Mary’s Cafe

Greasy spoon. Not very appetizing breakfasts. Much better breakfast at Cosi around corner.

came here since I got a Belly deal for a free cuban pork sandwich with any purchase. so we ordered a spicy beef sandwich. the sandwiches were ok. good enough flavor in both of them. i personally liked the cuban pork better, but the boyfriend liked the spicy beef better. i thought the beef was a bit greasy. the atmosphere is very cafeteria-​esque. it definitely didnt excite me to eat. but i was surprised by how many people came and did the hot food pay by the pound option. A lot of people were really into the fried chicken and what looked to be a shepherds pie and mac and cheese. i dont think i’d come here again. Personally i like mike’s café around the corner if you want an option of sandwiches for lunch. but if i had another deal, i would definitely come back. lunch for 2 for $ 7. cant beat the price!

Went for the first time yesterday as I had a Belly Bites deal (free Cuban Pork Sandwich). As many other reviewers have noted, this place is kinda like a cafeteria style with an open cold food/​salad bar area, a hot foods serve yourself and then a grill. I arrived and was told that they had run out of the pork for the Cuban Sandwich but whoever it was that was in charge was very kind and allowed me to order a different sandwich for this Belly Bites deal. I assume as it was the last day of the deal that they had a rush on this particular sandwich.
Anyhow: I ended up ordering the hot steak and cheese. This sandwich was fresh made on the grill and was done very promptly. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality and taste. While it was a little greasy, I certainly dont think it was overly so for a steak and cheese, The steak was abundant, tender and flavorful. The price of $ 7.99 is not bad, maybe slightly on the high side but if I lived/​/​worked nearby I wouldnt hesitate to return.

Great food. I’ve had a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and everything is made to order so it is very fresh. Also, they have different items on the lunch hot-​bar every day so it isn’t always the same old Chinese food you see on a lot of the hot food bars in the area. Prices are also very reasonable. And if you really want something not on the menu, just ask. Based on my own experience, they will always accomodate you to the best of their ability.

I’m torn with this place, while my food was quite delicious, I felt like I was one experience away from acquiring terminal prostate cancer from the food. (I don’t even know if that’s possible, but you get the idea). In all honesty, this place looks like a dump. And the people are not the friendliest people I have ever met.
I came in for lunch one afternoon, after unconvincingly reading the reviews on this place. Most sandwiches and hot items are self explanatory (i.e. Steak and Cheese, Ham Sandwich etc.) which means I usually don’t have to ask the person making the food what is in it. That being said, it would be kinda nice to know what you put on your sandwiches as every place is usually different. Also if you decide to make up your own sandwich and give it a name, you might want to specify what is in it so that people ordering know what it is. How the hell am I supposed to know what an ‘Arlington’ is? If I were to guess, it would consist of Hipster 20 somethings with high ambition’s of career success and an appetite for healthy green food. Boy, I was way off.
Anyways, I had the Reuben, and with chips and a drink, I spent just shy over 10 bucks. The Reuben was good, not one of the best that I have, but I would come back to eat it again.
Its not the best place in the world, but there are a few items that I would come back and try. I would try this place if you really dont feel like eating anything else around, but for my money, there is always some place that is better than this place.

I have not been to Mary’s Café in the more than three years I’ve worked in Ballston in spite of it being a frequent haunt of many of my colleagues. So this morning when I received a free offer from the loyalty program «Belly», I decided today is the day.
Mary’s is set up more cafeteria style than deli-​style. You can pick out some hot items from the food bar, make a salad or order a hot sandwich from the grille. Since my offer was for the Cuban pork sandwich w/​the purchase of anything else, I got that and a cup of the soup of the day — corn chowder.
I explained the offer to sandwich maker and he completely got it. I went to the cash register to pay for my soup and explained the offer to cashier and she was slightly miffed about it. It didn’t seem like she really understood the Belly concept so when I checked in to Unilocal and unlocked the free cookie offer, I didn’t use it because I didn’t want any more grief.
Business owners, if you are going to leverage social media to promote your business, make sure everyone serving your guests understands it. Don’t denigrate the experience for your potential customers by not educating your staff. Incidentally, I heard another customer address the cashier as «Mary.» Was she the owner of the café?
Food — the Cuban pork sandwich was fresh, hot and tasted good, but it dripped with a lot of grease. The corn chowder was well-​seasoned but not nearly as creamy or hot as cream-​based soups ought to be. The sandwich itself would have been $ 7.49 and the cup of soup was $ 3.49. Pretty average pricing.
I still have the free cookie offer so I’m willing to give this place another shot on a return visit. However I will need to remember to have cash or make sure that my order exceeds $ 4 so they will accept my plastic.

I decided to eat here with a coworker for breakfast when I came into work early one morning. Since I have gluten intolerance, I asked to just get the two eggs and potatoes, and requested no toast.
When I went up to the front counter to pay, I let the cashier know that I can’t eat wheat, and just ordered potatoes and eggs and asked her to adjust the price accordingly. She said she couldn’t do that. I told her I was only getting 2/3’s of the meal, I cannot eat wheat, and that she could just charge them as sides instead. She said she wouldn’t do it.
I finally had no choice but to pay. 5 dollars is a steep price to pay for two eggs a handful of home fries. When my coworker went to pay for his egg sandwhich, she told him he had to order more food because they had a credit card minimum. Which is annoying, since none of the other café’s in this area have a credit card minimum for breakfast.
Anyways, a quick breakfast turned into a complicated and stressful affair. When I finally sat down to eat the food, it was terrible. The potatoes tasted like a whole box of Morton’s salt had been dumped into it and the eggs tasted really old.
I would not recommend this place, you are better off going to nearby «Mike’s Café» or «Laura Cooks,» which both serve comparably-​priced breakfast food that is better quality.

Amazing service and surprisingly flavorful and tasteful food! The owner Neal was around, and he loves chatting with his customers. He is very willing to accommodate requests and adds a personal touch to every entrée. We tried some of the Indian affair he had, and for an establishment called «Mary’s Café», it was unbelievable. Will definitely be back for more…

I had the pleasure of having some of their burgers catered at my work today. Little mini burgers with a slaw’ish topping with some sort of russian dressing… wooooo. Based off this alone. I will definitely be investing a meal or two here when I get the chance.

the manager Neal is a one of kind dude. if it’s not on the menu he will create it for you, JUST ASK!!! the food is rich in flavor and he takes pride in his customers being happy and WELL FED! a must eat if you are in the Ballston area in Arlington!

Amazing food. The Chef Neal is an awesome dude. He will make you whatever you want. The food is delicious, made fresh and tastes good. Definitely a perfect place for lunch in Arlington.