I've been back here several times since my first review and every time I go back I find myself more disappointed than the last. The sad part is I really want to like this place but I keep finding reasons not to. The guy who runs the place (i think he does anyways) who is always seating people on the weekends was quite rude to my friends and I on my last visit. He noticed that I had gone next door to look at the menu of the Balltown cafe (I have a friend that works there who's told me good things) and told my other friend that I was insulting him by checking to see if there was a shorter line. My other friends went to get coffee across the street thinking we would have a long wait. I understand that it's frowned upon to bring your own coffee to a restaurant that serves it but there's no need to give them a dirty look! Lastly, the food is just not that great. One of my favorite things to do is go out for pancakes in the morning. Unfortunately the pancakes they serve here aren't that great! The combination all sound great (bannana-berry, banana-mozzarella, blueberry-chocolate, etc.) but instead of actually cooking it into the pancakes, they essentially make a hole in the middle of the pancakes and shove the toppings in. The pancakes themselves are unflavorful and bland, and the syrup is tasteless! Perhaps the trick to enjoying the pancakes here is to order the side of maple syrup (an extra $2.00!), but it shouldn't be that hard to get decent syrup for your customers, just ask Aunt Jemima! Lastly the home fries are not home fries! If I see home fries on the menu then I expect multiple fried potato objects, as the word fries is plural, it would imply that the home fries will be multiple different fries... Nope, you get a large lump of something resembling a half-cooked hash brown. Essentially mashed potatoes cooked briefly in a frying pan. I'm pretty sure it wasn't even real potatoes! YUCK! read more

We used to frequent this brunch place... after my last visit, where the owner called my friend an "a**hole" for trynig to use a coupon from the childrens hospital charity deck of card, we will never go back. stay away, unless you want to eat overcooked eggs and wash it down with a side of being insulted. read more

We went here because ball squares lines were too long, thought we would give it a try. Have to say We were not impressed. We got pancakes and a Basic eggs and sausage breakfast and it was just average but price was pretty expensive for what it was. I would probably not return. read more

A lazy Sunday and another brunch arrives, leading us to Sound Bites. Arriving after one, you'll find ample seating and some friendly, if not a bit frazzled, staff members rushing about the restaurant, which is filled with customers who are eating, chatting and enjoying their slow Sunday morning. This AM, we were among the newer customers, enjoying such novelties as a self-serve coffee bar with 6-8 different brews, a variety of milk (skim, whole and soy), plus syrups for flavoring. You have to appreciate, despite the bustle, how quickly the food arrived...though the (not very good at all) Eggs Benedict came a good five minutes before the (most amazing) French Toast (I've ever had in my life). Crusted in cereal, walnuts and almonds, drizzled in carmelized blueberries and banana, this giant dish of sweet, crunchy morning delight certainly washed any disdain previously felt by its late arrival. Sound Bites earns a spot in the brunch rotation. Find a way to work it into your Sunday, just avoid the Eggs Benedict! read more

Oh Sound Bites. Everyone I know has a love/hate relationship with this restaurant. Well, after yesterday morning, I would say I am now solidly towards the hate end of that spectrum. 1) The wait staff is incompetent and rude. They are always rushing you. But whatever, I had put up with it in the past because the food was great. 2) However, yesterday the food was so-so at best. I CERTAINLY could have produced better in my own kitchen. 3) The bill. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! When you are spending over 20 bucks just to eat breakfast...well, that just about blows my mind. $2.50 for your weak, watery coffee?! $4 for a gatorade?! Who are these people? Unless their gatorade is made of unicorn blood, it should NEVER be that expensive. And added gratuity, if I were a party of 7 I'd understand...but we were 5 people. The amount added was bogus and they were certainly undeserving of it. Sorry to say Sound Bites, but until you change your 'tude and your prices, I probably won't be coming back. read more

It really saddens me to write this - but here I go. I have been a regular here for years - years before they moved to their new spot. I'm loyal, there often - I know the owners read this, I can promise you, you know me - I'm a bar fly, sometimes there alone, sometimes with my fiancé, and I am always polite, happy, and a great tipper. Yesterday I was enjoying a solo breakfast of gluten free pancakes - you're one of the only places that has great GF pancakes and I was happily chowing down - and the manager came over to chat, as they do. He then asks if I am "expecting" a boy or a girl. My face dropped, I completely lost my appetite, he recognized his mistake and said I resemble someone else but the damage was so far done, and more done when they you didn't profusely apologize (especially when I told you that was quite rude and inappropriate, then begged to be left alone so I could quietly enjoy my breakfast when you wouldn't stop explaining how pregnant my twin looks). I'll have you know that I've lost 50lbs and allow myself one cheat meal a week. That was it, and it was ruined. I'm so sad that I won't be dining there again, but I can't risk my own mental health in that manner. Your food's the best but your customer service is atrocious. And I can promise - you know me, you won't ever see me again - your manager caused you to lose a very loyal customer. read more

