Eat.Live.Blog.

I love a family run joint. You may or may not know, my family is in the business ourselves. Knowing all the blood, sweat and tears that goes behind these types of restaurants makes me appreciate them even more.

When we moved to New England, we quickly discovered it is the land of infinite diners. Everywhere you look there is another greasy spoon, and each one seems to be just as delicious as the next. It didn’t take us long to find Crown Cafe in Watertown, since that is our neck of the woods. This breakfast stop changed hands more times than I can remember during our first year here. But it finally landed in the hands of the nicest Armenian family. Any time you would go in the shop, the owner and his son would great you with a smile, and just enough polite conversation that you wouldn’t get irritated. Then they would serve you one of the best cups of coffee in town, and a home cooked meal, all for under $10.

Then one day, there was a new family behind the counter! We panicked, questioning the young girl serving us. Was the menu going to change? Would the prices change? How about the portion sizes? And the chicken salad? The chicken salad club is SO delicious it would be an actual crime to change it! But the sweet girl assured us that her family planned to keep EVERYthing the same. They are actually family friends of the old owners, and they understand that the secret to Crown Cafe’s success is consistency.

So, we ordered, we over-ate, and we conceded. We were sad to see the old ownership go, but happy that the new owners understand the neighborhood. If you are ever in Watertown before 2pm, and looking for a delicious, hot meal for a low price, give Crown Cafe a try. Trust me, it will feel good to support a nice, locally owned establishment!

Recommendations:

• Coffee – It is ALWAYS good!
• Chicken Salad – See above
• Grilled Chicken Dinner – For under $10 you get a HUGE portion of deliciously marinated and perfectly grilled chicken over rice. This usually is good for 3 meals for me!
• Fries & Home Fries – Both are perfectly cooked and seasoned
• Egg Sandwich- Ryan swears by their egg sandwich on english muffin with bacon

Honestly, I have never been disappointed with anything I have ordered!

What is your favorite neighborhood eating joint?

Crown Cafe is located at 106 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472. They are open for breakfast and lunch and accessible via the Watertown Yard Bus Stop.