Just wanted to revisit and revamp my previous 5 star review. I love this spot when Im visiting my parents for a genuinely good hearty breakfast at a cute local feeling shop. They always seem to have something new on the menu every time I go, this time I tried the Vegetable corned beef dish, which includes poached eggs over delicious homemade corned beef hash that has cabbage and peppers and other veggies. The dish was a hit, and the waitress was super nice and had the kitchen put it on 2 separate plates for my mother and I as we were sharing. Only thing to say is that its always worth the wait!! read more

It's a little small, but! The food was great. And was quick. Super yum! And it's local, always support local. My friend said their lattes were delicious. read more

I order takeout from here pretty often with my co-workers. Uncommon grounds has a yummy California burger that we always like to get. The burger is pretty big and comes with fries. Lots of food for lunch! The burger is about $13 so it's a little more than what we would typically spend on lunch in the Watertown area. I've also ordered paninis and other sandwiches! Last time I ordered a half tuna melt and a cup of clam chowder. The chowder was DELICIOUS. I was pleasantly surprised! I'll be ordering that every time now :). read more

Uncommon Grounds - Cali burger. Huuuugeeeee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Food is good, Service is abysmal. Asked server for extra napkin and she pointed to the napkin dispenser saying 'there they are' behind us at the entrance and walked away. If I ever go there again, I will not tip a cent. I have no idea why there is a tip jar at the register. read more

Parking lot is much smaller than what the diner can hold. I like how they offer indoor & outdoor seating, so you can enjoy your meal on a nice day. This place gets busy, so the wait can be pretty long, especially since the place is popping and the portions are huge so the consumer needs to take their time eating the food. I had the Corned Beef Vegetable Hash, and omg, it was delicious! It didn't taste heavy or greasy at all. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly. The chipotle sauce on the side added some nice pleasant heat to the dish. The crunch of the veggies paired nicely with the corned beef. My only gripe was the ratio of veggie to meat. However, it was still delicious. The home fries were cooked to perfection. They were so crispy and not too salty. Def willing to go back. I also can see why they're voted top reader breakfast spot in Watertown. This place is legit. read more

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Best diner food ever! They perfectly toast and caramelize the food that needs it. Mike the owner is meticulous with his ingredients and is always improving. At time I eat here at least weekly with coworkers, friends, and family. I am so happy they survived COVID. The new order at the counter and we bring it out to you is a good compromise to the waiter and waitress model they had. Love the outdoor seating when in season. The salads are also delicious with or without protein. read more

So many choices! So many healthy choices too! It was such a great spot to come in and eat breakfast . Staff is great -- friendly, patient and does a great job assisting the customer. I came to eat breakfast here (view photo) and I was so happy. It was nice filling meal as I was on my way to my race at Boston University. (Which I ran a personal best!) Thanks for fueling me for my race! The only note I do have I is that I just wished you guys had the outside door cover so the winter air wouldn't come in every time some opened the door. I showed the be breakfast photo to my mom who works for JetBlue and she is already looking forward to coming in! read more

Uncommon Grounds - This was such a great breakfast meal set-up. They even have different coffee flavors like hazelnut and French vanilla. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Delicious and cozy cafe. Good breakfast and lunch. Counter service to order food.big pancakes.

As someone who spends a lot of time in Watertown, having this cute and delicious breakfast spot right in the center is very convenient. Visited here this morning, and as always, it was delicious. My coffee choice this morning was the peppermint patty and it was great! A little too sweet for my preference, but tasty overall. I have never ventured out of the pancakes or waffles or omelette at uncommon grounds, but I thought today was the day to try something new. They have added chicken and waffles to their menu and huevos rancheros as well. Since I had recently had chicken and waffles, I decided to go with the huevos rancheros. The food was so delicious and it came with home fries! For me, home fries makes or breaks a breakfast. In this case, it definitely made the breakfast! The food and coffee was amazing and at such a great price. Can't wait to go back now. read more

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

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Sitting outside on a beautiful Sunday morning, no waitstaff outside so had to go on and place order(friend mentioned it, but did have menus, so that helped.). So many choices, but first coffee, got a Belgian waffle with strawberries and ham. $25, wait, what? Yup. Was it the best Belgian waffle I ever had? Was I paying city prices? Not the best Belgian waffle I ever had, the coffee was fresh and hot, the ham was a small serving of slices of ham. I was coming from kickboxing and I was admittedly hungry. But for my $35 I expected a little more and a meal worth bragging about.. the food was prepared very well, just shocked at the prices, and nearly self service. Might have to think about looking at the menu closer to see if they offer any meals. Can't say I'll be wanting to go back, but if I do my homework I can give it a better chance. read more