How do I put this? The best part of my breakfast was the coffee. I had the Moroccan eggs and a side of blueberry pancakes. I must have done something horribly wrong because the food was pretty bad. The veggies in these Moroccan eggs - a house special, the menu says - were undercooked, so I had a huge pile of watery, unpleasantly firm, peppers and onions on top of 3 poached eggs. With a dash of raw cumin. I adore poached eggs, and the eggs here were nicely cooked, but the dish was a lukewarm mess. Salt and hot sauce didn't help. I buttered my rye toast heavily, dunked it in the lovely yolks of those poached eggs and tried to make the best of things. And then the pancakes were made with frozen, wild blueberries. No real crime there: if and when I make pancakes I use frozen fruit too! But not flavorless, tough frozen fruit. The pancakes themselves had a char on them that gave them the flavor of a New Haven apizza. I almost cried. I was actively unhappy while eating pancakes so I stopped. Unheard of. They also brought me a plate of fruit. I have no idea if I paid for it, or it came with my eggs, or what, but it came in second to the coffee in edibility. Yelp reviews, actual people I know, everyone seems to love this place. But I've got better diner food closer to home and I owe the Broadway Diner a huge apology for the doubts I harbored while writing their review. I came on a weekday (was that the problem?), I didn't wait and the staff was so nice that I feel bad about this review. A little. read more

They do not take reservations and there was a line right outside when we arrived. I was a little worried, thankfully the queue moved quickly. Everyone in line was holding Sound Bites' coffee mugs, as they have a self service coffee bar. There were plenty of options, but I ultimately ordered the spinach mushroom with goat cheese omelette, served with slices of toast and corn bread. It was alright, nothing too out of the ordinary. I tried my friend's walnut, brown sugar(?) french toast, and that was a different story. A much more satisfying dish compared to mine. I had to knock two points down since I felt very rushed and under pressure throughout the entire meal. The servers were constantly asking if I was done eating, when i obviously was not. I didn't really get to enjoy my cup of joe. BLEH. read more

O. M. G. Is this heaven? Happiness, my friends.. is easily calculated. Self Serve Gourmet Coffee Bar + Cajun Mashed Potato Home fries + Thick-Cut Tomato and Avocado Eggs Benedict (cooked PERFECTLY) + Side of Turkey Bacon + Splash of Ketchup = THE BEST BREAKFAST EVER! The staff doesn't rush you.. the booth-style tables are super comfortable.. the bar area and bathrooms are clean and cute.. and I love love love that they serve breakfast food ALL DAY, and on the weekdays too! PS - As many people have pointed out, definitely be prepared to wait awhile on a weekend morning for a table.. this place gets pretty jam-packed. I went on a Tuesday morning after the gym, and it was great. But seriously, the food is really worth it, and the value is wonderful. read more

First of all, I would like to mention that the fruit bowls are the size of your HEAD. No, seriously, a fruit bowl is not a side here. It's practically dinner. Great selection of delicious, fresh fruit. Unfortunately for me, the vegan options are either the fruit bowl and hummus plate (similarly delicious). But my carnivorous boyfriend worships the corned beef hash here, the coffee is self-serve with plenty of options in variety and milk (and soy!) and the table service is both friendly and quick. Highly recommended for a weekend breakfast or brunch-though you may have to wait a bit for a table. read more

REMEMBER THE SOUP EPISODE OF SEINFELD If you come here, you will just have to accept that you will get treated like crap especially since the food is really that good They don't care what you think, because yeah the food is awesome.....honestly, part of the reason I come here is become I expect their wait staff and owner to be, well rude. Just like a bad relationship, I keep coming back for more. One move wrong and your sweet ass is back on the side walk with everyone else who has been standing there for an hour Just stand in line, let the people who spot their ex from high school that they haven't spoke to in 15 years, cut you in line.... deal with it, get your coffee, sit down, try and find someone who can place your order.......... once you see someone just scream your order as loud as you can. (A tip. pick out what you want to eat by the time you are seated. DON'T worry. You'll have time.) You can even write it down on a piece of paper and shoot a paper airplane their way. It will move things along. Only chat while you are in line or are waiting for your food. Once your food comes..it's all business. No time to chat. It's all about the turn over baby! When you are done, just throw your credit card at the waitresses face or flag down the owners son ...you'll know who he is.......he's the one full of a life time of aggression against his dad for A) making him deal with this dumb ass bitchy crowd on his weekends B) Knowing exactly what he is in for when he is older and takes the business over Once you get his attention just hand over your cash. By the time he has figured out what the hell is going on and if you gave the correct amount or not, you are already running out of there. The burn from the death glares of the next people in line waiting to be seated proves to be too much to handle. This is all part of the craptastic experience you will have at Sound bites, which by the way does not revolve around music or records....Oh and part of the fun is waiting to see if you are actually selected to receive their infamous fruit bowl! We put money on it. Get the Fig Stuffed French Toast. Yummers. Just eat it FAST! read more

