself another one! They personally just delivered happiness and sunshine on a chilly day following a disappointing presidential election. Thank you Ovenbird, for keeping me supplied not only with raspberry lime rickeys, but also the belief that there are still good people in the world. If you ran for president, you would totally have my vote. read more

Pastries are delicious and the coffee isn't half bad. Worth a try if you are in the area.

I'm proud to be a regular here at Ovenbird. I started coming during its Vicki Lee days, and this review is long overdue! The place changed hands and names earlier this year, but it's stayed in the family (the long time head chef took over). It's a leg up from your average cafe, while adopting a new earthy vibe and some new menu items. Yes, it's pricier than other places, but I'd rather come here for the quality, options, and local vibes. And the staff! This bright cafe now has counter-style seating along the large window walls and a few sit down tables, making it a decent place for working (ask for the WiFi password) or lunch/coffee with friends. They serve breakfast all day and have lunch options, plus prepared foods to takeaway for dinner. With that spiel over, what about the goods? I've tried something from each part of the menu, so here goes: Drinks: My usual is a chai latte with almond milk, which is sweeter here but also strongly brewed, so you can actually taste the tea (and the caffeine, if you're sensitive like me). They make their own concentrate with Mem Tea's masala chai blend, and it's good both iced and hot. They used to make their matcha latte with Mem Tea's mint matcha blend, but have recently upgraded to using matcha powder. Yay! You can have it unsweetened on request. I still find the iced version more watered down than my liking (they make a matcha syrup to help w prep time), so I prefer the hot matcha. Housemade vanilla simple syrup is an extra treat for the decadent days. (Um, yeah I've been here enough.) The Tall Man is more of a coffee guy. He enjoys their cappuccinos but really wasn't a fan of the brewed coffee. They use coffee beans blended for them by Square One. They have almond and oat milks as vegan options, charging $1 extra for each (kinda annoying when some places charge less for the less expensive oatmilk, but shrugs.) Sweets: As far as their baked goods go, they have a some GF options. Gluten free biscuits (aka scones) and muffins often run out in the morning, so come early for those. They're not dairy free, but I indulge in them anyways, especially the GF fruit-filled peach ginger or lemon/lavender blueberry biscuits. Ovenbird also carries over Vicki Lee's tradition of cake and pastry making. I'm not a big fan of the gluten free cupcake (go for the amaretto cookie for a gf/df sweet, if you can eat nuts), but my mom fell in love with the strawberry dacquoise (looks like a strawberry shortcake). She wasn't as big of a fan of the craquelin, though. Savories: The early bird breakfast bowl is rather tasty, especially if you get the housemade sausage or roasted veggies. Their scrambled eggs are made with dairy, but they have a fried egg option that can be made dairy-free. The blueberry spread that comes with the toast is delicious! My favorite lunch options are the chicken salad sandwich (not too mayo-y, nice herbs) and the southwestern cobb salad (easy to tailor). Ask for the gluten free bread! The prepared foods are expensive, but make for a super convenient reheated dinner with a dash of class. I especially like the maple glazed salmon. I also sometimes get their chicken salad to go, although it's not always in the case. Ovenbird is the only place in the square that has GF baking. They're also very good about disclosing ingredients. They do their best to avoid allergens as able, although I would be careful if you're particularly allergic as they use a lot of different ingredients here. Thus my tome ends, for now. Will be back as always! read more

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Excellent carrot & ginger soup. Loved the grains salad. Friendly staff. Good options in takeout case.

This place is a bit odd. There isn't really a good way to swing by here and pick up your drinks, say on the way to a get-together on Sunday afternoon. You can put in an order, but they will not start making it until you walk in. As a result, you walk in, then sorta look around to catch the eye of someone, then tell them that you're here and that you've put in an order online, then they tell the bartista, and then that bartista will eventually get to starting the drinks. So this takes like 15 minutes total, with an online order. You do get a fresh latte, though, so there is that benefit, but it makes it hard to consider as an option if you're bringing coffee/lattes to an event. The other thing is that, you'll pay $5 for a latte, and then it's half-filled, so you sorta feel ripped off. The taste of the latte is definitely above-average, so it's pretty good, but you wish they charged you for a small if they were going to make a small-sized latte. They only have one size, which is I guess a 5 dollar small. I've tried their muffins and their biscuits, which taste-wise were good, but were both very dry, which I know is hard to prevent, but it results in a pastry that you put into a cup, have fall into chunks, and then pick out the chunks to eat. People here are very nice and the place looks great, location is great too. read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Latte, $5, filled a little under halfway. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Such a lovely cafe for studying! Each pastry tasted as good as it looked! My favorites were their Strawberry Dacquoise and Red Velvet cupcake. Their iced coffee was oddly sour (their only downside tbh) but I'd come back again for sure. Our cashier was lovely and brought everything to our table quickly. read more

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Warm, comfortable, light and bright. Friendly staff, really good coffee and excellent pastries. Really, what else do you need? I love the layout of ovenbird - basically, there's space to move and lots of seating choices. It's just a great, cosy, welcoming coffee shop. Wouldn't hesitate to return when I'm in the area. read more

Great food and nice neighborhood setting. Bakery stuff is good, as well as the chicken sandwiches and quiche.

