Went w a friend after perusing several options on Yelp. The bright spots warranting 2 stars: #1) the place is cute and the options are appealing. #2 The woman at the register was attentive and pleasant. OK-Both of our French toast orders came out WAY too fast, nach they were cold. Whatta think, I'm an idiot? I didn't feel like conflict that early in the am. The texture of the whipped cream was odd, making me wonder if I was going to be ok later in the day. The music is too much for morning-I know you're trying to be "cool." Waitress-at least give a fake smile and pretend to be nice. Middle and blue collar ALWAYS tip-you should know that. Most of us have to work on Mondays, not just you. read more

I have previously given this place a 4 star review. We liked this place a lot but my most recent experience wasn't good. Most recently, I came here on Memorial Day with my husband and infant. The hostess told us it would be 30-35 minutes wait. That was fine. It looked like they just sat everyone and there wasn't that many people waiting. At first we waited outside but it started to become really cold and drizzly so I waited inside with my infant, my husband waited outside the entire time in the cold. I kept on watching them flip tables and 45 minutes later I asked are we next. She said yes. She kept on continuing to seat tables of 2. She easily could of sat us at a table for 2 with a high chair attached. Eventually around 55 minutes later, I said something to her. She said sorry and she said that we would be more comfortable in a booth. Don't tell me what I would be comfortable with. I'd be more "comfortable" with food in my stomach and warmth. We were angry and I don't usually complain. I did see some waiters yelling at the hostess saying why are you only seating certain parties. Eventually 1hr and 5 minutes later, they sat us. We ordered our food and left within 25 mins. Shows you how fast they can flip tables. Food was good but service was a total let down. During the whole entire time of the wait, they didn't even offer coffee for freezing customers. We weren't the only ones cold. Eventually, there was a good 15-20 people waiting. If the hostess told me the wait was going to be an hour, I'd go somewhere else. Especially if I had an infant. It was very rude and inconsiderate. read more

A bustling breakfast and lunch spot. although the food is tasty, it took 30 minutes to get in and then 50 minutes to get our food once seated. although not quite delicious, the food is not worth waiting for that long. we ate in 10 and bounced. go to arax market and buy some bread, you'll be happier sooner. read more

This is not one of those I've eaten here forever but never more reviews. It is, however, a you are on notice review. I think it was just an anomaly. But maybe not. You're probably new and still learning. I'd love to eat here this morning but I do need a table. And, yes, you are gossiping with that customer. And yes you both are enjoying the conversation but I'd like my table. You're still Ok here at this point. No polite but not rude, yet. It was the "CAN YOU WAIT A MINUTE" when I hadn't said anything and I wanted to sit inside so I opened the door, and you were still just some ambiguous person talking to that guy. No apron, no label. Just another customer having a good morning. I think the final act, actually I know the final act, was when your friend the customer had to tell you that, yes, there were seats inside. And you insisted that we stand outside and wait on you & your conversation and the other half of your conversation was embarrassed. And I was still confused. So I left and you yelled at me. ????? I get it finally, there is now an official greeter and that greeter is you. Or maybe you're the anti-greeter who yells at people for not following the rules you didn't tell us about. Anyway, we went down the street to the other place, the diner one all of us regulars know, the one on the corner. The one where the greeter is real and smiles & says: "Good Morning, I'll find you a table" I'll be back, of course, I've been coming here since the day you opened. But you are on notice. read more

One of my favorite brunch spots. I live roughly a 40 minute drive but it is well worth the trip. Everything is delicious and they have a solid variety ranging from fairly healthy to total splurge breakfast items. I got a veggie breakfast burrito that was the size of my head and easily made two meals out of it. The people next to me got pancakes that looked AMAZING. Will certainly be trying those next time (: read more

Two weeks back we came here for brunch, but the wait time was 45 minutes. We were very hungry so went to another place. Today we came back a little early and got a table in 20 minutes. It was totally worth waiting for, the food is so good! My husband enjoyed his lemon ricotta pancake and I relished my breakfast combo platter. I loved their fresh coffee. Next time we'll brings our friends as well! read more

Uncommon Grounds - Lemon ricotta pancake and breakfast combo platter with some awesome coffee! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Love this place! Had never been before but had a great experience. Food and service were great - quick and quality. I got the cinnamon bun French toast which was phenomenal and my friend got the avocado toast that she loved as well. Will definitely be back! And major props to the staff working - there was a customer giving them a hard time over something beyond their control and they handled it professionally and very graciously. read more