I was not impressed with the food, service, or over-all LACK of atmosphere. Awards what? And how? I did not like the dollop of mashed potatoes repurposed as "home-fries" NOT! At least give someone a heads up on the menu and say "Pan Fried Mashed Potato"! I did not like the Moroccan eggs, 3 poached eggs swimming in onions & peppers. Normally a combo favorite of mine but NOT when the ingredients are cut the size of quarters and only partially cooked. The dish also lacked seasoning. I did not like people sweeping floors then mopping floors, scrubbing walls and using strong cleaning products ALL Around Me while I was eating. It felt like I had gone to a janitorial convention & decided I was going to eat food in the middle of all the cleaning chaos! Not exactly an appetizing thought OR experience! They should have paid me to eat there. This is an establishment totally getting by on hype & who knows what .. (Certainly not good looks) Oh I Remember now. It's the portions; they are large so perhaps some folks have decided to forgo a real restaurant experience for a full stomach .. Not me! read more

First off, this place is a trap. I really wanted to try Ball Sq Cafe next door but there was such a long line that we decided to go next door to Sound Bites. Big mistake, no wonder there was no line there! Our food was just mediocre and the fact that we spent $3 on a cup of coffee that we had to serve ourselves was ridiculous. The food is overpriced despite the fact that quality doesn't appear to be their main focus. The bacon had a weird artificial taste to it, definitely the worst bacon that I've ever tasted. They seem like they want to get as many people in and out of there as quickly as possible. Next time, I'll just deal with the line at Ball Sq Cafe. read more

I've been coming here for years by myself and I know most of the friendly staff, so it's always fun to come in and see old friends (and some regular customers too). I have no complaints about the (usually) speedy service and general operation. The drink bar is in my opinion a good idea as it saves staff time and gets folks in and out quickly (necessary on weekends when table turn is rapid). The main complaint is the inconsistency of the food; challah french toast is usually stale (I've tried several times on this, and they obviously leave the bread out all morning, or it wouldn't be near impossible to chew). The bacon was swapped out a couple years ago from inedible to somewhat edible - but I am convinced it's cooked way in advance so by the time you get it, its a bit congealed and actually a bit rancid. If you can believe this, the latest bacon is a bit better than it was before. Eggs are hit or miss; sometimes piping hot, sometimes ice cold. I get that they pre-cook in advance to save time. But after the big rush, they should go back to cook-to-order if at all possible. I've been saying for years it is VERY hard to find good quality breakfast spots in this area without paying a fortune (Temple Bar offers a good brunch and decent quality food, but you pay more). But if you are willing to sacrifice a bit of quality for the carnival atmosphere and reliable friendly service, then come on in. I will do the same. See you next weekend. read more

"Did you hear that?" "Yeah, they forgot to put her order in 25 minutes ago..." I'm not sure why this place is called 'Sound Bites'. The only sound bites I heard, were the complaints of other customers! And I added plenty! The seating was out of control. I think my friend and I were rushed to our seats by the owner's chunky 12 year-old son, but to our advantage, he skipped over a party of four that had been waiting a little longer. That's what happens when you put your kids to work, I guess. :( From where we were sitting, I could see a full bar, but no staff. I asked the owner if they were serving, or if we could at least get mimosas, and he said he'd make them. The mimosas tasted like a bottle of Andre splashed into a jug of Tang. :( Yuck-Yuck. While we waited for our food, I couldn't help but listen to other people complain, seriously! One woman was served 10 minutes before her friend, and she started to share her breakfast, and other people were complaining about forgotten items, etc. I could even hear the owner defending the staff to other customers, and explaining a story about someone who left their wallet behind, and tried to retrieve it while the restaurant was still in operation, and he couldn't give it back to them while people were eating? (It totally made no sense, and if that was YOUR wallet, the owner totally thought you were an asshole. :( ) Once our food arrived, the frowns were non-stop. My plate was covered in grease, and the home fries were actually mashed potatoes (you were totezZz right, Bonnie!) I'm sorry, but if you are going to call them home fries, the potato has to be in a diced form when it reaches the plate. These weren't a step above fucking whipped HASH BROWNS. Upon inspection of the greasy potato roll, I noticed what appeared to be a red hair. I put it up to my head and asked my friend if it looked like one of mine, and she confirmed that it was not. I asked if it was one of hers, because she has red hair, and she told me it was not. Then we both came to the conclusion that it was a thick fiber from a Brillo pad, and had a good laugh (while avoiding the rest of the home fries). The menu options seem fun, but they failed to thrill me. And the red metallic topping on my potato log did not score any bonus points. :( I STILL have no idea what the hell the name has to do with anything. When I heard the name Sound Bites, I thought of the Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, or some place where I'd hear The Clash while eating a pancake. I think I could hear Genesis playing in the background, but that may have been someone's ringtone (and I fucking HATE Genesis!) . I think there were a lot of Tufts students here, and that's a shame. You kids need to get on the T or shuttle bus, and get the hell out of there. :( (p.s. this place was recently remodeled!!! stop bitching at me or I'll make you eat here! Ewwww!) read more

