Surprisingly decent. They have a real monopoly in town, and their setup is a little odd if you just want to get something to go, but the food is good, fresh, with good variety on the menu. On the pricey side, but hey, Concord Center is a tourist destination. Service was very good and friendly.
Review Source:Since it was a beautiful Friday night, we decided to walk the Main Street of Concord and find a place to get a bite to eat. Â Walked by the cafe and read the menu and thought we would try it. Â We waited to be acknowledged by the hostess for quite a few minutes before she decided to come over. Â It was busy but there were open tables so I couldn't imagine why she ignored us. Â Ok, Â will let that go. Â Our server was pleasant but definitely not truly interested in putting herself out. Â We ordered a salad to share which I will say was delicious. Â Fresh greens with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella with a basil dressing. Â The corn bread that arrived next was better than any other I have ever had. Â For dinner, I skipped the diet food and went for the fried seafood platter. Â It was excellent, fresh and tasty and not greasy at all. Â All in all the food was very good albeit a bit pricey. Â Would go back again, hopefully the wait staff would friendlier and more customer orientated.
Review Source:Stopped in to meet a friend for coffee and maybe breakfast.  It took 15 minutes for the waitress to acknowledge us, without bringing coffee or water.  Another 10 to take the order.  My bagel arrived 35 minutes after I did, and my friend wound-up having to take her omelet home.  No interim service of coffee or water.  A different waiter apologized.  They took the egg omelet off at the end but still charged us 6 bucks  - very unclassy.  The restaurant wasn't full, there were no lines at the counter - no excuse.
Stay far far far far away. You'd do better at Helen's, at the Colonial, or driving up the road to Acton's Local Table. Â Really!
It's a pity, for the location I would expect better food. It's just OK at best. The options are a little dull, and if not, they're far reaching. The atmosphere is nice, sometimes crowded. I wish their menu was more interesting and the food fresher. The best thing about this place is the booze, the location, and the open mic night (that is if there are good musicians). The Andersons need to stop being snotty and bump it up a notch. Some of the waitresses are weird.
Review Source:A little bit of everything in Concord Center. Concord with it's history, it's many real estate offices, touristy attractions, and traffic it has very few spots for a meal. Â Now of course we hear high rents prevent most culinary entrepreneurs from making a mark but so it goes in downtown Concord. Having lived here for 20 years it amazes me that i have finely found my way to the Main Street Cafe. Â Prodded by my youngest daughter off we go with mom. Â We read the reviews and expected a long line this Sunday AM. Â Nope right in we went and sat at a long high table for three that could easily seat six. Â We were greeted by our server with menus and quickly had refreshments. Order up the breakfast and then........the wait. Â Nearly 25 minutes before it arrived. Our server apologized for the delay and we dug in. Mine the corn beef hash, hash browns, and two eggs easy were accompanied by grilled corn bread and a slice of watermelon. Â The coffee was good, the hash very good and the spuds so so. Â More of a boiled consistency than a hash brown. The total portion was on the large side making me slightly sluggish for the remainder of what was supposed to be a day of errands and home fix up. Â Then I tried my daughter's burrito. Â Scrambled eggs, smoky bacon, the same spuds, guac, salsa all rolled up in a wheat burrito. Â Now finishing off the kid's burrito I am starting to feel lethargic and in need of a walk. Â But not done yet I sample the brides French toast. Perfectly cooked, drizzled in with a package of maple syrup (hold the butter as I'm being careful) and a nice rendition of an old favorite cooked very well. The atmosphere is right up there with the very best nostalgic spots in Concord. Life Magazine covers of heroes from the 50's and 60's ....the Franks, Dali, Teddy Ballgame, John, and Liz and Richard adorn both sides of the establishment. The very cozy bar will have me back for sure as I love cozy bars that have Island Oasis, Martini specials, and that rustic make you want to sing a sailor's song about whales and the British. Â One reviewer complained about the bathroom. Â Ha ...I found it clean. Old and yet with one of those funky Dyer cold air hand driers. Â Still wish there were paper towels to grab the door knob. We will be back for drinks and dinner as we dine at the bar and listen to tails of the Police blotter, real estate sales and traffic.
