This restaurant provides tasty breakfast and lunch food in an attractive setting. Each month is decorated with symbols that call your attention to the special event of the month. I have enjoyed the Pancakes, French Toast, and Eggs Benedict. My favorite drink is Chai Latte. The staff is friendly and helpful. read more

Fantastic breakfast and a really unique atmosphere. The orange juice was really good. Pancakes and bacon were the best I've had in quite some time. read more

So I want to start off by saying that I am "yelping" for the first time! I had to create an account just to write this review. After signing up for yelp I read the reviews for uncommon grounds and was surprised to see that they only had 3 1/2 stars? Our visit was nothing short of 5 stars, if I could have given more I would have!! After a very long ride from a lovely Labor Day weekend on the cape my husband and I were famished and tired. We decided to make a pit stop on our way home to grab a bite. We had heard great things from friends about uncommon grounds so we decided to give it a try. It was around 1 on Labor Day and there was no wait (thankfully). Upon walking up we were greeted by a hostess who brought us inside too a small table for two in the middle of the tiny but charming place. After we settled in the waitress came over... She was a peppy young woman who genuinely seemed happy to be there. She greeted us and then offered us drinks ( they were unfortunately out of my first two choices diet coke and sprite) but she then told us that they did have coke zero and diet coke in a bottle. When she came back with the drinks we were ready to order. My husband got his breakfast usual French toast and I decided to try something new, a different kind of eggs Benedict from there special list. The waitress then informed us that after the very busy weekend they were also out of that. She was genuinely apologetic and then helped me make another choice. I decided on the rancheros! The food came fast and was presented beautifully. After bringing the food our very attentive waitress ( don't understand what other yelpers are complaining about) offered us one of many selections of hot sauce, refilled our drinks and told us she would be back to check on things in a few minutes. She promptly retuned and we had no complaints. The food was hot and delicious, the service was exceptional and the atmosphere was great! We will most definitely return to uncommon grounds on a regular basis! I must say that although I was disappointed that they had run out of my first choices out waitress ( blonde ponytail, big bright smile and very cheerful demeanor ) was able to make our experience a memorable one for all the right reasons. I don't know her name ( what ever happened to name tags ) but hopefully she is a yelper and will come across this review and know that she made our day! if you read this hopefully we were able to to return the favor and make your day! read more

Great place! I'm not a huge breakfast fan, but I really enjoyed the food. Everything was fresh. It's cozy, and we found ourselves engaged in conversation with other groups around us. Overall a very pleasant experience. read more

Loved the mix of dishes. Enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere. A must visit if you are in the area.

Best breakfast food! The staff is friendly:) Very tasty desserts and good sandwiches!) read more

YUMMMM! Wonderful food and service, great coffee and HUGE portions! Will definitely come back!

I like this place . i have been. Here a few times . i like that it has outdoor. Seating . it does not seem to get crowded. Like other nearby places which can be a great alternative.. The staff is friendly. And the food is good . I like the new painting. That is going on on the side and on the street there . keep up the good work . the neighborhood. Keeps getting. More colorful! The eggs Benedict. Was great . i dont want. To compare this place with the town Diner . i like them both very much . read more

This place probably deserves 4 stars, but with the Deluxe Town Diner around the corner (which is way better), I'll have to drop my review to 3 stars. Pros: 1. The prices are pretty good. My huge breakfast of the sausage egg scrambler thingamajiggy was cheap! 2. Indoor and outdoor dining 3. Close to my house 4. Wait is usually shorter than at the diner 5. Fun people watching on Mt. Auburn Street if you're sitting outside. We watched a cute elderly lady spend 5 minutes parallel parking and saw some fashion disasters among pedestrians. 6. Parking lot, which the diner falls short on 7. Better home fries than they usually serve at the diner Cons: 1. I have only been there once, but the service we had recently was not as friendly as they usually are at the diner. My waitress didn't even ask me what I wanted to drink so I had to call her back over and ask her for some coffee. Coffee refills were much slower and more infrequent than at the diner. 2. The coffee isn't that great. 3. I like that there is outdoor dining, but it feels awkward because folks who are waiting for their table outside are literally standing on top of your dining space. 4. It doesn't have the same charm as the Deluxe Town Diner 5. The menu looks pretty extensive, but we overheard the waitress next door tell a patron, "Well, we do serve lunch today, but most of those lunch items aren't available." That bites, plus she never went on to tell him what was/wasn't available. That would have annoyed me to have to have multiple options that you are hoping and wishing for, only to have your Sunday brunch dream shattered . . . read more

Stumbled upon this place and damn glad I did. The place has a never ending menu of delicious seeming breakfast foods. Everyone loved their dishes. Hollandaise sauce was some of the best I've ever had. Super creative specials menu as well. Would go back in a second. read more