Unbelievably overrated. Unremarkable food, rushed waitstaff, terrible coffee. Really, people - stop trying to convince yourselves that this place is actually special. Do yourself a favor and instead go to Rosebuds in Davis Sq - the food's better and the experience is LIGHT YEARS ahead of this place. read more

1.) I have never been to a restaurant where the wait included bar seating. After waiting awhile at the front desk with no help (and I didn't see a "Please wait to be seated" sign), we noticed there were tons of bar seats open - all but two. So we decided to just eat at the bar, whoops! I'm an a-hole! 2.) Get your own darn drinks! I go out to be served and chat with my company, not take turns weaving through crowds and figuring out how to get the drink I want. Nothing in the case was priced. I don't mind shelling out some dough to enjoy myself, I just might have been more inclined had I seen the numbers. The cups and water were behind the register and servers cashing out, the ice was around them on the other side on a stool in a wide open cooler. Oh the circles I ran in trying to serve myself coffee and water. Was I supposed to get my own mimosa? I wanted one after I was done eating, but all I got was my bill... 3.) There was not a single red pepper in my sweet red pepper hash. It was out of a can, it may have been two cans worth. They put the eggs right on top of it, no biggie, just thought you should know. 4.) The berry pancakes were more like a pile of berries circled by some tough pancake-like stale bread. Where there were berries there was no pancake, and vice versa. 5.) My friend's pear and goat cheese French toast was soggy on the outside, gritty on the inside. The texture was like I was eating something regurgitated, the after taste left me with the same impression. We sent it back. Read my other reviews, I'm really not that picky! 6.) We had trouble deciphering if they even had homefries. In scanning a menu for them (as they came with nothing), I was not looking for "Noplacelikehomefries." Cute twist, but difficult find, for the dyslexic most especially. Griddled mashed potatoes are not homefries, but they are delicious!! 7.) Nothing came buttered. This is fine, put it on the side, whatever... but please, why do I have to work for it? I hate fighting those darn butter packets! 8.) There is no door on the kitchen. This made for a very hot room even with the air-conditioning. When the air-conditioning blew, it was too hot I couldn't eat anymore. Yes, this was probably a rare event, but it was a digustingly humid day. No one propped the door to let the sweltering kitchen heat out so it was quite suddenly much cooler outside!?! In conclusion, I believe this is the kind of place you could frequent, get used to some of these quirks, and order accordingly. Had I been better informed I might have adjusted and settled in with more ease. Thank goodness I was not hungover, enjoying this place was a lot of work already! read more

I dunno how it's possible that I hadn't ever been here before yesterday, but I got schooled in breakfast dining by Barbara Ann when she brought me to Sound Bites yesterday. We went relatively early (for a Sunday) and were in and out before 11:30 AM, which was great because while it was a little busy, we still missed the brunch rush, which we saw on our way out. We got to sit outside, which was fantastic with the nice weather, and hit the coffee bar for some tasty beverages, then ordered right away. I ordered the tomato and avocado eggs benedict, which ended up being out of control awesome. Barbara Ann got the pear and goat cheese stuff french toast-also AWESOME. A word to the wise: if you're expecting standard home fries/hash browns, you may want to order something else. The "hash browns" here are fried mashed potatoes, which are really good, but not the standard. Barbara Ann ordered a fruit cup, which is absolutely the best fruit cup I've seen. It was filled with mango, papaya, kiwi, apples, pears, grapes, pineapple, and strawberries. Clearly a fresh, seasonal fruit cup, which is always a treat. The service was lovely and very fast, and Barbara Ann got a kiss on the cheek first thing on a Sunday morning from not one of her adorable children, but the nice owner. I will definitely be coming back here again. It's cheap, friendly, fast and tasty. I need to check out Ball Square more often! read more

