City Girl Café

First of all a big thank you to anyone who reads my reviews and gives them compliments or says how good they are for being specific or hot or whatever. This place can sit easy because they make REALLY good pizza. I kind of forgot how good pizza is till i had there slices no offense to the pizza place i previously said was good haha. (you are still good). Perfect crust but what nailed it was that stringy stringy cheese wow. The special pasta was good — a suprise, asparagus and corn!!! Anyway good pizza that everyone can love even if wow was it not cheap but totally worth it i had one eith artichoke it was called amore as in give me amore of that pizza please and thank you.

The best pizza I’ve had in the area, and that’s saying something! Absolutely phenomenal — if you’re looking for a great pizza, this is it.

Simple brunch goodness in a teeny, eclectic, feminine café.
I came by right at ten, so the restaurant was only half full. By the time I left, there were a handful of people waiting outside for a table. I’m guessing the wait wasn’t long, but it would be great if there was a bench or two along the sidewalk for them.
We were seated right away at a table for two. Tables are close together and really designed for pairs, though they can probably be pushed together. There’s one table for four. Definitely don’t recommend this place for groups of more than four!
We were immediately served waters and given menus. The waitresses were friendly, attentive, and overall working very hard.
My husband ordered the veggie hash (cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, etc.) with sunny side up eggs and crusty, buttery toast. It was rustic, tasty, and unlike anything I’ve had before. I had the French toast which weirdly came with red potatoes. Neither were incredibly interesting, but both were very good.
The (bottomless) coffee falls somewhere between diner and designer, and they serve Mem Tea.
Two entrees, two non-​alcy drinks, tip = $ 35.

Excellent brunch and great take away sandwiches. Get there early for brunch as there is usually a line. Everything is awesome on the menu. I particularly enjoy the verde, french toast and il meglio.
Be warned this place is tiny, if you’re looking for some space this is not the place for to go. That said, staff is awesome and I enjoy getting to sit elbow to elbow with fellow Camber-​villians.

With a great line-​up of brunch spots in Inman Square, you may be tempted to skip the wait at City Girl Café and cross the street to S&S or Trina’s, but don’t! City Girl Café serves up a fantastic brunch, with the sausage gravy with biscuits and Il Meglio knocking these Inman staples and, dare I say — Café Luna — out of the park. And all for a great price.
We were seated quickly on a Sunday at 11am with two people, and were brought piping hot coffee in retro orange and pink mugs. Starting things off with some Southern comfort food, we ordered the Sausage Gravy with Asiago Biscuits (super tasty, not too greasy, large portion for one or split for two). We also ordered the Il Meglio to make our brunch a bit more healthy, and this too disappeared from our plate very quickly. Il Meglio lays two over medium eggs on top of focaccia with prosciutto, asparagus, and cheese. The dish is served with roasted red bliss potatoes to be extra Italian. The bill came to about $ 23.00 — can’t beat that.
Overall, a great brunch, and already planning our return.

really tasty brunch place. has some nice menu items I haven’t seen in other brunch places, also I usually don’t like potatoes but their red bliss potatoes are so good! And the grilled spinach, red pepper, egg baguette was really tasty, too. Also, they played nice swing music and their décor has real character.
The place is a little small so I had to wait for about 15 minutes to get in, thus only 4 stars, but it was totally worth the wait!

Best restaurant in Cambridge. For brunch, dinner, doesn’t matter. You’ll have to wait for brunch but it’s worth it. It’s best for 2 people — not more, otherwise you have to wait longer. Usually a short wait if any for dinner. Don’t hesitate, go to city girl for your next date ;)

My most favorite brunch place in Cambridge!

Like many other places CGC doesn’t take reservations which I find a little annoying. However, we waited only 15mins for a brunch of 2. Very cosy (i.e. small) place, very loud inside. The service is fast and nice. Good food, tasty yet greasy. Affordable prices.