Review Source:Visited this cute, cozy little place on Monday 1/21/18 with my sister while visiting from NYC. Â We went around 10am & it was packed. Â (it was a holiday so people were off) Â The place was so cute and cozy. Â We sat by the window with the winter sun shining on us. Â We shared a delicious chocolate raspberry muffin & both had a cup of chocolate raspberry coffee. Â The muffin was very fresh, the coffee delicious. Â The service was great. Â My sister says she comes for dinner and loves their mussels. Â I will be back & definately walk over to the store the NEST.
Review Source:This place is painful. I've been there 4 times, and every time we've sat there for more than 15 minutes before getting service. Â The last time we sat there for 20 minutes without any server/ hostess taking a drink order. Â We finally walked away.
Now, if you have the patience to wait until they feel like approaching your table, you'll get mediocre food. Â Not great, but in Concord you take what you can get. Â For such a nice town the night-time dining options are atrocious. Â
Anyway, if you're in Concord and HAVE to eat, this place is one of only a handful. Â If you get a seat, bring a deck of cards or a board game until they acknowledge your existence.
It's not fine-dining but it's a step above a diner. Â Perfect for a casual lunch while site-seeing in a quaint historic town. Â I was relieved by all the options for my restricted diet (vegan AND gluten-free). Â In small towns, and especially in diners, I often survive on french fries because it's the only veggie option. Â
I had a Mediterranean pizza with a gluten free crust. Â I ordered it without cheese so they added extra pesto and veggies. Â He had a BBQ chicken pizza. Â Turned out to be a delightful late afternoon lunch. Â
I agree with other reviewers that the tables were close together so there is no opportunity for a private conversation. Â Tough for very tall guests.
Recommended for daytime eating while escaping the city, but not somewhere I'm interested in visiting for an evening dinner/date. Â Did not accept AmEx.
Not sure I understand how Main Street's Cafe operates. We dropped in after the bookstore closed, thinking we'd get some coffee and pastry. There were free tables, but they all had "reserved" signs on them. When we were finally greeted by wait staff, she assumed we were there for dinner. We were hungry enough and figured we could just have an early dinner, so okay. She asked if we had a reservation. No. She seated us at a "reserved" table and explained that a party of two was coming in at 7:30. Seeing as how it was 5 pm, I didn't see a problem with us being gone long before then.
I wasn't happy with how she pushed our table closer to the table next to us. Already, things were space-wise kind of "cozy." (If you hope to have anything resembling a difficult or private conversation here, I wouldn't recommend it! Even when I was telling my husband about an article I read about the zumba scandal in Kennebunk, I felt like I had to lower my voice.) The waitress initially explained "Well, I'm trying to fit an extra table in here," and then said "I need room to get around."
The cafe menu was a bit more pricey than I was expecting, based on the setting. My husband had the clam chowder, which was very creamy and delicious, and a green salad. I had a chicken and pasta dish that had the traditional Greek flavors (artichoke, feta, black olives). There was a lot of it, pretty much enough for two meals. I've got to concur with other reviewers that the food is decent, but I don't feel inspired to go back. Service was fine and prompt - no complaints.
The sweets in the pastry case, though, looked awesome. I wish we'd have just gotten a couple of things to go, but I wanted to sit down and enjoy them. I'm not sure why all these empty tables had "reserved" signs on them at 5 pm. Maybe they're reserved strictly for the people who are there for dinner and I get that...but when it's 5 pm and a particular table is reserved for 7:30, are you really going to let that table sit empty for 2.5 hours? Surely there's a better way to accommodate people who want to stop and have a bite. The "reserved" signs just make the place look unwelcoming, IMO.
My wife and I had stopped for coffee at Main St Cafe during one of our many trips to our favorite town...Concord is both rich in history and tradition.
A friend of ours played an acoustic set on a Wednesday night , thus we had the first opportunity to dine at the Cafe... I was pleasantly surprised at the breadth of choices on the menu.
I had the Chile and Butternut "soup" - it was more like typical chile than soup, chock full of savory beef and tasty chunks of butternut squash...excellent!
For main dish I had the seared scallops with seaweed salad - excellent quality scallops and the seaweed was fresh and briny , just the way I like it!...at 12.95 a good bargain.
