The 10 best restaurants in Waltham, MA
Waltham’s restaurants spread well past the storefronts of Moody Street. This list covers ten places to eat inside the city of Waltham, from the Moody Street strip south of the Charles River to Main Street, the Watch Factory on Crescent Street and the office parks along Route 128. It is written for residents, students and their visiting families, and anyone working nearby who needs a dinner plan.
The picks lean toward locally run restaurants with long track records or steady coverage in the Boston food press. Prices range widely. A large cheese pizza costs $12 on Wednesdays at one entry, tacos run about $9 each at another, and main courses at the most formal dining room reach about $40.
How we chose
The list is alphabetical, not ranked. Each restaurant is inside Waltham, was confirmed open in November 2026 through the restaurant’s website, a current reservation listing or both, and was chosen for longevity, local press coverage and a menu with published prices. Independent and family-run places were favored over national chains.
Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.
Bistro 781
Moody Street’s tavern-style option is Bistro 781, a long-bar room at number 336 that the restaurant describes as American classics with craft beer. Dinner runs from $17 tacos, birria and shrimp among them, to braised short ribs at $37 and a 10-ounce bistro steak at $39. Brunch has a separate menu with short rib hash at $25, banana bread French toast at $21 and a cinnamon bun skillet at $14. Separate vegan and kids’ menus are posted online, which helps a mixed table. Takeout ordering runs through the restaurant’s website.
Hours: Check current hours before you go.
Address: 336 Moody Street, Waltham, MA
Why they made the list
- The dinner menu lists skillet paella at $38 and pasta Bolognese at $29.
- Brunch sandwiches and burgers run about $16 to $23, with the Bistro cheeseburger at $22.
- A vegan menu and kids’ brunch and dinner menus are published alongside the main menus.
Brelundi
Sicilian cooking is the focus at Brelundi, a sit-down restaurant inside the Watch Factory complex on Crescent Street that opened in 2015, according to the restaurant. Start with the arancini flight, three mini rice balls filled with beef, ham and spinach for $12, then move to meat lasagna at $24 or pappardelle Bolognese at $27. Pizzas run $14 to $16. Boston magazine reported in 2015 that developer Michael Colomba built the menu around the food of his native Sicily. The dining room is closed Monday and Tuesday, and tables can be booked on Resy or by phone.
Hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Address: 185 Crescent Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Why they made the list
- Seafood plates include linguine con vongole at $30 and linguine pescatora at $38.
- The company also runs restaurants in Tewksbury and Plymouth, per the Brelundi website.
- Slow-cooked short rib, at $40, is the highest-priced entree on the Waltham menu.
See the full directory listing
Brewers Tap & Table
Craft beer drives the menu at Brewers Tap & Table, a casual American restaurant at 256 Moody Street with rotating taps of locally sourced beer, plus wine and cocktails. The kitchen cooks modern pub food; the restaurant’s own photos show a fried chicken sandwich, gnocchi, salmon and a breakfast flatbread. Weekend service starts at 11 a.m. for brunch, and OpenTable’s listing mentions acoustic music on Wednesdays and a seasonal patio. Food prices already include a 5 percent culinary fee, the website says. Monday and Tuesday are reserved for private events.
Hours: Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Address: 256 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Why they made the list
- The kitchen stays open until 15 minutes before closing each night.
- OpenTable describes the tap list as drawn largely from East Coast breweries.
- Reservations are available through OpenTable.
The Chateau
Family ownership is the selling point at The Chateau on School Street, which the Nocera family has owned and run since 1933, by the restaurant’s account. The menu is Italian American: pizza, pasta, chicken Parmesan and chicken with broccoli and penne. Wednesday is the value night, when a large cheese pizza costs $12 for dine-in or carryout and extra toppings are $2 each. Happy hour, Monday through Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m., has full-size appetizers and individual cheese pizzas starting at $7.99. The bar stays open 30 minutes later than the dining room.
Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 4 to 8:30 p.m.
Address: 195 School Street, Waltham, MA 02451
Why they made the list
- Early dinner specials run Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 4 p.m.
- A burger special is available Monday through Saturday until 5 p.m.
- Cocktail and beer specials run alongside the happy hour food prices.
See the full directory listing
Deep Ellum
Allston’s loss became Waltham’s beer bar when Deep Ellum moved west. The original bar closed in 2020 after 13 years, and cofounder Max Toste and partners reopened at 467 Moody Street on March 17, 2023, in the former home of The Gaff, Boston magazine reported. That report counted 14 rotating draft lines leaning toward classic European styles, with cask ale when available, in a room of about 40 seats. Order the truffle Gorgonzola fries, an Oklahoma-style onion smash burger or a meat and cheese board. The room is small, so a table is easier to get early in the evening.
