On a quaint street amongst tiny markets and shops lies Main Street Cafe, a small cafe open for all to enter and enjoy a meal. Although the cafe’s decor was beautiful, the food and drinks in my experience were average, and not worth traveling 30 minutes from Westford to Concord.
The cafe’s ambience and overall vibe is like the scenery of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Right when you walk in, you are greeted with the smell of hot coffee boiling on the pot and nice, pleasant scenery. The dim lighting and small antiques that are placed in the restaurant create a calm, and cozy, environment. The waitresses are very welcoming, nice and they are very punctual.
Going into the restaurant, I had the expectation that there would not be many dishes, especially because the online menu didn’t have that many food options. However, I was very surprised to see the menu in person. The online menu consisted of sandwiches, burgers, and salads, but the in-person menu had more of a variety of food options such as tacos, various rice bowls, and different types of pastas, fries, and chicken tenders. Our food arrived within 10 minutes making the waiting time very minimal.
Starting off with the beverages, the hot chocolate($3.50) was decent but it wasn’t different from any other generic hot chocolate. I ordered it with the high expectations of it tasting different and having more of a homemade-style flavor, but the taste of it was incredibly similar to the ready-made Swiss Miss packets that can be found at Market Basket. In my opinion, I found that it would be more convenient to make your own hot chocolate at home rather than purchasing it at this cafe.
On the other hand, I was very satisfied with Ale Battered Fish and Chips ($24.00), the entree that I ordered along with the hot chocolate. The centerpiece of the dish was fresh Haddock that was perfectly cooked. It was fried to the perfect brown, almost golden, color with the outside being crispy and the inside being tender. The fries (chips) that came with the meal were very crispy and I could taste a hint of oregano mixed into the potato filling. Overall, I was satisfied with this dish and I would definitely order it again.
I was accompanied by my parents and they both split the Chicken and Artichoke Piccata ($26.00), which they said wasn’t worth spending that much money on. When the dish first arrived we were very impressed by the presentation of it and it looked very appealing, but the looks didn’t match up to the taste. They claimed that the pasta was bland and it didn’t have any flavor, as well as that it seemed like the pasta had only been dipped in oil. However, the chicken was very tender and had a unique variety of spices added into it which made up for the pasta. In total, this dish tasted mediocre and it’s something that an individual can make on their own.
One problem with the cafe was that the food and drinks were very expensive in comparison to the portion sizes. I was expecting the items to contain more flavor and personally I think it wasn’t worth that much money. While it would be worth it for locals to stop by the restaurant for a bite to eat, the food is not worth the 30 minute drive to take most Westford residents to arrive there.
Main Street Cafe is very busy during the day and it is mostly empty during the evening hour, hence making it more of a breakfast/lunch place than a dinner place. I would recommend Main Street Cafe to anyone who is looking to enjoy a light meal. Along with that, it is also a great place for picky eaters as well as people who are vegan or vegetarian because there are many dishes that are offered that are suitable for their requirements. Although the food was average, the welcoming environment truly gave me the warm feeling of the holidays.
6.5/10