My wife had the NY Sirloin - nice cut , cooked to perfection.
Combined with the music, made for a fantastic mid-week dining and entertainment experience.
Service was very good as well.
Went here for lunch before a trip around nearby Walden pond and was very impressed! The cafe has a great vintage feel and look, but clean and comfortable. Service was very quick, despite it being a full house. Food was very good; we got a caprese-like panini and a turkey club with fries which were both very good. Bathroom was clean and quirky. Great people watching and it's located right in the center of town. Huge free parking lot right down the street provides easy access.
Review Source:I'll go basic on this one since I really only got coffee here. Â So I can't judge the food. Â
It seems nice enough. Â Nothing wrong with the coffee. Â Except the size for the price. Â A small coffee and a small latte wound up being over $6. Â And their sizing is 10 oz for a small. Â
I'll stick with Dunkin Donuts for coffee next time.
Experience: ***
Found this place while foraging for lunch on a day trip to Walden Pond. The place was packed (2pm on a Sunday) and a bit disorganized in getting people seated and managing the take-out line. We didn't wait unreasonably long to order for take-out though and the food came out relatively quickly. Staff was friendly enough (can't say the same for some of the other patrons!).
Food: ****
Ordered a breaded chicken club sandwich and the Concord panini (tomatoes, mozzarella, Pesto). The panini was delicious: the bread had a good toast on it and there was a good ingredient ratio. The club sandwich wasn't necessarily a club (only two slices of bread?) but extra points for a respectable portion of bacon. Overall it was a good, not great, sandwich. Also had a vanilla cupcake, which was forgettable.
This is a fine place to eat lunch, especially in a touristy town, but strongly recommend getting your meal to go and eating at one of the benches or tables in the vicinity.
This was just the perfect spot for a late lunch! Â My sister and I were in the area and had no clue where to eat...we were going to try another spot, but walked past Main Street's Market and it was packed....nevertheless, we walked past and looked at the other spot...and turned right back around to Main Street's Market. Â
We were thrilled with our choice - just what we wanted. Â It's sort of a dive, but a cute one with great beer on tap and a surprisingly good wine list. Â I had the avocado BLT - YUM! Â Everything was tasty (my sister enjoyed her sandwich, too!). Â
Service was rushed behind the bar, but when our server/bartender was talking to us, she was very friendly and cheerful. Â The spot was packed and she held it together nicely.
Overall, a great spot (bathrooms could use a smidge of attention...but not too bad considering the obvious use since the spot was so busy).
If you're in the area, definitely a worthy choice!
I can't believe the negative reviews of this place. I feel bad that so many had a bad experience because ours was wonderful. We just happened upon this place while looking for something for dinner. We did have to sit at the bar due to not having reservations, but the bartender was great, made us feel welcome and BOY was she quick with the drinks. I had a ravioli special and the boyfriend had the short ribs. Both were incredible and I got the lemon marscapone cake the bartender reccomended and took it back to the B&B with us. As an avid baker, I can tell you this cake was made by someone who knew what they were doing. Every flavor and texture balanced out perfectly. So. Good. Next time we're in Concord, I know where we're going for dinner (with reservations, of course ;)
Review Source:I work down the street from this Cafe, but don't usually eat there because it's so expensive. Â Today I wanted something hot and decided I give them a try for a large soup. Â I chose the Chili with Butternut Squash -- comes in a 12 ounce container for $6+tax. Â It was awful. Â I only ate it because I was hungry, but NEVER again. Â
First, the chunks of butternut squash are so big, that in reality a 12 ounce container can really only hold about  6 ounces, if that, so there's not a lot of value for the money. Â
Next, no salt, no seasoning, no beans...bland, bland, bland. Â And if that weren't enough, it was greasy. Â I don't know what kind of ground beef they using, but it's got to be the cheapest of the cheap to produce that much grease. Â It was served with a little piece of corn bread that was also bland, greasy and completely unappealing.
I usually get a sandwich and/or soup down the street at the Concord Cheese Shop. Â Go there instead. Â There isn't much room for sitting, but on a nice day, you can have a "to go" lunch at a more reasonable price, and it will be good.
