Fabulous, burrito-free Mexican food and other Somerville, MA Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Tu Y Yo

Tu Y Yo has won the Boston magazine award for best Mexican restaurant in the Boston area and it's not hard to see why.

There's none of the usual Tex-Mex food (we like that, too, but this is great for something really different!) Instead, the restaurant offers home-style cooking based on family recipes. It's also exceptionally good value, and they work hard to build customer loyalty, with birthday vouchers and very friendly staff (your waiter might be one of the three owners).

Recently, Tu Y Yo began offering breakfast as well. We've only been once, but it was very fantastic!

Favorite Dish: We've tried quite a few things in several visits, but Bisteces en salsa Borracha and Pollo Chiapas were both especially good. There are others, but the menu changes from time to time, and it's difficult to keep track of so many good things!

The gringas are an excellent appetizer, too!

Oh, and don't forget the sangria!!

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Theme: Mexican
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (617) 623-5411
Address: 858 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144
Directions: Powder House Circle area, near Tufts University
Website: http://www.tuyyomexicanfonda.com/

Restaurant Name: Dali

This is one of our favorite places to eat in the Boston area, one which we've returned to regularly, and place we love to take out-of-town visitors. They serve Spanish tapas, which is probably why it's a hit with everyone we bring: there's literally something for everyone, and there's enough variety in the menu that you have to go pretty frequently to see too much of any one thing (the seasonal special menus are hit or miss from our perspective: sometimes we go for everything, sometimes they don't interest us).

The waiters are always fun here - we seem to get the same one almost every time, and he's a real character - and it's chock full of atmosphere, from the bar surrounded with garlands of peppers to the decadent decor. The place can get a little loud at times - there are often big groups - but that quibble aside, this is one of the most consistently good places around.


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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-661-3254
Address: 415 Washington St, Somerville
Website: www.dalirestaurant.com

Restaurant Name: Redbones

This is the place to go if you're in need of a meat overload: Redbones is for barbecue, especially ribs, and if that?s not your style, they?ll do brisket or chicken, and all of it with traditional Southern side dishes, like yams, fried okra, and mac 'n' cheese. The place is humming most nights ? it?s great with a group, and the service is very rapid even if the numbers are large ? and with good reason: the food is succulent and very carefully seasoned, and they have a decent beer selection (it?s not large, but the quality is high, even if they could do with adding a darker microbrewed beer on tap). Unlike some other places of this style, the portions, though certainly not small, are also kept on the right side of the reasonable/ridiculous line. Beware the corn bread, however: you might be hungry when you sit down, but too much of this and you?ll have no room for the main event!

Favorite Dish: The fried catfish and pulled chicked sandwiches were great: full of tang and cooked so they stayed very moist.

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Theme: Barbecue
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: 55 Chester Street
Directions: Davis Square area, Chester Street is on the right as you head down Elm Street away from Davis Square, and Redbones is on the right
Website: www.redbones.com

Restaurant Name: Gargoyle's on the Square

Although we had lived in the neighborhood for a while, it wasn't until we received a gift certificate from a very generous friend that we made our first visit to Gargoyle's. After our first visit, we assumed we would be back regularly, but it actually took us a few years to get back to Gargoyle's. Now, we swear we are going to become regulars!

The decor is very elegant and the service is exceptional: attentive and informative, while never rushing us. The menu always seems to contain a variety of unfamiliar items resulting in a lot of questions, so friendly service was even more appreciated than normal.

And, perhaps most importantly, the food has really been outstanding upon each visit!

Favorite Dish: The menu changes regularly, so it probably wouldn't be helpful to pick our favorites. Everything we had, from appetizers through desserts, was excellent.

One comment, though, is that some of the ingredients really are quite unusual. Our suggestion would be that if you have questions, you shouldn't hesitate to ask. If we had followed our own advice, we probably wouldn't have had the only dish we weren't wild about!

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Theme: American
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: (617) 776-5300
Address: 215 Elm Street
Directions: Davis Square area, just down Elm St about 150 yards

Restaurant Name: Diesel Cafe

This is a prime Davis Square hangout, popular with students but also the recently-graduated-wannabe-students who pop in on the weekends, perhaps with laptop in hand.

Down the back, there are pool tables and booths, but despite all the emphasis on cool people-watching, Diesel doesn't forget that it's really about the coffee and the cakes, and they serve up very good versions of both.