Possibly the best brunch I’ve had in Boston. Try the green breakfast. The drinks are great too.

What’s not to like. Small. Funky. Friendly. great food.

This small café is known for its brunch, but I came here for dinner with a small group. The restaurant is pretty tiny and reminiscent of a small Manhattan joint you’d probably find. The menu is pretty carb-​heavy: pastas, paninis, ravioli and risotto as appetizer options, etc. I ordered the flank steak panini with fig butter, arugula, gorgonzola (which I omitted), and caramelized onions. The flavor was great, with herbed bread that gave the sandwich robust flavor. After just half the sandwich I was stuffed. We got the farro risotto appetizer to share, which was a great (healthier) play on the classic risotto. For drinks, we tried the sangria (not too sweet, with a hint of herbs) and the lemonade punch (refreshing but sweet). My friends ordered the prosciutto and peas pasta dish, which was a huge portion and rich but heavy (though the texture of the pasta was a big selling point). For dessert, the cannoli was great — rich vanilla flavor and a bit grainy compared to others, but overall it was one of the best cannolis we had tasted.
Speaking on service, the restaurant was extremely lightly staffed, so service can be a bit slow. For some reason, the (tiny) bathroom doesn’t have a sink (??), so keep that in mind if you’re going to go big on the sangrias.

We just loves their pizza, specially the Caprini… hummm the oignon marmalade is the best. We like the music in the restaurant also! And the brunch is as good as expected. The gravy is delicious.

Food is really good!!! The place is quite small, you cannot fit more than 19 people and is not that comfy, but is worth it. Great ambience and great dishea

Very, very small café. So be prepared to wait and you can’t be seated without most of your party– especially if you are looking for a 6 person table. But some how– you can roll deep and make it work because brunch is delicious and incredible. The menu is small and def. watch out for the specials. Today– the special was a fig/​honey/​mascapone type bruscetta. What? Just do it!
Honestly, everything was delicious on the menu. But I would actually opp to make my own meal with the sides: French toast, veggie hash, and some sausage please!
Otherwise:
Verde omelet, French Toast platter, monte cristo — everything is delicious. They even had alcohol, but I opted for their unlimited coffee. I really needed an ice coffee– but they didn’t have any. That’s ok– everything else was that good.
Local
Good people
Everything is generally less than $ 10. How is this possible in Cambridge/​Boston that isn’t fast food?
Great food
I mean, what more could you ask for?

Absolutely horrible and rude service. Mediocre food. I will not be going there again anytime. They rushed my table even though they had four other tables open and we had been there for barely half an hour. My friend and I were half finished with our plates when they asked if we were done in a very rude way. They then brought the check out without even asking. I haven’t seen this level of terrible service for a very long time and would warn anyone against ruining your mood by going here.

My friend’s fruit plate had a hair inside (which she calmly removed and kept eating). My French toast was totally burned, so I asked for another, but even then it wasn’t very good.
The only reason I’m even giving 3 stars is because this restaurant has a cute and cozy ambience. Aside from that, I don’t see why people rate this place so highly.

Quaint diner in the city with delicious, unique food. Biscuits and gravy served with scrambled eggs for the trick. For a sweet treat, try the Monte Cristo.

Loved this place. Me and some girlfriends were in town for the weekend, between shopping we needed to eat of course. Boston traffic can be vicious but this was worth the Saturday morning up hill battle. The service was quick and friendly. It’s a very small place so if you’re going in cold weather be prepared to wait outside (try to park real close). I got two eggs over medium with the vegetable hash. The vegetable hash … This hash (do you hear 90’s weezer in the background) the best caramelized veggies I’ve ever had they had the most flavorful, comforting, delicious, healthy combination. It was a really great experience I would for sure come back!