We LOVE this place. First off the Eggs Benedict is spot on. I don't want to eat EB every time I go there for breakey, but it was wonderful. Corn Beef Hash and Eggs that would make  any New England native breakfast adventurer smile. I hate people that make the "MMMM" noise with every bite, but that was me the first time I had it.
Dinner and live music. A bad review would possibly remain seating when we go back, but Dinner and live music for under $100 with free parking in the same block? Hello?
We have so much fun going to this little spot and look forward to going back.
The wait staff are super friendly and a joy to deal with.
Tip large because its worth it. Â
Thank You MSM&C! Â We will be back!
This place is ridiculously expensive. The service is not that great. The food is nothing to write home about.
The food is average, but costs about twice what its worth. We're talking $9 soup here. Yeah, insane. Its a total tourist trap and if you fall for it you will leave with a belly full of mediocre food and an empty wallet.
Avoid.
Gordon Ramsay needs to save this restaurant.
My boyfriend and I went here for dinner around 7pm on a Saturday night after checking out their menu online. After a few minutes of awkwardly standing in the doorway, a frazzled and disorganized hostess greeted us. When she realized that we didn't have a reservation, she loudly told another waitress that she "didn't have a table for these people". She proceeded to tell us, and another couple, that the restaurant was full. When I asked if we could wait, she said yes, but it would be a very long wait (which ended up being about 25 minutes- not exactly a "very long wait" in hostess lingo.)
It's important to note that at this point, the restaurant was mostly empty, with several "reserved" signs on many tables, for different times at night. An interesting way of doing your reservations....
While waiting, we tried to grab a drink at the bar. Trying to get the bartender's attention was a daunting task, which was a little surprising, considering there were only about 9 or 10 other people seated at the bar. Finally, another waitress had to come take our drink orders and deliver them to the bartender.
We were finally seated at a table in the back, near the restrooms and kitchen, which had a reserved sign for 10:30. The one bathroom which seemed accessible to customers was unisex, and about every 20 seconds someone would walk up to it, be denied entry, and have to wait (next to our table). We even witnessed a very awkward encounter where a woman tried to enter the bathroom before the man inside could Fred Astaire himself to safety. (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbandictionary.com%2Fdefine.php%3Fterm%3DFred%2520Astaire&s=6c274b145e082b4534560ac702a9b720bcd7d13cbde7d110f487d46116fa3486" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.urbandictiona…</a>)
In all fairness, our food actually wasn't that bad, but the quality of the food is really only part of a dining experience. First impressions are everything, and we were considering walking out for the majority of our wait. There was no practical place to wait for our table; the layout of the restaurant is completely illogical. This restaurant was about to lose two customers due to its lack of organization & structure, and there's little to no chance that we will be returning for the same reason.
The food was alright, stopped in for lunch after spending the night in a hotel about 15 minutes away.
My sandwich was basically a mess, and my friends was as well. The woman (a larger blonde haired red faced snob) was continuously yelling at her staff in front of customers and it was clear she must have been some sort of manager that was taking advantage of her 'power'
To me, the actual meal in a restaurant is absolutely important. However, service is most important to me. This place did not deliver whatsoever.
I have been here twice... Once for lunch and once for dinner.
Lunch- I loved it here. Â I thought the food was wonderful and it was a nice and laid back experience. Â I really enjoyed it here and felt the real new england charm that I love. Â I loved it so much, when I was looking for a nice laid back dinner a few months later I thought I would go back.
Dinner- I felt like I was in a totally different place. Â We awkwardly waited in the doorway to be seated (you can seat yourself at lunch) and we waited for what seemed like forever until a rude waitress walked over. Â The restaurant was pretty empty. Â It took way to long for everything here. Â The waitress was less than pleasant and it just seemed so unwelcoming. Â One plus: the crab cakes were really good! Â
Try it for lunch.. steer clear for dinner!
The prices are a little high for the amount you get, but the sandwiches are definitely tasty. New England Pot Roast was scrumptious. I only wish they had put in more caramelized onions. And the BLT with Avocado was excellent, plus the focaccia was somehow better in this sandwich. Nice selection of baked goods and desserts, though typical.
A major plus is the cuteness of the place, both inside and out, as well as the charming downtown Concord location. Such a beautiful area.
