Trail’s End Cafe

We visited on Saturday night because we heard some great things from a few friends about the new chef and menu. We had been in a few times before and the food was just ok, but decided to give it another shot so we wouldn’t have to wait an hour plus drive into the city. The food was amazing!
I had the scallops which were cooked perfectly. They were served with beet risotto which was out of this world! Just so creative and tasty. My friend got the fish and chips, it was really fresh and delicious. Light and crispy beer battered and served with Old Bay fries and garlicky green beans-​so unique. who’s doing that? I am not sure what the previous reviews about the fish and chips were, but this certainly was not the case with us. I was super impressed with everything I ate here.
The service was as good as the food, we were seated fairly quickly. Our server was friendly, outgoing and knowledgeable about the menu and specials. Seems like everyone here truly cares about what they’re doing and the new chef is a great addition to Concord and especially this restaurant.

We had dinner here, and the food quality was poor. Worst fish and chips I have had in years. The pasta was nothing special. Service was ok, if a bit slow.

Horrible set up. Waited in line 20 min to order a blueberry muffin to go because patrons must place orders at counter before sitting. Food is okay, but should have a separate cashier for quick grabs.

Excellent fresh lunch choices! Giant salads, yummy sandwiches, lots of GF choices… excited to find this hidden gem.

Mako Shark is rare on menus and when it is, it’s rare that it’s cooked properly and ends up being tough. It’s sword-​fishy, but I think even better and these guys nailed it. It was tender with great flavor with the glaze they applied and surrounded by mashed and vegetables. Great Dish! Any restaurant that can make this knows what they’re doing. Never been disappointed here. Nice crafty beers on the menu as well. I think this place is underrated.

Yep… I am always trying new places and here I was at Trails End’s Café getting my coffee and a pastry. I needed coffee anyway so why not try every café in town?
The café was quite empty 10 mins before 10am. I walked up to the counter, got served right away by a friendly staff, got my iced coffee and trail’s end bar and was out of there in 5 mins.
You know, iced coffee is hard to judge — it is either piss weak like Dunkin’s or strong like Starbucks or elsewhere (eg; Haute Coffee) but this one was average and tasted OK.
Trail’s end bar was a chocolatey square with coconut and caramel — it was too sweet for me but some one else might like it a lot.
I would return to try their breakfast menu but for now, I think they are OK.

My go-​to place for breakfast or lunch when my husband’s out of town and I want something yummy to eat and a cozy nook to read in. The café has some nice booths in the back and some high-​top tables with good lighting in the bar area.
I used to default to nearby Helen’s in Concord center but they don’t take credit cards and they stop serving breakfast at 11 sharp. Here I can get breakfast items (eggs, quiche, oatmeal) until 3PM or a tasty assortment of soups, salads, and sandwiches. My favorite: smoked salmon on an everything bagel – herbed cream cheese, capers, perfectly smoked salmon (not too salty), slices of red onion, and an excellent toasted bagel (from Iggy’s in Cambridge). Their creamy oatmeal with sliced strawberries is excellent as well. It comes with a small bowl of fresh fruit salad. The soups have been uniformly good and fresh and sandwiches come with a side of salad greens.
The place does get hellishly crowded at lunchtime so I try to come midmorning (10 or 11AM). I’m withholding that last star because the coffee is awful. I order a pot of tea instead.

On a par with the Side Car and Helens cafés. Nothing extra ordinary on the menu. Muffins taste like they are a box muffin. What make this and the Side Car in West Concord places to dine is the ease of parking. Soups, although, told were home made did not taste like homemade soup.
Not a Garmin keeper.

This place is cute but no substance. We had lunch at the bar and the food was ok, fries are way to greasy and to get a chicken salad you’ll have to wait 40 minutes for it. Service in here is the WORSE! Bar area and tables around it were dirty, they will literally be looking at you wanting to get their attention and will walk away or talk to each other instead. Ownership has some serious issues in here, this is not just a coffee shop anymore. I’ve been there 2 times now, can’t say I’ll return or recommend it to my friends.

Fourth time here and very sad to report that tonight was a complete disaster. The first two times were good, the third okay but severely hampered by noise in the bar area, but tonight was just awful. Made a reservation and arrived early to be told by the host (? High school student drafted into this role at the last moment as an experiment) that he wasn’t sure where to put us (while looking at two empty tables in front of us). Fifteen minutes later we asked them to clear one of those tables for us, which they did, but there was still food on the floor and my seat. Ordered and waited– appetizers were okay– then dinner arrived. Pasta dish was not cooked (the pasta was stiff) and chicken raw in the middle. We ended up sharing the one dish that was cooked. The poor manager was trying to comfort diners at other tables who had been waiting over 1.5 hours for their dinners (we had our whole dinner served and done and they were seated before us). There were angry words from other patrons and she did a great job keeping her cool. The employees were trying really hard and tonight was not their fault– management has to take a look at their operation and decide how to improve things. Fast.
We escaped with a comped meal and a gift certificate, which I’m not sure we will use out of fear. And should probably mention the bathrooms– 2 out of order, one with soap all over the floor (husband almost took a header), and one working. Ugh.

