Josephs Two

Pros: Great food, low prices, inventive specials
Cons: Occasionally inconsistent service

We're regulars to Joseph's Two, and keep coming back because of the fantastic breakfast and lunch fare, combined with a very affordable price.
The restaurant is homely inside, slightly cramped but still comfortable. Plenty of wood furnishings, the use of outdoor lighting indoors, and conservative decor make for a pleasant and relaxed environment.
Parking in the front is tough, as there are only about 8 spots. But across the street is a free parking lot behind the Wendy's and it's never full, so as long as you don't mind waiting for the crosswalk you won't have trouble finding a spot. Don't try and park in McDonalds' lot and go to Joseph's! The jerks from the Golden Arches will have your car towed, even though their lot is never full.
Restrooms are located behind the kitchen, and are maintained well enough to not be scary.
There are some occasional hiccups in service, but normally we have a wonderful experience there. Frankly, it all depends on who your server is. Nearly all the complaints I've heard about the service are all centered around one individual. We had that person actually become visibly upset at us when we said we had a party of 8 once, but then another time that same server recognized us and was friendly.
It's true they're not big fans of credit cards, but only if you try and use more than 2 of them for one table. They're a small business, not a chain, and part of how they're going to keep costs down is by encouraging the use of cash. Since the bill is always small, this is not a problem anyway. However, I wish they would simply say "cash only" and skip the animosity towards people who try and use certain payment methods.
Now on to the awesome: For a breakfast-centric restaurant, the food is exemplary. The portions are very generous, and the ingredients' quality has never disappointed. Be sure to check the whiteboards for daily specials, because they're usually worth checking out.
Items like "The Berkshire Breakfast" (french toast with apple crisp topped over it with standard breakfast side options) make for mouth-watering Sunday treats, while "The Hungryman Breakfast" will top off even the most starving patron with a massive dose of excellent food, at a price that will surprise you with how low it is.
As regulars, we've seen the occasional "batter-y" pancake or slightly over-crispy bacon, but those are very rare occurrences. Generally the cooking is top-notch and will not disappoint.
I highly recommend the restaurant for an awesome local breakfast experience, and you can avoid the "Breakfast Nazis" (as the reviewer C.S. describes) just by using cash, and not trying to fit a huge party (8+) in during the rush times.
We're regulars there for good reason!

Posted 08/23/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

The food here is good, and you get a lot of it. There is little complaint about the food.

That being said the service can only be described as confrontational and even angry. If you have ever seen the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld, you will know what I mean. The worst service I have ever experienced in the United States.

I was in Waltham on business. Two other guys and I had to pay on separate tickets, with credit cards, for our expense reports. Standard business trip stuff. Our server and a cook looking in from the kitchen sneared and shook their heads when we produced credit cards. The third guy in our party eventually had to pay by cash because the server said his card wouldn't work and she didn't want to enter the number into the credit machine.

Don't Support this restaurant.

Posted 02/20/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Joseph's II doesn't look like much from the outside, and doesn't actually look like much from the inside either. But they have some of the best food (at the best prices) of any place. It's the only place I'll recommend to anyone for breakfast - and it's where I make my husband and kids take me every Mother's Day!

Posted 09/13/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?