This small bakery/cafe is filled with New England charm, and on a sunny Sunday morning it's a favorite brunch destination for the locals. Â As other reviewers have noted, it IS crowded and buzzes with conversation, and is dotted with cyclists and a few tourists, but that's because it's such a pleasant place to be. Â Especially when the sun is shining.
The pastry is the eye-candy that you notice when you walk to the counter, but I resisted that on this occasion and instead chose the Eggs Florentine (see photo). Â The spinach was perfect and it was prepared exactly as I requested.
There is also a full bar in the back where you can watch a game or strike up a chat. Â Whether your choice is a cappuccino, a hot-chocolate with whipped cream, or any of several good beers available on tap, there's a little something for everyone.
If you have more than about 4 people, you probably won't find a place to sit together. Â There is ample parking nearby.
p.s. Â there were 9 waitstaff on duty (many more than in the past), so I think they've addressed the previously reported problem with slow service
I stopped here for lunch during a day trip in Concord. Â It was exactly the kind of lunch I was looking for on a hot day in this adorable town: good lunch in a place that screams local cafe. Â The place was super crowded, I'm assuming mostly with tourists, you have to wait a bit to order. Â However, they got our food to us pretty quickly, I was impressed. Â I'm a little annoyed with the reviews that say the staff isn't friendly enough. Â Obviously they've never worked in food service before. Â When you have a line of hungry people, you assume that the best way to make them happy is to get their order to them as quickly and efficiently as possible, and that is stressful!
The food was great. Â I had the turkey and cranberry wrap with the tuscan chicken soup, and both were good. Â There was a little cornbread in my wrap, a delicious addition! Â If you are looking for a decent lunch cafe, this place does not disappoint. Â I wish I wasn't too full to try something from their yummy looking dessert case.
Meal was a tiny bit pricey, but I'm fine with it because it's good, fresh ingredients. Â Plus, half a wrap, soup, and chips for $9? Â Not too bad.
A lot of people are complaining about the no laptop policy, but I think it's great. Â It maintains the restaurant as a place to socialize. It's also a simple solution for busy days like my visit. Â No laptops = more turnover = more business, and independent cafes need all the business they can get.
You know, i had very high hopes for this place.
Thing is, it's 2:30 in the afternoon on a Wednesday. Concord is as dead as Concord is gonna get. It's post-lunch here and the restaurant is completely dead. I'm on Spring Break and want to get in my required hour of reading.
I figure "Hey, coffee, a scone, sounds good, right?"
So, what do you know, i order, it's not table service at this hour, sit down, and crack my Property textbook. Little do i know that i was about to get a lesson on the assumed leasehold of a table and seat. Yes, i got shooed off for READING A TEXTBOOK. (Or maybe having, quelle horror, five Westlaw printouts?) No computer, no cell phone, no nothin', so i seemed to be obeying your rules. Mind you, ya couldn't even do it politely; i wasn't aware that a textbook is provocation for raising one's voice fifteen decibels.
So if you want to stare into space and do nothing in an empty restaurant, this is your kind of place. If you want to touch dangerous textbooks, you might be safer at any one of the six other places to get coffee nearby or maybe in Concord's lovely main library. Stay the heck away from this place, though. And, uh, by the way, the coffee was lukewarm and the "scone" (does "scone" mean something different in the Town of Concord like it does in Utah or something?) was dry and hard. With all due respect, a fast casual place in the center of town should make a mint, especially since Brigham's went out. Maybe if you'd quit yelling at meek law students from 3500 miles away, you'd do better. Maybe not. But sooner or later you're gonna start alienating townies, and tourists alone won't keep you alive, even in Concord.
We really did not like this restaurant. Â
Honestly, I'm not sure why this place gives me such a visceral reaction. Â We went in November, on our honeymoon. Â Maybe it was that we had had excellent food up to this point. Â Maybe it was that it was rainy out and we were tired. Â Maybe it was that we were going to go to Helen's, but didn't have any cash.