Love this place for breakfast. You gotta get here early because the locals also love this spot as well. My go to is always the corned beef hash, and I also splurge on the lemon pancakes that they serve only on the weekend. read more

Uncommon Grounds - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

See all

I just moved to Boston and I decided to check out the Watertown area on of my days off. People on the street said that this was the best place to get breakfast so I ended up trying it. I sat at the counter by myself, was greeted by kind and engaging waitstaff. I even talked to the owner Peter for awhile. Super nice guy. I got myself a veggie, breakfast burrito and it was awesome. Filled to the brim with veggies and came out super quickly. I was full for the next three hours. Coffee was great as well. I never get a chance to check out Watertown but if I go back I'm going to Uncommon Grounds. I love fun and engaging local businesses like this! read more

Uncommon Grounds - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

See all

My sister and I ordered here for our Sunday brunch, and the food was incredible! My Eggs Benedict was almost perfect, but the bread was hard to cut through (hence why it's 4 instead of 5). Other than that, the spice level on the hollandaise was spot on! Would definitely recommend. read more

Uncommon Grounds is completely overrrated and the customer service is atrocious. Im an optimist at heart but i genuinely feel that the owner is a bad person :( The rest of the staff is pretty nice and polite but the owner is the most important person at an institution. Ive dined at Uncommon Grounds many a times but recently I had a horrible experience that has left the worst taste in my mouth. They told me the wait was 15 minutes and it was 20 degrees outside so I waited in my car. I returned after 15 minutes and they gave my table to another party. Then they went on to tell me to wait outside after giving my table away. We asked to speak to a manager or owner and the owner came charging over telling us to "get out and wait outside!" because if was too crowded inside. But when we waited outside, they gave our table away! We told him our situation and he went on to say that its not that cold outside and that every restaurant makes you wait outside. He was extremely brash and rude and while screaming "JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!" Ive been to every brunch spot in and around the city, and never in my life have I experienced such horrendous customer service from an owner. What kinda place tells you to go somewhere else instead?!?! Especially an OWNER!?! If you want to get frostbite and die, feel free to check out Uncommon Grounds :) read more

Very cramped and loud. I asked for diabetic accommodations for my meal because who wants half a plate full of food they can't eat right? Who wants to be discriminated for a medical condition they were born with right? The waitress refused and offered me a substitution of a fruit cup (LOL aka more sugar). I had asked to sub the toast and home fries for turkey sausage and she refused. I wasn't able to eat half my food but luckily my boyfriend just got out of a big exam and was starving so at least someone got to eat it! Never in my life have I been refused diabetic accommodations. Safe to say I will NEVER return to this cramped, loud, discriminatory restaurant. Food was average at best but honestly, moral corruption is enough reason for me to never return. Would give negative stars if possible. read more

I had a simple comment to my server (who ended up being the owner) regarding the temperature of my brunch (it was cold...cold eggs are not good) and then the next thing I knew she was asking me to leave. It was so uncomfortable and embarrassing. My boyfriend spoke with the hostess, who was sweet, and she insinuated this was not the first time this has happened. There a many great diners in the area, don't waste your time or hard earned money on an owner who disrespects their local patrons. read more

The female manager is ** TERRIBLE. I substituted hash for ham/bacon/sausage on one of the combo meals and I was charged an extra $8 for an entire side. When I asked her why I would not just pay the difference (assuming it was a few dollars) she told me it was MY fault that they did not write on the menu or tell me when I ordered that there are no substitutions. She was extremely rude and condescending. She said..."the hash is home made... did you seriously think that it was the same cost as the other sides?" Just FYI... CUSTOMER SERVICE is just as important as the quality of the food. Will not return.... read more

VERY, VERY,VERY BAD SERVICE... and the owner (Lisa) didn't want to hear about it when we tried to complain...before I even got a chance to say what my complaint was she actually said, " well, I never heard anything bad about this waiter, and I don't want your money anyway, you can leave!" Seriously, is this her lover or her employee? I think I might need to call her husband...lol I used to go there several times a week (food is good and it's nearby), BUT I'LL NEVER GO AGAIN! Waitstaff is always rude, and they usually get the order wrong. My hat goes off to the chef, and I hope he leaves there soon. OPEN YOUR OWN PLACE CHEF!!!! Fantastic food, but these people suk at service and won't get one more dime from me. read more