This is a tough review to score so here's the break down: Pros: Best Fruit plate (including next door's) huge chunks of ripe mango and papaya all food is great! Cons: On several occasions we have been rudely rushed out the door (a few weekends ago my husband and I brought his parents here. We ordered a lot of food and as soon as they cleared our plates 3 DIFFERENT people came over to shoo us out within 5 minutes. One actually said, "there are tables waiting- please take your coffees to go." I get it. They do a killing on the weekends. I've worked brunch at other places and I get the turn and burn mentality. It's just that we were in there for maybe 30 minutes spent 60 bucks and were being ASKED to leave. If it wasn't for the service this place would be 5 stars. read more

Note: I've basically copy and pasted my review from The Ball Square Cafe. I saw no difference between the two places. We came here for brunch. There was no one at the front to seat us, though we could hear the staff socializing in the kitchen (we figured out it was seat yourself). Finally the server came by and dropped off the menus. (The only difference from Ball Square Cafe that I found was that the Cafe at least had a place for people to sit and wait out of the elements). The staffers tried to sound polite when they talked to customers, but it came off forced and fake. Let's start with the server. Our server was absent and fake with the friendliness. He didn't check on us once to see if we were ok with our meal. He also dropped off the check before we asked for it--a sure sign that he was pushing us to leave so that she could flip the table. Not a pleasant atmosphere to eat in. And then there's the self service drinks. You have to go up and get all of your own water, juice, or any other drink that you want to have. Fine, whatever, except that those drinks go on your bill, which then most people TIP off of. So you're tipping the waiter for drinks that you had to fetch yourself. Charming. Let's review: I saw my "waiter" twice: once to take the order, and once to bring us our food. He never brought us anything, and never checked on us. That's the kind of service you get at a fastfood joint, and you don't tip them. The service we got does not warrant tipping at all. People, if you do tip, be sure to deduct the price of the drinks from the tab before tipping, and remember to always tip before tax. Finally, the food. I always get pancakes the first time I eat at a brunch place. They're a simple dish, and if you can't get pancakes right you're a shitty place to have breakfast. I was very disappointed to receive meh pancakes. When they cooled off a bit they started tasting so bad that I couldn't continue eating them. To top it off, they charge you for "real" maple syrup. This place blew and we're not coming back. read more

Had a weird and rushed breakfast experience at this joint. By the time I was back from pouring my own coffee (self serve drinks- kinda fun!) the waiter was parked at my table taking food orders so I didn't get a real chance to review the menu. Our meals came out super speedy which was nice. The food was fine- everything on my plate was average except for the fried mashed potatoes served as home fries which were delicious! What turned me off was how the waiters and waitresses (we had five different servers- I think they were a tad over-staffed) gave us our bill half way through the meal and swarmed us like hawks until we paid. Never before have I been forced to pay half way through a meal! They kept closing in and took away our plates as rapidly as they could. They patrolled by every .05 seconds to try and clean our table. Then a guy who looked like a manager came over to make sure we had already paid our bill. Jeeeze, they would have dragged us out if they could of. My table of six was in and out in less than 30 minutes. So much for catch up brunch with the girls- I didn't even finish my coffee! Ball Square Cafe next time for sure. read more

It safe to say I've been to Sound Bites one to many times and now I know better. At first I enjoyed the place even though the food was mediocre but its close to my house and everything comes out fast--Hence the 2 stars. There's always a wait but it moves along pretty quickly. The service is fast, efficient and usually friendly. The restaurant is clean but crowded so not always comfortable. Not to mention it always feel like your being rushed. The Corned Beef Hash was mushy and flavorless. The pancakes are lackluster. The Ole Omelet is the only thing I have had that I enjoyed even though the corn muffin can sometimes be hard and/or dry. The eggs usually come out good but that not a big achievement for a breakfast place. The "no place like home fries" are basically mashed potatoes that have been placed on the griddle--Some people like it--I don't. The prices are not cheap and the quality and flavor is just not there. Ball Square and Renee's Cafe are definitely better choices if your in the area. read more

2pm on a cold sunny sunday afternoon and i wanted pancakes. A quick Bing search on "pancakes in Boston" brought up sound bite. I recalled how often the name came up on the Yelp Talk forum and I said, let's go get some pancakes and there we were! I wouldn't say this place is in the middle of nowhere, but it definitely felt like it as we pulled up to a street parking spot across the street from the restaurant. My boyfriend was a little uncertain about its appearance on the outside, but I told him that if my fellow yelpers said it's good, then it must be good. When we walked in, we were immediately excited by the cool-casual atmosphere and the little coffee bar at the corner of the restaurant. We got a table right away, and our server was friendly and helpful. My blueberry pancakes were just okay i guess, not very sweet, which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on how big of a sweet tooth you have. Their syrup isn't so sweet either. My boyfriend's breakfast plate was amazing though. The sausage links were not like your typical IHOP/Mcdonalds, but tasted better. Their home fries were....THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD. Seriously, i don't know what kinda crack they put in there, but I walked in not feeling very hungry, and i ate all of my boyfriend's home fries (which looked kinda like mashed potatoes but had this distinct indescribable flavour). The coffee wasn't strong enough for me, but it was good coffee nonetheless. I just love the whole experience of the place, sitting there casually in the afternoon eating good food. I might just be a regular here. read more