We did go for dinner, and fairly late at that. Â Most everyone there seemed to be there for drinks and live music. Â The front looked like a lot of fun, although a bit crowded. Â We were in the back, next to the bathroom and the kitchen. Â
The food was eh. Â Very eh. Â And expensive, given just how eh it was. Â One of us had the Guinness beef stew, and it just wasn't really good at all. Â Our wing appetizer was bleh. Â It was just eh eh eh. Â Eh. Â
The service was good as could be expected, although they were clearly low on wait staff. Â I got to overhear the "bartender" completely confused by my order of a Manhattan (it was one of the highlighted drinks on the menu), and the waittress' sort of snippy response. Â
So, eh. Â Eh.
I stopped by to look for a Starbucks but found this place. Â I bet Concord folks banned all the big chains like McDonalds, etc. Â It's nice to see a local cafe with music entertainment in the evening. Â Parking on the street is tricky so look behind the vistor's center. Â I had the sweet potato fries which were good. Â They were served with a syrup sauce which I avoided. Â It's good without the extra sugary dipping liquid. Â Coffee was lukewarm but it was 1:30 PM. Â I would recommend the staff to check the coffee but they are busy getting orders from patrons. Â Lots of variety and here is a flavor below.
* Soups
* Sandwiches
* Breakfast muffins
* Salads
* Fish and chips
* Chicken strips
* Potato wedges and sweet potato fries
The back room has a bar room with beer on tap. Â Plus, you can enjoy the close proximity to the bathroom. Â Great time for studying between 2:30 and 4:30 when everyone is done with eating lunch. Â Also, nice shops near the cafe like book store, toy store, and cheese store. Â Traffic gets busy getting later to 4:30 when people are driving through after work.
We went for breakfast on Monday morning 10/12 it was delicious! The setting is comfy they serve breakfast all day I looked at other patrons selections (some were lunch) plates had nice presentation the Orange Juice was freshly squeezed (or so it seemed) and enjoyed the breakfast potatoes, the menu is on a chalkboard. Table service was friendly (even though they were slammed) counter service I can't recall if they looked up and gave us eye contact but they got us in and out!
Can get crowded but we were seated in a window seat and lots of families came in with kids... I think because it was Columbus Day. Overall if you are in the area this place is definitely worth the time.
Respectfully Reviewed
I find this place to be just ok. It's convenient when you need a bite to eat when in Concord, but I would not go out of my way to go here. In fact, next time I'm in the area I will likely search for someplace else to try.
The menu is nothing creative and slightly overpriced. My veggie wrap was $7 with chips, which isn't bad. But I almost ordered the New Englander (I think), only to find out it was just a cheese panini for $8. No veggies. What? They also managed to mess up a grilled cheese this weekend. Not sure how's that's possible, but they pulled it off.
Another star is lost for their extreme wastefulness. The sandwiches come in plastic containers on a paper plate. If I'm eating there, I don't need a plastic container for my sandwich, just put it on the plate.
They gain points for having free water available and for having the 20 questions games out to play while you wait/eat. We stumped it the first time around with "pond" (it came close with sea), but it figured us out round two with "french fries." That game is smart, it could teach the owners of this place a thing or two!
With my mixed green salad and butternut squash chili, my guess is Main Street's Market & Cafe is as close to "roughin' it" as the upper middle class in Concord will get. Waiting for more than five minutes for a table must be pretty tough, especially with the live folk band and hearty bar located in the center of this picturesque little cafe.... Which looks more like Ben Franklin's modern day pub.
My chili was excellent, and was perfectly complimented by the sweet cornbread. The waitress was very nice and attentive, and when some old fogeys were moving in on my table (with me still there) she became fiercely territorial: "Excuse me, old people, she is still eating! Sit at the bar til she's finished, please." Awwww, she was looking out for me.
A little pricey overall, but I won't complain too much. Eating at Main Street's Market & Cafe gave me a nice little emotional lift, and made me feel like I was part of the elite Concord club. Next time I take a left at Ralph Waldo Emerson's house, I'll absolutely stop and munch here.
Stopped here during a day trip to the Minute Man National Historical Park.
-Food was okay, large portions.
-Staff was rude and slooooooooooooooooow.
Okay if you like microwave cooking and your salad served in plastic ware....
Save your self the time and money and get soup/salad/sand from Panera Bread in downtown Lexington.