Great food, speaking as a southerner. Wish they had sweet tea though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jireh Huang
Only few would understand these following words:
Food that comes from the soul is becoming a rarity. Why? It requires a certain individual to do things that normal society nowadays are not willing to partake in. The sacrifices that come with avoiding shortcuts, with choosing to maintain tradition, with maintaining quality over profit…those things are truly something that has become impossible to find.
I’ll keep this review short. Just take it from someone who actually knows what goes on behind the scenes *here* and appreciates it. Family business for 20+ years, doing the same thing following family recipes from grandma and doing her proud sharing the gem of food that they still serve up to this day. Mind you, it’s easy to be complacent…but they choose not to be.
If you want fried chicken that is cooked well Mississippi style (or fulfill whatever “south” you hail from) from scratch, this be your spot. It’s Boston. You can have real fried chicken or you can have “whatever” fried chicken. I rather have “real” fried chicken to appease one who actually has significantly travelled the south.
Those who know. I’ll see you there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lia Te
I got the fried catfish plate with yams and Mac and cheese. I love soul food, but this was so disappointing. Everything tasted old and microwaved. The Mac and cheese was dry and the fried catfish was soft and nothing tasted freshly made. Everything was at least seasoned and the cornbread was good but those are the only positives.
Food: 1
Eric Washington
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An Absolute Gem for Southern Food Lovers!
The Coast Cafe is hands-down one of the best southern food spots in the city. It’s got that warm, welcoming vibe that makes you feel like you’re stepping into someone’s home—and the food? Unreal.
Their fried chicken is perfectly seasoned and cooked to crispy, golden perfection. Juicy on the inside with just the right crunch—honestly, it might be the best I’ve ever had. The mac and cheese is creamy, rich, and clearly made with love (and a heavy hand of cheese, just the way it should be). And don’t even get me started on the collard greens—savory, tender, and full of that deep southern flavor that’s hard to find up north.
This place is a true gem in the community. Whether you grew up on southern cooking or you’re just discovering it, The Coast Cafe delivers every single time. Do yourself a favor and go get a plate!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sean Evans
This is a solid soul food restaurant! Their fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and vanilla cake are very good. The collard greens and cornbread are ok. Small restaurant dining room so probably best to take out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Mac \u0026 Cheese, Fried Chicken Wings
Jacob Sturdevant
BBQ chicken was 10/10…can’t wait to try the mac and cheese next trip
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Conan
Really good fried chicken. A bit of hit and miss (sometimes too dry) but excellent spot I will continue to support!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Rodney Raye
Great place to eat
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Mason
OK people if you find yourself in Cambridge and you're looking for Soul food. This is definitely the place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Toni Jackson
My food was room temperature! My jerk chicken had cold jerk sauce on room temp wings! They sweet potato pie tastes like a bean pie! The chicken definitely was cooked in old grease! The collards was ok! I wouldn’t recommend this establishment to any visitors! I’m disappointed, I had high hopes for this place!
Recommended dishes: Ribs, Catfish, Mac \u0026 Cheese, Fried Chicken Wings
Timothy Markham
Amazing soul food. Literally one of my favorite restaurants based on food alone. Small place with little dine in but ordering works great. On the pricier side.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac N Cheese and Collard Greens, Waffles \u0026 Chicken, Ribs, Cornbread, Mac \u0026 Cheese, Fried Breast
Jon Burr
I had high hopes for The Coast Cafe after seeing the mention in Boston Eater’s “Best Fried Chicken In Boston” article. The rice&beans with gravy is great. The cornbread soft and sweet, with a distincive muffin shape, and my wife loves it. We saw fresh sweet potato pies right out of the oven back in the kitchen while ordering, and we were tempted. The fried chicken has a crispy crust that’s divinely seasoned and crunchy… but that’s where we “ran off the road” (so to speak). The chicken had gone way too long in the fryer. The meat of the fried thighs was hard, tough and dry, and had been basically destroyed by overcooking. It’s a delicate balance, getting a crispy skin and crust, that takes getting the oil hot enough to get that done without cooking all the juice out of the chicken. It takes monitoring the product, measuring the internal temperature with a meat thermometer - and monitoring the oil temperature with a candy thermometer, and getting the timing right for the conditions. It could be the restaurant doesn’t want to run afoul of Department of Health regulations regarding internal temperature for cooked chicken (which are way too high in many places, although don’t know the Boston regulations) and overcompensates- but whatever the thought process is should take into account that chicken is best when cooked to 165º internal temperature at the bone. The chicken on my plate appeared to have been cooked to at least 225º - way overdone. The string beans were also fatally overcooked, which may be a question of regional style, but they were mushy and tasteless, not unlike other Southern vegetables I’ve experienced. I would rather have had a conversation about all this than putting it in a public review, because I want them to succeed and do better, but the opportunity didn’t present itself. If I see a reply noting my observations, we’ll give em another try. Until then...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Jea Kim
Solid spot for Soul food/Fried chicken cravings.