I was super impressed with the staff at Uncommon Grounds. I entered the restaurant, and after a second of looking lost, one of the waitresses asked me if I was meeting someone. When I replied in the affirmative, she pointed me to a table and said my friend was sitting there. So, first point, attentiveness. My friend had an allergy, and the waitress was unfamiliar with it, but explained how the kitchen worked and my friend was able to conclude that she would be fine with eggs - so second point for good details and patience. Lastly, we had met at 2:30, unaware that they were closing at 3:00, but the wait staff very kindly let us stay while they closed up the kitchen and started putting the restaurant away for the night. So, third point for extra sensitivity and decency! I wish I could say that I had some food there, but I didn't - although the brunch menu was huge, a lot of selection, and decently priced. But the cocoa I had was perfect, and I really enjoyed my overall experience there. read more

My husband and I went here two weekends ago because the Delux Diner next door was completely packed. We were very excited however to find what looked to be a tasty alternative. Unfortunately we never had the opportunity to find out just how good this place is. Although the place was very crowded, there were a few open tables and people leaving as we entered. We waited at the front of the line for 10 minutes with the hostess/waitress doing her best to avoid our glance. What was most frustrating was just that. The fact that she didn't even want to acknowledge that we were standing there along with a bunch of other people waiting to be seated. When she finally responded to our "Excuse me," 5 minutes after we got there she told us it would be a minute. We then proceeded to wait another 5 minutes and were told we were going to be seated next to the door. We saw that another table was open a little further back from the drafty door so asked if we might be able to grab that table. She rolled her eyes and told us that was another waitress' table and seated the people behind us. We then waited another 5 minutes, the other waitress never came, there were a few open tables, and we finally left. We thought of speaking to the manager, but he also seemed unable to tear himself away from whatever he was doing. Although the food here looked good, I can't vouch for it and I doubt I'll be going back here anytime soon as I try my best to avoid places with really poor service and especially, waitstaff who carry a huge chip on their shoulders. read more

You're slipping uncommon grounds, which makes me sad because I recently moved down the street. We've been a few times lately and we've decided that the trend of increasingly expensive, less than stellar meals and amazingly inefficient service at least temporarily bumps UC out of the rotation. While I still appreciate that you can get a fresh fruit cup instead of your home fries and toast, I do not appreciate the boatload of butter in my overpriced egg white scramble. Nor do I appreciate being served the heel end of the bread as a slice of French toast -- when you can't cut through it with a knife, it's not good French toast. Also, what's with having your entire lunch menu available on Sunday but just not having soup... uhm, it's soup, isn't that the easiest thing to keep on the menu? What really annoys me though is that you'll wait, and wait and wait outside for a table when there are literally 6 open tables inside (I counted)... they just haven't cleaned them yet. I can see this happening occasionally if they're understaffed but there are always huge numbers of waitstaff just hanging around with nothing to do! I'm sure I'll be back, and if it gets better, I'll be sure to update, but I'm going to have to be very hungry and very uncreative in thinking of alternatives to go back anytime soon. read more

Such a lovely little place! It looked like a regular coffees shop from the outside but inside it is cozy, warm, very diner-like and delicious + a huge parking lot. Do not miss. read more

Great food terrible service. If you don't mind waiting an hour or so and being treated badly, it's worth it.

This is by far my favorite breakfast/brunch place in the Boston area. Their food is SO good, and the staff is always so friendly. I have been coming here for years, and I love that their menu has continued to evolve. Their specialty coffees are SO good, and that's coming from a non coffee drinker. The iced milky way or almond joy coffees are a must have. I usually get the apple chicken sausage and broccoli scramble, but was so happy when I saw avocado toast on their menu! The staff even treated me to 2 free avocado toasts because I had instagrammed from their restaurant! If you're here on the weekends, the lemon ricotta pancakes are a must try (everything here is!!) I will keep coming back to this place for the value, service, and delicious food. read more

Uncommon Grounds - The BEST toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

We scoured all of Massachusetts for the best breakfast and found it at Uncommon Grounds. They by far have the best menu of items and always have incredible specials. The food is out of this world delicious - and we are breakfast snobs! Their new chef Chris has added a new flair to some of the standard menu items- delicious! He brings some of his heritage to the recipes adding a little zing and improving basic foods into something you just Have to have! The homey atmosphere, friendly waitstaff and reasonable prices all make it a place not to be overlooked! read more