I rarely give a bad rating but this was one strange experience. It's 1:15 pm on a Saturday and we're starving. I check out locations for brunch nearby and Uncommon Grounds pops up on my feed. Lovely reviews. I see that they're about to close at 2 p.m. and think maybe we're too late. But what the heck, let me call them up to check. And I hear a positive response on the phone "if you come by around 1:30 p.m. it should be fine to seat you both". Great! We rush to the restaurant. In fact, we arrive a few minutes before 1:30 p.m. Success! Well, apparently not. The hostess/server tells us that they won't be able to seat us as they're closing at 2 p.m. Really? That's the whole reason I called you to confirm and yet you made us come down here all the way. What was the point? Now, we're trying to decide if we should go someplace else or not. Hunger got the best of us and we ordered a chicken salad sandwich to go. Yes, we ate it in the car because it was cold and windy outside, LOL. Anyway, the sandwich had cranberries, celery, mayo, lettuce, tomato on bread. It was to be served with "homemade chips" but we were given a packet of potato chips. Taste-wise, the sandwich was okay. However, one experience of "yes, please come in. But we won't seat you" is more than enough. Thank you, next. read more

A very common diner-like establishment. Nothing uncommon about it except for parking lot that has some unpaved portion. The food was decent. The portions were large. That's about it. Nothing memorable. Not sure what all the rave is about, but if you're in the area maybe stop by for a quick grab. read more

I wanted to write an update to my review because it truly was a favorite amongst my friends and family and I want it to stick around! That being said, the new service model has been a bit chaotic. I understand that a lot of places have switched stuff around since the pandemic and prices have gone up. I also support increased prices if it goes to higher wages for staff. I have witnessed some customers being rude to staff about the new model or for waiting and I don't think rudeness is necessary. It's not easy to work in the food industry, especially now! It's a small space so maybe the new counter order and service model is easier for the business, or at least I hope so...but it no longer feels like the breakfast experience we used to enjoy. If we need to add anything or there is a question about our food, we have to go back in line. Single use salt and pepper etc seems more wasteful and costly than having the shakers on the table like before but I could be wrong. I don't even try to order more coffee now or ask for hot sauce. And the cost of going out for here breakfast has increased quite a bit. I want to tip, to my earlier point, but I am confused...is this still supposed to be like a diner? Is it moving to a cafe or fast casual model? The person taking my order isn't the person bringing my food, and then we don't have a server for our meal so who am I tipping? I want to be sure they get the money evenly but I am also tipping for the service we used to get, which is definitely not the same service now. Things change, sure, and it has been a tough few years. A few of my friends seem hesitant to go out to eat to a lot of places now with these changes but I want places like Uncommon to succeed and to be more than a takeout place, unless that is what the new business model is aiming for! So many happy memories here! read more

This is a great place for breakfast, coffee and tea, and I'm not sure if they have lunch food because I've only been for breakfast or brunch. The food is reliably good and I enjoy sitting outside where they have a fair number of tables set up. They do have seating indoors but it is quite cramped and I am not yet ready to eat indoors (even though Covid numbers have gone down and mask mandates have been eased.) The home fries are to write home about, delicious! Today I had the veggie scramble which was really good, next time I will ask for cheese in it. portions are pretty big. The coffee is good too. It's a little pricey but it's a bottomless cup. To order food to go inside and place your order at the counter. There's Always been a long line when I get there because this place is quite popular. Staff will bring your food out to you but you are supposed to bus your own table when you're done. I will definitely be back! read more

Uncommon Grounds - Decaf coffee, veggie scramble with home fries and toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Had my breakfast delivered, on time, excellent food and so much food I have leftovers which was delicious later on!!! I have driven past the restaurant and the outdoor seating is extensive and quite inviting... forget delivery, I'm going to enjoy the ambiance! read more

The wait was a pretty long on a Sunday but it was worth it; the sweet and spicy scramble was great, and my friends enjoyed their food as well. At the moment it is only outdoor seating with limited indoor seating that is crowded, so I'd recommend getting takeout if it's a cold/rainy day. read more

I was in the area and have always wanted to try this place. That didn't work out as planned. The place is tiny and people linger and they don't move people out the door. I ordered to sit and had to take it to go. The staff are rude from the person taking the order to the person bussing the tables to the owner or manager who just cared about talking to his friends and taking care of them. The coffee wasn't even that good and i got the caprese sandwich and was very disappointed with the portion and taste. This will be a one and done and I'll make sure to tell everyone I know about my experience. Overrated!! read more

