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Trident Booksellers & Cafe

338 Newbury St, Boston, MA | Map it  

02115 42.348400 -71.086601

(617) 267-8688 | View Website

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Features

Neighborhoods:
Back Bay, Back Bay West
Price:
$
Categories:
Diners, Bookstores, Restaurants
Cuisine:
Vegetarian

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Restaurant Special Features:
Cheap Eats, Lunch Spot, Brunch, Quiet, View Dining
Payment Methods:
MasterCard, Discover, Visa, American Express

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Review Highlights

ambiance
88%
“I've kicked back here a few times with friends, and while the conversation and atmosphere were nice, the food/drink was a bit pricey for the.”
dessert
100%
“(I miss Boston, in general) I miss the wonderful selection and the knowledgeable staff and the hot white chocolate on.”
drinks
66%
“I've kicked back here a few times with friends, and while the conversation and atmosphere were nice, the food/drink was a bit pricey for the.”
food quality
79%
“My friend's burrito was flavorful and filling too.”
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menu variety
100%
“The sandwiches and salads are delicious, there is a good selection of teas to choose from and the atmosphere is cozy, as the cafe is located.”
overall
100%
“The Trident Bookstore on Newbury Street is a great place to eat and buy books and magazines.”
return potential
100%
“Regardless, Id like to go back more often and try out some other items on the menu.”
service
100%
“The waitstaff was very friendly, very cool, very competent.”
value
66%
“I've kicked back here a few times with friends, and while the conversation and atmosphere were nice, the food/drink was a bit pricey for the.”
wait time
100%
“We love the long bar and tall stools, which are perfect for surfing the internet (which is free!” View Less

Reviews for Trident Booksellers & Cafe

Alex Rosenzweig

Member since Sep, 2009 View Profile
32Reviews
0Photos
Joined 3 years ago
3.0
April 22, 2010

A quick bite and a read. This was a recent stop to pick through the periodicals and check out some new books. Located right on Newbury st, towards the mass ave end, Trident is one of several informal food joints on the street. A friend and I walked in and got one of the tables for 2 adjacent to the counter bar. The waitress came by promptly and and was ready to take our order. We werent ready for a full meal, and opted for drinks and some sweet potato fries. The serving was more than ample for 2 and the Mango Iced tea was good, but tasted a bit chemical, perhaps the result of the water or the flavor additive to the tea. Regardless, Id like to go back more often and try out some other items on the menu.

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Palateers

Member since Jan, 2009 View Profile
5Reviews
0Photos
Joined 3 years ago
2.0
February 13, 2009

Does not meet the hype!. Trident has a lot of positive things going for it, yet it is one the biggest food disappointments we have ever encountered. We loved the idea of the bookstore/cafe. Isn?t that the dream of every Palateer? Sipping your coffee while reading travel books about Honduras? How idyllic and very attainable because if your ambitions for Trident are simply to sit around and peruse a book while nursing a cup of tea for several hours, then we agree you are in the right place. But keep your expectations low if you ever order the food.

First the good: Trident is all about the atmosphere. We love the long bar and tall stools, which are perfect for surfing the internet (which is free!!!), chatting with strangers or reading the newspaper.Anyone could get lost meandering around the book shelves perusing the eclectic selection of literature or watching a silent film of Charlie Chaplin on the two widescreens.

Now the bad:The Palateers have ordered food from Trident on numerous occasions, always with the sincere hope that the food will live up to the exorbitant prices and tantalizing menu descriptions. However, every hope for a delicious meal has been revolted like sour milk on an empty stomach. Ok, the food isn?t horrible. It is edible, but it doesn?t deserve the high prices.Also, couldn?t servings be a little bit larger? For a $9 waffle, we expected more than a single waffle with a few chopped strawberries. It was disappointing that the $10 omelet completely lacked flavor.The $11 Veggie burger was mediocre and how much would it take to add fries at no cost or maybe a side salad? The same complaints were had across the menu. Such high prices warrant finer quality food and larger portions.

Trident has the potential in our minds to be one of the best establishments on the block, it is the end game that needs a rehab.This is a Palateer call to action to get your food menu under control, Trident. Google "Palateers" additional reviews

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Gerrish Lopez

Member since May, 2007 View Profile
121Reviews
0Photos
Joined 5 years ago
February 22, 2008

Fiercely independent bookstore and cafe has provided a second home to area artists and academics since 1984.. The Back Bay's leading alternative bookstore doubles as a welcoming cafe, much to the delight of its loyal patrons, and is one of the few fixtures on Newbury that's still humming at midnight. For many, the Trident serves as a neighborhood hangout, and with free wireless Internet access, the cafe provides a relaxing spot to get some work done. No one looks askance if customers bring books they're merely browsing to the cafe, pondering pages to purchase over a bite to eat. The cafe features an espresso bar and serves from a lengthy menu of comfort fare, including all-day breakfast and lots of vegetarian options.

Photo by Christine Liu

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lucybackbay

Member since Feb, 2007 View Profile
2Reviews
0Photos
Joined 5 years ago
5.0
February 23, 2007

Great Customer Service, Great People, Great Place!. I recently moved to the neighborhood and discovered Trident Cafe almost by accident one day. The staff made me feel so welcome, the service was fantastic, the food was really good and reasonably priced. Great place to go alone, with your honey, with your pals or with your kids!

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bugsmeany

Member since Feb, 2007 View Profile
1Review
0Photos
Joined 5 years ago
3.0
February 19, 2007

Not as good as it used to be. This place used to be great, around 2002-2004. The waitstaff was very friendly, very cool, very competent. The clientele was well-mannered, the place was quiet and clean, it was a great place to go to lay out your books, do a bit of studying or leisure reading, and maybe strike up a chat with the person next to you at the counter. A great little secret.

But now it's just like an independent Starbucks. On Saturdays it fills up with the vacuous shopping-on-Newbury crowd (Ugg boots, big sunglasses, etc.), half of whom are there just to use the bathrooms, and it's impossible to get a counter seat until around 5:00. Not sure why it got so popular, since the food is as unimpressive and overpriced as it used to be in the good old days. Of course it's much less clean now. If it's at all busy, it's impossible to get the waitstaff's attention.

That said, some of the food is pretty good, like the sweet potato fries or the pumpkin brie ravioli.

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