Sound Bites Cafe - mmm....blueberry pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Sound Bites service "bites". This servers and management here take rude to another level. There are no smiles, you are RUSHED (if you linger after your last bite, they WILL come over to you and let you know that there is a line outside), and I'm thinking they value their reputation for rudeness. The food is NOT all that, just very, very basic. If you don't mind a wait, go to the Neighborhood in Union Square, Renee's in Somerville, or Centre Street Cafe in JP for some really GOOD breakfast and pleasant service. read more

The food is pretty close to 5 stars-worthy, but the service this past Saturday night was piss poor. We walked in after an exhausting indecisive drive trying to figure out where to go. Northern Iowa was only a few minutes from upsetting Kansas in the NCAA hoops tourney and they served beer and had plenty of room at the bar. Our prospects were looking up. We sit down, get a coupla pints poured for us, and put in our order a few minutes later. Keep in mind we are one of 4 parties dining at this point. Falafel as an app, chili burrito for me, burger for the better half. Nice. At this point, the frustration of finding no parking at other restaurants in Boston, was f-f-f-f-f-faaading away. Well about 15 minutes elapse. 2 ladies have just sidled up to the bar across from us and are promptly served their buffalo finger app within a few minutes. Still no falafel. "hey Gargamel, how's that falafel comin along?" "oh yeah that'll be right out." "will it now....hmm..." Finally the falafel is out. We devour, as we're kinda hungry by this time. 10 minutes later my omelette in all its glory arrives. The homefries are like a brick of potato with fulffiness inside and a great crust on the outside. Believe the hype. Unique take on homefries. Get some hot sauce and sour cream to throw on that shit. Now, eggs are probably one of the worst things to eat cold, so I start in. My burger-expecting fiancee is hungry, so she snags a few bites of mine. "hey porcupine, how's the burger comin along?" "oh yeah that'll be out any minute." "oh rearry. je ne believe you pas." another 10 or 15 minutes elapse. "you still slaughtering the cow or what?" "yeah sorry about that guys, drinks are on me for the trouble." SO FINALLY THE GODDAMN BURGER COMES OUT. and it's delicious. and huge. but cripes, what the hell happened back there? Laverne and Shirley at the bar were 3 post-dinner drinks deep by the time the damn burger came out, and they got there a half hour after us. So that's about it. He comp'd our 3 beers and appetizer without being asked, which saves this from being a 2 star review. If you feel like breakfast at night, give this a try, especially since it's so crowded in the morning, but if you want to be served before your social security benefits kick in, come in the morning when the morning crew who know what they're doing is on the clock. read more

Even though staff was super nice and pleasant my opinion is about the food as not as good as about staff . I got food poisoning after have brunch here . I don't want to really talk about but after I got back home I didn't eat anything besides what I got on the brunch and by the end of the day I started feeling bad my stomach was talking to me . And the best part I was coming back and forth to the toilet for the whole night . I really hate leaving 1 stars reviews but this is the case I never recommend anyone to go there for brunch or any food . I'm 100% sure that I got food poisoning from the vegetables because I ordered Mexican omelet . But that was not it another reason that was almost a fight in the morning idk what kinda people going there for fighting at 12 pm but that was it no comments. read more

Sound Bites Cafe - Guys who tried to fight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The staff are friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, and the food's good. The self-service drink thing is a little weird, but that's my only (small) complaint, if you can call it that. read more