If you’re easily inundated at brunch when faced with large menus, then you should come here! This place is small, but cozy, and has a limited brunch menu. Though fear not, for everything on the menu is so good!
On a side note: My friend thought the asparagus on the Il Meglio were so spectacular that she had to go home, buy some asparagus, and cook some for herself.
Don’t forget to check out the special on the chalkboard.

The 2 eggs sunny side up on veggie hash with spicy aioli knocked my socks off. I’m sorry if you find my socks while eating there. Ambience and service were super pleasant too. I will be back.

Great food, charming atmosphere, pleasant staff.
I came for brunch and had the veggie hash which was delicious. It’s not a potato hash, it’s a mix of brussels, cauliflower, butternut squash with eggs on top. I ordered potatoes on the side.
I’d absolutely be back to try other items on the menu — the food on other tables looked amazing.
It’s a small space, not ideal for groups but great for a casual date or dinner with neighborhood friends. There’s a very sweet vibe here, nothing feels overdone. Can’t wait to visit again.

CGC was a hit!
Traveling from The Great Northwest we were awestruck by how efficient and amicable the staff were serving such a delicious brunch on a busy weekend. The il Meglio was a standout and the Asiago biscuits and Gravy were scrumptious both made better with a side of Veggie Hash. Highly recommended!

«Flawless» a Haiku
This place is flawless.
Food, service, ambiance: amaze
That I cannot deny.
The drinks are so fresh,
The Rosemary punch cocktail
In particular.
The food perfect.
It comes out super quickly.
Served with a warm smile

Ugh, it could have been 5 stars! But the smoke is just too overwhelming, and I just couldn’t ignore it. You smell like what you eat after dining there.
We will go for take-​out next time.

City Girl doesn’t get the name recognition (read: hype) that many other restaurants in its neck of the woods like Bukowski’s and Puritan & Co. receive, which I’ve always found mysterious, as CG blows them out of the water on pretty much all counts. The masses probably overlook CG because it’s such a no-​nonsense operation: the menu is small, the beer and wine offerings are limited, and the space is tiny. But everything CG does, they do to perfection; there are no duds on the menu or wine list. And the atmosphere is remarkable: it really does feel like a small European café where you can just walk in informally to treat yourself to a nice, no-​fuss, relatively inexpensive meal, without feeling like you are engaging in an actual «dinner event» requiring forethought or formalities. I can’t think of many– any?– other places in Cambridge or Somerville that feel the same way.
The only downside of CG is that despite it flying somewhat under the radar, it does have its expected share of aficionados, and because of its tiny size, it will often have an out-​the-​door-​and-​down-​the-​block line at high-​traffic times like weekend dinner and brunch hours. So you’ll need to be prepared to wait for your meal… but it will be worth it.

Dear City Girl Café,
I’ve really enjoyed our time together. You had some really great characteristics — the butternut squash pasta and the flank steak panini — and I’ve enjoyed them. I like your décor and small size. It’s part of your charm. Sam, the woman who works with you, is so friendly that she feels like an old friend.
Unfortunately, I think it’s time that we break up. I’ve moved from your neighborhood recently. Although I am still somewhat close by, it’s not as convenient for me to come visit as often. I was having dreams about you and really missing you. Last week, I was so excited to see you. I saw that you had the Verde on your dinner menu again. That was the first dish that made me fall in love you. I arrived and ordered the garlic bread. It was as delicious as always and it made me that much more excited for the main course. When the verde came out, I was so disappointed. The menu describes it with garlic and pine nuts. I counted maybe 8 pine nuts in the whole dish and could not taste the garlic at all. City Girl, this was an oily mess. Each strand of noodle was coated in olive oil and there was a huge puddle remaining when I pushed all the noodles aside in order to try to eat something that was not so oily. When I tried to twirl noodles around my fork, I got drops of oil on my glasses. I also managed to splatter the oil on the table. I tried to mop up the oil with the bread, but I ended up just getting it on my hands. I was crushed.
I was completely let down, City Girl. I thought we had something good together. Believe me, I am heartbroken over this. I think we need some time apart. Maybe we can be friends later? I’m sure we’ll awkwardly run into each other at some point in the future.

