Trident Cafe

02/13/09

Does not meet the hype!

by Palateers at Citysearch

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

02/23/07

Great Customer Service, Great People, Great Place!

by lucybackbay at Citysearch

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!

• Pros: Relaxing, friendly, good food

02/19/07

Not as good as it used to be

by bugsmeany at Citysearch

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.