OK, call me fickle but I got say the service has improved immensely. So I am giving them back their star. As always, I love, love, love their breakfasts here. I wish the lemon ricotta pancakes were served during the week -- it is served only on the weekends and it is nuts during the weekend -- but their regular pancakes are really light and ample (a short stack is all you need). I also enjoy their scrambled egg specials. I usually get the heart clogging bacon and cheddar but yesterday I got the tomato, spinach and feta -- sans spinach, sorry mom -- and it was perfect. It had the right balance of feta and tomato. Their iced tea could use some improvement but at least they have loose hot teas. I have also been there for lunch, but still have not found that item that I just need to order every time yet. So my advice is to just have breakfast for lunch! You are a grownup now, do it! read more

I would give this a 3.5 or 4. The didn't have blubbery pancakes and the food took about 35 minutes, for a table service place this is pretty long. Not enough tables for everyone, which isn't bad just a sign that lots of local and people in general enjoy this fun stop. Right in an amazing location in Watertown near Arsenal Yards and Cambridge! read more

Best breakfast/lunch spot in town with a patio. Service is friendly and prices are always just right. When the weather is nice there is always a wait because everyone wants to eat outside. Right on Mt Auburn Street, great people watching spot. I think they do a awesome breakfast sandwich served w their delicious home fries. Great specials, some artsy, emo, millennial crap mixed in, something for everyone. Healthy, vegan, veggie or lumberjacks all welcome. read more

Uncommon Grounds - Maybe some of the best home fries in town - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I went there a few days ago. They're kinda a little busy in morning. Food was good and coffee was great too. When you go there,you have to order at the front and you can sit any tables are clean. They have outside sitting, was nice. read more

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The fact that Uncommon Grounds is always so crowded is a testament to the combination of quality and quantity you can get here. Dishes are priced fairly at around $10-15; and with certain dishes like the scrambles, you're getting almost two meals out of the amount of food on the plate since it's a large scramble, crispy potatoes, and toast. A personal favorite of mine is the southern eggs benedict with Andouille sausage, a savory chipotle hollandaise, and nice poached eggs. If you're okay with the taste of arugula (which I don't dislike - I just feel like it has a strong flavor sometimes), I would recommend this dish. I also had the classic eggs Benedict recently. It's also a good choice in case sausage and chipotle sauce isn't your thing. Service-wise, I had a good experience with my last visit. The waitress did not keep us waiting, refilled our glasses of water, and was pleasant to talk to. There's a rotating menu of special/seasonal dishes (I believe I've eaten crab cake benedicts off this menu in the past). It's the reason I'll be looking forward to my next visit to this great brunch place. read more

Uncommon Grounds - Classic Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Love the food. Staff needs some basic customer service training. Last two times I visited: 1) ordered at register. Ordered iced coffee along with a few other items. Person at register read back my order. Sounded right to me but my hearing isn't 100% and music was a little loud so apparently she read back "iced tea" to me. I thought she said "coffee" so I confirmed yes. Drink comes out and I said "I'm sorry I wanted iced coffee". Her response wasn't "oh ok I will take care of that". Instead she placed the blame on me for not understanding when the place was loud and volume on PA up. I apologized but she still seem perturbed that I had misheard her. As if the poured drink was going to come out of her paycheck. 2) Today we walked in. There was an open booth. Table was not wiped down. Syrup, sugar crystals etc. Asked nicely for a quick wipe down. Rather than "sure !", the server said nothing, looked side eyed at the table, said nothing and seemed to sigh that she had to wipe it down. All I was asking for was a clean table, a basic in a restaurant. It's as if she expected me to find one that was clean. I tipped them 15% for carrying 2 plates to my table. Not even full table service. Service makes me want to bail on this place You can do better, UG. read more

First time at Uncommon Ground and it was pretty good. They are apparently sticklers for folks waiting for a table outside of the restaurant, which was weird. But it makes sense, as just thirty minutes after it opened it was poppin. I ordered the sweet pepper scramble with chorizo and caramelized onions. The scramble was good but not spectacular, and the home fries was just potatoes. Good potatoes, but again, not spectacular. I'd come back and try other dishes though. read more

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Outstanding coffee shop with a great variety of breakfast options from a full plate or a loaded breakfast biscuit with lunch options untill 2:00 PM. I hsd a fried egg and bacon biscuit, my friend eggs, bacon and hash browns. We came back the next day, staying locally, I opted for ftuit and my friend another full breakfast. Modest number of tables but they turn over quickly. Coffee options were outstanding and i had a mocha hazelnut coffee. We started each morning at Uncommon Grounds - very efficient and friendly staff. read more