My friend highly recommended City Girl Café when I was in town, and so do I. So we gathered a couple of our friends for brunch. Because we know they get really busy, after all the food is awesome and it’s a small and cozy place so why wouldn’t they, we arrived about 10 minutes before they open and there was already a wait (go figure ~). Not a problem, we were seated the moment they open, and served some nice hot coffee to start the day.
The menu is small, but the items on that list are awesome. I especially love their biscuits and gravy, topped with egg scrambles. Most places offer over easy eggs with their biscuits and gravy, so this was a refreshing change. The orange peels on the side gave a citrus-​y kick to the meal. Two buttery biscuits with rich creamy sausage gravy *yums* Hearty breakfast/​brunch to kick start the day.
One of my friends had the french toast and that was good too. We didn’t order their much rated sandwiches as we are not huge fans of goat cheese, but that is just our personal preferences. The service was good despite them being really busy. We were always offered refills of coffee promptly, and our cups were never once empty. My tummy is happy with the visit and I will definitely be back for more.

Again, my favorite spot in Cambridge hands down!
Their summer risotto right now is DA BOMB. Make sure to get that if you’re going in the next few months!!! This place is so great for vegetarians. Please keep it up guys!

City Girl continues to be one of my go to breakfast/​brunch spots. I’ve noticed that it has gained fans over the years. I suggest coming a bit before 10am if you are hungry and don’t want to wait in line.
The fruit and ricotta plate continues to be a hit — my fav is with strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. I love the goat cheese, onion and bacon sandwich and the il meglio (has asparagus). They have coffee and cocktails. Definitely a cozy place that can be a bit difficult to hear in when filled up, but absolutely worth a stop in.

It’s solid. We had a good brunch. But I don’t think it deserves the five-​star reviews I’ve seen below, and we’re not hurrying back.
We were three, and tried an omelette, the french toast, and the oft-​mentioned goat cheese/​onion/​bacon sandwich. All were nice, and I complement the kitchen on doing roasted potatoes that have some crunch to them. However, none lived up to the hype. I was the sandwich, and I have to say that it needed about double the amount of caramelized onion and some much more aggressive bacon. I could barely taste the stuff. Similarly, our breakfast beverages just were not justified given the price. A mimosa is $ 8. So is a glass of «punch». $ 8 for something where you do zero work means it had better be huge or sing and dance. It did neither.
Atop that, this is a really crowded space. Now look, it’s Cambridge, land is valuable, I get it. But there was not actually room on our table for three peoples’ entrée plates, water glasses, and supplementary beverages. We had to put our water glasses on the windowsill. That’s getting ridiculous and implies that they are trying to pack it in a little too tight.
There’s nothing *wrong*. If I were hungry and standing outside, I’d go in. But with so many brunch options within steps of their door, I’m going to look elsewhere first.

My gf and I came here on a Saturday morning for brunch with two friends at ~10:15 AM. Since the restaurant itself is so small – it only seats 19 guests – we were told by the hostess that there was a 30 minute wait. We were fine with that because Inman square had plenty of shopping to keep myself and three members of the female persuasion occupied for half an hour.
Regarding the food – I think many of us were somewhat disappointed with the food on this particular Saturday. Overall the service was good, but many of the components of our meal seemed lukewarm, not hot. She ordered the Verde and I ordered the Monte Cristo. The eggs in the Verde dish were delicious, but again, seemed rather cool. The sandwich in the Monte Cristo was delicious and decadent – I really liked the powdered sugar on top, for me it added something extra.
Our biggest complaint was in regards to the potato side dish, for whatever reason, it was spiced well, but was cold. Other than timing issues with the food service I enjoyed the meal. I found the restaurant charming and would recommend it with minor reservations for your next brunch date.
One tip: order coffee, you get free refills!