I've been here twice for brunch, and both times I have been really happy with the quality of food I was served and with how quickly we were seated. That being said, I honestly would have waited in line longer (or gone somewhere else) in order to not feel like the minute I was actually let in the door, that every employee in the establishment wanted me to just give them my money and get out. As soon as we sat down we were bombarded by three different servers asking if we were ready to order (we had literally JUST sat down). My boyfriend asked a question about one of the specials, and the waiter just assumed that would be what he was ordering and wrote it all out. When my boyfriend reiterated that he was just asking a question, the waiter left in a huff leaving a pretty awkward mood back at our table. Our food was served quickly, and it was delicious... and the waiters and waitresses were hovering like sharks to take our plates. My boyfriend really likes to finish everything on his plate, and he got several eye rolls when he firmly said that he was not finished yet. Then, after they had just taken all of our plates and he got up to go refill his coffee (we were on our way out) two waiters were right on our table wiping it down. This would have been a complete non-issue to me had I not been in the process of scootching my way out of the booth when they came over, and got crumbs brushed all over my lap. Was a great "cherry on top" to the whole experience. Honestly, we were probably sitting for 20-30 minutes. I understand the line out the door, and that people are waiting to be sitting in the seat I'm sitting in... but at what point do you sacrifice the entire quality of the dining experience you're providing just to assembly-line people through your restaurant? One of the things you pay for in the cost of food you order at a restaurant is being able to sit and be served. The overpoweringly rushed atmosphere of Sound Bites makes it nearly impossible to enjoy sitting, and when the service is so centered on getting you out the door, you end up feeling more pushed and rushed than actually served. This fact just makes me leave Sound Bites feeling ripped off. Would I go back here if a group of friends invited me? Yeah, because they are people I want to see. Is it a place I would want to go on my own accord, or a place I'd take my parents? I'd much rather go to a place I felt welcome eating in. read more

Sound Bites gets 5 stars from me because when they checked our ID's for mimosas the waitress noticed it was my boyfriend's birthday and they brought us out a blueberry muffin atop a mountain of fruit salad and whipped cream, complete with a little candle to blow out. At breakfast! And I didn't even give her the ole' nudge nudge "psst, it's his birthday" schtick. And they were packed. What a quality place, I thought to myself. Then the food came out and proved me right. I got the 2^3 (2 cubed) Royale (with cheese). It didn't come with cheese, but I still liked saying Royale. That entailed scrambled eggs, bacon, 2 hefty pancakes that I barely made a dent in, and toast. The eggs and bacon were nothing special as far as breakfast goes, but they were what I expected, which was hot and cooked right. The pancakes were a little on the thick side for me, but I'm quite particular about pancake density. I relished the home fries, which were not home fries at all but a huge lump of mashed potatoes that had been tossed on the grill. My mom used to do that whenever we had leftover mashed in the morning, but it wasn't just that they reminded me of the ole' homestead that made me like them. They were soft with a crispy crust here and there, and liberally peppered all the way through which is how I like all my food. I would come back here just for that hashy mash. The breakfast lines for this place are always out of control though. read more

The self serve coffee / beverage bar is awesome! No waiting for coffee refills, ever. To me, thats worth 4 Stars. The food was average. I've had better Eggs Benedict $7.99 (read: properly cooked) at The Grecian Yearning. Poach an egg properly and I'm a happy camper, thats all. Not-too-much-to-ask. Service / Wait. Remarkably, we had no wait. It was high noon on a Sunday. Although, shortly after us there was a 10-12 person line. Just a note: beautiful women eat breakfast here. I'm-just-sayin. read more

Ugh. This place is so overrated! The water for poaching eggs is dirty. Service is crappy, it's always crowded, and everything just feels dirty - in a very bad, bad way. read more

Pros: the stuffed french toast filed with cream cheese and figs is probably the best item Cons: the coffee is self serve and with free refills, however the quality is average. We went to a place across the street for better coffee. The moroccan eggs flavor was decent but they overloaded the plate with tomatoes and red onions as if there's an oversupply from farms in Kansas. read more

I really really really want to give this place 5 stars, because the food was great. I went at like 2pm on a Tuesday, so there was literally nobody else there. The food was really great, my toast was delicious, but I was incessantly harassed by the wait staff, and it made me feel really uncomfortable. I walked in to an empty restaurant, which was nice because I was aiming for a working lunch. Instead, the waiter kept asking me if I spoke Spanish, and even after I said yes but was clearly uncomfortable and continued to address him only in English, he would only speak to me in Spanish. Then, the chef came to bring my food over, and said something in Spanish, and I thanked him in Spanish. He wasn't even three feet away from my table when he yelled at the top of his lungs across the entire restaurant to the waiter and said "she does speak Spanish!" (in Spanish). WTF? For the rest of my time there, the waiter only addressed me in Spanish, and he came over a bunch of times, way more than were necessary. He kept trying to make small talk and was very aggressively hitting on me even though I was obviously not interested and clearly busy. He also blatantly stared at me the entire time I was there. All and all, I felt really uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure the bill was wrong, but I wanted to get out of there so bad that I just paid it and ran out the door. I didn't even feel comfortable paying with a credit card lest creepy lover-man learn my name, so I paid in cash. Sound Bites' breakfast-food is excellent. But don't go there to study for you Chemistry exam during down time because you'll most likely end up getting hit on by creepy, really rude dudes. I definitely won't be returning alone. read more

I agree w/ others: Overrated, Very rude staff. RIDONCULOUS LINES AND WAIT TIMES! read more