Hours: Check current hours before you go.
Address: 467 Moody Street, Waltham, MA
Why they made the list
- Bratwurst on the opening menu came from Karl’s Sausage Kitchen in Peabody, according to Boston magazine.
- The opening menu added porcini mushroom poutine and a lentil mushroom burger.
- Cocktails lean classic, and the opening list included low-alcohol and nonalcoholic drinks.
Gustazo Cuban Kitchen & Bar
Cuban food is the specialty at Gustazo, a restaurant and bar at 240 Moody Street with a second location in Cambridge. The name means great pleasure, the restaurant says, and the dining room mixes Spanish colonial details with 1950s touches and Cuban modern art. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday, and brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with the last seating at 2:30 p.m. Park in the municipal lot behind the building, which is free on Sundays. Menus are posted on the Gustazo website.
Hours: Dinner Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Brunch Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Address: 240 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Why they made the list
- Last dinner seating is 15 minutes before closing, at 8:45 p.m. on weeknights and Sunday and 9:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
- The restaurant’s photos show ceviche, shrimp, a pork chop and fish stew.
- No Monday hours are posted.
Il Capriccio
For a formal dinner, Il Capriccio on Main Street is Waltham’s long-running Northern Italian dining room, in business for more than 40 years according to the OpenTable listing, which names Nate Allen as executive chef. The menu changes often. A version posted on OpenTable in August 2023 listed porcini souffle at $17, veal scaloppine with fontina and prosciutto at $40 and grilled lamb chops at $42, with pastas sold in small or large portions. The restaurant highlights Italian wine and grappa lists, and the lounge and bar serve the full menu. Dinner only, and closed Sunday.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m.; closed Sunday.
Address: 704 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451
Why they made the list
- Diners were still posting OpenTable reviews in October 2026.
- The 2023 menu included a shrimp and scallop lasagna in lobster cream sauce.
- Reservations are taken through OpenTable.
Jake n Joes Sports Grille
Televised games are the backdrop at Jake n Joes, a sports grille on Market Place Drive with many HDTVs and one of five Massachusetts locations, with the others in Norwood, Foxboro, Woburn and Braintree. The draw is the deal calendar: half-price wings on Monday, $4 off tacos on Tuesday, $4 off smashburgers on Wednesday, $4 off bar pizzas on Thursday and $4 off pasta picks on Friday. Daily deals are dine-in only and require a beverage purchase. Appetizers are half price on weekdays from 2 to 5 p.m. and every night from 9 p.m. to close.
Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight.
Address: 70 Market Place Drive, Waltham, MA 02451
Why they made the list
- The kitchen closes 30 minutes before the bar every night.
- Weekday lunch pricing runs until 3 p.m.
- Daily deals are not available to groups of 12 or more.
See the full directory listing
The Painted Burro
Lunch through late dinner, The Painted Burro on Third Avenue runs as a Mexican kitchen and tequila bar. Chef Joe Cassinelli’s menu draws on Latin American cooking. Guacamole is $14.50, tacos are priced individually from $8.50 for pork carnitas to $9.50 for a short rib double stack, and enchilada plates cost $27 to $28. The house margarita is $14.50. Weekend brunch runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a bottomless option at $18 a person, drinks, sides and desserts not included. Weekday happy hour, 2 to 5 p.m., has half-price appetizers.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Address: 99 Third Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451
Why they made the list
- Between 3 and 4 p.m. on weekends, a limited food menu and the full bar are available.
- Flavored margaritas such as cucumber and blood orange cost $15.50.
- Birria, Baja-style fish and sirloin steak tacos are $9 each.
See the full directory listing
Tempo
Seafood takes up half the mains list at Tempo, an American bistro at 474 Moody Street. Damariscotta River oysters are $3 each with a six-oyster minimum, cashew-crusted Icelandic haddock and swordfish piccata are $32, and a bone-in New York strip rubbed with coffee and mesquite is $39. Small plates such as bang bang shrimp and truffled mushroom flatbread run $14 to $18. Behind the dining room, the BakBar has live music every Friday and Saturday and takes private events. Book through OpenTable; a split plate costs an extra $5.
Hours: Check current hours before you go.
Address: 474 Moody Street, Waltham, MA
Why they made the list
- Fried-to-order beignets and Nutella creme brulee are $12 each on the dessert menu.
- A kids’ menu starts at $8 for pasta with butter or marinara.
- Butternut squash risotto with burrata, at $26, is the meatless main course.
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