I can't believe that I have never yelped this before, when I have been a faithful devotee for several years! My husband & his business partner discovered it when they bought a property in Watertown and told me their lunch was great. My fave meal out is breakfast, so I headed over with a friend shortly thereafter, and it has become a choice destination of ours. Before I quit drinking such things, the Milky Way Latte was my most beloved drink, but now I am quite happy with the "normal" coffee. (I was surprised that some other yelpers were not that fond of it, but I prefer a milder brew.) I have never had a bad plate of scrambled eggs there--as a matter of fact, they've always been perfect! My current preferred breakfast is the blueberry pancakes with blueberries inside. I'm a pretty "plain eater", but I have sampled the lemon ricotta pancakes, the sweet potato/banana/walnut combo, and the french toast and they've all been good as well. I really like the new remodel with the banquettes & little booths, and the new "fiesta-ware" plates, etc. It's just a really wonderful place and the waitstaff , cooks, and owner-types seem like genuinely nice people--no dramas like I have witnessed in some busy restaurants! :) Highly recommended! read more

UnCommon Grounds is a local spot, good food at good prices but I'M NOT GOING BACK THERE and its all due to server attitude. After ordering "no black beans" in my steak burrito and having delivered a burrito stuffed with them, my server upon inquiry looks at me and says with an oddly condescending tone "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't hear you." The impression I got was that she didn't believe me and that I was angling for her to get me a new one. Up until then she was very nice, I didn't have a lot of time (because I was with my 2-year old) so I purposely didn't request a replacement; most importantly SHE NEVER OFFERED. I picked through eating a bit of the steak but left almost all on my plate due to just not liking black beans at all. The couple next to me leaned over and he said, "We heard you say that- no black beans." both nodding. After finishing up I went inside to pay. The bill was reasonable, but I did ask her, "I know you didn't hear me about the black beans but I did ask for the burrito not to have them and didn't eat much of it. So do you think I should pay full price or do I deserve a discount?" She started laughing at me and smiling wryly shook her head and said, "Let me se what I can do." walking toward the register. I eat out everyday. I always pay for everything I order. So I ask her, "Why are you laughing? Is it funny that I am asking for a discount on my lunch that came with something I didn't order?" Her response, "No it's not funny, but when I asked you if you would like another without black beans you said no." My response, 'I didn't hear you ask that." knowing full well that she HADN'T OFFERED a replacement, "Because my response would have been, no I don't have a lot of time." So, due to one server's snarky attitude I decided (2) things in that moment. I'd pay the bill's full-price and I'd never return to Uncommon Grounds. On the way out I asked the couple next to me, "Did you hear her offer me another burrito without beans?" "Nope..." he said, them both shaking heads in unison, "...she didn't ask you that." Having been a server for many years I can stand slow service. I can stand a meal that isn't perfectly prepared. I can stand a lot, but I ABSOLUTELY HATE CATCHING ATTITUDE from a server who thinks she is in the right and that I'm just trying to pull one over on her or the establishment. What could have easily been solved with a few bucks off the bill, or offering a cookie to my kid, has now cost me both in time and money. (Writing this review took 30 minutes of my day and I grabbed a second lunch at Maximo's.) If just (1) potential customer reads this review and decides against patronizing Uncommon Grounds, may it impact the Owners in both their time and money. Go local, but go somewhere else. read more

My favorite brunch place in Watertown! They have the best gluten free options (pancakes, toast, french toast), great coffee, and everything is delicious! The lines are always long, but they've recently added a web-based waiting list that texts you when your table is up and you can check in with where you are in line. We usually just try to go early though to avoid the line. Love! read more

Uncommon Grounds has been in Watertown forever. We used to go here for coffee when I worked in Fresh Pond. Now though, they have great breakfasts--excellent scrambled egg dishes in particular. It's a nice alternative when the Deluxe Watertown Diner has lines out the door. They seem to do omelettes better than the Diner but their pancakes and French toast aren't as great. Still, there is rarely a wait here and as someone else mentioned, lots of parking. Make sure that if you order an egg sandwich though that you mention how you want the egg cooked--I got mine all runny inside when I was expecting it to be fried. read more

I agree the service isn't that great, the place is small and you'll be kept waiting in the crowded door way, while people who came after you get seated ahead of you because the servers are too busy to remember you. However, if that doesn't bother you and you can be aggressive about getting a table, this is really one of the best breakfast places around, and that's saying a lot considering how many great breakfast places there are in this area. Everything I've had there has been excellent. Their lunches are pretty good, but their breakfasts are what keep me coming back. If only they'd make their place bigger, open later and start serving dinner too. read more