First heard about this spot a year ago from my friends dubbing it the best soul food restaurant in the GBA. With limited opening hours, it took me some time to finally make it here, but this week, I managed to visit for lunch
The restaurant was quite small, with just seven seats squeezed into its modest space. Most people seemed to know the drill, grabbing their orders to go, but with a menu learning heavily on fried options, we decided to dine in while everything was still hot and crispy.
We opted for the Fried Chicken Thighs and Fried Catfish combo plates, and both delivered on flavor. The chicken thighs were our favorite—perfectly seasoned, not overly greasy, and juicy. The catfish was also nice with its tender and flaky meat. However, the portions felt a bit small for the price, and while we dove in as soon as the plates hit the table, everything was lukewarm.
Among the sides, the Mac N Cheese was our favorite. The other offerings—Candied Yams, Collard Greens, and Rice & Beans—were solid but fairly basic. From the hot oven display, we tried the Beef Patty. The flavors were there, but it was a tad dry. It really could have benefited from a good dipping sauce.
Not entirely sold on my friends’ claim that this is the best soul food spot in the area. Yet, with limited options for Southern soul food in Cambridge/GBA, I would probably come back if I’m craving for good fried chicken and Southern comfort food.
Great food, speaking as a southerner. Wish they had sweet tea though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Only few would understand these following words:
Food that comes from the soul is becoming a rarity. Why? It requires a certain individual to do things that normal society nowadays are not willing to partake in. The sacrifices that come with avoiding shortcuts, with choosing to maintain tradition, with maintaining quality over profit…those things are truly something that has become impossible to find.
I’ll keep this review short. Just take it from someone who actually knows what goes on behind the scenes *here* and appreciates it. Family business for 20+ years, doing the same thing following family recipes from grandma and doing her proud sharing the gem of food that they still serve up to this day. Mind you, it’s easy to be complacent…but they choose not to be.
If you want fried chicken that is cooked well Mississippi style (or fulfill whatever “south” you hail from) from scratch, this be your spot. It’s Boston. You can have real fried chicken or you can have “whatever” fried chicken. I rather have “real” fried chicken to appease one who actually has significantly travelled the south.
Those who know. I’ll see you there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I got the fried catfish plate with yams and Mac and cheese. I love soul food, but this was so disappointing. Everything tasted old and microwaved. The Mac and cheese was dry and the fried catfish was soft and nothing tasted freshly made. Everything was at least seasoned and the cornbread was good but those are the only positives.
Food: 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Absolute Gem for Southern Food Lovers!
The Coast Cafe is hands-down one of the best southern food spots in the city. It’s got that warm, welcoming vibe that makes you feel like you’re stepping into someone’s home—and the food? Unreal.
Their fried chicken is perfectly seasoned and cooked to crispy, golden perfection. Juicy on the inside with just the right crunch—honestly, it might be the best I’ve ever had. The mac and cheese is creamy, rich, and clearly made with love (and a heavy hand of cheese, just the way it should be). And don’t even get me started on the collard greens—savory, tender, and full of that deep southern flavor that’s hard to find up north.