Favorite Dish: We haven't eaten a full meal here - we've heard it's good - but the cranberry orange scones are truly to die for. They have pretty decent bagels, too.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: less expensive than average

Address: 257 Elm St
Directions: Davis Square area, a few doors down Elm on the left

Restaurant Name: Sound Bites

If you're not familiar with the area and are attempting to find Sound Bites, here's a little tip: the people nearly always waiting outside for a table give its location away. This might be a bit of a turn off if you can't stand waiting in line, but don't be scared off. The tables turn over quickly, the owner keeps the line pretty well entertained, and you are welcome to go inside to the self-serve coffee bar for a 'cuppa joe' while you wait.

The service is fast, the food is delicious, and there is plenty of it! You won't mind the wait once your seated - trust us! In Spring 2007, Sound Bites began to re-decorate the place next door, in anticipation of a planned move into bigger digs, so we're not sure if things will change with the move (there's also a "Sound Bites Grill" across the street, which serves pretty conventional sandwiches and wings, though there are a couple of good Middle Eastern items).

Sounds Bites is open daily for breakfast from 7 am to 3 pm. They serve lunch Monday through Friday, from 11 am to 2:45 pm.


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Theme: Breakfast
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (617) 623-8338
Address: 708 Broadway
Directions: Ball Square area, not far from Powder House Circle

Restaurant Name: JP Licks

We miss the days when this local shop used to be Denise's Homemade Ice Cream, but the recent buyout by JP Licks hasn't been all bad.

The place is still both an ice-cream shop and a popular hangout - for the students who can't get into the bars nearby, and for all manner of eclectic skater/alternative types, as the very diverse noticeboard makes clear.

But we go for the ice-cream, and it's wonderful: a wide variety of flavours, both fruity and calorie-heavy, served in huge portions (bear this in mind when you've eaten a big meal beforehand!).

Favorite Dish: We've only tried a small selection of the flavours, and we have no complaints to date: they all sound great! They also do frappes and frozen yogurt.

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Theme: Ice Cream
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617.628.2764
Address: 4 College Ave. Davis Sq., Somerville
Directions: Davis Square area, one or two doors away from Store 24 convenience store.

Restaurant Name: True Grounds

We walked into this place a right after it opened and became absolutely hooked. The area was crying out for a good coffeehouse, and this has quickly become a favorite. The owners couldn't be more friendly, the decor is gorgeous, there's plenty of light, and the food and drink are some of the best we've come across locally.

It's a real pleasure to be able to recommend a local place that's doing everything right. Of course, the laptop-toting set found this place before you could blink, but we were struck by the local trade, too, and see ourselves being regular pilgrims!

Open Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, from 7:30 am to 7 pm.

Favorite Dish: Whether it's breakfast or lunch, you're in for a treat. Their breakfast sandwiches are fabulous: bagels laden down with eggs and the toppings of your choice. Later in the day, they have a small but excellent selection of sandwiches, all of them with the freshest ingredients. There's always at least one unusual bread choice, too.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (617) 591-9559
Address: 717 Broadway
Directions: Ball Square area: a short walk from Davis Square

Restaurant Name: Out of the Blue

Although they have other menu items, this is a seafood place above all! This theme impacts their pasta and other dishes too: there are clams and shrimps in seemingly everything that doesn't have fish as the main event! The "plain" fish is just as good, though. Out of the Blue keeps it simple, focusing on a few ingredients to complement the fish itself. If the prices seem a little higher than usual, that's a reflection of the quality of the fish and other ingredients.

They moved to Davis Square in 2006 from a less prime-time location and seem to be really benefiting from the relocation. The dining room always appears full, but don't worry, you rarely have to wait long.


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-776-5020
Address: 215 Elm Street, Somerville, MA
Directions: Davis Square
Website: http://www.outofthebluerestaurant.com/

Restaurant Name: Rosebud Diner

This is a true slice of the old diner world, with its metal exterior and its long interior bar. Even the name sounds perfect for a place like this.

The service can be a bit oddball, however, and we've witnessed strife between the wait staff, but against that if you come in the evening, you can sit down and have a microbrew here and order up some comfort food. It's surprisingly quiet later in the evening, perfect for a beer and a chat, but it's jammed on weekend mornings.

Favorite Dish: We've only eaten breakfast here, and the omelets were all you'd expect: tasty, large portions and loads of home fries on the side.

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Theme: Diner
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (617) 666-6015
Address: 381 Summer St, Somerville
Directions: Davis Square area