Sound Bites is open all day, serving breakfast food (and other things, but stick with the breakfast food.) I meet colleagues at Sound Bites on a regular basis. I never go here on the weekend, because it is no fun when there is a mad rush. But you can't beat the quality of life of having brunch at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon, just because! So next time you need to meet out of the office, do it at Sound Bites. Someone below complained about being told to check out the drinks case for a specific flavor of iced tea. They should have noted that drinks are self-serve at Sound Bites. I love this part for several reasons: - it keeps the costs lower so they can stay open all afternoon when all the other diners close. - it leaves you the hell alone when you are trying to have a conversation - you can make your coffee exactly the way you want it - it feels sort of co-op, like us walking 20 feet is really helping out :) If you are looking for a waitress to keep you company because you are lonely, then go somewhere else. My favorite dishes are Swine & Swiss (maybe it's the name) and the famous Golden Grill, which is awesome due to the corn muffin grilled on the griddle. Yeah, it's not exactly the most clean griddle, but that's the point! If you don't want diner food, then stay away from that item. Finally, keep in the mind the full liquor license. So yeah, you can have a mimosa while having a brunch meeting in the middle of the week! This is the future of working at home. read more

The owner\manager is a legit thief , the food was somewhat ok but nothing to brag about. Yasser was trying to charge us for items that what we didn't even order, who does that!!! Smh. I will never GO to this pathetic place ever again and I also over heard the Owner talk shit about the customers in his restaurant bc they didn't like the food, I wonder why there's always a line in front of Ball Sq Cafe and not here. What a shame! read more

Before my breakfast yesterday, I was warned that the servers here were jerks, so I had expectations of rude service. I was actually surprised to find them pretty nice. They even joked with us a little. Weird. First thing, my friends said we could get coffee while we wait. Cool, I love coffee. It wasn't bad either and it was unlimited, refill on your own. I love that. I hate going out for breakfast because vegan breakfasts are hard to come by and also, I can eat a damn bagel at home. So I came to Soundbites with the expectation of leaving hungry as well. But to my surprise I had a big breakfast and was satisfied and happy when I left. I had a fruit bowl, and you may be thinking, "how un-special." That was my first thought, but then it arrived and was loaded with two types of apples, pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, bananas, mangoes, kiwis, and blueberries. The most surprising thing was that they were all incredibly ripe and sweet. That plus my bagel and I was pretty damn full after wards. So based on my breakfast alone, a 5. The cramped space, long line, I can live with. read more

Let me tell you how hard it was to walk by Ball Square Cafe and go into Sound Bites: PAINFUL. But I thought I would not be a true yelp contributor if I did not try a brunch place so within my reach since I go to Ball Square so often now. Well, HUGE disappointment. The french toast was bad - not just not good, but BAD. The challah french toast with hints of orange and cinnamon looked and sounded so promising but the bread was tough, dry, stale, tasted like a freezer - it was not savory delicious french toast. The stuffed french toast had a good cream cheese and strawberry filling (come on, I can mix cheese and jam together) but the bread here was the same problem - dry, didn't taste like anything, totally bare in some spots. I must say I'm glad I tried it so I know I'm not missing anything when I walk straight into Ball Square from now on. Rivalry between Sound Bites and Ball Square? Let me tell you something, there is no rivalry. It's dead. Ball Square is better PERIOD. The service is better, the management is better, the ambiance is better, the bathroom is better, and most importantly, of course, the food is infinitely better. If you are forced by some unknowing person to go to Sound Bites after all, get the chocolate-coconut pancakes, those were good. And beware that the orange juice, which you get up and serve to yourself, is $4 - $4 for OJ?! I can get a whole carton for less than that! read more

I was really don't like Sound Bites. The food is totally average and really over priced. There is so many better and less expensive places around. Going to this place on the weekend is a clusterfuck. The last time I went on a Saturday afternoon, the tables were pushed SO close together, that the woman on my left kept bumping my table with her ass when she got up (which she did a lot, as the coffee is self serve, another thing I don't get or like). It wasn't even her fault. We were just TOO FREAKING CLOSE. The table on my right was literally less than 6 inches away. A family of three was seated there a little after we came, so our food came out before theirs. Their hungry little brat had his nose practically IN MY PLATE until their food came out. I was almost touching the kid. His parents seemed to think it was cute and hilarious. My order was a little bit messed up, and the wait staff was so crazy busy that they didn't come and check on us until we were almost done eating, so it wasn't worth it to ask them to fix it. I get that you're trying to maximize your profits, but doing it by shoving as many people as humanly possible into a space, understaffing, and overcharging is not the way to do it. read more

I have been here so many times that the staff greets me when I come. The food is far less greasy than typical diner fare. I love the Mediterranean slant on many of the dishes. Even though I have moved further away, I still make a point to come back, they are worth the trip.yh read more