A Quick Stop at Ball Square Cafe

It feels like it’s been forever since I attended a Boston Brunchers event, so I was excited to get a chance to see the group a couple weekends ago for a brunch at Ball Square Cafe. If you’re from the area, you might have heard of the Ball Square Cafe vs. Sound Bites rivalry, which was really the only thing I knew about Ball Square Cafe before visiting… that and the fact that you can almost NEVER get in without standing in line. That usually means good things for a brunch place, so I was really looking forward to this meal.

When I arrived, there was already a decently long line outside. I felt a bit guilty side-stepping those patiently waiting patrons, but so very grateful for a spot inside! The owner Mike, a warm and inviting man with a loud voice and a knack for hospitality, greeted me and a couple of other bloggers as we arrived. We waited for a few minutes for our seats to open up, during which time Mike brought over mini hot chocolate shooters. Certainly a nice way to kick off the morning.

After we were seated, the waitress came over almost immediately to take our order. After a short deliberation and WAY too many enticing options, I settled on two kinds of eggs benedict. One neat thing about the Ball Square menu is that you can get a half order of eggs benedict, a traditionally heavy dish that is still filling served in a half portion. Feeling ambitious, I chose to try a half order of both the tomato avocado eggs benedict and the lobster eggs benedict. I also helped myself to a big mug of french vanilla coffee. Their coffee is self-serve, which I loved!

After we placed our individual orders, Mike brought out a few sweet dishes for the table to share, as well as a few overflowing bowls of fruit. This was easily my favorite part of the meal – and the caramelized banana and strawberry french toast my favorite dish. We also got to try a belgian waffle with fresh fruit and whipped cream, and a corn muffin that Kerrie ordered, but kindly passed around the table.  The french toast was perfectly cooked – thick, doughy slices of bread were fried to a golden brown, and covered with perfectly caramlized bananas and strawberries. I wish I had ordered an entire plate of it for myself!

The food we ordered came out lightening fast – I’d say within 5 minutes of us putting in our order. Usually when food is served so fast, I’m a bit apprehensive, because how can real food be good if it only takes 5 minutes to make? For the most part, however, it seemed like our food was all warm and freshly made. For my portion of the meal, I was pleased to find that the lobster eggs benedict had an incredible amount of lobster involved, and a perfectly poached egg. There’s little better than cutting into a poached egg and watching the golden yolk stream out. So delicious! The tomato avocado eggs benedict also had a perfect egg, and loads of ripe, creamy avocado. I loved the flavor combo. The hollandaise unfortunately wasn’t my favorite – it was a bit lumpy and not particularly flavorful, which was a bummer because I seldom indulge in it. The english muffin base was also on the soggy side. That said, the home fries were well seasoned and expertly cooked, and I enjoyed them a lot!

Overall, brunch was a nice experience, and I’m glad I got to give Ball Square Cafe a try. Our visit was a quick one, I think because the waitresses were trying to rush us out to clear up all the valuable real estate we were occupying, but we certainly got to try a lot within a short period of time. If I were to go back, I’d definitely stick to the sweeter items – or perhaps give an omelet a try.

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