This used to be a nice place to eat, but has recently gone down hill. Their online ordering website needs work, we couldn't even get a sandwich put onto gluten free bread. When I brought it up with the grouchy owner, he yelled at me for 5 minutes about how he couldn't help that his cooks couldn't deal with changes and he didn't care if people didn't like that. When I got my sandwich the avocado on my toast was rotten. Go here at your own risk, especially if you have gluten issues. I've also noticed the owner bringing his dog into the kitchen, which I'm pretty sure shouldn't be happening! read more

Uncommon Grounds - Rotten Avocado on my toast, Yuk! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I used to love it here, BUT today changed it. This is based on the food and response. I ordered a breakfast burrito that came and all the meat was burnt as was the jalapeños making it inedible. When I raised my concern I was told "it looks fine" well I sit here hungry while my girlfriend eats hers (which was fine) I didn't get an apology nor asked if I wanted it remade. I will never be back based on the attitude. Everyone can have an off day but to be rude to someone is unacceptable. They did refund my portion so there's that. read more

I can't rate them on the food quality because I didn't even make it to eat! The stuff turned me off from the moment I walked in. Very unprofessional and I kinda felt even discriminated. They told me several times I have to wait outside (due to blocking the door for fire hazard) till i get seated (30m which is fine) ... I understand the place is small and I would gladly...I didn't mind but the way that was told to me and all the other people were still standing there waiting but only kept telling me that was upsetting! I also had a foot injury and again she told me twice but all the other people were standing there no problem! I don't think I ll give a try to their food plenty great places around!!!!! read more

Great place for brunch or lunch. We are frequent customers, simply because it is conveniently nearby and a nice, relaxing place to eat. We have tried all sorts of combinations of omelets and scrambled eggs, all really great. Served with the chef's roasted potatoes, breakfast plates are really filing (if one manages to finish them...). Pancakes are specially recommended. It is usually packed, so there is a waiting of 15-20 min. read more

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I can't speak more highly of Uncommon. I work a few blocks away and have been frequenting this diner for the past year and a half. This place is so reliable; I have no need to look elsewhere, although, naturally, I have explored, so I can confidently attest to Uncommon being the best lunch spot in the area. While I have tried several items on the menu (including the omelettes and soups - all delicious), what sets Uncommon apart is their salads. I realize salads don't inspire most people but for the salad gurus such as myself or for those who are simply looking for a healthier lunch option, listen up: These salads are damn good. I've encountered too many "salads" under the facade of tasteless iceberg lettuce, mealy tomatoes, and frugally-donned toppings. This is not the case with Uncommon. The romaine actually has flavor, the toppings are generous, and the chicken is expertly grilled. For those who claim salads don't constitute as meals, I urge you to give one at Uncommon a shot. I've tried all of their salads and have enjoyed each of them immensely. My favorite salad is the Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Salad. I also highly recommend their current special, the Arugula Salad. Aside from their offerings, the staff is very welcoming. I always appreciate our brief interactions. They know my orders at this point (and I'm convinced Peter the manager recognizes my voice from when I call in my lunch for take-out). Thank you, Uncommon! read more

Uncommon Grounds - Greek salad with grilled chicken - look at that char! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Self sign in sheet. Small diner with patio seating. Will not seat until your whole party arrives, saw a dad get upset about this. They do a great job at turning their tables so wait isn't very long. Great food, large menu, fluffy amazing pancakes. We split some pancakes and get the southern Benedict? The chipotle sauce is great. The andouille sausage is flavorful. If you're a mother that has live laugh love on a wall of crosses then it may be too spicy for you because I think they put pepper in it. There are no frills here and I don't need all the basic bitch stuff if there's great food and service. read more

Haven't been here in a while and after browsing Uber eats it has the best selection and prices, So I ordered myself some lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes, with two over medium eggs, bacon, Home fries and toast. The eggs actually were very flavorful and bacon was of High quality. I'm very picky with home fries and these were perfect! I also ordered the peanut butter cup latte which was also on point. Not one complaint. Thank you so much, I will definitely be back sooner rather than later. read more

Did not like the special prosciutto egg benedict. It was so greasy that the muffins are soggy and mushy already when the plate made onto the table. The arugula was also soaked in grease. Not only the food was too oily, the air circulation wasn't great either, so the busy griddle in a relatively small area added to the greasiness of the whole experience. read more

