Soon after moving back East, we started interviewing breakfast spots and stopped by the Stonebridge Cafe on the Easton/Brockton line a few times. The food was always good. We never had to wait for a table, probably because Stonehill College (RIP Lou) was closed for the summer. The interior was ok, lots of tables, no counter and no booths. There was nothing really overly memorable about the motif.
This winter, we heard that Stonebridge had a fire and had to close. We were hopeful that it would reopen as it was one of the better places in the area. We checked back in here and there and it seemed to take a long time for Stonebridge to reopen. A few months ago, we were driving past and saw that the renovations were complete. We found ourselves in the area a few weeks ago and decided to pop back in.
The first difference that we noticed was that there was actually a line at the door (again, probably due to Stonehill being in session). The second thing we noticed was the nice long counter that is just off the entrance. And the final thing we noticed… booths! I’m not super picky about always needing to sit in a booth, but it’s definitely a preference and a significant upgrade to the cafe. The room was much more up to date and seemed much more lively than the drab feeling it had before, but still had a classic New England feel. I guess the owner was originally just going to update the kitchen, but decided to give the entire cafe a makeover. Well, he made the right decision. The cafe looks fantastic now. From simply a visual standpoint, it’s the best breakfast spot in the area. (click here for pictures)
Kelli ordered a BLT with fries. What she ended up with was a BBLT or a BBBLT. It was bacon overload. For Kelli, an overload of bacon is a good thing. The bacon was cooked well (not always common for the area) and flavorful. It’s the best BLT she’s had since moving back and she’s had quite a few. With Kelli, the first option is typically two sunnyside eggs. The backup plan, depending upon her mood and how close it is to noon, is a BLT. The fries were really good and I even sneaked a few off of her plate without being stabbed by her fork. The pickles were decent, but I can’t vouch for them.
I ordered the veggie skillet, in part because I wanted to compare it to the Cafe on the Common skillet. It didn’t have the girth of the COC skillet, but that might be a good thing. The portion was just filling enough without being too much. The ingredients (potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and cheese) were mixed together very well. It was cheesy goodness. I don’t believe the COC skillet had broccoli, but it was a good touch here. On a head to head basis, this skillet is a bit better than the COC skillet. The coffee was good, but the refills didn’t materialize. Oh well.
One other unique aspect to the Stonebridge is the great conversations you get to overhear. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the pleasure of witnessing trashy undergrads say things like “oh my god, I was soooo drunk on Thursday night, I don’t know how I even got home.” This was one of the reasons that I was happy to move out of Boston. Thankfully, I was able to regain some brain cells by analyzing a conversation a mom was having with three young boys about their first school dance. The nuances of the relationships that can be formed at a grade school dance were completely foreign to me. Apparently, it’s ok to dance with any girl during a normal temp song, but if it’s a slow song and you dance with someone it means that you like like them. The mother didn’t understand the rationalization, but it seemed logical to me.
All in all, the Stonebridge Cafe is a great little restaurant. I’ve always meant to try their lunch options sometime, but have always stuck with breakfast and have never been let down. The new renovations look great and the food is just as enjoyable. The prices are competitive, just don’t expect a lot of refills on the busier days. If you can overlook the collegey aspects of some of the other clientele, you’ll have a great breakfast. We’re fans.