Wow, I was surprised to see all the negative reviews. I usually yelp everything before going there, but this time we kinda stumbled upon this joint. I was hungry, nothing further to say. We waited for 5 min (at 10:30 on Sat morning). Our food was tasty (I had the crunchy french toast), arrived within 10 min of ordering, the staff was nice-ish...no complaints, really. As a matter of fact, we would eat there again. We tend to go to nicer brunch places, but if you want something low-key, large portions , fair price and tasty food...I recommend! read more

Pretty good mom & pop breakfast spot. Uncommon Grounds offers all the standard breakfast options- eggs, french toast, pancakes, etc. but has daily specials for those looking for something with a bit more flair. Table space is limited, which wasn't a problem for our group since it was a week day, but I imagine it gets tight in here on the weekends. Portions were enough for two meals- we all left with doggie bags. Added bonus: this place is just steps from Sevan Bakery, home of the world's greatest baklava! Two birds, one stone. read more

Very good. I had roast beef club fro lunch, and loved it. half sandwich and soup is a great value. Coffee is good. Very nice.

I like it. I think the food would be an excellent hangover cure. All cheesy. Unlimited access to breakfast burritos? Who can judge that? Also, they have some outdoor seating, which is unheard of in Watertown. Add the fact that it's reasonably priced and you got me. read more

Amazingly fluffy (and crispy around the edges) pancakes: gotta love 'em! The coffee was not strong enough and had a bitter finish, and the egg sandwich was weird -- scrambled eggs no doubt from the carton -- rather than fresh, but it tasted okay. Service was slow because the one waitress also had to make the drinks. Perks include that it's cute inside, has a (small) parking lot, has outdoor seating, and is inexpensive. read more

Great service great food. Caprese Breakfast sandwich was great but very heavy so two people could almost share it the icing on the cake was that the waitress gave me filled up my iced coffee and gave me a to-go cup, which would make most women happy. read more

Im only giving 1 star because my food was good however, I experienced the worst customer service here by staff and the manager Kendall today. It was as if they didn't care about us as customers at all. My friend ordered a wheat belgian waffle, turkey sausage and egg whites... it came up to $19! The cashier was not welcoming and didnt even explain why the price was so high for 3 things. We left the established and called to speak to a manager, while waiting on hold my friend heard an employee say "This annoying lady is on the phone *sigh* what should I tell her?" TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! So we went back to the restaurant ti ask Kendall (the manager) for a refund, she told us she doesn't give refunds and told us to leave. She did not try to handle the issue at all so we asked for the owner's number. For this to be rated as a top breakfast for Boston, the experience was very unaccommodating and by far one of the worst customer service Ive had. If I come back to visit Boston again I will never ever eat at this Establishment! Uncommon grounds has uncommon staff and will not get any of my common money. read more

I am a regular at Uncommon Grounds. Within the past two or three weeks, I have tried three of the current specials, and I would give a big thumbs up to all three. The first one I tried was the pork tacos. They were delicious, and of the add-ons served with the pork and tortilla shells, the green salsa made with avocado and tomatillos really stood out. The next adventure was the franks and beans. The two Nathan's franks were grilled beautifully, and were perfect served with house made baked beans, cole slaw, and brown bread. Finally, I had been looking forward to having the breakfast with homemade biscuits. I'm not a sausage person, so I asked the server to leave off the sausage gravy which was no problem. I am crazy about biscuits, so I can be a hard sell if they aren't good. These were scrumptious, even without gravy. The breakfast is served with potatoes and eggs any way you like them. I hope I have time to repeat all three before they are no longer available. The service, as always, was exceptional. read more

Best pancakes I've ever had. Even the whole grain pancakes are good. And huge. I also like some of the sandwiches - the california BLT, the Reuben, the breakfast sandwich - yum. Amazing lattes and scramble mix-ins. It can get really crowded and the service is spotty, but Peter, the owner, is awesome, and we will never go back to the other diners. read more

In a town full of breakfast diners, Uncommon Grounds is by far the best in Watertown. Great service, great food, fairly cheap. Takeout options are very good, especially during high-traffic times if you don't want to wait for a seat. Whole wheat pancakes are fantastic. read more

I can't say I don't like it but with all the hype about this place I was a bit disappointed. For example Cafenation in Brighton is a bit unusual, so I understand the hype but Uncommon Grounds is not that different from an average diner or an Ihop. Not a bad place for breakfast or brunch but nothing special either. I am a coffee lover and this is not a coffee house by any stretch of imagination, I am not sure why it is reviewed as such by some. read more

Food was decent but it took a while to get our food. Service was friendly but exceptionally slow. Based on this experience I would say there are better options in the area but may be worth a 2nd try..... read more

My husband and his friends have been going here for years! The food is very good, and the portions are HUGE! However, there is hardly a day that it isn't unpleasantly crowded. Our group of friends has since out grown the restaurant and space as they've married and had children. This is not a good place to bring the kids to. read more

Really great breakfast sandwiches and coffee. I have had most breakfast places around here, and this one is on the top of my list, not only for the food but for the friendly staff. read more

Incredible lattes and delicious breakfast and lunch options! Super quaint spot with great quality of food and atmosphere.

