Cafeteria Boston: Lobster Mac and Cheese

While walking down Newbury Street, I was hungry and seeking some place to get a quick bite to eat. I noticed Cafeteria Boston and as I had not been there before, and the menu intrigued me, I thought I would check it out.

It is not really a cafeteria setting. It has a modern look with numerous high top tables as well as more usual tables. It presents a comfortable ambiance and does not resemble any traditional Italian restaurant decor. The menu has Italian-American cuisine and for lunch you can find pizza, sandwiches, salads, pasta, entrees, and appetizers. It is a bit pricey, though they also use some higher end ingredients such as Kobe and lobster. Almost all of the choices cost between $10-$20.

I started with an appetizer, the Lobster Mac and Cheese ($13). The menu states it has orzo, Maine lobster, Panko top, and brandy syrup. I received an appetizer portion, though a decent size for such, but it actually contained elbow macaroni rather than orzo. I think it worked well with the elbows, maybe better than it would have with the orzo though their menu should have been more accurate. There was more than two claws of lobster meat in the dish, albeit small claws, but still plenty of lobster. The dish was quite tasty, with nice cheese flavors and it was not soupy at all. Plus, I loved the panko topping, so much better than regular bread crumbs. Overall, I enjoyed this dish and would order it again. On a cold November day, it was a perfect choice of comfort food.

I then chose their special, Open Faced Short Rib Sandwich with sweet potato fries ($14). The sandwich was topped with some type of slaw-like mound, which I pushed to the side. there were about three small pieces of short rib on each thick triangle of bread. They were ok but were not memorable and nothing I would order again. The Beehive's Short Rib & Fontina Cheese sandwich has certainly spoiled me for short rib sandwiches. The fries though were excellent, thicker than many other such fries and with a delicious taste. Those I would order again.

Service was excellent. For example, I had ordered iced tea and my server continually brought me a new glass whenever mine was empty, and I never needed to ask for a refill. I will return here to check out some of the other menu items. It is a bit pricey and in these tough economic times, this is not the place for a value meal. But, if you can splurge a little, then maybe you would like to check it out.

Cafeteria Boston
279 Newbury Street
Boston MA
Phone: 617-536-CAFE