Plates Cafe

I’ve been eating from Plates for the past 3 years since I work very, very nearby. My company often caters from them, but I also go in on my own and buy lunch. They do Mediterranean best. I pretty much always stick to the specials. The sweet potato salad is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Yes, I’ve gotten some wilted lettuce in my salad and yes the man at the counter isn’t the best at customer service. But it’s a local family-​owned business that provides fresh food at a decent price. I continue to be a fan!

If only Unilocal allowed zero stars.
I worked in the building where Plates is located for 7 years. After 4 years of occasional ordering– I quit Plates. (But still had frequent opportunities to consume their inconsistent (in a consistently awful way) fare. The service was always slow, food often not fresh (so many inedible salads), and the old man at the counter is rude — silly rude. I learned a few ‘safe foods’ over the years — soup that came from Restaurant Depot– for example, but was always really irked at the register because they charge you a different price for the same item– basically every time.
Sometimes I miss working on Wells Ave.- but I never miss plates.

1) Be prepared to sit around too many mom’s with their babies around them. Lot’s of crying will ensue. Both from babies, and from you not being able to eat in peace. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike babies but I do dislike when 10 mom’s come in with their strollers and don’t care about their children screaming.
2) Their cooks are notorious for messing food up. On three separate occasions they messed up my food and gave me something I didn’t ask for.
Idk what else to say. This area of Newton sucks cos it’s in middle of nowhere (surrounded by a bunch of different companies) so don’t expect to enjoy this place unless you got nowhere else to go. You’re better off bringing food with you.

Overall Plates is a decent place. I am a student at Mount Ida as a commuter and this place is so so close. I discovered Plates last semester, and every single Tuesday and Thursday of this past semester, between 9:15−11 I have ate breakfast at plates. The food is pretty decent and I like how it’s quiet at the time I go so I can read/​study inbetween class.
Probably my biggest complaint about this place is the older gentlemen who works the counter and how he never once has gotten my order right in the countless times I’ve been there. 90% of the times I’ve ever went to Plates he’s been at the counter, I’ve ordered the EXACT same thing, every single time, and he still can’t get it right. He makes the same mistakes every time and it feels like Deja Vu. I start off walking up and saying, «Can I have a feta and spinach omelette» and he goes «what?» and I’ll repeat 1 – 2 more times. Then he’ll say for here or to go and I’ll say, «For here». And «can I also have a coffee?». He asks what size and I say a mug (the have mugs if you drink coffee there). Obviously I’m getting a mug if I’m eating here… so, 70% of the time I’ve gotten my food from the pickup window it’s been in a to go container. 50% of the time there is no spinach, 50% of the time there is no feta. I’m not saying I would like Royal Service because I go there so much, but you would think that the guy would realize my order and at least get it right once in a while which is extremely aggravating.
Overall Plates is a decent and clean breakfast spot. I have never gotten lunch besides their salads (which aren’t bad). I rate Plates a ³⁄₅ because of their lack of intelligence of their staff. Regardless, I enjoyed going there for breakfast and was happy I discovered this location.

I’ve being going to Plates for 4 years. I think they’re food ok. Nothing too outstanding but good enough to get when I’m stuck on Wells Ave for lunch.
Two things they could improve:
1)breakfast plates, the eggs are always gross. Home fries ok.
2) service, the older man at the register is a bit snappy and rude

I had the clam chowder soup, which was good but overpriced. The man watched me carefully pour my own soup, charged me over the $ 4.50 price of soup at $ 5.89. Then got mad at me for grabbing «too many» oyster crackers. He told me to put them back instead of saying that’ll be 10cents more. Not the best salesman on his part but I enjoyed the soup.

We order from Plates at my office fairly regularly for lunch meetings and I’ve never had much to complain about. Their food is consistently OK — not amazing, not crappy cafeteria food… just somewhere in between. The women that deliver the food are so friendly and nice, which is a nice perk.
However, the few times I’ve actually gone to the building to dine-​in, it has been very poor. The staff has never gotten an order right for me, for one, and the place looks like a 1970s diner (and not in a good way). Just today I tried to go in to get breakfast at 7:40 this morning (they open at 7:30) and the doors were locked. The employees were standing behind the counter, and one of the cooks looked at me from the kitchen, but they didn’t open the door.
The rudeness of the staff at the actual restaurant (who aren’t the same as the friendly ladies that deliver to our office) really knocked this down from 3 stars to 2 stars for me. I hereby plan on never ever going to the restaurant itself again, to spare me the bad service, bad quality, and rude staff.