This place is a true gem in the community. Whether you grew up on southern cooking or you’re just discovering it, The Coast Cafe delivers every single time. Do yourself a favor and go get a plate!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a solid soul food restaurant! Their fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and vanilla cake are very good. The collard greens and cornbread are ok. Small restaurant dining room so probably best to take out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Mac \u0026 Cheese, Fried Chicken Wings
BBQ chicken was 10/10…can’t wait to try the mac and cheese next trip
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really good fried chicken. A bit of hit and miss (sometimes too dry) but excellent spot I will continue to support!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great place to eat
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
OK people if you find yourself in Cambridge and you're looking for Soul food. This is definitely the place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
My food was room temperature! My jerk chicken had cold jerk sauce on room temp wings! They sweet potato pie tastes like a bean pie! The chicken definitely was cooked in old grease! The collards was ok! I wouldn’t recommend this establishment to any visitors! I’m disappointed, I had high hopes for this place!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Great local spot for amazing soul food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was absolutely delicious🤌🏿
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ribs, Catfish, Mac \u0026 Cheese, Fried Chicken Wings
Amazing soul food. Literally one of my favorite restaurants based on food alone. Small place with little dine in but ordering works great. On the pricier side.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac N Cheese and Collard Greens, Waffles \u0026 Chicken, Ribs, Cornbread, Mac \u0026 Cheese, Fried Breast
I had high hopes for The Coast Cafe after seeing the mention in Boston Eater’s “Best Fried Chicken In Boston” article.
The rice&beans with gravy is great. The cornbread soft and sweet, with a distincive muffin shape, and my wife loves it. We saw fresh sweet potato pies right out of the oven back in the kitchen while ordering, and we were tempted.
The fried chicken has a crispy crust that’s divinely seasoned and crunchy… but that’s where we “ran off the road” (so to speak). The chicken had gone way too long in the fryer. The meat of the fried thighs was hard, tough and dry, and had been basically destroyed by overcooking.
It’s a delicate balance, getting a crispy skin and crust, that takes getting the oil hot enough to get that done without cooking all the juice out of the chicken. It takes monitoring the product, measuring the internal temperature with a meat thermometer - and monitoring the oil temperature with a candy thermometer, and getting the timing right for the conditions. It could be the restaurant doesn’t want to run afoul of Department of Health regulations regarding internal temperature for cooked chicken (which are way too high in many places, although don’t know the Boston regulations) and overcompensates- but whatever the thought process is should take into account that chicken is best when cooked to 165º internal temperature at the bone. The chicken on my plate appeared to have been cooked to at least 225º - way overdone.
The string beans were also fatally overcooked, which may be a question of regional style, but they were mushy and tasteless, not unlike other Southern vegetables I’ve experienced.
I would rather have had a conversation about all this than putting it in a public review, because I want them to succeed and do better, but the opportunity didn’t present itself. If I see a reply noting my observations, we’ll give em another try. Until then...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Solid spot for Soul food/Fried chicken cravings.
First heard about this spot a year ago from my friends dubbing it the best soul food restaurant in the GBA. With limited opening hours, it took me some time to finally make it here, but this week, I managed to visit for lunch
The restaurant was quite small, with just seven seats squeezed into its modest space. Most people seemed to know the drill, grabbing their orders to go, but with a menu learning heavily on fried options, we decided to dine in while everything was still hot and crispy.
We opted for the Fried Chicken Thighs and Fried Catfish combo plates, and both delivered on flavor. The chicken thighs were our favorite—perfectly seasoned, not overly greasy, and juicy. The catfish was also nice with its tender and flaky meat. However, the portions felt a bit small for the price, and while we dove in as soon as the plates hit the table, everything was lukewarm.
Among the sides, the Mac N Cheese was our favorite. The other offerings—Candied Yams, Collard Greens, and Rice & Beans—were solid but fairly basic. From the hot oven display, we tried the Beef Patty. The flavors were there, but it was a tad dry. It really could have benefited from a good dipping sauce.
Not entirely sold on my friends’ claim that this is the best soul food spot in the area. Yet, with limited options for Southern soul food in Cambridge/GBA, I would probably come back if I’m craving for good fried chicken and Southern comfort food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Wings
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