Trident Booksellers & Cafe

Category:	Cafe
Address:	338 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Phone:	+1 617-267-8688
Site:	tridentbookscafe.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 7

Kyra Tucker

The food was fine. Nothing extraordinary or even great. Our waitress was short and unfriendly. We got our food quickly, but then didnt get any follow up until we requested our check. We personally didnt have a terrible experience with her but I saw her be incredibly rude to another customer because of a misunderstanding concerning a menu item. The customer didnt get what she thought she was ordering and asked for a simple change from the bus boy. The bus boy was about to oblige when the waitress stepped in and hatefully explained that there were no substitutions. When the customer explained that she thought she was ordering something different the waitress condescendingly explained what the menu item was. She abruptly asked the customer if she wanted to look at the menu. When the customer meekly responded "yes" after being publicly berated the waitress said "great" in a sarcastic tone and threw a menu on her table and then stomped off. She then went behind the bar, rolled her eyes, huffed and puffed and complained to a fellow co-worker less than four feet from the customer. The customer looked at the menu for a few minutes and then to my great joy and pride, stood up for herself and left. I was so appalled by the unprofessional and rude behavior of this Trident employee that I just had to write this review. It was disgusting to watch and totally ruined my experience here. Trident lost two customers today: me and that poor woman.

Jill Silverberg

Wanted really badly to like this place as a cafe but sadly could not. After killing twenty minutes for a table by browsing their cookbook collection, my sister, myself, and a visiting friend were led to table that was located under a leaky pipe. When asked about it, the waiter, who seemed far too laid back to be helpful, just shrugged his shoulders and said it happens. Really? Not gonna see if there is another table available? Next came what my friend now refers to fondly as "the worst lemonade, ever!" Even before it was set down on the table, the waiter warned her that she would probably want to add things to it. Uh-oh. The drink itself was like drinking lemon juice straight from one of those bottles you buy at the store. Why make a drink like this? Who would even want to have this as an option? The antioxidant smoothie I ordered was delicious though. The food itself was just fine. I ordered the breakfast burrito and it was tasty. My sister and friend both opted for sandwiches (The French Dip and the Tuna and Swiss Melt) that they said hit the spot though thought the price was a bit high. In the end, I was disappointed. Maybe if service wasnt so bad (my sister actually had this waiter before and said he was bad the first time as well) I would have given it another star but who knows? Food-wise, its okay, not amazing but not bad. If you have friends who like books and comfort Americana food, then bring them here.

Michal Drewniak

The Bad: Food is pretty horrible. The dish I ordered was "crepe with asparagus, mushrooms, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce". Unfortunately for me, asparagus was overcooked to the point of being inedible. It was mushy, stringy and almost gray in color. Hollandaise sauce was cold and flavorless. It tasted like someone mixed butter with egg yolk and pepper but forgot to put salt and lemon juice in it. Crepe was dry and flavorless. Mushrooms tasted like mushrooms which given the rest of the dish I count as an accomplishment. Having read the reviews, I thought my first dish was a fluke so to be sure, I ordered a couple other dishes. Alas, results were equally bad. Scrambled eggs were dry, chewy (wtf?), and brown from overcooking. Given how long it takes to overcook the eggs leads me to believe someone put them on a stove and forgot about them for some time. The French toast was soggy, a bit rubbery, and generally without much flavor. It came with a nice package of syrup. The package had two nice maple leaves on it which led me to believe I was going to try some maple syrup. Ingredients proved me wrong--it was corn syrup with some artificial flavors. Grilled cheese sandwich was OK. It wasnt great but it wasnt bad either. Ive been to the place a couple times and both times the service was fairly slow and unresponsive. The Good: Nice little bookstore if you dont want food (hence 2 stars)

Alyssa Ackerman

Where to start? First of all, breakfast all day! Lots to choose from for veggies and meat eaters. Hearty and light options, too. Everything is pretty customizable, as well. Tons of great coffee options, you can get as fancy as youd like! Smoothies and juices, too. So many great options for food here. The staff is super friendly, I feel like I became friends with many of them quickly. They are passionate, inspired, positive people and they seem happy and as if they like each other and like the restaurant. Tons of seating, specially with the second floor space. They also welcome the cafe working individual, providing outlets under the bars and near many tables. Free wifi, and they stay open until midnight (later than most cafes I could find in the city). They also show movies on the screens (instead of the news/sports) which I LOVE! This place is great, for all occasions (breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner, bookstore exploring). It gets a bit busy around brunch time, but otherwise its pretty easy to get in and out. Love and miss this place!

Tres Gold

My husband and I are 50-somethings and the "old time granola feel" translated to us in dirty tables, twisted forks, desultory service, and cold food. Really too bad because we were looking forward to browsing in the bookstore, but after our breakfast today we didnt want to spend another dime there, If the food had been hot it would have been wonderful. Whatever you do, dont complain about the service, no matter how bad. They close ranks and despite the new-age bookstore backdrop, it felt like the kind of place that would spit in your food if they didnt like you. We must have asked 4 times for ice water - never received any. In a half-empty restaurant, waited 15 minutes for a menu, 10 more minutes for tea served with a dirty and cracked tea cup, served tepid food, and waited 20 minutes in front of a dirty table for the check. Waiter unapologetic and rude. Every one else, including the manager, completely ignored us. Dont bother going in unless you are under 30 and dressed in grunge- chic. So much for new age acceptance and warm welcome for all.

Lauren Wanzek

For someone whos lived in Massachusetts for a long time, I never knew that this bookstore had a cafe that wasnt a Starbucks insert. I had also never been to this establishment before one of my friends invited me for dinner there. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. I have always loved the vibe in bookstores, and this cafe brings that atmosphere in and combines it with pleasant waitstaff and delicious food. My absolute favorite meal here is the Challah grilled cheese with avocado, with a side of sweet potato fries. I always make it a point to go back to Trident at least once a semester (as Im in college nearby) and it never disappoints. Its a nice, quaint little space in which you can bring your laptop/textbooks and get work done, or simply enjoy a leisurely chat with a friend. Seriously the perfect little cafe--it has everything you could want, and its not expensive either! Definitely recommend.

Brian Zimmerman

Solid independent bookstore that does a lot of things decently: good selection of remainders, periodicals, and notebooks; fiction wall not bad; "quirky" novelty gifts, priced as you would expect for Newbury Street; laid-back atmo despite being often crowded. The latter can be a trade-off. If you get a spot at the counter, you can read / write / chat / surf with impunity, but service is correspondingly laissez-faire. Fresh juices and non-dairy coffee options are good, the house coffee itself nondescript. Food is mediocre, including a couple of vegan offerings. Black bean burger house-made but a bit of a slog. Steer clear of the flavorless, watery tofu scramble. If youre in the area and want to browse books or bookish accoutrements, or grab a stretch of dineresque counter time, I dont know where youll find better.