2003 01 13 review by Mike Morrison
When TV sitcom writers are looking for the prototypical diner location, they
come to the Arcadia Restaurant on Main Street in Waltham. It is everything
you would expect a diner to be. Is that good? Bad? Well, that depends on
what you're looking for. Me, I think it's mostly good.
Breakfast and brunch fare is tasty, hearty food. Eggs (Egg Beaters
available), pancakes, buttered toast, hash, and French toast are all served
up hot and fresh. The omelettes and hash are particularly good. The home
fries are a little less tasty, but nothing that a healthy dose of ketchup
can't fix. The coffee is decent, and you can expect a warm-up every time
there's more than an inch of ceramic showing on the inside of the mug.
The service at Arcadia ranges from polite to downright friendly, depending
on what you make of it. They are very efficient and usually just as busy.
Prices are extremely affordable--you can get brunch, coffee, juice and tip
for under $8.
If I could sum it up in one sentence: Arcadia Restaurant is the sort of
place where you wouldn't be surprised if you heard Flo say, "Mel, kiss my
grits!" before your meal was done. I give it three and a half stomach pumps
(out of five).