It’s a good thing that Plates makes a decent product because they consistenly get my order wrong along with my co-​workers. Whether we order over the phone or we go into the small cafeteria-​style restaurant, we either end up with the wrong food entirely or something is missing from the order. They have also been negligent when it comes to my food allergies – albeit a bit strange, but nonetheless neglected.
The service is sub-​par with grumpy servers at the front of the restaurant and kitchen staff who do not speak english let alone know how to clearly read it to make orders correctly. Recently, my order was made completely wrong, and I called the restaurant for a refund and was refused. The grumpy proprietor – a man in his mid to late 60s – told me to just come back and they would remake my food. I explained that my office was not in the same building as Plates and really just wanted my money back. He let me know that he could not reverse the credit card transaction and if I came right over he would give me the cash back. I did ask him if I could have a credit at the restaurant for a future order.
My co-​worker and I, who every Friday order breakfast from Plates, ordered this morning because of the credit. Not only was this gentleman nasty to my coworker he did not want to honor the credit that had been promised the day before. The order was also wrong! My coworker ordered an omlette with cheese veggies and toast – the omelette did not have cheese and they forgot the toast!
I understand their prices are reasonable and usually the food is decent but unless something changes I am not sure that I am running to go back to Plates – especially where it was a weekly breakfast and lunch spot.

The other day I was at my internship and someone asked me if I wanted to go to «Plates». I had no idea what the heck that was, but I was hungry so I said sure. We arrived to Plates at lunchtime and I was surprised to see it was in an office building. Seeing this didn’t set my sights high, but I was hungry so I figured why not…
I ordered the roast beef sandwich. It had some sort of blue cheese sauce, amazing bread and caramelized onions. I died and went to heaven and have been dreaming about this sandwich ever since. I can’t wait to go back and try more!

Tucked away in an office building in a corporate park, most people probably don’t know this place exists. It’s a cozy and clean lunch joint that serves sandwiches, salads, and soups. No frills, just good comfort food.
I had the True Bleu Panini, which is a toasted roast beef sandwich with blue cheese and caramelized onions, with a side of Lay’s. Delicious, satisfying, and surprisingly filling. As a side note, the leftovers makes a delicious mid-​day snack.
The only downside is that service is kind of slow, especially since there weren’t many customers when I was there.

Tried the bean and rice burrito today. was pleased. service was decent. Prices low for a restaurant but on the higher side of workplace cafes. Good variety. will try again

Plates is small café located in the 1 Wells Ave building. This building houses one of the finest software companies in all the land as well as some real estate companies. When the employees of 1 Wells Ave or any of the offices in the Wells Ave business park are hungry and are in a real crunch for time, Plate café is there to save the day. With pretty quick service, you have time to sit and enjoy the ambiance (no windows) in the café or as I like to do, bring it back to my desk and eat next to the warm glow of my monitor.
With a variety of three soups daily, as well as some prepared food options including salads and sandwiches, they make it very easy to grab and go if you’re really pressed for time. Speaking of pressed, they make a decent Panini as well as regular cold cut sandwiches. The menu is usually supplemented with a specials board with some great items showing up from time to time. While the managers/​owners run a somewhat disjointed shop (I’ve been charged three different prices for the same wrap over the past 3 years), the chefs here are the reason to come. They make your food to order, quickly and efficiently.
While most of their sandwiches range between 6 – 8 dollars. Depending on what your order, I think the price is a little high for the quality of food you receive; however, you’re paying for convenience to some degree.
All in All I think Plates is a solid option for lunch on the Newton/​Needham border. Keep in mind; it’s always best to take it to go and eat it outside if the weathers nice.

Basic breakdown: Ok food, SUPER slow service.
I work in the area and it is convenient for a quick lunch. Quick meaning I can run around the corner, not that you will get your food fast.
The ingerediants are fresh and they change the menu but it is the same rotation and the same ingrediants. For example, they will feauture arugula in all of their specialties one day. They tend to have the same specials each week and there is something always missing from their featured dishes. I’m not quite sure what it is but its always a bit off.
This place has potential due to the location but they could greatly improve by adding a few more cooks during the lunchtime rush… be prepared to wait atleast 10 minutes for a grilled sandwich, 5 for a cold sandwich. I once waited 20 minutes for a veggie burger, no joke.
Overall, its okay in a pinch but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come.

If you work along the number 6 shaped Wells Ave road then you know about this place. This place used to be very good back in the day but since a change of management/​ownership has made this place a horrible place to go to.
This place is renowned for rude service from some gentleman, mismanagement of cash handling, and sub-​par sandwiches.
I was short changed not just once but 4 times. I was either short by $ 1 or was given $ 1 too much. The sandwiches does not meet my expectations since the bread or meat is too dry and there’s the questionable smelly black lettuce.
People go here because they are too lazy to leave Wells Ave and the convenience factor for those who work in the area. It get two stars because it’s convenient but not delicious.

You would really only know about this place if you worked in the Wells Ave. office park area, but it’s really tasty and definitely open to the public. It’s on the first floor of an office building, but the food is fresh and the paninis are always made to order. Try the chicken salad one or the portobello mushroom. Fantastic. Sometimes they also have homemade chips you can get instead of bagged Lays or coleslaw. Delicious! It’s nice to walk to a sandwich place instead of having to drive, which is what you’ve gotta do if you want to eat anything else.
Hours: Mon — Fri 7:30 — 3:00