I've been to uncommon grounds a dozen times and I'm not sure why I haven't written a review for them yet. Shame on me. The service here is always great and the food is amazing. During the winter months their gingerbread lattes and seasonal waffles are to die for. During my last visit I had lox on Avocado toast with heirloom tomatoes OMG! The portions are always out of this world and can definitely be shared with two people. The coffee and espresso are always a delight to my palate and I love seeing the waitresses face when I ask for six shots over ice! It's no wonder they are staple in the neighborhood. Go forth and nom! read more

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First time to Boston, first meal in Boston. Worst welcome. Will not return. Terrible service. Requested egg white for my father's omelette due to egg yolk allergy and was given egg yolk. The cashier repeated back the order correctly, including egg white omelette. Upon talking to the server, the manager came out to blame us for not mentioning egg white instead of trying to understand what happened. He then claimed he had said white onion, not egg white. No apologies or compensation were offered at all. Do not come to a place where the management will blame you for their mistakes read more

Yummy food that looks great with reasonable prices. I love the chicken n waffles & French toast. I will say it's weird you have to place your order your self. It reminds me of Panera's way of taking orders. I would prefer it if the staff took orders instead. read more

Extraordinary. Excellent food. Great setting. Fun to share brunch outdoors with new friends.

Sunday Brunch was amazing. We were told to wait 35 mins but got seated within 15 minutes depite the sunday brunch rush hour. Ordered Eggs Benedict and California BLT, both were amazing. Portion size was pretty big too. Friendly server plus a good vibe all along. Small but clean facility, definitely recommend read more

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

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This neighborhood gem deserves 5 stars. The only reason it has gotten a 4 is due to the wait which can range between 45-90 mins depending on the size of the group. Its tiny so that can be the reason. The stagg is very friendly and a definite plus is their own parking area. Maybe today was an anamoly on account of the weather being good. They had put in some chairs outside in the sun for the wait which was a blessing. I wonder what happens when its cold coz there is no place to wait inside. We had some coffee and muffins whilst we waited. The weather was gorg so the wait wasn't that bad. We ordered some lemonade and coffee to start. The coffee was brewed just right. The menu has too many options. We went with the Uncommon Caprese Sandwich (without the bacon) and the California Omlette (which was huge). The home fries well done just the way i like it and they had enough options for the toast (rye, sourdough, wheat, french white). Their service is quick so the food was out pretty fast making up for the wait. The one thing that they can incorporate is take reservations on the phone or opentable or some other option where the wait time can be leaser. Next time we try their 'make your own scramble' and their crispy french toast which seemed like very popular options. The bill was $30 for 2 people which is not bad. read more

Uncommon Grounds - The California Omlette and the Uncommon Caprese Sandwich! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Thanks to the urging of my fellow Yelp reviewers, I was finally able to check out Uncommon Grounds for breakfast. In a word, "fantastic"! Breakfast may be my favorite meal for dining out because its casual and comes with the expectation of great food (either comfort of healthy) with a very quick turnaround, and coffee!! Uncommon Grounds hit all of those elements. And when a place boasts right on its website and menu that their menu is not suitable for those with gluten, dairy, nuts, or other food allergies I applaud them as I know the food will be authentic, traditional, and how I like it!! Thank you for keeping a traditional menu and not lessening the quality of food for the majority of folks choosing to eat at your establishment!! Don't worry, you can still order gluten free options if you are so inclined. A few other observances from the menu; the coffee was free flowing with various juice options too. Normally I prefer to make my own omelet, but I was drawn to this rather unique opportunity to create my own scrambler!! While the pricing is steep $1.25 for each vegetable and $1.50 for each meat and $1.00 for each cheese and $1.50 for egg whites on top of the $6.99 price of the scrambled eggs, the end result did not disappoint. A generous helping of scrambled eggs including my options (I passed on the cheese) with wheat toast and red bliss potato home fries soon found our table. As an additional note; the home fries were done well with some crispiness that I prefer. My guests also enjoyed the create your own omelet as well as a couple of "off-the-griddle" options. Uncommon Grounds offers various french toast bread choices including berry stuffed and cinnamon bun or crunchy dipped in a granola coating. We opted for traditional which came with 3 thick slices and real 100% maple syrup for $2 more which is well worth the price. We also chose a Belgian waffle (plain) so that those of us primarily eating the omelette and the scrambler could share. Again, this was perfectly done, mildly crispy with 100% maple syrup. Uncommon Grounds was certainly worth the wait and while a little more expensive that your average greasy spoon breakfast spot, very satisfying. Now off to the gym!! read more