My girlfriend really likes this place. I don't eat eggs, and perhaps that makes me an ill-suited reviewer of breakfast establishments, so my girlfriend's opinion pushed my 3 review to a 4 in this case. I enjoyed the breakfast crepes I got here, along with the corned beef hash and Milky Way latte. One of the times we came we had to wait extraordinary lengths for our food because a couple of the staff members had quit, with apparently close to no notice at all. read more

Was looking for a good breakfast and this place was a great choice. Waitress was friendly and courteous and the food was delicious. Potatoes and bacon were crispy and good. Only slight con is one egg was runny and one not runny in both dishes. Still delicious. Menu had a lot of great options for everyone for both breakfast and lunch. read more

Uncommon Grounds - California Benedict and Southern Style Eggs Benedict with side of bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I hate to tell everyone this because we got a seat on the patio after a 5 minute wait. The Deluxe Diner was 30 minutes. After consulting Yelp we came here for the first time. We had a better breakfast than any at the Diner ever! Blueberry pancakes, Poached eggs and my wife has the Spinach & feta scrambler. No greasy after taste. Fresh eggs. The ice coffee was as tasty if not better than Dunkins... I loved how much room there was between tables. Last time at the Diner a guys butt swept my toast off the table! Excuse you? They gave crayons & coloring paper to people with kids and the waitstaff was friendly and attentive. My advice is to come here next time because they also have a large parking lot as well. read more

Uncommon grounds VS. Deluxe Town Diner! And the winner is... After going to each the same amount, both either on Saturdays or Sundays, my experience is always the same. They both have decent coffee. They both have decent waits. However the service and food quality from UCG is always superior. I recommend the Juevos Rancheros. And to stay at Deluxe Town Diner so that the wait is shorter for me at Uncommon Grounds =) read more

I checked this place out a while back and have to say I don't get the hype. The food wasn't great. I had the eggs benedict, but the sauce was oily and chunky, like it had been sitting around for a while. On top of that, my waitress was kind of rude and rushed us through the meal, no "tableside manner" if you will. I get the desire to turn tables, but she also seemed to be bossing around the other staff, and as someone who waitressed for years this is always a huge red flag for me. Didn't have a personal experience with the owner everyone is complaining about, but I saw her try to handle an unhappy customer who ended up walking out. That and the issues with my server doesn't paint a picture of great service. Add the nasty breakfast and EXPENSIVE bill...I won't be coming back. read more

This place has fabulous coffee. But the breakfasts are Entirely Unsuitable for anyone who can not have fat from breakfast meats on their food; eggs or, potatoes etc. e.g.: This is NOT the place for: Lacto-ovo vegetarians, nor for any among those who hold fast to religious dietary laws of various faith groups (i.e.: if you can't have beef, or pork) read more

Love this place! It's cozy and local and the food's great. Can't beat that with a stick. The fiance and I have been here many times now and have enjoyed everything we've tried. The homefries are perfectly cooked- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. My favorite on the weekends is the eggs benedict. The hollandaise is a bit...thick, but it works for me. I like it. The pancakes are large and perfectly done as is the french toast. There are assorted baked goods like muffins and such. The best part of Uncommon Grounds is the coffee bar. They use the better-tasting brand of syrups (can't remember the name right now-starts with an M). For those who don't order much outside the regular coffee, they have fun drinks already created for you. My favorite is the Coconut Creme latte which is a latte with vanilla and coconut. Simple, right? But I wouldn't have thought of it on my own. And it's delicious. Their regular coffee is pretty tasty with flavored options daily. My only gripe might be the service. It just depends on when you go. Sometimes it's super slow, other times it's great. Luck of the draw, I suppose. They're all friendly, though. We like to get there early so we don't have to wait long for a table. It's busy on the weekends. Lots of locals love this place- you see young couples, elderly regulars and families. When it's nice outside, there's some outdoor seating. There's a small parking lot and some on-street metered parking around as well. I haven't gotten around to trying anything on the menu but breakfast. I'm a sucker for breakfast. I mean, if breakfast is served all day, why would you not order it?? read more

In a nutshell...Service? Ok. They took their time with us and we weren't too rushed. Food came out pretty fast and tasty. Liked the muffins, wasn't too overly impressed with the coffee but, altogether, not too bad. Prices are better than I expected and everything was very fresh. Baked items were better than average. We were only there at breakfast but based on that experience I think a trip for lunch is in order. Recommended and I think definately worth another trip. read more