I stopped by The Ovenbird Cafe in Belmont for some sweet desserts recently. This cafe and catering establishment offers takeout and indoor dining (starts March 22) serving up breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, quiche, soups, salads, heat & serve entrees, pastries, homemade desserts, coffee & tea drinks. The prices are slightly high here. The place was fairly busy around lunch hour when I arrived here. I picked out two small desserts ($6 each plus tax) including the Boston Cream Pie and the Strawberry Dacquoise.  Since there was no indoor dining here yet and the place was busy, I took my sweets to go and went to another coffee house to enjoy. The Boston Cream Pie was a small round layered dessert in a clear plastic sleeve with light yellow sponge cake, light cream, thick chocolate fudge frosting on top and golden deco on top. The Strawberry Dacquoise was layered with meringue on bottom and top with a strawberry and cream layer mix in between topped with cream and a fresh strawberry. I enjoyed my afternoon dessert time and will be back to try The Ovenbird for indoor dining brunch. read more

such a cute vibe with lots of fun trinkets to look at when you walk in. biscuit sando was great i enjoyed the herby biscuit read more

Ovenbird Cafe - biscuit sando and drip coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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Got a chicken salad sandwich and 6 cookies to go- $35, + $3 tip. Cookies were good but giving 3 stars rating for the $14 sandwich. Very low ratio of chicken salad to bread, maybe 1/2 cup at most , leaving 1/2 inch on sides of crust, way too many chunky onions and 1/2 thin tomato slice w little arugula. No choice on very seeded dense bread. read more

I like that they have loose leaf teas served in a teapot, and I enjoy their matcha! They also have a great selection of pastries and baked goods. Great atmosphere and I see people studying here often :) read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Ovenbird is a yummy bakery they even have GF pasties sometimes! The seating is not real comfy but the coffee and chit chat their is friendly. Loved my last visit. D Patnod, Lic. Ac. Cambridge read more

A gem of a cafe/bakery in Cushing Square. (And so much better than the Starbucks across the street!) The coffee is excellent, the baked goods delicious, and the sandwiches yummy. May God send more places like Ovenbird to Watertown/Belmont! read more

Ovenbird Cafe - A perfect cortado! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Vicky Lee's was long my go-to place for catering for large and small gatherings. We needed catering for a party for 40+ people so decided to give Ovenbird a try. So glad we did. Jennie worked with us on developing the menu for a light lunch on a Sunday. She was knowledgeable, helpful and patient, explaining options clearly and was great on follow up. Most importantly, the food was wonderful. Several guests asked for their information. Just a side note, I love deviled eggs and theirs were great! The aram sandwiches, long a staple at Vicky Lee's, are still delicious and, like everything else, beautifully presented. I miss Vicky Lee but she left us with an excellent substitution. read more

Ovenbird's cookies are super delicious. My favorite is almond. And they have nice coffee drinks to go with the cookies, cakes, pastries or whatever sweet treat you want to pair. If you have not tried Ovenbird, I highly recommend that you do! I also would like to Thank Ovenbird for supporting the BHS All Night Party. Your generosity for this annual event was much appreciated. Thank you!!! read more

Good food - love the half sandwich-half salad/soup option - and great coldbrew! Even though this isn't a cafe that I can imagine a lot of people would do work or study in per se, I was able to get stuff done here at one of their cute tables without any issue! All their desserts also looked super tasty - can't wait to try them next time! read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Half turkey sandwich and half salad - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

We used Ovenbird Cafe for a catered private event in Belmont. The catering manager was super friendly and easy to work with. The servers they sent to our site were professional, friendly, and knew how to work such an event. The food was all high quality and delicious, and our guests raved about it too. Thank you, Ovenbird Cafe catering, for helping make our event a success. read more

The ambiance is quite alluring: bright and rustic. i ended up doing some work there on my laptop after I ate. I got the shrimp tacos and an Arnold Palmer along with some pastries-- a blueberry scone and an apple tart. The shrimp tacos were yummy (didn't blow me away). So was the Arnold Palmer (which is pretty sour and plain by itself, since it's tea and lemonade). My favorite parts were the pastries because they were scrumptious-- sweet, fragrant and crumbly. They were super expensive though ! In total, all of it costed more than $40 which I think is a little too much for what I received. Still a great experience! read more

Ovenbird Cafe - Shrimp tacos and an Arnold palmer - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

I walked in and there was no hot chocolate on the menu. While I was discussing this with my parents, the barista overheard us and decided to hand craft her own hot chocolate for us. The place itself was very cozy and amazing, definitely made my vacation a lot more enjoyable. read more