Been here a couple times and it does not disappoint. The food is good, the staff is nice, and the price is right. Their salmon/avocado/poached eggs on toast with arugula was really good and I love the home fries. Very satisfying and crispy. The poached egg was especially perfect. The outdoor seating is also very pleasant. read more

My favorite breakfast place and I have high standards about my omelettes :)!! It has an excellent gluten free menu and a great atmosphere.

We love Uncommon Grounds! This is our go-to breakfast spot in Watertown. The wait can be long, but there are plenty of markets to stop in and shop while you wait. Coffee is standard but solid, many different flavors. Prices can run a little high, but you get what you pay for, you will leave very full! They never disappoint with the specials. My favorite is the southwestern style eggs benedict. read more

I really like this place, from the funky menu boards to the diner counter and homey tables and chairs. I've been here a few times and the food is always really good -- but the service has always been poor. Uncommon Grounds can get really busy, especially on weekends, and everything just seems to back up and slow down. Today it almost half an hour to get challah french toast and scrambled eggs. I could see the cook in the back looking worried. It turns out that the grill wasn't working(!) I don't know how they were managing (maybe they were using the oven for everything), but they could have told us and we might have changed our orders. Orders were up and sitting for awhile as the one wait guy bussed tables, seated people, served coffee and took orders. And this wasn't at peak eating time. It's too bad, because the food really is great, and they have a great selection of specialty lattes. read more

Overall a very impressive little spot for brunch... it was very crowded around 11am on a sunday with a 10+ minute wait, but the hostesses handled it like a champ- giving regular updates outside for everyone to hear so there was no wondering about it. When we got seated the coffee was excellent and the brunch food was excellent. One of the best huevos rancheros ever and it was quite different than the usual. As good a spot as deluxe down the street but a way shorter wait. read more

I've only been here once. SO far so good! They had me at the onset with the free meal coupon sent to new local homeowners. yay! I work from home on Wednesdays so decided to splurge and take my 14 month old out for an early lunch, just the 2 of us. i was expecting a coffee shop where i could order a breakfast sandwich at the counter and scoot, (or at least sit outside) but on this warm November day the outside tables weren't open and the restaurant had a diner set up in tight quarters that made me pretty nervous. Oh well, i went for it and asked for a highchair. they sat me at a tiny table in the middle of the room....yikes! Luckily, they were very friendly waitresses, not like your typical brash diner waitstaff. and i came prepared with snacks for my daughter so she was exceptionally well behaved. She spent the meal smiling and cooing at the old regulars and i enjoyed a huge fried egg on a bagel with hash browns. i shared it with the baby and still brought half home. The iced coffee was good too. i enjoyed the experience and feeling of being in a little neighborhood joint. We'll head back ,with daddy next time.... i'd just prefer to wait until warmer weather so we can sit outside b/c it really is too small inside. read more

This was my go-to breakfast spot for a couple of years -- I especially love their tea selection. Breakfast menu is extensive, and the food is pretty good. I like the huevos rancheros and the sweet potato pancakes, especially. The service is fast, and they've improved the seating options in the past year or so. Almost always a wait if you go after 10:00 on a weekend, but worth it for some traditional breakfast fare, complete with greasy home fries. read more

My boyfriend and I are regulars at Uncommon Grounds. I love their scrambled eggs with spinach, feta, tomato. Their home fries are amazing. My boyfriend likes the gluten free pancakes and bread. Go early in the AM to avoid a wait; the place has limited seating. read more

This is a really good place despite being horribly managed. They don't have a lot seats and I think their kitchen and/or wait staff just can't handle their peak volume. If you go there when its the busiest, sunday mornings, you'd walk away with a totally different perception of the place. having said all this, the food is very good and the servers are not rude but do get frustrated at the volume. I think their biggest problem is they need someone more experienced managing the restuarant. I really do like the place and hope that the little kinks are worked out. I'll keep going there because I think they have really good food. read more

Breakfast review only: I have been here possibly a half-dozen times and it never disappoints. The only thing to watch out for is the wait. I don't normally order pancakes at a restaurant because they are usually too fluffy for my liking. But this place often has lemon ricotta pancakes on special and they are some of the best pancakes I have had outside of my grandmother's kitchen! Get the half stack, it's plenty! Great sausage too. The other thing I get here if they don't have the special pancakes is the egg, cheese, and sausage all scrambled up. Way better than an omelette imo. read more