Went here for breakfast on a Sunday. The wait was shorter than anticipated and the service was good. I had home fries, toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Everything was amazing, with the exception of the eggs. They had a strange texture and they were overly sweet. My boyfriend suggested they might be egg beaters but never having knowingly ate them, I can't say. I can say I won't be ordering scrambled eggs here again, but I will definitely be back. Another review mentioned not being able to figure out why the home fries were so awesome, and I think it's just very good quality potatoes. There wasn't much too them, seasoning-wise, but they are out of this world. They're Red Bliss potatoes and they are cooked perfectly. read more

Pros: they have a terrasse. They have a decent menu. They have gluten free pnacakes and french toast Cons: The waitress didnt seem to understand the concept of smiling. The egg scrambles (green one).is watery and veggies un cooked. There is eggs, 2 sad piece of toast with no butter on it and potatoes in the plate. I miss Montreal right now. 2 lattes: 3.17$US 2 green scramble: 9.99$ each Gluten free bread is 1$extra but they dont even put butter on it. :( read more

Uncommon grounds is my go-to breakfast restaurant. The quality of the food can be inconsistent, but it ranges from good to really excellent, and lately it's been excellent. I'm a big fan of the eggs benny, particularly when they have the asparagus benny special. They have outdoor seating, they are kid-friendly, and the service is fast and friendly. They have a large variety of options, including veggie options and the prices are reasonable. read more

This place has terrible hours. After spending about half a year for my life to coincide with this place's, the opportunity finally occurred one brunchtime one Saturday. I had high expectations, since this place manages to stay in business with weird hours and with being dangerously closed to the Deluxe Town Diner - one of Boston's best diners and a monument to the glory of brunch. The interior space is tight and bustling. I ordered a take out order and after struggling to find a place to wait indoors, I stepped outdoors with the awful bitter and sour iced coffee I bought here. After half an hour my omlette was ready and I walked the block or so back to my friend's house where I was greeted with a just plain "Meh" omlette. I don't understand how this place manages to stay in business. Coffee that makes DD and Starbucks look good. A loud, cramped interior. Slow, sassy service. And food that is just passable. I should have gone to the Deluxe Town Diner. Oh, well. read more

Great local brunch place! Very healthy and fresh. Great for gluten free pancakes! Service is also great

OK, so here it goes about this place. The food is pretty good and they aren't as expensive as the deluxe diner down the street ( sorry Don & Darrel) i used to come here a lot. the only thing that makes me not give them 5 stars is that 2 times in my omelet i have found a the tip of the chefs latex glove in the eggs. i asked the waitress and she said that it happens sometimes when cutting veggies etc.... well OK then get the chef some smaller damn gloves!! their flavored lattes are out of this world and they have alot to choose from. it usually is kind of crowded in there but you can sit outside when its warm. ok im done. read more

I would rate this place so-so. First, I was hoping the coffee would be different than most breakfast places since most of them serve up brown water. However, I found the name Uncommon Grounds to be misleading. The coffee was disgusting. If I went back, I would opt for a latte. I had a Spanish omelette. It was a good size and made well, but the salsa was lacking so the omelette was kind of boring. The salsa tasted more like chopped tomatoes with no zip to it at all. I was surprised given the number of burritos on the lunch menu. The toast and homefries were the best part of the meal. I would probably give it another shot, but I would get something like the stuffed french toast. I saw a few come out of the kitchen that looked pretty good. The service was good and the waitress offered several refills of the brown water. She was friendly enough given how busy it was for a Sunday morning. I would probably wait until warmer weather to go back as well. It was pretty cold inside. There is no buffer at the front door and the hostess had a habit of holding the door wide open to speak to people waiting outside. read more

this place is great for breakfast. We have gone early on the weekend morning and sat at the bar. the staff is friendly and the food comes quick if you can get a seat. They do have gluten free options which can be hard to find for breakfast places. We had the pancakes and the french toast, both were good. The hashbrowns were also great! Will come back, want to try the huevos rancheros for breakfast next time read more

We ate inside which I don't recommend because the place is very small. Most people were getting takeout. It was pretty busy which is a good sign. The food was really good! I got over easy eggs that were cooked perfectly and bread tasted really fresh. read more

Hands down my favorite breakfast place. Dreamy sweet potato pancakes and awesome coffee. I'd eat here every day if I could. read more