Fresh ingredients and everything has some flair to it. Even a classic meatball sub had a twist and was delicious. It has a modern rustic feel and plenty of space. Good for just a coffee and solid for dinner as well! The only thing is service is a little off, kind of everyone got my every direction.

Good jazz on a Sunday morning. Food has so far been pretty tasty, BUT: if you have young children, better order in the car on your way over.
My kids had to wait for their French toast for more than 55 minutes (you can imagine how relaxing a morning it has been,) they made the wrong omelette for my friend’s wife, they brought my friend and me the wrong sandwich, and they forgot to put the egg on my wife’s egg sandwich.
So overall, don’t come if they are busy unless you love sitting around with four hangry children.

Very charming little place– came here between meetings in Concord. Wifi is not functional, but this place is worth a visit. Great food (fig and Bree sandwich) and drinks– clientele on a weekday lunch were mostly older locals– everyone looked like they came straight out of an Eddie Bauer ad. Drive here from 2 was very scenic. Friendly staff.

The biggest mix– half coffee house, half fine dining. I have had excellent dinner and lunch experiences, and fun snack times up by the coffee bar. The place is split level and can be a little confusing: there is this table by the lower level door, stand there if you want a table. There is a counter at the upper floor for coffee and the likes. Everything is very tasty. Pasta mushroom dish is fantastic. One star off because Hot chocolate is so, so — I prefer molten– and 99% the time service is great.

We ate here for the first time today. Upon ordering at the counter, we were told it would be a 35 – 40 minute wait for our food. Not wanting to go elsewhere, we decided to stay. We ended up waiting 55 minutes instead, which was especially frustrating, as the couple who was behind us in the counter line got their food 15 minutes before we did. Plus, it was pretty late in the day, so not prime brunch time — we ordered at 1:20 and didn’t get served till 2:15.
Food was decent, but the experience was spoiled by waiting almost an hour for reheated quiche and a breakfast sandwich!

Went for brunch on a Sunday. Mobbed, 45 minute wait for food, out of many things. We left.

We were looking for a place to have lunch before walking around Walden Pond and found this sweet spot. They had a nice selection of salads, sandwiches, soups, quiche, and breakfast items. You order at the counter, get a number, and then your food is brought to your table.
I enjoyed the quinoa salad with smoked salmon on top which included mixed greens and goat cheese, though I felt that a dish titled quinoa salad should have had a bit more than a sprinkling of quinoa. They also had a nice selection of special sodas and baked goods. The trail’s end bar was yummy!
All in all a friendly place for those visiting Walden Pond or Concord Center as well as families on their way to soccer matches and casual dates. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

We had a reservation for 8 people at 8:15. Arrived early and had a drink at the bar. The bartender indicated she couldn’t make our requested apple martini (didn’t have anything to make it with). Odd. It was 9 pm and we still didn’t have a table! Finally my husband pulled two tables together and we sat. The waitress was dressed in sloppy sweats and sneakers. Once we ordered, the food arrived 35 min later. No apology. No manager check-​in. The portions were very small given the price. The food was fair. Won’t be back. Disappointed.

I was in Bedford airport, and needed to eat and read my book. There is absolutely nothing nearby, so I drive 15min to this place. Reason for the choice: clean, hot meal, coffee with that pattern of the cream.
Plenty parking places outside, and a gas station nearby. I think there is a seniors community nearby, or there might just have a special event that day. You order at the cashier, they give you a number to put on your desk and they bring food to you. Good thing about this – no tips.
I thought they don’t have any hot meals because the only menu is on the cashier. I believe they have omelet (your choice of ingredient), sandwiches.
My omelet came pretty quickly, but my Mocha certainly took its time. I was already finished my omelet and deadly thirsty. The mocha was awful, so I ordered a hot cider. Besides the cinnamon it’s fine.
There is no signal inside what so ever. They offer wifi. However, I tried 2 hours and couldn’t get connected. As soon as I left the building i was connected.

I was very impressed with the food. Fresh ingredients really make the difference. My absolute favorite was the butternut squash ravioli’s with brown butter sauce. To die for!
The menu has a nice variety of seafood, beef, pork and pasta dishes to suit anyone’s taste. Bar menu and specialty drinks very creative. Desserts fantastic! Very nice wine and beer list. Atmosphere very inviting! Give it a try you will not be disappointed!