Once in a while, everyone deserves to treat themselves. This can range from going shopping, going to the gym, going to the spa, going to see friends, or going out to eat. My way of treating myself is through eating, specifically by getting take-out or going to a restaurant. Luckily for me, I don’t live too far away from one of my favorite restaurants, The Abbey, in Brookline. This restaurant serves some of the best comfort food in all of Brookline, in my personal opinion. The Abbey is a restaurant and bar that serves American cuisine, located in the heart of Washington Square street. This place is constantly packed with people, whether it is time for lunch or dinner. This place is open 7 days a week, from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
There are a few reasons why I love The Abbey, the first and the most important one being their food. Every single time I’ve been to this place, I have never left dissatisfied with my food, and I think I could say the same for my family as well. The amount of food that they provide on the plate is perfect, more than generous. It always leaves me full and satisfied. My favorite order from The Abbey would have to be their burger. In my opinion, it’s the perfect burger. It’s juicy, cooked to the preference of the customer. It is then topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and the customer’s choice of cheese: cheddar, swiss, or blue cheese, put in a soft brioche bun. It is paired with either a side salad or some hand-cut fries, which may I say, is to die for. Another great dish that The Abbey is known for is its Bison Bolognese, my sisters’ go-to order. It is fresh linguine topped with pecorino cheese and balsamic vinegar. Just a whiff of that dish will have you drooling.
Furthermore, the staff at The Abbey are great! I don’t know about you guys, but another major thing that I pay attention to when going to a restaurant or anywhere, in general, is the treatment of the staff. The kinder the staff are, in my opinion, the better the experience will be, and the more likely it is that I’ll return. Out of all of the times that I’ve been to the Abbey, the staff has always been kind, and sociable; making sure that everything is up to par for their customers, and that they do not need anything else.
Another thing I like about The Abbey has been their response to COVID 19. Ever since the rise of COVID-19, The Abbey has been one of the quickest restaurants to respond to these changes in a timely yet effective manner. They started with only offering curbside pickup, where the customers would call in their order beforehand. You would then set a time to come pick up the order and then go to the restaurant where you would wait in the designated area outside for your order. Then as the Massachusetts rules became more lenient, The Abbey adjusted their protocols. Before the pandemic, The Abbey did not have any options regarding outdoor seating. Yet after the pandemic, the restaurant has extended an outdoor sidewalk patio, giving its customers the option of either sitting indoors or outdoors.
Last but certainly not least, I enjoy The Abbey for their decent prices. The prices here are reasonable, they are not exactly on the cheap end, but if you want to indulge a little, without wasting too much money, this could be the place for you.
I would say that my pros of the restaurant outweigh the cons, however, I thought I should include some things I do not like about The Abbey.
The first thing I wanted to mention was their changing menu. They seem to change out their dishes or discontinue them more often than most restaurants. For example, they had discontinued my favorite appetizer. Honestly, this is the only thing that upsets me about the restaurant. Before the pandemic, the restaurant had to die for fried Halloumi sticks, paired with an amazing sweet sauce. It was one of the main things that my sisters and I looked forward to when going to The Abbey. But for some strange reason, without even a warning, the halloumi sticks were discontinued!
Then one other thing I believe should be noted is the size of the restaurant. Even though the restaurant did expand its outdoor seating, it remains crowded. For a place that is always packed, this restaurant is considered to be quite small, at least in my opinion. I think they could use an expansion in the future, to be able to seat more customers. In the meantime, I suggest you go there when it is not as crowded, for example around noon time.
If you’re ever in the area, I suggest you try this place out for yourself, and I’ll let you guys be the judge of what is mentioned.